Pondering the way I watch television shows

As you must know, I do watch the occasional TV drama series. I enjoy tuning in each week to see what new plot and character developments will unfurl. LOST, for example, provides a gold mine of things to ponder and speculate about. Then there's the anticipation of watching each new episode as it airs. I enjoy getting caught up in the ferver of a great show and being part of the viewership, discussing the show with others who watch it, etc.

So when I rent an entire season of something and watch all the eps in a row with basically no break, I feel like something is really lost in the translation. I don't mean rewatching, I mean it's your first time seeing something and you watch a whole season in a week (or two days, if it's an HBO season). Rushing through it like that just seems like a bummer. Technically, you are seeing every episode, but not the way the producers/directors/writers/cast intended.

For better or worse, people used to schedule thier week around TV. The first time The Godfather was shown on TV, NYC traffic was as light as it normally was on Christmas day. Everyone was at home watching. When I was a kid, the night they showed Wizard of Oz every year was like a holiday. Now, with so many options to see everything later, viewing times barely matter. In some ways, I find that sad.

Then again, I tend to pay more attention to TV as a concept than many people. I just find TV to be such an accurate indicator of where we are as a society, I guess.

Review Day

For the first time ever, I was NOT nervous about my work review.
Turns out, I was correct in thinking that I'm doing a great job.

My review was glowing and impressive, and they talked to me about whether or not I want to be full time or if I am thinking about wanting a promotion.

To be honest, I feel like going for a promotion would make me feel like I'm going to be selling violins until I die. I'd also have to be full time, which would mean much less time to write and do writer things. As you know, I'm a writer, and not so much a seller of instruments.

Even still, I'm glad to be good at my job. I'm happy to see that the effort I've put into my work is being noticed and appreciated. It may even lead to another small raise, which will feel good even if you can't really see it in my cheque. Plus I enjoy my job. It's fun and challenging and my coworkers are great.

So you know, Take THAT Guernica etc.