Sticks and Stones

Lindsay and I matinee'd it up today and saw Quantum of Solace. It was alright - everything I'd expect from a Bond film: chase scenes (involving cars, boats, planes, and good old-fashioned running), cool fights, explosions, and sex. But I was eternally grateful that through all the violence, I didn't hear the f-word once. That would have been offensive! They had to make sure it was rated PG-13, right?

As usual, I couldn't help but look at the broader message this says about our society. I mean, my conversation with you could be "Rated R" if I drop a few choice words, but if I shot you, it would still be PG-13. In fact, I could do a lot more than just shoot you. I could break your wrist, stab you in the back, then throw you off a building and the MPAA would still deem my behavior acceptable for someone 13 or over to observe.

I don't necessarily have a problem with violence in films. My problem lies with a paternalistic organization that has assumed the role of moral regulator and whose priorities are out of whack. After all, is it really harmful to watch the portrayal of realistic dialogue?

Poor Poor Me

I'm exhausted. I can't keep debating with people over the issues de jour. It's quite literally making me mentally and physically tired. I'm sick of reading stories in the news, involving myself in discussions with people on Facebook etc., posting silly exaggerations or satirations (is that a real word?) of my opinions on this blog. I'm glad the election is over and I think everyone could benefit by having one fewer person blabbering about his political persuasions. So unless something unexpectedly comes up and energizes me, I'm going to lay off the controversial stuff for a while. You're welcome.

And I think this is blogging faux-pas (I hope you're playing a drinking game with French-English adaptations) but I just remembered one more pet peeve...when people use the word "literally" simply to add emphasis to what they're saying. For example, "I was literally blown away by what you said." Really? You were LITERALLY picked up and carried away by the gust of wind the other person produced when they uttered the words they did? Come on.

Pet Peeves (I hate calling them that)

Do you ever look back at your life to this point and think, "Man, if I would have dedicated myself to something starting from when I was little, I'd probably be amazing at it by now." I sure do. It makes me think I should stop my helpless cynicism and decide right now I'm going to become incredibly talented at...something.

Then again, screw that. The world sucks too bad to approach life with such motivated optimism. I mean, there are still people who use the phrase "I could care less" without realizing that they mean the opposite. There are still people who couldn't put your, you're, there, their, and they're in the right context if their lives depended on it (like if they were POW's in Britain and wouldn't be released until they did). People insist on saying "Good times, good times" to fill in conversational gaps. And finally (for now), people will claim "It's not the fact that he stole my car, drove to my best friend's house to cheat on me with her, ran over my cat on the way home, and took a shit in the back seat...it's that he LIED to me about it."

And yes, you're right - it does say something that I have to put other people down for such inconsequential mistakes. It says that you need to stop being an asshole and realize these mistakes are not inconsequential.

Tragic History

Something terrible happened tonight. Something absolutely horrifying took place right before my very eyes. I'm disappointed. No, disappointment is too weak a word for what I'm feeling. I feel cheated. I feel betrayed. I feel like nothing in the world could ever make up for what I've witnessed.

Tonight I turned on the TV to Comedy Central and Scrubs was on. The listing didn't say it was Scrubs; it said Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's Election Special would be on. But no, I watched in pure shock as Zach Braff and his stupid face sang some stupid song (then I turned it off as soon as I unfroze from my bewildered state).

Stuff like this kills me. Normally I can (and I do) avoid Scrubs when I see it on the guide, but this time they threw a curve at me. And everyone who knows me knows how much I hate baseball. I hate a lot of things I'm noticing. I bet I come across as very bitter and angry to anyone who reads this. OK, I'll try to be more positive. I'm POSITIVE that Scrubs is one of the worst TV shows ever sold as a "comedy" and that ever got 23 hours a day dedicated to it on Comedy Central. There's a long list of things I'd rather do than watch Scrubs, including transforming into a giraffe and having 1 of my legs sawed off. That would be both more satisfying and a lot funnier than watching Scrubs.

Family Dinners and Politics Don't Mix

Tonight Lindsay and I had dinner with her family, then headed over to my parents' for dessert with mine. Naturally, with the election being only 2 days away, conversations at both locales turned to politics. Because I tend to disagree with just about everything that's said by family members on both sides, I usually remain silent (I like to avoid being ganged up on and ridiculed to death for having my own opinion). Any liberal with a Utah-Mormon upbringing can identify with the feeling, I'm sure. Here's what I envision happening:

Brother: "Obama is a Marxist."
Sister: "Yeah, I'm voting for McCain because I'm against the redistribution of wealth."
Me: "Do either of you have any idea what you're talking about? Or do you indiscriminately accept every label the far Right places on Obama?"
Everyone: "GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS HOUSE RIGHT NOW YOU COMMY!!! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT FINISHING THAT BROCCOLI CASSEROLE!!! LEFT-WING BASTARDS LIKE YOU DON'T EVEN DESERVE TO EAT!!! COME BACK WHEN YOU LEARN THAT THE ONLY WAY TO BE A PATRIOTIC AMERICAN IS TO GO TO CHURCH, SALUTE THE FLAG, AND (MOST OF ALL) VOTE REPUBLICAN!!!"

So I hope that explains why I try not to get involved. The risk that my family would spontaneously formulate a collective attack on me is just too high.