Magic!

I have gotten back into Magic: The Gathering recently and realized how much I missed it. M:TG includes strategy (playing the right cards at the right time), resource allocation (tap that mana!), and weighing pros and cons (block and die or counter attack?). (And yes, I am proud of being a Nerd. I have been one my whole life and that probably won't change any time soon.)

I have gotten some flack from people I know about the game, but I don't understand it. People generalize and think that we dress up and act as wizards, but in reality, we drink beer and eat indian food or burritos as we play (and occasionally make nerdy jokes about "tapping" our beer glasses for "mana"). Why do people make fun of a game (and the players of it) like M:TG. Perhaps their childhood wasn't as good as mine. Who knows?

M:TG doesn't only entertain me, it reminds me a time where things were a lot more simple. I would play for hours on snow-days with my friends and family. I didn't have to worry about work the next day, or how to make sure my wife is happy. I could just play and worry about the 6/6 flying Hellkite Dragon that my enemy had lined up against me and how I was going to have to block it.

I don't think I ever was one of those kids who thought, "Man, I can't wait to grow up!" (perhaps I was, and my memory is deluding me).

No, I was pretty content being a child, knowing that my elders would supply the food for me and wash my clothes. That my biggest responsibility was getting my homework done (yeah...about that) or making sure I caught the bus on time. That I could spend 8 hours of my day asleep, 8 at school, and the rest generally doing what I wanted. Life and responsibility come to everyone in time (the alternative is not a great option).

But I don't want to be one of those adults that thinks, "Life was so much better as a kid." It was certainly easier, but not better. I have a wife now, who I adore more than anything (although if she keeps making fun of M:TG, we'll see how long that lasts). I have a good job in a field that I enjoy. I am able to travel, which I didn't do overly much as a kid. I have a cat, who is perhaps the dumbest thing alive, but still manages to be loved.

And I know who I am way more than I ever did when I was younger. I am a nerdy, game playing, math and science fact knowing kid at heart.

Ranting...

I don't typically like to rant and rave, but sometimes you just have to let it out.

I am sick and tired of people playing their music loudly on the BART, in the bus or just in general.

First, we will start with public transit.

They have things called headphones. They are quite impressive bits of technology. They take your annoying Kanye West album that you are listening to, they miniaturize it, a la Willy Wonka's chocolate bar, and make it so that I don't punch you in the face.

Quite amazing.

Also, why do you have to sit right by me. When I get on the BART on the way home, there is absolutely nobody else on it besides me and the 16 year old kid with music blasting from his iPhone. Why, in god's name, must you sit near me while I quietly read my 20th century British novel? I agree that is, in fact, slightly boring, but you playing "Power" is not going to make it more enjoyable for me. I promise.

The bus is much worse. There is no escape on the bus, unless I want to get off, wait 20 minutes and then get on another one with the same exact song playing loudly on that one. At least on the BART, I can get up and wander to a new car.

The only real power I have on the bus (which I do employ as a first measure on the BART as well) is to glare at the offender hoping that they see the rage behind my eyes and connect this with the music that they are playing. It has only had an effect once. On the way home from work, I sat down in my own private car. The next stop, an older lady and her two grandkids (kids?) got on and sat directly across from me. The son, about 8 years old, had his own iPhone/iPod Touch and decided to listen to some music. I used my super human glare, not on the child (as he had no experience with a grown man with a look of hatred in his eyes), but on the grandmother. After several minutes of my laser eye death stare, the grandmother noticed.

I think she even knew why I was staring daggers at her because she said to her grandson, "We should have bought you some headphones, huh?" I don't think her grandson could even hear her.

Oh well, I tried.

On to private transport. Several months ago, I lived near a grocery store parking lot. Every once in a while, I would hear the beautiful sound of somebody's 12" Sony Xplodes rattling their trunk like there was a 5 foot tall cell phone on vibrate in there. I am all for loud music in the privacy of your own home/car/whatever, but if it sounds so bad that you can't even hear the music any more, you might want to turn it down a notch.

To each there own, I guess, unless your rattling wakes me up in the night. Then, you lose the priveledge to your own.

Many people, my wife included, don't really mind the musically enhanced BART ride or vibrating vehicles, or at least they never mention it. To me, it's just more proof that people don't really notice or care about the people around them.

If you watch Black Swan, you might actually want to see a Ballet

Last night, I went to go see Black Swan with some friends after a wonderful dinner at Salt House.


I wasn't 100% sure what I was getting into, knowing that Darren Aronofsky's works are typically dark, depressing, but always entertaining. I have watched all of Aronofsky's other movies (except "The Wrestler", which I will watch this week) and have thought after every single one, "That was amazing, but I will never watch that again." Little do I know that a short while later, I will start thinking about his movies again and want to watch Max take a power drill to his own brain.

I didn't know the story behind the ballet "Swan Lake" going into it, but I had to assume that the story lines would intertwine. Aronofsky is too clever for that. Too bad I don't watch ballet...yet.

The movie was shot in a very black and white sort of way. There were colors in the film, but the emphasis put on the distinct black/white separation between characters, scenes and moods put more "color" into the film than any actual color could.


Natalie Portman (Nina) has some problems with perfection, which is seen pretty early in the film. She does a good job of portraying the emotions that go through the story. She doesn't look her best in the movie, but I suppose that goes along with portraying a ballerina.


Mila Kunis (Lily) was not in the movie as much as I thought she would be from the previews, but her character is a good contrast to the straight laced Nina.

Vincent Cassel (Thomas) was a great director in the film, showcasing the power and energy that a director has.

Winona Rider (Beth) made a surprise appearance (for me), as I had no idea she was even still making films.

The movie was beautiful, both in cinematography and in the story. There are definitely some points that will make you squeamish, jump and (as a friend of mine did) actually scream, but all in all, I will probably want to see this again in a few months.

It's been a while...

Sorry...I sometimes forget that I have this blog. I'll work on updating it more often.