Madam Secretary

I recently decided to check out the show Madam Secretary. While I enjoy the political intrigue and how the Elizabeth McCord controls the situation and makes it work to her advantage, I especially enjoy watching the relationships play out. The relationship between the Secretary of State and her husband seems unique in comparison to what we see on television. Similar shows are more focused on relationships which have deteriorated and are fraught with betrayal and spite; it’s a relief to see a marriage closer to what I see in real life.

Bess and Henry regularly assert that they are a team. They share their daily challenges and triumphs. They worry about their children as parents worry. And they have fights, disagreements, and misunderstandings just as any other couple does. Through the highs and lows Bess and Henry support each other and their relationship is one I admire.

I have only seen about six episodes of the first season, but I’m looking forward to the rest of the show. Looks like it’s time for a marathon!

Herd Immunity

Until a few months ago, the idea of Herd Immunity wasn't really something I'd considered, yet it was, and continues to be, something which protects me from more than simply Polio or Diphtheria. Herd Immunity is something which protects us all from more dangerous forms of diseases such as Chickenpox or the Flu. 

     The theory is that enough people are immunized against the disease or illness that those who cannot get vaccinated are protected through the people around them. With all the 'conversation' in the media about having children vaccinated, I decided to take a deeper look at what exactly Herd Immunity is.

     The TED Talks folks have posted a video of Dr. Romina Libster's presentation to the TEDxRiodelaPlata conference. Her video is in Spanish with English subtitles (more languages are available at TED.com), and explains the evolution of H1N1 in her hometown. Dr. Libster is a medical researcher who looks at respiratory viruses and looks for ways to prevent their spread. 

     While less entertaining than the video by Penn and Teller, Dr Libster's presentation makes a complex idea more bite-sized and palatable. 

Just a thought...

Stephie

Flaming Geyser State Park

     This past weekend, for Father's Day, my dad decided it would be fun to take the dogs and go exploring at one of the Washington State Parks in the area. It sounded like fun - (non-sarcastic) yay hiking! So my mom, being the over-prepared mother that she is, looked up a few parks and decided on Flaming Geyser State Park near Auburn and Black Diamond, Wash.
     The park surrounds the Green River and has some pretty neat features including a playground, remote-control airplane areas, and picnic areas, along with the geysers and hiking paths. Some of the reviews we came across described these paths as relatively flat with some challenging options.
     While that is true of the short jaunt up to the Flaming Geyser, the main River Trail which goes down along the river is both gentle and challenging. It goes up and down along the hills the river snakes through, and if you're planning on going down to the river there are several places where you'll want to take your time on the steep inclines.
     The trek up to the Bubbling Geyser is much more challenging. It does have the convenience of several flights of stairs, but they are steep and the wooden treads have gouges behind them where people have walked away the dirt of the hillside. At the crest of the hill, before you'll go down to the actual geyser, is a bench and sort of platform which (when we went in late June) is made of a slick shifting dirt. Our dogs seemed to handle it fine, but the footing was not exactly comfortable for people.
     There is another set of trails, called the Ridge Trail, which goes around the office buildings and park ranger station. These trails were our first foray around the park. They are not meant for the faint of heart: the entrance goes straight up a hill for about 75 - 100 yards, the rest of the trail jogs up and down along the top of the hill until it begins a steep switchback to lead down to the main picnic areas. The duration of the trail was probably only about a mile, but the grade at the beginning and toward the end made it one I do not plan on trying again for quite some time.
     Flaming Geyser was an enjoyable park, fairly close to the Seattle Metro-area and with sights to interest various levels of outdoorsman.

Firefly

     In 2006 Fox Broadcasting ran a series about cowboys in outer space. Joss Whedon produced it and they called it Firefly. The story follows Mal, Captain Malcolm Reynolds of the ship Serenity, class firefly, and he and his crew sail the skies from planet to planet conducting both legitimate business transactions and smuggling to survive.

     Mal and Zoe were the last of the Independents to surrender to the Alliance--two weeks after the high command. This fierce loyalty to his beliefs is apparent in how Mal runs his ship and crew. Mal's second-in-command, Zoe, has been with him since the war against the Alliance. The Alliance fought the Independence to bring all of the star cluster humanity has colonized and to give the border planets civilization. The Independents were pushed either to join the ranks of the Alliance or to move outward to the edges of the known universe.
     Zoe is married to the ship's pilot: Hoban "Wash" Washborne, a crazy driver who knows his wife can kick his ass but loves her even more for it. Sometimes it feels as if Wash is jealous of Mal and Zoe's relationship, but his wife is so in love with him he can't help but realize it.
     The engineer is Kaylee Frye. She has a childlike enjoyment of life and, though she hasn't had any formal training, keeps Serenity flying in one piece. Kaylee genuinely loves everyone on Serenity: the crew is her family. She even has a crush on Simon, the doctor.
     Simon Tam is a brigand who started his privileged life as a top surgeon. He gave all that up to steal his sister away from the Alliance and the two are hiding from the authorities on Serenity. Simon seems somewhat socially awkward, makes a mess of any relationship with Kaylee and doesn't understand the reasons behind some of the things the crew does.
     River Tam is her brother's focus--when her brilliant mind is attacked and the Hands of Blue try to piece her apart Simon steals her away. But something happened in the Alliance center and River is a killing machine--one sometimes even she can't control. River's mind functions on a level of logic that cannot always incorporate intangible things like faith.
     The dichotomy of River's inability to understand and have a spiritual faith yet trust completely in ber brother is pitted against the Shepherd's religious faith and utter lack of trust in human nature. Shepherd Book begins as a moral compass for the crew, yet as they journey together the blending of pasts and beliefs is managed by Inara, or courtesan who rents a berth on Mal's ship, and challenged by Jayne Cobb, a mercenary who can be trusted to only fight for "number one".

     They are a motley crew, but the adventures on Serenity depend on each piece of the puzzle: without Inara they would be barbarians, without Kaylee cynical beyond reason, without Zoe flighty and prone to ridiculosity, Wash gets them in the air and Mal keeps them there; without the Shepherd they would give up hope, without Simon and River they would have continued in their same path, and Jayne is along for the ride.