Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Top Ten and S.O.S. (Some Other Stuff)

  I have not yet gotten my Sirius on the computer problem figured out yet, but I did log some car time this week.  Therefore, the Top Ten gets overhauled as it does from time to time.  I discoverd quite a bit of new music this week.

1. New English- Ambulance LTD

2. Skeleton Key- Margot & The Nuclear So and So's

3. Gold Lion- Yeah Yeah Yeahs

4. Song With a Mission- The Sounds

5. Crazy- Gnarls Barkley

6. I Want You So Hard- Eagles of Death Metal

7. The Number- Pretty Girls Make Graves

8. Fraud in the 80's- Mates of State

9. Shine a Light- Wolf Parade

10. Cheated Hearts- Yeah Yeah Yeahs

This month on the Radar is Gnarls Barkley:

Official site for Gnarls Barkley

Gnarls Barkley - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the "tradition" of Gorillaz, Gnarls Barkley seems to be a fictional British band that's really a side project for some well established singers.  "Crazy" is a good song, and is a huge hit in Great Britain.  I think you will be hearing a lot of it. 

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 The three new shows I mentioned a while back have made their runs and here are my final verdicts:

Sons and Daughters: It grew on me and I hope it comes back.  Supposedly the head of ABC likes it, so it has a good chance.  But we've heard that before- remember how much FOX honchos loved Arrested Development?  Final Grade: B+

The Loop: Absolutely hilarious.  It would be criminal if this show didn't come back.  The upside: a DVD set of 6-8 episodes won't be very expensive.  Final Grade: A

Free Ride: The remaining episodes weren't as good as the first one I saw.  It was just okay in the long run and I won't miss it if it disappears.  Final Grade: C

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  We went to see the number 1 movie in America, Silent Hill, on Sunday.  Perhaps I had an unfair advantage by playing the video game, but I did not think it was as confusing as it's being made out to be.  It got terrible reviews.  But what do reviews know?  I thought it looked great, was just a little bit scary, and was extra creepy.  I loved the little nods to the video game: the main character running from map to map to make sure she was going the right way.  (In the game, sometimes you need the map just to know which direction you're facing.)  Also, the hidden hotel room that leads to a hole in the wall between two buildings.  The only thing they didn't have to do that was in the game was figure out some cryptic puzzles.  If you played the game Silent Hill, it makes the movie that much better.  They were more loyal to the source than most "game movies".   

Grade: B 

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Dawn, but hopefully not of The Dead

  It is 6 o'clock in the morning.  I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep because of a bite or something on my foot.  It's really itchy. Fascinating, I know.

  Last night we watched Wolf Creek- an independent horror film from Australia that actually won critical acclaim at Sundance and a wide release in America.  I thought this might have been better served as a short film as it could have told its story in less than an hour.  The last half hour is a sweaty-palmed, ultra-gritty thrill ride of realistic terror...but for the first hour, absolutely nothing happens.  I can appreciate a good build up, but this was too much.  I'd recommmend the film, but only with a warning to fast forward the first thirty minutes at least.

  ----------

  To downplay the fact that it's a sequel, right before its release, the studio changed Ice Age 2: The Meltdown to simply Ice Age: The Meltdown.  The problem is that the pre-released merchandise still has that horrible, evil "2" plastered on it!  So we were in the grocery store the other night and saw some coloring books that said Ice Age 2.  Unfortunately, I couldn't convince my wife to buy them out of stock, even though they might eventually become valuable collector's items.  Hope that one doesn't come back to bite me on the ass.

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  It's one of my favorite times of year to be a sports fan.  The NHL and NBA playoffs on TV every day for two months.  NHL overtime in the playoffs is the most exciting thing in sports.  It's funny that I barely care about hockey from October through March, but when the playoffs start, I will watch it no matter who the teams are.  It's that good.  I love staying up all night waiting for one team to score in quadruple overtime.  Good times.

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  It seems like the code to put music in journals has stopped working for me again.  Easy come, easy go.  I really wanted to put my current favorite song in here since my wife STILL has the misconception that I listen to ear-splitting screamo rock, which couldn't be further from the truth.  She said she would turn the volume down anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter.  :)

Thursday, April 20, 2006

The Bearded Woman... and some ranting

  My sister-in-law stuck what I believe to be construction paper on my daughter's face earlier tonight.  That was funny enough, but the muscle man pose puts it over the top.  Why is it that the only time I put her in here is when she has things stuck to her face?  Is that some bizarre psychological thing or just a coincidence?  I should go back and see when I posted "Sticker Face" because if it was one year to the day, that would be freaky.

