Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Bad Week

Eh, the last couple days have just not been very pleasant.

There are the big, seemingly unassailable problem. Prop 8 is gaining and my marriage is looking more likely to be, once again, annulled or in legal limbo come November; that will really limit our options. On top of that, it will likely be thanks to the church of my culture and the church most of my family funds. To be serious, I really don't know how I will be able to be around them, knowing what they have chosen to do to us, even indirectly. Can they even imagine how they'd react if I supported the same legal hobbling and insult to them, their spouse and their children? It's disturbing how quickly people ditch the golden rule, even for their actual brother... But hey, it could be worse; they could be turning me in to the inquisition, right?

So no, today I'm going to focus on the trivial problems of the week.

Like Heroes. What's up with Heroes? How many plot lines are we following now; 5 for every character (10 for Niki or Barbara or whatever)? Focus! Now, Season 2 was troubling and I was told you'd fix it. I mean, will we ever find out what happened with Mica's backpack plot-line from season two? I was worried about that stolen back pack and all, even with a pandemic threat.

But things look less than hopeful. I mean, wasn't Sylar adorable in an apron, just after we watched him probe through a brain and kill several people in cold blood? Clare gets into torture (or was that enhanced interrogation?)? Really, Heroes? Really? Someone goes into the future and sees something scary, again? Everyone gets powers... Mohinder's power is, what? To have sticky stuff on his back, get horney, and make it impossible for cameramen to hold steady when filming him? Ooo, and the psychic cop can see into the future now if he eats paste...

Honey, I liked your first season quite a bit, but come on. You were supposed to distract me like a shiny object up to the election, yet I find myself groaning at your day-time TV twists (Identical triplets! Camping up the guy I loved to hate. Oh and he's that other guy's brother, adopted out at birth!). You make me sad.

Secondly this week, I lost my Nigerian scammer. For about a decade now I've been taking their letters and trying to keep them busy with me instead of grandmothers in Florida, but I also like to see how ridiculous I can be while keeping them hopeful that they can pick my pocket. I had one guy convinced I was a protractor sales man from Texas that looked just like PeeWee Herman's mug shot. I may have pushed it too far when I promised this person a +2 lab coat of frost giant intelligence if they'd come to work in my lab.

Still, they replied after I sent this photoshopped image of me in a wetsuit:

I took off my hair, removed a tooth, enlarged my nose, and pulled out my ears, and she/he still told me she liked my picture! I'm that handsome. (if you're into such stuff, I'll put the exchange in the isocrat forum in the member's humor area. It's too long for a blog and I don't want them to find the text by searching for it; there's still hope).

Anyway, here's to next week.

11 comments:

Kengo Biddles said...

FWIW, Scot, Miki and I are having a hard time understanding this herculean effort in California, when it didn't seem like the Church gave a rat's derriere for what happened in Vermont and Massachusetts.

We sort of feel like it's wrong for them to be doing a call list, too, but I know other churches are doing it to.

I don't know--in some way, I feel like this affects me to, even though I have a "normal" marriage.

You're in my good thoughts and prayers.

Scott said...

Hang in there and don't despair! Even if some of your friends and family are supporting something that is hurtful to you, you've still got lots of friends and "family" who love and support you. Serendipity and I will be praying for you as well.

Unfortunately, I can't comment on the Heroes part of your post... Sylar's back, and Serendipity hates Sylar--she won't watch it with me, and I haven't had any time to watch alone, so the episodes pile up on the DVR unwatched.

If it's as bad as you say, maybe I won't bother.

Abelard Enigma said...

Prop 8 is gaining ... thanks to the church of my culture and the church most of my family funds

To be fair, the LDS church hasn't donated any funds directly to help pass prop 8 - they've encouraged the members in California to do that. And, by the looks of things, the saints in California have responded in droves :( However, that doesn't mean your family made any donations in support of prop 8.

