The 1st Restatement of the Ten Commmandments

Here are the Ten Commandments as generally agreed upon and used. These versions are as accurate a portrait as possible from their mention in The "Old Testament" as translated and discussed by many religions and historians.

They and the comments underneath them are based upon the Talmud, New Testament, historians, and the Koran. They are taken from Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_commandments ) and the World Almanac, and I think after researching them, this is the best list to work with as it is encompassing enough to satisfy most people and the text and ideas distilled enough to foment discussion simply.

"I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me..."

This commandment is to believe in the existence of God and His influence on events in the world ^[24], and that the goal of the redemption from Egypt was to become His servants (Rashi). It prohibits belief in or worship of any additional deities.

"Do not make an image or any likeness of what is in the heavens above..."

This prohibits the construction or fashioning of "idols" in the likeness of created things (beasts, fish, birds, people) and worshipping them.

"Do not swear falsely by the name of the LORD..."

This commandment is to never take the name of God in a vain, pointless or insincere oath.^[25]

"Remember [zachor] the Sabbath day and keep it holy" (the version in Deuteronomy reads shamor, "observe")

The seventh day of the week is termed Shabbat and is holy, just as God ceased creative activity during Creation. The aspect of zachor is performed by declaring the greatness of the day (kiddush), by having three festive meals, and by engaging in Torah study and pleasurable activities. The aspect of shamor is performed by abstaining from productive activity (39 melachot) on the Shabbat.

"Honor your father and your mother..."

The obligation to honor one's parents is an obligation that one owes to God and fulfills this obligation through one's actions towards one's parents.

"Do not murder"

Murdering a human being is a capital sin.^[26]

"Do not commit adultery."

Adultery is defined as sexual intercourse between a man and a married woman who is not his wife.^[25]

"Do not steal."

According to Rashi, this is not understood as stealing in the conventional sense, since theft of property is forbidden elsewhere and is not a capital offense. In this context it is to be taken as "do not kidnap."^[25]

"Do not bear false witness against your neighbor"

One must not bear false witness in a court of law or other proceeding.

"Do not covet your neighbor's wife"

One is forbidden to desire and plan how one may obtain that which God has given to another. Maimonides makes a distinction in codifying the laws between the instruction given here in Exodus (You shall not covet) and that given in Deuteronomy (You shall not desire), according to which one does not violate the Exodus commandment unless there is a physical action associated with the desire, even if this is legally purchasing an envied object.

So, we can start here to expand upon, clarify, and make agreed-upon notes of the Ten Commandments, one of the oldest codes of behavior. Like the American Legal Institute's "restatements of the law", these are of course not binding (how could they be?); they are merely suggestions for following or incorporating. For example, the Restatement 2nd of Torts, or the Model penal Code has been adopted in whole or in part by legislators in order to simplify and codify common laws, thereby making courts deal with a simple statute (in theory, and for a time) rather than sifting through sometimes conflicting precedent and/or overstepping their authority and causing fewer appeals.

Therefore, The Rule here is the Ten Commandments must stay intact but there may be subsections and clarifying commentery after the Commandment or added subsection . Therefore each Commandment gets a Roman Numeral and subsections follow in standard english outline form:

EXAMPLE

I First Commandment

(a) (i)

(ii) (A)

(iii) (B) (1)

(iv) (C) (2) (b)

(v) (D) (3) (c) (i)

(vi) (A) (4) (d) (i) A

(vii)(A) (1) (a) (ii) C

(b) (i)

II. Second Commandment

(a)

So, I will have my first comments somewhere within the Ten Commandments outline I will make, then anyone may post in the outline (cut and paste).

I plan on making a separate blog in which we can then discuss the additions and/or comments.

Remember, the additions and their explanations must fall within the framework of the Ten Commandments, so cannot be radical enough to alienate them 80%.

First Follower

Thank you to my great friend Chris, for being my first follower!

TV Review--"Community" and the Irony of Its Title

"Community" is a new network sitcom set in a community college, hence its title. I don't know what network it is on, or what day or time, but it is on hulu.com for free to watch at your leisure.

The production seems a muddled, idealistic attempt by to reinvent the multi-camera "ensemble" sitcom, run by an unemployed LA show runner who teaches "the art of the sitcom" at community college, means well, lets the students run the helm, and peeks in the classroom now and then while she or he badgers their agent during class and office hours via SMS.

What it is, I wish I knew so I could write it off, but I cannot.

The situation comedy remains in a coma. The genre's offspring exist usually as single camera ventures, and die regardless of quality. Either they are too good, or they stink. Multi-camera sitcoms, taped in front of a live audience are, I believe, rerun and DVD exclusive-only. Cartoon sitcoms are hit-or-miss, like the Simpsons. The Simpsons seems continually on an uphill climb, but it's a decade-long climb with the summit far from reach. If they pull off 10 great episodes this season, I will be ecstatic. The new Cleveland Show shows promise, but The Family Guy, from which the former is spun, is the only consistently funny cartoon comedy still in production.

