I rarely watch television. I can't say never, because last night, although a rarity, I flicked on the new television to see what was available. Boston legal was playing. It is a very bad show about high profile lawyers with has-been actors like Candice Bergman, an overweight William Shatner, equally overweight James Spader, and some others. The writers of the show try to deliver a very liberal message, while portraying these lawyers as pompous asses. It doesn't work.

What really interested me was one of the commercials. There is a heart drug called Plavix, and the promotion spot shows a firefighter chief on the scene of a fire, while the narrator talks about how the guy can function only through the miracle of Plavix. He can fight a fire, but needs this drug to ward off the droplet sized invaders ready to strike him down if he even thinks about laying off the medicine. Interesting display indeed. The viewer is inundated with firefighters running around in the street, though there is no actual fire shown, being heroic while the chief walks around like Ceaser commanding the legions, all the while with patriotic music in the background. So, we are told about the wonders of Plavix, see the heroes of 9/11, and hear chest swelling music that inspires us to praise our heritage.