My rules on seeing movies

The following are the rules I tell people to follow when seeing movies with me, if a person violates any of the rules, unless you have a very valid excuse, which is rare that I decide it to be valid, I won’t see a movie with them ever again.

1. Must arrive at least 10 minutes before the listed time that the movie starts. I usually suggest 20 minutes so in case people get held up by things on the way over.
2. I pick the seats, I have seen enough movies in my time to know the select seats to sit in that make for optimal movie viewing. They are the ones in the upper section of seats and right in the middle. This is why Rule #1 is so important to get to theater early to be able to claim these seats.
3. If I, or someone in the group of people saves a seat for you, and you don’t show up or show up after the movie starts, I won’t see a movie with you again. This rule harkens back a midnight screening of Avatar when it came out and I saved a seat for someone and they decided to have a fight with their significant other in the lobby and they never showed up. So I look like a tool during the whole movie in a sold out theater with an empty chair with my coat in it. Not cool.
4. Don’t talk during the movie unless both of us have seen the movie, I don’t want to hear your smart remarks on my first experience of a movie, I want to fully experience just the movie and that’s it, don’t talk to me or others around you. Even if you think you are the quietest whisperer, others, that you didn’t come with, and don’t want to hear you, can hear you talk, and its very disrespectful to the movie goers around you. There is an exception to this rule but it has never come to fruition for me. If we are in a theater and our group of people, whether it be 2 or 10, are the only ones in the theater for the movie, then comments are allowed because I have always wanted to have that experience, but it happens so rarely, I’ve had the opportunity to do so.
5. Don’t go on your cell phone during the movie, EVER. I hate people that do that, it is annoying and distracting, if you absolutely have to check your cell phone, quietly leave the theater for a brief moment, and check it outside.
6. If you go with your significant other to a movie with me, don’t make out during the movie, that’s highly annoying and just embarrassing that I came to the movie with you, holding hands is a maybe, but definitely a big NO on the making out, if you want to suck each other’s face off, stay home and do it in the privacy of your home.
7. When the credits start, that does not mean its time leave. If we followed rule #2 we are in the middle of a row, and if it’s a packed theater we’ll have to wait for people to leave. Enjoy the end credits music and maybe there will be an easter egg at the end of the movie, and that latter hope is why I sit through every movies credits in a movie theater, just in case.

Narcissism and Social Media

First off, I am going to start this blog by saying: if I offend you in any way, good. That’s the point

of this blog entry. It’s to make you mad and hope you do some reflection, because its come to my

attention that we live in a highly saturated narcissistic society, and most of us don't come anywhere

close to fully realizing how bad it is. Sure, most people acknowledge celebrities come across as

narcissistic, but if you are absorbed in social media, you are a narcissist to a certain degree (and

some much more than others). Twitter and Facebook have made regular, everyday people turn into

self-centered freaks who post things from their lives or their thoughts online to draw attention to

themselves. Am I being narcissistic by posting on this blog? YES, and I know it. But for once with this

blog, I am trying to make a valid point. (And for those who know me personally, yes I would make

this rant in a very animated manner.)

“Social media” as its called, has given people free reign, and allowed them to yell out, “Look at me and

what I am doing.” Whether its worth seeing or not is up to the viewer. My point is that doesn't matter.

Why? Because people are going to do it anyway because it makes them feel good. It makes them feel

like they have an audience of some kind. The result is they do whatever they can to feel attached to us,

posting as many things as they can online. Photos. Status updates Silly videos. I have done all of it for

far too long and I feel it’s grown tiresome.

