UConn James

Oo-ooo, that's good!

Duey, I'm not sure placing so much importance on Hurley is correct. For sure, one of the important people, but there are many. Each person has a special role to play. And then they die. It's like how Christian told Michael on the boat, "You can go now, Michael" right before it blows up. Hurley may be the 'heart/soul' of the show, but they've complimented and placed premium importance on several characters. The creators have said there's a little borrowing of "The Langoliers" how those things would come in and eat the past --- everything. On the island, it's a mix of "the universe course correcting" happenstances and the smoke monster attacking people whose roles are finished --- e.g. the pilot flew the plane, gave them the transceiver and said they were a thousand miles off course, and then he was... well, you know. I had never liked Jeremy Davies characters before --- the pathetic, timid type ala in Saving Private Ryan, and Faraday is cut from the same bolt, only he's a physicist. I like how the character is developing tho, trying to protect the course of events thru time, but also being the hypocrite b/c he tells them not to, but does so himself. The questions arisen last night are: 1) In the second flash, would the group have come across themselves on the beach, ala there being multiple Martys in the mall parking lot in BTTF? 2) Was the introduction clip all there was to the Orchid, as in it was one of the flashes, or was that an upcoming scene that we just got a taste of? As for the white-haired woman, Sage makes an interesting guess above of her being Faraday's mother. That's initially what I thought when seeing her do the calculations on the board. If that was real-time, she's found the new location of the island. She's in the basement of the abbey where Desmond was for a time. Even tho she was talking to Ben, we still don't know the extent of her connections, b/c it's never that simple, is it? Then, to get to Halliwax, was his(?) baby born on the island? Cool to see some of the original Dharma construction and discovery of things already there. The wheel enclosed by solid friggin' rock... how the hell did it get there? I Heart Shih-tzus. (Personally, I don't really like most small-dog breeds. Napolean complexes.). We finally see Frogurt and he's there for like 4 minutes. I hated Ana Lucia's character. But I guess that was manufactured by design and with purpose, a woman who started off in the Sydney airport that you wanted to like, and then making all the wrong moves and appointing herself as a four-star general among people who didn't really (want to) listen to her, mainly her unilateralism and 'inability to connect with others.' This has mellowed. She, and all of the dead characters who've reappeared are still very much a part of the show, they have a higher level of understanding and connection as they reveal each small part of what the island wants them to reveal. Good question. I don't imagine that the island and the characters being 'unstuck in time' would last the entire season, but it may well take most of the season for the Oceanic Six to make it back to the island. Who were the flaming arrows coming from --- the original hostiles? Also, the troops who were going to cut off Juliet's hands are a new group (from the past, tho we don't know how far back). Were they British?

Holy crap.

Dude, certain of teams use permanent marker for that.

That's precisely what I was getting at with 'burn-in' --- killing the grass with a substance --- rather than 'burned in' as in flame and ashes. The article does not make it clear either way. Your initial post's wording also invites readers to assume flame, which would be an act that crosses the line from mere prank. May not be the case.

Sure they actually set fire to his lawn? What do they mean by "burned in" those things? B/c that can also mean killing the grass i.e. fertilizer burn-in. Diesel fuel is pretty hard to ignite. For it to spark in engines, it's pressurized and in droplet/mist form. If you light a match and throw it into a jar of diesel, the match will go out. Perhaps it was kerosene or some other accelerant....

An attitude Trent might have benefited from this year. Cards pound his head into the turf among several other 'Oh, come on!' hits and DJ stood on the sidelines clapping. I don't care if it comes with penalties. Guys have to know that if they come after you, it might be their knee that gets blown out in repercussion. As I've written, I'm tired of this Jauron kitty-foot 'technique' and pillow biter 'finesse.' He can shove it. In football, you win by making the other guy not wanting to be out on that field, by making him ache, and saying "I know you know exactly what we're going to do, but we're doing it anyway and we're gonna run right over your ass."

Dunno. Apparently, it wasn't Locke's. That scene was an obvious reference to that Dahlia Lama movie. Perhaps it was just that the gift wasn't with him yet (also, I think Richard's words were that Locke "wasn't ready" with Locke's theme up to this point being that people tell him he's special but he didn't want to accept that he was/is special). B/c Richard made a subsequent attempt in Locke's teen years. It's just that Locke wasn't ready until now (c. December 2004).