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  I finally read The Da Vinci Code just to see what all the fuss is about.  The fuss that's getting bigger and bigger with the movie coming out soon.  I enjoyed it (read it in less than 2 days).  It is well-written, thoroughly researched and absolutely engaging.  Though it is very clear the book received all its attention because of its subject matter, not for its predictable plot twists or perfectly ordinary action sequences.

  As for the uproar, boycotts, banishments and whatnot:  I can see why people would be upset over what the book claims, but even if I were devout in my religion, which I am not, I would not be upset.  Why?  Because of two words right on the front cover.  "A Novel."  While I have no doubt that the research done for this book is authentic, it is just one representation of ideas presented in a more entertaining fashion than most others. 

  I am reminded of the character in the film From Dusk Till Dawn- a preacher who has stopped believing in God.  "I don't care if you're a preacher, a priest, a nun, a rabbi or a Buddhist monk. Many, many times during your life you will look at your reflection in a mirror and ask yourself: 'Am I a fool?'"   Whether or not the revelations made in the book are true or not is almost irrelevant.  I'm sure the war between Christianity and paganism was real.  But anyone who reacts so outrageously to beliefs that attack or counter their own should look inward, because the real issue is faith.  Anyone who thinks Da Vinci Code: The Movie should be banned and boycotted is simply afraid.  Afraid that their religion will be made to look foolish.  Orperhaps afraid that they have chosen the wrong religion and are about to be exposed.  I do not believe The Da Vinci Code is entirely factual.  I also don't believe the Bible is entirely factual.  The truth is somewhere in the middle. 

  I just wish the fanaticism would end.  Okay, most religions are founded on BS, and Christianity is no different.  Are we mad at Dan Brown for pointing that out or are we mad because deep down we know he's probably right to some degree and we are just as foolish as all the other religions if we believe in every little detail of the faith we were born into?  If there is one true faith, then a large percentage of the world is going to hell automatically, right?  Come on!   All the reactions this book is getting is simply a reflection of people's own insecurities.  

  I'm no religion expert.  Believe what you want to believe and I will do the same.  But it's a fact that getting so bent out of shape over a novel does no one any good in the long run.    

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  I live a life full of guilt.  24 hours a day I feel like I should be writing.  When I'm out and about, I take mental notes of people, situations and everything around me.  When I get home, I do nothing.  I become discouraged by every idea I have.  Usually whatever I think of will turn out to be remarkably similar to something I just read or saw on TV.  They say there are no new ideas, and sometimes I believe it.  I feed my procrastination by telling myself that it might hurt too much to type or by agreeing with my wife when she says I shouldn't start anything because I won't be able to type anymore in a couple of weeks when I get surgery # 2.  I try to take comfort in the fact that most really famous writers are older than I am.  But is it because they have more ideas and life experiences to draw from or is it because they paid their dues back when they were my age?  Dues I am not paying by watching movies from Netflix.  Are all slackers filled with this much self-loathing?  I wish just the fact that I feel guilty about not using my writing skills was enough motivation to start something.

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  Did you see my projected winners ofThe Amazing Race come in next to last?  I'm starting to sweat that one.  I hope they become a little less cocky now.

  And Survivor had what I believe is only the second medical elimination.  Get well, Bruce, though I'm sure you are by now.  I hope Terry wins because he is clearly the best player.

  I think this may have been the most all over the place entry I have ever written.   Good night!    

EDIT***  Sticker Face was on May 4, so close, but no cigar.  I am enjoying reading my archives, though.  Last year's wedding was classic. 

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Top Ten

  I'm a little steamed because everytime I try to log in to Sirius on the computer, it doesn't work.  How am I supposed to keep up with the new music?  I wrote them an e-mail and asked them why their "listen" buttons are dead links.

