I meant to write this when Johnny Carson passed away, but I never did. Now that Ed’s gone too I feel like I have another sad opportunity to talk about this.

When I was very small, I had earaches very badly. In fact, one of my eardrums still bears scar tissue from this rough patch near the beginning. It was very hard for me because I wasn’t able to understand what was happening, or why, or that it would eventually go away. Mostly it was scary and I was miserable because I was in pain, sometimes up till all hours of the night. I spent a lot of my early nights sleeping with my hurty ear on a heating pad laying on the couch, one parent (or sometimes both) up with me: My mom would sit at the end of the couch by my feet, my dad in his chair. I’m sure it wasn’t as bad as I remember it, but they are some of my earliest memories and I think the painful part is why they are still in my brain. Anyway.

With an earache I could be up until midnight or even later, laying on the couch, tired, achy, cried out, just being still and trying to sleep (which I wasn’t good at even without an earache). Like any reasonable adult in the late 70′s, if you were up after the 11:00 news you’d watch Johnny Carson. So I saw a fair amount of Johnny and Ed and Doc and guests. It was total nonsense at the age of four, but I didn’t care. It was something I could do with my parents that my (recently acquired) brother was no part of. Even though I didn’t understand, I laughed when my dad laughed and I saw Art Fern and Carnac and others. This was also one of the few times I can remember my parents doing something together that it appeared they both enjoyed.

My parents split up when I was 6 so I don’t have a lot of those memories. When I wanted to remember a nice time in my life during some of the less pleasant times, (I think some people call them “high school”) I could sit down and watch Johnny and feel a little better. Then Johnny retired right about the time I graduated from high school, and basically dropped off the planet. I was sad to see him go, he was a real class act. When he passed away, I hadn’t realized how much I would miss him. With Ed McMahon passing too, it really feels like the end of an era for television. There’s not an Ed or Johnny out there now to look to, showing how it’s done without making a big deal of it. I think the biggest difference between them and current television is that for the most part, they weren’t mean. Sure they made jokes, and sure people laughed, but it wasn’t always at the expense of a person in a mean way. They liked people, and loved what they did, and it showed every night.

Like I said on Twitter initially: RIP Ed. There’s a spot on the couch for you. Now that Johnny can get a proper introduction he can finally start his big show in the sky.

When I first saw the iPad presentation my first thought was “OMG WordCamp” and every other place I have been that was an all day thing, or even just enough of the day that it took longer than my laptop battery. I am really excited about this, I can see where this is something that could really make a huge difference in computing. I don’t want to be all hyperbolic about it, but really. This is such a big deal. I just don’t know how I can wait for my own. Argh!!

And yes, I typed this entire thing on an iPad. It was a pretty nice experience actually. I am trying SO hard right now not to be excited and everything but I am having a very hard time with that. I have itty bitty girl hands, I know, but this is still really fun. I like this a lot. Seriously I ADORE technology and I see a lot of it and even still this is exciting to me. I have to keep reminding myself there is a whole computer in here. It really is amazing.

It was great! I remembered a lot of being a sixth grader while I was reading (my sixth grade year had, sadly, 100% less dragons than this book did though) and only a couple of times did I think “Wow, how’s that going to turn out?” and every time I thought that, whatever it was got neatly tied up at before the end.

I read the note from the author at the end, and he said he wanted to write a series of books about the magic shop he wished he had stumbled across when he was a kid. So far this is the only one of this series I’ve read, and I can easily see a book about at least two other characters in this book alone. Sadly, it was reported to me the other Magic Shop books aren’t as interesting, but since it didn’t take me very long to read this one, I think I’ll try my hand at one or two more and see how they are.

Now I have to return this book to K. I see why she was nervous about loaning it out, she was probably worried she wouldn’t get it back! So thank you very much K, and thank you to your mom for convincing me this was a book I would enjoy. I should have guessed you would be totally correct. (:

So here goes! I scribble these as I watch so I claim no coherency. It wouldn’t even make sense to anyone who doesn’t watch the show already and yeah, if you haven’t seen this episode, Thar Be Spoilers Ahead. Yarr.

