My, oh my, how quickly things can change. I’m currently suffering and trying to recover from a blow to my ego that happened about an hour ago. In the matter of about 72 hours, I went from stumbling onto something that resembled a job, albeit per diem, to more or less being sent home before grabbing my cup of coffee. I’m taking blame for it though. I was told to arrive at a location between 5 and 6am to a place that would require at least a 30 minute commute. To make a long story short, I would’ve made it by 7, so I placed a quick call to my contact to let him know. And with a job like this, I wouldn’t blame my contact for telling me what he told me: you don’t have to come in [click]. I actually already forgot what he said verbatim, but the fatal blow was that he hung up immediately after he said it. I’ve only had angry girlfriends hang up on me with such coordination. (more…)
October 27, 2011
a new lifestyle – per diem
March 19, 2011
sometimes…
When I was in the 1st grade, I wrote a book called Sometimes. This book was more of a poem, with a line of prose starting with the word “sometimes” in the center of an 8×11 white paper all bound together with a few staples. I showed it around to various family members and grown-ups who all admired and seemed impressed by it. Was it because a 7 year old made a picture book purposely without pictures? Or perhaps the fact that I wrote a book at all without being asked or instructed and wanted the world to know “Sometimes I am sad and don’t know why” and “Sometimes I do not want a cookie but will eat one anyway”? The world may never know, but sometimes I forget how inspiring little kids can be.
March 2, 2011
where’s the pause button?
Shrimp was involved at this party
I don’t know what happened but I felt like I missed a couple of days. Once again, I dropped the ball on my Oscar recap which now seems pointless to talk about other than correctly predicting 14 out of 24 winners. My prediction post left out the short films but I made educated guesses before the telecast and scored a bunch of “points.” I also had my first ever Oscar party with only a couple friends. I also tried to stay on Twitter as much as possible and remain a good host. At least now I know it can be done and where I can make improvements.
The following morning I was reminded about Lady Gaga’s new video premiere “Born This Way” but after viewing it, I didn’t have time to write up my snap judgement due to a meeting about school financing and official enrollment. But even after I got back, I ended up speaking with close friends who are also Little Monsters and both had contrasting views on the song itself but hadn’t seen the video. I find myself in the middle, yet we all agree that it sounds just like Madonna.
As for my thoughts on the video? Typical Gaga I suppose. It was weird and got weirder. There was a story but I wasn’t sure what exactly was going on. I did declare her as taking Michael Jackson’s place when it comes to music videos… but I don’t wanna jump the gun on that since Kanye is still rewriting visual music too. The message is clear and I can definitely hear this being played while drag queens do their thing and it fills the space on gay night at the club. Yeah, I was there once. Not necessarily a highlight of my life but it was an experience. I’m not a fan of clubs at all to be honest. But back to the song, it’s an anthem to be who you are or what you are. I’m all for self empowerment or encouraging songs. I think the only thing, like many others I talked to, it just sounds too much like a song I’ve already heard. But I’ll take it as it is, and I have a feeling the other songs on the album I may like more than this one. I did like the “once upon a time” mythology storyline it started out with. I just wasn’t sure where it was going afterwards.
Besides those events I meant to write about, I had to get all my paperwork together: applying for a scholarship, applying for loans, taxes and unemployment. A lot of the paperwork all needed similar things I couldn’t find like past school loan info and car loan info… then my bank’s website wouldn’t work. Oh yeah, I also had to get some articles done for Patch… but that’s another story for another day even though it’s been related for the past few days. To cap off that story for now: I got my first decline for an interview. In the guy’s defense, he must be really humble.
Added on to the dog pile of work I’ve cut out for myself and a deadline for all of it by Friday, I get attacked with some sort of a cold. My dad had been sick for the past few days so maybe I caught the bug. But if I can’t sleep, what’s the point of staying in bed? So I got up and did what I needed to do which included stopping by my grandmother’s house to deliver a shovel she no longer required. But at least that gave me the chance to stop by Dunkin Donuts to finally try that Big n Tasty sandwich. It was indoob quite tasty. I could make it at home though.