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

1. Skeleton Key- Margot & The Nuclear So and So's

2. Gold Lion- Yeah Yeah Yeahs

3. Song With A Mission- The Sounds

4. You Have Killed Me- Morrissey

5. Cheated Hearts- Yeah Yeah Yeahs

6. Dress Up In You- Belle & Sebastian

7. Shine A Light- Wolf Parade

8. Catastrophe Keeps Us Together- Rainer Maria

9. New English- Ambulance LTD

10. There Is No Ending- Arab Strap

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  I'm going through one of those phases where I just don't have much to say.  My left hand is still recovering, but that's not why I haven't been around.  I should mention that the right hand has been postponed until May 12.  The day before my birthday!  It seems the nurse had accidentally scheduled me for when the doctor was going to be on vacation.  It's just as well since he didn't think my left hand would be all better by then anyway.  That was good to find out because I've been frustrated with my slow healing time and was thinking that maybe the surgery hadn't worked.

Saturday, April 15, 2006

LOST- Episode 43: S.O.S.

  Previously on LOST: Jack was warned not to cross the line, Locke saw a map on the blast door and Henry may or may not have pushed the button.

  Things open with Rose and Bernard putting away the groceries, as it were.  All the new officially licensed Dharma food is being put in its place on the shelves someone built and Bernard can't quite believe it.  Is he the only one who wonders where, why and how the food got there?  Is he the only one who still wants to be rescued?

  Over in Station Three of the Dharma Initiative, Locke is trying to draw the map he saw from memory, but is having little luck.  The alarm is sounding but he is so preoccupied, that Jack has to remind him to push the button.  Or maybe the button just isn't a priority for Locke anymore. 

  Outside the armory, Ana-Lucia informs Jack that Henry hasn't eaten or spoken for two days.  Jack enters and begins to change the dressing on Henry's wound.  He mentions the plan Henry talked about at breakfast the other day and thinks it's a good idea.  He plans to go cross the line and offer a trade for Walt.  As Jack leaves, Henry finally speaks coldly and matter-of-factly.  "They'll never give you Walt."  Cue creepy LOST title screen.

  It's wintertime in flashback country and Rose's car is stuck in a snow bank.  Bernard helps push her out of it and ends up face down in the snow.  Afterward, they introduce themselves.  Just as Bernard is about to drive away in his own car, Rose calls to him and invites him on a coffee date.  Bernard happily accepts.  This scene is what the movie biz calls a Meet cute.

  In the present, Bernard is in a much better mood now.  He finds Hurley and asks him to help round up all the extras, who apparently have names!  Rose asks him what's going on.  "I've got an idea," he answers with a wink.

  As Jack packs for his trip, Ana-Lucia asks him if he wants her to come.  He glances over at the frazzled looking Locke and tells her to stay and watch him.  Ana-Lucia hands the doctor her gun and warns him not to go out there alone.

  Jack then teleports over to the beach and finds Kate and Sawyer.  He states his plan, but surprises Sawyer by inviting Kate along instead of him.  Sawyer is even further irritated when he learns that Jack already has a gun.  Kate happily accepts the invitation and they leave Sawyer alone to chew on that.

  Elsewhere, Bernard reveals his own plan to the group.  He wants to build a gigantic sign on the beach to alert planes and satellites to their presence.  Most heads nod in agreement that this is a good idea, but Rose protests, saying they should ask Jack first.  Bernard is perturbed and pulls his wife aside.  She tells him that she doesn't want him giving these people false hope.  He scoffs and returns to the group, more determined than ever to put his plans in motion.

  Bernard flashes back to a fancy restaurant he visited with his date.  On bended knee, he proposes, but Rose leaves him hanging down there.  She grimly reveals that she is dying of cancer and has only a year to live.  Bernard gets off the floor and asks her to answer the question.  Realizing the short amount of time they have together is not an issue for him, Rose happily accepts Bernard's proposal.

  In the present, Bernard asks Mr. Eko and Charlie if they will help him, but they decline.  They are busy building a church, which Bernard thinks is utterly ridiculous.  He thinks they don't want to be saved, but Eko reminds him that people can be saved in different ways.

  Back in Station Three, a frustrated Locke crumples up another failed attempt at the map and limps over to the armory.  Ana-Lucia won't let him in because they are unarmed so Locke has to shout through the door.  He really, really, really needs to know if Henry pushed the button.  Inside the armory, a still silent Henry creepily smiles with satisfaction at how deep he has gotten inside Locke's head.

