All The Hate (updated)

UPDATE: I'm leaving the original block-of-angry (which, just for perspective, was typed out on a phone while I waited to smother my angst in cheeseburger and beer) up after the jump for posterity/integrity's sake, but I think I should clarify a few things:

1. I see people are hitting up the Tip Jar. While I deeply, deeply appreciate that - I want to be crystal-clear that I didn't put this up looking for sympathy/charity in that regard. Those who chose to do so, thank you very, very much... but I don't rage-post actively seeking that.

2. The screening I missed was not for a movie I wanted to see... well, okay, to be fair I do want to see it, but that's not why missing it twice made my shit list. It's a movie I have to see to review it for the show, and missing these two opportunities puts my ability to do my job in this instance in a certain amount of jeopardy. Movie critics don't get to choose when they see movies - studio publicists contact us with a place/date where pre-screenings will be held, we have to show up, and if for whatever reason we are prevented from getting there 9 times out of 10 the critic is out of luck. Fortunately, in this case these will be at least one more opportunity (it's a big movie, no it isn't Batman) but if that weren't the case I would be looking at being unable to fulfill a professional obligation to my employer because of two consecutive traffic issues.


I am not someone who believes in either karma or any other kind of universal balance. The universe is not balanced. The universe runs on random, heartless chance through which Natural Selection occurs. Times like these, however, make me want to reconsider that belief (or lack thereof.) Here's what my last two days have been: FINALLY put a deposit on my first solo apartment after months of awful real-estate shopping. Good thing. Then, to "balance" it out? Boston traffic caused me to miss a screening. Next day: computer (the one on which ALL my work is done) decides to freak out - either a virus, software failure, burned-out board or all three. Repair bill on that? Don't ask - more than I want to be spending in the midst of trying to put a move together. After that, a second chance at the film (no I can't tell you which one) I missed at a screening an HOUR away out in the fucking sticks... which I have now managed to miss AGAIN because everyone and their mistress is trying to get into or out of Boston tonight and 93 was bumper-to-bumper all the way to fucking Dedham. So, yeah. This shit, on top of all the other rotten shit to deal with already? Fuck this universe. And if there IS some higher intelligence "in charge" of all this? Fuck IT; too.