Afghanistan: Your Spring Break destination?

So it seems that Prince Harry has been withdrawn from Afghanistan because of "the risk to him as an individual soldier."

I see, I see.

Alright, I'll ask... Does this mean that all of the other soldiers are not at risk? Because that certainly seems to be the implication. To anybody reading this, do me a favor: Should the draft any be instituted again, and I get sent to a warzone, please, PLEASE notify the media immediately and tell them that I've been deployed. Cuz apparently the whole media reporting thing is more dangerous than all that insurgent shenanigans.

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Size does matter....

So I'm sure everybody has noticed how obscenely large the Polo logo has suddenly become. Personally, I think it looks ridiculous, and never quite understood why it was changed to begin with.

Well, a little birdy who works with the company (and shall remain nameless) has told me why, and the explanation is actually quite simple: After nearly 30 years, Ralph Lauren has basically sold any conceivable color combination possible. The only way to sell more shirts was to alter the logo. Hence, the introduction of the enormous logo that now takes up the entire left side of the shirt.

So there you have it.

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Inbox Mania

This e-mail comes from one of my long-time readers, Javier:

I've been really enjoying your blog, and I love how you are talking about wrestling too. Now that theWrestleMania 24 picture is clearing up, what are your thoughts on how the event is shaping up with Edge/Taker, Cena/Orton/HHH, HBK/Flair, Money in theBank and Big Show/Maywheater?

There's a lot about this year's card that excites me. I'm thrilled that Edge is in one of the main events, but I'm truly hoping that the World Heavyweight Championship gets some respect. While I don't expect it to be the last match of the night (when you're dealing Cena and Triple H in the other match, it's a long shot), but I hope the match isn't in the middle of the card. Second to last, or third to last (with a calming match in between) would be acceptable, and given at least 25-35 minutes. I also hope that the ECW Championship gets its due. The title has been demoted significantly this past year -- arguably, since Big Show dropped it -- so I'd be really disappointed if the title isn't defended this year. I think Chavo against CM Punk would be more than adequate. Just don't open the show with this match. At least make SOME attempt at making the title seem important.

While I don't necessarily have a problem with Cena vs. Orton vs. Triple H, I do think that it's ridiculous that Triple H just HAS to be in the main event. I mean, Cena vs. Orton -- after all they've gone through this year -- is a much more natural and compelling story. Other than Triple H needing to be in the match, why is he there? He contributes nothing to the story. In no way is it more interesting with him playing a part in it. This reminds me a lot of WrestleMania 22, where Cena vs. Edge was a much more logical match, but instead Edge dropped the gold just three weeks after winning it, in order to set up Cena vs. Triple H. For the life of me, I can't understand how somebody could argue that favortism doesn't exist when you look at instances like this.

I'm not a huge boxing fan, so I don't know much about Floyd Mayweather. That said, as I understand it, he's a pretty big and relevant name, so right off the bat I think this is a wise business venture. Making it a boxing match, which I suspect they will do, puts them in a position where Big Show wouldn't be hurt by a "loss." One thing is for sure, this is much, much better than that Akebono match. At the very least, the attire will be a big improvement.

I think Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair is a wonderful way for the Nature Boy to end his career. I know a lot of people will argue that a young up and comer should be the one to retire Flair, but I'm not sure that's necessarily true. The fact of the matter is, Ric Flair has done an awful lot to put over young talent. He's probably done too much, which really hurt his career to the extent that beating him really didn't mean much. In this particular case, I think having Flair lose to a legend like Michaels -- who was considered by many to be the next Ric Flair early in his heel singles career -- is an appropriate way to end his career. I also think having Flair lose to a friend in a bittersweet moment would be a more powerful scene than to lose it to some dastardly heel.

I'm disappointed that Jericho is in the Money in the Bank match, only because his return after a two year hiatus was so well built up. And now, just a few months into his big return, he's thrown into a match that he won't win, completely devoid of any storyline. Despite that criticism, they've done a great job of transforming the Money in the Bank ladder match from something that was initially a lame attempt at making it seem like upper midcard guys were participating in an important match, to actually making it into an important match. In the past couple of years, they've done a nice job of establishing it, especially when you consider that the Road to WrestleMania truly begins when the qualifying matches start to take place. My accompanying complaint is that the matches have been ridiculous. I mean, Jeff Hardy vs. Snitsky? Mr. Kennedy vs. Val Venis? Shelton Benjamin vs. Jimmy Wang Yang? You're placing main eventers against guys who aren't even included on Pay-Per-Views. There is positively no suspense about who will win.

Presuming that there will be eight participants, I'd put Kane, Tommy Dreamer, Elijah Burke, and Carlito in there. This creates a balance of faces and heels, fighting styles, and a semi-equal representation of the three brands. Should some of the matches I suggest below not work out, I'd trade Morrison and Miz for Burke and Dreamer, and MVP for Carlito.

The Playboy Bunnies tag match is pretty inoffensive, I'm just disappointed that the Women's Championship is being wasted in this match. Mickie vs. Beth has been steadily built basically since they both debuted, and it would have been great to see Mickie finally get the win at the big show. It would have been a nice culmination of her constantly coming up short. The match just as easily could have been Candice/Maria vs. Melina/Jillian.

As far as matches that haven't been announced yet, but I hope/think they will:

- Batista vs. Umaga, which could be a really cool match except for the fact that it lacks build up (ideally, they should have instigated something at the Royal Rumble). Along with that, Umaga has been jobbed out in every top level feud since this summer, dropping multiple matches to Triple H and DX, in addition to recent losses to Jeff Hardy. As such, it's missing that Unstoppable Force vs. Immovable Object feel.

- MVP vs. Matt Hardy (if he's even still alive) for the US title, with Hardy finally winning the gold...

- Vince McMahon vs. Finlay (although I have a feeling this will end up being JBL/McMahon vs. Finaly/Hornswoggle, or simply JBL vs. Finlay.....aren't you glad you came out of retirement, Bradshaw?)

- And how about a quick Cruiserweight Invitational or Battle Royal to re-introduce the championship? Include Shannon Moore, Jimmy Wang Yang, Jamie Noble, Funaki, and Kenny Dykstra (if he's small enough). Have Noble win it, to feud with a heel Helms upon his return.

- John Morrison/The Miz vs. Jesse/Festus vs. Deuce/Domino vs. the Edgeheads for the WWE Tag Team Championship, with the Edgeheads taking home the gold.

Some of these predictions are wishful thinking (particularly the ECW-heavy Money in the Bank match, the reintroduction of the Cruiserweight title, and hell, even the WWE Tag Team Title defense), and at 11 potential matches, obviously a couple of those will need to be cut.

I'll revisit this topic as we come closer to the big event.

