How I feel about today's news...

Peacocks Don’t Fly

A long, long time ago...

I can still remember

How that station used to make me smile.

And I knew if they had their chance

They could show good comedy and romance,

And, maybe, we’d be happy for a while.

But December made me shiver

With every posting they’d deliver.

Bad news on the web site;

I couldn’t take one more sight.

I know that I should have cried

When I read about the Peacock’s slide,

For something touched me deep inside

The day NBC died.

So bye-bye, Peacock’s don’t fly.

Turned my TV to NBC,

But NBC was dry.

And them GE boys were probably all getting’ high

Singin’, "this’ll be the day TV dies.

"this’ll be the day TV dies."

Do you watch the Jay Leno Show,

After he stepped out of the Tonight Show glow,

If the media tells you “no”?

Do you believe that Jimmy Fallon,

Can save “Late Night” with his “talent,”

And can you believe Carson Daly still has a show?

Well, I know that you’re not in love with him

`cause he doesn’t have a studio to film.

A hamster could host “Last Call.”.

Man, I don’t like him at all.

I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck

When, on TRL, he first pushed his luck,

But even then I knew he’d suck.

Oh, man, I started to cry.

Now I’m singin’,

“Bye-bye, Peacock’s don’t fly.”

Turned my TV to NBC,

But NBC was dry.

And them GE boys were probably all getting’ high

Singin’, "this’ll be the day TV dies.

"this’ll be the day TV dies."

Now for ten years Fox’s been on a roll

Behind the strength of “American Idol”,

But that’s not how it used to be.

When “Seinfeld” was king of Thursday night,

Then “Friends” and “Frasier” followed in their own right

And it was declared “Must See TV”,

Oh, and how the ratings plummeted down,

The Peacock lost the network crown.

That caliber had sojourned;

No quality was returned.

And while CBS ran CSI,

A ratings triumph for the Eye,

They gave “Cupid” another try

The day NBC died.

We were singing,

“Bye-bye, Peacock’s don’t fly.”

Turned my TV to NBC,

But NBC was dry.

And them GE boys were probably all getting’ high

Singin’, "this’ll be the day TV dies.

"this’ll be the day TV dies."

“America’s Got Talent” in the summer season.

Keeps on airing for some reason,

Fourteen share and falling fast.

Perhaps my judgment is a little off.

I certainly don’t wish to hassle the Hoff,

But what talent does he bring to the cast?

Now the half-time air was sweet perfume

When the Super Bowl produced a boon.

The suits got up to dance,

Oh, but they never got the chance!

February sweeps, and they still reeled

‘cause Fox and CBS refused to yield.

Do you recall what was revealed

The day NBC died?

We started singing,

“Bye-bye, Peacock’s don’t fly.”

Turned my TV to NBC,

But NBC was dry.

And them GE boys were probably all getting’ high

Singin’, "this’ll be the day TV dies.

"this’ll be the day TV dies."

Oh, and they continued in last place,

Broadcast signals lost in space

With September to start again.

So come on: Jeff, be nimble, Jeff, be quick!

We can’t take much more of this shtick

Or you might be fired in the end.

Now I watch “30 Rock” and try to gauge

With Jack Donaghy and Kenneth the page.

I think to myself, “Hell,

At least they do one thing well.”

But as the ratings fell into the night

We know Emmy doesn’t make it all right,

I saw Comcast laughing with delight

The day NBC died.

They were singing,

“Bye-bye, Peacock’s don’t fly.”

Turned my TV to NBC,

But NBC was dry.

And them GE boys were probably all getting’ high

Singin’, "this’ll be the day TV dies.

"this’ll be the day TV dies."

I met a girl who sang the blues,

For she worked for NBC news,

‘Cause Tom and Katie went away.

Now on cable I can get some more

Hot air, analysis and pundits galore

And wonder how much Chris Matthews weighs.

And in the streets the children screened,

“To Catch A Predator” was on the scene.

But only this was spoken;

“I must have been mistaken.”

To the three men I admire most:

Robert, Les, and Pete, I toast.

They’re all laughing coast to coast

The day NBC died.

