Getting Lost

Every so often (once or sometimes even twice a month) ABC will air a new episode of the television show Lost. For reasons of varying neurosis I have started waiting until my TiVo has 2 new episodes on it before I sit down to watch them. This means it has been over a month since I’ve seen anything happening on the island and this is becoming less of a loss as time goes by. When I was first introduced to the show I was fortunate enough be able to rent the first season and watch them back-to-back. It was, by and large, very satisfying. The interesting coincidences, the tenuous connections, the mysteries and the character development were all very appealing, very compelling, particularly in the wake of 4 years worth of reality-TV crap. Now, because of the way it’s constantly interrupted for reruns or the uber-insulting recap show I’m starting to look at the series in a different light. The bloom is off the tropical orchid, so to speak. Normally I would simply be losing interest but I think because of my initial investment and high-hopes for an interesting, intelligently written fantasy drama I have instead started transferring my disdain onto the characters. Last night the wife and I watched our 2 episodes back to back and I found myself actively rooting for the bad guys to hurry up and finish them all off. Except for Hurley. Every time someone would make an inexplicably bad decision, every hackneyed characterization, every time there was a woman on-screen with perfect make-up, hair, fashionably low-rise pants and the physique of Kate Moss on a nose-candy diet I would hope and pray for a polar bear to bound out of the jungle and eat them.
Bah, perhaps it will all seem better if I avoid the rest of the season and wait for its release on DVD.


ps, sorry about the creepy Serpent and the Rainbow picture being up for so long=)

…to ashes

It’s Ash Wednesday again and you (may or may not) know what that means: yup, today is the day when the charcoal bunny hops to the houses of all practicing Catholics and smears an ashy cross on their foreheads. This is an ancient custom in which we are exhorted to remember that we all come from ashes and to ashes we shall all return. The visual effect of this is something akin to the zombies in “The Serpent and the Rainbow”. To me it has always looked a little creepy. Today also marks the beginning of the Lenten Fast, or Lent where traditionally Catholics abstain from eating red meat until Easter weekend. While this obviously means different things to different folks (or nothing at all to some of you) to me, I tend to think of it as the last mass celebration of faith that hasn’t been commercialized to death. Yeah, I know, major chain restaurants are gonna start pushing their fish and poultry menus, but, other than that, you’re probably not going to hear much about it. That, by itself, was enough to catch my attention – particularly in a culture where political correctness dictates the how and why of mass-market holiday cheer and trendy, conglomerate churches close their doors to the faithful on Sunday because it was also Christmas morning… and no one wants to go to church on Christmas, right? feh

In any case, my personal religion (and interpretation thereof) is fairly fluid; not a strict set of doctrines and laws but rather a loose set of guidelines that I use in my personal relationship with God. It’s in this vein that I participate in Lent by giving up for 40 days something or things that I like. This year I have a veritable laundry list:
-1. I will give up smoking. (yikes)
-2. I will give up beer and malted beverages. (Wine and liquor are okay, its just beer that is not good at all for my doughy physique)
-3. Unhealthy snacking. I will be allowing myself a day of celebration every week where crap-foods are allowed. Remember, moderation in all things. Except smoking. That’s right out.
-4. I will give up fast food. Yup, this one is gonna kill me.
-5. Pornography and all the happy stuff that goes with it. I shan’t elaborate=)
-6. Lastly, I will be giving up a bit time each evening to sit with my boys, perhaps with my guitar, and quietly interact with them.

So there it is, my contribution to spiritual harmony during this holiday season.
LaChaim!