okay, so despite a severe miscue with my DVR – one which will be rectified swiftly and justly – i’m going to watch this week’s episode of LOST and, as i have for the past two weeks, i’ll be keeping a running commentary regarding the goings on of the show… later, i’ll come back and try to sort more things out… in fact, perhaps i’ll try to sort some things out in real time, depending on how well i pay attention… regardless… Lost, Season Six, Episode Five, The Lighthouse begins (for me)… now… off we go…

TRY TO LEAVE THE LIGHT ON…

now watching: Lighthouse – LOST 6.05

flashbacks include the plane landing safely, Christian’s missing coffin, arriving at the temple, Sayid drowning and waking… the poison pill, the torture, the darkness growing, it happened to your sister… Jin sees crazy claire…

presumably this is the _X timeline… Jack is running late, seems concerned/confused about an appendix scar… mom is on the phone, mad that Jack lost the body… he apparently had it out when he was seven, but doesn’t remember it… he’s picking up… his son? David… hmmm… what’s in a name…

rainy reflections outside the temple… Dogun says that everything is an option, but he would’ve stopped Jack from leaving… Jin, Sawyer, and Kate “probably” won’t come back… Hurley, always the gamesman… playing tic-tac-toe with Miles… off to get some grub… WOAH… it’s Jacob… better write this down… someone is coming to the island and Hurley needs to guide them in… kind of like… a lighthouse…

L-O-S-T

David storms into his room and tries to ignore daddy Jack… Jack tries to have a conversation about Alice in Wonderland, but David storms out… they don’t see each other often and there’s an awkward pause before Jack’s mom calls him… of course, David doesn’t want to come…

back at the temple… Sayid in his foreboding black tank top doesn’t like being stared at… Sayid is trying to get the whole story from Jack… Jack serves it up straight… he never was much for bedside manner… the pill was poison, they’re pretty sure that you’re going to be very bad… it happened to someone else… who?

in the woods… Jin still stuck in the polar bear trap… Claire comes to help free him after making sure that the others are dead… oh… she recognizes Jin… and she’s going to help him… he can’t walk on that leg… Jin faints

Hurley in the tunnels under the temple… looking for the right symbol… there it is… push the block… what are you doing? Dogun tells him to go back to the courtyard… Jacob appears only to Hurley and instructs him to tell Dogun to shove off… Hurley identifies himself as a candidate and Dogun gets bent out of shape and mumbles curse words (presumably) as he leaves Hurley to his business…

Still in the tunnel… Jacob complains that Hurley didn’t bring Jack… Hurley doesn’t want Jack because Jack is impossible to convince to do anything… “it’s bad enough you made me write down way too much and I had to lie to a samurai”… Hurley asks Jacob how to get jack to come… Jacob smiles wryly…

temple courtyard… playful background music… Hurley approaches Jack as if he’s the Cheshire Cat… trying to get jack intrigued about a secret tunnel… Jack won’t bite… finally Hurley pull out a trump card… “Jacob said to tell you that you have what it takes”… Obi-Wan Kenobi reference… now, Jack is on board…

Jin wakes up to a bloody stump of a leg… maybe not stump, but bloody for sure… and Valentine’s boxers? lots of explosives, an oar for a crutch… and a cradle with the skeletal remains of some sort of a dinosaur? Claire returns to the flat with one of the others – i forget his name – and she ties him up, promising to find out where he’s hiding her son…

Claire goes to get a treatment for Jin’s leg – “if there’s one thing that will kill you out here, it’s infection”… Jin asks her if she’s been alone this whole time… “Oh, no, I’m not by myself”… she leaves Jin and the other alone in the flat… the other makes a plea to get out of here now… Jin says it’s okay… the other promises that Claire will kill them both…

Hurley is leading Jack to the secret tunnel… he’s got his directions written on his forearem like a quarterback… Jack sees a backpack… they just happen to bump into Kate who, naturally pulls a gun on them… Kate doesn’t want to go back to the temple, she must find Claire… Jack explains that Claire was infected and invites her to come with him and Hurley… Kate doesn’t care, she’s gonna find Claire anyway… Hurley DOES care and says that Kate can’t come… Jack overspeaks Jacob’s order… Kate says, no… “I hope you find what you’re looking for [Jack]“… i think he already found it, but she’s leaving yet again…

Jack pulls up to his mom’s house in that crazy old Jeep… they’re going through boxes trying to find his dad’s will… she drinks, he does not… she asks about David… he was apparently upset at the funeral… bad communication runs in the family… she found it… on the bookshelf… she’s reading it and is asking about, “a Claire Littleton”…

speaking of Claire, she’s fixing some grub and sharpening an axe… the other is still trying to convince Jin to untie him… threatens to snap her neck… oh, that’s a nasty looking cut, Jin… she’s stitching him up… gross… Claire and the other start arguing about whether or not the others have Aaron… Claire knows that the others have him because she was told by her father and her friend… who’s her friend? “you’re still my friend, aren’t you Jin?”… that’s a little creepy, but an easy answer, since she’s stitching him up right now… she finishes stitching up Jin, stands up, grabs the ax, starts swinging it and tells the other that it’s his turn…

wow, only halfway through… Jack and Hurley looking for the secret tunnel… Hurley apologizes for wreaking Jack’s game with Kate… Jack says the game is totally over, Hurley says Jack would be a great dad, Jack finds an inhaler… Hurley says it was Shannon’s… they’re at the Adam and Eve caves… Hurley talks about dinosaurs, time travel and “what if these skeletons are us?”… Jack sees the smashed up casket… admits to Hurley that his dead dad led him to the caves and that he wasn’t in the coffin…

Jack brings home some pizza for dinner, but David is gone… Jack looks out on the skyline and is rather perturbed… tries to call his son… leaves a message… Jack heads to David’s mother’s house… who could it be?… the key is under a white rabbit… of course… David’s not here either, but he apparently likes classical music and old pictures of him and his dad… Jack’s listening to old answering machine messages… one’s about a performance and one is him calling from Sydney because “something happened”…

Jack and Hurley hanging out, old school jungle mission… off to do what they don’t understand… and the million dollar question is “why did you come back to the island?”… Jack deflects… Hurley says that Jacob told him he was supposed to… Jack came back because he was “broken… and stupid enough to think this place could fix [him]“… Are we there yet? almost… there it is… the lighthouse… how have they never seen THAT before? “I guess we weren’t looking for it”…

back to Claire and her axe… his name starts with a J, right?… Justin… that’s it… (had to look it up)… Claire and Justin are arguing about who has Aaron and why the others captured and tortured Claire… Justin says that it was because she was picking the others off… Claire gets ready to swing the axe… Jin says, “hold on!”

