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Lost Reviews and News

Lost Random Topic Thread: Hiatus Edition

As we suffer through the long lonely months before season five, feel free to use this random topic thread to discuss off-topic subjects. As always, normal rules of etiquette, netiquette and niceness apply.

Update 6/25/08: Lost Blog regular / House blogger Cecil Rose used his mad tech skillz (and a Frappr account) to assemble a Lost Blog Reader Map. If you'd like to add your location (generic towns/cities are certainly acceptable), you can do so by clicking the "Join" button within the map image:


Posted by Mac Slocum on June 10, 2008 8:57 AM |




I've never been first!!! This is so sweet! I can't even think of anything to say. Wow! This is satisfaction to the highest!!

And cut...

#1. Posted by: Red...Neck...Man at June 10, 2008 9:16 AM

Roses love Bernards,
Dead polar bears stink,
Random topics rock,
But take sanity to the brink...

#2. Posted by: JoePike at June 10, 2008 10:20 AM

ilovebenjaminlinusxx TERCERO!!!!

(though I'm technically numero uno... because I'm the first ilovebenjaminlinusxx... I think).

Nobody challeneged me in a break dancing battle yet!!!

#3. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at June 10, 2008 10:44 AM

Red neck man--since your first does that make you Meg Neck Man?

#4. Posted by: Crispy Seaplanes at June 10, 2008 10:59 AM

@105 Alaïs_Longthought surveyed:

>@ you all everybody:

>What word do you use when asking for a carbonated soft drink? ; )

1. "Gimme a coke."

"Sorry the only coke we have is pepsi."

(The Coca-Cola company just hates that.)

2. "Gimme a soda."

3. "Gimme a soft drink." (which would be pronounced more like "draink".

OK, you what do you-uns say when you order a drink made of ice cream and milk mized together, possibly with fruit or other additives?

Here it's: "I'll have a cherry cobbler cheese cake milk shake."

#5. Posted by: Cecil at June 10, 2008 11:49 AM

sorry ya'll...I just had to pick myself up off the floor after seeing a post by ye ole' Crispy Seaplanes. Wow! Good one too....

#6. Posted by: Red...Neck...Man at June 10, 2008 12:01 PM

→ 5. Posted by: Cecil: What do you call...

I would call it a milkshake...although I never heard of adding fruit. Is that a NC thing?

A soft drink, where I grew up, is soda. Pop is what you do when you hit someone on the chin. ; > The first time I heard the term "pop" for soda was at Penn State, where 40+% of the students are from western PA ("pop") & 40+% are from eastern PA ("soda"), & freshmen argue incessantly over the "correct" term (as well as over the Eagles/Steelers"Stillers", Flyers/Penguins, Phillies/Pirates, etc. etc. etc.).

#7. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at June 10, 2008 1:45 PM

@7 Alaïs_Longthought responded:

>I would call it a milkshake...although I never heard of adding fruit. Is that a NC thing?

I think it started with people offering milkshakes in vanillam choclate, or strawberry, just liek the three most common ice cream flavors.

Then somebody tried, peaches, which lead to blackberries, blueberries, cherries, etc, and not from the ice cream, just added to the shake ingredients.

The best shakes in town are made at a small chain location that offers over 30 varieties of ingredients, including watermelon (in the summer) and sgg-nog (around Christmas).

I have heard of Yankee locations where such comestibles are know as "frappes" and not pronounced in the French manner as if I could do those fancy punctuation marks, but rhyming with "flaps".

#8. Posted by: Cecil at June 10, 2008 2:00 PM

OK, that would be "eggnog". If I could type.

#9. Posted by: Cecil at June 10, 2008 2:02 PM

And i have heard old timers say:

"Gimme a soda-pop."

Thus fusing east and west Pennsylvania.

Of course they pronounced it more like "sodee pop".

#10. Posted by: Cecil at June 10, 2008 2:04 PM

re: beverage.

"dee-pee" (DP) Doctor Pepper

"dee-cee" (DC) Diet Coke

"pee-arr" (PR) Pepsi Regular, unless you are South of the Border, where Pepsi Regular doubles as
(P)aint (R)emover!

(South of the Border = Mexico... Not the tourist trap in South Carolina just south of North Carolina.)

#11. Posted by: MorBid0 at June 10, 2008 2:40 PM

→ 8. Posted by: Cecil at June 10, 2008 2:00 PM
We do call them frappes in Boston BUT in Rhode Island they call them "cabinets".

I have know idea where the term comes from.

#12. Posted by: btly at June 10, 2008 2:58 PM

i think soda is strictly an american term. here in canada we either ask for pop or a beverage.

since we are on the topic of consumables and regional differences...why do you call back bacon "canadian bacon"????? i had a heck of a time trying to order breakfast the last time i was stateside.

#13. Posted by: surefoot at June 10, 2008 3:56 PM

MAY I PLEASE HAVE SOME SODA PUHLEASEEEEEEEEEEE

#14. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at June 10, 2008 5:09 PM

Red Neck Man-
Yeah, where have I been? Can't believe I ended up not getting on here through the whole end of the season!
I've just been crazy busy and couldn't stop to read anything.
Th show's been great though. I should be around more often again now. Should have plenty of time to talk up Lost before it comes back on the air.


Did the South Park protrait of all of us ever show up?

#15. Posted by: Crispy Seaplanes at June 10, 2008 5:31 PM

I think bcre8ve's still at work on it.
Great to see your electrons again, Crispy.

#16. Posted by: Cecil at June 10, 2008 5:46 PM

Ya Crispy...I've been busy too. Just saw the first complaint last week eloquently noting that I haven't put up a single LOST Question of the Week this season. I think I will.....if only to stop hearing all of this horrid pop/soda talk....bye the way, I grew up in Atlanta...and it's COKE!!!!

#17. Posted by: Red...Neck...Man at June 10, 2008 6:22 PM

Southern Indiana says "Coke". But then we eat brain sandwiches, so what do we know.

#18. Posted by: DW at June 10, 2008 6:30 PM

I grew up in Milwaukee, where "soda" is the only accepted term, and growing up, always thought "pop" was just an anachronism from the "Leave it to Beaver" days ... at least until college, when I realized it was strictly local vernacular, with "pop" and "coke" just as prevalent nationwide.

Which came first though? This site has a pretty good synopsis ... "soda" first, "pop" second, and "coke" a bit later:

tinyurl.com/j75dj

I especially like this included map showing usage by region of the US:

tinyurl.com/2s8mbv

I'd like to see a world-wide usage map though (as much as it would make sense) ... from the US map, I'd guess there's a soda/pop divide in Canada as well, with "soda" used from Quebec eastward, unless there's also a French term in play (?).

#19. Posted by: ealgumby at June 10, 2008 7:21 PM

19. Posted by: ealgumby ... soda/pop divide in Canada as well, with "soda" used from Quebec eastward, unless there's also a French term in play?

actually quebec is where you are most likely to hear beverage. as for the rest of the country, chances are if you ask for soda anywhere you are most likely to get just that...a plain glass of carbonated water (and a somewhat perplexed look from the waitress!)

#20. Posted by: surefoot at June 10, 2008 7:59 PM

Re "Tastykakes" from the previous Random Topics thread ...

Yet another of the oddities introduced to me by the Philly contingent from my last job ... could there be a less creative brand name, short of "Juicy Juice" perhaps? Aside from the neverending Pat's/Geno's debate (personally, I like Geno's product better, but found Pat's Soup-Nazi-like city-of-brotherly-love [ha ha] experience truer to the city's nature), I tired of hearing how superior the Herr's product line of snacks was relative to the rest of the world! I like Utz better (IMO, especially the crab and salt/vinegar chips).

As an aside, Bobby's Beltsville Eatery near DC in suburban Maryland makes a cheesesteak comparable to the best of Philly (according to the natives ... I wouldn't dare to presume). All the Philly crew had their own favorite places back home, but agreed to a man that Bobby's was far and away the best down here. So, if there are any Philly natives stuck in DC and looking for a taste of home, you might want to check it out (note it's in an industrial park though, and only open for breakfast/lunch weekdays).

#21. Posted by: ealgumby at June 10, 2008 8:05 PM

Speaking of Soda .....and Philly......

The best soda was Frank's, and Cherry Wishniak the best of the best.

Ever been to Willy's roast beef sandwich in South Philly? or Villa Da Roma for spaghetti and muscles in marinara sauce? or Walt's for Fried oysters?

We really miss a good Eyetalian roll up here.

My brother and I have just discovered Google Earth's street view and have been looking up our old neighborhood - most of which seems to have been torn down. But it is a really neat experience.

And Pat's is better cheese (I think) Even If I do have to ask for it in English.

Haven't been down there for several years. I am getting hungry!

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

Here is a blurb from the ABC site's next episode block:
NEXT EPISODE
AIRS IN: TBD
Returns Next Season!
TBD
The band of friends, family, enemies and strangers must continue to work together against the cruel weather and harsh terrain if they want to stay alive. But as they have discovered during their 90-plus days on the island, danger and mystery loom behind every corner, and those they thought could be trusted may turn against them. Even heroes have secrets.

#22. Posted by: berkyo at June 10, 2008 8:27 PM

Ordering a soft drink:
A beer will be fine, Thanks

Ordering a hard drink:
JD black and water, Please

#23. Posted by: mtncbn at June 10, 2008 8:54 PM

@mtncbn/23
Ordering a soft drink (in a good way):
Corazón Añejo, thanks, I want to chill

Ordering a hard drink (in a bad way):
Cuervo Gold, please, I need to forget my day, and yesterday, and the day before ... and tomorrow ...

#24. Posted by: ealgumby at June 10, 2008 9:13 PM

My Older Relatives From Boston Call Soda Tonic.

#25. Posted by: nolife at June 10, 2008 11:44 PM

Around these parts (Rochester NY)it's pop. Anywhere I've ventured beyond this frozen little jewel hamlet, it's soda.
Its always been so normal calling it pop, that it was a real shock to discover that first time that no one else seems to call it that.

#26. Posted by: Crispy Seaplanes at June 11, 2008 10:30 AM

I never know what anyone means when they ask me why I don't have a "New Jersey accent". Am I supposed to have one? Nobody else I know has one... I think.

Anyway... I'm pretty sure we call soda, soda.

When I order it at a resturant or something, I say what kind of soda I want. So like... "May I please have a Sprite" or "May I please have a Coke?" Something like that.

This is boring conversation.

The most exciting thing I did in the last few weeks was take a piece of pumpernickel bread (which I am not a big fan of), then cut it in half, and put guacamole (which I am also not a big fan of) on it, and then I broke up pieces of chips and put it on the guacamole on the pumpernickel bread and put the other half of the piece of bread on top of the first piece of bread with the guacamole and chips on top of it and made a sandwich. YAYYY!!!

As you can tell... I was very bored.

It tasted pretty good. My mom was surprised I was actually eating that. All my weird combonations end up tasting good.

Oh, and yesterday, I realized the real way to spell "narly" is "Gnarly".

... I'm so slow.

#27. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at June 11, 2008 11:45 AM

→ 18. DW: Brain sandwiches:

Okay, I just have to ask...what is this?

→ 19. ealgumby: Soda v. pop v. every other term:

Thanks for the info...*loved* the map, too! Several of my geography professors had similar but not so detailed maps of various regional terms.

→ 22. berkyo: The best soda:

My Philly grandparents always had birch beer rather than root beer in the fridge. Still far prefer birch beer.

→ 26. Crispy Seaplanes: Here in Rochester:

Hiya, neighbor! It hasn't been a frozen jewel around here recently... ; >

→ 27. ilovebenjaminlinusxx: Creative sandwich:

I forget where it is that putting chips on the sandwich is pretty standard. In Pittsburgh there's a restaurant called Primanti's where the french fries go right on the sandwich (Smithsonian magazine had an article on it a year or so ago).

Not having grown up in Rochester, I'm not as familiar w/the area's food specialties, but the three things that stand out to me are a "garbage plate" (basically everything one eats at a picnic piled on top of each other), something "French" (chicken or veal breaded & fried), & Abbott's custard (local ice cream). Maybe CS could add more. Mr. Naysayer could talk about beef on weck (Buffalo sandwich).

The one unique food specialty from where I grew up (Binghamton, NY) is the spiedie—marinated cubes of meat, grilled on a skewer, & served on a slice of Italian bread. If you go farther from Binghamton than 50 miles (& perhaps not even that far), no one's heard of it, but in Binghamton, families have their own secret marinade sauces & there's a big festival every summer w/competitions in various categories. I think I hear Lupo's Char-Pit calling my name... ; )

#28. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at June 11, 2008 1:31 PM

--Alaïs_Longthought

There's probably still some ice around here somewhere!

#29. Posted by: Crispy Seaplanes at June 11, 2008 5:04 PM

Soda was shortened from the term sodium bicarbonate, the ingredient in making fountain drinks. Most soft drinks (meaning non-alcoholic) were first dispensed at pharmacy counters as patent medicines. Many of these drinks contained drugs, including cocaine as in Coca-Cola. Others were sold as stomach medicines (Pepsi) or formulas for regularity (Dr. Pepper).
Because of the high fizz content in mixing at the drug counters, some people called the drinks soda pops.
Over time, the term "soda pop" has been further shortened into regional slang.

#30. Posted by: welh at June 11, 2008 5:16 PM

my goodness, this is a lot of soda pop beverage talk. hope y'all don't hate me for changing the subject, but have you guys seen the trailers for J.J. Abrams new show? "FRINGE"

if not, take a look-see... (you'll find a good trailer at ign.com)

if so, what do you think?

#31. Posted by: DriveShaft at June 11, 2008 5:53 PM

Yes, and dang them for peeling away Lance Riddick.

Guess we won't be seeing too much of Matthew Abaddon next season unless "Fringe" takes a really quiok nose-dive.

#32. Posted by: Cecil at June 11, 2008 6:17 PM

Speaking of Rhode Island up there...imagine being a Long Islander in Rhode Island where they never heard of calling a pizza a "pie"...I almost fell on the floor!

#33. Posted by: Vikki at June 11, 2008 9:25 PM

33. Posted by: Vikki ... hey, try being canadian (or a brit) and asking for fish and chips with vinegar! what i meant was fish, french fries and white vinegar...what i got was fish, a bag of lays potatoe chips and dark vinegar.

and on a somewhat similar theme...what the heck is a chigger? i was camping last weekend and a fellow from north carolina told me that he likes camping up here because it is cooler and there are no chiggers. didn't want to appear dumb, so i just nodded and opened another beer.

#34. Posted by: surefoot at June 11, 2008 10:00 PM

Breakfast in Heaven goes something like this... Four large, fresh, hot buttermilk biscuits, split in half and buried in a half pound of spicy sausage gravy... AND a large, iced Dr. Pepper.

The tidal wave of sweat starts at the back of the scalp about two minutes in and last until well after lunch. I have not lived in the 'deep' South for 19 years, but still dream of said B-fast. I can still taste it, every once in awhile, scoozie.

#35. Posted by: DocH at June 11, 2008 11:40 PM

@34/surefoot

A chigger is a insect that's barely visual to the naked eye. It will find a warm, usually private spot to burough into the skin. Causes a small bump and itches ALOT.

Google chigger for pictures and an in depth explaination.

#36. Posted by: DW at June 12, 2008 7:25 AM

#34 surefoot asked:

>...what the heck is a chigger? I was camping last weekend and a fellow from north carolina told me that he likes camping up here because it is cooler and there are no chiggers. didn't want to appear dumb, so i just nodded and opened another beer.

Roll around in the grass in my front lawn, and the itching feeling you'll feel for the next couple of days is chiggers. Teeny tiny little insects that you probably won't be able to see. The don't do any permanent damage, but they sure do make you itch.

Now roll around in the tall grass over there in the woods and that thing crawling on you is a tick. Looks like a teeny flat big-bodied small legged beetle. But if you let him stay on you long enough to sink his head into you and start sucking blood, he'll look like a swollen grey to blackish grape with teeny legs at the corners. Used to be just an irritant until Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme's disease came along, now everybody is deathly afraid of them. When I was a Scout we used to pair up in the mornings to peer all over each other's bodies to check for ticks.

#37. Posted by: Cecil at June 12, 2008 10:09 AM

@35 DocH reminisced:

>Breakfast in Heaven goes something like this... Four large, fresh, hot buttermilk biscuits, split in half and buried in a half pound of spicy sausage gravy... AND a large, iced Dr. Pepper.

You left out the slice of country ham and I'd prefer Coke, myself, but OK.

#38. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 12, 2008 10:12 AM

Oh, and maybe som just picked, fresk sliced 'maters.

#39. Posted by: cecil at June 12, 2008 10:13 AM

@37 Cecil
That reminds me all to much of the moose that dropped dead from ticks. The game dept. guy said it's not unusual.

Any how, talk around here was of ticks for a while, and found that they'll make country music about anything!
http://tinyurl.com/69hzbn
Cecil's camp routine in adult environment!

#40. Posted by: mtncbn at June 12, 2008 12:34 PM

That's great song! I mentioned our old camping routine to my wife the first time we heard it on the radio.

For those who haven't heard (and you chould go to the link and give a listen) the singer is telling a girl he's met in bar how he'd like to take her out to see the sights in the countryside, and in the refrain:

"Cause I'd like to see you out in the moonlight,

I'd like to kiss you way back in the sticks,

I'd like to walk you through a field of wildflowers,

And I'd like to check you for ticks."

I 'specially like the verse:

"Oooh you never know where one might be,

And oooh there's lots of places that are hard to reach"

(Better when heard than read...)

#41. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 12, 2008 2:09 PM

I like Utz just fine, but I won't be having the crab chips again! I do like Herr's dill potato chips, bit otherwise I found the line to be unremarkable.

#42. Posted by: FenwayBen at June 12, 2008 8:25 PM

Rollerball...

So I'm thumbing through the old digital TV Guide that comes with my cable the other day, and I come across “Rollerball”. I’m thinking “Outstanding”, great movie, great score, originally in Cinemascope (wraparound movie for you kiddies), great opening scene with great organ score of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in B-Flat Minor (worth the price of the album – do they even MAKE movie album’s any more? – for that piece alone), great cast (James Caan, John Houseman, John Beck, Maude Adams, Moses Gunn...), serious theme, SF future elements handled well, I’m about to settle down for some good entertainment, when I notice the copyright date – 2002. 2002?! (that’s an interabang, folks).

Looking a little closer, I see Naveen Andrews in the cast list. Now Naveen Andrews wasn’t only six tears old when the REAL Roller ball came out. So why in the H-E-double-hockey-sticks did they feel the need to remake a movie that was near perfect the first time it was made? Read on, kiddies, and I’ll tell you. I took it on myself to watch this ridiculous mish-mash so you wouldn’t have to.

Warning: * * * Some SPOILERS for both the 1975 and 2002 versions of this movie. * * *

If you haven’t seen the original, go rent it. As for the remake, you won’t miss much by being spoiled.

They’ve kept the very loose outline of the original plot about this much: There’s a game played on roller skates and it’s really violent. Nothing really about why the people love the game (either the players or the fans), or nor is anyone manipulating the game from behind the scenes for any reason more sinister than greed and money.

So into this game insert reluctant hero Jonathan (they kept the name but not much else from the earlier movie) played by Chris Klein (who?). Jonathan isn’t motivated by sincere love of the game, he’s just looking of make a few bucks until the NHL draft takes him (he hopes). In the meantime he’s risking his life for no good reason doing skateboard slalom on busy city streets of San Francisco (at least the real life skateboard rebels in SouCal use the much steeper – but much less crowded – Angeles Crest Highway.

Jonathan lets himself be recruited into the Rollerball game which is played, not in all the world centers of power, but in backwater Central Asian former Soviet republics. Jonathan apparently rises to the top of the crowd’s esteem in, not a long career of achievement but apparently just a few months. The game itself still involves a steel ball, roller skates, and motorcycles, but just about no – an no possibility of – strategy, given the gimmicky way the track is laid out. Jumps, and figure eights, fireworks, and really nice uniforms, and fanatical devotion to the Pope – whoops, wrong show. It’s all flash and no substance just like the movie. The “action” sequences are cut for the MTV Generation X, with the camera never languishing more that about five seconds on any one scene, so that the “action” such as it is, is impossible to follow. And for it to have made any sense, there would have to have been some discernable strategy, which the writers never seemed to have tried to insert, going for swift-cuts and WWE style in-your-face grandstanding.

Like the original, the powers that be eventually decide Jonathan has to go. But why? In the original, the whole game was manipulated by the shadowy giant corporations that had the real political power and were using the games like Roman circuses to keep the proletariat quiet satisfied, and just like the old Soviets, didn’t want a ‘cult of the individual’ arising to chance the individual worker seeking to rise above his station, but rather to keep toiling as an efficient cog in an anonymous machine, for the greater glory of the corporation.

In this version, there is no greater purpose behind the game, the managers (of whom our Sayid is one) just want to make money. Could they achieve a momentary ratings spike by killing off their star? I guess, but it couldn’t possibly make them as much money as keeping him playing year after year.

In the original, Jonathan (James Caan) achieve a kind of victory for the individual by winning the game, and thwarting the evil corporation’s plans for the moment, but it’s a symbolic, rather than real, victory, the bog corporations can survive this, or any other slight, and continue running the little people’s lives.

In this new Rollerball, Jonathan rebels not by winning the game (although he does that) but by turning the game into a slaughter of the bigwigs in attendance (yes, including Sayid) and apparently inspiring the crown of proles to revolt against... what exactly – high ticket prices? The storytelling is too uninspired to even consider the questions Why? and What Next?

Save your time. Go rent the original.

---

Naveen Andrews. Competently acts his part. About the same accent as on "Lost" - which is not his natural accent, if you've listened to him in interviews. P;ay's an Indian, apparently, from his character's name of "Sanjay". Not a nice guy,a nd gets his just deserts in the end. Plenty of eye candy for the female fans.

#43. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 12, 2008 8:29 PM

@Cecil Rose/43

While I completely share your enthusiasm for the original, I think you miss the basic points of "genius" behind the remake ... all the things you revile are exactly why it makes sense today ... don't get me wrong, not defending it ... it's a piece of crap, but ...

"nor is anyone manipulating the game from behind the scenes for any reason more sinister than greed and money."

As much as the luxury-never-to-touch-mud-SUV-driving, McMansion-owning "masses" out there might publicly deny it, at heart, they believe in the tag-line from "Wallstreet" ... "greed, for lack of a better word, is good". Hence the turn of our economy from production-based to paper-based wealth as baby-boomers wreak their havoc upon society ... why "work" for money, when you can "transact" your way to happiness? Work is for chumps! Buy low, sell high ... no one suffers, right? Money for nothing ... be it dot-com stock sales, or real-estate-flippers producing nothing for their "efforts" ... bubble-whoring ... and when things go sour, all you have to do is bitch loud enough, and the (otherwise evil) government should come running to your aid, right? When Reagan fired all the air traffic controllers for striking, it was because it was inconceivable for public servants to abandon their roles as such ... society at large depended upon them, right? But when oil/commodity prices are being driven up into another "bubble" by financial speculators (and it WILL crash, but only after billions have been made, and millions of people destroyed, trust me), driven by GREED, and jeopardizing "society at large," well that's just free-market capitalism at work, right? When labor unions might "threaten" American society, the government simply MUST step in, but when big-oil/corporate interests do the same, more directly (when's the last time an air traffic controller took money out of your pocket? Oh, and by the way, airline deregulation has ended up working SO well for the avergae traveler, hasn't it?) well that's just the laissez-faire market at work, don't you know! And what are these over-burdened-with-wealth energy companies doing with their windfalls, in the supposed wake of supply? Perhaps investing in the next-generation of power supplies? No ... giving generous dividends to share-holders, of course! Invest in the future? Are you nuts? And terminate this momentary effing of "common" America inside-out? Wake up! Greed, my friend, GREED! There is nothing more sinister at work in today's world than mere "greed and money."

"Jonathan apparently rises to the top of the crowd’s esteem in, not a long career of achievement but apparently just a few months."

Hello ... YouTube?

"The game itself still involves a steel ball, roller skates, and motorcycles, but just about no – an no possibility of – strategy, given the gimmicky way the track is laid out. Jumps, and figure eights, fireworks, and really nice uniforms, and fanatical devotion to the Pope – whoops, wrong show. It’s all flash and no substance just like the movie. The 'action' sequences are cut for the MTV Generation X, with the camera never languishing more that about five seconds on any one scene, so that the 'action' such as it is, is impossible to follow. And for it to have made any sense, there would have to have been some discernable strategy, which the writers never seemed to have tried to insert, going for swift-cuts and WWE style in-your-face grandstanding."

Uh, what's your point? Grand Theft Auto, my friend! Welcome to the attention-span-of-a-gnat digital age! If people don't have time to think, they don't have time to realize how much their lives suck!

"Like the original, the powers that be eventually decide Jonathan has to go. But why? In the original, the whole game was manipulated by the shadowy giant corporations that had the real political power and were using the games like Roman circuses to keep the proletariat quiet satisfied, and just like the old Soviets, didn’t want a ‘cult of the individual’ arising to chance the individual worker seeking to rise above his station, but rather to keep toiling as an efficient cog in an anonymous machine, for the greater glory of the corporation."

See above ... but this is FAR more efficient! We don't need no stinking bread and circuses ... all we need is (literally) mindless entertainment with characters coming and going in the blink of an eye ... there IS no cult of the individual, because video characters don't last that long, and they will be replaced with the next version of the game system anyway. The viewing public is already slaved to the next release, and they will beat each other senseless when Wal-Mart opens the doors at midnight to get it ... WE already live for the glory of the corporation, be that Apple, MS, Sony, Nintendo, Bad Robot, or otherwise.

"In this version, there is no greater purpose behind the game, the managers (of whom our Sayid is one) just want to make money."

Welcome to the 21st century ... and what is rhodium going for these days per troy ounce compared to two years ago? Yeah, but that's all because of market pressure from increased demand in Asia ... right ...

#44. Posted by: ealgumby at June 12, 2008 10:08 PM

Jeez - reading this makes me reminisce about everything. (xcuse all the forhtcoming and past typos)

I am a chamelian...a girl of all parts of the US. I am a woman with no home, but is home to all. I miss the SOUTH and that breakfast DocH spoke of. I miss saying "wooder" instead of water and not being laughed at. arghhh... reading this is painful to me!!

