Till then, I leave you this worthwhile philosophical and religious reminder.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Offline for the next 3-4 weeks.
See you on the other side.
Till then, I leave you this worthwhile philosophical and religious reminder.
Till then, I leave you this worthwhile philosophical and religious reminder.
Training 389-92.
389 - DB Squats/Asst Pistols, SLDL/Swiss Ball Hamstring Curls, Calf Raises, Crunches/Alt Twist Situps
390 - Rest
391 - 20m HIIT interval kickboxing/MMA
392 - So I blew off the "Pushups, Pullups, Squats, Situps" workouts after only a week [challenging but boring] then I had a week of screwing off, basically, and then two weeks of working out again with decent consistency on a diff protocol. Still, since today is the only day this week where I'm actually sure of my schedule, I figured I'd check my 1 set max on those same exercises I'd tested out on a month ago.
Pushups - from 28 to 35
Air Squats - from 40 to 60
Dead Hang Pullups - from 8 to 10 [I must admit, double digits is a pretty nice feeling - yeah, yeah, ego, ego, blah, blah]
Situps - from 31 to 45
So that's kinda nice, overall improvement even without really trying on those specific exercises. Onwards, upwards, work in progress, etc, etc...
After a bit of rest, out of curiosity I wanted to check out my one set max on chinups. Interesting benchmark only because I did chins as part of my PFT in the Marines a decade [jesus, a decade?] ago. Funny, because the first 4 years or so of my time in service the Marines allowed kipping and body English when you did your chins or pullups and then the last year I was in they changed the regs to dead hang style, no kipping. With kipping I always got the 20 reps to max out, but on dead hang, my last year I think I got only 17. Anyways, that means I've got a baseline going back the last 10 years or so. Today I hit 13 dead hang reps. Not too shabby considering, despite recent weight loss, I'm still about 10-15lbs heavier than I was in the Marines. And I'd done a max set of pullups 15-20m before. Oddly, it felt like my grip gave out before my back, which means I need more grip/forearm work. But still, given that 16 months ago I'd been reduced to 1 chinup, to hit 13 is pretty good. [That's what? A 1200% increase? I suck at the math stuff...]
And 1hr light muay thai shadowboxing, 2x10 dislocates/facepulls/pullaparts
390 - Rest
391 - 20m HIIT interval kickboxing/MMA
392 - So I blew off the "Pushups, Pullups, Squats, Situps" workouts after only a week [challenging but boring] then I had a week of screwing off, basically, and then two weeks of working out again with decent consistency on a diff protocol. Still, since today is the only day this week where I'm actually sure of my schedule, I figured I'd check my 1 set max on those same exercises I'd tested out on a month ago.
Pushups - from 28 to 35
Air Squats - from 40 to 60
Dead Hang Pullups - from 8 to 10 [I must admit, double digits is a pretty nice feeling - yeah, yeah, ego, ego, blah, blah]
Situps - from 31 to 45
So that's kinda nice, overall improvement even without really trying on those specific exercises. Onwards, upwards, work in progress, etc, etc...
After a bit of rest, out of curiosity I wanted to check out my one set max on chinups. Interesting benchmark only because I did chins as part of my PFT in the Marines a decade [jesus, a decade?] ago. Funny, because the first 4 years or so of my time in service the Marines allowed kipping and body English when you did your chins or pullups and then the last year I was in they changed the regs to dead hang style, no kipping. With kipping I always got the 20 reps to max out, but on dead hang, my last year I think I got only 17. Anyways, that means I've got a baseline going back the last 10 years or so. Today I hit 13 dead hang reps. Not too shabby considering, despite recent weight loss, I'm still about 10-15lbs heavier than I was in the Marines. And I'd done a max set of pullups 15-20m before. Oddly, it felt like my grip gave out before my back, which means I need more grip/forearm work. But still, given that 16 months ago I'd been reduced to 1 chinup, to hit 13 is pretty good. [That's what? A 1200% increase? I suck at the math stuff...]
And 1hr light muay thai shadowboxing, 2x10 dislocates/facepulls/pullaparts
Watched 7/17-21 - Damn Fine TV.
First off, Leverage is some good stuff. Season 2 premiere. Best grifter/Mission Impossible/scam/character/caper show on TV. Brilliant stuff. Great character beats and acting. Clever plotting. High humor.
