Brownout

Excuses excuses. Been catching up on BB #6 and #7, pitching to some actors on a Japanese crime novel adaptation, developing a TV show, and writing two feature scripts -- the wee indie I may direct, and a bigger industry one, a sequel that I'm taking because the cool factor gave me geek-shivers (and it's with an actor my mom will finally recognize, so she'll believe I'm working).

Add to that the imminent wedding of old friend Mike George -- yes, ladies, the dreamy star of the hit CBC series Our Hero is tying the knot, sorry -- and it's been a wee mad. Service should resume Monday with the second freelancing article, and some thoughts on fanfic.

Politics ... we may take a break. I must admit that when looking at current developments, I cannot fight off an incipient queasiness, remniscent of the edge of animal unease that would arrive in darkened parking lots out on the road, deep in the heart of skinhead territory. Even more worrying, that feeling was rarely wrong.

In the meantime, I will recommend Psych, giving it a longer probation period than Warren did because I have faith in the actor chemistry. The mystery on the pilot was weak, but that may be more of a USA issue than a show issue, so I'm going to run it out for a few. There's another trivial tidbit about that show, but I want to see if I can pull up a graphic before I discuss.

Also recommended -- The Folly of Empire by Jurdis. Excellent, accessible history writing about the surge of American imperial (and that's meant literally, not perjoratively) action at the turn of the century. Roosevelt, the Spanish-American War, Christian/American millenialism all drawing a picture that is insanely spooky in its parallels to our modern times. Iraq, as it turns out, is NOT Vietnam. It's the Philippines. Huh. All reinforcing a point I made in the comments tied to a recent post: American exceptionalism is fine and useful, up until the very moment you begin to really believe it. Then it will destroy you.