Here I am in North Indy, at a Starbucks, writing in public on a Mac, sipping a chai. I'm one shot of espresso away from ultimate pretension.
Beth and I are up in Indy for a hematology appointment, blood work, and a free re-do of an MRI. Unfortunately, because of the MRI re-do, we had to be at the hospital at 9 a.m. Which means we had to leave home at 4 a.m. Which meant waking up at 3, except I woke up at 1 and couldn't get back to sleep. Luckily, I brought two Red Bulls and have downed one already (which led to my head quaking from the inside in the MRI waiting room).
Every time we come up here, I wonder why my dad went job hunting in Evansville instead of Indianapolis. I could've had things to do growing up, and I might not be spending my afternoon sitting in a fucking coffee shop typing on my computer. Hell, I might be out of university by now, with a real job, and typing on this computer for WORK. But no, I had to be surrounded by racist rednecks (and yes, they exist in Indianapolis too, but they get shouted down by more people) all my youth. Violent racist rednecks who made it plain that all liberals, nerds, atheists, gays, gay sympathizers, and anyone else different to them should have their ass kicked six ways to Sagittarius. So when I started noticing I didn't agree with them, I started being quiet, and withdrew into the internet.
I'm not complaining, really, because if it wasn't for the internet I wouldn't have my fiancée. I also would never have found out exactly which form of that word to use, and how it is spelled, and which way the accent goes. I really can't complain too much, h-uh?
On the way up here, I listened to some more of the audiobook of Dune. I've never read Dune before now, and honestly, it was because it's hard as hell to get into. Plus, Tatooine was my least favorite planet in Star Wars, and it pissed me off that they went back to it four times after the original film, so a book about events that transpire almost exclusively on a desert planet sounded fucking awful to me. I am once again happy to eat humble pie, because I'm really enjoying this book. I suddenly get a bunch more jokes from Questionable Content (mostly in the archive at this point), I get a bunch more in-jokes from all facets of pop culture, and I'm really enjoying the story to boot. Someone please remind me if I ever again say, "I don't care about (x classic sci-fi novel)," that I am a fucknugget and should read the thing anyway.
22 May 2008
Indy, common cold, and the summer movie lineup
Blarg. Colds are awful.
Honestly, I'm tired of people saying, "We haven't found a cure for the common cold yet," as if there are scientists trying to cure the common cold. The fact is, nobody cares about the common cold, because it is at worst a medium-level inconvenience. You miss one day of work, right at the beginning, when you wake up and hurt all over, and after that it becomes completely manageable. It is not something that is worth putting billions of dollars, pounds, euros, et al, to cure. Aids, cancer, neurological diseases, and immunological diseases are what we ought to (and do) focus on.
Anyway, last night, despite my drippiness and lethargy, I went to a midnight screening of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I really enjoyed the picture. I sincerely think there are things that people will complain about - Marion, for example, was kind of thrown in for nostalgia as far as I can tell. But those things do not detract from the overall quality of the film. Is this as good as Raiders? No. But what is? Raiders really is an impossible standard to hold every other Indiana Jones film to. It's similar to saying, "I didn't like Episode 3 because it was no Empire." Well, Empire was a unique film, and while comparing two films in a series made at two different times is completely valid, it is in no way enough to completely disregard the later film's status as a good film.
Especially in a time when more and more films are M Night Shyamalan pieces of crap, or feature Sarah Jessica Parker's aesthetically not-remotely-pleasing face in 50x75ft scale, we have to be able to take a good popcorn movie as a good popcorn movie. This summer, I think, will prove that a good popcorn movie can be as good or better than anything the Academy nominates. Iron Man has already grossed more than most comic book movies can ever hope to, and it was fantastic on a writing, acting, and storytelling scale. Dark Knight will only build on that precedent, and Incredible Hulk certainly can't hurt. Maybe it's the geek in me speaking when I talk about these movies being four harbingers of previously unseen quality, but that doesn't stop me being right.
Bring on the summer!
Honestly, I'm tired of people saying, "We haven't found a cure for the common cold yet," as if there are scientists trying to cure the common cold. The fact is, nobody cares about the common cold, because it is at worst a medium-level inconvenience. You miss one day of work, right at the beginning, when you wake up and hurt all over, and after that it becomes completely manageable. It is not something that is worth putting billions of dollars, pounds, euros, et al, to cure. Aids, cancer, neurological diseases, and immunological diseases are what we ought to (and do) focus on.
