--YOU REMIND ME OF ETCETERA, ETCETERA, ETCETERA

…Yesterday was the one year anniversary of Osama Bin Laden's death/killing.

It brings to mind many things and might be a good time to note that in ten years of wars with Afghanistan and Iraq 6,300 US service men and women have died and we've spent $1.3 trillion.
I've always thought we could cure cancer if we really wanted to.
If we can fork over $1.3 trillion that easily, the same amount spent on cancer research and development would surely bring about a cure.
Just sayin'.

…I've been watching "Nurse Jackie", the Showtime series starring Eddy Falco playing a nurse who's addicted to prescription drugs.  Besides having wonderful characters, it's filled with great ironies.

I realized that most brilliant shows, or the ones I think are brilliant, have that same sensibility:
"Breaking Bad" is about a chemistry teacher with lung cancer who sells meth to pay for his treatment.
"The Sopranos" is about a tough, conflicted mobster who sees a psychiatrist to deal with, among other things, his panic attacks.
"Dexter" is about a serial killer who only kills other serial killers.
"Weeds" is about a suburban mom who sell pot to pay the bills after her husband dies jogging.
And then there's the wonder "Wire" which has all sorts of character ironies.

 …The new Jason Mraz cd is very uneven.  There are a few catchy numbers but some really lousy songs, too.

 …I found my old Whiskeytown discs.  This discovery made me very happy.  I would have Ryan Adams' babies, but I sure hope he and Mandy Moore get busy.  Those kids will have to have some strong pipes.

 …I’m reading, “Catching Fire,” the second “Hunger Games” book which is more or less identical to the first.  There’s a lot to learn from her pacing and plotting.

 …Here are some things I like to get the week started:

"The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials." Chinese proverb

"The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time." Jack London

"The trouble with Facebook is that it turns us all into voyeurs.  It brings out the side of you that's looking for trouble." Annie

 "Yes, we love peace, but we are not willing to take wounds for it, as we are for war." John Andrew Holmes

"We are adhering to life now with our last muscle--the heart." Djuna Barnes

 "I shall tell you a great secret, my friend.  Do not wait for the last judgment, it takes place every day." Camus

 "To see, we must stop being in the middle of the picture." Satprem

 "There is luxury in self-reproach.  When we blame ourselves, we feel no one else has a right to blame us." Oscar Wilde

 

"The best portion of a good man's life is the little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.” William Wordsworth

"It is the nature of man to rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him." John Steinbeck