Claire looks at Jin incredulously… she explains that the others stuck her with needles and branded her, showing a scar on her shoulder… Justin doesn’t know where Aaron is… she winds up to deliver the axe-blow… Jin explains that Kate took Aaron… Justin promises to never tell anyone anything about Claire if she unties him… she’s processing a lot of information right now… and then she buries the hatchet into his chest anyway… Jin is a bit concerned as Claire leaves…

back to the lighthouse… Hurley thinks it’s cool… Jack wants to see Jacob… Hurley says they need to turn it on, but the door is jammed… Jack gives it the old college try and kicks it in…

Jack heads to the conservatory to see David’s piano recital… the one that he’s probably not supposed to know about… David is realy good and Jack is so amazed that he can’t even find a seat… there’s a judge’s panel… some random kid tells Jack that his son is really good… oh, it’s Dogun’s son… Dogun and Jack converse… about youth and gifts and not being able to help… “how long has he been playing?” “I don’t know”…

at the top of the lighthouse… lots of mirrors… oh, 108 degrees… Hurley thinks it’s super cool… Jack sees things in the mirrors… buildings… the conservatory? there are names next to each number… Jack wants to see his name pointed to… he sees a house… his house… the house he grew up in… Jack really wants to see Jacob now… “he’s been watching us this whole time”… Jack is very angry… don’t break the mirrors… don’t do it Jack… aw, crud… he broke the mirrors… who is 108? Kate rhymes with 108…

oh David… shepherd… duh, why did that take so long?… they’re talking about his performance… David didn’t want Jack to know that he played the piano… he didn’t want his father to see him fail… Jack has repeated the sins of his father… Christian used to tell him that he didn’t have what it takes… and it’s haunted him his whole life… Jack is trying to break the cycle like he broke the mirrors… man, why did he break the mirrors?… now they’re heading home for some cold pizza…

Jack on a cliff… Hurley far away… Jacob shows up and asks how it went… Hurley freaks out because he feels like he failed… Jacob says that it will be okay… Hurley figures out that Jacob got what he needed… Jack had to “understand how important he is”… he’s here to do something that he has to figure out for himself… Jacob needed to get Jack and Hurley far away from the temple because somebody bad is coming…

back to Claire’s flat… she questions Jin’s comments about Kate and Aaron… he lies and says that he lied… now he lies and tells her that Aaron is at the temple and that he’ll help her break in and find him… Jin says that he knows a secret way… Claire says that if Kate was raising Aaron, she’d kill her… in walks Claire’s friend… “not John”… woah…

L-O-S-T…

there is so much going on, but the pieces are finally falling into place… still a lot of questions and plenty of room for speculation, but we’ll see what happens…

more to come later… and, as always, check out what Robin had to say about this episode at the newly-relocated and rebranded LOST Explained…

peace… love… bdg…

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well, i’ve got a bunch of things to write and i think that this could potentially be a very busy couple of days… anyway, for my own benefit, i’m going to list a few of the things that i’m planning on covering… there’s music: new albums from Brenton Brown, NewWorldSon, and Starfield… also, the Dove Award nominations are out, and i’ll have to discuss that at some point… there’s movies: Sarah’s Choice, To Save a Life, The Imposter, and The Princess and the Frog… books: I Am America, Live from Middle America, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Gospel According to Lost… and speaking of Lost, i’ve got some thoughts about that, i’ll a rundown of tonight’s episode, and i’ll breakdown the top 24 performances starting tonight on American Idol…

and i’m sure there’s more… oh, like talking about the redesign and stuff like that… not now though… now, i’m going to just dive into the first of many American Idol rundowns… off we go…

TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES…

okay, top twelve girls… two go home ten will remain… first we start off with silliness… Simon has a thing for Ellen… ha ha… she really IS replacing Paula… they’ve been sent to separate ends of the table and Simon is stuck next to Kara… i’m sure he loves that… so, they’re saying that these contestants are probably known better than in any other year… i disagree, mostly because i have no idea who most of them are… this should be interesting…

now playing: Mercy – Duffy

Paige Miles (and Miles and Miles)… singing “All Right Now“… and she’s literally just all right so far… she’s gonna have to learn how to not scream if she’s gonna stick around and nix the drama… save it fo’ yo’ mama as they say, somewhere i’m sure… not a fan… Simon says he thinks that she has the best voice among the girls, but it was a cheap, wedding singer song… Kara disagrees and is cheered on… brilliant rock, soul song that she slayed… Randy kinda sorta agrees with both Simon and Kara somehow… dawg… great job says he… Ellen agrees and disagrees… four judges is a lot, really… oh, Paige has to pee, stay classy, Hollywood…

Ashley Rodriguez… Kris Allen Fusion commercial (go buy his mediocre album, now)… Glee is coming back… Ashley is from Boston and she’s singing Battlefield, no, “Happy” by Leona Lewis… is that smart knowing that Simon is smitten with Leona? (props to Ryan Tedder for writing this song, i think)… okay… i think that’s about all the good that i can say… wow, she has no idea where the key is… methinks she’s not going to be happy with the comments… Kara says good effort… Leona Lewis is the new Mariah Carey… (i wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy)… Randy says… well, let me summarize… the song is bigger than she is… Ellen says that the song didn’t let her be herself… Simon says it was clumsy and unoriginal and that she’s regressed since the audition…

Janell Wheeler has anyone else ever seen I-Spy on HBO Kids? “Oh, Wheeelerrrr!”… probably just me… anyway, Janell is singing a Heart song right out the gates… that’s some guts, right there… and she’s rushing… but she has a pretty nice tone to her voice…that is, when it’s on key… she’s a bit flat at the moment… and you know, when the song is supposed to explode into the chorus, it’s not exactly igniting… how on earth can you sing this song and not emit any energy… that’s odd… not gonna work out well overall… Randy says he’s glad that it’s over… bad song choice… Ellen liked the song choice and that she tried to get into it and she likes her… Simon said it was about 65%… and she had her moments, but it was not the best song choice… Kara agrees that the song was too big for her…

Lilly Scott… if she sticks around, i do believe i’ll have to go with some form of “Tinker Bell” as her nickname… she’s singing Fixing a Hole, by The Beatles… okay, i kind of remember her… she’s this year’s Adele/AmyWinehouse/Duffy wannabe… hopefully she doesn’t go insane and start “CAW-CAW”-ing like Megan did last year… well, anyway, i kind of liked it… she’s got some good potential and despite some minor slips, she was the best of the first four… Ellen says that’s what they were looking for… Simon says she’s the best of the night so far, but she needs to work on her star power… Kara breaks out the word “busk” and can totally feel Lilly… Randy says that he loves how she really doesn’t seem to care what anyone thinks and that she’s just plain honest…

now playing: No One – Alicia Keys

Katelyn Epperly… so Katelyn’s got a lot of hair… and she’s singing “Oh, Darling”… and she’s got a slight hint of that raspy quality to her vocal that Tink just got praise for… what the heck is in her hair?… you know what though, that was a really solid vocal… nicely done… bad stage presence though… Simon says that she needs a lot of work, but he likes her… Kara says that she knows her voice very well… Kara doesn’t like the thing in her hair… Randy says he liked that she paid attention to the tone of her voice and that she can really go places… Ellen says that she’s got… personality… and a great voice, but perhaps she’s a little pushy…

