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Friday, September 29LOST: Season Three Preview.
Well, it's about damn time. Welcome back, kids.
On Wednesday, October 4, Lost is back for Season Three. All of the speculation, theories and cliffhangers from Season Two are back into play, along with new castaways and flashbacks as the show takes another change in direction and theme. We all got to enjoy a summer of independent thoughts and actions, perhaps even limited contact with friends and loved ones. But it's time to park ourselves back in front of the television once again, and embrace our faithful Master.
Let's take a peek at where we left off. Here's the skinny of the Season Two finale, courtesy of Lostpedia. Any spelling errors are their fault and I refuse to read it:
(Desmond packed light, opting to only bring along 48 back issues of Maxim magazine.)
The episode begins with the group of funeral-goers being distracted by the appearance of a sailboat moving towards the shore. Jack, Sawyer and Sayid swim to the vessel and pull pistols upon boarding. Closer inspection of the cabin door is met with gunfire, apparently from within the boat itself complete with bullets punching through the wooden cabin ending with the clicking of an empty magazine. The door is opened to reveal a drunk and otherwise surly Desmond, obviously upset about ending up back at the island (seeing the survivors confirms this).
Back at the camp, it is night. Kate quizzes Jack on what has happened: the other survivors want to know. Jack tells her to tell them that Desmond's back. Jack asks Desmond why he came back, and Desmond says he was trying to sail towards Fiji, and he should have been there in a week. However, the first piece of land encountered was not Fiji-it was the island. He states bitterly, "And you know why? Because this is it. This is all there is left. This ocean and this place here. We are stuck in a bloody snowglobe. There's no outside world. There's no escape."
In a flashback, Desmond is released from a military prison and dishonorably discharged from the British military. Outside, in a rainstorm, he is picked up in an automobile by Charles Widmore who is the father of Desmond's estranged girlfriend, Penelope. Mr. Widmore reveals that he has intercepted all of Desmond's letters to Penelope and that Penelope is to be married to another man, and offers Desmond a large sum of money to stay away from Penelope and just run away.
Sayid proposes a plan to Jack involving the use of Desmond's sailboat for a flanking maneuver on the Others' camp. Sayid will scout the area before Michael's party arrives. He will then light a signal fire with black smoke when the coast is clear. He cautions Jack not to tell Michael that they know he is lying, and not to tell the others, either.
(Charlie realizes that he only had three lines of dialogue last season.)
Locke finds Eko at the button and tries to convince him to let the timer run down. They debate the point as the four-minute warning begins to beep, Locke saying that pushing the button is nothing but a psychological experiment and Eko insisting it is important to continue pushing the button. They eventually come to blows when Locke attempts to smash the monitor. Eko throws him out of the room.
On the beach, Jack, Kate, Michael, Sawyer and Hurley meet to organize the meeting party, and depart on their trip across the island.
Sayid meets Desmond as he prepares to launch the sailboat. Sayid says that he doesn't know how to sail it. Desmond suggests he find someone who does. Later, we see Jin approaching Sayid and Sun, who are discussing things on the beach. In Korean, Sun tells Jin Sayid wants Jin's help with sailing the boat. Jin does not want to leave her, but she tells him that she is going with them.
In another flashback, Desmond ends up in the United States. He meets Libby (with a more conservative haircut or wig) in a coffee shop when he realizes that he has no American currency on him and she kindly offers to purchase his coffee for four dollars. He jokingly asks if she has $42,000 more. They sit and have a conversation where she asks Desmond why he needs the $42,000: he says he doesn't yet have a boat. She reacts with a start, and confesses to him to have been recently widowed and oddly, she offers him her deceased husband's boat, the Elizabeth, so that he can enter a race around the world sponsored by Charles Widmore himself, explaining that David, her husband, would have wanted it that way. Desmond thanks her and says, "I shall win this race for love."
Midway on their hike to the meeting with the Others, Kate stops Sawyer from triggering one of Rousseau's traps. They discuss what Sawyer knows about Kate's getting caught in the net, and Sawyer realizes that Jack and Kate were literally "caught in a net" and did not have sex.
(Claire wasn't completely hysterical that day, so naturally, nobody listened to her.)
Suddenly, a large green bird swoops down and squawks the word "Hurley", which disturbs Hugo. However, Sawyer is cynical and doubts that the bird was actually saying "Hurley". Michael tries to shoot at the bird, but he notices that his gun is empty. He questions Jack about it, and Jack says that he forgot to load it. Jack gives him a loaded clip for the pistol, but Michael is already suspicious.
Elsewhere, Locke is fighting with what he thought was the faith that would pull them all through this. After seeing the Pearl station for himself he cannot believe that the island was ever what he had perceived it as. Charlie comes across Locke weeping in the jungle and informs him of Desmond's return.
Jin and Sun tell Sayid they will accompany him on the sailboat. Desmond tells Claire the vaccine is useless as she prepares to give it to Aaron. They discuss the father of Claire's baby, which triggers the third flashback.
In the flashback, Desmond is preparing to run out in the stadium. Jack runs by in the background. Penelope is there waiting for Desmond, and she tells him she hasn't set a date yet for the marriage. Penelope asks Desmond what he is running from. He evades the question, answering "I have to get my honor back...and that's what I'm running to." The flashback ends as he runs away.
Desmond is drinking at night on the beach. Locke approaches and explains his lament to him along with the conviction that NOT pushing the button will have NO effect on anything. He describes the Pearl and we see appropriate clips from the Pearl Orientation Video. Desmond says "you're lying," and Locke shows him the tape cassette, and asks him to sober up and take a walk with him. He says that tomorrow they'll find out what happens when the button doesn't get pushed.
(Eko, upon remembering that he has Superpowers, flies off the island.)
The meeting party is in the jungle at night. Sawyer offers food to Hurley but he declines. Michael is off by himself, and is accosted by Jack. Michael thanks him for coming with Michael to get Walt back.
Out on the ocean, Sayid, Jin and Sun are sailing. Sun is sick over the side of the boat. Jin arrives and says she shouldn't have come on the boat with them. She tells him it's not seasickness. Jin says he knows. Sayid is searching the shore of the island, and sees what appears to be the remnants of a statue: a giant, foot in a sandal. Sayid comments "I don't know what is more disquieting - the fact that the rest of the statue is missing, or that it has four toes."
Eko is working in the hatch, carving on his stick. The lights flicker and he gets up to investigate, finding that a fuse has been removed from an circuit panel and crushed on the ground. He hears the lockdown countdown from the speakers and rushes back to the computer. He does not make it, and we see that Desmond has triggered a false lockdown by manipulating wires to keep Eko out of the control room as Eko is set on entering the numbers. Eko pleads with Locke, and the fourth flashback begins.
There is a flashback of Desmond in a storm on the boat. He descends to the cabin and pulls out "Our Mutual Friend", placing it in a Ziploc bag and inside his garment before running up to the deck and getting knocked out. There is a blurry montage showing him washing up on shore and the blurry images of a man in a yellow HAZMAT suit that picked him up off the beach and brought him inside the Swan Station. The man is Kelvin who, then enlists Desmond as his Swan Station partner. Kelvin shows Desmond the orientation film. Desmond asks why there are missing parts in the video, and Kelvin replies that his partner Radzinsky "made some edits." Kelvin shows Desmond a vial of "vaccine" and an injector, and admonishes Demsond to inject himself every 9 days.
Back on the island, Eko climbs out of the Quarantine hatch, (seeing the wrecked hatch and reading the QUARANTINE label) and heads into the jungle. He runs to the beach where Charlie is playing guitar. Eko asks Charlie how the Quarantine door was opened, and finds out that the castaways used dynamite. Eko enlists Charlie to help him get inside the control room.
(In the distance, Hurley spots a tree made entirely of Slim Jims.)
In the jungle Hurley and Sawyer discuss the possible identity of the Others. Kate spots two people following them. She and Sawyer open fire and kill one. At this point Jack loses his cool and drops the plan that he and Sayid had agreed upon- to allow Michael to continue to feel as though he is in control and not to tell Sawyer, Kate, or Hurley of Michael's plan, and demands that Michael tell the group what is going on. Michael admits that the Others already know that they are coming and that he is the reason they know this. Michael further confesses that he did indeed kill Ana-Lucia and Libby as a means of persuading the group to meet with the Others and to free Henry Gale as per the Others' demands. Hurley and Sawyer wish to head back upon hearing this shocking revelation, but Jack argues that they've gone too far to turn back, and that he wouldn't have brought them here anyway without a plan. Sawyer asks what the plan is.
Jin spots the rock formation with a hole in it that marks the Others' camp, and Sayid prepares to go ashore. Back at the camp, Charlie and Eko enter the Swan. Charlie tries to get Eko to reconsider, but Eko is unyielding. Charlie warns Locke that Eko is going to attempt to blow the blast door open. Desmond is sure the door will hold, saying "It would take an atom bomb, brother. Tell him not to bother."
In another flashback, Desmond triggers a fake lockdown, but blocks the door to the control room with a cart, leaving enough space to duck under and access the control room and living space. Kelvin is painting the map seen by Locke in "Lockdown" with detergent. He then tells Desmond that his partner, Radzinsky, was the one who had the idea to make the map and the one who figured out how to fake a lockdown. Kelvin also reveals that Radzinsky killed himself with a shotgun. When Desmond asks if he can go outside, Kelvin replies apologetically that he must stay and push the button. Desmond claims he can handle himself, as he was in the army. Kelvin replies by saying that Desmond was kicked out because he "couldn't follow orders." Desmond asks Kelvin why he left his army, and Kelvin replies that he left because "men followed my [Kelvin's] orders." He also rues having joined the DHARMA Initiative, mocking the polite and friendly tone heard in the Orientation Film.