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A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 4-4

I know I have a tendency to defend shows when everybody else is flaming them (See: Heroes, season 2), leading many to argue that I’m perhaps not critical enough of shows I like. Well, if that’s the case, then I’m about to add fuel to the fire, because in my view this season of Lost has been near flawless.

http://primetimepulse.insidepulse.com/2008/02/24/a-case-of-the-lost-episode-4-4/

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"I've been looking for you for years!"

Poor Jennifer Garner looked like she feared for her life. So did Ryan Seacrest, for that matter. Really, Laura Linney was the only one who kept a cool head.

Honestly, though, Gary Busey is an absolute maniac. How did he even manage to get inviting to the Academy Awards in the first place?

Updated thought: How bizarre would a conversation between Gary Busey and the Ultimate Warrior be?

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A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 7-12

So last week’s episode of Smallville featured Kara’s return and Clark delving into Lex’s psyche. It seems that amnesia-laden Kara (exactly how many characters have had amnesia at this point? All of them?) is working as a small town waitress alongside an obsessed co-worker. Lex manages to track her down, leading to him being shot in the head and placed in a coma. In order to find Kara and Lois (who also present for all the fun), Clark has to enter Lex’s subconscious.

http://primetimepulse.insidepulse.com/2008/02/22/a-case-of-the-smallville-episode-7-12/

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Quick TV Thoughts: Lost & Survivor

Aside from the lack of comments, I'd say last week's stream of consciousness was a rousing success!

Anyway, I've started working a temp job this week, and the ride home has managed to be an atrocious mess each and every night. So right now, sitting back, relaxing, and watching two fine shows is a very nice breath of fresh air.

By the way, be sure to check out Inside Pulse's awesome new layout. While we're at it, here's last week's Lost column.

Click below for my spoilerific thoughts on tonight's Survivor and Lost.

Survivor:
- In their latest column, Murtz and Michelle (love her!) brought up an excellent point, namely that the editing last week sucked. It didn't occur to me, but they're absolutely right. Last week, characters went on and on and on about how Mikey and Mary were the closest allies (a sentiment that was echoed in the opening), and it hit me that I don't recall them even talking for any significant amount of time, ever.
- Nevertheless, Mikey made a good point: That power play was completely unnecessary. On top of that, it was just DUMB. Any fan of this show should know tha the WORST thing you can do is show that you wield the power. ESPECIALLY when you're a big, strong, physical threat. It would have been much wiser for Joel to let Mikey think (and better yet, make everybody else think) that he's calling the shots.
- Just to show you how stupid Joel's actions were, consider that an astounding THREE words were capatalized in the previous point
- It would be very, very wise for Cirie to go with Jonathan, Eliza, Yau Man, and Amy. I mean, c'mon, how can you NOT see you're going to be the low person on the totem pole when your alliance would be two couples?
- Is Jeff wearing a Survivor hat? Isn't that like wearing the t-shirt of the band that you're watching in concert?
- Joel hitting Yau Man with the tackle was sad. James blocking smomebody as Yau Man ran for the N-Zone was awesome.
- Jeff played pretty rough with the ladies.
- I don't know what the difference between Jonathan now and Jonathan during Cook Islands, but he's a lot of fun watching. He's a character, but not in the same way that Johnny Fairplay is a character. And I love that he's wearing a fedora.
- Isn't Yau Man, like, always the first one to get a point for his tribe?
- Not to sound sexist, but I was initially surprised that The Fans had so many women carrying the net. But, I suppose, it worked.
- While Jonathan does come off as pretty slithering during his talk with Cirie, I do have to admit that he has a point. Again, common sense speaking, Cirie has to realize that with two couples, she's the odd person out. On top of that, Amanda and Parvati are closer to each other than either of them are with Cirie. I think she hitched her wagon to the wrong horse. In fact, I'm tempted for all of them to just vote Cirie off, and go into their next tribal council into a tie, letting the best team win. She's playing both sides, and not very well.
- In fact, I think that's the way they should go. Jonathan and co. vote for Cirie, and hope that they can convince at least one of the other four are annoyed enough with Cirie that they'd vote for her too. I'm surprised nobody broached that possiblity.
- I hate, HATE Parvati's constant "I know people just think I flirt to get guys to do what I want." Yet every season she's in, that's exactly what she's done. AND you admitted to so much earlier with Amanda and Cirie.
- Cirie, in fairness, Jonathan hasn't lied yet this game (as far as I can remember). You have. And the smug, proud look on her face after Yau Man got voted off annoyed me. I sense another Stephenie LaGrossa situation here, where a person goes from one of the most popular during their original season, to one of the most disliked during their return.

Lost:
- Aside from being an awesome allusion to season two, when Ben was being held captive in the hatch and was manipulating Locke on a daily basis, the opening scene exemplifies what I've been saying for a while now: What took these people so long to move into the barracks?
- "You just totally Scooby Doo'd me, didn't you?" Awesome.
- How many characters have used the "do me this and I'll tell you everything" argument? Further, how many characters fall for it?
- Kate's lawyer looks exceptionally familiar. Has he been on the show before? Or do I just remember him as the bad guy in Frequency?
- Locke has really embraced the Mr. Mom role, hasn't he?
- It's eerie seeing Future Jack and Future Kate together. Particularly given how tense they seem to be. Interesting, though, that he claims that only eight survived. We know six get off the island, who are the other two that supposedly didn't survive?
- I love how Sawyer and Hurley are roommates. Just awesome. Honestly, Sawyer and Hurley living together in the barracks could EASILY be a sitcom.
- For those wondering:
black·mail
–noun
1. any payment extorted by intimidation, as by threats of injurious revelations or accusations.
ex·tor·tion
–noun
1. Law. the crime of obtaining money or some other thing of value by the abuse of one's office or authority.
Yeah, Miles, it was another great one-liner....but they're pretty much the exact same thing.
- With all the references to Kate having a son, and with her and Sawyer now doing the nasty, I'm sure we're supposed to believe he impregnates her. I have a feeling that we'll be getting a twist instead, though (like that perhaps that she is raising Aaron as her son).
- Locke's scene with Miles = awesome.
- I know she had to slap Sawyer for what he said in bed the next morning, but c'mon, he was right on the money.
- The way Kate's face lit up when she realized she HAD to stay in the state confirms that something is up. She does NOT want to go back to the island.
- TWIST! I knew it!!! By the way, this episode also possibly cleared up the ending of last season's finale: Kate was referring to Aaron when she said "he'll wonder where I am." And things with her and Jack are so hostile because he was unable to be a part of their lives, perhaps?

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Have you seen this belt....

....at WrestleMania?

With Jeff Hardy competing in the Money in the Bank ladder match, the Intercontinental Championship -- the second most prestigious title on its brand (and, before the roster split, the entire company) -- will not be defended at WrestleMania for the sixth consecutive year.

Long-time fans will recall how the Intercontinental Championship provided two highly memorable WrestleMania matches : Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat from WrestleMania III and the Shawn Michaels/Razor Ramon Ladder Match from WrestleMania X.

