Pacific Rim Review

Calling all moviegoers, sci-fi geeks, action hounds, and those who just enjoy a good fight- Pacific Rim is the movie to see!  This cleverly written futuristic alien invasion movie is like nothing you’ve seen or at least seen lately.

Starring Sons of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam as Raleigh Becket and Luther’s Idris Elba as Stacker Pentecost, the story begins on earth in the year 2020 when humongous alien life forms called Kaiju cross over into our world wreaking havoc in their wake.  Once humankind concludes these monsters will continue their deadly attacks they formed a new grade of weapon called jaegers to fight them.  I recognize the story has some similar elements of other action movies I’ve seen such as Avatar and Independence Day, however, Pacific Rim does stand on its own bringing more drama and first rate special effects.  The fight sequences were extraordinary, well timed, and expertly animated. 

The requisite love story told in every such apocalyptic thriller is freshly redone here told with an unexpected mix of intimacy and innocence.  Rinko Kikuchi, a relative newcomer to the American film scene, plays Mako Mori, a tough, yet vulnerable young woman with a passionate will to fight.  

Adding comedic quips, quick wit, and conflict- in that order- Charlie Day, from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Horrible Bosses fame, veteran actor, Ron Perlman, also from Sons of Anarchy and CBS’ drama series Beauty and the Beast, True Blood’s Robert Kazinsky and Revenge’s Max Martini round out this all-star cast.

Now just last night I was talking with a friend who had also seen this film and wanted to debate the lack of detail and complication in the secondary story line.  I would fervently disagree.  The main characters each had carefully unraveling back-stories that enhanced the film’s drama factor.  This movie presents the audience with something all great movies give- the opportunity to relate to the characters.  I was able to find parts of my own personality in at least three of the main characters and it truly made me appreciate this film even more.

So, if you are looking for a summer blockbuster that is original and well done- Pacific Rim is the way to go.  For the full experience, I highly recommend viewing in IMAX 3D.

Rating: 5/5

Shocked and Appalled but Moving On

Seriously?

Last night I was at home studying and occasionally scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed when I all of a sudden I see people posting that a verdict had been reached in the Trayvon Martin case and at first I think it’s a joke because, though it may happen often, I have never seen a jury reach a verdict on a Saturday.  Then I log on to news websites to find that it really is true and the verdict really is not guilty.  After picking my jaw up off the floor- and I really was shocked.  I know some people weren’t surprised but I was.  I was leaning more toward manslaughter than murder but I thought the dude would at least get something.

From whence I came…

Now, in practically all of my political beliefs I tend to lean uber conservative.  I’m pro-life, pro-guns, pro-personal responsibility, and a fiscal conservative where government spending is concerned.  However, I disagree with the overall unspoken conservative consensus that it is okay to be hateful to people in order to get your point across.  I sincerely believe you can disagree with someone’s point of view or lifestyle choice or even their outfit without taking it to the mattresses with out of pocket remarks.  I was even of the belief that President Obama should not have made the statement that if he had a son he would look like Trayvon Martin.  Though, at the time, and now, I believed George Zimmerman to be guilty, I did not think that the POTUS should have made a statement that alluded to his opinion because, unlike myself, he is the leader of the free world and should always make an effort to be unbiased- at least publicly.   All of that said, I still feel the same way about practically all of these issues- but, unlike my conservative compatriots I cannot get on board with believing this ruling was just or right or made purely on the basis of the facts and evidence. 

The power of a choice

Why do I think this?  Simple- Mr. Zimmerman could have chosen to stay in the car like he was advised to do by the dispatcher. He chose to pursue, he chose to engage, and then he chose to pull the trigger.  At no point in this whole encounter did he not have the upper hand.  He could have chosen to follow directions and let those who are trained to handle situations like this handle it but he made the choice to do his own thing and his life will be forever changed as a result. 

Where do we go from here?

Today many conservatives are taking issue with the African American community’s offense over the outcome of this case, citing everything from the fact that most violence towards Blacks is from other Blacks (which is statistically true) to the underlying Liberal agenda to cause enmity between the races at every turn.  But I have to say plain and simple- OBJECTION- RELEVANCE?  Should the fact that most of the violence against Blacks comes from other Blacks lessen the impact of this case and the implications it has for Blacks in America?  By no means!!  I think we, as a community should definitely work on eradicating Black on Black crime and we should start by not going completely bitchcake bananas and tearing up the town in Florida.   What will a riot achieve but to prove political pundits who think us to be low-class, ghetto, violent monsters, unworthy of due process correct?  I think it would be more effective to pick ourselves up, dust off this trial, pray for the Martin family and even George Zimmerman, and as a community improve.  Let’s use the same camaraderie we protested Trayvon’s death to lobby for better education, to influence our communities, to raise our children, and to not be used as a pawn by any political agenda and in so doing rid ourselves of the cultural schizophrenia that is rampant in the Black community.  There should be public outcry about every injustice- including the alarming rate of abortions in the Black community equivalent to legal genocide.  Including the rate of poverty, including violent crimes, including education, including lack of personal responsibility, including intra-racism.  Let’s take a stand against all of these issues and as a unified population embrace our identity as Americans and take ownership that this is our nation too.

The Benefits of Participating in Professional Organizations

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Professional organizations are groups specialized to your field of expertise.  They provide opportunities for learning, enrichment, networking, and mentorship.  What these organizations provide is vital for any professional, especially if they are a minority in their field.  I recently honored to be able to join WICT- Women in Cable Telecommunications.   This is an organization dedicated to developing women as leaders in life as well as in the field of cable telecommunications.  WICT is the oldest and largest organization-serving women in cable telecommunications, which includes all aspects of cable television- from marketing to sales to production to technology to human resources.  WICT serves all women working in every area of cable.

WICT is at the forefront of the television industry and works to advance the position and influence of women at a national and a local level.  WICT sponsors leadership programs and events to educate its members, some of which are men!  Recognized throughout the cable television industry, WICT works to collaborate with companies and challenge them to create opportunities for the advancement of women.  Established in 1979 WICT is known for its leadership training and empowerment as well as its advocacy. 

I was most impressed with the amount of programs they offered to help younger women in the field learn they skills they needed, not only to advance but to be an effective leader and member of the overall team once they did advance.  I am involved in the mentor program called, Mentoring Circles.  In this program a group from my local chapter meets monthly to discuss specific topics related to leadership and how we can adjust to different situations.  The discussions are in-depth and personal and kept confidential.  We are also given an accountability partner to ensure that we meet the goals that we set for ourselves and to talk with in between meetings and air professional concerns. 

So far I’ve found this organization to be well worth my time.  I can already see a benefit to not only joining but also being involved in such an organization.  As with anything you get out of it what you put in to it.  As you decide which professional organization is right for you and your career remember don’t simply join but try to take advantage of all the opportunities the organization has to offer.  It could be just the extra umph your career needs!