Outside the blast door, Eko rigs the dynamite as Charlie pleads with both Locke and Eko. Eko shoves Charlie against a wall, rips off Charlie's belt, and throws it against the magnetic wall, saying "Is that a joke?". The fuse is lit; Eko braces himself against a wall, and Charlie attempts to run out, as it detonates with a huge explosion.
(Libby's bangs do a good job of hiding her lobotomy scars.)
Desmond then has a flashback about a drunk Kelvin under the floor of the control room with a key and fail-safe lock marked "Caution: System Termination". Kelvin explains that behind the wall is as a source of electromagnetism, "geologically unique", stating also that the Incident was 'a leak'. "So now the charge builds up and every time we push the button it discharges it before it gets too big." Kelvin questions whether Desmond would have the guts to blow the Hatch up.
Inside the control room, Desmond comments that "I think your friends just blew themselves up, brother." The two talk, and Desmond asks Locke if "the reason you're letting that clock there run all the way down to the very last tick -- is it because you need to look down the barrel of a gun to find out what you really believe, John?" Locke replies that he "looked down the barrel of the gun and I believed. I thought it was my destiny to get into this place. And someone died -- a kid (Boone). Because he was stupid enough to believe that I knew what I was talking about. And the night that he died for nothing, I was sitting right up there, all alone, beating my hand bloody against that stupid door -- screaming to the heavens asking what I should do. And then a light went on. I thought it was a sign. But it wasn't a sign. Probably just you going to the bathroom."
As Locke describes this, Desmond apparently remembers that night, as he has a look of recognition on his face.
Sayid climbs to the Others' camp, and searches the huts, finding them all abandoned. He proceeds to open the Others' DHARMA station, The Door, and finds only a rock wall behind.
The meeting party stops when Kate sees a large mound of plastic containers in front of a tube protruding from the ground. Upon closer inspection we see that it is actually the pneumatic tube containers with the notebooks from the Pearl Station. Clearly, there are at least 2 or 3 years worth of notebooks that ended up in the middle of nowhere being the end of the pneumatic tube.
Sawyer finds Locke's copy of the Blast Door map.
Jack sees black smoke of Sayid's signal, but miles away. He realizes that Michael has been leading them in the wrong direction. He confronts Michael about it and he admits that he was told to bring them here instead. They start to hear whispers from all around, clearly uttering the name "Elizabeth," and suddenly Sawyer is shot in the neck with a dart and hits the ground in a convulsive state. Hurley freezes, Michael stares around and Kate and Jack run for it. Kate is shot and then Jack. The Others appear and take the party captive with their mouths gagged and their heads covered with hoods.
("Damn, it's been hours since I've stabbed something!")
Back in the Swan, Locke is insistent on NOT pushing the button as he believes that the purpose of the Swan is nothing more than a psychological experiment. Desmond in turn asks Locke if he's sure he doesn't have the theory backwards- maybe it is the Pearl Station that is the psychological experiment, not the Swan. Locke gives Desmond the printout from the Pearl station and Desmond frantically scrutinizes the logs.
In Desmond's flashback, Desmond notices that Kelvin's "quarantine suit" has a noticeable hole while Kelvin is preparing to go outside. Thinking that he is being deceived, Desmond follows Kelvin outside the hatch. Desmond follows Kelvin, and sees him going to Desmond's sailboat.
Kelvin reveals that he was going outside to repair Desmond's boat to leave, using the guise of an infection on the island as an excuse for keeping Desmond in the Swan and pushing the button once Kelvin left. Desmond becomes enraged upon seeing his boat and accidentally smashes Kelvin's head against a rock, probably killing him (unclear). He takes the fail safe key and sprints back to the hatch where the countdown has reached zero. The hieroglyphs have locked in on the timer. Alarms are sounding with the words "SYSTEM FAILURE" heard over and over, and the same phrase appears repeatedly on the monitor. Desmond desperately struggles to input the number sequence. The entire hatch appears to being trembling as though at the center of an earthquake, and everything metal is moving or flying towards the magnet wall area. He finally is given a prompt and enters the full sequence, causing the shaking to stop and the timer to reset.
In the present, Desmond asks Locke when they arrived on the island. When Locke replies "September 22nd". Desmond finds this date on the printout, listed as "922044:16", followed by the words "SYSTEM FAILURE" repeated many times. Desmond reasons that he caused Flight 815 to crash by not entering the numbers in time and causing a system failure.
The meeting party is walked down a pier among the Others. The pier has a "Pala Ferry" sign on the roof. The four survivors are made to kneel and their hoods are removed. Kate tells Mr. Friendly (through the gag in her mouth) that she knows that the beard is fake. Mr. Friendly does not understand, so Ms. Klugh says, "She says she knows the beard is fake, Tom.", accidentally revealing Mr. Friendly's first name. A relieved Mr. Friendly takes the fake beard off and mentions that it is itchy and uncomfortable. Annoyed that Ms, Klugh revealed his name, he reciprocates by revealing Ms Klugh's name, "Bea". She remains impassive. The same boat that was involved in Walt's kidnapping pulls up and "Henry Gale" gets off, barefoot. He greets the meeting party and asks Friendly why he is not wearing his beard in an authoritative tone and seems to be the one in charge here. He says to Michael, "Alright, let's take care of business, shall we?".
("...Because I'm leaving you first. I'm seeing a skinny white guy from Wisconsin.)
Charlie regains consciousness outside the door. He finds Eko lying unconscious and bloody nearby, and tries to wake Eko up. Inside, Locke is dubious and still believes that nothing will happen when the button isn't pushed. Desmond becomes frantic as the timer gets closer to zero. He tries to input the numbers but Locke smashes the computer monitor. Desmond panics, opens the blast doors, and bolts to the bookshelf, finding his copy of "Our Mutual Friend".
Desmond has a flashback on the table in the Hatch, on which is a gun and a book. He finishes a bottle of alcohol, and opens the Dickens book. Upon opening "Our Mutual Friend", an envelope falls out. It's a letter from Penelope that was written before he entered prison. It explains that she has hidden the letter in "the one place you would turn to in a moment of great desperation". She also writes "All we really need to survive is one person who truly loves us. And you have her. I will wait for you. Always. So far away from her, this enrages him and he starts to tear the room apart, despondent and suicidal, when suddenly he hears someone pounding on a wall and screaming. It was Locke, pounding on the hatch asking why Boone had to be killed. He looks up to the where the hatch is and flips a switch making the hatch window light up, placating Locke, and giving Desmond hope as he presumes a replacement is on the way.
The flashback ends and Desmond is frantically looking for the same book, as the hieroglyphics lock in and another system failure starts. Upon finding the book, he removes the fail safe key and runs for the trapdoor to get to the fail safe. He explains to Locke that he now knows that it was he who was pounding that one night that he had given up on life, thus saving his life, and now it is his turn to save Locke's life. Charlie manages to get Eko on his feet, but Eko brushes him aside as he goes into the control room, leaving Charlie to try to escape on his own. A despondent Locke acknowledges his cataclysmic mistake to Eko, stating simply, "I was wrong".
Back in the Basement, we see Desmond insert the key into the failsafe. After pausing to think of Penny and her letter he speaks under his breath, "I love you, Penny". He turns the key and the screen fades to white.
("Wow, is that a tree made entirely of Slim Jims? Hurley, get over here!")
The island is engulfed in a bright white/violet glow accompanied by a loud low droning sound causing Sayid's group, everyone at the dock, and everyone at the camp to cover their ears in pain. It lasts for several seconds and then slowly fades back to normal. Henry Gale is the only person seen here that isn't surprised by the Discharge. An object falls from the sky to the beach just missing Claire, Aaron, and Bernard. It is the hatch door that says "QUARANTINE". Charlie returns to camp, still partially deaf. Bernard asks where Locke and Eko are. Charlie seems surprised that they're not back yet.
At the dock, Henry Gale explains that Michael can leave on the boat, that Walt is aboard, and that Michael will find rescue if he holds a bearing of 325 degrees. Michael asks Henry how he doesn't know he might tell people about where he was. Henry says "Maybe you will, maybe you won't. But it won't matter. Once you leave, you'll never be able to get back here. And my hunch is you won't say a word to anybody because if you do, people will find out what you did to get your son back."
Michael asks, "Who are you people?" to which Henry Gale replies genially, "We're the good guys, Michael". Michael and Walt leave in the boat, passing by the hostages. Hurley is also told that he can leave and that his job is to tell the people from his side of the island not to ever come to theirs. Jack silently encourages Hurley to go. What's left of the meeting party is given one last (possibly meaningful) look at each other before their heads are covered with hoods again.
Later that night, Claire asks Charlie what happened "out there", but he doesn't seem to take her seriously, stating, "Nothing happened". He appears to be surprised by the Discharge. After examining a wound on Charlie's arm, Claire proceeds to kiss him. We see the Camp of Survivors preparing for the night, unbeknownst to them the full events of the day.
("I swear to God, Michael. You murder one more person, and we're taking your gun away.")