My mom is all about me getting rest, and I would have been doing that but thanks to me being so proactive this morning, I’ve been getting non-stop calls all afternoon. I’m not complaining. The calls were quite welcoming. It was just the dramatic shock of being snapped back into reality and then composing yourself to answer the phone and not sound like I just came back from the dentist. Or perhaps that’s just the effects of the drugs? Or maybe my body just badly needing, no, craving the rest it needs in order to recover from whatever ailment is tormenting my body? Either way, I should take it as a sign and throw up the white flag for the day because I’m not enjoying sneezing so hard that I fart. I don’t foresee getting much more accomplishments done today other than sleeping more than 10 minutes. At least my throat no longer feels like I has swallowed a few Brillo pads.
Plus I’m out of DayQuil. And orange juice. Both are vital to my speedy recovery. Oh, and sleep, of course. (NyQuil is always on stock.)
November 23, 2010
surviving african american friday
It’s that time again–where we gather with our loved ones to share in something a good chunk of America participates in every year, sorta around the same time, same day, possibly the same place.
No, not Thanksgiving dinner. Black African American Friday!
I’ve had experience on both sides of the counter and I’m not sure which I enjoy more. Being an employee, I pretty much just sat back and watched as people went crazy. There was little I could do, to be honest. Other than marvel at the clawing and the gimme gimme gimme of the moment as the clock struck 4:58am. Yeah, we were supposed to wait until 5 on the dot, but you tell that to a bunch of very tired or high strung ladies who had been waiting since 11pm to get whatever it is they’ve been waiting for since the beginning of the week.
Oh, by the way, this took place in a 24 hr store, my beloved The Mart.
This is not The Mart, nor was I waiting outside.
Last year was the first time I hung out as a customer, waiting for a prized laptop gift for my mother. I had to wait in a very long line, which was whittled down to 50 people, since there was only 50 laptops. I was #48. There was tension, to say the least. It didn’t really start until closer to 4am, and definitely by 5am. If the 50 people in line were guaranteed the 50 laptops, why so much stress? As the line started advancing, we kept seeing people ahead of us that we hadn’t seen before. We were afraid people were snuck into the line. That’s right, we were suspicious of snuckers. But in actuality, people were dropping off items to the people in the line so they could make the purchase all at once… which was why I didn’t leave The Mart until close to 6am, which is why we were panicking at the end of the line thinking people were buying more than one laptop.
"Get her!" I'm kidding, this isn't a picture of a fight. Hilarious if it was though.
But let me rephrase myself: I wasn’t panicking. In fact, my fellow shoppers were asking me how I remained so calm. My friends can tell you I’m a very passive and patient person. I mean, c’mon… I stayed on hold for about 10 minutes once.
And getting bent out of shape wasn’t in my plans, and it wasn’t necessary to do so anyway. Sure I was getting annoyed by the end, but that’s because I was getting sleepy. I can’t remember what time I arrived, my guess is about 2am. But I didn’t get home until 7am and I had very little sleep between Thanksgiving foods and getting up around midnight. So my crankiness was due to sleepiness, not waiting in a line for a few hours.
How did I pass my time? Just observing others, joining in with the chatter of what’s going on in the store… and also tweeting.
This year I plan on doing the same. I’ll have company with me so I won’t be completely bored. But I’ll still be tweeting how much fun I’m having waiting in line.
What’s the appeal of the craziness of being out at the butt dimples of dawn? the sales of course! Yes, it’s totally worth it. Most laptops average about $400, $500… but $200? Yes please. I can give up a few hours.
You can actually buy this shirt.
But this is not for everyone. If you’re going to go in for the long haul, be sure to do the following:
- Drink your coffee, you’ll need the energy
- Leave your kids at home, they might get damaged
- Bring a buddy to help you shop or keep you sane
- Have a game plan-have a meeting place after you get your items or outside of the store
- Your cell phone is your best friend, besides keeping you stimulated, it helps keep in contact with your team
- Be friendly, not everyone there is looking for a fight… and the person you’re with might fight for you if it came down to it
If I think of more fun, I’ll be sure to post a part 2 (which I did). If not, follow me on Twitter.
October 1, 2010
fripodding and drowning – “in the air tonight” phil collins
We’ve all heard the story, which is maybe now in myth or legend territory now, about the story behind this song, why it was written, who it was written for, and the dramatic scene in which it was performed. Sure it’s false, but isn’t it just great in an eerie if not totally unbelievable way? Well… the unbelievable part is the “dramatic scene in which it was performed” part.
