I managed to watch the first hour, but at 9pm, I had actual TV to watch (Leverage on TNT, and True Blood on HBO), so I tuned away. Then I returned back at 10pm, but muted the volume so I could watch The Pillars of Earth finale re-broadcast thanks to Netflix having Starz Play (great mini-series, BTW).

First presented category was a huge let-down, as Neil Patrick Harris was once again robbed of Emmy gold. Fortunately, they aired the winners of the Creative Arts Emmy (which were announced over a week ago) for Guest actors, in which NPH did win for his guest stint on Glee (which was the only ep I watched; two reasons: NPH was a guest and the great Joss Whedon directed). Though it is great for new blood to win, thanks to Modern Family and Glee, but overall, it was standard. When it came to mini-series, if it’s on HBO, it’ll win (The Pacific), same for TV-movies. Meaning, no Supporting Actress win for Kathy Bates, b/c it was for a Syfy miniseries (Alice). But, this is typical, it’s expected.

In the whole night (not counting what was previously announced, the Guest Actors), Modern Family won the Outstanding Comedy, and that was who I was pulling for. (Take that 30 Rock!). Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien lost to Daily Show with Jon Stewart, which kind of sucks (it would’ve been so nice to say something like “suck it NBC,” but him getting nominated was still more than Leno ever did for the show, so we can still say, “suck it NBC.”) But, Mad Men winning for drama is getting annoying. I don’t watch the series, thought about it, but it just doesn’t look appealing. Though I was pulling for True Blood, I was being realistic and knew it wouldn’t win (it actually won nothing this year, not even any one of the 4 Creative Arts Emmy [BTW, that's just a fancy way of acknowledging technical nods]. So, I was then pulling for Lost, only because I did use to love watching it, and it was the last season, but Lost got completely snubbed this year.

But, as I said, it’s expected. You’re not gonna have sci-fi/fantasy series make any kind of Emmy sweep, but what they do usually get are technical nods. But I looked into the winners for this year, and not much there neither. There were 12 nods, including major ones (Drama series, Lead Actor (Matthew Fox), 2x for Supporting Actor (both Michael Emerson and Terry O’Quinn), Guest Actress (Elizabeth Mitchell), plus for Directing and Writing), but it didn’t even win the technical nods (nothing on Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Picture Editing, Music Composition, and Art Direction). I thought sci-fi/fantasy series would be easy wins for at least technical nods. I was wrong.

In the past, yes, even Smallville has won for Sound Editing a few times, but it has lost as well, and this year, no nod (nothing from the CW was actually nominated, including Supernatural, despite buzz). Here is one technical category that annoys me: Special Visual Effects. This year it went to, no not Stargate Universe (which had 2 entries), no not Caprica, no, not V, no, none of the shows that have space crafts and use special effects on an epic scale, nope, it went to, get this…CSI. Yep, more reason to hate the Emmys, sci-fi series can hardly win for technical categories which they utilize more than most dramas out there. I mean, come on, space shows losing a special effects nod is like Metallica losing the first Heavy Metal Grammy to Jethro Tull (oh wait, that DID happen). So, I could go on and on about the injustice of award shows, but that would take forever.

Here’s another: Prosthetic Makeup, in which the nods were The Pacific (WWII mini-series), Grey’s Anatomy (medical drama), Nip/Tuck (plastic surgeon drama), Castle (detective series), and True Blood (supernatural series). Of those, and I love Castle and used to watch Nip/Tuck, one sci-fi/fantasy series is nominated (and lost), but the only prosthetic I can remember for the particular episode (“Scratches”) is the maenad scene (clawed hand scratching Sookie). As for the others, I understand use of prosthetic makeup for creating dead bodies and stuff, but wouldn’t sci-fi/fantasy series (such as, IDK, Sanctuary) use more when creating say a bigfoot like character? BTW, the winner was a tie between The Pacific and Grey’s Anatomy.

Let’s go back to Sound Editing, that’s a popular one for shows I watch (Stargate Atlantis and Smallville have both each won in the past, and True Blood and Supernatural each have exactly one nomination under their belts). Apparently, shows I watch have great sound, and this year it went to 24 (which I did watch, up until the end), and on the losing side: Lost, Breaking Bad, Fringe (another one I watch), and True Blood (yes, I love this show). So five nods, three are sci-fi/fantasy, but none of those won. Going back, Fringe makes good use of prosthetic makeup as well, wonder why that didn’t get recognized? Oh yeah, sci-fi/fantasy, I guess it’s too obvious of a win?

Whatever the reason for sci-fi/fantasy series having hard times at the Emmys, even in technical categories, the few wins in the past for them (Patricia Arquette winning her 1st year for Medium and Kristin Chenoweth winning last year for Pushing Daisies, and the 9 wins Lost has gotten in the past, including Drama Series in the 1st year), aren’t opening any doors for the Emmys to wake up and see that there is a whole world of imagination out there. Lost deserved a win because, even though I stopped watching in the middle of the third, I can’t deny what it did for television. The risk ABC took for a series with a huge, heavy mythology and large cast, may never again be copied. Networks can try all they want, but Lost was in a category of its own. 12 nominations and not a single win for a truly groundbreaking TV series is a huge error on the Academy’s part, and hopefully the Golden Globes will make up for it.

