ABC's Lost is "Lost!"

I don't know if I mentioned this before, but when the show first started I liked it. The show seemed interesting and was well shot, had good character development, a reasonable plot line and, from all indications, looked to be a good show. I went out and bought the first season on DVD, and eagerly awaited the second season . . .

At which point all the BS started, J.J. Abrams, the executive producer for the show went off to produce MI 3 (Mission Impossible) which was for all practical purposes, a box office flop. What with the whole Tom Cruz jumping on Oprah's couch, TomKat and then the movie kind of sucked (although I didn't see it), but I believe the staff of the show "LOST" have lost their way . . .

Then for some odd reason they (the producers of the show) thought it was a good idea to give the show, and the fans a 5 month break in between the second and third season. WTF!

Now the show is just failing about, just flopping around on the ground like some kind of a fish out of water, the plot just doesn't make any sense, the writers are just putting up story ideas on a big wall and blindfolding themselves and throwing darts at them . . .

I mean what's next?

For one thing the writers don't seem to make the characters react in ways you would expect people to react in a given situation . . .

There are so many unanswered questions?

What is the black smoke that killed Echo?

Where are Walter and Michael?

What happened to the rest of the spiders?

Does Jack know that Claire is his half-sister?

Why is everyone Desmond's brother?

Sorry, but the show is "off the chain" going in way too many directions . . .

Hero's and Ugly Betty for me . . .

The downfall of western civilization

It seems scientists have discovered a new planet resembling earth in another solar system. This new planet might have liquid water and be very much like earth, however there is one small catch . . .

It would take 20 years to get there traveling at light speed, assuming we could figure HOW to travel at light speed . . .

So, I guess we better make due with what we got (note: this past Sunday was "earth day" so I didn't drive my big, gas-guzzling truck, and went for a bike ride and worked in the yard).

Sometime after desktop computers were invented, someone invented computer games, more specifically "first-person-shooter" games. Now I like FPS games like Quake, Doom, etc. and often times my co-workers and I would network up a game and have a big ole' game of chase your office-mates down with a rocket launcher and kill them session. I mean nothing says lovin' like hunting down your office-mate like the dog that he is and giving a good old fashion beat-down with a double-barrel sawed-off shotgun!

These type of activities seem to be very popular, often depicted in games like Grand Theft Auto, Socom II and many others . . .

Funny thing is, I know the difference between REALITY and FANTASY.

I believe we are raising an entire generation of people that treat other people "very badly" while hiding either behind the screen of a computer (email, chat rooms, online forums, etc.) or in the "safety" of their car.

People will happily talk "smack" about someone on the Internet, but if called out in person will generally not act as rudly.

It's easy to blow someone off, or disrespect someone on the Internet (hiding behind the anonymity of the computer screen-name) . . .

Problem is, at some point the person or persons being disrespected by all those people hiding behind screen names is going to snap, and go crazy . . .

I'm not sure, but the Virginia Tech shooting might be a good example of this activity.

There isn't much to say about the VT shooting event, other than it is a tragedy and highlights how badly people treat each other.

It is sad the level of hate and anger floating around in this world . . .

CNN has gone "round the bend"

I watched a piece on CNN the other day that talked about this "mind reader" psychic guy that was, as CNN put it, "the most popular show on Iraqi TV." They showed images of the guy, and interviewed him and the female anchor for the local Iraqi TV program. They were very polished, the woman with makeup and very western hair, the psychic guy was dressed very well in a nice suit with short hair, no beard and a very color TV "friendly" shirt and tie. As I sat and watched this drivel I wondered how many people were fooled by this blatant propaganda stunt! For those of you who have not been paying attention, let me break it down for you; for the most part, unless you are in the green zone of Baghdad, YOU DON'T HAVE ELECTRICITY, LET ALONE A FUCKING COLOR TV! You don't have jobs (the USA took out most infrastructure [telecommunications, that's phone service, communication - that's command and control targets, so radio and TV stations, water, sewer, garbage, and power] as well as simple things like social meeting places, with the exception of the odd street corner) when you see footage of streets in Iraq it's mostly bombed-out or shell riddled buildings with huge piles of garbage in the streets, right? CNN posted this story on Wed. April 11th:

Red Cross: Iraq situation 'ever-worsening'

POSTED: 5:55 a.m. EDT, April 11, 2007

GENEVA, Switzerland (AP) -- The situation for civilians in Iraq is "ever-worsening," even though security in some places has improved as a result of stepped-up efforts by U.S.-led multinational forces, the international Red Cross said Wednesday.

