The Ramblings of Austgen

So, some quick reviews…of stuff….

Last night, caught the new Jonny Depp flick, “Charlie and Chocholate Factory, Wilder-lite.” I had a lot of reservations about this movie, as did, I bet, half the known world. Gene Wilder did such a great job with the original, most peolpe would wonder whether a remake would be….needed. Now, supposedly, this movie follows the book more, which I think is a requirement of remakes. That said…I like this movie a lot. Jonny Depp makes Wonka, well…really, really creepy. I would bet that this is what Michael Jackson is like in person. The Umpaloompa’s are hysterical. The characters: the kids, there parents, seem to be fairly two dimensional, but they all work…it’s also been moderized…Mike Teevee, or whatever, plays video games and has a rather violent streak. But, overall, I’d give it 3.5 out of 4 stars.

Also, I bought, and finished the new Harry Potter novel. This, the sixth book in the series, occurs about three weeks after the complition of the last. I really enjoyed this one. Rowling did well to streamline the text, leaving out a lot of minor dialog, so this book was considerable shorter. Harry has made a signifiicant change, as have a majority of the other charaters. In as such, some of the dialog may not be understood by the younger audience, but wold more in the older. Overall, this book started well, ran well, and ended…well shitty…not in the writing, but in the plot twists. When they say a major charater buys the farm…well, I won’t say more… The only thing I really didn’t like about the book, and maybe the series, is the path that Harry has to go. It been obvious from the fifth book that harry must kill Voldemort to live…so he’s got fate and survival…but I think that he’s beginning to get revenge in there too….and as they always say in the movies, what do you do after you’ve had your revenge. I suppose I can see why the right wing christians don’t like this series. But, go buy it, read it, loan it to someone else.

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So last night, we won are softball game in a ‘98 Yankee type fashion, winning 12-0. It was a display of good defense, smart plays, luck, and timely hitting. I finally succeeded in hitting a homer, though I think I was out at the plate (and, I should’ve stopped at third, with the lead we had…). Of course, with scales having to be balanced, I wrenched my shoulder getting a feller out at first. If I can only remember to use proper form, I think my shoulder woes would be over. The true agony is for our beloved Lab Rat team, which played the evil MBS. Saying MBS doesn’t belong in the D league is the greatest understatement of all time. The Lab Rats got killed, 14-0. The Notorius TMZ took a liner in the leg, and now her lower right thigh will be pretty colors for a month. Jason the third got his foot suck UNDER THE FENCE…bad luck. It’s one thing to have bad defense and give up a big inning. That’s what happens in this league. You’re suppose to have teams in which most of the girls are gonna have weak grounders. And guys that pop-up all the time. You should only have a few good people, cause they organize the teams. MBS is all good, they can all hit…and only one or two can’t field well. Now, granted, they’re not the only team like this. I would say that mine is almost like this. All of the guys are fairly athletic, and we can all hit…the girls are pretty good too. Great fielding, strong fundamentals (even if our SS is, well, really short). So, I suppose I shouldn’t get on my soapbox just yet. However, it looks like some of the rainouts that we make up (next three weeks) may end up being intersquad games at the practice field. And honestly, I think it would be more fun just to play againts them for a few hours.

On a note of being utterly shocked and uber-pissed….what the fuck is going on in this world. This “terrorists” I just don’t get. Hiding behind a religion, they kill the innocent. What I don’t understand is the Islamic world. They have got to know that Islam preaches non-violence. Why doesn’t anyone do anything. I wonder if this is anyway (though this is a thin one) analogus to the Mafia. Instead of a Don, there’s the cleric…failure to follow his words is punished…extortion. Thin, but somehow the only way I can figure it out.

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So, it’s been awhile. To finish the rest of the Chicago trip, went to see the Fire (soccer team) play FC Dallas. We won, I got on tv numerous times with the folk. Got to hang out with the newest cousin/last hope for the reynolds clan. She’s cool, and the reason Cousin #3 bugged out of my brother’s wedding. Also, Soilder Field, from the outside, looks really fucking gay. It really does look like a space ship landed on the field. Once you get inside, it’s pretty nice…

Lab’s been kicking my ass. Can’t seem to get a rat to survive. At this rate, I’ll never get out of here. But, if I can just get five rats to work by September, I’ll be ok for my seminar, and getting an abstract in for EB would finally be easy again. Looking more like defending in late November, early December, then looking for work after the new year…unless I go to med school….

Lastly, what in the hell happened to the Cubs?? The pitching is suppose to be healthy, we have a possible triple crown canidate, and they’ve scored about 10 runs in the last week. What’s it gonna take??? A hanging…do we need to lynch someone from the center field flag pole? This may be the greatest underachieving team of all time….unless the Yankees get worst….but, WE WERE SWEPT BY THEM!! Fuck, i’m just gonna become a Nat’s fan or something.

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