LOST Finale thoughts

I hope to write a complete entry on my reaction to the series finale of LOST soon, but my initial reaction is that I loved it. I have not been able to stop thinking about it all day. I found it very moving.

No matter you're reaction to the last episode you should really take 10 extra minutes and read "Doc" Jensen's LOST review here.
"Doc" has been covering LOST since the beginning for Entertainment Weekly and has been following every trail and thought the show has ever put out there. He's researched all the literary and philosophical references and is about as big of a LOST geek as you can get. I really like his review.

My complete thoughts will follow soon. What did you think?

The End of Bauer Power

Well Bauer-ites. It's been confirmed... this is the last season of 24.

It's not over until Jack says it's over

Through 8 'splosion filled seasons, Jack has un-apologetically shot, fought, and tortured his way through friend and foe alike to protect the USA (and you and me). Eight television seasons in this century should be measured in dog years, there aren't many series that last that long in an era of instant criticism. So it's really like 20 seasons.

I must admit that after watching the first 4 or 5 episodes this particular season I gave up. Perhaps we've been desensitized to the constant action and ever impending doom (there's always another terrorist...), but I just didn't find it as compelling as past seasons.

Too soon? or is it time to pull the plug?

No 3D for me

Am I the only one bothered by the recent explosion of 3D technology? I am not interested in this emerging technology at all, and I'm normally excited about tech trends.

I saw Avatar in 3D because I wanted to see what it would be like. I loved the movie, but I didn't really feel like the extra dimension added to the film. It was cool, but it didn't make it better. And I was not happy with the fact that it cost FOUR MORE BUCKS to watch it in 3D. Not cool. I plan on seeing very few other films, if any, in 3D if I have to add a premium onto an already pricey ticket.

That is one of the reasons why Avatar made a bazillion dollars, because they charged even more money per ticket. And that's one of the reasons why Alice in Wonderland is making so much money right now. Eventually the public hears about how much money a film is making and they don't want to miss the action, and they pay up for a new pair of shades for one use.

I am really not looking forward to every new film rushing to become 3D. And it's already happening. They are retrofitting movies already in post production to cash in on the fad; Alice was the first, Clash of the Titans is next. They aren't filmed in 3D, they just use computers to make it 3D (which James Cameron hates). They are even making a 3D computer animated Popeye. Yeah, that'll be awesome...

And now they are releasing 3D blu-ray, 3D tv's (which you have to watch wearing stupid goggles).

Although they'll be less conspicuous once they develop transitions lenses

Nintendo, just today, announced a new 3D handheld DS system to be released next year. An my fear is that all of this is going to lead to crappier and crappier media getting shoveled at us just because it's "the next thing".

Call me old fashioned, but I'll be looking for 3D in real life, not on a screen.

Why do you LOST?

LOST gave us another fantastic character developing story last night. It gave us more and more insight into the motivations and development of the individuals who make up this complex drama. It also continued to set up the pieces of the final chess match (or backgammon match if you prefer) that is the overarching drive behind LOST.

Smokie/ Bear

I have really enjoyed these last few episodes, they are very reminiscent of season 1. However, the last several episodes have answered very few questions that LOST has raised over the last 6 years. And as a result, many viewers are frustrated over the lack of answers; but I, on the other hand, am just enjoying the journey.

It reminds me of the competing belief systems of Locke and Eko in Season 2. If you recall, in the swan station there was a computer, a computer which needed to have a code entered every one hundred and eight minutes. Locke oversaw the responsibilities of entering the code once the oceanic survivors found it. As time went on, he became more and more frustrated with the experience because he never saw results, he never got the answers he wanted. Mr. Eko, on the other hand, found purpose in the data entry. He wasn't concerned with the outcome, but found his place as part of the Dharma experiment.

There are many people who are watching LOST to get answers. And I don't blame them, this show has constantly walked the line between too many questions and too few answers. I, however, am more focused on enjoying the journey as it happens. I certainly hope we get some answers, but I certainly won't see this season (or series) as a failure if we don't get them. I'm loving season 6!

What's your take?

Sundown

LOST was incredible tonight.


I might blog about it later, but I just had to put it out there that if you are not watching this show you are missing something remarkable. Go rent/buy/download season one, thank me later.

so much to say...