The scene suddenly switches to a landscape of snowy peaks in blizzard conditions. We come to focus on two Portuguese-speaking men in a small shelter with equipment and clothes hanging from lines. When playing a game of chess, one of them suddenly notices their computer beeping and a message on screen, reading ">\ 7418880 Electromagnetic Anomaly Detected". They seem to have witnessed it before, as one of them is shouting "That's it, isn't it? We missed it again" The other guy forces him to "make the call". He picks up a yellow telephone and dials a number.
We then see a bedroom table on which is a picture of Desmond and Penny. A woman awakes and picks up the phone and the researcher says "Miss Widmore. It's us...I think we found it."
Well, there you go. I'm sure you all read that; I know I did. Let's move on. Some of this information has been mined from producer interviews and used without permission. Come and get me, nerds; I'll be waiting for you.
(Santa Claus in June.)
1 - It goes without saying that this season of Lost is going to be different. When I say "different," I mean "it might annoy people and question the judgment of the producers." This is expected, as with a show as fan-obsessed as Lost, any changes in the formula will be met with disapproving clucks, as nerds like me will talk at length about how they could make the show better if they (I) were in charge.
There are going to be new castaways, new Others, new flashbacks and new storylines. The mythology of the show will take a backseat to the more soap-opera and character-driven plots of the series. Sure, there will be sex, violence and bewildering smash-cuts, but trust me, it's going to be different. My opinion was that the Interactive Lost Game that ran during the summer was a way to wring out the last few drops of the DHARMA mystery, in order to focus more on new characters and less sci-fi.
Some people might like this (Mr. Eko? Yay!). Most people won't (Ana Lucia? Boo!). There will still be more mysteries and cliffhangers than any other show on TV, but I honestly don't expect to get too many answers to some of the weirder happenings on the island. What's new?
Season Two was all about the hatch, and the constant mysteries within. This season's mystery will revolve around the Others' association with the island. While I don't think anything will ever match that feeling of "What in the hell?" that Season Two gave us, I still think there are plenty of things left to be revealed to keep us calm and quiet.
2 - This has been discussed to death, but we should talk about the way ABC has decided to air Season Three. Apparently, the network and the producers listened to the "No more reruns!" pleas of their audience and worked out a compromise. The good news is that this season will be rerun-free; but the downside is a huge, 3-month gap in between episodes 6 and 7.
The first 6 episodes will run as sort of a mini-series, bridging the gap between Season Two and the remainder of Season Three. The writers claim that almost all of the lingering Season Two mysteries will be solved by the end of Episode 6, which is another clue that Season Three will ultimately send the series into a new direction and attempt to "burn the bridges" of their previous work.
After episode 6, Lost is off the air for the entire Winter. During that time, we can spend time with loved ones, celebrate Christmas and clean out the basement. Once Lost returns in early 2007, we'll get 17 straight episodes, with no repeats.
Again, there will be no reruns this year. Don't send me e-mails asking if there's a new episode on. They're all new.
3 - At this point in the show, some critics and fans have grown concerned that Lost has been making up too much of the story as they go, but during a recent interview, Carlton Cuse remarked that, "We have an endpoint for the show, we have an overarching mythology for the show," though within that, "there's a lot of room for improvisation, to try to keep it organic and reacting to what we see on screen."
Damon Lindelof then insisted, "We never ask a question on the show if we don't have an answer for it," but pointed out the Michael/Jin storyline as an example of altering something due to the actors; in this case, they had originally intended Michael and Jin to remain enemies all first season, but the chemistry between the actors led them to change the storyline so that they became friends.
Lindelof talked about the show having what he saw as a logical endpoint, and balancing that with the network likely wanting the show to go on for several years, saying, "We have four, maybe five awesome seasons planned out, and after that we'd have to start tap dancing, which is something we don't want to do," and pondered telling the network, "Fine, you can do more episodes of Lost, but we won't have anything to do with that." Ultimately, Lindelof observed, "The reality of ending it on our own terms is unrealistic, so we have to work around that."
4 - When asked about the fact that each season only seems to cover just a few weeks of time, Lindelof responded with, "You're making a basic assumption that they've been there as long as they think they've been there," and hinted that perception may be changed in Season Three.
This makes a lot of sense to me. The castaways shouldn't trust their watches or even the setting sun, for that matter. They might have been on this island a lot longer than they think, which might account for Walt's growth or the fact that Sun already had her baby.
That was a joke. Sun's baby is going to look a lot like me, though. Bank on it.
5 - The producers also spoke of writing the characters with the actors in mind, and how Terry O'Quinn's dissatisfaction with Locke's role last season became reflected as Locke became increasingly frustrated pushing the button in the hatch. Lindelof recounted O'Quinn saying, "I want a knife in my hand, and to kill stuff!," and then added, "You'll get your knife back, John Locke."
This is good news for me. John Locke in Season One was the coolest guy in the freaking world.
6 - There is a strong implication that an underwater hatch might exist, and that it might be explored this season. The producers say the hieroglyphics on the timer translate to "underworld."
7 - The monster will be a part of Season Three, as will the polar bear. People are asking what happened to the polar bear, so we will be doing some polar bear stories. Also, the smoke creature and the "security system" are one in the same.
("Dear Penthouse Forum. I never thought I'd be writing to you, but...")
8 - In Season Three, we will understand the real ramifications of Desmond activating the failsafe and what that did. The central issue of Season Three will be what did happen. The island was visible afterwards, but only for an instant. It was also visible for an instant on 9/22/04 when the plane crashed.
9 - The foot statue represents the history and archeology of the island. Season Three will explore what happened on the island before Dharma arrived in the late 70's and who was there.
10 - Lindleof says, "Libby's got this mysterious backstory, of which we've only given you the tip of the iceberg. We know she's spent some time in the mental institution with Hurley, and the idea of killing her before she had an opportunity to explain how she got there... we have a master plan for how we're going to tell that story, but it's all posthumous. You'll start to learn Libby's moves through flashbacks over the course of the next season."
Interesting. Let's move on to the preview. Spoilers ahoy!
Season 3 - Episode 1: "A Tale of Two Cities." (Jack-centric)
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
(Jack does his best Mime routine to impress the Others.)
4 - Desmond, Locke and Eko are (obviously) okay. We'll find out what happened to them, but not right away. Much like the opening of Season Two, that question will be answered in episodes 2 and 3. The main point of the premiere is the captivity of Jack, Kate and Sawyer.
8 - In Jack's flashbacks, he suspects his wife is having an affair with his dad. As long as I get to see more scenes with Jack and his dad fighting, I'm a happy guy.
("You can't lock me up! Don't you know how sexy I am?")
15 - We will begin to find out exactly what the castaways are up against with the Others. How long they've been around and what they intend to do with them, for starters.
16 - Desmond will be naked in this episode. Mark my words. I think the explosion might have blown his pants clear off.
(Henry Gale's MySpace photo. Funniest caption ever.)
23 - Desmond and (fake) Henry Gale are signed on for the entire season as cast regulars, so expect to see flashback episodes concerning them, along with continued interaction with the main cast.
42 - Speaking of the main cast, expect to see the return of Boone, Shannon and Libby within the first 6 episodes.
I'm tingling with anticipation. Thanks for reading the Season Three Preview. The very first LOST FRIDAY of the season is next week, and I promise it will be much better than this.
Sound off in the comments section or send me an e-mail at email@example.com. If you want to make a donation or buy some great CDP swag, check the links at the top of the page. Cheers.
Thursday, September 28CDP Top 30 Posts Of All Time - #1.
"My First Job."
(Originally published 02/05.)
During a large part of my teen years, I worked at a Gas Station/Co-Op in the small Wisconsin town I grew up in. Even before I left the place for good, I knew I wanted to write a book about everything that happened to me there. It was these short stories that inspired me to start the CDP in the first place; a free and easy way to tell funny stories to people I didn't know.
Three years later, and I'm still here, telling slightly less-funny stories to even more people I don't know. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Thanks, and enjoy this three-part essay.
PART I - "Death."
In my life thus far, I've been pretty close to death on a number of occasions. I'm sure we all have, really. Close calls with cars on the highway, one misstep away from a 10-story fall, kitchen appliances gone awry. When you consider how fragile and tiny life really is, you start to consider yourself pretty lucky when you find yourself on the "not dead" side of these incidents.
When I was about 7, my family went on vacation in Florida. There, I had an honest-to-God near-death experience in a hotel pool. I couldn't swim (still can't), and I ventured a little too far into the deep end. For the next eternity, it seemed, I tried to find my way back to the surface, taking in huge amounts of water with every wasted breath. I still remember every second of that ordeal, and each time I feel instantly claustrophobic. Water is really my only big fear, which explains why I haven't bathed or showered in years.
The interesting thing I've noticed with all these instances is that I never thought I was going to die when they happened to me. You only think after the fact that you could have lost your life. Come to think of it, there has never been a single time in my life where I honestly thought I was going to die.
Except for once.
I had been working at the Co-Op for a couple of years at this point, and I was 18 years old. I shuffled in a few minutes late as always, positioning myself behind the counter for another typical Wednesday. I stood there for a few minutes, opened the store for business, and wondered where all the employees were.
After about 15 minutes and a dozen customers later, my boss finally emerged from the back room, where the 2 other employees seemed to be hiding as well. He was looking around every isle on his way up to the front counter where I was standing, and he didn't look right. Todd, my boss, was a kind-but-tough man, boasting scarred arms and a black, David Crosby-like 'stache. I've seen him lift hundreds of pounds over his head and put out fires with his bare hands. Today, however, he looked...well, he looked scared. Something wasn't right.