Yet the last time this belt was defended on the grandest stage of them all was WrestleMania X-8 (in which I was in attendance), when Rob Van Dam defeated William Regal.

Lets look at the belt's WrestleMania history since then, shall we?

• WrestleMania XIX: The championship is briefly retired during this time.
• WrestleMania XX: Randy Orton (who was champion at the time) teams with his Evolution comrades Batista and Ric Flair to face the Rock 'n Sock Connection (The Rock & Mick Foley). Fun fact, this was also The Rock's last match (at press time).
• WrestleMania 21: A trend is started, as the Intercontinental Champion -- Shelton Benjamin -- participates in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
• WrestleMania 22: It is deja vu all over again as Benjamin (who was in his second reign with the belt) once again competes in the MITB match.
• WrestleMania 23: Intercontinental Champion Umaga goes to battle with ECW Champion Bobby Lashley. Two supposedly prestigious champions, and what are they fighting over? That's right, Vince McMahon and Donald Trump's hair!

And now, this year at WrestleMania XXIV, unless Jeff Hardy loses the Intercontinental gold before March 30th (which he probably won't, considering how hard they're pushing him), the title will go undefended yet again.

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Jumper??? That's the least I'd do to her!

So this past Sunday I went to see Jumper and Definitely, Maybe. It was a big movie day, essentially seeing one right after the other (and yes, I did pay for tickets to see both), and for two similar reasons. I saw Jumper because of the beautiful, 5'1" brunette to the left, and I saw Definitely, Maybe because one of the actresses is a close family friend. Click below for my thoughts on both films (spoilers).

I enjoyed Jumper. I really did. It had some good action, some fun scenes, and never really seemed to have any slow parts. When it comes to movies, I'm pretty easy to please. If I was entertained, it pretty much gets my thumbs up. With a movie you're really only committing a couple hours of your time, unlike a television show, where you're expected to tune in every week. So my standards for films are not quite as strict.

However, I do have one criticism, and it's a pretty major one. Overall, Jumper just seemed very lazily written, and this was apparent throughout the entire hour and a half. The most glaring example of this is how the movie never bothered to offer any explanation or theory whatsoever regarding how these jumpers are able to teleport from one place to the next. It is genetic? Is it a mutation? Is it something other-worldly? They didn't even speculate at what causes it. In fact, I don't even recall any character (jumper, Paladin, or otherwise) bothering to ask. For that matter, it wasn't made especially clear what enables them to jump to a particular place. In some instances it appeared that the person needed to look at a photo. Other times they had to actively visualize a destination. And yet in other cases, it seemed to happen naturally.

And why was everybody in David's hometown so shocked that he was still alive? On top of the fact that no body was discovered, he continued going by his real name. I'm sure that in eight years, somebody would have figured out he's still alive. It reminds me of the Family Guy episode where Peter fakes his death as Lando Griffin, and Tom Tucker remarks that the police found it peculiar that they couldn't find his body, but figured it'd be easier if everybody just moved on with their lives.

And while I'm all for complex characters that aren't purely "good" or "bad," David's father wasn't effectively written as either. In the end, I was left disliking David more than his dad.

My final issue was with the unresolved ending. Sometimes the whole "the fight's not over yet" ending can be poignant and meaningful, but in this case it just seemed inconclusive. It didn't seem like any of the characters grew. I mean, David put the lives of everybody he loves in danger because he's jumping. You'd think he'd maybe quit and go under the radar? Nope, instead he's back to his jumping ways.

Oh, and was anybody else really disturbed by the fact that some innocent guy in his truck was "jumped" to a warzone, only to be run over by a tank?

Like I said, though, it was a fun enough movie with some good action, great scenery, and an incredibly gorgeous and endearing female lead. There are worse ways to spend an hour and a half (and $11, for that matter).

I will admit, though, that Definitely, Maybe was a far superior film (which I'm sure doesn't shock anybody). I'm usually not that big on the romantic comedies, but like I said, I know one of the actresses (Alexie Gilmore, who plays Olivia, Isla Fisher's roommate near the end of the movie), below is a photo of me and her:

If I learned anything during my day at the theater, it's that while Rachel Bilson may be the love of my life, Isla Fisher is absolutely adorable. She was hilarious in Wedding Crashers, but she was a genuinely likable and enjoyable character in Definitely, Maybe. I really hadn't seen her in anything other than Wedding Crashers, so I was really impressed with her range (the two characters are much different).

I also really liked the storytelling method, with Ryan Reynolds' character telling his daughter about his past loves (particularly how he met her mother), without her (and the audience) knowing which woman will be revealed as his future ex-wife. In the end, it was somewhat obvious which person it would be, as you could tell that Summer wasn't the love of his life, and you wanted to see him end up with April (Isla Fisher), which wouldn't happen with the person he marries.

One thing that did seem a bit strange to me was the way Ryan Reynolds' daughter was trying to hook him up with another woman before her parents' divorce was even finalized. But I'll excuse it because there were instances in the film where she has difficulty coping with their break up. And while the movie was a love story at its core, it also told the tale of a man who once had everything -- a relationship with a girl he loved and a successful career that he genuinely enjoyed -- only to lose it all. With that in mind, it made sense that she'd want to see him happy, even if it meant being with a woman that wasn't her mother.

Now, regarding the ticket price. After Definitely, Maybe, my mother lectured me on how it's rude of me to leave my soda in the cup holder, telling me that I should throw it out myself. My initial argument was that people are going to clean the theater anyway, so it's not as if me keeping my soda there is forcing them to clean the entire theater.

While I still stand by that comment, I think the stronger argument is that people pay $11 for a ticket (pretty outrageous in its own right), and then $3 or $4 for a box of Milk Duds which would have cost, at most, $1 at CVS. Do these insane mark ups justify people leaving their garbage around? Quite frankly, yes. Otherwise, what the hell are you paying for?

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Blog Exclusive: A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 4-3

While Inside Pulse is preparing for their site relaunch, I'm posting my latest Lost column, days before it'll appear on Prime Time Pulse! Click below to read.

We now know 2/3 of the Oceanic Six, with Sayid being revealed as number four. This particular flash forward episode followed a different formula from what we’ve previously seen with Jack and Hurley. While the latter two have become haunted with the decisions they’ve made and obsessed with returning to the island – to the extent that they can no longer function in their day-to-day lives – Sayid, despite having seemingly sold his soul, seems well adjusted to the return home, more so than any of the other returnees (from what we’ve seen). What is also interesting is that, thus far, he seems to be the one person not fixated with returning to the island. At the same time, due to his association with Ben, he’s the one most closely linked to it.

