I have a case of too much home entertainment on my hands. One of the problems is that Christmas normally lasts from the day after Thanksgiving until December 25th. After that point, all Christmas music and decorations should be safely put away until the following November. But this is not the case in Spain where the Epiphany is celebrated as a central part of Christmas season.
As a matter of fact, children receive their gifts not from Santa Claus on December 25th, but rather from the three Wise Men (Reyes Magos, ironicially a misnomer since they are not kings nor magicians) on January 6th. This all means that after having said my good byes to Christmas two weeks ago, I returned to Spain to find that everyone was still out shopping and whistling expired caroles. Furthermore, as today is January 6th, everything is closed except for bakeries which sell the traditional and inedible Roscón de Reyes (a dry, uninteresting cake). As a result, I have spent today (and the entire weekend) locked up inside my apartment alternating between various Christmas gifts and my new reading list to entertain myself.
I have so far finished both the first season of Entourage and the fourth season of The Wire. Now I am working on the first season of Brotherhood while slowly working my way through The Orientalist.
I enjoyed the Entourage about four friends who move from Queens to L.A. while one of them becomes a famous movie star. What threw me off a bit about the series was first its gratuitous portrayal of marijuana use and second the homophobic/homoerotic dialogue of the characters. What’s with all that?
The jury is still not out yet on Brotherhood, and I am still not fully hooked. On the other hand, The Orientalist is fascinating yet dense and more of a historical study than a biography, at least for the time being. I have learned that there is plenty of history I still need to learn, especially with regards to 19th and early 20th Century Russia history.
With regards to The Wire, there is simply not enough time to get into what is so fantastic about this show on so many levels. If you’re concerned or interested in why U.S. cities are failing, then you have to check out The Wire. I simply love this show!
And in the next few hours, I will download the Meet the Press podcast and juggle the political gossip with TV and reading.
Grave Error 
I enjoyed the Entourage about four friends who move from Queens to L.A. while one of them becomes a famous movie star. What threw me off a bit about the series was first its gratuitous portrayal of marijuana use and second the homophobic/homoerotic dialogue of the characters. What’s with all that?
One perspective, that you can see from a friend of mine here; http://www.ilovephilosophy.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=143894 ; is that with the removal of standards, to ensure social leveling, there is an unfortunate side effect in the promotion of male effeminacy, creating “metrosexuality” .. a type of gay poseur mentality/mannerisms to find acceptance in the PC culture.
(Warning: if for some odd reason you would decide to engage Satyr, {meaning: whore}, he is quite the aggressor, especially for a metaphysician and existential nihilist.)
So is “The Wire” an urban documentary, or just a perception of urban life for minorities?
Is it factually based, with objective reference to economics and socio-politics?
I don’t generally watch T.V., but on rare occasions something of interest finds me.
What’s your best sales pitch?
I don’t generally watch TV either, but sometimes I watch a series here and there to stay in touch.
The story is written by a former Baltimore journalist and a former Baltimore cop, the characters aren’t the typical one-side all good or all evil, easily digestible hollywood types. So it’s an urban drama about Baltimore.