And I know I’m not the only one that thinks that maybe the Emmys should do more than just change their voting ways (which didn’t work) or add an extra nod to their Outstanding Drama and Comedy series categories (that just added an extra loser), they need to re-work it. It’s no secret that cable and premium shows have a better edge over broadcast networks. They could separate Broadcast nets (shows of ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and if it ever could happen, CW) from cable (USA, TNT, F/X, AMC, and again, if it ever could happen, Syfy, among others) from premium (HBO, Starz, Showtime), only for major categories (drama/comedy series, lead and supporting actor/actress nods, and maybe directing and writing as well). Or, instead, being there are shows like Chuck and Leverage that Emmy voters have issues classifying (comedy/drama/actions are just difficult to categorize), have a Action as well as a Sci-Fi/Fantasy category, at least with majors (for Series, and at least Lead Actors/Actresses), that way they can recognize outstanding achievements in all aspects of TV, not just the typical The Closer and Mad Men and any mini-series/movie-HBO-airs of the world.

So maybe next year, I won’t even bother tuning in for one minute, even if someone good hosted (I loved NPH last year and Fallon did alright this year). Because, why bother, anything I REALLY like is never even gonna get considered.

I am sort of in a general venting mood about the state of this country, again. I want to first start off with the craziness that is the Republicans. Actually, more on the Tea Party and those supporting candidates. You have Rand Pau, (Republican Senate nominee for Kentucky) who doesn’t agree ‘completely’ with the Civil Rights Act, and more recently, doesn’t think government should fine mining companies for safety violations. You know, the very same industry when in April of this year, a West Virginia mine had an explosion that resulted in the death of 29 workers. [Think Progress]. Let’s not forget how he, along with Angle and friends defended BP and continue to support deep water drilling, despite the overwhelming evidence that it is far from safe. Remember, 11 people died in the Deepwater Horizon blowout in April, and resulted in the worst environmental disaster in US history. But, “whatever” says the Republicans. Then they follow, “Who cares?”

And Sharon Angle (Republican Senate nominee for Nevada), oh boy, she outshined the former Republican favorite for that Senate seat, remember, the “chicken lady,” she now looks like Einstein. But, Angle, wants to remove Social Security (no, I’m sorry, “transition out” or “privatized”), abolish the EPA, hell, even wants to remove the Department of Education. I guess the last one I would understand, since Republicans would want to rely on people being absolutely stupid. The Social Security issue has been talked about, not just by Angle, but other party members, as well as removing Unemployment Benefits. History Lesson: F.D.R. (you know, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who served a record 4 terms [in case you're among the stupid, Presidents can only serve 2 terms], who was the President that brought us out of the Depression, he signed Social Security and Unemployment Insurance into law 75 years ago, as means to provide hard working Americans some form of financial security when they become senior citizens, and for Americans who lose their jobs at no fault of their own to be able to, I don’t know, buy food and have shelter. Republicans have referred to SS as “ponzi schemes,” or even question if is constitutional. If these people managed to take the House and Senate back, the Presidency by 2012, those of us currently working now, will probably work until we die or live on the streets. [Shore News Today].

But I think one thing that really burns me, this whole issue with the EXTREMELY misleading “Ground Zero Mosque.” First of all, it’s a Community Center (with a basketball court and a culinary school) with 2 of the 13 floors being the actual Islamic worship part. Second, it’s NOT at Ground Zero, it’s two block from it. I don’t understand how this is ‘inappropriate.’ 3,000 people died from that tragedy, many firefighters and first responders risked their lives to save many. There were Christians, Jews, and even Muslims that died, people off different nationalities. New York itself is a cultural center for the US. The Word Trade Center was a symbol for that, and denying the building of an Islamic Cultural Center two blocks from the site, would be completely against what this country stands for.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” -the first right in the 1st amendment.

I love that part. Anyway, I am not a Muslim, not a Christian, not Jewish, or Buddhist, or Hindu. I am a free thinker, a human being, and an American. I learned the history of this country, and the reason the Pilgrims came was to escape Religious Persecution of their homeland. This country was founded on the principles of Religious Freedom, so if there can be churches that are actually across the street, there should be no reason that a cultural center that has only 2 floors that are for Islamic prayers, can be 2 blocks away.

Now, because of the Religious intolerance of this country, the only problem building there is how intolerant and ignorant people are. People that are generalizing all Muslims as terrorists that do evil things, are the same kind of people that, I don’t know, do evil things against Muslims of peace. How about the Christian groups that terrorize abortion doctors? What about priests the molest kids? If this is how it is, maybe churches should be abolished too. That may sound extreme, but I believe in freedom for all, and if one group has their freedom taken away, then no one should have it. Same goes for the issue of same-sex marriage. If homosexuals can’t marry, then neither shall heterosexuals. Now, I get my opinion may not matter as I follow no Religion nor do I believe in the concept of marriage, so they don’t apply to me, but I speak for all that are being judged for the behavior of a few. It’s intolerance, plain and simple, it’s disgusting, and it is un-American.

Clip from Monday, August 16th episode of Rachel Maddow (with Chris Hayes filling in):

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

And here are a few blog articles posted on the Washington Post:
The Park 51 Islamic Cultural Center and American Values
Redemption Story

And a link for Keith Olbermann’s special comment on August 16th:
There is no ‘Ground Zero Mosque’