Post #47: Captain America: The Winter Soldier MOVIE EDITION

 THE FOLLOWING POST CONTAINS SPOILERS ABOUT THE MOVIE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
The first words out of my mouth after the final post credits scene were: wait, what? I was worried about Bucky, but now I'm worried about the Maximoffs, and their "Miracle Powers" (because we can't say mutant.). Where was Falcon's suit? Who was agent 13, besides not Sharon Carter?
I enjoyed the movie overall, however. I liked the Nick Fury twist, The scene at base in New Jersey scared the crap out of me, oh, and Hail, Hydra! I really loved that this movie was more of a political thriller than a shoot-em-up-Cap-and-Black-Widow-kick-everyone's-butt movie. It made the fight scenes much more impacting and fun. I love love  LOVE that they had Gary Sinise do the voice over for the Smithsonian. It added a nice layer of reality to the movie (If you didn't know, Gary Sinise is very active in doing voice overs for military advertising, VA advertising, and hosts the Memorial Day Sobfest Special on PBS every year). I think they did well with Bucky's back story as the Winter Soldier.
I had an...interesting encounter with some acquaintances of the friend I went with when we went to Target and I told them I was sad that they hadn't used any of the original back story, but I understood why they changed things, because I don't think they would really want to touch the Civil War saga, and also, who could possibly play Deadpool? The man looked at me over his glasses and said "Us purists know the truth. We are the nerds. I believe they will, especially because Chris Evans is only signed on for two more movies after Age of Ultron."
The words 'purists' and 'nerds' make me uncomfortable. I prefer Geek, because, yes, there is big difference between Geeks and Nerds (this is a good article about the differences). And also no one is a "purist" when it comes to Marvel, or DC. I don't know anyone who has ONLY read the comics and never watched a movie or a tv show. And also, I don't claim to have read a ton of comics. I read the ones that look good, and I really specialize more in X-Men. And there are over 75 years worth of comics to get through (both Marvel and DC).
IMAX is not worth seventeen dollars. Especially because you can't switch seats if you end up next to a talker. And also, I was not impressed by the 3D IMAX magic. It was not magic, and if I didn't look at the screen right, the image wasn't in 3D, it was in the pre-glasses double vision.
"Comics are a gateway drug to literacy." - Art Spiegelman
-D.

Post #46: Captain America: The Winter Soldier COMIC BOOK EDITION

Heads up: I'm devoting the following post to the Captain America: The Winter Soldier comic book, Captain America: The First Avenger movie, The Marvel Civil War saga, and various animated specials and TV episodes. This post contains spoilers. Big ones.

I just finished reading The Winter Soldier saga by Ed Brubaker, and I'm a little concerned about the movie. In the comics, Bucky is a.) a kid they get off a military base at age 16,
b.)  Captain America's partner
and, most importantly and blatantly ignored in First Avenger,
c.) is killed when he and The Cap escape being held prisoner by Nazis. He is blown up with the ship because his arm gets stuck and he can't fall off into the ocean with The Cap.
HE DOES NOT FALL OFF A SPEEDING TRAIN INTO AN ICY ABYSS! THAT IS NOT WHAT HAPPENS!
The Russians find him, missing his left arm and frozen, and go "awesome we found Captain America's partner! He probably has super serum we can replicate! Yay!" Bucky is 100% human. No super soldier here. So, instead, they make him a (bad ass) prosthetic arm and brainwash him, which isn't hard, because he doesn't remember who he is, but remembers all of his combat skills (because Bucky was more than an icon. He was a legitimate soldier with intense training.) and becomes Codename: Winter Soldier, an assassin for the KGB.
This story arc is part of a much larger saga, and is also part of the Marvel Civil War storyline, in which Steve Rogers/Captain America is killed in cold blood, and Bucky takes his place as Captain America.
I looked at the Age of Ultron cast list and Chris Evans is there as Cap. Also, I can't imagine that Marvel Studios wants to touch the saga that pits Captain America against Iron Man in the battle against/for superhuman registration and being forced to work for the government. It's a constant theme in X-Men comics and movies, but not so much in the rest of the mainstream Marvel Universe.
Black Widow is nowhere to be found in the Winter Soldier comics. Falcon plays a pretty minimal role. Important, but minimal.
More to come after I see the movie.
-D.

