Lost and Final? Really????

For the month of February, I am going to preview one of the most anticipated returns to television in the modern era. Even the President bowed to the pressure of this shows premiere. I think the world is going to stop on February 2nd and pause for 1 hour as "Lost" returns for its final season. If you are not a "Lost" fan then this will be a great time to hit Wal-Mart to avoid those terrible crowds. Managers need to reduce the number of employees because people will not be out and your employees would be useless twittering and facebooking about it. Oh my, how this show has made an impact on the television world. It is a modern day "Twilight Zone" and if you do not believe me listen to the music. For the people who want to experience this final season but dread watching 5 twenty-four hour seasons, then pop on YouTube and watch this great recap http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdT8eqMO4qk&feature=related.

Now, I thought I could talk about how much I like or dislike the show, but truthfully I am on the fence. It has great continuity and great writing, but it does require a mental drain and constant tension. Who wants read about the virtues and vices of "Lost"? Instead, let me pose the 5 top questions I want answered this final season of "Lost"a la David Letterman.

Number 5 - Who created the smoke monster? I mean that thing has been causing more damage than a battalion of tanks and no one seems to know how it works. Creepy and scary with a bad temper. What makes it tick? Is it organic, man- made, alien, or an evil hybrid baby of the gods. Since I recently studied mythology, I noticed that half breeds of gods were either heroes or villains. As for the smoke monster, the one downside to it is that it would be really hard to market it as an action figure. What would you do package a smoke bomb for a one time monster or a bunch of black cotton balls attached together? marketing has to be scratching their heads.

Number 4 - Who is Jacob and his mysterious nemesis/partner? Jacob seems to be the one in control but we know little about him. He seems to be immortal except when he is stabbed and pushed into the fire. So the god angle is iffy. Why was he invisible before and now visible? Also, he visited all the Oceanic Six at some point. Either he has supernatural origins or he is one creepy stalker. I just got to know what this dude has to do with everything going on. His friend is also creepy. I am assuming he has been going around the island possessing bodies.

Number 3 - Will Hurley finally get some love? I mean out of all the castaways he si the one that has not really been given a shot at love. His one chance and she is blown away to make an emotional impact. Come on guys. Quit keeping this brother down. I mean he has cool curls, lots of money, and can make people laugh. give him some love. you would think he could find someone. For heaven's sake, a big brother needs love too.

Number 2 - On a similar note, which female will be drawn into Sayid's lovers curse? Every woman this man has loved has met violent deaths. Which begs the question, who will the writers offer up this time to show Sayid's human side and then push him into killer mode after their death. Common plot device on "Lost", make Sayid likable by making him fall in love and when you need a torturer/assassin violently kill the girl in front of Sayid to trigger transformation. rinse, wash, repeat... My money is on bringing back a looney Claire and letting her die at the hands of the curse so that she can be with Charlie in a Titanicesque type scene.

Number 1 - Who will be left standing in the Jack, Sawyer, and Kate love triangle? I am talking five seasons of this tension. Someone needs to give in and beat the other one up and claim the prize. For those keeping score, technically Jack has been getting sloppy seconds from Sawyer. The Juliette addition created an interesting side plot but seemingly killing her off seemed an easy out for the writers. Everyone has a side on who Kate should pick and I am one who is saying quit dragging it along and grow up and choose woman. My prediction is one of them has to die so that Kate can love the other. How else can you resolve it? My only other thought is to go PC and let Jack and Sawyer get together and leave Kate out of it. That would be crazy.

I am hoping these questions will get answered. what questions are you looking forward to be answered on "Lost" or do you have any predictions? Comment and let me know. I do hope the ending is not so horrible that many TV's will be crushed. I do not think everyone will be happy with the end but so is life.

By the way the other questions that did not make the list:

Richard, why the eyeliner? You are on an island.

When did Walt get so tall and totally lose the ability to control the tenor of his voice?

Will Locke come back to life?

What are the other red shirts, I mean survivors, doing on the island? (Star Trek humor)

What happened to that dog?

Where is Claire?

