Why is there so much sex on TV?
I just don't get it.
Now I realize that I am part of the problem since I was watching the TV show that prompted this post. But shows with gratuitous sex and nudity are not part of my regular TV viewing habits. It was a new show to me - I had no idea.
I protest on many levels.
First as a feminist. Why are there tits and ass and runways and everything all over the tube but not a male dicks in sight? I am an equal-opportunist. Why do the men not have to flaunt it but you can't hide from the women?
Is it really that exciting? I mean it is the year 2007 and we have seen EVERYTHING. Must we keep on seeing everything. I could understand that in the 50s and 60s this would be scandalous and titillating and new, but it is 60 years later...this is old hat. Who cares already?!
What really gets me...is this what we, the viewing public, really want? I mean, is that what the big boys in the corporate, leather furniture-filled offices of the network executives really think of us - that is what today's society wants to see...over and over? Do we want to see it? We must - otherwise, why would more and more shows like this be developed?
As I took communion today in church, I watched the people slowly, reverently walking up to the alter...hands poised...ready to receive God himself. Do they watch those TV shows?
I am not a prude. But does it have to be in my face all the time? Can't the writers write a plot that doesn't need so many visual aides? Couldn't there be clever plots, awesome writing and...dare I say it...acting? You know, when they PRETEND something so well that we believe it without having it all laid (no pun intended) out for me. It's getting so you can't even watch some commercials.
We don't have cable - ask my 13 daughter what a tragedy this is - and I really like TV but I can't have that in my house. I can't risk being de-sensitized to that subject matter. I can't have sex, the act of sex, the reasons for sex be reduced to prime-time porn without a thought or serious relationship close by to explain it.
It is so sad to me that we as a society have been reduced to this. I retreat back into my old-fashioned bubble...and read.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
A New Dress
My blog has a new dress. Not a designer one. Just off the rack, like hundreds of others I'm sure. But I did get to pick the size and colour. So that's fun. A bit more me.
Facebook is all the rage. My friends do it. My daughter and husband do it. They even made a page for me. So I surfed around a bit. Did some looking to see who I could find. But you know, even when I did find people, Facebook tells you nothing like blogging does. It's quick and easy. There is no soul. Not like in blogging. In blogging you can actually get to know a person - what they like, what's important to them, what's going on in their day-to-day life...and recipes...and cleaning tips. I think I'll stick to the bloggosphere - I like it there.
Today I made Vietnamese Salad Rolls. I have loved them for years but was intimidated by them. Isn't that stupid...being intimidated by food?? They looked so complicated to make. But then last week I just decided I would make them. I went to the asian grocery store and had a lovely chat with the lady there. She gave me some really good tips. So this afternoon Frank and I got very organized and made them. Just like that. And they were really good. Just "this close" from being as good as in the restaurant. Imagine, I could have been making them and enjoying them all this time instead of wasting my time being afraid of trying something new...wondering if I could do it. Lesson learned! Life is too short! I think this fall I'm going to be a bit more empowered - to "just do it" and stop thinking so much.
Facebook is all the rage. My friends do it. My daughter and husband do it. They even made a page for me. So I surfed around a bit. Did some looking to see who I could find. But you know, even when I did find people, Facebook tells you nothing like blogging does. It's quick and easy. There is no soul. Not like in blogging. In blogging you can actually get to know a person - what they like, what's important to them, what's going on in their day-to-day life...and recipes...and cleaning tips. I think I'll stick to the bloggosphere - I like it there.
Today I made Vietnamese Salad Rolls. I have loved them for years but was intimidated by them. Isn't that stupid...being intimidated by food?? They looked so complicated to make. But then last week I just decided I would make them. I went to the asian grocery store and had a lovely chat with the lady there. She gave me some really good tips. So this afternoon Frank and I got very organized and made them. Just like that. And they were really good. Just "this close" from being as good as in the restaurant. Imagine, I could have been making them and enjoying them all this time instead of wasting my time being afraid of trying something new...wondering if I could do it. Lesson learned! Life is too short! I think this fall I'm going to be a bit more empowered - to "just do it" and stop thinking so much.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
20 Bucks
Once, when I was a kid, our church had a fund-raiser. Now I am sure that there were many fund-raisers, but since I was a child, I was blissfully unaware of them.
But this year was different.
This year, our church gave a $20.00 bill to everyone in our church (who wanted to participate I assume) and challenged them to use their (God-given) talents to multiply it as many times over as they could - sound familiar?
My father took his $20.00 and bought ingredients to make fudge and sold the delicious treat. He was a master fudge maker and made it over and over until one day he lost the touch :( He hasn't made fudge since. However, he multiplied his $20.00 over and over and my sister and I had a wonderful time licking the bowls of his success.