* A spinning wheel? Really?
* What it is you’re spinning has to come from someplace, traditionally a creature. This is Polar Bear Wool?
* Something in my brain looking at the back of the person spinning just went OMG CHARLIE!!!!!!
* Looks very old here…
* That thing on the wall is pretty and I bet Rob knows what it says. I wonder if it’s helpful at all.
* Black Rock?
* They’re American?
* Is it because I watch too much Battlestar Galactica that I think Black Rock “crashed” like 815 “crashed” like 316 “crashed” and this happens on the Island over and over again?
* Who are they? And which one’s Jacob?
* Do you know how badly I wanna kill you? WTF? What is the agreement. What loophole?
* Oh so now we know which one’s Jacob. But who’s the other guy?
* Gratuitous Statue shot! That was hot.
* oooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhweeeeeeeeeeooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh….
* That was my dramatic (ascii) reenactment of the music at the beginning.
* I see they’ve upgraded Mac (in the “I’m a Mac” ads) from a hoodie to a cardigan. Nice.
* Trucks and corn! Weehaw!
* Kate? She’s green eyed and freckly.
* Oh look it is Kate.
* Wait is that Jacob? Did he appear in all their lives at some point?
* Pass? AWESOME!! Someone needs to give Kate a reality check. Such as reality is.
* mmm. Bossy Sayid is bossy.
* Manscara is all paranoid? Hrm.
* Oh good, Psycho Stewart is all worked up.
* Six years? Not FOUR years? Or EIGHT? (I had to ask!)
* I wonder why he’s so fixated on it being NOW NOW NOW. Can’t he wait till after a coffee break or something?
* Looky! Locke!
* A title I’ve discovered is incredibly temporary…hrm.
* So Benry admits he never met Jacob?
* “That is my recollection, yes.” hee!
* Manscara’s never seen someone come back to life, Locke’s never seen someone who didn’t age.
* So Locke tells Benry he is gonna KILL Jacob, and tells Guyliner he’s gonna THANK him. If that’s the same thing, I’m worried about Locke.
* I know a certain Mister Peacock is gonna LOVE that scene!
* Row, row, row, your boat, gently on the beach, merrily merrily merrily merrily 1973!
* Candidate, huh? FRIENDS?
* I think the phrase is “What the fresh hell is this?”
* It’s another H Bomb?
* Random church with a little kid. Two coffins? His folks? Sawyer?
* Yup. Jacob.
* I’m feeling like the pen is familiar.
* It’s The Letter!
* “What’s done is done”, huh?
* Sawyer shot Kate down, huh?
* How did Juliet swap Sawyer places? Weird. She’s convinced by Kate’s story and dragging him on an adventure? OMG!
* I like that she’s not like this all the time, because watching Juliet indulge in badassery is REALLY cool.
* HA! Tank top and no goggles or anything but he is wearing gloves working on the bomb.
* Whoa. MANSCARA is questioning all this? What in THE hell?
* Ah ha, maybe Locke had a plan by planting a tidbit with Benry to see what would happen.
* O! M! G! I think Locke just out-Benry-ed Benry! Didja see his whole face change when he said “You are.” DUDE!
* Aww, what are they planning?
* AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
* OK so Jacob saved Sayid’s life. But that was TERRIBLE.
* So that had to swim under a waterfall and all that but now that they are at the bomb they can just walk out?
* It’s Dharmia? Right next to the bomb?
* DUDE!
* Ohhhhh, it’s like that.
* Wait, “protecting our leader”?? Who is that exactly? Ellie?
* Who lives here?
* If they dodge the right folks they should be ok right?
* Oh it better not be Sayid who gets it. No no no no no no no. (etc)
* Oh don’t shoot him because of the nuclear device but slam the device up against a wall and that’s ok? Dropping Sayid ON TOP OF IT on the floor of the van is fine? Jebus.
* Oh Terminator. I want to like you. Really.
* Y HALO THAR SUBMARINE!
* Look at her face, Julet is sad to watch her possible happy future slip away.
* Every time someone gets in a boat I wonder if they’re the ones who fire flaming arrows.
* VINCENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
* ROSE!!!!!!! BERNARD!!!!!!!!
* Why aren’t they happy about this!?
* I understand all the tension and action but I want more of the Miles and Hurley Show.
* Oooh! Do webisodes of Miles and Hurley and their antics. I’d LVOE that.
* They’ve been stuck there for three years!?
* I like that Bernard has just as much sarcasm as Sawyer. (:
* They knew they were looking for them?
* “Because we’re retired.”
* “It’s always somethin with you people.”
* Rose is the smartest person on the show.
* So we die. We just care about being together.
* I cried when Bernard and Rose were reunited. I love them. Give them webisodes too! (:
* What’s in the box? Hurley’s guitar case? Hot Pockets?
* How does Ilana-Lucia know anything about anything on the island?
* So she already knows who he is? And apparently what he wants? WTF?
* What’s with the cabin? What’s the ash got to do with it?
* Shadow of the Statue, huh?
* It doesn’t seem like there’s enough cabin to light up the sky like that…
* Flannery O’Connor, Everything That Rises Must Converge (Short story collection.)
* OMG!
* Locke this time? What’s he gonna say to Locke?
