25 Random Things

My good friend Joe tagged me in one of those notes on Facebook where you list 25 random things about yourself. I thought long and hard, and here is what I have come up with:


1. If I hadn't transferred, I'd be graduating in 89 days. But I'd also be miserable.
2. In 36 days I'm flying to California for a band. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever spent money on but Megan and I will definitely have the best 5 days ever while we're there.
3. Sometimes I think about moving far away, but I think Boston has always and will always be my home.
4. NESN should fire Kathryn Tappen from hockey commentating and hire me instead.
5. Officially, I own 100 pairs of shoes and I don't think that's enough.
6. In addition to shoes, I collect shot glasses that I have never used to take shots from.
7. One of these days I'll visit all 50 states. So far I'm at 17 plus DC.
8. I have seen Guster upwards of 30 times in concert but have yet to meet the band.
9. What the hell am I going to do with a PoliSci major?
10. If only every day could be Christmas Eve - except then I'd be really, really fat.
11. I'm glad my friends come to me for advice, I just wish I could follow it myself.
12. Ten months from now I'll have a degree but will also be 40k in debt. To start paying it off I'd like to become a flight attendant.
13. Dr. Pepper is my least favorite beverage. I also hate ketchup. And cherries.
14. Embarrassingly enough, I have Titanic memorized. Including the deleted scenes.
15. Dana Carvey's Broccoli Song is the best way to turn a bad day around. Either that or cuddles.
16. I have grown up a lot in the last year. I think I have better goals and ideas about what I want out of life.
17. I am only slightly addicted to my Blackberry.
18. 22 was, by far, better than 21 as far as birthdays go. I have some amazing friends.
19. If nutrition was not an issue, I'd eat crepes every day. With Nutella. And whipped cream. Oh okay and strawberries and bananas too.
20. I'm still not convinced college was right for me or that I was really ready for it.
21. 8 months ago, without even trying, a really amazing guy saved me from a really awful situation and I hope he knows how much I appreciate it.
22. It's a good thing I don't make more money or I'd be covered in tattoos.
23. I have questionable taste in television shows and I am okay with it. The same is true of movies.
24. Owning a panda bear would kick ass. Or a penguin. Or a llama. I'd settle for a cat though.
25. I hope the Bruins don't win the Cup until I can afford season tickets!

I was surprised at how difficult that was. But I think the thing I learned the most about myself is just how much I have grown up and changed in the last year or so. I'm pretty gosh darn proud of myself!

Don't Die, It's Only Hockey

... only hockey? After all my ranting and raving over the Bruins this season, how my boyfriend can honestly think telling me that "it's only hockey" is a rational idea is beyond me. The list of things that will always cheer me up is as follows:

1) Hockey
2) Dana Carvey
3) Titanic
4) Forehead kisses

In that order. When all else fails, it's hockey. A sport that has somehow always been so easy for me to get wrapped up in. I live and die by the Bruins and make no apologies for it. But beyond my love for this team is a love for this game that is absolutely unparalleled.

I'll spare you all the details, if you care to know why Olympic hockey is superior to the NHL, about.com does a great job of summarizing it here. I recommend reading it if you are both unfamiliar with hockey and also planning to watch some of the upcoming matches. If you're in it for the fights, don't bother - they are nonexistent in international play.

"Hockey is entertaining but I don't share your passion for rule variations. I enjoy it for what it is: grown men skating with sticks." Seriously? How I am dating this boy is sometimes far beyond me. But apparently his less-than-obsessive interest in hockey is on par with my absolutely hateful feelings toward Dr. Pepper, we agree to disagree.

The thing is, it's not just grown men skating with sticks. The USA/Canada game yesterday was played well. The most basic of fundamentals were adhered to for a solid sixty minutes. The Canadians out-skated USA but the Americans were able to take better advantage of the elusive powerplay. Each team was comprised 100% of NHL players. So why was that the best hockey game I've seen in a very long time?

Two words: salary cap.

Olympians, by definition, are the best of the best. Salary caps prevent these teams from ever being duplicated by the NHL and I am in support of that. The last thing the NHL needs is the hockey version of the New York Yankees taking over because this would also lead to teams that become the equivalent of oh say, the Padres. Because of the nature of the Olympics, the best of the best from every country are pretty damn good and there aren't too many teams at a disadvantage (okay, if Jamaica had a hockey team, then maybe).

