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2004 In Retrospect: The Write-Off, My ContributionFeb 06 '05 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line What a year it was...
Its not often that I enter write-off's but here it is a lazy Sunday, the children are busy doing their own things, and so is my wife. And I find myself with time to myself, time to write, time to reflect on the year that was. And so without further ado I give you the Year that was in retrospect…. #1: Name one person who you met throughout the year that has made a lasting impression on you. Tell us about them. I know this is going to sound strange, but I didn’t really meet anyone new last year that left an impression, at least not one large enough to make me want to wax eloquent about their place and or influence on my life. I am for the most part a home-body, we do not go out much, and consequently I don’t meet a lot of people. Perhaps this is sign that I need to get out more! #2: Was there a TV show you saw for the first time in 2004 – perhaps 2004 was it’s first season – that you now absolutely love? I would have to say The L Word – Complete First Season, and not for the obvious reasons. Yes, I can be a voyeur, not unlike to rest of the adult population, but that is not the reason I enjoy The L Word. And it is not because just about all of the primary characters are lesbians, though it doesn’t hurt. And it’s not because I wanted to see Jennifer Beal’s kiss another woman, though I will admit that she is still a looker and for me until The L Word she had lost none of the innocence she possessed in her first movie Flash Dance. No for me the The L Word represents another world; it is a window into a space I could never occupy, a lifestyle I have struggled to understand. Is it representative of all the country’s lesbians and the way they live their lives? Of course not, just as no one program on television could totally capture the glaring nuances of the heterosexual world, but it does attempt to humanize and in so doing educate and lend understanding where before there was glaring misconception. #3: Tell us about the best movie you saw last year. It doesn’t have to be one that was released last year, just as long as you saw it for the first time in 2004. If possible, include a link to your review of it. Because of the Presidential election last year I tended to watch and read anything that might further my understanding of the dynamics shaping what was probably the most important election in our generation. So I watched Outfoxed the documentary about the Fox News Network and its rather blatant conservative slant. Unlike Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11, Outfoxed turned me on to information I wasn’t already aware of, thus lending to my knowledge. My closing paragraph of my review of Outfoxed: For those would cannot do without their nightly dose of Fox News and claim to love their country,Outfoxed is a documentary well worth their time to watch. And for those of us who think that truly “fair and balanced” news reporting is essential to the proper functioning of our American Republic,Outfoxed is an education in what can happen when the People and the government agency charged with the stewardship of the airwave—the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)—stop paying attention and allow cancers like Fox News to infest the very heart of our democratic process. I, for one, do not like being subtly manipulated by those with interests other then the welfare of the American people and nation in mind. Do you? #4: How about the worst movie you saw last year? Is there one that sticks out a mile – perhaps you wrote a scathing review on it. Without a doubt, hands down the worse movie I saw last year and indeed in a very long time was In The Bedroom. The movie actually was released in 2002, and I saw it then and hated it, but thinking I might have been too hard on the movie, I watched it again at the end of last year on DVD and still hated it. Honestly I cannot see what the critics saw in this boring movie—they all seemed to love it—but not all tastes are the same. #5: Was there an event that you wish people would just shut up about already? I second your emotion: The Janet Jackson’s breast baring incident ranks highest on my list; it was much ado about nothing. It was and still is a breast, a part of the human body, and nothing whatsoever to be ashamed of. Yes it is sex organ so to speak, but the female breast is also a source of valuable (and needed) nutrition for millions of babies around to the world. I was breast fed, as were many babies. I mean really in a country where the porn industry rakes in more money then the Hollywood, do we have room to quibble over a breast. But, what about the children, was the hue and cry? See above. If most suckled from a breast(s) one year of age, why would it be shocking to see one at six, or eight, or ten year of age for that matter? Americans need to adopt a healthier attitude about the human body in general, and sex in particular. Get over it already!!! #6: Was there a worldwide event that left you wondering what the world is coming to? Damn, two for two! I still scratch my head and wonder what were we think reelecting George W. Bush as I discussed in my Essay: What Have We Done By Re-electing This Man? I mean really, people, the man is an admitted dullard, a slacker. He is no leader. I wouldn’t follow him to the local library, let alone into battle. And hasn’t lied to us enough? Apparently no since clearly half of the voting