Friday, September 30, 2005

Week 4 Picks

  So how about baseball preempting Fox's line-up for over a month?   carlito.jpg   <( That's not cool!) 

I don't even know the names of all the characters on Reunion yet- how am I going to remember what's been going on by the time November 3 rolls around?  *Sigh*

---

  I'm feeling shaky about the picks this week.  A lot of tough games this week, a lot of variables to consider.

Patriots -5.5  over Chargers-  I almost took the points, but then I thought that 5.5 isn't that much.  I could see the Pats winning 17-10 and me kicking myself.  So I gave up the points and now they'll probably win 20-17.  Sometimes you CAN'T win.  I certainly wouldn't actually wager on this one.

Jaguars -4 over Broncos-  I think the Broncos beating up on the Chiefs was an illusion.  The Jags defense is scary good and they should be able to shut down Jake Plummer.

Texans +9.5 over Bengals-  I'm still doubting on the Bengals- I just can't help it.  If they cover this one, I'll try to become a believer.

Colts -7 over Titans- Manning is going to have that break-out game eventually... isn't he?

Bucs -6.5 over Lions- It looks like the Bucs are officially back with that improved running game.  The Lions stink as usual.

Giants -3 over Rams- That was a tough loss against a desperate Chargers team.  I don't think the Giants' defense is as bad as they looked.  How could they be?

Saints PK over Bills- Who knows with the Saints?  I think they might get another emotional win since this is their first "home" game.

Seahawks +2 over Redskins- The Redskins are the luckiest 2-0 team ever.  I think they get beaten by a better team this week.

Ravens -7.5 over Jets- See if I ever pick the Jets again this season.  Vinny Testaverde??? Ouch!

Eagles +2 over Chiefs- The Chiefs' defense was exposed a little bit on Monday night.  How often do you get to take points with a defending conference champion?

Falcons -6 over Vikings- Even though they broke out last week, I'm sticking to my guns that the Vikings are going to be bad this season.

Raiders -3 over Cowboys- As soon as I heard that the Cowboys were staying in Cali all week to avoid two consecutive weeks of plane travel I decided I was going to pick against them.  Those boys have been on a vacation!

49ers +3 over Cardinals in Mexico City- I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen in this one, so I took the points.

Packers +7.5 over Panthers- The Panthers are a good team, but they're not "blow out good".  Let's not forget what the Pack did down there last year.

 

Thursday, September 29, 2005

One Step Closer

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for working with us. I just wanted to let you know that I have shipped out your proof; it should arrive within 9 business days.

I look forward to hearing your response!

Kindest regards,

Maya

Author Services Representative
Trafford Publishing

LOST- Episode 26: Adrift

  Previously on LOST, the whole finale happened as well as last week's episode- quite a long and tedious clip montage.  Can we just assume that everyone knows what's happening and not waste the first ten minutes from now on?

  This week's show opens in the direct aftermath of the raft debacle.  Walt is screaming for his dad, Michael is screaming for Walt, and Sawyer surfaces amongst the fiery wreckage screaming for Michael and Jin.  Sawyer is clearly wounded ( he was shot at the end of last season) but he manages to drag himself and Michael on to what is left of their raft.  Michael is now unconscious for some reason, so Sawyer starts punching him in the chest.  I suppose Jack taught a class on that.

    Meanwhile, the writers have started messing with the timeline and POV because we are back at the hatch right at the time Locke has lost Kate.  He ties the rope to the ladder and heads down into the dark unknown- cueing the creepy LOST title screen in the process.

  Back at the raft, Sawyer's CPR is successful and Michael wakes up to resume yelling for Walt.  He flashes back to his meeting with a lawyer.  To try and stop Walt's mother from taking him out of the country yet again, Michael has searched high and low throughout TV Land and found the guy that handled Niles Crane's divorce from Maris.  The lawyer informs him that Susan would like Mike to rescind all rights to his son so Brian can adopt him.  Michael liked the other idea of filing an injunction to keep them from leaving the city.  The lawyer reluctantly agrees and warns Michael that this will be expensive.

  In the present, Sawyer tells Michael to stop screaming because Walt can't hear him anyway.  Michael counters that all he has left is the small chance that maybe his son can hear him. 

  In the hatch, Locke is moving slowly and quietly calling Kate's name.  He takes off his shoes to become even quieter, explaining that oddity from Jack's trip last week.  He walks into Desmond's kitchen and opens the window shades to find a bright light bulb staring back at him.  He finds Kate on the floor, but before he can do anything, Desmond is at his back with a gun.  Desmond asks hopefully, "Are you him?"

  Back at the raft, Michael has stopped yelling for Walt, but Sawyer has started yelling for Jin.  The two argue over whose fault the whole mess was and Michael ends up ordering Sawyer to get off his raft.  Just then, something goes bump in the night right underneath them.  Sawyer has his gun ready but Michael says it won't work because it got wet.  Sawyer unloads to show him that the bullets and powder are dry, but another bump from below causes him to drop everything.  They realize they are under shark attack because of Sawyer's bleeding shoulder.  The arguments continue until Sawyer jumps into the water to get himself on a different piece of the wreckage.

  Michael flashes back to the clash of the lawyers, where Susan's Super Bitch pretty much tore him a new one.  His own lawyer tries to warn him that he is being baited but Michael is so headstrong, he insists on answering the damning questions about his relationship or lack thereof with Walt.

  Back in the water, Michael expresses his disbelief that Sawyer is trying to remove the bullet in his shoulder by hand.  Sawyer grunts and screams but manages to get the job done.  The king of sarcasm then asks for a band-aid before passing out.

