in three, maybe four days, i finished the only two seasons of the 2003-4 show Dead Like Me, a dramedy about an 18-year-old girl who dies and comes back as a grim reaper who must harvest souls daily while simultaneously trying to lead an inconspicuous, innocuous American life. it was a terribly written show. great creativity and unique ideas, but clumsy storytelling, like a parent trying to give their tween The Talk.
i've noticed this theme in shows i've been watching lately: the theme of soul reapers. shinigami. specifically, in Bleach, Death Note. It is not surprising that this theme be prevalent among Japanese anime; the culture is deeply rooted in spirituality, and the blurring between the living world and the afterlife is a common subject of discourse. this is not so common in the america's puritan roots, which makes Dead Like Me somewhat of a surprise to the average american viewer. and i think that's part of why the show swings and misses so much. in japan, there is a relatively homogenous view of the afterlife, and what happens to souls after they die. here, in our proverbial melting pot, what direction to go? it's like launching a ship into outerspace. there are literally infinite number of courses to take, and the writers, i think, tried to reach for all of them, became overloaded, and ended up in limbo.
aside from pondering the cultural differences between this media's approach to life and death, i guess i wanted to try to learn something from all this television. the one universal thread upon which this conceit is based is this: what is our meaning in life? "chelsea, you aren't seriously trying to find the answer to your problems through tv, are you?" well, sure, why not? it would justify eating that entire bag of banana chips because i was sitting in front of my laptop all day. i found it to be a vehicle for thought experiments; bringing up of certain situations, and trying to apply them to my own life. looking at the characters in these stories and figuring out which qualities of the human condition i liked and disliked. wishing on and off that i could be dead like them.
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around the park, after dark
About Me
- Dancer D.O.
- hella NorCal. if you're lookin for a classy broad, go somewhere else.
What is a D.O.?
D.O.s continue the tradition of bringing health care to areas of greatest need:
- Approximately 65% of practicing osteopathic physicians specialize in primary care areas, such as pediatrics, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, and internal medicine.
- Many D.O.s fill a critical need for physicians by practicing in rural and other medically underserved communities.
D.O.s bring wholeness back to the art of medicine:
- Osteopathic medical schools emphasize training students to be primary care physicians.
- D.O.s practice a "whole person" approach to medicine. Instead of just treating specific symptoms or illnesses, they regard your body as an integrated whole.
- Osteopathic physicians focus on preventive health care.
- D.O.s receive extra training in the musculoskeletal system-your body's interconnected system of nerves, muscles and bones that make up two-thirds of your body mass. This training provides osteopathic physicians with a better understanding of the ways that an illness or injury in one part of your body can affect another.
- Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is incorporated into the training and practice of osteopathic physicians. With OMT, osteopathic physicians use their hands to diagnose illness and injury and to encourage your body's natural tendency toward good health. By combining all other available medical options with OMT, D.O.s offer their patients the most comprehensive care available in medicine today.
What is Osteopathic Medicine?
Osteopathic medicine is a unique form of American medical care that was started in 1874 by Andrew Taylor Still, M.D., D.O. Dr. Still was dissatisfied with the effectiveness of 19th century medicine. He believed that many of the medications of his day were useless or even harmful. Dr. Still was one of the first in his time to study the attributes of good health so that he could better understand the process of disease.
In response, Dr. Still developed a philosophy of medicine based on ideas that date back to Hippocrates, the father of medicine. That philosophy focuses on the unity of all body parts. Dr. Still identified the musculoskeletal system as a key element of health. He recognized the body's ability to heal itself and stressed preventive medicine, eating properly and keeping fit.
Dr. Still pioneered the concept of "wellness" more than 130 years ago. In today's terms, D.O.s evaluate each patient's personal health risks-such as smoking, high blood pressure, excessive cholesterol levels, stress and other lifestyle factors. In coordination with prescribing appropriate medical treatment, osteopathic physicians act as teachers to help patients take more responsibility for their well-being and to change un-healthy patterns.
In response, Dr. Still developed a philosophy of medicine based on ideas that date back to Hippocrates, the father of medicine. That philosophy focuses on the unity of all body parts. Dr. Still identified the musculoskeletal system as a key element of health. He recognized the body's ability to heal itself and stressed preventive medicine, eating properly and keeping fit.
Dr. Still pioneered the concept of "wellness" more than 130 years ago. In today's terms, D.O.s evaluate each patient's personal health risks-such as smoking, high blood pressure, excessive cholesterol levels, stress and other lifestyle factors. In coordination with prescribing appropriate medical treatment, osteopathic physicians act as teachers to help patients take more responsibility for their well-being and to change un-healthy patterns.
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