And so, you see, it isn't "only hockey." It's Olympic Hockey. It's sixteen days of the best hockey the world has ever seen. Sixteen days of hockey fundamentals that just aren't a part of the NHL. Sportsmanship that isn't part of the NHL. Beyond anything, it is sixteen days of hockey played the way hockey has always intended to be played. It isn't "only hockey," it's hockey. Plain and simple.

The Best Character on TV: Creed Bratton

In my world of obsessive TV watching, with endless favorite shows, I believe that I have finally pinpointed who is quite possibly the best (and most underrated) character on television: Creed Bratton of NBC's The Office.

Stop laughing, I'm being serious. Yes, I realize Creed sees about twenty to thirty seconds of screen time per episode but next time the show decides to have a clips show, maybe it should be a half an hour of all these clips one after the other. I guarantee you will never laugh so hard.

So who is Creed Bratton? First of all, the actor's name is actually Creed Bratton, originally born William Charles Scheider. Which explains this lovely scene in which Creed and Michael have a heart-to-heart about filing for bankruptcy:

Creed Bratton: Creed Bratton has never declared bankruptcy. When Creed Bratton gets in trouble, he transfers his debt to


[holds up fake passport]

Creed Bratton: William Charles Scheider.

I like these little random hidden jokes in the show. Furthermore, Creed works in Quality Assurance, but he can't remember his job title due to heavy drug use in the 60s. In addition to his drug use, the Office has implied that Creed may have been involved in many other crimes, including religious cults: "you have more fun as a follower, but you make more money as a leader."

I'm not sure you can say that what he has are "one liners" because they aren't really jokes. They are just the bizzare thoughts of a man in his 60s who has no business being in Corporate America.

The biggest mystery surrounding this man is, in my opinion, brought up in the episode Chair Model

He can't wait for Michael to get a new chair when Pam gets Michael's old chair and he gets Pam's. Then, Creed will have two chairs and will have "only one to go."

I hope someday to know what this means.

As a closing argument, he looks a lot like John Locke. Keep up the good work Creed!




 

 

Another YouTube Clip... The Funniest Thing Ever

I have, unfortunately, not been having the best of weeks. Luckily, I can easily compartmentalize this and was able to thoroughly enjoy a Valentine's Day weekend! (For details on the amazing restaurant, check out my Yelp! review here.) After a great dinner out we generally spent a very lazy Sunday, which is really the best kind of Sunday, watching an MTV True Life marathon with tons of cuddles. Excellent.

However, with back to work today (as I am not lucky enough to have this holiday off from work, only school) I am again finding myself not exactly having the best of times. And while I am doing my best to try to keep a positive attitude (and sending out as many resumes as possible) there is one thing that absolutely, always, without fail makes me smile.

Thank you Dana Carvey. Seriously. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do.

An Update on the Best Team in Sports (my opinion)

I like that I can usually count on the simplest things to cheer me up. For those of you who I've talked to in the past few days, you know it's been a pretty tough week. Luckily for me, the Bruins have been turning it up and rocked out a win against Tampa Bay last night. It was not without it's drama, they were up 5-0 but the final score was 5-4, but in the end they pulled it off and I was easily able to forget about everything stressing me out.

As we go into the Olympic break, the Bruins are now in 6th place in the confrence and they have one more game on Saturday. They've come back from a ten game losing streak to win three in a row, and I hope they keep it up.

My hope is that two weeks off will do them a lot of good. Yes, five key players will be in the Olympics, but the rest of the team will be able to rest up and practice and regroup. When they come back there will be twenty-two game left for them in the regular season.

The way I see it is that they need to win about 75% of these games. Ideally, we need to finish top five to ensure making it past round one of the playoffs. If we go in lower than fifth, they're going to need one hell of a miarcle to win a seven game series against any of the teams they could possibly face. From there on out, I think the confidence of getting past the first round can carry them through a bit more.

But what's keeping me nervous is the number of games going into OT and SO. For those of you non-hockey fantatics, playoffs don't have SO, they just continue to play OT periods until a sudden death win. While I love this rule (especially since we are struggling with SO) it's not going to be good if we can't win in regulation. The more OT a team plays, the more tired they get. A seven game series is already tiring and draining on both teams, carrying it past regulation is even worse.

