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9/11, again
I posted this to a message board. I typed for over 15 minutes, stream of conciousness. So it's a little odd. But this is my feelings of the day. God bless America, and never forget those who died.

9/11...again

Pardon me if I get philosophical. I think it's just the day, or that as a writer, I'm trying to verbalize my feelings. As I write this, it is 8:46. The time the first plane struck.

I woke up this morning and remembered how I felt that day. It was my first day going into therapy, and all I could think about was why I was there and how I was going to make it through. Within hours, everyone was asking the same question.

I heard on the radio. They cut off a Jessica Simpson song to say a plane hit the World Trade Center. And I thought "What a terrible accident." I entered the lobby and waited for my appointment. Then more news came over the radio-there was another plane. I thought "Terrorism." Then it was my turn and I put it out of my mind for an hour. I came out and the world had gone to hell.

I heard it was worse for my classmates, who watched it all happen live. My sister's English teacher watched her uncle die when the towers collapsed. One of my classmates burst into tears when she heard about the Pentagon. Her biological father, who she'd only just met and started to know, worked there. He lived.

I remember going back to school later in the day. My contemporary history class, one of the kids kept screaming that we needed to "Bomb em'." As though dropping a bomb would undo everything. Thank God idiots like him don't run foreign policy.

And right now, I've got the TV on. Giuliani is reading the names of every person who died. Somehow, it puts a face. You hear "3,000 people died," you react with detachment, unless you know someone. But reading every name makes the magnitude of what happened greater.

One year later, we're back to blaming the President for everything. I suppose it's only natural-he's the only here we can thrust our pain on. Osama Bin Laden won't hear us, or care. The people who have been so consumed by hate as to dance for joy in the face of our pain will never change their minds.

That is the most frusterating part. That those who did it may never come to justice. The rest of the world is back to saying that we shouldn't get so worked up. After all, it was only 3,000 innocent lives lost in the name of a ridiculous cause. Nothing to get upset about. Never mind that, as I hear the names read, I realize that they are not all Americans. Some names are unmistakeably of foreign origin. This was not just an American tragedy-this was an attack on everyone. Yet we carry the mantle. Only natural-people fear war so much they will avoid it at all costs, even without realizing that it's already started without them firing a shot. War is terrible. But the problem is, ignoring the fact that someone is attacking us won't stop it. We must prevent it from repeating, not by slaughtering thousands, but by putting the pressure on those who let it happen.

Another moment of silence. For the second plane.

Amazing that the feelings are still so strong a year later. Sorry for rambling. I'm really out of it.
Wednesday, September 11, 2002
09:10 a.m.

A new chapter...
The day has finally arrived. Yea, yea, it's just 12:00 AM, but I don't care. I go to college today. I'm excited and scared at the same time, though. I'm really nervous about leaving everything I know behind. At least I'm only an hour and a half away, so I can still visit semi-frequently. But I know, deep down, that it's definetly time for me to move on. I keep feeling like I need to pursue something more that I won't find if I just stay in my parent's house and mess around on a computer all day. It's going to be hard doing everything myself, but I also kind of want it. Independence is absolutely exhilirating. Plus, two of my orientation buddies are coming in today and they're right near my dorm! We're going to be getting together and going down to the Marble Slab in the mall. Mmmmm...slab...I know I'll miss my family, but I guess it's time. So, I'll DEFINETLY post an update tomorrow, for all one or two of you out there that read this:)
Sunday, August 11, 2002
12:00 a.m.

Are flames not nifty?
First off-a friend I met at UCF orientation got me addicted to the web-comic Sluggy Freelance, which has been running as a comic strip for nearly five years. It's about a guy, an inventor, a girl, a violent talking rabbit, a ditzy talking ferret, and a shape-shifting alien. They have adventures. Okay, so it sucks when I sum it up, but I don't want to wreck the surprises. Just click the link up above to go to website, then start from the beginning and dig your way through the archives. You won't be sorry.

Second, I got a new flame to share. I make posts to the IMBD reviews rather frequently. Sometimes I get comments on them, particularly when I'm very praise-worthy (Princess Mononoke) or extremely virulent, as you shall see below. After enduring the pain of the first two The Mummy movies, I ripped up the first movie (Read the Comment). Needless to say, I was not surprised when the following e-mail arrived:

"hi. i saw your review for THE MUMMY. if you think that Brendan Fraser is a terrible actor you are very much mistaken. this movie got very good reviews, from real critics. even my dog has something good to say about this movie. i have seen it 18 times, and i STILL THINK IT IS THE BEST MOVIE THAT HAS GRACED THE PLANET EARTH. and Brendan Fraser is the best part of it. besides, i think Harrison Ford SUCKS! i know you probably think that this is a matter of opinion, but in this matter, my opinion happenes to be RIGHT!"