* Did Jacob just bring him back to life? Did he apologize for bringing him back or for falling out the window?
* Does this mean the Island didn’t bring Locke back when he landed, Jacob did it already so it didn’t count as coming back when he got back to the Island?
* “I’m a Pisces.” Hee!
* Benry thinks Locke already knows he was pretending? Is Benry still a move or two ahead?
* “I lied. That’s what I do.” Wow, it seems like Benry’s finally broken.
* Does Locke have some sort of plan for something or is he just once again out Benry-ing Benry?
* OMG it’s Charlie’s DriveShaft ring! (sniffle) hang on a second, there’s something in my eye…
* Sun has some very nice vows.
* So does Jin.
* Now I think I have something in my other eye…
* Why are we stopping? Oh goody. Although the First Annual Jack And Sawyer Squint-Off might be fun.
* OOOH! Well. Sort of ooh. I’m sad there’s not more statue.
* How did they know Jack would be here?
* Ohh! From this we can deduce that each round of Squint-Off lasts 5 minutes.
* So Jacob (Christian) talked him down? Was that Jacob sitting over there?
* OMG it’s an Apollo bar! I had one when they released them a few years ago. It was good!
* “I guess it just needed a little push.” heh.
* Come on Jack, sit down! He used your real name and everything!
* Sawyer is talking to someone about this? Wow.
* What’s done is done, huh?
* Yes, Jack. What IS it about?
* OK, really? Jack is willing to change history for Little Miss Oh Today I Don’t Think I Like You I’ll Sleep With The Other Guy? THIS is his reason?
* So Jack is gonna REWRITE HISTORY for Little Miss PolarBearCamWhore? Oh you have GOT to be kidding.
* When he said “I had her” I thought he meant his ex-wife.
* Dude. Just…dude.
* Oh and Juliet just up and changed her mind? This is why girls have a bad rep, Juliet!
* Am I the only one waiting for someone (Sawyer) to say “This is why we can’t have nice things!!”
* Juliet, right?
* Seriously, Juliet, the man covered in someone else’s blood has a point.
* Juliet you are making me very sad. And Sawyer too.
* While what she says is true, doesn’t Sawyer know he and Kate could never ever be?
* Does it hurt? Oh let me poke at it with my jungle grubby hands then!
* LOST, you are losing me big time here. I’m not a Jater or a Skater, I don’t like her with either one of them. And now Jack’s entire motivation is HER? Puh-LEAZE!
* One Fruit Roll-Up. Hee!
* Jacob and a guitar case in a cab. Huh.
* Definitely NOT dead. Hrmmm…
* So Jacob did this to Hurley? Ohhhhhhh, ok…
* I like it better when Hurley just sees dead people Miles-style. I hope he’s not just crazy.
* “Not my guitar.” So it’s not his, or it’s not a guitar? ARGH!
* I love you Hurley. “Or the past. One of those.”
* Really, a guy covered in blood skipping up to the drill hole with a suspicious backpack? Yeah that’ll go well.
* No big Bruce Campbell-style “Gimme some sugar baby” when he takes off? LAME.
* I always thought it was an old LADY who lived in a shoe…
* (Yes I know it’s just a sandal. I was trying to be funny.)
* Benry doesn’t know what happened to the statue? Or just doesn’t want to say?
* I wonder why Richard is so huffy about this.
* How do you shut a door like that?
* If Jacob is such a special different dude type guy, will a knife really do it?
* I really hope it’s not Sayid, I like him. Nobody will sit and hold his hand?
* Miles has a point, what if this IS The Incident?
* Where did SHE pick up “Live together die alone”? She wasn’t there when they crashed…
* This should be…interesting.
* Nice! Here comes the Scooby Gang!
* BITCH THIS AIN’T A CUTSCENE PRESS A!!!!
* They’re such Star Wars fans, I wanted Juliet to say “I love you” and Sawyer to say “I know”.
* After all that, NOTHING!?!?!
* Oh here we go!
* OMG the hole is eating the drill! DUDE!
* And that’s how his arm goes, huh?
* GOOD! Stewart should get it!
* NO! That’s not fair and like the last time I saw someone get pulled down a hole it didn’t feel right.
* “Do you have any alcohol?” Hee!
* Well hello Ilana-Lucia. I’m sure they’re going to totally believe you that it’s ok.
* She asked again!!!
* What?????? There’s an answer? And I don’t know what it is???? ARGH!
* UPDATE: I looked it up. Answer is “Ile qui nos omnes servabit”, or Latin for “He who will save us all”.
* OK in the box was…Chucky Widmore?
* OMG! IT IS LOCKE!
* Kelly’s Mind: Will It Blend? Again, the answer is yes.
* So yeah WTF is that!?!?
* OK how is this a loophole? What’s going on here?
* Reincarnation or something?
* How is this a loophole?
* Dammit. This is Benry being all human and here’s his baggage all coming out. I hate when he’s human.
* Oh that’s better.
* Oh Sawyer I am so sorry for you.
* OMG SHE’S NOT DEAD!
* That little blood from the mought thing tells me she’s probably close though, right?
* And then it vanished?
* And now it’s white with black letters? OMG!
* So did it work? Do we know? How does this make the Island so you can’t be born there anymore?
* Will the final season be white on black credits?
* Are they copying Heroes with that “Destiny Found” like it’s the label of the final “chapter”? I hope not. They are SO much better than Heroes now.