If there is one thing I have learned in my Peace Corps years it is this: accept whatever the locals do. don't fight it, don't say, "where I came from we did...???" don't do it the way you did it. Give it up, forget it, lose it. conform.

well, reading these posts has made me a bit sad because I miss what I have been forced to give up of myself. I have lived everywhere, and I am everything, but there are some things I hold on to and some that I won't forget.... :) thanks for reminding me of that!!

#45. Posted by: meg..aka..mif...aka... Ben's meg at June 12, 2008 10:21 PM

@meg/45
"If there is one thing I have learned in my Peace Corps years it is this: accept whatever the locals do. ... conform."

When in Rome ...

But when at home ...

question authority ... they're usually wrong ...

#46. Posted by: ealgumby at June 12, 2008 10:35 PM

A little grammatical humor to lighten the mood:

Little Mary put on her skates
Upon the ice to frisk
Wasn't she a silly girl
Her little * ?

Now who says grammarians are dried-up sticks w/no sense of humor... ; >

#47. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at June 12, 2008 11:22 PM

For those who don't get my #44 post ... check out these charts of historical rhodium prices versus oil prices (BTW, rhodium is now at about $9400/ounce):

tinyurl.com/5nco3h

For those who don't know, rhodium is a rare element related to platinum, and often used in the catalytic converter(s ... for SUVs) under your car. It's price has historically followed general commodity (i.e., FOOD, gas, AC) prices, often closely following oil price rises/crashes ... I (personally) attribute this to general price rises across the board associated with oil price rises ... higher oil/gas prices result in higher food prices, because it's more expensive to farm/ship the food, and that drives up the commodity market in general. Plastics are dependent upon petroleum products, so when oil prices go up, the prices of everything go up (because everything is wrapped in plastic now) ... hence the prices of everything, along with food, go up. This general price rise in basic commodities tends to drive up prices for things that have nothing to do with oil (e.g., rhodium), because speculators (i.e., leeches/parasites upon society), jump on the bandwagon, and figure they should get in on the action too. Soon you are having your vehicle vandalized for the rhodium content of your catalytic converter(s)!

These price rises are nothing more than speculative bubble (see Tulip Craze if you are unfamiliar with the concept, or if the dot-com and RE bubbles have not yet sunk in), and destined to CRASH, just as they did in the early 80's (see the charts!). Those with vested INTEREST in keeping prices high now (i.e., the financial market SOBs) are the ones everyone is asking about where the market is going ... STUPID! Duh, they're going to say things like "Asian market demand from places like China and India are going to keep prices high ... they will never go back down." WTF do you EXPECT them to say? It's all BS!!!!

Commodity prices WILL crash again ... the only question is how many people will be ruined along the way. Rest assured the corporate "PTB" will not ... this "bubble" is yet another attempt for high-end "losers" in the previous bubble(s) to recoup their losses, at your (?) expense.

Remember the basic rule ... rich people never lose. Why might that be? Because they sucker working-class people to fund their otherwise crashes ...

I have no problem whatsoever with the rich that actually have earned their money ... those that have actually produced something of value along the way. As for those who deceive their way through "transactional" wealth, without "doing" anything in the process ... well, I think you know how I feel about you ...

we exterminate parasites, don't we?

#48. Posted by: ealgumby at June 13, 2008 12:01 AM

@47 Alaïs_Longthought assayed:

>Now who says grammarians are dried-up sticks w/no sense of humor... ; >

Reading, I didn't get it. Then I pronounced the words (and symbols) in my mind and burst out laughing.

#49. Posted by: Cecil at June 13, 2008 9:32 AM

You guys ever see the documentary, The Corporation? Very eye opening.You can get it at Net flix or see it on FSTV. They run it frequently.

#50. Posted by: berkyo at June 13, 2008 1:56 PM

Is there someplace else people are chatting??

Does anyone else get the "Dumb Test" popup evertime they log on?

#51. Posted by: meg at June 14, 2008 7:47 PM

SUNDAY MORNING . . .

Happy Father's Day Mac . . .and all other blessed fathers on the blog!

and yes, meg, I also get the dumb test. I just figured the machine was sensing my current state of writer's block . . .

#52. Posted by: davidrh at June 15, 2008 8:23 AM

@davidrh: Thanks! And Happy Father's Day to all other dads/Lost fans!

(BTW -- Don't bother taking that "Dumb" test. It just goes on and on and on)

#53. Posted by: mac at June 15, 2008 10:03 AM

I saw Richard Alpert in Cold Case last night. He was the brother of detective Valens. He had eyeliner on there too! makes me think it has been tatooed on, or maybe he has naturally dark eyes.

#54. Posted by: meg at June 15, 2008 4:02 PM

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

I told my dad that I will NEVER get him a gift EVER again because two years ago for father's day, I got him something, and he RETURNED IT. (at least he gave me back the $350 I spent on it). That's when I told him that I'd never get him anything ever again... and then for his birthday this year, I decided to be nice and get him something... so I got him the Planet Earth DVD because he likes all that stuff... but he never opened it and watched it. So yeah... gifts are over with him.

ADVICE TO FATHERS: Never return a gift that your child gets you... they'll never forget it.

I'm just getting better and better at Monopoly. I realized that it's a lot like poker...

#55. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at June 15, 2008 4:49 PM

→ 55. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx
I decided to be nice and get him something... so I got him the Planet Earth DVD because he likes all that stuff... but he never opened it and watched it. So yeah... gifts are over with him. ADVICE TO FATHERS: Never return a gift that your child gets you... they'll never forget it.
- - - -
You are off the mark a bit. Did he already see "Planet Earth"? Maybe he just wanted to wait and watch it once you left the house for college... to remind him of you. My dad was a minimalist. Less was best, nothing was perfect. We (kids) were always told that trying our best, improving ourselves everyday and being considerate of others was the best gift... everyday was Father's Day when we gave that gift.

The best gift you can give your folks are the gifts you give yourself. Give yourself the gift of integrity... duty... compassion... honor & honesty. No one else can give you these things... You must give them to yourself. Once they see that you possess these traits... you will have given them the greatest gift of all - the gift of a young adult - a mature fellow human being that is no longer a child in need.

#56. Posted by: DocH at June 15, 2008 10:52 PM

So, being the resident "House" blogger, I was watching a rerun of an older episode (before I began blogging), "Cane and Able".

House is studying a video made by a thin-fiber camera pushed into a patient's heart artery, and he notices something that seems odd to him, but he can't quite put his finger on it, and wants a bigger picture. He moves the team to the high-def video display in the doctor's lounge. He still think's he needs a larger picture, so what does he tell his team?
.
.
.
.
.
Wait for it....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.... WE'RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER BOAT!!!
.
.
.
Wonder if any "House' writers read our "Lost" blog?

#57. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 16, 2008 10:35 AM

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#58. Posted by: pharmacy overnight mexico at June 17, 2008 2:30 AM

Aha...I knew it.

The mexico lucas pharmacy pharmacy of mexico is twice as good as the mexico lucas pharmacy pharmacy of Guatemala.

Good meds cheap. If you don't question their legality or effectiveness.

And they throw in an anti-fungal...that's a woman who doesn't let you have a good time...


#59. Posted by: ransomjackson at June 17, 2008 1:07 PM

58. Posted by: pharmacy overnight mexico at June 17, 2008 2:30 AM

well, i guess you can`t get much more random than that!

#60. Posted by: surefoot at June 17, 2008 6:42 PM

pharmacies free online mexican best mexican pharmacies online

#61. Posted by: online mexican best pharmacies at June 17, 2008 7:31 PM

This is from today's NYTimes Website...an interesting article on the Web that could have been.

http://tinyurl.com/3pvsd8

#62. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at June 17, 2008 7:36 PM

In Glasgow Scotland soft drinks are called ginger and the best one of all is Irn Bru (Iron Brew) - its made from girders you ken!!!
It is the BEST hangover cure known to all man(and woman) kind

#63. Posted by: weepict at June 17, 2008 8:42 PM

Bummer about Stan Winston...
Wonder what he would've come up with for an island monster if he'd had the chance...Bet it would have been way cooler than a column of smoke

#64. Posted by: Crispy Seaplanes at June 17, 2008 9:16 PM

My youngest (the only one with musical skills) was in her room the other night watching the Tony Awards (I was watching golf - I swear!)... she joined me later, knowing my LOST orientation, and asked... "what are they going to do after LOST goes off the air... make a musical?"

My response was "pffhhh... noooo!!!" Then thinking this week about how mundane it will feel two years from now after the finale, I started wondering... how could they? would they? how?

Trying to imagine such an abomination, I only came up with:

~ Locke singing (from Wizard of Oz)... "If I only had a brain"...

~ Juliet (ala South Pacific) after her date with Ben, singing... "I'm gonna wash that man right out of my hair"...

~ Ben, waxing nostalgic about his inability to "connect" with Jacob, singing... "I don't know how to love him" (Jesus Christ - Superstar).

~ From "Paint Your Wagon"...
Hurley singing - "Hand Me Down That Can Of Beans". Claire & Danielle duet "I Talk To The Trees". The Island singing - "I Was Born Under A Wandering Star".

~ Charlie singing/acting the "Oompa-Loompa Song" from the "Chocolate Factory"

~ Sawyer doing his John Denver best with "Take Me Home Country Road" and "Thank God I'm A Country Boy".

~ Richard Alpert, leading his band of merry men, doing his Monty Python best with - "We're Knights Of The Round Table."

~ Desmond on the bagpipes with "Amazing Grace", at a makeshift Charlie memorial, and later an a'cappella version of "Last Rose Of Summer" for Claire.

(hey - random haitus t-of-thoughts - What's in your wallet? - lets' hear some more 'LOST-The Musical' inputs.)

------
oh and...

~ Tom (watching OA815 crash over the island in the S3 premiere) singing... "It's raining men"...

#65. Posted by: DocH at June 17, 2008 9:46 PM

- the others (men only) - jacob and sons from joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat

#66. Posted by: surefoot at June 18, 2008 7:05 AM

A Lost musical with no West Side Story references? Surely you jest...

Sharks and Jets (Losties and Others)

Officer Krupke (Kate's Theme)

And especially...

I Want To Live In America...

You lovely island...
Island of tropical breezes.
Always the pineapples growing,
Always the coffee blossoms blowing...

You ugly island...
Island of tropic diseases.
Always the hurricanes blowing,
Always the population growing...
And the money owing,
And the babies crying,
And the bullets flying.

"And don't call me Shirley..."

#67. Posted by: ransomjackson at June 18, 2008 8:34 AM

Here is a truly random discussion ... what defines a planet? You may or may not have noticed when in 2006 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) demoted Pluto from "planet" status to "dwarf planet," in an effort to avoid controversy regarding newly discovered "objects" that might otherwise be considered planets. Of course (admittedly within a rather niche group), just the opposite resulted ... many people, especially among the general public, objected to Pluto's "removal" from the solar system of "planets."

Well, within the past week, the IAU screwed up again ... they declared Pluto a "plutoid", defined as:

"Plutoids are celestial bodies in orbit around the sun at a distance greater than that of Neptune that have sufficient mass for their self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that they assume a hydrostatic equilibrium (near-spherical) shape, and that have not cleared the neighborhood around their orbit."

In short: small round things beyond Neptune that orbit the sun and have lots of rocky neighbors.

From SPACE.com: "The two known and named plutoids are Pluto and Eris, the IAU stated. The organization expects more plutoids will be found."

For those of you who don't know, Eris is an "object" out there further from the sun than Pluto, discovered in 2003, with a size greater than Pluto's ... and it has at least one moon! Quickly nicknamed "Xena," in reference to a theoretical "Planet-X" (i.e, ostensibly the tenth planet), the IAU about soiled themselves when faced with the dilemma of whether or not to call this a planet (and later "officially" followed the pattern of mythological names with "Eris," the goddess of dischord ... quite appropriate, considering the problems this hunk of ice has caused them).

The logic behind the "plutoid" idea, is that there are probably a lot more such objects out there, and the IAU frowns upon adding "planets" to the solar system willy-nilly.

I cannot but help to ask, why not? I remember as a child, being assured that Jupiter and Saturn each had but a handful of moons, to be counted on fingers. Yet by latest count, Jupiter has 63 moons and Saturn has 60 ... with surely more to be "discovered." If we are so cavalier about defining moons of planets, why is there such a stigma about defining planets about our star?

I find the whole "clearing the neighborhood" idea a bunch of crap (which is theoretically what is preventing Pluto from being defined as a "true" planet) ... Pluto is in a very elliptical orbit, and even if much more massive, it could not "sweep" its neighborhood clean, and the IAU knows this ... such a cop out! What if there happened to be a Jupiter-sized "object" way out there, complete with dozens of moons, but perhaps captured by the sun in a highly elliptical orbit? It would not have "cleaned its neighborhood" either, and as such would be considered a "plutoid." Uh, wouldn't one call such an object a planet?

In fact, such an object might lurk out there, perhaps not Jupiter-sized, but much more massive than Pluto, and perhaps equal or greater to inner "planets" such as Mercury and Mars:

tinyurl.com/5zcxlk

I think a more common sense definition of what determines a planet is in order:

(1) A celestial body in orbit around the sun that has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (near-spherical) shape.

(2) Any such body that has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.

(3) Any such body that has at least one satellite (moon).

(4) Any such body that lacks at least one recognized satellite (moon), but has a mass of at least 10^21 kg (roughly one tenth the mass of Pluto).

I submit this definition to the IAU for their consideration ...

If we have more discovered "planets" in the solar system as a result, so be it ... it has happened before (Uranus, Neptune, ... Pluto) ... are you IAU people afraid you're going to piss off the astrology community or something? If we can add moons to the outer planets at the drop of a hat, I see no problem with adding planets to the solar system ... the IAU peeps are beginning to sound like the freakin' inquisition ... there is nothing "holy" about how many planets orbit the sun!

#68. Posted by: ealgumby at June 18, 2008 8:07 PM

The IAU's not so sure about what constitutesa "moon" either. Are each of the gazillion particles of Saturn's rings "moons"? If not then what's the minumun size of a "moon". Is it relative to the size of its primary? (Do Jupiter's moons have to be bigger that what would be a moon of Mercury, if it had any?

Is that strange planetoid that has an orbit locked to the earth but wanders almost as far as Venus and Mars's orbits a "moon" of earth. Waht about any material that might be trapped in any of the LaGrange points of the earth-mppn system?

Like the "real men don't eat quiche" saying, the IAU seems to feel that "real planets don't cross the orbits of other real planets". Sayonara, Pluto. So that hypothetical way-out-there bigger-than-Jupiter object could be a planet - just not anything that crosses it's path.

#69. Posted by: Cecil at June 18, 2008 9:43 PM

@Cecil/69

Oh come on now, LaGrangian points? Are there any such objects in the solar system around any planets that we know of? And BTW, a La Grange point depends upon an orbiting satellite (moon) in the first place, which by default defines the primary gravitational source as a planet by my definition ... hence even if there are any, they are but satellites (and I know, what defines a moon, yadda yadda yadda ... I guess a "moon" would have to be in a gravitionally-centric orbit, of natural creation, and of a mass greater than ? kg ... are ya happy, I put a "?" in there! ;)).

Oooo ... you are such an instigator though, aren't you! Good for you! Also good point re what is a moon ... any object under the primary gravitational pull of a planet is a moon ... given that it is big enough (again, a kg limit must be called for, else the ISS, or TEMPSAT 1, be called a moon).

#70. Posted by: ealgumby at June 18, 2008 10:21 PM

@Cecil/69
"Like the "real men don't eat quiche" saying, the IAU seems to feel that "real planets don't cross the orbits of other real planets"."

So all of the other "planets" that have been discovered around other stars obey the same rules as our solar system? I think not! If we are willing to call them planets, even if in elliptical or irregular orbits about their stars, how does that meld with what we define as planets here?

Ha! ;)

#71. Posted by: ealgumby at June 18, 2008 10:38 PM

OK, how about an object at the earth-sun L1? We had a satellite there for a while before we brought it back - and dropped it. If there were a natural object captured there, would it be planet? -oid? -essimal? Or would it be a moon?

#72. Posted by: Cecil at June 18, 2008 10:46 PM

→ 68. ealgumby: What defines a planet?

Funny that you'd bring up this topic...the following URL is from yesterday's NYTimes Website:

http://tinyurl.com/5m6vok

As far as irritating the astrological community, going back to my youthful fascination w/Linda Goodman's astrological books resurrects the trivia that astrologers (or at least her) fully expected more planets to be found so that each zodiacal sign had its own planet. At the moment, Taurus & Libra are sharing Venus, but Taurus is supposed to acquire a planet named Apollo, & Gemini & Virgo are sharing Mercury, & Virgo is supposed to acquire a planet named Vulcan. No mention of an Eris, though... : )

#73. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at June 18, 2008 11:20 PM

For those interested in the space program:

I have a hobby-project reading biographies of the astronauts and other major figures of the space program, in as close to flight-order as I can get it (and as texts are available). In reading a bio of Alan Shepard, I came across a reference to a book about an astronaut who resigned from the group of scientist-astronauts that was selected just as the Apollo program was cranking up.

"The Making of an Ex-Astronaut" by Brian O'Leary is an intersting view of the space program in it's early days from the point of view of an iconoclast astronomer who was fortunate enought to be selected, but unfortunate enough to arrive just as the flight-prospects of the scientist side of the astronaut corps were becoming dim.

O'Leary had several reservations about NASA's commitment to science in space - requiring all astronauts to become pilots, the difficulty of maintaining scientific credentials while undergoing astronaut training, and the scientific isolation of the Houston location of astronaut headquarters. He overcame those doubts to accept the appointment as an astronaut despite angering astronaut chief Alan Shepard when, upon being invited to join after a hightly competitive selection process, he said that he was '98 percent sure he would accept'.

O'Leary chronicles the six-month arc of his astronaut career, the high point being watching a Saturn test launch, and the low point being his and his wife's reaction to the climate both meterological and intellectual of flat, humid southeast Texas.

#74. Posted by: Cecil at June 18, 2008 11:21 PM

→ 74. Cecil: "The Making of an Ex-Astronaut":

Thanks for mentioning that, Cecil. My dad worked on the space program back in the '60s & now I have his next birthday gift all picked out! And he hated the climate around Houston too (apologies to any Houstonites here)...

#75. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at June 19, 2008 1:06 AM

Good luck finding it and thank goodness for Interlibrary Loan - They found it at Mt Olive Junior College.

#76. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 19, 2008 9:41 AM

And he hated the climate around Houston too (apologies to any Houstonites here)
→ 75. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought

I lived in Houston for a mere 3 years and abhorred the weather, too: 95 degrees and 95% humidity too much of the time. So I traded that for Phoenix, where we currently have daily "extreme heat warnings" and temps in the teens (as in 113+). But as we Zonies like to say: it's a dry heat.

Has anyone ever "mapped out" the location of the regular posters on this site? I've made mental notes of where some of y'all are from based on what you have revealed (intentionally or incidentally). The majority seem to be from out East.

#77. Posted by: lovelost at June 19, 2008 5:49 PM

...gift...two years ago for father's day...$350 I spent on it.
→ 55. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx

I'm still trying to imagine a 16-year-old having $350 to spend on a Father's Day Gift! Quite a different world from my babysitting days back in the 60's, earning $.50/hour. ;-)

#78. Posted by: lovelost at June 19, 2008 5:59 PM

Ok, my final thought for the day to:
-68,69,70,71,72,73

Why are asteroids called asteroids and hemorhoids called hemorhoids? Shouldn't it be the other way around? But then you'd be an astronaut instead of a proctologist.

I've always loved that little joke.

#79. Posted by: lovelost at June 19, 2008 6:03 PM

So "Octagon Global Recruiting" has left the following message in my mailbox:

===============================
Octagon Global Recruiting, on behalf of the Dharma Initiative, would like to thank you for registering your expression of interest in our latest volunteer recruitment drive.


We will be launching in San Diego on July 24th at Comic-Con International offering select registrants the opportunity to take an exciting aptitude test that will give applicants the chance to demonstrate their unique talents.


The Dharma Initiative hopes you will be able to join us to find out more about their ground-breaking new research project. We will contact you closer to the date with more information.


For those not able to join us in San Diego, Dharma's full recruitment program will be made available online to registered recruits after July 27th.


In the meantime, the Dharma Initiative urges you to spread the word. Invite your colleagues to join the team at www.octagonglobalrecruiting.com and take part in this once in a lifetime opportunity.


If you can't view the images in this email please click here


THIS IS AN OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION OF THE DHARMA INITIATIVE:
This message and its attachments are confidential and may contain information which is protected by copyright. It is intended solely for the named addressee. If you are not the authorised recipient (or responsible for delivery of the message to the authorised recipient), you must not use, disclose, print, copy or deliver this message or its attachments to anyone. If you receive this email in error, please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete this message and its attachments from your system. Any content of this message and its attachments that does not relate to the official business of the Dharma Initiative or its subsidiaries must be taken not to have been sent or endorsed by any of them. No representation is made that this email or its attachments are without defect or that the contents express views other than those of the sender.
==========================

Really wish I could make it to ComicCon. You west coasties let us know if you can.

#80. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 19, 2008 7:04 PM

77. Posted by: lovelost
Has anyone ever "mapped out" the location of the regular posters on this site?

this is something that has crossed my mind as well. like, am i the only canadian here (and yes, i know there should be a question mark there...but i have somehow done something the my keyboard and this is the result - É...any suggestions for the technologically impaired would be greatly appreciated)

#81. Posted by: surefoot at June 19, 2008 7:19 PM

→ 77. lovelost: Location, location, location:

You can put a virtual pin on Rochester, NY, for me. And I'll be in Phoenix in November (doing the 3-Day Breast Cancer Fundraising Walk)! The friend I'm walking w/assures me that mid-November weather in Phoenix is just about perfect...


#82. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at June 19, 2008 7:38 PM

@Cecil/72
"OK, how about an object at the earth-sun L1? We had a satellite there for a while before we brought it back - and dropped it. If there were a natural object captured there, would it be planet? -oid? -essimal? Or would it be a moon?"

L4-L5 would make better sense, but I'll tackle this generically ...

(1) As the primary gravitational source in any sun-planet Lagrange scenario, is the sun, it cannot be a moon (which by definition orbits a planet as the primary gravitational source).

(2) As there must be vast disparity (many orders of magnitude) between either of the two primary masses and the third captured object in any stable Lagrangian point scenario, the captured object would inherently be too small to qualify as a planet.

(3) Therefore, any such captured object would have to be classified as solar orbiting, but too small to be a planet ... thus a hemorrhoid ... I mean asteroid!

A couple of other points to be made, some of which I just learned:

(1) The colinear L-points (L1, L2, L3) are inherently unstable, and no natural object would stay there very long in geological time. Satellites sent to L1 (several) have all been either equipped with station-keeping thrusters, or put into quasi-stable "halo" orbits (in a circle about the sun-earth line at L1 distance, orbiting in a plane perpendicular to the sun-earth line), where they would remain only for mission duration. Any object left at one of the colinear L-points for any amount of time would fall into either a solar or terrestrial orbit eventually, and drift away from the Lagrangian point.

(2) Natural objects can persist at the L4 and L5 points, in the classic "kidney-bean orbit" about the Langrange point. I was not aware of the Trojan asteroids (and lovelost, et al, I beg you not consider that term too carefully ... it could get ugly ;)), at the sun-Jupiter L4 and L5 points.

Perhaps in another younger solar system, there may be objects large enough to be considered planets at star-planet L4/L5 points, not yet having fallen out due to orbit destabilization (but they will). I would contend these should be referred to as planets, as their primary gravitational source would be the star, not the planet.

@Alaïs_Longthought/73
"http://tinyurl.com/5m6vok"

Thanks for the link ... bears somewhat on what I was just saying. Due to limitations in the planet-detection process, most of the (now very many) planets discovered around other stars bear little/no resemblance to the orderly nature of planets in our solar system.

Yet I assume we would like to have a definition of what a planet is, when considering solar systems with vastly different dynamics from our own. If humanity should ever get to the point (?) where travel to other systems is possible, it would be nice to have an astonomically-generic definition in place to describe those things zipping around other stars. That's why I shy from an overly xenophobic view of these things (from the perspective of our solar system), which I think the IAU has fallen into the trap of with the Pluto situation.

If most solar systems look little like ours, then defining rules for planets based upon such things as distance from the star and whether or not orbits cross paths (which may work conveniently here) will fall apart the more we reach out beyond home.

I know, far beyond beating a dead horse ... but this IS the random topic thread!

#83. Posted by: ealgumby at June 19, 2008 7:44 PM

My map pin goes about ten miles south and west of Raleigh, NC.

#84. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 19, 2008 8:37 PM

Columbia, MD ... between DC and Baltimore.

#85. Posted by: ealgumby at June 19, 2008 8:39 PM

Everyone knows me... New Jersey.

Anyway... @ lovelost about the $350.

I get a lot of money from people. My grandpa gave me and my sister a chunk of money since we turned 13. On our 13th birthday, we got $500, on our 14th, we got $600... etc. My mom gets mad at him, and we try to give it back to him, but then he uses guilt. He makes it seem like we don't love him if we don't take it... so we pretty much have no choice. But that all goes in my bank account -- and I have a bunch more stashed up. BUT, before that... I don't know how I have so much money actually. Birthdays and stuff I guess. But now I have a debit card and everything. I'm not allowed to spend my own money though... just for birthday presents and stuff, like mom, dad, or sister. Even then, most of the time my parents don't take the money from me, but they still give me the credit. That $350 was actually mine though.

I found a $100 bill on my desk when I was cleaning it the other day... I actually found a lot of money in my room.

Now you all probably thing I'm spoiled... but I'm not really. It seems like it, because I can't watch TV unless it's in HD, I spend money like it's nothing... BUT, I'm actually very frugal. I do a lot of research on a product before I buy it. I make sure I get the best price. That was another reason I was so mad at my dad. I put so much time and thought into giving him that gift and he returned it. It wasn't the money, it wasn't anything else... it was the "love" I put into it.

ALSO something I forgot to mention. It didn't work when he was hooking it up... and then he decided to return it. The thing that bothered me was the he didn't even TRY to figure it out. He's a tech wiz so he could have, and if he had to, he could have even called tech support or something, but no. He just decided to return it.

I even wrapped it up all pretty and stuff...

Now I'm just getting more mad about it... I'll stop.

But anyway -- If I babysat, I'd make sure I got AT LEAST $8.00/hr. Only $0.50 more than minimum wage. I actually would take $7.50. It all adds up at the end.

Me and my friend used to babysit for a friend's kid. She wanted to pay us $10.00/hr... so she did. We told her we'd take $5.00, but she insisted. We wanted money because we wanted that to go "towards something". Usually I feel bad taking money from people I know.

