No News May Not Be Good News...But It Can Be Healthier For You

Listening to negativity, and bad news, will affect your mindset.  When you keep hearing that the sky is falling, eventually you can't help but glance up once in a while to check.  Thirty years or so ago, I stopped watching the local news shows.  And yes, for my younger audience, there was TV back then...and it was in color.  

Even way back then though, there was a growing tendency to deliver nothing but bad news.  Accidents, violence, disasters.  Bad news sells!  Very little good news, other than the occasional 'human interest' story...which I think was some sort of news code phrase for something that will keep people from throwing themselves out fifth story windows.

The fact is though, that's what people want to watch.  I'm not a psychologist, so I really don't know why exactly...and I'm sure there are any number of people who would be happy to tell me precisely why that is.  Another fact is, that watching this sort of news is depressing!  I mean it makes you feel bad...feel sad...and makes you afraid to go out or leave your kids outdoors unwatched.

So I started thinking about it then and asking myself why I watched.  I realize that we all have this fascination with 'dramatic' events, whatever they are.  Why we can't not look at a car accident when we drive by.  Then I asked myself....what was I getting out of this?  Was there anything on the local news that was going to make me happier....safer....better informed about something important in my life?  Surprisingly (to me), the answer was a resounding NO!  

Granted, occasionally there might be something I needed to know.  But that rare event was not worth the psychological damage the vast majority of the news was doing to me.  And to be fair, I did (and do) get my news....just not from these local stations anymore.  I didn't go into hermit-mode.  I just found ways of finding out what I really needed to know from other sources.  

The bottom line though, is that whether it's news or the people you surround yourself with, it's best to make them as positive as possible.  Being positive doesn't mean you can't hear constructive criticism or real news.  Some of it is bound to be bad.  It just should be news that helps you make your life better, safer, more informed of things that do matter to you.  Keeping a positive outlook these days can be a challenge...don't make it harder by letting the 'bearers of bad news'  poison your well.

The Top 10 Things Wrong With Orphan Black!

First, before the hate mail and death threats begin, I love the Orphan Black series.  I only get into one or two TV series a year.  Mostly I'm watching movies...and college football when it's in season....but hey, don't hold that against me!  I'm not exactly sure when or how I found this show.  Most likely a commercial came on during Dr Who.  Whatever it was, I started catching up on the first shows and never looked back.

The problem for me though, is that I really...really...expect my shows to be as realistic as possible.  I don't mean that it can't stretch the envelope or 'go where no man has gone before".  It just needs to make sense in some way or another.  So when Orphan Black strayed off the path, I did my best to look the other way and hope it wasn't there when I looked back. Unfortunately, they seem to have this penchant for going to that dark place for me.

I'm not talking about plot twists or new mystery characters either.  Game of Thrones has nothing on Orphan Black in that category! (disclosure - until I lost my HBO, GoT was another show I watched WAY too much of).  No, my problem is much more basic than that.  So, here are the top 10 things in Orphan Black that are like nails scratching on a chalk board for me (do they still make caulk boards...TBT??!!):

1) Why doesn't anybody move...or even try to hide?!!  Right from the beginning, with the police, drug-dealing boyfriends, Dyad and god knows who else looking for them nobody moves!!  What...I mean...what??!!  And every week it's the same thing.  Someone from some not-so-nice faction shows up on the same doorsteps trying to kill someone, kidnap someone or steal something.

2) Why is Sarah in charge?  She gives loose cannons a bad name.  'Reactionary' should have her picture next to it in the dictionary.  I mean, do any of her plans/strategies last longer than the commercial breaks?!

3) Does anyone else think that Helena should maybe NOT be wandering loose in the world?  This woman has issues...like the Sahara has sand.  Somehow part of her therapy is playing with everyone's kids??!!...and passed around the family like their old aunt.  Did we forget that just a few episodes back she was a murderous psychopath? [6-13-2015 update...I rest my case...but you gotta just love her direct approach to solving problems! Like riding a bike...you never really forget how.]

4) What's with that kid anyway?  I assume at some point we're going to actually get some explanation as to why this kid can see the future...read minds...and whatever other magic powers she seems to have.

