District 9

I watched "District 9" last Saturday. I can't say that I was particularly interested in seeing the film. My roommate was going to see it with his brothers and dad and he invited me along. I thought I might as well watch it. It was matinee prices after all.
After seeing it, I thought, "Wow. That was an okay movie. It had a lot of stupid elements and turned into a video game movie in the second half, but it was okay."
But I've been reading people talking about how great the movie is, saying it's one of the best sci-fi films of the decade and how Oscar worthy it is. And honestly, that bugs me. Because it's not that great. It's okay. It's fairly enjoyable, but I will vehemently disagree with anyone who says it is worthy of the praise it's getting. So, here's why my opinion is better than theirs. Spoilers ahead:
The overall concept of District 9 is fairly original. At least it isn't one of the overused sci-fi tropes that we see trotted out again and again. The beginning of the film is in a documentary style where the arrival of an alien species above Johannesburg, South Africa 20 years ago is explained through various interviews and other documentary stuff. You know what? I'm going to skip over the plot description for now. Just know that the aliens have been moved into a slum underneath their spaceship and have been heavily segregated from the human population.
A private organization called the MNU is the main entity that deals with the aliens. And they're EEEEEVIL. Super evil. Hitler evil. Mustache twirlingly, tying women to railroad tracks, hand wringingly evil. And it is the MNU's ridiculous level of evilness that really prevents this movie from being great. The evil marine employed by the MNU and becomes the main antagonist actually says to one of the aliens (called prawns derogatorily), "I love killing you prawns!" Cause he's evil, see?
Anyway, I'll have to finish complaining about other peoples' opinions later.

Drag me to Ukraine

I lived in a Ukraine from the July of 2002 to the July of 2004. While there I ran into a group of people that I had only had knowledge of from TV and film, Gypsies or Roma. Director Sam Raimi is releasing a film titled "Drag Me To Hell" and it focuses on a girl who will be dragged to Hell in three days because of a Gypsy curse. Now in my first week in Ukraine, I was sitting in a cab with a friend of mine. The cab driver had left to take care of something before we departed. We waited with the doors open, my friend in the passenger seat and me in the back on the passenger side.
We were suddenly approached by two Gypsy women. There tended to be groups of Gypsies around train and bus stations. Unfortunately, they were usually there to ask travelers for money or on occasion steal from them. I hope that doesn't sound hateful, but I knew quite a few people who had their wallets stolen by Gypsies at train stations.
Anyway, the women approached us and began speaking to us. I hardly spoke any Russian and understood less. My friend was preoccupied with the other Gypsy, so I was left to my own devices to communicate with this woman. After a couple of minutes of neither one of us understanding one another, the woman pulled a hair off of my head and poked out triangle patterns on my arm with it. Then both of the women turned and left.
I asked my friend, "What just happened?"
He replied, "They were asking for money. They said if we didn't give them money they would curse us with bad health. That's why they pulled out the hair."
I said, "So I was just cursed by a Gypsy?"
"Yep. Cursed with bad health."
"Huh."
Happily, I wasn't sick for over a year and a half after that. Also happily, I haven't been dragged to Hell either.

