X is for ... not that many things. I did my best to find ten interesting things.

01.  X-rays:
 I know, this one is obvious, but how great are they?  They can not only see bones but also foreign objects and some organ issues.  All it takes is one semi-safe click, and it's done.  No shots, no IV, no drinking cups of slop -- just staying still and a click.  It's too bad all imaging isn't so easy.    

02.   Xantham Gum:
Xantham gum is usually used as a thickener for things like salad dressing and chewing gum, but it has a much more important function.  Over 2 million people in America are unable to eat gluten containing grains like wheat, rye, and oatmeal.  In order to make any king of bread like product from the loaf of bread and bagels to pancakes and tortillas; you need the protein known as gluten.  It works a bit like gum (no pun intended) to hold all of the product together and to give it the characteristic chewy flavor.  

For those that can't process gluten, it can be difficult to find basic products that many of us take for granted.  Imagine having a small child that has to be told that there is no cookies, bread, pancakes, cake, muffins, etc. any more.  There are a few products that are also used, but most products and mixes for the gluten free among us work with Xantham gum.  It is a corn based product that becomes very gooey and slimy when wet.  When used in your bread products, it won't be the same texture as the products you may be used to, but it is pretty good.  I actually found the cakes, muffins, and cookies to be better than those with gluten containing variety.  It is much more expensive than the regular product, but if that is what you need, it is better to have a little than nothing.  

If you have to also be on a corn free diet, you cannot use Xantham gum, but there are a few other products that can be used.  However, besides that sub-group, Xantham is the thing!

I used to be the inventory manager at a small gluten free catalog company.  We were small enough (until right before I left) that we hand bagged everything.  Xantham gum comes in 80 pound barrels, and it is as light as corn starch.  As you bag, it floats up and coats everything.  You have to be careful walking after this, because if you step on anything wet, it's going to be like hitting ice.  I guess, this is a good show of it's viscosity.   

03.  Xmal Deutschland :  
Xmal Deutschland is a goth rock band from Hamburg, Germany.  They were founded in 1980.  This is my favorite of their songs.
 

04.  The X-Files:
One of the best sci-fi series ever written, "The X-Files" pulled in people from every age, race, and culture in America, even those that didn't care for sci-fi.  It has spawned two movies, novels, comics, and music.  It has also been responsible for several well known catchphrases, some appropriated from other sources ("The truth is out there."). 

05.  Xanax:  
Xanax... hmmm...  Whpreo doesn't like to feel more calm and a little sleepy when they're really anxious?  Uh, I can't really think of much more to say on the subject.  Xanax is a good thing. 

06.  Xenophobia:
This is why I didn't say "10 Cool Things".  Xenophobia is the fear of strangers and the fear of immigrants.  Xenophobia has effected our country (and I would guess, all others), since it formed.  There is always one nationality or culture that a majority of the people is afraid and mistrustful of.  Now, it is those from the Middle East, before that, it was the Africans, before that, the Russians -- you get the idea.  It is a truly horrible thing for someone to be judged because of their genetics or because of the group they are associated with.  Other than those with an actual phobia (on an individual basis), it is a national phenomena of fear based on what everyone surrounding is afraid of -- a mass fear, almost bordering on hysteria.  Businesses are closed, people are raped, people are murdered ... all because there is a learned fear by society.   

07.  Xylophone:  
The xylophone is a musical instrument, originally made of wood that assigns each tab a musical note.  Mallets are played in succession to create music.  There are many forms, from the Western world, Asian, India, and Africa.  Here is a cool  video of someone playing "Flight of the Bumble Bee" on a marimba (an African xylophone).  


08.  Xweetok:
This is a species of pets from Neopets.com was released in 2005.  "Originating from the forests of Neopia, they make their homes in hollowed out trees and logs, and are quite agile. Xweetoks enjoy being chased, and often indulge in games such as 'Tag' or 'Hide 'n' Seek' with others of its species."  
My favorite is the Halloween style, pictured below.  If I got to have a sixth pet, this would be the one I wanted.  :)

09.   X-men: 
The X-men are a team of super powered mutants, led by Professor Charles Xavier.  It was created in 1963 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, in a way to give a more palatable medium to show the realities of racism.  In this case, the race being abused were the mutants.  Xavier gave them a safe home and place to learn to control and better use their abilities, eventually training them to protect the world from mutants who wished it harm.  It has sense spawned countless comic spin offs, cartoons, and movies. 

