OK, is it me, or does my GEOG 102 instructor, Shane McCloskey, looks a lot like Matthew Fox, the guy who plays Jack on "Lost"?! Take a look:
I picked two photos in which their looks and facial expressions are uncannily similar (although Fox has more of a chiseled chin and some stubble which defines his face more). A rough Photoshop edit of my instructor's photo yielded this:
First of all, yes, I've only seen the first thirteen episodes of season one, but already now I am prepared to tell all the complainers to STFU. ;) But seriously; those who actually want the show to have an eventual resolution really are missing the point of the show. To explain my point, I'll have to backtrack a bit and come back to an early-70s/mid-80s TV show called "Fantasy Island" (remade in 1998 with Malcolm McDowell - and cancelled after one season; there was also a made-for-TV movie made for TV in 2002, if memory serves right; but I digress).
The main point of the show was that rich clients would pay Mr. Roarke some exorbitant amount to live out their wildest and literally most impossible fantasies, only to soon thereafter realise that they should be careful what they wish for. It didn't matter how Roarke accomplished completely impossible things in order to teach his clients the lessons they needed; the point was that they achieved a better state of humanity due to their visit to the island.
"Lost" picks up exactly where any one incarnation of "Fantasy Island" left off: we have a collection of seemingly random people who, we soon find out through flashbacks, happen to be on the island because they have a deeply-seeded unresolved conflict, loss or problem. Upon their arrival on the island, one by one they come to know themselves, the strongest (Locke, Jack, Sayid) spiritually reborn first and then helping the weaker (Charlie, Sawyer, Boone [hehe]) to do likewise.
Sure, the story is spiced up along the way with incredible things, such as the polar bear in a tropical jungle, or mysterious visions, or invisible "monsters"; however, I believe this is done only to drive the cathersis of every character along, to keep us tense, so that we literally relive each character's change and challenge with them. I take my cue from Danielle, when she tells Sayid there is no such thing as monsters, because that is not the point of the show!
The tagline of "Lost" is "Everything happens for a reason" and reason, indeed, suggests that the flashback-crisis-resolution structure that surrounds the development of each one of the major characters serves to indicate precisely that: regardless of the existence of supernatural beings or things, psychics or destiny, one is always free to make one's choices, rational choices that unify every single person who is by definition a member of human society, of humanity - just like the disparate, yet so similar, passengers are allegorically united on the island. Think of "Lost" as an exaggeration that needs to be made in order to make a point, think of it as a gedanken, a thought experiment, and it will all make perfect sense.
Mite and Tom will probably disagree strongly with me here, but I think that the culprit for misdirected expectations from "Lost" is, as always, genre: too often we are forced to cubbyhole everything we experience into set genres (and expect certain, perhaps formulaic, actions, accordingly). However, I contend that "Lost" is neither a mystery nor a drama in its own right, but a curious mixture of both, which means that we cannot expect a clear-cut structure we could expect from, say, an Agatha Christie novel (which guarantees a resolution at the end), nor from a drama in the key of a typical soap opera (which relies on periodic revelations). "Lost" is a very existential, post-modern and intelligent show and it cannot be judged by standards of comparable shows. Regardless, I love it; thanks for hooking me on it, Boon! ;)
Place your bets! ;)
P.S. I finally got a hold of Robocop 2 and Robocop 3 and it was fun stuff as always. I give a B- to the former and a C++ (for effort) to the latter.
Though both cannot be compared to the first film, which I think is a masterpiece - from the writing, to the humour, to the costumes, to the beautiful Basil Poledouris soundtrack - both sequels (notwithstanding production values) are an important historical commentary on the factual conflict of public and private interests in company towns such as Detroit, as well as the mass introduction of Japanese management and ownership into failing companies and corporations in the United States in the late 1980s and early 1990s (see more here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan-United_States_relations
#1980s:_Rise_of_the_falcons).
P.P.S. EVE Online friggin' rules, but I can't sign up for the damn full account due to technical difficulties and the tech support people have not been very helpful...yet.
It is a great show! Also, I think the second 'is' in your post should be a 'does.' :)
'OK, is it me, or is my GEOG 102 instructor, Shane McCloskey, looks a lot like Matthew Fox, the guy who plays Jack on "Lost"?'
