In an attempt to talk about something a little lighter, we have television. I invested in a dual channel Tivo over the summer and boy has it been getting a workout. I expect as the varous shows progress things will drop or move but here is the status so far.
Returning Shows with Season Passes:
Veronica Mars: Did you watch it? It was really good.
House: On a baseball hiatus alreadt, but the show is still good.
The Office: My roommate sucked me into this one last season.
How I Met Your Mother: Really enjoying the play with the storylines here.
Gilmore Girls: God they irritated me last season. But it seems to be working (under new management) for right now. But they are on notice.
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County: I know, I just can't look away.
Project Runway: My kind of reality show.
Battlestar Galactica: I heard great things over and over about this show last year, so I tuned in and was instantly hooked. Restarts soon!
Intervention: Addictive. (Yeah, I know - that was bad.)
Grey's Anatomy: Popcorn.
The Amazing Race: Got sucked into this last season (yeah, I'm late to the party). Really good teams this year.
(I also have some summer shows - Psych, and The 4400 that are on hiatus now).
New Shows:
Six Degrees: Already deleted - too many cliches for me. Not even Campbell Scott was enough to keep me going.
Vanished: Also deleted, they were trying to hard to keep me interested and sacrificed things like plot and good storytelling.
Kidnapped: Enjoying it so far. I'm a fan of Dana Delany, as well as Timothy Hutton and Delroy Lindo.
Friday Night Lights: A football show made me cry. Awesome.
The Nine: I'm intrigued.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: I'm a huge Aaron Sorkin fan, and I hope they are still settling a bit. I never really saw the preachy in West Wing - at least not for a while. Or it worked in that setting. It's getting on my nerves here. So, still there, but on notice.
Runaway: Not sure about this. The family dynamicas are interesting but they are being chased by some pretty incompetent folks which reduces the tension. So we shall see.
Heroes: I wasn't sure after the first episode, but after the second I think I'm hooked.
Ugly Betty: It was cute. We shall see how it progresses.
Brothers & Sisters: I'm enjoying it but the pacing is such that I keep spending too much time wondering if there going somewhere predictable with all of this. (Which may say more about me than the show.)
Eureka: Which actually just ended (ssh - I haven't watched it yet) but good show. Similar to Battlestar Galactica in that it's sci-fi but not overly focused on the sci - more on the people.
Shows That Haven't Started Yet:
30 Rock
Knights of Prosperity
The Game (Okay it has started, bu I haven't watched it yet).
Top Chef: Mixed Feelings about the first season, but in the end I enjoyed it.
Stay Tuned.
Rants About New (and old) Things
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Clearer Things
In light of recent events, it becomes clear that people are either unaware or ignoring some facts about sexuality. So, let me share. Being homosexual is not the same as being a pedophile. It is about as similar as liking cars and liking sports. There are people who like cars and like sports, but their like of the two things is not always related (unless of course they are NASCAR fans). There are plenty of heterosexual people who molest children.
Being sexually attracted to teenagers is not the same as being sexually attracted to children or babies. Without getting to deep into the psychology of it all, there are people who feel the desire to molest children who are not interested in teenagers and the reverse is also true. (Where this can get murky is if a person starts their sexual relationship with someone and they grow out of their age range they are sometimes able to continue the attraction by recalling the person as being younger.)
We have set ages of consent for sexual behavior in this country. The reason behind this is that adults (over the age of consent), particularly those in a role of authority over a child, can convince children to engage in behavior. From a legal perspective, we have made the decision that people under this age are not able to make appropriate decisions about such consent, and therefore all behavior is illegal. Is it somewhat arbitrary: yes. Does it vary from state to state: yes.
Another point that seems to get lost, is that while we all agree that under the influence of chemicals - legal and otherwise - we make different decisions than we might make without that influence, in the end we are legally responsible for those decisions. If I run over three people I am responsible for their deaths whether I was drunk or sober, high or straight. The same applies to any decisions I might make about sexual activity. Or about sending dirty emails.
Being sexually attracted to teenagers is not the same as being sexually attracted to children or babies. Without getting to deep into the psychology of it all, there are people who feel the desire to molest children who are not interested in teenagers and the reverse is also true. (Where this can get murky is if a person starts their sexual relationship with someone and they grow out of their age range they are sometimes able to continue the attraction by recalling the person as being younger.)
We have set ages of consent for sexual behavior in this country. The reason behind this is that adults (over the age of consent), particularly those in a role of authority over a child, can convince children to engage in behavior. From a legal perspective, we have made the decision that people under this age are not able to make appropriate decisions about such consent, and therefore all behavior is illegal. Is it somewhat arbitrary: yes. Does it vary from state to state: yes.
