Slasher 1996-2010

Posted on December 30, 2010 by benjaminfrog

On December 28 of 2010 my pet cat Slasher died. He had been sick for a few weeks and we knew he wouldn’t have much longer, which eased the blow, but we’re certainly going to miss him.

Shortly before my family moved to the place where I live now we went looking for a cat for the extra company. We found one super-furry black and white kitten with an extra claw on each paw (24 claws in total). He was abnormal, a runt, and not expected to be a healthy cat. But I chose him – and named him “Slasher” – my very own mutant-kitten.

It wasn’t long after we got him that we moved here, so this had been his home for as far as his memories went back. He had a thing for climbing. He climbed up people and screen doors – once or twice knocking the screen door out of place. He would “run” up wooden doors and sit at the top and watch everyone as they entered and exited the room. We would look at him curiously and he would look back with his relaxed gaze, as if to say “Why aren’t you up here with me?”

It was several years before he and Carnage (our tiger-striped cat) got used to each other. She prefers to be left alone for the most part. Occasionally my family would spot the two of them curled up beside each other or giving each other baths and we’d rush to find the camera.

He was a great mouser. I recall a time when an entire litter of mice had broken loose and Slasher caught every single one – each time going right back to standing guard ready for the next mouse to show itself.

He had a foot fetish. He mostly shyed away from hands if you tried to pet him. But you could stick your foot in his face and shove him around on the floor and he was happy as could be. He would roll around like crazy on the tiled floor, get his thick fur super-staticky, and then walk around with his fur sticking up and a powerful electric charge built-up and ready to strike anyone who brushed by him.

He loved the smell of the outdoors, and favoured the spring and summer times when we would open the doors and windows to let the fresh, cool air run through the house.

He was an unusually friendly cat. His personality almost more like a dog than a cat. He welcomed new people freely, and greeted recurring visitors with affection. He was a good cat, and will be greatly missed.

Goodbye Slasher,

We’ll miss you.

Posted in Personal | Tagged | 5 Comments

Sweet Sixteen…Again

Posted on December 17, 2010 by benjaminfrog

It was my birthday this week.

(Pause to let people sing)

Thank you. On my PVR I had recorded the film Sixteen Candles and had been putting off watching it for lack of interest. But on my birthday I decided I’d go ahead and watch it. It seemed fitting…in a denial sort of way.

Actually, I didn’t feel bad this year. Most of us reach a stage in life where we don’t really feel like celebrating the fact that we’re a year older. I had been like that each year since I turned twenty-one – with one exception.

The year I turned twenty-four I decided I wanted a 24-themed birthday. My mother wrote twenty-four letters, each one titled “the following takes place between (an hour) and (an hour later)”. Most of them involved me sleeping. Then at dinner my mum and sister made me a cake that looked like a bomb. That was a great day. And for the sake of that I didn’t mind being a bit older.

I couldn’t think of any theme to go along with 27, so my birthday this year was relatively quiet. Relaxing. But getting older didn’t upset me this year either. I suspect it has a lot to do with finding a place for my writing.
Writing is the road I was called down nine years ago. But until this year I hadn’t seen much fruit from it. But now more than ever I’m seeing examples of my writing being a blessing to others. So I wanna thank you guys again for encouraging me on this path. It’s been tough, and some years uneventful, but I’m seeing the fruit of my work now. Thank you guys.

And in case I forget – Merry Christmas!

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Compromise

Posted on December 9, 2010 by benjaminfrog

My interests: Video Games.

My Mother’s interests: Gardening.

My compromise: Plants vs. Zombies (Game Of The Year Edition).

She won’t go for it.

Posted in Bite-Sized, Pop Culture, Random | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

The Humble and the Modest

Posted on December 7, 2010 by benjaminfrog

I’ve come to realize that modesty is wrong.

Modesty, as I’ve seen it used, is down-playing one’s own worth in front of others for the sake of not appearing big-headed. People are modest when they know they are awesome, and they know that everyone else knows they are awesome, and they are afraid of people disliking them because of their pride. So they down-play their worth in order to eliminate any reason for someone disliking them.

