My Thoughts on the 3D Trend in Movies

It seems as if every new movie coming out is featured in 3D. Many of them are geared toward children, but some are aimed specifically at adults; Avatar and Resident Evil 3D to name a few. There is no sign of this trend stopping. What do I think of this new craze?

Movie ticket prices are already criminally high, so to add on those extra dollars for a 3D experience makes purchasing them unjustifiable. In my local theater it is about $11.00 to see a movie. The usual matinee price is around $8.00. 3D ticket prices can go as high as $14.00. That is about the price of your average DVD.
And don't forget that snack purchases are even more outrageous. A box of candy will cost between $3.50 and $5.00. A bag of popcorn will cost at least $5.00. Even an Icee will run you $5.00. A family of four could easily spend upwards of $60.00 if they see a 3D film and have a few snacks. That is criminal.

Another issue I have is that 3D is almost universally used as a gimmick. Can you tell me how 3D adds any real depth to a plot or character? It is merely visual stimuli to make you feel that the movie is reaching into your space. But is this necessary? I know that a movie is good when I forget that I'm watching a movie. That is magic! And it is the result of a competent director, writer, cast etc. How will birds flying at me or glass shattering on me make me care about a lame story? Even Avatar, the best 3D movie to use 3D well, loses some points in my book. When the film becomes all about how it looks over how well it is written and acted, it loses the magic. It loses me.

Think of all the great films of the past century. Would any of them be strengthened by the addition of 3D? Would any of your favorite films be more cherished by you if they had this extra element? I suggest that 3D is bad for film, and as a result, bad for our society.

Watch the World Burn

A man in Florida plans to burn a book, and the whole world ignites.
Here's the story as I see it after reading four articles and watching several news programs.

Rev. Terry Jones has a church of about fifty people in the state of Florida. They had planned to burn about two hundred copies of the Quran on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The main reasons for doing this seem to be that Jones and his congregation believe strongly that Islam is an evil religion, and also that God told them to do it. This story has spread like wildfire all over the world. The Vatican, the president, Hillary Clinton, many evangelical Christians, Gen. David Petraeus, and most other people have condemned the plan. This story has sparked much discussion about the limits of free speech. At the time I posted this, Jones had decided to cancel the book burning since he believed that his action (or lack of action) would result in the movement of the controversial Mosque near the site of ground zero. Muslim leaders report that no such arrangement has been discussed.


I'm going to ask a few questions related to this story and then answer them.


Did God tell Rev. Terry Jones to burn the Quran?
Jones claims to be a Christian. This means that he believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God as revealed in the Bible. It also means that he is part of the body of Christ. The body of Christ is a term used to identify followers of Jesus from every nation and sect. Christians are not meant to live and operate alone. They are meant to live in community with each other. This means many things. Some of which include: struggling together, teaching about life and God, encouraging each other, expressing the selfless love of Christ, and when one goes astray by engaging in something opposed to the way of Christ, rebuke. What you saw this week was rebuke from the body of Christ. Burning Qurans will not spread the good news about Jesus Christ. There is a good chance that Jones' main motivations were hate, anger, and fear. God did not tell Terry Jones to burn the Quran.


Should Rev. Terry Jones be allowed to burn the Quran?
Yes, he should be allowed. Though the act of burning Qurans would undoubtedly anger Muslims around the world, freedom of expression in the United States of America should be preserved. If Jones were somehow stopped by our own government, what would that mean? It would mean that freedom of speech was compromised out of fear. We can already burn the flag in protest. The Supreme Court ruled that it would be unconstitutional to prevent someone from burning the flag. So, would it be right to sacrifice our freedom because burning a Quran is offensive? How many acts of free expression are offensive? What makes this one special?


Can Christianity and Islam ever be reconciled?
I have often heard that Christianity and Islam are both religions of peace and fundamentally the same. The problem is that they are not the same. They are fundamentally different. I am sure any true Muslim would agree with this because they would not accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior just as I wouldn't accept Mohammed as a true prophet of God. For Christians, Jesus Christ is everything. An honest Christian and an honest Muslim understand that their faiths are incompatible. This does not mean that they can't tolerate each other, or that it is impossible to live in peace, but it does mean that they have to face the fact that they believe fundamentally different things about God and the world. Based on my understanding of human nature and history, I'm afraid it is unlikely that the people who have those COEXIST bumper stickers will ever get their way.


What does this story show us about the world in which we live?
Relations between Christians and Muslims, and the U.S. and the Muslim world are tenuous and volatile. When a tiny church threatening to burn a book causes this much of a response, you have to see that tensions are high. The issue of the Mosque at Ground Zero reveals the same thing.
It is also incredible how connected the world is. We are no longer separated by oceans and mountains and deserts. Boundaries are dissolving. And people are freaking out.
Oddly enough, this story reinforces the truth that one person can make a difference.
Each of us stands before a global audience.