  Bernard returns to his meeting spot to find that his number of helpers has dwindled.  Anyway, he wants to use black rocks from a lava field to build the letters, but no one seems too keen on doing all that heavy lifting.  As his troops begin to grumble, Bernard insists that they get to work.  Conveniently, he has kept the easy letter-tracing job for himself.

  Bernard flashes back to the Australian outback where he took Rose on their honeymoon.  She is not sure why they would honeymoon in the middle of nowhere, so he happily shows her why.  He wants her to see a faith healer who might rid her of her cancer.  Rose is very upset, saying that she has made her peace with what is happening.  "Well, I haven't," Bernard answers.  He asks her to please try it for him.

  In the present, Bernard is desperately trying to recruit Sawyer for the sign project, but he also declines.  Bernard approaches his wife, expecting her to gloat over his failure.  She thinks (correctly) that he might have a management problem.  He replies that he always has to try to do something and if he didn't, she wouldn't be there.  Rose walks away from him as Bernard looks regretful about what he just said.

  In the jungle, Kate admits to being flattered by Jack's invite.  He responds that he only took her along because the Others clearly don't want her.  She speculates that she and Jack are damaged goods and therefore unworthy of being kidnapped.  Kate stops when she sees a doll on the ground.  Jack warns her not to touch it, but gets there only in time for them to both become caught in the net trap.  Guess her tracking skills are a little off today.

  Things are tight and full of sexual tension in the net, but Kate manages to get the gun out of Jack's back pocket.  She takes a shot at the rope but misses badly.  Jack takes the gun from her and hits the rope in one shot, knocking them to the ground and freeing them.

  Back at the beach, Bernard returns to his sign with a bag full of rocks to find that Jin, the only helper left, is not doing things to his liking.  Jin walks off and though Bernard apologizes and begs him to help for Rose's sake, Jin does not come back to work.

  Elsewhere, Rose finds Locke sitting on the beach.  She is surprised that he is out of the hatch, and he replies that he is done with it.  She tells him that he is just frustrated by his injury.  He says he will be healed in four weeks, but Rose looks at him knowingly and tells him they both know it will not take that long. 

  Rose flashes back to her visit with the faith healer.  She is barely seated before he insists there is nothing he can do for her.  He harnasses the magnetic power of this spot on the earth and uses it to heal people, but this is not the right spot for her.  Rose is not disappointed since she didn't expect anything, but when she watches her husband through the window, she realizes he will be devastated.  So she decides to tell him that she has been cured.

  In the jungle, Kate finally gets around to telling Jack about the empty medical hatch she found with Claire.  When he wonders why she wasn't forthcoming with the information, she says she was waiting to be invited back in the club.  Before they can argue, Jack realizes that they have reached the right spot.  He begins shouting to the Others, but gets no immediate answer.  He looks silly and Kate thinks they can't hear him but he is determined to wait them out.

  At the beach, Rose brings her hard-working husband some supper along with an apology.  She admits she lied to him about the faith healer but that doesn't mean she wasn't healed anyway. 

  Rose flashes back to the airport where she ruffles through her bag and drops a bottle of pills.  As it rolls along the floor it is scooped up and handed back to her by the wheelchair bound Locke.  In voice over, Rose explains that it was the island that cured her.  Bernard now understands that Rose does not want to be rescued and vows that they will remain on the island for the rest of their days.

  In Station Three, Ana-Lucia finds Locke in a much better mood.  He doesn't say it, but his faith in the island was restored when he was reminded of it by Rose.  He returns to his post at the computer with a renewed determination to recreate the map.

  Night has fallen and in the jungle, the wait for the Others continues.  Kate tells Jack that she is sorry that she kissed him.  "I'm not," Jack replies.  Before they can lean in and relive that moment, they hear a noise.  Someone is coming toward them.  Someone stumbles and collapses at their feet.  That someone is Michael.

  In three weeks: Michael has seen where the Others live and thinks they can be taken out.  It might be time to restart Jack's army training.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Everything Must Go

  Last night we were wandering around Target and when we got to the Movie section, it was like a sea of tag sales.  I think Target sales are national, so you might want to head over there and check it out just in case.  Most of the "older new" movies were $10.  And I was finally able to get the Christmas present I never got

   Season 2 of Arrested Development was only $19.99! 

