Autumn

I've watched a few movies recently. Last night I watched Rise of the Planet of the Apes. A really good movie. Best movie I've seen this year. Nothing amazing, just a well made flick. I watched Super 8 the other night, too. I liked the stuff with the kids, but the monster plot was pretty weak. I watched it to the end, which is probably how I rate movies now. No stars, just "If I didn't watch the whole thing, how many minutes did I get through". Hey Jim, how was Super 8? Well, I didn't turn it off! Wow, that good, huh? How about Cowboys & Aliens? 20 minutes. It has Harrison Ford in it, so you know it's bad. Also, apparently if you wake up and you don't remember who you are, most likely you are an assassin. The first sign is when you beat the shit out of the first person you meet without even trying. Maybe the stress of being an assassin is causing this spate of amnesia cases. The International Assassin Association should look into it.
You know what I'm sick of in movies? Unrealism. Like when a guy beats up five armed men who have him surrounded. Have a look at movies like Frantic or The Next Three Days. Most of us aren't, or weren't assassins, or CIA operatives, or Navy Seals. Most of us wouldn't have a clue how to shoot a gun or knock someone out. I am sick of watching characters who apparently do not have super human powers do shit that is impossible. Jason Bourne in the Bourne movies is about my limit. Anything more than that, and it falls into the BS category. Again, I want to express my admiration for the movie The Other Guys for tackling a lot of what I am talking about. The death scene of Samuel L Jackson and the Rock was awesome. I also watched Bridesmaids. Pretty funny. Watched the whole thing, just. She got the man in the end, which seems to mean that it doesn't matter that she's unemployable or broke anymore, because someone else is going to take care of that for her now. She can heal herself through baking. Awww. And she found the only person in the movie with a job, which was lucky. When I say job, it wasn't like he seemed to do anything, but he wore job clothes, so...
Tiger fired his caddie. That's good news. And like the true asshole he is, Steve Williams cannot keep his mouth shut about the guy who has made him the richest New Zealander in the world. I don't know if that's true, but it must be close. Sure, he probably has a right to feel a little burnt, but he is a completely classless individual, which is why no-one believes him when he says he had no idea what Tiger was getting up to. Great caddie though.
More than a year ago I wrote this to a friend. "The one chance that Tiger's got will be if his mother has stepped in and taken over. This is what I would do if I were her. 1. Get my son out of the papers. Pay someone to watch him 24/7. Pay off all these women he shagged to keep their mouths shut. 2. Create a confidential two year plan that slowly but surely gets rid of everyone who let this shit happen, or even assisted Tiger in throwing his life away, TEAM ENABLEMENT someone called it. Management, caddie, coach, everyone. Wife even. And replace them with people I trust, and who are answerable to ME. 3. Restrict his endorsements to golf companies only. Why should he be asnwerable to Gatorade, Buick, Accenture? Who are they to tell my son what to do? Bottom line: She has to get all Asian mother on his ass."
Since then, he has gotten rid of his wife, coach, and caddie, and hopefully a few other people behind the scenes. He's been pretty quiet. I wonder if this is what's happening? His golf was ordinary this week, usual stuff. Driving and putting. At least he's actually going to be playing in the upcoming PGA. It has sucked not having the best player ever not playing. I don't know about Rory McIlroy. he seems like a bit of a bitch. I have become a big fan of Ricky Fowler though, despite what he wears. Good golfer, likes the big time, interesting story. Apparently Puma shafted Geoff Ogilvy in favour of young Ricky, but you can't argue the decision. Goeff hasn't done much for a while.
Still no word from the job in Brisbane. Surely, for a job I tick all the boxes for and then some, I've got to be in the running. But you never know, do you? Nothing like job hunting to make you feel invisible.
Will's birthday was on Friday. We had a great day. Actually, I had a better day on Thursday when I took the day off work (my first sickie in six months) to look after the kids while Junko went to Costco in Osaka. Around dinner time I thought, it's days like this I'm going to remember when I'm old. We had a nice breakfast, I brought out the inflatable wading pool and the kids had a great time, Will and I did some drawing while Jo Jo had a nap, hung out with Jo Jo at the mall while Will had his puzzle school, a really great day. But Will's birthday and the weekend was good too, but I think everyone is a little burnt out (might be the heat), and it is taking Will a little while to understand that not every day is about getting stuff.
This shit with the stock exchange is amazing. Look what has happened in the ten years since 9/11. A dozen men with box cutters. That's all it took. The Western world is totally owned by the banks now. Our security depends on their success. If they are not continuing to drain billions and billions out of us every three months, we feel insecure, like the world will somehow end. 2008 was our last chance to be free of them.
BTW starting a new round tomorrow. Got some swimming in there this time, too.