And they were singing,

“Bye-bye, Peacock’s don’t fly.”

Turned my TV to NBC,

But NBC was dry.

And them GE boys were probably all getting’ high

Singin’, "this’ll be the day TV dies.

"this’ll be the day TV dies."

They were singing,

“Bye-bye, Peacock’s don’t fly.”

Turned my TV to NBC,

But NBC was dry.

And them GE boys were probably all getting’ high

Singin’, "this’ll be the day TV dies.

"this’ll be the day TV dies."

The Party of Chris

If anyone really knows me (or has read one of my screenplays), they know how much I despise Republican and Democrats. I hate what they have made governing in this country. They are both to blame, but they are busy blaming each other.

We've had politics riddle our government all the way back to Washington (George, not the district). He warned of the ills of party politics. Yet we haven't heeded this warning from his farewell address:

"All obstructions to the execution of the laws, all combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principle, and of fatal tendency. They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels and modified by mutual interests."

Bush did this. Obama wants to do that. He said. She said. Finger pointing. For the love of all that is good in the world, STOP! Stop perpetuating a cycle that is leading to our destruction. All great republics in the past have never been conquered. Their demise came from within.

One of the main problems is that at the end of the day that no party defines the true identity of but a select few. People will say, "I am mostly conservative, but..." or "I am liberal except for this..." At the point you disagree with one aspect of an ideology, REJECT IT!

So though I am seven years removed from the qualifying age of 35, here is what I would do today if I were elected president. It represents me. It does not conform to any party or ideologies. It speaks for me. I encourage anyone reading this to make a similar document to discover what you really believe and profess. I think it would be much better than "25 things you don't know about me" or "state three things about..." These are the exercises we should be encouraging (Mere, Jax...this means you! Start the ball rolling! Let's make this thing happen! I think you can help create a phenomenon!)

* I would place a stay of execution for everyone on death row. Their penalties would be converted to life sentences with no chance of parole. Our judicial system is not flawless. It is run by fallible humans. If there is even the slightest chance of error, we should not be taking life. Dead is dead.

* I would call for legislation repealing crimes dubbed as "hate crimes." We are not thought police, nor should we be ever tempted to be that way. America is cherished on a rights of freedom of speech and expression. Penalties should already fit the crime. We should not force anyone to believe anything, though we may disagree with a person. That's why we love our freedom of religion.

* I would call for an end of all things barbaric: death penalty, torture, abortion. There is no way that any of these three things cannot be seen as anything but barbaric except by apologetics. How are we to judge who lives and dies? My Christian values have taught me to value every person. Their eternal judgement comes from God; do not deny them life that you can't give back. Torture me for 10 minutes and I'll tell you anything. What value does that express for America? And regardless of what side you fall on, you can't say abortion is not barbaric. It's either the killing of an innocent life or the mutilation of the female body. Either way, it's an act of barbarism.

* I would immediately end "don't ask, don't tell" and call for a equal rights for everyone, including allowing gays to marry. All it takes to end discrimination in the military ranks is an executive order. Truman integrated the military with one. I long for the day I find the girl of my dreams to make a lifelong commitment. God forbid anyone ever tell me I can't marry that woman! Why should we prevent anyone for doing such a thing?

* I would recall all troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. If asked what to do with any sort of equipment or structures that the military has put in place, I would offer this order: either bring it or burn it. If we are attacked on American soil for any reason because of this, I would accept full responsible and resign immediately. But I would continue to push the limits of the defense budget on American soil. This includes making streets safe everywhere for every person to walk down.

* I would call for a 15% reduction of the federal budget across the board and start repaying American foreign debt. What we spend now is wasteful. And it is getting out of control. We are literally screwing ourselves down the road. It can be more efficient. Those who cannot create efficiencies will be fired without remorse.

* I would assemble all 50 governors and say, "It's time you step up and quit relying on the federal government." The federal government has usurped too much power from the states government. In fact, the federal system works best when the state's have most of the power. I would tell them it's now on them to be held accountable. Limited federal government truly is what's best for this country.

