Race, Money, Politics, and Religion

Lots of minor character traffic over the last few days. When I started this, I decided that I wouldn’t post every reading I do. So if you are a walk-on, I will probably reply to your request by e-mail instead of posting it here. But some really good questions have come up in the e-mails:

Q: These TV shows sound a lot like shows in our universe. Are the universes really that similar, or are you glossing over the differences? (Note from JD Atlanta - this arrived before I posted about the horrible Dragon Man, but it's still a good question.)

A: There are a lot of differences between the universes. A trivial example: all of the characters on Law & Order: Property Crimes are black. No other races are ever shown or mentioned on the show. So if a character on L&O: PC writes in, what should I say? Should I describe his or her character, or should I get side-tracked? I can’t tell you why all the characters are black. Maybe the networks are segregated. Maybe other races didn’t evolve on that world. Who knows? It’s not my department, and honestly, that’s not what interests me. I like a good story.

That’s not to say that I will never mention the differences between universes. If your character is a Panamanian cowboy who rides a kangaroo (real show), that could come up.

Q: Couldn’t you make some money out of your so-called ability? If parallel universes exist, and if there are differences in technology, why don’t you patent some sweet idea and retire young?

A: I wish. Here’s a mental exercise for you: Describe the Internet, based only on the fiction TV shows you've seen. How is it built? Other than allowing high school students to hack police databases, what is it good for? While you're at it, tell me how to make a cell phone, or a Coca Cola.

Q: What about the big three – sex, politics, and religion?

A: I would say that, on the average, TV shows in other universes are a little less graphic about sex, equally into politics, and a lot less bashful about religion than in our universe. But that’s just an average. There are all kinds of extremes. I have not seen any out-and-out porn. Remember, I can’t roam the universes at will. (Or is this the first time I’m telling you this? If so, remember it for future use.) I only see a TV show when I follow the link from a person in this universe to his or her character in another. I believe the reason I don't see porn is because porno characters don’t have souls. There are many of other potential explanations, but that one feels about right to me.

As for religion, I’ve seen a lot of religions on parallel universe TV that I’ve never seen here. I’ve seen every religion on this earth (that I can recognize, anyway) in other universes’ TV shows. I’ve seen a lot of shows that feature Christians, and they are even called “Christians.” Make of that whatever you like. But I won't argue with you. Another mental exercise: Again, based only on what you’ve seen in TV shows, describe Christianity. For that matter, describe Judaism or any other religion. You could draw a lot of dumb conclusions about this universe based on our TV shows, and I have no reason to believe it's different anywhere else.

Q: You watch television? Seriously – why???

A: Yes, and I can’t explain it. I sit in front of the TV, getting older, even after watching millions of hours of TV in my visions. Part of it is a desire to stay connected to the universe I live in. Part of it (maybe the biggest part) is just habit. Also, I own a DVR. DVR’s are cool.

If you have a question, or would like a reading, leave a comment or send me an e-mail. Later in the week, I’ll be back with a first for this blog: a lead character reading.