Should be:
'OK, is it me, or does my GEOG 102 instructor, Shane McCloskey, looks a lot like Matthew Fox, the guy who plays Jack on "Lost?"'
if I am correct. Haha, Mike, I think you are going insane... Err, more insane than you already are. Hell, I'm the only sane one left on the planet!
Aah! What, do you live on my server now? AHAHA, I was just finishing proofing the post and already you correct me. I usually like to look at the posted entry when I correct typos and the like, since I try to read it as a visitor to mig81.com would.
Regardless, thanks for the correction; I think I actually missed the "is/does" bit on my first go-over.
AHAHAHA, insane - maybe; but isn't there a similarity? Come on! Anyways, read the conclusion of the updated post; I want to kick things up a notch. ;)
I think sanity is a state of mind that others have to state for you. At least this is very true for insanity. Insane people do usually not consider themsleves insane, but probably anybody else. So, this could mean your completely insabe, Tom. The German word for insane is "verrückt", which is kind of funny, because it means (taken word for word): moved aside. I always liked that... moving aside.
And about LOST: I am so glad you gave it a try. John Locke rules ;-)
Interesting. Well, that seems to be the general point of view. The only problem is, insanity has gradients: I, for instance, have bipolar (aka "manic-depressive") disorder, but I consider myself fully sane, but sometimes less balanced than other people.
However, two hundred years ago, my sped-up behaviour and crazy-ass creativity when I'm in the "manic" phase, and severe depression and inability to function when I'm in the "depressive" phase would probably indicate "insanity" to those surrounding me; the definition seems to be socially (or maybe even culturally) relative.
Wait, why is Tom insane? I'm confused. ;)
"Moving aside," eh? I'm intrigued - could you explain this a little bit more?
Boon, John Locke is my absolutely most favourite character, hands down. The knives, man; I was really impressed. By the way, how do you get Internet access on the island? Hehe. ;) Is it that cable that runs into the ocean? Dammit! Danielle probably has an OC-3 line stashed in there somewhere.
Oh, hell... I'm like a ticking time bomb! I'm weak mentally, in the sense that I get upset way to easily, I probably have ADHD, high cholesterol runs in the family a bit, high blood pressure runs in the family a bit, bi-polar runs in the family, depression, yes, even depression runs in the family... Not to mention that there is most likely more. When do I sign up?
Anyway, Lost kicks ass. I missed everything after, lets say, the sixth episode. My short attention span messes everything up! Might as well add that to the list, eh?
Oh, Mike- You don't agree with my peaceful takeover of Mig81.com? Well, I guess I'll have to make is hostile... Prepare for teh haxzors.
In other news, I like pie. 'Night.
Where? Right here! Step on up! Just $29.95! Five easy payments! Act now!
Jesus fucking Christ! Does hypochondria run in your family as well? Kidding! Well, I'll see your ADHD, hereditary cholesterol and hereditary blood pressure and I'll raise you my bipolar disorder, hereditary diabetes, hereditary cancer, and a tendency towards suicide in close family members. *knocks on wood for both of us* Ah, god, if you exist, you are one funny motherfucker! ;)
AHAHAHA, ADHD? How is that different from ADD? I'm too lazy to look it up, and I've got a presentation due tomorrow that I haven't even touched yet, so do tell.
AHAHAHA haxzors? Bring them on! I've got 1337 c0d3 cr4ck3rz. ;) But seriously, hostile takeover, eh? As of late, I've seriously contemplated letting others, close to me, post on mig81.com (on the condition that they post regularly). I need to consider this further...
Hey, I like pie, too. Apple pie, McDick's Blueberry pie, all kinds of pie. Mmm, pie.
P.S. I think I am finally manic.
Oh, and Happy Monday to you! ;)
ADD= Attention Deficit disorder
ADHD= Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Thar ye go, matey.
Oh, man; now I think you've got me beat with the pirate angle, heh.
Harr, harr, harr. Arr.
Did you happen to watch '4 Brothers' yet? It's a great movie, in my opinion. I'm not using subliminal messages, ya (smoke) know? (smoke) Try and watch (are you smoking yet?) it, lemme know what you (SMOKE!) think.
AHAHAHA What's it about?
Hehe. I think I saw this subliminal bit in "Family Guy" or something.
Four brothers, all adopted, two white, two black... Their adoptive mother gets killed, and they think it was an assassination. Their mom was extremely nice, and the whole town lover her, so know one knew who would do something like that...
