“Everybody’s stupid in an election year Charlie” – CJ Craig

“No, everyone gets treated stupid in an election year CJ” – Charlie Young

Now, let me just say off the bat that I do not believe these are the 50 best shows of this decade (although some certainly are). These are just the 50 television shows that brought me the most entertainment, the ones that I am most fond of when I think back on the decade. I contemplated doing this in order of love/respect but then this post would never get done so I’ll do a Top 10.

I decided to leave off The Simpsons and South Park because they’ve been on for so long (and I needed any excuse to make room for other shows) but they both had great episodes in the 00’s and if I didn’t need the room, they’d make the cut.

I tried to stick with shows that had at least two full seasons under its belt unless the show had been canceled like Freaks and Geeks.

And, no, I’ve never watched The West Wing or ER and that’s why they aren’t on the list.

My Favorite 10 Shows of the 00’s:

10. Six Feet Under: I remember watching the series premiere with Kristy and Fatima and all of us not being that impressed. I remember also watching the closing montage in the series finale and man tears streaming down my cheek

9. Spaced: I don’t remember when I discovered Spaced. I think I saw Shaun of the Dead first and then downloaded both seasons and then sat my brother in front of the computer and made him watch them all.

8. 24: You win, Erwin.  Erwin begged me to watch 24 and I didn’t because I was watching something else that came on at the same time (pre-DVR) but I decided to watch starting season two and was instantly hooked.  Fun fact: Jack Bauer has killed 227 people in seven season (which equals seven days) SO FAR

7. Battlestar Galatica: I watched the first half of the TV movie that set up the series and I wasn’t that impressed. I think I didn’t like the CGI of the Cylons.  But halfway through season one, I started reading all these awesome reviews so I went back and caught (luckily the Sci-Fi had no other original programming so it was easy to catch a marathon).  I wasn’t in love with how the show ended but it was still an awesome ride.

6. Mad Men: I am a sucker for period pieces and I was hooked from episode one.  All three seasons have been stellar and I really hope it doesn’t tail off and go to shit.

5. The Sopranos: What else can be said about the most discussed television show on the 00’s? I think Tony (spoiler alert) lived in the end because given the vantage point, Anthony or Meadow would have seen any approaching hit and the last thing Tony would have heard was their screams.

4. Arrested Development: The fact that this show couldn’t get viewers and According to Jim lasted eight(!) seasons is why I have no faith in the U.S. viewing public. This show will always have a special place in  my heart if only for it spawning the “There’s Gotta Be a Better Way to Say That” (or “TGB”) game my friends and I play.

3. Freaks and Geeks: There’s a part of me that’s glad it only lasted one season.  They had one PERFECT season and if it had kept going, who knows if they would have been able to keep up such a high standard.

2. Lost: Surprised it’s not number one? I don’t know what I can say now that I haven’t written on this blog a hundred times. This is the only show in my lifetime that I have ever been obsessed with.  Sure, I love all these shows but it clear I am obsessed with Lost.  I don’t watch episodes with people anymore because a) I don’t want to be distracted by questions and b) I write notes during the episode to help with my blog which I’m pretty embarrassed about.

1. The Wire: Confession time. I didn’t start watching The Wire until season three because that’s when I finally had a DVR and could record it while watching other shows.  But the second season three ended, I went on a 48 hour bender watching every episode of seasons one and two. I love The Wire so much that just talking about it makes me want to start over and watch all five seasons over again. If you haven’t seen this show, it’s a crime. Screw the 00s, The Wire is one of the greatest shows EVER and I will argue that point with anyone who wants to lose.

Full list (in alphabetical order):

1. 24
2. 30 Rock
3. Angel*
4. Arrested Development
5. Battlestar Galatica (2004)
6. The Big Bang Theory
7. Big Love
8. Bones
9. Breaking Bad
10. Burn Notice
11. Californication
12. Chappelle’s Show
13. Chuck
14. Curb Your Enthusiasm
15. Damages
16. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart**
17. Deadwood
18. Dexter
19. Extras
20. Firefly
21. Flight of the Conchords
22. Freaks & Geeks*
23. Friday Night Lights
24. Futurama
25. Gossip Girl
26. Grey’s Anatomy
27. How I Met Your Mother
28. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
29. Jackass
30. Justice League Unlimited
31. The L Word
32. Lost
33. Mad Men
34. Malcolm in the Middle
35. Nip/Tuck
36. The Office (BBC)
37. The Office (NBC)
38. Psych
39. Pushing Daisies
40. Rome
41. Scrubs
42. The Shield
43. Six Feet Under
44. Skins
45. The Sopranos*
46. Spaced*
47. The Venture Bros.
48. Veronica Mars
49. Weeds
50. The Wire

* Started in 1999 but ran through the 2000s
** The Daily Show started in 1996 but Jon Stewart didn’t become host until 1999 and that changed the entire complexity of the show.

