TV Viewing

My time on the island is about getting unplugged from our hyper kinetic, hyper connected world, only half accomplished since I've become a Crackberry junkie. The television, which is never on during the day at home, remains black here. It's the evening viewing that is different since I don't have HBO to follow with lurid fascination the melodrama of the polygamist family. Instead, I have found myself idly watching whatever is on the three PBS channels on this island--it seems the island is situated to receive the Boston PBS Network, Rhode Island Channel, and one other that seems to come out of Connecticut. The other night I was caught off guard to see the MVY channel--usually relegated to televising the various towns' selectmen meetings, scintillating, really--airing a documentary about the momentous decision of Californians voting into law Proposition 13. It was odd to be watching this thorough documentation of the devastating effects of this one moment in the state's history--the long lasting effects will continue for so many more generations to come--while sitting so many miles away, so removed from the concerns all of these issues raised for me as a Californian.

The documentary laid out what I've known, witnessed, and predicted for the state and its upcoming years, a grim picture, indeed. This one proposition decimated one of the premier public school systems in the country in a matter of years, all accelerated by the boom of illegal immigration, the sheer number taxing a system already burdened by the shrinking budgets. What the documentary also pointed out was how this short-sighted law will continue to create ongoing problems for the state and cities, namely LA. If half of what they predict comes true, LA will truly resemble the fictional city of "Blade Runner," without the science fiction aspect of robots and such. Anyway, it was depressing in tone, view, and predictions, only reinforcing my general relief to no longer live there.

Another show that also added to my relief to not be in LA is the Bravo show, "Flipped." For those who have not had the enjoyment of viewing this fine, fine show, well, all of you are in for a real treat. A brief synopsis: a gay man with some means, although not unlimited, buys decrepit homes, refurbishes them to gay tastes, and the sells them for a profit. He is prone to psychics for guidance. He has held cleansing ceremonies for homes that have not sold. He is abusive to his assistant, a woman, who upon closer inspection is too old to be someone's punching bag. It is all meant to be entertaining, but is ultimately depressing. Some nights, I just find myself watching reruns of 'Law and Order,' since I know what to expect with them. All these other shows, so many of them reality based, make me despondent for our culture, our world, the world for our kids, and just life in general. It does make one want to drink heavily, if only I could find someone else to get up and be functioning for our son in the morning.

Just two more days till we get off island, ferrying away from this place, heading to our new life, as they say.