mrs-roboto's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lifetime 2 - \"The Station for Middle Aged Women Who Have Grown Bored With Made For TV Movies Starring Ann Jillian\" I've decided not to write about the soup I mentioned in my last entry. Suffice it to say that I made a batch of too-thick lentil soup for my grandmother and my mother made a batch of too-watery chicken soup for her as well and in the end after much thought I decided that would make for the dullest writing ever. Something about that was funny to me initially but it faded from my memory before I had a chance to document it. In significantly more interesting news, I saw the most wonderful show on Monday. I almost had to swim downtown due to torrential rains but it was well worth it. For Clem Snide I would walk on hot coals. Seriously, Eef Barzelay is sooo my boyfriend (and his version of Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" was both hilarious and melodic). Sigh. I am smitten. In addition, Pete Fitzpatrick can make a banjo sound like the theremin. Beat that! Oh and remember the torrential rains bit I mentioned earlier, it actually worked in my favor. Whimpy scenster Seattlites stayed home leaving huge open spaces in the club from which even a tiny gal like me could see all the action. Oh yes, I actually *saw* the band. I don't know if I'll ever again be content to just stare at some guy's back while hearing my favorite musicians. Most pleasant of all was the company I kept at the show. Dishery is simply a blast to spend time with. It's nice to feel completely at ease with someone. To know that they have no ulterior motives in befriending you and more importantly that they are willing to put in the work friendship takes. People hate to admit that friendship does in fact require work but it does. You need to be willing to commit your time to learning about the other person, their likes and dislikes, what makes them tick. This is so much easier when you're younger and time is ample but as you get older (and in my case, more cynical and less forgiving) it can be a hefty effort. I have found people are less willing to commit to meeting up for coffee or drinks compared to the days of the early twenties when one will jump hurdles just to grab a beer with someone they have the slightest connection with. Sure, we have less free time as a result of significant others, careers, community obligations, or whatever but I value those people I chose to surround myself with and I think they are worth every moment of my time and I hope they feel the same way about me. Wow - was that a tangent or what? In closing (and to get me back on track), let me say that Dishery is wonderful friend and that I am lucky to have her in my life. Oh and did you know she got gawked? I knew that her dead-on critical analysis would earn her that credit some day. It was only a matter of time. And as for a special website dedicated to just that area of expertise, I say go for it D! Can we still be friends when you are hanging with the creme de al creme of the Internet and hosting a panel at Journalcon 2004? Okay and now onto something my wonderful husband noted this weekend when I was lying around, indulging in a little couch jockeying and bad television viewing. There is no longer anything worth learning being broadcast on The Learning Channel. Now don't get me wrong, I love me some Trading Spaces but seriously, is there any cognitive thought involved in that program? Not really. In addition, TLC has added shows such as Date Patrol where you can "watch the daters stammer, blush and squirm on first dates" and then view their transformations as a team of "experts" coaches them on what they need to change about themselves in order to get a little ass. Or What Not Wear who's title pretty much says it all. Is this learning? Not really. It's more like the opposite of learning, like actually destroying brain cells by starving them of anything substantial. The worst offenders by far are of course the "story" shows - A Dating Story, A Wedding Story, and A Baby Story could not have less intrinsic value intellectually. Is there any knowledge to be gained there? I'm going to go ahead and say no, absolutely not. Now, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that. I like watching crap as much as the next guy but with a name like The Learning Channel, don't you think we should expect more? Maybe some shows with a focus on education, perhaps even a few "how-to" programs as in "how to build a deck" or "how to snake a drain?" So the end-all of this is that I am pleading with TLC to change it's name to Lifetime 2 - "The Station for Middle Aged Women Who Have Grown Bored With Made For TV Movies Starring Ann Jillian" or maybe that's too long of a tagline but you get my point. 12:43 p.m. - 2003-10-22 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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