So here goes! I scribble these as I watch so I claim no coherency. It wouldn’t even make sense to anyone who doesn’t watch the show already and yeah, if you haven’t seen this episode, Thar Be Spoilers Ahead. Yarr.

PREVIOUSLY:
Dead is Dead, says Benry. Hm.
Daniel convincing Jack and Kate he can fix it all.
—–
* Oh don’t make me watch Daniel get it again. Unless this time you’re showing me he didn’t die, just stop.
* Oh now Jack has caught the crazy too.
* Gee, Kate’s all about leaving Danile for dead. Nice.
* Awesome move there Chucky.
* Is Ellie freaking out right now reading her own handwriting?
* What does Guyliner know about Jack and Kate right now?
* What does ELLIE know about Jack and Kate right now?
* I wish the cards would give us the year instead of “Thirty Years Later” or whatever.
* He’s here? Who? Oh John! Is this his return to the Island?
* I wonder how hard it is for Richard to be second in Manscara to Benry and then Locke after all these years. Does he hate it or is his “advisor” (according to Benry) role something he likes?
* Sun is so hopeful. I am sorry for her because this won’t end well.
* I watched them all die. DUUUUUUUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN DUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!! Jebus, overdo the music much there Mike?
* Sun on the beach with Jin’s ring instead of hers.
* I don’t think they’re all dead but I don’t know why I think that or what will work this out.
* I wonder if Locke mentioned the compass to prove he is not a man to be trifled with or if it was just to mention it.
* Nice exchange with Benry. I sorta feel like Benry is what Locke could have been in another universe or something. Screwed by their parents, lost in despair, but Locke somehow got on with it and Benry got twisted.
* I don’t know when they became “our people” but I sort of like it. And that little pep talk Locke gave BlackHoleSun there, that was a very nice thing of him to do.
* Jebus Jack! All they do is kick you in the face, can’t you figure that out?
* Put things back the way they were supposed to be?
* “It was not all misery!” Of course YOU don’t think so Little Miss Polar Bear CamWhore! Little Miss Jack No Sawyer No Jack No Sawyer!
* How that shoulda gone: “It was NOT all misery!” “Oh? Did YOU watch Sawyer and *I* get it on in the cages? Wait…”
* How that shoulda gone 2: “It was NOT all misery!” “Not for YOU, every time you got upset you ran off to Sawyer to make it all better. I didn’t have a blonde of my own to run off to! Wait…”
* How that shoulda gone3: “It was NOT all misery!” “You didn’t have to put up with YOU, sweetheart. I’m ok with giving you and your wicked shoe habit right the hell up!”
(OK I’m sorry but I could NOT let that pass. Unpausing TiVo now.)
* Hello Ellie, well hello Ellie, it’s so nice to have you back WHEN you belong…
* When she was 17 she took him to the bomb? Oh yeah. Purplesky.
* Why is Kate so sad? Oh wait. Sawyer with his shirt off. Mmmm. Yeah. I can see why she’s bummed if that flies out of her head.
* Wait, they’re still talking. Oh, they sealed in the bomb and now Dharmia is on top of it. OK. Can we go back to topless Sawyer now?
* Is this why they gas Dharmia? If they do that will it undo everything including the massacre?
* Why does Horace seem ok with it? That’s…unfortunate.
* Kill him? What’s THAT get you? Better: Make you wish you were dead.
* I don’t like watching Sawyer get hit in the face.
* NOTE: Juliet’s shirt is not red. I’m less worried for her now. But only a little.
* Who the hell is Stuart anyway? I’m a little freaked out that they went right here.
* OMG! OK, *THAT* I did not expect.
* Hugo? Oh no. What now!?!?
* One of the interns said the guitar case contained Hot Pockets. Hee!
* Well hello Pierre.
* Oh Hurley. Nice try though. (:
* YES IT IS TRUE!
* Please Gord, let ONE frakking Lostie work out his daddy issues. I want it to be Miles. PLEASE.
* So Chucky thinks he’s familiar too? When did they meet? I don’t remember that…
* Why is his hand on her belly? Is that Daniel to be just there?
* Love can be complicated? There’s more to that story even here?
* I am still VERY curious about The Manscara Timeline right here.
* Oh Jacob. This should get interesting.
* What plane? I’m guessing Heroin Plane. Or the USS BooneWreck, if you prefer.
* OH! Richard is gonna fix Locke up because…Locke told him to!? Oh crap.
* Kelly’s mind: Will it blend? Lost is working toward making that answer yes.
* OK, this is something I love about Lost: We get to see the same scene again with a TON more info and context. Watching that happen is REALLY cool.
* Watching this again is interesting.
* Because you told me there was, John. WOW.
* I am very curious about the Island telling Locke things.
* Benry never saw Jacob. And that is all the answer we need right there on his face.
* “Certainly glad that didn’t have to happen.” Oh, Guyliner, if you ONLY knew.
* What the hell? I guess i knew but it is still weird to see Doctor Mister Changdlewick interact with Dharmians Gone Batshit Crazy.
* Oh now Stewart is gonna get all bossy? SHOOT HIM IN THE HEAD! BITCH THIS AIN’T A CUTSCENE PRESS A! (I shouldn’t have to tell you that’s got some racy language.)
* HmmMMMMmm, what kinda map will they get?
* Why is this such a big Hostile goddamned deal?
* Why can’t Kate do this?
* Does she really think Jack’s trying to kill her?
* Did she really think she could just walk away from Eloise Hawking??
* Y halo thar psychotic Iraqi! How are things?
* So is Eloise going to say anything or not? Does she know she could die too?
* Kate has a point, but really can’t she see it from anyone else’s point of view?
* Oh destiny, here we go…
* OMG Jack is Locke and Kate is Jack!? Again I say, Kelly’s mind: Will it blend? Oh yes. Yes indeedy.
* There goes Charlotte, and there goes the Changlet. I hope this turns out well.
* We’ll buy Microsoft and back the Cowboys in the 78 Super Bowl. (:
* Awww. That’s a nice moment.
* I hope he really does know what he’s doing…
* So what will they find under the falls?
* Is this the Adam and Eve Cave? Oh, nope.
* Is this the temple where Benry had the Smokey Showdown?
* So I can’t help but think Richard has been on the Island this whole time (he left before this stretch to see baby Locke and he left after to go get Juliet). How did he survive whatever it is that happens?
* Now? Why is John eager? And now he has to speechify?
* Where is he going with this Lostysburg Address?
* Oh now he’s won over BlackHoleSun.
* Are they all gonna go? What makes THAT a good idea?
* Why do you think I tried to kill him? THAT looked like news to Richard!
* I still don’t understand how a submarine takes them to Ann Arbor.
* Is Sawyer really ok with spending his golden years in the 70s?
* This is a nice moment I have to admit.
* They took Kate too? WTF? Why would she go if she doesn’t believe Jack?
* There for a second I thought Sayid was gonna smack Jack. “THAT makes you trust her?”
* Y halo thar Jughead!
* Beautiful day, isn’t it? Heee!
* Oh look, there’s Benry trying to stir it up. Don’t take the bait, Locke!
* I’m not interested in reuniting with my people!? I know what I told BlackHoleSun?
* Did I just see Lock out-Benry Benry? Dude. Just….Dude.
* So I can kill him. Wait, what?
—–
- OK the promos show Juliet and Kate and Sawyer. Who just left on a submarine…?
- I wonder how this will all go down. We keep hearing about the fight or the war that’s coming…what if that war is Jacob against Locke and the Hostiles all pick sides? Maybe that’s the war that everyone else gets caught up in since the Island is part of that fight?
- I wonder what will happen to bring The Submarine Three back.
- At this point is JacobChristian a real guy? Will Claire be with him?
- Polar Bear CamWhore is a great band name. So is The Submarine Three. Would they be LOSTcore bands?
- Clearly I must be stopped so now I’mma go hit post.

