The Lilies of the Field

You wake up every morning, cursing the sun because you have to get up when you would rather be sleeping. You’re in a bad mood because you’re having to go to work when you’d rather do almost anything else. For no reason other than because you had to pull yourself out of bed and be productive you’re in a foul mood. What if you didn’t wake up in the morning, though? What if the last time you laid your head down on your pillow was the last time period?

This morning I found out that a friend since childhood, Heath Sullivan, passed away, presumably in his sleep. He was a year younger than me, and though we didn’t attend the same elementary school, we attended the same church for most of our lives. We attended church camps together, high school together, and most everything else because we grew up in a small community.

Heath was the friend that I took to my Junior Prom. He was the cantankerous guy who broke into my car while I was at band practice one night and received a busted lip, courtesy of my class ring as a reward. He was “the Worm,” and always made every church gathering a little more fun. I hadn’t really seen him much since high school. We never know when the last time we see a person will be.

We grow up, go our own ways, lose touch, and then when you hear something like this, it’s a reminder of how precious every breath we take really is. We may not be our happiest where we are at this moment, but still, we awoke today. Each day, each hour, nay each moment is a gift from God. Let us be thankful for each moment we have here with our friends and loved ones and make the most of this fragile gift.

25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[b]?28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:25-34, New International Version.

The Network Upfronts: My Take on It All

Sometimes
you can read the summary of a new television series and tell right away if it
will bomb.  Sometimes we're all mistaken (i.e. I thought Heroes would
bomb last year and that Studio 60 would be a hit).  Last week the
five network s unveiled their fall lineups, and I've decided to give my opinion
of the new series that are premiering on all of the networks sans the CW. 
My cable provider doesn't offer The CW, and since the cancellation of Gilmore
Girls, my all-time favorite television series, I could care less what the
fledgling net has to offer.  Shows in green
font are the ones that I think will do well.  Shows in red font I think will bomb.  The Shows in blue font are up in the air.  My commentary
will be in black.

ABC

Dramas
Big
Shots (Thursdays at
10) – A story about four male friends who are kings of their lives… until the
women get involved.  Starring Dylan McDermott, Christopher Titus, Michael
Vartan, and Joshua Malina.  Personally,
I think that this will be the network tv version of Entourage, and I’m not all
that interested.  However, it may find a
core audience and soar.

Cashmere Mafia (will replace either The Bachelor or Dancing)
- Four female friends try to balance their busy corporate careers with their
social lives. They've created their own little "girls club" to help
each other out in their efforts to crash through the glass ceiling. Starring
Lucy Liu, Frances O'Connor, Bonnie Sommerville, and Miranda Otto. Darren Star (Sex
and the City) and Kevin Wade are among the executive producers.  This is the first
mention of two series created by someone who worked on Sex and the City.  They both seem very similar, but I think that
with ABC’s more female-centric built-in audience, this show has the upper hand.

Dirty Sexy Money (Wednesdays at 10) – An idealistic lawyer gets drawn in
by the temptations and dangers of wealth when he takes over as the personal
lawyer to an old-moneyed wealthy family. Stars Peter Krause, Donald Sutherland,
and William Baldwin.  I believe this show will do well just because it seems a
little seedy.  I do have my reservations
about it though.  It doesn’t seem on
formula with the shows that ABC has done well with in recent years.

Eli Stone (midseason) – From Greg Berlanti (the guy ABC brought in
to save Brothers & Sisters) and Mark Guggenheim (also of B&S).
A procedural about a lawyer who starts seeing visions because of an inoperable
brain tumor. He tries to deal with the visions and find deeper meaning in his
life while trying to stay in the real world. Starring Johnny Lee Miller, Victor
Garber, Natasha Henstridge.  This one screams of Ghost Whisperer and I, but is
from a solid team.

Private Practice (Wednesdays at 9) – Kate Walsh as Addison Montgomery.
Taye Diggs. Tim Daly. Amy Brenneman. Lots of sex. Shonda Rhimes and her Grey's
team (Betsy Beers, Marti Noxon, et al) are involved.  Not everyone
was wowed by the pilot episode of this show, but I feel that it has a great
deal of promise and potential.  It also
has a built-in audience of McFans.