Post #45: Out Among The Stars, $16.25, and Nashville 2.0

I was not disappointed by Out Among The Stars, the new Johnny Cash album. It is not at all like classic Johnny Cash, i.e. "Folsom Prison Blues", "Man In Black", "Ring of Fire", etc. There were some additions made by his son, John Carter Cash, and the CD I bought has an bonus track, a remix of one of the tracks by Elvis Costello. My favorite song off the album is "Baby Ride Easy", a duet with his wife June Carter Cash. The album definitely reflects the time period in which it was recorded (the early 1980's). It reflects that it's 1984, and nobody likes country anymore. But it's still a pretty good album.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier came out yesterday. I am halfway through the comic book, so I haven't seen it yet. I really love Marvel, and I am super excited for the lineup this summer. I really want to see it in 3D, and a new IMAX theater just opened up down the street, so I figured I'd ask my best freind if she would like to go see it with me, but I checked the ticket price first. It's sixteen frelling dollars and twenty-five cents. There are no matinees. I could go see almost THREE movies at the century 14 theater for what it costs to see CA:TWS at the IMAX. But I really do want to see it in IMAX. But $16.25 is an awful lot for a movie. But, Chris Evans in stunning IMAX 3D Hi-Def magic.... That, my friends, sounds like a party.
Last night on PBS was a rerun of Nashville 2.0. The show was about up-and-coming Americana acts, and some already well established acts. They talked about The Avett Brothers and Mumford and Sons. The whole show was mostly about people going back to the roots of country music, and that was all well and good, but what they failed to talk about was the intelligence of some of the songs. I am not a huge fan of country music. In my car there will be no country music radio stations ever. But I do like folksy alternative bands, like The Avett Brothers and Mumford and Sons. I like them because A: they sound really good and they have a cool vibe; and B: They write intelligent music. Mumford and Sons wrote a song about East of Eden! Their music is rife with biblical and literary references! I love that. The people they talked to seemed to be astonished that "The mainstream" public liked Mumford and Sons, that it was unprecedented. Well, no, it's not. I think that sometimes the listening public is underestimated in their ability to appreciate things. It wasn't unprecedented when the general public loved The Avengers, because it was a well written, well directed, and well put together movie, in addition to having serious destruction and the fabulous Chris Evans, and I think that's how it is with music. I like The Avett Brothers because they write well, they sing well, and their music is well put together.
"One little song, give me the strength to leave the sad and the wrong, bury safely in the past where I've been living, alive but unforgiving." - "Souls Like The Wheels"
-D.

Post #44: Winner Winner Double Gold Dinner!

So, this year at the SkillsUSA state conference, I won first place in both CPR-First Aid AND Prepared Speech. Two gold medals! I am going to Nationals in Kansas City in June. I had such a great time at the conference. I saw some old friends, made some new ones, and got to compete in the things that I love. My school did really well, and we swept for CPR-First Aid. According to the judge, I got a perfect score in Adult CPR, which I am really proud of. I was a little surprised about both of the medals, because I didn't think I did that well. But apparently I did, and I am really excited and proud. I have worked hard for this competition and it really paid off. I was really nervous about prepared speech, and I was really, really over prepared for CPR. I had packed a StatPack full of bandages, goggles, splints and other stuff, but I only used the breathing mask and one-way valve. There was an interview portion, and I was asked what SAMPLE, DOTS, and CPR stood for. The only part I really thought I messed up on was Infant CPR. I second guessed myself after the fact, but when I checked my notes, it turned out that I had it right.
I'm really glad to be home again, and to sleep in my own bed.
"Well I might take a plane, I may take a train, if I have to walk I'm going just the same, I'm going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come." - Fats Domino
-D.

