Why I Like NCIS

A guy in my office purchased a box set of NCIS episodes and we have all been watching them. Despite having seen most of the episodes I have found myself really enjoying re-watching them.

 Initially I didn't like NCIS. Mostly because the backdoor pilot aired on JAG and the NCIS team was accusing my beloved Harmon Rabb of murder. If they couldn't understand the awesomeness of Rabb well obviously these were not characters I could get behind!  I have long changed that initial opinion and I am happy that NCIS has become the highest rated scripted television show in America.  Indulge me while I explain how NCIS has won me over.

Excellent storylines
NCIS has consistently strong stories. One would think that a show based on only Navy/Marine related crimes would run out of stories. Yet NCIS manages to make this an asset. Not only do they have the traditional murder procedural episodes but they also have terrorist plots, kidnappings, arms dealers, obsessed serial killers and international intrigue. They also don't forget the past and their stories consistently intertwine and lead into each other.

Characters
There are shows that are all about the personal dramas of the characters. Sometimes it feels like the cases are mere subplot to the larger "will they, won't they" story arcs. But NCIS has managed to keep the show character driven without forgetting about the cases. The characters in NCIS feel real; people I could work with or be friends with. All of them have stories and lives beyond what we are shown in each episode. They have loveable quirks. Abby is a wonderful, brilliant contradiction. Ducky is a fountain of knowledge and random facts. Tony is a hero hiding in a class clown outfit.  Gibbs is a high functioning mute. But they are so well acted and written that these never feel superficial. They are whole people that are allowed to grow and change.

Fun
Watching NCIS is just fun. It combines high drama that is suspenseful, sad and poignant but it also takes the time to be a little goofy. From Ziva's syntax mistakes and random Ducky ramblings, to Abby who makes the forensics exciting, or even the understated Gibbs with his head slapping no-nonsense attitude there is rarely an episode without an opportunity to giggle.
 

Military
I am biased. I can't help it. I enjoy that NCIS highlights the men and women of our country that serve in the armed forces. I appreciate that they are also multi-dimensional. Sometimes the Navy Petty Officer is the hero and sometimes the villain.  Either way it can be a realistic glimpse into military culture and its members.

In nutshell that is why I like NCIS.  If you haven't seen it then you really should.

National Archives Blog

Found this cool blog and thought I would share. Everyday they feature something from the National Archives. I find this kind of stuff really cool. Pictures, documents and the other stuff in the Archives tell our nations history. Check it out at

http://todaysdocument.tumblr.com/

Book Review: Catching Up

Time seems to slip away and somehow, despite my intentions, I have again become lax in my blogging. I have kept up on my reading but haven't found time to write about each one. So to catch up:

Catcher in the Rye
Been meaning to read this for a long time and was pleasantly surprised. It is written like a confessional blog. I recommend it but be warned it is a bit depressing.

On The Beach
A classic science fiction that ends sadly if very realistically. To depressing for my current circumstances.

Mountains Beyond Mountains
Awesome biography on Dr. Paul Farmer-a true humanitarian and force for good in the world. Highly recommended especially if you liked "Two Cups of Tea"

The Forever War
Highly recommended. Fantastic science fiction that uses the relativity of space travel to great effect.

Under Heaven
A fantasy novel about a fictionalized Tang Dynasty China. I am not really big into Chinese history but I really appreciated the imagery and characters. It is a bit long but worth a look.

Up next: Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

Book Review: The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book By Neil Gaiman

Why I read it: Because I will read anything written by Neil Gaiman…anything!

Plot: Nobody Owens, a precocious toddler in modern Britain, is adopted by the residents of the graveyard to save him from the man that murdered his family. Growing up among ghosts from all time periods Bod has a series of adventures leading him eventually to the confrontation with the men that want him dead and the much more scary confrontation with growing up.

Style: True to Gaiman fashion the book is delightfully otherworldly, humorous, poignant and slightly macabre. There are many fun turns of phrase and interesting philosophical thoughts peppered throughout. At its heart this is really a children’s story suitable for ages 5 and up.

Thoughts: As previously mentioned I really like Neil Gaiman. So I had high expectations for this book. When in a cemetery I always find myself wondering about each headstone and the story behind it. Gaiman gives these headstones a story and an afterlife. Bod is a fun hero with uncanny abilities that he thinks are normal.

At times the book felt almost like a hodge-podge of separate stories. As we skim through Bod’s life, only touching on his most significant adventures. Obviously this was necessary since the story covers roughly 16 years of time. There are strong coming of age themes and I got choked up at more then one point. In the end it was a pleasure to peer into Bod’s exceptional life and wonder at the possibility.

Quotables:

"It is neither fair nor unfair, Nobody Owens. It simply is."