SamFin -- Thanks!

I feel really young right now. There's NOBODY here around my age? How about someone in their 20's or something?

Now I feel "out of the loop". Ha...ha.

Tomorrow's the last day of school/finals... then on Saturday I'm going somewhere out-of-state with my friend for two weeks.

I've literally have had no time since the Saturday after the Season Finale, and I won't have time until July 28... Maybe just 5 minutes here and there, like now. But... AH.

#86. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at June 19, 2008 9:25 PM

I just realized the SamFin and age stuff was on the Key Points page.

MY BAD. Sorry.

#87. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at June 19, 2008 9:26 PM

My map pin

Sandpoint, ID Corner of 20th and plum. 20 miles out and plum up in the boonies(mountains).

#88. Posted by: mtncbn at June 19, 2008 9:31 PM

stick my map pin right where lake huron meets the bluewater river...directly across from port huron michigan in sarnia ontario canada :)

#89. Posted by: surefoot at June 19, 2008 10:07 PM

→ 83. ealgumby: Solar systems unlike ours:

A bit of a mental leap here, but this reminds me of the classic Star Trek episode w/the Horta ("The Devil in the Dark"), a life form whose basis is silicon & whose shape is entirely different from ours. If/when we humans encounter intelligent life forms that are not humanoid in form & don't share the same chemical basis, will we consider them life forms if they don't meet our definitions of intelligent life forms?

→ 84. Cecil Rose: You must practically be next door to my brother & his family...Apex.

#90. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at June 19, 2008 11:28 PM

I Never Post But I Am Addicted To Reading All Your Posts. Ealgumby, Cecil (love That You Use Your Real Name), Alai's And My Favorite Iluvbenjaminlinusxx ( Spl?) And Hey I'm In My 20's Too. My Map Pinpoint Is Boston. . . GO CELTICS! I Am A Female Physics Major And Am Always Amazed At Your Different Areas Of Expertise. This Post Is So Random But I Wanted Ilbenlxx To Know She's Not Alone As A Young Lost Fan. How Sad Is It That I'm Working The Overnite Shift And Reading This To Pass My Time. Im Obsessed With Lost Because It Blends My Two Favorite Things Science And Good Writing. I'm Going To Go Crazy Without Lost But I Will Keep Visiting This Site And Maybe I'll Even Continue Posting.

#91. Posted by: lor at June 20, 2008 3:38 AM

@90 Alaïs_Longthought commented:

>→ 84. Cecil Rose: You must practically be next door to my brother & his family...Apex.

Pretty close. Our mailing address is Apex, but we're actually in an unincorporated area about 4 miles east of downown Apex. Give it ten years and I think we'll be in Cary - not because we moved but because Cary is extending pseudopods in our direction - help, it's the Blob!

Did your brother have to evacuate in the big chemical fire last year? We were fortunately, upwind and far enough away we didn't have to.

#92. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 20, 2008 9:36 AM

@91 lor unveiled:

...Im Obsessed With Lost Because It Blends My Two Favorite Things Science And Good Writing. I'm Going To Go Crazy Without Lost But I Will Keep Visiting This Site And Maybe I'll Even Continue Posting.

Well, welcome, and do come back. The more the merrier.

I think mac once estimated there were maybe 100 to 1000 readers for every poster, so we know there are lots of folks out there who just lurk, but posting adds an extra dimentsion to the fun. Lots of virtual friends. Come on in, the ambience is fine.

#93. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 20, 2008 10:03 AM

→ 92. Cecil Rose: Chemical fire:

Yes, they did...fortunately my sister-in-law's sister & her husband live only about 20 minutes away (not sure of the town, though), so they had a place to go.

I think we'll be in Apex this fall—I have a nephew on the way...

#94. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at June 20, 2008 12:07 PM

@ lor - 91
Hey cool! I'm someone's favorite!!! Thanks!

Oh, and excellent. -- Someone "closer" to my age. Do you go to BU by any chance? You probably don't want to say, but just wondering.

#95. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at June 20, 2008 4:27 PM

Occassional poster, long time lurker here. Put my pin in Bossier City, LA

GEAUX TIGERS
ELLLLLLESSSSUUUUU!!!!

#96. Posted by: iheartsawyer at June 20, 2008 4:30 PM

#96 iheartsawyer bleated:

>GEAUX TIGERS
>ELLLLLLESSSSUUUUU!!!!

Oh (Roll TIde!) great (Roll TIde!), one (Roll TIde!) of (Roll TIde!) those (Roll TIde!).

Oh well, welcome anyway. Bunnylover is a Tennessee fan. That only leaves 9 more teams to cover and we can set up an SEC forum.

Oh, and Go Hokies, too!

#97. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 20, 2008 5:41 PM

@94 Alaïs_Longthought disclosed:

>I think we'll be in Apex this fall—I have a nephew on the way...

Great, we'll have to get together for lunch somewhere. Maybe Bunnylover will come to town, too.

#98. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 20, 2008 5:43 PM

mid-November weather in Phoenix is just about perfect
→ 82. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought

Your friend is correct. And if you have the time and interest in meeting a fellow LOSTIE, let me know and we'll find a way to exchange contact info.

#99. Posted by: lovelost at June 20, 2008 6:53 PM

→ 86. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx

ILBLXX, I didn't mean to pry...was just pointing out the differences between then and now. But I enjoyed reading your little slice of life. Thanks for sharing. You add a different (and welcome)perspective to this site.

#100. Posted by: lovelost at June 20, 2008 7:05 PM

WOW its been a while since I’ve been able to read/post… got a couple of weeks on my ass now thnx to a bruised and swollen heel… What’s up all?
Ealgumby I love ur postings (is this a word? Anyway…) mate, u always have something interesting to say.

On all the planet & Moon naming talk; I don’t really understand why they had to change Plutos classification from planet to dwarf planet (and now plutoid(!), whatever that is).. What’s wrong with: celestial body orbiting the sun, formed from the original dust-disk, possibly with some geological activity or a magnetic field. From what I understand though, scientist aren’t sure anymore if this was how planets formed, as it would have taken too long for Uranus and Neptune to form to this size once the Sun ignited and blew the gas and some of the lighter dust away. I have a feeling Pluto and anything found further will be further reclassified as comets (tht would be the day)…

On a more epistemological note, the problem with definitions and labels is that; while we need them, when we try to get very specific with them it ends up becoming more of a problem than it is actually worth. As humans, or generally in society, we always get unnecessarily specific with our labeling. Do I really need to define what my ethnic origin is: White, White-Caucasian, White-other, Black, African-American, Asian(!?) or ‘other’… Despite them asking me already about my nationality, I still have to put ethnic background.. I always put ‘other’ anyway since Arab is never on the list…yet… (and I just realized the pun in ‘other’), but I digress.

I would like to pose a question to you and anyone who reads this; how would you define yourself? Furthermore, how would you define yourself in a way which could be applied to anyone? What characteristics of yourself would you use to define yourself, would you even use your own ‘unique’ traits, or define yourself based on how the community you live in, or grew up in, is defined? The world will be better off with fewer labels… It would be interesting to see how a few people would define you, might give you a better perspective of who you are, at least to others. I’m sure Pluto wont care what we call it… Its revolving around the Sun with a bunch of other bodies as far as its concerned. Its like the duality of light; wave or a particle? Doesn’t matter our definition is flawed, since it can’t be both. But light doesn’t abide by our ‘definitions’ and apparently IS BOTH. Crazy world.

Shout out to:
Surefoot, I live in Toronto. I know there is at least one other poster from Toronto, can’t remember who though
ILBLXX, I’m 23…soon at least…
Lor, congrats on Celtics’ victory.

Anyone reading anything good? I’m just about to start The Gormenghast Trilogy, its comes highly recommended by a friend.

Bloody Friday nights...

#101. Posted by: Apollo at June 21, 2008 12:49 AM

→ 101. Apollo: Existential questions & random thoughts thereon:

I'm sorry to hear about your heel...maybe you should change your posting name to Achilles for the time being? ; )

You posed some very interesting & thought-provoking questions/ideas. How DO we define ourselves? Others (not LOST-type Others ; >)? Is defining the same as describing? Naturally, I pulled out a dictionary to see the definitions of the two words. Not the same at all, according to Webster's: Define: to determine or identify the essential qualities or meaning of. Describe: to represent or give an account of in words.

One of the simplest & most inclusive ways to define oneself is to say "I am a human being." In the Western world, at least, one of the most common ways to define oneself is by one's profession or what one does: "I am an editor," for example. This brings to mind the old saw "Are you a human being or a human doing?," illustrating the idea that what one does is irrelevant to what one actually is. (And grammatically speaking, the verb "is" is a form of "be," not "do.")

Another way to define oneself would be in terms of relationships w/others: "I am a mother, a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, a friend..." or, as Apollo mentioned, as part of a community: "I am an American, a Vermonter..." or using one's own characteristics: "I am a bookaholic, a travel junkie, a tree hugger, an ocean girl..." In my opinion, most of the ways I've mentioned are descriptive, not defining; using one's characteristics seems to get closest to the meaning of "define"...but are one's characteristics the essentials, the meaning of a person?

Somewhat different thought...the use of the word "HOW" brought to mind the questions that a journalist is supposed to answer when writing a story: who, what, where, when, why, & how. Seeing as how we're talking about people, "who" seems to be the word that would be most likely to be used. After all, the question is usually "Who are you?" or "Who am I?" I looked in the dictionary to see what the definition of "who" is: "Which or what sort of person or persons." This seemed to be more descriptive rather than defining.

So...a painting that has intrigued me for years, primarily because of its title, is Paul Gauguin's "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?" (En français it's "D'où Venons Nous/Que Sommes Nous/Où Allons Nous.") It's intrigued me specifically because Gauguin chose to use the word "What" rather than "Who," even though he was referring to people. And Webster's defines "what" as: Used as an interrogative expressing inquiry about the nature, identity, or value of an object or matter," which, leaving aside "an object or matter," seems more closely related to the idea of "define" than does "who."

I don't really have a point here (except, as my high school friends would say, the one on top of my head ; >); these are just some very late night thoughts expressed somewhat haphazardly. And ironically, one of the images in the Gauguin painting is, to use Gauguin's own words, "...a strange white bird...represent[ing] the futility of words."

Happy first day of summer to everyone in the Northern Hemisphere...

#102. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at June 21, 2008 2:31 AM

Thanks Cecil And Apollo! And ILBLXX I Don't Got To BU, But I Did Apply When I Was In High School. I Do Go To School In The Area Though. . . . I Might Be Switching To An English Major Soon But We'll See, Then I'll Be Able To Articulate Like You Guys.

#103. Posted by: lor at June 21, 2008 8:31 AM

I just thought of this randomly but at least i'm in the right place. I read this book on the theory of relativity I don't remember the name but it explained the theoretical possibility of time/space travel using this example. As humans, we understand that sound has different levels like if there is a radio playing and you walk away from it. To an ant the idea that sound levels change is preposterous because it would take the ant forever to notice the difference. It said that time is not a set thing and we set up increments like seconds minutes etc. because at the high speed when time changes we do not exist. Does that make sense?

#104. Posted by: lor at June 21, 2008 9:08 AM

It's been a while since I have posted, but I do check this every coupla days. Put my virtual pin in Ft. Myers, Florida.

Miss you all!!! and Lost

#105. Posted by: meg at June 21, 2008 9:11 AM

@Apollo/101
“I would like to pose a question to you and anyone who reads this; how would you define yourself? Furthermore, how would you define yourself in a way which could be applied to anyone?”

@Alaïs_Longthought/102
“Is defining the same as describing? Naturally, I pulled out a dictionary to see the definitions of the two words. Not the same at all, according to Webster's: Define: to determine or identify the essential qualities or meaning of. Describe: to represent or give an account of in words. … using one's characteristics seems to get closest to the meaning of "define"...but are one's characteristics the essentials, the meaning of a person?”

Apollo, by asking “how would you define yourself?” do you mean: (1) ”what mechanism or process could you employ to identify the essential nature of your being?”, or (2) “what personal characteristics (physical, psychological, etc.) uniquely identify you?” The questions are similar, but subtly, and importantly different. Based upon your next question regarding a generic definition, it seems you’re leaning the first way, correct? If I read your intent correctly, the question is almost rhetorical, as you seem to view the issue as inherently insolvable, or close to it. Hence, your conclusion “the world will be better off with fewer labels.”

“Is defining the same as describing?” Alaïs gives us the quick answer … no. Not trying to ignore the intent of the original question by changing the semantics of it, but this distinction is important. Most “descriptive” words we take as “definitive” are not. Try to “objectively” describe something like the sun, in terms of everyday experience, and you’ll see what I mean …

Well, the sun is yellow. But what is yellow? How would you “describe” the color yellow to a profoundly blind person? Or to a color-blind person? The fact is, one’s ability to identify the color yellow, does not imply his or her perception of the “color” is even the same as yours. The brain has more to do with “color perception” than most people appreciate, and remember that the basic physical “sensors” providing the brain with input data are only sensitive to red, blue, and green wavelengths. Truly “yellow” light has a specific range of frequency, yet there are no “yellow detectors” in the eye; instead the red and green sensitive cones in the retina will send data to the brain, and the brain “makes sense” of this data, as each individual’s own “perception” of the color yellow. We may *think* we are seeing yellow things, and know what yellow “IS,” but we actually are not … If I could somehow “record my perceptions” and “play them back” directly into your brain, there’s a good chance what I “see” as yellow would be “defined” by you as some other color. Also, we “see” white light as the mixing of all frequencies of “visible” light … there is no “white” frequency in the visible spectrum. Not to mention that visible light itself occupies only a very tiny portion of the electromagnetic frequency spectrum (consistent with frequency maxima emitted from the sun), and trying to objectively describe “color,” to an alien from a star system with a different frequency profile, for example, would most likely be completely be pointless.

Wow, all that discussion, yet the only thing I said was “the sun is yellow” … not doing very well with my description, am I? Okay, I’ll add “the sun is warm.” That’s better, right? Blind and color-blind people sense warmth. True, but not everyone can (very rare, but some people cannot sense pain, let alone those, of course, who may be paralyzed). And marching down the same path as we did with “yellow,” what is warmth, and why is the sun warm? Infrared radiation … maybe just another “color” to an alien! But this one we can “see” with our skin, yet another sensory organ.

And so it goes with any “description” based upon physical characteristics. The words we use to describe things are all a function of our specifically human sensory organs, and even most specifically, our own unique sensory processing. There are no good objective “descriptions” of sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell. Our use of descriptive words for each of these are inherently subjective, based upon the audience’s collective experience with the senses in general, and unique individual perspectives of experiences with each.

This more or less goes to confirm Apollo’s original contention that generic/objective definitions (i.e., “in a way which could be applied to anyone”) are impossible, except based on the description/definition info Alaïs provided, I’d say that Apollo’s conjecture applies to descriptions, not definitions. Unlike personally subjective descriptions, definitions can be used objectively. Yellow light can be defined by wavelength. Infrared warming can be defined by wavelength. The luminous intensity of the sun can be defined by solar power flux profiles, its visible size in the sky can be defined by its subtended angle from the earth to its radial edges, and its periods of “rising and setting” can be defined the earth’s solar-orbiting ephemerides, ecliptic tilt angle, and rotational rate, knowing the dimensions of the earth, and the observer’s location.

Do you see my point? The terms one would commonly use to “describe” the sun are subjective, both to humans in general, as well as tailored to individual perceptions. However, there are objective “definitions” which can be used to “identify the essential qualities” of the sun. Physically …

And with that, I come full circle, to what both Apollo and Alaïs were after (I think?), but from different angles … what describes a person are inherently subjective terms, and we must not assign too much weight to “labels,” which are inherently descriptive.

IMO, people are not “defined” by their descriptions, nor by any scientific definitions of physical composition …

People are defined by their actions.

#106. Posted by: ealgumby at June 21, 2008 10:23 PM

HAHA, Achilles! Brilliant…
Re: Alaïs_Longthought and Ealgumby;
Agreed, there are differences in both ‘descriptions’ and ‘definitions’ as you’ve pointed out Alaïs, for which I’ll try to clarify my viewpoint.
I was indeed, leaning more to the first, and your analysis is also correct. I think it’s pointless, and impossible, to 'define' ourselves in a 'descriptive' way since descriptions are based on perceptions. For example, people might describe me as an energetic and funny person to people they might introduce me to, but no one can ALWAYS be something they’re described as being, thus character traits as definitions are flawed. So unless it’s done using something that is known 'a priori', or as an ‘analytic truth’ (something that is true at all times or independent of time), descriptions will be pointless as definitions. But then this becomes something else, it becomes a real or ‘universal definition’. Depending on the nature of your philosophy what you believe you know 'a priori' can be different from my own. Personally, I believe the only such truth is mathematics. And I’ll leave defining humanity in terms of maths to someone else…

Your actions are a good way of describing who you are, but it is flawed because again you can never act in a consistent way since circumstances and conditions affecting your actions change. Presumably however, you might always act in a broadly general way that’s not too specific. Some might define you as the ‘sum of your parts’ (ie actions) but since, as a living being, you constantly engage in situations and act accordingly; the ‘sum of your parts’ as a definition is arguably only valid when you’re dead. Quite cruel really…

So, since descriptions are based on secondary attributes; due to the way we perceive and interpret them, they are unreliable. Unless they’re not too specific. Instead the only real way to define something, and a group of things, is to use analytic truths (ie mathematics such as the wavelengths you used to define colour).

Bottom line here I think is that: while most of us use descriptions as definitions, taking for granted the meaning of the terms, the reason we use them is because definitions in their real, mathematical, sense are meaningless to the majority of us. So we employ descriptions to make sense of them, but as we all interpret our senses differently we will always dispute the ‘definitions’ of things. And just to complete the circle; we add MORE descriptions to our definitions thinking if we specify the object appropriately we can arrive at a correct definition different from the ‘universal definition’.

I think I went around full circle, just to, pretty much repeat what you’ve said in my own terms… Just to continue this point if you or anyone is interested: what else would you consider an ‘analytic truth’, if you even consider math to be one?

#107. Posted by: Apollo at June 22, 2008 1:40 AM

Been out of pocket for a few weeks it seems . . .

My map pin goes in CLEVELAND, TN.

Raised in Missouri, Schooled in Kansas, raised my children in Texas and the wife and I teach at Lee University.

Next stop, Heaven.


Hey, Bcre8ve - the picture?

DRH

#108. Posted by: davidrh at June 22, 2008 5:10 PM

@Apollo/107
"Your actions are a good way of describing who you are, but it is flawed because again you can never act in a consistent way since circumstances and conditions affecting your actions change."

My point in suggesting "people are defined by their actions" was to dissociate "who we are" from "what we are" ... you earlier objected to being labeled by physical characteristics, but this approach nullifies the need for that "unnecessarily specific" labeling.

My size, shape, color, gender, or other physical attributes have no bearing upon "who I am," defined by my actions. By "my actions" I mean everything associated with my existence. This could be taken as the base definition of my being "alive," due to exhibiting metabolism, to what I think and communicate via language or other means, let alone what I might physically "do" in terms of manipulating my physical environment. All of these things, taken together, "define" who I am.

This has nothing to do with physically defining "what I am" (as you suggest when discussing death, and by inference the basic lump of organic and inorganic materials that comprise my body).

The "problem" with "univeral definitions," as you seek them, is that they do not exist. Not even mathematics, as you suggest.

Even in math, there are different perspectives to the same "definitions" ... which are "a priori" correct? I can "define" a triangle on a sphere in both Euclidean and spherical geometries ... one may be more convenient than the other, but which is "truth?" Can you "define" the exact geometry of a Koch snowflake or Mandelbrot set, down to the individual point? What is the last digit of pi? I can prove that "1.999..." is exactly equal to 2 ... is it? (proof: x = 1.999..., 10x = 19.999..., 10x - x = 9x = 19.999... - 1.999... = 18, x = 2).

We can approximate "what we are" and "what things are" via current scientific knowledge, but NEVER have EXACT "a priori" knowledge of "truth." Truth in science/math is a somewhat wandering concept (hate to beat a dead horse yet again, but read "The Structure of Scientic Revolutions" by Thomas Kuhn). There is NO absolute ...

So while we may never be able to define "what we are," we can define "who we are" ... by our actions.

#109. Posted by: ealgumby at June 22, 2008 6:12 PM

When you read "We Seven", the story of the original seven astronauts as told by themselves, they talk about all the tests, physical and psychological they had to take in applying to be an astronaut.

One of these tests was a sheet of paper with 100 sentences to fill in, each starting with "I am...". Some of the astronauts thought it was rather silly and jusy filled out "I am a pilot", "I am a father", etc until they had it filled out. Others said that by the time they got to number 100, they really had to search their souls to think of exactly who and what they were.

I guess defining yourself is easy for some, difficult for others.

I'm me. More than that you will have to deduce from what I write.

#110. Posted by: Cecil at June 22, 2008 7:23 PM

@Cecil/110
"One of these tests was a sheet of paper with 100 sentences to fill in, each starting with 'I am...'."

And Descartes would've stopped after one entry ...

Any less wrong? I think not ... (poof)

#111. Posted by: ealgumby at June 22, 2008 7:46 PM

→ 107. Apollo & 109. ealgumby: a priori/Truth v. truth:

Okay, so out came the dictionaries again...right now they're being used to lift up my laptop. ; )

a priori: Deductive; relating to or derived by reasoning from self-evident propositions; presupposed by experience.

The term "a priori" immediately takes me back to a class on the philosophy of political thought, where we spent the first three weeks discussing Immanuel Kant & a priori everything (I dropped the class shortly thereafter & the only other thing I remember is the wag who said that Plato bench-pressed olives to stay in shape). So if something a priori is derived from reasoning from self-evident propositions, could it be analogous to a theorem in geometry, which is derived from self-evident postulates?

While in geometry this may work as it's been agreed to accept postulates as self-evident & needing no proving, I think it breaks down when it comes to humans. What's self-evident to me is more than likely totally not self-evident to 99.99999% of the population, & thus we're back in the field of subjectivity again.

As far as Truth (as an absolute, objective fact) vs. truth (relative to one's point of view), this got argued repeatedly in a rhetoric class I took. Again, I think the argument that there is a "Truth" founders on the shoals of subjectivity. For example, it's "Truth" in my mother-in-law's mind that Jesus lived, walked on the earth, was crucified for our sins, was resurrected, & went to heaven. Yet that would not be the case for a large population of the world. Are they misguided? Or is my mother-in-law wrong in saying that's the "Truth"?

Or take the idea that the sun rises in the east. Seems like an objective fact, no? Yet it only rises in the east because those of us in the English-speaking language have a collective compact that that particular combination of sounds that we pronounce "east" refers to that direction. Language is a social construct, not "Truth."

Personally, I don't think there's a or any "Truth(s)"...but lots of truth.

Sometimes I'm amazed that we manage to communicate at all...

#112. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at June 23, 2008 12:10 AM

"When they print the years of someone's birth and death, can you resist figuring out how old they were?" - George Carlin

#113. Posted by: ealgumby at June 23, 2008 4:57 AM

ealgumby et all

And I can prove that 2 = 1

Take as given:

a = b

Multiply both sides by a


a**2 = ab

Subtract b**2 from both sides

a**2 - b**2 = ab - b**2

factor both sides

(a + b) (a - b) = b (a - b)

divide both sides by (a - b)

(a + b) = b

Since we originally posited a = b, substitute b for a

(b + b) = b

Simplify

2b = b

Divide each side of the equation by b

2 = 1

QED...

#114. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 23, 2008 10:41 AM

#113 - When they print the years of someone's birth and death, can you resist figuring out how old they were?" - George Carlin

RIP George.

#115. Posted by: iheartsawyer at June 23, 2008 11:56 AM

Hi all. Didn't realize there was a whole 'nother party going on in here. I've got 115 posts to wade thru, so I'll just post my overdue reply from the finale:

@Alaïs_Longthought/471, ealgumby/484,@berkyo/491, FenwayBen/508, et al - There is absolutely nothing odd or incorrect with the way I pronounce "water." Contrary to popular myth, we do not say, "wooder." We say "wawder." It is true that we commonly use a "d" for the "t" sound. However, as any speaker of English knows, the letter "a" has almost infinite variety.
Drawer is drawer, AFAIK. I've heard New Yawkers say "draw," but no Fdelfya variations. I say "crayon," not "crown." I think that's by neighborhood. My mom's from K&A (Kensington & Allegheny). She says "crown," "crick," and roots for the "Iggles." How can Eagles/Iggles be confusing since "iggles" is not otherwise a word???

#116. Posted by: hurling at June 23, 2008 12:18 PM

@Cecil Rose/114
"Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin'
You gotta have somethin'
If you wanna be [dividin'] with me" - Billy Preston

#117. Posted by: ealgumby at June 23, 2008 12:53 PM

Cheesesteaks: My husband's team at work has recently been having weekly field trips. They have unanimously voted Pat's over Geno's, both for size & taste. I, alas, have been allergic to food for 17 yrs and can't participate. The key to all the sandwiches, however, is the Amoroso's roll. No other will do.
I grew up on Tastycakes, ealgumby, don't be dissin' my brand. At least you know what you're buying - not like Drake's, Little Debbie's, Stroehmann's & Entenmann's.
Rah rah to Frank's Black Cherry Wishniak! And that's a soda. My Indianapolis friends say pop.

I discovered in England that if you order water (no matter how you pronounce it), they bring carbonated. So I had to learn to ask for tap water. Now in the USA, I have to ask for tap water if I don't want a $3 bottle.

Does anywhere else in the country have water ice?

I was more of a pretzel fan than potato chips. Do you all know pretzels were introduced to this country by the Amish in PA? And you know the official, original ingredients? Flour, water, salt, yeast. So imagine my surprise when I visited Ann Arbor last year and found a deli that claimed to have the best, original, authentic pretzels in the world - with LARD!!! BLECCCCCHHHHH!!!!


Ah, Cecil, such an old puzzle! For anyone who didn't get ealgumby's reply:
(a + b) (a - b) = b (a - b)
divide both sides by (a - b) - here's the error

(a-b) = 0 and you can't divide by 0; the result is undefined.
x/y=z if and only if z*y=x. Since 0 times anything = 0, your equation can't work.
RIP, Mr. Stremlau.


#118. Posted by: hurling at June 23, 2008 1:33 PM

@118 hurling discoured:

>a-b) = 0 and you can't divide by 0; the result is undefined.
x/y=z if and only if z*y=x. Since 0 times anything = 0, your equation can't work.
RIP, Mr. Stremlau.

