Summer Movies

Most of the summer movies are out by now although Pirates of the Caribbean II seems like the only major blockbuster. They all have good reviews except for Lady in the Water, but I think I'll see that anyway since I'm such an M. Night Shyamalan fan. My Super Ex-Girlfriend looks really funny and it's directed by the same person who directed Ghostbusters.

Which of the following was your favorite?
1. Pirates of the Caribbean II
2. Lady in the Water
3. John Tucker Must Die
4. Superman Returns
5. My Super Ex-Girlfriend
6. Cars
7. Devil Wears Prada

Otakon!

Otakon is coming to the Convention Center August 4th -August 6th. Does anyone else plan to go? Anyone have any good stories of past Otakon conventions?

Superheroes

I’ve never liked Superman as much as other superheroes and after seeing the latest Superman movie I think he is probably the least interesting. Batman is fascinating because he has no superpowers and uses his brain, technology and years of training to fight his enemies. Spiderman has weaknesses like other humans and still needs to strain to rescue people and the X-men had to fight other mutants who were just as powerful. Superman is so powerful and invulnerable that you never have to worry about him. You can only use kryptonite so many times before the series becomes boring.

Great Read!!

I just finished one of the best books I've read in awhile. It's called, The Not-So-Star-Stangled Life of Sunita Sen. Sunita is entering 8th grade this year and nothing seems to be going right. The boy she likes appears to like another girl, her grandparents have flown in from India to spend a year with her family, and her mother has gone from a college professor wearing business suits to a housewife wearing sarees and doing chores. Sunita has trouble accepting her mother's turn in personality as she herself struggles to figure out her identity. Is she American or is she Indian? This struggle for to realize her self identity and place in her family is funny and heartwearming. I would definitely recommend this book to all....not only is it funny, it's a quick read.

Visiting New Orleans - Post Katrina

Recently I was able to visit New Orleans. As the plane made its approach over Lake Pontchartrain you are able to see that there are many blue tarps still covering the roofs of houses. The airport was quite deserted, as the number of flights have not returned to pre-Katrina levels.

The area of the city where I stayed was in the 20% that had not been flooded. That part of the city had sustained wind damage. Some buildings are missing windows and are currently being repaired. If you were to ride the streetcar to the end of the line you will go through devastated areas. The citizens of New Orleans seem to be in good spirits though. All were very friendly and most places have reopened. It was very nice to be able to visit the Aquarium of the Americas, a building that suffered much damage in Katrina.

I will say that New Orleans is still fairly deserted, a large portion of the population have not returned yet. It's odd to wander around what was usually considered a bustling city when it's so quiet.

All in all, it will be a slow recovery process but the people of New Orleans are up to it. If you're thinking of visiting, I would say this, be patient as the city gets back to full strength, but don't be afraid.