After checking the store for any customers, he escorted me away from the huge window at the front of the store, to a seasonal isle full of rakes and garden gnomes.
"Hey," he said to me, "There was a message on our machine this morning by a guy who said he was going to come in and kill somebody today. We don't know if it was a prank or not, but the police are coming and we're not taking any chances."
I thought to myself, "Not taking any chances? Great! We'll close the store up, and I'll go back home. Hell, my bed's probably still warm. I'll just grab my coat and...."
"Keep your eyes peeled." Todd said to me, and he hustled back into the storage room with the other employees, closing the door behind him.
I crept slowly back in front of the giant window, very much alone for the remainder of the day. Apparently the rest of the staff had a lot of things to do away from the main floor of the store. I'm sure their thinking was that as soon as they heard my dead body hit the floor, they could easily sneak out the back with little to no confrontation. I knew I was going to be on my own.
I tried to keep my wits about me. About 98% of our customers were down-home regulars who probably wouldn't hurt anyone unless they were black. It was just the aimless drifters that I had to keep an eye on. Living in Small Town Wisconsin, trucks came pre-equipped with gun racks, and everyone was capable of taking a human life if only slightly provoked.
As the customers started to file in, I did my best to check them out as soon as they entered the store. I had a small axe behind the counter that I once used to chase a child out with (true story), and I was ready to split anyone's melon should they come in with shifty eyes. I did this for a while, and when the action died down for a couple minutes, I excused myself into the office.
There, I listened to the answering machine message myself. Perhaps I could figure out who left it, or if they were just joking around or not. I'm pretty good at detecting sarcasm, and I can usually match voices to faces. I pressed play just as the cops arrived.
"I'm going to come in there and kill somebody tomorrow!"
I didn't recognize the voice, and I wasn't about to assume they were kidding. The cops took the tape with them, and I was back on my own. Honestly, where the hell did all the employees go?
Anticipating your own murder is really something amazing. You start to wonder if you've lived a decent enough life at the age of 18. I couldn't believe that I was going to be killed behind the counter of a gas station. I helped myself to a few free sodas and candy bars. It was the least I could do.
Eventually, I started to take the defensive. If someone was going to come in and shoot the store up, it was my duty as an employee of the Larsen Cooperative to kill him first. With each strange customer, I clenched the small axe in my hand, looking insane and ready for a killing spree. In normal work situations, your supervisor wouldn't take too kindly to their cashier wielding a hatchet at every smiling face that entered, but he was in hiding and there was no time for rational thought. I was sweating all day, I couldn't stop circling the counter and I wasn't in the mood for talking. Anticipating my own murder soon turned into me anticipating murdering someone else.
(Cue fantasy sequence.)
I had it all figured out. The car would pull up, probably an older American model. The muffler would be loud, and the rust would be creeping up along the edges of the forest green paint. The shooter would wait in his car, looking straight ahead, pausing to look around in wait for the store to empty itself out. Once the last customer had left, he would emerge from the vehicle slowly, looking left and right with squinted eyes. He would slink quickly to the front door and make his way inside, thinking he was home free.
But what he doesn't know... is that I'd be on to him.
He'd take one look at me, and draw his rifle from the front of his pants. I'd catch it from the corner of my eye, glistening under the sickening fluorescent lights. All at once, I'd swing myself in his direction, the butt of the small axe swinging with me. The butt of the axe would make direct contact with the barrel of the gun, sending it careening down the Fertilizer isle. He'd turn in the direction of the rifle, taking his eyes off of me for one second too long.
I'd step out from behind the counter as he scampered down the isle for the gun. Like a Cherokee warrior, I'd throw the axe end-over-end, sinking it deep between his shoulder blades. He'd hit the ground and slide about 2 feet, just 6 inches short of the rifle. The axe would still be sticking out of his back as I slowly walked past him, Doc Marten boots stepping on the hand that was so desperately reaching for the gun. I'd pick it up with gloved hands (I said I was prepared), and he'd look up just in time to see me aiming the barrel right between his dilated pupils.
"You need to control your temper." I'd say to him calmly.
My finger would wrap tightly around the trigger, and he would close his eyes with a grimace, bracing for the final impact. Just then, the police would bust in, take him away to jail and slap a medal of honor on my Co-Op uniform. The next day, the headlines would read, "Local Teen paralyzes nutjob; George W. Bush drinks self to death."
From then on, I'd continue to work at the hardware store from time to time, but I'd receive enough money in shoe endorsements to live comfortably in Paris with the Missus and Kate Winslet.
I was ready to roll.
(End Fantasy Sequence.)
The hours ticked by, but I never let my guard down. If someone came in that I knew, I'd try to keep them around for a while, knowing that I could use them for a crude bullet shield when the carnage began. I was especially friendly to the heftier folks. If a straggler showed up, I hustled them out quickly, fingers sweatily wrapped around my axe. They didn't ask questions.
It should seem obvious to you by now that no shooter ever showed up. Eventually, 4pm rolled around, I punched out and headed back home. We later found out that the message was nothing more than an angry customer thinking out loud while the answering machine was recording. He was mad that we weren't open, and made an ass of himself. We never found out who it was, and no charged were ever filed. Things went back to normal at the Co-Op, and we never talked about that day ever again.
I learned a lot about myself that day. Morally, I learned that life is a tiny gift that should be enjoyed as much as possible. Weather or not we're significant or holy means nothing sometimes.
I also learned that it doesn't take much to go primal every now and then. I consider myself a pretty stable person, but when faced with my mortality I all but scalped the locals to stay alive. I usually frown on mob mentality and mass-hysteria, but I had a one-man breakdown that day because I thought I was going to be killed. I felt vulnerable, weak and irrelevant.
The ultimate irony was that I was never in any danger whatsoever. All those other near-death instances happen to me every day and I never bat an eyelash. But in anticipating something nonexistent, I overwhelmed myself with fear to the point of insanity. It's happened to all of us at one point or another.
So, that's my story about the time I was almost killed by a crazed madman.
PART II - "Explosion."
Working at an establishment that specialized in highly flammable liquids and gasses, you can tell that I've experienced my fair share of things getting blown straight the hell up. Here's a trilogy of Co-Op explosion stories, told in increasing order of destruction.
Explosion #1 - "Butane."
Chad worked in the automotive department as a mechanic. He was a gentle giant with ice blue eyes; a hulking young man that could lift a pool table while simultaneously telling Ford jokes. He invited me and my wife to his wedding, which was incredibly thoughtful of him. Anyways, Chad came over to the hardware store, like he did every morning, to purchase a Mountain Dew and a handful of candy bars.
In between me and him was a large rack of about 100 Bic lighters, all color coordinated and facing the same direction (you're welcome, customers). Not one to turn down a chance to try something fun, Chad dropped his purchase on the counter and began to play with the lighters like a small child.
Each row contained about 15 lighters, and stretched to about an arm's length. Just then, I could see that Chad had some sort of bad idea brewing. Already tired of playing with just 1 lighter, Chad decided he wanted to ignite the entire row all at the same time.
Before I could explain to him the physics behind fire and oxygen (I did see Backdraft, after all), he laid his arm down across the row, pressing down on all 15 red buttons with his forearm, releasing gas as one. He then lit the first lighter in the row with his free hand, and waited for the fire to spread to the remaining gaseous lighters.
It worked. Sort of.
Instead of the flame gracefully sliding across the row, it formed a small fireball and shot straight up him arm.
For a split second, Chad's entire arm was on fire, oil-soaked uniform and all. I stood there, slack-jawed and bewildered, as he windmilled his arm around and batted at the flame. A second later, it was out and the ordeal was over. Chad stared at me, and I stared back at him, both of us feeling pretty embarrassed. As he quietly reached for his Mountain Dew and candy bars, he mumbled, "I singed my arm hair." He brushed the burned hair onto the floor and slunk away.
It was never discussed again.
Explosion #2 - "Air."
It was a calm, spring day. The parking lot was empty, no customers to be seen. I sat on the counter of the store, reading Sports Illustrated and drinking a can of Mello Yello. I was still addicted to caffeine at the time, but I can't for the life of me figure out why I was drinking such an inferior citrus soda that day.
Nevertheless, the 2 other employees (Jon and Dave), were busying themselves in different isles, facing and sorting inventory, just keeping themselves occupied on an otherwise boring afternoon. A customer eventually came in and needed a propane tank filled, so Jon walked across the street to the massive tank we use to refill empty cylinders.
Looking back, I can't believe that I never had a problem working in the vicinity of this tank. It was essentially a bomb the size of a semi trailer, and I parked my 1986 Buick next to it every morning, whistling a happy tune and never thinking for a moment that if it decided to malfunction, they wouldn't so much as find a fingernail with which to identify me with.
I spotted Jon by the tank from my perch across the street, and turned back to my magazine. I looked over to the clock for a second to see what time it was, when...
The explosion was so loud I fell off the counter. It was deafening; I'd never heard anything like it. I got to my feet, but remained ducked behind the counter because I had no idea what in the hell had just happened. Furthermore, I was in no shape to peek over and see pieces of Jon splattered all over the front window.
Forget Jon, what about my car? It took a few seconds, but I worked up the nerve to look out the window to see...
Nothing. The giant tank was fine, Jon was fine, my car was fine. So what happened?
