Batman Prepares

In the Batman book, Nightwalker, the action scenes are fast paced, good to read, with some good characters. The book was written by the contributing author, Marie Lu, a New York Times best seller for her young adult books. In this Batman book, Bruce Wayne is a young adult before becoming the Batman.

As in the movies, Bruce is faced with dilemmas of justice. All teens face dilemmas. After, they will dwell on how they could have righted wrongs, from simple verbal insults such as a socially brash person putting down another student, to physical abuses such as a small person being knocked down by a big person. The insulted student may replay the conversation over and over in their mind, wishing to have said this or that, instead of what they did or didn’t do. After being insulted myself, I came up with a realization and response. My favorite response to verbal insults, is a blank stare while thinking, “You have me confused with someone who cares about your opinion.” And then walking away because I really don’t care about their opinion. Or, maybe you were in a situation where someone else was insulted, and wished you had stood up for the insulted person as Batman would have. After tense situations we’ve all thought of what we shoulda coulda said or done. Even Batman adapts. Sometimes with tech, sometimes with technique.

In this Batman book, the bad person was extreme. Not only having thoughts of revenge, but they made plans that were implemented on a murderous scale. In stories, the protagonist must have a matching antagonist. Bruce Wayne had to rise up and become better, to match the villain. We can feel elated that our book’s protagonist, acted as we would have fictionally against such an imaginary antagonist.

In the book’s first action scene, without thought, Bruce gives chase after the bad guy. Bruce is driving an advanced car built by WayneTech. Like Maverick says in Top Gun, “If you think, your dead.” When there is no time, just do, or do not; as Yoda would say. For example, when your car gets out of control, react, don’t analyze, don’t consider and think, do! Life experiences can give you better reactions.

• Practice being out of control, like slipping and sliding your car around a snow covered empty parking lots. Then, gain back control. I imagine this can save you from crashing or ending down in a ditch.
• Young Bruce took private fighting lessons with a friend, which gave him an edge in physical situations. Me, I was riding around with3 friends when the driver stopped the car and said, “Fight.” We piled out of the car, paired up and went at it. Having been on the school wrestling team gave me an edge. We didn’t hurt each other, well not much. Such preparation will improve your response time when called out in a parking lot–I imagine.

In my fictional mind, I imagine being Batman while reading a book. But, I’m no Batman, your no Batman, police officers are no Batman, only fictional Batman is Batman. But, hey, I can relate to Batman, a little bit.

Da-da da-da da-da da-da Batman! From 1966 Batman TV series.

Live Like You’re in the Movies

The title is from my poem of the same name. During a Meetup.com poetry meeting, participants liked that I had included movie references. One said, “It made me feel more connected.” Here are a few lines from the poem,

To Japan, home of Pokemon's Pikachu and Charizard;
Studio Ghibli's Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away;
...
South to Kuala Lumpur, onto the Petronas Twin Towers bridge
As did Sean Connery and Cathrine Zeta-Jones in a movie.

Anthony Bourdain wrote, “I wanted to see the world — and I wanted the world to be just like the movies.” Bourdain was my travel hero,

He traveled to countries where there were people to see, 
He broadened our perspective as he continually,
Tasted fountains of local drinks as he would pass, 
Through markets with noodles spiced with lemongrass.

I ate in street food locations similar to scenes in his shows. How he loved noodles. From watching him enjoy a bowl of Vietnamese phở, I began writing my poem, Life with Spice, that begins,

Memories of travel go through my delirious mind, 
Remembering where it is that noodles one can find: 
Noisy shops in Hong Kong, hawker stalls in Singapore, 
On streets of Bangkok, markets of Kuala Lumpur, 
Chinatown in San Francisco, Toronto, and London, 
Side alleys of Taipei, Tokyo houses of ramen.

After watching Anthony eat in unusual places and loving it, I gained confidence and followed suit, grew bolder. Live like your in the movies, eat like your in an Anthony Bourdain show.

Above, a three dollar meal at a Bangkok market. It was so good 🙂

Below, gotta love a hand made thatch roof restaurant.

Elizabethtown’s Movie Funeral

There’s a scene in Elizabethtown where family members are on stage giving a eulogy. The character Hollie Baylor, played by Susan Sarandon, takes her turn (photo below). After an introduction, telling some of life’s details, she tells a short story that makes them all laugh. And to top it off, at the end of her talk, the audience claps in appreciation.

Years ago, I went on stage to give a eulogy for my father. Before the eulogies started, people had lined up for the viewing. I talked to some of them, to help pass the time, to make them feel better about the waiting, to hear their stories about dad, things I could use during my eulogy. When giving my eulogy, I was talking over a slide show that included some of the audience, people they all would know, bringing us together. They smiled and even chuckled at my stories–at our stories.

