Quincenera

I am watching the History Channel while blogging. This is a surreal post moment. I have officially joined the ranks of those I mocked for so long. Dammit.

Technically, I'm blogging because I'm watching the History Channel.

Eh... that really doesn't make it any better.

FUCK these credit report commercials where there that annoying ass sings jingles are annoying.

Ah. Back to the program. Modern Marvels. Environmental Technology. The reason behind this post. Who would've thought that procrastinating by watching TV would actually lead to school work? But hey...

Alas, the show has just ended. And there are two hours before the Nobel Prize for Greatest Television Program of all time, also known as Life After People, starts. They discussed some pretty interesting technology, like harvesting methane gas from decomposing landfills, and powering factories by steam. Although, a quick look outside would confirm that the Utopic vision that the episode paints our world as is far from fact.

On top of that, there is.... OH DAMMIT! How the Earth Was Formed is on now. Snore. I'm not a geologist! I don't care how the earth was made! I want to know how it's going to fall the fuck apart.

Let's see what else is on.

Huh. Who knew Busta Rhymes was in Halloween 8?

Back to the main topic.

This episode of Modern Marvels is problematic to me. Mainly because of that whole utopic vision dealie I mentioned above. The episode could have treated these environmentally friendly technologies as a rarity that was in need of massive support from both consumers and corporations.

It ended with a nice epilogue about every environmentalist's go-to issue: WETLANDS! And how they're getting drained and stuff. And how hybrid cars are being built with wetlands-generation devices as part of an initiative called Project Genesis.

Wait. That's Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

But it would be dope city if they could make hybrids with that stuff. But they can't. Watching an episode of Modern Marvels like this one, you might think they can. And that is a problem.

Sure there are facts about a certain number of trees being saved for every ton of paper recycled, and 15-something or other barrels of oil are saved for every ton of aluminum recycled, and that is certainly a beneficial aspect of programming like this. It helps reinforce the importance of recycling, while also shows exactly how recycling works, helping to decrease the mystery surrounding it.

Bottom line is, this episode was very informative, but it lacked a distinguishable tonal urgency that would have driven the point home emphatically, rather than apathetically.

And really Modern Marvels? The episode you air after Environmental Tech is called Logging Tech? Figure your shit out.