Since it’s Thanksgiving weekend over the Pond, Classic Clip Friday this week celebrates a few memorable scenes from the best Thanksgiving episodes of a few of my favourite TV shows (or, at least, the ones I could find online) .

We’ll start with the greatest thanksgiving scene in TV history. I already dedicated a complete post to the Turkey drop scene from WKRP In Cincinnati but it’s well worth revisiting, especially given the time of year.

To set it up, you should know that WKRP’s manager, Arthur Carlson (Gordon Jump) had decided to organise a special Thanksgiving promotion, to try and boost the radio station’s profile, but hadn’t told anyone what it was – just that he needed 20 live turkeys.

 Les Nessman (Richard Sanders), a somewhat less than worldly-wise news reporter - whose serious, professional demeanour belied the fact that he was utterly useless - is sent to a shopping mall to cover the event:

Next up, a couple of great scenes from the much-missed The West Wing. First, President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) talks turkey with the Butterball Hotline:

But he’s just a big softy, really, and so when called on to ”pardon” a turkey…

Moving on, now, one of the greatest TV shows of all time and another of the all-time great Thanksgiving episodes. Here’s what happened when the Cheers gang decided to have their meal together on the big day:

And finally, Friends, a show that always pushed the boat out to deliver some great Thanksgiving episodes… and this one, with a very special guest star, was probably the most famous of the lot:

It’s Josh! Apparently, he has a HuffPo column (who doesn’t?) and an impressive mustache.

You’d be forgiven at the moment for thinking we were nearing the end of a decade. The interwebs have been awash of late with more countdowns, best ofs, top tens and general reminiscences of the 2000’s then you could poke a digital stick at. Suddenly everybody is a critic, and while some of the countdowns have been insightful and thought-provoking, others have been….well, like this one. For the nostalgic, these countdowns are practically memory-heaven. But for those who don’t buy into that sort of stuff, it gets a little tiring. So, what better than to list some of the best (and worst) ‘best-of’ lists currently clogging up cyber-space?

Pitchfork: P2K

Over the past months American music site Pitchfork have taken an in-depth look at the decade in music. Way back in the dark ages of 2001 the site barely existed, but since then has grown to be one of the most formidable online music news and reviews sites on the net. Not only does P2K count down the best albums, songs and music videos, it also features a series of essays detailing some of the more interesting developments in music over the past ten years. Of particular note is the ‘Decade in Indie’ and the social history of the mp3.

Highlights
Best Album: Radiohead- Kid A
Best Song: Outkast- B.O.B.

Paste Magazine: The 25 best Album Covers

Slightly more obscure is Paste magazine’s countdown of the best album covers. It has been argued that as digital sales boom and physical CD sales decline, the quality of modern album art is going steadily downhill (as this cover would seem to prove). Regardless, Paste have put together an interesting countdown, which includes the likes of The Flaming Lips, Animal Collective, Arcade Fire and Lil Wayne. Whoever decided to award Neko Case’s Middle Cyclone cover as number 1 though needs to go back and re-take primary school art classes.

Highlights
Number 1: Neko Case- Middle Cyclone
Number 2: Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion (and rightly so)

The A.V. Club: The 30 best TV Shows

The problem with critics is often that their views on what is ‘good’ differs from the majority of the viewing public. Which is a shame, but it’s also the reason why most of the shows on the A.V. Club’s list of best TV shows of the decade have either ended or been cancelled. Still, it’s a formidable list. The top 3 (The Wire, Arrested Development and the Sopranos) are undoubtedly some of the finest productions since television’s inception, let alone in this decade. Other notable shows include Mad Men, Lost and The West Wing, just scraping in at number 30. The best part of this countdown though is the shitfight in the comments as to what constitutes a ‘decade’. Hilarious.

