From ABC's video player to CBS' Innertube, the major networks have done away with most people's need for TiVo. Go to abc.com or any of the other television network websites and you will find a media player allowing you to watch this season's episodes of your favorite shows. Miss an episode of Grey's Anatomy? Catch up on back episodes online. Don't mess with programming a digital recorder or VCR.

Why worry about it when the network provides the shows for free? I never get to watch NCIS any more. NCIS comes on at the same time as Standoff on FOX. I watch Standoff because my wife prefers it. Now I don't have to miss my shows again. I can catch up on NCIS on lazy weekends. I might even start watching back episodes of Jericho, though it doesn't interest me enough to watch during the week. I like the convenience of it. There are times when the Library is closed and I want to watch a movie or show.

The library has become a valuable Blockbuster-esque resource. You'd be amazed at how many recent DVDs I can get ahold of for free. Still, as I said, the library has business hours that don't always fit my schedule. Now it doesn't have to matter. I can go online and catch up on my shows or start watching a new show from the first episode of the season. Pathetic, I know, to care so much about television. It's all rot in the end, I suppose. But it is entertaining.

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The holiday shopping season is on. Black Friday was a productive day for retailers this year. The day after Thanksgiving is dubbed Black Friday because it is traditionally known as the day of the year that most businesses make it into the black (profit). How ridiculous is that? Store owners actually work for 46 weeks of the year before ever getting out of the red. If that's not a reason to find a different vocation, I don't know what is. This year's Cyber Monday is expected to be the most significant ever.

Cyber Monday is the first Monday after Thanksgiving when internet retailers do their best to woo businessmen and women into purchasing big ticket items with special discounts and sales. Cyber Monday has been a disappointment to Internet retailers until now. The online shopping industry has matured to the degree that a good portion of Americans are now comfortable buying most anything online. It took years to build this sense of stability in the general public, but repetition has finally paid off.

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We made it to my parents' house. It's great to see family. I'm pausing to write a brief post here because I needed to get away from the discussion of declining ethics and morals among Americans. Yes, I agree that such decline exists. But no, I have no desire to wax on and on about it because there's nothing I can really do about it.

We've experienced a couple mini crises over the past 24 hours. My wife lost her wedding ring last night, which is simply heartbreaking for her. I even took apart the sink pipes to check, but no luck so far. Heather's mom is praying that the ring will appear somewhere soon. I don't have the faith to really pray for that, but I'll take it if it comes. I got the crap beat out of me on the basketball court last night. My foot hit a major wet spot on the floor and slid out from under me while the rest of me decided to fall in a crumpled heap, resulting in the first splits I've performed in my entire life. I'm suddenly very grateful for the butterfly stretches I started doing a week ago. Doing the splits still hurt like hell, but I might have been temporarily disabled if not for the stretches.

We're waiting for my sister to arrive from Tulsa. She spent the day with our grandparents. They're awesome people. I miss them. It's unfortunate that they couldn't make it this year. Reason number one for convincing the family to move to DFW. Once my sis arrives, we'll dig into some tasty grub. Right now, the women are talking health and kittens. I'm going into the living room to catch the Cowboys with my dad. Happy Holidays, everyone! I have much to be thankful for.

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I don’t know what else to say. Russ Hemati managed to shatter my sense of how the world functions. Russ was one of those rare people you ever get to meet in your lifetime if ever who could literally write his own ticket if he only chose to do so. He will never admit to this, of course, because he has found it logically necessary to assume the figure of humility, although I don’t consider it pride to admit to the truth.

He is that intelligent. I think it should be known. I think he could be an asset to more people than he realizes if he were to only expand his willingness to accept public exposure. Well, there are worthwhile debates over this. We can impart a deeper sense of humanity, spirituality, philosophy, and stability to a few people via actual relationship. Writing books, blogs, or journals will never have the power of impact that a relationship can have.

Why else did Jesus walk the earth with his disciples? Why didn’t he just heal people, preach, and write a book called, The Gospel of Jesus? Why did he entrust the retelling of this amazing story to a handful of mostly uneducated fishermen, waiters, and tax collectors? I think there was something more in the impartation of his life. Authors like John Eldredge, Donald Miller, and Stu Weber agree that something is imparted to a young man when he experiences the physical presence of a mature, masculine adult.

Call it what you will, but I have to agree that physical discipleship is more effective than teaching via booklet or blog. Still, there is something to be said for reaching more people quickly. Perhaps we each have our own callings, even those of us with similar giftings. Perhaps some of us are called to share who we are with a small group, and others of us are called to share who we are with the masses. Strategically, it makes sense to do both. You want the deep conversion that comes with close proximity, but you don’t want to wait for generations to pass before enough people are changed that everyone out there has a chance to know a part of what you have to share.