So these are my hopes and dreams for the Bruins. Beyond that, I hope they can work out one last win before they go on a break. I'm anxious to see how it all goes.

Another (Stolen) Lost Recap

Okay folks. Wednesdays are deliriously busy, so I'm going to post this entry that I stole from my friend Steve for tonight. I don't feel too bad about it because I contributed...

In keeping with last week, here is another running diary, albeit belated, on this week's edition of LOST...
First segment: Hippie Richard tells Kung Fu that “he's alive,” referring to Sayid. This seems to get a big smile out of the Drunken Master. Then we switch to the gang, and Sawyer, that rascal, is already planning on running.

Next, we're back to the Bizzaro LAX, where Kate is holding the taxi guy hostage with a gun, and Claire is in the backseat. The taxi driver looks suspiciously like the puppet master from Heroes, but I'm not positive about that. He runs from the car, and then Kate steals Claire's purse before ordering her out of the car.
We switch again to the Temple, with the gang explaining to Sayid what is going on. I love Miles, who arguably has as many good, snappy lines as Sawyer at this point. “As you can see, Hugo here has assumed a leadership position, which is... really great.” There is a confrontation between Jack and the Kung Fu Master, who might not realize that Jack can probably speak whatever language he's using, because of his experience with the wacky Chinese lady in past seasons.

Anywho, Sawyer has magically procured a gun, because he's Sawyer. He decides to leave, and Kate offers to track him and bring him back, convincing the Tribal Others (my name for them) that she can do so.
Now we're back to Kate in LA, presumably, where she at first pulls a gun some fat, sleazy but kind of charming mechanic. (Think Bud from Kill Bill Volume 2.) She pays him $200 to break her handcuffs, and then goes into a restroom to change, at which point we get a stomach-punch scene with Kate going through Claire's bag. She has a picture of her pregnant, and a big stuffed Shamu doll. A really, really powerful scene.
We switch scenes again to Jack and Kate planning for the trip into the jungle to find Sawyer. Jack grabs Kate like he wants to kiss her, but doesn't, and she doesn't lean in for the lip-lock either.

On to the Kung Fu Master and Sayid, as the Master blows some sort of dust on to Sayid, before hooking up electrodes to him. He begins to shock him, getting a scream out of Sayid, and then he prepares a red-hot poker, scorching his skin with it. Hippie Richard tells him that he passed the test, but apparently, he did not, as Kung Fu says that Sayid didn't pass the test.

Back to the Bizarro LA, Kate somehow finds out where Claire is and gives her back her stuff. Then amazingly, she offers Claire a ride to the adopted parents house, which Claire seems to accept! (This whole turn of events strikes me as completely and utterly impossible – Kate just held her up at gunpoint, and then dumped her on a random street, and then she somehow finds Claire again, AND convinces her to not be very, very uncomfortable with this whole ride thing.)

Now we're on the Island again, and some member of the Tribal Others is leading him. And shockingly, it is Mac from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia! Wow! What an inexplicable bit of casting! Anyway, Rousseau the French Woman has apparently been dead for a couple years now, according to Mac, but then Kate manages to overpower Mac and the other guard (again) to escape.

Jack goes inside to talk with Kung Fu and Hippie Richard, and they say that Sayid is “infected” with something. They're trying to convince Jack to get Sayid to take a pill. If Sayid doesn't take the pill, Kung Fu said that he would be dead. Sayid and Jack then have a heart to heart.

We cut back to Kate and Jin in the jungle, with them breaking up a bit, and Kate trying to chase after Sawyer. Then another quick cut to Claire and Kate as they ride to Claire's baby adopted momma. It turns out that her husband dumped her, and she didn't tell Claire, and the shocking news causes Claire to start going into labor.

Another cut to the Others' village, which Kate is exploring. Sawyer is ripping up the floorboards in one of the houses, to reveal a shoebox with... Well, it's not really revealed, but I assume it is something of Juliet's that makes Kate change her mind that Sawyer could ever be her's. She tries to sneak out, but Sawyer discovers her, and they exchange awkward words.

