NBC's Medical Investigation a HUGE disappointment.

And I had such high hopes for it. It's Neal McDonough's new show, and, well, him being so hot and all, I was sorta hoping it would not be horrible. *sigh* Boy, was I wrong. First, there's the soundtrack - they don't let up, not even for a minute. It's that urgent, OHMYGOD music that appears in bad Jerry Bruckheimer movies. Second, the scriptwriters are just awful. What was with that bizarre subplot of the woman trying to keep the story out of the press by locking the reporter in the closet? (Rolls eyes) And I won't even comment on the predictable separated-from-wife-because-he-works-too hard storyline. Do we really need that...again?

Apparently, NBC thinks we do.

Florida Storms: Gods getting back at Jeb Bush for 2000 election debacle

In a statement released earlier today, the Greek god of sky and weather Zeus claimed responsibility for the multitude of storms pounding the Florida panhandle of late. "Consider it a protest regarding the shabby handling of the 2000 mortal presidential election," read the statement, "and while I'm at it, a warning to Jeb Bush regarding the upcoming election. I'm capable of a lot more damage than this, you know!"

When pressed for an explanation of why he was punishing innocent civilians when the Florida voting debacle was clearly the fault of the state's elected officials, the angry god proclaimed, "Look, I don't have to explain myself to you. I'm a freakin' god! People piss me off, I make my statement. So go ahead and put up your little storm shutters; but keep in mind, I'll be watching."

And while yesterday, a Florida judge ruled that Ralph Nader be kept off Florida ballots in November, the high court today intervened, to the total lack of surprise of the entire Democratic party. Do the latest storms have any relationship to all this? When pressed for an answer, Zeus groused, "I'd be making with the burnt offerings big-time right about now."

9/11 -- Same Time, This Year

So the other day I checked my TiVo and discovered that it had picked up a few programs on 9/11. Sad to say, I've been so busy I clean forgot that it was that time again. HBO had done a documentary a while back that I missed, but here it was, waiting for me on the machine, so I plunked down and turned it on. There was no annoying voice-over by some talking head, just video footage and photographs from random people - some journalists, some just average Joes/Jolenes who were near the area that day. Occassionally, this footage was interspersed with interviews with the mayor and his staff, all of whom recounted where they were and what they did throughout the day. Now, I'm against the war and all and I think Bush is a weenie -- but that's because I see absolutely no link between 9/11 (a bin Laden-hosted affair) and Iraq; certainly, Afghanistan was a stretch. But watching this, it reminded me that do what we will, evil is just plain out there. I mean, that's really all terrorism is, whether you're Irish or Muslim or Russian or American -- killing civilians in the name of your cause is, quite simply, the act of a coward. I doubt that randomly attacking countries is going to change any of that.

I didn't lose anyone in either the Twin Towers or the other two attacks, but I can remember how, for a few days, the world felt. At least, I can recall my world. Things were already strange for me; I was in the process of trying to evict a crack-addicted roommate who was finally in jail (9/11 delayed her hearing long enough for me to serve her with a restraining order at the jail), and much of my house was in disarray. I'd just arrived home from a trip to Seattle on the night of the tenth, and decided to deal with cleaning the next day. The morning of the eleventh, I called a friend and launched into the latest on the Roommate Bulletin, but she interrupted me with, "Have you watched the news at all?"

From there on, it was mostly a sit-in-front-of-the-tiny TV-in-my-bedroom kind of day (the living room TV had been secured at a friend's weeks ago to keep it from being ripped off by the roommate). There were other entropic events going on involving shifts in a relationship, and that definitely added to the fun. But more than that, I can recall the entire city being on edge for quite some time, watching the skies for stray airplanes or just bracing themselves for bombs. Every ride under the Bay in the BART train felt like it could be my last. At least I didn't work in the Transamerica Building - that must have sucked.

I can recall how everyone looked at the policemen who walked around town and in the BART stations, and the firemen who drove by, as if they were all heroes. I also can recall the war protests months later, and how those looks of gratitude had returned to thier usual mistrust.

For a few days there -- maybe even a week -- we were more or less united as a people. It only took government a few weeks to screw that up.

HR163: It's not just for breakfast anymore.

What is this HR163, you ask? Well, simply put, it's a bill requiring mandatory military service for all 18-26 year olds out there that certain representatives will be trying to push through next year. Oh, I'm sorry, mandatory service sounds so rough. How about "enforced volunteering"?

Apparently, Democrats wrote this one, but after hearing Zell Miller speak, nothing surprises me anymore. A bad idea is a bad idea. The bill lists some reasons for exemptions (although college no longer applies); I sense a gay spell coming on!

"You will bow down before me, Kalel!"

"...You, and someday, and your heirs!" This was the tone of the allegedly Democrat senator from Georgia, Zod - I mean, Zell Miller last Thursday at the Republican National Convention. I know I'm jumping on the bandwagon a tad late, but I was busy trying to figure out whose side he did more damage to - Democrat or Republican. I mean, it's only natural that at the RNC, most speakers would point out weaknesses in the other's side. Still, it would be nice if (a) they would instead point out their own strengths; and (b) they wouldn't be so...I don't know, um.... violent in tone. Okay, so Miller supports Bush. But to hear this guy talk, Kerry - nay, all Democrats! - are vile creatures simply for being. As Jon Stewart pointed out on The Daily Show (and how much do we love him?), Miller was practically saying, "How dare the Democrats put forth a candidate? And in an election year!"

Yeah, it's only natural for things to get ugly, especially when the presidency is at stake. Both sides are guilty of becoming mired in non-issues, like the whole swift boat thing, and who did and didn''t serve in Vietnam (did you ever think this would be an issue?). But get over it guys, and start discussing some real issues, already. I don't know about you guys, but after a display like the RNC ("I kept expecting them to break into a song and dance number called "We're So White!"), I'm leaning towards the side that isn't yearning for the "days when a man could challenge another man to a dual".