Haeley Vaughn… aw, she got her nose pierced to honor the fact that she made the top 24… i can already tell that she smiles too much… she’s singing “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”… in the vein of that Over the Rainbow remake… perhaps mixed with Marilyn Manson… why on earth IS SHE SHOUTING???? unfortunately, i think she might have some potential, but that was a complete and utter disaster… she’s got a serious case of the runs… she pretty much did everything that Randy praised Katelyn for NOT doing… Kara says that technically it wasn’t so good, but she looked like she had fun… Randy says that, yeah, dawg, get it together… there’s too much going on… Ellen says taht she was shining on stage… and they’re all pointing out her age… Simon says that she was like a wind-up doll that just wouldn’t ever stop… a complete mess…

Lacey Brown… oh, she was here last year, but now, with the hot redness in her hair, she has a newfound power… nothing can stop us now… oh, that would be great if she sang We Built This City… but no, she’s singing Landslide by Fleetwood Mac… and she is really rough around the edges… somewhat shrill even… she has someone singing BGVs? how’d she manage that?… i think she has some good qualities, but she is really trying way too hard… like she wants to be kind of sensual and mystic but she really lost control… Randy says bad song choice and it wasn’t good… Ellen says that she can do better if she gets a chance… Simon says he couldn’t wait for it to finish and it was indulgent… Kara says that it felt forced… shout out to Sixpence!…

Michelle Delamor… i have really no recollection of her, but i LOVE this song… singing “Falling” by Alicia Keys… not the best arrangement here at the jump off, but she’s got a really smooth voice and she’s holding it together… well, that was a scream, but overall it’s sounding pretty good… well, a few more off notes… she’s definitely got some solid potential… i’ll say now that she’s very likely a lock for the top six… Ellen says that it was fantasatic… Simon says that it sounded very professional, but not original… Kara says that she looks very commercial, but had a few bad moments… Randy says that she did a pretty good job, but she needs to really take some risks…

now playing: Break the Silence – Thousand Foot Krutch

Didi Benami oh, Didi has got some dry humor going on here… “terrified to sing “Terrified“… nice… now she’s singing something else that i wasn’t paying enough attention to… it’s probably by Adele… she’s dressed like she’s about to sing some Janis Joplin or something else from the Woodstock hall of fame… okay, it’s called “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson… i should’ve known that… she’s really playing up that Duffy sound though and even though she’s pretty on point tone wise, there’s no real stage presence or reason to get excited… do something different… Simon says that he would confuse her with 3 other voices from tonight and that it was a little dull… Kara says that she made a few changes that were cool… Randy says, yeah dawg, but where’s the star power?… Ellen says that it was pretty low-key for a first impression…

Siobhan Magnus… i wonder if any of her uncles compete in the World’s Strongest Man competitions… well, that was based on the name, but woah, she’s not so bright, eh? Singing Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Games”… the video for this was like an extended ad for Calvin Klein… i don’t understand why anyone would pick this song… she did alright, but it felt really roped in – that she was really holding back and trying to lay up for a chip shot… Kara says that it was a weird choice, but it was good… Randy says that she has a big voice and should really let them loose… Ellen says that it was great and she liked it a lot… Simon says that she’s a funny little thing… he liked it, but didn’t love it…

Crystal Bowersox… as a Yankees fan, i’m predisposed to disliking her because her name is just too, too close to BoSox, which of course is short for the Boston Red Sawks… anyway, singing “Hand in My Pocket” by Alanis Morrissette… haven’t heard this in a long time, and i’m not sure that i missed it… oh YES! harmonica!… sorry, that’s sarcasm… i’m glad she can play the harmonica and all, but please not here… she’s shouting a lot, too… she doesn’t sound bad, but it’s just very karaoke… i think she’s better than that… and technically, neither of her hands are in her pocket, they’re both playing the guitar… Randy says that he likes her and her honesty… Ellen is a fan of hers, too… Simon says that she sounds like she belongs outside of a subway station… Kara says that she sounds like a coffee shop performer…

Katie Stevens who reminds me of a girl from a show that i can’t remember the name to, but probably wouldn’t admit to watching anyway so it doesn’t really matter… moving on… she’s singing a Buble song… “Feeling Good”… awesome tune… wow, didn’t expect that vocal quality… she’s got a much bigger voice than you would expect… let’s see how it holds up… she bottomed out on the lower register there and she’s slightly off… kind of sharp and sloppy… and now that she’s in the big section of the song, it’s clear that she’s forcing that sound… it’s alright and all, but not what it could be… Ellen says that it was good, but conservative and old… Simon is holding his mouth… but he agrees with Ellen… “it felt like your mom and dad dressed you and chose the song for you”… pagenty… Kara says that they wouldn’t say that if she had killed the song… she was pitchy, but she’s got ridiculous chops… Randy says that she’s only going to be seventeen once and that she needs to enjoy it…

AND NOW IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE…

now playing: Should I Stay Or Should I Go – The Clash

okay, two gals need to pack their bags… and who should it be…? Paige, Ashley, Haeley, Lacey, Siobhan, and Crystal are all in danger, as i see it… let’s see… narrowing it down to four, i’d say that Paige and Siobhan are safe… then, Crystal, then Lacey… that means that Haeley and Ashley are headed home… to the place where they belong…

peace… love… bdg…

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okay, so the latest episode of Lost is still on everyone’s mind i’m sure… and this time around, i’ve got my episode summary typed up and i’m gonna post it sooner rather than later… i’ll get back to this topic later in the week to talk about what i think is going on and what is worth considering and there is a lot, but i wanted to be fresh and out of the gates with this week’s recap… again, it’s lengthy and filled with sarcasm and random comments, but it should help you remember what happened and point out some key moments to think about… off we go…

LOST 6.04: The Substitute (how it happened)

now playing: Centerfield – Stellar Kart

Previously on Lost… Juliet dies… Sawyer blames himself… Smokey/Locke/MIB crushes Jacob’s detail, Ben stares, MIB clocks Richard in the throat and carries him off to the jungle, disappointed in “all of you”… Ben stares… dead-Locke has something of a smirk on his face… new Locke lies to Boone about going on a walk-about before getting wheeled off the new plane…

we open to a neighborhood… a van pulls up to a house… it’s Locke’s van, wheelchair ramp gets stuck… Locke pops a wheelie then takes a header… face-first in the grass and the sprinklers come on… newLocke chuckles at what oldLocke would’ve cried about… Helen… oh, they’re planning a wedding… and they’re planning on inviting Locke’s dad… he picks a fabric while in the tub and talks about Jack’s business card… the magic word… “destiny”…

smokey is patroling the island… headed to the barracks… glass smashing… loud rock music… back out to the jungle, machete… smokeLocke cuts Richard out of a trap and says it’s time to talk…

