Michael Scofield Will Never Die

In light of the fact that so many people commented so quickly on my last blog post, I figured I would test the water again (despite the fact that I was about to go to bed at a reasonable hour).

I recently finished watching the "Prison Break" series thanks to my Netflix account and an inability to prioritize properly. To say the least, I thoroughly enjoyed every episode. The acting was top notch and the plot lines, though outlandish, were well constructed. Having now spent with these characters however many hours it takes to watch 4 seasons of this show, I feel like I've lost friends. That brings me to my main topic:

- I have acquired the misfortune of creating what feel like very strong emotional ties to fictional characters.

It's a recent development. I didn't really care so much about anyone in movies or television, or even books before. But now, I can't seem to stop identifying with them to the point where I'm blurring the lines between my life and theirs. When I watched episodes of Prison Break, I literally felt like I was part of the crew trying to escape or seek revenge, etc.

Some say this is a result of a combination of talented writing and good acting. I have seen both before, and only now am I feeling so connected.

It's not just this show either. Let me elaborate. Just this past week I finished reading "Of Mice and Men" with two students at work. I read the final three pages aloud to them as they tried to understand what was going on. As Lennie asked George to tell him about the rabbits and George pulled the Luger from his pocket, my voice began to crack. I could hardly control my emotions. Tears were forming in my eyes and I had to take deep breaths so as to continue without sobbing. Luckily the students were completely oblivious to this. But do you see what I mean? Some switch somewhere in the "logical sympathy" portion of my brain has been switched to OFF, or someone has forgotten to install a surge protector on my emotions. I don't know what's going on but it's not normal.

Maybe someone can explain this to me. Have you had a similar experience? Are you now less likely to talk to me because you have finally confirmed the fact that I am totally nuts? Comment either way. I need answers, people.

A Rather Timely Post

Today I was entering something into the calendar on my phone and I was reminded of a conundrum that I encountered as a youth. Allow me to explain:

11:59 a.m. is just before noon. But noon is 12 p.m.

11:59 p.m. is just before midnight. But midnight is 12 a.m.

On a number line, the first whole number is 1. Not 12.

Am I crazy or should we have just said noon is 12 a.m. and midnight is 12 p.m.?

Who came up with that?

If I created time, we would just start the am/pm switch with 1 o'clock.

I totally remember struggling with this concept when I was a kid, and I guess I just gave up on the search for understanding. Can someone help me? Can you explain any rationale for the am/pm debacle?

If you didn't enjoy this post I hope you at least enjoyed the terribly corny title.

Twilight Advertising Sparks Controversy in Gay Community

The California Supreme Court is due to hand down their decision on a landmark case today. In the wake of advertisements for the latest addition to the Twilight saga, Frank and Steve Murphy have filed suit against several companies citing sexual discrimination.

The couple claims that anyone who aired commercials or printed advertisements based on the concept of "Team Edward or Team Jacob" has ignored the gay community's right to representation. They say that businesses should have included an option of "Team Edward or Team Bella" with the idea that one of the two should end up with Jacob.

Frank Murphy told the New York Times, "Jacob is the hottest of the three characters, so we shouldn't have to decide between him and Edward. Beyond the obvious physical reasons, this really boils down to allowing everyone an equal voice in the community."

Various gay rights groups have come to the legal aid of the Murphy's. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) offered their top lawyers including former OJ Simpson case lawyer Robert Shapiro. In a statement released Thursday, Shapiro said it was "time to send advertisers a message about equal rights." Just how well that message has been received may be determined as the court announces its decision.

Shakespeare in the...Middle of the South?

This Friday Molly and I went on a very fun date. First we got amazing sandwiches, drinks, and brownies from Whole Foods. We drove to Woodward Park and ate them, then we went to the outdoor stage where Shakespeare in the Park was doing a production of the Merchant of Venice (one of my favorites).

Before I describe the play, let me hit you with the pre-show.

Three words: Fat Belly Dancers

I could not handle how gross it was. I don't have a problem with people being overweight since I have been my entire life. However, I do not take off my shirt (or for these women, wear slightly more than a bra) and jiggle around my midsection. I wanted to puke, and I had just eaten a huge sandwich and brownie.

