Meditations on Internet TV

We get about 5 TV channels at our apartment. I really don't mind, but I'm not a militant anti-TV person, and I do enjoy the occasional show. So, given that The Wire is the best show ever, and given that it is so intense and fascinating that it deserves undivided attention, what am I to do when I just want a little something to watch during snack-time- say, while eating a delicious quesadilla? The answer*, for nerds like me without access to CSPAN, is bloggingheads.tv.

Now, this site is not for those who want information fast- although there is an option of playing the "diavlogs" at 1.4x speed, which can be nice, though also pretty hilarious. Nor is it for people who want well-produced TV, as it's just two people talking with frequent technological screw-ups. But if you want some company with your quesadilla, it can be interesting. Here are a couple of clips with some human-nature-themed tidbits:



And...



On the more political side, they do a great job of pairing up people of very different perspectives, and they get a lot of really well-known scholars to participate.

*On a broader note, the answer to the snack-time entertainment dilemma may be best stated by Thich Nhat Hanh, a buddhist author that Matt and I are quite fond of. He writes about eating a tangerine, quoting a Buddhist sutra: "When you children peel a tangerine, you can eat it with awareness or without awareness. What does it mean to eat a tangerine in awareness? When you are eating the tangerine, you are aware that you are eating the tangerine. You fully experience its lovely fragrance and sweet taste. When you peel the tangerine, you know that you are peeling the tangerine; when you remove a slice and put it in your mouth, you know that you are removing a slice and putting it in your mouth; when you experience the lovely fragrance and sweet taste of the tangerine, you are aware that you are experiencing the lovely fragrance and sweet taste of the tangerine."

Maybe I should be concentrating more on my delicious quesadilla. At least I give undivided attention to The Wire...