Leftover Life

So it has been five years since 9/11. There's been a lot of hype about this particular anniversary, with TV movies and news specials and memorials, but I've steered clear of most of it. Not because the date doesn't mean anything to me, but rather I think it means more if I don't get caught up in the clatter. It's enough to me to remember the uncertainty of that day, not knowing what the hell was going on, thinking about Deb being pregnant with our first child and fearful of what the future would hold. Five years later, we've got two girls and are a little older and wiser. The specter of terrorism is definitely more of a presence than it was before 9/11. Reading about the seemingly unending strife in the Middle East has a numbing effect, which was reflected by respondents to a Boston Globe poll; while people expect another terrorist attack on the U.S., few have taken precautions. And it's easy, and comforting, to get distracted by more immediate concerns like work, school, family, sports, etc. But ultimately, I don't think anyone has forgotten what happened that day, nor will they.

Gentlemen, you can't fight in here. This is the War Room!:

• We watched the movie Brick the other night. Holy crap, was that good. Essentially, it's a film noir set in a modern-day high school, right down to the '40s-era snappy patter. Some of the lingo is difficult to pick up at first, so you really have to pay attention. I discovered that director/writer Rian Johnson posted the script on his Internet home page, so I went back and read it and it clarified a lot of the stuff I missed. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who found fame as that little kid with the long hair on Third Rock from the Sun) and Lukas Haas (the Amish kid in Witness). It's a tale of murder, lost love, drugs and features a troubled protagonist. Really great stuff.
• Looks like it's time to update the E! True Hollywood Story of Dana Plato, what with her son filing a wrongful death suit seven years after she OD'd on painkillers.
• Trying to pump a little excitement into your long, boring commute? Be careful, or you'll end up like this guy. Of course, you'd stay awake if you drove past this on your way to work. He couldn't believe he ate the whole thing.