Thursday, January 26, 2012

Feeling the need to do something

This morning a man was shot and killed while trying to stop a car jacking. It happened two doors down from where my sister is currently living and her husband heard the shots fired. The first stories coming out described a man with two kids living in the neighborhood and some friends of the family though it might be Andy who was killed. It's one of those events that still sinking in. I still can't read the story without crying a little, especially when it gets to the part about his two children, who he had just walked to the bus stop, coming back to try to help him and being there as he died.

And yet my next reaction is to sweep it under the rug. Coping mechanism I suppose. I say to myself, well don't intervene when stuff like that is happening. But is that really the right thing to think? Doesn't that come a little too close to blaming the victim? But I have to find a way to rationalize it not being able to happen to me. If I thought it could happen to me, would I still be OK living where I live? Or is this just something you have to accept when you live in a place like this? So many open ended questions.

I worry this will cause my sister to move away. It has to affect her. How can it not? I can sit here and say I'd handle it fine if it happened on my block, but would I really? It's horrible to say but I'd be thinking of things a lot differently if the woman had been shot. It just seems so preventable if he just hadn't gotten involved.

"He didn't hold with your father's ideals; he felt he should've stayed here and not gotten involved."

He felt the need to do something. He, like many, was probably fed up with the crime in the city and when that happened, he snapped and had to help. But helping got him killed. Is there a way to help and not have to risk getting killed? Does taking a stand against crime have to risk being knocked down permanently?

I come away from all this feeling like I need to do something as well, but having no idea of what to do.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Current TV

As old readers of the blog will know, one of my main areas of interest is TV shows. I'm not a channel flipper at all, but I do try to keep up with a certain number of shows. I figured a run down of what I'm watching currently would be interesting. These are in no particular order.

Chuck - Pretty much just riding this one out since it's the last season. It hasn't been the best for a while now but it's still enjoyable. The later part of this season has been a bit strange. It's like monster of the week episodes that you think are going to be larger but aren't and yet they try to tie it into something larger? Certainly curious to see how they end it.

Castle - Tuned into this one pretty much for Nathan Fillion, but stayed due to it being a good procedural while still having enjoyable main characters. Most other procedurals I have tired either get too dark or I couldn't care less about the leads. Castle manages to avoid that.

Pysch - Similar to Castle now that I think about it, just a whole lot sillier. It's always fun to see what they reference. Lately it's almost been a little too silly, which is saying a lot for this show, but I'll forgive it that for a while.

Parenthood - Every episode makes me love it and yet it's something we always put off watching. Hard to explain why. I sometimes feel they try to fit too many story lines in one episode or they try to give all the characters something meaningful to do every episode and it just doesn't work. When it does work, it's like nothing else on TV. Shades of Friday Night Lights. At the very least it's nice to watch a show with plot lines I have a chance of relating to.

The Office - I have a hard time quitting shows. It has it's moments but they are few and far between now. Still, it's comfortable, which has it's place I suppose.

Up All Night - With where I am in life it's hard not to watch a comedy about a couple dealing with a new child and still trying to have a real life. I could use a little less Ava, and Reagan crosses into unrelateable a little too often, but that's nit picking mostly. Seeing the working mother / stay at home dad thing done fairly well and not completely played for laughs is nice as well. Occasionally makes me think about gender roles in a way I wouldn't expect from a comedy.

30 Rock - Always good, just not on yet.

Ringer - We started watching just for SMG and it's certainly been interesting with it's twists and it's turns, but at some point I just stopped caring. It just feels too soapy while seemingly trying not to be soapy. Also, the step-daughter's plot lines need to die.

Terra Nova - Only made it threw a few episodes. It's an interesting idea, kinda Lost-y, but most of the characters are beyond boring and that doesn't bode well. I'll keep track of the plot via recaps.

Hart of Dixie - Came for the setting (eastern shore of Mobile Bay), have stayed due to it's Gilmore Girls feel. It doesn't always work, and Jamie King especially is a bit ... much, but I'll probably ride out the season.

New Girl - I like this show, I do, and I'm certainly in the pro-Zooey camp, but sometimes everyone feels like too much of a caricature. Shows like this often need a little while to find their footing so I'm sticking with it for now.

Glee - When it's good it's really really good, and when it's bad, it's awful. Still, I'm the kinda guy that goes to musicals and sings along to Les Mis and Wicked so it's a show I'll always watch.

Once Upon a Time - I love the idea of the show and so far they've done a good job of using source fairy tales without being completely defined by them. Feels very Lost-y due to the fairy tale flashbacks but I think it's working so far. At times it's a bit too heavy handed, but I know shows like this have missed before due to being vague, so I'll forgive it for now.

Fringe - I felt they took a gamble this season with the plot line and I was about one episode away from getting really annoyed, but recently I'm back on board. Last season was just so good it's hard to live up to.

Sweet Lord I watch a lot of TV, and that's not even counting Dr Who, Downton Abbey, and the occasional Mad Men.

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

New Year, New Approach

I miss getting my thoughts out on "paper" so I've decided to start blogging again. I'm doing a three pronged approach. Mondays I'll post a video or picture of Grace to tumblr, for those that stay facebook free. Wednesdays I'll post here on whatever topic I'm ruminating on currently, probably TV show or politics or something. Fridays I'll post on a new blog that I'm devoting purely to gaming.

I can't post to one blog regularly so I decided the way to go was to post to three. Yeah ...