Meanwhile, Todd was in the back of the store when this mysterious explosion happened, and I'm sure he thought that the tank had gone off as well. I say I'm sure because no sooner did I peek over the counter, when Todd burst through the saloon-style doors of the back room and run full speed down the isle and out the front door. Had I not been so confused at the moment, it was probably the funniest thing I'd ever seen.
With my ears ringing and Co-Op employees starting to peer out the windows, we all tried to figure out what had happened. What blew up? Then, staggering out of the shadows, emerged our culprit.
A customer was taking advantage of our "free air" hose, and over-inflated a truck tire to the point of explosion. When he saw what was about to happen, he turned away just in time to not be seriously injured by flying rubber and shrapnel. His ears, however, weren't so lucky.
"What happened?" I asked him as he walked into the store.
He didn't respond. Partly because he was still stunned to the point of a solid pants-crapping, but mainly because he was now stone deaf. After looking at me sideways for a few seconds, he said;
"I think I need to go to the Doctor. I can't hear anything."
True to his word, he got in his truck and drove off, fragments of his spare tire still littered in our parking lot. I never saw him again.
Explosion #3 - "Gasoline."Our main parking lot was getting more and more torn up with each passing winter day. Snow chains and plows were removing hearty chunks of concrete every hour on the hour. Something had to be done.
The first nice day of April, we had the lot re-sealed. It was another slow day (every day was, really), and I was passing the time by watching these driveway-sealing professionals smoke by the gas tanks and accomplish nothing in 5 whole hours. It was brilliant to see these people in action, and I model my work ethic after them to this day.
After completing a very small task, they placed their tools on the ground and had yet another smoke break. What follows is a Rube Goldberg-ian string of events and dumb luck that almost turned Larsen into an instant ghost town. Let me break it down step-by-step:
Dumbass mistake #1 - The driveway crew left a lit blowtorch running in the parking lot. I swear to God.
Dumbass mistake #2 - This lit blowtorch was unattended, and sitting less than 10 feet away from our gas tanks. Luckily for us, we had the gas tanks roped off with signs that said "Out of Order".
Dumbass mistake #3 - Most of our customers cannot read. No less than 30 seconds after this torch was set down, someone drove their car right through the yellow tape, chose the pump right next to the open flame, and began to fill up. Luckily for us, gas pumps are equipped with an automatic shut-off switch to prevent overfilling and spillage.
Dumbass mistake #4 - This customer chose to only put an inch of the gas nozzle into his tank. Due to his rubbernecking at the progress of the driveway sealing, he left the pump unattended, the tank overfilled, and gasoline started to pool under his car.
I looked out the window and quickly figured out what was going on. All I could do was shake my head in disbelief as I saw the puddle of gas inch closer and closer to the open flame.
I was the only one who could see what was happening, and instead of doing anything about it, I quietly got into the fetal position behind the counter. I was wondering how much of the town would be left when the Co-Op disintegrated. I was also wondering how my family would feel about my death being honored in the Darwin Awards. I really didn't think I was going to die, but I knew I didn't want to live once the wave of fire washed the skin from my bones.
So I waited.
And waited.
I peeked over the counter (which was something I was getting used to doing), and saw the driveway repair guy holding the lit torch over his head, screaming at the inattentive customer who, was in turn screaming back at him.
Laughing quietly, I walked to the back room to grab a bag of that pink sawdust that cleans up after vomit and gasoline spills. "Nobody's going to believe this", I thought to myself.
Sometimes, I still can't.
(You may be saying to yourself, "That last explosion story wasn't really an explosion at all! You're a liar!" Well, that may be true, but sometimes anticipating the explosion is better than the explosion itself. Let that be a metaphor for life, kids.)
PART III "Customer."
On my last day of work at the Co-Op, I did a quick equation to see if I could figure out how many customers I'd checked out over the last 4 years. The number was in the 6-digit range, yet it seemed like I knew everyone that came in by name. Truth be told, it was usually the same 100 people, day in and day out, for 1500 straight days.
I would like to tell you about one customer in particular. Let's call him "Chet". I'm protecting his identity strictly for my safety, for you see, "Chet" is completely insane.
Here's a little backstory on Chet. He has an alcohol problem, a smattering of psychological problems and an anger management problem. He represents the Holy Trinity of what a serial killer profile looks like. Speaking of what he looks like, that did a lot as far as his frightening image went. He looked like Ed Norton in American History X, with the eyes of Marty Feldmann.
I'm not kidding. He was that scary. I'm almost positive that he had the same tattoo.
Doing a circuit court search on Chet revealed a large sheet of offenses:
4 separate DUI charges (with heavy fines)
3 times driving with a suspended license (including jail time)
1 count of driving an ATV on the highway (with suspended license
3 restraining orders
3 counts of disorderly conduct (including jail time)
1 count of domestic abuse (including jail time)
Most of these charges happened just before or just after leaving the Co-Op on any given day.
I first met Chet on the 2nd day of business at the Co-Op. All of the employees were still figuring out how everything worked, and the computer system was chock-full of bugs. Chet walked in and bought some candy and a sledgehammer. I had no idea who he was, and nobody took the time to tell me to be careful around him. I began to ring him up, when the computer decided to lock up on me.
Thinking he would be decent about it, I told him that there was a slight problem with the system, and I'd be more than happy to check him out at the next available computer.
This apparently was too much for Chet to handle.
He stared me down for about 20 seconds with those crazy-ass eyes, then proceeded to berate me for being an idiot. I felt horrible, and worse still, I couldn't defend myself whatsoever. I was terrified of the guy, and he was holding a sledgehammer. In retrospect, there are so many things you would like to say to guys like that, but in the end you just nod and accept the gentle criticism.
He eventually left, and 10 minutes later he was arrested for using the sledgehammer to smash up his neighbors car.
That night, I wanted to quit my job. He gave me a very poor impression of the types of people I would run into, and he also freaked the holy hell out of me. I never wanted to see him again.
But of course, I would see Chet every few days. He would show up just before closing time and buy a ton of things that would take forever to individually ring up (a giant bag filled with 60 different kinds of PVC attachments, for example). He'd mumble constantly, and when you'd ask him to repeat himself, he'd yell. If you didn't ask him to repeat himself, you'd hear him wrong and have to start the transaction all over, and again he'd yell. There was no winning with this guy.
Within a few months, Chet lost his driver's license due to him being a filthy drunk. Always the resourceful fellow, he got into the habit of driving his lawnmower to the Co-Op with a flat trailer attached to it. I could literally hear him coming from a mile away, and I had 15 minutes to get ready for his arrival. All of the other employees would casually disappear whenever he walked in. It was pure torture.
On one particular day, he bought an armload of candy bars and soda, several bags of ready-mix concrete and 12 bottles of ammonia. As he putted off into the distance, trying to steer while drinking a Mountain Dew and eating a bag of chips, he turned hard into a ditch and tipped the lawnmower over. I didn't get the chance to see it, but the mental image alone was enough to make me tear up with delight.
An hour later, the cops were at his house because he had filled his ditches with concrete and covered his driveway with sod. He said he did this to keep the frogs out of his garage.
Chet took his "sod" case to the town board, where it abruptly ended with him making a death threat to one of the head members. The police were notified.
Still, he fought against these frogs, renting a Caterpillar and quickly crashing it into our gas pumps, nearly incinerating the town. I don't think you're supposed to operate heavy machinery when your constantly inebriated and have no license.
The problems and verbal abuse continued for several more months. It was becoming too much for anyone to handle. Something had to be done before he finally killed somebody, probably me. I was honestly considering quitting my job because of him, and getting up for work in the morning was becoming almost impossible.
One night, before going to sleep, I wished out loud that I would never see Chet again, knowing full well that tomorrow would bring another day of his intimidation and bullying.
I got to work the next day, and my manager was the first one to run into me. He told me that the night before, Chet was (once again) arrested for driving drunk with a suspended license, and he was going to jail for 4 months. Along with that, he was forced to attend all sorts of rehab classes, and take scores of pills for his various problems.
I couldn't believe it. My wish came true.
About 6 months later, a car pulled up to the Co-Op, and out of the passenger side emerged Chet. He was accompanied by his brother, who was now his legal guardian.
Chet looked like he had gained at least 50 pounds (because of all the pills he was taking), and was nothing more than a glazed-over shell of a man. He said 'please' and 'thank you,' was soft-spoken and polite, called me 'sir' and looked like he had absolutely no idea as to what was going on.
Apparently, he went through the system, and this was the best that the system could do for him. Instead of hurting other people and himself, he was now incapable of even functioning without someone living with him.
That was the last time I ever saw him.
So long Chet, wherever you are. Ya' crazy bastard.
Wednesday, September 27CDP Top 30 Posts Of All Time - #2.
"Lost Friday."
(Originally published 09/2005 to 05/2006.)
If it wasn't for Lost Friday, there would be a lot less people reading the CDP right now; I can't deny that. Catch up on the entire last season, and prepare for the Season Three Preview on Friday. The countdown ends tomorrow, yo.
Tuesday, September 26CDP Top 30 Posts Of All Time - #3.
"The Loud Neighbor Sextet."
(Originally published 01-11, 02-09, 02-16, 02-22, 03-06 & 04-11-06.)
The following six-part post is rated TV-14 for sexual content and dialogue. It's also one of the funniest and most enraging things to ever happen to me. It's not every day that you wage a psychological battle with neighbors that have sex 18 times a day. You'll like it because it almost drove me to murder.