Pull quotes -
First off, the original pilot - vastly superior to what was aired on FOX. One day, suits will learn to just leave Joss Whedon the hell alone to do what it is he does. Whedon's shows are built to be anti dumbing-this-down-for-the-masses TV. You can literally see how and where the pilot that actually aired was genericized, made more "interesting" for the cheetos and beer crowd [love beer, love cheetos... you know what I'm saying] and generally just made dumber. This unaired pilot is way more interesting, the performances "pop" more, it's more intelligent, and even Dushku's performance, which has taken some slings and arrows this year, is really, really good. Very sharp. Suits, leave Whedon alone. You don't know what the hell you're doing. He does.
And Epitaph One, the 13th ep of the season, was straight genius. Set 10 years in the future, you see the future of world and the Dollhouse. [Which begs how will they squeeze out the dramatic tension in Season 2... see what Whedon comes up with, should be interesting.] Suffice it to say, spoiler free, the post apocalyptic future of the Dollhouse is way screwed up. Great episode. Kind of mythic. Outstanding performances as well.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold - good stuff. The cartoon for kids continues to mine some of the more obsure DCUniverse goodness. OMAC and Shrapnel? Quirky goodness.
World's Strongest Man 2003-2008 + the "30 Years of" special... I don't dig on this as much as MMA, but strongman stuff is brilliant. Ultimately about man against the thing, and either it wins, or you do. Good stuff.
Warehouse 13 - first 3 eps - good show. Drawing a lot of comparisons to The X-Files. I can see that, if the X-Files had any kind of sense of joy or humor about itself. Wild amounts of potential. Jane Espenson, of Buffy and Angel, on writing. Plus it has Saul Rubinek, the character actors'character actor, at his twitchy best. And C.C.H. Pounder, lending all her weighty gravitas.
And it's been said cleverer by better than me, but "SyFy" instead of "SciFi" just makes you sound like assholes.
Star Trek Voyager S4 - Continuing to go nowhere fast. At least nice character pieces and acting. Only thing keeping me hanging on. The conflict between Janeway and 7 of 9 is good, when they use it right. Tuvok and the Doctor are still awesome, underutilized.
Pull quotes -
"Never before has a production of the Sound of Music made me root for the Nazis."Next up - Dollhouse. You know, this show, first season, wildly uneven up until episode 6 or so [Man on the Street] where it started to get good. Now, making it's way to the magical internets is both the unaired 13th ep of season one and the unaired pilot that was scrapped after "network input" into something more palatable/adventure-of-the-week'ish for general TV consumption.
"YOU quit drinking?
...You rent a condo above a bar?
That's right.
Well, that's very... Catholic."
"It was fun, it was wonderful while it lasted, but, you know... I was drunk most of the time to be honest with you..."
"You know when you're sober your metaphors get creepier..."
First off, the original pilot - vastly superior to what was aired on FOX. One day, suits will learn to just leave Joss Whedon the hell alone to do what it is he does. Whedon's shows are built to be anti dumbing-this-down-for-the-masses TV. You can literally see how and where the pilot that actually aired was genericized, made more "interesting" for the cheetos and beer crowd [love beer, love cheetos... you know what I'm saying] and generally just made dumber. This unaired pilot is way more interesting, the performances "pop" more, it's more intelligent, and even Dushku's performance, which has taken some slings and arrows this year, is really, really good. Very sharp. Suits, leave Whedon alone. You don't know what the hell you're doing. He does.
Topher - "Morality is programming too."Indeed.
And Epitaph One, the 13th ep of the season, was straight genius. Set 10 years in the future, you see the future of world and the Dollhouse. [Which begs how will they squeeze out the dramatic tension in Season 2... see what Whedon comes up with, should be interesting.] Suffice it to say, spoiler free, the post apocalyptic future of the Dollhouse is way screwed up. Great episode. Kind of mythic. Outstanding performances as well.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold - good stuff. The cartoon for kids continues to mine some of the more obsure DCUniverse goodness. OMAC and Shrapnel? Quirky goodness.
World's Strongest Man 2003-2008 + the "30 Years of" special... I don't dig on this as much as MMA, but strongman stuff is brilliant. Ultimately about man against the thing, and either it wins, or you do. Good stuff.
Warehouse 13 - first 3 eps - good show. Drawing a lot of comparisons to The X-Files. I can see that, if the X-Files had any kind of sense of joy or humor about itself. Wild amounts of potential. Jane Espenson, of Buffy and Angel, on writing. Plus it has Saul Rubinek, the character actors'character actor, at his twitchy best. And C.C.H. Pounder, lending all her weighty gravitas.
And it's been said cleverer by better than me, but "SyFy" instead of "SciFi" just makes you sound like assholes.
Star Trek Voyager S4 - Continuing to go nowhere fast. At least nice character pieces and acting. Only thing keeping me hanging on. The conflict between Janeway and 7 of 9 is good, when they use it right. Tuvok and the Doctor are still awesome, underutilized.