* I would make education my number 1 priority. Without it, our future is lost. Education means our children, but also those that lose their jobs and need new skills to make a living. We must foster an environment to continue to better ourselves everyday in every way.

* I would end the embargo with Cuba. It's stupid and arrogant not to now. And the embargo did just as much harm to the United States as it did to Cuba. New Orleans's number one trading partner was Havana. Then the embargo kicked in, devastating the economy of New Orleans. The best thing that could save that city now is opening trade with Cuba.

* I would encourage free trade and stop protectionist practices. The United States has evolved into a tertiary economy. This means letting go of our agrarian past. We do farmers no good be subsidizing them at bay. We need to find ways to advance them with us. It benefits all citizens to do so. Free trade is capitalism at best. And regardless of what Michael Moore might think, free capitalism is a great thing.

* I would tell the Congress to start taking the reins. The presidency has become too much like a monarchy, which is what our founding fathers wanted to prevent. The protection one person receives above other citizens is frankly ridiculous. Let's be honest about this. We have lost many presidents in the past to illness, resignation and death. In none of these cases has the country fallen. We have a built in succession plan to ensure the future of this country. This country is not above any one person! We should not treat it as such. As president, I would be prepared to die for what I believed in, but would not want the country to shed one tear at my passing but press forward.

* Finally, I would act like I was not running for re-election. Politicians have one goal: to get elected. Either initially or to defend a seat, that is their goal. So they do not act as they should. They act so they get re-elected. To serve for four years at the chief executive of this country would be an honor above all. If I was not selected to continue, I would bear no thought of failure or remorse as long as I acted to my own beliefs and with integrity. A very, very, very select few politicians act this way today. Most of them care only about popularity and power.

This is what I profess. No one told me to believe this. I came to it on my own. We should all find our own beliefs and stand up for them. That's why this country was founded! For us. Not for what other people tell us.

Americans need to express more autonomy and not succumb to autocracy. It's okay to disagree as long as their is dialogue. Open your eyes, not follow others blindly.

Why was this is the men's restroom?

God bless the South!

This makes me laugh

I can't discern if the locking in the trunk was intentional to test friendships, but it amuses me nonetheless.

Creepy

Just for Mere

Tag Rules...
1. Mention the person who tagged you.
2. Complete the list of 5's
3. Tag 5 of your wonderful blog friends!

5 things I look forward to:
1. Facilitating Horizons in a week
2. Being back in my apartment in Atlanta, even though it's just for another month
3. Finding a job
4. Seeing "Up"
5. Conan's debut on the "Tonight Show"

5 things I did yesterday: 
1. Went to the wedding of my pledge son
2. Ate at Lambrusco'z for the first time
3. Smoked a Cuban cigar
4. Pre-gamed at White Owl
5. Saw friends I haven't seen in years

5 things I wish I could do:
1. Win the lottery
2. Travel to every country in the world
3. Meet David Letterman, Ricky Gervais and Larry David
4. Find out about my birth mom
5. Get a job (yes, I've mentioned this twice. Thanks.)

5 shows I watch:
1. 30 Rock 
2. The Office
3. LOST
4. Family Guy
5. The Soup

O'yeah!

I was absolutely giddy to see Flannery O'Connor make an appearance in the season finale of Lost, as she is one of my favorite writers. I thought I'd share a couple of passages from the short story "Everything that Rises Must Converge" that may hold some symbolism.

They are spoken by the main character Julian, who has accepted an integrated black and white world, to his mother, who is stuck in her old ways. These come from the end of the story.

"What all this means," he said, "is that the old world is gone. The old manners are obsolete and your graciousness is not worth a damn." He thought bitterly of the house that had been lost for him. "You aren't you who think you are," he said.

And two paragraphs later:

“You needn’t act as if the world had come to an end,” he said, “because it hasn’t. From now on you’ve got to live in a new world and face a few realities for a change. Buck up,” he said, “it won’t kill you.”

Foreshadowing of things to come? Does this show that the past had been changed? Had a new reality been set in? Is the world safe?

Lost...Quick Thoughts

I think Ben wanted to die. I think he was hoping he would be judged and killed. At the end of tonight's episode he seemed sad. I think he was sad because the island made him live and because he is now forced to follow Locke's every order.

