I find it amusing when guys say some variant of "it's getting dusty in here" instead of saying they were crying.
I think Glenn Beck saying people should run from churches where they say "social justice", and equating those churches with the Nazis, is irresponsible.
Nomar Garciaparra signed a one day contract with the Red Sox so he could retire with the organization. It makes for a nice story, but it doesn't mask the fact the Red Sox had to trade him so they could win their first World Series since 1918.
Lost fans continue to amaze me with their kindness. I mentioned last week my experience when I bought a grab bag shirt from Tee Fury. A fellow Lost fan contacted me and asked if I wanted their Lost and Star Wars themed Tee Fury shirts. Way cool.
When I find out that Chuck Klosterman is going to be on the BS Report podcast, I look forward to listening to it on my drives to and from work. I recently read his novel, Downtown Owl. Even though it is well-written, I didn't like its resolution. Oh well.
Remember when Hal Daub was criticized for the potholes around town? I wonder if Jim Suttle will face the same scrutiny. I feel like I'm slaloming when I drive around Omaha.
My post on Gabe Martinez could've been a lot longer. I wanted to write some stories about our conversations and shared experiences, but instead focused in on the one impacting moment. The name of the post is a reference to an early song of his.
If Jana was still working at Thrasher Basement Systems, she'd be telling me how the staff are so excited for the current weather because it increases business.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Best Part Of Alice In Wonderland? The Tron Legacy Trailer.
I saw Alice In Wonderland this past weekend, and was disappointed by the film. Ten minutes into the film I was bored. I thought it would improve, but it didn't. The film wasn't bad, but considering it's directed by Tim Burton and stars Johnny Depp you expect more from it.
I saw it in 3D, but even then it seemed flat. Granted, the last 3D film I saw was Avatar, which is the gold standard. Still, working against Alice In Wonderland is the fact they didn't film in 3D, but rather made it a 3D film in post production. I'm not an expert, but the visuals didn't seem to have the depth that Avatar did.
Also, I didn't think the visual effects really added anything. They were Tim Burton-esque, but it seemed like a lot of the visual effects were there to mask the lack of story. The story seemed a mess that had little in common with its source material. (Granted, some don't care about that.)
It seemed like Burton directed the film in a way that people would expect a Burton film would be made. It's like he's a caricature of himself now, and that was hit home by this recent College Humor video about Tim Burton.
What did I like about the film? Well, I was able to see the trailer for Tron Legacy. That looks great. (Then again, I thought the same about Alice In Wonderland at one point.) I've had the same experience before. When I saw the first Transformers movie I was more excited about the trailer for Cloverfield than anything else.
Here's the Tron Legacy trailer.
I saw it in 3D, but even then it seemed flat. Granted, the last 3D film I saw was Avatar, which is the gold standard. Still, working against Alice In Wonderland is the fact they didn't film in 3D, but rather made it a 3D film in post production. I'm not an expert, but the visuals didn't seem to have the depth that Avatar did.
Also, I didn't think the visual effects really added anything. They were Tim Burton-esque, but it seemed like a lot of the visual effects were there to mask the lack of story. The story seemed a mess that had little in common with its source material. (Granted, some don't care about that.)
It seemed like Burton directed the film in a way that people would expect a Burton film would be made. It's like he's a caricature of himself now, and that was hit home by this recent College Humor video about Tim Burton.
What did I like about the film? Well, I was able to see the trailer for Tron Legacy. That looks great. (Then again, I thought the same about Alice In Wonderland at one point.) I've had the same experience before. When I saw the first Transformers movie I was more excited about the trailer for Cloverfield than anything else.
Here's the Tron Legacy trailer.
"Dr. Linus" - Lost 6x07 Thoughts
Quite possibly my favorite episode of the season so far. I wish I could've watched the episode again on DVR, but Jana's parents are here and sleeping where the tv is. So, I'm relying from memory with this. The recap builds till the end. (Let's dive into it!)
If you don't want to be spoiled about the latest episode of Lost, please don't read this post. You've been warned. (SPOILERS AHEAD)
Certain Lost characters never disappoint when they are the focal point of a scene, storyline or episode. Ben Linus is one of those characters. It's amazing to see where this characters has come from to where it is now. Originally, his character was only suppose to be in a few episodes. Now? He's a key cog in the Lost mythos.
Key quote from episode, "How different would life have been"?
We start off the episode in the flash-sideways timeline. Ben, as Dr. Linus, is teaching history to high school students. He's talking about Napoleon and how he is exiled from power late in his life. Easily, the parallel is drawn to the Ben we've known. That Ben rose to power, on the Island, despite his diminutive stature and seized leadership, from Charles Widmore, through a power play. Who does this mimic in history? Napoleon.
The scene changes to the teacher's break room. Ben is talking with Leslie Arzt about not being able to properly teach. Arzt has outdated equipment, Ben has to man detention. Ben brings up the difference between being an administrator and a teacher, and how the principal is not a teacher. The principal cut down Ben by saying his History Club was only important to Ben. The principal doesn't seem to care for the students' well-being. And then, Locke quips from a table over that Ben should be principal because he seems to care. Arzt downplays Locke's remark with, "So says the substitute". (And in reality, Man In Black is a substitute Locke.) However, the seed is planted in Ben's mind about being principal.
Regarding Locke, even if he isn't a man of faith in the flash-sideways timeline, this is the second time he's been a sage to someone with his words. In the season premiere it was with Jack regarding Jack's father. Now, it's with Ben and his role. Locke's words have been a catalyst, in some way, with the two.
The action shifts back to the current timeline where Ben is running from the temple. He finds Ilana, Miles, Frank and Sun and tells them about the scene at the temple. Ilana wants to know about Sayid, since he's a candidate, but Ben tells of how he murdered Dogen and Lennon. Ilana remarks how Jacob was the closest thing she had to a father. (In the Bible, Jacob is said to have had many daughters, but the only one mentioned is Dinah. I doubt there is a connection.)
Back to the flash-sideways timeline where we find Ben taking care of his father. The two seem to rue their life, and not being on the Island anymore. The irony known to the viewer is they have a loving relationship now because they aren't on the Island. In this flash-sideways timeline, Ben seems to be doing whatever he can to provide for his father. In the current timeline, Ben loathed and murdered his father.
What's also interesting is Ben's dad, Roger, didn't like being a part of the Dharma Initiative. Yet, here he is waxing nostalgic about in the flash-sideways timeline. That's human nature, the "grass is always greener", yet this was a key point of the episode. We never can know what might have been. This episode was showing us "what might have been", and yet in that reality of "what might have been" the people were wondering "what might have been". (Got that?)
The doorbell rings and Alex is there. Alex is one of Ben's students, and a prized student. She's wondering why the History Club is no longer meeting and how she is suppose to get extra study to help her learning. Ben agrees to meet with her at the school library early the next morning, and Alex is grateful for having a teacher like Ben. Once again, Ben has the relationships he probably always wanted in this flash-sideways timeline. A loving relationship with his dad and Alex, and yet he wonders what his life could be.
The line was spoken during the episode, "How different would life have been"? Who wonders this during the episode in varying degrees? Ben, Jack and Richard. This question also connects with the tension of fate versus free will. Because proponents of both fate and free will always ponder the thought of "what might have been" with life. (Jack wanted desperately to leave the Island, then he wanted desperately to get back to the Island. He's realized that the grass is not greener.)
In the flash-sideways timeline, we see Benjamin tutoring Alex. It's obvious their teacher-student relationship is deep, but apparently never crosses any boundaries. Ben is the father figure in Alex's life, and Alex is the eager pupil who admires and respects Ben the teacher. They play the same roles in the flash-sideways timeline, except in a loving way. Alex is trying to get into Yale University, and unfortunately she needs a recommendation from the principal who is a Yale grad. She remarks that the principal is a "pervert". Ben follows up on this and Alex says how she saw the principal having sex with the school nurse on school grounds. Alex asks Ben to not tell anyone, and Ben agrees. However, you can already see in his eyes how his mind is beginning to work so he can manipulate the situation to his benefit.
Ben goes to Arzt to leverage him to do the dirty work in his power play to become the principal. While in this flash-sideways timeline he isn't as smooth in his manipulation, he gets the job done. He cuts a deal with Arzt, like he did numerous times in the current timeline when he was the leader on the Island. (With Locke, Jack, Juliet, Mikhail and more.) Arzt's line about Ben being a killer was spot on. While the principal wasn't literally going to be killed, you have to be cold-blooded to go through with the deed Ben was planning. This story in the flash-sideways timeline was showing the birth of cold-blooded Ben.
Back to the current timeline where Jack and Hurley come across Richard. Richard leads them to the Black Rock. He tells them that Jacob gave him a gift, but also tells Hurley that he shouldn't listen to him. He then tells them that he wants to die, but he can't kill himself since Jacob touched him. (Which adds an interesting dynamic to Ben murdering Locke before Locke attempted suicide. Locke wouldn't have been able to kill himself, and it's possible that Ben interrupting the attempted suicide was because Locke had been touched by Jacob. The irony being Ben ultimately killed Locke.)
