Spontaneous Musings

1. ( Weekend Television )
2. The whole bit about a Soul and Spike has come up on LJ again via rahirah, who has some interesting things to say about it, and I sort of agree with. (For example, it's pretty clear I think that any theory expressed by the Watcher's Council or Giles can be summarily discounted as hogwash, mainly because the writers go out of their way to either make fun of Giles/Watcher's Council, contradict them, or demonstrate how silly it is. [Consider how many times Giles was knocked unconscious prior to providing information, and how often his information backfired on him. Similarly, Wesely's information was often wrong or back-fired on him.] This is a standard theme in Whedon's writing - any rule provided by an authority figure is circumspect and should not be trusted. Whedon has serious issues with authority.) That said, I looked at it a little differently than a lot of folks appear to or examined it differently.

Below is the essay that I wrote examining the meaning of a soul and the writer's intent regarding it in Buffy The Vampire Slayer/Angel the Series.

( Soul Metaphors in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel the Series )

3. Distinction between Sympathy and Empathy. [I'm wondering if the writer's intended unsouled vampires to express sympathy, and souled to express empathy?]

Go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw

At work, I rave about The Wire. Talked to a colleague, who is black, and a former defense attorney, (he like me is making more dough as a contract administrator for the railroad then he ever did in law) about it - and explained it took place in Baltimore. Colleague (he's in his 50s) - "Baltimore is a city with a chewy flavor all its own..." Then he talks about working as a defense attorney - "I tend to compare things in life to what I used to do, as a defense attorney you spend most of your time explaining the cases to people. Most lawyers will inherit a file, they won't read it, and often even if they did - it wouldn't matter - since there's nothing in it but the charges. So it's the defense attorney's job to explain it to them. A lot of lawyers don't get that - that you explain the case, don't just copt a plea. They get so many of these files, you see, they don't have the time to read them or spend any time."

Other co-worker - who has worked in private sector and government, stated - "government is so much better. The only difference between the two is the private sector is just more ruthless. And more likely to cheat, steal, and do whatever is necessary to meet the bottom line." He ain't wrong. The level of corruption in the private sector makes most governments look rather pristine in comparison. My response - "Yep, only difference is the government tends to play by the rules, the private goes around all of them unless it makes them rich and happy." Yes, methinks, I'm becoming a socialist in my old age...twenty years bopping from recession to recession, while capitalism has gone mad, will do that to you.

Watched episode 5 of the Wire tonight which delves into three topics, without preaching about it. Another rarity for a tv series. These writers don't jump up on their soap boxes. Gotta to give David Simon and Ed Burns a great deal of credit for that. Again they show not tell.

Topics? 1) Gentrification - which made me laugh out loud (because experiencing that right now up close and personal - heck the example they provide hit close to home). 2) Market distrust - how you change your brand to regain market trust (comparing Worldcom (better known as MCI, and later merged with US Sprint - I know a lot about it - took a marketing class and I worked for Sprint around the time it happened.) with Drug dealing - hilarious.) 3) Loss of industry.

(It's odd, this is one of the few shows that I've become fannish about that I'm not embarrassed to rave about or admit to being in love with. Or rec to others. I know it's a quality show. I don't have to defend it. There's relatively no flaws.)

Remember when they used to make steel there?"

( Wire spoilers for episode 5 - Undertow )