I hope no one seriously believed I'd proved 2 = 1.

Of course, as we used to say in calculus:

2 + 2 = 5

(for sufficiently large values of 2).


#119. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 23, 2008 4:55 PM

Hey folks!

I bopped over to Frappr and created a map where you can, hopefully, post your actual location along with a few other things.

The URL is:

http://www.frappr.com/?a=constellation_map&mapid=137440596670

As the map creator, I can’t really test their ease of use, but I hope you will easily be able to post your location. They ask for a name, but it can be your screen name (and we probably wouldn’t recognize your real name, anyway).

They ask for email address, but it won’t be revealed to others.

Be discreet about your location – they allow you to specify down to the street level, but just town would probably be better.

You can specify the your favorite Lost character by the shape and color of pin you pick.

You can upload a photo (or perhaps avatar, like we created for bcr8ve), but it’s not required, and it will be visible whenever someone mouses over your location.

The map is global – just drag to anywhere on the planet (Alaïs_Longthought, En Provance).

They offered three options, Map, Satellite, and Hybrid. Unfortunately, Map only works at small scales – about city size or so - so I opted for hybrid. Hope you can locate yourself at least approximately on a satellite photo. When you get close, roads and streets will appear.

I have no idea how well this works – please post back and report.

#120. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 23, 2008 5:49 PM

I'm seeing some more pins added to the map, but on another machine I can't even see the map, just a square with "Image Unavailable" in it.

Are you guys seeing the map?

It also looks like, on initial entry, you just enter a location - in text. But if you go back and double click the pin you're prompted for name, type pin, and upload photo, if desired.

This is a little frustrating but we'll get though it, I suppose.

Congratulations Clementine, first one up with a name and Avatar. Cementine's a Desmond fan.

#121. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 23, 2008 6:20 PM

In addition to Clementine I'm seeing Morristown, NC and Rochester, NY. You guys know who you are. Double click your pin and you can add info / select a fave.

#122. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 23, 2008 6:24 PM

→ 120. Cecil Rose: Frappr map:

Thanks, Cecil! It seems to work just fine...looking forward to seeing "us" as pins get added.

#123. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at June 23, 2008 6:26 PM

Alaïs_Longthought - I hought you said you were in Toronto?

That picture doesn't look like Rochester or Toronto. ;-)

#124. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 23, 2008 6:30 PM

Further info:

Once you get the basic pin in place, (sorry, you all default to Jack fans), click on the pin, then click on the "Add me" that pops up, then you can fill in the additional information. You can do this more than once if you want to change something.

#125. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 23, 2008 6:34 PM

ILBLXX -

I'm guessing that's you in Morristown. You need to go back and double click on the pin then click on "add me" and change your pin to round and yellow. Or else you're a fan of a mouth breather.

#126. Posted by: Cecil at June 23, 2008 6:38 PM

120. Posted by: Cecil Rose made us a beautiful map. in the words of my daughter Cecil...YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!

#127. Posted by: surefoot at June 23, 2008 6:39 PM

I was also wrong about the thumbnail only pics. When you click on the thumbnail, ou get to see the full sized pic.

#128. Posted by: Cecil at June 23, 2008 6:43 PM

→ 124. Cecil Rose: Location, location, location...

Nope, not a Torontonian (is that the correct term for a citizen of that city?)...lived in Rochester for 7-1/2 years now. The photo was taken in New Zealand in February 2006...for those of you who didn't know already that I'm a Lord of the Rings geek, I'm standing on "Edoras" (aka Mt. Sunday, on the Canterbury Plains on the South Island). Can't y'all just see the Riders of Rohan galloping across the plains? ; )

#129. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at June 23, 2008 9:49 PM

Is anyone else having trouble posting? I had to try three times over three hours to get #129 to show up...I keep getting the message that the server is busy.

#130. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at June 23, 2008 10:28 PM

I was having trouble earlier tonight. Thought about emailing mac to see if there was a problem with the fodder servers. Let's see how this one does,

By bad, Alaïs, I looked back and it was Apollo that said he? was from Toronto. All you capital A's look alike.

I did not recognize Middle Earth, by gum. I was thinking Rockies.

#131. Posted by: Cecil at June 24, 2008 1:21 AM

The Count so far...

2 Desmond Fans
2 Hurley Fans
1 Sawyer Fan
3 Not Yet Stated

#132. Posted by: Cecil at June 24, 2008 1:35 AM

Cecil,

I think I managed to get my name and location on the map but I'm having a terrible time trying to get a jpeg to actually attach to the map.

Any suggestions?

HEY MAC: Why don't we move this map think to a separate category so it's easier for everyone to find?


DRH

#133. Posted by: davidrh at June 24, 2008 7:41 AM

@Cecil -- Awesome idea with the map! I just joined up.

@davidrh -- I'm going to hold off on moving it to a second category for now. If it turns into something people really enjoy, I can definitely bubble it up.

#134. Posted by: mac at June 24, 2008 9:35 AM

I finally found an old JPG I could upload. It's a very rare picture of me in coat and tie, from when I first began working at my present job. I'm a little greyer now, but pretty much the same, sans tie.

davidrh:

Don't know what the problem is. Just click on your pin, then click "edit this pin", then choose a pin shape and color (I see you have already). The next step is under number 3, click "Browse" and point at your image file. Could the problem be size? (mine was 23K).

mac:

Frapper gives you the html to add to your web page, if desired, just sing out.

hurling:

Is that Zion National Park in your photo by any chance?


#135. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 24, 2008 9:56 AM

@ ealgumby: We lost a good one.

Frisbeetarianism : by George Carlin
He defined it as the belief that when a person dies "his soul gets flung onto a roof, and just stays there", and cannot be retrieved.

He’s welcome on my roof anytime.

#136. Posted by: SamFin at June 24, 2008 10:25 AM

→ 135. Posted by: Cecil Rose
No, that's Sedona. Haven't made it to Zion yet.

@ ealgumby, et al: My 19 yo son started listening to Carlin about 2 yrs ago. He couldn't tell the diff between material that was 30 yrs old & the newer stuff - it's all still relevant. Many tears shed at our house.
I've been wondering if Carlin managed to go out the way he thought we should. (Re: Aging is backwards)

#137. Posted by: hurling at June 24, 2008 11:35 AM

@ransomjackson

The map expands to any size you want. Of course you can only look at it through the same size window (wish they offered a full screen option.)

Just click the plus or roll your mouse wheel.

#138. Posted by: Cecil at June 24, 2008 12:28 PM

And IHEARTSAWYER checks in. But can that really be Bossier City, LA? Looks more like Amarillo, TX to me.

#139. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 24, 2008 12:54 PM

@Cecil

Thanks for being so cool !

And I'm at Leavenworth, not IN Leavenworth !

#140. Posted by: SamFin at June 24, 2008 3:41 PM

@Cecil

Mine said map image not available. I can see everyone's pins but not the map. I didn't realize I was adding a pin so not sure where I ended up. Sorry.

#141. Posted by: IHEARTSAWYER at June 24, 2008 5:09 PM

Well, Cecil . . halfway there.

I can't seem to get the "Hi" out of the
"Hi davidrh" on my stick pin nor get a picture to stick there.

But I did get the picture to download in the picture page.

What's a techo-challenged guy to do?

Anybody else having the same problem?

drh

#142. Posted by: davidrh at June 24, 2008 5:14 PM

→ 142. davidrh: I ended up removing my first pin because the "Edit This Pin" link had disappeared & I couldn't fix the spelling of "Alaïs" (for some reason the map doesn't like the umlaut). Once I removed my first pin I created a second & so far when I click on it I see the "Edit This Pin" link, so perhaps if you went back & started from scratch you could edit out "hi." There's a FAQ at the bottom of the map page that's helpful, too.

As far as the map not showing up, I think it must need a pretty new browser w/a good bit of memory on the computer...the map won't show up on my four-year-old iMac but it will on the new Mac laptop.

#143. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at June 24, 2008 5:59 PM

@davidrh: I can see your picture if I go to your page. Looks like you're clubbing someone to death with a tiny telescoping baton :)

When you first open the map and your box comes up (that points to your pin on the map), hit the blue "Edit this Pin" link in the bottom of your box. You have to be quick before it goes to the next person. If you miss it, just hit the red dot down there in Tennesee and it will come up again.

After you select "Edit this pin" it will take you to the page where you select your icon. You already selected Sawyer, so just hit Continue. Then you should see a page with your name and email. Between your email and your "Shoutout" there should be an orange button "Upload" where you can load your picture.

Hope that helps.

My avatar kept linking to a generic "me" page with someone else's picture, so I had to change it. Ealgumby, I think we now have the same hairdo :)

@IHEARTSAWYER: You're in nowhereland with a whole bunch of Jack-lovers. I think it defaults there when people don't enter all the info. But if you can't see the map, I don't know how you can move it. If you do see a box come up with your name, look for "Edit this pin" at the bottom. When you get to the page with location, try your zip code instead of typing out the city name.

And You All Everybody Else Who May Be Lurking: If you're opening the map to see everybody, why don't you go ahead and enter your general location? You don't even have to enter a name, although that would be nice. It's just cool to see where the visitors are from. Otherwise it defaults you to nowhereland. (Which is remarkably close to SamFin in Kansas!)

Cecil, great idea! I hope people keep adding to this!

#144. Posted by: Clementine at June 24, 2008 6:00 PM

Holy Crap!!!

I was just watching TV and a commercial for Pine-Sol came on...and I'm pretty sure that Kareem was in it. Sun's English-teaching F-buddy. I'm pretty sure he would prefer to be called Tony Lee though.

I just checked imdb and at the bottom it has some references to it. Is there anyway to verify this?

HAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAAHAA!!!!

#145. Posted by: Red...Neck...Man at June 24, 2008 6:05 PM

@davidrh: And one more thing, the "Hi" only shows up for the person logging in. I think it's your greeting from Frappr. So my page shows up with "Hi, Clementine" but on yours, all I see is davidrh and your hometown.

#146. Posted by: Clementine at June 24, 2008 6:05 PM

@141 IHEARTSAWYER said:

>@Cecil

?Mine said map image not available. I can see everyone's pins but not the map. I didn't realize I was adding a pin so not sure where I ended up. Sorry.

If you typed in a town, it should land fairly close - not sure why yours didn't.

At any rate, as administrator I can remove a pin so you could try again, if we can get the map problems straightened out.

As for the map image - I currently have two computers on my desk, my old desktop, and my new laptop that I'm transitioning to. My desktop can see the map, my laptop can't - just pins floating in space - I have no idea why.

And now, suddenly, my desktop can't see satelite view in Google Maps - not here, but I suspect the problems are connected. Frappr probably uses Google images and I suspect there's something going on here.

#147. Posted by: Cecil at June 24, 2008 6:20 PM

Cecil, the map is just terrific!!

Even I, a mere novice in the techno-world, was able to add my very own pin and pic.

#148. Posted by: lovelost at June 24, 2008 6:29 PM

@142 davidrh sais:

>I can't seem to get the "Hi" out of the "Hi davidrh" on my stick pin nor get a picture to stick there.

The "Hi" is Frapper's greeting to you (it undoubtedly leavers a cookie on your computer so it can recognise you when you revisit - it also keeps you from sticking in multiple pins. No one else sees the "Hi".

>But I did get the picture to download in the picture page.

I see it there - wonder why it won't stick on a page?

>What's a techo-challenged guy to do?

See the little animated gif just under the title graphic here:

http://www.angryflower.com/


>Anybody else having the same problem?

No, we're all having different problems.

#149. Posted by: Cecil at June 24, 2008 6:29 PM

Our fathest west yet as Lovelost checks in, with a lovely photo.

And Welh's avatar cracks me up.

#150. Posted by: Cecil at June 24, 2008 6:31 PM

@143 Alaïs_Longthought OBSERVED:

>@142 davidrh: I ended up removing my first pin because the "Edit This Pin" link had disappeared & I couldn't fix the spelling of "Alaïs" (for some reason the map doesn't like the umlaut).

Doesn't even liek good English apostophes. I couldn't put one in the blog name. They may be worried about SQL injection (a hacker method).

>As far as the map not showing up, I think it must need a pretty new browser w/a good bit of memory on the computer...the map won't show up on my four-year-old iMac but it will on the new Mac laptop.

But my brand new super-de-dooper developer laptop they're twisting my arm to go to at work doesn't show it either.

#151. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 24, 2008 6:38 PM

@144 Clementine brainstormed:

>@davidrh: ... When you first open the map and your box comes up (that points to your pin on the map), hit the blue "Edit this Pin" link in the bottom of your box. You have to be quick before it goes to the next person. If you miss it, just hit the red dot down there in Tennesee and it will come up again.

Click on the pink lozenge shaped "stop" button with the black square in it at the upper left side of the window and the rotation will stop - then you can just click on any pin to see who it is.

The button will change to green with a triangle in it - click a second time and the rotation starts again.


>My avatar kept linking to a generic "me" page with someone else's picture, so I had to change it. Ealgumby, I think we now have the same hairdo :)

I think it may have been because you put "me" in as your name, and they already had one on file (and he certainly didn't live up to my Clementine image). Of course your current one reminds me of the Philly Phanatic - isn't that heresy for someone from the 'Boig?


>@IHEARTSAWYER: You're in nowhereland with a whole bunch of Jack-lovers. I think it defaults there when people don't enter all the info. But if you can't see the map, I don't know how you can move it.

Also, when you click on it it says "Bossier City, LA", but in the member list it says "unknown location" which may be why the pin is so located.


>If you do see a box come up with your name, look for "Edit this pin" at the bottom. When you get to the page with location, try your zip code instead of typing out the city name.

>And You All Everybody Else Who May Be Lurking: If you're opening the map to see everybody, why don't you go ahead and enter your general location? You don't even have to enter a name, although that would be nice. It's just cool to see where the visitors are from.

#152. Posted by: Cecil at June 24, 2008 6:51 PM

@Cecil/147
"At any rate, as administrator I can remove a pin so you could try again, if we can get the map problems straightened out."

First of all ... such a GREAT idea! Kudos to you (please enjoy my sycophantic praise, normally lavished only upon Mac!).

Second, is there a way to move the apparent default location away from Wichita (e.g., just off the east coast?), so we can tell the "real" pins from accidental/experimental entries?

Finally, as iheartsawyer can't see the map (for whatever reason ... probably lack of resources [?]), could you move the pin to the desired location?

Anyway, this is too cool ... thanks!

PS to Clementine: Maybe it'll be the start of a new trend!

#153. Posted by: ealgumby at June 24, 2008 6:52 PM

@147 Cecil mentioned:

>As for the map image - I currently have two computers on my desk, my old desktop, and my new laptop that I'm transitioning to. My desktop can see the map, my laptop can't - just pins floating in space - I have no idea why.

And you know what's pitiful? My Windows 98 computer on a 26.4 dial-up connection, with a thimble-full of memory at home can read the map. Not very fast, but it can read it.

#154. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 24, 2008 7:01 PM

We already have our first international pin - surefoot
Sarnia, ON, Canada.

Now we're looking for our first overseas - Oh, En Provance.....

#155. Posted by: Cecil at June 24, 2008 7:03 PM

welh ...

Gotta ask about the "lab-rat-with-one-too-many-self-administered-doses-of-crack" avatar?

#156. Posted by: ealgumby at June 24, 2008 7:03 PM

Cecil,

If I delete my cookies, will I be able to edit myself? Or will I be at your mercy?

#157. Posted by: ealgumby at June 24, 2008 7:08 PM

@153 ealgumby asked:

>Second, is there a way to move the apparent default location away from Wichita (e.g., just off the east coast?), so we can tell the "real" pins from accidental/experimental entries?

None that I can see right away - but I'm still learning. The 'admin's powers seem to be limited to "remove" - I can't edit anything. In a while I may remover the unknown visitor/unknown location ones as stutt3er stesp, assuming whover left them would like to try again but is blocked by the one-to-a-customer pin policy.

You CAN move your own pin, clicking on "move this pin" and typing in a new location or zip code.

>Finally, as iheartsawyer can't see the map (for whatever reason ... probably lack of resources [?]), could you move the pin to the desired location?

No but IHS should be able to. Just try a zip code.

#158. Posted by: Cecil at June 24, 2008 7:12 PM

@157 ealgumby asked:

>If I delete my cookies, will I be able to edit myself? Or will I be at your mercy?

I have a feeling it would probably no longer connect you to your pin and you could add another but not touch the original. I could always delete the orginal if you wanted. You should be able to change anything - location, pin color, photo, name, or greeting on your original with either "edit this pin" or "move this pin".


#159. Posted by: Cecil at June 24, 2008 7:18 PM

Cecil,

FYI ... you CAN delete cookies, and maintain your profile ...

#160. Posted by: ealgumby at June 24, 2008 7:18 PM

Maybe it's not cookies - maybe they grab your machine name.

#161. Posted by: Cecil at June 24, 2008 7:24 PM

@hurling/137
"I've been wondering if Carlin managed to go out the way he thought we should. (Re: Aging is backwards)"

Carlin on aging/death ...

"I think it would be interesting if old people got anti-Alzheimer's disease where they slowly began to recover other people's lost memories."

"When I was a kid I can remember saying, 'Cross my heart and hope to die.' I'd like to confess now that I never really meant the second part."

"If I had my choice of how to die I would like to be sitting on the crosstown bus and suddenly burst into flames." ... no comment ...

#162. Posted by: ealgumby at June 24, 2008 8:23 PM

Thanks for all the advice . . . my pin says my photot is UPLOADED . . I just can't see it at my pin location. Is it like the "Hi"? (I'm the only one who sees it?)

Or in the case of the picture, am I the only one who CAN'T see it at my pin location?

This is very cool, Cecil. So many of us have been together so long, it's about time we all got to, at least, see who we're talking to.

Gosh, it's kind of like e-lost-harmony!

Well, anyway, somebody tell me if my picture really is uploaded at my pin location.

BTW: Clementine said to me... I can see your picture if I go to your page. Looks like you're clubbing someone to death with a tiny telescoping baton :)

You're half right. It IS a baton...and I'm probably beating Beethoven to death at that point!

DRH

#163. Posted by: davidrh at June 24, 2008 8:50 PM

@163 davidrh inquired:

>Thanks for all the advice . . . my pin says my photo is UPLOADED . . I just can't see it at my pin location. Is it like the "Hi"? (I'm the only one who sees it?)

As a map pin holder, you, along with the rest of us get an area to upload photos you want to share. You do upload those in the area that you reach from the "Photos" link on the map page. And your photo show inthe photos area.

But the one photo that shows on your map pin when its selected is uploaded in a different place, which you get you get to from "Update this Pin" on the popup that you see when your pin is selected (you can stop the pin rotation with the "Stop" button - pink with black square - on the map page.) Clcik you pin, then click "update thsi pin", then continue past the pin selection page, and there's a place to browse to the photo file you want associated with your pin. (It'll also be visible on the photo page.)

Good Luck, and Namaste!


>Or in the case of the picture, am I the only one who CAN'T see it at my pin location?

Your's appears to us just like the yellow square (home) I placed on Sheffield, Alabama. Name, location, greeting, but no pic.

?This is very cool, Cecil. So many of us have been together so long, it's about time we all got to, at least, see who we're talking to.

Kinda neat, yup. I signed up some time ago on the one on Lostpedia, and I noticed it yesterday and thought "I should figure out how to put one on the Lost Blog".

>Gosh, it's kind of like e-lost-harmony!

Or e-lost-dischord. (Bad Cecil! Shouldn't say that to a musician!)

>Well, anyway, somebody tell me if my picture really is uploaded at my pin location.

Photo area, yes, pin, no.

And if you've got to beat a composer, make it a post modernist, not a classical one.

---

How can you tell if the stage is level?

(The drummer drools out of both sides of his mouth, evenly. I've got a million of them - brother in the biz.)

#164. Posted by: Cecil at June 25, 2008 1:29 AM

Music jokes Cecil? Trust me - I'VE HEARD THEM ALL!!!!!


Anyway, thanks for the advise, but I think I'll stop trying on the pin. I attempted a "gagillion" times to put a number of pictures in that upload and nothing takes.
I'll just have to be satisfied with what appears to be the police marksman target on my spot.

Have a good day, all.

#165. Posted by: davidrh at June 25, 2008 7:21 AM

@surefoot:

My wife saw your pic and wants to know if you're in the Red Hat Society.

#166. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 25, 2008 9:32 AM

Oooh, I can't wait to join the Red Hat Society! Only 1 1/2 yrs to go!

#167. Posted by: hurling at June 25, 2008 10:15 AM

@ ealgumby:

Sometimes, to release stress at work, I computer doodle cartoons. The sick rat was the first suitable jpg file in the old computer hard drive archive file.

#168. Posted by: welh at June 25, 2008 11:05 AM

SHIFTING BACK TO “LOST” FOR A MOMENT . . .


Over the past several seasons I have also checked in to read a blog entitled “Lost...and Gone Forever”. (I’ll let you google it.)

It’s written by someone named Brian, whose weekly schedule includes writing a pre-episode epistle called “Brian’s Deeper Meaning Guess” in which he outlines what he THINKS is going to happen in the upcoming episode.

Immediately following the show, or within 24 hours usually, he writes an “Instant Reaction” summary of the episode - which usually includes admitting that he was totally screwed on his guessimate! This posting is short - not even close to comparable with the MAC-AMAZING commentary-synopsis we get in the same time frame!

BUT THEN, later he writes his “FULL ANALYSIS”, that can only be best described as a literary tome about the size of “Gone With the Wind”! His last analysis, dated June 10, on NPLH, Pt. 2&3 - which I only discovered last night - is about the same size as the 1968 Yearbook from the Encyclopedia Britannica!

He actually does a great job. And sometimes he actually brings up a point that, unbelievable as it seems, our collective Mac intellect, has somehow missed.

I bring this up because, despite this guys colossal output, I noticed he only gets about 29 or 30 comments from readers. Unlike here, where Mac throws out a teaspoon of water and we come charging back with a tidal wave, this poor guy gets no support at all. I don’t even think his mother writes back to him!

But he seems undaunted.

If you have SEVERAL hours to spare, you might google his site and read a bit. He appears to overturn every rock for inspiration.


DRH


#169. Posted by: davidrh at June 25, 2008 11:31 AM

Hi everyone!

I added a small embedded version of the Frapr map into the body text of this post. I also created a separate entry that can be referenced down the road:

http://tinyurl.com/53uuf9

This entry is categorized under Lost Blog Etc.

Thanks again for doing this Cecil!

#170. Posted by: mac at June 25, 2008 11:47 AM


→ 166. Posted by: Cecil Rose re the red hat society.

no, i am in a medieval recreation group called the society for creative anachronisms. it is an internation group with a chapter in pretty much every town or city with a university or college. the garb that i have on in that picture is a 16th century french gown and rolled hat with attached veil. i have heard of the red hat society, but don't really know anything about it except for the obvious head gear. is your wife a member perchance?

#171. Posted by: surefoot at June 25, 2008 1:44 PM

www . redhatsociety . com

You have to be 50 to join. Before that, some chapters will let you attend functions with a pink hat. It's just women over 50 celebrating life. I think most of them just have occasional lunches, but the one near me will be having a special trip to the Hedgerow Theatre (which is the oldest repertory theatre in the country).

#172. Posted by: hurling at June 25, 2008 2:15 PM

@171 surefoot hypothesized:

>(re: Red Hats)
>... is your wife a member perchance?

Yes. And I have many SCA members as friends (mostly back in California) but never had the time to join myself.

#173. Posted by: Cecil at June 25, 2008 2:22 PM

FINALLY SUCCESS!

I couldn't get my conducting picture to load, but finally, one of my PR pictures got on the pin spot.

Just wanted everyone to know that I didn't really intend to hog the photo section . . . I promise not to download anymore pictures of myself . . .

Of course, I do have that shot of me and DarrellAnn coming in from that torrential downpour . . nah . . No one would want to see THAT! . . . Afterall, our clothes were totally soaked . .

Awful picture.

#174. Posted by: davidrh at June 25, 2008 3:45 PM

→ 174. Posted by: davidrh
"Afterall, our clothes were totally soaked "

Oh, you're such a tease! I can't look at the map or pics from work & won't be home till after 7. Such torture!
---------------------------------
I have to ask everyone who's been posting their real name & face, though: Do you not worry about stalkers & axe murderers & sundry psychos? We're too old for pedophiles, but there are a lot of other dangerous people lurking out there.
I actually attended the wedding of someone I met on Filmfodder Forum, but we met in a public place and had lots of phone conversations beforehand. (I did create a funny pic of us on facebook & myspace regarding the peril, but all my settings are private.) The thing is, we got friendly, but opened up to each other, not to the entire internet. I just don't assume that everyone who reads these blogs is a reasonable, rational, safe human being.

#175. Posted by: hurling at June 25, 2008 4:14 PM

Here's an interesting bit of silliness.

Takes a while to laod and a fast connection, but worth the wait.

http://www.vimeo.com/1211060

#176. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 25, 2008 5:21 PM

Random topic:
Any other Parrotheads out there... looking for your... LOST shaker of salt??

#177. Posted by: lovelost at June 26, 2008 12:48 PM

→ 177. Posted by: lovelost
I've been pinin' for the fjords myself.

#178. Posted by: hurling at June 26, 2008 1:28 PM

@ Cecil
Here's an interesting bit of silliness.

Wow I'm of jeolous of that guy !

I didn't realise how lucky I am to have an employer that has such a fast connedtion that "silliness" started playing instantly ! T2 rules !

@ Berkyo you accidently put the picture of the master of the house instead of your picture on the map. What a cutie.
I would post my two dogs but they can't sing like yours !

#179. Posted by: SamFin at June 26, 2008 3:22 PM

178 hurling wistfully stated "I've been pinin' for the fjords myself"

so would that make you the "Norwegian Blue" of lore????

#180. Posted by: surefoot at June 26, 2008 7:48 PM

→ 176. Posted by: Cecil Rose
Makes me feel good every time I watch it. :)


→ 180. Posted by: surefoot
I've got beau'iful plumage!

#181. Posted by: hurling at June 26, 2008 10:24 PM

SHIFTING BACK TO “LOST” FOR A MOMENT . . .

AGAIN . . .

(To add to my totally ignored posting back at 169, here’s another pathway of interest . . .at least to me . . .)

I’ve been finding snippets around the internet (again) concerning the two skeletons and the black and white stones that Jack and Kate found in the original season.