Back to Bizarro LAX, Kate manages to take Claire to a hospital, and who is the doctor? Ethan, of course. Claire is given the option of having her baby at that time, or postponing it, and she chooses to postpone it. LOST teases that she'll have to deliver the baby anyway, and also, Kate seems to show some faint glimmers of recognition when Claire reveals that her baby is named Aaron.

On the Island, Kate and Sawyer are chatting, about how she wants to find Claire to reunite him with Aaron. Sawyer has a teary scene with Kate, and the item is revealed to be an engagement ring for Juliet, which he throws into the water.

Kung Fu is spinning a baseball, and he and Jack have another chat. You know, mostly about trust. Jack tries to swallow the pill instead, and Kung Fu has to attack him to force him to not swallow it. You see, it is full of poison.

In Bizarro LA, Claire covers for Kate as two cops come looking for Kate. (Lilly looks pretty in this scene, for some reason, and I'm not usually a fan of her.) Kate encourages Claire to keep Aaron.
Back to Kate and Sawyer at the village – they exchange looks, but that is all. Back again to Jack and Kung Fu, as they talk about why they wanted to kill Sayid. Kung Fu thinks that Sayid has been “claimed” by a darkness that is growing in him. Jack wants to know how he can be sure – And Kung Fu says it happened to Jack's sister! (For those of you not keeping close attention, I believe that would refer to Claire.)
Mac and the Black Dude stumble upon Jin, and threaten to shoot him for the ambush earlier. Jin tries to run away, and gets his leg caught in a bear trap! As Mac hovers over him, about to pull the trigger, he and the Black Dude are shot by... Claire! Dressed in plaid, and looking all woodsy and whatnot! So she IS alive
----
And now, Amanda's comments on the episode. You can find her full blog on all matters pop culture and Boston, Amanda.Jean, here.

Alright, Greenwell. Here's my take on this week's episode:

I'm going to start off by saying that I don't like Kate. I wasn't thrilled that this was a "Kate" episode, but I'm starting to like dopelganger Kate.

I like how doppelganger Claire is still forced to keep Aaron. Can we please get back to the psychic? WHY does she have to be the one to raise Aaron? Are we about to find out? Probably not, they'll keep us waiting for a Claire episode. I know this because she showed up at the very end of this one.

Sayid. What's up? Who is he? John Locke is now Old Smokey, would they really have two characters technically dead with "possessed" bodies? That's not like LOST to rehash storylines like that, so I'm guessing there's more to it. As far as this "infection" maybe we'll finally figure out what happens to people on the island. But maybe this is a different infection, because Sayid is not, as far as I know, pregnant.

Jack is still an arrogant ass.

Sawyer is still charming as hell. I liked how he went back to his old house with Juliette. He really is a softy at heart! This guy makes me believe in romance (that and I'm on a bit of a sappy-love-story high thanks to the upcoming Valentine's Day weekend). I am glad he and Kate made peace. Even if she's a whore. And yeah, I went there.

Is it me or is Hurley taking more of a backseat than usual? Then again, with such a large cast, it may be too early to really tell.

Where is Ben? Where is Desmond? Where did Locke take Richard Alpert? Where is Aaron? Where is Penny? TOO MANY QUESTIONS and still no answers.

So that's about it from me. Let's do this again next week.

The Power of YouTube

I want you all to watch that video before reading this entry. If your computer doesn't have speakers or you can't have the volume on right now, hold off on this. You need to watch this video. If you are having trouble making out all the lyrics, fear not! The organization who put this on has a site "for the hearing impaired."

Now that you're all familiar with "That Christian Side Hug" we can proceed with the entry.

I understand a lot of things that Christians have to say about relationship and shall we say, relations. I get it. I don't necessarily thing preaching abstinence works, but I understand that in an ideal world it's a great solution. Certainly I find it disturbing that children (and yes they are children) are getting some first hand experience with the birds and the bees long before they ever take a sex ed class in high school. But can someone please explain to me how "full frontal hugging" is a problem?

First of all, it's not actually called "full frontal hugging." It's just plain old hugging. People have been hugging this way for a long time. I hug all of my friends and family this way. I have many male friends who I hug and it has in now way ever made me somehow lose control to the point where I have been overwhelmed with inappropriate thoughts. 

There are about a million things I can think of that are more important to worry about than this. 

