Join the Fury

Fellow Losties and cool t-shirt fans, please check this website out! Every day a new t-shirt is displayed on the page, and you can purchase it for a very limited time. There's only 4 hours left for this one. Much better pictures over there, too. And did I mention it's cheap? $11, shipping included, for this amazing shirt. All the nerds on the LOST forum I frequent love it. But that's not why I'm getting one, c'mon you know me--I don't really care much for bandwagons. Even if everyone hated it I'd still buy it because it ROCKS.

"A constant favorite" Nice.

"MAAAAAAALT!" Gotta love it.

The designer is Ian Leino, a fellow Etsy shop owner. Right now Ian has a cool DHARMA logo button available for purchase in his shop. It's not an official logo, lol, it's his own design with a frosty beer in the center.

"Down the hatch!"

In case you missed that link at the top, just go to www.teefury.com :)

Special

I've got LOST fever, acute DHARMAtitis......

Tomorrow is a big Lostie day for me. I can't tell you why...it's a secret. *laughs maniacally in an evil villainous kinda way*

I can, however, point you in the direction of some fun Lost-inspired trinkets I found on Etsy.com. Then you can have your own little piece of paraphernalia from the greatest television show of ALL TIME!

Here goes....


My blog, so I get to shamelessly promote my shop first (woot!). Here is my contribution...

Special

...an awesome sterling silver necklace with strands of red coral beads & bright red crystals alongside glossy, black hex-cut glass seed beads. The focal point as you can see is The Numbers in sterling silver block beads. They slide back and forth across the three strands, and they're pretty fun to play with. This necklace is about 16" long, it's really cute and only $50. If you mention this blog in the Notes to Seller box during purchase--I'll give you a discount of $10 off plus free shipping! Be sure to keep checking in at silverbugsjewelry.etsy.com, I'll be listing a few LOST charm bracelets and pendants as well as some Harry Potter-inspired jewelry before Thanksgiving.



Next up is a listing for these adorable little--

Lostie buttons

all the best characters are featured here. What made me choose these over all the other Lost-themed buttons on Etsy is the style in which these characters were drawn. It's so unique! I love the light blue background, too, a nice change from the stark black/white of the dharma logos (yes I realize black/white is a major theme of the show). You get four buttons of your choice for only $5, shipping is extra. My pick for cutest button-face goes to....Jin!



I'm really digging this piece of sophisticated, understated LOSTie art! It's called...

Lost Literature

...and it comes to you matted and framed and ready to be displayed in your home. Each 3-D octagon was cut from the pages of a book mentioned on the show. This would be an AMAZING gift for a very nerdy Lostie (such as myself, hint hint) who has read or attempted to read every book ever referenced on the show. The seller, Terror Dome, has stated that this piece is one of a kind and even if she makes a similar piece in the future, the literary selections will be different. So grab this one while you can! $76, shipping is extra.


In keeping with the spirit of the show, and the Numbers I've come to love so much--I'm only blogging 4 items today. Last but not least is...

Scarlet Kate

Remember Eggtown? Kate is on trial for everything she's done before the crash of flight 815. If you're a jewelery fiend like me--you were paying more attention to her cute, faceted teardrop earrings than to the court proceedings. That is, until Jack showed up. *dreamy*

I digress! Sulablu was inspired by Kate's smoky topaz earrings, and decided to make the same style in many different colors. These red ones are my favorite, but if you prefer blue or green or just about any other color, you should check out sulablu.etsy.com! Each pair is $14 plus shipping.

Please keep in mind that all prices are in USD. The awesome notecard featured at the top of the page is by BettyTurbo.etsy.com, you can find it right here.

FF01.01 No More Good Days

I'm going to try to keep up with this and not abandon it like I did with my LOST blogs. I still have no idea what is going on with this show, but I like it a lot. I hope it keeps up the pace (haha, LOSTIES, no pun intended) and keeps getting better.

I didn't get too much out of the pilot episode, but I didn't get much out of the LOST pilot episode either. Maybe when all is said and done, we'll go back and have an "aha" moment with the first episodes of both these shows. For now, these are my random thoughts...I try to stay away from major spoilers, by the way. I usually try to find out the title of the next episode a few days before it airs, I do watch the trailer for the upcoming epi as well. I don't consider these real spoilers so I will mention them from time to time--just a warning.

FF Pilot intro is just like LOST's Pilot Part 1, right? I mean, you have the weird colors, the brief moment of silence just before the main character thinks to himself, "WTF???"

The camera angles imitating a person looking back and forth and turning around in circles, the confusion, the transition from silence to cacophony, that sudden scream for help--like Shannon screaming really loudly all of a sudden.

I like how there just happen to be oranges all over the place. That's for those of us who are big fans of The ODI and who still believe that the color orange has symbolic significance in the world of LOST. I think...



The cinematography is lush. I like that there is no "theme song". Just the flashback/plane engine sound from LOST. lol...

You're a crappy husband. I hate you.