In case you never heard the rumor about this song, one night, singer-songwriter Phil Collins and out and about being singer-songwriter Phil Collins… presumably out by some body of water. Well, legend has it that singer-songwriter Phil Collins noticed someone drowning and pleading for help from some dude who either put him in such a drowning situation or just stood there watching this poor drowning man suffer. Apparently, singer-songwriter Phil Collins wasn’t close enough to save this man himself, or else maybe this song would be dramatically different and not so dark and eerie as it sounds. Anyway, after the supposed crime is committed, the non-savior gets away scott-free… apparently grinning that he got away with murder. Or would it be attempted murder? Involuntary manslaughter? Surely there’s a proper name for not helping to save someone from dying. Anyway, singer-songwriter Phil Collins goes out and hires a private eye to track this guy down to give him a free ticket to a concert. The dude attends the concert unaware that singer-songwriter Phil Collins wrote a song all about what he did, and when he performs the song, there is a spotlight on the let-’em-drowner and only on him, just to say “hey buddy, this one’s for you because I know what you did and now the rest of the world does too.”
But, needless to say, the story isn’t true. I still like it and like to pretend that happened. I’ve heard variations on the truth such as the song is about the bitter break up of singer-songwriter Phil Collins and his wife, or the song’s lyrics don’t really mean much of anything. However, the latter I might be getting confused with “Stairway to Heaven”… another song without real interpretation. Don’t let the truth ruin a good story, right?
Regardless of the facts or fictions of this song, it’s one of the classics. I don’t think I really need to explain why it is, but I’d be surprised if I meet anyone over 20 that hasn’t heard it. How many movies has it been featured in? I don’t really know, but there’s The Hangover, Big Trouble and Miami Vice the movie and TV show just to name a few. But it’s just one of those kinds of songs everyone knows.
What exactly singer-songwriter Phil Collins feels in the air tonight, I was never entirely sure. But whatever it is, or was, it can’t be good. But I can’t help but think singer-songwriter Sir Elton John might have picked up a similar vibe or may have been inspired by happier things while listening to the song that helped him to write “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” Just a thought, and a wild connection to link Phil Collins, Elton John, Disney classics The Lion King and Tarzan together. Too much of a stretch? Okay, sorry.
August 21, 2010
originality: an original origin story about an original originator
With a title like that, I really set myself up, didn’t I? Well I will spoil the ending now: there’s nothing new under the sun.
Yet one can argue that there are no original stories left to tell, which might be a false idea. In fact, I’d be at least one to argue it. As a writer and a storyteller, it’s my personal quest to tell new and creative stories to capture the thoughts and emotions of an audience. And it may be easy to lose that audience once your story falls under familiar been-there-done-that territory. They start guessing what’s going to happen next or even how it’s going to end. Sometimes, that can actually be a good thing, some people like to try and solve a mystery before it’s revealed. And who doesn’t like a good ending where the guy gets the girl? Or the day is saved? Or justice is served?
Surprisingly, there are quite a few people out there that don’t mind seeing the opposite unhappy or ambiguous ending. But I didn’t come here to talk to you about that. I came to tell you my personal mission in this world of storytelling.
My friend Melissa inspired me once again to think about original stories and in turn made me think of my methods of how I come up with my own stories. In my opinion, a few of those stories I have under lock and key (meaning I’m not sharing them so openly) seem pretty original to me. Even if they aren’t, it’s still new to me and if I hear about it before then, I will tailor it so it at least sounds new.
Black Lightning
When I was a kid, I thought up an action hero who was basically super-powered version of myself, cool twists in the hair included. His superpower was electricity manipulation. Now I know what you’re thinking, they already have a Black superhero who works with electricity: Black Lightning and/or Black Vulcan (who aren’t the same person). At the time, I was aware of them. But this guy was different. My superhero, who I named Laze (I can’t remember why I settled on that name) also traveled via electric hover board. Think of Back to the Future II and the Silver Surfer, which I was a little more familiar with at the time if not inspired by. Well, this Laze character was a doodle I drew for quite a while. Those were good times, making up adventures in my spare time in class, drawing action scenes and making explosion noises that matched my doodles and getting strange looks from my teacher. Good times, indoob. Growing up, I eventually retired him. Then one day, while watching Kids WB, I saw this show:
Imagine my shock, pun unintended. It felt like an idea of mine had been ripped right out of my head and put on TV. What were the chances? Well I later found out that this was yet another comic book hero that predated my inception of Laze. But still, even if it didn’t, I didn’t have the means or connections to get my idea off the ground and to an audience. You have to admit, getting noticed has become easier thanks to the Internet. With the same token, it’s also harder because so many people are on the Internet trying to get noticed.