10.  "X Marks the spot."
"This cliché is from the earliest days of newspaper photography where the scene of the crime would be shown with an X to mark where the deed was done. It goes back even further in romantic accounts of such things as pirate treasure maps. The expression was being used joe-kingly by the 1920s, and now can be found as a formula phrase."
Source:  http://www.joe-ks.com/phrases/phrasesX.htm

W is for Writer's Block, of which I have enough to go around.

Ok, so my friend Dennis gave me a lot of great suggestions for blogs; and after almost twenty four hours, I had nothing.  I am feeling the same way I do when trying to work on my o1ther writing, and that is a lot like being stuck in the mud.  I have Writer's Block.  Wait, that begins with a "W".  Perhaps there is a way to help myself... 

These tips have mainly been ripped from the sites you will find listed at the end.  Some have some editing. 

01.  Tell yourself you have to write for only five minutes.
This is the trick they teach to runners. Okay, so you don’t feel like exercising today. Well, pull on your sneakers and tell yourself you have to run for only five minutes and then you can quit. Many times you’ll discover that the simple act of starting will give you enough momentum to continue. It works for writing, too.

02.  Give yourself permission to write badly — really badly. 
Many times we’re blocked as writers because we’ve raised the stakes too high. “This report will make or break my career,” we tell ourselves. “My income depends on this sales letter,” we fret. Those thoughts may be true, but set them aside while you’re writing. If you simply must beat yourself up, do it when you’re editing.

03.  Give yourself a break.  
Sometimes writer's block is simply caused by being stressed, tired, or just tired of trying to write.  Take a walk, get something to treat yourself with something small (like a smoothie or a walk), take a bath, watch something mindless on television, or just take a nap.  Many times, just offering yourself the opportunity to stop and not think too hard. 

Play on the jungle gym, crawl on the floor after your toddler for 20 minutes - not just for the exercise but also for down time from life's problems and to marvel in the joy of exploration.

04. Work on something completely different. 
If your novel is Blocked, work on a short story for a while instead. If your article is stilted, write a poem. The change in form will release you from the pressure of the prior exercise and who knows? You might even find you have another format to explore! Stimulate your brain with a new challenge

05.  Take a break from writing for others.
 If you’re writing for publication, the final outcome needs to be much different than if you’re writing for yourself. Stop worrying about readers, markets and publishers for a while; fill a page with something you want to write. A letter to a friend, a story for your children. Many writers keep blogs for this reason. Blogs act as a space to vent, work out issues, share thoughts and swap information.

06.  The fairy tale. 
Spend time rewriting your favourite fairytale. Choose a different point of view, or change the genre. This gives you the chance to let your playful side out, which is especially useful if you’re struggling with a demanding project.

I have actually done this one twice, and it did really help.  It was fun, I didn't have to figure out how the plot was going to or who the characters, and it mad me feel much more relaxed about tackling the longer project.  My first was a retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood", from the perspective of the wolf, against the evil little girl.  The other was a retelling of "Rapunzel", from the perspective of the witch, who is only trying to protect her adopted daughter.  They were actually two of the best things I have written, and they were also two of the least stressful things I have written.  I'm sure those are mutually dependent. 

07.  Prompt yourself.
Play the ‘what if’ game. Begin with one central “what if” and expand it. You can create complete stories using this method. What if your teenage son woke up to find he’d turned into a girl? What if you didn’t notice? What if he still went to school? What if he got into trouble?

Close your eyes, open a dictionary at a random page and stab it with your finger. Look at the word you’ve chosen and its definition, then write. Try to incorporate the word and meaning into your work.