So here goes! I scribble these as I watch so I claim no coherency. It wouldn’t even make sense to anyone who doesn’t watch the show already and yeah, if you haven’t seen this episode, Thar Be Spoilers Ahead. Yarr.

PREVIOUSLY:
* BANG! Poor Benry.
* Oh look here’s the copout moment. But they don’t show the copout (he’ll just forget everything). Hmmm.
* Alex getting shot. That was still sucky.
* IcySun with the oar.
* He’s the man who killed me. That was still odd and cool. How many people can say that? (:
* For my own notes: Frank, IcySun, Benry, Cesar (?), and Locke are all in the “now” with Sayid’s bounty hunter (Ilana). I’ll add to this later on.
—
* Horses? Who’s that guy? Where is this? Is this the KlooCamp from our time?
* How do all these island people with curly hair keep it so nicely maintained? I’m serious.
* Who is this accented fellow?
* Let him die? That’s nice of you accented man.
* Jacob? Oh here we go.
* Was there someone else before there was a Jacob? Or is it a Dread Pirate Roberts situation?
* “Just because you’re living with them doesn’t mean you can’t be one of us.” Well played, accented fellow.
* IT’S WIDMORE! OH SNAP!
* This makes me wonder and wonder about Benry’s life now.
* HA! That face! Welcome back to the land of the living. AWESOME.
* True, why are you surprised.
* Benry broke the rules by coming back? Hmmm.
* I wonder how Benry would get judged.
* Does he mean Ol Smokey? That’s how you are judged? How do they set someone up to be judged? Was Mr Eko worthy and that’s why it didn’t swallow him or something?
* Hello Campy Camp! Hello Ana Lucia-oh, wait.
* Two things: 1. His shirt is blue so he won’t die. 2. Was he on the plane? I don’t remember.
* “Like someone hit me with an oar.” Heh.
* So Benry is setting Locke up? Is this a “What do I have to lose?” situation?
* At least he didn’t say his name was Henry Gale again.
* OMG! Lookit all that dark hair! And that scarf! Very dashing.
* Ethan is a blondie? Huh.
* What’s with all this stuff on the beach?
* Oh it’s Danielle. Infected us?
* So he really did straight up steal her! That’s sad.
* Every time you hear whispers you run the other way? How’s he know? What’s that mean?
* What IS this station where people keep hanging out and searching? Do we know and I can’t remember? (NOTE: Lostpedia says it’s an office at Hydra Station.) Why don’t I remember Hydra being SUPER close to the beach?
* So Locke walks into Benry’s “old office” and then proceeds to sit in his chair, behind his desk. Symbolism? Locke taking Benry’s place?
* Let’s discuss the elephant in the room.
* Is Benry gonna mention he told Cesar that Locke’s a crazy man?
* What is this critical info we’re talking about?
* It was in the best interests of the Island. How? And how does he know? And why is that?
* Oh yeah, we’ll just talk some sense into the KILLER SMOKE PILLAR and it’ll be fine.
* Here we go. Locke is full on being set up. Thanks Benry.
* DUDE!
* So if that’s how it was gonna go, why did Benry have that talk with Cesar? And who did Cesar tell?
(NOTE: I know ABC named him “Caesar” but the generally accepted Latino spelling is Cesar. I went to high school with a few so I’m leaving it this way.)
* Hey look a dock. Is this the dock we’ve spent so much time on before? I’m thinking yes.
* Sun and Lapidas? Cool.
* OK who hurt his arm then? Whoever he tangled with before they left?
* Benry’s the only one who can summon it?
* Lying? True, Benry doesn’t care about rules. He did care about Alex though.
* And back to the camp.
* Hi Richard!
* So was Alex born on the Island? I think she was and I wonder how.
* Protecting this Island? So how long has Widmore really been there? This whole time? Does he come and go?
* Whose idea was it to live here? Interesting question.
* Dude! “What The Island Wants” Smackdown! You’d think it was a woman.
* Who IS in Alex’s room? Sun?
* Was that Risk? Looks like the green pieces were winning. Are there 108 Risk pieces out? (:
* Oh look it’s Sun. I’m shocked.
* Hi Frank!
* Ooh! Is this where we answer how come Benry doesn’t know? Damn, I guess not.
* Met a crazy old man, huh?
* I wonder what Locke’s gonna do for them. I wonder if he knows.
* Is it down the well again?
* “As long as the dead guy says there’s a reason then I guess everything’s gonna be just peachy.” Good point!
* Sun can’t just leave.
* I wish Frank wouldn’t leave, he’s kind of interesting.
* Go get judged already Benry!
* He has a secret wall in his secret room? That seems…excessive.
* I hope Rob has some insight on the Door Of Probably Egyptian Characters. (:
* Water, huh? Isn’t that his hurt arm?
* I wonder what’s outside and how the drain changes any of that.
* Well it looks like Alex didn’t spend long living in a tent. I wonder if that’s why Benry suggested living in the houses, for her.
* Is Chucky in cuffs? I can’t really tell but it looks like his wrists are tied together and he’s escorted by gunmen.
* Left the island regularly? Didn’t Benry leave too? I wonder more about Penny’s childhood now.
* I wonder if Chucky has some bigger reason for not liking Alex.
* Did Benry fink and that’s why Chucky’s leaving?
* Go ahead and panic there, Sparky. It’s really helpful.
* Tell her how you know Locke’s dead, Benry! Oh I think you just did even if you didn’t say it.
* “Dead is dead. You don’t get to come back from that. Not even here.” Is he convincing himself or Sun? If Locke is an aberration does that make it easier to deal with losing Alex? If the Island can bring people back from the dead but didn’t bring Alex back then Chucky was right and Benry still lost and he probably can’t take that.
* I wonder just how long ago it was in Benry time that Alex died.
* I like that Benry has the living hell scared out of him right now. I think he deserves it.
* “What’s about to come out of that jungle is something I can’t control.” rustle rustle rustle LOCKE! Whaddya know, he was right! (:
* How does Locke know where it actually is? Am I missing something there?
* I like that it seems Locke has evolved a little, he has a little bit of empathy for Sun now.
* Oooh! He called Chucky, he’s going back today, and he’s not beat up right now. hmmm.
* Please don’t be Penny, please please please.
* How does the knowing work? Benry’s huffy.
* HA! Locke is totally saying what I just thought. You don’t like not being boss, huh?
* I hope if nothing else Benry has a little respect for Locke after that.
* Are they going to the Temple? Oooh! They are!
* How is it Benry can say “our” temple? Did the Hostiles build it? Ancient Egyptian Hostiles? (:
* How is there a hole there? Who dug it?
* Find Desmond Hume and tell him I said I was sorry. Oh no no no no no no no no no (etc)
* Has that temple wall hole always been there? Did we something dragged into it before?
* AHH! Is Des ok?
* Oh no not the Chucklet!
* So Des beat the crap out of him. GOOD!
* But OMG THEN WHAT????? ARGH!
* Who’s that guy? In his RED SHIRT?
* Ilana and three of THE OTHERS, huh? You don’t say.
* I think I am going to call her Ilana-Lucia from now on.
* What lies in the shadow of the statue? OW!
* No really, what DOES lie in the shadow of the statue?
* If you know what lies in the statue of the shadow, can you tell me what the statue is too? Thanks!
* So Locke was right. I wonder if he had a hunch or if he really did know.
* Hory Clap! did he break his leg too? That’d be…familiar.
* Who was the last person to be in this part of the temple? Statuebuilders or someone else?
* Rob, I hope this is real stuff for you to translate!
* Hey that IS where Ol Smokey lives!
* This seems different than when Mr Eko stared it down.
* So this is all about Alex and not any of the other bajillion terrible things he did?
* I feel bad for Alex that the last thing she heard was Benry denying her.
* Wait that’s it? It’s gone? Is she real or is she like the Mouth Of Sauron speaking for Ol Smokey?
* He’s planning to kill Locke again? Oh goody. I mean I’m not surprised, but yay.
* Was he judged and now he’s being punished by having to follow Locke without question? Seems like that’d be pretty bad for Benry, being but a follower.
—
Next week is the Miles Show apparently. I wonder who’s in the bag. And does it mess with timelines that he was talking to Doctor Mister Changdlewick?

