Random Thoughts with Will

     Everyone has his or her weaknesses. Some of mine include breakfast foods, dessert, flannel shirts, and college football. These weaknesses vary from person to person. There are also broad weaknesses, ones that just about every person has. In an era of endless sequels and remakes/reboots, Hollywood has been able to capitalize on ones of those weaknesses: nostalgia.      Dwight K. Schrute, the longtime Assistant (to the) Regional Manager from The Office , once said "Nostalgia is truly one of the greatest human weaknesses, second to only the neck". Hollywood (not to mention box office receipts) would seem to agree with him. The dictionary defines this "weakness" as "a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time".      When I went to see The Incredibles 2  last Thursday,...

     "It's over, it's over! Cleveland is a city of champions once again!"           On Father's Day weekend 2 years ago, something magical happened in Oakland: for the first time in 52 years, a Cleveland sports team won it all. In a city tormented by the word "The" - The Drive, The Fumble, The Shot, The Error, The Decision - it's on fitting that there was The Block. Only this time, it was in Cleveland's favor. Cleveland gave my Dad a Father's Day gift that night - and plenty of others, too. This time in Cleveland, it all worked out.       Sometimes in life, things don't work out. We lose, get rejected, fall short, or things fall through for one reason or another. It's sad enough when it happens to fictional characters in a TV show, movie, or book, it's even worse when it happens to us in real life. We get jaded, depressed, maybe even cynical. And it stinks.       But sometimes in life, things...

     This upcoming Friday, something incredible is happening: The Incredibles 2 is coming to theaters! Pixar has a way of spacing out its sequels a decade apart from one another. As of today, it has been 4,964 days since The Incredibles was released (or approx. 13 and a half years), so waiting a few more days isn't asking too much. If one can't tell from these first few sentences, I'm pretty excited about The Incredibles 2   and cautiously optimistic that it will be good. I grew up on Pixar movies - a lot of times my family would go see new releases on opening weekend - we even saw Monsters, Inc. and The Incredibles on opening day! Pixar has a way of churning out classic films adored by children and adults alike, but there's one Pixar film that just doesn't get its due, one that gets lost in the discussion of great Pixar films: A Bug's Life .       Because everyone loves rankings, there are people that have ranked the Pixar films. If you were t...

     Just about every state has a song about it - "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", "California Dreamin'", "Sweet Home Alabama", "Private Idaho" - the list goes on. There's one song in particular that I always find myself thinking about whenever I travel there: James Taylor's "Carolina in My Mind". Although his song never specifies which Carolina, considering that he grew up in Chapel Hill, it's safe to say he's referring to North Carolina. Either way, that song will always play in my mind when I'm gone to North Carolina (pun intended).  Sorry, South Carolina.      One thing I want to make clear here before going any further: this blog post is about my appreciation/fondness for North Carolina, not about moving back there or anything. Sorry, Houston - you're stuck with me!      When someone asks me where home is for me, I always tell them Virginia. And though I live in Houston now, Virginia will always be ...