So much work piles up on Thursday that the evening feels like the start of the weekend. Cruel joke, that, but it’s not like I have to strap myself to oars and be lashed all Friday. Still, I’m a bit skint at the moment, so: randomness.
Watched the first half of the start of “Lost” last night – no spoilers follow, BTW - and was disheartened by how little I cared about any of it. And I love that show. I’ve been patient, and yes I’ve believed they know where they’re going. But the more I know, the less I’m interested. It may have had to do with the opening scene; a Dharma Initiative rattled off ridiculous expository dialogue to a construction worker that made the scene look like it was written in red crayon. As for the rest, well, Freckles is on the run, Sawyer is angry, Hugo’s all depressed by still charming dude, Sayed is grim, Jack is weary, and Locke continues to be the unluckiest man in the world, Leg Division. I’ll watch the rest of it tonight – hell, I’ll watch the whole season – but there had better be more than this.
Cancelled Earthlink today. They were very sorry to hear it. As I said on Twitter, they keep you on hold long enough to drag you into the next billing cycle, but eventually we agreed it was better to split, and we could still be friends. Although I just agreed to that because I know they want more and it would hurt them to say I don’t even want that, because it’s not possible. I’m with another ISP now, and Earthlink doesn’t want to hear how happy I am.
They had to press the point, though – why am I leaving? I said we just weren’t connecting. They asked if I’d tried to fix the problem, and I said I’d tried. I’d tried everything, but it wasn’t working. I had a new ISP and everything was working. Shouldn’t have said that. It was cruel. There was a difficult pause, and I almost expected the billing lady to ask who it was, if they knew the ISP, but no. She said they’d send me an email in two weeks, which is a nice change from a thick letter stuffed under the door at 2 AM.
From Natalie’s homework: Excerpts from daughter’s Comprehension Questions assignment. I like the sensible mindset here.
Question: What are these pigs like? How can you tell?
I think they would ilk to be free and they are adventurous. I can tell this because they ran and enjoyed their freedom. They truly surely did NOT want to be pork.
What do you think it would be like to see a huge dinosaur dance the Hokey Pokey? Why?
I would be sorta creeped out because dinosaurs are not supposed to be doing the Hokey pokey.
Why are the reporters interested in Bob?
Well, because he is a dinosaur!
Agreed: duh.
Coming up today: Fargo Friday, Comic Sins, and more. Meanwhile ~
Friday newspaper column: here.
Buzz.mn piece on AM radio: here.
There’s a new Diner. Click HERE, or HERE for the plain MP3 version. And thanks for listening!
PS – anyone know who the guy at the top of the post is? Hint: creeeeeek
Pass it along, if you wish
25 Responses to Friday, Jan. 23
Host with the Most
Looks like Vincent Price.
How strange. I loved the new Lost and think the shows is better than ever.
All the time travel implications in just these first two episodes definitely are responsible for geeksplosions all across the country. Its a show that really requires you to have a good memory of everything though. As a late comer to the show, having watched all 4 seasons for the first time this past summer, I feel I have a leg up from now on. Of course browsing the various Lost forums, reading various theories while offering your own also helps you stay on the ball. I’m very excited where the show is headed. Just a matter of JJ and co. not screwing up.
“They truly surely did NOT want to be pork” explains so many things.
I thought it was Mandrake the Magician.
Is that The Man in Black?
Looks like Mandrake to me, too.
Haven’t watched Lost. I thought it would be another Twin Peaks from the get-go, and fear that you … (NOT me!) … are seeing that come true now. It’s all promise and allure … but, no, I really do NOT think they know where they are going. And it doesn’t matter as long as they can keep all the kitties watching the beam of light on the wall, and keep selling ads. (Just a tad cynical, aren’t I?)
By the way, I still lose the right edge of all your text.
And am I the only one who hates this new tiny italic font? Given that this is the site of a font aficionado, I confess I’m a bit disappointed … unless this is all just some weird display problem at my end of things…
I think Lost is being made up as they go along. A lot of ret-conning going on. That said, I am enjoying it now. Watched all of season 4 last weekend and was happy that the pace of the story has picked up dramatically.