Another good idea is to utilize writing prompts.  There are a lot of places online where you can get these.  They usually say something like, "A woman find a letter in her dead husband's desk.  It has another woman's name on it.  What does she do?" or "Use the words umbrella, hiking, marble, and fondly in a story".  They are often fun to do and can act as a warm up for your real project.

08.  Pick a strange subject to write about.
It doesn’t have to be something you know a lot about — in fact, it can be helpful if it’s a topic about which you’re mostly in the dark. Just use your imagination! Write about taxidermy, the best ways to seduce a married man, hats in the 1920s, someone called Esmeralda who sleeps on an oriental rug & collects books on medical abnormalities. Whatever you like. The only rules are that you challenge yourself & you pick a subject that is fun to you.


This is kind of what I have been trying to do with my blog -- though not really strange.  It has been successful.  I've written more than I have written in years.

09.  Daydream.
Whilst you finish off the housework or walk the dog, let your mind wander. Think about your project and answer any questions that arise. Even if you’re not the kind of writer who outlines everything in great detail, if you start with a fully fledged idea you’re more likely to reach the end.

10.  Get physical.  
Go for a walk or run, take a yoga class, play basketball, or even just stretch.  Exercise gets your blood flowing, relaxes tension in your muscles, and often allows you to have some fun.  Once you are done, you feel warmed up enough to get down to work.

BONUS:  I also found a page that had an article on how to determine what the cause of your block is.  
http://www.copyblogger.com/beat-writers-block/

Here are the sites where I got the great tips in italics:

http://dmiracle.com/general/20-surefire-ways-to-beat-writers-block/
http://www.fictionfactor.com/articles/block.html
http://www.ezyblogger.com/2011/03/writing-tips-writer-block/
http://galadarling.com/article/how-to-beat-writers-block

V is for videos of the AMV kind.

 

Ok, when I wrote "C is for characters in the key of Anime Minor", I did not plan to do any other blogs on anime topics; because I wanted to diversify and make blogs that different groups would appreciate (as long as it was something that I wanted to write).  However, one thing that I really enjoy is anime music videos (a.k.a.).  For those that aren't aware what these are (though I doubt that anyone who would read this one is unaware), it is a music video, usually fan made, using an anime (or sometimes non-anime animation) for the footage.  Pride is taken in finding good song, anime, and character combinations; and the battle is to see who can edit it together the best, sometimes using special effects to enhance it.

Whenever I find a new anime I like, I will end up online, trying to find a good AMW for the series and then for my favorite characters.  I also try to find great AMVs for favorite bands and songs.  This is not altogether successful, because most AMV creators don't seem to like the same type of music as I do.  I did find one AMV that was a tribute to one of my favorite anime characters, set to one of my favorite songs (Kakashi tribute for "Winterborn" by Cruxasdows), but it was taken off YouTube.  I had the same experience with a great Cowboy Bebop, Ein & Ed tribute to the song, "Bounce" by System of a Down (which I had never heard of until I started watching AMVs), but it suffered the same disappearance.  At least now, I have learned to save them, just in case it disappears.  I just hope that I learn to do the same with my blogs... D:

I am sure that most of my friends who also watch AMVs have either already seen most or all of these, but I'm still picking favorites.  I hope you can just enjoy them again.  :)

So, I wanted to take this chance to make a little tribute of my own to one of my great hobbies.  I decided to make it difficult for myself by making these rules:

No anime may be used more than once, even if it is a different character featured.

There will be no use of the same song more than once.  (This is more difficul than you might thing, since you tend to get a popular song that creators use to make a video for several series -- often successfully.)

There will be no anime remixes/ mixes, where more than one anime was used to make a video. 

I hope, one day, to make one of these; but I keep getting myself turned around it.  We'll see.  In the meantime, bring on the videos!

01. Series:  "Naruto"

      Song:    “Chop Suey” by System of a Down

      Title:     "Self-righteous Suicide -- A Haku and Kimimaro tribute"

One of the things I really enjoy about this video is that it includes three of my favorite minor characters (all found on the "C" blog).  It was well done, despite some poor quality video, with a song that is a great compliment to the characters.  The basic idea behind it is that Haku and Kimimaro had very similar stories and similar fates.  

