Happy Fourth of July

So, seeing as me and the wife had a little extra spending money this month, we bought a nice, juicy rack of ribs that we are currently slow cooking in the oven. Later one we will take them and a portion of baked beans to our friends house and do some celebration. Hopefully, while over there we'll get to watch Rocky IV. Good is a subjective term, and I think it's a good film.

I've always liked the fourth of July. Like most people, I'm not very patriotic throughout the year. Well, most people I know, anyways. But, when July 4 comes around, I like celebrating it. When I was a kid, my dad bought me fireworks and we used to light them and watch the other people's fireworks. It was great and all. But, I can't have that now and I gotta figure out my own way of celebrating. I think some good old American cooking and watching the most blatantly patriotic of all the Rocky films is a good way of doing so. Maybe if I can find it, there's always Independence Day to watch.

I've managed to also see Transformers: Dark of the Moon the past Friday. Kinda long, kinda slow but I think Michael Bay finally managed to do a decent Transformers film. Decent, not exceptional. Again, I have a problem with the focus on Shia LeBouf, aka Sam in the film and his issues with romance, money, and status as the movie started. I don't care. Sam never seemed like a character I could care about, especially with baby face Shia playing him. Yeah, he might have been everykid in America but he distances himself from us greatly in the third film. I also dislike Michael Bay's talent of creating these new characters only for them to die off anyways. And even then, I don't care. I didn't get to know them nor did I have enough time to get to like them. Then, half way through, Bay kills off someone I did like and care about. That was effective. I don't mind if he makes cannon fodder but, I don't like when I'm forced annoying characters only for them to die. I'm supposed to root for the good guys, not Megatron.

I've also had it with the "stand still while stuff is exploding around me" scenes. It makes the character look like an idiot.

Overall, the film did its job. Throw big robots together and make them fight. But, that's all people really want. Even those who don't watch robots fight, having people interject slows the movie quite a bit. The army guys coming in to help, that's fine. Seeing Sam try to find a job, no that's stupid. And after T2, I had low expectations and was expecting a complete train wreck. I'm glad to say it wasn't that bad.

I'm now sitting on my bed while I watch my wife play Legend of Mana on the PS3. I haven't seen her so engrossed in a video game... ever. She loves Zelda and especially Ocarina of Time and I've seen her beat it in three days. But, this game takes the cake. She has been playing the game feverishly since we bought it on Saturday. I'm glad that she is so into a game. I'm the one usually blowing money on Magic and video games, so to see her ignore me for something virtual is like seeing it on the other foot. Except I'm okay with it. Not saying she isn't, it's just that I feel bad I usually use all of our spending cash.

Oh well, today should be a good day. Happy Fourth everyone!