hmmm. Interesting this week. At least one big answer but I still feel like there’s no way to wrap up enough stuff in another 20 episodes.

Technorati Profile

And since I not only know the guys behind Bacn.com but as it happens I named their launch party, I feel it only fair to up my greasy salty devotion a notch or two.

From their site: Write a short blog post about this contest linking to bacn.com and leave a link to your site in our comments (so we don’t miss it).

And since I love bacon and this is the good stuff, I’m going to write haiku:

Delicious Bacon
Middle finger to “health food”
I will have seconds.
–
Bacon is the key
Unlocks inner meat eater
Please pass steak tartare.
–
Met a child who said:
I wanted to be veggie,
But Bacon…Smart girl!
–

So there’s three haiku in the name of Bacon. Enjoy.

Something is going on with the individual entry pages, so if you are reading me via RSS then hooray, and if not you might want to for the next little while until I can determine my layout issue. I’m going to work on it but not tonight. Please be patient and I’ll have it sorted soon I promise. (:

Well I know one such small person. She’s almost 7 and her mom and I are good friends. Friday night I was at Beer And Blog as I do, and as it happened, ma and pa were going to come and bring her with them.

She was very excited to see me, and I was happy too, because she’s always entertaining. So we sat down at a table in a restaurant full of people and got to talking as she was drawing a beautiful beach scene on the table (it’s cool, the tables are all chalkboard painted and artwork is encouraged). She said she was glad to get to show up and I asked if it was because she got to see a bunch of people she knew or if it was french fries (the ones at the Green Dragon are REALLY good). She pointed at me. I asked her if she meant everybody and she shook her head and pointed at me again. Just to be sure I asked her if she was SURE it wasn’t the fries, because I’ve had them and they are really really good, and she shook her head a third time and held out her hand, little finger up, in the customary Pinky Swear Position. So we pinky swore that she was happy to see me and me alone, everybody else was bonus. Then we colored some more on the table.
–
That was a great way to kick off the weekend. And I didn’t even tell you about Strange Love Live! There is a TON of positive energy around, you just gotta know where to look.

