UPDATED: Harry Potter and the half-blood ratings system

For another interesting story about the use of alcohol and teen drinking in the film, check out this NY Times article.

Last night, I got in touch with my teenage self and indulged in an outing to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I've always enjoyed the movies, even if they're geared to a crowd who's more into the Jonas Brothers than worrying about their next due date for rent.

And needless to say, there were moments that this PG-rated movie scared the piss out of me.

No one argues that the books get progressively darker, so I was expecting this 6th installment to definitely be an explicit "good vs. evil" showdown. However, no one warned me of that showdown including an scene of a boy (Ron Weasley) seizing and foaming at the mouth. Or that a girl who is "cursed" is thrashed around in the air, suspended in an unmistakeably crucifixion-like pose, and then thrown to the ground where she continues to twitch. Or a spell that causes a character's blood to seep out of his body onto the ground around him.

That's on top of the standard "evil wizards swarming around and burning down houses and killing innocent people" material that comes with the Harry Potter territory. Oh, and the sexual tension that runs so thick throughout the movie I wanted to gag at times.

The 4th and 5th movies received PG-13 ratings, and didn't suffer in the box office for it. And although there were some grumblings about the harsher rating, most viewers found them to be justified. So why the drop now, in what I considered the most violent of the series to date? Some of the people I went to the film with were like "what's the big deal? If people are going to see it anyway why does the rating matter?"

It matters because that "13" on a rating is the difference between what can and can't be shown in some schools. It's the difference between a little kid being sent to the movies without a second thought, and maybe just one parent taking a closer look at just what the film contains. Or at the very least, being prepared when those more graphic scenes do come up, so they can be ready for them.

I was just disappointed in the system. But I must say, the toolbag that tries to woo Hermoine is worth a second glance.

creature comforts

So in moving to the East Coast, I knew life would be different in some aspects. Drinking soda instead of pop, considering Michigan to be a western state, and seeing Dunkin Donuts on every freaking corner.

But the first weekend here in Philly, I came across a cultural difference I couldn't quite deal with: not only does the Starbucks near Temple University's campus close at 8 p.m. on the weekedays, it is closed ALL WEEKEND. As in not open Saturdays and Sundays. And even though I'm from the east side where we have at least half a mile between each Starbucks, I still consider myself from the unofficial coffee capital of the country. I considered these sorts of limited hours a type of blasphemy almost, if not at least a terrible business model for a coffee shop next to the 12th largest university in the country.

So after whining for a decent amount of time, my friend Patrice and I decided to make the trek down the block for a beverage, even though we'd just eaten dinner.

And as lame as it sounds, I was almost emotional drinking my venti 4-pump classic syrup black iced tea. It was a taste of home, a taste of the safe, the familiar. Sometimes we just need to stick to what we know to get through the 21 hour days.

The 4th in Philly

Last night, I saw what it means to earn the title of best fireworks show in the country. After sitting through an hour and a half of Sheryl Crow re-living her glory of the '90s (if that's what you can call it), we finally got to the whole reason we walked 2.5 miles through Philadelphia: to watch people blow stuff up.

The show was synchronized to music intertwined with famous speeches from history, including Obama, Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. And the music was surprisingly not cheesy "God Bless America" renditions. In fact, one of the songs, a recording of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," was probably one of the best arrangements of that song I've heard.

It was a weird 4th for me for some reason. This is a holiday that doesn't have any real continuity for me as far as traditions. My sister is terrified of fireworks, so our family has never done the whole do-it-yourself shows or anything. Sometimes we went camping, sometimes I was with extended family, other times I was sitting on top of our mini van with Alyssa in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Now I can add Independence Hall to the list.