My mother took her $20.00 and pooled it with two of her best girl-friends and wrote a cookbook. Can you imagine?! "The Lunch Box Cookbook - packed by Carolyn, Judith and Cherie". It was a cookbook for moms with recipes for a kid-friendly school lunch: sandwiches, muffins, cookies, cakes, brownies, trail mix, etc, etc. It was a huge success, actually had a few printings and was sold as far as Manitoba and into the United States (relatives of course). My mother, ever the long-term planner, immediately tucked away two copies for her girls when they grew up.
So this afternoon I made chocolate chip/oatmeal cookies from The Lunch Box Cookbook - my all-time favorite cookie recipe. And I put the chocolate chips in last, regardless of what the recipe says, because that's what my mom does. And they are stored in one of her old cookie cans with wax paper to seal because that's what my mom does. And I listened to songs from Carousel and Guys and Dolls just as if I were at home. I had a great time.
This week I'm also pretending I'm Caroline Ingalls since our dryer has decided to take a vacation. While we are waiting for a part, I am drying my clothes on my grandmother's drying rack, the one my mom used for years and she gave it to me when I started out in my first apartment.
Talk about connecting with the women in my family tree!
Sandy
But this year was different.
This year, our church gave a $20.00 bill to everyone in our church (who wanted to participate I assume) and challenged them to use their (God-given) talents to multiply it as many times over as they could - sound familiar?
My father took his $20.00 and bought ingredients to make fudge and sold the delicious treat. He was a master fudge maker and made it over and over until one day he lost the touch :( He hasn't made fudge since. However, he multiplied his $20.00 over and over and my sister and I had a wonderful time licking the bowls of his success.
My mother took her $20.00 and pooled it with two of her best girl-friends and wrote a cookbook. Can you imagine?! "The Lunch Box Cookbook - packed by Carolyn, Judith and Cherie". It was a cookbook for moms with recipes for a kid-friendly school lunch: sandwiches, muffins, cookies, cakes, brownies, trail mix, etc, etc. It was a huge success, actually had a few printings and was sold as far as Manitoba and into the United States (relatives of course). My mother, ever the long-term planner, immediately tucked away two copies for her girls when they grew up.
So this afternoon I made chocolate chip/oatmeal cookies from The Lunch Box Cookbook - my all-time favorite cookie recipe. And I put the chocolate chips in last, regardless of what the recipe says, because that's what my mom does. And they are stored in one of her old cookie cans with wax paper to seal because that's what my mom does. And I listened to songs from Carousel and Guys and Dolls just as if I were at home. I had a great time.
This week I'm also pretending I'm Caroline Ingalls since our dryer has decided to take a vacation. While we are waiting for a part, I am drying my clothes on my grandmother's drying rack, the one my mom used for years and she gave it to me when I started out in my first apartment.
Talk about connecting with the women in my family tree!
Sandy
Thursday, September 06, 2007
A Decent Tan
Aside from the memories and the first, decent tan I've had in years (I'm a true red-head), summer vacation is the distant past. We're back at it.
And so far, with great success.
The first day of school went very well. The home-ade, blueberry muffins for breakfast were tasty, the custom-made roast beef sandwich was a hit at lunch, all 500 lbs of school supplies were lugged on the bus and now safely tucked away in the clean-I've-only-had-it-for-one-day-locker, the new clothes met the junior high standards and the new hair-straightener-from-the August-birthday was surprisingly easy to use.
Best of all, the best friend is in the the class and the boy-we-hate-the-most (he's-just-a-huge-pain-in-the-neck) is not. Well done!
I had breakfast with two girlfriends to celebrate/mourn the first day of school (their kids are gone) and we had a lovely catch-up visit. I love going out for breakfast. Nothing fancy, just bacon and eggs. But I think it's one of my most favorite meals.
Went to the first "meeting" of the fall last night. They're starting up Alpha in the fall and asked me to be a small-group leader. I was very keen at first and now not so much. Over the summer I had forgotten about the "politics and red tape" of church. There are no meetings in the summer, just mass. Just God I should say... Anyway, I forgot how frustrated certain conversations leave me and I almost canned the whole thing. Then I decided to keep this commitment, not for what I could offer them, but for what the experience of service could do for me and the Lord, and vowed to think very carefully about future opportunities and to speak softly and slowly (low and slow) and not jump in. My first instinct is to say YES because everything sounds like such a good idea. I need to think first. That doesn't mean I'm less enthusiastic or keen, perhaps it's just a bit more, dare-I-say...mature...approach.