Modesty is also a sign that someone still views themselves as their own creation. If everyone is a creation of God then down-playing the worth of anyone, including yourself, is wrong. God wants your awesomeness to shine because you reflect the awesomeness of your Creator.

The ideal solution is to accept your awesomeness, not pretend it isn’t there, and at the same time acknowledge the awesomeness of others. Instead of down-playing yourself and saying, “No, I’m really just as crappy as you are,” recognize the giftedness that both of you have and say, “We’re both awesome! How awesome is the God who made us!”

Humility, on the other hand, is good.

Humility, though not arrogant, has nothing to do with down-playing one’s self worth. You don’t have to view yourself as crappy to be humble. Humility is simply having an accurate perception of one’s self in relation to an Almighty God. In humilty you can still recognize your awesomeness for what it is, you are simply aware that it is infinitescimal next to that of God’s. Humility in social interactions is being respectful of others and their awesomeness, because we are all made in God’s image. But it doesn’t mean letting people walk all over you, because you bear God’s image as well.

Humility is carrying out one of Jesus’s commands to us, which is to treat everyone as we would treat Him.

I don’t write this to put anyone down. Modesty is something we as Canadians have been trained to do – and at first glance it sounds perfectly fine. Many times in my life I fear I’ve been more modest and less humble (because I still viewed myself as my own creation and not God’s creation – one of many causes of my perfectionism), and this is something I want to reverse in my life. This is me analyzing the reasons behind what we do, and looking for a better solution.

P.S.: Does “The Humble and the Modest” sound to you like the title of a weird action movie?

Posted in Spiritual | 13 Comments

How To Train Your Dragon – (a film review)

Posted on December 4, 2010 by benjaminfrog

When this movie was first advertised I didn’t think much of it – just another lame kids movie trying to appeal to dragon lovers while taking advantage of the 3-D craze. Then I got a look at the main dragon starring in this movie – not a cliché red or green, goofy-looking dragon – a cat-like, ferocious-looking black dragon! This movie looked hopeful. But I decided as I researched it that I would approach it as the most critical version of myself that I know – Kid Ben.

(Now for some background on my childhood psychology.)

As a child I loved dragons. I had a fixation on dragons. And I thoroughly hated nearly every movie to feature a dragon, because the dragon would always get killed by the self-righteous “heroes”. Whether in movies or TV shows, I hated every lead character I ever saw – with very few exceptions. I saw these people murder innocent dragons just for glory’s sake – and it angered me to no end!

As a child I always connected better with animal characters than humans, and I even hated some animal characters if they possessed too many human traits (such as clothing or the ability to speak).

As I learned more about the film I realized, “Wait, there’s also humans in the movie. – It’ll probably still suck.” Then I realized all the humans in the movie are Vikings – which were the only type of human I liked as a kid because they’re always so…not like most people. So it still seemed hopeful. Then I got a look at the main human character…and lost all hope.

When I finally saw this movie it was a total surprise to me. I loved the main dragon, of course. I thought the name the main character gave it was lame and meaningless – who would have a pet Night Fury and name it “Toothless”? (I understand the name makes more sense in the book – but events are different in the movie). Unfortunately the Night Fury is one of the few types of dragons in this movie that isn’t goofy-looking – the rest are all a bit too cartoony for my taste.

I loved the community of Vikings. Kid Ben would’ve totally had the hots for Astrid. The flight and battle sequences were awesome. And Hiccup (the main character) totally redeemed himself by the end. (Spoiler Alert) Being the only Viking in a community of dragon-killers to not want to kill a dragon brought him from being just weak in my eyes to being tolerable. But by the end of the movie he goes through such a heavy change in character that even Kid Ben would’ve found him unique enough to be relatable – and respectable. (Spoiler Ended)

This movie made me want to get into the lore of this land and the creatures living in it. Dragon fans finally have a movie that actually understands and delivers what they want to see in a dragon movie.

Spectacular!