Richard feels he is cursed now. He use to think that everything happened for a reason, and thus he devoted his life to Jacob. He was told he would get answers, he would understand his purpose. Once Jacob died, though, he thought he had wasted the past 150 years in this devotion. He wanted to be set free from his gift/curse through death. (Who else wants to be set free? Man In Black.) While Richard doesn't say it explicitly, his monologue begs the question of "how different life would've been" if he hadn't chosen this path.
Richard wants Hurley or Jack to kill him, and Jack agrees to do so. Jack lights a stick of dynamite and then says he wants to talk. Whether it be due to Richard's crisis of faith, or needing time to think, Jack has started to come around to the idea that there is a purpose to their lives. That Jacob has been watching them for a reason. He doesn't know why, but he doesn't need to. He knows it's for something bigger, and that's why he knows they won't die. Jack's leap of faith, and they don't die. The wick goes out on the dynamite, and Richard appears to be a believer again. Richard has found the new leader of the Island, in Jack, and asks him, "You've got all the answers, now what"? And Jack responds that they'll go back to where they started. (A connection with a loop? They are repeating this again? Or, is it like Jacob said in that it only ends once, everything else is progress.)
Back where it started, the beach, we find Ilana, Sun, Miles, Frank and Ben. Ben is digging his own grave due to Miles revealing that Ben murdered Jacob. This enrages Ilana and she wants Ben dead. While Ben digs his grave he tries to get Miles to help him by bribing him. Miles says he wants the diamonds that are buried with Nikki and Paulo. How would he know about the diamonds? Well, I'm guessing he heard from Nikki and Paulo since they are buried at the cemetery. What's more interesting is Miles tells Ben that Jacob was hoping he was wrong about Ben until his death. For what reason? Was it not fate? Did Jacob hope Ben would choose of his own free will to not kill him?
Go back to the season five finale, the opening scene with Jacob and Man In Black.
JACOB: I take it you're here because of the ship.
MAN IN BLACK: I am. How did they find the Island?
JACOB: You'll have to ask them when they get here.
MAN IN BLACK: I don't have to ask. You brought them here. Still trying to prove me wrong, aren't you?
JACOB: You are wrong.
MAN IN BLACK: Am I? They come. They fight. They destroy. They corrupt. It always ends the same.
JACOB: It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress.
What if Jacob was hoping Ben wouldn't kill him? What if that would have been "it only ends once" that Jacob talks about? What if part of "they fight, destroy and corrupt" is that they kill the protector of the Island? They always kill the Jacob figure. (They kill their savior.) It's why Jacob hoped he was wrong about Ben. He knew what had happened before, and hoped that progress had been made to where they wouldn't kill the Island's protector.
What else could this be? I'll go with another The Matrix reference again. At the end of The Matrix Reloaded, we find out that there had been multiple Matrixes from The Architect. (The Architect could easily be Man In Black.) Each time, The One (Neo) is suppose to reset The Matrix so it can start the loop again. However, in this version of it, Neo chooses not to continue the infinite loop of the Matrix. He thus starts the course to bring about its end.
Back to the Island where Ben is almost done digging his grave. He's visited by Man In Black who tells him he's gathering a group to leave the Island, but someone needs to be in charge of the Island. This intrigues Ben because he is no longer exiled from power, and retains what he believes to be his. It's another Faustian deal that Man In Black attempts to strike. What I think Man In Black isn't saying is that Ben would be replacing him in this deal.
In the flash-sideways timeline, Ben goes into the principal's office and presents him with the evidence of the principal's adulterous affair. Ben makes a play for the principal's job, and it appears that the principal agrees to the terms. The coup is nearly complete, but then the principal plays his card. Alex. He says if Ben takes the principal's position, that he would ruin Alex's career. He can do this since he is a Yale grad and she has asked him for a recommendation in her Yale application process. Would Ben sacrifice Alex for what he deemed the greater good in getting the principal's job? For his own power? No. In the current timeline Ben sacrificed Alex for himself. He does the opposite in the flash-sideways timeline. Ben sacrifices himself, so-to-speak, for Alex. He gives up power, where in the current timeline he had always been doing everything to keep it.
In keeping with the Napoleon themes, Alex was Ben's "Waterloo". Alex's demise, in the current timeline, led to Ben's downfall. In the flash-sideways timeline, Alex's rise prevented Ben from being the principal. (The leader of the school, you could say.) Napoleon was French, and Rousseau is French. (Which makes Alex of French descent.)
The current timeline, Ben escapes and appears to be headed to the Hydra Station where Man In Black is. Ilana tries to capture him, but Ben manages to have her at gun point. Instead of killing her, he shows his brokenness and tries to explain why he killed Jacob. He had sacrificed everything he had, including Alex, for (he thinks) Jacob. What did it gain him? Nothing, and that's why he killed Jacob. He said he can never forgive himself and that he's leaving. Ilana asks why he's going with him (Man In Black), and Ben says a great line. "He's the only one that will have me". Ben's heartfelt words move Ilana and she says that they'll have him. She walks away, back to the beach. In a sense, she's forgiven Ben. (Which is what Jacob would've wanted probably.) Ben follows her, and doesn't go along with Man In Black.
At this point, Jack, Hurley and Richard enter into the camp and people rejoice. Richard and Ben stand afar from the group. Jack steps aside to look at Ben, who looks downcast and beaten. He doesn't have any of the intimidation he use to wield. He who once was "the man behind the curtain" is a shadow of that. He may have the name, but like Napoleon in exile he has no power.
And then, the setup for next week's episode. A submarine appears with Widmore in it. Will Widmore still have an axe to grind with Ben, or will he put aside their differences for the greater good of the Island?
Quick hitters
Thanks for reading another recap of my Lost ramblings. Like I said, I wasn't able to rewatch some of the scenes, so I hope I'm not missing anything. You can read past recaps by clicking on the Lost Recap label. Also, DontTellMeWhatICantDo.com has all my Lost related blog posts.
Time to sleep.
Certain Lost characters never disappoint when they are the focal point of a scene, storyline or episode. Ben Linus is one of those characters. It's amazing to see where this characters has come from to where it is now. Originally, his character was only suppose to be in a few episodes. Now? He's a key cog in the Lost mythos.
Key quote from episode, "How different would life have been"?
We start off the episode in the flash-sideways timeline. Ben, as Dr. Linus, is teaching history to high school students. He's talking about Napoleon and how he is exiled from power late in his life. Easily, the parallel is drawn to the Ben we've known. That Ben rose to power, on the Island, despite his diminutive stature and seized leadership, from Charles Widmore, through a power play. Who does this mimic in history? Napoleon.
The scene changes to the teacher's break room. Ben is talking with Leslie Arzt about not being able to properly teach. Arzt has outdated equipment, Ben has to man detention. Ben brings up the difference between being an administrator and a teacher, and how the principal is not a teacher. The principal cut down Ben by saying his History Club was only important to Ben. The principal doesn't seem to care for the students' well-being. And then, Locke quips from a table over that Ben should be principal because he seems to care. Arzt downplays Locke's remark with, "So says the substitute". (And in reality, Man In Black is a substitute Locke.) However, the seed is planted in Ben's mind about being principal.
Regarding Locke, even if he isn't a man of faith in the flash-sideways timeline, this is the second time he's been a sage to someone with his words. In the season premiere it was with Jack regarding Jack's father. Now, it's with Ben and his role. Locke's words have been a catalyst, in some way, with the two.
The action shifts back to the current timeline where Ben is running from the temple. He finds Ilana, Miles, Frank and Sun and tells them about the scene at the temple. Ilana wants to know about Sayid, since he's a candidate, but Ben tells of how he murdered Dogen and Lennon. Ilana remarks how Jacob was the closest thing she had to a father. (In the Bible, Jacob is said to have had many daughters, but the only one mentioned is Dinah. I doubt there is a connection.)
Back to the flash-sideways timeline where we find Ben taking care of his father. The two seem to rue their life, and not being on the Island anymore. The irony known to the viewer is they have a loving relationship now because they aren't on the Island. In this flash-sideways timeline, Ben seems to be doing whatever he can to provide for his father. In the current timeline, Ben loathed and murdered his father.
What's also interesting is Ben's dad, Roger, didn't like being a part of the Dharma Initiative. Yet, here he is waxing nostalgic about in the flash-sideways timeline. That's human nature, the "grass is always greener", yet this was a key point of the episode. We never can know what might have been. This episode was showing us "what might have been", and yet in that reality of "what might have been" the people were wondering "what might have been". (Got that?)
The doorbell rings and Alex is there. Alex is one of Ben's students, and a prized student. She's wondering why the History Club is no longer meeting and how she is suppose to get extra study to help her learning. Ben agrees to meet with her at the school library early the next morning, and Alex is grateful for having a teacher like Ben. Once again, Ben has the relationships he probably always wanted in this flash-sideways timeline. A loving relationship with his dad and Alex, and yet he wonders what his life could be.
The line was spoken during the episode, "How different would life have been"? Who wonders this during the episode in varying degrees? Ben, Jack and Richard. This question also connects with the tension of fate versus free will. Because proponents of both fate and free will always ponder the thought of "what might have been" with life. (Jack wanted desperately to leave the Island, then he wanted desperately to get back to the Island. He's realized that the grass is not greener.)
