Link:  Cruise liner fends off pirate attack

Doesn’t the coast of Somalia seem like a stupid place to be taking a cruise ship?

Link:  Dirty Downloads Ready to Go on iPods

How long will we have to wait before Conservataive groups start asking for a boycott of iPod; or for the FCC to start regulating what we can download?  Don’t laugh, damn you, it will happen!

I’ve been a fan of The West Wing since day one.  The last few years have been a struggle because the show seemed to be lost in the Republican world it now inhabited, but the current season has been one the best in several years.  The show has been invigorated by the campaign between Republican Senator Arnold Vinick (played extraordinarily well by Alan Alda) and Democratic Congressman Matt Santos (played by the always excellent Jimmy Smits).  There are several reasons I’m really enjoying this season so far.

First, there’s the campaign.  The writers have used this campaign plot as a vehicle to really talk about issues affecting us:  religion, abortion, education, and national security.  Even better, they’ve handled them quite well without sinking into boring stereotypes of Republicans and Democrats.  The campaign also gives us some great supporting players in Janeane Garafalo as Santos’ Communications Director and Home Improvement’s Patricia Richardson as Vinick’s Campaign Manager.  Both add great acting and characters to a show already full of them. Also great is Ron Silver’s Bruno.  The Democrat who turns Republican to help Vinick win (a role Silver has embraced in real life, as well, with his support for President’s Bush War on Terror).

Second, there’s the fact that the original cast is fractured.  Toby just admitted to being the White House leak (an act of courage you don’t find in the current administration); Leo is Santos’ running mate and Josh is their campaign manager; Donna was gone for awhile, but is now back working for the Santos campaign (please, someone fix her bad hair!); Annabeth Schott (the vastly underused Kristin Chenoweth) is Leo’s assistant.  Based on our experience with administrations in the last few years, it’s rare for one to stay together like this show’s administration, so it’s good to see the writers shake things up.  It allows them to give the actors new faces to play against.

Third, and I think the best, are the issues.  Two weeks ago the show touched on the subject of religion and in wild, if somewhat unrealistic, turn of events made the Republican candidate squeamish about religion in politics.  What it did, though, was allow the subject of religion to come up and be discussed in a positive and adult manner without sinking to name-calling and eternal damnation accusations. This past week it was the issue of abortion, and I think it was one of the best television dramas about the subject in a long, long time.  Of course, only in Hollywood could we have a pro-choice Republican and a Democrat who accepts his party’s pro-choice stance, but as a practicing Catholic believes life begins at conception.  I thought it this case, both sides came out looking good.

This Sunday (November 6,2005) will be a live episode featuring a debate between Vinick and Santos.  That should be interesting to watch — live television is always fun. 

Link:  Market growing for refurbished, used iPods

I can relate to this.  I’ve sold two old iPods over the years and made nearly as much money as I did buying them. 

Link:  Bush Orders Staff to Attend Ethics Briefings

You’d think people who had made it this far wouldn’t need a class like this.  I wonder if Karl Rove will be attending?  The phrase "too little too late" comes to mind.

Link:  Shameless. Absolutely Shameless.

I always find it interesting, and saddening, the way in which Republicans choose to pay for hurricane damage and the war in Iraq:  on the backs of the poor and defenseless — as usual.  Current legislation will cut suc unnecessary programs as food stamps, Medicaid payments, and free lunches for school kids.  What’s really sad, however, is that the citizens who will be hurt the most by these cuts will vote for these people.