And thanks to the Internet, ideas are shared faster than ever. So people are making their own short films and playing them on YouTube instead of waiting around for film festivals (which are still going strong). And by no means is this a problem. I’m a little ashamed at myself for not already being on board… but in due time. These people may very well have original ideas that may, in fact, be completely unheard of. And that’s awesome. It’s even better when someone who has a louder voice, or more money, comes along to amplify that original idea. District 9 anyone? The idea of aliens coming to Earth is nothing new. But aliens being shipwrecked and discriminated against? Okay, I don’t know if it’s original, but it’s new to me. But in documentary form? My booty was firmly planted in the seat. Actually, it had been planted long before it was released, but that’s besides the point. An old idea presented in a new or unique way is the point here.
And that’s a method I plan to take. But that’s for the stories I know people sorta know already. Like romantic comedies, for example. There is a formula to it. I don’t want to get into what that is, but if you’ve seen one or two, you’ve seen most of them. Normally, the guy gets the girl despite a bunch of rough patches and wrong turns, whatever or whoever that may be. I do like rom-coms. I have quite a few in my head I’d like to write. I’ll bet a lot of the popular ones were based on real life events, like (500) Days of Summer. Which to me, by the way, also felt like an original story. Or at least told in an original and unique way.
And it’s my personal opinion, that if you are telling a story that is about a true event that happened to you, that may pass as an original story. Not to sound existential, but life is an original story. We may share a lot of the same elements like first loves, tragic losses that lead to dramatic life changes, betrayal of a friend, dark secrets exposed… quick, what movie pops in your mind? What is Death at a Funeral? Probably not, but that movie has a lot of those elements in it.
Anyway, my point is retelling real-life events. Unless I had a biographer, only I would be able to tell my own story. I have an idea of telling a specific event in my father’s life. It has a bit of Tarantino to it, with non-linear storytelling, but it’s a story only my family knows. Telling someone’s whole life story treads a line of original story and biography.
Another idea I have is telling stories about the ancient past. Is it just me, or is history a gold mind for original stories? I’m sitting on story now I can’t wait to map out thanks to countless hours of watching the History Channel. And no, I’m not telling you. Hahah… But knowing history can be a great source for inspiration. Whether you research a documented real life hero or make up your own that could’ve lived in the time of your choosing, that’s up to you. But I don’t think you can ever go wrong sitting around listening to friends and family talk about life and drawing inspiration from them… unless they are a bit senile and it’s really an episode of Monk they thought happened to them. But hey… sounds a bit like how Bubba Ho-tep may have been conceived. Either way, that’s a movie unlike I’ve ever seen or heard.
Lastly, let’s not forget another great source for an attempt at originality: dreams. I thought I may have seen and heard it all… then the best kept secret that ended up being one of the best movies of the summer (possibly the year) came along…
Click to read my review
I only heard a few contend that this movie isn’t as original as it feels. But we can all agree it’s a breath of fresh air. And at the end of the day, I think that’s what a lot of people want… something fresh. Not a remake, reboot, reimagining, sequel, prequel, based on a book/cartoon or a “cover version”. Yet, I would make a case for those, nothing beats a brand new original story… even if it’s not all that original.
June 26, 2010
how i got LOST: part 4 – reflect
There was and still is a lot to download and process from a show like this. Another thing I tell people is to take note of the books that are shown. Surely it could be just random props thrown in, but those who have watched the show know enough to know that these titles have some significance to a particular episode, theme or the entire show.
The show is full of themes. Arguments of science vs. faith, destiny vs. free will, light vs. dark, good vs. evil and even love vs. hate. And in the end, you find that sometimes the winner is both (obviously “love” and “light” won in LOST). Also, especially the last season, the theme of redemption. And did you notice all those mirror shots? Watch again.
