Hail The Conquering Hero

Africa – Toto

Power Ranger actor gets the death penalty. Before you head to Wikipedia to figure out which Ranger was played by Skylar Deleon, I’ll save you the trouble. He was an extra on an episode. So yes, this headline is bullshit. The real question is: Which Ranger popped into your head when you saw the link? I thought of Tommy, for some reason. But I bet the rest of you picked the Black Ranger.

*****

I saw my brother off at the airport yesterday. He’d been in town for the last couple of weeks or so and we spent a lot of time together. It was honestly like he’d never left. I asked him no questions about his life in Japan and he didn’t inquire about my business back home. As soon as we picked him up, we fell into our old routine.

What was Rorschach doing with that coat hanger at the beginning of Watchmen?

Have you seen Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun-Li yet? Man, you’ve got to see it!

So I was watching A Few Good Men yesterday…

His reason for coming back was that he was taking a vacation from work, which I found amusing because I thought that the reason he left in the first place was to get away from Markham. Truth be told, it wasn’t that much of a vacation for him because everyday a relative or a friend would call or come around looking to take him out somewhere. My mother told him that we’re lucky to know people who take the time to see us, spend time with us, make us feel wanted. For once, we all agree on something.

Last Thursday, Derek offered to show him this delicious steakhouse and I decided to tag along. It was amazing watching my brother interact with Derek’s friends. From what I recall, he’s met them less than a dozen times, but they hang on every word he says. Nobody notices, but I hardly crack a smile. It’s not that I don’t find my brother funny (in fact, I think he’s one of the funniest people I know), but I always find myself playing the role of the impartial observer in these situations. So as my brother goes on about various Japanese fetish customs, I watch the people at the table having a laugh and I admire my brother’s fearlessness.

That same night, we finally manage to get a game of “Marvel Scene It!” going. My brother and I both win one game. The Brothers Lee, taking over the world one comics-related trivia question at a time.

My brother and I enjoy doing a lot of things together and yet we value and respect each other’s privacy so deeply. A lot of his time here was spent with the two of us nestled comfortably in our respective rooms. You would think that we would plan out some sort of family excursion to any number of Toronto exhibits, but that is just not how we do things. I stay in my room, he stays in his, occasionally we will collide on the neutral ground that is the living room and watch a DVD. Bursting into one another’s rooms at two in the morning to discuss Marvel’s Dark Reign storyline is also likely. This is how we communicate and how we get along so well. This is how we live.

Mom thinks my brother has matured and I agree though the change hasn’t seemed as dramatic in my eyes. Chris has always been the more independent of the two of us, the more likely to break away. The implication is that living in Japan has caused him to grow up, but I can tell you that he’d already been doing a lot of growing before he ever decided to teach overseas. I’ve always gone to him with my random questions and even though we haven’t always agreed on the answers, it is a luxury to have someone to discuss pop culture minutiae with whenever I want. My parents are having difficulty letting go of their baby boy, but he’s already got two feet out the door. They just don’t know it yet.

Chris will be back in about six months, which gives me plenty of time to ponder the great questions of life on my own:

Is Heat the greatest movie ever? Which professional wrestler is most likely to be found dead in a hotel room next? Why do we never see Dwayne Johnson with any women? Is he gay? Why is every issue of Daredevil the same now? Have you seen Solaris yet? How did Cuba Gooding Jr. win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor? Do you realize he beat Ed Norton that year? What?!?

You know, my brother used to be part of the air cadets and to this day he curses that experience. For one reason or another, he couldn’t get ahead in the organization and I remember how upset he was at the time. I only wish I’d had the words…

Harold.
Sir.
You don’t need to wear a badge on your arm to have honor.
Ten-hut! There’s an officer on deck.