Please read and enjoy.
PART I - "Would You Be Mine? Could You Be Mine?"
PART II - "Take It Sleazy."
PART III - "Skyrockets In Flight."
PART IV - "Man Your Battle Stations."
PART V - "Lock & Load."
PART VI - "Return All Keys Before Checkout."
Monday, September 25CDP Top 30 Posts Of All Time - #4.
"Worst Album Covers Of All Time."
(Originally published 03-20-06.)
Here now, a small sampling of the worst album covers ever.
Much like the 'Random" Facts About Chuck Norris' and 'Shockmaster" Incident' posts, the 'Worst Album Covers Ever' post was a long time coming. Sure, I didn't really discover any of these, and the same terrible covers have been tossed around forever, but I felt I needed to bring a similar post to the CDP.
Why? Well, because some people might not have seen these covers yet, and also because I'm fresh out of original ideas.
Away we go.
#15 - Wolf: Wolf
When you put a vicious, snarling animal on the cover of your album, you're normally trying to invoke a sense of fright or danger. You know, let the kids know that you mean business and are capable of getting biz-zay frequently and sufficiently. In the case of this Wolf album, you're left with the theory that the artist was attempting to draw a wolf, but decided to turn it into a gorilla wearing a trench coat and a Freddy Krueger mitt at the last minute. While I respect his or her decision to go with their gut, I don't think it's possible to come up with something less intimidating.
#14 - Country Church: Country Church
This photo was clearly taken at a local Sears or Citgo station, purchased with the money those two guys won at the World Beard & Moustache Championships. How they managed to take a break from life on the farm long enough to pick up matching outfits is beyond me, let alone record an entire album. Now, the gentleman in the middle has his hand on the girl's shoulder, which would explain why he was mysteriously murdered later that day and replaced with her husband on lead tambourine. Furthermore, when members of a church start dressing the same, it is officially a cult.
#13 - Joyce: Joyce
Ah, Joyce. You lovable, lonely woman. No doubt, this albums contains tracks of love and loving lovers lost, with just a dash of hope for the future. Joyce seems vulnerable yet self-sufficient, holding a single rose as if to say, "Look at me. I'm distraught and alone, and that's okay!" Her once empowered female fans were generally upset and confused with the release of her sophomore album, "I Am Totally Down With Being Tyrone's Ho'." She was nominated for a Source award that year, but sadly lost to MC Lyte.
#12 - Roger: The Many Facets Of Roger
For all the 'facets' that Roger seems to have, something tells me that they all end up the same way. Sweating through yet another jumpsuit in the dressing room of a smoky disco, cutting up a rock of coke so big I could set my television on it.
#11 - Mike Adkins: Thank You For The Dove
I found out that this was a spiritual album (really?), which raised a lot of moral questions with me. First off, has God ever dropped your own personal dove from the sky? Ever? If He did, would you keep it? Secondly, I'm completely convinced that Jesus would never listen to about 99% of the crap people write about Him. I could see the Almighty listening to Sufjan Stevens or All Star United, but He wouldn't stand for this. No way. At least, not the Jesus I know. Also, the Jesus I know smells like sandalwood and pine, and never tires of my endless tirades about the government and student loans.
#10 - Manowar: Anthology
Oh, no.
Let's talk demographics for a sec', kay? Who is this appealing to? Male metal fans? Nope. Female metal fans? Well maybe, if there were any. You know who this cover appeals to? Manowar. That's all, nothing more and nothing less. Furthermore, that's up with the one guy who's not shirtless? Did he have a no-nudity clause in his contract? Maybe he thought his moustache was statement enough, which is totally true. Everyone should know by now that the only people you attract with naked men are other men who like naked men. Stick with the scantly-clad ladies that got you here, Manowar.
#09 - Devastatin' Dave (The Turntable Slave): Zip Zap Rap
First off, Devastatin' Dave is not a DJ. He looks more like a professional wrestler. In any regard, he could almost certainly get his ass trounced by 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, or 'Mean' Gene Okerlund for that matter. It would also appear that Dave is an African-American fellow, which would make his use of the term 'slave' very odd at the least. Also, did you notice that the word 'zap' is directly placed on Mr. Slave's embarrassingly tight pants? Is that supposed to be some sort of subliminal message? That all being said, I'm quite certain that anything in my pants could spin records better than Devastatin' Dave. In fact, my pantal contents are challenging Dave to a spin-off later this afternoon.
#08 - Mike Crain: Karatist Preacher - God's Power
Mike Crain is a triple threat. Not only is he a singer as well as a man of the cloth, he's also a black belt! That's more than I can claim, so I can't bust on this guy too much. Say what you will, but when was the last time you saw a preacher smashing bricks with his palms in church? Maybe if there were more guys like Mike Crain around, I'd go to church more often. You know what? This might actually be the best album cover ever.
"The power of Christ compells you...to break these bricks of Satan! Yaaahhh!"
#07 - Jim Post: I Love My Life
As much as it pains me and my 'stache loving friends to say this, Jim's super-thick 'stache is what ruins the cover. You know, a whole lot of album covers have the lead singer standing naked under a waterfall or frolicking in a Finnish sauna, but they normally don't sport a crumb catcher that can absorb a good 9 quarts of liquid. Look at the damn thing! Can you imagine how much that mass weighs right now? Brutha's gunna have a stretch mark on his philtrum. After some digging around, I found out that Mr. Post now does side work as a Mark Twain impersonator (really).
#06 - John Bult: Julie's Sixteenth Birthday
Oh, hell no.
John, what are you doing? There's nothing even close to legal with this situation, whatsoever. You took this girl to a bar; now you're drinking a beer, smoking a butt and holding her hand. Who's going to drive her home when you pass out? You could have at least taken her to Chuck-E-Cheese so she could be around people her own age. Maybe if you got rid of that lousy hat, you could find someone over 16 that wants to be seen in public with you. Thank you, John Bult, now I need a shower, maybe two.
Upon closer examination of the cover, you can see that the Julie in question is gazing longingly at the cigarette and mug of beer (probably Blatz, possibly Billy). So maybe, just maybe, the concept of the album isn't rampant pedophilia and a pending child molestation charge, but just that Julie's depressed she's too young to smoke and get smashed.
#05 - Freddie Gage: All My Friends Are Dead
You can take the title of this album one of two ways. One, you could see Mr. Gage as an unlucky and depressed fellow who has seen his most beloved people parish in this cruel and unpredictible thing we call life. Or, you can see it for what it's worth. That Freddie Gage is an unstoppable serial murderer and you should avoid being his friend or acquaintance at all costs. What could this guy possibly be singing about? Smiths covers, I assume. And if all of his friends are dead, who's buying his albums?
#04 - Jeff: Something Special
You know what? Forget it. I'm not touching this one.
#03 - Mike Terry: Live At The Pavilion Theatre - Glasgow
This is the only cover on the list that makes me laugh every time I lay eyes on it. Mike Terry appears to be having a great time playing his piano. Oh, and he's also stuffed like a beef sausage into a suit that Liberace gave up for being 'entirely too gay.' I can only imagine what the cover of Volume One looked like. Furthermore, look at his neck. It looks as if the costume is on backwards, dangling dangerously and clinging onto his waddle for dear life. Maybe he's wearing a spandex jumpsuit under this, and he tears it off during a rollicking Scottish rendition of 'Great Balls Of Fire.' (roll tongue on the word 'great' for maximum effect)
#02 - Ken: By Request Only
Oh, don't act like you don't know what time it is! This is Ken, man!
The two things about this cover that strike me the most are 1), the shot on the right is most certainly in an outhouse, and 2), the shot on the left is a crude, carved stone figure of the man on the right. This is widely regarded as the worst album cover of all time, and just sleeves of this album go for big money on Ebay. Something tells me that 'By Request Only' means his set list consists of about half a song before he's quickly escorted back to his customized barstool, where he's fed vodka tonics for the remainder of the night. Then at 2am, he'll stumble back into the ballroom, fart into the mike and fall off the stage.
#01 -Heino: Liebe Mutter…
Okay, there's something you need to know about the cover of this album. The translation reads, 'Dear Mother...A Bouquet That Never Wilts.'
Thanks, Oedipus. Way to expand your fan base.
Can you imagine what this album sounds like? Really? For my money, all the booze, weed, shrooms, smack, rock, ice, airplane glue, gasoline, Knightmare Juice and shoe polish in the world wouldn't even get me in the same ballpark. Thank you, Heino. This is truly the funniest and most unsettling album cover I have ever seen.
So, there you have it. Sound off in the comments section about your favorite album cover, and feel free to submit your own.
Sunday, September 24CDP Top 30 Posts Of All Time - #5.
(Originally published 11-08-05.)
A Lifetime Of Laughs: The Boycott Unity Retrospective.
Immediately following the 2004 Presidential Election, I had what friends and loved-ones would remember as a "freak-out of embarrassing proportions." The phone was shut off, the CDP went on hiatus and I wore nothing but black to work. I shut the television off; sat down, and thought about all the work I had gone through over the last few months to ensure that what happened… didn't happen. It was a huge feeling of failure and deflation, like when I got kicked off of the golf team in High School because I was failing Geometry.
I sucked and everyone knew it.
Every day felt like I was drowning in thick gravy, and not the good kind that Grandma used to make. Everyone in Madison walked around town like they had just been punched in the gut. I came to the quick conclusion that me and the Missus didn't have enough money to leave the country for good, so I settled on the next best thing.
