District 9

After a rather long and arduous week, Thursday night found me with little to do and in town to boot. I decided to go hit the show, and given the local choices and my penchant for science fiction, it was either Star Trek, or District 9. I chose District 9 because I hadn't seen much hype about it, but I had seen some reviews giving it a good recommendation.

Unfortunately... those reviews also ended up spoiling me to a great deal of what was going to happen throughout the film. I think it would have been far better to go into the film without any idea of what was going to happen. Of course... if you've ever seen any type of sci-fi in the past, you have a pretty good idea of what's going to happen anyway, but I digress...

Overall... District 9 was the best example of classic science fiction that I've seen in a long time. Anyone who's read or watched classic science fiction and enjoyed it will immediately pick up on what I'm talking about here if they watch it. Now I, unlike the reviewers, am not going to spoil anything for you... at least in this post.

A couple words of caution though... it takes place in South Africa and the accents are fairly foreign to the accents that I'm used to listening to. Takes some time to understand and also I missed quite a bit of dialogue getting up to speed. Fortunately, they subtitle a lot of the dialogue in a way that's very well done cinematically within the framework they've created.

Secondly, it's fairly gory at times, and that causes the third plane to be broken even when the film maker probably shouldn't have or didn't intend. It's a bit off and broke the continuity a little bit for me.

Lastly... as with most offerings of this kind... there's a lot of holes I can pick in the thing. I'll save those for next time, after everyone who wants to see it has had a chance.

Because of all the little things, it's not a grand slam like the Dark Knight was, but it's definitely a high 7 out of 10. I liked it, even though it's not a feel good movie. Actually... that's probably why I liked it.

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Today's mystery lyric: (Remember the rules folks, no online searching of the lyrics, if you don't know it, you don't have the answer!)

Those who came before me
Lived through their vocations
From the past until completion
Theyll turn away no more
And I still find it so hard
To say what I need to say
But Im quite sure that youll tell me
Just how I should feel today

Answer to last lyric: Metal Health by Quiet Riot. Way to go Doc! JennyLu... you need help. :P

So Tell Me...

Is 36 degrees too cold for the middle of August? I'm gonna argue that it is...

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Today's mystery lyric: (Remember the rules folks, no online searching of the lyrics, if you don't know it, you don't have the answer!)

Well I'm frustrated
Outdated
I really want to be over-rated
I'm a finder
And I'm a keeper
I'm not a loser and I ain't no weeper

Answer to last lyric: Be Yourself by Audioslave

Ain't Got No Class (the long version)

Ok... so I've been out of school for a couple years now, but I still live in the same hometown. In fact... as many of you may already know, I've moved a grand total of around a mile from where I grew up. Suffice it to say... I know my way around this part of the world. It's also safe to say that I'm not that hard to track down. Truth be told... most all of my classmates still have parents that live in the area, so how hard would it be to track them down and make sure they were invited? Not very...

Anyway, it is customary around these parts that the Senior class president is responsible for putting together all such reunions post graduation, and I was almost elected class president even though I was not very popular. One day, my dad held me out of school to go move cattle or some such thing. As it turned out, that was the day that class elections were held. Nobody knew it, but that's that. I was nominated along with five or six other people, and because the vote was split, I was in a tie for the winner. Had I been there, I would have most likely voted for myself and won. I wasn't, I didn't, I lost in the runoff. That, as it turns out, was a good thing.

The word came out that the person who was elected class president was handling things, and was going to contact people for the class reunion. Case closed... except... well... nobody knew about it. (Hey! It was on facebook, isn't that good enough?)

The few classmates I saw around this summer always asked me if we were having one and I had to reply that I didn't know, or at least wasn't invited if there was one. They hadn't heard anything.

Fast forward to the week before the big day. Nobody had heard anything yet. Then... my best friend from HS had a message on his celly informing him of a class reunion and the time and place. He looked at me and told me... "If I'm going... you've got to go too." Being the good friend I am, I of course replied, "Hell no! You got invited to that thing, not me..."

"Oh c'mon! I'll drive." he pleaded.

So the day comes and my buddy, his wife, and I head down to the big shindig. My buddy looks pretty much like he did when we graduated, and his wife... well... five kids later, she looks EXACTLY like she did back then. And me? I dunno... I think I look pretty much the same, but I've dropped the glasses and have a bit of a beard now. Not much of one, mind you, but obviously enough. Ok... I might have put on a few pounds too... like maybe 40. But hey! I carry it well dammit!

Alright, so we show up (with a fully stocked cooler in the back of his pickup), and we walk up to the collection of folks assembled (all 4 of them) and they all give my buddy a full smile greeting and hugs all around. Me? Not so much... When I'd say hello and call them by name, they'd look at me quizzically and say... um... who are you? I was going to say the foreign exchange student from junior year (we never had a foreign exchange student) and watch them struggle, but alas... somebody would always rat me out.

So almost half of the class ended up showing up at sometime during the day, and a quarter of those people didn't recognize me. What was I... chopped liver?

Truth be told... I kinda got a kick out of it. I mean it's not everyday that you get to meet people you've known your whole life for the first time.

As for the theories... my buddy's wife told me I looked younger than anyone there. A cousin thought it was the beard, another thought it was the overall physical appearance changes or my height.

I think it's because people really don't pay attention and I'm sure my projection (a.k.a. change in attitude) is much different now that I'm not looking for anyone's acceptance or approval.

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Today's mystery lyric: (Remember the rules folks, no online searching of the lyrics, if you don't know it, you don't have the answer!)

someone finds salvation in everyone
and another only fame
someone tries to hide themself
down inside himself he breathes
someone swears his true love
until the end of time
another runs away
seperate or united?
empty or insane?

Answer to last lyric: All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix (there is no other version). Way to go Doc!