I haven't blogged in a while, but soo much has happened lately that I've wanted to comment on:

- smowmageddon, or is it snowpocalypse?
- the end of Conan
- Palin writing her talking points on her hand
- Google buzz

But I'm going to skip all of those to focus on What Kate Does.

"What Kate Does" is the title of last night's episode of LOST. This final season of the most ambitious television show in history began last week and constantly seeks new ways to tell compelling, character driven, action packed episodes. One of the storytelling devices that LOST used in a powerful and innovative way during the first few seasons was the Flashback. Then in season 4 they flipped the format on it's head by inventing the Flashforward. This season they are once again transforming the way they tell the story by introducing the Flashsideways. They are basically showing what would have happened to the people of Oceanic 815 if the island had been sunk to the bottom of the ocean in the late 1970's following the "incident". It's a risky move, and I'm not sure how I like it so far, but it is exciting to see the producers continuing to take risks.

I really liked this past episode, but it seemed to me the best moments were the ones which weren't centered on Kate. Claire's baby attended by Ethan... wow... I can't wait to see who they are going to show us next (Tom? Michael?). The emergence of a Rousseau'd Claire, and revisiting the "infection" from season 1. Sawyer's heartbreak over the loss of Juliette (maybe his best scene all series). But my favourite moments were with Jack and the other Others. Over the past couple of seasons we've watched Jack fall apart over the events on and off the island that he helped put into motion. He lost confidence in himself and was confused. Now he is emerging from that depression to take lead once again. I don't that this is just a case of better writing. I think it's part of the plan of the journey and development of the character of Jack. We are actually watching a television character grow and learn.

I'm can't wait to see what is going to happen next.

O'Brien Strikes Back!

Just a couple of days ago I blogged about NBC's new plan to return Jay Leno to 11:35pm with a new 1/2 program. They cited the low ratings for the current Jay Leno show and Tonight Show as well as pressure from the local NBC affiliates.

It seems like this just creates huge problems. The network looks foolish for making such a strange move and then totally stepping back from it after only a few months. Leno and Conan look like rejected losers for those time slots; and Conan fired back today. He released a statement that was very direct about his reaction. At one point he says:

I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of the Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn’t matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.

There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.

You can read the entire letter here.

Wow. I think Conan is must watch tonight. It should be really interesting to see that will happen at NBC next. This is way better than most of their programming, maybe they can just make this the new 10pm reality show.

Hoarder!

A couple of months ago Becky and I started watching a show on A&E called "Hoarders". This is a reality show, but in a documentary kind-of-way, not a game show. This is definitely a can't look/can't look away program.

It highlights the lives of compulsive hoarders and the mental health and cleaning professionals who try to help curb their addiction/habit. For those of you who don't know, hoarders collect stuff; lots of stuff; any kind of stuff... in many cases their homes end up looking like this:


It's scary to look at the way these people live. A couple of years ago I led a group of teens to clean out the house of a hoarder; we sold some of the stuff in a garage sale, the rest ended up in the trash. I couldn't believe how much stuff she had in her tiny house.

My family is spending alot of time cleaning out the house as we pack up and anytime I come across some old box or can't decide whether to keep something or not I just think of Hoarders and throw it in the trash!

I highly recommend watching this show if you lack the motivation to clean your home. I usually spend about an hour cleaning around the house after each episode.

Leno returns again

NBC has finally admitted defeat.

The Jay Leno Show has been steadily losing viewers over the scripted dramas they so boldly shunned less than a year ago. Local NBC affiliates are furious because they rely so heavily on the 10pm lead-in to their local news programming. Not only have they been pressuring the network, but Conan's Tonight Show has been consistently losing out to Letterman.

Speculation has been rampant that changes were eminent, but tonight NBC officially announced that Leno will have a new 1/2 hour program at 11:30pm.

This was a huge bombshell and basically a complete admission that their plans failed miserably. They will try to remedy the problem following the Winter Olympics, but I think it may already be too late for the struggling network. I didn't follow NBC latenight much, and I'm sure that I won't be interested now. NBC is currently renegotiating with Conan and Jimmy Fallon, it's not certain that they will agree to move back the half hour. (source)

You can read Adam's take on it here.