I started a political cartoon.
Boycott Unity was born. If anything, it was a way to cheer myself up, sling some mud and act like I was actually making a difference. I couldn't draw, and Paint was the only program I was proficient in, so I took pride in the fact that it looked like hell, and just focused on the dialogue.
Boycott Unity centered around 2 main characters. They didn't have names, and were told apart only by the size of their mouths. The small-mouthed fellow was the self-intelligent liberal. The voice of progress and sarcasm, logic and reason, but always quick to realize his place in the big picture. He knew what was wrong and how to change it, but he normally sunk his energy into things that mattered none to his future. He's a lot like me.
The larger-mouthed gentleman represented everything that I dislike about the right wing, and everything logical conservatives dislike about the right wing, as well. He talked without thinking, conversed without listening and believed the unbelievable. He was essentially the worst conservative ever; a composite of everything that keeps you from talking to men in suits.
Without question, these characters were satires of both ends of the spectrum. People like this don't really exist, although everything they said came from somewhere in reality. It just made sense for me to use two political representatives who really had no business giving their opinion. I think that this cartoon summed this mindset up perfectly.
Most of the time, Boycott Unity focused on current events and world happenings. Around the time of the strip, the war in Iraq was picking up more steam and critics, and George Bush was re-elected to office. The debate was hot over the concept of pre-emptive strikes.
Already, people were talking about who would bring the Democrats to glory in 2008.
For about a week, I had a storyline where our Conservative friend attended the President's inagural ball.
A lot of strips focused on misconceptions we have concerning opposing political parties. The idea that we like to mash together everything we hate about conservatives or liberals and assume that they all think that way is foolish and irresponsible.
As was shown in the 2004 elections, some Liberals take things for granted, they don't work hard enough to invoke change and they focus too much of their time on things that make no difference whatsoever. This angers me, mainly because I'm living proof. These strips were mostly about how mad I am at myself, because I'm slacking off on doing something important.
I wrote this strip shortly after the death of my Grandfather. It cheered up my family as much as it could have.
Other times, I removed politics entirely from the strip, and just let the characters screw with each other. Every now and again, you had to remember why they enjoyed each other's company in the first place.
The song he's singing here is "Mama Said Knock You Out," by LL Cool J. It's funnier when you know that going in.
Sometimes, things were written directly out of problems I was having in my own little world. Things like work, relationships and family would eventually make their way into a Boycott Unity cartoon.
Every once in a while, the bad news and mud got so deep I couldn't help but get serious for a second. Well, you know, as serious as a stick figure can get, I suppose.
This was one of the most commented cartoons I've ever done. It generated a lot of positive feedback, and for that I am proud.
Well, this one may have actually received more feedback, now that I think about it.
People always asked me, "why are they friends?" My answer is that they need each other. One can't exist without the other in the real world, and people often forget that. Everyone needs a counter weight, and everyone needs someone to fight with. Otherwise, the imbalance would destroy them. They knew that they needed each other, and they were willing to accept that.
After about 70 of these little 4-paneled turds, I decided to call it quits. First and foremost, I didn't like doing them anymore. You'd be absolutely amazed at how much work goes into something as simple as this cartoon. Try creating a few of them, and you'll drive yourself insane. You'll try to remember what life was like before you had to make a joke every fourth line of a conversation. I felt like I did what I wanted to do, and it was a good time to knock it off before the strip started to really suck.
Another reason I gave it up was that not a lot of people seemed interested in it. The CDP was getting good traffic, but it was like pulling teeth to get people over to Boycott Unity. I was feeling frustrated, which led to this; one of the last strips I did.
Looking back one year later, I found myself actually enjoying these; probably a little too much. For some reason, I took a lot of pride in these damn things. Once I pulled the plug on the strip, I removed all of the comics from the interweb permanently (until now, of course). Afterwards, a few people told me that they missed them and wanted to see them again, which made me feel fuzzy.
It's funny how angry I was a year ago. Either that, or it's sad how jaded I am one year later. People get used to their surroundings, and for better or for worse, that has pretty much happened to me. Sure, the news still makes me sick, I refuse to engage in debates anymore and the Fox News Channel needs a severe keelhauling, but I don't feel the need to take it to the streets too much anymore. I haven't given up, I just temporarily forgot what I was fighting for.
I'm not an angry Liberal. I'm not a Conservative hater. I'm a concerned, smart-ass American who can't draw. As you've hopefully noticed, I don't talk politics on the CDP anymore, because it's neither the place nor the time for such discussion. Rather, I hope that this entertained you somewhat, and perhaps reminded you of where we have been in the last year.
At the very least, I think they're pretty funny.


text:
Spill Decks
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
There are a lot of people out there who are looking for apartments that they are going to be happy with. But, the fact of the matter is, there are a lot of things that may get in the way. For example, how are you going to make sure that you can get an apartment that you like? Where are you even supposed to look when you start checking out apartments? And how do you know that you're getting something that makes sense for you?
When you start to explore all of the battery park apartments for rent, you may be wondering if you're missing anything. The first thing that you want to do is look around online. There are plenty of websites that offer selections and you can find plenty of ways to get what you need as well. In short, the web is a great place to look for stuff and to make sure that you know what you're getting yourself into before making a decision. Another great thing to do is to go ahead and look around the neighborhoods that you want to live in. You can find plenty of signs so that you can call and figure things out as well.
Take a look around at everything that is out there and compare prices, utilities, and all of that. Once you see what you can get your hands on and learn about what it can bring to your future, you will find that it makes a lot more sense and that you can get things done. Checking out all of your apartment options is a great idea and it may be what you need in order to find solutions that you're happy with and that are going to help you out.


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| [[File:
Art from Pokémon G/S/C
|Giovanni (unconfirmed)
|Trainer class
|Trainer, Rival
|Gold, Silver, Crystal, Stadium 2
Silver is the rival of Gold and Kris, and is about their age. He has long red hair and piercing eyes.
Fan speculation is that Silver may be Giovanni's red-haired child, due to Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen's Fame Checker's many references to Pokémon Gold and Silver versions, and to Silver's dark demeanor and detestment of Team Rocket.
Like Brendan, he played no role in the anime, despite being a main character in the games. Similarly, his only appearance in anime is a brief cameo, in the original Japanese opening of The Legend of Thunder (Aratanaru Chikai), where he was shown with his Nidoking.
In the game
Silver's first (and currently only) appearance in the Pokémon video games took place during the second generation. He was first seen lurking near a window to the Elm Pokémon Laboratory, and he later broke in, stealing a Pokémon (commonly thought to be a Totodile, though this is unproven). He later used this Pokémon to battle with both Gold and Kris, doing this many times as they journeyed through Johto.
Throughout his travels, Silver showed a strong hate for Team Rocket. He strongly interfered with the revived Team Rocket's plans at least twice, including their experiments with radio signals at the Lake of Rage. His stated reason for this dislike was that they are "weak" when cornered, and that he only cares about strong opponents.
Shortly after Gold/Kris defeated the Pokémon League, Silver took up training in the Dragon's Den. His personality has been likened by the Dragon Master to be similar to Clair's.
The starter Pokémon that Silver has will depend on which Pokémon the player chose to bring on Professor Elm's errand at the beginning of the game. As with all rivals, it will be the Pokémon whose type weakens that of the player's starter.
First Encounter
Second Encounter
Third Encounter
Fourth Encounter
- Feraligatr, Meganium, or Typhlosion Lv 32
- Haunter Lv 30
- Golbat Lv 30
- Magnemite Lv 28
- Sneasel Lv 32
Fifth Encounter
- Feraligatr, Meganium, or Typhlosion Lv 38
- Haunter Lv 35
- Golbat Lv 36
- Magneton Lv 35
- Sneasel Lv 34
- Kadabra Lv 35
Sixth Encounter
- Feraligatr, Meganium, or Typhlosion Lv 45
- Gengar Lv 43
- Golbat Lv 42
- Magneton Lv 41
- Sneasel Lv 41
- Alakazam Lv 43
In Pokémon Stadium 2
Silver is the player's final opponent in the game, after completing every other battle. After his defeat, players will move on to Round 2, where all of the battles are much harder, or have beaten the entirety of the game. He is named just "Rival" in this game.
Silver has the following Pokémon in this game:
See also
|Rival characters
| Blue • Silver • Brendan/May • Wally • Barry • Cheren • Bianca • Hugh • Calem/Serena
Shauna • Tierno • Trevor • Hau • Gladion • Trace • Hop • Bede • Marnie
Ronald • Paulo


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A's odd couple on and off field
Phoenix --
You know how it is when you're one half of a couple: one night one person gets to pick an activity. The next time, the other person chooses.
Say, a heavy metal music outing with Between the Buried and Me and Coheed and Cambria one night. Then taking in Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards at NASCAR another day.
Those are examples of the "man dates" that A's Australian pitcher Travis Blackley and Georgia-born right fielder Josh Reddick have been on this spring. The odd couple teammates and roommates seem to be a case of opposites attracting.
"We're at very opposite ends of the spectrum," Reddick said. "I'm from the South. I'm a redneck. I like country music. I like wrestling. He's from across the world. He likes heavy metal screaming-into-the-microphone music, which is forbidden where I'm from. He's all tatted up. I have five tattoos. The differences are as obvious as can be."
And then there's the fact that one is a pitcher and one is a position player. But it's all part of the A's charming chemistry: These players are fun and funny, and they all seem to not only get along but adore each other.