I can't log on to Facebook or Twitter without seeing someone posting something that makes me think,

“Why in the heck would anyone in their right mind post that,” and then I remember, “oh yes, it’s to add

to their ever expanding ego that everyone seems in competition to add to...whether they want to admit

or not.” Take for example a tweet I saw tonight that read, “I HAVE BEEN A SINGLE GIRL FOR FAR

TOO LONG. DOES GETTING MARRIED MEAN I HAVE TO STOP LEAVING CLOTHES ALL OVER THE HOUSE? THIS IS SERIOUS. :)” Now a few details need to be known about this before jumping to your own conclusions: this person has been out of a dating relationship for barely 3 months, and this person has a child. Now knowing that info, this tweet just seems idiotic when one thinks of why it was

posted. I know people have said that Twitter is just pointless status updates, and I have defended it by

saying it’s a bit more than that in some ways, but at the end of the day, it’s real purpose is to build up

the poster’s ego by making them feel important. I don't care if people deny it. On some level, that is

why people participate in social media: because they want attention, and social media feels like an easy

to get some sort of attention.

And to the people who say, “I'm on Twitter to network.” SHUT UP. No you're not,. You can network

without Twitter and maybe get rid of your big ego. People choose not to because the people who

feel the constant need to “network” on Twitter also need attention (why else would they “network”

where there’s the possibility that billions of people could access their thoughts?) If Twitter were to

be wiped off the face of the earth, those people would need some serious mental help. Altogether as

a society it doesn't matter who reads this blog post because people will still go on overusing social

media outlets because that is just the way things are. At the end of the day we are an egotistical, self-

centered, narcissistic group of people who interact with each other with words that, if looked at out of

the context of social media publication, makes little to no sense,. It is simply people saying over and

over again, “Look at me. Please, please look at me. Notice me. I’m important, look at me.”

And yes, I know I am a part of the problem, but to operate in society today you have to participate

or it’s as if you are living in the dark ages. Its quite intriguing. If I can make it to the start of Lent

without losing any more of my mind due to the egotistical-ness of social media, I am giving it up for

the entirety of Lent, and I’ll try to focus on more important things.

I still don't know how to end these things properly, but please think about what I've written, and

consider life just for one week without social media. I imagine it’s a freeing experience. Hopefully I'll

find out for sure, soon.

My Origin Story...

So since my move to Minnesota in the fall of 2005, I quickly gained small notoriety as the kid who wore shorts year round, or my nickname around the University of Minnesota campus, shorts guy. By the time I graduated it was really what I was known as, its kind of interesting at a campus of 50,000 students to stand out, and even see a few editorials mentioning me in the schools newspaper, but as with all things there is an origin story, and my story is no different for this is my Origin Story.

So when I moved to Minnesota in the fall of 2005 it was warm and I was wearing shorts but then slowly in late october the temperature got a little uncomfortable for most people when the thought of wearing shorts came to mind. But for some reason I kept wearing them and then at some point I challenged myself to see if I could keep wearing shorts until December 1^st. So I did and then I kept going and mostly it was because I was just more comfortable in shorts and didn't care what others thought of me and I was willing to endure the couple minutes outside to do so. It was about December 8th where I had to venture downtown and run some errands and wore jeans, and that stopped the whole shorts all the time thing, but after coming back after Christmas break, it was considerably warm in Minnesota for January, it was in the 40s or 50s and I decided to where shorts again and then kept it up until the present time. My only exceptions were if I knew I was going to be outside for a while, usually for sledding or skiing, and pants were allowed for formal events as well. Now through the years of wearing shorts in winter has certainly produced some interesting stories one of which I mentioned in a previous blog about Kevin Smith which can be read here. Also there was always the strange looks and comments from professors and fellow students who could not believe that someone would not only do this once but keep doing it no matter how harsh the winter had gotten. It was fun and got to poke fun at myself often like when someone would ask me if it was cold outside, I would just smile and say your asking me? Well... One time I even got an award for best dressed of the year at a Campus Crusade meeting beating out people who actually had fashion sense, but who needs fashion sense when people are trying to figure out how can one humanly possible consistently wear shorts in Minnesota winter.

The other part of my origin story is that in my later years of college I could always be spotted in a huge green winter parka, and here is the origin of how I came to own said parka. I was helping a former mentor of mine named Taylor move out of his house and he was going through old things and actually had this big old green winter jacket and asked if I wanted it, and I said yes because my winter jacket I was growing sick of because it was just too small for me to keep wearing. So it was kind of like the passing of the Green Lanterns ring, in few months that reference will become more understandable after the Green Lantern movie comes out, but it is very unique passing of a torch sort of moment except Taylor was never the shorts in winter type. But I still own that jacket to this day and when it gets cold enough where my 3 hoodies can't hold up to the cold, I will again bust it out and continue the winter tradition.