Anyway, last night, despite my drippiness and lethargy, I went to a midnight screening of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I really enjoyed the picture. I sincerely think there are things that people will complain about - Marion, for example, was kind of thrown in for nostalgia as far as I can tell. But those things do not detract from the overall quality of the film. Is this as good as Raiders? No. But what is? Raiders really is an impossible standard to hold every other Indiana Jones film to. It's similar to saying, "I didn't like Episode 3 because it was no Empire." Well, Empire was a unique film, and while comparing two films in a series made at two different times is completely valid, it is in no way enough to completely disregard the later film's status as a good film.
Especially in a time when more and more films are M Night Shyamalan pieces of crap, or feature Sarah Jessica Parker's aesthetically not-remotely-pleasing face in 50x75ft scale, we have to be able to take a good popcorn movie as a good popcorn movie. This summer, I think, will prove that a good popcorn movie can be as good or better than anything the Academy nominates. Iron Man has already grossed more than most comic book movies can ever hope to, and it was fantastic on a writing, acting, and storytelling scale. Dark Knight will only build on that precedent, and Incredible Hulk certainly can't hurt. Maybe it's the geek in me speaking when I talk about these movies being four harbingers of previously unseen quality, but that doesn't stop me being right.
Bring on the summer!
06 May 2008
me tolerating Hillary's speech
Broken the tie, eh? Already? You sure? Lake county still to be counted, suburb of Chicago, and you've already broken the tie? With the gap shrinking?
"Your loved one who served this country in war is ill-served back at home ... thanks to me."
And we're on to gas prices again. This is the dumbest fucking thing ever. "Temporary reprieve that will ultimately lead to higher prices! yaaaaay!"
The soldiers wouldn't be in harm's way if it weren't for your bullshit vote.
Where are you going with "champion" ...? And how do you not speak for the well-connected and rich? Again, anyone who has the means to lend her own campaign $5m out of pocket qualifies as elite about $4.8m ago.
Now THAT'S interesting ... they both say they'll work for the Dem nominee.
How does she say everything and sound condescending?
WHAT THE FUCK is with the fake accent?!
Bitch, Burma isn't watching! Technically it's Myanmar, and they're asking for help! Regardless, they aren't watching you!
"Didn't Chelsea do a great job?" sounds like she was in her school talent show!
Wow, all Hillary ever does is reactionary stuff. Plus she wasn't so keen on Florida and Michigan before she started losing.
I think we should punish anyone who mentions 9/11 anymore.
And is she playing Mellencamp?! He supports Obama! I wonder if he knows.
"Your loved one who served this country in war is ill-served back at home ... thanks to me."
And we're on to gas prices again. This is the dumbest fucking thing ever. "Temporary reprieve that will ultimately lead to higher prices! yaaaaay!"
The soldiers wouldn't be in harm's way if it weren't for your bullshit vote.
Where are you going with "champion" ...? And how do you not speak for the well-connected and rich? Again, anyone who has the means to lend her own campaign $5m out of pocket qualifies as elite about $4.8m ago.
Now THAT'S interesting ... they both say they'll work for the Dem nominee.
How does she say everything and sound condescending?
WHAT THE FUCK is with the fake accent?!
Bitch, Burma isn't watching! Technically it's Myanmar, and they're asking for help! Regardless, they aren't watching you!
"Didn't Chelsea do a great job?" sounds like she was in her school talent show!
Wow, all Hillary ever does is reactionary stuff. Plus she wasn't so keen on Florida and Michigan before she started losing.
I think we should punish anyone who mentions 9/11 anymore.
And is she playing Mellencamp?! He supports Obama! I wonder if he knows.
absent voters
I'm not sure if it's due to the "vote early" campaigns, but when I went to vote an hour ago, almost no-one was there.
I really expected there to at least be a small queue, but I was the only person there. I saw two electioneers rearranging their "she isn't trying to destroy the party, honest" signs out by the road, but apart from that, it was me and eight poll workers. The guy asking for IDs was very quiet about it, almost like he was asking me for change.