population thought it was okay to put him back into office. Are we as society really that dense? And I can only hope that he does not get his way on Social Security and tax cuts, or we can kiss our retirement and out children’s future goodbye. Actually, one other on-going event leaves me wondering about humans; the on-going genocide in Sudan and the world’s refusal to take concrete steps through the United Nations to stop it by any means necessary. It sickens me that the body created to combat this abomination after WWII, is do nothing to prevent it now. Where is the outcry from the world? Where is the aid? Where is the human races collective humanity? Or are Africans not worth the effort? #7: Similarly, was there a worldwide event that made you happy? The overwhelming response to the victims of the Asian and African tsunami disaster was heart warming. Though it has now faded from the national and worldwide spotlight, the world continues to help the people affected get back on their feet. #8: What were the best and worst albums you heard last year? The best album by far was Joss Stone’ The Soul Sessions . Love it, still love it and listen to it weekly. This girl has soul! The worse album by far was Usher: Confession. Except for a couple of good songs, I hated it. #9: Which musician / band disappointed you? See above… #10: Are there any writers who were newbies in 2004 that you highly recommend we read? No not really; is that bad? #11: What was the most significant event of the year? It could be local, international, or simply personal? For me it was the decision by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts that allowed homosexuals to legally marry. Now for the record I am not a homosexual, not do I have any homosexual friends (that I know of), but I believe strongly in the principles embodied in our constitution. And one of the most important principles and indeed fundamental rights afforded all citizens is the right of equal treatment and due process before the law, as outline in the 14th Amendment. The Massachusetts’ courts decision was a beacon of light in a rather darkened hall that threatens to relegate and legislate yet another class of Americans to permanent second class citizenship. It was wrong when it was done to Black Americans and it wrong now, and you’d think we’d know better, but this is what happens when religion and the emotion it generates is allowed to intermix with public policy and law. Imagine sewing discrimination and bigotry into the fabric of the constitution by making it unlawful for homosexuals to marry without a finding of harm as eleven states did this past election cycle. My head is still reeling. And Bush has the audacity to speak of bringing liberty to other nations; what about at home? #12: Do you think your life is on the right track for where you want to end up? How did 2004 affect this? My life is pretty much on track personally, but professionally there is room for improvement. I had professional goals last year I failed to meet for a number of reasons (most of them personal), but this year I plan to do more the meet them. Not that the job market is helping any. But I have a wonderful family, a big enough home, a nice car, all the computer equipment any self-respecting geek could want, so I am content. #13: Was there anything else significant about 2004 you’d like to add? I hate to sound like the heavy, a downer as it were, but I think our country is on the wrong track, being led by the wrong people, and that religion (Christian Right) is starting to have a negative influence on our personal and social freedoms, and unduly influencing public policy and politicians. If I may address the religious portion...I can understand the need and desire for moral structure and the guiding hand of Principles in the governance of a free society. I have children and I fret over the influence television, music, and other media has over them. But I do not ask the government to step in and help me raise my children; I do that. I do not want the Morals Police making themselves comfortable on my living room couch. And I do not want someone else moral compass superseding my own in the public or private arena. I believe religion can be a powerful force in a person’s life, for good or ill, but that spirituality is a private concern, and should not be brought into the public arena. If you do not wish to have an abortion, fine don’t have one, but don’t deny me or mine the right to have one if we so choose. If you don’t wish to love and marry someone of the same sex, then fine, don’t, but don’t deny me and mine the right to pursue happiness because it makes you uncomfortable. Freedom is just that freedom to chose for myself what is right for me without interference from others, unless and until I am doing harm to other citizens, or society at large. I highly resent those of the Religious Right trying to dictate to the rest of us how we should live our lives, what should be taught in the PUBLIC SCHOOLS, what we should see or not see on television, or listen to on the radio, who we should marry, when we should end our lives, and what we should and should not do with our bodies. Those of us who love freedom need to stand up and be counted, before the Constitution becomes just another quaint document with no meaning… ---------- Related Reviews: The L Word – Complete First Season Outfoxed In The Bedroom Essay: What Have We Done By Re-electing This Man Joss Stone’ The Soul Sessions Usher: Confession  |
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