"Able to slip from shadow to shadow, never seen, never suspected. Free as air, fast as thought, cold as frost, hard as nails, dangerous as, as us."- Pronounced by a ghoul

"Wherever you go, you take yourself with you."

"He could no more hug Silas than he could hold a moonbeam, not because his guardian was insubstantial, but because it would be wrong. There were people you could hug and then there was Silas."

"You're always you, and that don't change, and you're always changing and there's nothing you can do about it."

If you liked... Gaiman’s Stardust or Coraline this is definitely up your ally. Also James and the Giant Peach and The Jungle Book.

Book Review: His Dark Materials

His Dark Materials Trilogy: The Golden Compass/The Subtle Knife/The Amber
Spyglass

Why I Read It: I was about to embark on a 22 hour road trip and my
brother-in-law conveniently had all three books on hand. And of course it
was on the list.

Plot: (From Amazon…getting lazy) "In an epic trilogy, Philip Pullman unlocks
the door to a world parallel to our own, but with a mysterious slant all its
own. Dæmons and winged creatures live side by side with humans, and a
mysterious entity called Dust just might have the power to unite the
universes--if it isn't destroyed first... Join Lyra, Pantalaimon, Will, and
the rest as they embark on the most breathtaking, heartbreaking adventures
of their lives. The fate of the universe is in their hands. The Golden
Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass pit good against evil in a
way no reader will ever forget."

Style: The story is told from multiple points of view but mostly stays
with Lyra and Will. At it’s heart it is an adventure story with some
coming-of-age themes. The action is well written and I had no problem
devouring all three books in a few days.

Thoughts: When the movie “The Golden Compass” came out there was a lot of
discussion about the anti-religious themes of these books. Thus I went into
these books looking for this much touted atheist agenda. The story is not
kind to corrupted organized religion or those who do evil in the name of
God. However I didn’t feel it was attacking my faith in any way.

As an adventure-fantasy story the books work really well. I was disappointed
with the final ending. I felt no closure or any kind of wrap-up of the
overall themes. Well actually I can’t even really pinpoint the overall
themes. There were some very good ideas and thoughts but I must have missed
the follow through because I am not sure what it was all about. Perhaps that
is how the author intended the story to end but it left me more frustrated
then satisfied. I enjoyed reading all three books and recommend them as
light/fun reading. If you are looking for deep philosophical reading I would
go elsewhere.

Quotables:
The Golden Compass
"You speak of destiny," he said, "as if it was fixed. And I ain't sure I like that any more than a war I'm enlisted in without knowing about it. Where's my free will, if you please? "

Amber Spyglass
"Being in love was like China: you knew it was there, and no doubt it was very interesting, and some people went there, but I never would. I'd spend my life without ever going to China, but it wouldn't matter, because there was all the rest of the world to visit."

Recommendation: If you like: Lord of the Rings, the last three Harry Potter
books, Lloyd Alexander

The Worth of a Major

Georgetown University just published an interesting study on the earning capabilities of undergraduate degrees. Using various banks of statistics they break down the salaries of college graduates based on their major.
I looked up Geography (which is of course the best major) and was happy to see that geographers were more then competetive when it came to earnings. I think this study would be very useful to those who are undecided about their major or perhaps trying to choose between a couple of attractive options.
Check out your major and tell me how it stacks up!

Book Review: Breakfast of Champions

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut

Why I Read It: Like Blue Sword it was on the Harvard Book List and I purchased it off Amazon.

Plot: Kilgore Trout writes science fiction stories. Other guy reads them…chaos ensuses.

Style: Rambling. No honestly it felt like the entire novel had been written in one sitting. Vonnegut writes like he is explaining the world to an alien which makes for the occasionally interesting idea but mostly it was just distracting. At times Vonnegut will randomly address the reader. Additionally there are cartoon pictures to illustrate points that don't need illustration. For instance one chapter has pictures of a Holiday Inn sign, a do not disturb sign, a sanitary strap (from a hotel toilet) and a lamb.
Thoughts: I was pretty disappointed in this book. I love Vonnegut's short stories and I enjoyed "Slaughterhouse 5". I thought this would be an easy and enjoyable read but I stopped at 27%. The style was too weird and the story was frankly boring. Additionally there were a lot of off-color references to body parts, pornography, and the like. In the end I gave up.

Quotables:
" The gun was loaded and cocked. There were neat little metal packages containing charcoal, potassium nitrate and sulpher only inches from his brains. He had only to trip a lever, and the powder would turn to gas. The gas would blow a chuck of lead down a tube and through Dwayne's brains. "

"Sparky could not wag his tail--because of an automobile accident many years ago, so he had no way of telling other dogs how friendly he was. He had to fight all the time"

"Charm was a scheme for making strangers like and trust a person immediately, no matter what the charmer had in mind. "


Recommendation: Read Slaughterhouse 5, or anything else...