  In the hatch, Locke takes a chance and says that, yes, he is 'him'.  It doesn't take long for Desmond to expose the bold lie when Locke cannot answer the question, 'What did one snowman say to the other snowman?'  Locke tosses his knife away and says they mean no harm, but Desmond is skeptical.  Kate helpfully offers that they were in a plane crash.  Desmond seems intrigued that this happened 44 days ago but says nothing about it.  He forces them into another room where along the way they see an awful lot of prison-style slashes on the wall counting the days Desmond must have been in there.  Desmond wants Kate to tie up Locke, but when Locke reveals their occupations as 'Box Company Schmo' and 'Fugitive', he successfully convinces Desmond to switch things around.  Kate is horrified to be thrown under the bus like that, but Locke whispers it's best for everyone before slipping a knife into her pants.  Despite her angry protests, Locke follows orders and locks her in a dark room.

  At the caves, we get a replay of Jack deciding to go to the hatch before the camera slides over to see what Charlie and Claire are up to.  Claire snoops through Charlie's bag and finds the Virgin Mary, which as you'll recall is full of heroin.  He gets flustered and immediately trades her the baby for the statuette.  He tells her he is not religious, but it's a nice thing to have handy. 

  In the ocean, Saywer speculates that it wasn't the flare that made the Others come.  Rousseau said they were coming for the child and that meant Walt.  This does not sit well with Michael who splashes the water and breaks up the logs holding Sawyer's little raft together.  Sawyer climbs back onto Michael's and tries to make peace, but Michael will not even look at him, saying Sawyer has no idea what it feels like to care for someone else.

  This triggers a flashback to Susan meeting Michael without lawyers present.  She thinks she is going to lose in court and asks Michael to just give up since it would be better for everyone.  He could recover from his accident and get back to his art while she could accept her promotion and Walt could be well-cared for.  Michael does not answer, but the look on his face says that deep down he knows she is right.

  In her dark prison, Kate strugglesto free herself.  She cuts herself loose and turns on the light only to find that she is locked in.  She turns around and sees that she is in a large storage room.  After joyously eating a candy bar and stuffing some more in her pockets, she moves a crate and climbs up toward the air vent.  The ironclad law of TV and movies states that air ducts must always be large enough to crawl through and the designers of the hatch have made no exception.

  Meanwhile, Locke explains what he knows about the plane crash and Desmond seems very surprised that the world still exists out there.  They exchange names and then Desmond asks how many of the survivors got sick.  Locke says none and wants to know if that's why it says QUARANTINE on the inside of the hatch door.  The conversation ends when an alarm goes off.

  Still at gunpoint, Locke is taken over to Desmond's computer and ordered to enter 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42.  Locke asks what will happen but gets no answer.  When he hits 'Execute', a small counter shuffles itself to 108  00.  In the distance, they hear Jack calling for Kate and Locke so  Desmond rushes over to his telescope.

  As Kate crawls through the vent, Desmond begins to play his record and turns on the bright light Jack had to duck from last episode.  Kate sees Jack through the vent but he can't hear her calling him because of the music.  We then see last week's stand-off from Kate's point of view.  Desmond's warning shot nearly hits her.  Jack recognizes Desmond (again) but the scene advances no further.

  Back at the raft, the boys spot one of their pontoons and Sawyer decides to swim for it.  He hands Michael the gun and heads off.  Michael sees a shark going for Sawyer and starts firing away.  There is an explosion of blood, followed by eerie silence.  Michael paddles the raft over to the pontoon to find Sawyer alive and safe.  Since it took him exactly two seconds to make the paddle, I'm thinking it would have been much safer to do that in the first place.

  Michael flashes back to a park bench where he has clearly decided Susan was right and is saying his final good-bye to his toddler son.  He gives him a stuffed polar bear and promises he will always love him. 

  Day has broken on the ocean and Sawyer wakes to find Michael sobbing to himself.  Michael tearfully admits that the whole raft disaster was his fault for taking Walt along in the first place.  Sawyer cheers him up by pointing out that the current has brought them "home" to the island. 

  When they get ashore, they are amazed to see Jin running toward them with his hands tied behind his back.  They untie him and manage to get one English word out of him:

  Others.     

  The three look up to see that they are surrounded by quite a few armed people- none wearing welcoming smiles.

  Next time on LOST: Our three rafters are captured and find themselves in the same primitive cell as Jack's airport friend, Ana-Lucia.  Meanwhile, Jack and Locke continue to argue.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

TV

- I usually pick who I think is going to win the Amazing Race on first sight, so imagine my horror when the team I selected came in 9th and barely edged by a team with two little kids on it.  I figured three young guys and a girl that grew up with three brothers would be very good, but by sight alone I couldn't tell that they would make such bad decisions.

- Thoroughly enjoyed NBC's comedy line-up at 9 last night.  There were times I feared for my life because I could not catch my breath.  I really hope that the success of The 40-year-old Virgin carries over to The Office, because it deserves it. 

- That reminds me- it is very clear that NBC has no idea what they're doing right now.  They are closer to being below UPN and WB than they are to catching FOX in third.  Take last night's line-up- What average television watching person is going to tune in for The Biggest Loser, stick around for My Name is Earl and The Office, two acquired taste comedies, and then again not change the channel when Law and Order SVU comes on?  Whatever happened to continuity?  Even the classic Thursday comedy line-up has been replaced with Trump.  The network doesn't even have an identity in one night, let alone an overall one.