Now with that in mind, I have been thinking of actually stopping my wearing shorts in the winter as I am now biking to and from work these days, and actually everywhere else for that matter. This is something I've never had to do in the winter as I lived on campus or used public transportation to get to where I need to. And tonight I biked from work and it was below freezing and the ride is a good 20-30 minutes and yes I was in shorts as to be expected. But three quarters into this ride, I had kept thinking if I should keep the shorts thing going. The weird looks downtown are fun but riding home at night is getting just hard to do in shorts, its cold and my legs can bike in the cold only for so long and if I am having these thoughts now, when it gets around zero degrees, how bad will that ride be then pending the roads are not nasty, if they are the plan is take the bus for that given day. I am thinking December 1^st, since it is a date that sort is significant in my origin story and have that be my last day in shorts in the winter, and then followed by pants of some kind, not jeans, I hate jeans. Probably wear long underwear and some basketball warm-up type pants and just change into slacks at work. We'll see if I can start to build endurance to handle the cold but all good things must come to an end and my continuous wearing of shorts in the winter might be coming to end and only happen when I dont have to bike too far to where I am going.

Until next time...stay safe

I Think I Learned Something.... or How A Movie About Lesbians Helped Me Learn Why I Suck At Relationships

So tonight I watched the movie called The Four Faced Liar a movie about relationships and lesbianism. I really enjoyed it, definitely worth Netflixing, especially if your into the indie scene, its worked its way around the festival circuit and finally hit DVD for those of us who live in areas where the festivals aren't up to par. I know Minneapolis has a few film festivals but we never get the Indie films I really want to see.

Anyway I am not here to review the film, I am writing because the film made me realize why I am so horrible at my own personal relationships despite the fact friends have told me I give such good advice on relationships and how to handle them.

There is a scene in the film where the main lesbian, Bridget and her straight friend Molly are talking and Molly asks Bridget why doesn't she want a girlfriend, and Bridget responds with the fact that people don't keep her interested, and Molly asks Bridget what if someone kept you interested and Bridget responds with something along the lines of her policy of not having a girlfriend would change. This is so like me because I get bored of most people a lot of the time. This also struck me because people don't keep me interested, I have floated in and out of so many groups of friends over the years, I am shocked this didn't dawn on me sooner, or at least not the fact of putting all the pieces together. Even people I have dated have bored me after awhile and then it just ends, so I basically have to find someone who always keeps me interested which would basically be the female version of me, and I find that impossible because I have far too many quirks and weird nerdy interests that distract me from a developing a long lasting realationship.

This isn't me whining and complaining about being single, I still enjoy the single life, but I am just glad I now know that I either A have to be really picky in a girl to date so I don't get bored with them or B just wait for someone as cynical as me and who has opinion on films and not just one of those I like most films people, because no offense to those who are, but talking movies with them is impossible because they act as if very few bad films exist. That could get me on a whole other subject that would be bound to make everyone made because I would diss people and movies that people love for some reason that is far beyond me, maybe next time.

So in short, lesbians taught me that people bore me and thus I don't date people that long, whatevs

Until next time...stay safe.

The Rise of Leslie Vernon Certainly Rises to the Occasion

Today I watched Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, I got it from Netflix this weekend in hope it would not be a horror movie that would disappoint me, because recently I watched Drag Me to Hell and The Descent and their endings disappointed me. So I took a game on a more indie horror film in hopes that it would not disappoint and WOW did it ever NOT disappoint. This movie was impressive. As a fan of horror and slasher flicks this movie was just what the genre needed. Its a movie that is aware of its genre. Later I will go into spoilers but for now I will just give overall impressions of the film.