You know, I like this idea. I see it this way: if you're too superstitious to write "You're a great husband. I love you." then this is what you write instead, because you're always saying the opposite of what you really feel. Otherwise, you'll jinx the good thing you've got. I have heard of people who do this, especially when their partner has a dangerous job or they're just really paranoid.

I guess the surfer we see while Bryce gets ready to kill himself is one of the little clips in the "What Did You See?" promos that aired during commercial breaks earlier this year. That's kinda cool. I do see the slight similarities between Bryce on the pier about to kill himself and Bearded Jack on the bridge trying to do the same thing. But I really want to get away from the constant comparisons to LOST. They're pretty meaningless. Instead, what I want to know is how a person goes from helping and protecting complete strangers every day, to doing something horrible and selfish in front of complete strangers, knowing how much it will hurt them, as innocent bystanders, to witness his grisly suicide? Like, why doesn't he cut his wrists or inhale carbon monoxide in the comfort of his own home? I know that sounds harsh, but why pick such a painful death and why do it in such a public place?

------------------------------------------

Islands in the Stream. Haha, I get it. Cute.



Oceanic's perfect safety record. Okay, already. ALTERNATE TIME-LINE. Sigh...


-------------------------------------

Amazing car chase scene! I love car chase scenes and crashes (on t.v.).

Why is there so much black in this episode? Surfers all in black, lots of black cars, Bryce, Demetri, Mark, the woman they're chasing all in black, Olivia's scrubs are a dark greyish, blue...




What's with the swirling stars? What do they mean? Is it me or did the Flash (Mark's Flash, anyway) seem more colorful? Sure it was blurry and scratchy like a DHARMA Orientation video, but I distinctly remember more reds and yellows and greens, a contrast from what we see in the very beginning as Mark is waking up, which is a world awash in denim blue, where even the oranges look faded.

Some of Mark's flash and what I noticed (not in order):



BIG DADDY. Bioshock. Plus, there is a wall with photos and red string connecting the important notes. Bioshock already has so many connections to LOST and now FF, would you kindly go check it out (if you haven't already?)
(this is a screencap from a big reveal scene in the game, Bioshock)




BLACK SWAN. I guess this has other meanings besides just being a mascot for all the cheaters in the DHARMA Wants You game. I guess...


BLUE HAND. ? Combine this with the RED PANDA reference and you've got two out of the three colors in the friendship bracelet. Is this of any importance?

APRIL 29TH (429) HAS THE NUMBER 42 IN IT. Also, it's my husband's birthday!


HELP US. I wonder who wrote this and what they were doing at The Crown Cheese Steak.


I'm sorry. I really couldn't help it. (S3, "I Do", if you're wondering)


SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME THE NAME OF THIS PAINTING AND WHAT I AM LOOKING AT, PLEASE! Especially in the foreground of the top photo.

Why, yes, that is THE HYDRA...


LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, "MARKFACE". Now you guys can lay off of Jack and his Jackface. ;)


I said I would stop with the LOST references but it looks as though I lied.


Turns out that is a #8 next to the crispy babydoll. But I don't see how that matters, really.

137 Sekunden. Tomorrow's epi (#3).


THE WHITE QUEEN. Another reason to re-read Alice in Wonderland...
Just so you know I checked to make sure which chess piece was in that flash.

Masks. They kind of look like the person in the photo behind Obregon in the Truth Hack photo (see below). Can someone PLEASE tell me who that is?

So what do you make of these flashes?

Back to the present. I sincerely want to know how Demetri got from one bridge to the other. That was a long way to be thrown if that is what happened to him. I think something fishy is going on here (hee-hee, see below). This really bothers me. I know it's a small, seemingly trivial matter. But I'm a LOST fan. I want some friggin' answers. Likewise, how did Aaron get himself down from that utility pole without electrocuting himself?

And now there are even more oranges... By the way, anyone following the FF ARG and the Truth Hack website--did you notice the oranges and orchids in the background of the home page photo? Niiiice.

(oranges on left, background...purple orchids on right. who's in that photo behind him?)

And now, back to Bryce waking up. I was noticing all those bodies floating in the ocean, it reminded me of The Other 48 Days, after Flight 815 crashed into the sea...then I thought...wow, the GB must have killed a lot of people. I would believe maybe even 10% of the entire world's population. So, could that be one of the reasons why the GB was orchestrated by...whomever...if that's even the case? There are those "population control" weirdos in real life, they're pretty extreme, I could see the writers working this into the show in some way. I really want to read the book now, but I don't want to be spoiled!

Mkay, I've just realized that I don't like Bryce and here's why....


I think he's the John Locke of Flash Forward. Here you've got a guy who basically feels like he's got nothing to live for. He's a loser that will not be missed if he kills himself--or so he must believe. Then, somehow this "miracle" happens to him (sound familiar?) and suddenly he's got a new reason to live. We don't even know what he saw in his flash, but it's gotta be good. I think the majority of people are going to see their flashforward as a bad thing, and something to be prevented (just as, on LOST, most people saw the crash as a bad thing and wanted to be rescued from the Island). However, for this guy and a few others, the flash was something so good, they want to be absolutely sure it comes true. They don't want to leave the Island and they'll do whatever it takes to make sure they never do...er, so to speak. I mean, Bryce is basically telling Olivia that the good things he's seen in his future are "meant to be" so he's just going to sit back and enjoy the ride. Ugh. Here we go again....