Why did Ben steal the French Lady's baby?

Why does anyone listen to Ben?

Were the characters of Hurley and Charlie modeled after C3po and R2D2 out of Star Wars or more of a Laurel and Hardy theme.

God in "Numb3rs"

I have recently started watching the TV show "Numb3rs". I must admit I am drawn to the solving of problems through math. Hard to believe since I am a Language Arts teacher. The puzzle side of my brain loves figuring out the patterns in life and applying those to predictive behavior. Ok, enough geeking out.

"Numb3rs" has become part of my morning workout routine as it comes on at 4 am and 5 am every morning. While watching it the other day, I realized that one of the main characters made an observation on God that really hit home to me. Don, the FBI agent brother, told his dad that he was trying to understand the spiritual journey and the one thing he realized was that "Whatever God is, I am pretty sure its how we are there for each other. "I have never had something impact me that way while trying to maintain a 6.5 mph pace. In all honesty, it struck the core of my being more than any sermon has, my apologies to my pastors. It amazes me how much a TV show or song lyrics can really drive home a point more than any sermon even though both are saying the same thing.

Let me briefly, talk about the point made on the show. I took the comment to mean that God's love is evident in the way we treat others and especially how we create friends and families and are just there for them. I know like DUH!!! It is something I knew mentally but never really it hit me the way it did on the treadmill. It made me remember that words are easy and money convenient when problems arise, but to be there for someone, really there for someone, is the evidence of God. I believe I am there for myself but not often enough there for others in my life. Being there for others is not a burden, it is a warm embrace from God. I think that in our efforts to help others we reach out with the hands of God and feel his embrace around us. That is like WOW. My friends, who have responded to the problems in Haiti, amaze me. Greg, your family's love and willingness to help is awe inspiring.

This leads me to also wonder why a show can have such an impact in 15 seconds that pastors struggle to have over the course of a year. DO we need background music to help enhance the experience? Do we need 15 sec. sermons? I am kidding. It could come from how we are wrapped in our shows,or that the words spoken by the pastor are stored in our head and make it to our heart during emotional impacts. Maybe we are more emotionally invested in the fictional lives of our TV characters than our church.

One possible reason may be that the telling of the story allows us to experience life vicariously. In this experience, we join in the journey of the character. The character's growth and learning allow us to experience a little bit of the transformation that occurs. Now, that needs to be backed up by actual experiences.

Consequently, those experiences come from listening to our pastor, participating in activities, and taking on our own adventures. I think the journey of the character crystallizes our own journey and helps us to step back from our own life. With this perspective, the heart can transform. I love a good story and the insight I get from them. They often inspire me to do more and experience more.

Therefore, how can a pastor drive home this transformation. A good soundtrack may be a good start. I am a proponent of preaching from the Bible but I do believe that the use of clips and media to help focus the point does wonders in the information age. We no longer experience life wholly in reality. The fictional experiences are shared experiences that can trigger a true understanding.

This is heady stuff for 5 am. In my ramblings, I hope I have expressed that God's love is expressed in how we are there for each other and that the impact of media is in helping us to focus and understand our own experiences. Enjoy your shows and be inspired.

The 3 conspiracy

The other day, I was trying to make a point to someone and realized that I was struggling to come up with three reasons why it was important. This inability to produce three reasons seemed to invalidate my argument in my own mind. Why is that?

I thought about this for awhile, which is the result of too many days off for snow. I realized that I consistently make three point arguments, speeches, and lessons. Being an English teacher, I immediately thought of the 5 paragraph essay. It requires the basic structure of 3 supporting arguments or examples. Drilling down further, we teach that a paragraph needs three supporting sentences. Why the fascination with three? Is two not enough and four too much? This all reminds me of the story of Goldilocks and her constant choosing between three items.

Has this formula for writing affected the way media is produced? I think so. We look at stories as having three parts; a beginning, a middle, and an end. Movies hope to make it to trilogy status. More than three points in a sermon often bores us to the realm of sleep.