Geek win.
Geoff Johns to Produce/Co-Write “Flash” - Comic Book Resources:
"According to THR, Warners hired Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison and Marv Wolfman this last fall to act as consultants and writers for its superhero line of films. While details of Morrison and Wolfman’s projects weren’t revealed, it was noted that Johns has worked up a new treatment for a “Flash” film, being written by Dan Mazeau. Johns will act in a producer capacity on “Flash,” which does not yet have a director."
Sunday, July 19, 2009
On Neckties.
Dollhouse - [Joss Whedon is godly]
Joe Rogan -
If I never wear one of these conformist, useless, limply phallic leashes for business-types ever again, I'd be content.
Boyd: ...There's nothing real about it, they're programmed.
Topher: Does that tie keep you warm?
Boyd: What? No.
Topher: No. It's just what "grownup" men do in our culture. They put a piece of cloth around their necks so they can assert their status and recognize each other as non-threatening kindred.
Boyd: So, what is this? The Sixties? Are we going to burn our draft cards?
Topher: You wear the tie because it never occurred to you not to. You eat eggs every morning, but never at night. You feel excitement and companionship when rich men you've never met put a ball through a net. You feel guilty, maybe a little suspicious every time you see that Salvation Army Santa. You look down for at least half a second if a woman leans forward. And your stomach rumbles every time you drive by a big golden arch. Even if you weren't hungry before. Everybody's programmed, Boyd.
Boyd: Damn. You really spend some time on your self justification.
Topher: Not the case. I don't care. This is an awesome gig. This is cutting edge science in a house full of hot chicks. Morality is programming too.
Joe Rogan -
"...you don't want to be Dr Phil. Trust me. You don't want to be a guy just bullshittin' the world. 'Look at me. My tie is in place. I am wearing a business suit. It's my chosen attire because I am a business man. I'm all business. I'm not wild. I don't go crazy. See the bottom of my shoes? They are slippery and I ain't running after nobody...'"
If I never wear one of these conformist, useless, limply phallic leashes for business-types ever again, I'd be content.
Balance.
[Or an episode of Friends.]
texts from last night:
texts from last night:
"(901): Considering that my ex-wife dumped me to become a lesbian, the Universe owes me a threesome."
What I've Read - The Historian.
At 800+ pages [in my edition, leastways] The Historian felt too long by half, at least. Fascinating and well written, but occasionally dry and meandering. Still, a worthy novel in the vampire/Dracula genre, and worth a read if you're into that kind of thing - Dracula, mysteries, Eastern Europe, history, bibliophiles, etc - at all.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Don't see why...
texts from last night:
"(678): Words of Wisdom: ordering a pitcher of whiskey cokes, putting a straw in it, and calling it your drink is not socially acceptable"
And a little child shall lead them.
My hero.
Overheard Everywhere | From Stephen King's The Passion Of Christine:
Overheard Everywhere | From Stephen King's The Passion Of Christine:
"Little girl: Where is Jesus?
Bored babysitter: Umm, I don't know... In your heart?
Little girl: Well, then guess what?
Bored babysitter: What?
Little girl: I'm going to punch him! (starts punching herself in the heart)
Toronto
Canadia"
Friday, July 17, 2009
Good decisions.
texts from last night:
"(407): Blind date just said 'Can't wait till I'm married so i can let myself go'. There will be no second date."
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The triumph of common-sense: "You Do Not Ask The Police How To Run Society, and expect it to Make People Happy" - [Or, Simon Spurrier is a Genius.]
Simon Spurrier: TIME TO GO:
"...The real kicker arrived only recently. It came in the shape of a series of posters – THIS ONE and THIS ONE, in fact – which illustrated, in 12-foot-high horror, something which had been on the tips of our psyches for all too long. London has become a place where The Security To Remain Alive threatens to outweigh The Point Of Being Alive.
...Politicians make a big fuss these days about including the police in their consultations on security. Let me be nice and clear about this: If you ask a Removal Man to legislate on how Normal People live their lives, all heavy furniture would be illegal and we’d all live on the ground floor. Right? If you ask a postman for advice on National Regulations all letterboxes would be within easy reach of the kerb, all envelopes would be transparent (with special flashing LEDs on letters containing money), and all dogs over the size of a gerbil would be culled.
People want their jobs to be easier. Yes?
You Do Not Ask The Police How To Run Society, and expect it to Make People Happy. IT’S OBVIOUS, PEOPLE.
Look: the cops exist because we, the people, want them there. We have collectively agreed that we want to live in an ordered society, in which we can all get along without fear or persecution, and we have agreed that the price for doing so is to empower certain people with the right to prevent injustice and repress Fear.