For whatever reason, Blogger refused to find this on YouTube, even when checking with the exact name.  I am linking a copy that someone posted on YT, but please go here to give credit to the creator of the video:  http://youtu.be/xLK7v_RcJ1A

02. Series:  "Big O"

      Song:    "The Pretender" by Foo Fighters

      Title:     "Big O AMV - The Pretender"

"Big O" will always be one of my favorites, because it was such a unique and creative idea, with great characters that made me not care about the weird animation style.  This is a generally about the series; but it is focused as a tribute to Roger Smith, the Batman of anime.  Small note, Alan Gabriel (the crazy looking guy in the pinstriped suit) is possibly my favorite anime villain of all time, and that is really saying something.  

03. Series:  "Fullmetal Alchemist"

      Song:    "Citizen Soldier" by 3 Doors Down

      Title:    "Roy Mustang and Team ~Citizen Soldier AMV~"

I love this one, because it is a great depiction of the State Alchemists as noble, brave people who are trying to save everyone; going through Hell just to do it.  Too many AMVs (in my opinion) show them as either comedic or just combat.  It's nice to see something more :: cough :: normal.  It's also does show preference to Roy Mustang, who is my favorite "Fullmetal " character.   

04. Series:  "One Piece"

      Song:    "Prayer of the Refugee" by Rise Against

      Title:    "This is One Piece Amv"

"One Piece" is very near and dear to me, and this is actually my favorite AMV.  The song match is fantastic, the editing is nothing short of spectacular, and they manage to pick up the highlights of a big portion of the anime -- no small feat, since the series spans several hundred episodes.

05. Series:  "Mushi-shi"

      Song:    "Mad World" by Paranoia

      Title:    "Mushishi AMV - Mad World Paranoia"

Oh, where do I begin on this one?  This is one of those great series that have no weak episodes and is completely engaging.  I will admit to having an anime crush on the main character, Ginko.  Even if I didn't, I would still think the anime was spectacular.  It is an episodic series about about Mushi (essentially spirit creatures that live naturally around the world but go unnoticed by most) and Ginko, a Mushi-shi (Mushi master), who travels around trying to help people to not be harmed by Mushi and help Mushi to not be harmed by humans.  This AMV is such a wonderful representation of the series.  Notice the gorgeous scenery.  Ok, I'll stop gushing...

 
06. Series:  "Cowboy Bebop"

      Song:    "Stress" by Jim Infantino

      Title:    "Cowboy Bebop AMV - Stress"

Ok, this is a lot like what I said about the above video.  "Cowboy Bebop" is one of the other very few series that I will say had no weak episodes, great characters, an engaging storyline, etc.  It is a classic piece that all anime viewers should watch.  This song and the video made for it are such great pairs to the actual series that I fell in love with this one right away. 

If there are people reading this who have never watched "Cowboy Bebop" (:: gasp! ::), let me answer the one question I always am asked.  What is up with the weird name?  The series is about a group of space bounty hunters -- bounty hunters also being called "cowboys".  The series is very themed to jazz and blues music and as a tie in to this, they're ship is called the Bebop.  So, you know, "Cowboy Bebop"...

07. Series:  "Avatar: The Last Airbender"

      Song:    "Riot" by Three Day's Grace

      Title:    "Avatar - Riot - Three Days Grace"

This was not a true anime, because it was made in America, blah, blah, blah.  There are a lot of arguments back and forth that are good, but I'm just going with "anime".  Anyway, this one is a lot like what I said about the "One Piece" AMV.  It is a  great highlights reel of much of the series with  impressive editing that is, line for line, perfect. 

08. Series:  "Bleach"

      Song:    "Phenomenon" by Thousand Foot Krutch

      Title:    "Bleach-Phenomenon"

 This is another great highlights type AMV with really great editing, which amazes me.  I am struggling with the idea of making a basic AMV, and look at what these people can do!  Amazying!