The film is really enjoyable, it gets a little dull at one point in the film but picks up really quickly, the dull point almost acts like a quiet before the storm. Like Scream, it goes into the stereotypes of previous slasher films but instead of being from a victims point of view, it goes over those stereotypes from the killers perspective, something that in thought is very difficult to do on film but this film does it in a very different type of storytelling for a horror film, combing documentary look along with typical movie look, and switching between the two.

From here on out I will be discussing plot details and spoilers so this is your SPOILER ALERT. I don't completely giveaway the plot and ending, but I make reference to a few things that are better left secret until you watch the film.

The films lead actor is really great as Leslie Vernon. He seems so relatable on the surface despite the fact he is a serial killer his personality is so friendly, like someone you would go hang out with at the bar. But he still takes his job very seriously and understands his purpose. And the fact that he has a mentor who is a retired slasher killer himself is hilarious and just genius.

The half documentary half cinematic way of storytelling is executed very well in this film, when explaining it to people I can just imagine it will sound so weird but when they see they will totally understand but when telling a story that is just an giagantic homage to all the classic slasher films, it makes sense that they would choose such a non-traditional way of storytelling for a film. In a world where slasher films seem so predictable and overdone, this one takes the genre and makes it fresh by putting a new twist on things and truly telling it from the killers perspective in how we see the preparation and how a killer stays in shape and even complaining about difficult it is to stay in shape to be able to chase people all the time.

The storytelling in this movie I will admit is not perfect and even gets dull when Taylor, the female documentarian pokes her nose where it don't belong by going to the diner where Kelly, but slowly the movie picks up when Leslie's big plan is put into motion, and all heck breaks loose when it is Leslie was playing certain people a fool all along. That part is so brilliant because if it had not been for that the movie would have gotten boring real fast, but Mr. Vernon is such a clever one now isn't he?

Overall I loved this movie and it really shines in an age where most horror films are either the same ol same ol or are just out there to gross you out. In a way it refreshes and re-invents the slasher genre into something new and original that horror fans haven't really seen before. The character of Leslie Vernon is a different slasher killer that is aware of the precedent left by Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and Freddie Krueger and knows what it takes to be up there in their ranks but can still be his own character and do his own thing. The film is an homage to horror movie fans but tries to take the slasher genre into a new age and certainly accomplishes it. I Highly Recommend checking it out.

Until Next Time...Stay Safe

Sonic oh Sonic where art thou Sonic that I once loved?

Earlier tonight I wrote an email the Sega Shiro Podcast discussing what I thought of the current state of how Sonic is received in the gaming community and what has changed, I thought it would make a good blog post for the few and probably not so proud who read my blog. So I present it in unedited form here.

Hey guys I have been listening to your podcast and wished I could get excited about Sonic 4 as much as you guys but sadly I dont own an iphone or any of the newer consoles, at least not yet, if there is a deal on a PS3 on black friday, I'll get one as I want to make the upgrade to Blu Ray. But the release of Sonic 4 has gotten me thinking about how much Sega has made Sonic so unlikeable to us old school Sega nerds who have always been that one guy in a circle friends who have defended Sega and Sonic as better than other companies and mascots and still do but deep down I know that Sega in the last decade has become a very different company in how it treats its characters and fans of those characters.

For example, back in 2003 it was announced Sega was working on a Vectorman next generation game, this got me excited at the time and the video of the gameplay looked like it was going to be a blast from the past like none other. But sadly it was later cancelled leaving me sad that one of my favorite lesser known Sega characters was going to stay that way for a while.

Now lets look at what Sega has done to Sonic in the last decade. After Sonic Adventure, which most Sonic fans agree, as I do as well, is a great Sonic game and when we all first played thought it showed promise that Sonic would be able to continue to thrive in the 3D gaming world as the gameplay was spectacular.

But then came Sonic Adventure 2 and though it wasn't as great as Sonic Adventure 1 it was enjoyable, but looking back it was the start of a dark age where Sonic games, lets just admit sucked more and more as time went on.

There have been a few fun games, like the game titled Sonic the Hedgehog but camera issues and strange story held it back from being a great game.