Why, it was Raymond Johnson, of course! NBC Blue was the hint:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_Sanctum
As for Lost, similar problems abounded with X Files and (I admit it) The Pretender — after the first season it became clear that no one had a @#^%&@ clue. Causes you to lose interest, you know?
Other than the occasional word or phrase, I’m not seeing any italics, let alone tiny Italian italics.
I’ve avoided lost. Like BSG, they’re making it up as they go along, and I don’t care for the ride.
I never really thought about it until now, but I, too, would be a little creeped out by watching dinosaurs dance the hokey pokey.
I’m not exactly sure who that is but I’ll bet the Shadow knows. If only it were Robert Bork, the other white meat.
I would say Man in Black, but that was Suspense. So I’m guessing Raymond from Inner Sanctum Mysteries, brought to you by Lipton Tea and Lipton Soup.
Mr. Lileks. Just wanted you to know that I’m losing the last word or two on each line. FYI, I’m using Explorer 6.0.
The little italic font shows up in IE6, but not in Firefox. Weird.
I bailed after the first season of Lost after the producers admitted that ABC determined the future of the show. If the suits want 10 years of mysteries and angst, they’ll give it to them. This told me that there was going to be no payoff and I had better things to do with my time. I even bought season 2 and haven’t watched it.
Of course, if they do deliver, I’m willing to reconsider.
(Caveat: If you find pleasure in Lost, great. My opinion is no reflection on your life or your taste. If you wish my opinion, e-mail me. I prefer to do more research. For example: “Lost in Translation” Waste of time or deeply significant? We’ll go from there.)
(Caveat the 2nd: Note that I’m not serious about this offer.)
See? This is what 10 years on the InterTubes will do to you.
My 7 year old asked me about the timing of Dinosaur demise and the origins of cavepeople the other day. Her course of concern was focused on the proximity of cavepeople and dinosaur leavings. This was, of course, at breakfast while she spied the dog concluding his morning pre-deposit ballet. Her concerns can be very to the point.
I have come to the conclusion that the title “LOST” is a reference not to the characters in the story, but to the viewers. Still, I’m biting, and will chew through season five.
It often reminds me of the late nights I spent playing MYST. So I’ve got that goin’ for me.
Reddy Kilowatt! What do I win? Love the site.
“I would be sorta creeped out because dinosaurs are not supposed to be doing the Hokey pokey.”
Honest to pete, that was the funniest thing I’ve read this morning.
When I was a lad, if I had said something like that to the Nuns In Charge of my early education, it would have meant that I’m a wise guy and thus subject to the ruler.
Way to go (G)Nat.
Please make the Bleat banner a clickable link to return to the Bleat index.
I’ve skipped Lost for the same reason as most of the posters above. I went through Twin Peaks and X-Files with the same “well that sucked” ending as everyone else. Does anyone remember the show “Millenium”; yet another show that failed with a big F. Not only didn’t the world end but four years later we find out (in real life) that FEMA is not capable of fighting it’s way out of a wet paper bag, let alone dealing with a nationwide biological attack.
Relevant to this week’s diner: “The Scottish Play” scene from BlackAdder. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Enmztm9uMzQ
With a bonus “name that actor”!
In reply to your Twittered desire to start a radio station, there’s always this:
http://www.pandora.com/
I’ve spent a disgusting amount of time playing with it– best part? It will tell you why it chose a song!
Hope you enjoy this homework response written by my 9 year old son.
His class was assigned to read Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes. The plot is a Japanese girl, who lived in Hiroshima at the time of the atomic bombing, develops leukemia from the radiation. She spends her time in a nursing home folding paper cranes in hope of making a thousand, which according to legend, will grant her one wish, which is to live. She dies before she makes 1000 cranes. The book, of course, has a strong pacifist slant.
Test question: Should America have dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima?
Son’s answer: Yes, because an invasion of Japan might have cost 100,000 American lives.
Q: What do you think would happen if every child in the world read this book?
A: Then we would not have to read it for a school assignment.