Your Movie Sucks

Okay, so Candice and I, like many of you, went to see the Dark Knight this weekend (matinee, of course.  Cheaper, shorter lines). 

One of the things we do afterwards, I guess due to the nature of how her and I approach movies and books, is discuss the themes, characters, and ideas in a story, whether in a book or, in this case, film.  It's something I grew up with.  My dad used to go to the Saturday matinees religiously, and often if I didn't have anything else to do, or just wanted to, I'd go with him.  He would always bring up something in the movie afterwards and discuss some philosophical element of it or just some personal observation about it (now you know where I get it from).  Sometimes I'd be thinking "Whatever, Dad", but sometimes I'd get into it too.  The point is that going to the movies has always been a thinking as well as entertaining activity for me.

So as we drove home Saturday, we talked about a couple elements of Dark Knight.  Particularly the Joker, and a scene where Batman is trying to beat him into telling him what the Joker has done with Harvey Dent.  As he's tossing the Joker around the room, beating him to a pulp, the Joker is just laughing, and makes a statement to the effect "There's nothing you can threaten me with".  It didn't matter if Batman beat him senseless, or threatened him with imprisonment, guilt, pain, or even death.  The guy just didn't care one bit.  He had no rules to keep, so there was no force that could make him play along.

My comment to my wife was, "You know, there's a lot of kids like that today.  Obviously not to that extreme.  But it seems like there are more and more kids that just refuse to respect your rules, whether you're their parent, teacher, or whoever.  What's more, it doesn't matter what you threaten them with to try to get them to obey.  They call your bluff.  That's what the Joker was doing.  He was calling society's bluff.  He was saying, "You say there are these rules everyone is supposed to follow, but I don't believe in your authority, and deep down, I don't think you do either".  There is a look you will find in an increasing number of eyes belonging to today's youth that says the exact same thing.  It is a generation of sociopaths.  Most benign.  Not all.  But one wonders where such a trend will lead us.

So here's what I want to know: do you 'discuss' afterwards the movies you go to see?  What was the last movie you saw that provoked an intelligent discussion? 

And yeah, there are definitely a few that won't provoke anything beyond "Your movie sucked".  Obviously I'm not talking about those. 

Still funny

I was sifting through my subs today and came across this from a xangan that doesn't post much.  I shared it with you all once before.  It's still hilarious.  Check it out:

Horrible Album Covers, Vol. 2: Electric Bugaloo

Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!

Today I took a step to introduce a bit more socialization into my daughter's life: I took her to the local library for story time. 

Jacqueline doesn't get to spend a lot of time playing and socializing with other kids her age, because she isn't in day care and there aren't too many kids her age in our neighborhood.  She's 2 1/2, so I want her to start learning how to actually handle being around her peers.  And my wife and I have made an effort from the time she was born to encourage a love of reading.  So this kind of activity seemed the perfect fit.

Apparently the theme for this year's summer reading program is Bugs.  Gross to me, but Jackie does seem to be fascinated with them ever since I rolled a few rocks over in the backyard once and showed her an ant colony (she's always wanting me to take her back there to look for more).  Storytime is at 10:30 every Tuesday, and includes several short books, some songs (Itsy Bitsy Spider, of course), and a simple craft.  So we show up, and surprise, surprise - I'm the only male parent.  14 kids, 14 parents, one dad.  I just know what they were all thinking: he's got visitation privileges today.  Kinda like taking your kid to the park.

Jackie did pretty well.  Every time they stood to sing she came running back to me.  Freaked her out I think, being surrounded by strange kids, all much taller than her.  I'd probably freak out too if I were her.  Bunch of people I don't know jumping up and hollering "Spiders! Flies! Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!"  Sounds like some tripped-out cooking show for witches.  As soon as they sat back down, she went right back to her spot in the middle. 

At one point, right in the middle of a story, she jumps up, turns to me, and says, "Daddy, I'm wet!" Nothing like telling it like it is, I guess.

For craft time we made a mosquito out of construction paper and pipe cleaners, and colored a picture.  Naturally, when we got home we stuck them both up on the fridge, and she proudly showed them to Candice when she got home...

My dad lately has gotten into the habit of writing a short note on every card or package he sends me.  Same words every time: Enjoy the Moment.  It is Fleeting. 

You know, from the moment Jacqueline was born, I've been startingly conscious of that.  Maybe it was the circumstances under which she came into the world.  I know that my mom-in-law's sudden death in a car wreck when Jackie was 1 year old intensified it.  It's really very strange, the way that so many moments are so full of a joy that makes your heart want to burst, and yet there's a tinge of sadness that's always mixed in.  Never expected that. There are few times when I see her running, giggling and holding nothing back in that full-speed little heart of hers, when she snuggles up to me as I read a story to her, or scurries under the covers when she hears me walk into the bedroom to play hide and seek, that I don't hear a voice in my head telling me: "Take this in, savor it.  It's rushing by you, right before your eyes".  Maybe that's where that sadness comes from.  The fact that you can never get a hold on any given moment and make it stay. 

I'm starting to understand why a daughter will always be daddy's little girl.

58,000 dead - for nothing?

Interesting editorial in the Washington Post today:  Why Were We in Vietnam?  So it seems that American companies prefer communist nations for cheap labor.  The more oppressive and destitute, the better.

So the heck with that whole idea about freeing people from the oppression of the Reds, right?  I mean, if it means Walmart will keep its price on shoes down, maybe we oughta be glad there's a commie flag flying over Ho Chi Minh City...