I got through re-watching all of the episodes before the new season begins and a couple of things have occurred to me. I think I first starting forming it out last season, but I'm now sure that Christian Shepard was living his life like Desmond in the pivotal "Flashes Before The Eyes" (and "The Constant" to some degree) where Desmond travels back in time and must relive his life a second time doing the same things he did previously, with the further knowledge that whatever he tries to change will be "course corrected" anyway, so ultimately it won't matter. People connected to the show have said that's going to be one of the most important episodes as far as understanding what's going on. My read is that Christian Shepard had lived his life previously and this was his second (third? fourth?) go-round. Hence, his reaction to his job eg when the boy died on his table, and when young Jack came home with a black eye for sticking up for his friend Mark Silverman. "I went home, had dinner and watched Carol Burnett until my sides hurt and how can I do that!?!? Huh? How can I do that?! Because I have what it takes. Don't try to be a hero, Jack." (I will also mention that in that scene, on his study wall, is a blurry picture of what looks like a tropical island). Christian is weary and turned to drink by knowing that his life essentially didn't mean squat until he got (back?) to the island. Anyone he saved on the operating table that wasn't supposed to be saved would just die next week in a... car accident or an elevator collapse. Contrast this with what we've seen of Christian in ghost-form on the island --- he's lead Jack to certain places and functions and "speaks for" Jacob, and he does this with purpose. It may have been in the LOST S4 thread where someone gave a really good synopsis on dead characters having to stay until their purpose is fulfilled. Hence, the discussion when Ben and Widmore met that it would be purposeless to hurt/kill each other --- the universe would still bring them to the island in some form. I believe that each one of the Losties is in another go-round, even tho they may not realize it. The white-haired woman in the ring shop told Desmond, "I can always spot the first-timers." Some do seem to have awareness on some level, to the point that the island wants them to, e.g. Locke. And I think this is where Richard Alpert comes in, trying to test the young Lockes' ... how do you say... realization of the future? or perhaps mini-states of what happened to Desmond in "The Constant" that don't have the same physical effects (aneurysm, as Faraday said) on some people. The young Locke would then be expected by Richard to know which of the possessions were "his" in the future, just as Desmond c. 1996 would have known that Desmond c.2004 was wearing a blue shirt and had long hair and a beard. Still don't know what exactly to make of Richard, tho. He is the only confirmed member of the island's original "hostiles." He appears to be 's said that Ben has gotten the Others off track of the larger goals... goals that he seems to think Locke will direct the Others toward. It's still to be seen whether his appearances in other places are the result of time travel or if he doesn't age. Hope this post hasn't screwed with anyone's mind. Tonight, LOST starts @ 8 with an hour-long recap/refresher of the first 4 seasons, followed by two hour-long episodes. It would be nice if ABC could leave the timeslot alone from now on. Looks like, starting next week, they will continue replaying the previous week's episode @ 8 p.m. and the new episode @ 9 p.m.

Wow. Didn't expect it to devolve into this bowl of crap, even by PPP standards. And, people, that's saying something. Word is that he will be released from the hospital today and that it was a combination of fatigue and the emotion of the day that led to the seizure. As this seems to be concluded, I'm going to close the thread. Maybe it would be right for everyone to consider that what goes around comes around. I know several people who were in a foul mood yesterday b/c BO was officially becoming president, who are now every bit the bitter @-holes the Berkley crowd was for the last 8 years. I would only say that if you don't want the pendulum to swing too far to the left, don't work to swing it too far to the right when your favorite is in power, and this obviously goes vice versa.

belinda

Oath Flub With Video

Presidents do not have to be take the Oath of Office with the left hand on the bible. I'm reading that Theodore Roosevelt apparently took the oath with his left arm at his side. JQ Adams swore on a book of law. As for the rest, that's what's happened. There is no religious test to be president written into the Constitution --- yet there is a de facto one in who gets elected. Who gets to say that religion is not something voters should consider?

Could tell that it was Roberts' first time, too. He not only read the passage out of sequence, but the chief justice also bit off a little too much at a time. Especially when a dude's heartbeat is probably going at 140 bpm. And, a lot of people are probably too nice or too disinterested to say anything, but that poem !@#$ sucked.

My father used to know a guy at Bradley Intl whose job was to shoot Canada geese. All friggin' day long. It was some time ago that the animal rights people started to raise a ruckus. Don't know if he's still there. But, hey PETA dumbfu--s! This situation is exactly why that was done. I hate Canada geese with a passion. Loud, nasty, and they sh-- everywhere.

