october movies

X-Men: The Last Stand - What's amazing is what *is* real, like the plane (the real message: mutation is now). The movie must be a secret ploy to preserve/increase military spending. Otherwise, it was ok, but suffered from the same flaw as all movies with almighty characters: the whole movie is deus ex machina.

Yes, that was all i saw.

20 years ago today-

It's the kind of event that makes you use the stairs instead of the elevator for the rest of your life, not to mention look for the strongest structural point in every building you enter, keep a couple weeks' supply of food and water at home, never travel without an emergency kit, and always have a Plan along with multiple contingencies.

And of course it was yet another event teaching me to trust nothing, not even the earth under my feet.

It was also one of those times where my reaction wasn't correct: i remember sitting in my chair in the classroom, feeling the violent shaking, and enjoying it like what a rollercoaster should be. It was quite fun, and while my instructor and classmates - all with terrified looks on their faces - rushed outside, i followed procedure and ducked under the desk. Mr O'Leary glared at me and yelled "get out!" So much for those drills we practiced; everyone else's training failed them.

My reactions weren't quite on par the rest of the day either. Kids crying, scared wondering what was happening. I remember the wonder, but it didn't seem scary. Figured i was supposed to feel scared, they wanted me to, they expected me to, so i went along with the crowd. Yes, let's pray. Yes, let's speculate. Yes, let's fear what the world looks like outside the school perimeter. Took me quite a few years to learn to ignore what others thought. Hell, people die all the time, and quite often as direct or indirect results of my actions. If i don't care about that, why am i going to care about an event i have no control over?

Warning Labels

I saw this girl walking around campus with a butterfly on her ass - not on the pocket or side of her jeans, but sewn in right in the middle of her rear. If she farts, does she cause monsoons in Southeast Asia? Maybe the butterfly was a warning label - don't scare her lest people die. Maybe her flatulence is the key to our missile defense program - surely those butterfly wings could knock down Jong-il's ICBM's during their boost phase. Whatever the effect, i made sure to keep my distance and not make any sudden moves.

Speaking of warning labels, the other day i got a bright yellow card titled HAZARD WARNING CARD in the mail. The only information on the card was my address listed in the Describe the Hazard section and an old tenant's name listed in the Recommended Precautions section. No number to call, no sign of who it's from, just a variety of cryptic form information, like PS Form 1766, April 1986 and (Case in front of mail for address or location where hazard exists. Do not deliver this form.). A number of phone calls later i find out it's from the Post Office, and it's their way of informing the post-deliverer that the listed name at the listed address has had a change of address and so no mail for that person should be delivered there. The bright yellow card and bold text is supposed to really get the deliverer's attention, and the card itself is not to be delivered, but to remain in the deliverer's satchel. Was a nice adventure, figuring that one out.