CBS: procedural dramas, standard fare family comedies

ABC: cutting edge dramas, crappy standard fare family comedies

FOX: rip-offs of things CBS and ABC do, quality original shows that hardly anyone watches.

NBC: Uhhh...Crappy reality shows, former hits that are well past their primes...

- I wanted to put ads for Sirius in here and make some extra cash, but the fine print said No Blogs.  So instead I've decided to start charging for the LOST recap.  $1.50 for the first minute and 45 cents each additional minute.  So when you're done reading it tomorrow, just e-mail me with how long it took you to read it and I will calculate the bill for you.  Thanks! 

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

If it's Tuesday, it must be a BIG ENTRY.

I backed my car into a cop car the other day!  Well, he just drove off sometimes life's okay...

  Oh sorry, I was just singing.  See, this could be a problem at my new job.  I have to wear a headset and talk to a computer so every time I started singing the other night, it thought I was saying something.  That and the fact that I occassionally will have to pick up 80 lb. boxes of meat will be the most frustrating part of the job.

  For those that don't know, I recently transferred from the Wal-mart Distribution Center in Marcy, NY to the WM Grocery DC in Johnstown.  Old job: Driving forklift and doing paperwork; going home early all the time.  New job: Driving a power pallet jack and stacking tons and tons of food; working forced overtime when necessary.  This will take some getting used to.  My first week I did 68% production on a goal of 95, which they said was outstanding for a first week.  I have 8 weeks to get up to speed so I think I'll be fine.

  ---

  To keep this entry as boring as possible, I would also like to say that my wife just got hired by Blue Cross Blue Shield and we will soon go from no insurance to totally affordable health coverage!  Whoo hoo!  I'm going to go injure myself right now!  I'm also going to go to the dentist.  If she hadn't gotten this job, I would have had to pay MVP through Wal-mart $434 a month! 

---

  Having the DVR has gotten me back into the swing of things TVwise.  Last night we got caught up on the first three hours of Threshold and we loved it.  That's my wife and I- I wasn't speaking in the kind of obnoxious royal we.

  So the TV watching schedule goes like this:

Sunday: The Simpsons, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy

Monday: Monday Night Football, WWE Raw, Arrested Development

Tuesday: The Amazing Race, My Name is Earl, The Office

Wednesday: LOST, Invasion

Thursday: Survivor, CSI, Reunion

Friday: Threshold, WWE Smackdown

Saturday: Uhhh, nothing, I guess.

---

  Here's some of the best lines from last night's AD:

Lindsay: You’re one to talk. You haven’t had a serious relationship since your wife. And you guys weren’t even speaking toward the end.

Michael: Lot of that was the coma.

Lindsay: Yeah, I’ve heard your side of it.

---

Michael: We’ve got a picture of you with Saddam Hussein.

George, Sr.: I thought that was the guy who played the Soup Nazi.

---

Michael: Great. I was wondering if you might be willing to go somewhere with me. I would pay you.

Rita: You’ll pay me?

Michael: Not... Not for sex. You’re going to think that I’m Jack the Ripper, right? Didn’t he kill prostitutes or...?

Rita: I’m not a prostitute.

Michael: Then I shall let you live. (Chuckles.) This is my worst hello. Let me try again. My name is Michael.

---

(Tobias enters a costume shop...for transvestites.)

Clerk: Are you going to buy this time, or you just curious?

Tobias: I suppose I’m, uh... buy-curious.  I have a big TV opportunity.

Clerk: This is where all the big TV’s come.

---

Michael: That’s a wonderful performance, Dad. You’re a regular Brad Garrett.

-----------------------------------

This Week's Top Ten:

1. Soul Meets Body- Death Cab For Cutie

2. We Both Go Down Together- The Decemberists

3. Do You Want To- Franz Ferdinand

4. Nth Degree- Morningwood

5. Silver Sparkler- The Jim Yoshii Pile-up

6. Portions for Foxes- Rilo Kiley

7. Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)- The White Stripes

8. Empty Room- Marjorie Fair

9. You Are a Runner...- Wolf Parade

10. Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo- Bloodhound Gang

---------

I had a mediocre 8-6 record this week in football, but it's still better than losing.  I am 27-18 for the year and stayed in first place for the second consecutive week.  I am going to tentatively say that my two year slump is over. 

Saturday, September 24, 2005

Week 3 Picks

Kasey:  Can me and Erin go wait in the car?

Me: Erin and I.

Kasey: And me!

------

I'm a little concerned that I picked only three favorites this week, but here we go anyway.  Last week I was 9-6-1.  For the season I am 19-12.  (I don't count the tie in the overall record since everyone gets them.)

Titans +6 over Rams:  I just get the feeling that the Titans are better than the experts are giving them credit for and the Rams are worse.

Eagles -8 over Raiders:  If Moss and Owens cancel each other out, the Eagles are the deeper team, plus they're at home.

Bears +3 over Bengals: I just don't trust the Bengals yet, especially as a road favorite.  Talk to me when they're 5-1 or 6-2.

Jaguars +2.5 over Jets: Are you kidding me with this line?  The Jaguars were 1 quarter away from shutting out Peyton freakin' Manning.  Chad Pennington is going to beat them?  We think not.

Saints +3.5 over Vikings: Gee, the Vikings only look like the worst team in football after two games.  Why not make them favorites over America's new adopted team?  Give me a break!

Dolphins +3.5 over Panthers:  I'm throwing all my faith into the comment made by ESPN's Sports Guy that Saban and Belichick are friends and talked this week.  That, plus the Dolphins played well at home in Week 1 and the Panthers are coming off an emotional, hard-fought win last week.  Could be a let-down.