Charlie is a weird kid. Most little kids are weird already, but that one is not saying what she knows and that bugs me. Just because they're tiny and cute doesn't mean you can trust them! ;) I've seen "White to Play", but I wrote that last bit before I had seen it. I was right! So what does this kid know that she isn't saying? More on that later.

"There was a storm, the horses were scared" The woman that Demetri and Mark were chasing says that about her flashforward. Guess the Feds eventually let her go. Was she even in the 2nd epi? I didn't notice.

Red Panda advert on the bus behind Mark.

RED PANDA INITIATIVE, maybe? It says something about a "...Better Tomorrow". Is this organization going to help those wanting to make sure their flash comes true, or the others who want to prevent it? I want to know more about it.

Demetri says his fiancee, Zoe, is in Seattle, but we still don't know why. I mean, you'd think she'd come home right away. I'd walk back if I had to. And can I just take a minute to say that John Cho is really, really cute? I'm thoroughly enjoying this trend of having an attractive Asian male in almost every new drama series. Not that I prefer one race to any other--I just like to see the networks & producers mixing it up like this. Now please add more Latino and Native American characters and I'll be even happier.

Someone please explain the kangaroo. Does it have anything to do with Australia? Cause...Australia's the key to the whole game. Are red pandas from Australia, too? I wish I had more answers than questions. I don't know enough to make any good guesses, either. All I know is, that kangaroo has got to be important. It kind of made me think of 12 Monkeys. Should probably go watch that again.

The kangaroo also makes me think of Y: The Last Man. On LOST, Hurley is reading volume 3 of that graphic novel during his plane ride to "Guam" in 316. The thing is, Y has many scenes of a chaotic world in which a terrible thing has happened--every man on earth except the main character, Yorick, has died. Part of that story takes place in Australia, too.

Hmm, no one else sees the kangaroo, maybe it's his "spirit guide".

Desperate Housewives ad on another bus. Yuck.

How does Dylan know Olivia's name and why call her "Olivia" instead of "Libby"? Someone on the spoilertv forum pointed this out, and it is still hard for me to wrap my head around it:

If you were with someone else during the flash, they have the same flash you do. Everyone in the world flashed forward to the exact same moment in space(?) and time. We didn't see this kid in Olivia's flash, just his dad. So, that kid had to be within earshot of Olivia and his dad and there has to be a lot more to their combined flash than what we've seen. It lasted about 2 minutes, right? Also, how come he knows her as Olivia and not Libby. And where was Charlie? That's what I really want to know.

Seth McFarlane. I really, truly hate that guy.

Olivia says that Dylan has a brain injury. Is that related to the GB?

877 aircraft went down during the GB (global blackout). I can't even begin to imagine. Was that worldwide or in the US alone?

"Future Echos". They did an episode about that on Red Dwarf. Funny.....

Other people's flashes:

Demetri supposedly has none. I really thought he was just sleeping, but the strange phone call he receives in the next episode might prove me wrong. I hope not. Demetri is one of the only characters I am really interested in right now. And NO it's not just because he's cute.


Stan was on the can. Haha! I'm glad they had at least one character doing something totally normal (if not slightly gross) during their flash. In the next epi we see that during the real time of the flash he was also on the toilet. How strange--either he's getting way too much fiber or not nearly enough! But isn't it around 10pm LA time in everyone's flash? Why is he still at the FBI building and why in the bathroom? Did he just leave Mark's office? Why are they both at work so late?

And another thing...why is Janis at the OBGYN so late? I think she's in another part of the world, maybe she's in England with Al Gough? It's daytime there during the flash. Who knows. I still think that Demetri is the father of her child and he's dead and maybe that is why she's crying during her sonogram. Then again, I suppose it is a rather emotional event. That photo up there really makes me think of "Maternity Leave". Weird.

Al & Fiona are in England talking about their FF investigation and a bird crashes into the window. Maybe Walter Lloyd was nearby...


Poor Aaron. "Ghost of Christmas Future". Hm. Interesting choice of words. But I really do feel badly for this character. I know something of what he and real people in that situation must be going through. I lost my cousin in the current war in Iraq. Same thing happened to him, actually. His vehicle was hit by an IED and, like Aaron's daughter Tracy, there wasn't much left of him to bring back and bury. My mom still has this idea that maybe he is still out there somewhere, like they ID'd the wrong person. I have to believe that never happens, that is just crazy talk on my mom's part. I don't know, I'm kind of wary about where the show is going to go with Aaron's story. I really hope it doesn't get too political. I mean they have to know there are a lot of people out there who've lost loved ones the same way Aaron lost his daughter. I definitely want to see how this plays out and find this plotline way more interesting than Bryce's or even Olivia's.