Highlights
Number 1: The Wire
Number 15: Veronica Mars
Number 22: Six Feet Under

News.com.au: Moment of the Decade

Oh, News.com.au. Purveyor of fine, quality journalism. Not content with simply telling Middle Australia what the best bits of the noughties were, good old Rupert has gone and encouraged everyone to name their own favourites! For anyone that’s ever read the comments to any article on the site, that should be enough to click your way on over. In case you need any more incentive though, today’s category is ‘Killers, Haters, Tools: Choose the Villian of the decade’. Apparently Kyle Sandilands and John Mayer are in the same league as Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. Who would have thought? The fun doesn’t stop there. Oh no siree, it doesn’t. For you creative types, you can even have a go at naming what the next decade should be called! An issue of utmost importance, of course. Seriously, the sooner this site becomes paid-only, the better.

Lowlights
Pop Culture
Money
Sex & Life
…actually, just spend a good 15 minutes trawling through the site. It’ll make your day.

Times Online: The 100 Best Movies of the Noughties

Slightly more classy news outlet Times Online went all out and counted down the top 100 cinematic releases of the decade. With everything from political drama Milk to Roman-epic Gladiator to comedy Knocked Up, the list does well to cater for everyone…up until the odd choice of The Bourne Supremacy/Ultimatum at number 2 (So really it should have been the best 101 movies). And Team America World Police in the top 5? You must be joking.

In Brief
Number 1: Hidden
Number 16: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Number 34: Finding Nemo
Number 64: Anchorman

Well that’s about it. Some of the best (and worst) countdowns of the best (and worst) things to happen in the noughties. Of course, a quick google search will reveal thousands more best-ofs then the ones here. But really, is there much point? When it comes down to it, who gets to decide that Franz Ferdinand is better than Hot Chip? Or that Monsters, Inc. deserves to place ahead of Pan’s Labyrinth?

Perhaps the best countdown of the decade should go to Hungry Beast. They look at the ten best years of the 2000’s. You can check that out here.

]]> http://basicallyanythingthatsawesome.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/k-e-l-l-y-the-best-musical-moments-on-tv/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:50:10 +0000 Sarah http://basicallyanythingthatsawesome.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/k-e-l-l-y-the-best-musical-moments-on-tv/ http://slappingfish.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/10thingsilove/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:14:13 +0000 blairelizabeth http://slappingfish.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/10thingsilove/

*one

*two

*three

*four

*five

*six

*seven

*eight

*nine

*ten

“I studied a lot in school. I studied hard in high school, and at Harvard, and in law school. My IQ doesn’t break the bank, and I wanted to do this so I studied all the time. And I missed something or it’s like I skipped a year ’cause I never learned what you do after you think you like somebody– what you do next. And every-everybody else did learn. A lot of other people, anyway…”

-Josh

Here’s one of my favorite scenes from The West Wing. It embodies most of my favorite elements of the show. Duty, humor, and a whole lot of witty repartee. Great stuff.

This scene is perfection.  Really.

– carmhelga

I’m slightly obsessed with Parks & Recreation at the moment.  It is probably the Thursday night show I look forward to most now (what?  I KNOW!)

One of the funniest characters on the show is Ron Swanson.  He plays Amy Poehler’s boss on the show– a public servant who is actually quite resentful of government, and thinks Parks should be privatized.

Well, now I know the truth.

Ron Swanson isn’t really the hardened cynic he appears.  He’s just a broken hearted dreamer, who wanted a wolves only highway.  He can’t believe in government anymore.  Government failed his beloved Pluie.

Aaron Sorkin, mannen som tok allmenndannelse til et nytt internasjonalt nivå med tv-serien The West Wing, skal i gang med en ny tv-serie så snart Facebook-filmen hans er i klippen. Denne nye tv-serien skal foregå backstage på en – ja det stemmer – tv-serie.

“I’m going to be starting on a new TV series” when filming is done on the upcoming movie “The Social Network,” the Sorkin-penned account of the founding of Facebook directed by David Fincher, he says. “It’s going to be what turns out to be the third in the trilogy of TV shows that take place behind the scenes of a TV show, but this will be a different kind of TV show. That’s all I can let out of the bag right now.”

Sorkin said he “hopes” to reunite on the project with at least some of the actors he’s worked with previously. “If you’re a writer, when you’re find an actor like Josh Malina, Felicity Huffman, Brad Whitford, Matt Perry, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, all these great actors that I’ve worked with, you just want to stick them in your pocket and work with them forever, so I hope so.” He also expects to be working with director and longtime collaborator Tommy Schlamme “for sure.”