  I've been meaning to get into 24 and I had the first season in my good hand for only $32 (normally over 50).  But then when I saw my favorite show at practically half price, I had to get that instead.

  I anticipate being pretty depressed after next Friday when I can't do anything with my right hand.  I plan to combat this by watching TV.  Does anyone have any better ideas.  What fun things can you do without your hands?

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

This Week's Top 10

New Number 1! I even included a link to their myspace page so you can check it out. 

Plus, only one Arab Strap song survives the list this week.  Take that Scotland! 

1. Skeleton Key- Margot & The Nuclear So And So's-www.myspace.com/margotandthenuclearsoandsos

2. Gold Lion- Yeah Yeah Yeahs

3. Song With A Mission- The Sounds

4. Dress Up In You- Belle & Sebastian

5. Shine A Light- Wolf Parade

6. New English- Ambulance LTD

7. Steady, As She Goes- The Raconteurs 

8. There Is No Ending- Arab Strap

9. Standing In The Way Of Control- Gossip

10. A.M. Slow Golden Hit- Hotel Lights

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Joining The Who and Bob Dylan in the VCH Music Hall of Fame is:

  THE SHINS 

  The Shins' most famous song is New Slang because of its prominent role in the movie Garden State.  But really, that's probably their fourth best song.  They are the epitome of the mellow indie sound I've gotten myself into the last couple of years.

The 5:

Know Your Onion!

So Says I

Caring is Creepy

Kissing The Lipless

New Slang

Monday, April 10, 2006

Worldwide Expansion

  I e-mailed Trafford today and it would only be $400 dollars to upgrade to a package that includes distribution to retailers such as B & N, Amazon, and Borders.  Hopefully, you will be able to see my book in an actual store...if you keep hounding your store to order it.  :)  I also want to ask how much it would cost to make a few minor tweaks to the book.  I especially think I need a description of it somewhere on the back cover or something.  If it's going to be in stores, you should be able to see what it's about before buying it.  The upgrade would also include....drumrolllllllll...

PROMOTIONAL BOOKMARKS.

WHOO HOO.  First come, first serve on those, baby!

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Things it's hard to do with one hand:

type

button pants

put on socks

tuck yourself into bed

take things out of the oven

bathe

cut food

open packaging

shave

drive a car

Thursday, April 6, 2006

LOST- Episode 42: Dave

  Previously on LOST- absolutely nothing relevant to tonight's episode happened.

  Things kick off in the present for a change.  Though not even an official couple, Libby is already trying to change her man by making him go for a jog on the beach.  An exhausted Hurley says he would prefer breathing.  Feeling dejected, Hurley admits he needs to lose some weight.  Libby tries to comfort him by explaining about slow metabolisms, but Hurley knows the real reason why he hasn't lost some weight.

  Hurley leads Libby into the jungle, pulls back some brush and reveals shelf after shelf of his hidden stash of junk food.  He wishes he could get rid of it, so Libby encourages him to do exactly that.  In a cathartic moment, Hurley dumps out gallons of ranch dressing and tears open bags of potato chips.  Soon the shelves are empty and the jungle is littered with wasted food.  Just as a proud Libby is about to reward Hurley with a romantic gesture, they are interrupted by Sun and Jin.  Something has been found.

  What it is is the Dharma ration drop-off.  Everyone is there to grab what they can.  Things start to get out of hand when selfishness sets in, so Charlie suggests that Hurley be in charge once more of food distribution.  Hurley turns some heads by turning down the job a little too forcefully, so Libby suggests that everyone just take what they need in an orderly fashion.  Hurley is no longer paying attention to the proceedings at this point, as he has just noticed a bald man in a bathrobe watching him.  Hurley looks confused and takes off in pursuit of the man.  Before he can catch up, he trips and falls.  Lying next to him is one of the bald man's slippers.  "Uh-oh," says Hurley.  Cue creepy LOST title screen.

  Later at the beach, Hurley twirls the slipper in his hand, but hides it when he notices Libby approaching.  She asks who he was looking for earlier, but he shuts down and says he doesn't feel like talking.  Libby tells him she is proud of him for not freaking out at the sheer irony of more food appearing at the exact moment he decided to destroy his stash.  Hurley doesn't answer.  He just sits and thinks...