"Repress" yes? They aren’t supposed to make me afraid. They aren’t supposed to make my palms go sweaty every time I pass one in the street. They aren’t supposed to send me into a crazed fit of “should I make eye contact, oh god I made eye contact, oh god now I look suspicious, oh fuck I looked away now he KNOWS I’ve got something to hide oh god oh god oh god” every time I go through the barriers on the tube. (Even though, honestly, really, truly: I have nothing to hide.)
...we’ve all had a run-in with some dickwit in a blue uniform, who honestly and truly believes that his shiny little badge not only permits him to a sense of entitlement the size of Nicaragua, but Actually Truly Honestly makes him More Important Than You.
They don’t just arrest you, they make bad jokes about it.
This is not the attitude I want in someone who has the right to hit me with a stick. This is not the attitude I want from an institution which can shoot me seven times in the head because my skin’s the wrong colour and I Might Maybe Possibly Oops No Not At All be a terrorist. And this is definitely not the attitude I want from the city which, most of the time, I love..."
Perspective.
texts from last night:
"(202): Odds of those being real?
(614): One in who gives a fuck"
Training 386-8.
Missed wkout on 386, doubled up on 387.
387 - Shoulder Press/Lateral Raise, BW Rows/DB Rows, Pushups/Flyes, Dips/Overhead BW XT, Alt DB Curls/Hammer Curls, 2x10 dislocates/pull aparts
20m HIIT Interval kicboxing/mma work
388 - 20m HIIT Interval kickboxing/mma
3x10 dislocates/pull aparts/facepulls
387 - Shoulder Press/Lateral Raise, BW Rows/DB Rows, Pushups/Flyes, Dips/Overhead BW XT, Alt DB Curls/Hammer Curls, 2x10 dislocates/pull aparts
20m HIIT Interval kicboxing/mma work
388 - 20m HIIT Interval kickboxing/mma
3x10 dislocates/pull aparts/facepulls
I'm ooooold.
Watched 6/17- 7/16.
A month's worth of TV programming...
The Daily Show [Jason Jones in Iran was exceptional TV, imho]
The Colbert Report
True Blood - back for the second season, good stuff.
Burn Notice - more season premiere goodness. Just a well crafted and acted show. Bruce Campbell is awesome, as per usual.
Fights - TUF, Strikeforce Challengers, The Ultimate Fighter Finale, UFC 100, Ultimate Chaos and a couple fights from K-1 Max World Final 8 tourney. Straight up boxing I rewatched the old Marvin Hagler V John Mugabi, and Hagler V Leonard fights. I still remember wanting Hagler to destroy Leonard, and in rewatching the fight it's just amazing how well Sugar Ray fought and kept Hagler from fighting his fight. Astounding boxing.
Joe Rogan - Talking Monkeys in Space Spike TV Comedy Special. Hilarious.
Better Off Ted - consistently one of the quirkiest shows I watch. In a really good way.
The Philanthropist - new show that I checked out on a lark and didn't have a lot of hope for, but it surprised the hell out of me. I really dug it. Must be my white liberal guilt.
The Closer - I watch this mainly cause the Mrs enjoyed it... and too often I find the characters a little grating and the plots overly predictable. But the third ep of season, co-starring Mary Mcdonnell from BSG as an IAD investigator kicked all kinds of ass.
Iron Chef America Octopus Battle.
Watched two documentaries on raw foods, as cleaning up my diet is an ongoing process. And while I doubt I'll ever go vegetarian again, incorporating more fresh fruits and veg are always a good thing. Watched Simply Raw and Raw for Life. Both interesting and well done. Particularly the aspects of controlling diabetes through nutrition. But I recoil from the way in which food kind of becomes a religion for some the folks, and those who are shown, by their own experience, how dietary changed can have positive effect on their lives, but refuse to follow through - I have little to no patience for those whiny bastards.
Hung - new show on HBO with Thomas Jane. High school basketball basketball coach going through divorce and a midlife crisis turns to male prostitution. Wry and funny. May give Breaking Bad a run for its money in dysfunctional ways to reinvent yourself.
Eureka - is back! I dig this show. Not the world's finest TV show, by any stretch, but it's FUN. Which is all too often lacking in TV. Witty, genial, interesting, well casted and well crafted.
Probably the best thing I've watched this past month has been Torchwood: Children of the Earth. Despite my geek cred, Doctor Who has never really been on my radar. Never actually watched it, to be honest. Knew OF it, of course. Cult status, UK, longest running, etc, etc. And I'm a huge fan of a lot of UK writers for whom it's a cultural touchstone. And even though the revival featured showrunners and writers whose work I enjoyed [Russell T Davies and Steven Moffatt, Queer As Folk and Coupling - respectively] I still hadn't watched any of it. What with all the history, I felt as if I'd always be behind the curve and there was no good jumping on point.
