Dexter

I spend only a fraction of my time in front of the TV, not least because only a fraction of that time is decently spent. Occasionally, however, I stumble across something worthwhile. Showtime's Dexter is one example from tonight. I saw the fantastic opening sequence on Youtube a few months ago after reading positive reviews online. Tonight I noticed one of my favorite TV actresses cast as the title character's girlfriend, so I decided to give it a try.

As I said, it's an example of a worthwhile TV show. Dexter is the surprisingly likeable title character. Also, he's a sociopath. He's likeable, though, because he only kills serial killers. His sociopathy distances him from the rest of the world; but, at the same time, it's hard for us to distance ourselves too greatly from him. We see the world through his eyes. The effect, of course, is to humanize him. Perhaps this is ironic, given how often Dexter makes us think about the (large) part of humanity that he lacks. If the psychology of sociopathy interests you, it's worth a look.

I hung on after the credits for a show called Brotherhood. I can't say it engaged me, but I stayed with it long enough to hear Lou Reed's "Heroin" playing during one of its scenes. This came as a surprise, since I had been listening to The Cowboy Junkies' Trinity Session, which includes a justifiably well-regarded cover of "Sweet Jane." Naturally, the confluence of these two events sent me to my music collection to play my too-long neglected copy of The Velvet Underground & Nico. So, you see, watching TV isn't always a waste of time.

Money Matters

While I was a student, my bank refused to increase my credit limit on my Visa above $1500. This frustrated me because I regularly reached my limit with tuition, books, and all my other expenses. The moment I graduated, however, they asked me if $4000 was high enough (or too high). Granted, my income tripled and my discretionary income skyrocketed from $100/month to $1200/month, but my budgeting skills didn't change. I didn't suddenly acquire an aversion to debt; I've always had that.

Giving (A) Hand (To Steve) Jobs

I'm writing this on an iBook with an iPod attached to it, so I'm hardly anti-Apple, but I'll never get over the fawning press the company gets. Love letters to its CEO, like this one, are proof positive that hipster yuppies are at least as inanely consumerist as anyone else. Just in case the organic food industry wasn't proof enough.

Hell Is The Absence Of God

God is not just, God is not kind, God is not merciful, and understanding that is essential to true devotion.

Read the story. Courtesy of Andrew Vestal.