In the flash-sideways timeline, we see Benjamin tutoring Alex. It's obvious their teacher-student relationship is deep, but apparently never crosses any boundaries. Ben is the father figure in Alex's life, and Alex is the eager pupil who admires and respects Ben the teacher. They play the same roles in the flash-sideways timeline, except in a loving way. Alex is trying to get into Yale University, and unfortunately she needs a recommendation from the principal who is a Yale grad. She remarks that the principal is a "pervert". Ben follows up on this and Alex says how she saw the principal having sex with the school nurse on school grounds. Alex asks Ben to not tell anyone, and Ben agrees. However, you can already see in his eyes how his mind is beginning to work so he can manipulate the situation to his benefit.
Ben goes to Arzt to leverage him to do the dirty work in his power play to become the principal. While in this flash-sideways timeline he isn't as smooth in his manipulation, he gets the job done. He cuts a deal with Arzt, like he did numerous times in the current timeline when he was the leader on the Island. (With Locke, Jack, Juliet, Mikhail and more.) Arzt's line about Ben being a killer was spot on. While the principal wasn't literally going to be killed, you have to be cold-blooded to go through with the deed Ben was planning. This story in the flash-sideways timeline was showing the birth of cold-blooded Ben.
Back to the current timeline where Jack and Hurley come across Richard. Richard leads them to the Black Rock. He tells them that Jacob gave him a gift, but also tells Hurley that he shouldn't listen to him. He then tells them that he wants to die, but he can't kill himself since Jacob touched him. (Which adds an interesting dynamic to Ben murdering Locke before Locke attempted suicide. Locke wouldn't have been able to kill himself, and it's possible that Ben interrupting the attempted suicide was because Locke had been touched by Jacob. The irony being Ben ultimately killed Locke.)
Richard feels he is cursed now. He use to think that everything happened for a reason, and thus he devoted his life to Jacob. He was told he would get answers, he would understand his purpose. Once Jacob died, though, he thought he had wasted the past 150 years in this devotion. He wanted to be set free from his gift/curse through death. (Who else wants to be set free? Man In Black.) While Richard doesn't say it explicitly, his monologue begs the question of "how different life would've been" if he hadn't chosen this path.
Richard wants Hurley or Jack to kill him, and Jack agrees to do so. Jack lights a stick of dynamite and then says he wants to talk. Whether it be due to Richard's crisis of faith, or needing time to think, Jack has started to come around to the idea that there is a purpose to their lives. That Jacob has been watching them for a reason. He doesn't know why, but he doesn't need to. He knows it's for something bigger, and that's why he knows they won't die. Jack's leap of faith, and they don't die. The wick goes out on the dynamite, and Richard appears to be a believer again. Richard has found the new leader of the Island, in Jack, and asks him, "You've got all the answers, now what"? And Jack responds that they'll go back to where they started. (A connection with a loop? They are repeating this again? Or, is it like Jacob said in that it only ends once, everything else is progress.)
Back where it started, the beach, we find Ilana, Sun, Miles, Frank and Ben. Ben is digging his own grave due to Miles revealing that Ben murdered Jacob. This enrages Ilana and she wants Ben dead. While Ben digs his grave he tries to get Miles to help him by bribing him. Miles says he wants the diamonds that are buried with Nikki and Paulo. How would he know about the diamonds? Well, I'm guessing he heard from Nikki and Paulo since they are buried at the cemetery. What's more interesting is Miles tells Ben that Jacob was hoping he was wrong about Ben until his death. For what reason? Was it not fate? Did Jacob hope Ben would choose of his own free will to not kill him?
Go back to the season five finale, the opening scene with Jacob and Man In Black.
JACOB: I take it you're here because of the ship.
MAN IN BLACK: I am. How did they find the Island?
JACOB: You'll have to ask them when they get here.
MAN IN BLACK: I don't have to ask. You brought them here. Still trying to prove me wrong, aren't you?
JACOB: You are wrong.
MAN IN BLACK: Am I? They come. They fight. They destroy. They corrupt. It always ends the same.
JACOB: It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress.
What if Jacob was hoping Ben wouldn't kill him? What if that would have been "it only ends once" that Jacob talks about? What if part of "they fight, destroy and corrupt" is that they kill the protector of the Island? They always kill the Jacob figure. (They kill their savior.) It's why Jacob hoped he was wrong about Ben. He knew what had happened before, and hoped that progress had been made to where they wouldn't kill the Island's protector.
What else could this be? I'll go with another The Matrix reference again. At the end of The Matrix Reloaded, we find out that there had been multiple Matrixes from The Architect. (The Architect could easily be Man In Black.) Each time, The One (Neo) is suppose to reset The Matrix so it can start the loop again. However, in this version of it, Neo chooses not to continue the infinite loop of the Matrix. He thus starts the course to bring about its end.
Back to the Island where Ben is almost done digging his grave. He's visited by Man In Black who tells him he's gathering a group to leave the Island, but someone needs to be in charge of the Island. This intrigues Ben because he is no longer exiled from power, and retains what he believes to be his. It's another Faustian deal that Man In Black attempts to strike. What I think Man In Black isn't saying is that Ben would be replacing him in this deal.
In the flash-sideways timeline, Ben goes into the principal's office and presents him with the evidence of the principal's adulterous affair. Ben makes a play for the principal's job, and it appears that the principal agrees to the terms. The coup is nearly complete, but then the principal plays his card. Alex. He says if Ben takes the principal's position, that he would ruin Alex's career. He can do this since he is a Yale grad and she has asked him for a recommendation in her Yale application process. Would Ben sacrifice Alex for what he deemed the greater good in getting the principal's job? For his own power? No. In the current timeline Ben sacrificed Alex for himself. He does the opposite in the flash-sideways timeline. Ben sacrifices himself, so-to-speak, for Alex. He gives up power, where in the current timeline he had always been doing everything to keep it.
In keeping with the Napoleon themes, Alex was Ben's "Waterloo". Alex's demise, in the current timeline, led to Ben's downfall. In the flash-sideways timeline, Alex's rise prevented Ben from being the principal. (The leader of the school, you could say.) Napoleon was French, and Rousseau is French. (Which makes Alex of French descent.)
The current timeline, Ben escapes and appears to be headed to the Hydra Station where Man In Black is. Ilana tries to capture him, but Ben manages to have her at gun point. Instead of killing her, he shows his brokenness and tries to explain why he killed Jacob. He had sacrificed everything he had, including Alex, for (he thinks) Jacob. What did it gain him? Nothing, and that's why he killed Jacob. He said he can never forgive himself and that he's leaving. Ilana asks why he's going with him (Man In Black), and Ben says a great line. "He's the only one that will have me". Ben's heartfelt words move Ilana and she says that they'll have him. She walks away, back to the beach. In a sense, she's forgiven Ben. (Which is what Jacob would've wanted probably.) Ben follows her, and doesn't go along with Man In Black.
At this point, Jack, Hurley and Richard enter into the camp and people rejoice. Richard and Ben stand afar from the group. Jack steps aside to look at Ben, who looks downcast and beaten. He doesn't have any of the intimidation he use to wield. He who once was "the man behind the curtain" is a shadow of that. He may have the name, but like Napoleon in exile he has no power.
And then, the setup for next week's episode. A submarine appears with Widmore in it. Will Widmore still have an axe to grind with Ben, or will he put aside their differences for the greater good of the Island?
Fate versus free will. Sacrifice versus selfishness. The grass is greener. Ben has chosen to not accept his apparent fate of evil and choose to follow good. He has also chosen to not sacrifice others for himself. He isn't wondering about what life could be, but focused in on the life that is. Ben has changed. And, at this moment where he has changed he will immediately be put to the test by Widmore's appearance.
It's easy to get focused in on "how life could be different", and whether or not our life is by design or our own free will. I think people waste energy on "what could be" instead of addressing the life they find themselves living. We can't know how life could be different. We aren't omniscient. Only God is. People of faith trust in God to lead them in life, despite circumstances that make no sense. This is what so many on Lost are battling with now. Can they continue to have faith despite the apparent evil and absurdity of their circumstances? The one man who has come to grips with this is Jack, the former man of science.
Quick hitters
- Yale University is home to many secret societies, including the famous Skull and Bones. You could say that the Island is a secret society.
- Will we find out more about the end of Dharma in the flash-sideways timeline?
- Whatever happened to Annie?
- How was Jacob like a father to Ilana?
- The book that was highlighted on the beach is The Chosen. (I read this in high school.) It's a story of two Jewish boys, their friendship and they lives they choose to pursue. One is expected to follow in his father's footsteps as a religious leader, a tzadik, despite the boy not wanting to be this. The other boy wants to be a rabbi and is a buffer between the father and son.
- If Jacob was hoping he was wrong about Ben, why was Ben allowed to be a leader on the Island?
- Richard is taking his cues from Jack now. He's served Widmore, Ben, Locke and now Jack.
- Let's hope the upcoming war between Jacob's followers and Man In Black's followers isn't a letdown like the season one finale of Heroes which had massive build up for nothing.
- What will become of Richard and Ben's relationship?