We also learned that in the future Ben is off of the island – and, as I’m sure everybody already realizes, he is NOT one of the Oceanic Six, having not been on the flight to begin with – and is using Sayid as his personal assassin. There are two questions to be asked: Who are these people that Sayid is killing off, and what is he protecting his friends from? As a follow up question, are the “friends” that Ben refers to the other members of the Oceanic Six, or are they the ones that were left behind? I had initially assumed the former, but am now leaning towards the latter. Based on Hurley and Jack’s secrecy and obsession over returning to the island, it’s clear that something disastrous occurred related to the rescue. While Hurley and Jack are determined to go back to seemingly right those wrongs, Sayid’s hits may be his way of saving them.

Regarding that final scene, when Sayid was being attended to by a shadowy figure, I thought it would be revealed as Ben, Christian Shephard, or Matthew Abbadon. For what it’s worth, I don’t believe that Christian Shephard is Jacob, and I’m not convinced that he’s suddenly alive, either (or alive in the future, for that matter). And I commend the writers for not having the veterinary office filled with rabbits, Ben’s pet of choice.

Last week I theorized that the rescuers are after Ben because he’s the only surviving member of the Dharma Initiative, and they want to get their hands on the Initiative’s time travel research. That now seems to holds a bit more weight following Daniel’s experiment, when the rocket sent from the freight did not arrive when it should have and ultimately exposed a 31-minute discrepancy. And you just KNEW something would happen to interrupt the scene, so that Daniel couldn’t explain what had happened (Desmond, that’s your cue to enter).

I’ve read two related theories regarding Ben, one is that he can travel through time and the other is that there are multiple Bens. While I don’t think these ideas are impossible, I’m not sold on them either. I know that I had previously predicted that Dharma is experimenting with time travel (which can be supported by the possibly pre-historic Dharma polar bear and Desmond’s trippy seer side effect after blowing up the Dharma hatch), but there haven’t necessarily been any indications or hints that Ben in particular can travel through time.

Concerning the possibility that there are multiple Bens, I must again cite the lack of evidence or hints to support this speculation. If there are multiple Bens, why would The Others have gone to such lengths to arrange a hostage exchange when Ben was held prisoner in the hatch? And why would The Others have exerted equally strenuous efforts to manipulate Jack into performing Ben’s life saving spinal surgery? Yes, there were numerous passports hidden in Ben’s house, but all that proves is that he has multiple aliases (why he didn’t choose one of those identities instead of “Henry Gale,” which ultimately resulted in him getting caught in a lie, I will never know), which makes sense since we already know that The Others regularly traveled to and from the island.

How ironic is it that Sayid, a former military torturer, wants to handle things diplomatically, while worrying that Jack, a renown surgeon who has saved countless lives, will turn to violence and take matters into his own hands? If nothing else, that odd dichotomy framed the actions of present day and future Sayid. On the island, Sayid is deeply affected by the death of a woman he barely knew, especially after he discovers that she’s leaving a loved one behind. In the future, he’s willing to use a woman that he had fallen in love with, which is a dark contrast to his affinity for romance (See: Nadia, Shannon). In the present day, he wants to negotiate without resorting to violence. In the future, he’s a hired assassin willing to murder in cold blood.

At the same time, during both timelines we see a different side of Sayid rear its head. Despite his desire to peacefully bargain with Locke, there is something mysterious and sinister about what he’s willing to give up in order to get what he wants. And while he may be Ben’s hired gun, he still grows to deeply care for his assignment, and is seconds away from coming clean. As such, he’s profoundly saddened about having to kill her.

Things are starting to get strained over on Locke’s team, with Hurley in particular starting to oppose some of Locke’s methods (particularly keeping people hostage and using ploys to trap their supposed friends). I still feel like Locke will be revealed as one of the Oceanic Six, because from a storyline standpoint, it’s the best possible option. Along with that, it would add some intrigue as to how three people from Jack’s team, and two people from Locke’s team get off the island.

Once again, Sawyer acts as the voice of the viewers, asking the questions and bringing up the points that the audience is wondering. Last week, he asked Locke why he would keep Ben – the man had shot him and left him to die in a ditch – alive, instead of killing him right off the bat. This past week, he reminded Kate that she’s a wanted murderer, so there’s likely not going to be a parade held in her honor when she returns home.

With that said, I’m not entirely convinced that Kate simply decided to stick with team Locke. Sure, she may be jonesing for some Sawyer love, and his words of warning may have hit her hard, but I’m skeptical for the sole fact that we didn’t see the scene in which she tells Sayid that she’s staying. There was just too much mystery surrounding the deal Sayid made with Locke, leading me to believe that she was part of the hostage exchange as well. In the long run, holding Kate captive gives Locke a lot more leverage than if he just had Miles. And despite their mutual jealousy issues, I truly believe that Kate is supremely loyal to Jack, and would not have just abandoned his side like that.

Speaking of which, the taken aback look on Kate’s face when Jack asked Juliet, and not her, to go fetch Desmond was priceless. Like I said last week, in the end, the center of Lost is the bond between Jack and Kate, and I was excited to see that relationship take center stage this season. I’m going to be really disappointed if Kate spends an extended amount of time this season with Sawyer, as it’s something we’ve already seen. After all, the brief flirtatious scene between Jack and Kate, just before he tells her to go with Sayid, was a really cute, sweet moment.

It is interesting, though, how virtually every non-caged sexual encounter between Kate and Sawyer can be traced back to Kate jealously viewing a moment between Jack and Juliet. Back at the beach, she jumped Sawyer after seeing Jack and Juliet have dinner together. And here, she (allegedly) chose to play house with Sawyer after Juliet had seemingly taken over as Jack’s sidekick. I know a lot of people were peeved that Ross and Rachel ended up together in the Friends finale, but this series needs to end with these two shacking up.

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Geez, you mention parasites once....

So Google Ads is supposed to post ads that are revelent to the topics you write about, which makes sense. If people come to my blog to read about, say, Lost, it would be logical to advertise websites and products related to the popular series.

What are nine out of ten of my ads related to? Yep, you guessed it.... Human Parasites! Parasites get mentioned a few times in that damned Cloverfield explanation, and now practically all of my ads are for human parasites and worms. On top of it not being especially beneficial to me financially speaking, what on earth do these ads say about me? "Hey, you go over to Matt's blog lately? Yeah, I guess he's got parasites or worms or something."

And this post, my friends, would be what they call adding fuel to the fire. Lovely. Just lovely.

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Quick Thoughts: Thursday Night TV

What did I think of tonight's episodes of Smallville, Lost, and Survivor? Click below to find out (be warned, spoilers be inside).

