Die Hard 12: Die Hungry

This is the funniest thing I've seen this week!

It's from the Ben Stiller Show

WoW, Farts -- Raivynn Has No Post Again!

The actual fart tune was ripped from Family Guy which was parodying the song "Dueling Banjos", which is an iconic song from the movie "Deliverance".

Yeah, I'm bored. I have no real stuff to blog about today. The WoW Anvilmar server was buggy, so I came to drop this on you.

Sorry, Bruiser. I know I promised no more farts on Sunday, but ... WoW deserved it!

And that one dwarf sure had a purty mouth. ~.^

Common Scents

A woman in Detroit is suing the city over co-workers' use of strong perfumes and air deoderizers. (Read it here!)

This story comes at a great time because I was going to revisit a previous post from a week ago when I wrote a mild rant about strong scents in public places. In that rant, I mentioned a poll you could take in my blog's sidebar.

The poll question read, "Should Strong Perfumes, Colognes, and Hand Lotions be Banned From Use in Restaurants and Work Places?" There were 9 votes total; 6 for banning (66%), 2 for not banning (22%), and 1 undecided (11%). And, yes I know there is a percent missing, gimme a break this isn't advanced math I'm doing here. ~.^

Now, I should have reworded that from Ban to Restrict. I don't think actually banning the use of personal scents is a reasonable response. But the scent wearer (user) should also exercise some common sense on how much to wear.

An anonymous comment on that post claimed the scent users have a right to personal expression.

To an extent, I agree with that statement. people should have a right to express themselves. Of course, obvious limitations to society and laws need to be observed. I may like walking around my house naked, but my kids don't need to see that, nor my neighbors across the street who happen to glance through my unshuttered, open picture window. I'm also pretty sure my cats don't particularly care for it either. Sure, they put on a good show of ignoring it, but I hear them sniggering to each other about it later.

My opinion is that your right to personal expression stops at my personal space. If I can smell you from three or four feet away, strongly and clearly, then you are invading my personal space, and you should move (or maybe wash it off). Perfume and other scents should be a personal thing. A person should have to be right up near you, within your personal space, to smell it.

Unless you are stating that your personal space extends around yourself in a substantially larger radius than others?

I consider it rude for someone to use a scented lotion, or to spritz perfume, while in a public place. Especially an eating establishment, or a grocery store.

Would they like it if I walked by their table and ... farted?

Hey, it's a natural bodily function. God created the ability for the human body to release excess gas. Perfume is a man-made substance, not natural. But, if I stood there and played the Flight of the Bumblebee with my Tushie Tuba, I'd be tossed out of the restaraunt; maybe even arrested.

Why? Because it is rude, offensive, and fairly gross ... by society's standards (and my own). Is not the stench of floral assault not as rude, offensive, and gross? I don't want to smell it at my table, let alone taste it! Yuck! But, perhaps farting is my way of expressing myself?

No? I don't think that excuse flies for either circumstance.

The above reminds me of a true story. It takes place long before smoking was banned in restaurants. I was maybe 16, so this had to be in the mid to late '80's.

My mother, my sister's mother-in-law, and myself were at one of our favorite pizza joints. Seating was in booths down a very long room, about 15 booths to a side; six seaters, eight if you were thin or very friendly. A wall ran along one side of the booths, with a six foot high barrier wall along the other. It was topped with various plants and a bronze runner bar.

We were seated, about half-way though our meal, when a group of five men entered and asked (almost demanded) that we move because this was their traditional booth. Of course we said no, there were about twenty or so other booths available for them to sit at and we had already begun eating. They cursed at us and sat directly behind us. Three on the bench directly behind my mother and myself, two across the table from those three.

Immediately they all lit up cigarettes and cigars. Annoying, but not much we could do other than move. Even though my mother has breathing problems compounded by smoke, she was adamant about not moving.

Then the "gentlemen" began holding their lit cigarettes (and one cigar) over their shioulders. Smoke began to billow into our eating space. We politely asked them if they would stop holding their cigarettes like that. They laughed and started to turn their heads and blow the smoke at us. One guy even tapped his ashes onto my mothers neck.

We complained to the restaraunt owner, who we knew as my sister had once dated his son in high school. Dimitri, the owner, apologized, and gave us our meal free, but said he couldn't tell them to stop because he didn't want trouble with those men. I got the picture. Yeah, Dimitri's place was THAT sorta pizza joint. >_>

We got the rest of the food packed up in boxes and my mother and my sister's in-law left, walking down the small hallway to the exit, the six foot barrier wall high wall to their right. As they passed where the men were you could hear them laugh harder and call us all sorts of cruel and nasty names. I was at the front counter, talking to Dimitri.

About this time I saw their waitress bring over their orders.