Alan Ball, en annen av mine tv-serie-helter gikk fra tidvis geniale Six Feet Under til vampyrserien True Blood. Der Six Feet Under var preget av dyp menneskekunnskap, er True Blood fascinerende, men ikke så mye mer. Grunnlagsmaterialet er altså med på å bestemme kvaliteten også på det svært begavede mennesker skaper. West Wing hadde autentisiteten og tyngden av verdens mest fascinerende og inflytelsesrike politiske apparat som grunnlag. Det blir spennende å se om kulissene til en tv-serie gir Sorkin nok luft under vingene.

That’s the word going around the campfire — the campfire being Aaron Sorkin and TV Guide. The genius, and I throw that word around lightly, behind the The West Wing recently had this to say…

I’m going to be starting on a new TV series. It’s going to be what turns out to be the third in the trilogy of TV shows that take place behind the scenes of a TV show, but this will be a different kind of TV show. That’s all I can let out of the bag right now.

Sorkin says he’ll start work on the show after filming on the upcoming Facebook movie, “The Social Network,” has wrapped. I’ve heard rumors that the show will take place behind the scenes at a news network, but I guess we’ll see. Whatever it is, I hope it’ll be chock full of divisive politics, which is what Sorkin does best. And if the show were set at a news network, it would give him an excuse to do it. I was excited when I first heard about Studio 60, but after a few episodes I realized I didn’t give a sh*t about actors on a sketch comedy show pontificating on the war and the economy. I mean, they weren’t even wearing wigs.

The White House Pro-Am

Jed and Abbey call a truce after their first oval office spat.

The Multiple Schlerosis attack scare over and forgotten, the First Lady returns to Sorkin’s fictional White House amid fresh storylines. The episode opens with Abbey Bartlet, being interviewed on a morning talk show (from the WH), with a young boy who is asking for the world to realize the very real practices of child labor outside of the US. While this is quite a serious matter, and should gain attention because of it’s corruption, the Presidents staff (ok, mainly Sam Seaborn) has a problem with Abbey’s focus on it. He tells her basically that she looks stupid by introducing it as a problem. Why? Because it isn’t a new problem, but an age old one, and it may appear as if she has just now noticed it. Sam has a fine point, of course, but doesn’t want to share the President’s media outlets with the President’s wife. This is the first time in the series that the First Lady’s office is looked down upon by the Presidents own staffers, but certainly not the last. It is the first time, also that we see Abigail Bartlet in two distinct rare forms; wrong, and humble. 

Abbey’s unprofessional story is interrupted, however, by bigger news; The Chairman of the Federal Reserve dies of a sudden heart attack, which threatens the plunge of the stock market because of it. His most logical replacement is obvious, and could be appointed within moments, if not for the President’s stubborn nature. Ron Erlich could be named, publicly as the successor of the Fed-chair, but he was for a short time thirty years ago, an old boyfriend of the First Lady’s. Jed is not liking that so much. He makes that very clear. For, upon being told that Bernie Dahl has just died, and should they name Erlich, Jed snaps at Leo:

Leo: “I’m going to leak it, sir, on account in the next hour people will calm things down.”
Bartlet: (calmly) ”No.”
Leo: “Mr. President!”
Bartlet: (not so calmly) ”I’m not ready to jump into bed with Ron Ehrlich yet. I’m one of the few people in my family who can say that.” (Ouch!)

Now, that phrase can be taken one of two ways. The first is literally, and would mean that Bartlet doesn’t like Erlich because Abbey was once intimate with him, or (and most likely because it does support the rest of the storyline), Bartlet is a little pissed because everyone else (namely Abbey) have given their public support for Erlich already, and Bartlet feels, in naming Erlich that he would have done it only because his wife told him to do it. He, in fact says that much later on in this eppie. Indeed, CJ learns, when she announces the death of the Fed-Chair, that in a wire-piece it is leaked that ” ‘Unnamed people close the First Lady’ are saying she hoped the President would appoint Ron Ehrlich when Bernie Dahl’s term expired.” Since CJ was blind-sided about this info, she takes it to the President to ’spin it’, or rectify the story before it becomes a story. In doing so, CJ must either talk to the President about what Abbey has been known to have said concerning Erlich, or speak to Abbey about it herself. Neither, one might add, sounds too appealing to CJ. Thus, she has a converstion with the President that gives us more insight into the Bartlet marriage: 