09. Series:  "Black Butler"

      Song:    "Creepy Doll" by Jonathan Coulton

      Title:    "Drocell is a Creepy Doll"

As mentioned in the "C" blog, I love Drocell Keinz.  I love creepy puppets and creepy puppet masters.  This character only appeared in two episodes, but he was so endearing -- in a creepy way -- that he has developed quite a following.  This song is a perfect match for him, and it was well done to match the story telling style of the song.  

10. Series:  "Eureka 7"

      Song:    "How to Save a Life" by The Fray

      Title:    "Eureka 7 AMV How to save a Life (Eureka Seven)"

 This one made me cry again today, when I was deciding on the AMVs to choose.  Of course, you probably have to know the story, but it really is wonderfully emotional video.  This is an anime that I'm always surprised that many minor to moderate anime watchers missed, even with it being show on Cartoon Network's anime block.  It is many thing, but one of the things I always remember about it is the two representations of true love.  This addresses one of them. 

U is for Undertaking Some Grave Rules

This is yet another blog idea I stole from Kelly.  Thanks for being a great source Kelly!  Anyway, the idea is that it is a good idea to have some guidelines around for our funerals, just in case we don’t have the chance to declare it due to sudden death.  So, here are some rules to remember for the correct handling of my imminent death (For those who misread, this is not a declaration that I am dying.  It’s just a declaration that I will die eventually.)

01.  I do not want to die in Hagerstown.  I hate it here.  The only thing I really like about Hagerstown is my therapist and a few friends that I have in the area.  So, due to this horrible fear that I am going to die in Hagerstown, I would like to say, if I do die in Hagerstown, if you have ever had any love for me, do not let my final resting place be in Hagerstown.  I don’t care what you do with me or where you take me.  Just don’t let it be in Hagerstown.  Bury me in Quebec; sink me in the Indian Ocean; donate me to the Body Farm; stuff me in the trunk of a junkyard car.  I really do not care, as long as you don’t leave me in Hagerstown.

.02  The only thing I feel as strongly about as not being left in Hagerstown (and seriously, don’t leave me in Hagerstown) is do not let them embalm me.  I am fine with allowing someone to put weird makeup on me that make all of the mourners say things like, “It doesn’t even look like her”, but anything beyond that I do not want.  I won’t go into the specifics on why I don’t want to be embalmed, because the details can be very grisly.  However, I will say that a dead body’s natural purpose is to rot and go back to being a part of nature.  It is not intended to be preserved like the end of harvest fruit.  Not only do I not want to be embalmed in any way, I do not want to be stuffed into a sealed casket or a vault.  I want a cheap, wooden coffin that will fall apart as fast as my body will.  You can even put me in a big cardboard box.  I just don’t want to be put in Tupperware for the dead.  To repeat, I want my body to rapidly break down and return to the Earth, until there is nothing left but some dusty bones.

If it becomes a big deal about preservation and hermetically sealing me, just don’t bury me.  My first choice for alternate disposal would be to donate my body.  I would like to donate it to science for one of the diseases from which I suffer, but there is a high likelihood that I will have some liver complications (at least), and they won’t let you donate if you have jaundice.  If this arises, then donate my body to the Body Farm.  At least, there it will do some good.  Just make sure they don’t put me in a casket or vault when they’re done.

My first second would be to bury me at sea, but I’m not sure if they let you do this anymore.  My third choice would burial by air, but I know they don’t let you do that anymore.   If all else fails, just cremate me.  It’s not something that I would like, but it is better than the above option of preservation.

03.  I do not want everyone to sit around crying and somber.  I would rather everyone just have a party with food and alcohol where they all get drunk and talk about their memories of me.  Foods involving cheese and drinks involving tequila are encouraged, in my memory.  Everyone has a good time, and I am remembered, which is significantly better than sitting in a parlor, politely weeping.

04.  Don’t pipe in canned “funeral music”.  Just play the music I enjoyed in life.  Some people may find it inappropriate to play things like The Sisters of Mercy, Creature Feature (I’d recommend “Grave Robber At Large”.), and The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies; but it shouldn’t be about what a bunch of stuffy so-and-sos think is proper to a proper funeral.  It’s about me, and it should be about what I loved in life.