Smallville:
- I loved the graphic of Clark entering Lex's thoughts, with a wormhold created by cube-esque clips from past episodes.
- While I liked the idea of adult Lex attempting to kill Alexander (the younger version of himself), I could have done without Clark's sledgehammer comment "Why would he want to kill you? Aren't you the good part of him?" The scene wasn't that deep, give your audience some credit.
- We've been seeing "good" Lionel for so long that it was a bit fun seeing the monster he used to be (and perhaps still is). Having Lex's mother -- who has always been portrayed as the one loving person in his childhood -- coldly tell him that he had done enough was surprisingly chilling.
- I loved how sadistic it was having evil, adult Lex physically force Clark to watch him and Lana make love. As Stewie Griffin would say, how deliciously evil!
- Kara remarking that her bracelet is the only thing she has left of her past came across as odd and contrived. I mean, as far as she knows, how is her bracelet any more significant that the clothing she was wearing that night?
- I love the idea of how, in his head, nothing Clark does can physically hurt Lex.
- Loved Lex's "it's like a reflex, I see you and I want to defend myself" line.
- I appreciate the idea that Clark struggles with giving up on Lex, but it's something we've seen so many times already. Honestly, at this point, just let them be enemies.
- Lex taking advantage of amnesia-laden Kara is very reminiscent of what he did with Clark when he lost his memory. And I don't mean that as a criticism.
- I must also note that the young actor who portrayed Alexander bears a striking resemblance to Michael Rosenbaum. Excellent casting job.

Lost:
- So there you have it, Sayid is Oceanic #4. Most people would use that line to pick up chicks. Sayid uses it as an excuse to kill people. Geez, anything to get out of paying a gambling debt.
- I was about to remark on how surprised I am that Sayid is a player, but then I remembered that he shacked up with Shannon. Who knew?
- It occurs to me that Sayid is one of the very few characters that I always expect to die, but I now know he never does (not in the natural timeline, anyway).
- Loved the reaction on Kate's face when Jack asked Juliet -- and not her -- to do him a favor. And Miles still has some great one liners.
- Not the most masculine thing to say, but Jack and Kate flirting is cute.
- You just HAD to know that something would happen to interrupt Daniel explaining the whole thing with the time being different on the two clocks.
- I must admit, I was pretty surprised when it turned out that the girl future Sayid was seeing was actually using him, just as he was using her (which was obvious). One thing I was a bit confused about, though: Did Sayid give her that bracelet, or was she supposed to be the person that gave it to Naomi? Actually, I found his whole sudden attachment to Naomi a bit curious.
- I'm also not fully convinced that Kate decided to stay. I wouldn't be surprised if she was part of the exchange as well. I mean, it's entirely possible that Sawyer's argument that she was wanted for murder and has no reason to go home really hit her, but the fact that we didn't see her tell Sayid she'd rather stay makes me suspicious. Whatever the case may be, we've definitely seen a much darker side of Sayid this episode.
- The final scene, in which Sayid visits a veterinary office to get his bullet wound checked, I thought the doctor would either be revealed as Christian Shephard, Ben, or Matthew Abbadon. I'm sure I don't have to say this, but Ben is NOT one of the Oceanic 6, as he was never on the flight.

Survivor:
- I love how the people who basically said "you're not welcome to be with us" seconds later say "tell me we're not divided..."
- Maybe it's because I just watched Smallville, but it occurs to me that Jonathan has the same swagger and speaking pattern as Michael Rosenbaum's portrayal of Lex Luthor. They're both well spoken and intelligent, and seem like somebody you may not personally like, but you love to watch.
- While all the rat footage always freaks me out, I did get a kick out of the two rats kissing interspersed with clips of James/Parvati and Ozzy/Amanda sleeping together.
- Anybody else see Jeff totally check out Amanda's nip slip?
- I'm not sure if she consciously did this, but Cirie was brilliant for volunteering to go to Exile Island. As the swing vote, the risk of her getting voted out next time her tribe ends up in tribal council is even less than minimal. Along with that, she gets a chance at finding the immunity idol. And, as an obvious outsider, it's likely that Kathy is going to get gabby, giving her insider info that will undoubtedly prove helpful should she make the merge. If that's not enough, her tribe also probably figures she's doing THEM a favor.
- I'll be honest. I probably would have been a real asshole and buried the hidden idol clues after memorizing them.
- I totally understood what Mikey was suggesting with splitting their vote. But the way he was going about explaining it, even I was confused. With that being said, one of the best parts of watching the "Fans" is that EVERYONE wants to be the mastermind and orchestrate this tribal council coup. Considering all the chefs in the kitchen, I was actually surprised that any of the plans, at all, worked. But Mikey's reaction to Mary being voted out was pretty priceless.

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A Case of the.... Prison Break - Episodes 3-11 & 3-12

Anybody who thinks that Prison Break has lost its luster is wrong and stupid. There, I said it.

http://primetimepulse.insidepulse.com/articles/73745/2008/02/14/a-case-of-the--iprison-break-i-episodes-311--312.html

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I guess "24" refers to the amount of months without new episodes

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/14/tv.24delay.ap/index.html

So Fox is waiting until January 2009 before they air any new episodes of 24. To be honest, after the atrocity that was last season, I'm not even that upset about this news. I'm hoping that the longer absence will (a) make the heart grow fonder and (b) provide the writers with even more time to come up with some fresh ideas.

I am curious, though, whether they will be going through with the storyline that would have taken place this season, or if they'll go a completely different direction next year.

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My New Year's resolution isn't going too well so far...

So one of my few New Year's resolutions is to meet and take a photo with Rachel Bilson, the lovely and talented actress that I am constantly fawning over. With her movie Jumper coming out this week, I figured she'd maybe be appearing on Letterman, especially since he's the only talk show host that SAG members will appear on. With my close proximity to New York City, I thought I may accomplish this great feat just two months into 2008.

To my disappointment, she was not appearing on that show. She was on Live with Regis & Kelly, but damned if I'm waking up at 7 or 8 in the morning. So, alas, I felt I missed my opportunity.

That is, until I find out she appeared on TRL. TR-F'N-L. The most deplorable music television (and I mean the genre, not the network. Well, I guess the network too) program in existence. ::Sigh:: And thus, my mission continues, with likely my best opportunity now out the window....

And to anybody who thinks this Bilson infatuation is creepy, just consider My Date with Drew, a documentary about an average Joe who made a film solely about attempting to get a date with Drew Barrymore (Spoiler: He succeeds!) And I'm not even aiming for a date, just a nice little photograph.

In some non-Rachel Bilson related news, the incredibly talented Grant Gould has recently given me permission to use some of his artwork on my site (which was very generous) so please check out his website, which now appears in my "Links List." There's some awesome work on there, and it's definitely worth checking out.

http://grantgould.com/

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And it's official!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/12/hollywood.labor.ap/index.html

So it looks like we may get a full season (well, 16ish episodes) of Lost afterall! Praise the Lord!

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In desperate need of the Geek Squad

Alright, so my computer keeps shutting down with the message above coming up. I've done numerous spyware/adware/virus checks on my computer, and cleaned up any issues that have been found. I also have an external hard drive which holds any non-essential file or application.

So my question is, what in the blue hell is wrong with my lap top? How can I prevent this from happening again?