So some of us focus on the few, some on the many. I’d say that I probably focus on the many right now, while Russ focuses on the few. He is obviously equipped to share with the many, though writing may not be his favorite method of expression. But I had certain expectations of him during college. Sure, he’ll be a PhD soon enough and I’ll have to call him Dr. Hemati, but I saw him as one of those guys who could become nationally renowned if only he would become a bachelor for life, devoted to his craft.

Okay, so I’m not disappointed in the least that he married. He and Christi make a wonderful couple. I knew that years ago. Still, you don’t meet someone like him very often. Russ and Christi now have a baby girl, Claire, and Russ is forever branded with a father’s love. That love will motivate and rejuvenate him throughout the years to come, but it will also pose some limitations. This is what we call Life.

We each face these decisions in our lives. Decisions which literally alter the path of our future. Russ is not likely to ever regret the decision he has made, both as husband and as father. He is very pleased with the outcome of his circumstances. And he should be.

But people like me can both appreciate the good and the beautiful while simultaneously viewing the imaginary “what ifs” that haunt us, wondering what greatness he or she missed out on. It is not mental illness. If anything, it is merely ambidextrous instrospection.

Russ will never become a Nietzsche or Einstein or von Balthazaar. I shouldn’t say never. But the odds are no longer in his favor. Who has the time to postulate new theorems or invent new inventions while giving the baby her bottle and changing her diaper? I haven’t seen or heard of it happen yet. A man can be brilliant and a good father at the same time. But brilliance is capacity and father is activity. All I’m saying is that I don’t see how a man can truly reach his potential as a father while dedicating enough of his time to something else to produce genius.

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Congratulations are in order for artist Tyler Huntzinger who, along with David Meikle, was introduced to the public at an artist reception at EVERGREEN Framing Co. & Gallery. The reception was held on Friday, November 17th, between 6-9pm in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was unable to attend, unfortunately, but I have seen copies of Huntzinger paintings, and I am thoroughly impressed.

I am a huge fan of his, both personally and professionally. My wife and I met Tyler and Charlotte Huntzinger on a Caribbean cruise. They are quality people. In the short time we spent together, my wife and I grew to be quite fond of them. Perhaps someday I'll be able to talk him into flying down to Dallas and painting a mural for our home. Hats off to Tyler Huntzinger and best wishes to his wife, Charlotte!

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There's no more Grey's Anatomy. Well, no more gratuitously excessive episode watching, that is. The show will go on in a few days, but it is the end of my sweet escape. The show is not as meaningful in small doses. If it cannot become a week-long obsession, it falls miserably short of it's "intended" purpose. It's sad what a person will turn to when smoking is no longer an option. For me, it has been Whataburger, Starbucks, and Grey's Anatomy.

I'm looking at my coffee table and wondering why I don't feel the least embarrassed at the four Grey's Anatomy DVD rental boxes sitting there. I'm not embarrassed. I feel no shame at all. And I don't mind admitting that T.R. Knight, who plays the role of intern George O'Malley, is the most incredible television actor I've seen in years. He is the reason Grey's Anatomy lasted more than a few episodes for me.

Theodore Raymond Knight, born in 1973, leads an all-star cast of surgeons and interns. The five interns of Grey's Anatomy form this beautiful dysfuncitonal family. They face the most hideous diseases and traumas imaginable and despite imperfect advice and lacking morals, they manage to learn how to support and love each other through it all. For anyone who has missed out on the opportunity of real quality family time with their parents and siblings, Grey's Anatomy is one of those shows that presents us with a picture and a hope of a second chance at belonging.

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I am 30 minutes away from finishing the second season of Grey's Anatomy on DVD. Yes, I have actually watched all 27 episodes of season two in the past 10 days. And that includes a two-day sabbatical. Heather and I actually stopped the final episode because it's nearly 3am and we have church in the morning. I'm not going to summarize this or any other Grey's Anatomy episode at this time because I've already found too many blogs and websites out there who focus entirely on the show and its actors. There is no need for another recap.

I do have some thoughts, however, and I will share them as they come, both now and in the future. There are different kinds of writers, you see. Some people are strictly factual reporters. Some are biased/sensationalist reporters, bending the story to fit a preconceived idea of what should be deemed newsworthy. Some are novelists. Some are poets. Others are playwrights. Then there is the columnist. The columnist takes the facts from the story, sifts through them, and finds little jewels of truth, insight, interest, and clarity which the others frequently miss. I am the columnist. I can be the poet and I aspire to be the novelist; but for now, I am the columnist.