There seems to be continuing conjecture that, because of the time causality loop, that these bodies are actually Dez and Penny in the distant future. This conjecture seems to be supported (loosely) by two stones - that are MAYBE black and white - on a chair in Desmond’s apartment in the “spattered red paint” scene in FLASHES BEFORE YOUR EYES.

One blog says that - QUOTE - “This in combination with an old quote from the producers hint that the time differences have been planned from the very beginning.” - UNQUOTE.

LINDELOF: There were certain things we knew from the very beginning. Independent of ever knowing when the end was going to be, we knew what it was going to be, and we wanted to start setting it up as early as season 1, or else people would think that we were making it up as we were going along. So the skeletons are the living — or, I guess, slowly decomposing — proof of that. When all is said and done, people are going to point to the skeletons and say, “That is proof that from the very beginning, they always knew that they were going to do this.”

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Any comments? Or have we been here before? I can’t remember.
(I’m fairly certain that Brain Stuff leaks out when I sleep . . . )


DRH

#182. Posted by: davidrh at June 27, 2008 9:30 AM

@182 davidrh grumbled:

>AGAIN . . .

>(To add to my totally ignored posting back at 169, here’s another pathway of interest . . .at least to me . . .)

Oh, not ignored. Just set aside for when I figure I've got a few hyours of browsing time - say about 2013.

#183. Posted by: Cecil Rose at June 27, 2008 9:53 AM


Cecil,

YOU . . . are a funny guy.

(I wasn't really being sarcastic, I was just commenting on the fact that we're ALL very "map-centered" right now and can't think aboutanything else . . . Like my visiting Granddaughter when she's watching Hannah Montana . . The house could come crashing down around her and she wouldn't even notice . . . except that it was harder to see the TV through the dustcloud.)

Ok, I'm out of here for awhile . . I've got to write an ending for this piece I'm working on now . . . Live wind orchestras don't so repetitious fadeouts very well . . .

#184. Posted by: davidrh at June 27, 2008 10:48 AM

I've been pinin' for the fjords myself.
→ 178. Posted by: hurling
so would that make you the "Norwegian Blue"????
→ 180. Posted by: surefoot

Good one! It never occurred to me that there would be a Monty Python connection. ;-)

#185. Posted by: lovelost at June 27, 2008 1:37 PM

→ 185. Posted by: lovelost
Yes, I'm more Python than Buffet. As far as Lost goes, I wonder if The Others (the ones sneaking around the woods) have taken lessons in How Not To Be Seen. And would they be appeased with a simple gift of lupines?

#186. Posted by: hurling at June 27, 2008 3:13 PM

→ 186. hurling: Monty Python & LOST connections:

After watching Ben jiggle-stalk away up the hill from Juliet, it's entirely possible that he held a minor functionary position in the Ministry of Silly Walks... ; >

#187. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at June 27, 2008 3:39 PM

@hurling/186
"would they be appeased with a simple gift of lupines?"

Oh, how you knowingly toy with my deep-seeded emotional attachment to Sir Dennis Moore! The mere mention of "lupines" sends me into emotional turmoil! Damn You! Damn You to Hell! (with non sequitor image of Charleton Heston on his knees before the Statue of Liberty head ... with Nova, ah NOVA, on the horse waiting behind him, anxious for procreation, mmm ... Nova ...) ...

No, NO ... you WON'T distract me from the point at hand! Lupines! Lupines, you say!!!

I'll TELL you about lupines! ...
if you, you should excite my passion further, well, I'll be forced to shoot, and I'm a crack shot ..

"I reckon I could hit that tree over there. Er... the one just behind that hillock. The little hillock, not the big hillock, the little hillock on the left ... ah, you see the three trees over there? Well, the third from the left and back a bit - that one - I reckon I could hit that four times out of five ... on a good day. Say with this wind ... say, say, seven times out of ten ..."

Nevermind ... damn you! I have had enough of this lupine subterfuge! I WILL shoot ...

"I must ask you to do exactly as I say or I shall be forced to shoot you right between the eyes ... Well not right between the eyes ... I mean when I say between the eyes, obviously I don't have to be that accurate, I mean, if I hit you in that sort of area, like that, obviously, that's all right for me ... I mean, I don't have to try and hit a point bisecting a line drawn between your pupils or anything like that. I mean, from my point of view, it's perfectly satisfactory ..."

Oh, well, that was quite silly wasn't it? Nevermind ... and now for something completely different ...

Ben moves the island!

#188. Posted by: ealgumby at June 27, 2008 8:06 PM

Warning ... I'm drunk, so take comments at random ...

Have to ask ... do people use "turn signals" properly where you live?

I drive the DC beltway every day, and I swear people here have no freakin' idea what the turn signal is intended to indicate ...

(1) We have the no-turn-signal-using "lane drifters," who figure their slowly entering my lane, whether there is room for them or not, indicates their intent to change lanes. Extremely annoying when they "drift" into my lane when there is not enough room, but even MORE annoying when they slowly drift into my lane over the course of a mile, just SLOWLY working their way over there, room or not, never giving any indication if they are changing lanes or drunk/asleep.

(2) The "flipping-the-turn-signal-on-grants-me-right-of-way" AHs! These annoy me even further ... apparently, on the east coast (and I have driven in damned near every CONUS state within the last ten years, so I can speak), use of the turn signal is either optional, or implies right to be a cut-off prick. I see it EVERY day here in MD/DC area ... people turn on their signal to change lanes where there is NO place for them to go ... and then they go. If you don't open a space ... accident ... if you do, it means slamming on the brakes, and maybe an accident behind you.

(3) The drift-then-signal AHs ... how effing hard is it to flip the GD switch when you want to change lanes?! There must be a special place in Hell for the last category in my "turn-signal" hall of rogues ... the people who drift half-way into then next lane, then "politely" turn their turn signal on.

What do you think you are accomplishing? You've already pissed me off by drifting half-way into another lane without indication (which, BTW, amounts to the full lane, unless I'm riding a bike), and then you have the AUDACITY to flick on your signal for one or two clicks to "indicate" where you've already gone? If there is justifiable "road rage," then this must be the cause of it ... I just want to KILL to people who do this ...

Speaking of inability to drive ... when people are taking a curve, and driving below the inside "line," that means they are driving beyong their ability. If you can't handle driving within your lane, then you are driving beyond your ability ... and that means you shouldn't be in the left lane!

Of course, these peeps are often the first to step on the gas once the road gets straight and flat! That's why I avoid you ... if you can't handle the car in a turn, then there's no reason for me to expect you can handle the car on a straight flat ... you ARE a dangerous driver! It takes NO ability to press the accelerator to the floor ... it does to respond to a situation where you have to react by steering ... if you cannot negotiate a smooth curve without going completely onto the inside shoulder to make the corner, then you have no business driving faster than those in the right line ... pull over, and stay there! You do NOT have the ability to play left-lane ranger!

Like I said, I drive (suffer) the DC beltway every day, and I am convinced the daily back-ups would be alleviated greatly if only for two simple rules ... TWO (2) simple rules ... if everyone obeyed these, beltway backups would be a rarity, I promise ...

(1) Pay no attention to the incident at the side of the road, that has already clearly been handled ... we have “rubber-necking” delays almost every day, due to people slowing down to a crawl, to “see” what has happened on the shoulder ... there’s NOTHING to “see!” Be it a simple fender-bender, a cop pulling someone over, or a major wreck, rubber-necking costs EVERYONE a substantial amount of time for no reason at all! Often times, the beltway is clogged in both directions due to a simple traffic stop on the other side of the highway! Of course, as soon as the “incident” is passed, traffic picks back up. God help me! Unless it’s in your way, or a wreck has just happened, PLEASE try to ignore it!

(2) Don’t wait until just before your exit to get into the exit lane! THIS is probably the biggest cause of rush-hour delays in DC ... IDIOTS, who know damned well that their exit is approaching, wait until the last second to change lanes from left to right, in order to catch their exit. Of course, this usually involves frequent braking, unnecessarily slowing down, and occasionally STOPPING traffic, in order to get over to that exit lane. GET THE HELL OVER THERE SOONER! Don’t count on a “hole” appearing for you to do so!

This crap will drive you insane ... none of us (okay, very few of us) are truly stupid, so there's no reason why the morning rush-hour should turn into a CF every day. Everyone wants to get where they're going in a reasonable time ... I am CONVINCED that if we all drive within our ability, obey proper traffic signalling laws, and are satisfied to go with the flow of prevailing traffic (not slowed unnecessarily), then we will all get there on time ... I am truly befuddled by why it has to be otherwise ...

But then, I am truly befuddled by why a lot of things are ...

#189. Posted by: ealgumby at June 27, 2008 9:54 PM

189. Posted by: ealgumby asked do people use "turn signals" properly where you live?

As a matter of fact, yes. Sarnia was once declared the city with the most courteous drivers in Canada! Now granted we are not a major city like Toronto. Once you start moving further into the province we have every one of the idiots you described and a few "special" drivers who think that anything that is paved is a drag strip to boot.

You left out my favourite catagory however...driving with the turn signal on for kilometres and then, once the car behind decides that the signal is stuck, slowing down to a crawl and turning!

ahhhh, if only everyone was a perfect driver like me ;)

#190. Posted by: surefoot at June 27, 2008 11:34 PM

@ealgumby's Doctor:

Up the dosage, up the dosage!

#191. Posted by: Cecil at June 28, 2008 1:47 AM


We'll get back to driving manners later, but first, an announcement:

My wife and I celebrate our 39th anniversary today.

Happiest 36 years of our lives!

(Joking. Couldn't help myself.)

Now back to your regularly scheduled diatribe . . .

#192. Posted by: davidrh at June 28, 2008 6:24 AM

Happy Anniversary, Davidrh. Hope you and the Mrs have a very nice day!

#193. Posted by: Clementine at June 28, 2008 12:02 PM

Ah, yes, the turn signal as pseudo-apology for premeditated aggression. I know it well. The underlying message being: I am more important than you, and as such, am entitled to violate your space, the rules of the road, and common courtesy to gain a two-minute advantage in reaching my destination.

I’m fairly inured at this point, except for the occasional nutjob who not only acts oblivious or entitled, but literally has no care for life and limb. My life and limb being somewhat valued by myself and my family, thank you very much.

While I’m sure our local rush hour is nothing compared to the Capital Beltway, we do specialize in tunnels and bridges. The unwritten rule of the tunnel being: everyone must brake as soon as the tunnel comes into view, even though the lanes don’t narrow and the speed limit doesn’t change. And while absolutely everyone complains about everyone else braking unnecessarily, everyone still brakes. So, it is obviously written somewhere in our DNA.

And what would Pittsburgh be without our bridges? My favorite is the four lane bridge with two double lanes entering and four lanes exiting in different directions. Of course, the majority are not entering in the lane in which they need to exit, requiring a double or triple merge within a few hundred feet. Reasonably, one should approach the bridge in an inside lane if one needs to merge, but a common maneuver is what I like to call the “Flying Wedge” where one approaches from the far left or far right lane (this being the least congested) and merges across three lanes of traffic at a high rate of speed, while slower inside drivers fight amongst themselves. It takes a little practice, and there is always the risk of not making your exit lane in time, but I find the oblivious thank-you wave and postmortem turn signal very effective. Hey, if you can’t beat ‘em, might as well join ‘em, right? And it does get me to work about two minutes faster. :)

#194. Posted by: Clementine at June 28, 2008 12:18 PM

182. Posted by: davidrh
Not ignoring your post - just adding it to the list of things to look into from this site. You guys go so fast I can't keep up.

There is so much wonderful conversation going on here. Lots of trivia for a party I am going to later today.

I have been obsessing with the "hint" of an online game. I missed the first 2 and am having a ball scouting for clues that are not there. It's amazing how many Lost related names and professions and companies and just stuff appear in real websites. Did you know there is a REAL Van Eeghen shipping company from the 1600's that was founded by a Christian and his son was Jacob??????

And George Carlin - The world will miss you.

#195. Posted by: berkyo at June 28, 2008 3:34 PM

happy anniversary davidrh! 39 years is a major accomplishment. whatever you are doing to celebrate, i hope you have a wonderful time.

#196. Posted by: surefoot at June 28, 2008 7:04 PM

→ 182. Posted by: davidrh: Any comments? Or have we been here before?

I think one of the reasons there is so little discussion on the Adam and Eve skeletons is that there is very little evidence to form any kind of even half-intelligent guess.

We know that Jack puts their death at around 50 years ago, and that D&C says time shifting is an important clue to the skeletons.

(here comes the half-intelligent guess part...)

Since Lost time travel is limited to consciousness drifting only, and not physical-in-body time travel, that eliminates the skeletons being Des and Penny, or Jack and Kate, or Kate and Sawyer, or any other current couple, unless...

"Adam and Eve" went back in time via re-entry to the island. In other words, the couple found the portal to the island, but missed the "eye of the needle" and experienced a major time shift that took them back in the past 50 some years (and potentially drove them insane, unless they served as each other's constant).

Since Jack and Kate are unlikely to return to the island without the rest of the Oceanic 6, that would likely eliminate them as Adam and Eve. If it's Des and Penny, that would involve them returning to the island on their own for unknown reasons.

The other thing is the black stone/white stone. That's possibly representative of the ancient way to vote (white stone=yes, black vote=no) or to determine the results of a trial (white stone=innocent, black stone=guilty). That suggests some sort of ceremony/ritual/trial, conducted 50 years ago by whom? The Others? Is there a scenario where the two travel back in time, one is condemned to death while the other is freed, but they agree to die together because of their love for each other?

Now who's head hurts?

#197. Posted by: Mizzed at June 28, 2008 7:37 PM

David- In reading through my last post, it seems like I believe that Adam and Eve are Des and Penny- I don't. I also don't buy the theory that the skeletons are Amelia Earhart and her navigator, although that would be pretty straightforward.

My own probably wrong theory is that the skeletons are Jacob and a wife, possibly Locke's mother. Here's why:

In the bible, Jacob is buried in The Cave of Machpelah, aka the Cave of the Patriarchs, which is also referred to as the cave of the tombs of couples. This cave included the bodies of Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and his wife, Leah.

In some Hebrew texts, the Patriarchs are described as not dead, but in a sleeping state, capable of asking God for mercy and intervention on behalf of their decendants. Note that our "Adam and Eve" are not buried, and as we've seen repeatedly in Lost, not being buried means your spirit gets around.

Jacob's other wife, Rachel, died in childbirth after giving birth to their youngest son, Benjamin, and was buried by the side of the road near Bethlehem.

As for our Benjamin, 1) he is born by the side of the road to a mother who dies in childbirth, 2) he is prematurely born but survives, 3) his supposed father clearly disowns him, 4) the birth happens to be "chanced upon" by Horace Goodspeed of Dharma fame and 5) the spirit of his mother appears to him, the only spirit shown so far whose body is not (?) on the island.

As for Locke, 1) his mother claims he was immaculately conceived and has a special destiny, 2) His father is described at John's birth as "twice his mother's age", and is never shown, 3) His birth is attended by Richard Alpert (since time travel is consciousness based, the real Alpert had to physically be there in the 1950's), 4) his survival as a premature infant is described as "miraculous", 5) the woman later claiming to be his mother is a patient at the same hospital as Libby, Hurley, and Leonard Simms (impact from the mystical numbers and/or time-shifting?) 6) His supposed father, a con man, disowns him.

Perhaps this is all wishful thinking, but there's a lot of coincidence here...

#198. Posted by: Mizzed at June 29, 2008 12:15 AM

→ 189. Posted by: ealgumby at June 27,

Check out George Carlin: Carlin on Campus - 1984 (Part 3 of 6) on youtube. Funny bit on other drivers.

#199. Posted by: Scooby-Dude at June 29, 2008 8:22 AM

Cecil

Thanks for the link to Matt's video. I went to Teotihuacan last year!!! But I need to get moving to see all those other places.....Makes me sad because I probably wont' see most of them......:(((((((

#200. Posted by: berkyo at June 30, 2008 4:46 PM

→ 198. Posted by: Mizzed
Thee is a lot of really good info in your musings. My question is the time travel bit. The show has show how Desmond went back in his mind and yet his body remained. But didn't Ben leap forward in time in his body? or is the island time shift to the past (Faraday's experiment)the reason when Ben left he winds up in the future?

#201. Posted by: berkyo at June 30, 2008 4:56 PM

→ 201. berkyo: "My question is the time travel bit."

It's a good question.

Actual physical time travel happens when entering or exiting the island- although it may be random (flight 815 crashed without experiencing any known time effects). We've seen the gamut of the doctor arriving a day before he was killed all the way to Ben's lost 10 months between the donkey wheel and the desert.

The time consciousness jumping has been potrayed as more of a sickness- either from exposure to the energy at the island's core (Desmond) or by approaching the island at the wrong heading (the freighter crew, esp. Minkowski).

Best guess is that these effects work together and are determined by the approach to/from the island (so the Others submarine was able to safely go back and forth).

Of course we've also seen at least one character- Mrs. Hawking- who can apparently control the time jumping process, and there has been the suggestion that Ben, Mr. Friendly, Locke's father, etc. were transported to/from the island by means other than the submarine.

I know this is the type of thing that drives many people crazy. Lindelof was recently quoted as saying if they spent their whole time talking about wormholes and Faraday constants, they'd never be able to get any real storytelling done.

#202. Posted by: Mizzed at July 1, 2008 12:01 PM

Happy 4th of July to all of you in the States!

#203. Posted by: surefoot at July 4, 2008 6:35 AM

Random topic: (hey, Egypt is even lost related)

Some time ago I got quite interested in the "air shafts" of the great pyramid. A really interesting and baffling subject. I came across some of the info related to the link below, and blew it off completely as poppy-cock.

Recently I stumbled into it again, from a different tangent, read a bunch, and now I have to give it a lot more credit.

Two other current facts that make it even more interesting:
1.) What ever happened to the 2004,5 Singapore U. robot mission?
2.) Why has Egypt built a cement barrier wall around the Giza Plat.?

The link:
http://gizapower dot com/

He appears to have two hypothesis, chemical and sonic.

#204. Posted by: mtncbn at July 5, 2008 8:33 PM

Very interesting mtncbn. but i don't think the pyramid was a giant battery.

Color me skeptical.

#205. Posted by: Cecil at July 6, 2008 3:32 PM

Hi guys.

Our local Relay for Life is this weekend and the theme for our team is LOST. I have a cardboard box for the plane Painted with the OA logo and plane windows.) and an old pc for the numbers to be entered. and I am going to make the blast door map as a backdrop. Also a few palm trees from the center of rug rolls. But our money maker at the relay will be "Lost Trivia". My daughter (2001 ALL Cancer survivor) and I have got lots of questions for people. (Way too easy) they give a dollar and get 5 questions. if they answer them all correctly, they sign their name on a clip board called "Are you smart enough to be on Ben's List?" and are entered in a drawing for a backpack.

I wanted to have a bonus set of questions for anyone who is a real Lost fanatic. (Apollo Candy Bar for a prize)I don't remember who put the list of "Famous last Words" up. Could I use that? Are they too hard ? I would need the answers as I did not get half of them right.

Any other ideas?

I am hanging a green tarp on the side of our booth and gluing on the L O S T letters as in the fade out on tv. The 2 palms are on the side. the pc and desk will have the blast map as backboard and we have a coconut for the raffle entries. We have laminated masks of all the characters for our costumes and will wear backpacks/messenger bags and have flashlights to carry. Rice Krispy Treats have the Hatch logos on top.

Thanks

Support your local Relay!!!!

#206. Posted by: berkyo at July 6, 2008 4:49 PM

→ 204. Posted by: mtncbn

I did not go to the site you mentioned yet but I remember one podcast that said the Volcano on the island would be important. Air shaft?

#207. Posted by: berkyo at July 6, 2008 4:53 PM

He could hear the storm coming ... the slow southern drawl of thunderous rumble against the resistant northern sky, grey against blue, no end to come … unforgiven conflict without Appatomax surrender. Far below, he watched and waited, anticipating the deluge yet to come … close the windows … this could be a “leaker” …

For the last few years, he had rued the early 70’s “modern” design of his house … every time the rain swept in strongly from the south, it bore upon the weakened vertical shingles, and surely meant a leak from behind the veneer. The roof flashing would fail to stop the seep.

Sure enough … drip, drip, drip … put a bucket beneath it … drip, drip, drip … drip.

He dreamed of song … Desert Rose …

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in pain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

… drip, drip, drip …

Yet it's just a bucket catching rain …there can be no reciptacle for his pain.

Nupur, I miss you dearly …

#208. Posted by: ealgumby at July 6, 2008 8:24 PM

berkyo, 206:

I put up the "Famous Last Words", but they're straight out of a Wikipedia article I found a link to on Lostpedia. I don't guess they're mine to give permission but I don't thing the corporate mind that is Wikipedia would mind (it being built on "fair use" anyway. Of course this is too late for last weekend, anyway, assuming that's what you meant.


I don't think they're too hard for fanatics like us, but mught be a bit difficult for the average fan.

#209. Posted by: Cecil Rose at July 7, 2008 9:32 AM

Thank You Cecil!

#210. Posted by: berkyo at July 7, 2008 6:21 PM

Have I never noticed before? There are ads by Google at the top of this page. Links to what looks like porn sites. Should I object to this? have they always been there? or have they been slipped in and Mac does not know? I am pretty sure I object.
I send links to this site to minors who watch the show........

#211. Posted by: berkyo at July 7, 2008 6:24 PM

206 and 211. Posted by: berkyo.

What a fantastic idea for the relay!

i'm not sure where your (well, not really YOUR) porn links are coming from. There are none on my page.

#212. Posted by: surefoot at July 7, 2008 7:04 PM

Guess what everyone!

Two days ago my dad was taking me to target, and on the way he's like, "Damn... I forgot the thing". I was like, "What thing?". He's like, "the Planet Earth DVD you got me for my birthday, I was going to return it." I was like... ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!? I ALREADY HATED YOU FOR LAST TIME, AND YOU'RE DOING IT AGAIN?!?!

So I ignored him forever...

I'm very mad.

... what a jerk =[

#213. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at July 8, 2008 8:51 AM

@213 ilovebenjaminlinusxx:

Don't be too hard on the (us) old guy(s). We're hard to shop for. After a while we figure we've pretty much got what we need and everyting else is surplus.

I remember we despaired of ever getting my day to wear anything but white shirts. No pastel shades, however pale, would find a place in his closet, regardless of how often gifted. And he wore the old shirts until the collars frayed in two.

One Christmas, however, i managed to get him a gift that really touched him - we'd had a fire inn our house that burned up his copies of his college yearbooks, Virginia Tech 1936 and 1937. I managed to find two old copies in Blacksburg while I was going there, presented the to him on Christmas Day, and saw a tearin his eye at recovering old memories he thought had been lost.

Keep plugging, I'll bet you can find something he really needs even if he doesn't realize it.

#214. Posted by: Cecil Rose at July 8, 2008 10:37 AM

@211 berkyo noted:

>Have I never noticed before? There are ads by Google at the top of this page. Links to what looks like porn sites. Should I object to this? have they always been there? or have they been slipped in and Mac does not know? I am pretty sure I object.
I send links to this site to minors who watch the show........


There have always been banner ads and sidebar ads and I'm not sure exactly what control mac has over them. Right now I'm seeing ads for:

Banner:

Time Warner Business Class Cable

Sidebar:

World of Warcraft Video Game
Lost DVD's and merchandise


Bottom:
Fodder Store

If I refresh my browser the banner add changes to:

T-Mobile
Embassy Suites Motel
Outspark (On line gaming)

hmmm OK, now I see it - links to "Zango - Free Sexy Webcam Girls"

Nope, never noticed that before. I'd suggest a note to mac(at)foddernetwork.com to complain and see if he can do anything about it.

#215. Posted by: Cecil Rose at July 8, 2008 10:54 AM

Re: advertising -- The ad filters were originally set up to block provocative content. Apparently, the filters were removed or broke down somewhere along the line. I have reinstated them, so hopefully the webcam girls et. al will disappear.

Note: the Google ads are contextually driven, so what you see is kinda/sorta related to what's on the page. Unfortunately, the contextualization engine sometimes screws up, so from time to time you'll see unrelated links. There isn't much I can do about this.

The image-based ads are a different matter. If you ever see things that seem off (i.e. provocative or annoying, etc.), please drop me a line directly at mac@filmfodder.com. I always appreciate it when folks go out of their way to alert me to these types of things.

Thanks! -- mac

#216. Posted by: mac at July 8, 2008 11:08 AM

@mac:

Either the filters aren't working or haven't taken effect yet, because when I dropped in and saw your note I checked the banner and it was the "Sexy Girls Videos" one again.

And I'm a little confused on one point - are the "Google Ads" the links directly to the right of the words "Google Ads", all of which seem to be Lost related? If so, I've never seen anything suggestive three - it's the banner ads at top that Berkyo was thinking of, I think.

#217. Posted by: Cecil at July 8, 2008 1:58 PM

@Cecil: The filters can take up to a day to activate, so if you (or anyone) continue to see those ladies tomorrow, let me know.

The Google ads located in two spots: at the top of the page, below the banner ad and in a block just above the very first comment. Most of the time the Google ads are fine, but weirdness occasionally slips in there. The banner ads are generally where the seedy stuff arises.

#218. Posted by: mac at July 8, 2008 2:03 PM

Thanks, mac. We all appreaciate your work to keep this a clean, family-friendly environment.

#219. Posted by: Cecil at July 8, 2008 2:31 PM

@ Cecil
He actually said he'll buy it again when it comes out in HD.

... But I know that by that time he'll decide not to buy it.

#220. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at July 8, 2008 9:42 PM

TWOP seletct the "10 most useless characters on Lost"

Mkae your own list and compare, before going to:

www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/lost/lost_the_10_most_worthless_cha.php

#221. Posted by: Cecil Rose at July 9, 2008 2:10 PM

Thank you Mac!!!!

I had not noticed before and happened to go to the top to look for another blog here.
Wouldn't want my hubby to find them ;)

220. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx

Give up! After 35 years of marriage I no longer give my husband a Birthday/Anniversary etc gift. He does not want anything. So unless i find something "I" want, he gets a card and a hug. There are some men how seem to be complete.

#222. Posted by: berkyo at July 9, 2008 2:18 PM

What's TWOP???

Useless..........
Well, now, how do you mean useless?
Have no real function in the show? like background people?
Or Pain in the neck type people?

I will list those guys.

1 Shannon
2 Waaaaalt
3 Give me my son right now! Michael.
4 Artz
5 Nikki
6 Paulo
7 Ana Lucia
8 Shannon's Step Mother
9 Frogurt (I think that is his name)
and
10 The guy Juliette shot at the boat when Sawyer, Kate and Alex's botfriend were getting away.