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A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 7-11

Last week I noted that Lex has now become a full-blown baddie, and that was further exemplified when Clark was willing to let him take a blade to the chest in order to save Black Canary. I thought that was an incredible moment, a real turning point for both characters.

http://primetimepulse.insidepulse.com/articles/73645/2008/02/12/a-case-of-the--ismallville-i-episode-711.html

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A new home for the blue show....

So the latest fatalistic conspiracy is that Smackdown's future is in danger because WWE is parting ways with the CW Network, which has been the show's home since its inception nearly ten years ago (of course, at the time it was UPN).

Personally, I don't think that WWE has anything to worry about. They seem to have a very healthy business relationship with NBC Universal, which operates loads of television stations, not to mention that Raw and ECW are typically the top rated programs on USA and Sci-Fi, respectively.


Nevertheless, WWE did potentially shoot themselves in the foot, as they've spent the last few years treating SmackDown like their red headed step child. This doesn't exactly make the blue show (wait, wasn't it just red headed???) an attractive buy as it looks for a new home.

What would I do to help the brand, you ask? Here are a few ideas:

1) Even out the rosters: Right now, Raw has established names like John Cena, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, JBL, and Randy Orton. They also have a number of guys on the cusp of achieving main event status, such as Umaga, Jeff Hardy, and Mr. Kennedy. On top of that, when legends like Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin make appearances, it's always on Raw. Ditto for Mick Foley and Rowdy Roddy Piper. And finally, Mr. McMahon, the all powerful owner, appears almost exclusively on Monday's flagship program (although, in fairness, he has been visiting Friday nights recently).

Meanwhile, on SmackDown, you've got established guys like Edge, Batista, Undertaker, and Rey Mysterio. Yes, Ric Flair is also a member of that roster, but he's pretty much retired, and until this "you must win or you're fired" angle, he also almost always lost. On top of that, he appears on Raw more than he does SmackDown, anyway. As far as Superstars on the cusp, you've got MVP, Finlay, Kane, The Great Khali, Mark Henry, Chavo Guerrero, and Matt Hardy. And a lot of those names were really generous.

Lets be realistic about the solution to this problem: Triple H and Shawn Michaels aren't going to be going to SmackDown (because they'd probably consider it a demotion), and neither will John Cena, because he's WWE's golden child and he has to be on the flagship program. So we won't even consider them as options.

If I could turn back time, I wouldn't have had JBL move to Raw to feud with Chris Jericho. Instead, I would have had Chris Jericho switch to SmackDown to goad JBL into coming out of retirement. This would have made more sense on a number of levels. First off, as the cowardly heel, it seemed strange that JBL would do something as proactive as changing shows and coming out of retirement to fight a top babyface. Along with that, JBL is one of the very few characters that actually shows brand loyalty, so it was inconsistent that he'd so openly turn his back on SmackDown (the show that made him a star) to make his in-ring return on Raw.

And if you think about it, the landscape of SmackDown has changed a fair amount since JBL retired. He could feud with Jericho, Finlay, Flair, Kane, and CM Punk (when you consider the deal with ECW). And after years of fawning over MVP, it would have been a lot of fun seeing these two team up in tag team competition. As far as Jericho goes, I could see some really, really enjoyable feuds with Edge, MVP, Mysterio, Chavo, Matt Hardy, CM Punk, John Morrison, and Elijah Burke, and some not-so-great feuds with Great Khali, Big Daddy V, and Mark Henry.

As far as other transactions go, I'd move Umaga over to SmackDown, since he's feuded with virtually every person on Raw by now (Umaga/Undertaker and Umaga/Batista both have potential). I'd also suggest moving either Kennedy or Jeff Hardy over from Raw as well.

2) Stop sending the message to your viewers that Raw is #1: Perception is reality, and the WWE seems to go out of its way to portray Raw as THE show, which doesn't do anything but hurt their two other brands.

Take the current Hornswoggle angle. Hornswoggle is officially a member of the SmackDown roster. As are Finlay and The Great Khali, two other central characters in this storyline. As owner, Mr. McMahon is not technically a member of any roster. Yet, the angle has taken place almost exclusively on Raw.

This is reminiscent to last year when McMahon feuded with ECW Superstar Lashley over the ECW Championship. Instead of the angle taking place on, ya' know, ECW, almost everything happened on Raw. It seems to me that forcing the audience to watch your two other shows in order to see the progression of a major angle makes good business sense. Why watch SmackDown and ECW when all of their important angles will take place on Raw anyway?

3) Give SmackDown some big debuts/returns: Who was the last debuting or returning Superstar to join the SmackDown roster? Rey Mysterio (2002)? Sable (2003)? Scott Steiner, Chris Jericho, Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, Charlie Haas... they've all made their big debuts or big returns on Raw, even though Hogan, Piper, and Haas were last seen as members of the SmackDown roster. Give people a reason to watch SmackDown by having some shocking things happen on it. I keep hearing people argue that the internet fans are such a insignificant portion of WWE's audience. If that's true, then they shouldn't be worried about spoilers.

4) Really shake things up: This is, of course, the least realistic possibility of all, as it relies on the cooperation of numerous networks (which would all be under the same umbrella), and completely reshuffling the schedule they have had established for quite some time. Nonetheless, it's worth suggesting.

The big thing that everybody agrees SmackDown is missing -- or, at the very least, why Raw is preferred -- is that it's not live. SmackDown and ECW are taped together Tuesday nights, with ECW airing live and SmackDown being taped, to be shown Friday nights. Why not switch these two shows, so that SmackDown is aired live, and ECW is taped? ECW is clearly the lowest rung of the ladder, so taping it won't affect its status. Naturally, this means that Sci-Fi would either need to move ECW to a different night, or give SmackDown its timeslot (as well as an additional hour). In a perfect universe, Raw would air live on USA Mondays, Smackdown would air live onUSA Wednesdays, and ECW would air taped on Sci-Fi on Fridays.

This would give SmackDown the "anything can happen" essence that it is currently missing, which is a big reason why I think that all the big surprises and returns occur on Raw. Of course, this plan also runs the risk of SmackDown and ECW losing portions of its audience due to such a drastic change.

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American Gladiators

So I haven't really commented on the return of American Gladiators yet. While the new version is far from perfect, at the same time I haven't missed an episode, so they must be doing something right. And for a buff chick, Crush is quite the cutie.

As far as improvements go, I think that the addition of water in certain events has been pretty neat (although I do get a kick out of how, in The Wall, the competitors drop like a sack of potatoes into the water below, while the Gladiators are slowly repelled down to the bridge). The slingshot system and pyro when somebody hits the bull's eye in Assault is a cool effect as well. As far as new events go, I'm a fan of Earthquake, which is like an elevated, shakier version of Conquer (the second half of Divide and Conquer).

