A Night of Television Viewing
A few weeks ago I sat down to watch some television, something which I rarely do. Well it wasn't some television....it was three hours in a row. It had been months, maybe a year, since I had watched three hours of programming.
First up was One Ocean - a four-part documentary on the oceans of Earth and their importance to the survival of all living things on our planet. This particular episode was about how the ocean has been polluted and fished to, in some parts, death. Off the coast of Oregon it was explained that there are now "dead zones" where the water has been so depleted of oxygen that fish lie dead on the ocean's bottom - and not just a few - thousands of them in the equivalent of a mass-grave. Acidity levels are rising killing off reefs. The cycle of life in the ocean, from the smallest organisms to whales, has been severely affected by human action.
Second was Grey's Anatomy. This particular night's episode showed how one of the principal characters, a surgeon, had lived through a tortuous night on a tour of duty while in the army. He had been trying to keep a mate alive after their carrier had been blown to bits by their enemies. To keep him alive he had to hold tight a serious wound in his mate's neck. Lifting up his finger and releasing the pressure would mean his buddy's certain death - by drowning in his own blood. After hours of agony his friend pleads for his death. The surgeon finally allows his friend to die in peace. Years later the night still haunts him - the job of saving lives at all costs vs. allowing peaceful death.
Third was Private Practice. Another uplifting topic was presented on this program. Here we had the case of a couple where the woman had agreed to be surrogate mother for another couple who were unable to have children of their own. She agreed to give her body to the cause because she and her husband needed the cash. Due to complications in the pregnancy a choice had to made between saving the surrogate mother or the twins she was carrying. The debate, lawyers and threats of lawsuits included, becomes one of which lives should be saved. The husband of the surrogate of course is desperate that his wife might be ordered by the courts to die for these unborn children. The other couple want their two children saved and will stop at nothing.
At some point during these three shows an advert for Electrolux Appliances came on. The thirty-second story was that these amazing new appliances would make throwing a birthday party for your dog easier than ever. At one point the viewer sees the birthday dog, and all his or her buddies, siting at a bar with party hats on. Life is great as a result of Electrolux.
In bed that night I wondered what the heck was going on with our world. Three hours that only confirmed that human beings go to extremes in so many ways. First to feed ourselves, to rid ourselves of garbage and to ignore all signs of our excesses. Second to beat the enemy, fight for rights, the extremes of life and death, hatred and compassion. Third to give up most everything to satisfy our greed and than have some ask you for even more to satisfy their own needs.
Best to watch the advert and try to ignore it all by living an illusion? A dog's life.
Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!
First up was One Ocean - a four-part documentary on the oceans of Earth and their importance to the survival of all living things on our planet. This particular episode was about how the ocean has been polluted and fished to, in some parts, death. Off the coast of Oregon it was explained that there are now "dead zones" where the water has been so depleted of oxygen that fish lie dead on the ocean's bottom - and not just a few - thousands of them in the equivalent of a mass-grave. Acidity levels are rising killing off reefs. The cycle of life in the ocean, from the smallest organisms to whales, has been severely affected by human action.
Second was Grey's Anatomy. This particular night's episode showed how one of the principal characters, a surgeon, had lived through a tortuous night on a tour of duty while in the army. He had been trying to keep a mate alive after their carrier had been blown to bits by their enemies. To keep him alive he had to hold tight a serious wound in his mate's neck. Lifting up his finger and releasing the pressure would mean his buddy's certain death - by drowning in his own blood. After hours of agony his friend pleads for his death. The surgeon finally allows his friend to die in peace. Years later the night still haunts him - the job of saving lives at all costs vs. allowing peaceful death.
Third was Private Practice. Another uplifting topic was presented on this program. Here we had the case of a couple where the woman had agreed to be surrogate mother for another couple who were unable to have children of their own. She agreed to give her body to the cause because she and her husband needed the cash. Due to complications in the pregnancy a choice had to made between saving the surrogate mother or the twins she was carrying. The debate, lawyers and threats of lawsuits included, becomes one of which lives should be saved. The husband of the surrogate of course is desperate that his wife might be ordered by the courts to die for these unborn children. The other couple want their two children saved and will stop at nothing.
At some point during these three shows an advert for Electrolux Appliances came on. The thirty-second story was that these amazing new appliances would make throwing a birthday party for your dog easier than ever. At one point the viewer sees the birthday dog, and all his or her buddies, siting at a bar with party hats on. Life is great as a result of Electrolux.
In bed that night I wondered what the heck was going on with our world. Three hours that only confirmed that human beings go to extremes in so many ways. First to feed ourselves, to rid ourselves of garbage and to ignore all signs of our excesses. Second to beat the enemy, fight for rights, the extremes of life and death, hatred and compassion. Third to give up most everything to satisfy our greed and than have some ask you for even more to satisfy their own needs.
Best to watch the advert and try to ignore it all by living an illusion? A dog's life.
Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!
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