Pushing Daisies (Wednesdays at – A show about a guy who brings things
briefly back to life with one touch?'  All of the critical reviews that I’ve read
say that this will be one of the best shows of the new season.  Though it too seems like Medium and other
shows, I think it sounds interesting, and I plan to give it a look.

Women's Murder Club (Fridays at 9) -
A detective, a DA, a medical examiner, and a reporter — band together to solve
crimes. Stars Angie Harmon and Laura Harris.   Is this a middle-aged version of Nancy Drew
and friends?  I give it two
episodes.  It already has a horrible
time-slot.

Comedies
Carpoolers (Tuesday at 8:30) – Four people in a carpool.
Hilarity ensues. From writer/EP Bruce McCulloch (SNL, Kids in the Hall) to the stars,
which include our old buddy Fred Goss (Sons & Daughters), Faith
Ford, and Jerry O'Connell.  It
could do well, but I see this going the way of Big Day.

Cavemen (Tuesdays at – Meet Joel, his younger brother Jamie,
and his best friend Nick, three cavemen living in modern-day . These cavemen
continually find themselves at odds with contemporary society as they struggle
to overcome their physical appearance and the accompanying stereotypes. It
is based on the Geico caveman ads.  The
commercials are moderately funny, but to try and base a half-hour sitcom on
them is stupid.  I think we’re beyond the
days of the outlandish sitcom such as Third Rock from the Sun, Alf,
Honey, I’m Home, and Dinosaurs.

Miss/Guided
(midseason) – Created by Ashton Kutcher.
Judy Greer (Love Monkey) plays a formerly awkward teenager who returns
to her high school as a guidance counselor, thinking her gawky years were
behind her. But she finds out every day is high school, no matter where you
are.  I
think this has a chance to be pretty edgy and fun with Ashton Kutcher behind
it.  It could be the How I Met Your
Mother of the Alphabet Network.

Sam I Am (Mondays at )
- Christina Applegate is a woman who wakes up from a coma with amnesia, and
finds that the person she was before her accident wasn't a very good one. Also
stars Jennifer Esposito, Melissa McCarthy, Jean Smart, Tim Russ, and Barry
Watson.  I want
this show to do well because I like Christina Applegate, and I love Melissa
McCarthy (always Sookie in my heart), Jean Smart (Charlene), and Time Russ
(Tuvok).  Also, the premise sounds
appealing.

Other
Oprah's Big Give (midseason) – The big
O's first prime time series, it involves a bunch of people who compete to get a
whole bunch of money in order to make a difference in people's lives.  This show will do well because people love
feel-good shows like Extreme
Makeover:  Home Edition, and there
are many members of the Church of Oprah.

CBS

Dramas
Swingtown:
An ensemble period drama set during the sexual liberation of the 1970s. Look to
see open marriages, key parties, and a
time slot. Grant Show (Melrose Place),
Jack Davenport (Coupling, the
good one from the ),
Josh Hopkins (Brothers & Sisters),
Lana Parrilla (Windfall),
Miriam Shor (Big Day), and
Molly Parker (Deadwood) star.   This just screams early cancellation, possibly
because it can be controversial.

Viva
Laughlin: Lloyd Owen (Monarch
of the Glen) stars as Ripley Holden. The show is a musical drama
about Ripley and his family as they attempt to run a casino in .  . Among the cast you will find Madchen Amick
(Freddie), Patrick Fabian (Veronica Mars), Melanie Griffith (Twins), and Hugh Jackman, who also
produces the show.   Three words:  Remember Cop
Rock.

Moonlight: Formerly known
as Twilight, this one centers
on a private investigator/vampire.  Alex
O'Loughlin stars as the vampire investigator and the story will revolve around
his struggles with immortality, feuds with adversaries in the vampire world, and
a romance with a mortal. Along for the ride are Amber Valetta (Transporter 2), Rade Serbedzija (24),
Lucio (The O.C.), and James
Black (All Of Us).  I think this show’s already on Lifetime, and
it’s not cool to copy a Lifetime Original Series.