Near the end I paused to gaze around the room, stopping to look them in the eyes. “I’m glad I got to talk with many of you, today,” I said. “But you know, you all seem a little down. It was like someone died.” How they all laughed. It was a moment of emotional relief.

I stepped down and walked over to the coffin, placed my hand on it and said, “Yes, someone has died, my dad.” At that point, as happened to the character Hollie, I couldn’t talk. I walked back up to the mic and stood for while to collect myself. “Dad lived to celebrate life. He loved to laugh, as you know.” I went on to tell them how he had died, as I knew that was a question on their minds that they were respectful not to ask, of which I’m sure they were happy to know, dad passed away peaceful with my mom at his side.

When I concluded, the audience smiled and clapped in appreciation, as they had for Hollie. In real life, not just in the movies, it can be proper for laughter and celebration of life at a funeral.

Other events in the movie I related: I had also flown in from the west coast to attend the funeral in the east, to met with friends and family. There was also the cross country drive, which I have done a few times, which is a wonderful experience. And, the romance between Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst’s characters were well played(photo below of their meet cute). IMDB has some interesting fun Elizabethtown trivia.

Yes, like in a movie, you too can be an actor receiving an ovation, even at a funeral for someone you and others, love.

Character’s of Orlando and Kirsten meeting, their meet cute.

Multiverses and the Movies

Interesting, as I recall Spock raising an eyebrow. Interesting how movies play out in the various models of the multiverse.

“Models of the multiverse, more than one?” you ask, as you are thinking of the one model used in movies such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Encyclopedia Britannica has an excellent video describing 3 model types:

1. Bubble universes, baby black hole universes, with different laws of physics.
2. Multiple dimensions, many more dimensions that allow for multiple 3 dimensional observable universes.
3. Many worlds multiverse based on quantum mechanics. It’s commonly referred to, as parallel universes.

Regarding terminology, let’s define a universe as an observable universe. In the Doctor Strange Marvel movie, a gateway would appear between 2 parallel universes (#2 type multiverse), but only one is observable at a time … yes, except when the gateway opens and 2 are viewable. Anyway, when I write, universe, I refer to one observable universe, no gateway open.

“Are other models used in movies?”

“Yes,” as I hear in mind, and on YouTube, the echo of the quote, “No matter where you go, there you are.” It’s from the movie, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, released 1984. Buckaroo travels from our 3 dimensional universe into another 3 dimensional universe (model #3). Each, is a universe independent of the other, they are not quantum variations of our universe.

For fun and amusement, following is the calculation to explain why 8 dimensions. Note, the movie takes place in our universe and the alien’s universe.

3 dimensions (length,width,height) + 1 dimension of time = 4 dimensions for one universe
2 universes x 4 dimensions for each universe = 8 dimension

Now, I feel like I’m in the Big Bang Theory TV series describing a multiverse for a comic book series. And, having to defend my model against those that prefer the quantum mechanics model. Fortunately, Sheldon is in String Theory, which has 11 dimensions. He’s on my side.

In the later phase of the movie, Interstellar, the character Joseph Cooper, enters a black hole and enters a 5 dimensional universe of rooms where he is able to communicate with his daughter using gravity to affect objects in her room. Hearing 5 dimensions, model #2 first comes to mind. However, it sounds more like a model #1, a 5 dimensional bubble universe inside a black hole.

Since there is no experimental evidence to support any of the models, as they are models without proof, than one is as true as the other. Or is there proof? I would argue, yes.

Carrie Pilby

Part of the enjoyment of watching a movie is relating to one of the characters. Carrie Pilby had skipped grades and went to university at a young age. I skipped grades, and like Carrie, had troubles socializing with other students. And like Carrie, I also had people thinking me a freak. When I changed high schools, I sat in the cafeteria with students my age which I considered friends. After a time one asked, “What grade are you?” He had seen me enter a grade 12 math class. I was in grade 11, they were in grade 9. After that, I don’t remember talking with them anymore. I began sitting with outcast types from my grade 12 classes, guys I thought were cool. They accepted me and didn’t care that I was younger and smaller. In grade 10, I was in the school wrestling team, the 98 pound class. I was dwarf in size compared to new new school friends, and they treated as an equal.

Carrie was rebellious after graduating from Harvard. I dropped out of high school, didn’t graduate. After time away, I did go to university and graduate. Eventually Carrie meets people she could relate. In university, I met people that I could relate to in regard to philosophical topics.

It’s pretty rare to meet people that skip grades, so it’s nice to watch a character on TV and see another working through issues that I can relate.