Is this a bad thing? No not really as structure makes us better writers. However, when people break through this barrier it makes us uncomfortable. It is beyond our norm which can make it great or awful. Agree with me or not, but I believe there may be a third option. That is what we have been taught.

Chuck Me!!!!!

As an avid fan of movies and television shows, I will preview each month a show or movie that I am looking forward to watching that month. To begin with, this month's show is the premiere of "Chuck". As many know, this is my favorite TV show currently being aired. I have constantly posted about my excitement for this show,almost to the point of annoyance. What makes this show great in my eyes and why should anyone watch it?

If you need to know what the show is about please take a moment to read this very good write up at http://www.aceshowbiz.com/tv/chuck/summary.html . I think it would be well worth the 20 seconds it will take.

The show itself has never garnered stellar Nielsen ratings. In the shows defense it has been up against "Dancing with the Stars", "Prison Break", and a host of other good shows. However, it has survived 3 seasons due to a fan base that loves the show and lets NBC know about it. Here is an article that discusses the campaign that brought it back for a third season (http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/30/save.chuck.show/index.html). Besides die hard fans, the show has racked in rave reviews from critics. All these people must see something special in the show. I believe that the show is very fresh and unique among your choices of half hour comedies, hour long dramas, and reality shows. It uniqueness makes it a must see.

One reason to watch is for the actors it uses. All are fresh and new to television. Each one seems to embrace their character in such a way that it makes you believe that in real life they may not be far off from it. Also for a struggling show, the guest appearance are huge. Season 2 had such stars as Michael Strahan, Jerome Bettis, Carl Lumbly, Morgan Fairchild , Bruce Boxleitner, Chase, and Scott Bakula. The upcoming season promises to be just as exciting with Angie Harmon, Brandon Routh, and others making appearances.

Another reason to watch has to be the song choices for the show. I have never watched a show that uses so much music to set the mood of the story. Not only do the producers go after pop hits from our youth and today, they also go after indie groups with songs that fit the story of the show. The show uses three to four songs each episode on average. When looking at iTunes store, the songs used on the show have high popularity scores. Could it be because they were featured on the show? Just like we use the iPod or iTouch playlists to create mix tapes of our moods, the show attempts to create the same type of structure. The show even has two of the characters with a cheesy cover band, Jeffster, that rocks a keytar. They have their own Facebook page and opened for Chuck at the San Diego Comic Con. How cool is that?

Finally, the main reason to watch is for the writing of the show. It is witty, intelligent, and funny. The shows writers take time to create comedic moments for the characters that flow with the show. From spoofs to one liners to continuous running jokes, the show is not afraid to make fun of itself or the culture it is representing. The show parodies our struggles with real life by following Chuck's real job making 12 bucks an hour. We have all been there. These types of humor make the show a feel good hour of television. Likewise, the writers spend time referencing pop culture items to give a sense of the show being connected to our world and give homage to the greats. Just the other day I was watching an episode and the bomb used by an assassin was an IG-88. Come on, everyone knows that one of the assassins called by Darth Vader to Bespin was the IG-88 Assassin Droid. Star Wars reference at its best. Plenty of geek and 80's references for all. However, the writers go a little deeper so that the show is not just about the comedy and pop culture references. The comedy only lightens up the underlying problems and tensions that the creators carry over from episode to episode. One thing I enjoy about the writing is that the episodes for the most part are self contained missions that instill a sense of accomplishment. However, actions and feelings continue over into other episodes creating dramatic tension. This tension instills a sense of continuity that makes the show feel like a journey and not half hour snippets. Thus the creation of a dramedy (its own unique genre). More importantly, the investment of time in this show is worthwhile as the journey is a well crafted story with viewers watching the characters change and evolve with a sense of purpose and destiny. This makes the story seem real and very believable even though some of the writing is campy. Consequently, the writers create a quirky story that mirrors our own quirky lives. To top it off it is very family friendly and speaks to many generations. My wife and I both love to sit down and watch episodes of "Chuck". Even with our varied tastes, the shows writing brings something for both of us.