That's not giving anything away, either. It basically told you that in the previews. Give it a watch man. Do it.
Sorry, I was smoking! AHAHAHAHA ;)
Haha... Anyways...
The other day, I felt stupid. The reason; I was the only one that could read Shakespeare's writing correctly, without even trying, as in Iambic Pentameter. I just felt like the odd one out. Oh, and some kids were assholes.
Oh, it was Romeo and Juliet, that we were reading. Shakespeare put in some dirty jokes, I'd have to say... haha.
Holy shit! "24, the Game!" I just saw it in the 'Game Informer' magazine, as an ad! Hell, I'll look it up later.
Wonderful! See? my jerking you around paid off! ;) Ahh, kids are asshohles most of the times anyways and Shakespeare is a bit of a dirty old man. It's all good. ;)
Ooh. I've heard about the game. I'm going to go look for torrents now!
Is it even made for the PC? All I see is PS2 torrents. Dammit! The game's website is amazing, though; they even give you the cirrent time in 24-style count-up. ;)
Aah, shite! I forgot to download this week's episode of "24"! Going to go catch up now. Did you download those episodes you missed?
Oh, and by the way, you still owe me that one poem of your daily life that you promised you'd write. ;)
I probably couldn't play a PS2 game on a computer, at least not without a mock-up controller... Lemme know how it turns out...
DAMN! I remember writing that poem, but I lost it.... Damn...
Bah. A simple USB controller won't cost more than a twenty. But, you know, I'm just curious about emulation and whatnot.
Lost it? Argh. Write it again, then! ;)
Ahem, excuse my unorganization.
Disorganisation; and you are excused. ;)
Regardless, do you remember the episode in the first season of "Lost" when Claire gets kidnapped by the allegedly-Canadian psycho Ethan (or Nathan?) who wasn't on the plane? Well, she comes back and she has no memory, right? And everyone starts looking at her weirdly. Then we supposedly find out why (it was somehow Charlie's fault), but I don't think I quite got what was going on.
I used unorganization to show my disorganization... :'(
Anyways, did the game work?
Yes and no. The emulator seems to have worked for other people, but because it's a very recent development (and the game is also very new), I likely won't be able to run it, for now.
Check out this thread from time to time to see my progress.
Red text again, Mike.
What text? What are you trying to tell me?
The link is so broken, it appears as red text... Or, you could be trying to fool me... ~_~
Bah. "Text" and "link" ain't the same thing, buddy. Next time tell me outright and I''ll fix it. Well, it's fixed now.
I know, I guess what I meant by this, is that the link was showing up as only red text, not as a link. This is the second or so time its done that to me, here... ;p
The first time I thought you were fooling me, as I was starting to learn HTML. Hehe...
Good luck with the emulation, though.
Bah. My fingers type faster than I think. ;) Nah, I'd never fool you without proper warning. I'd want you to be on your toes for that sort of thing. ;)
So how's the HTML going? The poem?
Bah. Looks like the emulation is going absolutely nowhere. Bleh.
Have no fear, I'm going nowhere, but maybe there and here!
Seriously though, I haven't done anything lately, and I'm trying to find a half decent day to write about. I'ma start HTML in a bit, again. I'm on chapter six, or somewhere around there. (Six or higher, anyways.) Stupid lazy me, taking stupid lazy longer-than-I-want lazy stupid breaks.
No, listen, man; take your time. I just like to push people to get stuff done, but, look at me - I'm the biggest scheduling fuck-up there is!
Stupid, sir you are not; however, I think we are all exceedingly lazy. ;)
Haha... Anyways, I have a question, if you wouldn't mind answering... The Daemon Tools site seems to be having low bandwidth left at the moment, and I need a tool to open *.BIN files. I've searched the web, and the only really good results were from a tech place, and the only one they really reccomended was Daemon Tools.
Do know of a *.BIN opener that I could use? Pwease.... ;p
Yea, extreme laziness, on both of our parts maybe. Lazy people, unite! Crazy extreme laziness power to the max!
Bin Chunker comes to mind; as well as WinISO. However, I just checked the Daemon Tools website and the download seems to be up again (keep in mind, it seems they are now bundling it with spyware).
Hellz yes, man! Lazy people should form the Republic of Lazors and separate from...wherever they are. For instance, I will declare independence from the kitchen. No, wait, I need it to eat! Too late! Nooooooooooo!