I said goodbye to Dimitri, casually grabbed the lid off a very full floor ashtray next to the counter, walked down the hallway, and as I got next to the Darwinian rejects' booth, I upended the entire ashtray over the wall and onto them, their food, and the huge pitcher of beer they were drinking.

Then I ran like hell.

The next time we ate at Dimitri's place, he said absolutely nothing to me about it, but I did get a free piece of baklava, "just because". ~.^

So, the next time someone sits near me in a restaurant and whips out the lotion or perfume, I think I'm ordering up a mess of baked beans.

Ah, I smell victory!

Transformers (2007)

This summer's blockbuster event is Transformers. And, unless you've lived under a rock for the last 20 years, you pretty much know what the movie is about.

Big. Transforming. Robots.

Transformers is a pure action romp from start to finish. You have Huge Shape-Shifting Robots fighting the military, you have Huge Shape-Shifting Robots fighting a secret government agency. You have Huge Shape-Shifting Robots fighting each other.

Oh, and a Little Shape-Shifting Robot fighting all that, plus Shia LeBouf and his hot girlfriend.

I enjoyed this movie. You don't get too many "popcorn flicks" like this every year. It was fast, it was energetic, it had a decent story, it even had made you care, just a little, about the people and robots in it.

In truth, the movie was more about people with some Huge Shape-Shifting Robots thrown in, than about Huge Shape-Shifting Robots who meet people.

And, that's okay.

One of the things the old Transformers cartoons did not depict very well, or at all, was how the Transformers being on Earth affected anything. The movie shows us, sometimes in excruciating detail, just how the United States would respond the Huge Shape-Shifting Robots ... pretty much how the Government is depicted responding to anything from outer space ... shoot at it, capture one, and torture / experiment on it!

Still, it felt plausible, and for once our government and military isn't portrayed as some inept, bumbling, and vaguely evil entity. (Though the throw-away, snide political commentary about the President is more biting). I suppose being a Fourth of July release, it behooved the filmmakers to show the US in a good light. Pump up the patriotism, fuel the war machine, and all that. *shrug*

Still, while the movie, overall, was a blast to watch, it suffered from similar plot bloat as did Spider-Man 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. There are several plot threads, and so many characters introduced, that you begin to feel slightly overwhelmed.

There are six groups of characters that alternately interact with one another throughout the film, eventually converging together in the film's climax: Shia LeBouf's Sam Witwicky and his girlfriend and family; the Special Forces military team; the Secretary of Defense (Jon Voight, yay!) and his signal breaker team; the enigmatic Sector 7; the brave Autobots; and the evil Decepticons.

I think they should have lost the Sector 7 and most of the signal breakers stuff and focused more on Sam Witicky and his relationship with Bumblebee (the yellow, Camaro Autobot). To me, that storyline was the true heart of the film, and it seemed a bit rushed and somewhat forced in places. Shia Lebouf was a great fit for his character, though at times he seemed more like his Even Stevens character in his frantic yelling and screaming at the beginning.

The Army vs. Robot sequences were great. Lots of explosions, plenty of cool guns, awesome special effects. Some of it could have been cut down, but Michael Bay sure loves his exploding action sequences. I'm not a huge fan of the way he does action. I much prefer the cleaner style of action I saw in Live Free or Die Hard to his choppy, quick shift style. It's not horrible, but I just prefer to see what is going on, rather than semi-see it and have to guess.

I liked having the Secretary of Defense in charge of things. Jon Voight is one of my favorite actors, and I really enjoyed seeing him in this role. The signal trackers were okay, but too much focus and importance was given to them, and the addition of Anthony Anderson's character was totally unneeded, slowed things down, and was just jarring in its blatant attempt to be "funny". (Though still not as ear-shriekingly bad as Bernie Mac as the car salesman at the beginning of the film).

The Decepticons looked sufficiently menacing, and very fluid. The Autobots were similarly fluid, but seem to convey a more benign nature. The CGI teams did excellent work with the designs and animations.

All the Transformers were realized perfectly on screen. You fully buy into the idea that these Huge Robots could transform into the vehicles and other shapes. The one thing that seemed incongruous about them was how they were able to move almost silently while walking or hiding. You'd think there would be great big WHOMPS when they took steps due to their massive size.

Peter Cullen returns as the voice of Optimus Prime. He makes the movie. Without him the movie would still be pretty good, but having him reprise his role as Optimus makes it freaking great! Optimus is more humorous in the film than in the cartoons, a refreshing change. All the Transformer dialogue is as fluid as their animations. You feel they are definitely "more than meets the eye".

There were a few other things I didn't care for in the film ... the Allspark's size-shifting, a few rude humor scenes, a bit more strong language than I care for in a "family film" (mostly several Mother Fu ... never completely spoken, but you know we all mentally finish the statement), and the ending sorta made me think "Why didn't he just do that in the first place?"