Speaking of Olivia...

Etta James, "At Last". That was my wedding song, too, but I think it's a bit overdone these days. It's pretty much everyone's wedding song now. :(

Hey! I have that same dream about Jack Davenport. How funny! Hahaha...
Daaaaaaavenport. ::discreetly wipes drool from corner of mouth::

But seriously, he's hilarious. And he pops up everywhere, it seems. I don't know if I can watch him in such a dramatic role. I keep expecting him to do or say something goofy. Go watch Coupling and you'll see what I mean.

Well, well, well...as if tptb were trying to squeeze in every LOST reference they could, we now see that little Charlie is wearing a t shirt with an orange perch on the front of it.
(there's a better screencap, I know, I'll post it when I have time)
Where's the last place you saw an orange perch on tv?


(this is what it looks like...)


Oh yeah.... Um, why? What gives? (that's Jacob's hand, btw)

What next, is D. Gibbons going to invite Mark Benford to his office and offer him a glass of MacCutcheon's?

I digress... Oh, that terrible bracelet! How weird. Did Charlie know that her dad would be wearing it whilst terrible things befell him in the future? That kid's like, an Oracle or something. Very strange. I think she's the Walter Lloyd of FF. She'll appear where she doesn't belong and birds will shout out people's names! Btw, the music in this scene is really distracting. Here's what I think about the symbolism of the bracelet. I already mentioned the colors. Aside from that, I think that Mark wearing this bracelet (instead of just telling his daughter "no") can mean that he's resigned to the fact that his fate has been sealed, the glimpse of his future is real, destiny has been written out and cannot be changed...
OR
as a reminder to himself of a possible future, he's seen himself down that road and wants to prevent those things from happening. This bracelet could always remind him of what he could become if he's not careful. He still hast time to make a change that allows him to escape a fate he does not want.

SUSPECT ZERO! How cool! I, too, thought FF was just an okay show until the moment SZ is revealed. Who is that guy? I haven't read any spoilers about it but my guess is that SZ will turn out to be a character played by Dominic Monaghan. I am so thrilled that our Dom might portray the villain in this series. It will be a nice change and you know me, I almost always cheer for the villains.

So why the baseball game, why Detroit, why the GB? And, hello? Why not pretend to be asleep like everyone else when you know you're at a televised sporting event, the cameras are rolling, you know you're going to be caught one way or another. Why not at least crawl away out of there? I mean he/she obviously went to all the trouble of wearing dark clothes and a hood. Still, I really can't wait to find out.

I agree with everyone who found the musical score to be severely lacking in some scenes, and way overdone in the remainder. But let's face it--we've been spoiled for the past 5 years by the amazing score on LOST. Michael Giacchino is simply, a genius. But I do hope the music on FF gets better...

That's it! Thanks for reading my blog! Can't wait till 7pm tomorrow. I'll try to blog "White to Play" before then but I make no promises.... ;)

Crybaby...

Oh! Somebody I don't know actually took a sec to read my last blog. Thanks! I always wonder how people find each other here. Anyway, I thought I should follow up by saying I'm not really upset about what happened or didn't happen. Not any more. And I don't mean to insult Pete Wentz or FOB just for the sake of being a bitch. I never liked their music even way before this whole situation. Not that it's their fault I didn't get what I wanted out of this game. Whatever I say or write is going to annoy people and make them think less of me, I'm going to blame Asperger Syndrome for that!

Anyway, like I said, I'm pretty much over it now. After a little online whining and muttering a few choice words under my breath, I soon forget about my troubles, most of the time. I am still a little jealous of people who participated in some of the other events. Today, for instance, at the pet store, people got a free t-shirt like the one Hurley wears in the show. The "I ♥ my Shi-Tzu" shirt. Which, I think, is pretty neat.

I also found out yesterday that not everyone who goes to one of these events gets a treat. And I assumed that some did when they really did not. So I'm clear on that now. However, I craved the experience of gathering with other LOST fanatics and looking for a piece of the puzzle more than any trinket. And to be completely honest, right around this time last week I did remember that the dcaapb website tells us there won't always be a physical location--sometimes just another website. I really did not want that to apply to my own situation, though! I will always wish that I could have been more involved in the part of this game that took place in my hometown. But you can't always get what you want!

It is cool that so far, I've collected every poster and even got a few with LOST numbers on them (408, 142, 239 and so on). I REALLY don't want to sound unappreciative. People who don't know me well don't understand how therapeutic it is for me to bitch and moan about stuff that bothers me, even for just 5 minutes. Let me whine, get it out of my system and then I will be the nicest person. 'Cause sometimes, we Aspies....venting about our frustrations is all we can do. The world just doesn't understand us, we don't understand ourselves. All I know is that I'm annoyed. Blogging helps me figure things out. And nobody's making you read it.