My biggest criticism with the revival is that there are entirely too many contestant interviews. Consider this: For Joust, Alex (the male blue contestant) was interviewed before the event, after the event, and then again backstage. That's three interviews with one competitor for a single event, not to mention the fact that his opponent got interviewed after he participated as well. I'm sure this is done to maximize the screentime of Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali (the "big names" of the show), but there has to be a more productive way of doing that. The way the show is structured now, there's only time for, what, four events?

Another gripe is that there doesn't appear to be any penalty for failing to complete any portion of the Eliminator. For example, every competitor seems to have an impossible time using the handbike. However, if he/she falls off, all they have to do is run across the mat and climb up the opposite side. With that in mind, I don't know why anybody wouldn't just jump off the platform, run across and climb up the other side. It sure seems a whole lot easier (and faster) than using the handbike. In the original series, at least there were a couple of Gladiators at the bottom to at act as obstacles.

Finally, I think the producers need to realize that your average Joe isn't all that charismatic (which is what makes the constant interviews all the more tedious), so having the contestants play "characters" is a mistake, not to mention unnecessary. For that matter, Wolf seems to be the only Gladiator who has any semblance of showmanship, so the trash talking, as a whole, should be minimized. Most people watch the show for its display of athleticism, not to see zany muscle-bound characters.

Nevertheless, it acts as the perfect lead-in to Raw, so I'm glad to see this show back. Speaking of which, how backwards is it that Hulk Hogan is on American Gladiators, while Mike Adamle appears on Raw? Fifteen years ago, the opposite was true.

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Cloverfield Solution/Explanation

So I know a lot of people were disappointed with Cloverfield, due in large part to the lack of explanation regarding the monster. Anyway, some guy on IMDB.com offered a thorough solution, answering pretty much any question you might have. After reading it, I think you'll have a greater appreciation for the movie (it may also make you want to view it again). However, the administrators at IMDB keep deleting the post, so I thought I'd copy and paste it here.

Click below, obviously Cloverfield spoilers lie within.

References for Viral Marketing:
http://jamieandteddy.com/
Password: jllovesth (note: it's double "L" in lowercase, not double "#1")
http://tagruato.jp/
http://www.slusho.jp/
http://www.myspace.com/robbyhawkins
Diagram of falling object:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2251/2219458232_8e1b9e2a96_o.png

I've sorted this info into sections:
Section1: Rob's Job, and Tagruato's Activities
Section2: The Parasites, and Marlena
Section3: Jamie, Teddy, and TIDOwave
Section4: Lily's Survival, Beth's Shoulder, Rob's Friends Joining Him, and the Indestructible Camera
Section5: Hammerdown and Clovie
Section6: Slusho's Secret Ingredient - Sea Nectar, and Its Side Effects

>>>> Section1: Rob's Job, and Tagruato's Activities
Rob was going to Japan to start his job as Vice President of Marketing for Slusho in America.
Slusho is owned by Tagruato.
The secret ingredient in Slusho (which is a slushee-type drink) is taken from "something" at the bottom of the ocean.
Tagruato's mining platforms in the ocean also doubled as harvesting stations for this special ingredient.
Somehow, Tagruato's activities were more suspicious than we thought. TIDOwave was wise to this stuff, and tried to do something about it.
Teddy, Jamie's boyfriend, joined TIDOwave to help stop Tagruato. Teddy got caught. Jamie didn't believe it; she thought Teddy was cheating on her. So she became an alcoholic, and the last time we see her is on Rob's couch, passed out.

The object falling from the sky is a piece of a Japanese satellite.
The Tagruato website even has a fake article mentioning this.
My theory is: Tagruato realized they were being spied on by satellite (Japan's satellites, to be exact). So they staged a sabotage, which caused a "piece of satellite to fall to the ocean". This would allow Tagruato to continue their mysterious activities, without any nearby satellites taking notice.
That's my theory about the object falling from the sky.

Whatever Tagruato was doing, they either awoke Clovie, or lost control of him. The Manhattan Incident is a direct result of Tagruato's corruption.

Also, a Tagruato article states that TIDOwave agents were to blame for Chaui Station's collapse. This is Tagruato's attempt to cover up the fact that they're actually doing something suspicious with a giant monster. Thus, it was Clovie who destroyed Chaui Station.

Also, Chaui Station was near NYC; it was in the general vicinity in the Atlantic Oean. Clovie just so happened to arrive in NYC because it was the closest land mass he could reach - he was running away from Tagruato.

Tagruato's subsidiaries seem to be very suspicious:
Yoshida Medical Research - Genetic research, and deep sea bioprospecting
Slusho - Narcotic effects
Bold Futura - Supplying the satellite which captured images of the object falling into the ocean
Parafun Wax - Preparing specimens for histology (study of skin tissue)
----------------------------------------
>>>> Section2: The Parasites, and Marlena
Some of you believe the bugs are symbiotic creatures, living on Clovie. But they're actually parasites.
There's bits of evidence here and there.
"Parasite" was one of the working titles for Cloverfield. Knowing JJ Abrams, you can take that as a clue about something. In this case, it's a clue about the bugs.
Secondly, Clovie scratched them off his back. Why? They probably made him itch, such as parasites will do.
Third, this has to do with Clovie being impervious to bombs and missiles, and also to do with Marlena exploding: The parasites create a very strong acidic enzyme that eats through flesh with explosive effects. Clovie, being immune to bombs, will barely develop an itchy bump when a parasite bites him. But if a parasite bites a human, the human will explode (because we can't cope with the parasite's venom like Clovie can).
----------------------------------------
>>>> Section3: Jamie, Teddy, and TIDOwave
Jamie and Teddy were a couple.
Teddy went away on a job of some kind. This detail is actually obsure, but we know he left.
Jamie sent Teddy video blogs about how she misses him, and about what she's up to.
Turns out Teddy actually joined TIDOwave: A union of extremists bent on bringing down Tagruato, and stopping Tagruato's ecologically-dangerous activities (such as their involvement in Clovie, the monster).
Teddy sends Jamie a distress recording in which he divulges the following statement "They either made something, or they found something". The "something" here is Clovie.
Jamie doesn't buy it; she thinks it's Teddy's cowardly way of admitting he's been cheating on her.
The next thing we know, Jamie's passed out on Rob's couch.
Oh, and Jamie and Teddy are loose-knit friends of Rob: That's why Jamie was at the party; all friends were invited.
Teddy is probably dead, having been murdered by Tagruato's dirty-workers.
----------------------------------------
>>>> Section4: Lily's Survival, Beth's Shoulder, Rob's Friends Joining Him, and the Indestructible Camera
Rob's friends went with him because they chose to.
Rob told them on two clear occasions to let him go by himself.

Lily survived; this is obvious because Hud simply makes no mention of Lily being in danger - he makes no mention of her helicopter.
Although, it is plausible that Lily died afterward, but the events in the movie itself do not allude to it.