– L – O – S – T –

newLocke heads to his cubicle… and is greeted by Randy… they’re talking about the conference… busted!… he skipped out of the conference… Randy is such a putz… oh, newLocke is fired…

SmokeLocke offers Richard some water… Richard is terrified… SmokeLocke wants Richard to be his teammate… Richard is terrified… SmokeLocke promises to treat him with respect and tell him everything… “people seldom get a second chance”… Richard won’t go anywhere with him… what? random blonde kid posing like an angel?… SmokeLocke is freaked out… Richard sees it not… “sooner than you think”

Ben creeps back into the statue’s foot… Ilana is crying and wants to know what happened to the troops… “you probably won’t believe me”… “try me”… John Locke turned into a “pillar of black smoke” and killed them all… “Did it kill Jacob as well?”… “yes”… LIAR!… “he burned away”… Ilana grabs some ashes and puts it into a little sack… Ben asks why SmokeLocke carried Richard away… “He’s recruiting”…

SmokeLocke returns to the barracks… same loud rawk music blaring from the house… “the one who’s searchin’ is searchin’ to destroy”… Sawyer is drinking and throwing a pity party when SmokeLocke walks in… “Thought you were dead”… “I am”….

Sawyer’s doing dishes? no, pouring drinks (from the bottle he was just swigging?)… shuffles back through the house handing off a glass to SmokeLocke, who doesn’t seem to know what to do with it… a toast to being dead… Sawyer’s clearly fried… “I don’t care if you’re dead, or time-travelling, or the ghost of Christmas past”… classic… he tells SmokeLocke to get out of his house… “this was never your house”… you ain’t John Locke, you ain’t scared… what if i told you why you’re on this island?… “I guess I better put some pants on”…

newLocke wheels out of the office building into the parking lot… past the handicap spot, to find that he’s boxed in by a Hummer… Vengence fails when his chair lift malfunctions just shy of scratching the heck out of the Hummer, so he sets off the alarm to alert the owner… DUDE! it’s Hugo… newLocke starts yelling and griping about not having to park in the handicap spot and don’t you know how to park?… Hurley is apologetic and Locke is framed in a weird camera angle, kind of reminiscent of when he was beating on the hatch door… Hurley has chops… cooler heads prevail and the formal introductions commence… Hurley doesn’t like Randy either, but “hooks” newLocke up with a temp job… “chin up, things are gonna work out”…

back on the beach… deadLocke with a smirk on his dead face and a smudge on his neck… GAH! it’s a giant spider!… apparently he’s ripe… Ilana comes out asking where everyone went (to the temple)… she takes command and tells everyone to mount up and move out… Sun balks, Ilana pulls the Jin card… “what do you know about my husband?”… if he’s here and alive, he’s at the temple… Sun wants to bury deadLocke…

SmokeLocke and Sawyer walking through the forest… where are all your friends? let’s not talk… random blonde kid… Sawyer sees him too… SmokeLocke is gonna catch him… Run Forest Run… SmokeLocke trips… that’s so unlike him… “You know the rules. You can’t kill him”… “Don’t tell me what I can’t DO!”…

Sawyer wondering where SmokeLocke ran off to… Richard, emerges from the shadows, whispering and trying to steal Sawyer off to the temple… no, Richard, Sawyer wants answers… Answers? SmokeLocke is gonna kill you sucka!… SmokeLocke wants everyone dead and he won’t stop until they’re all gone… *snap* Richard, terrified, flees… SmokeLocke returns… Sawyer denies talking to Richard, SmokeLocke denies seeing a kid… they “get on with it”…

newLocke is not an animal… he’s getting screened for a temp job, and he doesn’t like it… “would you describe yourself as a people person?”… clearly not… Rose is the supervisor… creepy music everytime the characters interact… newLocke wants to work construction… Rose calmly explains that he’s just being stubborn… she still has cancer…

Sawyer and SmokeLocke walking again… suddenly, Sawyer wants to talk about books… Steinbeck again… “it’s a little after my time”… Sawyer pulls a gun on SmokeLocke… “I’ve been trapped for so long, that I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be free”… “Before I was trapped, I was a man, just like you”… SmokeLocke is the ultimate manipulator…

beach… burying deadLocke…. “the people needed to see the face of what they’re up against”… can’t he change his face again?… “he’s stuck this way”… no one wants to eulogize deadLocke… Ben steps up to the plate… “John Locke was a believer, a man of faith. . . a much better man than I will ever be. And I’m very sorry I murdered him”… Sun is stunned… Ilana is perturbed… Frank is weirded out…

push the buttons the alarm is going off… oh, it’s an alarm clock… glad mine doesn’t sound like that… newLocke is getting out of bed and dressed for… work?… pulls out Jack’s card… what’s with the weird spacing? is that a heart between St. and Sebastian or a smudge?… (looks like a heart logo or something)… newLocke backs out… Helen asks him about it… saved by the doorbell… John, your knives are here… now they discuss newLocke’s firing… newLocke talks about the walkabout… and how he wants to just accept that he’s never gonna walk again… “there is no such thing (as miracles)”… (except for moving the island)… ripped up Jack’s card and kiss… black nail polish… does that matter?

Sawyer and SmokeLocke on the cliff… let’s climb down this crazy series of ladders that are bound to break at some point… SmokeLocke goes first… Sawyer follows and… oh, SNAP! it broke… that would probably be fun if he wasn’t about to die… safe again… they continue down to a cave… scales balanced by one black rock and one white rock… SmokeLocke tosses the white rock into the ocean and calls it an inside joke… but the cave goes further… and everybody’s name is scrawled into the ceiling with a number… 8-Reyes, 16-Jarrah… oh… 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42… interesting…

newLocke coaching a basketball team? teaching sex-ed… wheeling through the halls looking for the teacher’s lounge… newBen is rambling on and on about the classic rule of community: Kill it, fill it… newLocke asks for Earl Grey tea… Ben Linus, European History… John Locke, Substitute… clever…

back in the cave… SmokeLocke explains that Jacob wrote the names… Sawyer wants to know about the names… 23-Shepherd… “he’s not the only one”… 8-Reyes… “Jacob had a thing about numbers”… 16-Jarrah… (scenes of Jacob touching everyone)… 42-Kwon… Jin or Sun? 4-Locke… “we both know him”… last but not least, 15-Ford… “I never met him”… “choices that you thought you made were never choices at all”… this term “candidate” is used again… a candidate to be the protector of the island… SmokeLocke crosses out Locke’s name… this “three choices” speech will need to be revisited… Let’s get off the island together and never look back…