Speaking of Twitter, it turns out local (KGW) news anchor Stephanie Stricklen is on Twitter too, and her and I have chatted a few times. She asked us for explanations of Twitter she could use on The Square (her news show at 7) and one of the explanations she put up was mine. Mine! I know! See for yourself! I guess she made it to the most recent Beer and Blog (yesterday) and after all the times we’ve just missed her and such she actually made it! And of course now I’m in another state. Anyway. She said she wants to talk knitting too so I’m sure we’ll hang when I get back. And now you have an update from a borrowed computer on borowed time (since it was naptime till a minute ago, and now the bulk of us are awake).

One last thing, I went and got my cyborg name and listed it below:

Get Your Cyborg Name

This episode is the twelfth episode of Season Four (or Thirty depending who you ask), called The Stolen Earth. From the site: Earth’s greatest heroes assemble, to fight the New Dalek Empire. But a fearsome old enemy waits in the shadows…

* Everything’s fine? Yeah it kind of is…
* Good, I like Saturdays. hee!
* I’m still a bit confused about Donna and Rose, honestly. And why Donna is so frakking pivotal.
* Milk jugs asplode? Yikes!
* Why does the Doctor have his hand? Doesn’t Jack have it? WTF?
* Isn’t it good Rose is coming back? I’m glad he thinks so but I disagree.
* We didn’t move the Earth is gone? Horry clap!
* Far across the universe? But how is she someplace that doesn’t exist anymore?
* Martha? Hm.
* Jack! Gwen! Ianto! Nice.
* Sarah? I just don’t watch her show. I hope I don’t miss out on something important.
* Grampy Wilf! You green swine! They always want the women! This ep’s first mention: I love Grampy Wilf!
* WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FRAKKING SKY?????
* Rose and her big gun and bigger teeth?
* Oh my. That gold stuff looks like all rift all the time. uh oh.
* Fearsome technology? From the DOCTOR? oh noes.
* The Shadow Proclamation?
* Who are the news people? Are they from other BBC shows or what?
* Ianto gets the giggles. hehehehe
* I love you ya big idiot. heh.
* I wonder what good Ianto’s local knowledge is now? (:
* Let me guess, UNIT is gonna do their best to frak it up.
* Martha’s cell is out of service? Odd.
* That looks like a lot of ships.
* Ah, looting. Humans at their finest.
* Hey look it’s Rose’s teeth! I’m sure her and her gun will be along in a moment.
* Spaceships? Grampy Wilf should be happy, not sad he can’t find Donna.
* Tell me you put something in my drink. hee!
* Project Indigo? I wonder what that is.
* Mister Smith is kind of neat.
* OMG! EXTERMINATE!
* Captain Jack can’t stop a Dalek? Are you serious?
* Rose unmade the Emperor Dalek at the end of series one? WTF?
* Where did they come from?
* I wonder what Sarah Jane remembers of them, I don’t really remember her time as his companion so I don’t know what her knowledge of them is.
* Supreme Dalek on the bridge? The Crucible will be complete? Ultimate Destiny?
* Daleks want Earth? WOW that is a lot of Daleks.
* Did The Doctor get the message en route to the Shadow Proclamation?
* Oh he wore his good coat. Nice. And speaks Judoon? Since when? He didn’t really speak to them last time round.
* Timelords can’t possibly exist?
* I’ve got a missing planet. Heh.
* So who is she? I don’t know a lot about the Proclamation really.
* 24 worlds have been taken? Who’d want Klom? heh.
* Her eyes are freaky.
* Pyrovilia? It’s a cold case? Adipose 3 was last as well? Lost moon of Poosh? I wondered why there were so many lost.
* Don’t get all spaceman? ha!
* Someone tried to move the Earth once before, a long time ago…? Really?
* Project Indigo is being activated? Here’s hoping!
* Did that Dalek say “And I hate UNIT”? I wouldn’t be surprised, but still.
* She’s taking the what key? (looks it up) It’s the Osterhagen Key. Oh my GORD, not the Osterhagen Key! (I have no idea what that is.)
* But talk about the nick of time there Martha!
* Martha is down? (Did he say scattered into atoms or into ATMOS?) Then what’s going to happen to her?
* Who is asking about The Doctor?
* Give me more Jack and Gwen and Ianto! Oh who am I kidding? Gimme more Jack and Ianto! Grr, baby. VERY grr.
* Prepare the Crucible?
* The abomination? Dalek Caan? WTF is a Dalek Caan?
* Those eyes are six kinds of freaky.
* There is something on her back? STILL? Or was something?
* You’re something new?
* Knock it off Donna you are brilliant!
* Loss that is yet to come? Uh oh.
* Bees disappearing? That’s a warning right?
* Freak storms are going on too.
* Stop talking and do it!
* Seize your transport?
* Doctor is going to lead a battle?
* Yes Doctor you get that key for her wink wink!
* She orders him to stop? Hmm.
* Grampy Wilf and a paintgun! That rules!
* Oh no, those poor people!!
* GO GRAMPY WILF! Ah crap.
* D’you wanna swap? I love him!
* Rose saved them? I must admit if this Rose and this Doctor were adventuring I would probably like it. I bet the TARDIS can’t hold him and her and her teeth though. I don’t care HOW much it’s “bigger on the inside” I just don’t don’t think so.
* Medusa Cascade? Why are they there? Why did it stop?
* You can’t give up! You are the bloody DOCTOR!
* We surrender? Oh noes. I’m glad to see other people on Earth reacting though. But how do all these people just give up?
* OMG! Who is that? Harriet Jones?
* Captain Jack Harkness shame on you! I think I like her a bit more…
* Webcam? She wouldn’t let me she said they’re naughty. hahahahahaha
* WOW she’s a surprise!
* Slytheen? I think I should watch a bit of Sarah Jane!
* I knew the Earth would be in danger and the Doctor would fail to appear?
* Shut up Rose! Now is NOT the time to be jealous.
* Her son is awesome!
* Hello. Ianto Jones. (:
* My life doesn’t matter. Not if it saves the Earth.
* I can’t believe it took a woman who never actually went anywhere with the Doctor on a real adventure to get them all to get going. I mean yay, but wow.
* OMG the phone rang! HOORAY! Nice tracky thing and beams from the column in Cardiff.
* Is she sacrificing Mister Smith? He’s looking a bit melty.
* TARDIS on fire? Oh noes!
* Tell the Doctor from me he chose his companions well.
* She went out like a hero. Good for her!
* Why are the planets appearing round them??
* A second out of place? Weird.
* He found them, yay!
* Outer space Facebook? Heh.
* The Dark Lord is come?
* WHO IS THAT VOICE?
* Davros? Again? HOW?
* I guess I can see that being possible?
* He made more Daleks? EW EW EW!
* Is Davros or the Doctor the Dark Lord the crazy one is talking about?
* Everlasting Death for the most faithful companion? Which one? What makes it everlasting?
* Indigo is gonna zap Jack someplace?
* And that big gun too?
* Ohhhhhh no. I don’t think Gwen and Ianto are gonna be fine at all.
* Tell me Sarah Jane doesn’t have ATMOS. (:
* How did she zap around like that?
* Why don’t you ask her yourself?
* How did she get there, right there?
* Whaaaaaa??????
* No no no no no no no no no. Just…no.
* Nice gun show, Jack.
* Like Owen, like Tosh. I am SO glad I watched that first!
* It’s starting?
* But he can’t…with the…and the…but…what?
* Sarah Jane? NOOOOO!
* Who’s coming in the door? How did a Dalek get in the front door?
* Ooh! I must admit watching him regenerate is pretty awesome. It was neat last time too.

