Was the Shooting in Georgia Worth It?

As we all know, there was another useless shooting in the United States this week.

Just outside of Atlanta, eight people (six of whom are women are of Asian descent) were murdered on Tuesday. The accused claimed that the reason for his crime was a sex addiction.

This man (who shall not be named on this blog) knew exactly what he was doing and who he intended to kill. I would love to say that this is a one-off event. There is a disgusting upward trend of hate crimes against those within the Asian-American community.

I have to wonder, is it worth it? For most, if not all of human history, we have at best othered who are different and at worst, exterminated them. Has it made our world better? Has it made us happier? No. We continue to perpetuate this cycle of violence and hate and expect to feel satisfied. Albert Einstein once said the following:

 “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”

For all of our technological and scientific advances, we are a very stupid species. It would be nice for once to see us move beyond this blood soaked stupidity, but unfortunately, some things will never change.

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The Jeffersons Character Review: Tom and Helen Willis

*For the foreseeable future, some Character Review posts may not be published every Thursday as they have in the past.

*Warning: This post contains spoilers about the characters from the television series The Jeffersons. Read at your own risk if you have not watched the show.

There is something to be said about a well-written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front of us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations. In 2021, it is not uncommon to see a mixed marriage in which one spouse has one skin color and the other spouse has another skin color. But it was not so long ago that it was illegal for an African-American and a Caucasian person to be married in the United States. The legal case of Loving v. Virginia is only 54 years old. On The Jeffersons, Tom and Helen Willis (Franklin Cover and Roxie Roker) were the first interracial married couple on television.

Tom is white and Helen is black. Their neighbor, George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) frequently mocks Tom for being white. Helen, who has become friends with George’s wife, Louise (Isabel Sanford), frequently has a smart comeback about George’s lack of height. After Tom and George become friends, the jokes switch to Tom’s weight. Tom and Helen have two children. Jenny, who looks like her mother, eventually marries George and Louise’s son, Lionel (Mike Evans/Damon Evans). Their son Allan (Andrew Harold Rubin/Jay Hammer), resembles his father and is frequently away from home.

Warning: the above video has the N word in it.

To sum it up: It is easy to love someone who is like you. It is harder to stay in love when your chosen partner/spouse is different and the people around you are not shy about pointing out those differences. But Tom and Helen make it work, proving that when you follow your heart and make a commitment, it is possible to stay together for what hopefully will be the rest of your lives.

Which is why they are memorable characters.

Flashback Friday: Love It or List It, Two (2013-2019)

Home ownership, as great as it is, has its own unique set of challenges.

Love It or List It, Two (otherwise known as Love It or List It Vancouver) aired from 2013-2019. An offshoot from Love It or List It, the premise of the show has not changed. A couple of homeowners are fed up with their current home. One wants to move, the other argues they only need to do a renovation. Interior designer and former Bachelor contestant Jillian Harris will remodel the home. Real estate agent Todd Talbot‘s job is to show them possible new home. At the end of the episode, they will decide either to stay in their current home or move.

The thing about Love It or List It is that after watching a few episodes, it become background noise. The spinoff is fine, but at some point, it is likely that I will change the channel.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.