It is difficult to determine the numbers of people killed in shootings, bombings and military operations, but the overall picture of what is happening the country has been steadily deteriorating, with numbers of refugees swelling, medical staff fleeing and other problems growing, a key official said.

"It is clear that the security situation has improved in certain instances," especially in southern Iraq, said Pierre Kraehenbuehl, director of operations of the International Committee of the Red Cross, or ICRC.

But the central region, including Baghdad, remains greatly affected, despite American efforts to secure the capital.

"Whatever operation that is today under way, and that may be taken tomorrow and in the weeks after, to improve the security of civilians on the ground may have an effect in the medium term," Kraehenbuehl told reporters. "We're certainly not seeing an immediate effect in terms of stabilization for civilians currently. That is not our reading."

He said it was so dangerous for Red Cross workers to move around in Baghdad, however, that "we don't have on a day-to-day basis a full picture of absolutely every situation."

Kraehenbuehl spoke in releasing a new ICRC report titled "Civilians Without Protection: The ever-worsening humanitarian crisis in Iraq."

"The conflict in Iraq is inflicting immense suffering on the entire population," said the report. "Every day dozens of people are killed and any more wounded."

The ICRC continues to operate in Iraq even though it has cut back operations since attacks on its staff and Baghdad headquarters in 2003. It has 415 Iraqis working for it in the country and has an additional 57 international staff based in Iraq and Amman, Jordan, but relies on the affiliated Iraqi Red Crescent for much of its information.

Based on the Iraqi society's count, about 600,000 Iraqis have fled their homes since the upsurge in sectarian violence in February 2006, Kraehenbuehl said. Medical professionals have been fleeing the country after cases where their colleagues were killed or abducted.

"Hospitals and other key services are desperately short of staff," Kraehenbuehl said. "According to the Iraqi Ministry of Health, more than half the doctors are said to have already left the country."

Thousands of bodies lie unclaimed in mortuaries, with family members either unaware that they are there or too afraid to go to recover them, he said.

I'm thinking that there are not that many "happy-go-lucky" folks in Baghdad that are sitting home watching big-screen plasma TV's. So, if you fell for CNN's "big-ole'-load of crap" story about Iraqi TV, Shame on you for believing such drivel.

File under "who really cares?"

Don Imus is a racist, wow did it take a rocket scientist to figure that one out?

The NAACP is calling for Don's head on a platter, as well as the end of his career (I wonder if Howard Stern is helping in any way, shape of form?)

I would guess Howard called Al Sharpton and said something like this "yo, homie you know I be grooving on de brothers and dat Imus honkie should get a beatdown like nutin' before, you smell what I'm cooking dog?"

And I bet (Bee, e, tee, ha ha get it BET) anyway I bet ol' Al says, "let me axe you a question, should we hang the man or just make him spend an afternoon playing a little one-on-one with the ["knappy headed whoes from Rutgers U!?"]" to which the self acclaimed "king of all media (Howard Stern)" would reply "KILL HIM, KILL, KILL, KILL."

It's odd that an African American rap star can use the terms: Nigger, knappy headed whoes, and a host of other degrading terms and yet the only person who makes a fuss is Tipper Gore, go figure.

I don't like Howard Stern, I think he is an ass. I've listened a few times and sometimes he can be funny, but not for any length of time, mostly he is just degrading to woman and an ass.

I've only heard very small segments of any of Don Imus' programs and I don't care for his style either, he too is just a loud-mouthed jerk.

Shock jocks are not changing the world and making anything better (even if you call it comedy, which it isn't) with their crass, rude babbling.

So, I say dump em' all, they all suck!

What's the deal

It seems gas is up to almost $2.80 per gallon, ouch. All those poor shlubs with big trucks and giant SUV's are paying $50.00 for 3/4 of a tank of gas! Wait, I'm one of those poor bastards!

If there were more effective options, I'd be all over that, but "it is, what it is" and "I got what I got" so I deal with the high gas prices and big SUV's and trucks.

I guess if I didn't have such a big truck I wouldn't be able to haul all my materialistic crap around and at such a high rate of speed.

It's good to have a big bad truck!

But, when it comes to the pumps, maybe not . . .