I like how they went about this episode, and how they got everyone together. I didn’t like that Rose sort of reverted back to spoiled self-centered Rose, she’s way neater when she’s her own person. I also really like how they did the slow reveal on Davros. I thought they did a damn fine job with The Master at the end of Series Three so I am glad to see Davros back in this one. I am DYING that I can’t watch the next one right now! GAH!!!!

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve rejiggered the sidebar over there. I did it to add two cool things to my sidebar: One is the Google gadget I titled “get your vote on” that gives you voter registration information no matter where you are (just feed it your city and state), and one is the bit underneath it titled “call your congressman” where you enter your zip code* and it tells you who your Congressional representatives are so you can get ahold of them and give them the what-for. It’s what they’re for, so don’t be shy!

If you want even MORE information about Congressional goings-on you can sign up for the newsletter offered by Congress.org called MegaVote and this one I like because it’s low traffic (once a week or so) and packed full of info. You tell it where you are and when bills are voted on it tells you how your representatives voted. I like this because I have every one of my reps in my phone and I call them and tell them how I feel about this or that, and then I check that against how MegaVote says they actually voted and then I follow up and either thank them for voting how I wanted or tell them I’m disappointed they didn’t vote how I wanted. For me that’s the good bit, the followup. It lets them know someone is paying attention, whether you agreed with them or not. I am not as good at this as I want to be, but I do a lot more of it than most people do (according to my informal statistics).

So check it out! Get involved! We need you more than ever. If you aren’t sure about some of the voting basics (hey, it happens, I’m sure there are a LOT of Americans whose only voting experience is calling in to American Idol) you can check out the FAQ at Declare Yourself. If you already know and you’re political to begin with you might want to take that act on the road. The Great Schlep is trying to get everyone to visit their retired Jewish grandparents in Florida so they know the issues and know how important the whole voting thing is for you. If the facts don’t seem so factual and you want to see if what one guy said about the other guy was true, your best bet is probably FactCheck dot org since they are nonprofit and nonpartisan (no really they are, not like the airquote fair and balanced of some news organizations), so they gain nothing by being honest. They come down on the side of facts, not the side of corporations or moral outrage or whatever else.

If I am missing a political resource that you find particularly handy, add it in the comments. I don’t want to leave anyone out!

*I want to make the results on call your congressman appear in a box below it like the Google gadget does. If you have any insight into this process and can help me make it work I will buy you a beer at the next Beer and Blog or a bacony treat of your choice.

In the season premiere for Battlestar Galactica (and it’s been like a month so this is not a spoiler) there’s a ship that gets blown up in the big battle at the start of the episode. Right out of the gate, wham! Roslin is on the bridge and when the sitrep comes in for the Pyxis the President (Roslin) looks physically affected, she holds on to something almost for support, and she says (something like), “My Gods, there were 600 souls on that ship…”

It continues to echo in my head, every time I hear about Iraq and how the number of casualties continues to increase. Because nobody says souls or people or young people or kids or any of that. I used to hear Americans a lot too, but even that not so much anymore. It’s usually “casualties” or “soldiers”. That’s crap. Here are some better words to use when reporting this:

souls
spouses
children
parents
friends
brave _____
volunteers

I’ve been known to toss up a political post or two in my time (ahem), but I’ve given up on most of it quite honestly because I got frustrated and I got worn down. I can blog about injustice till the cows come home, but let’s be honest here, I have a LIVEJOURNAL for gord’s sake and really I’m just not going to get the kind of attention others get who do this all the time and are all professional about it. But I can’t tell you how hard it has been the last couple of weeks to keep hearing Mary McDonnell in my head. I knew nobody else was hearing it but me, and we all know how THAT story ends…