Colts -13.5 over Browns: I think Cleveland winning in Green Bay is more of an indictment of the Pack than it was a sign of good things to come for the Browns.  The Colts will have the two touchdowns covered before halftime.  After meeting two of the toughest defenses in the league, you know Manning is just itching to break out a huge game.

Falcons +2.5 over Bills:  Vick is playing.  So is JP Losman.

Packers +3.5 over Buccaneers: Can we please have one normal week where Favre plays like Favre and the Bucs play like the Bucs?  Here's hoping.

Seahawks -6.5 over Cardinals:  The Cards sucked me in last week, but not anymore.  You're a bad team!  You can't fool me!

Patriots +3 over Steelers: Can you honestly picture the Pats losing two games in a row?  I can't.

49ers +6.5 over Cowboys: The Cowboys are reeling after that last second loss and now have a short week to travel to California.  The Niners played well at home in Week 1 and will want to show that they are not as bad as they looked last week.

Giants +5.5 over Chargers:  I know I'm biased, but seriously...the Chargers have blown two games they should have won while the Giants have blown open two games that they won.  I know it's a short week and a long road trip, but I still think the Giants could have been given a little more respect from Vegas.  They will at least "show up" and cover.

Chiefs +3 over Broncos: The Chiefs are back.  I see them being an elite team again.  The Broncos are heading in the other direction.

Thursday, September 22, 2005

LOST- Episode 25: Man of Science, Man of Faith

  Well, this extra step is going to be a pain.  My hand is kind of numb from writing 7 notebook pages.  And now to see if I can read my own shorthand.  Could be interesting...

  Previously on LOST: The Others were coming, and Hurley didn't think blowing open the hatch was such a good idea.

  We begin Season 2 (yay!) with an unidentified opening eyeball and a steady beeping coming from a computer screen.  The screen reads >:  The eyeball's owner jumps down from his top bunk, slides a chair over to the computer, rapidly enters something on the keyboard and hits 'Execute'.  He then goes about what seems to be his daily routine.  Other than the computer, his pad is very old-fashioned.  He walks by his lava lamp to make a selection from his vinyl record collection.  As the music begins to play, this man of mystery...does the dishes.  Riveting.

  Then it's work-out time.  Exercise bike, chin-ups, sit-ups, the works.  This is followed by a shower and all the while, we are not allowed to see the man's face.  What is going on here?  LOST did move to 9pm right?  I'm in the right place?  Yes, this is the right time and channel after all, because as the man is shooting himself up with some yellow drug, an explosion rocks the place, knocking the needle off the record player.

  The man takes swift action- getting dressed into his jumpsuit and workboots and arming himself with several types of gun.  Using a telescope and some well-placed mirrors, he is able to look down a long corridor- a long corridor that leads upward to a broken ladder- a broken ladder that leads to a freshly blown open hatch that our more familiar friends, Jack and Locke, are staring down.  This, of course, cues up the creepy LOST title screen.

  After the break, we are at the top of the hatch and Hurley has turned the dial on the crazy meter just a little more as he repeats his numbers quietly and mixes in some predictions such as 'we're doomed'.  Kate snaps him out of it...a little.

  I was just going to say that the sane people were still looking down the hatch, but you should see the freeze frame of Locke I just paused on.  Lest we forget that John Locke is probably also crazy and that Shatner robbed our man of an Emmy.  Anyway, Jackis pretty quick to dismiss the hatch as a feasible hiding place since the ladder is broken and they don't have time to lower everyone down one by one.  Locke is a lot more reluctant to leave his hatch-a-licious destiny so soon after their triumph, but Jack asserts himself and convinces him to pack it up...for now.  Locke stands and asks Jack why he doesn't want to go down there, which triggers our first flashback of the season.

  Our man Jack is in command of some frantic emergency room action and if one pays close attention to the details of the car accident and one has a good memory, one would realize that this is the scene where Jack meets his future bride.  You can feel the sexual tension as Jack removes the steering column from her chest and stops her bleeding.  Nah, just kidding.  She mumbles that she has to dance at her wedding, but only Jack heard her.

  At the caves, Charlie is trying to convince some extras with rare speaking parts that the French woman is crazy and there is no such thing as Others.  Sayid comes into focus in the background, not looking nearly as confident that this is true.  Meanwhile, Shannon has lost Vincent the dog so she grabs a torch and heads off into the jungle.  Sayid jumps up and goes after her.

  Back at the hatch, Locke defends his decision to light the fuse even though Hurley told him not to.  Jack somewhat mockingly adds that it was Locke's destiny.  Kate, meanwhile, has made a potentially disturbing discovery on the hatch door.  On the other side of it, it doesn't say 'Open Slowly' or 'Not an Exit', it says 'QUARANTINE'. 

  Elsewhere, Sayid tries to get Shannon to come back to camp but she is determined to find Vincent since watching him was the one thing that anyone ever asked her to do.  By the way, if you haven't done so already, you can add '1 drink every time the dog goes missing' to the LOST drinking game.  They see Vincent, who scurries off and Sayid chases after.  Shannon can't keep up and trips.  Alone in the dark, with a camera spinning over her head, she begins to hear whispers.  She then sees a soaking wet Walt telling her to SHHH.  He looks scared and tries to say something.  Before he can, Sayid returns and when Shannon turns back, Walt is gone.