CJ: (to the President) ”So, let me suggest, Mr. President, that I talk to the First Lady and ask her to clarify…”
Bartlet: (quickly shaking his head in the negative) ”No…”
CJ: ” …that her position…”
Bartlet:  ”No, no…”
CJ: “ ”My husband will choose the best man for the Fed….” “
Bartlet: (shaking his head more adamently) ”Noooo…” (he’s really afraid of Abbey)
CJ: “I support whatever…” Sir!”
Bartlet: (warningly) “CJ, we don’t handle my wife. When we try, do you know what happens at theother end of this building?” (he asks kiddingly)
CJ: “You get a little punishment.”
Bartlet: “I get a little punishment. Screw it. Let’s move on. It’s not a big deal.” (but it is a big deal because he gives CJ a look that tells her that she should, indeed, handle his wife). 

Bartlet doesn’t like to involve his personal life, or really his marriage with politics. Ever. With Abbey throwing her hat into the political ring, Bartlet has a fit. 

While Sam is at the gym, he is confronted by Congresswoman Reeseman, who upon seeing Abbey’s morning interview decides to attach a ‘Child Labor restrictions’ amendment onto a bill that Toby and Josh think they will have passed that very night. Knowing that this will fail their bill, Sam tells Josh and Toby, who in turn  direct him to talk to Abbey’s staff about their inexperience, and to the First Lady herself about persuading the Congresswoman not to attach the amendment. Sam, of course is reluctant to do so, even if it affords him the opportunity of flirting with Lilly Mays (Abbey’s annoying and over-bearing chief of staff, who is eventually replaced several times over). Working up the courage to confront the East Wingers, Sam storms into the offices, only to find himself face to face with his boss’ wife. When Sam stops short in front of Abbey, we find that his arrogant air quickly evaporates because of who she is, and her strength of will. Quickly, though, he redeems himself, and the West Wing staffers by curtly telling Abbey what she needs to know. Their staffs at war, and untrusting of one another, he tells her that she is “prone to amateur mistakes”. He asks her to talk to the Congresswoman, and is surprized when Abbey readily agrees, especially after her staff has been undermined by his staff all morning long. Abbey, by now, is sufficiently pissed because her husband has sent two of his staffers to ‘Handle her’, which is, as already stated, something that should never be done.

(more to come)

“The President just reminded us complexity isn’t a vice.”

Évidemment, ce n’est pas Sarkozy. Plutôt le Président Bartlet (Saison 4, ép. 6).

Without question, foundations are the primary source of start-up support of a whole spectrum of civic-sector organizations on the left, right, and center…  foundations often continue to support for many years organizations they helped to start.  Moreover, foundations provide civic-sector organizations with the wherewithal to launch the widest possible variety of major new initiatives.
Joel Fleishman: The Foundation — A Great American Secret: How Private Wealth is Changing the World

———————

Yesterday, I spoke at the Leadership Academy for the Indiana Grantmakers Alliance.  (I asked if Peyton Manning would be there, but he couldn’t make it.  Something about getting ready for some big game on Sunday against the Patriots…).

The other speaker for this Leadership Academy was Mark Sedway, director of the Philanthropy Awareness Initiative.  He spoke about, among other things, the power of stories — that telling stories well is a powerful way to make a difference.  I agree.  One of his current projects is this: helping Foundations tell their stories in ways that get heard.

So, I have a question for you:  do you know what Foundations have brought to this world?  I could tell you many stories, but here’s one worth telling and re-telling.

Here’s a quick summary of the Borlaug “miracle” in a moving scene from Season 2 of The West Wing (“In This White House” — script here).  (And, I’m sad to say, I had not heard much about Borlaug until this West Wing episode, and then I started reading…)

BARTLET:
It was called dwarf wheat, which produces heavy yields without its stalk falling over from the weight of the grain.

LEO
Was it a hybrid?

BARTLET
What am I, Farmer Bob? It was wheat, and there was more than there used to be.
————————
BARTLET:
You ever read Paul Erlich’s book?

TOBY:
“The Population Bomb”?

BARTLET:
Yeah. He wrote it in 1968. Erlich said it was a fantasy that India would ever feed itself.
Then Norman Borlaug comes along. See the problem was wheat is top-heavy. It was falling over on itself and it took up too much space. The dwarf wheat… guys, it was an agricultural revolution that was credited with saving one billion lives.

————————

Foundations are not perfect, and the stories are not always as successful as the Borlaug story.  But – one billion lives saved.  It’s enough to justify a lot of false starts and half-successes.

