New TV Shows

Has anyone else noticed that at least two of the newer TV programs seem to be pandering to the religious right? Blue Bloods centers on an Irish Catholic family, who are very committed to their religion. The other show is a brand new one, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behvior.

 I have watched every episode of Blue Bloods, even though I noticed the religious overtones at about the second episode (slow learner that I am). Tom Selleck is in it, after all, so it has to be a must watch program, right? And I admit that I like the idea of a close-knit family working together to rid the NYC of crime, and still remaining a close-knit family. My question is, do they need religion to do this?

There have only been two episodes of Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, and I watched both of them.  I will probably not watch another episode. Forest Whittaker is too dramatic for me, and the subject matter of the program, while more than likely realistic, is too graphic for my taste. Also, this program seems to be forcing us to acknowledge that the good guys are good only because they are so religious, and that they could not get through a case without that backing. This is not necessarily a bad thing. We all have to have something or someone to rely on to help us through the bad times. But I get the feeling that whoever is producing or writing this show, has put religion in there just to pacify the conservative Tea Partyiers. It seems to have been added as an afterthought, and has nothing to do with the story being told.

Again, this is just my take on these two programs, one of which I will continue to watch and one that I won't.

The weather here today is not good—snowing, blowing, and cold.  The wind is from the northeast and we have about 8 or 10 inches of new snow on the ground.

Another Book Review

The Writing Class by Jincy Willett was a much better book than her The Winner of the National Book Award, which was written five years earlier.  The Writing Class is about an older woman who had once been a successful writer.  Having been married twice, Amy Gallup now lives by herself, except for the Bassett hound who barely tolerates her, and teaches one writing class a semester.  She teaches only because she needs the money to live; not because she enjoys it.  At least, that is what she tells herself.  Nothing of hers has been published for years.  Maybe she no longer writes, except vicariously through her students.

This writing class is different.  Oh, sure, all the same types of students are in it, the jock, the jokester, the one person who really knows how to write, etc.  But one of the "usual" students is a killer; and Amy must find out who before she herself becomes a victim.

This is a good book, easy to read, but one that will make you look twice at the people around you in your writing class.