The dialouge re. "oppositional" is beyond my cognative ability just now. I don't think that we could agree on a definition that would result in anything constructive. But re. 9/11, I had a similar, profound, severe reactionn for months after -- even though I was 2000 miles away. I became obsessed, read a half a dozen books about it, by survivors, etc. It's why I think I need to see this movie. It feels, in advance, like a little bit of closure. The 2000 people (roughly) is a drop in the bucket of the suffering and death of world-wide humanity, but somehow it affected me profoundly. I spent days listening non-stop to news hoping to hear survivors had been pulled out. Hundreds of Ethiopians have drowned in floods and I'm not crying over them......well I'm kind of crying, but not like I did about the Towers. Comedy is not always demeaning. Laughter is good. To hear (read) you say that comedy depresses you is ......interesting. I like Chicago because a) the music is great; b) the dancing is great; c) Gere was quite a surprise and d) "Cellophane" is my favourite part of it. I run it over and over sometimes. -----Original Message----- From: aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Sat, 19 Aug 2006 6:53 PM Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: surrealism ---- Original Message ----- From: To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: 8/19/2006 4:45:21 PM Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: surrealism -----Original Message----- From: aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Sat, 19 Aug 2006 3:21 PM Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: surrealism <<Oppositionalist? Because I don't like television? >> Sorry -- I guess I wasn't very clear. You (seemed to me) to imply that when someone wanted you, urged you to see or read something it put you off. I'm a bit like that. So is my husband. We say it's a trait of being oppositional. A.A. Oppositional to me is a judgmental word like stubborn or lazy. It's not a word I would ever use. There is such a thing as oppositional defiant disorder in children, but as far as I'm concerned that's a label on a child who is expressing something that he/she has no words for. Given that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (whatever it's called) is literally written by pharma (literally), it's a bunch of reasons to sell drugs, expand their market. The kid needs a dad, so tell the mom he has oppositional defiant disorder and put him on Ritalin or Adderal. I was accommodating as best I could people who I otherwise have nothing to communicate to, so I read their books and watch their shows when I have to. I am grudgingly accommodating, not oppositional. Yes, I know the Bible says give freely or not at all, but it hasn't killed me yet to be civilized. ; I find television downright annoying, it's so *slow*, never funny, loaded with commercials and generally a total waste of time. I watched Seinfeld a few times to see what the commotion was about, and he's okay. Take no prisoners comedy doesn't do it for me. Bathroom humor got old a long time ago. The Simpsons basically make statements on society. Tonight's episode about the comet could have been a political allegory on the Palestinian/Israeli issue, where Homer tells Flanders to get out of his bomb shelter, they're moving in. I wonder if the writers saw what they were writing. J.K. Yes, learning about new stuff, like the ME, like science (subscribe to NewScientist, Discovery, sometime) is fun but not escapist. Sometimes people need a little ...... down time. Just laugh for the hell of it time. My kids loved Bugs Life. I didn't see it. A.A. I'll probably watch it over and over and over, right after the Little Mermaid. J.K. Tomorrow Jim is taking me to the World Trade Center movie. Escapist enough for you? I admit to watching Shrek or Chicago every time I'm so depressed by the real condition of the real world that I don't want to wake up anymore. A.A. I'm not sure if I want to see that. I had a severe reaction after 9/11. Maybe because I worked in one of the Towers once. I cried for a year over it. I finally worked it through on the anniversary of when they did all the readings of the names and the ceremonies. That's what annoys me when Lawrence says I'm anti-American. I liked Shrek a lot. I liked Chicago but it's hardly uplifting. I'm sorry you feel so depressed. Escape from depression is a band aid, but it's better than nothing. J.K. Laughter is a good and healing thing. You don't get alot of that from reading about the real condition of the world. A.A. That's why I don't like comedy, because much of the time it depresses me. Mean, dysfunctional, nasty, and people laugh and laugh. I don't get it. Really funny comedy is like art, rare. ________________________________________________________________________ Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email and IM. All on demand. Always Free.