And how come lame rap songs make things "cool?" In what world is this rap cool? I want to meet the person who heard this rap and decided, "Yeah man, no more full frontal hugs for me, Imma start hugging on the side. Christian style. What up!"

Cell Phones Are a Girl's Best Friend?

I am desperately searching for an answer to this question: do people buy their sweethearts cell phones for Valentine's Day?

To backtrack a bit, I expect lame jewelry commercials and even lamer Hallmark ads this time of year. I expect to walk into CVS and see about three aisles where the colors pink and red have thrown up and left heart-shaped boxes of chocolates in their wake, and I expect movie theaters to exclusively show chick flicks that boys attend under duress in hopes of getting laid.

Personally, I love Valentine's Day in all its commercial glory. I like that it gives me an excuse to be my sappy self because I only have so many excuses for incessantly watching Titanic. I am excited to go on a real Valentine's Day date this year and also excited for the day after when all that chocolate left at CVS goes on sale for 80% off.

But I just don't get these cell phone ads at all. "Here, Honey! I got you a Blackberry for Valentine's Day. I even got you a cute red case to make it look holiday-appropriate. Oh and the fine print shows that you now have to pay an extra $30 a month for a data plan!" Alas! Nothing screams romance like a shiny new cell phone. If only I could be so lucky! Chocolates and diamonds be damned, this is the twenty-first century.

I would like AT&T and Verizon to publish statistics proving that there is a market for this, because I just don't believe it. I am a lover of all things technology, a true Blackberry addict, but if a boy ever tries to buy me one for VDay? Puh-lease!

Isn't this Hallmark holiday just another excuse to spend time with the people we love? Face-to-face that is? If a boy is going to be adorable enough to ask me on a date, I'm sure as hell going to be polite enough to keep my phone on silent and give him my attention.

Recapping Lost

In lieu of a real entry, check out a recap of LOST last night that my friend Steve (with help from yours truly) live blogged last night:

Be aware there are spoilers and confusion abound in this entry.


9 p.m. - My friend Amanda spots a change right in the opening seconds, as Jack, in the original crash, got two bottles from the stewardess. And I seem to be right in my initial diagnosis that the plane crash wouldn't happen because of the actions of Juliet and what not.

As a result, Jack finds a dab of blood on his neck, and Desmond is next to him in his seat. Hey wait a second... Desmond wasn't originally on the plane! The mystery continues... Now we cut to under the water, with a picture of the giant foot statue thing. No other explanation, and we're at the first commercial break. (Amanda adds, "What the fuck? Why is this CGI SO BAD? Don't they have a big budget?"

9:10 p.m. - The episode resumes and we flashback to Juliet starting everything back in the past again. What the heck? How did Kate get into a tree? And why is the sound all messed up?

Amanda: I assume that's why the sound is effed up, since a bomb went off IN HER EARS.

Good call by Amanda. And sweet, Miles is still alive and what not! He was one of my favorite cast additions. The camera pans around after Kate says, "We're back," and it is revealed that they're both on the Island, after the Swan explosion. And hey, JACK is there too! And Sawyer comes out of nowhere to smack Jack across the face!

Amanda: SAWYER <3 kicking ass THEN taking names! After that scene, we switch to Jack back on the plane, and Kate (and her FBI agent friend) are still there. Kate bumps into Jack, so she obviously took something from him. Sawyer is on the plane as well, bringing up the idea of parallel universes or time splits or something similar. Hurley's luck has apparently changed, as he notes that "nothing bad ever happens to me." Another scene switch, and we're with Hurley, Sayid (still badly wounded) and Jin. Kate goes to inspect the wreckage of the Swan, and Juliet is buried underneath! Aw!

Meanwhile, Hurley consoles a dying Sayid, since Jack is probably helping out the hot blonde right now. (I would too.) The ominous music plays as Hurley hears something in the wood, and he turns around to see... Jacob! I guess that mofo is still alive, in some form or universe, and that gets us to the second commercial break at 9:21 EST.

