The Weight of Expectations (UPDATE)

I heard about "the Facebook movie" about 18 months ago. What a terrible idea for a movie, I thought. As the arbiter of all entertainment, I continued to think, clearly suffering some sort of fever dream, I cannot think of a worse premise for a movie. (My subconscious had obviously forgotten about the premise for Gerry.)

I don't have anything against Facebook. Though I have never joined a social networking website, I understand their value, and I get why they are so popular. They're just not my speed.

But the idea of a major film about Facebook seemed laughable. Then I heard about a year ago that David Fincher (The Game, Fight Club) would direct the movie. Wha...? Then I read that Aaron Sorkin ("The West Wing," Charlie Wilson's War) would write the film. Whaaaaaaaa...?

Two filmmakers I usually enjoy seemed to have hit the point in their career when they give up and just start taking work to make money. Then they teamed up to make the world's most boring movie.

But I'm going to see it tonight anyway. From Sorkin's and Fincher's past work, I already know two things about The Social Network: it will look fantastic, and it will feature many scenes where characters display razor-sharp wit during conversations that take place while walking somewhere.

I hope it's good.

Update

The Social Network is good. Really good. Surprisingly really good. Like, so-good-I'm-thinking-about-going-back-to-see-it-again good.

This, though, may be a great example of expectations affecting your reaction to something. Just last week, I saw The Town with a couple of friends. I have pretty high standards for heist movies (it's probably my favorite movie genre), and had seen and very much liked Affleck's Gone Baby Gone, so I was hoping for something amazing. The Town is okay. It's good, not great. But a friend, who knew nothing going into the movie and had no expectations, thought it was great. So there you go.

Expectations: the sure way to always disappoint yourself.

On A Much More Serious Note...

...what the hell?!? Does your address work on thewildernessdowntown.com? Mine doesn't.

Apparently there aren't a lot of Google images of Queen Elizabeth Drive. Surprising.

Eat Shit, Albert Pujols

From stltoday.com:

"'I want to thank God for giving me this platform as a baseball player,' Pujols said, standing in front of tens of thousands of people gathered for the 'Restoring Honor' rally organized by talk-show host Glenn Beck."

When introducing Pujols to receive the childishly titled "Hope Award" at the rally, manager Tony LaRussa -- a world-class dick hole in his own right -- said, "In reality, I think most of us would agree that real-life heros are hard to find."

Simply put, a fucking baseball player is not a hero. He is a professional athlete, nothing more. He is paid to jump and run around for the amusement of an audience. His charity work is commendable and he apparently is very good at being a (cough, HGH) professional baseball player.

But when you accept a bullshit award from a bullshit rally with a vague title and sinister motivations, you implicitly approve of and endorse that overwhelming bullshit as valid.

Kudos to Glenn Beck, though, for finding a token Hispanic ballplayer who whites don't mind, so his angry white people rally could have some diverse window dressing. Well played, sir.

Restoring.. What Now?

Oh riiiiiight...'honor' {side-eye}


"Alright guys, who ordered thousands of delusional jingoists with a large side of xenophobia and a shit-load of ammunition?"
[Side note: they do realize they're standing on socialist-fascist-commie public soil, don't they?]

"Ooh, ooh! I ordered the thousands of delusional jingoists!"


"The most important thing is that we have no idea what we're talking about. That is what makes this rally and OUR--did you hear that, brown and/or poor immigrants--OUR America, so very very awesome!"





By the way, Tea Party... If I were you, I'd be less worried about the black people on the Yellow and Green Lines, and more worried about the duct tape holding the train tracks and escalators together (you know, due to lack of funding).

Petey Tours America, Phase IV - Salt Lake City, UT

I suppose I owe the beautiful city of Salt Lake an apology. Not only did they repeal their blasphemous, draconian alcohol laws, but the people are extremely pleasant and accommodating. Sure, you can find an unnamed cultish religious element if you want to look for it (actually, you probably won't have to look too hard...), but I think having a large university (Univ. of Utah--they apparently they have a huge rivalry with BYU) and recently hosting the Winter Olympics has attracted a certain 'liberal elite' and/or non-Mormon population.

Oh and the skyline is breathtaking..



Though I'm not a huge fan of what the clocks read in the Mountain Time Zone, I have to say.

But Thanks Alive! My 5 week tour of the U.S. has finally concluded and I can finally stop living out of a suitcase and a toiletry bag. And sleep in a non-lumpy bed with at least some amount of back support. Hopefully, when I wake up in the middle of the night now, I will have some idea of what city I'm in.

My next post was going to be a 'travel wrap-up' detailing the gritty details of filing expense reports, but fortunately for everyone, I got barf all over it and had to scrap it.

Making Up For Lost Time (Updated)

This almost makes up for the entire last season of "Lost."

Almost.

Update

If you were too late -- if, say, you did not read this post within 45 minutes of its posting -- then you missed out, son. What the link above was supposed to show you was the leaked 12-minute "Lost" epilogue from the season 6 DVD, showing you a bit of how Hurley and Ben are gonna run things now. It doesn't answer anything you didn't already know or suspect, but it has Michael Emerson being awesome, and it is exactly what the "sideways" story of the last season should have been. It's sugary sweetness is the perfect after dinner mint to get rid of the nasty, bitter, religious aftertaste of the finale. Ah, closure.

I will now never speak or think of "Lost" again. It is dead to me.

P.S. Have you seen "Breaking Bad"? Holy fuck, that shit is awwwwwwwesome.