Considering the plane had a random group of people and considering how annoying people can be....It is surprising that they weren't more Shannon/Artz types.

If this is wrong - sorry.

Gotta go find the OA logo for my cardboard plane!

#223. Posted by: berkyo at July 9, 2008 2:31 PM

Me again.

Mac
After posting the page goes to the top and beneath the banner ads is a row of links.

First is Google ads

Then comes Bad Girls Blog.

Maybe there is nothing you can do about this.

#224. Posted by: berkyo at July 9, 2008 2:33 PM

@berkyo, et al.

TWOP = Television WithOut Pity

A major TV show blog. Weeks and weeks of reading in the archives.

If you think reading comments here is like drinking from a firehose, their S-3 Finale blog comments are up to 1,001 with 325,000 viewings. Their Lost blogger is rated about .5 mac, but note they take six *days* to get their reviews up, while mac doesn't take six *hours*.

They have a huge (and paid) staff, but aren't looking for any more, darn it. It can be a lot of fun to read as a supplement to mac's blog, if you've got the time.

They have a ton of rules to follow, and will police them lie the SS, making the convivial atmosphere around here a dip in a refreshing pool. Not as 'family friendly' either, in reviews or commments, if you know what I mean. But they have the manpower to offer more special features.

For what it's worth, here's their staffer's definition of 'worthlessness'.

"The following Lost characters are overwhelmingly, for lack of a better word, worthless. They are the characters whose scenes we usually fast-forward through because they just don’t have a lot to offer. They’re not necessarily evil, most of them kick very little ass, their back-stories eat up precious screen time, and they require far too much hand-holding from the characters who are actually making themselves useful (or entertaining) on the island. We’re calling them out because we know Jack just doesn’t have the heart to. And besides, he’s busy doing important things, which is more than we can say for these guys. -- Mindy Monez"

#225. Posted by: Cecil at July 9, 2008 5:00 PM

Pardon me, above, I meant "S-4 finale".

#226. Posted by: Cecil at July 9, 2008 5:01 PM

10 most useless characters.
I haven't read the thing yet, but here's my list anyway.

10. The FLIGHT ATTENDANT.
9. That girl that Jack kissed because he "tried" to cure her father... I don't remember her name.
8. Achara, the tattoo girl... completely unnecessary. I don't know if she counts as a character. I guess anyone that associates themselves with Jack sucks... except Christian because he links too many people... unfortunately he loved Jack. -- not sure why.
7. Michael... so annoying.
6. Alex... at times.
5. Random extras [but not Scott, Steve, or Frogurt because they're awesome]
4. Aaron. WHY DID HE HAVE TO BE ONE OF THE SIX?!?!?! [I still owe JoePike a cookie for that one... chocoalte chip.]
3. Juliet
2. Kate... I HATE HER.
1. and finally... guess... THE MOST USELESS CHARACTER ON LOST IS... JACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

In the spirit of ths show, I don't think any character is "useless". These are just the ones that could die and I would not care.... or are dead, and I did not care.

#227. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at July 9, 2008 11:58 PM

@227 ilovebenjaminlinusxx:

But if Jack were gone, who would Ben have to torment?


You know somthing I just realized? I wonder if "Waaaalt" is a nod to the parent company - Walt E Disney Productions?

#228. Posted by: Cecil Rose at July 10, 2008 10:41 AM

re: 227
- - - -
Really... "THAT FLIGHT ATTENDANT"?

You mean Cindy? The bearer of the SCARF? The woman that gave us the prophetic fashion accessory that we love and praise.

You might as well put the Virgin Mary, the Dalai Lama, and Mother Theresa on your list as well.

#229. Posted by: MorBid0 at July 10, 2008 12:29 PM

NO. Sorry, I should have been more clear. I meant the flight attendant in the future flash that refused to give Jackass more alcohol. If she wasn't willing to murder him, she's useless.

I think that's what happened.

CINDY on the other hand is COMPLETELY useful. Come on, the scarf is with her! [the force is with her...]

My mind is somewhere else...

#230. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at July 10, 2008 8:14 PM

@ilovebenjaminlinusxx/213
"So I ignored him forever..."

In all seriousness ... it sounds like your family isn't hurting for purchasing power ... perhaps you should consider something more personal ...

Please don't take offense, but a gift from the heart always means more than a gift from the wallet anyway ...

Do you have a special talent? Can you sing or have musical ability? If so, then record a song/piece especially for your dad ... I guarantee he'll never "return it." Do you have any artistic ability? Then draw/paint/sculpt something for your dad, and he will prize it forever, I promise. Do you see yourself as a writer? Then write a poem or prose treatise about something you know your dad cares about ... and put it in pen on nice paper ... again, only a complete ass (which I imagine your dad is not) would ever discard such a thing. If you think you are smart, then make a "birthday puzzle" for dad to figure out ... I made a Sudoku puzzle with a selected set of letters instead of numbers once, with the "answer" within highlighted squares (yeah, it took a while to do it), and a customized crossword another time. I could go on and on ... there must be something unique you can do that either highlights one of your talents, or your dad's.

Even if you think you don't have any special talents (and from what I have heard from you, I find that hard to believe), then dig deep and just do the best you can, with whatever endeavor you decide upon. If it's from the heart, no matter how lame it might seem, I PROMISE you, your dad will cherish it.

When you make the effort to do this, and he still rejects your gift, only THEN will I accept your determination that he's a "jerk."

And from a completely selfish point of view (if you so choose to think that way), if you do something unique and completely unexpected for him, then the pressure is going to be on him to do something great back for you ... trust me.

It's a win-win ... start thinking ahead for next year now.

JMO ...

#231. Posted by: ealgumby at July 10, 2008 10:57 PM

@ILBxx

PS: I am intrigued by "The Planet Earth" DVD, and plan to purchase a copy from Amazon myself, but that's just me. I'm weird ...

#232. Posted by: ealgumby at July 10, 2008 11:15 PM

Ealgumby --

First of all... he said he wanted it.

Anyway, I used to make pretty things for my parents when I was little, but now that's getting old. He'll appreciate it, but I bet he'll forget it after a while. I'm to an age that when I make something nice, it's not that big of a deal. And sometime's I get "constructive criticism" because it "could have been better".

Obviously hand-made and thoughtful things mean more than store-bought things, but it would have to be REALLY thoughtful to make it memorable.

The problem is, my sister got the artistic gene in my family so she usually paints them a picture or gives them one of her college projects as gifts.

For example-- for my mom's birthday she gave her a horse that she made out of wire and sottered (sp?) it. She did this for one of her college projects because she has an architecture-industrial design major. She did almost all of it at home, so my mom watched her do it. My mom was a big fan of it and my sister decided to give it to her for her birthday.

Then for mother's day... (when she was in High School)... she painted one of the pictures she took of me and painted it specifically with my mom in mind. I personally think it was a very bad picture to begin with and the painting was even worse, but for some reason, everyone loves it! So they put it up in my family room so everybody could see it and I can barf everytime I see it.

Anyway, the point is... nothing I do would be good enough, so why not just give him a hug and if he gets lucky, a card.

Overall, my dad's not a jerk. However, he can act like one at times.

My main talent is dancing... and I'm not planning on dancing for him... which sounds weird when I say it, but you know what I mean.

My mom on the other hand is much easier. She wants me to make/get her a bracelet every year. I have no idea why, but it "means something" to her. She said I could even just tie a string around her and she'd never take it off... unless it falls off.

I usually buy her pretty ones for her birthday and make her them when I feel like it.

I don't get anything for my birthday. There's no use... everything I want they don't want me to have... and everything else I already have.

My parents go by the policy, "you don't get anything you don't NEED, but when you NEED it, you get it." Therefore, we don't get things for holidays or any other special occasion.

My mom has been getting me a season of LOST. every year though... Since they never want to get them for me any other time.

Sorry if I rambled. I just didn't like how he returned my "thoughtful" gift.

I don't know if they can actually return it though... since I have the reciept. =D (evil smiley).

#233. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at July 11, 2008 3:38 PM

P.S.
Sorry about all the gramatical mistakes. I read the first sentence with the "sometime's" and couldn't read it anymore.

#234. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at July 11, 2008 3:40 PM

ILBLXX:

It's "soldered" even though that doesn't look right and it's pronounced exactly the way you spelled it. (Isn't English fun?)

To help with "sometime's" have a look at:

www.angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif

which is also available in a full color poster at:

www.angryflower.com/aposter.html

#235. Posted by: Cecil Rose at July 11, 2008 4:56 PM

Two interesting reads from today's Post (IMO):

Capitalism's Reality Check
tinyurl.com/6c59rn

Our Crazy Cuba Policy
tinyurl.com/2sf8m4

#236. Posted by: ealgumby at July 12, 2008 12:48 AM

→ 236. ealgumby: Post articles:

Interesting reads, both. The capitalism columnist references similarities between today's conditions & those of the '20s & '30s, but in some ways a comparison w/the 1870s-90s, the Gilded Age w/its robber barons, Newport "cottages," & sensationalistic journalism, is closer.

As far as a U.S. policy toward Cuba, I wasn't aware we had a "policy"...more like nearly a 50-year-old sulk. ; )

#237. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at July 12, 2008 11:18 PM

Just got an email of an "Important Announcement" by Octogon Global Recruiting", the text of which follows below the line:

===============================

ATTENTION ALL RECRUITS
DHARMA HEAD OF RECRUITING TO ATTEND LAUNCH

Octagon Global Recruiting, on behalf of the Dharma Initiative, is pleased to announce that Dharma's Head of Recruiting, Mr. Hans Van Eeghen, has confirmed his availability for the launch of our latest recruiting drive at Comic-Con 2008.

"My colleagues at Octagon Global Recruiting assure me that Comic-con hosts some of the brightest minds in the country," said Mr. Van Eeghen. "As Head of Recruiting it is my intention to personally assess the very best of this talent in the hope that they may join us."

The Dharma Initiative will be conducting eligibility assessments at Booth 3529 at Comic-Con, San Diego between July 24th - 27th.

If you are attending Comic-Con and would like to submit your name for a randomly selected drawing to secure one of ten (10) pre-release appointments with one of our recruiting officers, please click here.

The volunteer eligibility assessment will be available online from July 28th for a limited time at www.dharmawantsyou.com
The Dharma Initiative hopes you will spread the word. Invite your friends to join the team at www.octagonglobalrecruiting.com

If you can't view the images in this email please click here

THIS IS AN OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION OF THE DHARMA INITIATIVE:

This message and its attachments are confidential and may contain information which is protected by copyright. It is intended solely for the named addressee. If you are not the authorized recipient (or responsible for delivery of the message to the authorized recipient), you must not use, disclose, print, copy or deliver this message or its attachments to anyone. If you receive this email in error, please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete this message and its attachments from your system. Any content of this message and its attachments that does not relate to the official business of the Dharma Initiative or its subsidiaries must be taken not to have been sent or endorsed by any of them. No representation is made that this email or its attachments are without defect or that the contents express views other than those of the sender.
===================================

And just so you know this is official "Lost" stuff, the following boilerplate disclaimers appear at the end of the page:


ADD ME TO ABC ENTERTAINMENT'S DO NOT EMAIL LIST

This email contains an advertisement from ABC Entertainment, 500 S.
Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521.

To unsubscribe from all types of future commercial email from ABC
Entertainment regarding its products and services, click here:

http://ts.go.com/bk?bs=7&YnI9MTc2NTQmYmE9Y2VjaWwucm9zZUBuY3RyZWFzdXJlci5jb20K

#238. Posted by: Cecil Rose at July 18, 2008 10:20 AM

If you want to view the above announcement in html, with links, fill in your own email address after "register=" in the link below, then go to:

http://tinyurl.com/5qpgse


Note: The ABC disclaimers do not show in this version.

#239. Posted by: Cecil at July 18, 2008 10:31 AM

Thanks Cecil, I haven't gotten it yet.
But if you go to that tiny url site and view the source, you see this hidden message. I didn't figure this ut myself, I have read that it is how they ran the game last time.

<!--
The whole thing sounds like elitist B.S., doesn�t it?
Well, I�m getting in that booth and taking the test.
As many times as I have to before I �pass� (whatever that means?)
And then�
If I can?
I�m gonna tape it so EVERYONE can see what these idiots are up to.
Should be fun, right?
See ya in SD. RuckusGuy OUT.

#240. Posted by: berkyo at July 19, 2008 3:50 AM

Also.....
If you Google Ruckusguy you get a link to a dating service Plenty of Fish - wonder if it's real? And there is a really lame guy asking for help in his relationship. He brags several times about his being smarter than she in that he is really good at taking tests. A Coincidence?

#241. Posted by: berkyo at July 19, 2008 4:12 AM

I wonder if it means anything that he capitalized EVERYONE and OUT?

#242. Posted by: berkyo at July 19, 2008 8:41 AM


At Dark UFO (I think) I read that someone found "dots" on the page. I can barely see them and would not have found them. So I tried my puny programs.

When I open the page with ALL the dots - if you refresh the page there is a second series that appear and it looks like the fist's mirror image.

Then I click on Vistas windows photo gallery "fix" link and I get a very limited editing page. But I can play with the color. If I turn the saturation all the way up to the left and play with the temp and tint I get a very strange background. Kind of like a city scape or maybe even on of those gene maps?

If I then increase the image very large, each dot looks like it is in an 8 by 8 matrix. the dots are in different places in each matrix. What would that mean? Looks like a Sudoku box only 8X9. A chess board? I don't remember how you express the chess positions in writing. could this be a code?
or is this just the way photos look when close up, As I said I am new to this.

#243. Posted by: berkyo at July 19, 2008 9:08 AM

241. Posted by: berkyo ... if your question is whether "plenty of fish" is a real site, the answer is yes. i often hear on the american tv shows about couples meeting on "craig's list", but up here the most popular site is PoF. now if your question was whether the profile is real...that would be anbody's guess. all you need is an email address to post a profile on the site.

#244. Posted by: surefoot at July 19, 2008 10:49 AM

→ 244. Posted by: surefoot

Yes, the site itself. It looked real with all the women trying to help that poor fellow.

Thanks.
I am so excited about this ARG. I am bouncing up and down in my pc chair! My little life has missed Lost.....I am trying to entertain myself with Design Star and Runway. Not quite the same thing.

but Fringe looks good for the fall.

#245. Posted by: berkyo at July 19, 2008 11:24 AM

Forget the dots. It's the octagon symbol being generated at a snails pace. Just to fool people like me. I am still having fun.

Dark UFO has a fun game like March Madness involving characters pitted against each other. I wound up with Vincent and Jacob in the final match.

I can post this here can't I Mac? If not, delete it.

#246. Posted by: berkyo at July 22, 2008 10:11 AM

Berkyo,

I asked the same thing when I wrote up the Lost Experience. Mac's fine with mentions of other places. And he's confident enough in his own writing not to worry about readers running away to other places. They just make us appreciate mac that much more.

#247. Posted by: Cecil at July 22, 2008 11:56 AM

@berkyo -- To expand upon Cecil's comment, my rule is: if it's cool/interesting, it deserves to be mentioned and noted. As long as a site meets that criteria, feel free to link early and often!

#248. Posted by: mac at July 22, 2008 12:02 PM

Thanks Mac -
I have been to lots of sites now looking for OGR info and this is really the only "intelligent" one. And not just because I like to come here. he he

#249. Posted by: berkyo at July 22, 2008 4:27 PM

Could RuckusGuy, from the secret message in the latest email, be RG from the bracelet in the Economist?


Come on guys, help me out here.

#250. Posted by: berkyo at July 23, 2008 8:05 PM

Hi Guys, Enjoying your summer? I have been lake swimming, something I could never do before as the water would be ICE cold. But not this year. Global warming????

Anyone see the G4 channel special on Lost? in it there was a mention of Web sites and the popularity of Blogs. I did not see this site mentioned but I did see a reference to a question have had. not sure it was talked about here.

In the episode with Hurley and Dave, the photo? Well, some website had compared the scene when the doctor took the photo of Dave and Hurley to the actual photo and the time of day is totally different as indicated by the light outside the window. So if the photo was a fake, the doctor was lying to Hurley and there really was a Dave. Just a little info I found.

#251. Posted by: berkyo at July 28, 2008 12:59 PM

Berkyo:

Gotta telll us abou these specials BEFORE, not after they air. Guess I'll haunt G4 looking for a repeat.

As to the photo, the writers do a compare on one of their audio podcasts, going into detail about position of silverware, etc, and concluding there were no discernable differences there. I'd think they'd have mentioned time of day. I can only conclude there were no *intentional* differences. And no plot points buried there.

#252. Posted by: Cecil at July 28, 2008 1:21 PM

I guess I assume everyone is as LOST as I am:)

I thought you were all sound asleep in the hammock under the elms. i almost hated to bother you. But it's time to get up.

If you go here
http://youtube.com/user/tapdawg

You can see what happend at Comic con. I have my PI cap on and am on the track of a Dharma insider named RuckusGuy alias Don Bronson alias.... also a DuaneIsInsane.

All concerning the ARG which seems to have a name. The Project.

#253. Posted by: berkyo at July 28, 2008 1:54 PM

The ARG has started and I am having fun!!!!

go to
http://www.dharmawantsyou.com/site/index.php
and sign up. They seem to be very busy.....

also there is an insider giving clues at
http://www.spoilertv.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=98&t=2504&p=37239#p37239

#254. Posted by: berkyo at July 29, 2008 8:56 AM

Talk about a quality show !

If Sawyer and Jules went time traveling like Desmond, wouldn't they be like in the 70's NAKED?

Now that's eye candy for you !

#255. Posted by: SamFin at July 29, 2008 10:56 AM

Well, ComicCon is over, and a new email has arrived from Dharma:

The embedded "Click Here" link is the same one Berkyo gives above.

-----------------
THE DHARMA INITIATIVE WANTS YOU!
Recruiting Volunteers NOW.
Join the Dharma Initiative's latest groundbreaking research project.
Visit www.dharmawantsyou.com and complete an 'Eligibility Test'.
Our innovative research has brought together some of the brightest minds on the planet. And we'd like you to join us.
APPLY TODAY.
HELP GUIDE THE WORLD TO A BETTER TOMORROW.

If you can't view the images in this email please click here


THIS IS AN OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION OF THE DHARMA INITIATIVE:
This message and its attachments are confidential and may contain information which is protected by copyright. It is intended solely for the named addressee. If you are not the authorized recipient (or responsible for delivery of the message to the authorized recipient), you must not use, disclose, print, copy or deliver this message or its attachments to anyone. If you receive this email in error, please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete this message and its attachments from your system. Any content of this message and its attachments that does not relate to the official business of the Dharma Initiative or its subsidiaries must be taken not to have been sent or endorsed by any of them. No representation is made that this email or its attachments are without defect or that the contents express views other than those of the sender.
-------------------
Then, just to prove the the ABC Legal Dept has no sense of humor, the bottom of this "Official Dharma Letter" has:
-------------------

ADD ME TO ABC ENTERTAINMENT'S DO NOT EMAIL LIST
This email contains an advertisement from ABC Entertainment, 500 S.
Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521.

To unsubscribe from all types of future commercial email from ABC
Entertainment regarding its products and services, click here:
(snip long cluttered url)

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

So berkyo, did fou take the test?

Did you pass?

Do you think it's possible to not pass?

Did you register?

Did you get the tortoise question?

Did you recognize the tortoise question?

Note to prospective recruits:

The "Dharma Wants You" site is swamped and you'll have to hit refresh a number of time to get through.

#256. Posted by: Cecil Rose at July 29, 2008 10:57 AM

256. Posted by: Cecil Rose

So berkyo, did you take the test?
yes

Did you pass?
yes

Do you think it's possible to not pass?
nope

Did you register?
what does that mean? I guess I did. Hope I did. I could not log back in. I forgot to make note of my Id#.

Did you get the tortoise question?
yes

Did you recognize the tortoise question?
no - where is it from? oh, blade runner?

And.... I am having lots of fun. I don't want to go to work!

And you signed up? Maybe we'll be shift buddies! I assume I'll be on a maintenance crew. You'll probably be at a desk job doing something really important.

#257. Posted by: berkyo at July 29, 2008 11:25 AM

Yeah, the tortoise question is the one the interviewer (not Harrison Ford) is asking the replicant that drives him into a rage.

#258. Posted by: Cecil Rose at July 29, 2008 11:36 AM

If the Island went back in the past.
wouldn't the Crazy French Lady be alive again?

#259. Posted by: SamFin at July 30, 2008 10:10 AM

This is my FIRST FULL DAY home in 6 weeks. And soon I am departing again... =/

#260. Posted by: ilovebenjaminlinusxx at July 30, 2008 3:54 PM

ILBLXX:

So where ya been/going?

#261. Posted by: Cecil Rose at July 31, 2008 11:33 AM

My peeps! What up? Hope you're having a great summer.

Good to see berkyo and Cecil on the job with the ARG.

Sorry I can't add any stimulating conversation, but my brain is on summer vacation.

Just checking in :)

#262. Posted by: Clementine at July 31, 2008 10:01 PM

I guess our earlier soda talk has gone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . flat . . . . . . .

#263. Posted by: welh at August 1, 2008 3:27 PM

Frank, the pilot, was a guest star on Psych last evening! Played a motorcycle
daredevil who was trying to kill himself.
(Dying of Cancer.)

#264. Posted by: davidrh at August 2, 2008 10:30 AM

264. Posted by: davidrh
due to some sort of a glitch in my system this post came up the first time saying that Frank was on Psych playing a motorcycle! I laughed for about five minutes before I refreshed it and got the full post. Probably wasn't as funny as I found it, but my mind is starved for stimulation. Oh God, how long until the new season?????

#265. Posted by: surefoot at August 3, 2008 11:23 AM

My goodness, it's been since mid-June since I last commented about commodity prices ... how about an update?

Hmm ... platinum has gone from a high of $2103/oz in late June down to $1551/oz currently in less than two months ... let's see, that would be a drop of 26%. Hmm.

Hmm ... crude oil has gone from over $147/barrel (late June) to $125/barrel currently ... let's see, that would be a drop of 15%. Hmm.

I guess I was just FOS when I suggested less than two months ago that the commodity markets had run amok; yet the conservative pundits were all shouting "Because of China/India demand, prices will NEVER go down again!"

Now who's FOS! For those of you scrambling for explanations, I would suggest you're the same peeps who thought I was FOS in June, right? Instead, it might be time to pull your heads out of your As, and smell the coffee.

Do I think we have hit the "commodity bubble crash" yet? No. In fact, I suspect another round of idiot speculators will see the latest declines as a "bargain," and probably drive prices up for one more desperate gasp before the bottom falls out. I base my comment upon historical precedent, and expect to see platinum below $1000/oz and crude oil below $100/barrel by year's end. How's that for putting my balls on the block? I have been right so far ... bet against me if you will ...

Of course, according to the McCain commercials, Obama is responsible for the "rising" price of oil ... I guess they produced those last month. Gee, can we make him responsible for the Katrina response as well? Nevermind ...

So, how much WILL off-shore drilling reduce the price of gas at the pump? This is the crux of the McCain commercial attacks against Obama. So what is the answer? I'm not going to lie ... there is no definitive answer. However, even by the BEST of estimates, it would amount to 5 to 10 cents per gallon ... let's not quibble over the pennies, and post it at an outrageously high 15 cents per gallon.

Does that make you happy? Okay, let's throw ANWR drilling in there, and knock another 10 cents per gallon off max. I'm not going to say that's chump change, but consider the cost of another Exxon Valdez accident in either proposed location. I can just imagine President McCain bemoaning an east-coast oil-spill disaster, as dead oil-slicked animals wash up to shore in the DC tidal basin. Or, much better politically, "arctic wasteland" in ANWR being destroyed ... that's not in anyone's backyard, so we don't need to care, right?

Okay, I don't believe in throwing stones without a possible solution .. it's just too easy. Try this on for size ... according to latest CBO (Congressional Budget Office ... not a partisan thing) estimates, the Iraq war is costing the US government over 9 BILLION dollars per month. While the goals achieved there may be admirable, consider this ... the US abandoned its participation in a multi-national effort to explore nuclear fusion (a largely waste-free and endless supply of energy) in 2004 (see link here: tinyurl.com/5ukr62). Gee, at the OUTSTANDING cost of $2 million/year to continue research (that would be 2 hours of 24/7 Iraq war expenditure ... what've YOU done in the last two hours? ... but you know, according to W/McCain, we're diligently exploring alternative energy sources, and there just AREN'T any, short of increased oil-drilling exploration ... BS!). At $5 billion for the whole facility, the US could have trumped the entire world technologically by building the whole damned thing ... but you know, that whole "science" thing just reeks of Obama, and all his elite poindexters, right? Better we stay under the thumb of W and his corporate oil interests, don't you think? If you answered "yes" to either of the above, then you are a F'ing idiot.

Have a nice day (especially if you're losing money on your commodity futures),

Erik

#266. Posted by: ealgumby at August 5, 2008 1:48 AM

Just reading thru #266 and I am guessing -
FOS = "Figuring Out Stuff"?
That fits everytime FOS is used. The good thing about NOT pumping out of your own oil reserves is that when you drain everyone elses - YOU STILL HAVE YOUR OWN. Then you can charge THEM what YOU want. $1,000 barrel!
Of course Canada and Mexico are our two biggest importers of Oil. We could give them a good neighbor discount. $990/barrel.

#267. Posted by: DocH at August 5, 2008 1:30 PM

As reported by AOL following ComicCon
***********
Mild (IMO) Spoiler
***********
Don't mourn the deceased, 'Lost' lovers. Producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof revealed that this season we would get to see more of Jin and Locke ("Dead is a relative term," they teased), and that we'd "definitely" learn Rousseau's story at last. Not dead at all? Vincent the dog. "It's safe to say Vincent will make it to the end of the show," they reassured one fan. Spoilerific!

#268. Posted by: lovelost at August 5, 2008 5:41 PM

Your site- www.filmfodder.com is interesting resource, good job, owner. see this [url=http://reminderroeb.150m.com/state_select_water_heaters.html] state select water heaters [/url]

#269. Posted by: stateindustrieswaterheaterskn at August 10, 2008 1:21 AM

You may have seen the occassional stories about which career fields are currently hot, and where you should obstensibly aspire to be ... for example:

tinyurl.com/2j67ug

Talent agent? Art director? News analyst? Urban planner? Well, if none of these "hot" fields are your cup of tea, how about this ... CEO!