05.  As I have heard told of some funerals, do not stick me in someone else’s conservative dress, because my clothes are not acceptable – and once again, proper – for a burial.  I picked my clothes, because I like them; and I don’t want to be stuck in something I don’t like; because someone else is more comfortable with it.  I am fine with being buried in a Sisters of Mercy t-shirt and jeans, since that is what I am known to wear in life.

06.  Unless I know your child and have a relationship with your child, do not bring your child to a funeral.  There’s nothing like sitting there, trying to grieve your loved one and having a child loudly proclaiming that they are bored and want to go.  I’m not talking about your twelve year old or you’re teen.  I’m talking about those little kids that don’t understand what is going on or don’t understand how to act with decency.

07.  Don’t feel obligated to have a service in the funeral home and spend the extra money.  Just have a graveside service and then off to the party.

08.  If you aren’t worried about the money, and I am being buried, I don’t want one of those flat “they’re easier to mow the grass around” plaque tombstones.  I love those ornate, beautifully carved, detailed, old style tombstones that look more like named sculptures than markers.  My favorite was a marker that looked like a gnarled, vine wrapped tree stump with an open book atop it.  The book contained the information for the dead and a favorite Bible quote.  Less expensive but just as adored by me is the tall, thin classic tombstone with a carved character at the top (an angel, a hand pointing up, etc.), the information of the dead, and an epitaph.  But that requires you coming up with an epitaph.  Good luck.

09.  Though I love the idea of having a huge flower filled funeral, I know that it is ultimately a waste; because there’s no real purpose for those beautiful flowers once the service Is over.  Instead, donate the money that you would have used for flowers to a charity that protects and rescues animals.

If you must have flowers, make it one of those ceremonies where the mourner’s line up and place a single flower in memory on an altar or on the casket.  It’s symbolic, allows the mourner to honor the dead and acknowledges their grief, and it is less expensive and provides less waste than sending large bouquets.

10.  If you do have a funeral other than graveside, try to find a gorgeous, church – the kind with a bell tower- and gargoyles.  Make sure all mourners wear all black.  This is because I love black and because it makes a more uniform appearance of grief through the pews.  Women will gain extra appreciation if they wear veils.  Once the preacher has had his say, allow the mourners to say their peace.  Dramatic gesticulations and wailing of the most unnatural kind are to be encouraged.  Spontaneous synchronized dancing is required.  Feel free to take dancing classes in preparation for the service.

 
If you would like to put up one of those collages of photographs, please make sure they are not photographs that would be embarrassing to me or to those I love.  No photo shopped pictures of me pole dancing, no pictures of me eating giant burgers that have covered my hands with goop (However, those with cheeseburgers are acceptable, since it involves me eating cheese.), etc.

Leaving the church, my casket should be carried to a vintage hearse (bonus appreciation if you use a classic funeral carriage pulled by black horses) by pall bearers dressed in Victorian mourning guard.  Andrew Eldritch should be invited to take part in this.  Should he accept, he is allowed to forgo the all black rule, if he wears one of those lovely white suits.

I would like to be buried with one of those outdated and probably useless devices made to signal the public if a person were buried alive.  First, I think they are very cool, and I just like the idea of having one, especially with it being very archaic.  Also, just in case I am buried alive or Superboy punches reality again, I’d like to have an easy method to notify people that I’m alive.  Besides, I doubt I have the skill to dig myself out alone, because no one will give me the training given to Jason Todd.  Selfish bastards.

My next 30 Day Challenge is a cheap and dirty 26 -- Rebuilt, Re-intro!

Sorry for the random placement.  I didn't know I still had it until I got done with "T".  "Oh, what's that on the end of the blog?"  Well, it was this; and I'm going to pretend it is supposed to be here.  You should too.  If you startle the blog, it may run away again...

I have made some changes as I reposted.  Mainly, I have just been adding photos -- at least one for each blog; because I like having the pictures, and I like seeing something relevant pictures when I share them on Facebook.  This took a lot of time, but I'm really glad that I did it.  Even though I lost one blog, I don't really have anymore stress over the whole event.  B-U have been rebuilt, and are up.  I plan to start tomorrow with V-Z.  Please enjoy -- no, really, please enjoy!