LOST

alrighty, that’s what happened… i’ll be back later to talk about this episode AND last episode, trying to sort out all the storylines, and figure out how we’ve moved closer to the “end game”… it’s getting interesting, that’s for sure…

peace… love… bdg…

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okay, so i wrote what follows during the episode last week and expected to get back to it with more thoughts and such for a full-on fantastic piece about the show… and, i never did… anyway, it’s still before 6.04 airs, so let’s give it a quick whirl before it’s too late…

LOST 6.03: What Kate Does (how it happened)

now playing: Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic – The Police

we open to Sayid’s miraculous recovery… the message is brought to the leader of the temple… he freaks out… Sawyer heads off into the shadows and starts plotting with Kate about escaping the others and running… what Kate does? Kate runs.

cut to Kate in the cab… Artz is a pain in the butt… Claire is caught in the cross fire… slow, long, knowing glance at Jack in the distance… cabbie takes off running… Kate steals Claire’s purse and kicks her to the curb… tears off… what Kate does? Kate isolates herself.

cut to the temple… Sayid is healing quickly… the others want to chat with him… Jack is beligerent… Hurley is the leader… fight breaks out… Sawyer appears with a gun… “you must stay”… no, i don’t… to Kate: “don’t come after me”… (reminiscent of Jack stuck with the others)… what Kate does? Kate burns.

- LOST –

we must keep Sawyer safe… Kate can track him… what Kate does? Kate chases after people who don’t want her to come after them…

cut to Kate looking for a tire iron… making friends with the mechanic… no more handcuffs (chains?)… need to change my clothes… shamu? what Kate does? Kate regrets her actions…

cut to temple… Kate is leaving with the others to fetch Sawyer… “better not slow us down”… “better not slow me down”… i’ll take care of James, you take care of Sayid… be careful… what Kate does. Kate leaves.

cut to Sayid with his head strapped in… he’s being tortured by the man… brain jolts… why? why? i don’t have any secrets… firebrand… OOOOOWWWWWWWW!… “don’t worry, you passed the test”… “what the…?”… oops… he didn’t pass… that was a lie… what Kate does? Kate does something offscreen…

commercial…

cut to Claire waiting on a bench… waiting for a bench… Kate pulls up in the cab and begs to know where Claire is going… she returns her bags… and, after hearing about Claire’s plan (and plight), Kate offers her a ride… seriously?… yes… let’s go… what Kate does? Kate tries to make up for her bad behavior…

cut to the jungle… Kate, Jin and the others tracking Sawyer… woah, a rousseau trap… no way… remember that guard that you knocked out three years ago when you left the polar bear cages? that was me and now i’m a mouthy, annoying guy who has a grudge… oh yeah? well take that canteen to the face… watch out for rousseau’s trap… what are you doing? escaping Jin… escaping… what Kate does? Kate escapes…

cut to the temple… Sayid tells Jack that he was tortured… Jack goes to confront the man (the new Richard) and Lennon (the new Ben)… what are you doing torturing my boy Sayid, yo?… he’s sick… he needs this medicine… he doesn’t even have a fever… Jack, you’ve caused a lot of people pain and death… give this to Sayid and you can redeem yourself… what Kate does? Kate’s not here…

commercial…

temple… Miles and Hurley are grilling Sayid about what it’s like to die… Hurley makes sure that Sayid isn’t a zombie… he’s not… Jack strolls in and tells them to vamoose… Jack and Sayid start talking about this pill… should he take it or not… i didn’t fix you Sayid, they did… i don’t care, i trust you, not them… should i take it? um… what Kate does? Kate wanders off in the jungle, i guess…

cut to the jungle… Kate and Jin are arguing… Jin wants to find the plane and Sun… Kate tries to play coy and tells him that he only cares about Sun… Jin asks her who she cares about?… what is she going to do if she catches up with Sawyer?… goodbye jin… what Kate does? Kate cuts people out of her life…

cut to the cab… Kate and Claire are outside the house where Aaron is supposed to go… Claire actually asks Kate to go with her… uh oh… my husband left me… i can’t take the baby alone… what… ugh… the baby’s coming… what Kate does? Kate takes control…

cut to the jungle… Kate’s headed back to the barracks… there’s noises coming from inside one of the houses… she goes in… Sawyer has something hidden in the floorboards… (the tell-tale heart?)… no… is that the diamonds? no, those went in the grave… oh, the black and white stones?… he hears Kate… what are you doing here?… i was worried… exit Sawyer in an angry brood… what Kate does? Kate minds other people’s business…

commercial…

cab, screeching up to the hospital… Kate loads Claire into a wheelchair and follows her in… OH MY GOODSPEED, IT’S ETHAN!!!!!! do you want the baby tonight or do you want lots of drugs?… drugs… wait… flatline… she still plans to name him Aaron… he’s fine… perfectly normal… Kate is holding Claire’s hand… now, if only they don’t check out that stolen cab out front… what Kate does? Kate comforts and reassures others…

cut to barracks… Kate follows Sawyer and answers his question… why did she come back? to find Claire… Sawyer is crying… he misses Juliet… and Kate keeps apologizing… Sawyer takes the blame for making her stay on the island… he didn’t want to be alone… you understand that, right Kate?… (burn)… now Sawyer thinks that he’s meant to be alone… oh… it wasn’t the stones… it was an engagement ring… he was going to propose to Juliet… he tosses the ring into the water… (echoes of Desmond)… tells Kate to go back to the temple… she cries on the dock… what Kate does? Kate makes it about herself and disappears in self-loathing…

cut to temple… the man is staring at a baseball… Jack and the man are suddenly buddy-buddy… they giggle… “i must remain seperate from the people – it makes it easier when i make difficult choices for them”… (who’s reading Jack’s tats?)… my name is Dogun?… i was brought here… what’s in the pill? it will make him better… what is in it… you just have to trust me… i don’t trust myself… Jack takes the pill… Dogun makes him spit it out… now, what’s in it?… fine, it’s poison… what Kate does? Kate probably keeps crying…

commercial…

cut to the hospital… Claire Littleton in bed looking at ultrasound pictures… here come the police… they DID check out that cab… they’re looking for Joan Hart… i mean Kate… Claire covers for her… thanks Claire… what did you do Kate?… maybe i’m innocent… okay… take my credit card… Aaron is a great name… it was like i just knew it or something… you should keep him… good luck… what Kate does? Kate leaves…

cut to barracks… Sawyer is moping around… Kate’s drinking from the faucet… they pass each other… no words exchanged… what Kate does? Kate leaves…

cut to temple… Dogun is making tea… why do you want to kill Sayid… we believe he’s been… claimed… say what?… there is a darkness in him that will reach his heart and then he’ll be gone… how do you know that? it happened to your sister… what?… what Kate does? Kate already left…

cut to jungle… the others jump Jin… let’s take him back… let’s kill him… run Jin, run… bear trap!?!… Gunshots!!!… the others are taken out… who did that?… Claire…. but not just Claire… crazy hair Claire… the new Rousseau…