Cane:
Jimmy Smits (West Wing) stars
in this drama about a Cuban-American family that "explores the American
dream, past, present, and future." The story follows two rival families
that have built an empire in the sugar and rum industries. Smits will be joined
by Hector Elizondo (Chicago Hope)
and Rita Moreno.  It kind of makes me think
of a Cuban-American Brothers and Sisters.
Whether or not it will do well, I don’t know.

Comedies
Big Bang Theory:
From Two and a Half Men creator
Chuck Lorre, this one follows two theoretical physicists who meet a sexy new
neighbor that teaches them about life from a new perspective. Johnny Galecki (Roseanne), Jim Parsons (Judging Amy), and Kelly Cuoco (Eight Simple Rules) star.  Sounds raunchy and already boxed into a hole.

Other
Kid
Nation: A reality show from the producers of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. 40 kids,
ages 8 to 15 were put in the abandoned town of . Over the course
of 40 days the children build a society, electing leaders, passing laws,
establishing an economy, etc.  Oh boy!  A live-action Lord of the Flies! 
Seriously, this sounds like it’s coming from the CBS I remember from
High School.  You know, the one that my
grandmothers fell asleep to.

Power
of 10: CBS isn't immune to the new game show craze,
and this is their entry. Hosted by Drew Carey, the show will have contestants
guessing the results of public surveys for a chance to win up to $10 million.
The show is set for a summer release.  Welcome to CBS’s Deal or No Deal.

NBC

Dramas

Heroes: Origins
will be six special episodes of the series, which will air during the show's
hiatus. This means the total episode count for the season will be 30.  The Heroes fans seem to be really anticipating
this one.  I just have memories of the
short-lived Ally McBeal spin-off, Ally, though.

The Bionic Woman:  An updating of the classic ABC show from the
70s. It stars British actress Michelle Ryan.  I think that sci-fi fans will love this.

Chuck
is about a computer geek who becomes a spy (somehow). It's produced by Josh
Schwartz.  What I’ve seen of this show, it could draw
in even more Sci-Fi viewers in the Heroes crowd.  Even though I’m not a fan of action-series, I
may have to take a look at this one.

Journeyman
sounds a lot like a 21st century version of Quantum Leap. It stars Kevin McKidd
from
and is produced by some of the people behind The West Wing.  Since I work at an NBC affiliate, I have to say
that everyone who has seen this pilot seemed taken with it.  I think it will work well with the Heroes crowd too.

Life: A drama about a
detective who spends years in jail for a crime he didn't commit and is given a
second chance. It stars Damian Lewis from Band
of Brothers.  I think we’ve had too
many detective series on air in recent years, but I love Damian Lewis.  I hope this one does well.

Lipstick Jungle:  from Candace Bushnell, who did Sex and the City, and sounds similar. It
stars Brooke Shields and Kim Raver, from The
Nine.  Another series from
someone behind the scenes at Sex and the
City.  This and Cashmere Mafia will compete for viewers.  ABC has a bit of an upper-hand with
female-friendly series such as Desperate
Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Ugly Betty, and etc.

Comedies

The IT Crowd :  A new comedy that focuses on the lives of
tech people.  If fans of The Office and 30 Rock like it, it’ll soar. 
However, it seems like a knock-off.

Other
The Singing Bee: The
Singing Bee challenges contestants to accurately sing the lyrics to popular
songs — when the band stops playing! Scored like a spelling bee, there is no
middle ground for partially correct answers. Contestants must be perfect, or
they’re out.  As much as I don’t want to watch this, it will
probably do well because it reeks of American
Idol and America’s Got Talent.

World Moves :  A hip-hop competition, and is produced by American Idol's Randy Jackson. I just don’t see this
show working out.  It makes me think more
of You’re the One That I Want, and we
know what a ratings grabber that wasn’t.

Fox

Dramas

K-Ville:
A drama about cops working in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. I can see people tuning
into this show for the first few episodes because it’s based in .  However, I still think that we’re suffering
from cop-show-fatigue.  It does have a
better chance on Fox than the other networks though.


