Filming began for a new Jim Carrey movie in Lincoln Saturday. The city went all out, making sure the fountain outside the capital was on, allowing filming of the Nebraska-Oklahoma game, and hiring out UNL students as production assistants. The university plans to look at the script to make sure they nor the state were being portrayed in an unflattering manner. Carrey wasn’t actually in Nebraska; in fact he may never be. These were just initial shots before filming actually began. The movie is said to come out in 2009.

I don’t know if the university has the authority to tell the film makers that they can’t portray Nebraska in an unflattering way. Yes, I’ve seen the stereotypical portrayals of down home, simple farmers who speak with a drawl. I don’t particularly like it because that’s not how it is here. But do we really have the right to say, “If you make fun of us we’re not going to let you film.”?

The article said nothing about whether or not we, as a state, were being made fun of. They did, however, say the reason Carrey’s character was in Nebraska was because he said “yes” to the airline worker. The movie, called “Yes Man” is about a recently divorced man who has decided to say “yes” to every question. Hopefully he’s not asked if Nebraska is full of hicks.
I’m not exactly sure how I feel about the movie coming to Lincoln. It’s cool that a movie will be shot here but I’m always worried about how the state will come across to others. There’s one family guy episode that shows Stewie in a Nebraska diner and the only thing people have to talk about is corn. It’s kind of funny but I don’t want the nation to think that’s the way it actually is. Hopefully this new movie will be kinder to our image.

Racing

I thought this video was hilarious because school buses have the connotation of being safe. Here they are being anything but. Also, when you think of racing, you think of streamlined, aerodynamic, and small. The school bus is large, bulky, and awkward; not to mention it’s turns which are hardly on a dime.

This has made me think quite a bit about racing. I’ve only been to two races in my lifetime. Neither were professional. There’s a sort of tense excitement in the air. People wait around for their favorite event or their favorite driver. This isn’t a place for talking. The cars roar around the track like a lion on attack. The short track is the most confusing to watch. The cars get muddled up with each other making it difficult to keep track of whose in first. But when the results come in and your favorite driver is announced the winner, there’s no mistaking your own excitement.

My favorite races to watch are the ones that are really close. At the most recent race I’ve been to, McCool Junction Speedway, one of the drivers started in 11 place out of 12 cars. With each lap he went high on turn one and cut down low for turn two, he stayed low on turn three and shot up on turn four. He passed at least one car per lap and was working his way to first place. I had been bored until this race, the last race of the evening. I had to know how it turned out. With only four laps to go, the driver was in first place with an outstanding lead. Suddenly, a car behind him spun out into the infield. The caution flag went up allowing the other cars to catch up with him. The car in second was determined to regain first place as he had been leading all night.

Finally the caution was over, the second place driver overtook the lead. I was disappointed and hoped my new favorite driver would finish out on top. In turn three with two laps to go my driver regained first, but by turn two with only one lap to go the other driver was leading. My driver didn’t stray from his pattern. On turn three he stayed low and shot into first as he took the high side on turn four. He was winning but the other driver was very close behind. It was a photo finish but my favorite driver took home the gold. This event turned me into a local race fan and I can’t wait to get back to the track.

Cell Phones

In this day and age land lines are becoming obsolete. No one wants to pay for both a cell phone and a land line. Many people are simply using their cell phones for their calling needs. There has been a sharp increase in the number of active cell numbers in Nebraska and experts believe that number will continue to rise.

My sister and brother-in-law only use their cell phones. This seems to be working for them pretty well although it is a little inconvenient to wait for the phone’s battery to charge every few days. If my mom knew how to use a cell phone my house wouldn’t have a land line either.

Parents are buying a cell phone for their kids at younger and younger ages. Is it a good idea for so many kids to have cell phones? I personally say no. I don’t think kids need cell phones until they begin going out alone where there wouldn’t be a phone they could use. I went to New York once and saw kids around the age of twelve with cell phones. They shouldn’t be out on their own at twelve so what do they need a cell phone for? I didn’t have one until I turned sixteen.

Once cell phones were a luxury, only for movie stars and business men. Now cell phones are in the hands of grandmothers, children, and soccer moms. They are on every street corner, in every house, and in the pockets of every student. They are everywhere and the number is steadily growing. Instead of talking in person people communicate through text messages and phone calls.