9:23 p.m. - We're back, and Sun and Jin are playing kissy-poo a bit, and Locke and Boone are having a little chat. Amanda guarantees that Locke can walk now, and I agree. The scene then switches over to "Locke" (or whatever is possessing his body) and Ben; Ben is aghast that Jacob didn't fight back and just let him stab him. Another scene switch, and we're outside with Captain Frank and Sun. There is also friction between Richard and the New Others (which would make for a great rock band name). Ben goes to tell Richard that "Locke" wants to talk to him, and Richard shows Ben the corpse of Locke out on the beach. Ahhhh, another commercial! DRAMA!

Amanda: I like that Ben is at a disadvantage. Glad to see he doesn't have all the answers for once. His smug ass deserves it.

9:34 p.m. - Back again, with Jacob chatting to Hurley. Jacob is aware of his own death, and my friend Tom hypothesizes that the smoke monster is the thing possessing Locke.

Meanwhile, we flip back to the plane, and the stewardess / New Others member asks Jack the Doctor to help her with a guy locked in the restroom. Of course, it is Charlie, who has OD'ed - That was kind of easy to predict though. The show goes to commercial again, with his fate in the balance; I imagine that Jack brings him back to life somehow.

Amanda: OD. Sorry, badass musician, your luck ran out. But you make one sexy dead man. (Disclaimer: I am not a necrophiliac.) In all seriousness, a little Charlie Pace does the eyes good. I'm interested to see if he will play a bit of a role this season.

Eh, I just think he does a one-off. Maybe a few episodes here and there.

Amanda: Stop dashing my dreams, Greenwell.

9:40 p.m. - We're back, with Jack trying to clear Charlie's airway, and finding his baggie of heroin. He apparently choked on it, trying to keyster it. So, not technically an OD, although just about. He is apparently the only one who did not have a happy life with the time reset.

The scene switches to the Time Warp Gang trying to use the van to move the heavy machinery out of the way, so that they can try to dig Juliet out. She is soaked in blood, but seemingly conscious, and is playing a bit of kissy-kissy with Sawyer. Juliet realizes they're still on the Island, and reveals that she hit the bomb and detonated it.

Amanda: This is one hell of a love story. I'm glad James is so emotional these days.

Switching again, Jack and Hurley are talking about Jacob, who neither of them know; too bad they weren't in Locke's secret crew. Hurley stresses that he needs to take Sayid to Jacob's place. We switch again to the beach, and Ben and Richard are having a heart-to-heart.

Richard refuses to come into the shrine, but "Jacob's bodyguards" do. They try to shoot Evil Locke, and my friend Tom appears to be right, as the Smoke Monster appears again to mess up the bodyguards. One of them manages to keep him away for a few seconds by drawing a circle on the ground and standing in it, but the Smoke Monster makes him get out of it. Evil Locke says, "I'm sorry you had to see me like that," confirming that he is indeed most definitely the Smoke Monster. Plus Five for Tom.

Amanda: Holy disappearance Batman! You were RIGHT! (Referring to Tom.) He is in fact Old Smokey. And Old Smokey is my new petname for the monster. It sounds less mean. (After Evil Locke confirms that he is the Smoke Monster.) Badass.

9:52 p.m. - Sawyer and Juliet are again making kissy-faces as she dies. Uh, good times? They share a very, very dirty kiss, and by dirty, I mean physically unclean. Juliet says, "I have to tell you something," which on  LOST is never a good thing, and then she dies. And Sawyer is Pissed at Jack, with the capital a definite.

Amanda: I think this moment just surpassed  Titanic as far as my "romantic goodbye while dying moment."

We switch scenes again to the plane, with Charlie telling Jack he was supposed to die. Desmond is now missing again, of course. (Tom hypothesizes that the Smoke Monster is Desmond at this point in time, or in this universe, or whatever, and materialized into the plane as it passed over the Island.) It looks like the first hour is ending with a pretty routine landing, as everyone is buckling up for the descent into LAX, the name of the first episode... And then there are some cops on the plane, coming for Charlie.

However, the rest of the stuff seems pretty routine, with the passengers getting off. Unfortunately, it seems like Amanda and I were wrong, and Locke can't walk. And thus ends the first hour.

Amanda: I'm sad about Locke's legs. My cousin and his girlfriend are trying to watch - They have never seen  LOST before. I am trying to recap and they think I'm nuts.