What a great performance tonight by Michael Emerson. It's certainly Emmy worthy. As as monster Ben sometimes is played out to be, tonight he was totally human. He has been racked with guilt for the death of Alex. He tried to avenge her death by killing Penelope, but didn't have the heart. I think when he saw little Charlie was the moment Ben realized he was responsible for Alex's death. I am really intrigued to see where the his character goes for the remainder of the series.

Ben episodes always seem to be the best in the series. "The Man Behind the Curtain" was absolutely one of the best, and I think this one was too. Two straight weeks of great episodes after a lackluster start. It looks like it might be a great spring to the finish.

We got to see inside the temple. It seemed clearly Egyptian to me, which backs all the Egyptian theories, like why Richard Alpert wears eyeliner. Obviously one of the hieroglyphics saw Smokey interacting with some god, and I think it is Anubis, a jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife in Egyptian mythology. So perhaps this means that Smokey can communicate with the dead, and thus brings shadows of them to the island.

I just really hope they don't end up going all Stargate on us in the end of all of this.

Next week, Miles gets to interact with the man I am certain is his father. And everyone knows he can talk to dead people. It seems like people are finally and fully recognizing all the weird stuff that this island causes.

LC Can Act...Maybe...

Zac Efron's Pool Party from Zac Efron

This Makes Me Laugh

Really, Google? Really?!?!?!?!

This is what you have special on my birthday? I don't even know what the heck this is. Or what it's supposed to mean. Or why it's even up there. This is just stupid.

Stupid, Google! Stupid!!!

What about Locke and Alpert?

So, we know Alpert lingered around Locke's birth and later had the "test
encounter" with him. Yet this season we learned that Locke told him
about his birth. It wasn't some Dali lama type search Alpert was
conducting, but rather something he was directly informed about
himself. This sets up a whole pre-destination paradox for Locke.

You can reason this away by two thoughts. 1) Since that scene was a
flashback, it stands out from the others. Or, 2) The encounters are
known, but the characters do not acknowledge it. Why? Perhaps those
who experience the time travel learn the dangers of it and don't speak
up because they feel they may disasterously alter the events of time.
There may be some code they adopt. Perhaps a new form of "the lie,"
albeit a silent one.

For the second one to be true, Rosseau sticks
out. But I won't discount the possibility that she's time travelled
before. She's been on the island awhile and there is more to how
Danielle got to be Ben's daughter too.

Overheard in ATL

Listening in to convos is kinda fun.

"The national guard is the army retard."

...

"So get this, you know the woman that took me to the airport? Well she's going through this divorce and he's trying to accuse me of adultery."

...

"I know. Can you believe that?"

...

"I know. So what are you doing for the Super Bowl?"
...

"I know. We gonna smoke later."

...

"I know. Me too. I'm still a couple hours away."

Then like everyone around me started talking and I lost aural contact. 

Sounded fun though.

Fun Fact About the Real Jeremy Bentham (Is It Fun???)

Upon philosopher Jeremy Bentham's death, as requested in his will, his body was preserved and stored in a wooden cabinet, termed his "Auto-icon". Originally kept by his disciple Dr. Southwood Smith, it was acquired by University College London in 1850.

The Auto-icon is kept on public display at the end of the South Cloisters in the main building of the College. For the 100th and 150th anniversaries of the college, the Auto-icon was brought to the meeting of the College Council, where he was listed as "present but not voting." Tradition holds that if the council's vote on any motion is tied, the auto-icon always breaks the tie by voting in favour of the motion.

The Auto-icon has always had a wax head, as Bentham's head was badly damaged in the preservation process. The real head was displayed in the same case for many years, but became the target of repeated student pranks including being stolen on more than one occasion. It is now locked away securely.

In Lost, we have the body of a Jeremy Bentham that seems to figure in prominently in the future. The real Bentham wanted to keep his legacy alive. The Lost Bentham may have done just that as well. Are we facing some sort of vote down the rode, perhaps back at the island, that requires John Locke's vote??