Loius CK, a great comedian I think, tried a new take on the multi-camera sitcom with HBO, God bless them, but ruined it because nobody really likes to see a white bloated bald guy's flapping penis surrounded by red red red pubic hair--in a HORRIBLE sitcom. Maybe in a good one, but that one was so bad, I can't discuss it.

Occasionally we get luck and an intelligent and funny sitcom which appeals to the masses, like "The Office," and everybody's happy. Or we get "30 Rock" which suffers like "Community." and a lot are happy, including me (sometimes, and usually only when Tracy Moragn is involved."

This is where "Community" rears its heads. The show is a mess. But like a great pile of garbage, if one looks hard enough, some good stuff can be found. (This is actualy a reference to an episode of the Odd Couple, and interestingly enough, an episode from its first and only of five seasons done "multi-camera" ; the last four were in the words of Mr. C., "filmed live in front of a studio audience." ) There are obvious acting talents. And not. The production values are fine. There are some fantastic jokes. And not. It is plotted well. It is paced poorly.

Still, what's wrong with it specifically? And why will I watch it again, even though the first episode was better than its second? I don't know. But it's on thin ice, for sure, not only with me, but with whatever audiences are giving it a chance, maybe five camps who are waiting to see if it will settle into theirs. But if it doesn't, and soon, there will be a lot of unemployed people, many of whom either do or don't deserve to be.

I believe the captain of the ship "Community" is smoking pot in the teacher's lounge while the unpaid interns run the show, or there are various captains battling it out below decks, and it seems the suits are winning.

But don't despair! There is hope, because there is enough talent here to salvage this junk. Enough nautical reference for now.

This show is important because if it succeeds, and it could, it could herald in a new age for the ensemble sitcom. Or, rather, merely bring it back, one offspring awake from the coma. I'll take the sub genre single camera even though it deserves a live audience, various cameras, and theatrical overtones.

I do not agree that "The Office" is an ensemble show in the "Cheers" or "Taxi" vein. In fact the Office, while arguably an ensemle peice, cannot be so in the classic multi-camera sense, becasue it is single camera, and was built as such.

Its characters are part of an artificial large community but each remains loyal to a very small or specific sub-community. In fact it is this which makes the show work, gives it its tension; it is realistic and political, like a true office.

"Community's" faults are not hard to pin down. It's strengths are.

The faults are these:

It's trite. It's characters are mostly cutouts. Some of it's subplots and jabs at culture are as groan-inducing as the term "groan inducing." Iv'e seen this shit a lot. It's "hipness" is confusing; either it's making fun of things that were hip in the early 90s, which is in itself unhip, or it is genuinely making fun of things that have been made fun of ad nauseum and therefore is very uncool, or it is making fun of pop culture making fun of itself, which is in itself trite. The jokes are either brilliant, bad, or just so very old. Read that as many times as you need to. If I don't know what it's doing, then it doesn't work for me. I find myself laughing out loud (rare) and then hearing something that probably transparent and overdone to even most of the 80% . How can this be? If it is genius, I'm barking up the wrong tree. But I don't think so. yet I will watch at least three more episodes.

The strengths are these:

Chevy Chase is still alive. The actors are fine. The comic timing is fine. Some (only a few) of the jokes are top-notch, as in unpredictable and ironic on more than one level. The idea of doing an ensemble peice in the close-knit, non-office community is refreshing, and I see glimpses of what could be, in this show or another, which excite me.

"Community" walks the line between "The Office" and "Cheers" (or "Taxi"--which shared producers with "Cheers'")--On one hand we have a character is loyal to one or a few (as in "The Office") yet is loyal--or TRYING TO BE--to a whole (As in "Taxi" or "Cheers"). I hope it does succeed just enough on single-camera format if only to open the door a crack for stupid people with money to consider a return to the live audience art form or at the very least a true ensemble piece with a real "Community." You can't convince me it wasn't originally pitched by the 20% to the 80% as a "Taxi (or 'Cheers') for the New Century."

I'm at a loss. But I know it's an important show.

The Stillbirth of Logic and an Illogical Rule Explained

The title of this column refers to my 80-20 rule, a percentage-explained ratio of non-reasonable humans to reasonable humans. This is my own estimate so as such is not entirely scientific but based on my extensive reading, listening, and watching, and my ideals, philosophies, opinions, and experiences. Therefore, the name is subject to debate and change as I change.

The purpose of this editorial column is to discuss everyday topics from minutiae to world events. To vent. To begin work on an updated and expanded Ten Commandments. To discuss art. The importance or lack thereof of grammar. How to propagandize valid and quality logical thinking to more people. To narrow the focus of this column. To discuss art and philosophy, economics and politics. To determine an acceptable model for premises that are as fact-based and devoid of emotion as possible.

The posts and replies should bear in mind the umbrella concept of humanity's overwhelming and possibly unnecessary stupidity.

Which begs the question, what is "Stupidity" in relation to this column? A lack of reason, either complete or in too much part is where I will start. Hopefully post Number 2 will follow with an expansion of this introduction or a specific topic under the rubric of MY 80-20 rule.