Keith B. Darrell's Blog, page 52

The Spin Starts Here

PayPal has finally responded to criticism of its censorshipthreats. Anuj Nayar, director of communications at PayPal, was in full spincontrol on the PayPal blog. "There's been some chatter about PayPal's decision tonot allow the sale of certain "erotica" content using our service," Nayarsays. Chatter? More like outrage. Don't you love it when spinmeisters attemptto minimize their critics?

He continues: "Here are the facts... PayPal is a strongand consistent supporter of openness on the...

You Can't Say That!

What is censorship? Many people insist only government canbe a censor. Joe Konrath wrote an entire blog  about how PayPal's threats to cut off publishers and book sellers unless theyceased selling certain books was not censorship because PayPal was a business,not a government. Say it ain't so, Joe! With apologies, Mr. Konrath, you'rewrong.

(Waiting for a thunderbolt to strike for having the audacityto offend The Pompous One).
Since I'm still standing, unscathed, let me grab adictionary.&nbsp...

A Werewolf Raped His Teenage Sister...

You can't read this.

Sorry, you'll have to leave now. Go away. You don't have permission from PayPal to read my blog today.

PayPal has set itself up as the arbiter of what you and I should be reading. Or, more specifically, not reading. PayPal warned several online publishers and booksellers, including Smashwords, it would "limit" their PayPal account unless they removed e-books "containing themes of rape, incest, bestiality and underage subjects" from their Web sites.

What PayPal is doing...

The Top TV Dramas You've Never Seen

There you have it. We've wrapped up the month of February,celebrating The Top TV Dramas You've Never Seen. Of course, the choices wereall based on my opinion, so you may not agree, but hey, it's my blog, lol. Ihope I've steered you toward some dramas you will seek out and enjoy, and thatyou'll click on the ancillary links at the bottom of each post to view the filmclips, visit the associated Web sites, and even purchase the DVDs or watch theshows on YouTube.
In case you missed it, here's the...

I, Claudius

(This post is partof a series on the 14 Top TV Dramas You've Never Seen)
For four weeks, we've counted down The Top TV DramasYou've Never Seen. Now we've reached Number 1: I, Claudius. A truemasterpiece, from the scripting to the acting. If you are not a fan ofhistorical dramas, it might take you a few moments to get used to the fact all the characters wear togas and many have Latin names that trip over your tongue.But the story of the Roman Empire is an intriguing one and the performances...

Secret Army

(This post is partof a series on the 14 Top TV Dramas You've Never Seen)
We've reached the penultimate show in The Top TV DramasYou've Never Seen. Number 2 is Secret Army. I've just rewatched theentire series (43 hour-long episodes) and its sequel, Kessler (6hour-long episodes) and found it as riveting as when I first saw it 30 yearsago. It is quite possibly the finest dramatic series ever filmed and I wouldhave chosen it for first place, had it not been for its rather slow start inthe first...

Poldark

(This post is partof a series on the 14 Top TV Dramas You've Never Seen)
Now we come to my all-time favorites as we count down TheTop TV Dramas You've Never Seen. Number 3 is Poldark. Set in 18thcentury Cornwall, England against a backdrop of copper mining, famine, and riot,Poldark begins with Captain Ross Poldark (Robin Ellis) returning home from the war inthe colonies (the American Revolution). He learns his family believed him killedin the war; his fiancé Elizabeth (Jill Townsend) is about...

Upstairs, Downstairs

(This post is partof a series on the 14 Top TV Dramas You've Never Seen)
As we come down the home stretch in our countdown of TheTop TV Dramas You've Never Seen, number 4 is Upstairs, Downstairs. Setin London, from 1903 to 1936, the story of the Bellamy family ("upstairs")  and its servants ("downstairs") unfoldedover five years and 68 episodes.
At the outset of the series, Richard (David Langton) and Lady Marjorie Bellamy (Rachel Gurney) have two children, James (Simon Williams) and...

EastEnders

(This post is partof a series on the 14 Top TV Dramas You've Never Seen)
Coming in at Number 5 in our countdown of The Top TVDramas You've Never Seen, is EastEnders. The storyline is set inAlbert Square, in the fictional London borough of Walford, in the East End ofLondon. While tourists see the West End of London, with its shops and theaterdistrict, the East End is where the hardworking middle class Londoners strugglewith day-to-day life.
EastEnders is one of the U.K.'s top rated shows and...

The Fugitive

(This post is partof a series on the 14 Top TV Dramas You've Never Seen)
Number 6 in our countdown of The Top TV Dramas You'veNever Seen, is The Fugitive. Without a doubt, the best Americanweekly TV drama was The Fugitive, which ran from 1963 to 1967. played Dr. Richard Kimble, who returns home to find his wife murderedand a one-armed man slipping out the back door. The series was based on theinfamous Sam Sheppard murder trial.  The jury believed Kimble murdered his wife,Helen...