  On the way home,Kate and Locke discuss why Locke wants to get in the hatch so badly.  Like he wasn't already my favorite character, he even corrects her grammar from 'bad' to 'badly'.  He admits he might be crazy, but then again, they all saw a smoke monster pull him down a hole, so maybe they all are.  Meanwhile, Jack questions Hurley about the numbers and Hugo is forced to dish his dirt to the good doctor.  Jack seems most interested in the fact that Hurley was in a psych ward, while Hurley is dismayed that Jack doesn't believe in the cursed numbers.  Hurley tells Jack that his bedside manner sucks which triggers a flashback to Jack telling his future bride that she basically has no chance to ever walk again.  In the hall, dear old doctor dad tells his son that you always have to give your patients hope.  Even flase hope is still hope.

  Continuing tonight's 'crazy' theme, Shannon has every one freaked out by ranting about how she saw Walt.  Just then Team Dynamite finally returns and Jack admits to everyone that the hatch plan failed.  Remembering the advice he just remembered, he tells everyone that they are all going to be fine.  They will station guards and just stay there for the night.  He sees Locke collecting some cable and asks what's up.  Locke admits that he is going to go down the hatch.  Yes, it's probably safer to stay there, but he is just tired of waiting.

  Later, Kate finds Jack and tells him that he did a good thing for his people.  She also tells him that she is going to the hatch in case something bad happens to Locke.  As Kate takes off, Jack flashes back to when he told Sarah's fiance about her prognosis.  He doesn't seem too thrilled that she might not be able to go to the bathroom by herself ever again.  Later, in the operating room, Jack shares a pre-surgery face to face with his patient.  She tells him it's okay if she can't dance at her wedding and he promises to fix her.

  At the hatch, Locke is just ready to descend when Kate gets there, which changes the plan to her going down because she is lighter.  Gotta wonder if Locke believes the island might be demanding another sacrifice.  There's a tense moment as the trees supporting Locke's pulley begin to give.  Kate gets dropped faster than planned and loses her flashlight when Locke catches the rope and jerks her to a stop.  Undeterred by Kate's fears and second thoughts, Locke continues to lower her down.  Closer to the bottom, Kate hears some movement and noises and shouts that there's something down there.  And that's when a shockingly bright light comes on.  Locke struggles to hold on to the rope but whatever is on the other end is very strong.  He falls back when the resistance abruptly stops.  The light goes off and Kate is no longer answering his calls.

  Perhaps seeing the light and mistaking it for the Jack-signal, Jack realizes that a hero is needed and takes off for the hatch.  He finds the cable tied to the ladder and no sign of Locke or Kate.  And so he does what any hero would do- he heads down the hatch. 

  For whatever reason, this makes him think of that time when he was running up and down the steps of an empty stadium.  He tries to keep up with another man doing the same thing, but he trips and hurts his ankle.  The stranger comes to his aid and they strike up a conversation about why they are putting themselves through such a strenuous form of excercise.  The man is training for a race around the world and speculates that Jack is having girl trouble.  He's somewhat correct- Jack is upset that he made a promise he couldn't keep when he told Sarah he would fix her but couldn't.  The man suggests that he might have but Jack scoffs because that would take a miracle.  The man seems surprised that Jack doesn't believe in miracles.  He tells Jack to keep his injured ankle elevated and introduces himself as Desmond before they part ways.  "See you in another life, then."

  At the bottom of the hatch, Jack finds Kate's flashlight which will come in handy since he dropped his torch down the hatch earlier and it was extinguished by a puddle.  Jack arms himself and makes his way down the corridor where he finds a pair of shoes and some strange artwork painted on the wall.  There's even some kind of magnet tugging at the key around his neck.  Things get even creepier when the telescope mirrors overhead start shifting and the music from the beginning of the episode starts playing again.  A bright light comes on and Jack ducks out of its way.  He finds himself in an oddly shaped room filled with the ticking and beeping of an old-school mainframe computer.  It is then that he sees the screen with the >: on it.  Jack is about to touch the keyboard when Locke warns him not to do it from the doorway.  Jack draws his weapon and wants to know where Kate is, but the only answer he gets is a gun pointed at Locke's neck.

  It's only natural that Jack would want to escape this tense and bizarre situation, so he takes a minute or two to think back to happier times.  At her hospital bedside, Jack tells Sarah that he failed and she will never walk again, only to discover that she can wiggle her toes and feel her legs.  They both cry tears of joy. 

  If only that moment could have lasted forever, but alas, we have to get back to the reality of the stand-off in the hatch.  Locke's captor orders Jack to drop his gun, but the doctor is defiant and again demands to know where Kate is.  Locke says she is fine and asks for compliance, while the impatient bad guy fires a warning shot over Jack's head.  Again, Jack mockingly asks Locke about destiny.  The bad guy steps out to take a position directly behind Locke.  It is then that his accent and use of the word 'brother' triggers a connection in Jack's mind.  He stares at the man and says, "You."  To his shock and amazement, the man with the gun is someone he has met before- years earlier in the empty stadium- Desmond.  What a freakin' memory that doctor has!  

  Next week on LOST: "The fate of all the survivors will be revealed", but as my wife pointed out, if someone didn't survive, we won't find out what happened to them.  Aw, nuts!         

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

News and notes

- Tonight is the return of recent Emmy winner LOST.  And with that, the return of the main attraction of this journal- The LOST recap.  This season it's going to be a chore to write it too, since the DVR is in my bedroom and the computer is...not.  I may actually be watching a TV show with a notebook.  In other words, you better appreciate it!

- My wonderful car now stalls every time I have to stop.  Sometimes it even has trouble starting again.  The truck driver behind me was pretty mad this morning!  It was his own fault for being behind me.