I think what TPTB is doing with these posters is awesome and I am glad to be able to own these prints and yes, to be "the envy of other LOSTIES", who missed out on buying them all, lol. This is going to be MY thing, you know, like...some people have all the character's autographs, some people have those little plastic dolls, some write blogs on every episode, etc etc. I want to be one of the few who owns the whole set of posters. So far, so good.

About that, I agree with Monica, "Let me have my fun". My husband totally made me feel like a dork when I told him about possibly being involved in the game and my excitement about the whole thing. These posters are so special to me but he seems to enjoy poo-pooing everything I obsess over. Don't get me wrong, he's a great husband. Very sweet most of the time. But he tends to make fun of what he doesn't understand. And he gives me such a hard time about all the LOST "junk" I've collected over the years. He really made me feel stupid about wanting the posters. It's not like I don't go without all kinds of cool stuff for the sake of my family. And as long as I can afford the posters, I'm going to keep buying them.

Besides, I don't just buy any and every piece of crap with a dharma logo stamped onto it. As an artist, I can see the value in these prints even if I don't love each and every one. So far, Locke's Secret is my favorite and I HATE Locke. $50 a pop is a bargain, because to me, the whole set will be priceless.

I can't say it enough...I LOVE LOVE LOVE this game, regardless of its flaws, the lack of freebies at every event, the spoiled urls, even the stupid "backdoor url" discovery. I AM grateful for this opportunity, for TPTB who do so much for us fans, for the artists who share their work this way, for everybody on LOSTargs and Spoiler Tv who share their findings and photos and thoughts with me and everyone else... I've been a devoted fan for 4 years, played all the games, own gobs of LOST paraphernalia, have been following this game since before it even became a game, wasted countless hours blogging the episodes, chatting, theorizing, blah blah blah. I have earned the right to complain once in a while. I don't regret any time I've devoted to LOST, not in this or any other game. Even my bad experience with TG has turned into more of an inside joke that I find really amusing.

I still think that we North Texas were somewhat jilted, but it's only a minor snag. That's it. No more. I'm moving on to something else now. Promise.

Thanks for the (Bad) Memories

In Season 1 of LOST, Rose Nadler told Charlie Pace, "I got sob stories for ya."

I guess she was trying to let him know that he wasn't the only unlucky person on the island--everyone else had their share of problems. I've got a sob story that somewhat indirectly involves Charlie. Really, there's no sobbing involved. Just a lot of self pity & whining about some stupid shit that happened here in Dallas last week. See...right now there's a strange little pseudo LOST game going on, not too many players involved. I tried to explain to my husband this way: It's a scavenger hunt, in which "they" give us clues and it's "our" job to decipher those clues in order to know where to go and when. Why do we need to go "there"? What do we get once we've been "there"? Simple: a website address. Once we have that information, we head home to post our new info on a forum, share that magic url with all the other nerds around the world. They're counting on us, those of us who can make the trip to the physical location. We have what they need. Because, soon after the website is found, a limited edition LOST poster is displayed there, ready for us to purchase. My husband said "So basically, this is just a way for you to find something else to buy?" He really knows how to drain the magic out of an experience...



But he's right. The whole point of The Game is this (taken from the original site):

In celebration of LOST's final season and as a project of fan appreciation, 16 top designers and artists, who are also fans of the show, were commissioned to create artwork celebrating one of the series' most memorable, and unforgettable, "water cooler" moments. This ultimate "fan art" was then turned into labor intensive, hand-pulled screen prints, limited to an edition of just 300, with less than 200 available to the public through our websites. Each beautiful poster tells its own different story, allowing the fan to relive memorable and influential moments in an artistic manner, as the show's storied run comes to a close. Once this limited edition print has sold out, they will never be printed again. Celebrate the fandom, community and family created by one of televisions' greatest shows by hanging a little part of it's history, inspiration and influence on your wall.


These prints are collector's items and only a few people IN THE WORLD are ever going to own the whole set. So far, I am one of those people. And so far, the "hunt" has taken us, both physically or virtually, to Los Angeles, New York City, the University of Arizona, Boston. Many LOSTIES are still hoping that an event will take place in their town. But there are only 9 more posters, 9 more opportunities for that to happen and it's just not possible for everyone to take part in this game. Those of us who live in major cities are lucky. I was pretty sure something would happen here in Texas. I wished every day for it. Be careful what you wish for!

Last week, I thought I lucked out. The first clue for poster number 6 was a silver star. Most people immediately thought "Lone Star" as in Lone Star State. Turns out, they were right. 2 more clues and we narrowed the next event location down to a concert venue smack in the middle of downtown Dallas. Superpages.com Center! We put our heads together and found out the next event would coincide in some way with a Blink 182 concert, Wednesday, September 23! And that it would also somehow involve...wait....Pete Wentz's guitar....? There was no mistake about Clue #4. We learned that Fall Out Boy, one of the yuckiest bands ever, was the opening act for Blink that same night.