There are also a few questions out there that have yet to be answered… and I’ve learned that we will actually get some of these answers on that DVD, such as what the stank happened to Walt? We know he had to be written out due to his age. But really, what was his deal? Why the dead birds? What about the food drops? Why did that still happen? I really wanted to know more about Ilana too. All we know is that Jacob visited her when some accident happened, and she said he was the closest she had to a father. Then she went boom. I would’ve loved a flashback about her. Those are the main three questions that I can remember. I had idle questions I don’t really need an answer to, like the statue… who built it? What about the temple and its healing waters? Is there anyone in charge of it now? What’s up with Kate’s horse? Who is #108 “Wallace” at the lighthouse? (I kinda still wanna know that one.) What about the Hurley bird? Since Hurley was put in charge, did he leave the island to bring people to it? Was he killed or did he just decide to die? Did Ben remain a good guy? (I can only assume yes since Hurley still treated him like a friend.) Do the Whispers ever get to move on? Again, I’m not really looking for an answer to those questions. But things to think about, yes? Check out Lostpedia.com for lots more info and theories.
(And just for the record, that very, very last shot when they rolled the credits involving the plane wreckage on the beach had nothing to do with the anything. Read here.)
I have a theory as to why Sun didn’t return with the rest of the Oceanic 6 when they came back to the island. I think because when she first went to the island, she didn’t want to be with Jin. But this time, since she didn’t recreate the same situations necessary for a successful proper return, she was left in the present while everyone else went back in time because she wanted to be with Jin. There are some loopholes in this theory I’m sure and would much rather have the writers explain it. Or I’m open to anyone else’s theory about why she didn’t travel back in time… other than it would make for an interesting story to keep the tension until they finally met in the final episodes.
Probably more practical questions would be what will those involved with LOST do now? I’ve already seen a few of the cast members signed up for new projects. I would love a Sawyer and Miles cop show. Maybe a few LOST co-star cameos. No mythology though. I heard rumor, although I don’t think it’s true, Terry O’Quinn and Michael Emerson (Locke and Ben) would pitch a show together. True or not, I hope it happens. I don’t care if it’s a comedy or a drama, I’m there.
As for a show to replace the greatness that was LOST, well even though I didn’t watch it all 6 years it was actually on the air, I was around for the beginning. I try to catch those beginning episodes hoping to stumble upon the next big thing. So far, the only show that’s still on the air that I’m devoted to is Fringe. But fall will be here before you know it with a slew of new TV shows that may or may not make it. But one thing is for sure, there won’t be another show like LOST for quite some time. I’m glad I got to enjoy that journey and connected with so many other people on a brilliantly written and produced show.
There’s so much more I can say about the show that I haven’t touched on in these last few posts, but that’s the joy of a show like this: it keeps on giving especially with repeat showings. So I’ll be sure to be back with more insights. But this concludes my LOST reflections for now. Namaste. [Dramatic drum beat] FOUND.
June 24, 2010
how i got LOST: part 3 – finale
It’s those questions, theories, and events that made me refuse to blog about LOST because it would only drive me crazy and obsessed (more than I already was/am). Not that that’s a bad thing. But with the show wrapping up soon, I would rather keep my guesses and theories to myself and let the show surprise me with what they had planned up all along. How will it all end?!
And what an ending it was! I don’t think I had ever been so conflicted for an event to happen. Excited and saddened to see the end, but it’s been a month after it ended, I’m coping just nicely. I think everyone has come to their conclusions and are awaiting the release of season 6 to begin watching again from the beginning (if they haven’t already started, or have already begun to do so with Hulu). So many people have their favorite moments from the finale. Many people cried. I don’t know if I would have, there were a lot of distractions going on at my house. We had somewhat of a finale party, but half the people who attended had never watched the show, so we couldn’t help them.
I specifically chose to wait to write about the finale just to gather everyone’s thoughts together. I guess it was to be expected that not everyone was going to like the way it ended… but you can’t please everybody all the time, right? But I also waited because, well, who else wasn’t exactly sure what happened in the last few minutes? It took me a good night’s rest to fully process the events and then later on the next day I figured it out.
