Voting Story...Since Everyone Else Is Doing It
I woke up at 5:00am this morning. Not in preparation for voting, I just woke up at that time. I lounged in bed, I think dozing off at least once, and finally got up at 6:00am. I flipped on the TV station I normally due for the morning news and, as luck would have it, they had a news crew at my precinct which is just a few blocks away from where I live. My plan was to get there a few minutes before seven, but when the reporter stated, "Wow. There were seven people just a few minutes ago, not there are twenty to thirty in line." I grabbed my stuff and headed out at 6:35am. Arriving a few minutes later, there were probably thirty to forty people in line. Promptly at 7:00am, the line started to move into the building.
Once inside, I realized why there are long lines. Putting aside the antiquated method for voting - as I filled in the circles with a black pen, the booth shaked - it's the people manning the polls that were the real problem. I understand retirees, unlike the rest of us, have a lot of free time and can sit there all day, but, let's face it, old people are slower. The woman who was supposed to be at the door directing people to their precinct lines kept disappearing so there was one massive line instead of two shorter ones. At the table where they check the voter log, the younger woman was flying through her list and was checking IDs as she was supposed to. The older woman in charge of my part of the alphabet took quite some time to find name (not a common one), failed to check my ID, and failed to tell me where to go to next. So, only fifteen minutes into the start of voting I could see where the problems were going to be.
Between standing in line and voting, it took me about forty minutes. Not nearly as bad as what others will have to endure. And here's where my Dragon Con experiences come in handy, because the lines I'm seeing here in town are no where near as bad as some I've experienced there. ;p
OK, I am not a fan of Grey's Anatomy, but I need to vent about the show and, more specifically, ABC. I'm not completely against network interference with shows. Occasionally, they have some good suggestions and even Ron Moore admits SciFi saved him from making some very bad choices. But what ABC is doing is incredibly disheartening to me and in trying to please a few, it looks like they are outraging many.
I know many people who watch GA have not been happy about the Erica/Callie relationship, not because it's a lesbian relationship, but because it seemed very forced. Fair enough. There are plenty of heterosexual relationships people take issue with because they either come out of nowhere or someone writing for the show seems to love the coupling, but the audience hates it. But Brook Smith, in an interview with Ausiello is pretty much stating that she has been fired because ABC was displeased with the Erica/Callie storyline. In addition, Kristen over at E! is reporting that Melissa George's new doc will not be bisexual as originally planned. And before ABC can claim that people are blowing this out of proportion, TV Guide makes an interesting observation:
The answer may be obvious, if one looks at a pattern of recent story "twists" across ABC. 'Ugly Betty' last season introduced with much fanfare Rebecca Romijn as a post-op transgender; now she's gone. Right out of the gate, 'Dirty Sexy Money' lathered things up by pairing aspiring politician Patrick with a great transgender love; last week, she walked out of his life. So 'Grey's' writing out a full-fledged lesbian such as Erica — versus the simply lez-curious Callie — would seem to fit this pattern. Meanwhile, gay males such as 'Brothers & Sisters' Kevin appear to go unpestered... at least for now.
And, finally, Mo Ryan at the Tribune shares her thoughts on the matter.
So, anyone know of any good anti-ABC campaigns, let me know!
Once inside, I realized why there are long lines. Putting aside the antiquated method for voting - as I filled in the circles with a black pen, the booth shaked - it's the people manning the polls that were the real problem. I understand retirees, unlike the rest of us, have a lot of free time and can sit there all day, but, let's face it, old people are slower. The woman who was supposed to be at the door directing people to their precinct lines kept disappearing so there was one massive line instead of two shorter ones. At the table where they check the voter log, the younger woman was flying through her list and was checking IDs as she was supposed to. The older woman in charge of my part of the alphabet took quite some time to find name (not a common one), failed to check my ID, and failed to tell me where to go to next. So, only fifteen minutes into the start of voting I could see where the problems were going to be.
Between standing in line and voting, it took me about forty minutes. Not nearly as bad as what others will have to endure. And here's where my Dragon Con experiences come in handy, because the lines I'm seeing here in town are no where near as bad as some I've experienced there. ;p
OK, I am not a fan of Grey's Anatomy, but I need to vent about the show and, more specifically, ABC. I'm not completely against network interference with shows. Occasionally, they have some good suggestions and even Ron Moore admits SciFi saved him from making some very bad choices. But what ABC is doing is incredibly disheartening to me and in trying to please a few, it looks like they are outraging many.
I know many people who watch GA have not been happy about the Erica/Callie relationship, not because it's a lesbian relationship, but because it seemed very forced. Fair enough. There are plenty of heterosexual relationships people take issue with because they either come out of nowhere or someone writing for the show seems to love the coupling, but the audience hates it. But Brook Smith, in an interview with Ausiello is pretty much stating that she has been fired because ABC was displeased with the Erica/Callie storyline. In addition, Kristen over at E! is reporting that Melissa George's new doc will not be bisexual as originally planned. And before ABC can claim that people are blowing this out of proportion, TV Guide makes an interesting observation:
The answer may be obvious, if one looks at a pattern of recent story "twists" across ABC. 'Ugly Betty' last season introduced with much fanfare Rebecca Romijn as a post-op transgender; now she's gone. Right out of the gate, 'Dirty Sexy Money' lathered things up by pairing aspiring politician Patrick with a great transgender love; last week, she walked out of his life. So 'Grey's' writing out a full-fledged lesbian such as Erica — versus the simply lez-curious Callie — would seem to fit this pattern. Meanwhile, gay males such as 'Brothers & Sisters' Kevin appear to go unpestered... at least for now.
And, finally, Mo Ryan at the Tribune shares her thoughts on the matter.
So, anyone know of any good anti-ABC campaigns, let me know!
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pissed off
And it completely makes Mary McDonnell's guest spot into a last-minute replacement - she plays a brilliant surgeon who is socially awkward - pretty much a direct match for Brooke Smith's character. It seems obvious now that they didn't have time to write Hahn out and so they did a last minute search and replace her name with Mary M's character's name.
A pox on ABC.
Not that I want to deprive Mary McDonnell of making a living, but I have to wonder if she knew the facts before taking the job? She's used to working in an environment where no subject is taboo, the show's creator won't cave into pressure, and the network is largely hands off. Of course, she could walk after her commitment is fulfilled and the show will have to find yet another new doc to bring in. Nothing kills a show faster than constant cast changes.
As for Rebecca Romijn, I thought Alexis had been written out of UB (at least for the moment) because of the not so small matter of her being pregnant - something they just couldn't write in for a transgender character.