- Still believing that Jack is the candidate. Not bad for a character that was supposed to be killed off in the Pilot episode originally.
Thanks for reading another recap of my Lost ramblings. Like I said, I wasn't able to rewatch some of the scenes, so I hope I'm not missing anything. You can read past recaps by clicking on the Lost Recap label. Also, DontTellMeWhatICantDo.com has all my Lost related blog posts.
Time to sleep.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Gabe Martinez I Wrote This Post For You
(A long post about the impact Gabe Martinez had on my life.)
This past Sunday, at CCC, we rolled out the first Double Your Impact (DYI) story in services. It was a great video that was edited together by Jay. A detail about the DYI video gives me an excuse to blog about someone, Gabe Martinez.
I was responsible for putting together the DYI opening animation. Once again, I received lots of help from Greg Nunamaker, who animated the water drop in the animation. When I was putting it together, I was thinking what music might work for the animation. I listened to several hundred pieces of music for it. If you know the setup at CCC, it can be tricky to find a piece of music that 3,000 people in multiple venues and service styles will like.
Last Thursday, I was done with every aspect of the animation, except for the music. I was going through my iTunes library looking for songs I would have license to use. I came across Twila Paris' Greatest Hits, and was wondering if one of her songs might work. (Aside. As time goes by, one of the craziest times in my life is the two months Jana and I spent on tour with Twila. I'll save it for another blog post.) I thought if one of her songs would work with the animation, I could get her approval for using the song. As I went through the album, I didn't think there wasn't a song that would be a good fit. And then I thought of my old friend Gabe.
I first met Gabe in the spring of 1995. I was in Elm Springs, AR, and I was going through a missionary training school. He was on staff with the ministry there. It was a Saturday, and we were playing basketball with a small group of guys at the local Methodist church in Elm Springs, AR. We struck up a conversation after we got done playing. The first of many conversations about life, sports and U2.
In the spring of 1996, I started working with Gabe on a daily basis. Gabe and Mike Novak were writing a three-act production, Beyond The Walls, that was based on Prison, the one-act play they wrote. I got involved in the production when I offered to help out in any capacity with the production. I thought I'd be a part of the tech crew. Instead, Gabe sold Mike on giving me one of the leads in the production. My role? God.
Even though I'd been in productions before, I was surprised they wanted me to act. I was new to the ministry and thought others would have all the acting roles. I was excited for the opportunity, and didn't want to let Gabe down. So, I worked hard at memorizing my lines and making "God" not seem like a stoic in white clothes.
The production ended up being a huge success. More importantly, I became good friends with Gabe and Mike. The two of them asked if I'd be interested in being a part of the Communications Department with them, primarily a theater team that was going to tour that fall. The theater team performed original drama and then shared about God, missions and more. I've always been drawn to utilizing arts, communications, and culture for Christianity. This sounded like a great idea, so I agreed to it. In between the spring and fall, I was spending the summer as a student ministry intern at Westside Church in Omaha, NE.
My internship at Westside was great, but all along I knew I was going to be heading back to Arkansas to be a part of this theater team. Less than a week before I headed back to Arkansas, I found out the theater team wasn't going out that fall. And then, I was offered a full-time job at Westside as the Director of Junior High Students.
What had happened? Well, Mike and Gabe had wanted to do the theater team. However, there were personnel needs in other parts of the ministry. The decision was made late in the summer, and the staff who oversaw HR/Personnel at the ministry didn't inform me of what was going on till after the decision had been made.
I went back down to Arkansas, and throughout September I was trying to figure out what I was suppose to be doing. I prayed a lot. I talked to a lot of people. I did a five day fast at one point, trying to discern what I was suppose to do. Everyone I knew in Omaha thought I should return to Omaha to take the job at Westside. It was a good job at a big church that provided security to me. (Health insurance was something people made a big deal about to me.) What was I doing in Arkansas? It was unknown and unclear.
Mike and Gabe wanted me to work with them, but other ministry leaders didn't think that was prudent. Some of these leaders thought I should be "flexible" and "trust God" by working in another role at the ministry. That role? Maintenance.
The problem was I came down to Arkansas to be a part of the theater team, to work with Mike and Gabe in the Communications Department. I liked the idea of using arts and creativity to talk about Jesus. I wasn't called to be in maintenance, but yet there I was in maintenance without a clue of what I was doing.
I was leaning toward taking the job at Westside. The HR/Personnel staff then apologized to me for their handling of my situation. It was appreciated, but it didn't matter to me at that point. I started telling people I was probably heading back to Omaha. A lot of people in Arkansas thought this was great. One person who didn't think this was a great idea was Gabe.
I told Gabe that I might be heading back to Omaha, and he asked if we could get together for lunch. In the meantime, Gabe contacted Mike and told him the news. (Mike went on tour with Twila Paris once the theater team was delayed.)
Gabe and I had lunch at Hugo's. We started talking about the situation I was in, and what I was suppose to be doing. Gabe asked some simple questions about what God had called me to do. He didn't try to spin what had happened as God's will, or tell me to be "flexible". He got back to the core of the argument. What was God calling me to do? Had God called me to Arkansas to be a part of the theater team and the Communications Department? Gabe didn't see the developments as something new I was suppose to be doing, whether it be in Omaha or Arkansas, but rather a distraction to prevent me from what I was suppose to be doing in Arkansas. And, that calling was to be working in the Communications Department with Mike and him, to be a part of the theater team.
Gabe was gracious and understanding throughout our conversation. He was also resolute, though, in me not deviating from what I thought God called me to. He told me to be patient, and that Mike and him were working on a solution to get me involved in the Communications Department right away. (After Gabe talked to Mike, Mike started talking with Oren Paris III to figure out a resolution. Oren III was one of the ministry leaders and was also on tour with Twila Paris.)
Gabe was the only person I talked to during this time that asked the questions he did. He made sure I wasn't distracted by comparison arguments (Omaha vs Arkansas). He made sure I was focused on what I needed to be. What was I called to do?
I came back to Omaha to make my final decision. My decision was to turn down the job offer at Westside and stay in Arkansas. I was going to pursue what God called me to, in Arkansas, with the Communications Department.
Nearly everyone thought I was crazy for making such a decision. How could I turn down a job at Westside? How could I turn down a salary? How could I turn down health insurance? How could I not return to Omaha? Why aren't you taking life seriously?
I knew what people were thinking, but I didn't care. I knew God had me on a different path than what people expected of me.
Gabe was great. After I made my decision to stay in Arkansas, he helped me out in settling into life there. I started working in the Communications Department right away with Gabe, and began pursuing what I was suppose to be doing.
God used Gabe to help set the trajectory in my life that I'm still on today.
I sometimes wonder what would've been if Gabe hadn't taken me out to lunch so we could talk. I always come to the conclusion that I would've had a safe life with little risk. I would've had a nice job and moved up the ministry ranks. It would've been a good and nice life, but it wouldn't have been rewarding. Instead, I was able to have a more fulfilling life, a life of faith, a life of experience. I was able to experience ministry in a way I never would have in Omaha. I can talk about things with an authority that came through real world and practical experience. (And, I was able to meet Jana in Arkansas!)
Gabe and I would work together for two years. Lots of great memories, and even more laughs. He then started pursuing, full-time, being a musician. That's what he's been doing ever since. He started off as a solo artist, and now fronts the band Circleslide.
So, back to the beginning of this post. I'm looking for music to use in this animation, when I think of Gabe and have all these thoughts simultaneously. (This is normal when I think of Gabe now.) I contacted him about using some of his music in the video. I told him the purpose of these DYI videos, and he was cool with me using Circleslide's music.
The music used in the video is from their song Home.
Our paths haven't crossed in years, but I'll always be grateful for Gabe. Needless to say, that lunch we had was one of the most impacting moments in my life. (Easily in my top ten, probably top five.)
For more on Circleslide:
Web: http://circleslide.net
Twitter: http://twitter.com/circleslide
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/circleslide
This past Sunday, at CCC, we rolled out the first Double Your Impact (DYI) story in services. It was a great video that was edited together by Jay. A detail about the DYI video gives me an excuse to blog about someone, Gabe Martinez.
I was responsible for putting together the DYI opening animation. Once again, I received lots of help from Greg Nunamaker, who animated the water drop in the animation. When I was putting it together, I was thinking what music might work for the animation. I listened to several hundred pieces of music for it. If you know the setup at CCC, it can be tricky to find a piece of music that 3,000 people in multiple venues and service styles will like.
Last Thursday, I was done with every aspect of the animation, except for the music. I was going through my iTunes library looking for songs I would have license to use. I came across Twila Paris' Greatest Hits, and was wondering if one of her songs might work. (Aside. As time goes by, one of the craziest times in my life is the two months Jana and I spent on tour with Twila. I'll save it for another blog post.) I thought if one of her songs would work with the animation, I could get her approval for using the song. As I went through the album, I didn't think there wasn't a song that would be a good fit. And then I thought of my old friend Gabe.
I first met Gabe in the spring of 1995. I was in Elm Springs, AR, and I was going through a missionary training school. He was on staff with the ministry there. It was a Saturday, and we were playing basketball with a small group of guys at the local Methodist church in Elm Springs, AR. We struck up a conversation after we got done playing. The first of many conversations about life, sports and U2.