And so I extend a hearty NO THANK YOU to these women who clearly took a "How to Feel Good About Your Body" class before getting on stage. Nobody without that kind of advanced emotional security training could handle that.

There are all kinds of things I could say about the play, and overall it was a great time and fun to see, but my post title has a reason and it is this: As dusk turned to night and the lights came on, the bugs came out. I felt less and less like I was sitting in a park in Fresno and more and more like I was in a swamp in Alabama.

Also, I read this play somewhere near eight months ago and could vaguely remember things about it, but Shakespeare's language is just not easy to enjoy if you don't know what's going on already. The guy in front of us was reading along, and I'm not even sure that helped because he abandoned his efforts about a quarter of the way through.

So let these lessons be learned from our experience:

- Free plays are great

- Dinner at a park can be a fun way to change up your dates

- Fat belly dancers will make you wish you hadn't just eaten

- Always read a summary of the plot of any Shakespearean play before you go see it

- Bring lots of bug spray for Shakespeare in the Park

Clearly our evening was eventful and we can look back on it and laugh. Next time you're trying to think of something to do for fun, reach outside of the norm. Don't just do dinner and a movie. We try to keep it fresh, and so should you! Good luck if you find yourself with belly dancers.

Toy Story 3

To keep my review short, I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I felt like my heart was being torn from my chest at times, and that the whole world is a dark and evil place. Other times I was reminded of the joy of being a child and the love shared amongst friends. I was nearly brought to tears by the weighty theme of growing up and moving on.

If you haven't seen Toy Story 3, you're in for a treat. I really identified with the characters. When they were sad, I was sad. When they were wronged, I took offense. That's a sure sign that I liked a movie.

In summary, go watch it. Even if you saw it once, go see it again.

It's Like Christmas Eve!

Tomorrow Molly and I are going boating with her family!!!! And the next day we're seeing Wicked in San Francisco!!!!

I am way too tired to write a big post. Just know that I am so stoked for the next two days!

Peace out. Paz afuera.

How To Train Your Iraqi

First off, to all my Iraqi readers, I'm sorry for the seemingly racist post title. In truth it was inspired by my most recent trip to the 3-dollar Theater where Molly and I saw "How To Train Your Dragon." My title is much better.

And allow me to explain why:

- I hate to shatter the dreams of all young children, but this movie was not about dragons and Vikings. It was actually about American involvement in Iraq.

- First, the main leader (voice - Gerard Butler) is shown as the strong commanding type who is leading a people to war whose life it is to do battle. The analogy here is President Bush taking America to war against "terrorists".

- The dragons seemed to come and come and come, regardless of how many they slew. The terrorists continue despite our constant efforts to shut them down. Terrorists, like dragons, are unpredictable and appear when they are least expected, and sometimes when they are most expected.

- Often the main characters would make a weakly veiled comment like, "They are only defending themselves! We attack them so they attack us!" My favorite conversation of the whole film was between the dad, a.k.a. George W. and the son, a.k.a. Obama: Dad says, "They've killed hundreds of us!" and son cries out helplessly, "But we've killed thousands of them!"

- The "love" story turns into a cheap demonstration of how incredible our latest president is. The girl is talking to the boy about how different he is and how he would not kill a dragon. Then Obama, I mean the boy, says "300 years of Vikings and I'm the only one who won't kill a dragon." Then the girl says, "But the only right one." Basically it's the 2008 election all over again. The voters are swayed by what Obama has to say because his approach is so revolutionary and is going to bring peace and stability whereas every other president has only brought war and chaos.

- The boy who seems so against fighting dragons must end up fighting the greatest dragon of all. Don't forget that Obama's original plan was to take all the troops out of the Middle East immediately upon taking office. Recently he has called for more troops to be sent out. Guess he had to fight the dragons after all.

Scratch out the last few scenes and you've got one nearly perfect analogy. Sorry to ruin an already barely tolerable movie.

If you can't tell, I have spent a considerable amount of time thinking about this. Maybe I'll write a letter to the editor of the New York Times and ask them to publish it. While I'm at it I should throw in something about the evils of Happy Feet. If you don't know what I mean, watch the movie or ask me to explain.