I clicked 'Edit' rather than 'Reply' and lost my previous post to the ether. I'll say again to EII in that regular radio isn't going to be changing. And to DCTom, there are plenty of arguments for and against the transition and the specific legislation. Bottom line, it's better teevee signals w/in local markets that allows VHF-low (2-6) to be used by first responders and was auctioned for commercial use (Verizon and AT&T were the big purchasers) for such things as wireless Internet, cellular services, and so-called "white space devices" which could lead to some economic stimuli in a country that could use some. For some, getting and setting up a box might be a pain in the rear for about 2 hours, but for the vast majority of people, the transition will bring a marked improvement. The below is new content. Just saw a segment on "Greater Boston" where a station manager said that any delay in the transition will cost WGBH (the country's flagship PBS station) about $100K per month. Just not something that's sustainable. As I said above, the cost of the electricity to broadcast both analog and digital is staggering. He repeated that. Imagine having to pay for 24/7/365 of 100 KW (Nevermind that it all goes into having that much less less juice on the nation's grid available --- that's no small power output. Digital channels typically use less power than analog to achieve the same/similar signal radius.) Also, the contracts are already in place to do antenna work that was contingent on the "date certain" that has now become uncertain, which means more costs. This all leads to the conclusion that the faster the conversion can happen, the better. Fully 96% of the Boston market is ready. In more rural locations (e.g. In Iowa, 20% are estimated unready) the number increases. Nationally, 6% of TV viewers are not ready. I just don't see how it's justifiable to sink in the mud for people who always wait until the last minute anyway. I was watching an interview on Charlie Rose last night with Lee Scott, the Pres. and CEO of WalMart. He said something that many people just never grasp. Taking a fast general course of action --- where you arrive at an 80% solution and then gradually work at the other 20% --- is by far preferable to waiting. "The opposite of good is perfect," he said. So many people get paralyzed when they can't do everything in one fell swoop, and so, nothing ever gets done. I really hope Obama does not turn out to be this kind of president, but his admin's signal that they'd like to delay the transition b/c of a single-digit percentage has me shaking my head.

Our govt also requires meeting electrical codes.... yet they don't give you the wiring. Hell, the town required my brother to plant ~30 arborvitaes along his driveway before they gave him a CO (still not quite sure what fuggin' hedges have to do with building occupancy/safety... ). They didn't give him the trees. Do you follow the logic? The govt charges entrance fees for most (if not every) national parks, even tho those lands belong to the public the same way that the airwaves do. No way the govt should be fully funding the transition by buying everyone 2 or 3 boxes. How fair would that be to people who have to pay for locals on sat/cable, and yet the govt doesn't give them a break? I'm saying this as a member of an OTA-only house. A $40 coupon for a $60 box is sufficient for a nominal fee structure.... Not exactly. The coupons for early adopters started shipping in February/March 2008. The spectrum wasn't auctioned until early summer and to be honest, I'm not sure how they're handling payment --- if it was an initial lump sum or will be spread out with discrete payments (I would guess this. Still, monthly? yearly?). Essentially, the govt was/is supplying these with money they didn't/don't actually have on hand. The coupons have been temporarily suspended, tho you can still apply. The plan now includes issuing more coupons equaling the funds that had been allocated to coupons that weren't used, once they figure out how much that will be. One of the main grievances is that for early adopters, who got the coupons when only a few models of CECBs were available and then were enticed by promises of the DTVPal or other boxes that didn't become available until after the coupons expired. The idea for expiration w/in 3 months kind of sucked.

One of the responses in the link got it right: 'The people who still haven't gotten a box are the same people who won't get off the couch until it's lifted out from under them.' It will literally take their TV being just static before they do anything. On Feb. 18, if they need teevee, they can go to Best Buy or CC or WalMart and get one. Ba-da-bing. Like there hasn't been enough publicity for the transition? You have to've been living under a rock. I have no pity for those who couldn't take a few minutes to make a phone call or go online to order the coupons and then go spend ~$20 on a good converter box. This is the !@#$ problem in this country. Nobody does what they say they're going to do when they say they're going to do it. Always a delay or a grace period given to help out procrastinators. I'm really disappointed that the Obama administration is going to start out on this note. Real 'Progressive' politics doesn't happen unless you're prepared to leave slackers behind if they don't get up and walk for their damn selves.

Even tho we won.

Oh come on. Looking blankly at the Jumbotron and clapping your hands repeatedly is .... kinda like getting pissed and demanding better. ........ Isn't it?

We gave up more than a first for a guy that started one game, then gave him $25M/5yrs. That Ralph W sure knows football! Pats* will do the same with MC as we did with Peerless Price.

I'll just say that I have newfound respect for Mularky after this season. Dude was forced to make bricks w/o clay with TD's Look-at-me-I'm-so-smart picks and forced to retain Jerry 'Blitz on every play' Gray. He had enough sense to see the writing on the wall when Ralph decided to stick his feet back into the bathtub. I'm not going to defend every coaching move he made while here --- he frustrated me like every coach since Wade --- but at least he saw Bledsoe for what he was and didn't stubbornly stick with something that obviously wasn't/couldn't be successful. More than you can say for the current operation at OBD.

From TSW Archives: Maybe I spoke ahead of myself. That was for the Bills theoretically moving to Toronto. Not sure if it would be different for other franchises moving elsewhere. Owners can also decide the lower or waive fees by majority vote. I doubt they'd give up the LA market for anything less than a king's ransom, tho. The "LA-ians didn't care about the NFL when it was there" argument really doesn't matter. Prospective owners will have to pay for how much it could potentially be worth.

IIRC, the relocation fee was raised last year to b/w $600M-900M. I don't know the criteria for the difference in the fee. Could be a percentage of the value of the franchise/purchase price?

Is it similar to "The Hunt for Red October"'s device? As I wrote in an earlier thread on this movie, a good friend from childhood and high school is in this and from what I hear, has a decent-sized part.