   ...back to a therapy session he had during his stay at the mental institution.  Hurley tells the doctor he is no longer mad at his mom for putting him in there.  He knows it was because of the accident, but he doesn't want to talk about that.  The doctor asks Hurley if he has done his homework and made a list of everything he likes about himself.  Hurley says he didn't do it because his friend Dave thought it was stupid.  The doctor reminds him that Dave is a very negative influence and doesn't want Hurley to change.

  Later, Hurley heads over to the gymnasium where he finds his friend Dave trying to enforce the rules in a basketball game full of misguided mental patients.  When Dave suggests to Hurley that they go get some tacos from the cafeteria, Hurley tells him what Dr. Brooks said about him.  Dave warns him about letting the doctors get into his head and tells Hurley he has more important things to think about.  Like tacos.

  Down in Station Three of the Dharma Initiative, Jack tends to Locke's leg injury.  He thinks there is a hairline fracture so Locke will have to stay off of it for a while.  Locke is adament about not using the wheelchair, so Kate goes off to get him some crutches.  Locke tells Jack that "Henry" could have escaped but didn't.  Jack says it's only because he thought his story would check out.

  In the armory, "Henry" is now shackled to the wall by bedsheets.  He explains to Ana-Lucia and Sayid that the real Henry was already dead upon arrival in the balloon.  Sayid shows him a note written on a twenty dollar bill.  It was written by Henry and it says how much he loves his wife and how he is heading to the beach to start a signal fire.  "Henry" is busted again.  Rousseau was right.  He will lie for a long time.  "Henry" then stammers to explain that he was not the one who did the killing, but Sayid has had enough and threatens to shoot if his questions aren't answered.  "Henry" insists he can't answer questions about the Others or he is dead- a notion Sayid almost makes come true except that Ana-Lucia pushed Sayid's arm at the last second and prevented the bullet from being on target.

  At the beach, Charlie brings Mr. Eko a wooden pallet for whatever it is he is building.  Eko invites him to help, but will not yet tell him what they are making.

  Elsewhere, Hurley is clutching the slipper and treading carefully through the jungle.  He finds a box of officially licensed Dharma Inititative goldfish crackers and against his better judgement, begins to stuff his face.  He hears a noise and looks up to see Dave nodding his approval.  Hurley tells Dave he is not really there, so Dave picks up a coconut and throws it into Hurley's stomach.  Hurley chases his friend again, but when he gets to the beach, all he sees is Eko and Charlie hard at work and they didn't see anyone.

  A frustrated Hurley walks away and flashes back to the hospital rec room where he played Connect Four with Lenny- the guy who repeatedly says nothing but the cursed numbers.  Dave watches them play and when he notices Hurley eating celery, he suggests stealing Lenny's graham crackers.  A nurse brings Hurley his medication and Dave's next brilliant suggestion is for Hurley to not take it.  Dr. Brooks interrupts the discussion and asks to take their picture for the bulletin board.  After that is done, Hurley opens his mouth to show Dave that he did not swallow his pills.

  At the beach, Hurley cautiously approaches Sawyer and reminds him that he owes him a favor for the tree frog adventure.  Hurley needs his hospital meds to help him stop hallucinating.  When Sawyer mocks him, Hurley snaps and takes the con man down.  As absolutely no one comes to help, Hurley wails on Sawyer, rattling off all the cruel nicknames he has been given.  Finally, Jin stops laughing long enough to break it up.  Sawyer calls the big guy crazy and Hurley answers that he is not.  Then he repeats it, as if to convince himself.

  Later, Libby finds Hurley in his tent packing up his things, but he still doesn't want to talk.  He is going to go to the caves to be a hermit since no one lives there anymore and he won't bother anyone.  He walks off and tells Libby that no one can help him.

  In the jungle, Hurley's backpack opens and his peanut butter spills everywhere.  He bends down, scoops some on a leaf and starts chowing down.  Dave shows up to catch him in this low moment and Hurley again insists that he is not really there.

  Hurley flashes back to Dr. Brooks' office, where he is reading his completed list of things he likes about himself.  Dr. Brooks observes that nothing on the list is about physical appearance.  Hurley somberly admits that if he was not so fat, the balcony would not have collapsed, killing two people.  Dr. Brooks says that after the accident, Hurley went into a catatonic state, but never stopped eating because eating is how Hurley punishes himself.  Then he drops a real bombshell.  He says Dave is not Hurley's friend because Dave is not real.  He shows him the picture he took- a picture of Hurley with his arm around nothing but air.