Then, no more clues for a couple days and we were left wondering what to do. I wrote to a few other Dallas LOSTIES, mostly nice people. None of us could really commit to spending money on concert tickets. I mean--don't we need to save our money so we can buy the actual posters? They are $60 a pop! And by the way, there are 16 posters total! Do the math, it's a big chunk of money. I got two other LOSTIES to agree to MAYBE meet up at the concert if we didn't have to buy tickets. Then we realized you have to pay to park at Superpages (cha-ching!). No worries--I say I'll go and even spring for parking if we can be sure that our clue/website address will be on a flier or fence or sign or t shirt--something that doesn't require paid entry into the concert. I like Blink 182 as much as the next guy. I mean, I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to punk, but they're okay. More like pop music, but I'm not saying I don't voluntarily listen to them from time to time. The day before the show, I cart myself and my son up to Fair Park, downtown Dallas and Superpages.com Center. It's a mostly pleasant 30 minute drive. My mission: Case the joint and see if there are any signs/fences visible from outside the parking lot, any clues as to where The Clue might be. There are mounted cops and carnies a'plenty, the State Fair of Texas was 3 days shy of it's grand opening, and people were setting up. Gates were all locked, but, being resourceful, I found an entrance open--it was down a back alley. My son is such a square, he kept telling me "I don't think you're supposed to be driving around here.". We got past all the locked gates, past the blocked entrance to the parking lot and into the VIP section. I tweet what I find to the handful of people following this mission. There's loads of parking lots, all paid. There's fences all around but no screens or signs. And, this is what was most important, the merch. tables are ALL inside the gate and no one gets in without a ticket and a search. We go home a bit disappointed. I'm starting to think that this will not be like the other events, in which attendees and devoted fans got to see props from the show, one of the actors, or from which they at least come away with some nice DHARMA swag and/or something to eat. The last clue for poster #6 came the morning of September 23rd. According to that last clue, posted on the original site, Fall Out Boy would "pay homage" to LOST and our job was to follow the mysterious "Paces Oil Change" live via Twitter, starting at 8pm. Around 7pm, some of us Dallas LOSTIES passed around imaginary drinks over the tweets and forums, trying to find solace at the bottom of our virtual bottle. We had been wronged. Robbed. Where was OUR event? Arizona got a HUGE poster of Sawyer, LOST props from the show, neat little bookmarks and we get....Pete Wentz. Doing a bad impersonation of Charlie Pace, no less. Los Angeles got Sterling Beaumon for pity's sake! Little Ben! Do you KNOW how much I would love to meet Little Ben??? Do you know how much geek cred I'd get for having a photo taken with Little Ben? COME ON!



Boston LOSTIES got skateboards. The Others in NYC got cupcakes! I did all that driving and sneaking about for nothing, absolutely nothing. But that's not the worst part. One of us nerds here in big D actually WENT to the concert. Bought tickets and everything. He gets to the show after driving through a mess of traffic and sees only exactly what all of us saw whilst sitting at home, following Paces Oil Change on Twitter: Bad photos of Pete Wentz's bass guitar with the url stuck onto it and even more bad photos of something he'd written on his hand in black marks-a-lot. "Not Penny's Boat". LAME. But, regardless, the hidden website had now been found and those of us who wanted poster #6, The Four Toed Statue, in all it's screen-printed glory, were able to get it. The next morning, a sort of "after-clue" was posted on the original site...a clip of Pete Wentz introducing his awful tune, "Thnx Fr Th Mmrs" (and believe me, it pains me to misspell that title on purpose) by vaguely alluding to his having met Charlie & Liam Pace while playing a show in Texas some years back. Then he seems to actually be dedicating this performance to Charlie. Thanks, but no thanks, FOB.



But wait...there's more!

Some Other LOST nerd on spoilertv.co.uk (Dark UFO's forum) got the "magic" url even before Paces Oil Change posted the photos of it online. But, how could he do that? He wasn't anywhere near the concert, Pete Wentz's guitar or Paces Oil Change! Well, I'll tell you how. A few weeks ago, some genius did some sort of backwards IP address search or whatever the hell you call it (apparently it's easy if you go here) and found ALL the urls! That's right! All of them. Those of us who spoiled ourselves and looked at this person's spouse's website (if you don't want to be spoiled, she has some other interesting stories, just watch where you look!) know all the "magic" urls/web addresses already. That means, the day each new poster goes up for sale, we don't even need to pay attention to or attend these "events". We can just go about our business and at the right time, simply sit at our desks and type in the unused urls over and over to see which one "goes live". Which means, I didn't have to do anything or drive anywhere and that other guy (who shall remain nameless) didn't have to buy tickets and waste time going to a concert he would never have gone to were it not for his love of LOST. Nobody had to do anything at all. The worst part for me is that I just KNEW there would be a "hunt" in Dallas, they never do a LOST event in Dallas--it was time, it was Destiny!


Isn't Destiny a fickle bitch?


One last rant, and I can't make this clear enough:


TYSON GIVENS IS NOT REAL. BUT HE IS A JERK.

...Adam?

So I guess I should talk about what I thought of the movie, Adam. I'm not gonna explain about the gist of the movie anymore.