Someone, PLEASE, explain to me, how in our modern "capitalist" society, it can possibly be that an individual who leads an entire company into ruin, can still make millions for his/her efforts, and move from complete failure, into the same position with another company? This is TRULY a win-win job ... once you're in the door, you just keep raking in the millions, successful or not. Seriously ... I WANT someone to explain how this is the free market at work here, cause I must be missing something. I would suggest we do NOT have a "free" market, hence the existence of such oligarchical evidence:

tinyurl.com/63v2cg

Let me ask you this, average American, if you were responsible for millions of dollars of loss (perhaps billions?), would YOU have another job lined up? Could you just sweep it under the rug, and have the govt take care of it for you? Would YOU have a "bonus" of millions of dollars to "tide you over" until your next attempt at doing things right, pending failure or not?

I don't think so ... yes, surely, CEO is the job to aspire to. You can do no wrong, and will be handsomely rewarded, even if you do. It'll always be someone else's fault that your company went under, and you'll always find another multi-million dollar position on some other company's board. Surely, this is what American free-market capitalism is all about, right?

Oh, I'm sorry ... Adam Smith does NOT apply to those who have already "made" it though, right? So what kind of "capitalism" do we have in this country? Not "true" ... that's for damned sure ...

The rich will NEVER be made poor, even as a result of their own incompetence ... what do you call that? It's certainly not what those trying to sell that story lie about ...

There's a phenomenon known as the "lottery syndrome," whereby average people let those "in power" get away with more than they have right to, because "one day," they might win the lottery, and would want those same privileges ... news flash! You're not winning the damned lottery (well, 99.9999% of you!). So, if you choose to let that exclusive club of people (which you will never be a part of) get away with poor performance and waste of money (at taxpayer expense), when you might lose your job for being late a couple times ... well then, go right ahead ... I would deem you a moron, but that's just me.

And thank your CEO for me if you happen to lose your job ...

#270. Posted by: ealgumby at August 11, 2008 10:21 PM

The answer is simple, eal ole boy. The aspiring CEO negotiates all those perks on the way in, during (and before) the honeymoon period with the Board. Everybody's staking his rep that THIS is the WHITE KNIGHT that can work miracles, and wil lead the company on to bigger and better profits.


Nobody is willing to write (or accept) contracts with penalties on the downside, because nobody wants to mention the possibility that this white knight might be a lead balloon.

Well, these days we're writing marriage contracts (pre-nups) that plan for the possibility of failure (another possibility people used to be afraid to discuss for fear of queering the deal), so it's not inconceivable that someday both parties to CEO contracting might exercise such prudence.

The only question is, will the longed-for world-changer the board wants to hire be willing to accept penalties for less than stellar performance in his or her contract (thus admitting the possibility of same)?

#271. Posted by: Cecil Rose at August 12, 2008 3:06 PM

So far, I haven't seen any talk of another MLBFFL this season (unless I missed it under another thread). Is that gonna be continued, bcre8ve? If so, I'd love to come back and defend my title!

#272. Posted by: Trinity at August 13, 2008 10:09 AM

Another TV Blogspot, TWoP, is running a series of reader polls centered around

television, in a number of categories, with the voting spread over several weeks.

Here are the Lost related nominations (and I threw in House, too, just BECAUSE)

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

Week 1: On With the Shows (Voting over)

Best New Show
-

Best Returning Show
House
Lost

Worst New Show
-

Worst Returning Show
-

Best Drama
House
Lost

Best Comedy
- ( I really think House and Lost could have meen nominated here, too)

New Series With the Most Wasted Potential
-

Most Overrated Show
Lost

Most Anticipated New Show
-

---------------------------
Week 2: Tubey's Get Real (Voting over)

Best Competitive Reality Show
-

Best Candid Reality Show
-

Worst Reality Show
-

Guiltiest Pleasure Show
-

Most Appalling Reality Show Star
-

Most Appealing Reality Show Star
-

Most Egregiously Offensive Reality Show
-

Best Reality TV Moment
-

Worst Reality TV Moment
-

The "Why the Rest of the World Hates Us" Award
-


----------------------------------------
Week 3: Getting Into Character (Voting over)

Favorite Character
Dr. House, House
Sawyer, Lost

Least Favorite Character
Kate Austen, Lost
Jack Shephard, Lost

Most Unwelcome New Character
Thirteen, House

Most Redemptive Character in a Sucky Show
-

Character Most in Need of Being Killed Off
Thirteen, House
Jack Shephard, Lost
Kate, Lost

Best Sidekick
Dr. Wilson, House

Best Badass
Benjamin Linus, Lost
Sayid Jarrah, Lost

Best Villain
Benjamin Linus, Lost

Least Villainous Villain
Benjamin Linus, Lost

Best Cartoon
-

-----------------------------
Week 4: Acting Out
(Voting Currently Going On)

Best Cast
Lost
(House wuz robbed)

Favorite Actor
Hugh Laurie, House
Michael Emerson, Lost
Josh Holloway, Lost

Favorite Actress
Elizabeth Mitchell, Lost
Yunjin Kim, Lost

Least Favorite Actor
Matthew Fox, Lost
Josh Holloway, Lost

Least Favorite Actress
Evangeline Lilly, Lost
Elizabeth Mitchell, Lost

Best Performance by an Inanimate Object
House's flamey cane, House
Frozen donkey wheel, Lost

Best American Accent by a Non-American Actor
Hugh Laurie, House

Worst American Accent by a Non-American Actor
-

Best Guest Star
Anne Dudek, House

Most Overhyped Big Name Guest Appearance
-


-----------------------------
Week 5: This Is the Moment
(nominees announced and voting next week)

Best On-Screen Death Scene

Most Ludicrous Plotline

Best Season Finale

Best One-Liner

Best "Hell Yeah!" Moment

Best "WTF" Moment

Worst "WTF" Moment

Best HoYay Moment

Worst Crime Against Fashion

Most Egregious Product Placement

-----------------------------
Week 6: The Best of the Rest

Best Talk Show

Best Daytime Soap

Best Game Show

Most Improved Show

Least Improved Show

Best Relationship

Worst Relationship

Most Painful Series Cancellation

Show With Best Internet Series Extension

Most Realistic Depiction of High School/College Life

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

To see the full lists of nominees, go to:

www.televisionwithoutpity.com/telefile/tubey-awards/

If you want to vote, you'll have to register with the site.

#273. Posted by: Cecil Rose at August 13, 2008 10:11 AM

Poor Ealgumby, Your Blood Pressure seems to be having a rough time lately. I get inspiration and total depression from Link and FSTV. And Our meager Stock portfolio is holding steady _ socially responsible investors. My hubby has decided to live dangerously and is doing his own speculation but in alternative energy and now he tells me that we could buy shares of "water" - like in drinking water. that sounds illegal to me. Next will be air and organ donors.

thanks for the poll site Cecil. Funny how something/body can be the best and the worst at the same time.

I do believe I heard that the G4TV channel will start with Lost season 1 in September and go to the end of 4 in time for the new season.

#274. Posted by: berkyo at August 13, 2008 6:37 PM

En Provence,

Don't know how long it will be before you read this, but you might enjoy an American humor columnist's take on Paris and Provence.

http://tinyurl.com/64fy3p

#275. Posted by: Cecil Rose at August 18, 2008 5:48 PM

I knew I should have visited Hawaii this past weekend... rats!

http://tinyurl.com/6bc58c

#276. Posted by: DocH at August 18, 2008 6:57 PM

Wow, DocH, me too!

On a more mundane level, Dharma has announced they will begin their "volunteer assessment testing" tomorrow. Still time to sign up at DharmaWantsYou.com

#277. Posted by: Cecil at August 18, 2008 8:15 PM

Hi all,

Here’s an open question … and I’m serious about this … no political baiting, I swear, as I am personally at a loss regarding a viable answer …

What, if anything, should be done about the Russian incursion into Georgia?

I should begin by stating that this is certainly a serious international crisis, and in times like these, I do not think it behooves anyone to impede diplomatic progress by injecting political rhetoric into an already delicate situation. As such, I can only pray that both Obama and McCain abstain from interjecting their own opinions, at least until such point as their introduction becomes irrelevant to the resolution of the current emergency. As you may have gathered by now, I’m not a big W fan, but public criticism from either candidate at this point can only serve to undermine state affairs. That being the case, for the time being, I put personal/ideological differences aside, and stand behind my president and his administration. I can only hope he/they handle this appropriately, but I think it important that we stand united in the face of a threat that could have serious repercussions for years to come.

All of that being said … I think the world could use some ideas. From what I have read, there appear to be two camps forming with regard to this issue, and I’m not sure I agree completely with either … that is why I seriously ask your opinions … I am curious what people out there think about this …

So let me summarize the two prevailing opinions, and see where you stand:

The hawks …

Russia ostensibly fought for many years against Chechen independence, on the grounds that Chechnya was part of a sovereign nation … Russia. Never mind that 94% of the population were ethnic Chechen, and only about 3% Russian. Never mind popular opinion within the break-away region … secession by an elemental region of a sovereign nation could not be tolerated. This was simply not Quebec by a long shot … there was no ambiguity regarding where the residents stood … overwhelmingly in support of independence. Still, that did not matter … maintaining national integrity overruled local popular opinion.

Yet now we have Georgia, and its break-away regions. South Ossetia, with 70% claiming Russian citizenship, pales in comparison to the 94% of Chechens … yet, Russia is now suddenly pursuing a policy of “liberating” its countrymen from minority Georgian rule. Huh? What happened to the sanctity of national sovereignty? How about Abkhazia? Another large portion of Georgia in upset right now … gee, I wonder why that might be? In Abkhazia (surely the next hot-spot), Abkhazians make up about half the population, with Russians weighing in at just over 10%, yet surely, the Russians will find a way to justify their expansionist ambitions there as well.

Why do you suppose the Russian government cares about Georgia, other than possibly to make a political power play? Hmm … it might be this: two MAJOR oil pipelines run through Georgia, with a huge NG pipeline under construction:

tinyurl.com/59nehz

If Georgia could be quietly swallowed in the Soviet Union (oops, I meant Russia!), then the Kremlin would control these energy sources. No, it can’t POSSIBLY be that, can it?

Let’s not repeat the same mistakes that were made at Yalta, with the “rest of the world” ceding control of the Caucasus to Russia with impunity. Next to fall will be Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Belarus … if Georgia is allowed to fall, they will be the next dominoes to tumble in rapid succession, and the next Cold War will begin anew.

The doves …

Let me quote from George W. Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” speech aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, May 1st, 2003 (available at the official White House press site - tinyurl.com/ojg78):

President Bush Announces Major Combat Operations in Iraq Have Ended -
Remarks by the President from the USS Abraham Lincoln:

>>>
Other nations in history have fought in foreign lands and remained to occupy and exploit. Americans, following a battle, want nothing more than to return home. And that is your direction tonight. (Applause.) After service in the Afghan -- and Iraqi theaters of war -- after 100,000 miles, on the longest carrier deployment in recent history, you are homeward bound.
>>>

How many were really “homeward bound?” Let’s see, five plus years later, and we’ve still “remained to occupy” … I leave “exploit” to your imagination. If we ostensibly “want nothing more than to return home,” then why haven’t we?

Oh, that’s right, it was those dreaded WMDs that we saved the world from … and those Al Qaeda terrorists, who didn’t exist in Iraq until after our “occupation.” And that dreaded Iranian influence in that part of the world, threatening us now, that didn’t exist until we invaded. But we “liberated” the population … sound familiar, in terms of Georgia? Yes, I see now.

So, what moral stool do we stand on now, to decry the Russian invasion of Georgia? How do numbers of Iraqi civilian deaths stand up against those from Georgia due to the Russian invasion? How many of those South Ossetian civilian deaths were due to Georgian government assaults against the “rebel” forces, as opposed to the Russians? How can we, with a clear conscience, threaten action against the Russians, when we have no moral foothold to stand upon? Are we “truly” for democracy, or merely what serves our purposes? Is Georgia, and the Caucasus in general, the “new” equivalent of Central America in the 80’s? Have we forgotten Iran-Contra? Gee, that worked out really well for us, didn’t it? I’m just dying to see who the new Ollie North is in this scenario … yet I’m sure we have one, Fawn Hall or not.


So, America (and perhaps more interestingly, the rest of the world that might be listening), what should be done?

This is NO joke … the future of the world depends upon a reasonable, but firm, response to this crisis … we need a three bears “baby bear” solution here (i.e., "just right"), and I would seriously like to hear what those of you out there have to say about this … if anything.

#278. Posted by: ealgumby at August 18, 2008 8:42 PM

@DocH/276

DAMN!!! ... and I think (seriously) I could've been a good greater-than-mere-meat-sock foil to Sawyer on the island, until inevitably killed off. If you're out there D&C, I'm available, and quite ready to die a good red-shirt death ... or more! Oh come on, gimme a chance!

tinyurl.com/5l2wrv

I would be SO perfect as the discreet and organized (i.e. Jack) meat-sock islander, keeping my mouth shut all this time, until forced to take action due to the island moving, and Sawyer's megalomaniacal behavior after the fact. Who's left to challenge him? You NEED a meat-sock to rise to the occassion, and I'm your man ... I'm credible, and I know the show inside and out, so you wouldn't have to "explain" my motivation ... come on D&C, I'm your dude ... Hawaii walk-on or not!

Oh well ... it was nice to dream for a moment ...

thanks DocH ...

#279. Posted by: ealgumby at August 18, 2008 9:38 PM

Don't sell yourself short l'gumby... I am short you are a tremendous meat-sock. I did some 'close background' work on a major motion picture once. It was fun & interesting. A real lesson in the science (NOT REALLY AN ART). Ten days over two weeks. An hours drive from home for - - - $55/day. Here's where they lost money... us (15) red-shirts got full run of the catering tent in the AM before the stars helo'd in from the hotel AND full run of catering after the stars and key crew picked-over lunch. 4-star cuisine was the true pay for the background cast.

(I got 4 minutes of screen time over 3 successive scenes.)

#280. Posted by: DocH at August 19, 2008 3:05 PM

Pretty nice site, wants to see much more on it! :)

#281. Posted by: John Williams at August 19, 2008 8:51 PM

Season 5 begins filming - intel.

http://tinyurl.com/6ee4xg

#282. Posted by: DocH at August 19, 2008 9:26 PM

→ 278. Posted by: ealgumby re: Russia's incursion into Georgia

In my humble opinion, there's not much the U.S. can do. My recommendations would be:

1. Urge Europe to take the lead on this situation, with the U.S. offering support. This is in Europe's back yard and as such it ought to shoulder the burden here. It also probably wouldn't hurt the way the rest of the world viewed the U.S. if it saw that the U.S. was able to work with other countries to deal with these kinds of issues.

2. Consider the threat of economic sanctions against Russia. The U.S. has openly admitted that it has practically zero military options it is willing to use, but that doesn't mean the country is powerless.

3. Get out of Iraq. We've now seen case in point that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have made the U.S. military appear vulnerable because troops are spread too thin.

Aside from this, though, again in my humble opinion, the world should be much more concerned about the state of affairs in Pakistan, a country with nuclear weapons that appears to be friendly to the Taliban and whose stability is in question.

#283. Posted by: Scooby-Dude at August 20, 2008 8:55 AM

Over on TWoP, the week five voting is going on for their Tubey awards, and the Lost (and House) related nominees are:

Best On-Screen Death Scene
--Amber, House
--Alex, Lost

Most Ludicrous Plotline
--

Best Season Finale
--House
--Lost

Best One-Liner
--"So?" Ben Linus, Lost

Best "Hell Yeah!" Moment
--Desmond and Penny reunite, Lost
--Sun tells her father she now owns
.....controlling interest in his
.....company, Lost

Best "WTF" Moment
--House realizes the dying woman on the
......bus was Amber, House
--The Island disappears, Lost

Worst "WTF" Moment
--Ben moves the island, Lost
--Rousseau is dead, Lost

Best HoYay Moment
--House and Wilson, House

Worst Crime Against Fashion
--Jack's beard, Lost

Most Egregious Product Placement
--

#284. Posted by: Cecil at August 20, 2008 11:06 AM

Dharma previously send email that the "volunteer assessment" would begin August 19. Despite that, nothing was changed at the "DharmaWantsYou" web site yesterday.

Today, the bare-bones site has become an amorphous patch of blue fog - no new-agey music, no links.

Also no clues in the source code.

More if something developes.

#285. Posted by: Cecil at August 20, 2008 1:34 PM

Marvin Candle - Pierre Chang?

See:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLJ7bPpI8VM&feature=related

#286. Posted by: Cecil at August 20, 2008 1:58 PM

→ 278. ealgumby: The Russian bear:

Still working on a reply, but thought these two articles were worth referencing here:

http://tinyurl.com/6m6xpr

http://tinyurl.com/6rrqp7

#287. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at August 20, 2008 9:56 PM

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#288. Posted by: best_internet_savings_accountsCret at August 21, 2008 9:28 AM

And today Dharma drops the other shoe:

===============================

From: The Dharma Initiative <hansvaneeghen@dharmawantsyou.com&g... [Add to Address Book]
To: redacted

Subject: OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF TESTING

Date: Aug 20, 2008 3:50 PM

ATTENTION ALL RECRUITS

RE: OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF TESTING

Namaste.


Today is the most wonderful of days.


It marks the launch of the Dharma Initiative's Volunteer Recruitment Program.


Having completed the eligibility test you can now download your official Dharma Initiative ID card. Simply go to My Profile and download your card. Carry it with pride.


Today you will also be able to commence our extensive testing program that will
assess your suitability for a range of research roles within the Dharma Initiative.


Many years ago I was asked to help rebuild this noble community of scientific inquiry.


With its genuinely altruistic vision, I understood that a vibrant volunteer cohort would be a fundamental part of this effort.


Together, with my dedicated recruiting team, I have searched the globe for the best and brightest to join us, to form the foundations of the newly reconstituted Dharma Initiative.


Today we lay that foundation. So that together we can guide the world to a better tomorrow.


Hans Van Eeghen
Head of Recruiting
The Dharma Initiative


THIS IS AN OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION OF THE DHARMA INITIATIVE:
This message and its attachments are confidential and may contain information which is protected by copyright. It is intended solely for the named addressee. If you
are not the authorized recipient (or responsible for delivery of the message to the authorized recipient), you must not use, disclose, print, copy or deliver this message or its attachments to anyone. If you receive this email in error, please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete this message and its attachments from your system. Any content of this message and its attachments that does not relate to the official business of the Dharma Initiative or its subsidiaries must
be taken not to have been sent or endorsed by any of them. No representation is made that this email or its attachments are without defect or that the contents express views other than those of the sender.


If you can't view the images in this email please click here


ADD ME TO ABC ENTERTAINMENT'S DO NOT EMAIL LIST


This email contains an advertisement from ABC Entertainment, 500 S.


Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521.

To unsubscribe from all types of future commercial email from ABC


Entertainment regarding its products and services, click here:


http://long unintelligible URL


#289. Posted by: Cecil Rose at August 21, 2008 7:05 PM

Dharma appears to be overloaded with recruits. I've been "loading" on th login fro over an hour now without being able to get in and deownload my "Dharma ID Card" to carry proudly in my wallet, or take "Test 1"

#290. Posted by: Cecil at August 21, 2008 8:13 PM

online savings accountkn [url=http://bestsavingsaccounts.tripod.com/savings_accounts_high_interest.html] savings accounts high interest [/url]

#291. Posted by: healthinsurancesavingsaccountkn at August 22, 2008 7:51 AM

Dharma now allowing logins. The first test is a simple shape-fitting one - simple but can be tricky. They allow you to repeat the test and improve your score. Interesting.

#292. Posted by: Cecil at August 22, 2008 4:24 PM

→ 278. ealgumby: The Russian bear:

As soon as I read this post, a few ideas started scratching at the back of my mind...I knew somewhere along the way these or analogous topics had been discussed in some of my long-ago political & military geography (this one taught by a retired [one-star] general from the Joint Chiefs of Staff) classes. Thank goodness for Wikipedia, the mind-refresher!

Okay. The drier stuff first. In the military geography class, we read both Mahan & Mackinder. Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914) was an American naval admiral whose most influential work was called The Influence of Seapower Upon History, 1660-1783 (if you're interested, you can read more about Mahan at tinyurl.com/58xwt4). For our purposes, Mahan's most important idea is that he believed controlling sea-borne commerce was critical to domination in war. If you look at a map of Russia, it's pretty apparent that most of Russia's coastline is on the Arctic Ocean...not exactly conducive to naval activity as it's frozen over for a good part of the year, & is also a long way from anywhere else. In other words, a navy based on the Russian Arctic coast could only get in & out of port for about half of the year, & it would take a fair amount of time for a Russian navy to get into position to affect other countries' coastlines & navies. This is something that the Russian government recognized back in the 18th century & not too surprisingly they acquired themselves a warm-water coast by annexing much of the Ukraine, including the area on the Black Sea that became the city of Odessa & a major naval base for Russia. The major flaw w/this plan is that the Black Sea is easily blocked at its exit to the Mediterranean, as the Dardanelles/Bosporus is quite narrow. However, this was the only warm-water access that Russia & then the Soviet Union had. After the breakup of the USSR, Russia lost its warm-water naval base when Ukraine declared its independence...not something that the Russian government has been happy about since.

Sir Halford John Mackinder (1861–1947) was an English geographer and geopolitician (if you're interested, you can read more about him at tinyurl.com/5ltvj5). For our purposes, Mackinder's most important idea was the Heartland Theory, which Wikipedia describes as follows:

Heartland refers to the continuous landmass of Eurasia measuring more than 21 million square miles (54 million km²). This landmass contains no waterways to the ocean and is contained by the Arctic ice cap and drainage to the north, the monsoon lands along the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, the Near East or land of the Five Seas, and Europe. This landmass is remote and inaccessible to its periphery. Mackinder argued in his address that this was the strategic region of the foremost importance in the world.

This area includes the "'Stans" (the former SSRs that end in "-stan") & the Caucasus (including Azerbaijan, Armenia, & surprise surprise, Georgia). The Heartland Theory may seem weird—who the heck wants those mountainous/desert places?—but as ealgumby pointed out, those areas are now extremely valuable due to their their petroleum deposits & pipelines running those resources.

In spite of W's look into Putin's soul, it's pretty apparent that Putin was (& still is, as he manipulates the puppet strings of his hand-picked successor Medvedev) determined to return Russia to a position of dominance. The world's ever-increasing thirst for oil & petroleum products played exactly into his hands, as 1) soaring prices brought huge amounts of wealth into Russia; 2) Russia controls a huge amount of the world's traditional energy sources:

Russia, one of the world's two energy superpowers, is rich in natural energy resources. It has the largest known natural gas reserves of any state on earth, along with the second largest coalreserves, and the eighth largest oil reserves. Russia is the world fourth largest electricity producer after the USA, China, and Japan. Russia is the world’s leading net energy exporter, and a major supplier to the European Union (from Wikipedia).

Russia has reduced/cut off/hugely raised the price of oil & petroleum products w/Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, & Ukraine. It's no accident, IMO, that all of these countries are strategically located w/respect to Russia, & in a number of cases have been openly friendly to the West. (It'll be interesting to see if Russia plays its oil card against Poland this winter.)

Control of natural resources is something that is in the self-interest of governments & has been the cause of plenty of fighting/wars. Hitler actually used the Heartland Theory in developing his idea of lebensraum, or the seizure of lands to the east of Germany. Control of these lands meant that the fertile soils & consequent huge agricultural production would be under German control, allowing Germans to expand eastward & feed a growing population. Japan's pre-WWII government was also concerned w/Japan's lack of natural resources, which drove their thinking of the need to conquer China (more agricultural land) & Malaya, Indonesia, & other southeastern Asian countries (rubber & petroleum sources).

So all of that is to say that Russia sees control of the Heartland, but especially the Caucasus & Ukraine, as vital to its security interests. As far as what, if anything, the U.S. can do about it...IMO, a military option isn't feasible. Our military is stretched too thin as it is, & engaging Russian forces raises the specter of a possible escalation to nuclear weapons. I'm not a member of the government or military command, but I would have to guess that the decision that they would make is that sticking up for/defending any of those areas (e.g., Georgia) isn't worth the potential cost, regardless of the ideals involved...pragmatism over ideals.

Maybe I'm just cynical, but IMO governments act in their perceived self-interests only, even if they try to cover up their motives w/lofty ideals. This allows governments to do things that are 180% opposite but justify both (as ealgumby pointed out w/his examples of Chechnya & Georgia's South Ossetia & Abkhazia). The U.S. government is no different...just as Russia views the U.S. as meddling w/its courting of former SSRs, the U.S. viewed Russia as meddling when it sent missiles to Cuba (& look how close we came to nuclear war then). The current invasion of Iraq? Yes, it's supposed to be about establishing democracy in the Middle East...it's just coincidence that Iraq has huge oil deposits. And as far as "Saddam Hussein was a savage dictator who needed to be taken out," we need to remember that for over ten years Saddam was the U.S.'s fair-haired boy in the Middle East because of his opposition to the mullah-run Iranian government. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," eh?

All that said, it is extremely troubling to see what Russia is doing now. Roosevelt was dying when he attended Yalta & his one goal was to keep the USSR in the war, which meant giving Uncle Joe whatever he wanted & leaving Churchill helpless on the sidelines. I don't think it's too much of stretch to compare the current situation w/Europe in the 1930s, either. By doing nothing or mouthing empty words, are we appeasing Russia & emboldening them to make grabs for more land/resources, rather like a toddler pushing the limits of how badly he/she can behave before being punished? Are there further diplomatic approaches, or would economic sanctions work? Again, IMO not, because of the oil/petroleum stick that Russia wields (& how much American debt is now held by Russian petro-oligarchs?).

What's that Chinese curse..."May you live in interesting times"?

#293. Posted by: Alaïs_Longthought at August 23, 2008 12:12 AM

Has anyone offered to write the TVFodder blog on 'Fringe'?

#294. Posted by: DocH at August 23, 2008 7:49 PM

surely the DI job recruiting name is an anagram

Hans Van Eeghen

anyone?

#295. Posted by: mtncbn at August 23, 2008 9:20 PM

Okay, this is going to seem really off the wall ... how about offering Russia membership into NATO?

This will put the crap on the line ... either Russia wants to cooperate with the West, and become part of a mutually beneficial partnership, or go their own way, and fight against that. It seems to me an obvious proposition ... you are with us, and stand to gain immensely if you decide to do so ... or you are against us, and it comes down to who has the greater will at that point.