  That night, Dave wakes Hurley up- it is time to escape.  Hurley insists that Dave is not real, but Dave says that Dr. Brooks is a quack and probably doctored the picture.  After a few stinging slaps, Hurley is reluctantly convinced to make a break for it.  They sneak past security and use the keys Hurley stole to open a window.  Dave hops out and suggests they go for cheeseburgers.  In that moment, Hurley realizes that Dave is not real.  He wants Hurley to go for cheeseburgers because that's what Hurley himself wants to do.  In a breakthrough, Hurley closes the window on Dave and chooses not to escape.

  In the present, Hurley keeps his eyes shut tight, but every time he opens them, Dave is still there.  Dave has even more bad news.  Everything that happened after Hurley closed the window never really happened at all.  He is still in the hospital in a catatonic state.  There are no numbers, no hatch, no island and no blonde who digs him.  Everything is in his mind. 

  They go for a walk as Hurley ponders this impossible development.  Dave explains that he is the part of Hurley's brain that wants to wake up.  Then he leads him to the way to do it.  Jumping off a rocky cliff.  "See you in another life," Dave says.  He then freefalls backward off the cliff and disappears into the ocean below.

  Over in Station Three, Locke visits with "Henry".  He asks for the man's real name, but the prisoner says he has gotten used to being called Henry.  Locke suggests that Henry was captured on purpose- a notion that Henry scoffs at.  When Locke suggests Henry would do that to learn more about the hatch, Henry scoffs again.  "This place is a joke," he says.  He goes on to tell Locke that he never pushed the button.  And nothing happened except the movement of a scary sounding magnet.  Then things went back to normal.  Locke doesn't believe him, but Henry assures him that he is done lying.

  Back at the cliff, Libby appears and asks Hurleywhat's going on.  Hurley tells her that she is the part of him that is afraid and that he thought he met her before because he made her up.  Libby inches closer and asks what the name was of the man who broke his leg on day 1.  When Hurley doesn't know, Libby uses this to prove that Hurley is not dreaming everything.  She is real and her feelings are real.  Then they kiss, and thankfully, step away from the precipice.  As they walk away hand in hand, Hurley asks her if he can really change and she says yes.

  There is one more flashback, but it's not really from Hurley's POV.  He is again getting his picture taken with no one, but then the camera pulls back to show another patient watching him.  A patient named Libby.

  Next time: Jack crosses the line and offers a trade- Henry for Walt.

Tuesday, April 4, 2006

this week's top 10

  i just sat down at the computer thinking that the painkillers i took werent affecting me.  i was getting restless just laying in bed.  so of course as soon as i sat down, i started feeling weird.  i'm pretty dizzy right now, but i will persevere.  i havent missed a top ten in a while, and i want to keep the streak alive.

  here's what i've been listening to this week:

1. song with a mission- the sounds

2. gold lion- yeah yeah yeahs

3. mr. november- the national

4. dress up in you- belle and sebastian

5. skeleton key- margot and the nuclear so and so's

6. dream sequence- arab strap

7. there is no ending- arab strap

8. steady as she goes- the raconteurs

9. new english- ambulance ltd

10. makedamnsure- taking back sunday

 

i'm currently too loopy to make a HOF induction, so this week i am going to give a shout out to fellow blogger tricia in detroit.  she mentioned two great bands in her comment last week and i agree with her.  yeah yeah yeahs do rock.  their new album is in stores now- it's called show your bones.  that sounds dirty.  heh heh heh.   and then there's goldfrapp.  i have been meaning to replace my wife's tim mcgraw computer wallpaper with alison goldfrapp, but keep forgetting.  her album supernature was just released in the united states [she's british].  the song ooh la la is very mainstream- i think i even heard it on a car commercial or something- but my favorite is number one.  goldfrapp is very catchy, as well as easy on the eyes.

okay...i think im going to go pass out.

see ya

the post-op entry

  things went very well yesterday.  there is hardly any pain as long as i try not to use my left hand at all.  i am a left handed shift key user, which means no capital letters for a while.  but i am still around.  thanks to everyone who sent their well wishes.

-the vch management team