You know that voice that talks at the beginning and end of each show of Grey's Anatomy? That's me. Okay, not literally me. I am not a writer or speaker on the show. But that is my type. I'm the person who takes all the interesting, bizarre, and mundane aspects of life and searches for the moral, the lesson, the silver lining. Such morals, lessons, and silver linings cannot always be found. But with convenient little shows like Grey's Anatomy, they are hard to miss. It is difficult to not notice the ironic similarity between the problems of the patients and the problems of the staff. They coincide nicely and neatly far too often to be coincidence... except that life is often just as coincidental. What am I saying? I don't know... It's 3am. I don't have to make sense at 3am. More on this later. Get some sleep.

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Is it true that women have a better chance at quality female roles in television than in film? Katherine Heigl seems to think so. Grey's Anatomy Insider reported at the end of a segment on Heigl that she deeply appreciates the opportunity to play a role on a quality television show. She expressed her opinion that "the roles are really great on television and they don't really have that in film." That comment struck me as odd, and I decided to think on it for awhile.

Could it be true? After all the Academy Award winning actresses that have gone before? I thought, and I thought. And it turns out that there are still only a small handful of actresses whose talent I respect compared to several dozen actors. Why is that? Could it be the roles? Could it be that men really do have center stage some 90% of the time?

Most movies do revolve around men. That's why a list of quality current actors is so long. The overall plot may not always be the best, but the individuals come to the dance prepared. A very short list of quality Hollywood film actors includes Denzel Washington, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hanks, Morgan Freeman, Tim Robbins, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tommy Lee Jones, Jude Law, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Edward Norton, Will Smith, Bruce Willis, Ethan Hawke, Ed Harris, Tom Cruise, Matthew McConaughey, Dennis Quaid, Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas, Kiefer Sutherland, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Hugh Grant, Mel Gibson, Jack Nicholson, John Cusak, Robert Downey Jr., Dustin Hoffman, and so on and so forth.

I could keep on going until the cows come home. I literally added ten names to this list after I had moved on to the next paragraph. My "A" list of film actresses is rather short (we are talking acting talent, not appearance): Susan Sarandon, Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, Nicole Kidman, Rachel Weisz, Jodie Foster, Keira Knightley, Kristin Scott Thomas, Kate Hudson, Drew Barrymore (who I can't stand), Natalie Portman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Diane Lane, Halle Berry. Cameron Diaz, Charlize Theron, Renee Zellweger, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson, Sharon Stone, Angelina Jolie, and Julianne Moore pretty much wrap up the list of actresses.

Sure, a few are missing from the list, but even most of those in the list are questionable at best. But let's not blame it on the men completely. True, too many starring female roles are given to beautiful, talentless women. True, they are chosen for the physical beauty, regardless of their actual acting talent. Some of these women have enough talent to play one type of role, but they don't have the versatility to play multiple roles.

Granted, there is a lot of type casting going on with male actors as well. Who ever thinks of Morgan Freeman except as a detective pursuing some psycho killer? Denzel Washington is the tough, independent speech maker who rallies the troops. Al Pacino is the master of grandstanding and dramatic speech. Anthony Hopkins is the eloquent, intelligent older man who always knows more than he tells. There are roles which seem formed and fashioned for the best of the best, and it's easy to understand why they choose to play similar parts over and over again. Why mess with a good thing? Then again, you have the Nicole Kidmans who so stretch themselves to succeed in vastly different roles that you can't help but respect her.

Dressing up as an ugly woman is the kiss of death to an actress unless her acting skill is so far superior to her peers that she can walk away from the role still capturing the people's respect and admiration. I had high hopes for Julia Ormond after Legends of the Fall, Sabrina, First Knight, and Smilla's Sense of Snow. I thought we had a new leading lady for the big screen. It was not meant to be, apparently. Sure, she has starred opposite Bill Paxton and Benicio del Toro recently, but she's managed to stay off the radar. I can't blame her for avoiding the paparazzi, but I'm disappointed with the path her career has taken these past nine years.