But Torchwood: Children of the Earth has been getting some rave reviews on a bunch of the geek TV sites I frequent, and given that Series 3 is only 5 eps, I figured I'd give it a swing.
It. Was. Awesome. The characters and the actors are extremely well drawn and gifted talent. The High Concepts were novel and unusual. I particularly enjoyed the sickening twist that - SPOILERS ON - the aliens wanted to abduct the kids not due to a survival of the species issue, which would be the standard trope, but because they USED THEM TO GET HIGH WITH. Brilliantly freaking evil, that was, and made the government's willingness to cooperate that much more appalling.
The government 'banality of evil' caught the attention of a lot of reviewers, the way the bureaucrats and politicians calmly and efficiently went about divvying up the youth of the nation to sacrifice, using the soft language of "units" to depersonalize and mitigate the horror of their actions.
I particularly liked the completely unflattering portrayal of how the echelons of government operate, despite the hand wringing and occasional pangs of conscience. Thoroughly appealed to my more cynical side. And having studied the Wannsee Conference in college, and having rewatched the 2001 dramatization Conspiracy earlier this year, it reinforced that the only way to do real evil is to make it policy.
Group dynamics are such that political, religious and corporate organizations are specifically designed to salve your soul as you commit the most horrible actions. BY DESIGN. You sacrifice for the higher good of the state, for your god, for your company - and that excuses EVERYTHING.
But besides the acting, production, plot and writing, I really dug on how it took all the standard cliches and tropes of scifi and fiction and basically just kicked their teeth in. Can't run away from your problems? You can on Torchwood. Heroes win by doing the right thing? No, the "heroes" "win" by doing shit just as evil as the bad guys. The villains attack you for no good reason other than their own evil nature? Nope, on Torchwood the villians come to play because you did evil shit with them decades ago. And on and on.
And also the lead is a dashing, swashbuckling bisexual. Which just cracks me up. And reminds me how limited and ridiculous the TV in my own home country can be. Definitely gonna be checking out more Torchwood and Dr Who after this. Two thumbs way, way up.
Speaking of cliched scifi, I also watched Star Trek: Voyager Seasons 1-3. This the only ST series I haven't really seen a lot of of. TNG, DS9 I've probably seen all the episodes of. TOS I've seen, like a lot of folks, a bunch of, and the rest I've culturally assimilated. Watched Enterprise off and on [the beginning and end far, far better than the middle.] Seen all the ST movies, including the newest kickass reboot. I enjoy Star Trek, as a series, as a genre. Never got into Voyager. The handful of eps I'd caught struck me as flat and not really engaging. But I figured I'd watch from the top and see if I dig it.
The best that can be said for the show, at least through Season 3, is that it's painfully uneven. There are some good episodes in there - Eye of the Needle, Heroes and Demons, The 37's, Projections, Meld, Basics, Flashback[Sulu!], Future's End [worth it alone for Sarah Silverman and Ed Begley, Jr], Warlord, and Real Life. A couple of the standard Star Trek heavy-handed metaphorical episodes were in there as well, though I'll admit to liking Distant Origin and great deal better than Jetrel.
There ARE some excellent character beats and some good acting. And the concept of the show, stranded in remote space, desperate to get home, forced to unite with your enemy for one common purpose - that's a genius high concept.
The thing is, that's a great concept that they do nothing with. It should feel like a desperate, mad race to get home, by any means necessary. Instead it devolves into a plodding, meaningless, kind of pointless farce. Typical alien of the week, "trade missions" - [you will never see this race or this quadrant again - you don't need a damn trade conference!], "Oh, we've happened upon this anomaly! Let's check it out" nonsense.
Instead it's the business as usual, uptight, middle class, Federation bullshit. Where the Prime Directive matters above all else, except when it doesn't. Where the captain and crew will blow a perfect opportunity to get home in order to fight the evils of... wait for it... capitalism! Bending and twisting the Prime Directive at will, except when it would help them get home. [False Profits, the Ferengi episode - which stuck me as misplaced, heavy handed and kind of dumb. Despite great performances by the Ferengi.]
Tuvok is a great character. As is the Doctor. Lots of cool issues and stories about identity, control and reality there.