Whispers in the Dark

So how about those whispers in the forest on Lost? Well, now that we know we are doing with time travel, here's a theory. Those whispers are of people there...just slightly off time. Maybe those voices are of people who are just a few nanoseconds in the past or in the future. The space-time continuum makes it so those people can't be seen, but can be heard.

Maybe?

Big words...

CNN Just Had to Do It

Journalism is dead.

Saving Claire

I started to watch "Flashes Before Your Eyes" again from Lost, the episode that Ms. Hawking first appeared, because I felt it holds a lot of relevance to this season. And within the first few minutes I realized something really interesting.

Desmond saved Claire first.

Of course, we all remember quite well "ya gonna die, Charlie." We remember story after story of Desmond trying to save Charlie, but ultimately undone by "fate." The show drew us to Charlie being saved.

But Desmond saved Claire first.

At the beginning of "Flashed Before Your Eyes," Claire is drowning in the ocean and Desmond's intuition draws him to the water to save her. Now think of the other times Claire seemingly was in a situation that faced certain death when she was saved. It happened A LOT.

So if we go with the theory that time must unfold a certain way, that you can't beat fate, then Claire has been supposed to die for quite sometime. Her disappearance still remains a mystery. But maybe she's already been dead for quite sometime, like the other "dead" on the island. Perhaps she only came to terms with that fact when she saw Christian Shepherd, her dad.

I think Claire is dead. The question remains: when did she die?

Oh Goody Gum Drops!

Remember her? The crazy lady that said Desmond had to go to the island and push the button? That it would be the only great thing he would ever do?

Here it is to jog your memory, from the episode when Desmond first had flashes after the hatch exploded.

Desmond goes to buy an engagement ring for Penny at a store where this Ms. Hawking works. When she shows him a ring and he tells her he'll take it, she seems upset and responds by telling Desmond he will not. After Desmond refuses to give the ring back she explains to Desmond that she knows his name, that he will break Penny's heart, he will not marry her, instead entering the sailing race to prove Penny's father wrong, and that he went to the Island and pressed the button for three years until he was forced to turn the failsafe key. She says that if he "doesn't do those things," that "every single one of us is dead."

Once Desmond refuses to give the ring back she decides to take a walk with him. While on their walk she draws Desmond's attention to a man wearing a suit and red shoes. As she and Desmond sit on a bench she tries to explain to Desmond that he must not ask Penny to marry him. She says that it is his "path" to go to the Island. 

Then all of a sudden a large crash is heard behind them as the scaffolding from a construction job falls to the ground. As she and Desmond turn around, a pair of legs with red shoes is shown sticking out from under the pile of rubble. As Desmond realizes this is the man she pointed out earlier, she admits to knowing that he would die. 

When confronted by Desmond as to why she did not warn the man she informs Desmond that he would have been hit by a taxi the next day, and if she had warned him about that he would have broken his neck in the shower. As Desmond stares blankly at her she explains that the universe has a way of "course correcting" (a phrase Desmond later recites to Charlie), and that death cannot be avoided. Her last words to Desmond are that pressing the button is the only great thing he will ever do in his life.

Remember? She's back!

Other thoughts from tonight.

You see the baby at the beginning with the Asian doctor from Dharma? Telling you, that's totally Miles. Think I got that one right.

And the last time shift? They were clearly on the island when it was controlled by Widmore, or at least when he is there. Those guards had British accents. I'd say there were there in the 1950s or 1960s, before Dharma came in.

I was convinced for a flash that Ben was just manipulating the Oceanic 6 to get back to the island so he could get back to the island and takeover again. But now we see he is at the mercy of someone else. Our dear Ms. Hawking.

What a season it shall be...

1809

This year marks 2 centuries since 1809, but I think it is of some note what a year it was in terms of people born into this world. Not only was the president I share a birthday with born, but quite a large number of notable people who have made an impact on our world today. Here is just a few:

Louis Braille
Edgar Allan Poe (who's birthday is today!)
Felix Mendelssohn
Abraham Lincoln
Charles Darwin
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Kit Carson
William Gladstone

Question...

How can water be velvety?