The weather has been fabulous. Sunny and clear and warm. The leaves are just starting to turn. Thank goodness they become so beautiful otherwise there would be nothing good about this change of season.
The bloggers have been very inspiring lately. Getting grips on homelife and all the different challenges. Scrapbooking is my big focus this fall. I have cleaned off and readied my "area" and I have also downloaded the pictures from the summer into various albums. Now I just need to sort and print and I'll be good to go. I'm feeling quite optimistic about the whole thing and I am actually looking forward to it and not dreading the chore/task.
Well, I'm off to my orthodics appointment. Yah - orthodics, not exactly good news for someone who loves shoes. At least I'm having coffee with a friend first.
Sandy
And so far, with great success.
The first day of school went very well. The home-ade, blueberry muffins for breakfast were tasty, the custom-made roast beef sandwich was a hit at lunch, all 500 lbs of school supplies were lugged on the bus and now safely tucked away in the clean-I've-only-had-it-for-one-day-locker, the new clothes met the junior high standards and the new hair-straightener-from-the August-birthday was surprisingly easy to use.
Best of all, the best friend is in the the class and the boy-we-hate-the-most (he's-just-a-huge-pain-in-the-neck) is not. Well done!
I had breakfast with two girlfriends to celebrate/mourn the first day of school (their kids are gone) and we had a lovely catch-up visit. I love going out for breakfast. Nothing fancy, just bacon and eggs. But I think it's one of my most favorite meals.
Went to the first "meeting" of the fall last night. They're starting up Alpha in the fall and asked me to be a small-group leader. I was very keen at first and now not so much. Over the summer I had forgotten about the "politics and red tape" of church. There are no meetings in the summer, just mass. Just God I should say... Anyway, I forgot how frustrated certain conversations leave me and I almost canned the whole thing. Then I decided to keep this commitment, not for what I could offer them, but for what the experience of service could do for me and the Lord, and vowed to think very carefully about future opportunities and to speak softly and slowly (low and slow) and not jump in. My first instinct is to say YES because everything sounds like such a good idea. I need to think first. That doesn't mean I'm less enthusiastic or keen, perhaps it's just a bit more, dare-I-say...mature...approach.
The weather has been fabulous. Sunny and clear and warm. The leaves are just starting to turn. Thank goodness they become so beautiful otherwise there would be nothing good about this change of season.
The bloggers have been very inspiring lately. Getting grips on homelife and all the different challenges. Scrapbooking is my big focus this fall. I have cleaned off and readied my "area" and I have also downloaded the pictures from the summer into various albums. Now I just need to sort and print and I'll be good to go. I'm feeling quite optimistic about the whole thing and I am actually looking forward to it and not dreading the chore/task.
Well, I'm off to my orthodics appointment. Yah - orthodics, not exactly good news for someone who loves shoes. At least I'm having coffee with a friend first.
Sandy
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Yard Work
I love yard work. The mowing, raking, pruning, etc. Now don't get me wrong. Yard work is definitely a "chore" in every sense of the word around here, but I love the way it makes me feel a team with my husband. I love it when we are working together in taking care of our family home, preparing it for the fall and winter months.
I will have a sore back and arms tomorrow, and my ankle and foot will hurt later on today. But my heart and mind are full and satisfied and now I will enjoy the goofing-off part of the afternoon so much more :)
Happy Labour Day Weekend. Hah - we laboured on labour day weekend - that's funny.
Sandy
I will have a sore back and arms tomorrow, and my ankle and foot will hurt later on today. But my heart and mind are full and satisfied and now I will enjoy the goofing-off part of the afternoon so much more :)
Happy Labour Day Weekend. Hah - we laboured on labour day weekend - that's funny.
Sandy
Saturday, September 01, 2007
All Signed Up
Since I'm still in denial that the summer is ending...I mean, it is August 32nd isn't it?...I am finding it hard to get ready...you know...for life.
But, I'm all signed up. I managed to register for daughter's swimming and synchronized swimming, religious education classes, piano lessons (she's skipping a grade level people!), bought all the necessary materials, informed other moms of times to look out for and already made plans for when she's back at school.
I even ordered glasses for myself so I would look smarter when I led my Alpha group - OK, they needed to be ordered anyway but good timing I thought.
I think I'm ready. Bring it on!
Sandy
But, I'm all signed up. I managed to register for daughter's swimming and synchronized swimming, religious education classes, piano lessons (she's skipping a grade level people!), bought all the necessary materials, informed other moms of times to look out for and already made plans for when she's back at school.
I even ordered glasses for myself so I would look smarter when I led my Alpha group - OK, they needed to be ordered anyway but good timing I thought.
I think I'm ready. Bring it on!
Sandy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)