It's October already!

I was surprised to calculate that this was the 8th week of school already! Sheesh. The semester's rolling right along, and so is the month of October. Things are fine here in Grad-land, where I've been joined by my jolly kid brother (we attend different universities, but we've had some pretty good phone convo's about AI, physics, psychology and philosophy recently). This weekend I hope to make good progress in - everything, basically, so I'll try to just do what I can do without getting all worked up and see how it goes, by the help of the Lord. I'd like to give a shout out to all of my cousins - I haven't seen most of them in a long time, but it's cool actually knowing and interacting with my extended family...
I'm itching for creative outlets right now and so this evening I have played Tap-Tap-Revenge 2 (hey, I don't have Guitar Hero), re-installed the Audacity audio editor and Anvil studio on my computer, started a new piece of my Starcorps fiction saga, attempted to recall the rudiments of a language I was inventing when I was younger, and started an essay on the historical and ethical shortcomings of a certain vintage American drama that I was watching. Now, I'm updating this blog. All during the time that I was scheduled to be reading for QFT. Oh well; I could say it's Friday night, but that really only works if I do some work tomorrow and Sunday (which I plan to do, but I need to make sure it happens, and it seems like such a short amount of time). So, I guess I'll get off now and do a little reading so that I have accomplished something scientific before I go to bed. I love you all...Pray for me :)

I really enjoyed The Young Riders when it came on the Hallmark Channel in syndication during the late '90's. It was a fairly family-friendly show, and pretty exciting at times. The episode I watched last night, however, struck me on a bittersweet note.

Episode 6 of season 1 revolved around the appearance of a runaway slave named Ulysses.

After helping the riders recover a lost colt, Ulysses is offered work in exchange for food and a night's stay, which he readily accepts. The Kid, a Virginian, is immediately taken aback by seeing Ulysses "out", a statement which is immediately (and accurately) interpreted by Lou as "out of their place", despite Kid's denials. It is later revealed that Ulysses is a runaway slave, who is being feverishly pursued by the Missouri state militia for killing his abusive, murderous master and running away.

While this episode may have been intended as a heartwarming "do the right thing" show, over-justification of Ulysses' defense and awkward vacillations in character development set it off as an idealistic fantasy, portraying what PC Americans hope (read, "wish") would be their own response in the face of a moral crisis.

Supporting points:

1. Ulysses' need to justify his crime and escape from slavery

1.5 Rider's unwillingness to help Ulysses until he helped them (storm, )

2. The young rider's compromise (no one was willing to die for ulysses; in the moment of truth, gave up to "the way things are")

2.3 Hypocritical appall and suspicion of ulysses as killer despite their own notched belts

2.5 Ulysses: "Ain't no need in nobody else dyin' "; is one black stranger and the truth worth the lives of two friends

2.6 Encouraging Ulysses to stay and gambling his life on the whims of fickle townsfolk

2.7 Even though the YR were asking the townsfolk to take a risk, when it came to their own, they found the price too high.

2.8 Townsfolk willingness to accept ulysses' punishment until shown a white man's whip scars

2.9 "Protecting ours": who's' a townsman? who's a stranger?

3. Mob mentality of the townsfolk in wrong and in right; the silent white majority and the outspoken minority

3.2 Congratulations and celebration of running the militia out of town - "we did it". Did what?