The Qualifier

The Dark Knight is better than The Notebook.
I think The Dark Knight is better than The Notebook.

Friendly's is a better restaurant than Longhorn Steakhouse.
In my opinion, Friendly's is a better restaurant than Longhorn Steakhouse.


We can't go walking around spouting absolute statements all of the time. Absolutely not. But, we do have to be aware of the language we use. In the time that we live, I believe that we are erring on the side of caution. Less willing to stand by a truth outside of our own opinion.

If 16 years of schooling has taught me anything it is that every claim needs to be backed up with evidence, or proof. When you make a statement without such a qualifier as, I think, you should expect to be challenged. This is true among friends and teachers. And sometimes even the safety of the qualifier isn't enough to protect you from recoil. For instance, "I think the Jonas Brothers are better than the Beatles." You should be destroyed for saying such a thing.

This demand for proof is one reason we fall back on the qualifiers. With a qualifier, proof isn't as important because it's my opinion or your opinion. How difficult it is to argue based on opinions.

I hope your deepest beliefs aren't opinions. I hope they are built on a foundation of reason and proven true through the fires of experience.

The Perfect Chip Incident

Before I begin I want to comment on the sudden influx of posts. If you look at my posting history you'll find that I averaged about six per month between March and June. Then in July I posted eleven times, and in August, thirteen. What happened? Part of it is an increase in reader feedback. When I started to hear from people that they were reading it I felt encouraged to write more often. The other part is that I got hooked. Like you can get hooked on exercise when you get into a routine, writing in here (and in general) is something that I both want and need to do. If I don't, it feels like I'm missing something. It's becoming an addiction. So let's make the best of it.


Today we will flash back to fifth grade. It was a good year for me. I can say with confidence that it was my happiest year of school. My best friends at the time, John and Tim were there, along with a number of other A-listers. The object of my prepubescent affection was also there, Ashley. Fifth grade marked the peak of a seven year crush. Of course, they weren't all happy days. This is one of those darker days. Someday, I'll write about the greatest incident of all, but today the focus will be the perfect potato chip.


I made it a habit to purchase one small bag of Lay's KC Masterpiece potato chips at lunch. As a younger man I had an insatiable appetite for potato chips, and KC Masterpiece was my Achilles' heel. I recall more than one occasion in which I consumed an entire large bag of them. But we will speak no more of that. Who can say how many bags came into my possession during that year? Maybe the odds were stacked in my favor. Maybe fortune had chosen me arbitrarily. Whatever the case, one of these bags was filled with something special.

From the moment I saw it, I knew. This was perfection. Try to visualize it with me. Folded over once without blemish. Covered with an even coating of barbecue flavoring on both sides. I didn't need outside verification, but those around me agreed. This chip was flawless. You didn't have to taste it to know that it was delicious, and beyond reproach. What to do with such a find? What to do?

I couldn't eat it right away. I had to treasure it like Gollum treasured the One Ring. That is why it came outside with me during recess. I held it high with pride, all the time fantasizing what it would taste like.

So there I am, standing on the far corner of the pavement. The chip is held carefully in my left hand at eye level. I'm looking at it. I'm lusting over it. Then, without any warning, tragedy strikes.

I look on in terror as a phantom hand reaches out of the abyss to dislodge my perfect chip from my tender grip. It falls to the ground in a million pieces. It is lost forever. Never to be eaten. Never to be enjoyed. Never to be seen again.

The hand belonged to Chris Cavalieri. Somehow, I was able to get past this injustice and Chris is now a good friend. But at that moment, he was an agent of chaos sent from Hades to rob me of my bliss. When recess ended, I walked away, defeated. The seagulls that hovered around the school found an easy snack. I saw them swoop in and take what should have been mine.

The perfect chip is lost forever. I do not have the strength to write anymore...

Killer Hurricane Spares All...For Now

One of the most deadly hurricanes in recorded history, ranked #1,876, Earl has caused unparalleled potential devastation up and down the East Coast. From Florida to Maine citizens are still grappling with what could have been a swirling blood bath of a storm.

"I mean, I could have lost my home, my business, and hell, even my life," said Bill Ryan, resident of Martha's Vineyard. "Eighty foot storm surge. Thirty foot waves. Two hundred mile per hour winds. I'm still recovering from all of the hypothetical scenarios."

And Mr. Ryan may not be out of the woods. Meteorologists are still not convinced that Earl is done with us quite yet. The National Weather Service issued this statement earlier today.
"Many living along the East Coast view Earl as a non-event, and accuse us of exaggerating the storm's potential power. But recent computer scenarios are showing that Earl will loop around the North Pole as a minor storm, causing upwards of 1/8 " of snow in some parts, before it heads back down the East Coast as a Category 5, or higher, hurricane. Our computers are pretty darn sure that they can't be wrong, so you people better listen to us. This goes against everything we know about weather behavior, but Earl is a killer. Perhaps the worst storm in history. And he's just getting started."