LOST

NOW WHAT?

okay, so that was my version of an episode synopsis… a few interesting things have occurred… we’ve got a LOT of storylines going on right now, for one… and a lot to think about… in the interest of time, i’ll just save my thoughts for later and get this posted now… i will re-watch the episode and comment further on it later (possibly combined with thoughts on tonight’s episode)…

AND TONIGHT?

i don’t expect to see Claire again for an episode or two… i understand that we’ll learn more about Locke and that he’ll reach out to Sawyer and i assume that a chain reaction will occur as Locke/MIB tries to get back to the temple, which is either his home or a gateway to his home…

peace… love… bdg…

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So, the Saints won the Super Bowl and i should never have doubted my initial prediction… i just didn’t realize that Pierre Garcon was going to play for the Saints instead of the Colts… i mean, dude dropped two, what, three? third down receptions off of his hands?… anyway, if i have to be the only one who says it, i’ll say it now… the Colts lost because they laid down against the Jets and the Bills to end the season… the stakes weren’t high enough… they’ve already won a Super Bowl, but perhaps a perfect season would’ve been incentive enough… i know that sounds obnoxiously silly, but i’ll stand by it because you can’t really ever prove it wrong…

anyway, for most people, the real story surrounding the Super Bowl is often the commercials… and this year, the buzz was about one commercial in particular…

CHOICES, CHOICES

– Choose Life – Shachah
Tim Tebow quarterbacked the Florida Gators to two national championships, won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore, and earned numerous accolades as a college football star… he was also the fifth child of a mother who was advised that abortion was the way to go…

Focus on the Family apparently felt this made for a story worth spending $3 million to share during the Super Bowl… and i don’t disagree, but apparently, many others did… and by others, of course, i mean people who don’t believe that NOT having an abortion should be a choice…

i know, i know, they call themselves “pro-choice,” but the more they open their mouths, the more it seems that the only choice they care about is which month of pregnancy to terminate the life of a baby on the way… anyway, these are the folks who were up in arms angered that CBS would even DARE to air a “pro-life” commercial during the Super Bowl… i heard terms like “controversial” and “offensive” tossed around in regards to the commercial – the details of which hadn’t even been fully disclosed…

and as for the commercial… well:

controverial? no… offensive? no, not exactly… to be honest, it’s more like a Hallmark card than a strong statement about anything… cute, kind of funny, and (were it not for the uproar) forgettable… this entire episode is what i would call a complete fail for all parties…

the “pro-choice” reps look like idiots for getting all bent out of shape about such a non-issue… and Focus on the Family has some degree of egg on their face for missing an opportunity to make a bold and compelling statement… (not to mention the fact that they look a bit like uncreative copycats since CBS decided to air a Snickers commercial with the same basic punchline right before it)… to be fair, Focus on the Family has plenty of follow-up materials available on their website to provide a clearer and more complete picture of their position, but we all know the great disconnect between watching something on television and typing in the link, going to a website and engaging in the rest of the content…

PENCILS DOWN!

okay, time to check out for a bit… in the coming days, you can expect a review of a pro-life movie that i actually did find offensive – a review that certainly won’t win me too many friends… i’ve also got a couple of book reviews to put out, television to talk about, music to talk about, general site stuff to talk about, and more, more, more!… first though, i’ll be back to talk about last week’s episode of LOST as we anticipate tonight’s episode together…

peace… love… bdg…

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crazy, right? two entries in one day… well, i started that Lost post about Thursday-ish and with the big snowstorm and work and other such things, it took a while to get itself written… now, on the eve of the Superbowl, i must talk a little bit about what’s going on with that… and, given the main talking point i have in mind, this might just stray off down a winding path… my time is short, so let’s get ready to FUMBLE…

FORTY-FOUR
Super Freak – Rick James
so, it was quite a while ago, when i predicted the Saints beating the Colts in the Superbowl this year… and what a coincidence… they’re both in the Superbowl… although, i’ve gotta say that as the closer this game has come, the more i’ve begun to believe that the Colts are gonna win it by about ten…

okay, i’m out of time… maybe tomorrow, i’ll get to the rest of what i was heading towards…

peace… love… bdg…

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lots to talk about… and hopefully, i’ll get to it all either now or in the next few days… i’m kind of feeling like i’m in a haze of some sort… a bit groggy, but not irritable… i’ve successfully completed the first six months of my new job and i’m not too sure when it will stop being a “new” job… that’s always an awkward transition i suppose…

Anyway… off we go…

LOST
Lost – RED
The sixth season of Lost has premiered and, like many of you, i tuned in to see what happened after the big blinding light that ended season five… did our fearless group of heroes transport back to their previously scheduled programming?… did it work?… did they all die… (well, we knew they all didn’t die)… and what about Jacob… did Jacob really die? what happened to Locke? what happened to Richard… how do these two story lines intersect, much less reconcile?…

Well, first things first… if you were keeping score, i did manage to finish watching all of the previous episodes before we watched the premiere… it ended up coming down to watching the last four hours of season five as a lead in to the premeire… and it was a late night… unfortunately, i haven’t yet finished reading The Gospel According to Lost… i’m a bit over halfway through it… more on that as i finish…

Also, it’s important to note that i’m not going to be doing full on recaps of the episodes – for that, check out my friend Robin’s blog, ApproachingLost.com, as he does an incredibly thorough job at that, as well as providing great ancillary coverage… now, what i’m going to be doing is offering random thoughts, questions, and observations throughout this season and hopefully, you’ll all find it interesting…

WITH THE TOUCH OF HIS HAND…
He Touched Me – Gaither Vocal Band
okay, so episode zero apparently focused heavily on pointing out who Jacob touched and who he didn’t touch (namely Juliet)… which begs the question: “What does his touch mean?”… the easy assumption is that it draws our weary travellers to the island… i’m reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:11Ecclesiastes 3:11
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
11 God makes everything happen at the right time. Yet none of us can ever fully understand all he has done, and he puts questions in our minds about the past and the future.