Throughout the movie, before Hammerdown is executed, the camera is only dropped twice. These drops didn't necessarily look very harsh. Therefore, it could have survived in a very plausible way.
But when Hammerdown is executed, it is possible that the camera was trapped in a tiny cave of rocks. It probably wasn't crushed. Instead, the rocks piled around it in a way that actually protected it. SD or Video Tape - I actually do not know how to answer this. Based on the other amazing functions of the camera, we can assume it's a fictitious model. Therefore, we can assume it probably reads/records using both SD and Video Tape. The SD probably recorded the forward and backward activity of the Video Tape as one progressive product. Thus, playing the SD forward will show you the movie as it appears to us at the theater.
The battery life did NOT last 7 hours. Hud ONLY recorded what we saw in theaters. It is meant to be shown in its raw form.

Beth was impaled just below the left collarbone, and above the left breast. Her aorta and carotid artery were missed, as they're in the neck, and stem down into the general area of the lungs and heart. Her lungs and heart were perfectly intact. If anything, her left arm would've been numb.
Also, the rod was attached to a chunk of cement. Beth fell ON TO the rod. It pierced the entire girth of her upper torso, having entered through her back.
----------------------------------------
>>>> Section5: Hammerdown and Clovie
It isn't a nuke. If it was, the camera wouldn't have survived. There is simply no question about it. And yes, the camera DID survive - it managed to record the voice of SOMEONE saying "It's still alive". As for this being Rob's voice, we can't be sure. It is possible by some stretch.

Why did Clovie STAY in Manhattan for so long?
The military wanted to make sure they didn't lose their sights on him. If Clovie jumped back in the ocean, he would be a lot harder to track.
Therefore, the military attacked him from all sides, at all times, to ensure that he remained on land. This would, in theory, allow them to control him more easily (god knows that didn't work).
----------------------------------------
>>>> Section6: Slusho's Secret Ingredient - Sea Nectar, and Its Side Effects
If you follow the viral marketing, and you read the fake news articles, you'll find that Slusho appears to contain mood-inducing chemicals. For the most part, it makes people happy. It is possibly a narcotic.
Also, there is a fake commercial for Slusho, which depicts a man savagely trying to get at some Slusho. We are lead to believe that Slusho can cause an addiction.
Jamie tastes the secret ingredient, unknowingly, when she eats the raw sample sent to her by Teddy. Jamie expresses her enjoyment of the substance, stating "This is really good". Keep in mind though, the sample came with a warning explicitly stating NOT to eat it.
Later on, Jamie becomes unstably angry. This is likely due to something in the raw substance.

If it's still there, feel free to view the original thread:
http://imdb.com/title/tt1060277/board/flat/97269410?p=1
.

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Good God Almighty, it's about time!

http://www.eonline.com/gossip/kristin/index.jsp?#0587647c-9492-46b5-91c5-622023aad1ed

So the latest news indicates that, barring some unforeseen catastrophy, the writers strike will be over come Tuesday night, and the writers will be back to work Wednesday morning. This means that shows like Lost (!!!!!) can still do about six more episodes, on top of the eight that were completed before the strike. Considering they were only going to do 16 episodes to begin with, that's not too shabby.

UPDATE (2/11/08): Find out when your favorite shows will return with new episodes!

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A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 4-2

So this week we met our four rescuers and had some light shed on the "discovery" of Oceanic 815. We learned that yes, Naomi was telling the truth and that people at home truly do believe that those on the flight were killed, but who is responsible? And what was the purpose of faking their deaths? This mysterious Matthew Abaddon, who had previously claimed to be an attorney for Oceanic (but couldn't back it up with a business card), seems to play a big part in this conspiracy.

http://primetimepulse.insidepulse.com/articles/73592/2008/02/10/a-case-of-the--ilost-i-episode-42.html

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A few ground rules...

I'm hopeful that this blog will be an interactive method for me to discuss various topics with friends, readers, and anybody that shares my interests. However, there are a few rules I expect commentors to abide by.

1) When it comes to television, I do not read spoilers. This is especially true with Lost. Therefore, when I post something regarding any television series, expect that it will reveal what happened during the latest episode. Out of respect for those who may not have seen that episode yet, I will not reveal anything spoiler-ific on the main page (instead, you'll have to click to read the full entry).

As such, I expect those that comment to adhere to these rules. DO NOT, under any circumstances, reveal anything that has not yet been aired. This is a zero tolerence rule. You spoil anything, you will be banned (once I figure out how to do that).

2) If you don't agree with my views, that is perfectly acceptable. I encourage an intelligent, civil discussion on any topic I post. However, personal attacks upon me will not be tolerated, and you will be banned. Unnecessary roughness towards fellow posters is frowned upon as well.

3) While on the subject of zero tolerence, I have absolutely no patience for trolls. So just don't be one.

That's about it. Have fun reading and feel free to post your thoughts!

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Throwback Interview #5: Conchita Campbell of The 4400

I was initially a bit uneasy and nervous about this interview, only because Conchita is so young, and I was worried that I wouldn't quite know how to speak with her. But she proved to be very personable and professional, and I'm really glad with how the interview went.

Originally posted on October 11, 2007.

http://www.insidepulse.com/article_v3.php?contentid=70317&rssAuthor=1

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Throwback Interview #4: Chad Faust of The 4400

Chad reminded me a lot of Patrick, as I got the sense that I would really like him if I knew him on a personal level. It sounds like he has a lot of potential business ventures coming his way, and I wish him luck.

Originally posted on September 26, 2007.

http://www.insidepulse.com/article_v3.php?contentid=70260&rssAuthor=1

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Throwback Interview #3: Joel Gretsch of The 4400

As the official star of the series, I was looking really forward to interview Joel Gretsch. Unfortunately, it didn't go as well as I had hoped. The less said, the better.

Originally posted on October 3, 2007.

http://www.insidepulse.com/article_v3.php?contentid=70255&rssAuthor=1

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Throwback Interview #2: Jenni Baird of The 4400

This was probably my best interview of all, with Australian actress Jenni Baird. Jenni was a newcomer to the series, slated to play Meghan Doyle, new head of NTAC.

Much like Patrick, Jenni seemed like a genuinely friendly person. Originally posted on June 25, 2006.

http://www.insidepulse.com/article_v3.php?contentid=68355&rssAuthor=1

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Throwback Interview #1: Patrick Flueger of The 4400

My first interiew was with Patrick Flueger, who plays Shawn Farrell on The 4400. Aside from an annoyance with my tape recorder, I couldn't imagine this interview going better. Patrick seemed like a really down to earth, nice guy. I hope he achieves a lot of success, post-The 4400.

Originally posted on September 12, 2005.

http://primetimepulse.insidepulse.com/articles/42621/2005/09/12/exclusive--matt-basilo-talks-to-the-4400s-patrick-flueger.html

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