25th Reunion

Last weekend I went to my 25th High School reunion. I had a great time while I was there. I saw lots of people that I hadn't seen in a quite a while. Renewed some lapsed friendships (Cory,Todd and Earle) and made some new friends (Sorry Mike, the only thing I remember about you from back then is your tinted glasses. I do like who you are now though).

The most important thing about the trip for me though was having my wife with me.

Five years ago we went to the reunion together after we had only known each other for about six weeks. I was already in love with her and apparently I was proud of the fact (thank for reminding me of that Glenda). Kim handled being submerged in my past for a weekend very well and it was the happiest weekend of my life because I was in a place I loved with people I loved with the woman I loved. I proposed to her. She said yes.

We didn't really know each other very well and there were some misunderstandings about events of that weekend that put a division between us that I was unaware of for quite some time. Over time we got everything straightened out and we remain happily married. I am happier than I have been since High School or my time in Virginia. Even stuck in Hellabama, I can be happy.

Then the specter of the reunion rose again. I wanted Kim to come with me to renew the memory of all the wonderful things that happened and try to erase the bad memories. Kim was reluctant, but she went.

We had a wonderful time!

I thank all my friends for making her feel welcome. Any of you who brought spouses or have attended a spouse's reunion probably know how uncomfortable it can be to be in that situation. You were all great. I'm tearing up right now just thinking of how special my friends are.

After spending my whole youth moving from school to school every year, I made the right choice to go to Clinton High School. The people I knew there are, to this day, some of the best I have ever known. I love and miss you all.

Kim is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I'm glad she found me. I'm glad she married me. And I'm ecstatic that she still loves me even though I'm a grump, a blowhard and a burgeoning curmudgeon.

Kim, I love you. I love Sarah Kirstin, my stepdaughter. I love our dogs. I love our house.

I'll always be a grump. But my family and friends are exempt from my misanthropy.

Just sayin'.

Marvel movies of 2011

I was never really a Captain America fan until the last couple of years. When I tried to read Cap in the 70s and 80s he always seemed kind of whiny and the Bucky drama recanted in every issue was annoying. Lately his comics have taken a turn into a dark place that I really enjoy. Plus Bucky's back, so no more whining about that (Yay!).

When the Ultimate Universe started it annoyed me a bit that yet once again, Marvel was tampering with the established storyline of almost everyone. They didn't really change Cap's story though, which was cool.

The movie was good. The changes to the story were acceptable (to me) for conversion to the big screen. Chris Evans did a remarkable job of capturing the essence of both Steve Rogers and Captain America. Tommy Lee Jones stole the show. He was hilarious. He really needs to stick to comedy (or being a villain. The movie where he was Steven Seagal's nemesis is the only Seagal movie I can stand to watch). Stan Lee's cameo was funny as usual. He's looking really old though. It will be a very sad day when Stan the Man dies. I hope he makes it through the Avengers movie. If it's done right, it should be one of the happiest days of his life when it comes out. Excelsior Stan!

The Howling Commandos were in the movie!!! Casting the guy who played Buck Compton (Neal McDonough) in Band of Brothers as Dum Dum Dugan was inspired. Plus it was great seeing the Howlers in action. Although I'm still having trouble with Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. It's hard to erase nearly 30 years of comic book memories of Nick Fury as a grizzled World War II sergeant, or a secret agent, greying at the temples with an eyepatch. Not to mention being a white guy. Sam Jackson is much better as Nick Fury than The Hoff was in the 80s though.

Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull was also inspired casting. He is so deliciously sinister. The guy playing Arnim Zola was also very cool. It was a take on Zola's personality that I had never really thought of. I always knew he was focused on his research to the exclusion of caring about anything else, but his android bodies in the comics always seemed to make him seem silly to me. This more human interpretation of his character made him a much more interesting villain than he ever appeared in the comics.

Enough about Cap for the moment. I will return to that movie for a moment after I tell you about Thor.

Thor ROCKED! The special effects were incredible. The casting was almost excellent. Kenneth Branagh did an amazing job directing. I'm glad they got someone with a Shakespearian background involved. They nailed the storyline from the Ultimate comics Thor.

There was only one thing missing that, I admit, would have made the movie longer. But it was the most compelling thing about the comic version of Thor. Everyone thought he was crazy. He had conversations with people no one else could see. And he started to wonder whether he was actually crazy. The movie brushed up against that theme, but it just made him seem silly.

The other problem I had with Thor was Natalie Portman. She is such an awful actress. She showed so much potential in Leon:The Professional. I just don't understand what happened. She was a large contribution to the SUCK factor of Star Wars - episodes 1-3. She continues that trend in Thor. I don't have any suggestions for an alternate Jane but she has to go!

*********************************Spoiler's below**********************************

This brings me back to Cap. In the comics Peggy Carter was from Virginia. When she showed up on screen with a British accent, I was a bit confused. It worked though. So did losing Bucky while fighting the Red Skull. There wasn't enough time to introduce yet another Nazi villain. Especially that idiot Baron Zemo. I'm sorry but so many of Cap's villains are ridiculous. This guy is a bad guy by virtue of being a Nazi who accidentally glued a carpet to his face. ooooo I'm scared. But I digress.

******************************Spoiler ends --- Rant resumes**************************

I've never really paid attention to the significant others of Marvel's heroes. They were basically there to be held hostage, threatened or provide non-hero interaction for the main characters. The new interpretations try to make them stronger and more independent than their comic book predecessors. However Kirsten Dunst, Gwyneth Patrow, Natalie Portman, Hayley Atwell and, yes, even Jennifer Garner don't exactly radiate self-confidence. At least two of them make me think of Tommy Lee Jones' line "Somebody give that kid a sandwich!" when he first sees Steve Rogers without a shirt on.

I am glad I saw these movies on the big screen (and without the stupid 3D glasses). I would go see them both again and I can't wait til they come out on DVD. I also think I might need to get a PS3 so I can play the Cap video game :)

Enough for today. See the movies. They're good.

Review of Sammy Hagar's Autobiography - Red

This was a pretty good read. I've been a Sammy fan since Standing Hampton came out. I saw him on a midwest tour when I was in 8th Grade and he put on an amazing show. The only person I've seen put on as energetic a show was Lenny Kravitz when he opened for the Cult at Hampton Coliseum.

This book managed to capture his energy. It's not always a coherent account, but it flows well.

I read it in one sitting and it was like spending a night sitting there listening to him tell the story of his life.

If it was anybody but Sammy, it might come across as a little bitchy and gossipy. His reputation as a straight shooter lends a credibility to the narrative that appealed to me. He manages to avoid sounding bitter about situations where he was treated poorly. His attitude is amazing. He wanted to be a rock star and he made it happen. I like the guy even more after reading Red.

The two high points of the book for me personally were when he mentioned jamming with Lemmy from Motorhead and Lemmy wanted to play "Rock Candy" with him. Pretty freaking cool! The other was when he described meeting his second wife. This was cool to me because I was at that Van Halen show at Hampton Coliseum when she came to see him. Alice in Chains opened and they were pretty good, but no one can match Sammy's energy on stage.

There are two reasons I couldn't give it 5 stars. It's very conversational in tone, like it was a transcription of a conversation. It rambles a bit, which both adds to the feeling that he's telling the story, and detracts from the narrative flow. The other reason is that it just wasn't as good as Alice Cooper: Golf Monster which I did give 5 stars.

If you like Sammy or are curious about the Van Halen/Hagar split you should read this book.