Batson's Blog

I generally like to keep things light-hearted on this blog. I like to blog about music, movies, TV shows --- things that can help take my mind off of the real world. I don't bury my head in the sand, avoiding the world's issues, but I work in the media and I get enough news during my daily 9 hour shifts. It's gotten to the point that I don't even like watching certain movies, like London Has Fallen (not the best plot anyway), because it's just too close to reality with some of the various terror attacks that have happened across the world.   House of Cards was a fun show, but I'm not sure if the next season will, again, seem too close to reality. I use my entertainment to be entertained and to escape the partisan issues that seem to be spilling over everywhere online and on TV. Again, I'm not dodging the reality of the world. I just get enough of it at work. I know a lot of my colleagues in the news media can relate to that sentiment. But today...

Thor: The Dark World was the last movie on my 2013 'must-see' list. Gravity owned the box office this weekend though. It grossed $55.6 million, making it the highest grossing opening weekend film for Sandra Bullock or George Clooney 's careers according to CNN . I've seen Facebook post upon Facebook post and tweet upon tweet, recommending that people go watch the movie. In fact, I haven't seen one negative review for it. I’m intrigued by the movie. I was ever since I saw the first preview . This movie, unlike so many others, seems to have done it right. The trailer didn't give away the entire film. In fact, it only gave away a small portion of it -- Sandra Bullock's character seemingly getting hurled into the dark abyss that is outer space. I want to know how in the world (or out of this world...) Alfonso Cuarón made an interesting movie that lasts 91 minutes and is about an astronaut being lost in space. It's not like Armageddon , where...

Lotus is Christina Aguilera’s best album to date. Granted, I never listened to a complete Christina Aguilera album before. In fact, just about the only songs of hers I’ve heard in their entirety are the singles she’s had on the radio. The past few years that hasn’t been too many. Christina can sing. I’ll give her that. My problem with her has always been that she adds too many unneeded “aahhhs” in most of her performances. She always likes to showcase her vocal abilities by adding extra syllables in places where they don't belong. Sometimes simpler is better. She always rubbed me the wrong way too. Christina seemed conceited – someone you wouldn’t want to hang out with unless you absolutely had to. Kind of like those girls at school who thought they were too awesome to associate with anyone. On Lotus Christina seems more mature and more comfortable with herself. She seems less worried about everyone thinking she’s the best. As a result, all of her tracks have...