In conclusion, there are many reasons to watch"Chuck". Whether it is for the actors, music, or writing; any choice will bring you in contact with a show that is very unique and appealing. The show returns to NBC on Sunday January 10th from 9:00 to 11:00 pm with its premiere. On Monday January 11, there will be another episode of "Chuck" at its regular timeslot of 8:00 pm. Take it out for a spin and watch these episodes and see if you do not enjoy the ride.

Videos and references to help.

Jeffster preforming : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nViWOd87oKY (Not their best performance but it is cool.) (I wish i had a garage cover band.)

Songs that have appeared on "Chuck": http://nbcchuck.wordpress.com/music-from-chuck/

Heroic Journey by Joseph Campbell that I think the overlying drama is based on:

http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc/journey/ref/summary.html

Scene from Chuck pointing out all the elements (music, drama, acting): **spoiler as this is the last episode of season 2 do not watch if you want to watch in order**http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US5jYr905rg&feature=related

Free available episodes online at NBC: (My recommendation is watch the last four as they really tell the story. Without commercials that is 168 minutes.) http://www.nbc.com/chuck/episode_guide/index.shtml

What is media?

Before I start confessing to all sorts of addictions, it might be useful to define media. Media is defined by Dictionary.com as the means of communication. I would add that it is the way in which a person communicates a story, his values, or artistic interpretation to the world.

Based on this definition, media covers many endeavors that help to share vision with the world. In my life the media that I use to express myself or that I am influenced by are games (video and board), books, movies, TV shows, comic books, music, art, photography, and writing. I would include cooking but I only dabble in it and do not use it in artistic expression. The different media that influence each of us and that we use to express ourselves are varied. However, it is there to communicate something someone has to say.

Strap in for a wild ride as I talk and ramble about my addiction to media both as a way to express myself and be influenced by others. My blogs will deal with different aspects and insights into the various media I juggle. While this is not groundbreaking, I dare say that the majority of us have a secret addiction to some form of media that pushes our life to go beyond.

"To infinity and beyond!" - Buzz Lightyear Toy Story

I Can Touch

Being a media junkie or addict has its advantages at certain times. It is very beneficial when playing Trivial Pursuit or when dazzling friends with obscure quotes. Also, it is very beneficial at Christmas time. At this time of year I have many easy gift options from a gift card to Barnes and Noble or iTunes to the latest movie. To really overwhelm me, buy me the latest Internet/computer gadget. This type of gift is like giving an alcoholic a bottle of vodka. You should expect to find me passed out from over indulgence of the gift.

Consequently, I was given the ultimate media " drug", a new iTouch. It has changed my life already. Not only can this device play music and videos, it can play games, connect to the Internet, and store novels. What else would a media junkie need? The one saving grace that keeps me from disappearing altogether into the abyss is that it only connects to the internet in the presence of wifi. This limits my addiction slightly. In the short time that I have had it, it has integrated into every part of my life. Currently, I am tracking my weight loss with it, creating my to do lists, and tracking my workouts. It has replaced my laptop as my most used portable device. I cannot wait to go into Panera and get on the Internet with only a small handheld device. If I am really bored, I can even watch my favorite downloaded TV shows from iTunes. Actually, my iTouch now serves as a video playback device for our favorite shows. Likewise, I take it to the gym so that I can catch up on the last season of "Heroes".

So the question is, how does this device fit into media? While it is not media in itself, it does represent a new delivery tool of media. Just like the pen, the printing press, the radio, the television, and the Internet; it represents the latest way our media can be delivered to us. I love it. I have every form of media on here that influences my life. I expect for it demand more and more of my attention as my other forms of media suffer. Only my boardgames and desktop seem to still demand my time.

In conclusion, the iTouch represents the next media delivery device for our new age. I use to make fun of the people who spent so much time typing on their screen and staring at the small console. Now, my face is illuminated by its eery glow. It is a modern day oracle at Delphi that keeps us informed. Awesome product, awesome fun, extremely addictive. Buy with caution. When will you be able to reach out and touch?


Side note: This entire blog was written with the help of the iTouch.