5) Doesn't anybody actually finish investigating murders?  If I remember right, there have been at least three or four murders/suicides on the show.  Yet, even after Art and Sarah were out of the picture, no one seems interested in figuring out why they keep finding bodies with identical DNA.  Or maybe that just gets boring for the cops too after a while...same old thing and all.

6)  They don't move! (See #1....yeah, this is just f**king stupid)

7)  How many different times can you "coincidentally" have to impersonate each other?  Can you say 'jump the shark'?  Seriously....this is probably the most annoying part of the show for me.  It reminds me of every bad 50's movie or TV show that tried to use the old mistaken identity ploy.  One more of these and I'm going to ruin a perfectly good TV. 

8) Where are these new clones coming from? Didn't anybody keep track of these damn things?!...or were they just too busy killing off the scientists to be bothered back then?  And if Dyad couldn't locate them back at the beginning, and hasn't been able to track them down in all these years, how are they popping up now?  Another mystery......although, maybe if she does play, like a thousand roles, she'll at least get nominated for an Emmy...

9) Can someone please explain to me just who the hell is Delphine...or whatever the hell her name is? She seems to have gone from exchange-student/lover to Dyad spy to Queen of everything Dyad...with no explanation as to the miracle metamorphosis.

10) Yes, you may have guessed it...THEY DON'T MOVE!! (See #1...again)  I mean come-on guys...hide or something...for god's sake!!

So, having said that, I'll be watching...and recording...the last two episodes of this season.  Realizing also that they're either going to have to come through with the secrets and connections with all these clones in the next season or two.  Otherwise, we're likely to see a regular shark jumping fiesta in the not too distant future. [6-13-2015 update - well, I didn't see THAT coming...can't even imagine what the finale will be like!]

Why We Miss the Boat By Counting Calories

Well, even a broken clock is right twice a day!  When I read this story  [Congressman mocks calorie counting]  I'm not sure what was more disturbing.  Listening to Rep. John Shimkus mocking the idea of counting calories or the fact that he's right...but for all the wrong reasons.

Now I'm not saying he's an idiot.  Although, who am I to judge really...after all, he is a congressman.  The problem is that he's right about the idea that calories are not the key to healthy eating and weight loss.  Look at diet soda for instance.  Some have no calories at all.  We all know that a calorie is a measure of the energy in food.  Something the body can break down and use.  However, the fact that it has no calories doesn't mean it's somehow good for you.  Dirt doesn't have calories (that I know of) but we don't (generally) eat dirt.  Although, the be honest...given some unavoidable choice...I'll go with the dirt every time.  Chances are that any rat piss or bear shit that might be in it is better for me than most of the concocted crap in diet soda!

So the point is, instead of worrying about reporting calories...which is only half the story...how about just telling me what's in the fucking food!  Yes, Congressmen, unlike the people you obviously associate with, I do want to know.  Not that I'm any sort of food genius or health fanatic. But if there are more things in it that end in -mine or -trate, than things I can identify as food, I'll probably pass.

And by the way, mister genius congressman, labels and disclosures help keep food companies honest.  Not that they're afraid of the government (we all know where you guys stand....wink-wink).  However, they should, and do, fear being "outed" by their competitors for putting shit in their food that the competitor's are even too afraid to use.  So please, stop worrying so much about what people are doing behind closed doors and start worrying more about what these companies are trying to do to our health...and the health of our kids.

Growing Up Facebook

In this Internet Age, so much is made of the need for protecting our identity and personal information.  Doing everything you can to ensure that you won't be a victim of identity theft.  Today you even have the options of controlling who sees your information on social media sites...including Facebook.

So you would think we would be as concerned about protecting the personal information of others too.  Our friends and family...even co-workers 

But what about the kids?  One of the main purposes of social sites is to be...well, social.  To share what's been going on in your personal life with those people in your circle.  And for many people, that involves kids.  Your kids....your nieces and nephews....your best friend's kids...etc, etc, etc.

Our kids (or in my case grand-kids, great-nieces and nephews) have had no choice and no say in the matter.  We are proud of their achievements and accomplishments.  We're also quick to post the amusing mistakes and out-takes (uhhh...amusing to us anyway...I know one particular grandson that would tear out my windpipe if he knew I shared one of his embarrassing moments!)

Then we fast forward 5...10...15 years into the future.  Those kids have grown up.  Maybe have their own Facebook page now.  And their entire lives are already on display for anyone clever enough to know where to look...and you don't have to be all that clever really.