10:04 p.m. - Sawyer is now going through the trouble of burying Juliet. Kate says she'll leave a trail for him to follow as they try to save Sayid, but he says he ain't followin' no one. The others - Jack, Kate, Sawyer - leaves, while Sawyer and Miles hang back.

Scene switch to LAX, and Jack's dad is missing! Uh oh. They can't find Christian, as the airline says they have no idea where the coffin is. Good times, good times.

The crew brings Sayid to the Temple, where they find a skeleton with a missing arm and a book. After some more exploring, they find a spiral staircase further down, and some whispering voices get into Kate's ear. Jack alls out for her, and she doesn't seem to be responding, and he runs around looking for her. Then Jack runs back, because he can't find Hurley, and he gets punched out by... some weird guys in turbans! And then it reveals the actual Temple that was hidden by the wall.

Man,  LOST is even more confusing than usual tonight... I keep having to ask Tom and Amanda what certain things are called. Like, I barely remember all of this Temple business.

10:15 p.m. - We're back, and Kate is up to her old tricks. She gets the FBI agent to take her to the bathroom, where she works on loosening up her handcuffs. She gets the jump on him, because he doesn't notice that she's not pissing or taking a dump. And of course, who does she meet in the elevator? Sawyer! Aw, they're thick as thieves already.

Amanda: "Well if it's confidential how am I supposed to know if I see one?" That is the kind of wit and charm that steals a girl's heart.

Then, we go to the Island, where Sawyer is burying Juliet's body. mwhahaha. I laughed like an evil person for some reason. Miles and Sawyer are bonding, as Sawyer realizes that Miles can talk to dead people. Juliet's final message to Sawyer? "It worked."

We switch again to the present time, where the weird group of natives is threatening to shoot the gang. But Hurley reveals what is inside the case for them - A wooden cross! The leader guy breaks it over his knee, and inside is a note from Jacob, presumably. This seems to smooth things over a bit, and they decide to bring Sayid to the Spring. Hurley wants to know what the paper says, and Hippie Richard Alpert says that if Sayid dies, they're all in a lot of trouble.

10:29 p.m. - We're back at the airport, as Jin and Sun are being detained by security. He has a bunch of cash on him, and a fancy watch, and Sun may or may not speak English any more, which presents a bit of a problem for Jin, who is led away by police. Sun does look like she is dressed much more conservatively, so she might not realize Jin's history anymore.

Scene skip to the Spring, where one of the natives cuts his hand and dips it into the water - I bet it is some sort of restorative fountain, but it doesn't seem to be working exactly correctly, judging from the Asian guy who cut his hand and then tried to fix it by dipping it in the water. He seemingly comes back to life, but then they drown him further? It is hard to tell exactly what happens.

Amanda: Sometimes, in my free time, I like to cut my hands open with knives, dip them in fountains, and then speak vaguely in a foreign language. I also have a vast collection of large hourglasses. And I drown Arabs.

And now, the Chinese leader dude says, "Your friend is dead." Amanda says, "We're all in big trouble." I'm also wondering what the heck is going on, since it fades to a commercial after Jack tries to give CPR to Sayid, failing. Amanda and Tom also have no idea where this is going.

10:40 p.m. - We're back after a pretty long break, with Kate trying to find her way out of the airport as her picture is circulated among the police. She manages to get her way to a taxi JUST as the FBI guy spots her, so she hijacks the cab, pulling a gun on him and making him drive away. And oh, by the way, Claire is in the cab with her!

Amanda: Oh HI CLAIRE.

Back to the Temple, they manage to find Miles and Sawyer, who was knocked out by a rock. Hurley is brought to the room with the Chinese guy, and spills that Jacob is dead, which makes everyone freak out. They start fortifying the place to protect against, I presume, the Smoke Monster.

We flip to Evil Locke and Ben, who are having a heart to heart. Ben rightly guesses that Smokey couldn't kill Jacob, and Evil Locke reveals Locke's last thought - "I just don't understand." Evil Locke then goes into a bit of a siloliquoy about how Locke was admirable, because he was weak and became strong, and because he didn't want to leave the Island. However, he then drops the bombshell that he wants what Locke didn't - To go home. So where is Evil Locke's home??? Ahhhh!

10:52 p.m. - Back to the Temple we go, where Sawyer is alive and what not. (Hey, at least not everyone is dead.) Sawyer says he won't kill Jack, because he deserves to "suffer on this rock like the rest of us."