In the spring of 1996, I started working with Gabe on a daily basis. Gabe and Mike Novak were writing a three-act production, Beyond The Walls, that was based on Prison, the one-act play they wrote. I got involved in the production when I offered to help out in any capacity with the production. I thought I'd be a part of the tech crew. Instead, Gabe sold Mike on giving me one of the leads in the production. My role? God.
Even though I'd been in productions before, I was surprised they wanted me to act. I was new to the ministry and thought others would have all the acting roles. I was excited for the opportunity, and didn't want to let Gabe down. So, I worked hard at memorizing my lines and making "God" not seem like a stoic in white clothes.
The production ended up being a huge success. More importantly, I became good friends with Gabe and Mike. The two of them asked if I'd be interested in being a part of the Communications Department with them, primarily a theater team that was going to tour that fall. The theater team performed original drama and then shared about God, missions and more. I've always been drawn to utilizing arts, communications, and culture for Christianity. This sounded like a great idea, so I agreed to it. In between the spring and fall, I was spending the summer as a student ministry intern at Westside Church in Omaha, NE.
My internship at Westside was great, but all along I knew I was going to be heading back to Arkansas to be a part of this theater team. Less than a week before I headed back to Arkansas, I found out the theater team wasn't going out that fall. And then, I was offered a full-time job at Westside as the Director of Junior High Students.
What had happened? Well, Mike and Gabe had wanted to do the theater team. However, there were personnel needs in other parts of the ministry. The decision was made late in the summer, and the staff who oversaw HR/Personnel at the ministry didn't inform me of what was going on till after the decision had been made.
I went back down to Arkansas, and throughout September I was trying to figure out what I was suppose to be doing. I prayed a lot. I talked to a lot of people. I did a five day fast at one point, trying to discern what I was suppose to do. Everyone I knew in Omaha thought I should return to Omaha to take the job at Westside. It was a good job at a big church that provided security to me. (Health insurance was something people made a big deal about to me.) What was I doing in Arkansas? It was unknown and unclear.
Mike and Gabe wanted me to work with them, but other ministry leaders didn't think that was prudent. Some of these leaders thought I should be "flexible" and "trust God" by working in another role at the ministry. That role? Maintenance.
The problem was I came down to Arkansas to be a part of the theater team, to work with Mike and Gabe in the Communications Department. I liked the idea of using arts and creativity to talk about Jesus. I wasn't called to be in maintenance, but yet there I was in maintenance without a clue of what I was doing.
I was leaning toward taking the job at Westside. The HR/Personnel staff then apologized to me for their handling of my situation. It was appreciated, but it didn't matter to me at that point. I started telling people I was probably heading back to Omaha. A lot of people in Arkansas thought this was great. One person who didn't think this was a great idea was Gabe.
I told Gabe that I might be heading back to Omaha, and he asked if we could get together for lunch. In the meantime, Gabe contacted Mike and told him the news. (Mike went on tour with Twila Paris once the theater team was delayed.)
Gabe and I had lunch at Hugo's. We started talking about the situation I was in, and what I was suppose to be doing. Gabe asked some simple questions about what God had called me to do. He didn't try to spin what had happened as God's will, or tell me to be "flexible". He got back to the core of the argument. What was God calling me to do? Had God called me to Arkansas to be a part of the theater team and the Communications Department? Gabe didn't see the developments as something new I was suppose to be doing, whether it be in Omaha or Arkansas, but rather a distraction to prevent me from what I was suppose to be doing in Arkansas. And, that calling was to be working in the Communications Department with Mike and him, to be a part of the theater team.
Gabe was gracious and understanding throughout our conversation. He was also resolute, though, in me not deviating from what I thought God called me to. He told me to be patient, and that Mike and him were working on a solution to get me involved in the Communications Department right away. (After Gabe talked to Mike, Mike started talking with Oren Paris III to figure out a resolution. Oren III was one of the ministry leaders and was also on tour with Twila Paris.)
Gabe was the only person I talked to during this time that asked the questions he did. He made sure I wasn't distracted by comparison arguments (Omaha vs Arkansas). He made sure I was focused on what I needed to be. What was I called to do?
I came back to Omaha to make my final decision. My decision was to turn down the job offer at Westside and stay in Arkansas. I was going to pursue what God called me to, in Arkansas, with the Communications Department.
Nearly everyone thought I was crazy for making such a decision. How could I turn down a job at Westside? How could I turn down a salary? How could I turn down health insurance? How could I not return to Omaha? Why aren't you taking life seriously?
I knew what people were thinking, but I didn't care. I knew God had me on a different path than what people expected of me.
Gabe was great. After I made my decision to stay in Arkansas, he helped me out in settling into life there. I started working in the Communications Department right away with Gabe, and began pursuing what I was suppose to be doing.
God used Gabe to help set the trajectory in my life that I'm still on today.
I sometimes wonder what would've been if Gabe hadn't taken me out to lunch so we could talk. I always come to the conclusion that I would've had a safe life with little risk. I would've had a nice job and moved up the ministry ranks. It would've been a good and nice life, but it wouldn't have been rewarding. Instead, I was able to have a more fulfilling life, a life of faith, a life of experience. I was able to experience ministry in a way I never would have in Omaha. I can talk about things with an authority that came through real world and practical experience. (And, I was able to meet Jana in Arkansas!)
Gabe and I would work together for two years. Lots of great memories, and even more laughs. He then started pursuing, full-time, being a musician. That's what he's been doing ever since. He started off as a solo artist, and now fronts the band Circleslide.
So, back to the beginning of this post. I'm looking for music to use in this animation, when I think of Gabe and have all these thoughts simultaneously. (This is normal when I think of Gabe now.) I contacted him about using some of his music in the video. I told him the purpose of these DYI videos, and he was cool with me using Circleslide's music.
The music used in the video is from their song Home.
Our paths haven't crossed in years, but I'll always be grateful for Gabe. Needless to say, that lunch we had was one of the most impacting moments in my life. (Easily in my top ten, probably top five.)
For more on Circleslide:
Web: http://circleslide.net
Twitter: http://twitter.com/circleslide
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/circleslide
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Weekly Recap
End of the week. It also appears that it is the end of snow always covering the ground. The Winter Olympics ended this past Sunday, and already it seems like a distant memory. The Office feels like it should end. It was renewed for a seventh season, and I find myself wondering if I'll keep watching the show.
What else ended this past week? Any hope that men's college basketball, in Nebraska, was going to sniff the postseason. Now, the question is whether the Husker women's basketball team will have more wins than the Creighton and Nebraska men's teams combined. (If the Nebraska men's team doesn't win another game, their combined wins will be 30. The Nebraska women's team is currently 29-0.)
The work week ended well for me, but not without some drama. Friday morning, Nick and I were trying to edit a video that was going to be played in the Sunday services. It was a two and a half minute video that needed to be a minute long. Plus, we were also editing a second version for Trinity Interdenominational Church. We managed to get the edits done, but I'm not sure how effective the video will be. The concept is good, but I don't think we delivered on it like we normally do with these projects. That's due to our normal video editor, Jay, being out of town this past week. Plus, Nick and I were busy with other projects (Nick flies out to Mali today), so we couldn't focus in on it like we normally would. We had a volunteer do the editing, and they did what we asked for with it. It's just that the script took a lot longer to recite, by Mark, than anticipated. (We didn't realize it at the time because we were amused by Mark impersonating Billy Mays.) One of those projects we'd probably do over if we could. Still, it will work, and that's what matters with these pieces. (We like to see excellence in our work, and I'm a bit disappointed because I think how great this piece could be.) The concept is based on infomercials, with Lead Pastor Mark as the pitchman.
I also produced an opening animation for a series of stories that will be shown in the services throughout the year. One fun thing with the animation is an old friend allowed me to use their music for the piece. I'll blog more about it next week.
What else with work? Well, there was another meeting for ideas about the upcoming message series about Jesus The Man. The name of the series could be changing. I have one idea I'd like to see happen, but it has to fit with the big idea for that Sunday. Until then, here's a funny video in keeping with a series on "being a man".
I tweeted about this, but I had a laugh when I opened up a shirt I received from Tee Fury this past week. Every so often, they sell a grab bag shirt for $5. I ordered one because I've ordered some Lost shirts from them. Plus, they've sold other great pop culture shirts. I ordered a grab bag shirt, and what do I receive in my grab bag? Just remember I work at a church and I'm a pastor and former missionary. (click here to see the shirt)
What else?
Finally, I continue to plug away on my commentary project. One morning, this past week, I spent about ninety minutes on the first twenty verses of Numbers 11. It was fun for me to delve into this chapter and write about it.
What else ended this past week? Any hope that men's college basketball, in Nebraska, was going to sniff the postseason. Now, the question is whether the Husker women's basketball team will have more wins than the Creighton and Nebraska men's teams combined. (If the Nebraska men's team doesn't win another game, their combined wins will be 30. The Nebraska women's team is currently 29-0.)