Post #43: Magic Box From The Amazons

So, I have rarely had pleasant experiences with ordering things from Amazon. My items either come three weeks late or they show up damaged. But of course, they had the cheapest prices on AP Spanish practice books, so lo and behold, I placed an order. I also ordered Cease To Begin, a Band Of Horses album, and Before Sleep Comes, a Luka Bloom album. They came on Friday, in the wacky folded box. I was really excited about the CDs, and in my excitement, I accidentally punched myself in the stomach trying to open the box. I have never been punched (hard, at least. I accidentally got lightly punched in the face at a dance one time). It really put a damper on my mail party. I love getting mail. I have been known on occasion to sing the mail song from Blues Clues when the mail comes.
I spent a good two minutes doubled over still clutching the box while my sister laughed at me. When I had finally gotten over the fact that I had just punched myself trying to open a box, I took my CDs and AP Book to my room and immediately put on Cease To Begin. Now I just need Mirage Rock and I'l have all of their albums. I really love that instead of booklets, there are snapshots in the sleeve thing. My favorite song off the album is "No One's Gonna Love You". The next four words are "more than I do", so It's not as sad as the title implies.  I really like the whole album, but that song is my favorite. On Before Sleep Comes, my favorite song is "Be Still Now". The whole album is really nice and quiet, and along with Nick Drake's Pink Moon, it makes a nice pre-bedtime playlist.
The AP Spanish book was not awesome and I do not have anything nice to say about it. It is large and full of things I do not understand, even as a 12-year Spanish student.
"I want to contribute to the chaos, I don't want to watch and then complain" - Twin Size Mattress
-D.

Post #42: Graduation Speeches

I'm not sure how I feel about graduation speeches. Part of me really, really, really wants to speak at graduation, and then another part of me just says "this is total crap". "look back on high school!" "you're going to miss it!" "You're going to miss your classmates!" 

Yeah, how about no. I'm not going to miss high school. Seriously. I might miss my English class, and that's about it. I'm proud of coming from my school, because my school kicks butt! But I'm also really glad to get on with my life. My favorite speeches thus far have been the ones about looking forward and finding happiness. Not looking back on the "fun" times in computer literacy. When in doubt... 

It's important to look back on one's history and learn from the past, but let's move forward. 

Changing gears: 1984 was terrible. The ending made me want to chuck the book across the room. (If you have not read 1984, I'm going to talk about spoilers, so maybe go read a different blog.)

So, Winston sneaks around, but then O'Brien is actually a bad guy, and then they get brainwashed? What? I get the part about how we should be careful because big brother is watching and the government is taking control.I get that. I see why that's important. But really, brainwashing? 

I thought we were going to learn that humans are resilient and can stick it to the man and all that jazz. Instead we learned that humans are weak and need to be controlled and if we aren't careful we're going to be slaves to the government. 

Make good choices

-D.

Post #41: Why I hate The Word Hipster

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you probably noticed I like The Smiths. If you know me in real life, you probably know I L-O-V-E the Smiths. I'm into some indie bands, and I love vinyl records. Which of course, has earned me the label 'hipster'.
The Merriam Webster definition of 'hipster' is "A person who is unusually aware of and interested in new and unconventional patterns (as in Jazz or fashion); A hip person." It's a term from 1940.
Generally, I love being told my tastes are awesome and cool and avant garde. I love being able to discuss why Everything All The Time is the worst Band of Horses album and why everyone should appreciate Glen Miller. But as soon as I mention any of these things with any enthusiasm, there comes that word. Hipster. "God, you're such a hipster" spat at me as if I just kicked someone's puppy.  Sorry I have eclectic tastes. Is there a reason you have to call me something derogatory because I don't listen to whatever it is you listen to?
In the endless bullying seminars and flyers and videos I have seen because I'm in school, there's always that idea that the bully is bullying someone because they're insecure. I'm sorry my music tastes make you feel insecure. I can say with 100% sincerity that my intention was never to make you feel bad about yourself. My intention was to enjoy music and share it with you. Honest.
But then you bring out the H word. You make fun of my tastes because they're different from yours. Because you associate my tastes with people who drink lots of expensive coffee and take pictures of mediocre sunsets. I do drink a ton of coffee, and I like sunsets at much as the next gal, but that shouldn't matter when we are discussing music. It shouldn't matter unless we are discussing coffee or sunsets.

"Don't worry we'll all float on" - Modest Mouse
-D.