Spontaneous Musings

At work, I rave about The Wire. Talked to a colleague, who is black, and a former defense attorney, (he like me is making more dough as a contract administrator for the railroad then he ever did in law) about it - and explained it took place in Baltimore. Colleague (he's in his 50s) - "Baltimore is a city with a chewy flavor all its own..." Then he talks about working as a defense attorney - "I tend to compare things in life to what I used to do, as a defense attorney you spend most of your time explaining the cases to people. Most lawyers will inherit a file, they won't read it, and often even if they did - it wouldn't matter - since there's nothing in it but the charges. So it's the defense attorney's job to explain it to them. A lot of lawyers don't get that - that you explain the case, don't just copt a plea. They get so many of these files, you see, they don't have the time to read them or spend any time."

Other co-worker - who has worked in private sector and government, stated - "government is so much better. The only difference between the two is the private sector is just more ruthless. And more likely to cheat, steal, and do whatever is necessary to meet the bottom line." He ain't wrong. The level of corruption in the private sector makes most governments look rather pristine in comparison. My response - "Yep, only difference is the government tends to play by the rules, the private goes around all of them unless it makes them rich and happy." Yes, methinks, I'm becoming a socialist in my old age...twenty years bopping from recession to recession, while capitalism has gone mad, will do that to you.

Watched episode 5 of the Wire tonight which delves into three topics, without preaching about it. Another rarity for a tv series. These writers don't jump up on their soap boxes. Gotta to give David Simon and Ed Burns a great deal of credit for that. Again they show not tell.

Topics? 1) Gentrification - which made me laugh out loud (because experiencing that right now up close and personal - heck the example they provide hit close to home). 2) Market distrust - how you change your brand to regain market trust (comparing Worldcom (better known as MCI, and later merged with US Sprint - I know a lot about it - took a marketing class and I worked for Sprint around the time it happened.) with Drug dealing - hilarious.) 3) Loss of industry.

(It's odd, this is one of the few shows that I've become fannish about that I'm not embarrassed to rave about or admit to being in love with. Or rec to others. I know it's a quality show. I don't have to defend it. There's relatively no flaws.)

Remember when they used to make steel there?"

( Wire spoilers for episode 5 - Undertow )