Original Intro Blog:

I couldn't decide on a 30 Day Challenge to complete next, and I really am addicted to the things.  A friend of mine made a suggestion that I do an alphabet challenge(Thanks El), where each day you take the next day of the alphabet, pick a subject that begins with that letter on which to write.  I really liked the idea, but the whole incursion of life has made me uneasy to commit to something that would require so much writing (because I would do so much writing).  So, likely due to to many episodes of David Letterman's show recently (because, you know, it's right before Craig Ferguson's show), I decided to make it a Ten List.  These will either come in the form of Top Ten Lists or Ten Facts Lists.  I look forward to the challenge of completing this one.

If no calamity occurs, I plan to post the first list later tonight.  

T is for Television and some shows that I love

This list is, by no means, in any kind of order.  This is also, by no means, a list of all of the shows I enjoy.  This is just a list of ten of my favorite television shows -- perhaps my ten favorite.

 01.  “Doctor Who” Classic:  The fantastically quirky stories were made even better by the campy special effects.  Each actor brought a new characterization to the Doctor, and unlike the modern incarnation, it doesn’t try too hard to be cool.  It just was cool.

 

02.  “The Big Bang Theory”:  Science, comics, sci-fi, and all things geeky all rolled up into four great characters and a fifth who has to deal with them.  This is one of the only current shows I include on the list.         

                                                                                                                                                 

 03. "The Fasts of Life”:  Not only was this a great comedy and a good inspiration for girls who were growing up in the 80s, this show was unafraid to tackle mature topics ranging from eating disorders to suicide.

04.  “Good Times”:  Again, not only was this a fantastic comedy (with the great J.J. Walker), it was unashamed of not only tackling but embracing such issues as racism and poverty.

 05.  “Chopped”:  This show is just great fun.  I love cooking, and I love cooking shows, but this one really takes the cake.  So, what does a professional chef do when he "has to make a quality meal out of a basket of crap?  Find out on “Chopped”!

 

06.  “Brimstone”:  What a great series this was, but somehow it only lasted one season.  A good man and police officer is driven to the point of corruption when he finds the man who raped his wife (and got away with it) delivered into his hands.  He kills the rapist and then dies, finding himself in Hell for this act of bloody vengeance.  As luck would have it, the Devil is in need of a guy for some talking monkey work – retrieving the evil souls that recently escaped Hell back to Earth.  We even got to have an episode with Jesse Borrego.  Mmmm…. Jesse Borrego…

 07.  “Criminal Minds”:  The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit investigates crimes from kidnapping to serial killing and offer not just a solution but also an explanation for why the offender committed the crime.  I’m fascinated with the way the human mind works – especially when the person decides to commit a heinous crime.

08.  “Medium”:  Fun and serious at the same time, Patricia Arquette did a fantastic job of depicting wife, mother, and psychic.  Her family were also incredible.  I read the book written by the real Allison Dubois, and it was almost as entertaining.  I’m so glad they did such a great job fictionalizing her life.

 09.  “Good Eats”:  Ok, my crush on Alton Brown is well documented in the much lamented internet lore, but there is much more than just that reason that I love this show.  It approaches the subject of food concocting as Mr. Wizard, using science and comedy to show how different elements effect the food that you cook.  I learned more about cooking from this show than from any other source – even my mother.

10.  “The Dick van Dyke Show”:  This is one of the shows that spawned sitcoms as we have known them in the modern days of color television.  Then antics of the Petrie family stands up to the over half century time since it aired.  They even influenced the time current to them, when Laura Petrie (played by Mary Tyler Moore) wore capri pants as if it were a regular thing.  This small act inspired women to do the same thing, wearing pants as casual wear, instead of wearing dresses and skirts at all times.  This became so inspiring that men and conservative groups complained about Laura’s rebellious clothing.  The network didn’t want to offend either group, so they instead settled on allowing Laura to wear pants during one scene each episode.