The scene switches to Jack talking to his mom on the phone about the missing body of his dad, and then Locke and him are chatting a bit. After a little chat, Jack gives Locke his card, saying that nothing is reversible, and hinting that he might be able to fix his spine.

Amanda: If the rest of the season goes on in this parallel universe where they all becomes friends in L.A. I am going to go down to ABC and bomb the place.

Back to the beach, Evil Locke chats with Richard for a few seconds before quickly beating the snot out of him. Richard was apparently in chains at some point, although we have no indication why.

The episode ends with Hippie Alpert trying to convince Jack to come with him for a bit, but he resists. Hurley calls out to Jack, only for the Hippie to notice that... Sayid is still alive! Gasp!

Amanda: This is too weird. Even for  LOST. WTF to the last two hours of my life!

I agree! Man. What the frick is going on? I think this is going to take a few more episodes to develop, unfortunately, with even more questions than answers for a while.

Getting Ready to Get LOST

Even you non-Losties out there probably know that tonight is the final season premier for the hit TV show. I have been counting down to this since... well since about a year ago when season five ended. In the meantime, I have gone back and rewatched the show in its entirety, which only made me more anxious for the whole thing to be over!

On the one hand, this is the kind of show I wish could go on forever, but on the other, I know it's about to peak and I can't wait for some answers. But will we get them? I'm a little nervous. Though JJ Abrams has promised us a conclusive season six, my boss reminded me of the X Files.

For those of you unfamiliar, when the X Files ended, enough loose ends were tied up so that you knew it was a series finale. There was nowhere left for the show to go. At the same time, there were about a million other things yet to be explained, hundreds of thousands of mysteries still out there. I fear this may happen with Lost. In all likelihood, Abrams will give us enough to know the fate of our favorite characters but the Island is likely to stay shrouded in mystery.

A few nights ago, while speaking to a good friend, he predicted that it's likely someone dies tonight right off the bat, "just so they make sure we know they're getting down to business." And my guess is that he's right. One thing I love about this show is that they get right to it, I don't expect a fluffy season intro and the leaked first four minutes is further confirmation for this.

In case you missed it, the first four minutes of the premier were posted online sometime last week. I'd say spoilers ahead, but I'd practically be lying. The first three and a half minutes or so were all rehashed scenes, the last thirty however (and here's where the spoiler comes in) indicate the plane either does not crash or crashes differently. Jack's interaction with the stewardess is different and the turbulence stops. So did they reset the timeline? We'll find out in a mere three hours... or will we? Knowing Lost, we probably won't learn too much in this episode. I think the producers still want us to ask a few more questions before they give us any answers.

Chanel's RTW Spring Line 2010

Coco Chanel is famous for saying that women should always be two things: classy and fabulous; and her lines have always reflected this. From practically inventing the little black dress to some of the most sought after handbags on the planet, Chanel is arguably one of the most timeless designers out there and the 2010 ready-to-wear spring line does not disappoint. Though the line debuted back in October during Paris Fashion Week, it seems far more relevant now that warm weather is actually upon us.

 

This ready-to-wear collection is down to earth, simple and classic but also a little bit country. That's right, the catwalk looked more like a barn for this line's premier complete with haystacks and super high heels, this was definitely a fashionable farm. It looks like this spring's color palate is a muted one: beiges, ivories and blacks were the stars here but a very bright red made many an appearance in small does. The collection blends rough textures with more delicate laces; from a tweed mini dress to power suits with hints of lace there is a perfect combination of masculine and feminine in the line.

 

But as any fashionista knows, it's all about the accessories. Clog inspired pumps and studded purses in all sizes brought lots of eye catching details into this line. Of course the classic quilted purses were featured as well in many new sizes. Another of Chanel's staples, oversized sunglasses are also still in.

 This line did an amazing job of incorporating the brand's must-haves with newer, trendier fashion statements. It's savvy and chic and the best part is, it's also entirely wearable! One look at this line and you will be all about this spring. And so to recap, things to look out for this season are: more natural tones (and of course black) with pops of brighter colors, a combination of masculine and feminine fabrics, studded shoes and purses, chunky heels with soft details, and a rocking pair of sunglasses to pull it all together.