-  Did everyone watch Arrested Development on Monday, like you should have?  It was hilarious, of course, but a little bittersweet that Michael had to fire Barry.  Stupid, stupid CBS and their stupid new doctor sitcom that stole Henry Winkler.  I hope it gets canned immediately so Barry can return.  If not, at least we know he has gone on to be a moderately successful prostitute.

Here are some of my favorite lines ( I was just practicing watching TV with a notebook.)

Lucille: Well, apparently, mood altering medication leads to street drugs- that's what this very handsome young doctor said on The Today Show.

Michael: That was Tom Cruise, the actor.

Lucille: They said he was some kind of scientist.

----

G.O.B.: I will tell you this, Michael. I don't have a son...

Narrator: He does.

G.O.B.: ...but if I ever do, I'm either going to take him to the cabin in the woods or I'm going to promise to take him and then not take him.  But the one thing that I will never do is not tell him that I'm taking him to a cabin in the woods and then not take him!

Narrator: G.O.B. was growing up.

---

G.O.B.: Look, I know this gonna sound kinda crazy, but my family actually has a cabin in the woods for one more night.  Maybe we could go up to Reno, get the keys and go camping- kind of a...son and son thing.

Narrator: If Steve had had a father, he would have warned him not to go into the woods with strange men... But he didn't.

Steve Holt: Sure! Let's go.

---

Lucille: What the hell are you doing back there?

Buster: I decided to sleep in the car so my snoring wouldn't bother you.  And I left that recording of my snoring so you wouldn't know I'm gone.

---

Oscar Bluth is in prison for his twin brother's crimes but you can help.  Imoscar.com is a real website!   FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY::   Actually, all the links lead back to the homepage, so I guess you can't help! 

But here's a pretty funny section from Oscar's blog: I was counting ants in the prison yard and it was a scorcher but I remember, I started killing the ants with my feet, yelling “Die you little black bastards, die!” I got stabbed – a whole lot.  When I woke up in the infirmary, I was surprised to find out that my stabber was the leader of an equal rights gang called: RAVIOLI or Rapists Against Violence Against Insects. When I went to apologize for killing the ants, I pointed out that ravioli doesn’t work as an acronym and they stabbed me again.

-This week's Top Ten:

1. Soul Meets Body- Death Cab For Cutie

2. Portions for Foxes- Rilo Kiley

3. Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)- The White Stripes

4. The Comeback- Shout Out Louds

5. Four Kicks- Kings of Leon

6. Empty Room- Marjorie Fair

7. Silver Sparkler- The Jim Yoshii Pile-up

8. Nth Degree- Morningwood

9. My Doorbell- The White Stripes

10. Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo- Bloodhound Gang

- Awaiting me on the DVR are the season premeire of The Office and the series premeire of My Name is Earl.  I'll let you know how they are later. [EDIT: Both were hilarious.  I laughed out loud a dozen times at both.  Earl makes the cut.]

- The other night at Applebee's, I overheard a waitress introduce herself to her table and then the old guy at the table said, "Nice to meet you."  I thought that was funny.  Old people are so desperate for human contact!

- I was 9-6-1 picking the NFL games this week- which landed me in first place in the standings.  I know it was probably luck, but I like to think that giving up fantasy teams allowed me to focus more this season.  I'm not subconsciously or consciously hoping a certain player will do well and picking his team.  I'm approaching each game with no outside interests and it makes a difference.  (Until I bomb out next week.)

 

-That's all for now.

(Glad you're feeling better, Lisa- as my most consistent comment leaver, I can't have anything happen to you.)

Sunday, September 18, 2005

I'm A Loser, Baby

From the home office in Albany, NY- the Top Ten Signs that I am a loser:

10.  In the car, I try to remember what songs I've heard so I when I get in the house, I can immediately add them to my RealPlayer Rhapsody Playlist.

9.  I can run the board in naming the Care Bears on my sister's shirt.

8.  It genuinely upsets me that my sister-in-law does better at picking football games than I do when she doesn't care a lick and I am passionate about it.

7.  I enjoy pencil puzzles and word games.

6. I get way too excited about getting e-mail, IMs, responses to what I said on a message board and any other form of nerdy validation.

5. I periodically daydream about what I would try to get away with in the Big Brother house.

4.  I got actual butterflies of excitement in my stomach when I saw the commercial for the season premeire of Arrested Development.

3. I went to 7 different stores yesterday looking for the DVD "The History of the Road Warriors".  PS- I never found it!

2. I laugh at my own jokes.  Often.  I laugh about things I said years ago.

And the number 1 sign that I am a loser...

1. I write an online journal! 

HAHAHA!  Take that AOL Community.  Zing!

Saturday, September 17, 2005

The Picks for Week 2

After a shocking 10-6  last week, I decided to take a chance and publish my NFL picks this week.  If I end up sucking, this could be a one time thing.

Titans +2.5 over Ravens  The thing that jumped out at me for this game is the quarterback situation.  You can either have the Ravens with a sucky backup QB on the road or the Titans with a former MVP QB playing at home.  I know the Ravens defense is great and they will be mad about losing to the Colts last week, but still, it's Anthony Wright or Steve McNair!  I take McNair.

Steelers -6 over Texans  I made the mistake last week of thinking the Steelers would suffer a letdown this year with no evidence whatsoever.  The Texans have graduated from "isn't it cute that the expansion team won" to "real team", but still, I don't think they are good enough to beat a team that has won 16 of their last 17 regular season games.