But the show, overall... kind of pointless. All the other series had something. TOS was, well, the groundbreaker. The innovator. TNG shows the Federation in literally, a new generation. The scope of the future increases, a great new cast of characters, lots of good ideas. DS9 brings politics, war and religion into the mix like never before, season spanning arcs, depth... Enterprise tried to go back and show how it all began, with varying degrees of success. Voyager is supposed to be about... people trying to get home?... but it's not. It's kind of dull. And Kate Mulgrew is a fine actress, but I can't shake the feeling of having Katherine Hepburn on the bridge. And not in a good way.
Though I have to say the Janeway centered Sacred Ground ep was pretty interesting in that it got - spot on - secret society initiation rituals. It was like reading the Historical Illuminatus again. I'll keep checking out the series, because the actors are pretty good, even though the material is lacking. Plus, the Borg just showed up.
The Daily Show [Jason Jones in Iran was exceptional TV, imho]
The Colbert Report
True Blood - back for the second season, good stuff.
Burn Notice - more season premiere goodness. Just a well crafted and acted show. Bruce Campbell is awesome, as per usual.
Fights - TUF, Strikeforce Challengers, The Ultimate Fighter Finale, UFC 100, Ultimate Chaos and a couple fights from K-1 Max World Final 8 tourney. Straight up boxing I rewatched the old Marvin Hagler V John Mugabi, and Hagler V Leonard fights. I still remember wanting Hagler to destroy Leonard, and in rewatching the fight it's just amazing how well Sugar Ray fought and kept Hagler from fighting his fight. Astounding boxing.
Joe Rogan - Talking Monkeys in Space Spike TV Comedy Special. Hilarious.
Better Off Ted - consistently one of the quirkiest shows I watch. In a really good way.
The Philanthropist - new show that I checked out on a lark and didn't have a lot of hope for, but it surprised the hell out of me. I really dug it. Must be my white liberal guilt.
The Closer - I watch this mainly cause the Mrs enjoyed it... and too often I find the characters a little grating and the plots overly predictable. But the third ep of season, co-starring Mary Mcdonnell from BSG as an IAD investigator kicked all kinds of ass.
Iron Chef America Octopus Battle.
Watched two documentaries on raw foods, as cleaning up my diet is an ongoing process. And while I doubt I'll ever go vegetarian again, incorporating more fresh fruits and veg are always a good thing. Watched Simply Raw and Raw for Life. Both interesting and well done. Particularly the aspects of controlling diabetes through nutrition. But I recoil from the way in which food kind of becomes a religion for some the folks, and those who are shown, by their own experience, how dietary changed can have positive effect on their lives, but refuse to follow through - I have little to no patience for those whiny bastards.
Hung - new show on HBO with Thomas Jane. High school basketball basketball coach going through divorce and a midlife crisis turns to male prostitution. Wry and funny. May give Breaking Bad a run for its money in dysfunctional ways to reinvent yourself.
Eureka - is back! I dig this show. Not the world's finest TV show, by any stretch, but it's FUN. Which is all too often lacking in TV. Witty, genial, interesting, well casted and well crafted.
Probably the best thing I've watched this past month has been Torchwood: Children of the Earth. Despite my geek cred, Doctor Who has never really been on my radar. Never actually watched it, to be honest. Knew OF it, of course. Cult status, UK, longest running, etc, etc. And I'm a huge fan of a lot of UK writers for whom it's a cultural touchstone. And even though the revival featured showrunners and writers whose work I enjoyed [Russell T Davies and Steven Moffatt, Queer As Folk and Coupling - respectively] I still hadn't watched any of it. What with all the history, I felt as if I'd always be behind the curve and there was no good jumping on point.
But Torchwood: Children of the Earth has been getting some rave reviews on a bunch of the geek TV sites I frequent, and given that Series 3 is only 5 eps, I figured I'd give it a swing.
It. Was. Awesome. The characters and the actors are extremely well drawn and gifted talent. The High Concepts were novel and unusual. I particularly enjoyed the sickening twist that - SPOILERS ON - the aliens wanted to abduct the kids not due to a survival of the species issue, which would be the standard trope, but because they USED THEM TO GET HIGH WITH. Brilliantly freaking evil, that was, and made the government's willingness to cooperate that much more appalling.
The government 'banality of evil' caught the attention of a lot of reviewers, the way the bureaucrats and politicians calmly and efficiently went about divvying up the youth of the nation to sacrifice, using the soft language of "units" to depersonalize and mitigate the horror of their actions.
I particularly liked the completely unflattering portrayal of how the echelons of government operate, despite the hand wringing and occasional pangs of conscience. Thoroughly appealed to my more cynical side. And having studied the Wannsee Conference in college, and having rewatched the 2001 dramatization Conspiracy earlier this year, it reinforced that the only way to do real evil is to make it policy.