Posted in Autism, Pop Culture, Review | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Lethal Weapon 4 – (a film review)

Posted on November 29, 2010 by benjaminfrog

This was actually the first Lethal Weapon movie I saw. It came out in theaters just as my mother decided I was old enough to watch blood & guts on the big screen. Since then I’ve watched the original trilogy on DVD and haven’t been as impressed with them. As a whole I might enjoy the series more if they didn’t have constant jazz music in the background – but unfortunately they are those kinds of 80’s movies.

The first thing I remember about Lethal Weapon 4 was the theatrical trailer, which was basically a clip of the epic highway chase. That sold me. I didn’t even know what Lethal Weapon was but I wanted to see Part 4 as soon as possible. That’s one of the best trailers I’ve ever seen.

I remember at the time this was one of the best and most inspiring action movies I’d seen. The action sequences in this movie are insane. The swearing was a bit too much – which is to be expected. And the comedy is histerical. The combination of Joe Pesci and Chris Rock in one film is rediculous. The cellphone sequence is particularly memorable. Thoroughly entertaining!

Watching it recently, it struck me how many good things this movie launched. It’s a very relevant film for it’s time.

Most significant is that it introduced Jet Li to American audiences. I had seen Kung Fu fighting before but there was something about this new guy that made it look so seamless.

It spawned the myth of pulling a gun apart in one move – which my friend has tried.

It spawned the myth of “bashing” a dislocated shoulder back into place.

Laser-sighting was in use long before Lethal Weapon 4, but this movie seemed to bring about a new appreciation for it.

It was the first time I’d seen two heroes fight one villain in a (well-balanced) melee fight. – A concept that continued in The Phantom Menace in one of the few sequences in that movie that Star Wars fans consider worth watching again.

One thing this film spawned that we would probably rather live without – the idea of bringing back a film franchise a decade later to add another film onto a perfectly fine trilogy. These guys pulled it off pretty well – but many following in their footsteps have crashed and burned horribly. Perhaps there’s something about this particular “Part 4” that future film makers need to study and compare with other “Part 4s” in an effort to discover what works and what doesn’t.

Come to think of it, I’d like to see a Mythbusters episode dedicated to this movie. I wanna know how much of it can actually be done. …You know – just in case.

Posted in Pop Culture, Review | Tagged | 3 Comments

Times Have Changed

Posted on November 22, 2010 by benjaminfrog

While watching a video cassette of some TV shows from the early nineties, I came across this ad in which one kid says to another kid, “Well I don’t do drugs because when I grow up I wanna be a Baseball player…”

Posted in Bite-Sized, Random | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles – (a eulogy)

Posted on November 17, 2010 by benjaminfrog

It was a big hit to me when this show got cancelled. I never felt it got the attention it deserved, I had come to really love the characters, and worst of all it ended in a very awkward place. But it is not truly gone, not as long as you can still pick it up on DVD.

Okay, there are some reservations to watching it, all of which are valid, I had the same concerns as I got into it.

First off – it is by no means a Terminator movie, but then again neither was Terminator Salvation. You have to remove the expectations you would have of a Terminator movie before you can begin to appreciate this show for what it is – a well-written action serial set in the Terminator universe. This show explores aspects of the Terminator concept that a two-hour movie just doesn’t have time for. Nowhere else will you see a 1930’s gangster Terminator.

Second – who are these people? This show uses none of the original actors from any of the films. Lena Headey takes on the role of Sarah Conner in this show. And no, she’s not Linda Hamilton, but you know what – she is a very believable Sarah Conner. At no point in the show did I feel like she wasn’t being true to the character, I found her to be protective, passionate, dangerous, and scary – exactly like the Sarah Conner I know.

Thomas Dekker is still the most believable John Conner that we’ve had since Terminator 2. Mainly because he doesn’t act weak.

Summer Glau took a few episodes to grow into her character. Unfortunately the show had to get the whole it’s-a-hot-teenage-killer-robot-girl-who-doesn’t-know-how-a-VCR-works out of it’s system before it could actually take the character seriously. Her performance reflects that. But as the character developed, Cameron really found her place in the Terminator mythology.

