Docu-drama

As I near the end of my twenties (I have about 14 hours to be immature), I have tried to prepare myself for life in the thirties. Supposedly I am told to act my age, not get crazy at pool/beach parties, be able to hold conversations about wine, politics, economics and the arts, and cut out all the slang in my vocabulary. Yea, whatever.

One of the ways I have been saving money is that I watch TV the old fashioned way...via antenna. I don't have cable (which apparently is the WORSE thing in life because all of my friends introduce me as: hey, this is Shane...he doesn't have cable!!). My channel selection is limited to the basics but I can view most shows online via my laptop hooked up to the TV. I think the best channel ever in the Houston region is channel 55.2...the Vietnamese channel. Sure you can't understand it, but it challenges you to come up with your own story line. The Vietnamese music videos are just incredible. Yea, let me blow your mind about those mature talks concerning the arts when I bring Vietnam Idol into the convo!

I am not much of a movie guy but just recently I joined Netflix. They had a free month trial membership so I figured it couldn't hurt. The movies available for viewing online are a little limited but I have been discovering some really cool documentaries.


Food, Inc. - This goes into the food industry and discovers how the government and big business have monopolized the industry. It was shocking to see how the gov't is pushing corn and now a corn bi-product is in about 85% of all of our foods. It really did promote organic, locally grown foods. Of course I watched it while eating my processed dinner and decided I better shop at Whole Foods from here on out.


Restrepo - The creators follow a platoon in the deadliest valley in Afghanistan. The guys look so young and are immediately thrown into fire fights with the Taliban. They struggle when one of their friends is killed but find ways to make it through their 15 month deployment. I know the Iraq war got most of the attention during the Bush administration, but Afghanistan looks to be the most intense.


The Devil Came on Horseback - Darfur. I never really understood the magnitude of the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan...or why stars like George Clooney were so vocal about this area. An ex-marine was sent to monitor a cease-fire going on in Sudan and then started hearing reports about the mass killings in Darfur. The Sudanese gov't is basically using Arab rebels to wipe out the villagers in Sudan. All the villagers want is economic growth, a voice in the government, etc. If you can sit there, watch the movie, and not feel motivated to help then you might be a robot.

If you ever find yourself wanting a change of pace in your movie picks, look up some documentaries. Yes, they sound really boring, but I like them better than tween comedies or movies created by 5 year-olds (Fast and Furious series).


Nummerical Summary for the Week:

20 - average wind speed here in Houston over the past month. Absolutely kills your mental state on the golf course when it seems like every hole is into a strong head wind.

4 - wine bottles purchased at the grocery. That is 4 more than my all-time high. I will see what this grape drink is all about before making my final decision.

100 - SPF I use out at the pool just in case I manage to fall asleep in the sun. Sure you have to give it a good scrub in the shower to wash it off and sure it seeps into your blood stream once you apply it...but by golly, that stuff works!

30 - years on this here earth. God has given me quite a roller coaster but I have no regrets. I am a better person than where I was a month, a year, a decade ago.