I found that explaining the ending of LOST to someone that doesn’t watch it isn’t easy to do, because they don’t fully grasp the meaning behind it. The best I could do was first explain to them how this season was different, “island world vs. Sideways world,” and that the island was real life in real time, and that the Sideways world was somewhat similar to but not really like The Sixth Sense. Sorry, spoiler alert if you still haven’t seen that movie and have been a cave dweller the past decade, Bruce Willis is dead the whole time.
What I try to get across to people is that this show is really about these characters. And it was sure to end on that note too in the Sideways world, reuniting characters with moments that were most significant to them when they were on the island. A lot of those moments, or what I came to call them, “enlightenments” or even “awakenings” if you will, occurred when they touched someone or something that meant a lot to them while on the island. That’s when they “woke up” so to speak. Or I guess, let go. Either way, they became aware of the events that happened on the island and eventually met up at a church so they could all leave to the next life together.
lostpedia.com
I think one of the best scenes had to be Sawyer and Juliet. That brought the season premier right back to memory… which is what everyone had been waiting for. My least favorite reunion, but still a bit surprising was Sayid reuniting with Shannon. In my mind, the girl for him will always be Nadia… but he moved on. The Charlie, Claire and Kate awakenings were special. Another long awaited event many predicted would happen: Jack’s surgery on Locke that effectively fixed him, and in turn, woke him up. All of that lead to Jack’s final moment. I thought Kate would seal the deal, but no… He kept fighting to let go. It took Daddy Shephard once again to step in, but after Jack touched his coffin.
Looking back, that scene was pretty heavy, much like a lot of the show itself.
But still, the scenes that had most people talking took place on the island. Fantastic editing, by the way, that tied the final island scenes with the final Sideways scenes so everything ended together on the same note. The Man in Black had to go, I wasn’t sure how it would happen but I’m satisfied with his demise. I would have loved to have seen more of my “brotha” Desmond. But he served his purpose in removing the cork so Jack could kill MIB. That’s the way I saw it.
"The End" from lostpedia.com
Then Jack had to restore the island, but before doing so, he passed the torch to Hurley to take over protecting the island. And who better to do the job than someone as awesome and caring as him? And with Ben as his #2? And there’s no spin-off to see how much fun that could’ve been? (I hear word we will get an epilogue treat on the DVD.) Meanwhile, a few others that managed to live throughout MIB’s destruction also managed to escape the island that was falling apart due to the removal of the cork. (I realize none of this makes any sense unless you’ve actually seen it. Oh well.) But they wouldn’t have made it home if it wasn’t for Jack restoring the cork, which brought back the light, which saved the island, his friends and the world. Such a task would have killed a man, but it was a sacrifice the island needed, and he was the only one who could do it. With barely an ounce of life left to live, he stumbled to the bamboo forest where we first met him in the pilot. He lay down, looked up into the sky, and let go, smiling. At this point, most people were probably still stable. But no, here comes Vincent. Who appropriately lay down next to Jack as he drew his final breath, letting go happily. Then he closed his eyes. [Soft piano] LOST.
June 23, 2010
how i got LOST: part 2 – journey
I'm smiling because I have no idea what's going on.
I’d like to note, one of the “problems” with a show like LOST is that you need to watch every single episode in order to understand what’s going on. What you find out is even when you are up to date; you can still be a bit lost and confused. I can’t speak for everyone, but it was a good confusion. It’s a show that got you thinking, and kept you thinking after an episode was over. So to fans of the show, it’s like a long, great movie.
Other shows that follow this heavy serialized method are Heroes, FlashForward and 24, just to name a few. Sadly, some people might miss a few episodes then give up since falling behind. Or just lose interest because the story stinks [cough] Heroes [cough]. Serialized TV is fine, but if you don’t have people watching, you aren’t going to make it very far. And one way to make sure of this is to make sure you have a good story and characters to keep the viewers coming back. LOST fell victim to some bad episodes too [cough] season 3 [cough], but overall, it was worth sticking with. I am understating the fact that the writing and character developments were top notch. This show had always been more about the characters than about the island itself. But of course, this was a mystery show at heart, so by keeping the audience guessing was paramount too.
