The People of State College Part Sixteen: The Blue Loop Bus Drivers

   A Chinese post doc and I went to play tennis today.  I sucked and he didn't know the rules.  On the way back we took the bus.  A bus went right past our stop and the driver pointed behind her but did not stop.  There were a lot of people on the bus so I assumed she was pointing at them and saying she didn't have room.  But I've ridden the 38 Geary in San Francisco and I know that no matter how many people are on a bus you can always fit at least three more.  That's just science.  So I was angered.  Especially because her bus was only three quarters full, tops.

   At this moment I looked down the street and realized that she hadn't been pointing to the people on her bus but rather to another bus behind her.  

   I'd become what I always hated.

   What I mean by that is while I usually try and distribute my hate equally, there is one group of people I hate above all others:  People who complain when a bus passes them and they don't realize that the reason that the bus didn't stop was because there was another bus coming right behind.  I just plain hate them.  

   Also, I learned today that even in small towns busses show up back to back.  There's a conspiracy in there somewhere.

Movie Review: Shotgun Stories

I want live in Arkansas. There is a statewide limit of twenty words to a conversation. For example: "You raised us to hate those boys, and we do, and this is what it's come to." Or, "My father died." "What'd you do?" "I said some things." "Do you think that was wise?" "Doesn't matter." Also, if me and my brothers get into feuds like they did in this movie then we will win. Because there are so many of us. And my little sister can join in too. Numbers help because in the movie they went back and forth killing brothers. So other families would run out before mine. And they started off with pets. And since my family has a lot of pets any other family would have to go through all of them before they could even start getting on my brothers and I.  Also people in Arkansas have names like Shampoo.  He was my favorite character.  He always stirred up trouble by telling Son and Kid and Boy how their dog got killed, or how their brother got killed.  Good old lovable Shampoo.  Also the movie made it seem really scenic.

Too bad they never explained how Son got shot in the back. But other than that I would recommend this one.

Movie Review: The Wanted

In this movie, a 1000 year old fraternity of assassins uses a loom to plan their next kill. They read a binary code from the the fabric. Some one in real life is going to do this and then the movie will get sued and it will be just what it deserves because this movie sucked!!!!!!  No, it was okay.  But seriously, Hollywood thinks all they need to have anymore are curvy bullets and everyone will be happy.

Movie Review: The Visitor

This sucked. But... I can say that I was never confused as to where the scenes took place. This is because prior to every scene they showed the characters in transit. These transit scenes lasted up to a minute and were mostly on the New York City subway, which I try to ignore even when I'm on it. For a New Yorker, ignoring others is an art that can only be fully realized on a subway. But maybe non-New Yorkers find subway riding interesting. If so, then watch this movie.

Also watch this movie if you like laughing with a bunch of old people at jokes that aren't funny.  

Book Review: A Thread of Grace

I liked it. But there were too many loose knots that never got tied up.  

I'm kind of embarrassed that I'm devoting a considerably smaller amount of space to book reviews than movie reviews.  I did read the books I'm claiming to have read though.  If I were making up books they would be longer, better known, and more tedious reads.

Movie Review: Under the Same Moon

Really, really good. I loved this movie...

Usually when I go to the independant theater it is only me and a few interspersed elderly couples. Here it was me and tons of elderly couples. I think in the future I will avoid matinees.

I did see one young person there. I was heading up to the balcony and he was heading down from the balcony. He asked me "Is this the correct theater for Under the Same Moon." I told him yes. He left the balcony to sit closer to the screen. I went down there as well. I decided to try and make friends with him after the movie. He must have left early or something because when the credits started rolling he was not in his seat. Maybe he sensed my plan and left so I wouldn't talk to him. 

People are too choosy about who'll they make friends with. Why can't they make friends with anyone, like me. I provide my current friends as proof that I have no standards. And yet I still have to go see movies by myself.

Book Review: Children of God

In this book, Jesuits travel to a distant planet and in the process discover music that proves the existence of God.  I liked it, it was a little preachier than the first book in the series but still good.