The work week ended well for me, but not without some drama. Friday morning, Nick and I were trying to edit a video that was going to be played in the Sunday services. It was a two and a half minute video that needed to be a minute long. Plus, we were also editing a second version for Trinity Interdenominational Church. We managed to get the edits done, but I'm not sure how effective the video will be. The concept is good, but I don't think we delivered on it like we normally do with these projects. That's due to our normal video editor, Jay, being out of town this past week. Plus, Nick and I were busy with other projects (Nick flies out to Mali today), so we couldn't focus in on it like we normally would. We had a volunteer do the editing, and they did what we asked for with it. It's just that the script took a lot longer to recite, by Mark, than anticipated. (We didn't realize it at the time because we were amused by Mark impersonating Billy Mays.) One of those projects we'd probably do over if we could. Still, it will work, and that's what matters with these pieces. (We like to see excellence in our work, and I'm a bit disappointed because I think how great this piece could be.) The concept is based on infomercials, with Lead Pastor Mark as the pitchman.
I also produced an opening animation for a series of stories that will be shown in the services throughout the year. One fun thing with the animation is an old friend allowed me to use their music for the piece. I'll blog more about it next week.
What else with work? Well, there was another meeting for ideas about the upcoming message series about Jesus The Man. The name of the series could be changing. I have one idea I'd like to see happen, but it has to fit with the big idea for that Sunday. Until then, here's a funny video in keeping with a series on "being a man".
I tweeted about this, but I had a laugh when I opened up a shirt I received from Tee Fury this past week. Every so often, they sell a grab bag shirt for $5. I ordered one because I've ordered some Lost shirts from them. Plus, they've sold other great pop culture shirts. I ordered a grab bag shirt, and what do I receive in my grab bag? Just remember I work at a church and I'm a pastor and former missionary. (click here to see the shirt)
What else?
- I liked the new Toy Story 3 poster. (click here)
- Liam and Duncan like the new bunk bed we now have, which was given to us by a family at CCC.
- This past Thursday, Jana and I had an enjoyable evening with Cory and Carrie West. Cory is the new High School Pastor at CCC, and I'm glad the students have someone like him leading them.
- Wrote my second post about CCC staff. This time I profiled Micah Yost. (click here)
- Finished transferring my old Mac blog posts to current blog. Now I just have to transfer them from my MySpace blog. Needless to say, my blog posts are much improved in content and quality.
- And, I kept blogging about Lost. (click here to read the recap on "Sundown", and click here to read my follow-up recap on "Lighthouse") I've been surprised by how the Lost recaps I've written are generating so much interest and traffic.
Finally, I continue to plug away on my commentary project. One morning, this past week, I spent about ninety minutes on the first twenty verses of Numbers 11. It was fun for me to delve into this chapter and write about it.
Friday, March 05, 2010
Three Years Ago
Three years ago I was in the middle of one of the more enjoyable projects I've worked on while at Christ Community Church. Greg Nunamaker and I were producing animations for the message series on Jonah, Unlikely. It was a crazy couple of weeks, but rewarding.
Here are the four videos. We still haven't gone back and refined them. (Some of the audio with chapter three is in dire need of fixing.) There are things I'd do differently with the direction. Still, I think they hold up well. I'm proud of the work Greg and I did.
Click here to read the backstory on the project.
Here are the four videos. We still haven't gone back and refined them. (Some of the audio with chapter three is in dire need of fixing.) There are things I'd do differently with the direction. Still, I think they hold up well. I'm proud of the work Greg and I did.
Click here to read the backstory on the project.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Curry Fries & Mayo #50
I don't know if I've ever been happier for the end of winter than I am this season.
Tonight's episode of The Office will have the delivery of Jim and Pam's baby. While I'm sure it will be full of nice moments, the episode reminds me that the show is nearing its end. There haven't been any inklings from the network or producers that the show is nearing its end. It just feels like it. I hope the show doesn't stay on too long.
It's been fun to read the updates coming from the Boston Red Sox spring training. I'm looking forward to baseball. A simple pleasure of mine is listening to baseball on the radio.
One of the ongoing projects we're working on, in Communications, is capturing people's stories of God working in and through them. It's been fun hearing these stories. One of the stories we'll use in some capacity is Eva Rhoades' story. I wrote about Eva when I was in China last summer, and I think her story will be inspiring to people. This Sunday we'll start rolling out these stories in the CCC services.
This past Monday, I received the final piece in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica soundtrack canon. The BSG soundtrack to The Plan/Razor, which is the sixth soundtrack in the BSG catalog. It's one of those things that deserves its own post, but who knows if I'll ever get to it. I did want to make mention of it, though. Bear McCreary's compositions has been amazing throughout the series.
Olympics are done with, and in the end it was good for United States and Canada. Canada won hockey and took home the most gold medals. United States owned the podium and took home the most medals. The men's hockey gold medal game was great, but the hyperbole was a bit ridiculous. I can understand why it was important to Canadians, but Americans comparing it to the Miracle On Ice was laughable. Nothing will ever top that, or even come close to that event.
The other thing with the gold medal game is the notion Canada deserved the gold medal since hockey is "their sport". This is also laughable. I know Canada winning makes for a good story, and media like to have their stories easy. Still, the team that deserved the gold medal is the team that actually wins. It doesn't matter that in America, hockey ranks behind a number of sports. If United States would have won that gold medal game they would have deserved that gold medal.
With the Olympics over, Apolo Anton Ohno may fade from Liam's memory now. No more hearing Liam say his name and then going loud with "OH-NO"! However, Ndamukong Suh still hasn't faded from his memory so who knows?
Curry fries and mayo, with a coke, hit the spot today.
Tonight's episode of The Office will have the delivery of Jim and Pam's baby. While I'm sure it will be full of nice moments, the episode reminds me that the show is nearing its end. There haven't been any inklings from the network or producers that the show is nearing its end. It just feels like it. I hope the show doesn't stay on too long.
It's been fun to read the updates coming from the Boston Red Sox spring training. I'm looking forward to baseball. A simple pleasure of mine is listening to baseball on the radio.
One of the ongoing projects we're working on, in Communications, is capturing people's stories of God working in and through them. It's been fun hearing these stories. One of the stories we'll use in some capacity is Eva Rhoades' story. I wrote about Eva when I was in China last summer, and I think her story will be inspiring to people. This Sunday we'll start rolling out these stories in the CCC services.
This past Monday, I received the final piece in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica soundtrack canon. The BSG soundtrack to The Plan/Razor, which is the sixth soundtrack in the BSG catalog. It's one of those things that deserves its own post, but who knows if I'll ever get to it. I did want to make mention of it, though. Bear McCreary's compositions has been amazing throughout the series.
Olympics are done with, and in the end it was good for United States and Canada. Canada won hockey and took home the most gold medals. United States owned the podium and took home the most medals. The men's hockey gold medal game was great, but the hyperbole was a bit ridiculous. I can understand why it was important to Canadians, but Americans comparing it to the Miracle On Ice was laughable. Nothing will ever top that, or even come close to that event.
The other thing with the gold medal game is the notion Canada deserved the gold medal since hockey is "their sport". This is also laughable. I know Canada winning makes for a good story, and media like to have their stories easy. Still, the team that deserved the gold medal is the team that actually wins. It doesn't matter that in America, hockey ranks behind a number of sports. If United States would have won that gold medal game they would have deserved that gold medal.
With the Olympics over, Apolo Anton Ohno may fade from Liam's memory now. No more hearing Liam say his name and then going loud with "OH-NO"! However, Ndamukong Suh still hasn't faded from his memory so who knows?
Curry fries and mayo, with a coke, hit the spot today.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
CCC Staff: Micah Yost
Micah has been on staff for about a year now as the Technical Director. One of the first things that comes to mind about him is how hard he works. He puts in a lot of hours to make sure the unique service setup at CCC Old Mill happens every Sunday morning. Every week, he is overseeing the production of three different worship services in two venues at CCC Old Mill. Not to mention, he's considerate of the roughly 3,000 people who are in attendance at these different venues and worship services. And you know what? I've never heard him complain. Sure, there is more he'd like to do to improve the quality of the production, but he sees progress being made. He doesn't see what we're not able to do with the services. He's an optimist.
I think all of us on the Communications Team enjoy working with him, and I think it's benefitted everyone's work. He approaches a project from a creative and production perspective, which is great. This is nice because his input better equips our projects so they work more effectively in the services. We're working smarter.
Micah is always learning, and making sure to implement any new idea he can if it will improve things at CCC. He's not reading books for the sake of saying he read the latest fad book. He is striving to improve and refine his craft. He doesn't want to stand pat, but rather wants to pursue excellence.
One thing with his role is he oversees a number of volunteers. Every once in awhile I find myself watching him work and interact with his team during a service. He leads well, and he does what he can to make sure his volunteers are in a position to succeed. If something goes wrong, he accepts responsibility and doesn't blame someone else.
There's a certain grace I think someone in Micah's role has to operate in on a consistent basis. And grace comes to mind when I think of Micah. This was never more evident when one of his staff (and friends), Drew Billings, died suddenly last September. Micah was twenty-five at the time, and still new on staff with all of his responsibilities. When I think about it now, I'm not sure how Micah managed to navigate such a chaotic time. I'm sure he'd say it was Jesus that made it possible, and yes this is true. Still, Micah had a resolve about him during that time. He didn't slack on his work, everything was done. He did a wonderful job of speaking at Drew's memorial service. He managed to be hopeful throughout, despite losing a friend and coworker.