There are many other Foundation success stories  (ever heard of Sesame Street?).  But I think it may be tough to top the Norman Borlaug story.  And this story is equally the story of one foundation:  the Rockefeller Foundation, and its determination to do something that mattered.  People lived that would have died because of the decision to hire Norman Borlaug and give him the resources he needed to pull off his “miracle.”

Norman Borlaug: The Green Giant

We could all benefit if we learned a few more of the great stories of what Foundations accomplish.  (And you might start by reading Fleishman’s book, The Foundation).

Welcome to Caregiver Friday!!

Wouldn’t it be great if we all had someone who would give us counsel, look out for our well-being, and protect us from everything in the world?  That’s exactly what the President has in his Chief-of-Staff.  I was thinking about how this interprets into real life after watching a rerun of The West Wing.  In the episode, the President is off to give the State of the Union address.  As is customary, a member of the cabinet is left behind in case of Armageddon and the Capitol building is destroyed killing all the government officials in the building.  The cabinet member selected to remain out of the capitol was the Secretary of Agriculture.

As the President is leaving for the speech he says to the Secretary, do you have a best friend?  Is he/she smarter than you?  Would this person lay down their life for you?  That’s your chief-of-staff.  How about that, three simple questions to determine who that person would be in your life.

Translate that to your life as a caregiver/wellness partner.  We need advisors because we’re emotionally connected to the outcome of any decision.  We have a skewed view of the world and about its fairness.  There are lots of opportunities for you to make life more difficult than it needs to be and having someone who can tell you the caring truth is a lifesaver. 

Having a community is critical in our culture.  We are social creatures and isolation is bad for your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.  Experiencing support, love, and protection from another human being who can be objective will help give you perspective about your own life and about the decisions you have to make as a caregiver/wellness partner.

It doesn’t matter what your personal issues are as a caregiver; creating the capacity to look at the big picture is important.  Utilizing your “chief-of-staff” as a sounding board gives you time to weigh options, gather information, and make informed decisions.  Recruit your own chief-of-staff and see how it may improve your quality of life…it’s a win-win situation.

A fost unul dintre serialele mele preferate, iar parodia de mai jos se adresează cunoscătorilor. Cei care n-au urmărit serialul, n-o vor înţelege. ..

A lot has been made recently of health care reform.  News shows, newspapers, websites, water-cooler talk, blogs (haha!), chats, etc…  I’ve read liberal views about how republicans have a personal vendetta against the president, I’ve read republicans claim that Obama’s trying to implore a communist agenda.  And those are the relatively rational opinions.  I’m reminded of an appearance Jon Stewart made on the now defunct “Cross Fire” a few years ago.

It’s amusing to see people in congress, or in the senate act like children.  Screaming at the president that he’s a liar.  Or seeing town hall meetings where citizens compare the proposed health care reform to the Nazi’s, and Obama to Hitler. Or reading about how an elementary school that taught a  song about Obama’s election (during black history month), is indoctrination of our children (never mind that it was approved by the parents and school prior to ever occurring).  These are just a few examples of the hyperbole that encompasses our current political climate.  A coach in high school taught me, that so often we we speak about someone, we’re often saying more about ourselves than we are of them.

It’s not just Republicans caught up in the bashing, although they understandably get painted worse because Democrats are in power now.  But just a few years ago when Bush was in power, he was subject to the same asinine opinions of what he did.  Or the constant questioning of his intelligence, ignoring the fact that he was a graduate from Yale.  Thought he admittedly could have used a few classes on public speaking.

The recurring theme in almost everything I read, see, or hear, is that seldom does actual debate occur.  It seems more often than not things turn into an assault on the individuals character, or alludes to a hidden agenda.  Sometimes we see “conservative” members of both parties try to bridge the gap, and end the fighting.  Which would be great if it didn’t also put an end to the debate.  Our government was set up for diverging opinions. It’s designed so that the minority opinion can be heard.  Hell, look at the floors of the House of Representatives of the Senate, they’re divided by party.  They’re like that to ENCOURAGE debate.  But what we have now is not debate, but personal attacks instead of presentations of fact.  I’m admittedly new, and naive to how our political process works, but I do know that we don’t have that.  Bills are passed or shot down based on what people are promised for the future.  A Military contracts for weapons go to Arizona if person X votes “ye” on this vote.  Person Y won’t get support from his party during reelection if he votes “nae” on that vote.  Earmarks being thrown in so that a bill can’t possibly passed.  It’s a joke.  Instead of some of our countries brightest people, people ELECTED by the people they’re governing, instead of pouring over facts and debating about what’s best for their district, their state, or their country, we often get promises of fundraising help for the next election if X supports Y’s amendment.