Inevitably, there are other one or two hit wonders out there who could have become better than good actresses, but it's a cutthroat business. Katherine Heigl probably doesn't stand a chance at a Julia Roberts-esque career, simply because she gives off this ditzy blonde image without even trying. I'm willing to give anyone a chance. And truly, if Drew Barrymore can make it in the business purely on the strength of her acting talent (and family history in the biz) then there is hope for other non-supermodel types with personality lurking in the shadows out there. All it takes is one good hit (and a stellar agent). And while we wait to see which leading lady, if any, will capture the silver screen, we have television shows like Grey's Anatomy, LOST, House MD, Crossing Jordan, and Six Degrees to make up the difference.

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Given that lambs are infant sheep, that sheep are afraid and foolish, and lack the means of self-protection, having neither rage nor claws, venom nor cunning, what then is this 'Lamb of God'? This pretty creature, vigorous to nuzzle at milky dugs, woolbearer, bleater, leaper in air for delight of being, who finds in astonishment four legs to stand on, the grass all it knows of the world? With whom we would like to play, whom we'd lead with ribbons, but may not bring into our houses because it would soil the floor with its droppings? What terror lies concealed in strangest words, O lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World: an innocence smelling of ignorance, born in bloody snowdrifts, licked by forebearing dogs more intelligent than its entire flock put together? God then, encompassing all things, is defenseless? Omnipotence has been tossed away, reduced to a wisp of damp wool? And we frightened, bored, wanting only to sleep till catastrophe has raged, clashed, seethed and gone by without us, wanting then to awaken in quietude without remembrance of agony, we who in shamefaced private hope had looked to be plucked from fire and given a bliss we deserved for having imagined it. is it implied that we must protect this perversely weak animal, whose muzzle's nudgings suppose there is milk to be found in us? Must hold to our icy hearts a shivering God? So be it. Come, rag of pungent quiverings, dim star. Let's try if something human still can shield you, spark of remote light.

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Just so you know, CultureFeast has temporarily switched to the new Google/Blogger beta platform, which may or may not affect CultureFeast usability. If you notice any differences in the functionality of the site, please contact me immediately. I hope to make the transition from Blogger to WordPress within the next few weeks. Time is short, and there are always a dozen things to do. It is my hope that WordPress will allow additional functionalities that will take CultureFeast to the next level.

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Tarmon Gaidon is the name chosen for the last battle between mankind and the Dark One. It is the Armageddon of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. A solid year of catch up reading has brought me to Tarmon Gaidon's doorstep, only to be bitterly disappointed. I have exhausted all eleven Wheel of Time books and the one prequel. To my dismay, I have recently learned that Robert Jordan has a serious medical condition - one which requires intense treatment and leaves his body weak and exhausted.

This is bad for me. I need to read the last book of the series. I absolutely need to. I know it's selfish and I don't care. I never knew Robert Jordan personally so it is very difficult to care more about his personal health than about his ability to finish that book. Seriously. I need closure. I have invested a year of my life to reading thousands of pages written by this man, only to come one book shy of the end. And what an end it could be! Then again, the more I think about, I realize that one book is not nearly enough to lead up to, detail, and conclude Tarmon Gaidon (i.e. the armageddon).

Robert Jordan is a master story teller, but he's not brief. Each 650-850 page book should attest to that. Yet all I have heard through the grapevine is that he plans to write one more Wheel of Time book, two series prequels, and then he plans to move on to other story ideas he's been working on. I, for one, have invested far too much time, attention, and interest to settle for not getting my story's ending. I want it. I want to know what happens to everybody. Will Mat and Tuon be reunited? Will Mat become Emperor of the Seanchan empire? How does Perrin Goldeneyes fit into the Seanchan prophecies of the wolf and the hammer?

Many non-Jordan fans will read this and think, Oh, he's one of those people. He probably sits around in his underwear playing RPG and eating yesterday's leftover pizza. Not true, although I would eat the leftover pizza. Strange as it seems, I started reading Robert Jordan because of C. S. Lewis. After reading and rereading The Chronicles of Narnia, Lewis' sci-fi series, and his other fictional works, I found a void which demanded to be filled. Lewis created a wonder in me that no other author has. Lewis found a way to make story-telling magic.

That's not just a flowery, meaningless compliment. I truly mean that. I read The Silmarillion by Tolkein, but I have no interest in reading The Lord of the Rings. That meant searching for another storyteller whose world would capture my imagination. I heard about Robert Jordan six years ago, from a friend at DBU. The name had stuck in my head, so I gave The Wheel of Time a shot. Jordan is no C. S. Lewis, but he weaves an interesting tale. Now I sit and I wait. Sometimes I wonder if writers conspire against me. I have to wait two months for the next LOST episode also. Hence the Grey's Anatomy obsession. I'm still watching last season's episodes, enjoying the instant availability of new content.

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