I think it reflects exceedingly well on Micah at how he handled such upheaval in his life and work. It's one of many reasons why I'm glad to work alongside him.
I also enjoy working with him because he's a Husker fan. It's always fun to talk Husker football with him. He wouldn't be a Yost if this was not the case. He loves the Huskers, Starbucks and his wife and family.
If you want to know more about Micah, you can follow him on Twitter or read his blog.
"Sundown" - Lost 6x06 Thoughts
Five episodes down (two-part premiere counts as one), eleven episodes to go. Ready for a stream of consciousness recap on the aptly titled episode "Sundown"? This was a tough recap to write in a way that flows well, since it deals with the tension between good and evil. Hopefully it is understood! (If it doesn't make sense I'll make the excuse of it being almost 2:00 AM when I finished this.)
If you don't want to be spoiled about the latest episode of Lost, please don't read this post. You've been warned. (SPOILERS AHEAD)
An interesting episode, especially when considering the promo for it. It wasn't what I expected. The action ramped up toward the end of the episode, and I'm sure people will be talking about that. What I liked was the nuance surrounding Sayid and his dealing with the tension of good and evil. To try and tackle the tension of good and evil is not something I can encapsulate here, but I'll do my best as it relates to the story.
What is good? What is right? In any given situation, what may be good to you may not truly be good. This has been the story of Sayid's character throughout the history of Lost. He did evil for (alleged) greater good. However, he's been haunted by his so-called good. He's always tried to make amends for his actions during the Iraq War, and on the island. For example, in season one he left everyone after he tortured (and almost killed) Sawyer. He had broken his vow to never torture again. He left, and was subsequently captured and interrogated by Rousseau. It was in this episode where we first found out about the "sickness". Rousseau told Sayid how it infected her team, and how she had to kill them. Why? Because what had infected them she couldn't allow to leave the island. (How would Rousseau know this?)
An interesting thing Rousseau said to Sayid, in that season one episode, is The Others were the carriers of the sickness. Why is that interesting? Many reasons, but one that ties in with the good/evil theme of tonight's episode. In more and more ways, we don't know what is good and evil anymore.
Now, I still think Jacob is good, and the Man In Black is evil. However, you realize there are many shades of gray in between the black and white. This is the truth Man In Black has been manipulating to his advantage. Through his words, he twists truth for his own nefarious end. Remind you of anyone? Especially if he is suppose to be "evil incarnate"? (Invoking the Church Lady, "Could it be...SATAN"!)
In Genesis 3, what did the serpent do in the Garden of Eden? It twisted truth to manipulate Adam and Eve to bring about their demise. They were pawns, though, in a war between God and Satan.
When you have evil whispering into your ear, it's hard to differentiate what is good. The best lies are 99% true. This is Sayid's dilemma. What is good? In the flash-sideways timeline, his brother Omer has an idea of what good Sayid should do. His love Nadia has an idea of what good Sayid should do. And, Keamy has an idea of what good Sayid should do. None of them are the same. In fact, they are radically different. If Sayid were to choose any of these (alleged) good courses, something evil is going to happen. Sayid must make a decision on what good he must do. He chooses evil to bring about good by murdering Keamy and his henchmen. Is it evil, or good, what Sayid does? More importantly, what does it say about Sayid? (He tells Keamy he can't forget about it before he shoots him. Does this mean he can't forgive others? He can't forgive himself.)
Going back to doing evil to bring about good, this is something Man In Black has used to manipulate people to his side. He does have a point when getting people to second guess Jacob's motives. Think about Ben Linus, who had been a leader on the island. What did he do? He lied, schemed and played a key role in the purge that killed nearly everyone from the Dharma Initiative. And, he answered to Jacob. No wonder Man In Black could manipulate Ben to kill Jacob in the season five finale. What had all of Ben's faithfulness (apparently) brought him?
Jacob is not always forthright in what he's doing, and this can also be used by Man In Black against people. It's something Man In Black has told characters this season, that he'd always be honest with them. This has swayed Sawyer, and now Sayid. Of course, what has also swayed them is the "faustian deal" that has been negotiated by Man In Black. He's promised Sawyer a way off the island, Sayid a way to be with Nadia again, and Claire to be reunited with Aaron. What must they do in return? Align themselves with Man In Black. Like Robert Marlowe's Dr. Faustus, they partner with the devil to get what they want. In doing so, they lose their soul. Now, Man In Black has two of the candidates on his side in Sawyer and Sayid. A third candidate, Jin, is still being held by him.
Sayid's life always seems to be like Odysseus when he encounters Scylla and Charybdis in The Odyssey. The lesser of two evils is what must be chosen. Granted, some would say that in a fallen world, a world with sin, there are some choices that have no right choice. And for Sayid, who is he to believe when stuck in that situation? In the current timeline, does he believe Dogen or Man In Black? In the flash-sideways timeline, does he believe Omer or Keamy?
Before Sayid left to confront Man In Black, he is told by Dogen to prove that his soul still has good. How is he suppose to prove himself? By killing. Prove you are good by doing evil. Who else had a hard time doing this? Locke. Ben told him to kill his father if he was to be the new leader of The Others. In that situation, Richard helped him find a loophole so his father would be killed...by Sawyer. (Of course, let's not forget the Dharma Initiative called The Others the "Hostiles".)
In some beliefs, it is thought there are certain people that have been called to salvation. And, the flipside is certain people have been damned before they were even born. Does Sayid consider himself in the latter? As Miles told him, it wasn't The Others that brought him back to life. Despite Sayid countering what other people have inferred as what kind of man he is ("I'm sorry, I'm not that man anymore"), in the end he turns out to be exactly that man. In the current timeline, Sayid has given himself over to what he thinks is his incarnate nature, darkness. He considers himself a lost cause, and that is why he is able to do the deed of murder.
Sayid murders Dogen at the end of the episode. Dogen's death allows Man In Black to bypass the ash circles. What this has to do with it, I have no idea. I could buy into Jacob's ashes, and the ashes of his (maybe) predecessors, being what keeps evil in check. What Dogen's death means I have no idea.
In the flash-sideways timeline, you see a shift in Sayid's wardrobe choices. It started off light-colored, but then it went dark. Throughout the current timeline, Sayid is wearing black. All black. This would make sense if he has been "claimed" by darkness. Or, claimed by the Man In Black (one in the same).
Sayid cannot forgive himself of what he has done. In the flash-sideways timeline, because he cannot forgive himself, he chooses to not be with Nadia. In a sense, good cannot mesh with evil and still be good. Sayid thought the evil in him would stain Nadia. However, what if he would have married Nadia? Would her good help Sayid to forgive himself? (Unfortunately, I've encountered a lot of people who have a hard time accepting grace and forgiving themselves.)
In the past, on the Island, there has been a purge. Instigated by Ben, the Dharma Initiative was purged. As a young boy, Ben was shot by Sayid, and then recovered at the Temple. In this episode, there is a purge of The Others. It is instigated by Sayid. Sayid had been shot by Ben's dad, and then resurrected at the Temple.
Who and what is good and evil? As some have speculated, perhaps the climactic moment will be the realization that Jacob is evil and Man In Black is good. I don't believe that. However, it will not be easy to decipher who or what has been good until the show is all over. We've started to realize that Man In Black has been involved throughout the history of the show. Maybe it will all become clear in the last eleven episodes.
Some quick hitters.
Ten episodes left, and then the finale. I thought this episode would be a Jin/Sun-centric episode, but it wasn't. I don't mind. Who will be profiled? Well, next week's episode appears to be a Ben-centric episode. After that? Without any idea to the order, I'll guess Hurley, Jin/Sun, Ilana, Jacob/Man In Black, Claire, Richard and Desmond. I also believe there'll be an additional episode for Jack and Locke. If the finale is going to be centered around anyone, it will be Jacob/Man In Black.
In case you missed it, I posted a follow-up recap on last week's episode where I equate Locke to King Saul and Jack to King David.
I hope this makes some sense. I'm tired so it's quite possible I'll wake up in a few hours, read this post, and make massive edits. Thanks again for taking the time to read this!
If you don't want to be spoiled about the latest episode of Lost, please don't read this post. You've been warned. (SPOILERS AHEAD)
An interesting episode, especially when considering the promo for it. It wasn't what I expected. The action ramped up toward the end of the episode, and I'm sure people will be talking about that. What I liked was the nuance surrounding Sayid and his dealing with the tension of good and evil. To try and tackle the tension of good and evil is not something I can encapsulate here, but I'll do my best as it relates to the story.
What is good? What is right? In any given situation, what may be good to you may not truly be good. This has been the story of Sayid's character throughout the history of Lost. He did evil for (alleged) greater good. However, he's been haunted by his so-called good. He's always tried to make amends for his actions during the Iraq War, and on the island. For example, in season one he left everyone after he tortured (and almost killed) Sawyer. He had broken his vow to never torture again. He left, and was subsequently captured and interrogated by Rousseau. It was in this episode where we first found out about the "sickness". Rousseau told Sayid how it infected her team, and how she had to kill them. Why? Because what had infected them she couldn't allow to leave the island. (How would Rousseau know this?)