Will any of you miss the Jay Leno Show?

Amazing Grace

I saw this on TV the other day and got super excited. I love the metaphysical and spiritual dimension to LOST and I know that the song they chose for this promo was selected very intentionally.

And now, the circle is complete...

Wednesday night. I get to watch one of my fave shows, Man vs. Food. [you can read my previous thoughts on MvF here and here]

The host, Adam, travels to cities around America looking for the best places to eat, as well as tackling some of the most outrageous food challenges ever conceived. Tonight's stop was... DETROIT!!

He opened up by trying out Coney Dogs at two competing Coney restaurants which are located next door to each other downtown. Then he tried a "Triple Threat" at Slows BBQ (bacon, pulled pork, and ham on a poppy seed bun). And finally, his challenge was to break a world record by eating a 190 pound hamburger. Not a typo: one hundred and ninety pounds.

Of course, he didn't attempt it on his own. He had a 40-man team eating along with him, but they had to eat it all within 2 hours. They managed to get about 160lbs. of it down, but they fell short in the end.

I was sad to see them not accomplish the task, but proud of my city. When I checked out the official website I found a vlog of Adam visiting the Heidelberg project! I was just there and just blogged about it!

Cool.

Eight plus Kate with occasional guest cameos by Jon

Tonight marked a sad day in the history of the Gosselin Family. This hour long episode of TLC's prized reality show ended with Jon and Kate announcing their separation (with the closing credits confirming the legal filing for divorce). It was a really painful episode to watch. I kept hoping they would pull a switcheroo and edit the episode to create tension and end with a Jon and Kate announcing a recommitment to their relationship. But it wasn't so.

In a previous post, I've already shared my opinion that Jon and Kate would love their kids most by investing in their relationship. It just seems like they keep talking about how much they are "there" for their kids without realizing the pain and heartache that they are leading them though; without seeing the contradiction between the lessons that they are trying to teach and the their actions. Both Jon and Kate have issues to deal with in their individual lives and as a couple, but I think that Jon has more blame in the decay of this relationship.

He needs to grow up, act like a man, and take responsilbility for the committment that he made to Kate and to God to always love her, no matter what. Yes, Kate is hard on him. Yes, it must be ridiculously difficult to raise a family of 8 kids. Yes, the pressure of the papparazzi/media/and fans has got to be nearly overwhelming. But that's what being a man is all about; taking on the challenges that would seem to break us.

And as I was reminded in church on Sunday, you can't do it alone. You need other men. You need a supportive and encouraging wife. Above all, you need a powerful, loving, and relentless God. Let's pray we can learn from Jon and Kate.

It's alright 'cause...

Becky heard about this on TV today and although we didn't catch the original airing, the beauty of the internet means we're all able to catch gems like this anytime, anyplace. If you watched nbc on saturday mornings in the late 80's/early 90's you need to watch this:

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

I loved Saved by the Bell. But as big a fan as I was (am?), my sister Angela was (is!) a huge SBTB fan. I'm sure she knew those interview questions easily and with no studying would totally dominate in a Saved by the Bell trivia contest.

I hope Jimmy Fallon succeeds in the Bayside reunion. That's what I call Must See T.V.

What 2 watch

Longer days, shorter nights, and a new American Idol can only mean one thing... the summer T.V. schedule has begun! Back in the '80s and '90s, this meant no original programming outside of soap operas and syndicated game shows. Then reality T.V. was born (or summoned from the depths of hades) and we were overwhelmed with quality programming like Big Brother and Temptation Island.

But there is one show actually worth watching this summer: Wipeout.



Ripped off from Japanese "reality t.v." it features people competing to win $50,000 in challenges designed to make people fall in hilarious ways. [It's mXc that the whole family can watch]. They just had the first episode and I can't wait to watch the rest.

However, there are two T.V. disappointments. Psych is another show I'm looking forward to, but it doesn't start until August. and there's no American Gladiators. How did that show not get picked up?



Wondering how the season premiere of Jon & Kate plus Eight fared? An amazing 9.8 million viewers. (source) That's double the season 4 finale (which had been the most viewed JK8 episode). I'll probably watch that all summer too (cowering in fear, peeking between my fingers)

Jon & Kate plus... hate??

