Abecedarian: I am a fan of the mystery writer Sue Grafton's alphabet series, though also feel an obligation (having gotten this far) to continue to read them until she reaches "Z." She is at "S" ... and a blurb in her most recent book described her "abecedarian" series. Yes, that is a word -- someone who is learning the alphabet. Learn something new ... and all that. For instance, "fatuous" -- a word unsurprisingly used in much political writing these days -- was a word I am much more familiar than I once was.
Waterboarding: Some months back, Andrew Sullivan -- a conservative leaning critic of the Bush Administration's treatment of detainees (aka human beings) -- posted a medieval carving that portrayed what is now known as "waterboarding" (again, that sounds actually fun ... sort of like water skiing ... some new extreme sport), one that labeled it as torture. This is the practice of pouring water down a suspect's throat and covering the face in such a way that makes the subject feel like he or she is drowning. It is a cruelly simple technique.
I was skimming through a book about "The Girl In The Picture" (young girl running nude down the road after being attacked by napalm during the Vietnam War), which did not really meet to my approval. The subject is something worth knowing about, but I could not get into the style and such. Strange journey: ten years or so after the attack, the Western media found her again, so the Vietnamese government used her for propaganda purposes, ruining her attempt to quietly go to medical school.
First thing, they let one of the original reporters take her to West Germany for additional surgery on her back (the picture in a sense is misleading, only showing her terror ... her terror arose from wounds on her back), she being alive in the first place because a privately funded Western hospital was willing to take her soon after the attack. Her recovery was a living hell, especially for a nine year old. Anyway, later she eventually wound up in Cuba, where she staid a number of years. And, finally, she went to Canada in the 1990s.
Her family at the time of the attack was basically middle class, arising from a successful noodle restaurant. The reason the attack occurred to begin with -- seems like there was some kind of mix-up that caused civilian casualties -- was that the family lived in an area with divided loyalties. Partly because of the family's religious connections, they did help the Viet Cong. And, the mother was taken in by the authorities at one point for a short period of time, and "questioned." One aspect ... this book was written in the late 1990s ... was pouring water down her throat and putting a cloth over her face so that she felt she was drowning.
[The Nation had various articles recently on our methods and at least one noted that current activities did not come out of whole cloth. They reflect past actions. This is only denied but those who do not want to believe. Unfortunately, this is an all too common sentiment.]
West Wing: Of the various long running shows still left on the air, this one is the only one that I really still watch. And, though it has its problems, I still generally find it worthwhile. A recent small subplot involved the President's son-in-law cheating on his wife (an appealing character), which led to problems because he is running for office, and the President was going to campaign for him. The wife let CJ know, without directly saying it, that she was aware ... but, still wanted the President to help him win. The husband, a weak man in more ways than one, needed the President's help. And, him winning office (with her truly the brain behind the throne) would be the best thing for her kids.
It was a sad moment, but one that rang true. We glorify marriage in this society as a wondrous institution, but sometimes we need to be more honest about how it plays out in reality. Sometimes, people stick together in marriages that leave a lot to be desired, partly because they decide it is the best way to handle the situation. It might upset some to admit this, and I know someone who was upset when she found out someone close to her made a somewhat similar decision. But, such is the real world. Like it or not. And, sometimes marriage is not the best decision. Sometimes marriage only worsens the situation, even if we make "compromises." Thus, forcing all teen moms into pregnancy, for instance, is not the best solution.
It is good for the media, including television drama, to face up to such realities.