Group dynamics are such that political, religious and corporate organizations are specifically designed to salve your soul as you commit the most horrible actions. BY DESIGN. You sacrifice for the higher good of the state, for your god, for your company - and that excuses EVERYTHING.
But besides the acting, production, plot and writing, I really dug on how it took all the standard cliches and tropes of scifi and fiction and basically just kicked their teeth in. Can't run away from your problems? You can on Torchwood. Heroes win by doing the right thing? No, the "heroes" "win" by doing shit just as evil as the bad guys. The villains attack you for no good reason other than their own evil nature? Nope, on Torchwood the villians come to play because you did evil shit with them decades ago. And on and on.
And also the lead is a dashing, swashbuckling bisexual. Which just cracks me up. And reminds me how limited and ridiculous the TV in my own home country can be. Definitely gonna be checking out more Torchwood and Dr Who after this. Two thumbs way, way up.
Speaking of cliched scifi, I also watched Star Trek: Voyager Seasons 1-3. This the only ST series I haven't really seen a lot of of. TNG, DS9 I've probably seen all the episodes of. TOS I've seen, like a lot of folks, a bunch of, and the rest I've culturally assimilated. Watched Enterprise off and on [the beginning and end far, far better than the middle.] Seen all the ST movies, including the newest kickass reboot. I enjoy Star Trek, as a series, as a genre. Never got into Voyager. The handful of eps I'd caught struck me as flat and not really engaging. But I figured I'd watch from the top and see if I dig it.
The best that can be said for the show, at least through Season 3, is that it's painfully uneven. There are some good episodes in there - Eye of the Needle, Heroes and Demons, The 37's, Projections, Meld, Basics, Flashback[Sulu!], Future's End [worth it alone for Sarah Silverman and Ed Begley, Jr], Warlord, and Real Life. A couple of the standard Star Trek heavy-handed metaphorical episodes were in there as well, though I'll admit to liking Distant Origin and great deal better than Jetrel.
There ARE some excellent character beats and some good acting. And the concept of the show, stranded in remote space, desperate to get home, forced to unite with your enemy for one common purpose - that's a genius high concept.
The thing is, that's a great concept that they do nothing with. It should feel like a desperate, mad race to get home, by any means necessary. Instead it devolves into a plodding, meaningless, kind of pointless farce. Typical alien of the week, "trade missions" - [you will never see this race or this quadrant again - you don't need a damn trade conference!], "Oh, we've happened upon this anomaly! Let's check it out" nonsense.
Instead it's the business as usual, uptight, middle class, Federation bullshit. Where the Prime Directive matters above all else, except when it doesn't. Where the captain and crew will blow a perfect opportunity to get home in order to fight the evils of... wait for it... capitalism! Bending and twisting the Prime Directive at will, except when it would help them get home. [False Profits, the Ferengi episode - which stuck me as misplaced, heavy handed and kind of dumb. Despite great performances by the Ferengi.]
Tuvok is a great character. As is the Doctor. Lots of cool issues and stories about identity, control and reality there.
But the show, overall... kind of pointless. All the other series had something. TOS was, well, the groundbreaker. The innovator. TNG shows the Federation in literally, a new generation. The scope of the future increases, a great new cast of characters, lots of good ideas. DS9 brings politics, war and religion into the mix like never before, season spanning arcs, depth... Enterprise tried to go back and show how it all began, with varying degrees of success. Voyager is supposed to be about... people trying to get home?... but it's not. It's kind of dull. And Kate Mulgrew is a fine actress, but I can't shake the feeling of having Katherine Hepburn on the bridge. And not in a good way.
Though I have to say the Janeway centered Sacred Ground ep was pretty interesting in that it got - spot on - secret society initiation rituals. It was like reading the Historical Illuminatus again. I'll keep checking out the series, because the actors are pretty good, even though the material is lacking. Plus, the Borg just showed up.
Lt. Reginald 'Reg' Barclay III: Lewis, how would you rather think of yourself? As a real person, with a real life, with a family that loves you? Or some...hologram, that exists in a sickbay, on a starship, lost in deep space?
Commander Chakotay: It doesn't matter what you're made of. What matters is who you are. You're our friend; and we want you back.
Lieutenant Tuvok: The Vulcan heart was forged out of barbarism and violence. We learned to control it; but it is still part of us. To pretend that it does not exist is to create an opportunity for it to escape.
Kes: To be honest, I never want to see that part of myself again.
Lieutenant Tuvok: To which part are you referring?
Kes: To the part of me that got pleasure from destroying those plants in the airponics bay. To the part of me that was tempted to go with Tanis. I never realized I had such dark impulses.