Overall, I liked it ... a lot. I'd go see it again, except I'd have less to drink beforehand as the movie is two and a half hours long. I'll definitely be getting this on DVD. And I eagerly await the sequel.

You know there will be one. They left it open at the end, with a hook or two here and there.

Still, you really only need one reason to go see this film ...

Big. Transforming. Robots.

I was wavering between a 3 or a 4 for my rating, but the movie has grown on me in the two days since i saw it. So I am giving Transformers as solid 4 out of 5 Raivynns.

Raivynn Rating

Happy Fourth of July

Wishing you and yours a safe and happy Fourth of July!

I'll be spending the day mucking about in WoW, watching one of 12 new DVDs with the family, likely playing a game or two with the kids, and once it gets dark ... Fireworks! Or, what passes as legal fireworks in my town.

Sure, I could basically lie to one of the hundreds of firework vendor tents scattered all over the county. I could tell them I wish to purchase the fireworks for agricultural purposes. I wouldn't need to worry about getting in trouble because the cops don't really enforce the ban on non-sparkler fireworks.

But, I feel it is wrong and sends a poor message to my kids. I'm constantly telling them not to lie, not even on the little stuff. How would it look for me to lie just so we can blow stuff up in celebration of our country's Independence? Real good way to honor my country ... by lying.

Of course, with all the politicians, you'd think lying would be the perfect way to celebrate. =/

Going to the Movies

My mother and I are heading to the local cineplex at the mall to see Tranformers today. We'll likely be heading out around noonish, grab lunch at the mall food court, then slip into a 12:40 or 1:10 showing. Depends on how much we lallygag about in the food court ... and how crowded the mall is, I suppose.

I was not the biggest Transformers fan as a kid. I never even had any of the toys, though I did watch the cartoon. Not slavishly, but if it was on, I was home, and nothing else was capturing my attention, my eyes gazed upon the brave Autobots as they battled the evil Decepticons.

I did watch the Beast Wars era of Transformers, however. There were few totally CGI shows out back in 1996, and I found it visually entertaining. Plus, the show came on right after I got home from my graveyard shift job, and I watched it while munching a bowl of cereal before I showered and went to bed.

I don't know, in detail, the Transformer mythology. I'm avoiding reading up on it at Wikiepedia or other fan sites, so as to not taint my experience seeing the movie. I am already a little leery at the robot designs compared to what I recall from the cartoons and CGI series. But, I try to see movies about pre-existing properties (like super-heroes, and such) with an open mind. I like to think of the movie continuity as an alternate reality of sorts. This way I lessen any disappointment I might have about differences from the original source material.

I'll write up a review of the movie in the next day or so ... after I stop expecting every car, truck, or airplane to suddenly shift into a robot form with that digital ratcheting sound, that is.

Tagged for Jesus

My regular blog buddies have been doing a thing where they "tag" a blog who is then supposed to list five reason why they dig Jesus, then tag 5 others to do the same.

The problem with this is those who are some of the last to be tagged, are limited in who is left to tag from their usual blog group. I don't know if I can retag someone, or even who has already been tagged. A few people I am blogging buddies with wouldn't appreciate what they would perceive as "blog spam", others have different views about religion. Again, they might not appreciate being tagged.

I'm awaiting some official ruling as to what can be done. Until then, here are my "Five Reasons I Dig Jesus":

¤ He undertook incredible punishment, pain, and persecution before He died for our salvation. Too many people focus only on His death and Resurrection, and seem to ignore or pass over His suffering before that. It's easy to die, and being the Divine, Resurrection (while a miracle) is what He is. I'm more impressed and thankful that Jesus would willingly subject himself to the beatings, the kicks, the punches, carrying the cross, the crown of thorns, the nailing, the spear thrust, the bitter water for me. I fancy I would be able to die for my loved ones, but I don't know if i could willingly withstand torture.

¤ His forgiveness. Jesus forgave those who tortured him, those who reviled and spat upon him. He forgives me. How cool is that?

¤ Jesus was a carpenter. He worked with his hands. In carpentry, you sometimes need a gentle touch, sometimes a forceful touch, always with precision, in order to build something worthwhile and sturdy. You see this in other aspects of His life in the Bible, too.

¤ Jesus was not afraid to stand up for what is right. He faced down angry mobs intent on stoning a prostitute. He stood up to, and threw out, the moneychangers in the temple. He even stood up to Satan on the mountaintop.

¤ Jesus was a great story teller. Sure, now we call them parables, but He told stories that entertained, not bored, all while getting his message across.

So, there you have my five.

Until I learn more about the rules of tagging, I'll just tag one person for now ...

Tekphreak