I'm confused. I'm trying to observe the prohibition against the consumption of meat on Fridays during the Lenten season. Accordingly, on a Friday night it is not uncommon for me to pick-up a spincach pizza from Giordano's on my way home from work. But, by the time I get home and am prepared to eat it, it's after midnight.

Here's the quandry: Should I get the pizza instead on Thursday night and eat whatever I want on Friday, assuming that a Lenten Friday extends from midnight to midnight, or should I presume that Lent corresponds to my own Friday which is typically from 10am to 4am the next day?
Perhaps I should send an email to Cardinal George and ask him this question.

I Just Wasn't Made for These Times

"They say I got brains, but they ain't doin' me no good."

Have I mentioned that I'm a genius? Oh, yes indeed. Although admittedly, only as a function of my complete ignorance of human intellectual acheivement. I should provide some examples.

At the age of 19, I invented rationalist metaphysics. Of course, that was before I had read Spinoza who beat me to it by more than 400 years. I must concede, however, that Spinoza did it better. I wrestled fruitlessly for days with the problem of reconciling free will with materialism until an early morning class lecture made everything so clear.

Another time, I predicted the end of philosophy. Eventually, all areas of philosophy may, in fact, should be made obsolete by empirical study. Even the social sciences, of which we have so little practical knowledge now, will become empiricized and philosophy will occupy less and less space in human thought. This idea is basically an extension of my metaphysics. It also bears a striking resemblance to the positivist movement of the early 19th century. Oops.

Most recently, I came up with the concept of Quantum Immortality. I created it and saw that it was good. Then I saw this Wiki article. Foiled again.

Some people are born ahead of their time. They are forced into conflict with the established ideas and practices of their day as they try to forge a new path of greatness for mankind. People like Copernicus, Galileo, umm... Al Gore.
I, on the other hand was born too late. Hundreds and hundreds of years too late to make an impact on the world.

I'm surprised I don't know more famous people. Or really, any famous people. I just watched this movie. Well, not so much watched as skimmed through on fast forward. The actor who plays "Michael" in that movie is a guy I know from North Occidental. I was in a play with him, actually.

At the time there were a handful of creative types about whom various expectations of success and fame were purported. Now one expects some hits and some misses. But all misses and no hits? That comes as a bit of shock to the version of me from ten years ago that still dwells unaltered in the medial temporal lobe of my brain.

You know, it's strange to look around in there--in the MTL. There's all these other versions of me in there, each with a different view of the mirco-social world.

The Unquiet Dead

Original BBC Website: Episode 3

"Pity the Gelth."

In episode 1 Clive tells Rose that the Doctor has one constant companion: death. It's not a coincidence. If there is a line between saving the world and destroying it, that line is razor thin. Sometimes things go wrong. One of the ideas being conveyed in this series is that actions have consequences. Unintended consequences can be especially dire. Fortunately, in this episode, Charles Dickens is around to save the day.

Rose

Original BBC Website: Episode 1

"Nice to meet you. Run for your life!"

This isn't the best episode of the series. In fact, it may be the least best episode. But, it successfully introduces the characters and tells you as much as you need to know to get started.
The plot is kind of tacked on and the enemy is a 1970's retread. If your attitude toward this first expository episode is "meh," episode 2 is probably a better exemplar of the show.

One last observation: If your boyfriend is replaced by a talking mannequin and you don't notice, it may be time to find a new boyfriend.

The End of the World

Original BBC Webpage: Episode 2

"Burn, baby. Burn."

The Doctor takes Rose to an exclusive affair. The rich and powerful have gathered to pay their last respects to Earth as it is destroyed by the expansion of the sun.

Doctor Who writer/producer Russell T. Davies wrote Queer as Folk among other shows. His vision for the series is for it to be character driven. This episode is more about the development of the Doctor as a character and establishing his relationship with Rose than the adventure on Platform One.
But, it does give the audience what it wants: people in alien costumes.

By the way, the phrase "Bad Wolf" appears in some form in every episode. It's an augury of episodes 12 and 13, but I'll come to that later.

Torchwood

I thought about making a blog for my Doctor Who predilection. But, I'm just going to do it here since I already have four other blogspot pages I don't use.

The thing is, I suppose most of the people in this country who want to see the new Doctor Who have already seen it. I have the DVD boxset and have watched each episode four or five times. I'm not sure how much of an audience there is out there for the Sci-Fi channel broadcasts. I don't know if a new audience will embrace the show.

In any case, in this space every Friday for the next 12 weeks, I'll have something to say about the episode to be broadcast on Sci-Fi that evening. Synopses, hot links, character points, history and backstory, etc.

Now, don't misunderstand. My enthusiasm is not directly proportional to the show's quality. It's not great television, but at times it is quite good and I enjoy it immensely.
"...Which is the only thing that matters in the end."

As a gentleman of refined tastes, who appreciates the fine arts on their own merits, I've never really identified with the coarse sensibilities that inspire the kind of attention that individuals such as Mr. Skin and his ilk give to female nudity in cinema.

Recently, I've been studying the films of Sam Peckinpah. I watched The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs¹ and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. I was, for some reason, surprised to find nudity in all three. It wasn't gratuitous. It wasn't inappropriate in any way. I just didn't expect it and it caused surprised at each screening.

As a result of this, I developed a list of things that Sam Peckinpah, as evidenced in his work, likes:

1. Justice


2. Heroic Criminals


3. Slow Motion Violence


4. Mexico


5. Boobies

But then, I watched Ride the High Country and The Getaway. There was no nudity in either of those films.
I was surprised to find myself genuinely disappointed at this.
So, what now have I become? I'm like a Peckinpah character whose circumstances have caused him to change into a different kind of man.

Now, if only I had a gun and an insatiable lust for justice (and not boobies), some things could get done around here.

¹I would like to point out, that I strongly disagree with Ebert's take on Straw Dogs. It is a brilliant and often misunderstood film.

Yesterday, during the course of my official duties, I ripped my pants. At the seams. Practically, from stem to stern. Which is not all that interesting, really. I mean, I don't wear good clothes to work because I know that they'll get destroyed. But later I noticed that my fly was open and it wasn't because I had forgotten to zip myself, it was because my zipper was broken.
I spend five hours on my feet and I wasn't trying to hide. So someone must have noticed something. But, no one mentioned it. That's what was really strange.

Apparently, I had a leak in one of my tires and it needed constant filling with air. It seems that at some point last week, while I was on my way to work, I ran over a small child and that child was very pointy.

Anyway, there's a Walmart that opened not too long ago near 95th and Western, outside the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of Chicago. Now, you may correctly guess that I am one of those opposed to Walmart's business practices. But, it seems to me there is little harm in servicing my vehicle there. However, much to my surprise, their auto service facillity was staffed entirely by Chinese baby slaves. But hey, what a bargain!