Bully

This is a heartbreaking movie to watch. Bully tells the stories of several young people who deal with bullying on a daily basis. Several of the kids profiled were bullied to the limit and took their own lives. No kid should ever have to view that as a way out just to get away from being bullied. Of course, many will say that bullying is part of growing up; you know, "boys will be boys" and other ignorant crap like that. The fact of the matter is bullying is a serious problem and it's going to take a concerted effort to put a stop to it. Unfortunately, it seems there are so many people in the world who aren't willing to view it as a problem. One of the kids profiled in this film whose story really struck me is a 16 year old gay girl in Tuttle, Oklahoma. As soon as the town found out she was gay, they completely turned their backs on her. She was driven off the basketball team, kids would move away from her if she sat near them in class, and even several teachers participated in bullying her. It blows my mind how people who confess to be Christians (and in small town Oklahoma, that's pretty much the whole town) can have so much hatred towards a person. This is a movie I think everyone needs to see; I don't think a lot of people realize just how damaging bullying can be. It's not an easy movie to watch, but it's an important one.

Song of the Day

SRV covers the Hendrix classic. He turned it into one of his own classics.

To Live Is To Die

To Live Is To Die: The Life and Death of Metallica's Cliff Burton, by Joel McIver, takes a look at the legendary bassist whose life was tragically cut short after a tourbus crash on a Swedish highway. The book paints a picture of who Cliff really was: a headbanger and partier, yes, but also someone with a love for philosophy and classical music. McIver shows Burton's love for musical theory and how it made him and those around him better musicians. One of the more interesting aspects of this book is how McIver breaks down each individual album, song by song, that Burton played on before his death, and what his influence and impact was on each song. Much has been said and speculated as to what direction Metallica would have taken had Cliff not died so young. Many fans and critics are quick to say that albums such as the Black Album and Load and ReLoad would not have happened. However, McIver points out that Cliff, in his last interview before his death, had talked about the band taking a more mellow and melodic approach in the future. He loved his metal, but he had very wide-ranging tastes in music, expressing fondness for bands like Lynyrd Skynryd and R.E.M. Who knows what would have happened with Metallica if Cliff had survived? What we do know is that he helped turn a dirty garage band into the founders of thrash metal and eventually the biggest metal band in the world. His work on the band's first three albums continues to be viewed as iconic among bass players, and the albums to this day continue to sound as fresh as they did at the time of their releases. He is missed but his legacy lives on.

Song of the Day

Kacey Musgraves - Merry Go 'Round

Maybe there is still hope for country music...

Where the Yellowstone Goes

 

This is one of those serendipitous Netflix finds; anything with the word "Yellowstone" in it catches my eye. This documentary, by Hunter Weeks (director of 10 MPH and Ride the Divide), follows a small group, including a Montana fly-fishing guide, who embark on a 30 day journey to float the length of the Yellowstone River. Because it is illegal to float the Yellowstone within the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park, they begin their journey just outside the park boundaries in Gardiner, MT and end the journey where the Yellowstone meets the Missouri River in North Dakota. I really shouldn't watch these types of shows, it just makes me miss the West.  As we prepared to move to Oklahoma, I knew I would miss it, but I don't think I realized just how much. My heart aches to be back near mountains and sagebrush. Oklahoma has its beautiful spots, but the problem I have here is that nearly all land is privately owned. There are very few public lands. I miss my public lands. That being said, this is an interesting documentary that shows the beauty found along the longest undammed river in the lower 48 states. It also shows some of the people found in the communities along the river, and their connection to it. The film also touches on some of the more delicate issues, such as how to balance the river's usage for agriculture and industry with maintaining its wild and pristine environment. Their journey took place two months after an Exxon pipeline burst, spilling oil into the river, and although the cleanup has gone relatively well, the effects of the oil on the river and the vegetation on the banks can be seen. I understand our need for oil, but to see such a disgusting substance destroy such a beautiful area makes me sad. Visually, this is a great film. My wife referred to it as "nature porn," mainly due to the miles between us and the lands we love. The fishing scenes are great, and some beautiful Yellowstone River cutthroats, rainbows, and brown trout are caught. The fly fishing guide also lands a 20 pound carp on a fly rod which is fun to watch. Where the Yellowstone Goes will appeal to lovers of the West and fishing, as well as those interested in environmental issues. I enjoyed it, but I probably shouldn't have watched it. I want to go home...

More on the film can be found here: http://www.wheretheyellowstonegoes.com/

Today in History

 

In what has been an awful week for the city of Boston, today is a day to celebrate the opening of perhaps its most beloved landmark, at least for sports fans. On this day in 1912, Fenway Park hosted its first game, a 7-6 Red Sox win over the NY Highlanders (renamed the Yankees the following season). The stadium has since become an icon, and saw the "Curse of the Bambino" end in 2004 as the Sox finally won a World Series after an 86 year drought.

A Horrible Week

What a horrible week this has been in the United States. The Boston Marathon bombings and the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas have put us all in a somber mood. Historically, this third week of April has not been kind. The Waco siege in 1993, the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995, and the Columbine massacre in 1999, all occurred on either the 19th or 20th of April. The Virginia Tech shootings took place on the 16th in 2007. As I thought back on these events, I began to feel very appreciative of my teachers in middle school and high school for allowing us to watch coverage as these events unfolded. I distinctly remember sitting in my 8th grade Algebra class watching the coverage of the OKC bombing unfold. I witnessed history, albeit tragic history, as it happened and I am grateful for that. Channel 1, which brought news into the classroom (and gave a start to such stars as Anderson Cooper and Lisa Ling), gives me memories of the Waco situation. I only hope the manhunt for the Boston bombing ends soon and can provide some answers, and my heart goes out to the people of Boston and West, Texas, for what they have all gone through this week.

I love this quote from Stephen Colbert:

"Whoever did this obviously did not know about the people of Boston. Nothing these terrorists do is going to shake them… For Pete's sake, Boston was founded by the Pilgrims, a people so tough, they had to buckle their goddamn hats on."

"Here's what these cowards really don't get. They attacked the Boston Marathon, an event celebrating people who run 26 miles on their day off until their nipples are raw — for FUN. And when those bombs went off, there were runners, who after finishing a marathon, kept running for another two miles to the hospital to donate blood."

"Here's what I know, these maniacs may have tried to make life bad for the people of Boston, but all they can ever do is show just how good those people are."