Jaguars +9 over Colts  If I remember correctly, the Jags have been the one team besides the Patriots to give Peyton Manning fits.  Whenever you think a team could actually win, it makes it a lot easier to take a +9.

Lions -2 over Bears  I would be surprised if there is anyone in America outside of Detroit or Chicago laying bets on this game.  Or anyone who cares about the game for that matter.  I think the talent disparity between the offenses will put the Lions over the top.

Vikings +3 over Bengals  Culpepper can't possibly be as bad as he was last week.  The Bengals are historically even worse than usual when they have any kind of expectations placed on them.  Favored two weeks in a row?  I'm not seeing it.  It's the Bengals!

Eagles -13.5 over 49ers   You know what they say- you're never as good as your last win or as bad as your last loss.  I think things will be back to normal when this one is over.  The Eagles are good (even though they lost last week) and the 49ers are bad (even though they won last week).

Bills +2.5 over Buccaneers  Another toss-up.  I didn't think about this much; I just took the points.  I'm not exactly in love with Tampa being a favorite, especially since Buffalo has been on a roll since the end of last season.

 Patriots -3 over Panthers  Until further notice, do not bet against the champs.

Seahawks PICK over Falcons  The Falcons are coming off an emotional revenge game and now have to play a road game 3000 miles away on a short week against a team that was embarrassed last week.  Not a recipe for success.

Cardinals -1 over Rams  I think the Rams are ready to tumble and the Cardinals are ready to start moving up.  This is one of those games that could determine the future of the Rams and I don't think they're talented enough or coached well enough to overcome the obstacle.

Jets -6 over Dolphins  The Sports Guy said it best: "Gus Frerotte on the road!!!"  Plus, the Jets always beat the Dolphins.

Packers -6.5 over Browns  I am one of those people getting the feeling that Brett Favre's last ride is going to crash and burn.  Having said that, the Browns suck.

Chargers +3 over Broncos  The triumphant return of Antonio Gates.

Chiefs -1.5 over Raiders  I got to see the Chiefs firsthand last week and I got the feeling they are going to go back to being one of the best teams.  Yes, the Raiders have Randy Moss, but they also have Kerry Collins, who I have also seen firsthand plenty of times.  Yikes!

Giants -3 over Saints  I'm a homer.

Redskins +6 over Cowboys  The Redskins didn't inspire much confidence with their 2 point victory over Chicago but  6 points is too many to lay down in a rivalry.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Fun with Job Listings

Found this one on AOL's new job listings:

Special agents are charged with two missions: protection and investigation. During the course of their careers, special agents carry out assignments in both of these areas and must be available to be assigned to duty stations anywhere in the world.

Newly appointed special agents may be assigned to duty stations anywhere in the United States. Throughout their careers, agents may experience frequent travel and reassignments to Secret Service offices located throughout the United States or liaison assignments in foreign countries.    REQUIREMENTS Special Agent Requirements

  • U.S. citizenship.
  • Must be at least 21 years of age and younger than 37 at time of appointment.
  • (1) Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; or (2) three years of work experience in the criminal investigative or law enforcement fields that require knowledge and application of laws relating to criminal violations; or (3) and equivalent combination of education and related experience.
    According to the Office of Personnel Management regulations, nonqualifying law enforcement experience is as follows: Experience as a uniformed law enforcement officer where the principal duties consisted of investigations and arrests involving traffic violations, minor felonies, misdemeanors, and comparable offenses; or in which the major duties involved guarding and protecting property, preventing crimes, and/or legal research without the application of investigative techniques.
  • Uncorrected vision no worse than 20/60 binocular; correctable to 20/20 in each eye.
    (NOTE: Lasik, ALK, RK and PRK corrective eye surgeries are acceptable eye surgeries for special agent applicants provided specific visual tests are passed one year after surgery. Applicants who have undergone Lasik surgery may have visual tests three months after the surgery.)
  • Excellent health and physical condition.
  • Must pass the Treasury Enforcement Agent.
  • Complete background investigation to include in-depth interviews, drug screening, medical examination, and polygraph examination.

____________________________________________

I fell off the chair when I read this one....

Lockheed Martin's vision is to be the world's best systems integrator in aerospace, defense and technology services; to be the company our nation and its allies trust most tointegrate their largest, most complex, most important advanced technology systems. Our goal is to provide the best value to our customers, growth opportunities to our employees, and superior returns to our stockholders.

Janitorial position requires individuals to be responsible for providing services to assigned areas. Duties include cleaning of offices, hallways, restrooms and other public areas. May use cleaning equipment including floor washers, buffers, and polishers.
Requires high school diploma or GED. Prior janitorial experience preferred.

 

1) I found it funny that the government is looking for special agents on the internet.  2)  I also found it funny that Lockheed Martin chooses to share its mission statement with the potential janitor. 

Maybe it's just me.

My search continues...

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Tuesday Night

-Yesterday was my last day at my current job.  Next Tuesday I start work at the Wal-mart grocery distribution center in Johnstown.  Overnights on weekends and in the freezer.  We'll see how long THAT lasts. 

- We got ourselves all hooked up here at my parents' house so now I will be able to sign on as v2 and update the journal much more often.  Hence, this "nothing" entry.

- I don't really watch much television and have gotten comfortable not worrying about what was on over the summer months.  My recording of the Prison Break pilot is three weeks old and I still haven't watched it.  And there are a lot more new shows that look interesting that I will probably never watch.  Like, My Name Is Earl, Threshold and Invasion.  Well, actually I'll probably watch Invasion since it will come on after LOST.  We all know I will be watching THAT.

