Back To Basics

• Random Pop Culture:
• It's hard to remember the pilot episodes of TV shows so it's been fun to watch the pilots of both Twin Peaks and Lost over the past day.
• I forgot how little weirdness was in the Twin Peaks one. In fact, the town seems reasonably normal and Dale Cooper seems to be the strange one. Kyle MacLachlan was really, really funny.
• On Lost, the first part of the pilot is just the visceral plane crash part with a little of the island mythology coming in at the end. I noticed two foreshadowing things. At one point, Jack is theorizing as to how the plane crashed and he's playing with a small plane he made out of leaves. Kate is staring at the toy plane and not at Jack with a distant look in her eyes. Later, when Jack, Kate, and Charlie go to the front portion of the plane, the monster goes past the window for a split second before it then takes the pilot. What probably looked like a shadow the first time we watched it is now very obviously smoke. Also interesting is that, at one point, we see Charlie writing the word "fate" on his fingers.
• In the second part, you have the polar bear, but weren't the bear cages on the other island? I don't remember if they ever explained how the bears would have gotten from Dharma's animal station to the main island. I guess polar bears can swim. You also have Rousseau's sixteen-year-old message about how "it" killed all of them and she's alone.
• It's interesting to watch it now with knowledge of the bigger picture, especially given the biggest foreshadowing of the entire series. Locke is playing with a backgammon set. Walt walks over and they chat for a bit and Locke talks about how backgammon is the oldest game in the world. He explains it thusly: "There are two players. One side is light. One side is dark." We didn't know it would take us five more years to get there, but it's the show in a nutshell.
• Random Hatred and/or Love:
• Real World: DC reportedly begins taping on Saturday. I still haven't found the right words to write my support for it (or maybe better to say to show my disdain for those that oppose it) but I'll get there soon. It can only bring good things to the District.
• You should read this letter. Freaking amazing.
• Going Green:
• No, not for the environment. I want to show my support for the people who are fighting for their freedoms in Tehran. Believe, if I could go there and lead a march like my friend and I did in DC back in 2000, I would certainly consider doing so before begging out because I have plans to see The Hangover again on Saturday. Anyways, after they have a civil war or whatever happens, I and my awesome-hair-having friends, A Flock of Seagulls, do humbly submit a new national anthem for the country of Iran:

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