Just plain angry

I'm not a fan of television anymore.

It seems for every brilliantly written show or cartoon there's some piece of crap out there lurking in prime time and hoping to destroy everything about the art of the moving picture we hold dear.

Most of them are 'reality' shows.

Now obviously these shows are scripted and then edited way down in order to make anything resembling action and drama occur, but the sheer amount of these shows that pour out of basic and cable stations is overwhelming. Now I could list some examples of these but I figure you probably know of a few examples of your own.

I used to wish they'd bring back the physical-based game shows I grew up with, but the best they could manage to come up with is an MXC knockoff called Wipeout. I mean come on guys! I don't want to see some fat little kids bump into a foam cut-out and be knocked about six inches backwards into a shallow pool! I want to see some fat little kid get tangled in a rope net, dangle precariously over a flimsy metal pole, and drop about eight feet into a freezing (and possibly infrequently cleaned) pool of water like in Legends of the Hidden Temple (I really shouldn't need to link that)!

Basically what I'm saying TV execs, is that if people are not straining themselves to their peak mental and physical capabilities then I want to see children hurt themselves for crappy prizes and self glorification. If you can't make that happen then I'm going back to my completely fictional shows. They're shot better anyway.

I'm also angry about politics come to think of it. There are way too many reasons for that, but the major one is that we need taxes to be raised to offset the deficit. Now raising them across the board would be a huge dick move considering the financial recession that we're still in, but if we raised them for the top earners... Say... The people making $250,000 or more a year I figure it might make a difference.

And don't bring up 'trickle-down' economics. That shit doesn't work. The argument that the rich will just take their money elsewhere or lie to undercut the $250,000 earning limit? That's why we have federal regulatory committees or, better yet, the FBI. Let's focus a little bit more on domestic terrorism guys. That includes fear mongers in political parties who make up all sorts of bullshit while they try to cover their own ass. Personally? That makes me scared.

And if I'm scared then the terrorists have already won. Maybe.

Although I'm guessing most terrorists care less about our country living in a state of fear (we manage that just fine on our own thanks) and more about killing us for religious, socio-economic, and/or patriotic reasons.

I'm going to go out on a limb here, but even if foreign dependence on oil isn't the main cause of our continued involvement in the Middle East it sure as hell isn't helping us get out of there.

SCIENCE!

Some days I just feel a lot more intellectual than others. I may suddenly have an interest in particle physics, develop a new appreciation for forensic pathology, or I just start to wonder why the sky is so damn blue.

Well today I stumbled upon this.

Thanks science! Now Jurassic Park is ruined FOREVER. Geez science, as if taking away Pluto's planetary status wasn't enough.

On the down low I have the secret belief that there are some scientists out there that just like to fuck with everyone not in their field of study. I'm guessing it's a passive aggressive way to make up for all those wedgies suffered in their developing years.

Why else would they attempt to destroy us all just to see what's inside a quark?

Oh, way to disprove God as being necessary for the development of the universe and life as we know it Stephen Hawking! Some of us were looking forward to going to heaven! Now what's going to keep me from living in debauchery and sin if organized religion isn't there to guilt-trip me? Common sense and the laws of man? As if.

So on a completely unrelated note, who's been watching The Walking Dead? I was sort of worried it'd just be a direct adaptation of the comic series (of which I've read) but early into episode 2 I saw a lot of creative liberties taken and I'm glad they took them! Not that the comic series has any faults, but I didn't need to see something I've already read. The best part of the TV series taking a new direction from the comic series? Now I can't post up spoilers because events may be extremely different!

So I'm excited about Sundays again. You know, what with religion being confirmed false by science and me not being a huge football fan at least there's one thing I can look forward to. And to think I drank all that wine (grape juice at my church) and ate all that bread for nothing! NOTHING! But we'll always have the holiday songs I guess...

Oh, P.S. There's a stomach flu going around so wash your hands and don't share your drinks. Just letting you know. Helping a brother out.

Book 'em Dano

Just recently got certified to be an armed guard. It was kind of strange being in a classroom setting again but, as per usual, I aced the class and all of it's extremely boring instructional videos made back in the early 90s. People had leg warmers on.

And I'm not just talking about the women.

So apparently the NRA has a cartoon mascot and I haven't been able to decide if I find that knowledge hilarious or not. On one hand it makes complete sense as a way to introduce your children to the dangers of weapons if you're going to keep one in the house. On the other hand I had to sit through a video obviously made for elementary school students where a cartoon eagle voiced by (and I cannot confirm this, but it totally sounded like him) the guy that did Leonardo's voice in the original Ninja Turtles cartoon flies into people's homes whenever kids find a weapon that some jackass parent just left lying around.

Here's an idea, instead of just telling the kids to find an adult you could make some money on the side by informing them about all the fancy gun safety equipment their parents should have. Or you could go find Child Protective Services.

Or you could ask if they have any fish or voles. I mean, you know, eagle food. I assume keeping kids away from firearms doesn't leave one with much time to do bird of prey activities.

Speaking of firearms I'm apparently kind of badass when it comes to using them. Having never fired a pistol or shotgun in my life I managed to pass the range tests just fine. Hell, my grouping wasn't even that terrible. I don't think I'm ready for Top Shot, but hey, who knows?

Guess all those violent video games and movies weren't so bad for me after all.

On a more title related note I have never seen the original Hawaii Five-0, but the new one? Holy crap.

I have no idea how it works legally, but I want the kind of jurisdictional freedom those guys have. Of course, living in an action-style show universe where I can never die or get seriously injured would be kind of cool too. ...only then I guess I'd rather be a Power Ranger even I did get some sort of weird alien lizard dog as a boss.