It's a new world I know.  A completely different set of rules for interacting with their friends and family...something every generation says the next generation is doing wrong!  And in those same 5...10...15 years who knows what technological changes and software enhancements will take place.  But with the way college recruitment and even careers can be impacted by social media these days, it's certainly worth having the conversation and thinking hard about what we put out their about our kids....for the world to see!

Complaining About the New College Football Championship Playoffs already......Seriously??!

After years and years and years of complaining about the lack of a college football playoff at the highest competitive level, it's finally here!  (College Football Playoff 101 courtesy of ESPN)  Therefore, all is right now in the world of big-time college football, right?!

 

Well, the argument over the last 15 years or so has been that "choosing" the  top two teams to play for the National Championship would often leave a 3rd team sitting on the sidelines.  And yes, I said choosing...if you don't follow college football, you really wouldn't believe how this was (is?) done.   Then again, you really, really wouldn't believe how it was done before that!  So there was always some sort of controversy after the so-called championship game, particularly when one team was crushed and the #3 team wins handily as well.  The fans were always left basically one game short of knowing who was truly the best team each year.

 

Unfortunately, controversy sells, even if you have to manufacture it.  So for the last few weeks, the new "argument" is about how to pick the #4 team and who will be left out now!!  Seriously???!!!!  So why not add a wild card game for the #4 and #5 team?  But then you have to worry about leaving out the #6...the #7...#8...etc, etc, until you end up with the 64 teams (or is it 65 teams?) like the NCAA basketball playoffs?

 

I get it...sports news is just like any other news...bad news or controversial talk gets people watching.  But come on, there has to be limit...even to stupidity, you would think.  First of all, it isn't all that hard to pick out the top 3 or 4 teams.  And I don't remember a time when there was any mention that the #5 team should somehow have been included in the championship game.  So this Tuesday (10/28/2014) the first rankings from this new super committee will come out, which will decide who plays who. 
 

 Naturally, all hell is breaking lose on the sports talk shows because there is still much uncertainty at the top.  But as my old boss, the Dean, used to say...it's just trying to create some artificial urgency!  Anyone seriously looking at ranking the teams would know instantly that, not only do we have weeks of games still to play, but almost every team bunched up at the top is going to play at least a game or two against the others.  Time will clear up any doubts about at least half these teams and what will be left would never be confused with the #1 team in the country.  And the bottom line is that the only reason a team should be considered for the playoffs is if you could rationally argue for that team to be #1.  If not...well, then they don't need to be in it anyway , so who cares!!

 

For now then, we...the fans...just need to tolerate the noise coming from the talking sports heads and realize that soon enough the answer will be obvious...even to them.  Unfortunately, that only means we'll have to endure the next manufactured debate.  Oh well....maybe what we really should have is a debate about that!

Stop Ruining My College Football!!

Now, I'm no expert on the NCAA rules for college football, let alone college sports in general.  Apparently though, neither are the colleges and universities.  And certainly not the players!  The one thing that I DO know, the NCAA rules are exactly that, "rules"....not laws.  Violation of these rules, while potentially creating an "unfair advantage", sometimes known as cheating, they do not necessarily (and very likely don't) indicate a violation of law.  The net result of these rules though, is that at any point in the season, your favorite team...your Alma Mater that you live and die for every Sat...could suddenly have it's star player disappear from the roster due to some infraction of rule 136.33.222.25.459A(sub12).

 

Most people seem to get this law vs. rule thing confused...even one of the top ESPN college football analysts (big thanks to Kirk Herbstreit for the immediate on-air correction!).  Not that I'm an anarchist about college sports, ok.  But many of these rules were instituted decades ago and apparently unnoticed by the NCAA governing body, the world has changed.  Not to mention the money involved! 

 

2014 has finally brought us the college football playoffs most fans have been looking for all these long years.  As far as I know, this is last college sport to do away with the idea that you don't really need to play a football game to see who's better (for anyone not catching the dripping sarcasm, see week 6 where we had, what, 5 out of the top 8 schools lose).  Yet, they still cling to an outdated and all-but-unenforceable, image of the amateur college athlete.  Hey, even the Olympics finally caught up to the real world years ago and for all intents and purposes, trashed the idea of trying to legislate who was a pro and who was an amateur.  By the way, Legal 101, the more you try to legislate, the more loopholes and inconsistencies you create.