That's another point, why do they have to stick silly stories into these games, I don't want silly side missions and stuff, this all started when they made Sonic collect flickys in Sonic 3D Blast, which in my opinion is the worse Sonic game of the 16-bit era, partially due to this added feature.

But between the sill adventure on the Wii and the final nail in the Sonic we all knew and loved's coffin is Sonic transforming to a Werehog, that is gotta be the dumbest thing I have ever seen in a Sonic game and one of the dumbest things I have ever seen in any video game. Is this what had to happen to make Sega realize just give us a Sonic game like the good ol days,

I still think Sonic CD is the best Sonic game ever made, between the soundtrack, the massive levels, and just superb fun gameplay, it is really a shock that the only recent incarnation of this games availability is on the Sonic Gems collection on the Gamecube, and has yet to show up in any online store for digital download.

I know this email doesn't really follow any form and changes topics faster than Tiger Woods changes the women in his bed, but you see my point on how Sega has made Sonic games, not as fun as they once were, and yes it is in part due them being third party now but that is a lame excuse when they could still make them fun even if the controls are different among consoles. It's sad and as a longtime Sega fan and retro gamer I feel the Sonic games we expect to be made probably wont happen again.

Yes I haven't played it because its not on a console I own these days (I'm a PC and that is about it for current gaming) but from what I see from videos and review it seems like a last attempt to re-establish the awe that was Sonic The Hedgehog.

The Sega Shiro Podcast (which is who I sent this to) can be found at http://www.segashiro.com/category/podcast/

Until next time...Stay safe

Random Ramblings About Dating and Being Honest

So tonight I watched the movie Kick-Ass and I was going to write a post about how the movie shows how guns are the real villian in our society, but then when I got down to type it up and really did not feel like making an argument like that.  Instead I'll just free write about whatever is on my mind or has been on it lately.

The subject of dating has been on my mind, because I have felt from many sources lately, including my own twisted subconscious pressured to seek someone out, but really I shouldn't.  I am about to enter a new chapter of my life where I am more independent and  on my own and even more becoming my own person.  But whether it be friends who seem to be happy while they are in relationships, especially those who are married or are getting married, they kind of make me feel inferior because they seem to have it all together with their happily ever after mentality and just make single people feel awkward with their cuddly antics, though that’s usually with couples who are in the first couple of months because they don't know any better and consider it normal.  Well its not normal its annoying more than anything, would you act that way in front of your parents or grandparents. NO so don't do it around your friends, all it makes single friends think is, (as I sort of quote Scott Pilgrim vs The World) if your relationship had a face, I would punch it in the face, and I would too, to some of my friends who are dating. 

Next point, horrible transition but my brain thinks 2 paragraphs ahead of my typing hands so whatever else I had to say on the topic will have to be said another day.  Something I've noticed lately, maybe this is showing the flaws in the Minnesota Nice I am surrounded by but, why in the heck can no one be honest with people.  Maybe its MN Nice or just one of the social groups I hang out with (and you know who you are) but people don't seem to be able to speak their mind on certain topics with people.  I even fall victim to this because there are things I want to say to certain people but I can't because I know they wouldn't take it that well or hate me forever, but when I am honest and speak my mind, at least I can be an honest friend to someone and not lie to their face by hiding behind a smiling face and not criticize them when they are making a huge mistake or just messing up in general.  But it bothers me when people take offense at honest thoughts, I don't get it.  Its just sad, I lied all the time as a kid but when I grow up and want to tell the truth all the time, then some of the people I surround myself with want to be lied to instead of being told the truth.

And some who know me would make the argument, “Adam you are just a rude person with very little tact and can't convey the truth in a loving manner.”  My answer to that gobbly-gook is when you tell the truth in a nice way, people tend to sugar coat and only tell half-truths, and I say to heck with that and be full on honest so people take note, pay attention and get the truth they deserve.

If you read this and thought this was really cryptic, you're actually right and to those who think this blog is about you, you are probably right as well.

Until next time...stay safe