Fight, fight and then frakking fight some more...

This entry is specifically intended for my children, their fellow students, and anyone else who has a child in school. In light of the recent terrorist attack at the Sandy Hook Elementary school, we have been over-whelmed with knee-jerk reactions as how to prevent horrible tragedies such as this. The problem is, we will never be able to prevent things like this from happening again. We might be able to make it more difficult for events like the killings in Newtown, CT. to happen but we will never be able to totally prevent it.

No matter how hard we prepare, no matter what laws we enact, no matter how we treat the mentally disturbed, we should always be prepared for another tragedy. Because it will happen. Human beings are animals. And in my opinion, we have lost our moral way and we really don't value human life anymore. We might talk a good talk, but we don't walk that walk. But that is not the point of this blog entry.

What I want my kids, and any other person reading this to know is that if, God forbid, you ever find yourself in a situation where some crazy person is intent on harming you or others, I want you to fight. I want you to throw stuff, I want you to hit them with stuff, I want you to hurt him or her. If need be, I want you to maim, lacerate, and if need be, make that person assume room temperature. Do not become someone that just stands there and lets someone else decide what will happen to you. It is your life. Fight for it.

I have always taught my kids to carry a pocket knife. If you don't have one, shame on you. It is probably the most useful thing you can ever carry on your person. I have one with me at all time unless it is restricted in some locations. I use it everyday for any number of small jobs, but in the event I would ever have to defend myself, it would be a handy tool to level the playing field ever so slightly.

But if you don't have that little tool, there are other things that you might have at your disposal while in school. Or anywhere for that matter. Books, staplers, paperweights, band instruments, the list can go on and on. Do not wait for the police. Unless you are lucky enough to have an officer in the same location as you, it will be a while before they are able to respond. Fight. Don't be a willing victim. Don't huddle in a corner or closet and become nothing more than fish in a barrel. Feel free to pray to God, but pray that the book or chair you just threw at a terrorist knocks them out. Pray that the paperweight you threw crushes their skull. Pray that the pocket knife you use hits a major artery or tendon and makes them unable to continue their reign of terror. Pray that someone has a weapon bigger than theirs and is willing to use it.

If someone is intent on causing harm by being in a school or mall or theater with weapons, that person is not concerned with your well being and in turn, you should not be concerned about theirs. It is you or them. Make it them. If they are intent on hurting you, try to make them hurt more. Make them bleed. Make them sorry they messed with you. Fight. You don't have to be a hero, but for frak's sake, don't be a helpless victim.

A movie review: The Hobbit

*CAVEAT* Blogger does not want to add formatting for some reason.... Here is my pitiful attempt to review a wonderful (IMHO) movie; "The Hobbit". And attempt to do so without any spoilers. (Can that even be possible, and furthermore, has anyone who reads this possibly not have read The Hobbit?) Anyway, here goes. It was a joy to go back to Middle Earth. Tolkien's work as displayed on the big (and small!) screen has been a part of my life during the holiday season for almost 13 years now, and it felt like going home again, seeing it again in all of it's digital 3-D glory. But it was different. Like going home, but with all the furniture moved around and the windows cleaned. I saw the premier at midnight on the opening day in the best option that my theater had to offer. Digital 3-D, but not in the 48 FPS version. It was so clear, so vibrant, and so much visual overload that I really think I will have to see it again just to catch all of what I missed. So much was going on is some scenes that I could not follow it. I think the next time around I will see it in digital 2-D. It was Middle Earth, but not the familiar landscape and character of the Lord of the Rings. New places were explored, new faces seen, and of course a new adventure. It really was a treat to see what Peter Jackson did with the old place and he did (again IMHO) not disappoint. If you have read the book "The Hobbit" I will not go into what the movie is about. You know that already. If you have not, what the heck is wrong with you. It should be required reading in at least High School if not Junior High. I know some people say they have a hard time getting interested in the book, and to some extent, I agree. It does start off slow, but it does pick up speed and is a great read. So if you have not read the book, then suffice it to say that a little guy named a hobbit is selected to travel with some sturdy dwarves to undertake a quest to reclaim a lost home and along the way, has many adventures, finds a few interesting items, meets some interesting characters and learns a little bit about himself. And that is what happens in the movie. Pretty much on par with the book in relation to the book story. The actors are quite good at portraying their characters, with maybe the dwarves being a bit to cartoon-ish. Certainly there is room for it, but at times, they were just a bit annoying. However, when things got serious, so did the dwarves and damn, did they fight like I feel dwarves of Middle Earth would fight. Here the movie elevated the proud, stout and brave characteristics of the dwarves far above that told in the book. Thorin Oakenshield (and the backstory of how he got that name) is maybe the main character of this first part of the Hobbit movie trilogy. He has as much, maybe more screen time than Bilbo, and his character is, I think, a deeper one than any other in the movie, with the exception of Gandalf. But the movie also goes beyond the book and this is why Peter Jackson can make a 300 page book into a 6 hour movie (Parts 1,2,&3) There is a ton (yes, a ton) of filler information that is worked into the movie. This filler information comes from the appendices of the Lord of the Rings books, some from the Unfinished Tales and maybe a bit from The Silmarillion. "What are those, you ask?" If you asked that then your level of Tolkien geekiness needs a bit of work. Those are a fill book,stories, and notes that Tolkien wrote about the history, background, and in-between parts that took place before, during, and between (and some after) the stories of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. And this is what I enjoyed the most of the movie. Seeing on the screen all those things that I have read about in my past readings of those side stories. For me, it was almost as if the Hobbit story was just a vehicle for the deeper, juicier, background information. For some this might make the movie drag in places, but for me, it was the extra tender meat that lies close to the bone that is oh so good to consume. I loved it. At times, especially in the beginning, just like the book, the movie is slow. But by the middle of the movie, it finds its footing and there is no looking back. It is two and a half hours long but it felt longer to me... in a good way. I did not want it to end. I really need to see parts 2 and 3. NOW. Why wait until a year from now?! Let us see it again at the time when part 1 would normally leave the theaters! Like in June and then part 3 around Christmas 2013! Just like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, when it was done, it really left me wanting more. Especially to see more of Smaug the dragon! Now I have given the movie pretty much a grand review, but there were a few things that bothered me. The first I already mentioned. There were at times, so much going on, with so much detail, that the human eye cannot almost take it all in. (especially the fight scenes.) It takes active viewing! If this is the way movies are going to be made in the future, we will all have to get used to it and acclimate our viewing behavior. Secondly, the mountain troll scene, while enjoyable for it comic relief, came off way to campy with sophomoric humor and it never really made me think our brave band was in any danger from the trolls because they were just so... stupid. And lastly, it was a continuity issue. In a flash-back scene in one of the Lord of the Rings movies, we see Bilbo stumbling across the One Ring, finding it in the mud of Gollum's cave, which I believe is how it is described in the book. In The Hobbit, there was no attempt to copy this scene at all. Bilbo finds it sitting in the middle of the cave floor, all nice and shiny bright, completely out in the open, with no mud to be found. I know it is a small thing to niggle over, but I thought they could have made that effort at continuity. So there you have it... my opinion of The Hobbit movie. Go see it. It is well worth it! I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars. But I am not like some critic who cry over all kinds of detail and look for hidden meanings and other stuff. My criteria is: Did it entertain me? Was it worth my money? Would I see it again? Did it meet or exceed my expectations? (I use this only for movies that deal with story-lines that are near and dear to me.) It did all of these but there is always room for improvement!