Can’t we all, at the very least, agree that we want the country, hell the world, to be better than it was yesterday? And tomorrow to be better than today?  We just may have differing opinions on how to get that done.  Instead of holding a position based on party affiliation can’t we open ourselves up to change our minds as more facts become available? Instead of labeling a “flip flopper” as something to be ashamed of?  What rational, intelligent person maintains a view point after clearly seeing that they were in the wrong?

This is a rant.  This is a young person with an admittedly ideological hope for the future.  People much smarter than I talk to me about this stuff and I listen.  I’m smarter than I was yesterday because of it.  My opinions change from day to day, from conversations, reading, and thinking.

I’ve considered myself a hardcore liberal, a moderate, a conservative, really everything, really nothing.  I’m not sure what I am yet, but I’m starting to understand what I believe, and what I’d like my government to be about.

I think college education should be more affordable and less strict with their admissions policies.  Doesn’t it make sense that someone who’s a borderline student would benefit from a better education?

I think business should be allowed to fail without being bailed out by the government, it’s part of capitalism.  People fail and others come along with a better plan and succeed.

I think our education system is in need of a wake up call, that it gets further and further away from actual education as we graduate from grade to grade, and becomes more and more about finding elite minds, instead of developing them.

I think the idea that “abstinence” being taught in school is funny, since that’s a moral and religious issue, and people seem very uncomfortable with religion being mentioned in school.  While educating teens on the dangers of STD’s, and responsibilities that come with parenthood is more of scientific one.  Tell a kid he’s saddening God by having sex, he’ll forget what you’re talking about at the first sign of a coed, show a kid the hospital bills from AID’s treatment, or medical costs of a baby, and he’ll think twice.

I think religion, not a specific one, should be taught as a subject, not a homily, in all schools.  Can’t we learn more about the world if we educate ourselves on the different religions, and the varying beliefs and values of it?

I think marijuana should be treated like alcohol and not cocaine.  Even if I don’t want to smoke it anymore (just seemed to make me dumb and paranoid in high school, but others seem to enjoy it), it isn’t as deadly as cigarettes, and evidently has some medicinal purposes.

I think health care should be available to those that want it, at a cost to them.  Things cost money.  I wouldn’t ask a millionaire to pay for my groceries, I don’t think they should have to fund my flu shot.

I think the “sliding scale” for taxes is good.  15% of  someone making a salary of $21,000 a year, really hurts, I don’t think someone making $20,000,000 is going to have to cut coupons to buy bread paying that same percentage.

I think abortion should be illegal, except in cases of rape, or when the mother’s life is in clear jeopardy.

I feel like high schoolers would be better served learning how to balance a check book and understand how credit works, than they are learning how to diagram sentences.

I think politicians should be paid handsomely, if only so that our smartest people would become them, instead of turning into millionaire CEO’s.

It makes me laugh when politicians try to get involve with sports.  Whether it be college football’s BCS system, or MLB’s steroid’s issue.  It makes me laugh because realistically, more people pay attention to those hearings on CSPAN, than of the ones concerning government bailouts, stimulus package, or health care.  Maybe if the country felt more like they were going to see/feel progress, and not screaming adults, they’d pay attention.  Maybe not.

I think more debate needs to occur like this

So that’s my rant, youtube clips and all, at least until someone smarter than me makes me think differently.

I am reminded by The West Wing that at least one person had succeeded in circumnavigating the globe before Mr Palin, an American journalist and author Nellie Bly; who was able to do it in an incredible 72 days.

The First Lady, Mrs Bartlett point this out to her husband in Season 2 – Episode 5: “And It’s Surely to Their Credit“. That was a little nerdy, sorry about that. Any way this record was further bettered by one George Francis Train, another American; who managed it in 67 days. George Francis Train’s earlier circumnavigations may have been the inspiration for Phileas Fogg.

However to my knowledge (which is still growing) the only person to achieve the circumnavigation from the Reform Club, to the Reform Club is Mr Palin, plus he is English, Fogg was English and so am I – you have to allow some national pride.

If you’re an American West Wing fan, please stop by my Live Journal & fill out my questionnaire (here- http://babykid528.livejournal.com/562875.html).