Now, what to do with a flame like this? Surely, an intelligent dissection of it, while personally satisfying, will not mean much to the flamer herself? Well, I remembered this poor, neglected Pita, and decided to break up the rush of sad entries with a little light-hearted humor. Moral: Flame me and I will mock you. Offer intelligent criticism, and I will respect you. I have been sent both kinds of comments, and have never reacted otherwise.

""hi. i saw your review for THE MUMMY. if you think that Brendan Fraser is a terrible actor you are very much mistaken."

Granted, this is a matter of opinion, but I have seen Brendan Fraser in many films, and have never enjoyed him. The only roles he's good at are characters I'd rather not watch (i.e. Encino Man.) Here, he ha been cast as an action hero. He is supposed to be somewhat dangerous and secretive. However, he rarely gives off a mysterious aura, just a "jerk" aura. The rest of the time he is oddly stiff.

" this movie got very good reviews, from real critics."

First, I could care less what critics say. Sure, I read reviews if I want to decide on what movie to watch, or even just for entertainment. But tht doesn't stop me fom enjoying a crictically lambasted film (UHF, The Majestic) or hating a well-loved film (Amadeus, Notting Hill). But while we speak of critics, let's see what some had to say, since you've brought it up. These are all courtesy of the listing of reviews at the IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes, where the movie was ranked at Rotten both overall and in the Cream of the Crop sections (Cream of the Crop being established reviewers.)
Roger Ebert : ***
"There is within me an unslaked hunger for preposterous adventure movies...'The Mummy' is a movie like that." While he gave it three stars, he commented that it was horrible, but apparently wonderfully horrible. At the end of the review, he says "Look, art this isn't. Great trash, it isn't. Good trash, it is." Yet he recognizes how terrible it is, though he can be known to enjoy certain bad movies.
The Washington Post
While this critic remarks that Brendan Fraser is "an incredibly likable performer", he feels that Fraser is "wasting his energy." As for the film, he says: "A failure in more ways than a mortal would have time to explain, this overblown parody of desert epics and mummy horror films...stumbles and screeches on for an interminable two hours."
LA Times
The LA Times reviewer was left disappointed. Though leaving no snappy one-liners for me to use, he did mention a major sticking point that I also mentioned in my comment: "...The least pleasant aspect of "The Mummy's" modernization is the film's determination to be as yucky as possible...[it has] several moments that are calculated to have the audience collectively twist and groan in their seats."

"even my dog has something good to say about this movie."

I dearly love my dog. I like to think of him as reasonably intelligent. I even think that he understands some of what I'm saying. That does not mean I consult him for his opinions on the world, unless I expect to get a blank stare, if any reaction. Unless you have the world's only talking dog, using Fido as a serious source is laughable at best.

" i have seen it 18 times, and i STILL THINK IT IS THE BEST MOVIE THAT HAS GRACED THE PLANET EARTH."

Good for you. However, as someone pointed out to me on the IMDB, after reading my comment on Princess Mononoke that declared it "the best movie of all time," he asked "What about Citizen Kane? Gone with the Wind? Casablanca? To Kill A Mockingbird?" I doubt that many fans of the Mummy would actually put it in the same league with films of that caliber.

" and Brendan Fraser is the best part of it. besides, i think Harrison Ford SUCKS!"

You knew it was coming. Somehow, this flame would have to declare that something "sucks." Well, I can't force you to like Harrison Ford, who has appeared in his fair share of stinkers. However, I suspect youhave invoked him, not out of actual recognition, but to belittle my dislike for Brendan Fraser by insulting the alternative I've posed.

" i know you probably think that this is a matter of opinion, but in this matter, my opinion happenes to be RIGHT!"

Sorry, no one is ever "right" when it comes to a film's good or bad qualities, though I suspect I am wasting my breath arguing. Example: Some people enjoyed the cinematography of The Blair Witch Project, because of it's realism. Others felt it was unnecessarily jerky and confusing. Who is right?

There, all dissected. Why? Because I have fun with silly flames. I know the original flamer would simply ignore my response, but why deprive the few people who read my Pita an interesting new entry? Well, I'm out. Only 7 days till I move into my dorm.
Sunday, August 4, 2002
07:34 p.m.