"So what do you think of the whole Jon and Kate plus 8 stuff?", Becky asked me as we were driving home from visiting her folks over the weekend. I said that I thought things were probably being blown out of proportion; that it certainly must be extremely difficult to raise such a large family; and hopefully the new season would show a clearer picture of what is going on in their lives. Becky added that they are Christians so not only should they have their faith to rely on, but that they would also have people giving them Godly advice/assistance as well.

Then we watched tonight's Season 5 premier of Jon and Kate plus Eight. Oh my. It looks bad. Like really, awkwardly bad. (if you didn't see it, here's a pretty accurate review of what happened) I can't say that I'm a huge fan of the show, but I've followed it over the years. Becky watches every episode and I've seen most of them with her, and full disclosure, I read their book (multiple blessings) when she borrowed it from the library. I've become less and less interested in the show as it has changed from "how this couple handles the real life challenges of marriage and parenting" to "jon, kate, and the kids go on product placement adventures". But no matter my feelings of the show, it was really sad to see the poor status of their relationship.

Obviously there has been alot of public attention surrounding their family and the tabloids/paparazzi/scandals regarding jon and kate and their marriage. I know that I am not in their shoes and it has got to be incredibly difficult to keep that family together and raise those kids in a loving and responsible way, but both Jon and Kate appear to be totally missing the point in their family right now. Both of them, repeatedly, said that they are totally focused on the kids and they will always love them, but someone needs to tell them that they need to show their kids what love really is by loving each other. Love does not mean giving everything to one person or group at the exclusion of another. You don't teach your kids anything by telling them about it, you teach them by living it. Loving their kids should mean showing the kids how to love another person when times are tough.

I really hope Jon and Kate can save their marriage. So they can teach their kids what love really is. So they can learn what love really is. So America can see what love really is.

At The Red House!

This is the best commercial I have ever seen. I may drive to North Carolina just to buy something from this store.

See more funny videos and Funny Videos at Today's Big Thing.

It's not fake, check out the Redhouse website.

the Incident

WOW!


LOST was at it's mind blowing best last night. Just when you think you've figured out where this show is going they throw in new tricks and twists that make you even more excited about what's happening; it's what LOST does best. I loved last night's season finale and I'm so amazed at how the show has evolved over the past 5 seasons.

Season 1 was a character study about each person: who they are, what they did prior to the crash, and how those events influenced their choices and actions on the island. We were introduced to the mythology and history of the island, but the focus was always on the motivation of each character.

Season 2 explored the struggle between faith and science. How can a person (Locke, Desmond, Mr. Eko) believe in something that they've never seen? How can a person (Jack, Sayid) disbelieve something they've never seen? The focus began to change more to the mythology of the island with more revelations about the stations throughout the island and a good look at the smoke monster.

Season 3 was about relativism and morality. Who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys? Who chooses which group or individual is good or bad? Each different clan (crash survivors, the others, the dharma initiative) saw themselves as good and right. The show explored much of the history of the island as we found out more about the others and the dharma initiative.

Season 4 looked at destiny and fate. Where they meant to leave or meant to stay? Or similar to season 2, was there no meaning at all, just action and reaction? This is where the show fully embraced the sci-fi underpinings with the introduction and use of time-travel.

Season 5 lead to, and ended with, Free Will vs. Determinism. Do you have the freedom to choose? or has your destiny already chosen? Time travel and mythology take central roles as the story moves forward.

The show has morphed and changed over the years (while maintaining and continuing to add to a gargantuan cast), but it still retains the same intensity and excitement and heart that it had in the beginning. 2010 cannot come fast enough.

mother nature

I just saw this commercial on T.V. and I nearly fell over laughing. Too funny...

Man vs. Food 2: Electric Boogaloo

Watching Man vs. Food again. Tonite's episode features none other than food guzzling world champion Joey Chestnut!

Joey just pounded down a 17.5 inch, 5 pound burrito in 3 minutes, 10 seconds.

The picture says it all. [he's 2/3rds of the way done]

what villainy is afoot?!

Quick Poll:

Who is the most evil villain currently on T.V.?














Ben Linus, LOST
















Simon Cowell, AMERICAN IDOL
















General Juma, 24

... or this guy...















Jason Mesnick, THE BACHELOR