WP-Bible plugin, where Solomon explores the unfathomable depths of God’s plan for our lives and for all men… perhaps, in this narrative, Jacob has placed “the island” in the hearts of those he’s touched, building up a desire to get there and/or the ability to find the island… (or maybe it just indicates that Jacob is a touchy-feely kind of fellow)…

Juliet is not touched – or even visited – by Jacob in here flashback… she was chosen by Richard and, presumably, Ben… (possibly even the Man in Black)… and thus, she meets here untimely death, before all the fireworks of the final season really get started… this begs another question, one that is as old as time… the question of predestination versus free will… (i’m not going to tackle that in its entirety here, but…) for the sake of the show, it’s a question of whether “The Island” (or Jacob) chose our castaways or whether the castaways chose “The Island”… Clearly, “The Island” chose the flight 815 originally, but perhaps, in order to allow for free will, the Oceanic Six had to leave so they could then choose “The Island”… again, that can get into an extremely long discussion and i’ll curtail it for now…

and i’m not sure what other questions or thoughts are brought up in the clips show, because i haven’t seen it in its entirety yet (i know, i know)… but before we dig into the premiere, here are a few things i’m looking for in the final season…
- how will the two stories of season five reconcile into one conclusion?
- what happens (and did it what happened, really happen?)
- identity of Jacob, Man in Black, Locke, Ben, Richard, Christian, etc, etc, etc…
- who’s “coming” and who is this “shadow of the statue” team?
-okay, this could go on forever… let’s move forward…

DOUBLE VISION…
Two Hands – Jars of Clay
okay, so i’m not going to recap the whole show (check out this post for that)… but here are some key points (some of which i mentioned in my comments over there)…

first, we open with what seems to be the fruits of a successfully executed plan… Jack is back on the airplane looking out his window, seated across the aisle from Rose… everything’s the same… but, no, it’s not the same… Jack is rattled by the turbulance, Rose talks him through it, Charlie tries to kill himself in the bathroom, Hurley believes that he’s the luckiest man alive, Boone is without Shannon… etc, etc… oh, and “The Island” is entirely underwater… (complete with Dharma sharks)… i’m going to go ahead and say that this is a reference to the “Lost” city of Atlantis… and perhaps i’ll unpack that more another time…

Observations from the plane… first: everyone seems to have a slightly different demeanor… which apparently means that whatever happened in 1977, not only happened, but affected the future… second: Desmond appears… which has some interesting implications…

Desmond appears to have a wedding ring on, which means that he is probably married to Penny… or… he’s just an apparition that Jack sees – a whisper from the past – who only appears as the plane is over The Island… also interesting is the fact that neither Desmond nor Jack recognize each other, as they did in the hatch… this gives some credence to the fact that everyone’s past has been altered… and perhaps all their flashbacks have become moot… (except perhaps the ones with Jacob)… this could mean that not only did Jack never meet Desmond in the stadium, but maybe he never married Carol Vess.. er, Sarah… could have many implications… for instance, this is probably why Hurley… wait, i’m getting ahead of myself…

meanwhile, back at The Island… Jacob burns up into thin air… the Man in Black IS Smokey and he kills off a handful of the shadow soldiers… Ben has absolutely amazing looks… and back at the hatch… yep, that hatch… Kate, who always was rather catty, is stuck in a tree, Jack, Jin, Hurley, Sawyer, and bloody Sayid can’t hear very well, but are really ticked off that they’re still on The Island… Sawyer tries to break Jack’s jaw, then they all try to save Juliet, who’s buried under the hatch and, still alive – implying that the hydrogen bomb didn’t actually go off… (or did it?)…

anyway, apparently, hearing Sawyer imitate Sun at the end of season five wasn’t enough… he needed to watch her die again… before she does though, there’s a scene rather reminiscent of when Charlotte died… she’s apparently in-between realities talking about going Dutch for coffee sometime… and then claiming that “it didn’t work” – though Miles manages to hear her say “it DID work”… hmmm…

okay, now back to Hurley… guess what? he’s now the leader… kind of… he’s got the guitar case from Jacob, and he’s visited by Jacob and given instructions to take everyone to the temple… even Jack listens to him (not Sawyer though, ’cause he’s not following anyone, Kate)… and they head on down to the creepy basement where the smoke monster messed with the Frenchmen… they’re all captured by The Others – a new batch of Others… the Others drown Sayid, kill him, and Jack can’t revive him, despite the parallels between his death and Charlie’s original death by hanging…

now for the part that’s really crazy… Man in Black wants to go home (presumably the temple?)… the Others shoot off flares and go into lockdown mode… Richard gets pwned by fake-Locke, and Ben keeps making crazy faces… however, we now know for certain that Island/H-bomb gang is existing at the same time as fake Locke and dead Jacob… that time is around 2008 i think… of course, the plane trip on 815 is 2004… so, why is everyone calling these flash-sideways? it’s still a time difference… so… my thought on the flashes is that they are showing how, despite all the changes to their past, the gang still ends up on the Island somehow and still in the same predicament… which again rings with the question of free will…

and now for the last observation (finally, right?)… in the wonderful exchange between Locke and Jack at the airport… Locke has lost his suitcase full of knives and Jack has lost his casket… well i suppose the airline lost both, but that’s beside the point… anyway, the two are discussing the missing cadaver when Locke says, “You didn’t lose him, just his body”… i’ve got a feeling that this is a theme that’s going to run through this season and lead up into the grand finale… oh, and speaking of bodies… Sayid wakes up in the end and, with a different accent, asks what happened… (perhaps he’s Jacob’s new body)…

well, there’s plenty more to unpack from that first, two-part episode but that’s all i’m going to do for now… i’m actually going to get some popcorn or something and i’ll be back here in a bit to talk about some SuperBowl stuff…

peace… love… bdg…

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it’s been a while and i have no really compelling excuses, but i do have a lot that i’d love to talk about… i’m still working on newness for the main site… i’m still trying to train myself to being a morning person… i went on a Disney Cruise with the family… basketball season has begun for the littles… football season is concluding quickly (i’m still without firm Superbowl plans, by the way)… i’ve got a few new albums to discuss.. more books that i’m reading (Saint is turning out great so far)… but today, since it’s the one year anniversary of the last inauguration, i’m going to talk a little bit about politics…

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED?

now playing: The Hope – Sevenglory

It was exactly a year ago that Barack Obama officially took office as the 44th President of the United States, or POTUS… back then, the celebrations were rampant and it almost seemed as if, by merely waving his hand and reciting a simple oath, this new POTUS could instantly solve all of the world’s problems – including, but not limited to, the war on terrorism, the growing economic crisis, the health care debacle, and, of course, global warming…

