It's a shout-out but ....

..... it is still un-nerving. The Vampire Slayer Act has just been approved. Now I get the reference - hell, it's my fandom for goodness sake but even I see desperation all over this. This quote instilled no further confidence either:

" ..... Levine had a large table festooned with electronic devices -- cell phones, Play Station controls, a toothbrush, Tivo, a stereo system. Cloves of garlic were scattered among the devices. (my emphasis added)

Somehow, there's nothing cool about this (and this is from a man who tries to include at least one Buffy quote every day in his work - and especially aims to slide them into official reports!) and yet I suppose you get your pop-culture references where you can.

The more things change

In reference to Germany in the 30's and 40's:

"What happened here was the gradual habituation of the people, little by little, to being governed by surprise; to receiving decisions deliberated in secret; to believing that the situation was so complicated that the government had to act on information which the people could not understand, or so dangerous that, even if the people could not understand it, it could not be released because of national security. (An excerpt from "They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933-45" by Milton Mayer)

It is such a close parallel to how so many governments operate today that it just send shivers up and down my spine.

I have no words.

Removal of veils from Muslim women doctors

I thought I had something profound to say on this subject, but upon reflection, I don't know that I do. I lived in a Muslim country for 5 years and saw every variation of women's headdress from none to baseball cap to Stetson (don't ask) to hijab to burqa. I can't ever remember feeling threatened or offended – indeed the concept just seems too bizarre for me to even contemplate. But recent events have put another perspective on all of this, I guess.

( More thoughts behind the cut )

Jake in Progress

I thought I would check this programme out - after all, if a writer I like as much as Jane Espenson not only recommends it but also works on it, I figure it must have something going for it. Apparently not - I tried, I really, really, really tried. I tried so hard my teeth bled - and I do mean that literally. Then again, they may have been bleeding from gritting them together so hard in order to endure through the pain.

I try to look for the positive in every programme I watch. I try to wait at least five episodes before I decide. I lasted three - and the third was a battle of wills, just to stay in my seat. Nothing but nothing appeals here - not the acting, not the scripts, not anything.

Sorry, but this is a not-watchable (actually it is a get-that-fucking-thing-as-far-away-from-me-as-possible) programme for me. I wish it wasn't - I have had unexpected success with a couple of the new programmes this season and was hoping this would be another. Just.Not.