"We have a lot of odd couples going on here," manager Bob Melvin said. "That one might be at the forefront, I will admit. I think it's because we have a loose, light clubhouse where everyone gets along. We want to see everyone comingle.
"You can say bromance," Melvin added. "I say comingle."
Bromance is the word being used on Twitter.
"I don't like to put labels on it," Blackley said, laughing.
Both Reddick and Blackley have tweeted pictures of themselves at dinner, driving in one or the other's car, and commented on their relationship, allowing others to get in on the joke. Memes have been created, like one using the movie poster from "Titanic," but with Reddick in Kate Winslet's position and Blackley in Leonardo DiCaprio's, with the subhead "Bromance."
"Why did I have to be the woman?" Reddick asked. Probably because of the shoulder-length hair, though Winslet couldn't compete with Reddick's bushy beard that - stop me if you've heard this about Bay Area baseball players before - seems to be taking on a life of its own.
Reddick is currently in a beard-off with WWE wrestler Daniel Bryan. Blackley, whose own beard is neatly trimmed, thinks "it's horrible," and is just hoping that all that hair doesn't clog the drains in their Scottsdale house. Blackley's own aesthetic oddity is complex and colorful tattoos - he's spent close to 200 hours getting inked.
The two players have similar senses of humor.
"We can both dish it out and we can both take it," said Blackley, who lived in the same housing complex with Reddick and some other A's in Walnut Creek last year. After Sunday home games, the players got together and grilled.
Their current household includes Reddick's two bulldogs, Backster and Murray, who is only 7 months old and still chews up a lot of human belongings. He runs to Blackley for comfort if Reddick scolds him.
Reddick watches the dogs during the day from a camera linked to his phone. They spend their days sleeping, which is what Blackley also prefers to do in his downtime.
"I like to get 'zontal and marinate," Blackley said.
When they're not out on man dates, the roommates play video games together on an Xbox, though Blackley, who recently turned 30, thinks he may be maturing because he often gets bored and just watches the 26-year-old Reddick play. For entertainment, he likes to watch video of Australian heavy metal bands, like Deez Nuts and I Killed the Prom Queen.
"I don't understand what they're saying," Reddick complained. "The microphone is right in the middle of their esophagus. I just try to block it out. I'm pretty sure our iTunes accounts don't agree."
Both can be slobs, though Blackley keeps his messiness contained to his room, where he spends time on Skype to Australia and with his 8-year old son in Wichita, Kan. Reddick said Blackley never takes out the garbage, though he did put the bag by the door recently, perhaps in hopes that the garbage fairy would collect it.
They haven't needed a cultural translator. They share some phrases in common. Blackley, to Reddick's surprise, says, "I reckon," and he picked up "y'all" while in Texas.
"I understand what he says because his accent is always on TV," Blackley said. "With me, sometimes he registers what I say about 20 seconds later."
But they speak the common language of the A's: all for fun and all for one.
"It's not just us, it's the whole team," Reddick said. "Outfielders, infielders, older guys, younger guys. We don't segregate ourselves. That's why team chemistry is so great. We all mesh together."
And some mesh better than others.
A Chronicle photographer clicked pictures of the two in the dugout at Municipal Stadium.
"Want to hold hands?" Blackley asked.
"No," Reddick said.
"Want to go to the concert tonight?" asked Blackley, who was heading to Mesa to see the Ghost Inside and Stick to Your Guns on Sunday night.
"Hell no," said Reddick.
The next man date for the odd couple will have to wait.
A's Beat: Starting pitcher Brett Anderson strains a trapezius muscle, but it's thought to be relatively minor.
Giants Beat: Major-league future might not be too far off for two minor-league starting pitchers. B4
Ann Killion is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. E-mail: email@example.com Twitter: @annkillion


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28 Year-Old Tech Lover Develops App That Allows You To Take Back Those Messy Text MessagesBookmark this
Locate Black-Owned Businesses near you on MillionsTwoOne.com, the Largest African American Business Directory in the World! Are you a Black Business owner? List Black-Owned Businesses on MillionsTwoOne.com.
A former Spelman student, Maci Peterson is being praised for helping people take back messy text messages they will regret. Her app, On Second Thought, which was released in January, allows users to cancel text messages before they're delivered to the receiving party. Made for only Android smartphone users, On Second Thought as a product is a lifesaver, because according to the site:
Mistakes happen, and On Second Thought is here to help you fix them. Take control over your communication with the first messaging app that lets you recall text messages BEFORE they get to the recipient's phone. How does it work? Send your messages through our app. If you see a mistake before it's delivered, swipe left or right to Ost (recall) it, and the recipient will never know you tried to send them a message. Know you're going to be out for the night, and might have a few too many drinks? Set the Curfew, and your messages will be embargoed until the next morning. When the curfew expires, you can decide which messages you actually want to send. Whether it was an accidental click or auto-correct made you look like a jerk, it happens and On Second Thought has you covered when it does.
In an interview with Peterson, Black Enterprise asks the millennial tech entrepreneur to share her marketing and financial strategy for a product like this. On top of divulging that information, she also gives insight on how to succeed when you have a new business. Here are a few highlights from her interview:
Black Enterprise: So tell us exactly how On Second Thought works, and share some of the app's cool features.
Peterson: On Second Thought is very easy to use. After downloading the app from the Google Play Store, you go to the app's settings, set On Second Thought as your default SMS app and determine the length of your "grace period"—up to 60 seconds. The "grace period" is the amount of time you have to swipe left and Ost (recall) a message after hitting "send."Another feature in development is "curfew." It's for those nights on the town when you know you might have a bit too much to drink. Just go to your On Second Thought settings, determine the time you'd like your "curfew" to start, and all messages you try to send after that time will be held until the next morning. Once the "curfew" expires, you can look back and see which messages you still want to send, and which ones you're thankful didn't go through.
Black Enterprise: How is On Second Thought performing?
Peterson: We currently have over 4,200 users, expected to reach 5,000 very soon.
Black Enterprise: Congratulations. How have you been able market and promote the app?
Peterson: We have used social media and an aggressive public relations campaign to market On Second Thought. We have also forged strategic partnerships with other apps that have over 2.5 million monthly users to promote our app. Additionally, we used my relationships in Hollywood to secure product placement deals for On Second Thought to be integrated into film and television shows.
Black Enterprise: For aspiring entrepreneurs, how did you finance the business?
Peterson: In the beginning days of On Second Thought, my partners, phenomenal parents and I bootstrapped. Then we took in some money in our friends and family round at the end of last year. We are currently raising our seed round from institutional and private investors.
To learn more about Peterson and her awesome product, read her entire interview at BlackEnterprise.com.
Download 'On Second Thought' in the Google Play Store onto your mobile phone!
Locate Black-Owned Businesses near you on MillionsTwoOne.com, the Largest African American Business Directory in the World! Are you a Black Business owner? List Black-Owned Businesses on MillionsTwoOne.com.


text:
Beaumont/Port Arthur
Police arrested a 22-year-old Vidor resident on May 31 after finding a small amount of methamphetamine hidden in the man's sock, officers report.
A man refusing to comply with police after reportedly walking in a roadway and striking a vehicle with his fist was Tased and arrested in Orange on Monday, May 26, police report.
Officers in Orange arrested an allegedly drunk man causing a disturbance and throwing beer bottles in the driveway of his home on Monday, May 26, police report.
Orange Police arrested one woman and seized a quantity of methamphetamine along with synthetic marijuana during a drug bust at a local motel on April 23.
A man in Beaumont refused treatment and refused to file charges after being shot as the result of an altercation that was reportedly initiated by the victim in retaliation of an unreported armed robbery on the morning of April 24.
At 12:03 p.m. on Thursday April 24, officers of the Beaumont Police Department were dispatched to 2555 Sweetgum Rd. in reference to a victim of a shooting, police report. Upon arrival, officers located the victim who was suffering from a very minor wound to his right buttock.
Police in Port Arthur are currently searching for suspects connected to three separate home invasion robberies that were committed in between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. on April 23.
Police officers in Pinehurst arrested a registered sex offender living in the city after receiving reports that the man was exposing himself to passersby outside his residence in the 600 block of 28th Street on Friday, April 11, at approximately 6:30 p.m.
Beaumont police officers arrested a burglar they say was caught in the act on Wednesday, April 9, in the 800 block of Monterrey Drive.
A 59-year-old Beaumont man is dead and a reportedly mentally ill resident of a rental home where the victim was working, a 34-year-old Beaumont man, is in custody for stabbing the man to death on Monday, April 7.
A tractor trailer traveling on Interstate 10 was severely damaged in accident, according to Beaumont police officers at the scene of the incident that occurred near the Downtown exit from Interstate 10 going into Beaumont at approximately 2:45 a.m.
The driver was unhurt, but reportedly told police he was driving on the interstate and struck a road sign. One officer said they are still investigating and do not yet know where the big rig collided with the road sign on the highway.
While we harbor no disrespect for the Wall Street Journal who called us "that scrappy little paper from Southeast Texas," we prefer to think of ourselves as simple seekers of the truth. We're of the opinion that headlines and sound bites never tell the whole story. Our readers demand all the facts, facets and flavors of every story or event. And, they expect to be informed, educated and stirred to action.
For this week's New York Times crossword puzzle, pick up a copy of this week's The Examiner on newsstands now.


text:
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