So my problem isn't whether the rules were violated, but the fact that the rules are ridiculous...and un-American to boot (yes, I really went there)!  Or maybe it's actually very American after all...using money (read: power) to retain dominance and advantage....hmmm.....but I digress.  The rules would also seem to be applied arbitrarily.  A college football player receives tuition, room and board and, if qualified, a stipend...which would probably allow him to go to the movies once a week...alone.  The argument being, that while they are playing football for the School, they are afforded all these benefits and receiving ANY outside income would somehow tarnish the "pristine" image of The Game.  Meanwhile, a scholastic scholarship student from say, Harvard, could hypothetically create oh, a mega-billion dollar social media site and rake in millions of dollars, without raising an eyebrow (although, I would expect that the School's Office of Development would be hoping to help the old endowment account somewhere in there).

 

And don't even get me started about the difference between making a few bucks from a legal, but unauthorized, means and the subject of sexual attacks or violence.  Right now there are players getting ready to suit up for Sat that face these types of allegations, while someone that sold a few signatures are touching up their NFL resumes while sitting out suspensions.  It's mind-boggling, to me anyway.
 

I understand, the Colleges and Universities want to protect their revenue...and protect their brand.  But losing top athletes doesn't bring in fans to watch your games...it disheartens them and creates controversy over something that doesn't need to be there.  While at the same time, the brand, and the images of athletes in general, are tarnished by the inability or unwillingness of the Schools or the NCAA to police and discipline those whose violent and sexually abusive actions perpetuate the image of the animal-athlete. We can only hope that someday, it will stop being all about the money...but then again, I've always been a dreamer.

 

 

The "wrestle-ization" of the NFL

I have to admit, I used to be an NFL-holic.  Of course that was years ago.  Watch the 1:00pm game, then right into the 4:00pm game....grab dinner while watching the ESPN highlights, then catch the Sunday night game.  Not to mention Monday and Thursday nights!  Somewhere in there though, things started to change.  Part of it was the fact that while I was building my house in Florida, I really lost track of my teams.  Whenever I would find time to watch, I just didn't recognize them anymore.  Wrong quarterback...wrong running backs....wrong receivers!!  Hey, I've got nothing against free agency or players making whatever the market will bear...problem is, I realized I was just as much a fan of the players as the team...maybe more.  It just wasn't the same.

So that brings me to the game today.  I still play when I have time...(and at 55 that is no mean feat!)...and every so often I still catch a game.  Today I happened to watch the Giants and, unfortunately, it hasn't improved much.  I'm not talking about who's playing for who now...I gave up on that a long time ago!  It's just that I really can't stand the dancing!!  Ok, so I'm a bit (a lot!??!) old fashioned.  You make a play and you get your ass lined up for the next one.  Nothing wrong with showing some emotion...that's a big part of any sport.  But what's with the dancing??!!  I mean, dancing on every play, somebody thinks they just made it to the Super Bowl!  Jumping up off the ground, they don't look to their teammates to celebrate...they run 20 yards away and start some sort of poorly rehearsed mime dance.  Really??   "Hey...look at me....look at me".  Buddy...do something big and we'll look at you...prancing around the field like a dancing pony just doesn't do it for me.

The sad thing...it reminds me so much of "professional" wrestling...which is a combination of splendid athletics and porn-quality acting.  All that's missing at this point from the NFL are the microphones.  I suppose it's what people want to see though...a sad commentary in itself.  Didn't they already have an NFL wives reality show? (don't even get me started on THAT)  Even the networks are on it.  I'm watching the game today and they're interrupting it for reports on who said what about whom in the days leading up to the game.  Wow!...that's all I can really say....wow!  Makes you wonder too...I mean, there aren't too many people left (I hope) that believe that wrestling is real.  How far can we be from football going all the way into theater mode.  You can have the "bad-boy" teams and the America's team with red, white and blue uniforms.  Fans can bring their little "we love us" and "we hate you" signs.  The teams can all do their choreographed celebration dances after every.....single.....freaking.....play.....until their asses fall off!  Fortunately for me, I won't be watching.  These days give me college football, where you still get football without the drama.  I'll leave NFL wrestling for someone else.