X2, crazy old drivers and the news

Ali and I went to see Xmen 2 last night. I was disappointed. It wasn’t terrible but I thought it would be better. Great effects, some horrible acting and a storyline that didn’t make much sense and wasn’t very interesting. It was one of those movies where I checked my watch more than once which is normally a sure fire indicator that the film is less than stellar. We heard some people mumbling about how the new Matrix movie sucked as they exited. Oh no! Tell me it isn’t true! I REALLY have been looking forward to Matrix Reloaded and I’ll be majorly bummed if I come away from that one shaking my head.

As I was at the gym today they had on the foxnews channel. They were televising a “chase” in LA. For 20 minutes I watched a toyota pickup driving normally in traffic. They kept flashing up that the driver was suicidal and could possibly be carrying a weapon. However, all this guy did was drive at the speed limit, signal before turning and acted about as normal as a driver could. Finally, Fox got the word that the cops called off the chase and that they knew where he lived and would simply pick him up later. Begrudgingly, they had to abandon the story. It brought back to me some of the stuff I saw in Bowling for Columbine. Specifically, how the media thirsts for stories with possible tragedy, they need to make it sound as scary and threatening as possible. It made me laugh inside to see this attempt by Fox News to further scare the American public fizzle out.

In the shopping center where my gym is, they are renovating a big department store. As a result, the parking lot and street right in front of it are temporarily corded off and traffic has to swing out around it into the lot. I am heading out of the center, the store is on my right so of course I am towards the right just as you would be in a normal situation. I soon notice a vehicle coming straight towards me, slowly. I see the hands on top of the wheel move left, then right then left again. I see the top of a head with curly purple/white hair. I stop and look at this woman in disbelief. She stops. I angrily point to my left, indicating that was where she was supposed to be driving. It must have made sense because she moved to the left and waved as she passed me by. I guess she was grateful that I pointed her in the direction to go. Happens here EVERY day.