Of course, it might not be the "vote early" thing. It could always be that Indiana voters aren't quite sure what the fuck's going on. I mean, this is the first Indiana general primary that's made a difference ... ever? I know I was confused. Or I would have been if I hadn't had three months to get used to the idea that this primary means something for once. What, I wonder, would it take to move the Indiana primary to Super Tuesday?
I suppose it doesn't matter that much. I say this primary means something, but it only means as much as all the other primaries, which is something on the level of nothing. Honestly, the fact that there's a Republican ticket ... I was pretty sure they had McCain locked up (well, he should be locked up, but that's something else). But no, Ron Paul's still going for it. Not sure why, Libertarians will never win anything as long as they keep pimping 1) letting people live as they will, and 2) marijuana legalisation (which is a derivative of the first). They'll never win the Republican vote with those positions, and the rest of their positions won't win any Democrats. They'll win Libertarians, people who want to be left alone, and people in favour of marijuana decriminalisation. That's ALL.
While I'm on the topic, I'm not sure why Hillary's still going for it. I'll admit, I would've supported her if she'd won the primaries and then the nomination, but I can't support her now. The only way she can win is by the Superdelegates staging a coup and ignoring the voters' will, which according to the current delegate count, is Obama08. This isn't political bias, this is basic maths. Anyone who graduated secondary school can figure this out, and I can prove it on an Etch-a-Sketch. The other reason I don't support her is her consistency with John McSame - promoting the same things, voting the same way on things ... honestly, if I wanted Hillary, I could just vote for McCain, who's GOT his party's nomination already.
Of course, I'd never do such a thing, because McCain is not the same McCain he used to be either. In their desire to be president, McCain and Clinton have changed positions so much that they are unrecognisable from the candidates they originally were. Clinton used to support Universal Health Care (which she says she supports again), but then she took a big sack of money from health care companies. McCain used to be a "Maverick" who was against his party and against Bush on several things. Now he's running on Four More Years. I'm not saying Obama is the best candidate ever, but godsdammit, he's consistent. Isn't that what Kerry's problem was? Consistency?
I really expected there to at least be a small queue, but I was the only person there. I saw two electioneers rearranging their "she isn't trying to destroy the party, honest" signs out by the road, but apart from that, it was me and eight poll workers. The guy asking for IDs was very quiet about it, almost like he was asking me for change.
Of course, it might not be the "vote early" thing. It could always be that Indiana voters aren't quite sure what the fuck's going on. I mean, this is the first Indiana general primary that's made a difference ... ever? I know I was confused. Or I would have been if I hadn't had three months to get used to the idea that this primary means something for once. What, I wonder, would it take to move the Indiana primary to Super Tuesday?
I suppose it doesn't matter that much. I say this primary means something, but it only means as much as all the other primaries, which is something on the level of nothing. Honestly, the fact that there's a Republican ticket ... I was pretty sure they had McCain locked up (well, he should be locked up, but that's something else). But no, Ron Paul's still going for it. Not sure why, Libertarians will never win anything as long as they keep pimping 1) letting people live as they will, and 2) marijuana legalisation (which is a derivative of the first). They'll never win the Republican vote with those positions, and the rest of their positions won't win any Democrats. They'll win Libertarians, people who want to be left alone, and people in favour of marijuana decriminalisation. That's ALL.
While I'm on the topic, I'm not sure why Hillary's still going for it. I'll admit, I would've supported her if she'd won the primaries and then the nomination, but I can't support her now. The only way she can win is by the Superdelegates staging a coup and ignoring the voters' will, which according to the current delegate count, is Obama08. This isn't political bias, this is basic maths. Anyone who graduated secondary school can figure this out, and I can prove it on an Etch-a-Sketch. The other reason I don't support her is her consistency with John McSame - promoting the same things, voting the same way on things ... honestly, if I wanted Hillary, I could just vote for McCain, who's GOT his party's nomination already.
Of course, I'd never do such a thing, because McCain is not the same McCain he used to be either. In their desire to be president, McCain and Clinton have changed positions so much that they are unrecognisable from the candidates they originally were. Clinton used to support Universal Health Care (which she says she supports again), but then she took a big sack of money from health care companies. McCain used to be a "Maverick" who was against his party and against Bush on several things. Now he's running on Four More Years. I'm not saying Obama is the best candidate ever, but godsdammit, he's consistent. Isn't that what Kerry's problem was? Consistency?
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