Another point that seems to get lost, is that while we all agree that under the influence of chemicals - legal and otherwise - we make different decisions than we might make without that influence, in the end we are legally responsible for those decisions. If I run over three people I am responsible for their deaths whether I was drunk or sober, high or straight. The same applies to any decisions I might make about sexual activity. Or about sending dirty emails.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Muddled Thoughts
I am in the process of reading From Chocolate to Morphine Winifred Rosen and Andrew T. Weil and one thing that struck me was the similarity between guns and drugs. In both cases we have something - in one case a weapon, and in another case a chemical (or chemicals) that can cause harm to people. We have used - for most chemicals - a legal approach that bans most chemicals and targets not only those that commit violence under the influence of these chemicals but also targets those who buy and sell them. In the case of guns I initially thought of the legislative approach as different. Guns are constitutionally allowed (although it is an amendment which suggests even the founders thought adjustments might be necessary). Guns are legal and most of the restrictions surround age, and type. But really it is the same with drugs, certainly there are plenty of legal substances - alcohol and tobacco being the most notable that are allowed and yet restricted.
This is interesting to me because while my grandfather hunted and my mother and brother were on high school rifle teams, I had considered myself - not anti-gun completely - but certainly in favor of serious restrictions on guns for personal use.
Coming up with this parallel has given me a perspective to chew on a bit. After all while I feel many of our laws about drugs focus on the wrong things, I do realize that since the drinking age was raised the number of alcohol related deaths among 18-20 year-olds has decreased. So there is some effect.
This is a timely introspection, although for the most tragic of reasons. The recent spate of school shootings will I imagine bring to the forefront the debate about guns. It is particularly sad that the Amish community, a group that eschews electronics, to say nothing of guns has been affected by this. (This is of course not meant to diminish the sadness that all of these communities are experiencing).
Certainly those who are determined to harm themselves and others will always find a way to succeed. That is a sad fact. But somehow it would hurt more to know that these various people were able to easily access the various weapons they decided to use. Particularly in a day and age where we restrict access to birth control - where often the lack provides more harm and poses the greater risk.
This is interesting to me because while my grandfather hunted and my mother and brother were on high school rifle teams, I had considered myself - not anti-gun completely - but certainly in favor of serious restrictions on guns for personal use.
Coming up with this parallel has given me a perspective to chew on a bit. After all while I feel many of our laws about drugs focus on the wrong things, I do realize that since the drinking age was raised the number of alcohol related deaths among 18-20 year-olds has decreased. So there is some effect.
This is a timely introspection, although for the most tragic of reasons. The recent spate of school shootings will I imagine bring to the forefront the debate about guns. It is particularly sad that the Amish community, a group that eschews electronics, to say nothing of guns has been affected by this. (This is of course not meant to diminish the sadness that all of these communities are experiencing).
Certainly those who are determined to harm themselves and others will always find a way to succeed. That is a sad fact. But somehow it would hurt more to know that these various people were able to easily access the various weapons they decided to use. Particularly in a day and age where we restrict access to birth control - where often the lack provides more harm and poses the greater risk.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Dear Folks #2
Dear Person In the Car Behind Me,
I am aware that when the light turns green you get to go. However, in our country it is frowned upon to run over pedestrians. Since we were in a right turn only lane, I can only assume you were unaware of this rule, and that is why you felt the need to honk at me repeatedly while I waited for the people who were crossing with a walk signal in a crosswalk to get out of harm's way. I hope that thrity seconds didn't seriously impact your day.
Dear Furniture Delivery People,
I appreciate that you arrived in advance of the set time window in which I had been told to expect you. Where things got sticky was when you suggested that I owed you special consideration - wink, wink, nudge nudge - since you had to wait for me. When I am told my furniture will arrive between one and six, since I have a job, I try to go to it for the first part of the day. I planned to be home at one-ish, and since my first contact was when you were already in the hallway of my building (before one) - I appreciate that it might have appeared to you as if I was late. In actuality I was not late until one. (At which point, I wasn't quite there yet, and for that I apologize). And pointing out that you hadn't had lunch yet, did little for me, since neither had I in my race to get home to open the door for you. But that's okay, you guys placed the couch with it's back to the television which I'm sure made you feel a little better.
I am aware that when the light turns green you get to go. However, in our country it is frowned upon to run over pedestrians. Since we were in a right turn only lane, I can only assume you were unaware of this rule, and that is why you felt the need to honk at me repeatedly while I waited for the people who were crossing with a walk signal in a crosswalk to get out of harm's way. I hope that thrity seconds didn't seriously impact your day.
Dear Furniture Delivery People,
I appreciate that you arrived in advance of the set time window in which I had been told to expect you. Where things got sticky was when you suggested that I owed you special consideration - wink, wink, nudge nudge - since you had to wait for me. When I am told my furniture will arrive between one and six, since I have a job, I try to go to it for the first part of the day. I planned to be home at one-ish, and since my first contact was when you were already in the hallway of my building (before one) - I appreciate that it might have appeared to you as if I was late. In actuality I was not late until one. (At which point, I wasn't quite there yet, and for that I apologize). And pointing out that you hadn't had lunch yet, did little for me, since neither had I in my race to get home to open the door for you. But that's okay, you guys placed the couch with it's back to the television which I'm sure made you feel a little better.
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