Let's talk about United 93, which is coming out this weekend (you can see the trailer here). I have not seen it, but I am going to next week. It's been getting good reviews. There has been - and is going to be - much discussion about whether or not this movie should exist. There are going to be people who think that it is too soon. There are going to be people who say, "How dare they capitalize on this national tragedy!" Many of these people are the same, and ironically, also the same people who get upset when asked to take five minutes and open their bags at the airport.

Is it too soon? No. I'm not even sure what that means anymore, "too soon". Is there a guy with a PC Police shirt on sitting in an empty room with an enormous clock and a buzzer tracking all the evil things that happen in the world and alerting us when we can dramatize these events? Sure, the movie is going to be difficult to watch for many people. It's going to be upsetting. It's going to get people to remember something horrible that happened not long ago. But don't tell me it's too soon.

To address the point of "How dare they..., etc," I find it more offensive that movies like The Benchwarmers and Scary Movie 4 are released than something like United 93. Of course movies are going to be made about 9/11. It is the most documented event in human history. It is an event that marked cataclysmic change. If this doesn't deserve a movie, what does? Do I really need a movie full of jokes about Tom Cruise and Oprah or Brokeback Mountain references? When I first saw the trailer for Scary Movie 4, my first thought was, "How dare they release another one of those!!" But, to be fair, my mind works differently than most.

I'm looking forward to United 93. It's a great story, and it looks like it's treated with a lot of respect. I'm especially pleased that there are no big name faces to bring any baggage to it...so to speak.

posted by Travis at 9:09 AM

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Tuesday, April 18, 2006

I've got this friend at work named Scott. He's one of these guys with kids, you know the type. Anyway I was in his office and I noticed that the desktop wallpaper on his computer was a note written in crayon. Being a father-to-be myself, I've been noticing parental office deco more and more. After reading it, I had to ask about it.

Me: Is that from one of your kids.
Scott (beaming with pride): Yeah, isn't it funny?
Me: Scott...this a death threat...from your son. Is that what he meant to say?
Scott: Yeah. He dictated it to his Sunday school teacher. She even asked him if that is really what he wanted to say and he said, "Yes." My favorite part is, "That's it."

I suppose I should prepare myself for the day when my own son will plot my death.

posted by Travis at 4:37 PM

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Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Kim and I ventured down to the Van Nuys County Clerk's Office with the expressed intent of purchasing a marriage license last week. Everytime you are forced to stand in line with the general public - be it the DMV, the bank, or some utility company - it can be humbling. Everyone is reduced to a common denominator of ignorance and worthlessness, and all are at the mercy of the person at the window. Tensions run high, and the piercing wail of displeased infants damages the calm. We were not planning on having a "ceremony" per se, we were just going to do the legal minimum to be recognized by the state as married. This was on my mind as I stood in line and surveyed our surroundings. I spotted a sign reading "Chapel" nailed over a dark portal leading further into the bowls of the building, and another reading "Chapel Waiting Room" to the left. It was then that I had a moment of clarity. I looked at the people around me, I looked at the building we were in, and I looked, again, towards the Chapel. Then I turned to Kim and said, "This isn't how I want to do this," and we walked out.

So, we're getting married in Las Vegas at the end of April. Plans are already underway. This will not be a big wedding with lots of flowers and people and stress. Kim and I do not like a lot of attention so the ceremony will be small and intimate. There will not be invitations sent out, because I think invitations put pressure on people to attend. I don't expect people outside of the immediate family to fly all over the country for this, nor do I expect casual acquaintances to drive 4 hours through the desert. If you want to come, get in touch with me and I'll let you know if it's possible.

Kim is around 18 weeks along and The Boy is doing well.

posted by Travis at 10:21 AM

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Monday, April 03, 2006

First of all, please re-read my post from March 16th regarding Dungeons and Dragons Online: Stormreach.

OK, this post is aimed at all you intertron detectives (whose identities were kept from me) who keep telling my wife-to-be that I'm cheating on her and pointing to that post as evidence. I fancy myself a writer. As a writer, I have many weapons for storytelling in my arsenal. In that post, I employ three specific tools of writing. Can you guess what they are? They are the simile, personification, and to a lesser extent hyperbole. These are things that are taught in most seventh grade English classes, so they should sound familiar. Now, the idea behind the DDO post was that playing a MMORPG is like dating a demanding woman. So, for humor's sake, I wrote about World of Warcraft as if it were a long-term relationship in which I am involved. Taking the simile (it's not a metaphor because I used "like") a step further, I wrote of playing Dungeons and Dragons Online as if I were cheating on World of Warcraft. You see? It's a joke, you morons. If I were cheating on my girl, do you really think I'd be planting subliminal clues on the internet for you to decode there, Bob Langdon?

posted by Travis at 10:45 PM

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Saturday, April 01, 2006

I got owned at work on Friday. Since April Fool's Day fell on a Saturday, Friday seemed to be the favored day for pranking. While I was out to lunch, I fell victim to one. Well done, gentlemen. Well done, indeed.

posted by Travis at 7:18 PM

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