Once my friend and I started renting the DVDs and watching online, we couldn’t stop. Any free time was spent watching this show. Then after a season, we’d talk about what just happened, and then continue watching. A few days at a time, people couldn’t find me because I’d be in my room watching this show. That is one of the best ways to watch this show, by the way. By then I understood why people loved this show. I understood the hype and experienced it first hand. Over the course of a few months, I became a Lostie. However, during those months, I had to completely ignore websites and magazines that were also big fans of the show. Avoiding spoilers was a difficult task, but I succeeded. And once we were completely caught up, we patiently waited for the 6th and final season to begin. Unlike the devoted fans, our season 5 ended in December ’09, so we didn’t have to wait like everyone else did in May. Prior to this, I managed to acquire the first 5 seasons on DVD for my collection, and brought my parents into the world, with me acting as their guide should they have questions to many of LOST‘s questions. I’d either answer, tell them nothing (because the answer was coming), or (at the time) tell them it’s still a mystery.
"Jughead" (Lostpedia)
So from February to May, I found myself plotting to be home by 9PM every Tuesday. I got to enjoy the agony of waiting a week until the next episode since before, I never had to wait. The fun part was being speechless with other Losties about what we just witnessed. With my parents, I may have had to explain a few things that only made sense if you’ve seen every episode and completely up to date. While I was rewatching every episode up to the finale, they were watching it for the first time getting filled in. So I was also their guide for season 6, filling them in on important details so they could understand what was going on. However, no one I knew could explain the Sideways world until the finale. And with so many questions left unanswered, I’m still trying to wrap my head around what really happened with Jughead at the end of season 5. Success? Failure? Or the universe self-correcting itself? [Dramatic drum beat] LOST.
June 22, 2010
how i got LOST: part 1 – pilot
Way back, on September 22nd, 2004, I was at my sister’s apartment getting my hair braided. I don’t know who was in control of the remote control but after flipping through a number of channels, we landed on ABC. Surely something good would be on the Alphabet Network. I really didn’t know. I had started my first year in college at SUNY Purchase and didn’t have time to follow any TV shows. I was only home for a few days just to see a few friends and, well, get my hair done. By the time we settled on what to watch, I think we missed the opening credits or title sequence. Keep in mind, we have no idea what it is we are actually watching, but it looked interesting.
“Looks like another Stephen King movie,” I tell my sister.
“Indubitably,” she replies.
The funny thing is, in retrospect, and watching several behind the scenes features, I was very, very close to being correct. The LOST creators are huge fans and admirers of King and the evidence is in many episodes (sometimes a character or theme can be found reading one of his books). Also, what I thought was a made-for-TV movie was filmed like it was a movie. Those who watched the pilot could agree. The proof is in the details. Never before in TV history had anything like this been done. Okay, that may be a lie… but what is true is that it’s the most expensive pilot in TV history. And that’s what I mean by the details. And just the concept alone of this show is something that I’m pretty sure no one had every witnessed before.
With all that said, I had no idea what I was getting into. But I knew it was something insanely entertaining. And I knew that this movie would have to wrap it up soon, unless part 2 is coming on tomorrow night. You know how Stephen King does with his miniseries. But if there’s only a second part, I could go along for the ride.
WRONG. The movie ended on a mystery. [Dramatic drum beat] LOST.
Some announcer dude comes on telling me to tune in next week, or that I’ve just witnessed the first episode of a new show, or a combination of both. Either way, what was more shocking than the cliffhanger was that this was a TV show, not a TV movie. And being in college, I know I won’t have time to watch this show. I wasn’t about to make appointment time to watch something like this. So, in short, it made me mad. And from that night on, I refused to be bothered with the show. I probably went as far as to say that I hated it.
A couple years later, I tuned in to some random episode in season 3, only recognizing a few characters from the pilot episode I saw. But I had absolutely no idea what was going on. So I spread the word to people that you would be lost if you tuned in randomly, like I did. The actual fans, which I later learned are called Losties, really didn’t care what I or anyone had to say. Just don’t bother them when the show is on. None of this made sense to me at the time. I heard people going nuts about it.
Flash-forward to late winter 2009. My friend and I discuss over the Interwebs about this LOST phenomenon and how curiosity is getting the best of us. We had both heard lots of things from friends, family, magazines, etc. and thought, “Maybe we should give it another chance.” I think my friend had also watched the pilot or at least a few episodes from season 1 and quit. Regardless, using Netflix and Hulu, we decided to climb onboard again realizing we have to go back! [Dramatic drum beat] LOST.
