This Guy Falls Down

Lost season finale

A couple of months ago, I was almost ready to give up on Lost. But I decided to stick it out because I had already invested several dozen hours of my life into the series. And it's payed off. The last six or so episodes leading up to the season finale have been incredible.

The finale itself was downright bizarre. The usual "flashback" segment turned out to be a "flash forward". Charlie is apparently dead. Hugo was the big hero. A lot of fun butt-kicking, and a hint towards a rescue. They stopped just short of ending the whole thing. Makes you wonder if they didn't know if the show was going to be renewed when they wrote it. Some questions got answered, but so many more remain.

Who did Jack visit at the funeral home?
What city was Jack in?
Was Kate still with Sawyer in the "flash forward"?
Was that really Walt or just a vision on the part of Locke?

It was a fun episode, and in hindsight, it made sense for them to wrap it up the way they did. It's going to be a LONG time before we see another new episode, certainly too long to try to hold out much of a cliffhanger ending. Better to build the momentum from scratch, ala 24.

On a side note, I bought The Third Policeman, one of the books Sawyer is seen reading on the island, and supposedly an inspiration for the show. Maybe it will tie me over until next year.

Lostpedia

OK, so Lost has gone and sucked me back in. I was drifting for a bit, but these last two or three episodes have really done it for me. As the details and backstories continue to mount, wouldn't it be cool to have one place where you can go and see how the story is shaping? Lostpedia is just the place. It's a wiki format, which is perfect for a show as intricate and detailed as Lost. Be warned - this site will suck you into a time vortex and you will be there for hours without realizing it.

Add 10 Years to Your Life - Guaranteed!

Turn off that darn television, according to this great article.

Occasionally Wright, Blueland Blog and Will Ferrell

You know how you have that guy who went to your high school who plays for the Indianapolis Colts? Or maybe somebody you went to church growing up is now a famous news anchor. Everybody has that person that they knew before they were famous. That's how Ben Wright is around these parts. When I first started blogging, Ben was one of the first fellow bloggers I met, and I've been a fan of his site ever since. Not long ago, Ben made the move to Atlanta to do web promotion for the Thrashers and Hawks. As part of his job, he operates a Thrashers blog called Blueland Blog. I'm just proud to say I knew him "back in the day".

In addition to the Blueland Blog, Ben also maintains a personal blog called Occasonally Wright. Ben most recently posted about Talladega Nights and linked to a list of Will Ferrell's Top 10 Sketches. GOULET!

Take the "Lost" quiz

I thought I knew a lot about Lost until I tried this quiz. There are a lot of questions (67) and, therefore, many chances to blow it. I did.

(via Rock Rebel)

Lost: the future of online media?

Steven Bryant recently had this to say about the ubiquitousness of Lost in PC Magazine:

"Opinion: "Lost" is the first truly pan-media experience, and that holds lessons for content producers everywhere.

ABC's "Lost" has done more than any other media before it to enable interaction around a brand on multiple platforms. It is the first truly pan-media experience, and that holds lessons for content producers everywhere.

"Lost" is everywhere. It's a television show that was born in a traditional analog world but came of age in a digital world where the very idea of "television" is giving way to the idea of ubiquitous, platform-agnostic video.

But the show's presence extends beyond just video. Viewers interact with the brand on multiple platforms. There are Web sites devoted to translating the whispers heard on the show. People track the literary works mentioned. ABC has even created fake Web sites for elements of the show, like for the band Driveshaft.

This is mind-boggling for someone who, like me, has yet to get over the surprise of seeing Tootie co-star on "Different Strokes."

Today, your involvement with a show never stops.

That's Why 'Lost' Is All About You."

Read the entire article here.

The meaning of "Lost"

Not that we'll really get the true "meaning" from reading it, but there's a new book entitled Unlocking the Meaning of Lost. I've had endless hours of fun talking with friends and family about the intricacies of ABC's Lost. The iconic characters, the brilliant casting and the labyrinthine plot have all combined to make it a true classic. And besides great fodder for conversation, it should serve as a great springboard for an in-depth analysis. Is it worthy of an entire book? I don't know, but I intend to have some fun trying to find out. If it's good enough, it might even make a good rabbit trail for our little book circle.

(Also, be sure to check out this article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution which delves into the show's spiritual values and why the book's author will be featured at this year's Cornerstone Music Festival.)

My new favorite show

When The Office first came out in the U.S., critics and many others were quick to point out that it wasn't the British version. So I didn't give it much of a chance. But a few weeks ago I saw an episode and was instantly hooked.

There are many characters on the show, but by far the most over-the-top is the Assistant Manager Assistant to the Regional Manager Dwight Schrute. Here's a great interview with actor Rainn Wilson who plays Dwight. Dwight even has a blog which is quite hilarious.

Google Video and TivoToGo

Not to be outdone by iTunes' video capabilities, several companies are rolling out video strategies of their own. The two which have me the most intrigued are Google Video and TivoToGo. Of the two, TivoToGo (read article here) has the most potential for stealing the spotlight from Apple.

Currently in beta version, Google Video is sort of a mix between the iTunes style "store" and the trusted Google search engine. You can download television and sports programming on a pay-per-download basis. They currently feature popular shows like C.S.I. and Survivor, and sports programs like the Olympics and the NBA All Star Game. You can also search and find a plethora of independent films. After toying with the site for a few minutes I found some great music videos including this amazing video of a guy playing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on his ukelele.

TivoToGo has a couple of things going for it. One, it's Tivo. This has that same potential of sweeping the nation by word-of-mouth. Second, it's apparently free to anyone who has the service, a home network and a series 2 Tivo unit. Through this service, you can transfer anything you have recorded at home to your PC and even certain mobile devices. But, alas, it's not available for Mac yet...

Brock Gill on The Discovery Channel today

Don't forget to watch The Discovery Channel today at 1 EST to see my friend Brock Gill's show about the miracles of Jesus. Brock was also recently featured in a nice Associated Press article. Check it out here.