But, you bring up a good point - how would they react if you were to actively support some initiative to limit the rights of heterosexual married couples?

btw, I too am not as enthralled about Hero's as I want to be. First of all, I think they made a strategic mistake by waiting so long to air new episodes. Then they promised us that season 3 would be better than season 2 - a promise that IMOHO is still unfulfilled. If things don't get better soon than I fear we may not see a season 4. A pity since season 1 was so fresh and promising.

btw, I support your family.

Scot said...

Kengo "Miki and I are having a hard time understanding this herculean effort in California, when it didn't seem like the Church gave a rat's derriere for what happened in Vermont and Massachusetts."

I think it has to do with the size and influence of Ca's population. I've noticed some members promoting this strong effort as a sign of how much they have in common with other christian groups too (I just hope they know, if not the gays, more of those other Christians would be spending time attacking the LDS faith). But I don't know.

Nevertheless, thank you.

Dichotomy: Thank you too. And I hope I didn't spoil what's on the dvr for you. Watch it for the groans anyway :-).

Abe: "To be fair..."

I guess my frustration is with the fact that church facilities are being used to do this, even if they aren't giving money directly to pay for commercials. This story, for example, got to me today. Some of my sibling's resources will go to pay for that broadcast, and they go to pay for the pulpits over which the call to harm their brother and nephews goes out. They may not write a check to Yes on 8, but they help promote it. I mean:

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is making arrangements for Californians living in Utah "to call friends, family and fellow-citizens in California to urge support of the effort to defend traditional marriage," spokesman Scott Trotter said Tuesday. "

I'm guessing my brother, a Utah county Bishop, might be involved in some way. And... I've not even yet thought of my in-laws...

I almost don't want to know what my extended family is doing beyond tithing, but I also feel I should know where family stands in order to defend those I love most. I'm torn.

Eh, maybe we should just start a write in campaign to the writers of Heroes, and ignore all this. Maybe it'll just go away ;-).

Craig said...

I'm pretty pissed off too about the whole prop 8 thing. Bastards.

I took off my hair, removed a tooth, enlarged my nose, and pulled out my ears

Whatever. I've seen you. You totally look like that. ;)

It actually makes you look kind of like Gollum.

Kengo Biddles said...

"I just hope they know, if not the gays, more of those other Christians would be spending time attacking the LDS faith."

This absolutely baffles me, too...because I see it, why don't they? Talk about Machiavellian!

"It actually makes you look kind of like Gollum."

...and that's a good thing?

Dave said...

I'm totally with you, I was thinking about that earlier today in the Deseret News when I read more about the Mormon church's efforts to get Proposition 8 passed. To think my whole family believes in/supports a church that is actively trying to destroy my relationship is almost unbearable.

B.G. Christensen said...

I still like Heroes. But then I liked Season 2.

Scot said...

Craig "It actually makes you look kind of like Gollum."

Damn, I should have turned my skin gray too.

Dave: "To think my whole family believes in/supports a church that is actively trying to destroy my relationship is almost unbearable."

Let me know if you think of what to do about it, because I'm at a loss.

"I still like Heroes. But then I liked Season 2."

See I actually thought my Heroes comments would generate more backlash than this.

You do not like Season 3 better than Season 1, though. Please don't correct me on this; I'll just believe it for the sake of our friendship.

Dave said...

Whatever I'm doing now is not working, so I will let you know if I figure it out! I'm purposely avoiding my family now...but it's not hard to do since I live far away. I really want to write my brother in California an email but I don't know if it will do any good.

B.G. Christensen said...

I won't correct you, Scot. I can't really compare the seasons because I watched the first two on DVD, so there's an entirely different feel and momentum. An enthralling cliffhanger means only that I need to stay up another 40 minutes to watch the next episode. This is the first season I've watched on TV, so the first time I've had the excitement of seeing it unfold as it happens.

And honestly, once I decide I like something I have a hard time changing my mind. I still watch the Simpsons and eagerly await the next Lauryn Hill song, though in both cases nothing good has come from them in ten years.