Aw, what the hell...why not one more time? (I'll even give you a link to the trailer)

It's about a guy with Asperger Syndrome who lives in a flat in NYC. Then, a cute female teacher/writer moves into the same building. She's a NeuroTypical, or NT. They bump into each other, start talking, romance ensues.

It was an okay movie overall. The pacing was choppy, but the acting was convincing. The cinematography was nice. I like when movies set in NYC make the city seem small and cozy, when we all know that it really isn't.

I really liked the clothes that the two main characters wore. I don't know why I feel compelled to mention that...

Let's see--the plot was a bit contrived and at times it seemed like an infomercial as most of the characters didn't know what AS is, exactly, and there were a lot of explanations that seemed forced. I mean, I guess that's how most people are, in reality. Can't blame you all, I mean--my gosh--I'd heard the term "Asperger" once in my whole life before I even realized I had it.

I don't want to give away too many spoilers for my friends who haven't seen the film yet. But then again, there are lots of people who will never see it and I don't blame them. It seems like a film that only Aspies or NT's who happen to love an Aspie would be interested in seeing.

Let me just say that, in my opinion, the writers/actors went a bit overboard with the main character's display of Aspie symptoms. That's just my own opinion, though, based on my own experience. Yes, I have real difficulty with looking people in the eye, but I don't want to believe that it looks as awkward as it did in the movie. I suppose it probably does. I don't have trouble going out to restaurants, though, at least when I'm with someone else. I don't eat the same thing every day. I can tell when someone else is sad or tired or angry. Well...truthfully, I can tell when something isn't right with another person. But, like Adam, I don't always know what to do. I don't know if a hug is appropriate or if someone just wants to vent. I don't know when a hug is too much. And anyway, to be honest, I don't much like to receive hugs or pats on the head or things like that. I'm touch sensitive. That means I really, really don't like to be touched unless I'm VERY close to a person. I do get really uncomfortable at parties and at the mall etc. But that's actually because I'm noise sensitive, too. Crowds of people sound like a buzzing beehive to me and it actually hurts my ears and upsets me. But I have learned to just deal with it most of the time, I make a face and wrinkle my nose, but I keep doing whatever I'm supposed to be doing because the world doesn't stop just because I am uncomfortable.

I do have a problem with talking on and on about my "special interest". Most of the time that would be LOST. Thank God for all the people I've met online that also love LOST. I would have driven my husband insane if it wasn't for you all. He's so sick of LOST now. It's sad. He used to love that show. I have also learned to just be quiet most of the time instead of boring people. I can't tell when people are sick of hearing me talk about something, so I just don't say anything at all. That scene with Adam having lunch outside with his friend, he keeps going on and on about astronomy and his friend stops him at least twice to change the subject but Adam doesn't get it or doesn't care. My husband nudged me during that scene. Yeah, jackass, I get it.

Don't ever ask me about Eclipses again, 'cause whatever I know, I'm not gonna tell ya!

Oh...eclipses are another thing I obsess about. See a previous blog if you want to know about all my other strange obsessions...

Another problem I have with this movie is that the climax is basically Adam finding out that his girlfriend lied to him about something really trivial and he throws a fullblown dragout hissy fit. I don't do that either. I don't get that angry when people lie to me, because I just expect people to lie. It's what we do.

I think what bugs me the most is that:

the movie implied that all Aspies tend to be atheists, that we never show emotions, that we can never have a solid relationship with an NT, that we can never really empathize with others, that we don't fit in and never will and that we're all tragedies that will never truly be happy. Some of the things that Adam did--yes, I can say I have done things like that (hit myself/hurt myself, get so frustrated that I cry, throw a fit and destroy another's property)...WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID. But Adam is 29. I'm also 29. I don't throw fits any more. I don't destroy other people's things 'cause I'm upset. I don't hit my head against the wall or try to cut myself any more. I'm probably a bit too outspoken, but I try my hardest not to be a rude jerk. I don't cry much, but it happens. When my cousin was killed in the line of duty, and I attended his funeral, I stood there bawling like a baby. I don't even know what came over me. It just happened. I'm happily married to an NT and we have trouble communicating sometimes, but I love him and he loves me. And I try really hard to show that I love him, I don't want to seem as cold as they made Adam seem. I can survive on my own, I did for a while. It was hard, but I did it. I just don't want people to get scared about this portrayal of a person with AS, and imagine that we are all so unreliable or immature or temperamental.

Some of us really just want to fit in and understand the NT mind, the way it works, how you live and think and feel. Not that I necessarily want to change who and what I am, but we could all just try to understand and appreciate each other.



One last thing....seeing Adam in that Space suit really made me want to buy a DHARMA jumpsuit and wear it around the house. Just for...ya know...cleanin' and whatnot. ;)

Disappointing Zombies

So I'm sitting in front of the pc late at night, yet again, unable to sleep. I guess I'll just write whatever pops into my head...

I had to admit to John that I've been holding in a lot of stress lately. He asked whether it was stress or excitement. I guess they're both the same when it comes to me.