Third – the plot for this show seems to either misunderstand or completely ingore the third Terminator movie, which is a pro or a con depending on how you felt about the plot of Terminator 3. If you try to reconcile the two plots you will probably give yourself a headache, personally I’m inclined to ignore the story of the third movie completely.

One problem you might not have foreseen is that – apart from a few exceptional scenes – the villains are not particularly scary-looking. Perhaps that’s what the director was going for, to get across the fact that even a totally mundane-looking person could be a killer robot, but the end result is still a lack of coolness.

Also, the fact that the heroes had to jump forward in time (from the nineties to present-day) is difficult to accept at first. BUT, it was necessary to have the events set in present-day in order to make the whole thing relevant and scary – an essential element of the franchise that Terminator Salvation lacked.

If you gave Terminator Salvation a shot, then you definitely owe it to this show to give it a chance. It feels far more like a proper continuation of the story from Terminator 2 than either of the last two films.

I understand the Terminator franchise as a whole is in a flux right now as it changes hands. When all settles down and people start making Terminator movies and video games again, I hope they find room for an obscure, little, killer robot chick named Cameron.

Posted in Pop Culture, Review | Tagged | 6 Comments

Deep Question #1

Posted on November 12, 2010 by benjaminfrog

If a tree falls in the woods and no one’s around………who cut it down?

Posted in Bite-Sized, Random | Tagged | 2 Comments

The Last Temptation of Christ – (a review)

Posted on November 8, 2010 by benjaminfrog

(Warning: This entire post is one big spoiler.)

I think this story would’ve been more effective (and less attacked) if the vision of a possible future had made up the majority of the film, instead of the entire film being… essentially a re-imagining of the life of Christ.

Clearly the intention with this story was to focus on the humanity of Jesus. I could totally appreciate that in the form of a vision of what his life might’ve looked like if he had come down from the cross and avoided the sacrificial death. An entire movie about the ripple effects of that decision would’ve made for a very compelling story. But instead this movie focuses too much on it’s own version of the gospels – with a lot of offensive results.

It’s interesting for this movie to be brought to my attention when it was, because my small group is currently doing a study on how the devil takes the truth and twists it just slightly so that it still sounds believable but now means something completely different. This film does contain a lot of things that you’ll find in the Biblical account of Jesus, but it’s mixed in with what the film writer thinks Jesus would’ve, or should’ve said. And in some cases it takes existing quotes of Jesus and changes the words just enough so that it means something very different, but still sounds totally right.

People without thorough existing knowledge of the Gospels will walk away from this movie with the information that…
1. Jesus was constantly plagued by the guilt of his own sins.
2. Jesus and John The Baptist didn’t know each other at all before Jesus’ baptism.
3. Judas was the first one to follow Jesus and was his closest friend.
4. Jesus renounced his mother.
5. Jesus incited a mob to storm the temple and then gave up halfway through. And…
6. Jesus asked Judas to betray him.
And you get the idea.

The truth is there are a lot of Jesus movies that I take issue with. This film doesn’t stand alone with the problems mentioned above. I find most Jesus films portray my Saviour as weak or take liberties with him that make me angry. It’s all just people looking for ways to express their curiosities about this mysterious and powerful person. That curiosity is a good thing. As people use the film medium to try to describe this person, or the impact that this person has had in their life, they will inevitably run into inaccuracies. Which is why I would strongly recommend reading the Gospels (Mathew, Mark, Luke and John) for the most historically accurate accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

But anybody who’s ever wanted to see Jesus settle down and find himself a girl (and get his groove on) will enjoy the possibilities presented in this film. I should warn anyone considering this film as small group material that there is some boobage in it – and a bit of full frontal (because that’s how John The Baptist rolls). There are some interesting worship styles in this movie.

Side Note: I’ve seen some of Scorsese’s other films – this doesn’t have the same feel as most Scorsese films. I think I would’ve been more entertained if this movie had Robert DeNiro as Jesus and Joe Pesci as Judas. Or perhaps Joe Pesci as the guy who cuts off people’s ears – that would be hilarious!

PS: Keep an eye out for David Bowie.

Posted in Pop Culture, Review, Spiritual | Tagged | 3 Comments