Lieutenant Tuvok: Without the darkness, how would we recognize the light? Do not fear your negative thoughts. They are part of you. They are part of every living being - even Vulcans.
What I've Read - More of Parker's Spenser novels.
The 6th, 7th and 8th books in the series, Looking for Rachel Wallace, Early Autumn and A Savage Place. A series of 38 books, according to Wikipedia. Of which it looks like I'll be reading all of... the quality is outstanding and I consider myself officially addicted since book 5, The Judas Goat. I have a hard time thinking the level of writing will fall off at all. Just really well crafted books.
Of this batch I probably enjoyed Early Autumn the most, mostly because in it Spenser mentors a young man who, well, really, never learned how to be a man. Kind of an inspiring if somewhat idealized story showing how you raise a person to adulthood, and kind of how I imagine how everyone wants to be brought up. Good story.
I kind of enjoy the fact, as well, that the books are both works of their time periods - the 1970s, so far - and kind of universal. I'm not quite sure how he's pulling that off, or how the books will evolve as far as that goes. Popular series tend to stop being grounded in those kinds of details as they get longer in and deal with their own longevity.
And there's a plethora of excellent pull quotes. Words to live by.
Of this batch I probably enjoyed Early Autumn the most, mostly because in it Spenser mentors a young man who, well, really, never learned how to be a man. Kind of an inspiring if somewhat idealized story showing how you raise a person to adulthood, and kind of how I imagine how everyone wants to be brought up. Good story.
I kind of enjoy the fact, as well, that the books are both works of their time periods - the 1970s, so far - and kind of universal. I'm not quite sure how he's pulling that off, or how the books will evolve as far as that goes. Popular series tend to stop being grounded in those kinds of details as they get longer in and deal with their own longevity.
And there's a plethora of excellent pull quotes. Words to live by.
"Too much positive is either scared or stupid or both. Reality is uncertain. Lot of people need certainty. They look around for the way it's supposed to be. They get a television comercial view of the world... They spend their lives trying to e what they're supposed to be and being scared they aren't. Quiet desperation."
"A way of living better is to make the decisons you need to make based on what you can control. When you can."
"Systems. The system gets in the the way. You end up serving [the system, instead of helping people...]" - making the case for autonomy
"'...you're a white male, you can't understand a minority situation. It's not your fault.'
Extend that logic, and we eventually have to decide that no one can understand anyone. Maybe the matter of understanding has been overrated. Maybe I don't have to understand your situation to sympathize with it, to help you alter it, to be on your side...
Maybe civilization is possible, if at all, only because people can care about conditions they haven't experienced. Maybe you need understanding like a fish needs a bicycle."
"I do the best I can to approve and disapprove only of my own behavior. I don't always succeed, but I try."
"I am a long way past the point where I see the world in terms of debating points. I don't care if I win or lose arguments."
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
I just can't fathom the people who don't get this.
Starts out good, gets even better...
Hit & Run ; Mother Jones on the Drug War: Totally Wasted! - Reason Magazine:
Hit & Run ; Mother Jones on the Drug War: Totally Wasted! - Reason Magazine:
"...we've been stuck in a cycle of prohibition, failure, and counterfactual claims of success. (To wit: Since 1998, the ONDCP has spent $1.4 billion on youth anti-pot ads. It also spent $43 million to study their effectiveness. When the study found that kids who've seen the ads are more likely to smoke pot, the ONDCP buried the evidence, choosing to spend hundreds of millions more on the counterproductive ads.)...What would a fact-based drug policy look like? It would put considerably more money into treatment, the method proven to best reduce use. It would likely leave in place the prohibition on "hard" drugs, but make enforcement fair (no more traffickers rolling on hapless girlfriends to cut a deal. No more Tulias). And it would likely decriminalize but tightly regulate marijuana, which study after study shows is less dangerous or addictive than cigarettes or alcohol, has undeniable medicinal properties, and isn't a gateway drug to anything harder than Doritos....
So why don't we have a rational drug policy? Simple. Forget the Social Security "third rail." The quickest way to get yourself sidelined in serious policy discussion is to stray from drug war orthodoxy.
...As the excerpt above suggests, libertarians will find much with which to disagree in MoJo's analysis and policy recommendations (a truly fact-based drug policy would not, IMO, create an arbitrary classification of hard and soft drugs but would focus on whether subsequent behavior was legal, violent, harmful to others, etc....is it too much to ask that pot simply be legalized rather than decriminalized, since the latter skirts the basic issue of how pot gets distributed?, etc.)...
The drug war is one of those things that is such a thoroughgoing disaster, a set of policies that harms everything it touches (medicine, education, foreign policy, you name it), that it remains mind-boggling to the point of despair..."
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