Tomorrow we jet over to Austin (and I mean that literally) in the early evening to see a movie that looks really promising. It's called "Adam" and it's about a man with Asperger Syndrome who falls for his neurotypical neighbor. The trailer made me laugh & cry at the same time, which is quite impressive, as almost nothing makes me laugh or cry and for it to have me doing both at once was a bit of a shock, even for me. I don't know if people believe me when I say that I almost never cry. I guess only the people who really know me well can say that it's true. My family has been around me during the worst of times and they know for sure, even when someone I love was in very bad shape, I had to keep it together for my mom & son. I assume they thought I was just being strong. No. I'm not strong. I just can't express myself the way others can. I can't make myself cry. I can't bring myself to do it most of the time.

Anyway...we're going to this movie and we have to rush to the airport, hope the plane's on time, rush to the theater, rush to the hotel. Rush again the next morning to an early flight back home, rush to work, rush rush rush...

It's exciting but draining. There are other things that are making me a bit panicky besides just that. I'm getting in touch with old friends I haven't seen in a while, it's disrupting my pattern and that is upsetting to me, even though I am pleased to see & hear from old friends. I'm taking a trip this October, to Mexico for a weekend. That's going to be fun, but again, stressful/exciting.

Writing is stressful, because in my stories I have to meet new people. That might sound weird but that's how it feels to me. All these new people running around in my head, making demands, saying things over and over again until I get it down on paper. They will be heard.

And then next month I turn 30! Ugh, where did the last ten years of my life go? Seriously...

I guess all of this is why I have been escaping into manga lately. I need these other worlds, to get away from my own for a while. I am still so happy to have met every wonderful person in the Fruits Basket universe. I'm now on book 12 and I know it's almost over. That actually might just be enough to make me cry. I always want to cry when something wonderful ends. It's natural. Usually, I just hide the tears inside, but sometimes I am overwhelmed by a good story and those tears leak out. I am overcome. I find myself doing that a lot with Furuba. I love those Sohmas, and Tohru and her friends and even Megumi. Even those idiots in the Yuki Sohma fanclub warm my heart. Someday I want to meet (Natsuki) Takaya-Sensei. I feel like it's something I have to do. And I have to say, she's inspired me so much.

I guess the reason I titled this blog "disappointing zombies" is because another manga I started reading was about zombies. The first volume was so great, very promising. The premise was interesting, the setting was satisfyingly gothic and the two lead male characters were rather sexy. The girl lead was easy to identify with as she was mousy and small and meek, but she too had promise. Zombie-Loan by Peach-Pit was as big a disappointment to me as Furuba was a pleasant surprise. The first volume was well written, had a plot that made sense and the end was fitting. The ride was smooth from the beginning and the end was exactly where you wanted to go. The second volume quickly lost my interest because it seemed like the writers kept jumping around from place to place without having the characters really do much. Plus, the mystery & the crime they were solving was not interesting. Then they introduced two more female characters who seemed to have no purpose except to distract the main female character, sometimes by being unnecessarily vulgar and/or cryptic. Okay, let's just say that Yomi is a nasty whore and I don't like her. I get that she likes girls, but does that mean she has to be such a slut? She practically rapes Michiru...ugh, spoiler-tastic, I know. That's all I'm gonna say. I think I wanted Akatsuki-san to be another version of Kyo Sohma from Furuba. Oh, my...



How I love Kyo Sohma. ::sigh:: He is indeed, a fabulous monster...


I'm really gonna get off track if I keep goin' down that road. Ooh! That reminds me...in Furuba Vol. 11, there's another LOST reference. Oh yeah...

"Did you...open the box?"

How could I not think of Leonard from Santa Rosa, yelling at Hurley in Season 1's Numbers, "You opened the box!"




Hey, Darlton...WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT BOX!

Sorry...had to get that off my chest, so to speak!

Back to manga. Those zombies were quite the disappointment. I was really hoping this series would be good. I love zombies. LOVE THEM. I wish someone would write a Twilight-like series of books only with zombies. I was really hoping Zombie-Loan would be IT. But sadly, no. I keep waiting. I'll probably keep watching the anime online though (and for free, of course). The series seems to work better as an anime.

I tossed vol. 2 of Z-L on the floor and went to the bookstore (for more Furuba) and whilst there I found another interesting manga, Blank Slate. I was just captivated by the sexy, androgynous character on the cover. I had to read this book.



Plus, the title, another LOST reference (Tabula Rasa, y'all). Halfway through the book, I'm really digging it. The main character, Zen, has depth and an unexpected gallantry about him. I hope he gets back together with the blind girl. Their little tryst was very interesting to me, as you don't really see that kind of pairing, without the plot becoming infested with treacle. That one's by Aya Kanno.

I also found some anime here online called Xam'd. I'm gonna watch the first episode now, see if I like it.

So till next time, to ease my frayed nerves, if anyone knows any good zombie manga or zombie anything for that matter...let me know, 'k?