America, and Europe at large, ... would you not rather have Russia on "our" side? Russia ... would you not rather have free markets to exploit your goods (oil & NG among other things), rather than face possible economic sanctions?

This can be a win-win ... if Russia joins NATO, they will no longer have to fear the West's incursions, and likewise, the "West" will no longer have to fear Russian expansionism.

What is the problem here? Russia wants western markets, and the west wants Russia "getting with the program," so to speak. Meanwhile, we all benefit ... Russians can stop worrying about invasion from the west, and the west can stop worrying about Russian expansionism.

We (and by that I mean the US and NATO allies) have been STUPID not to woo Russia into our fold ... imagine the power "we" could wield if joined together, instead of foolishly combating a past struggle? There are other, much greater, foes awaiting both of us on the world scene (China?) ... how stupid are we to divide our forces now, when faced with potentially the greatest threats ever. We have both faced terrorism, and have common enemies ... why not come together, and synergistically combine strengths, rather than tear each other apart, and make each of us more vulnerable to our common foes?

The terrorists only win by this "competition" ... if the US and Russian leadership were smart, we would form an alliance of strength ... Russian membership into NATO is the first part of that venture.

Together, as partners, we can accomplish great things ... divided, as enemies, we can only weaken each other.

That is my opinion,

Erik Larson

#296. Posted by: ealgumby at August 24, 2008 8:52 PM

0cI'll thingk about it.1c I compleatly disagree with last post . djf
ламинат 9l

#297. Posted by: ламинат at August 24, 2008 9:19 PM

Nice site
Thanks, webmaster.

#298. Posted by: Ipod Nana Online at August 25, 2008 9:23 PM

Beautifull design
Thanks, webmaster.

#299. Posted by: digital cable hdtv at August 26, 2008 4:33 AM

It's a new week of voting over on TWoP for their Tubey awards. Most of the categories don't apply to Lost/House, but here are the categories and Lost/House connections:


Best Talk Show
--

Best Daytime Soap
--

Best Game Show
--

Most Improved Show
--Lost

Least Improved Show
--

Best Relationship
--Sawyer and Kate, Lost

Worst Relationship
--Jack and Kate, Lost

Most Painful Series Cancellation
--

Show With Best Internet Series Extension
--Lost

Most Realistic Depiction of High School/College Life
--

#300. Posted by: Cecil at August 26, 2008 12:27 PM

1mGood idea.3p I compleatly disagree with last post .
под сайдинг 8b
сайдинг продажа 2o

#301. Posted by: сайдинг at August 26, 2008 2:56 PM

Mac, oh mighty webmaster

I hope you don't let all of these compliments go to your head.

;)

#302. Posted by: Clementine at August 26, 2008 8:32 PM

Clementine: Speaking of Mac. I'm really in withdrawal here!

ReReading all the Posts.

I'm back up to Season 2 Epi/10.

Mac just keeps getting better!

#303. Posted by: SamFin at August 27, 2008 11:11 AM

Coll blog.
Thanks, webmaster.

#304. Posted by: Order Cialis at August 27, 2008 12:35 PM

Hi SamFin~~

Season 2, huh? I miss Mr. Eko. Enjoy your trip down memory lane!

#305. Posted by: Clementine at August 27, 2008 6:10 PM

Anyone taking the Dharma Tests (game).
In test 2 they ask about "Haikus" - go figure. (syllables = 5, 7, 5).

#306. Posted by: DocH at August 27, 2008 7:17 PM

Great Mac'ism from 1-11.
Jack and Locke looking for Clair and Charlie

"Now, if there's one thing this show is good at it's the pregnant pause followed by the dramatic running through the forest. Jack and Locke execute this maneuver flawlessly in reaction to Hurley's update"

#307. Posted by: SamFin at August 28, 2008 10:03 AM

Только одна вещь, котор нужно сказать, всесильный мак ...

спасибо, вебмастер!

#308. Posted by: ealgumby at August 28, 2008 9:24 PM

or should I say ...

Only one thing to say, almighty Mac,

thanks, webmaster!

(although I keep thinking "thanks, thigh-master" ... no, really, I don't have too much time on my hands!).

#309. Posted by: иалгумбый at August 28, 2008 9:48 PM

Amazing site.
Thanks, webmaster.

#310. Posted by: Viagra Cialis at August 29, 2008 1:20 AM

Today is August 29.

On this date in 1831, Michael FARADAY successfully demonstrated the first electrical transformer.

And on this date in 1632, English philosopher JOHN LOCKE ws born.

Just thought I would add this tidbit to the blog.

#311. Posted by: davidrh at August 29, 2008 6:03 AM

Hey hey, lotta chatter, lotta chatter.

Let's get this blog jumping again.

It's college FOOTBALL season!

Rooooooooooooooooooooll Tide.

#312. Posted by: Cecil Rose at August 29, 2008 12:12 PM

Cecil:

I was born in Missouri and I've lived in Kansas for 40 years.

After 60 years we finally had a good season last year !

And who are your favorites?

p.s. Wouldn't it be funny if Anna Lucia showed up again next season !

#313. Posted by: SamFin at August 29, 2008 3:06 PM

Hey guys! I just wanted to drop in and say hello. I miss ya'll! When is Lost returning??

#314. Posted by: meg at August 29, 2008 4:35 PM

@313 SamFin noted

>And who are your favorites?

In Order:

1/2 Virginia Tech/Alabama
(tied - Va Tech grad and Alabaman by birth - Crimson Tide on my Birth Certificate)

3. USC (The California One - grad degree there)

4. AF Academy (my old service)

5. Army (AF's roots)

6. Auburn (Well it's the old home state, and unlike some Crimson Tide fans, I want them to win every game but ours)

7. Anybody who's playing Notre Dame

8. Anybody who's playing Ohio State

Rooooooooooooooooll Tide
Goooooooooooooooooo Hokies
Flyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Falcons


>p.s. Wouldn't it be funny if Anna Lucia showed up again next season !

Exceedingly, but what's your scenario where this could happen?

Personally, if we're going to ressurect someone, I nominate:

Arzt
Charlie
Libby
Shannon
Tom

ahead of Anna Lucia

and of course Jin if he's really gone.

#315. Posted by: Cecil Rose at August 29, 2008 7:24 PM

Samfin - I understand your glee! I, too, was born and raised in Missouri and have two docs from KU! It was a GREAT YEAR last year. (Yes, even transcending the MIRACLE FOOTBALL WIN over OU in the, what was it, late 70’s, early 80’s - Time dims the memory)

I was on the KU campus twice last year conducting concerts and had my picture taken with both the Orange Bowl Trophy and the National Champs Basketball Trophy. (Everybody expects a basketball trophy once in a while from KU, but a great season of FOOTBALL!?!?!?! Obviously, Hell DID freeze over for a moment last season!)

Rock Chalk JayHawk. Go KU!

#316. Posted by: davidrh at August 31, 2008 8:37 AM

@davidrh

Great on MO & KS

Let me know next time you have a gig in these parts. I'll try and make it.

Love music I play the accordian /piano / guitar. It must be the air in the midwest!

@Cecil
Should be a great college football season.

I'm navy but my golf buddy is West Point grad. Son-in-law #1 is active Lt. Col in Army KU grad.

Daughter grad from K-State.
Another son-in-law grad fom MU.

Another in-law Nebraska !

It can get interesting at family gatherings!

As far as I can guess about Anna she will show up in a back story of the boat people.

#317. Posted by: SamFin at September 1, 2008 12:35 AM

Amazing site.
Thanks, admin.

#318. Posted by: niherasebekei at September 3, 2008 4:28 AM

Bunnylover:

I was rootin' for the Vols over the UCLAns, honest! Looks like we both had a dissapointment (ECU>VPI for me) in the first week.

Wait'll next /y/e/a/r/ week!

#319. Posted by: Cecil Rose at September 3, 2008 1:39 PM

Hey Cecil. Oh what a disappointing game. Even with a new offensive coordinator, it's still the same ole same ole with Fulmer. Going into OT was exciting, but we should have had that game. No excuses. Let's hope we play TWICE as good when we play Bama, cause even at that it's going to be a tough one. Sorry about VPI - but I had to root for ECU. Have tickets to the NC State vs William & Mary game this weekend. My brother-in-law played for W&M, so should be fun cheering them on.
Can't wait for the season opener of House either. Watched the 2-hour finale the other night and it was awesome.
Oh well, till next time - GooooOOOOOO VOLsssssss!

#320. Posted by: BunnyLover at September 3, 2008 5:06 PM

Cool blog
Thanks, webmaster.

#321. Posted by: werewolf at September 5, 2008 4:12 AM

Nice site
Thanks, webmaster.

#322. Posted by: Svetlana at September 5, 2008 7:08 PM

@306 DocH mentioned:

>Anyone taking the Dharma Tests (game).
In test 2 they ask about "Haikus" - go figure. (syllables = 5, 7, 5).

I'm happy to have contribted in some small way to people scoring better on the Dharma tests.

What's your best on Test 1? I've scored an 81 once.

#323. Posted by: Cecil at September 6, 2008 10:23 AM

well, hello!

I see live people here.

But I also see football......hmmmmm

So I am being recruited by the Dharma. And it's a rocky road.

I am in Pandora Group. A dazzling 83 on that puzzle. Then Brontes - I Think I did well there since I knew most of the answers. And now I am in Antaeus. That little bugger is not easy. 45 is my VERY best and now I can't get more than a 32. But they keep your highest score.

So, Cecil, are you cheating? There are built in cheats and it would seem that "someone" wants us to cheat. I usually don't find the cheat until someone points it out, so I am officially NOT cheating and we'll see where that gets me.
Still not much story for this ARG but I am learning quite a bit about a lot of things. Good trivia background.

#324. Posted by: berkyo at September 6, 2008 5:11 PM

This is from Dark Ufo's Forum. This guy has an interesting theory for anyone playing the ARG. If he is right, It also applies to the next season.

http://www.spoilertv.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=98&t=3233&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

#325. Posted by: berkyo at September 6, 2008 9:08 PM

not to distract from filmfodder but...

FRINGE is starting soon... (harumph)

I know there will be a big blog following here... me on point!

and Lostpedia had been great for us - now I am part of the Fringe (pedia/wiki) with the mostest. It smells, tastes and looks like LP. There are more than a few out there - without the taste or smell... so anyone that wants in on the ground floor - go to
http://fringewiki.info
or tinyurl.com/fringewiki1
to signup. We need help.
PS: We have a good counterpart in Canada, but he only does the work himself so far.
PPS: We don't blog - so NO THREAT to FODDER.

#326. Posted by: DocH at September 8, 2008 4:15 AM

So DocH, how did you like the first episode? Pretty good, I thought.

If Mac's still looking for a "Fringe" blogger, why not volunteer?

#327. Posted by: Cecil at September 12, 2008 1:28 PM

Beautiful design.
Thanks, admin.

#328. Posted by: Maria at September 12, 2008 2:46 PM

→ 327. Posted by: Cecil

Senor Rose... I liked the pilot episode of Fringe quite a bit. So much so that Rachel T. Fodr herself agreed to post my review on TVFodder @

tinyurl.com/FringeFodder

Alas, the Fringe blog is already spoken for. Eloquent "blog-goddess X" will assume the blog helm in just a few short days.

#329. Posted by: DocH at September 12, 2008 10:18 PM

DocH -- FANTASTIC "Fringe" write up. Thank you very much for putting that together. I hear those things can take a while to assemble ;)

Anyone interested in "Fringe" should definitely give DocH's review a look. Losties with an X-Files pedigree will dig this one.

#330. Posted by: mac at September 12, 2008 10:41 PM

Cool blog.
Thanks, admin.

#331. Posted by: Maria at September 13, 2008 11:31 AM

Interesting news
Thank your.

#332. Posted by: Boots travel insurance uk at September 14, 2008 5:22 AM

Amazing site.
Thanks, admin.

#333. Posted by: Sveta at September 14, 2008 1:27 PM

Cool blog.
Thanks, webmaster.

#334. Posted by: Pavel at September 14, 2008 3:59 PM

Amazing site.
Thanks, webmaster.

#335. Posted by: Marina at September 14, 2008 6:54 PM

Yes, the spammers definitely seem to have fastened on this one. Mac. wonder if closing this one and creating a new ramdom blog would help?

Looks like a great weekend for all int eh collece football arena.

Wins by:

Alabama
Va Tech
Air Force
USC
Kansas
And at least Tennessee didn't lose.

#336. Posted by: Cecil at September 14, 2008 10:49 PM

Nice site.
Thanks, admin.

#337. Posted by: Sveta at September 15, 2008 8:33 AM

Aching for a new review?

Wanna be first?

Ready to practice snarky or insightful comments?

Why wait for "LOST" to resume in February? (or whenever)

C'mon over to the "House" blog.

First new episode of Season 5 airs tomorrow night, 8:00 PM (EDT) on Fox.

Title: “Dying Changes Everything”

Review to follow within 24 hours. (We can't all be as fast as Mac)

Just click on my name, below.

#338. Posted by: Cecil Rose at September 15, 2008 8:05 PM

You all everybody (or at least the few faithful still checking in here every so often):

Apparently I was hiding under a rock or something, but I just learned that Sci Fi channel is running the entire series of Lost, airing 4 episodes every Monday, before the start of the new season in January. Yesterday was the first block and it was pretty cool to see the early episodes through my new mind-bended eyes.

Best tidbit was when Michael said to Walt, "I'll look for Vincent when it stops raining," camera flashes for a second to Walt and then it suddenly stops raining and we see Michael tromping through the woods grumbling something to the effect of "me and my big mouth."

#339. Posted by: Scooby-Dude at September 16, 2008 10:59 AM

@ealgumby

Is this the bottom for platinum($1050) ??

#340. Posted by: mtncbn at September 16, 2008 5:29 PM

@mtncbn/340
"@ealgumby
Is this the bottom for platinum($1050) ??"

Interesting question, but not simple to answer ... that said, my short answer would have to be "no."

I last posted on commodity prices August 5th, when Pt had dropped from its high of $2103/oz in late June down to $1551/oz, and crude oil had gone from over $147/barrel to $125/barrel. I predicted a moderate recovery, followed by the "real" crash, with Pt below $1000/oz and crude oil below $100/barrel by year's end.

Barely a month later, we did see a very slight recovery in late August (honestly not as much as I would've expected), but that has already come and gone: Pt stands at $1039/oz, and crude oil at about $91/barrel.

Two significant things have transpired since then: (1) further collapse of American financial markets in the wake of the RE bubble (and subsequently greater collapse of Asian market strength as a result), and (2) the Russian military incursion into Georgia. These are countervailing influences, and complicate future predictions.

The continuing collapse of US financial markets had been anticipated by many, perhaps most vociferously (and brilliantly, against most CW) by Bill Fleckenstein. However, I'd suggest even Mr. Bill didn't quite see the apparent reach of the still-pending problem. With that in mind, it wasn't too difficult to portend the collapse of the weak commodity bubble. Again, however, the surprising alacrity and depth of the financial market mess rather short-circuited my anticipated commodity market recovery. As such, "my" CW says down, down down across the board for commodities in general ... this is the end, my friend. Pt could conceivably drop, rather quickly, as low as $500/oz in this environment.

Then the Russians went and mucked things up though ... I can only imagine they saw their new-found cash-cows (oil and PGMs [platinum group metals]) slipping down the drain, and figured a little ruckus in the Caucasus would stop that slide (oh, I know, I'm such a cynic!). Note the pending outcome of the Georgia situation (and apparent future efforts by the US to further isolate Russia) have still not come to pass.

In light of that, consider the following: Russia still *could* dramatically reduce fuel shipments to western Europe, and/or slash exports of PGMs. In the short term, that would mean lost revenue for them, but in the mid-long term, it could pay off ... IF such action might stop the otherwise pending slide in these commodity prices, and induce another irrational spike in prices which would surely follow such action. This is a very dangerous game to play with world markets though, as I'm sure the Russians are aware ... they could inadvertently incite a global financial panic and/or depression, which would serve no one (least of all, themselves).

Believing they will not be irrational, I do not see such a two-pronged response coming. However, as they most effectively influence the world-wide PGM markets, I can see them getting a little "revenge" by exerting some control there. What does that mean?

Well, it means all PGMs (notably Pt and Rh) will continue to slide in (still-inflated) price if Russia does nothing. However, they could still change the game overnight, and induce a tremendous (but probably very temporary) spike in PGM prices if they decide to play naughty.

Therefore (back to my short answer), Pt prices will *eventually* slide well below $1000/oz ... but Russia could still throw the PGM market into complete chaos if they so choose, although only for a limited period of time (less than one year).

How's that for a CYA answer? Ultimately though, my answer to your question still stands at "NO."

- Erik Larson

#341. Posted by: ealgumby at September 16, 2008 7:09 PM

Wow, this is interesting ... almost as soon as I posted, Pt prices began to rise on world markets ... am I having an influence, with people betting against me? ;) No, don't panic mtncbn, Pt prices *will* drop, and $1000/oz is NOT the bottom ... :)

I couldn't help but dredge this old Goldman Sachs announcement up from earlier this summer (June 9th):

http://tinyurl.com/6logxe

Goodness! They called for $200/barrel oil! Hmm. And just now, we have their most recent proclamation:

http://tinyurl.com/5rt6ht

Hmm again ... Goldman Sachs earnings drop 70%. Yet they're all dandelions and daisies over there, according to their press release! Hmm. Things couldn't be better! Right?

Is there such a thing as a financial institution "dead pool?" Count me in!

Hmm. What does this tell us? For one, as egregious as my suggestion might be to those in charge of US financial markets (uh, just guessing, but *probably* McCain supporters?) ... you all are liars, at best. Hmm ... let's see ... in the face of outrageous profits by Big Oil earlier this year, "you all" suggested it was ludicrous to imply that the American public was being price gouged, and BO's (now readily apparent) windfall profits were simply the result of global market forces, right? We heard over and over again, from the "experts" (in the industry, of course, and adamantly supported by W, and McCain, et al) that global demand (i.e., China/India) for oil would NEVER again allow the price of oil to drop ... this was just something we'd "all" have to live with, and American Big Oil was in fact losing ground on the "inexorable" rise in the price thereof. Damn ... we were actually expected to feel SORRY for US BO ("Big Oil," but the alternate definition seems more apropos!), as they were "honestly" falling behind the curve of rising prices ... driven, once again lest you forget, by those damned Asians driving the prices up with their insatiable demand!

Nevermind the record profits! BO was *suffering* due to this global demand! Damn it, we need DRILLING! DRILLING! DRILLING! And we need it now! Lest those Democratic Party leaders, like Obama, sell our future off to those terrorist Arabs!

What a bunch of BS! If I had a better sense of humor, I'd probably find it funny ... but I don't ... IT PISSES ME OFF! Now, let me tell you three things I *KNOW*: (1) irrational speculation, and greed, led to skyrocketing commodity prices this year (including, if not led by, crude oil prices), (2) BO, and the sitting government under their thumb, did nothing to dissuade this ... if anything, they encouraged it, and (3) rapidly rising fuel cost resulted in lower demand, contributing to the drop in price (as well as the bursting of the bubble) ... but lowering in fuel cost will incite increase in demand, which will stop its decline at some natural point (and probably cause a slight/moderate rebound in price once bottom has been reached).

My points are three: (1) we (the world) WILL lower consumption if forced to by increasing prices, (2) instead of breathing a sigh of relief over lower prices, we should renew our efforts to find alternate energy sources, and (3) we won't ... and the next time around, prices will NOT come back down to reasonable levels. Let me add a fourth ... off-shore drilling and/or ANWR drilling will not appreciably help matters ... this is imply another boondoggle for BO, with negligible real impact.

Now let me play Nostradamus ... McCain will be the next US president ... there will be another major Al-Qaeda terrorist attack shortly after the election ... oil prices will rise again rapidly as a result, this time never to fall back to current levels ... off-shore drilling and ANWR drilling will take place ... this will have no appreciable effect on consumer prices ... US BO will make the greatest profits ever in the history of humanity ... someone else on this planet (i.e, another nation ... China?) will solve the energy problem by finally harnessing fusion practically ... the US, Russia, and other "former" powers will go the way of "Rule Brittania!"

Time frame ... less than 40 years ...

Welcome to the future.

#342. Posted by: ealgumby at September 16, 2008 9:46 PM

339. Posted by: Scooby-Dude

and for those of you on the canadian side of things, space is running the entire series at 7pm eastern monday to thursday.

i know exactly what you mean about watching from the start knowing what we know now. makes little things just a bit more significant (or confusing!) i find i am watching the background more than the center action to see if i missed anything. probably going to drive myself nuts by the time the new season starts!

#343. Posted by: surefoot at September 16, 2008 10:54 PM

BTW ... lest you think I'm trying to suggest something I'm NOT ... there will be another Al-Qaeda attack on the US and/or western Europe regardless of who wins the US election ... it just stands to reason IMO ... no matter who wins, AQ will (falsely) assume the new standing president will be blamed for it, as "they" (and I DO use that in the derogatory sense) do not understand that will not be the case.

As an aside, I used to live in Laurel, MD, in an apartment complex where Atta stopped by the day before his fatal flight. In fact, his "safe house" was directly upstairs from me ... I lived in 9568 Muirkirk Rd. #101, and Mohamed Atta stopped by more than once at 9568 Muirkirk Rd. #201, right above me. I even talked to him once, during the summer of 2001 ... I was checking my mail at the entrance to the complex, when he came down with a group of those living upstairs (to my knowledge, none of them spoke English ... but if I'm wrong, please, you F'ing AHs who harbored him, let me know! ... none of you ever spoke to me ... or was that part of the plan?). He said some niceties about the weather, and something else which I thought odd (but I swear I cannot remember to this day ... and feel guilty for not seeing something I should've noted!). After the attack, the FBI came by and interviewed me, but obviously I had little to tell them beyond what I've just said ...

Honestly, it all really pisses me off, because they had little kids up there in that apartment, but they were always hidden behind sheets over the windows (in retrospect ... go figure), and they would giggle through the screen every time my kids and I walked out of the building. A couple times, my kids stopped and called back up to them, asking if they wanted to come out and play ... never a response. I'll bet they understood, but were not allowed ... I feel sad for those kids, and wonder what ever happened to them. Nothing good I'm sure, especially after having Atta in their home, and the subsequent scrutiny they no doubt endured (the apartment was vacated shortly after 9/11).

Well, those kids would be late teens by now ... forgive me for asking, but are they hateful of the situation they were put into without knowledge ... or hateful of the government that disrupted their lives? It must be one or the other (again, call me a cynic, but there must be some hate to go around at this point).

I have no idea why I bring this up ... maybe I still feel guilty over not identifying Atta as a terrorist ... somthing inside me tells me I could've stopped the whole 9/11 thing, if only I hadn't been so damned trusting. I should've noted there was something weird going on upstairs, right? But what if there wasn't ... what if it was just some immigrants who didn't feel comfortable mingling with the locals? I feel SO bad for having had a face-to-face with Atta ... this asshole would eventually lead to at least hundreds of lives lost in the north tower ... and I gave him a friendly "what's up?" It burns me ... why did I not know? What would've I done if I did? Yet I balance that with "how could you know?" and "there was nothing you 'should've' noticed as noteworthy."

Damn ... I'm rambling ... but how would you feel if Mohamed Atta lived upstairs from you, and you did nothing to stop him? I failed to stop evil, when I had the chance.

And then, less than six years later, I failed to stop evil again, when my former/pending girlfriend was burned to death. I have to stop and ask myself ... God, are you F'ing with me, or am I doing something wrong? I seem to have a knack for not stopping evil when it should be ... and it weighs on me heavily. I feel responsible for 9/11 ... I feel responsible for my GF's death by gasoline inferno ... why can't I stop the evil when confronted with it?


#344. Posted by: ealgumby at September 16, 2008 11:07 PM

Please disregard my previous post

#345. Posted by: ealgumby at September 16, 2008 11:41 PM

Atta stopped by the apt on the 8th, to make two bank transfers of funds from local grocery stores, not the 10th as I had recalled ... my bad. Not that it matters ...

#346. Posted by: ealgumby at September 16, 2008 11:56 PM

Ealgumby:

"1) irrational speculation, and greed, led to skyrocketing commodity prices this year (including, if not led by, crude oil prices), "

If the speculators made money, was it really irrational speculation?

#347. Posted by: Cecil Rose at September 17, 2008 9:56 AM

Anyone hear when the S-4 DVD's come out? Like Surefoot, I plan to rewatch all four seasons just before S-5 kicks off.

Our S-4 party never came off. Anyone in the vicinity of Raleigh care to try for an S-5 party next January/February?

BTW, my first "House" review of the new season is up - you-know-where. Just a mini is all I can manage same-night, but a more analytical one to follow. Feel free to drop over and discuss.

#348. Posted by: Cecil Rose at September 17, 2008 10:02 AM

Thanks for the response ealgumby.
I was 'forced' to metals when my savings and ira dropped to less than 2% return, not sufficient for survival. In the long term, hopefully metals will recover, helped along by more purchase at the bottom. At least I had moved out of markets a couple years ago in my ira(gambling forced by government on ametuers). It's no wonder wall street is out of control, they have millions of dollars a day rolling in from witless 401k and ira's, donated by people like me. When I was working, no way I had time to study and manage choices.

#349. Posted by: mtncbn at September 17, 2008 11:49 AM

Hi everyone

To thwart the spammers who are ruining our flava, I'm closing comments on this Random Topic post. A fancy new spam-free (for now) Random Topic thread is available here:

http://tinyurl.com/lostrandom

- mac

#350. Posted by: mac at September 18, 2008 2:37 PM

COMMENT WARNINGS
  1. If your post contains spoilers -- or even hints at spoilers -- add ***** SPOILERS ***** to the top of your comment.
  2. Your post will NOT immediately show up if you post any URLs. Because of ongoing spam issues, I need to manually approve comments that include links. This sucks, but it's the only solution at this time.
  3. Super-long URLs screw up the page. If you post one of these, people will get very angry at you and really, no one wants that. The solution is easy. Go to www.tinyurl.com and create a mini URL.
  4. Do not post under multiple identities and then have inane conversations with yourself. This kind of nonsense will get you banned from the blog.
  5. Do not post in ALL CAPS FOR YOUR ENTIRE POST. In netiquette, all caps suggests you're screaming. In etiquette, it's lame. All-caps posts will be deleted.
  6. Please scan through previous posts to see if someone has already addressed your theory or comment.

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Lost Random Topic Hiatus Thread (Summer '09)
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