The Kansas City Batas

Archive for March, 2009

This is a great YouTube mashup of other YouTube videos.  I am reposting this from Patchchord.  I don’t know where he got it.

I went and viewed The Watchmen with my wife, her father, and her two brothers today.

Let me start off by saying that I enjoyed it.  I have never read the graphic novel.  I know about most of the main cadre of superheroes that we all know from both Marvel and D.C. comics, but not much about this book.  I had heard of The Watchmen, but have never taken the time to read it.  In other words, I am solely reviewing the movie itself and not its faithfulness to the original source material.

In spite of a suggestion to do otherwise, I did not take my son to see the “comic book” movie.  I had already read enough about it to know it was going to be violently and sexually graphic.  Oh boy, was it. (/gleefulness)  I discuss this first because it is the most obvious part of the movie.  While most of it could be construed as gratuitous, they did add to the story.  There were times that those in my group and theater covered our eyes during certain extremely violent scenes.  I did notice that no one closed their eyes during the graphic sex scenes.

I was glad my son wasn’t there.

As for the movie itself, it was enjoyable.  It was good enough that I refused to get up and pee for the entire duration of the film.  I shouldn’t have had that large Diet Coke.

I know everyone comes up with a different interpretation of films, music, and other types of art.  I could discuss how ignoble or how altruistic and devoted to the truth humanity can be.  Even how both can subsist in the same person or people.  I won’t.  I see too much of it on television in the news.  I go to movies now for pure escapism.  Escape I did.

It was a good story with plenty of action, both violent and otherwise, to hold my attention and leave me sated at the end.  I enjoyed the ending and the seemingly…nevermind.  I better not give that away.

Go and see it if you are not squeamish or easily offended.  Don’t take your kids.

Or mine.

We leave in 36 days.  While the first day gone will be a full day on a charter bus with 52 other people, I am hoping (and we know what I think of that) that if I bring enough stuff to do I won’t totally go out of my mind.

I have noticed that the Travel Channel has been influencing my travels.  More specifically, the television show  Man vs. Food.  If you have not seen this show, watch it.

Anyway, I have finished what I believe is my itinerary for our trip to New York, New York.  Students will be joining me for parts of it as well as other adult-types.  Anyway, I present it for your perusal.  If you see soemthing amiss, let me know.  This may include logistical improbabilities (you never know, I could develop teleportation abilities) or other activities/sites that I should do instead of the ones listed.

Bata’s Carnegie Hall Trip
LCPA Wind Ensemble
April 9-15, 2009

Thursday, April 9

7:10am         Rehearsal
10:30am       Depart LCPA

Friday, April 10

11:30am       Arrive at the Grand Hyatt in NYC

12:00pm       Lunch at various street vendors as I tour Times Square yearning for the days before it was
cleaned up

12:00pm       Times Square
M&M Store (avoid Martz to keep from getting mugged)
Hershey store (to make own children happy upon return)
Various other stores and attractions
4:00pm         Check-in at hotel

5:15pm         @ Birdland for dinner & Big Band

8:30pm         @ Birdland for Lovano/Jones Quartet

11:00pm       Empire State Building

Saturday, April 11

5:00am         Students allowed out

5:30am         Breakfast where available

6:30am         Central Park

9:45am         Ready for Am. Museum of Natural History to open

12:45pm       Lunch at Grand Central or street vendors as time allows

1:15pm         Return to hotel

1:30pm         Set-up & Warm-up

2:00-4:00pm Rehearsal

5:00pm         Dinner at Les Sans Culottes

6:15pm         Travel to theater via foot/subway (cab if dinner is late)

8:00pm         Avenue Q

11:00pm       Curfew

Sunday, April 12

5:00am          Students allowed out

6:00am          Breakfast where available

7:45am          Empire State Bldg in daylight (possible)
Chinatown/Canal Street

11:30am        Lunch at Katz’s Deli

1:15pm          Return to hotel

1:30pm          Set-up & Warm-up

2:00-4:00pm Rehearsal

5:00pm          Dinner at Brick Lane Curry House (Should I do the Phall Challenge?)

6:00pm          Travel to Times Square and peruse until show

8:00pm          Iridium Jazz Club

11:00pm        Curfew

Monday, April 13

5:00am         Students allowed out

5:30am         Breakfast

6:00am         Finish perusing Times Square & Central Park

11:00am       Lunch at Junior’s in Grand Central

1:15pm         Dressed in concert attire and ready to move to Carnegie

2:00-5:00pm Dress Rehearsal

8:00pm         Concert in Carnegie Hall

10:00pm       Dinner Cruise

Tuesday, April 14

1:30am         Return to hotel

8:00am         Wake-up

9:00am         Check out of hotel and load bus

10:00am       Depart

11:00am       Lunch

12:00pm       Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

3:00pm         Depart for what will now seem the barren wasteland that is Kansas City

3:01pm         Sit down, shut up, and leave us alone

Wednesday, April 15

3:00pm         Arrive at LCPA

3:01pm         EVERYONE helps unload bus to band room

3:30pm         Go away. Please, just go away.
Really, just leave.
Now.

Thursday, April 16

Unhappily arrive back at school for class. Shut up and just do it.