New Amsterdam: A sci fi/drama about a homicide
cop who is secretly hundreds of years old is tired of being alive.  This has an interesting premise, but will still
be a cop show.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Lena Headey stars as
'Sarah Connor', as in the character from the Terminator
movies. The action/drama is about Connor's attempts to prevent the Terminator
robots from killing her son. More often than not, television shows based on
movies bomb.  The success of this show
depends entirely on the cult factor.  Can
it sustain fans of the movie franchise?

Canterbury's Law:
Stars Julianna Margulies as an aggressive defense attorney who "is willing
to bend the law in order to protect the wrongfully accused."  I can see this being aired with Bones.  I think it stands a better shot of lasting
than Justice did, but it will still
be tricky to get around the plethora of lawyer-shows on the air.

Comedies

Back
to You: A sitcom starring Kelsey Grammer, Patricia
Heaton, and Fred Willard. Grammer and Heaton are reunited as anchors on a news desk.  Put this show up next to Till Death and watch the former Everybody
Loves Raymond stars and Kelsey Grammer shine.

Return
of Jezebel James: A comedy about a woman who asks her estranged
sister to carry her child. Stars Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose.  This show comes from the creator of my
favorite television series of all time, Gilmore
Girls.  This is a half-hour comedy
with a laugh track, but it still has the snappy, witty writing that only
Amy-Sherman Palladino can drum up.

Rules
for Starting Over: The Farrelly Brothers' comedy about a man
who returns to the dating scene after a number of years in a relationship.
Co-stars Rashida Jones, who plays 'Karen' on The
Office. Fox promises a spring premiere, but currently does not have
it on the schedule.  I think this one will be
picked up because it has a solid premise.

Other
Kitchen
Nightmares: Gordon Ramsey returns, this time he's not
harassing wanna-be chefs, but he is trying to help failing restaurants survive.  I think the day of the Reality Show is slowly
reaching it’s sunset.

:
Unscripted show about young people pursuing musical dreams in . From the
producers of .  Yawn. 
Didn’t ABC and MTV try this ten years ago with Making the Band?

The Search for the
Next Great American Band: Same as American Idol, but with
bands.  As much as I loathe reality television,
this will do well because people who like for music to be a little edgier than Idol ‘s  pop will get into this one.

To Be or Not To Be: My Thoughts On a Normal Life

To Be or Not To Be: My Thoughts On a Normal Life
Current mood: Contemplative
Category: Contemplative Religion and Philosophy

..>..>

“

To be or not to be, that is the question— Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep— No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to — ’tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep— To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there’s the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause. There’s the respect That makes calamity of so long life, For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Th’oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th’unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered country from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will, And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pitch[1] and moment With this regard their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action.[2]

“

Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Act III, scene I

Have you ever felt so totally disoriented with things that you long for a sense of normalcy? Then as those longings persist and intensify, do you find yourself asking what exactly normal is? Is it a comfort level of knowing what to expect; that security found in routine and simplicity? Is that normal? If so, isn’t that also considered to be boring by our society?

We’re told to take chances in life; to live to the extreme, whatever that may be. I for one am not so sure. Do people who have no routine – who live so wholly in the moment, always searching for adventure feel more alive than the rest of us? What is it to “feel more alive” anyway? Does feeling alive require laughing in the face of your own mortality? If to feel alive, we must risk that very thing that is so precious, are we not mocking it?

Life is a plethora of paradoxes. To every yin, there is a yang. One person’s happines in comfort and routine is another’s prison. While many struggle to attain that invisible “normal,” others strive to be anything but. To both, the other pole is often considered wrong, but really is either? Neither is entirely wrong nor right, they just are, and to be is to be alive – to be normal.

Currently listening : Pride & Prejudice By Dario Marianelli

26 Days…

    If all goes well, in 26 days, Bart and I will
move in to our new home!  I can’t wait to get there, start putting
things were they go, and plant some flowers!  Also, I can’t wait to get
away from the Hwy 62 traffic!

Currently listening : All The Stars And Boulevards By Augustana Release date: By 06 September, 2005