Sexual Healing

I'm not convinced that anyone genuinely likes the song "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye. I think people only like it ironically. I was listening to it earlier and there's not really anything really interesting about it other than the words "sexual healing." Other than that it sounds like a run of the mill R & B love song. I'm not trying to imply that Marvin Gaye sucks or anything. I'm personally not too familiar with his music other than "Sexual Healing." I just don't think that most people like that song as anything but a novelty.
To me, it's one of those things that people put on so they can nudge their friends and say, "Hey, look what I'm listening to. It's a song about getting it on. Pretty funny, huh?" and then they never listen to any other Marvin Gaye song. At least, they probably don't listen to his other songs knowingly. I'm sure there are many fans of Marvin Gaye who are familiar with his entire catalogue of music and I don't want to offend them. You know how rabid Marvin Gaye fans can be. I just don't think that "Sexual Healing" is anything but ironically cool for most people.
On the other hand, I'm not afraid to offend fans of the Beatles. Yep, I don't like the Beatles. I only bring up the Beatles because it seems to me many people only like the Beatles because everyone likes the Beatles. You can't like good music if you don't like the Beatles seems to be the mindset many people have. Of course, that line of thinking is dumb. There will never be anything, a book, a band, a movie, a flavor of soda, that will be universally liked. So running into an unfavorable opinion shouldn't be that big of a deal. Besides, overwhelming popularity does not automatically make a thing wonderful. After all, how many people were doing the Macarena?
I digress. I never thought the Beatles' early stuff (Hard Day's Night, Help!) was very good. In my opinion it was all a bunch of vapid love songs. I find it hard to believe that they were ever taken seriously after their early work. All their fans seemed to be screaming, teenage girls. They were the Backstreet Boys of the sixties. I thought I liked their later stuff until I actually started listening to one of their albums. I thought most of the songs were just annoying noise.
Of course I realize how influential the Beatles were and still are. I'm sure they've influenced most of the music I listen to these days. But I just can't get behind their music. I tend to like covers of their songs way more than I actually like the original versions.
Anywho, I don't really want to offend anyone with my opinion. But when it comes to disliking the Beatles, it's impossible to not set someone off. I've seen Beatles fans accuse those who dislike the Beatles of being liars. Some people actually think it's impossible to dislike the Bealtes, which is pretty dumb.
I don't know how I transitioned into a talking about the Beatles from Sexual Healing, but I've done it. I guess I don't have to worry too much about rabid Marvin Gaye or Beatles fans coming after me. No one's reading this anyway.

P.S. I hate the Eagles, also. I think "Hotel California" is just a terrible song.

Last Letter to My Mom

From frivolous musings on TV, video games and movies to mourning about my ailing mother. Wow, this blog has everything. My favorite person in the world is slipping away and I'm sitting here watching her go. I think my original intent for this blog was to create an ongoing tribute to my own mediocrity. I may be mediocre, but my mom isn't; no matter what anyone says. Seriously, I will fight you if you call my mom mediocre. Unless you did it in the comments and then I would simply delete your stupid comment.
I digress. My mom is extraordinary. I think by and large most people would consider their mother extraordinary and my sympathy goes out to anyone not blessed with having such an amazing woman in their life. But I want to talk about how my mother is extraordinary.
Despite having only one year of college, my mom is incredibly educated. She was so well prepared to raise her six children. She cooked, cleaned, and took care of us. Took care of us isn't the right phrase. She nurtured us. She wasn't a maid. She wasn't our servant. She was a loving parent willing to sacrifice for her children. You see, my siblings and I were her most prized possession.
Her mother had taught her how to cut hair. I don't think I ever went to a barber until I was nineteen. She was talented with a sewing machine. I can't count the number of blankets she made for her kids and later her grandkids. She learned how to make an array of household items. She could make bread, jam, soap, lotion, and toothpaste among other things. We had over a years worth of canned fruits and vegetables in our basement thanks to her.
Some may scoff and say these are all domesticated skills and that somehow they are less respectable than those of a woman who made a career for herself. My response is that the things she did for us kids are more important and will have longer lasting consequences than most of the decisions some CEO will make. Jobs really only make you money. Motherhood makes families.
Besides, my mother has her own fair share of career accomplishments. She has worked as a school music teacher, a bank loan officer, a real estate agent and she has been the head of the financial department for a school for disabled children for the past six years. She has a fairly impressive resume for a woman with only one year of college.
Another reason my mom was so extraordinary to me is for her musical ability. She and my father both have impressive singing voices and together they cultivated a love of music in each of their children. Music is one of the most important things in my life and I owe that love to my mother.
Finally, my mother is extraordinary to me because of the love she has shown me for my entire life. I know that she would be willing to help me whenever possible, regardless of how troublesome it might be for her. I think of the many, many times she has stepped in to help me clean up some mess I have gotten myself into and I know that only a mother who loves her son more than herself would do that.
I love you Mom. You are my favorite person in this world. It breaks my heart to see you go, but I know I'll see you again someday. Goodbye, Mom*.


*In case you're wondering, I have cried a few times.