Americans living on the coast have already responded to this warning by buying record quantities of milk and bread. Because everyone knows that you can't survive a storm without milk and bread.

This reporter predicts that Earl, or Earl II as some are calling it, will cause between 40 and 80 billion dollars in damage and kill between 100,000 and 800,000 people. Rumor has it that a polar bear has already choked to death on the snow produced by what's left of Earl I.

The four horsemen of the apocalypse have arrived, and their names are E, A, R, and L.

A Happy Birthday

It all started yesterday at work with an ice cream cake and card. The cake was no standard Carvel, (though I like those) but a custom made creation from a local ice cream stand. It had three separate sections: cappuccino and fudge chunks, black raspberry, and vanilla. I loved it. My co-workers signed a card that told me, based on the manner in which I opened it, that I am optimistic and anal retentive. The latter is debatable. At work I am known for my attention to detail and cleanliness, but one look at my room would shake your faith.
While I was eating cake with my boss he asked me if I wanted to take Saturday off and have a nice three day weekend. I accepted this proposal with enthusiasm.

After work I embarked on a modest outing with Brendon to Uno's. By the way, the name of this restaurant confuses me. Is it just Uno, or is it Uno's? I think it's actually Uno, but we call it Uno's. Maybe you call it Uno. Anyway, I got a simple chicken sandwich. No problem there. A modest and enjoyable outing.

Seeing as it was a special occasion, I decided to watch a special movie, Spiderman 2. Someday I will write about why I love this movie so much. I fell asleep around the part where Peter Parker loses his powers.

I woke up at 6:30 this morning. This did not upset me at all since it only meant more time to enjoy my day off. Without much hesitation I continued to watch the rest of the movie; not a bad way to start the day. My mother had wrapped a present for me and it was sitting next to the table. It was the new Metroid video game for Wii. That might not mean anything to some of you, but the original Nintendo Metroid video game was present during my early childhood and I hold many fond memories of playing it with my brother and cousins. It is a fine gift.

Around 9:30 I got changed and loaded my father's truck with picnic tables to bring to my brother's house. He is having our family Labor Day cookout, which is tomorrow. I'm getting off topic, but there will be an inflatable water slide this year. I'm pretty excited.
After this I went to Longhorn Steakhouse with my mom. It was good, as usual. I always get the wild west shrimp and Mr. Pibb for a drink. We joked about how we're always forgetting to bring the leftovers home even after they are placed in the containers. And, of course, we forgot them.
We then headed over to Barnes and Noble where I picked up Carrie Fisher's new book about her life, Wishful Drinking. It was recommended by a friend, and I think she's funny. When I got home I sat down and read it in a few hours because it was entertaining and an easy read. I'm not sure to whom I would recommend the book; but I liked it. So if you think we have similar tastes, give it a shot.

Now we enter the visual portion of today's post. I took a few pictures of the little birthday dinner we had.This is my two year old niece, Sara. She likes to peel cucumbers. Sara picked out my party decorations, which I enjoyed thoroughly. As you will see in the next picture.




Noise makers are exactly that by the way. Though not as bad as those horns that were blaring during the World Cup.



This is pretty much my perfect cake. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting and rainbow sprinkles. But what really puts it over the top are the candy pieces. I love those candy pieces. If you're ever in the position to make me a cake ( just hear me out) throw on those candy letters!


I have to explain the next picture. Sara labored to find me the perfect birthday card. After an excruciating search, she found the one.







This should be crippling you with its innocence and cuteness. It should be noted that five candles were placed on the cake.

That's my birthday. I'll probably finish the day with another movie with my parents (did you know I like movies?) All in all, it was a good day. At least no one died this year. I'll never forget you,












Steve Irwin
22 February 1962 – 4 September 2006

Celebrating Existence

Twenty-four years ago, I was born. This was the first and only time in history that it happened. Twenty-four years later, I reflect on the impossibility of my own existence.

How many people had to live in order for me to have life? The right people first had to exist and then they had to find the right people to have children with. Not only that, they had to time it right. The right egg, the right sperm, the right conditions. And this happened for thousands and thousands of years. If the universe started over, the odds of any of us existing would be so small that we would have to deem it impossible.
How much tragedy and injustice led to my existence? Certainly my ancestors weren't all happily married and in love. Many suffered at the hands of tyrants. Many died prematurely. They would never know that their lives would result in my own.

Was it all chance that led to my birth? Chance that led to a life that believed it had a purpose? Or was it by design? This one will live.

Whatever you believe, you have to celebrate existence. The odds are stacked against us. 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000+ to 1. None of us should be alive. But we are. I am.

It's my birthday.

How can this be?