As he stood up on the west front balcony of the US Capitol building, one hand raised in the air, the other on the Lincoln Bible, he couldn’t help but take in the million or so strong sea of those in attendence to witness this moment in time… here stood a president who represented the will of the people… here had arrived hope and change and culmination of all the fantastical promises from the last few years of campaigning… here stood perhaps the most accomplished POTUS to have never accomplished anything other than getting elected… anticipation was high, expectations higher, and the world watched with bated breath…

and it is exactly a year later that Barack Obama, as he’s been struggling to stay afloat in the seas of responsibility that he may have overlooked when he began his ascent to power… having taken the election results as a mandate for, i don’t know, change and hope, perhaps? President Obama hasn’t exactly hit the ground running… In fact, many of the aforementioned focal points, have become more oppressive than ever before…

the war on terror is still ongoing, despite a few cosmetic name changes… the economic climate has continued to spiral out of control despite several instances of “fighting fire with gasoline and more fire” stimulus packages… health care reform, which has become the biggest distraction from any other concerns – presumably because it was expected to pass easily in the Democratic House and Senate – still remains theoretical… (and with Brown’s victory last night, will likely remain unpassed)… and global warming? well… it’s as sore a subject as the Chicago Olympics…

I realize that a slow start isn’t necessarily indicative of the entire term of office, but it does make for some talking points, am i right?… it seems to me that this administration’s main accomplishment so far has been little more than pointing out and complaining about the problems that exist… in effect, if our problems were spread out in front of us like a Thanksgiving feast, our country has simply been loosening its belt and gluttonously feasting, when we should be standing up and walking away from the table…

change? not so much – at least not for the better… hope? seems to be dwindling… Mission Accomplished? let’s hope not…

peace… love… bdg…

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well, we’re getting the snow and i’m taking a break from shovelling because the snow mostly sticks to the shovel and it’s already filled back up wherever i’ve already cleared… just one of those moments of futility in life… so, i’m taking this quick time out to make my football picks… no filler, just the picks…

COMING AROUND THE FINAL TURN

now playing: 15 Step – Radiohead

- Saints will beat the Cowboys… and apparently that game is tonight… so check that out if you can…
- Bills over Patriots (yes, there IS a Santa Claus)
- Titans over Dolphins
- Chiefs over Browns (what a compelling matchup)
- Eagles over 49ers (in a close one)
- Texans over Rams
- Falcons over Jets
- Cards over Lions
- Broncos over Raiders (who would’ve thought that having to play your starting QB because the backup was injured would be a bad thing?)
- Chargers over Bengals (that should’ve been the flex game)
- Ravens over Bears
- Packers over Steelers
- Bucs over Hawks
- Vikings over Panthers
- Skins over Giants (in the SNOW!)

DIGGING OUT

i guess it’s back to the grind… more on the other side of this blizzard…

peace… love… bdg…

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so it’s almost time for another football entry, but here’s a quick change of pace during which time, i’ll discuss a couple books that i’ve finished reading… hard to believe that it’s only nine days away from Christmas… i’m working night and day (well, mostly night) to put together a new issue of theTRu.print (about 5 of 12 pages done at the moment) and, of course, working on the redesign as well… in the meantime, i’ll be trying to keep things updated here a little better as well… for now, it’s on with the show… books… let’s dig in…

TOTAL GLOBAL DOMINATION

now playing: If I Ruled the World – Sammy Davis, Jr

5 Cities that Ruled the World- Douglas Wilson

initially, this book jumped out at me… i mean, i’m a history buff in much the same way that the Buffalo Bills are a Super Bowl contender, but i do enjoy learning about history and i often find it to be fascinating… (especially when presented properly)… so this book seemed to be right up my alley… a brief look at the history of the world in five sections, tidily summed up and (presumably) easy to read…

i must first admit that i didn’t recognize the name attached to the project – Douglas Wilson is, apparently, a well-known theologian (well known by people other than me) – and thus i was surprised by the immediate and continual thread of religious implications that ran throughout what otherwise read as the scripts for episodes of City Confidential… (anyone ever watched that show? anyone?)… once i understood the perspective from which the book was written, however, all was fine and i enjoyed the book for what it is…

the book does, in fact, describe the history of five cities and the legacy that they’ve left behind throughout history… or, in the case of New York City (perhaps the most personally interesting chapter) is currently leaving for the rest of history… coincidentally (or not?) the legacies all relate to freedom of some sort or another… Wilson clearly believes that freedom is life’s end game and, for him, each city represents the unlocking of a new facet of life over time… and it all leads up to New Jerusalem which will usher in complete and total freedom…

the quirkiness that litters the pages can work, depending on how you read (me, i read with inflection in my head)… but as charming as it can be, it does present a bit of distraction and adds to the overall cluttered content… and by “cluttered,” i mean that at times it feels like the book has no structure and that the topics at hand are lost in a whirlwind of whimsy… and again, this can work, but it does make following along – or retaining anything of value – fairly difficult… scratch that, challenging…

all in all, i’m glad that i read this book as it was rather engaging and enjoyable… i think that, had it been a lecture – or perhaps a 5-part, 30 minutes each lecture series – it would be very popular… as a book, i suppose it’s pretty niche, but definitely a nice read… [and in the interest of full disclosure i got it from Thomas Nelson for free]…

AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP…

now playing: Story – The Rocket Summer

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
by Donald Miller

it was a long time ago (feels like it anyway) that i first happened to hear Donald Miller give a talk about the concept of story and how the elements that make up a successful story can influence how we live our lives… this is another memoir from Donald Miller and once again, he manages to write in such a way that is comforting and casual… having read this and some of Miller’s previous books, i feel like i’ve had some incredibly interesting conversations with the most familiar stranger i’ve never met… (it puzzles me sometimes, too)…

Here’s the thing though, i know that books are one-way communications, but books like this make me talk to myself for hours on end afterwards… (it’s not out loud… usually)… anyway, it’s hard to really unpack this book without it all spilling out on the page in front of me, so i’ll try to just pick out a few of the highlights…

the book centers around character development, which plays out in to scenarios – in a story and in real life… Miller talks about how the traits and qualities that endear us to characters in a movie are the qualities and traits that we should work on developing in our own lives… we need to have the right goals and ambitions in life if we ever want our lives to have any meaning… one of the lines that stood out to me came after Miller described the scene of his uncle’s funeral… something to the effect that if you die and you weren’t telling a good story with your life, nobody will say that you died too soon, just that you’re dead… basically, you need to make sure that no matter when you die, it’s too soon…

The long and the short of it is that Donald Miller weaves in a number of interesting storylines to support what appears to be a very solid philosophy for life… i highly recommend this book and any of his others… and listening to his talk, too… [and for the sake of full disclosure i bought TWO copies of this book with my own money - no free copy (what's up with THAT?)]…

CLOSING THE BOOK…

that’s going to do it for now… i’m currently reading The Silver Chair from the Chronicles of Narnia, I Am America (and So Can You), Live from Middle America, and i’m about to dive into Saint… and if i don’t get to it tomorrow, the Colts are going to win…

peace… love… bdg…

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