I am currently working on a paper about The West Wing and fan input is necessary, as explained in the post linked above.

(I thought I’d try a multi-media approach to reach more people! haha!)

Last Sunday I finally found the time to start my regular visits to “The West Wing” again and once I started it was really difficult to stay away. And now it’s difficult to not make this post a long one, gushing about the guys on the show and the stories and everything. I’ll do that in a post later, I promise. I’ve watched episode 6.09 and 6.10 last night, in which Bartlet suffers through a severe MS attack. Of course I watched the events unfold with slight unease, because a) I’m hypercritical when it comes to MS portrayed on TV shows / movies and b) I usually try to not think about what could happen to me one day. It ’s not that I’m really want to be oblivious and ignorant, because I do know the facts and I know what could happen. But most of my MS attacks have been comparatively mild, so I’m trying to keep that in mind and I hope that my life with this disease will be compartively normal. And believe (or at least try to) that I won’t suffer from severe attacks in the future, when I haven’t suffered from severe attacks in the past. Maybe that wishful thinking. I’m sure, part of it IS wishful thinking. But it’s that wishful thinking that is keeping me sane. Because I usually am a glass-half-empty person and worry too much and anticipate the worst. If I did that with the MS, I would have gone crazy a long time ago.

So, what did I think of Bartlet’s MS episode and the way the storyline was told? Part of me thinks that they could have cut down on the pessimistic “you could also get this and that and suffer from this or that” talk. Probably because I don’t want to hear that myself But mostly because I’m afraid that viewers would associate this with MS in general. But every patient story is unique and different, and when it comes down to it you can’t really make a safe prognosis. At least all MS patients have that in common. I was a bit bothered by the fact, that the doctor that was accompanying him on the trip, didn’t start a corticoid IV right away. That’s like a basic of MS treatment, if there are signs of an attack. If you want the symptoms to disappear as fast as possible, start a high-dose corticoid IV. Everybody knows about Bartlet’s MS, somebody should have thought of putting enough corticoid IVs on Air Force One. Just in case!

Besides that though, I have to admit the storyline was pretty realistic. I never had such severe paralysis symptoms myself, but I know they can happen. I also know that a MS attack can hit you out of the blue and knock you off your feet. Literally or not. But MS attacks also tend to sneak up on you and unles you pay really really good attention to your body 24/7, you sometimes tend to ignore early signs. Because they might feel just be your body acting up on a stressful day. Or you think that this or that feels funny, but it pass on within the next few hours. And then you go on about your life. Because monitoring your body all the the time is not helping with staying sane. At least in my case it doesn’t.
A few weeks ago I suddenly realized my feet started to feel kind of funny. Numb and like pins and needles at the same time. It must have gone on for a while, probably at least half a day, but I just didn’t perceived it as a problem. You’d think after 10 years I’d already would have some experience with that, but that’s just the way it is. I thought about seeing my doc about it, but I also knew he’d put me through a corticoid cycle and I really didn’t want to do that at the moment. The feet weren’t really bothering me that much. And they’re almost on my way back to normal now, so…
What I’m trying to say is, that as MS patient you – or at least I a – try to avoid making a too big deal about every symptom or change you sense in your body. Or which you think to sense. Sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish when to actually go to the doc and get corticoid to make the symptoms pass quickly and when to just try to sit it out on your own. Because the long term result will most probably be the same in any case.

So, would I run off to the doctor right away, if I couldn’t grab a pen and sign a document, because I couldn’t move my hand? Possibly. Scratch that. Definitely. Even though I’d most probably wait a couple of hours or until the next day and monitor it. In naive hope that it was just caused by some stress, I probably would try take it easy for a day or two. Something I should have done long before, so that the symptoms didn’t show up in the first place.

What I definitely would not do, if had experienced any kind of clear symptom of a MS attack (like a paralyzed hand) is to go on a business trip for a week *g*! Because I know that as much as I always hope it will pass on its own after a day, it very seldom does. So staying close to your neurologist and preparing yourself to have to take a sick leave for a week, usually is the best advice. For me. For any MS patient. Except obviously the one in the Oval Office. Not when he’s about to conduct a very very important summit in China. And basically not ever, because he generally has a very important job to do. He can’t just drop everything and stop working for a week… At least, he would never choose to do that. Health issues or not.

There you have it: One of the reason I will never make it to that chair behind that desk in the Oval Office. Not that I really want to do that job in the first place. And I’m lacking one important qualification to begin with: US citizienship