Monday, January 12, 2015

A Bit of Escapism


I probably could have been really productive this weekend, except for a couple of things.

The first is a couple really bad things happened last week. One had to do with my day job and I'm sure there are some rules about me venting too much, at least if I want to keep my job, but I will say it was both sad and infuriating. I was truly angry for a few days, most of which has subsided, but the sad part will last a good long while. Also in the bad week category, my little bitty hometown had a tragedy in the form of somebody I suspect had mental health issues who also, tragically, got his hands on a gun. He killed three long-time residents, one of them the father of friends of mine. I feel horrible my town was so touched and that people I care about have been hurt so badly from it. If anyone wants more details, they are here.

Mostly what I'd like to know is what the gun enthusiasts plans are for helping all the mentally ill people, since gun control seems to be off the table. It's too much.

So I opted for a bit of escapism this weekend and X-finity kindly obliged.

On Demand was offering free Showtime... So instead of writing or immersing myself in negative feelings, I've been having a Homeland marathon.

I have mixed feelings about Homeland but my neighbor buddies I watch a couple shows with both watch it, so I wanted to catch up. I'd borrowed the first two seasons from the Library, but that still left seasons 3 and 4: 24 episodes... I've almost made it... by the time Showtime goes back to normal on Tuesday, I will have.

So what do I like and not?

I love spy stuff. Always have, always will. I like the investigatey, trickery stuff that needs to be done to learn stuff and I like the double-back change ups... that good guys and bad guys don't tend to keep those hats on.

This show moves pretty quickly and has several components to keep us on our toes.

But... First, this is petty, but the jazz music really makes me nuts. I hate the opening and closing music. I don't hate all jazz, but I don't like that disorganized, unpredictable stuff. It's just noise.

Next, I think they've overdone Claire losing it. I get she has mental health issues, and the first time she ran up against it, I loved it. Gave a personal battle angle I really could get behind, but she is hard to watch when she is irrational. And I think her diving into relationships, whether real or 'useful' are hard to buy when she doesn't actually make friends—a person who usually gives nothing, can't so suddenly give everything and be credible. I'm having trouble with season 4, as Brody was my favorite part and he is now gone.

But the show HAS given me a lot of food for thought—ways people can commit crimes against each other or rescue people that seem to have potential for future stories, tricks for communicating, ideas about what is possible surveillance-wise... and I have to admit, it's sucked me in pretty good for a show I really only think is decent, not great.


That said, I am probably 60% done with this editing round. I need to find a couple readers (contemporary YA) before the last pre-ABNA edit... And as I read and edit, I find I mostly really like it, which is not a given when I am editing....


How are all of you doing? On track? Or needing a bit of down time for some reason? Any shows YOU have mixed feelings about that you feel compelled to watch anyway?


And finally, don't forget... if you are interested in reading in a way that supports your buddies, I have a Blog Buddy Book Resolution going (read and review a book a month by a blog buddy). I'd love people to join!

16 comments:

Ted Cross said...

Hart, I'm very sorry to hear about such a terrible week. I know what you mean about the gun control issue, and I don't see the US fixing that anytime soon, sadly enough.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

What an awful week. So sorry about the situation at work and the tragedy in your town.

I'm not on track, myself, but after this weekend I'm in much better shape.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

So sorry to hear about your bad week at work and the tragedy that touched your hometown. Hang in there the best you can.

I haven't watched Homeland, but I'm looking forward to the return of The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

Wow, I just read the press release. That is horrible. I feel so terrible for the victims.

You're a writing machine and I'm sure will be back where you need to be soon.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Sorry about the tragedy! That's horrible.
Haven't watched the series.
Hope this week is much better at work, Hart.

CA Heaven said...

I have never understood the things about America and guns. You always hear this argument that "guns don't kill people, people kil people" and so on. To me it seems obvious that the less guns around, the fewer people get shot.

We currently have a discussion if the police should be armed or not. So far we have managed well with police without guns.

Cold As Heaven

Andrew Leon said...

Yea, Republicans and the NRA! Let's give everyone guns! You should presented with one at high school graduation.
Or something.

Arlee Bird said...

The world around us can have a way of screwing up a perfectly good day when you wake up thinking everything is rosy and then you're hit out of the blue with a sledgehammer. Ouch, that can hurt for a while.

Maybe you need to listen to more jazz, read about it, study its intricacies. I used to (and still do to some extent) feel the way you describe about random jazz playing, but as I've grown to appreciate it I find it far more listenable as long as I'm in the right mood. Have you read Kerouac's On The Road? Reading some of the descriptions about jazz in that book made me seek out some of the artists and recordings he talked about and I gained a new appreciation for the music. Some great stuff in jazz, though I'll still take classical most any day.

Lee
Tossing It Out

Chrys Fey said...

Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! When something like that happens close to home, to people we know, it's shocking.

I've never watched Homeland, but I've been interested in checking it out.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Jazz is one of those genres I can tune out. Just mute those parts during the show.

I hope the game tonight goes our way and it cheers you up.

H. R. Sinclair said...

I'm sorry to hear of the tragedy in your hometown.

I haven't watched Homeland but loved reading your comments about it.

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Omigosh, what a sad and tragic thing to touch so close to home. I'm very sorry, and that alone would have made a VERY bad week. I've seen Homeland on Netflix and wondered about it. I just finished the Breaking Bad series, and LOVED it. Now my husband and I are watching Under the Dome, the series based on Stephen King's book. It's not nearly as good as Breaking Bad but it's passable entertainment so far.

Helena said...

I'm so sorry you had some crappy days at work. We all know what that's like and that we can't vent much, which adds to the frustration and anger.

Gun "enthusiasts" is such a pleasant term. The real description should be gun whackjobs who are so stupid they insist it's mental illness that must be controlled, not guns--as if diagnosing and treating any mental condition were a hard science. Guns can be necessary tools in some situations (ranching, living in the mountains, etc.), but for idiots who are against any kind of control and regulation these tools become extensions of their fear, impotency, and paranoia.

Trisha said...

I've only seen seasons 1 & 2 of Homeland. Claire's character completely reminded me of a friend of mine, like I was looking at my friend a lot of the time. I loved the first two seasons, but stupidly checked around for hints about season 3 & know how it ends. :( I don't want it to end that way. I love Damian Lewis ;)

So sorry about what happened in your town - how horrific.

And re: gun control, I keep hearing ridiculous stories out of the US like a little toddler shot his mum 'cause he got her gun out of her purse. Seriously ... WHY DID SHE HAVE A GUN IN HER PURSE?

Being Australian, it's just really hard for me to understand it. I was horrified when I first learned we have a gun shop in our city of 1.5 million or so. "A" gun shop.

G. B. Miller said...

I echo one of the above commentators in that jazz is a great way to relax/unwind. I usually listen to a few minutes of it on the way in to work (I listen to a lot of college radio) and more often than not, it tampers down the stress that I've been going through lately.

Father Nature's Corner

jack welling said...

If you can't say something nice, come sit next to me. [ Apoligoes Alice Roosevelt].