An interesting thing Rousseau said to Sayid, in that season one episode, is The Others were the carriers of the sickness. Why is that interesting? Many reasons, but one that ties in with the good/evil theme of tonight's episode. In more and more ways, we don't know what is good and evil anymore.
Now, I still think Jacob is good, and the Man In Black is evil. However, you realize there are many shades of gray in between the black and white. This is the truth Man In Black has been manipulating to his advantage. Through his words, he twists truth for his own nefarious end. Remind you of anyone? Especially if he is suppose to be "evil incarnate"? (Invoking the Church Lady, "Could it be...SATAN"!)
In Genesis 3, what did the serpent do in the Garden of Eden? It twisted truth to manipulate Adam and Eve to bring about their demise. They were pawns, though, in a war between God and Satan.
When you have evil whispering into your ear, it's hard to differentiate what is good. The best lies are 99% true. This is Sayid's dilemma. What is good? In the flash-sideways timeline, his brother Omer has an idea of what good Sayid should do. His love Nadia has an idea of what good Sayid should do. And, Keamy has an idea of what good Sayid should do. None of them are the same. In fact, they are radically different. If Sayid were to choose any of these (alleged) good courses, something evil is going to happen. Sayid must make a decision on what good he must do. He chooses evil to bring about good by murdering Keamy and his henchmen. Is it evil, or good, what Sayid does? More importantly, what does it say about Sayid? (He tells Keamy he can't forget about it before he shoots him. Does this mean he can't forgive others? He can't forgive himself.)
Going back to doing evil to bring about good, this is something Man In Black has used to manipulate people to his side. He does have a point when getting people to second guess Jacob's motives. Think about Ben Linus, who had been a leader on the island. What did he do? He lied, schemed and played a key role in the purge that killed nearly everyone from the Dharma Initiative. And, he answered to Jacob. No wonder Man In Black could manipulate Ben to kill Jacob in the season five finale. What had all of Ben's faithfulness (apparently) brought him?
Jacob is not always forthright in what he's doing, and this can also be used by Man In Black against people. It's something Man In Black has told characters this season, that he'd always be honest with them. This has swayed Sawyer, and now Sayid. Of course, what has also swayed them is the "faustian deal" that has been negotiated by Man In Black. He's promised Sawyer a way off the island, Sayid a way to be with Nadia again, and Claire to be reunited with Aaron. What must they do in return? Align themselves with Man In Black. Like Robert Marlowe's Dr. Faustus, they partner with the devil to get what they want. In doing so, they lose their soul. Now, Man In Black has two of the candidates on his side in Sawyer and Sayid. A third candidate, Jin, is still being held by him.
Sayid's life always seems to be like Odysseus when he encounters Scylla and Charybdis in The Odyssey. The lesser of two evils is what must be chosen. Granted, some would say that in a fallen world, a world with sin, there are some choices that have no right choice. And for Sayid, who is he to believe when stuck in that situation? In the current timeline, does he believe Dogen or Man In Black? In the flash-sideways timeline, does he believe Omer or Keamy?
Before Sayid left to confront Man In Black, he is told by Dogen to prove that his soul still has good. How is he suppose to prove himself? By killing. Prove you are good by doing evil. Who else had a hard time doing this? Locke. Ben told him to kill his father if he was to be the new leader of The Others. In that situation, Richard helped him find a loophole so his father would be killed...by Sawyer. (Of course, let's not forget the Dharma Initiative called The Others the "Hostiles".)
In some beliefs, it is thought there are certain people that have been called to salvation. And, the flipside is certain people have been damned before they were even born. Does Sayid consider himself in the latter? As Miles told him, it wasn't The Others that brought him back to life. Despite Sayid countering what other people have inferred as what kind of man he is ("I'm sorry, I'm not that man anymore"), in the end he turns out to be exactly that man. In the current timeline, Sayid has given himself over to what he thinks is his incarnate nature, darkness. He considers himself a lost cause, and that is why he is able to do the deed of murder.
Sayid murders Dogen at the end of the episode. Dogen's death allows Man In Black to bypass the ash circles. What this has to do with it, I have no idea. I could buy into Jacob's ashes, and the ashes of his (maybe) predecessors, being what keeps evil in check. What Dogen's death means I have no idea.
In the flash-sideways timeline, you see a shift in Sayid's wardrobe choices. It started off light-colored, but then it went dark. Throughout the current timeline, Sayid is wearing black. All black. This would make sense if he has been "claimed" by darkness. Or, claimed by the Man In Black (one in the same).
Sayid cannot forgive himself of what he has done. In the flash-sideways timeline, because he cannot forgive himself, he chooses to not be with Nadia. In a sense, good cannot mesh with evil and still be good. Sayid thought the evil in him would stain Nadia. However, what if he would have married Nadia? Would her good help Sayid to forgive himself? (Unfortunately, I've encountered a lot of people who have a hard time accepting grace and forgiving themselves.)
In the past, on the Island, there has been a purge. Instigated by Ben, the Dharma Initiative was purged. As a young boy, Ben was shot by Sayid, and then recovered at the Temple. In this episode, there is a purge of The Others. It is instigated by Sayid. Sayid had been shot by Ben's dad, and then resurrected at the Temple.
Who and what is good and evil? As some have speculated, perhaps the climactic moment will be the realization that Jacob is evil and Man In Black is good. I don't believe that. However, it will not be easy to decipher who or what has been good until the show is all over. We've started to realize that Man In Black has been involved throughout the history of the show. Maybe it will all become clear in the last eleven episodes.
Some quick hitters.
- I'm guessing we aren't going to find out Man In Black's name till the finale.
- Anyone else make a connection to Apocalypse Now at the end of the episode?
- Dogen's son was saved when he came to the island. Juliet's sister is cured of cancer when Juliet agrees to stay on the island. Both individuals are allegedly cured by Jacob.
- In the flash-sideways timeline, Sayid has gone the path of Locke in seemingly accepting fate for who he is.
- If The Others are the carriers of the sickness, as Rousseau thinks, what does that say about them? Throughout the series, The Others have committed heinous acts. It is easy to see how one could doubt Jacob as being good if The Others, and Ben, have been getting their marching orders from Jacob. Then again, were they getting their orders from Jacob? Perhaps Man In Black had duped them. This seems to be the case with the cabin.
- Sayid at Nadia's door and looking at his reflection in the glass. Two meanings. Who does Sayid see when he is reflected? And, the reflection is a reference to the book, and Lost episode, "Through The Looking Glass".
- The camera angle on Nadia's wedding band reminds me that there is no accident when it comes to these types of shots. It's why I believe it was on purpose we saw Helen's black fingernails two episodes ago.
- When Dogen tells Sayid about the scale, he uses his hand with the black glove to portray evil.
- The second Sayid-centric episode in Lost is titled "The Greater Good". I think this reinforces how Sayid's character chronicles the tension between right and wrong, good and evil. Will one do evil for the greater good? Can it be considered good if evil is a means to its end?
- Evil manipulating good for evil. I've seen people manipulate the good in people for evil purposes. It's happening on the show.
- Sayid is told what kind of man he is. Jack and Locke have also been on the receiving end of this by family and friends.
- What did bring Sayid back from the dead?
- It amused me how both Dogen and Sayid barged through the door, at separate tiems, to enter Dogen's room.
- You figured at some point the "Temple Master", Dogen, would be in a fight.
- Dogen said, "If you allow him (Man In Black) to speak, then it is already to late". What if Dogen wasn't lying? Man In Black did say, "Hello Sayid," before Sayid stabbed him.
- Man In Black has been trapped for many years. Is the island his purgatory? If he is evil incarnate, is this punishment for his fall? (Similar to Satan?)
- Dogen and Lennon didn't even last as long as the infamous Nikki and Paulo.
Jacob is apparently down to Hurley and Jack as his candidates. I believe Jack is THE candidate now. He is the loophole Jacob will exploit to stop Man In Black. He is the unlikely person to be the leader for Jacob. Unlikely in that he was the man of science. He, along with Hurley, cannot be killed by Man In Black. However, Man In Black has other candidates that can do the job for him. Must Man In Black remove the candidates from being a hindrance to him? He is seemingly trying to align them all to him.
Ten episodes left, and then the finale. I thought this episode would be a Jin/Sun-centric episode, but it wasn't. I don't mind. Who will be profiled? Well, next week's episode appears to be a Ben-centric episode. After that? Without any idea to the order, I'll guess Hurley, Jin/Sun, Ilana, Jacob/Man In Black, Claire, Richard and Desmond. I also believe there'll be an additional episode for Jack and Locke. If the finale is going to be centered around anyone, it will be Jacob/Man In Black.
In case you missed it, I posted a follow-up recap on last week's episode where I equate Locke to King Saul and Jack to King David.
I hope this makes some sense. I'm tired so it's quite possible I'll wake up in a few hours, read this post, and make massive edits. Thanks again for taking the time to read this!
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
OK Go & Rube Goldberg Machine
It's been awhile since I posted a video. I saw this today and thought it was great. Enjoy.
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