TUNNEL LIGHTS

It has been a few days now since I have been without television. Truly it is not that big of a deal to me, but the internet signal that I was using (pirating) has also been shut off and that is where the difficulty arises. I never really watched TV to any great expanse (due to the fact that I did not have cable, and the only channels that did come in clearly were channel 9 (PBS) and channel 7. (I don't know what station that is. I think maybe ABC)

I was one of the many people who claim not to watch television all that much and if I did it was only background noise which was true. It was true because the one eyed goddess that summoned me was ye ole internet. With her is were I would spend the hours and hours on end feasting upon her hypnotic sustenance. With lady internet I delighted in everything that could be imagined and cast aside television. When the desire for television did flash in the background of my mind lady internet provided that as well. I never need to leave her embrace.

When the people whose signal I was using decided not to pay their bill; well that left me in my current rut of no television and no internet at home. I of course have Peet’s cafe with their free internet access, but them closing at 8pm leaves me with huge hunk of time to myself at home. I read of course, and I love to read so I’m not some Oprah experiment pulling my hair out panicking because I am left without technology at home. I also have my DVD’s (which most i have watched twice over now) so the new question now arises.

“Do I buy a converter box"?”

I haven't brought one yet because I don't have the money, and the coupons I had expired. With all the books that I have; all the writing that I plan on doing and need to get done I am asking myself.

“Is it worth it?”

I started back knitting again. (and i remember the reason why I stopped) Knitting was something that I learned because I had lost my glasses and could not read any of my books plus at that time and the TV was out so I needed something to do. It is very boring and monotonous but the results are satisfying. I have a batch of soap setting (another hobby i picked up) and this give me time to finally put out the last and final edit of my book. So then why do i still want to go home and turn on the television if not just to hear it. Could it be that it is a drug that my brain and body has become accustom too? I feel like I'm suffering from “cold turkey syndrome”. Most addiction specialist will tell you now if you’re on multiple drugs don't try to quit them all at once. You are to slowly wean yourself off of them one at a time if you can.

I'm going through technological withdrawal.

I guess this is a good thing.

WOW what an episode. I know some will say that I have a bias in my rating of this episode but I give it five stars anyway.

Normally Television does not move me to write about it as I am doing right now but this was such and episode that the writers and the actors need some accolade (even if it is from little ole me lol). Tonight's episode of Law & Order SVU was entitled " Transitions";

http://www.nbc.com/Law_and_Order_Special_Victims_Unit/

the short of it: a prepubescent boy transitioning to a girl and his fathers attempt to stop it who is subsequently attacked outside a strip club.

I somewhat take a little bit of pride in being able to figure shows like "Law & Order", "Without a trace", and " Cold case" out rather quickly because lets face it if you apply logic to the fact that this is a story; a work of fiction from a team of writer then it apply a tad bit of psychology to the mix it all unfolds before your eyes the way you thought it might. I normally figure it out before when the episode is in its mid way point as well (which is when they try and do something to throw you off your original theory). Tonight's episode however was a shining example of writing and acting at its pinnacle. My original theory was that the boy (who was on her way to being a young woman) had something to do with the attack on her father because of obvious reasons. I though that she would not have attacked the father directly but maybe an over sensitive, over zelous boyfriend may have done the act in an attempt to prove his valor .

The episode unfolds and sure enough there was a love interest but it was very unrequited (and the only unrealistic part I would say). The young boy transitioning to a young woman heart lay with a bit older woman transitioning to a bit older man. Being a gay man myself and knowing a few people going threw (or have gone threw the process) this seems highly unlikely (however I have met a guy who is transitioning to a woman whom identifies himself as a lesbian. I KNOW but that's another topic.) Time is swiftly winding down and my original theory seems not to be panning out so I've become very intrigued to see whom the actual culprit is when the schools guidance counselor tips her hat (and in retrospect I do now believe that hindsight is always 20/2o). She in one of her sessions with the young girl said to her that her father was a low life for always being at strip clubs. This was a fact that ONLY the police and the father knew so bamb the killer. They posse up to confront the rampaging school worker and sure enough she readily hands over the bloody jacket(a key missing peice of evidence). This is when I turn my head and scratch it not because the facts did not add up but the "why" the "motive" did not make any sense.

As a school counselor realistically she would have had children coming to her that would have been experiencing wide range of things like, rape, gang violence, incest, drug addiction, why was this young boy entering womanhood so special (not mentally paying attention to the show the woman playing the D.A. was asking the same questions while the school counselor was on the witness stand). That is when the bomb (and how mad I was for not seeing how predictable it was) drops and the school counselor reveals tearfully that she had once been a man as well. During "her" time as a man a person had to spend at least 3 years as the opposite (inner) sex before a doctor would consider surgery and there were no pills to take only duct tape and padding. "She" then reviled that she was mutilated in a back alleyway there by revealing the true motive for her actions. Like I said WOW.

Every now and then they slip one in that goes above the normal writing bar and it throws me of leaving me astounded and when they throw in a message as well I become fully impressed; kudos. In hindsight I should have (and maybe my bias as a gay man and transgender friendly prevented me) seen that when the guidance counselor kept covering for the young woman after throwing books at teachers and many fights in school and NOT being expelled that something was up with her. This was an amazing episode and very well acted Kudos to the writers and actors of this episode; you got me.

©Christopher F. Brown 2009