- If you haven't clicked on any of the links I provided for my music entry, I suggest you do it!  There's a lot of great music this year.  I'm thinking of expanding my year end list to 100 songs.  I figured out a few weeks ago that I could get up to about 75 at the moment.  With three or so months to go, I will have no problem filling up the rest of the slots.

Death Cab for Cutie : Plans : 'Soul Meets Body'

Congratulations to DCFC residing at No. 4 on the album charts.  I'm sure now that they are cracking into mainstream success, they will lose some of their hardcore fans who will see them as sellouts.  That's just the way it is!

-If Kurt Angle doesn't win the WWE championship this Sunday, I will die a little inside.  He is simply the greatest wrestler in the world today.  I am getting the feeling he will lose because of backstage politics.  When the outcomes are scripted, ego and politics play a much bigger part than they should.  Kurt Angle is a legitimate badass who could break your ankle or do anything else he wanted to hurt you and it would all be very real, he could go out and drag (Mr. Punch Punch Punch) John Cena to a 4 star match, and he might still end up losing to the chump because Mr. Future of the Business, Vince McMahon's son-in-law Triple H wants to come back and be the one to take the title from Cena.  Trust me, this could all happen and it would be a shame.  Especially at this time in our nation's history when we could use an American Olympic hero like Kurt Angle to raise our spirits.

- The NY Giants won last Sunday- I know it was only the lowly Cardinals, but the Giants have lost to them before and a win is a win.  Only 5 more to go to match last year's total.  Also, I was 10-6 on my picks this week.  After two straight years of 100+ losses, I am hoping this means I am back.

 

     <---Best Big Brother player ever.

 

-Finally, for the first time ever, I got an answer from one of the DJ's at Sirius.  

My message:  LOC is my very favorite station.  If you had been elminated by the upcoming cuts, I would have led the revolt!  Keep up the good work, Reno- but why are there no pictures of you on the site?

Answer: 

  I can't tell you how much I appreciate that e-mail you left me -- made my evening!  You're the best!

Why are there no pictures?  I haven't done any interviews yet and haven't had any one-on-one talks with bands, hence no pics.

But soon, fear not, dear Kevin.  It'll come soon.

All the best,
Reno

Monday, September 12, 2005

This Week's Top 10

Here's what I've been listening to this week:

1. Soul Meets Body- Death Cab For Cutie- Death Cab for Cutie : Plans : 'Soul Meets Body'

2. The Comeback- Shout Out Louds- Music Archive Videos: Shout Out Louds: 'The Comeback'

3. Portions for Foxes- Rilo Kiley- Music Archive Videos: 1 of 2: Rilo Kiley: 'Portion for Foxes'

4. My Doorbell- The White Stripes- The White Stripes : Get Behind Me Satan : 'My Doorbell'

5. Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo- The Bloodhound Gang- Bloodhound Gang : Hefty Fine : 'Foxtrot'

6. Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)- The White Stripes

7. Four Kicks- Kings of Leon- Music Archive Videos

8. Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt- We Are Scientists- Music Archive Videos: We Are Scientists: 'Nobody Move Nobody Get Hurt'

9. Tear You Apart- She Wants Revenge

10. Do You Want To- Franz Ferdinand- Franz Ferdinand : You Could Have It So Much Better : 'Do You Want To'

 

Soul Meets Body
I want to live where soul meets body
And let the sun wrap its arms around me
And bathe my skin in water cool and cleansing
And feel
Feel what it’s like to be new

‘Cause in my head there’s a greyhound station
Where I send my thoughts to far off destinations
So they may have a chance of finding a place where they’re
Far more suited than here

And I cannot guess what we’ll discover
When we turn the dirt with our palms cupped like shovels
But I know our filthy hands can wash one another’s
And not one speck will remain

And I do believe its true
That there are roads left in both of our shoes
But if the silence takes you, then I hope it takes me, too
So brown-eyes, I’ll hold you near
‘Cause you’re the only song I want to hear
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere

Tuesday, September 6, 2005

Fun with the Thesaurus

Nonsense (n.) see GIBBERISH

synonyms: applesauce, balderdash, baloney, bilge, blague, blah, blather, blatherskite, bosh, bull, bunk, bunkum, bushwa, claptrap, cobblers, cock, codswallop, crap, crock, double-talk, drip, drivel, drool, eyewash, fiddle-faddle, fiddlesticks, flapdoodle, flimflam, flummadiddle, fudge, gas, gook, guff, hogwash, hokum, hooey, horsefeathers, hot air, humbag, jazz, jiggery-pokery, malarkey, meshuggaas, moonshine, piffle, pishposh, poppycock, punk, rot, rubbish, slipslop, tomfoolery, tommyrot, tosh, trash, trumpery, twaddle, whang-doodle, windbaggery

...I dare you to read that with a straight face. 

Saturday, September 3, 2005

I am still around

Things have been a little crazy with moving and job hunting and national crises so I haven't had time to write much.  Not that I have anything to talk about anyway. 

This Week's Top 10 

1. Soul Meets Body- Death Cab for Cutie- Death Cab for Cutie : Plans : 'Soul Meets Body'

2. Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo- Bloodhound Gang

3. The Comeback- Shout Out Louds

4. Portions for Foxes- Rilo Kiley

5. My Doorbell- The White Stripes

6. Dance Music- The Mountain Goats

7. Tear You Apart- She Wants Revenge

8. Your Little Hoodrat Friend- The Hold Steady

9. Four Kicks- Kings of Leon

10. Empty Room- Marjorie Fair