Sun pillar 

This holy slime

Another perhaps interesting weather phenomenon are sun pillars; columns of vertical light that have a divine appearance, especially the ones crossed by a horizontal bar. Sun pillars form around sunrise and sunset when tiny horizontally oriented ice crystals in high level cirroform clouds or ice-fog near the earth’s surface reflect the sunlight as they fall. The pillar will take on the colour of the sun and usually appear red or white. It’s also possible to see moon pillars.

Far away from here

Red Dwarf: Series 6 quotes:

• I sound like some barely human grossed out slime ball. – Oh excellent, sir, it’s all coming back to you then.
• I’m tasteless, uncouth, tone deaf, mindless, revolting, randy, blokeish, semi-literate space bum. – Oh welcome back, Mr Lister.
• Smug mode.
• Space weevil’s have eaten the last of the corn supply.
• Step up to red alert. – Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb.
• This will of course leave me splattered across deep space and unable to finish today’s laundry, for which I apologize in advance.
• Broadcast in all known languages, including Welsh.
• Just because I look like Herman Munster’s stunt man doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate art.
• Psycho rating’s gotta be 4 ½ chain saws.
• What happens if we all get killed? I’ll never hear the last of it.
• I think we’ve all got something to bring to this discussion but I think from now on the thing you should bring is silence.
• I’m no stranger to the land of scoff.
• The Eatbourne Zimmer Frame Relay Team can easily outrun us.
• He’s looking so geeky, I don’t think he could even get in a science fiction convention.
• Smoke me a kipper, I’ll be back for breakfast.
• I’m perfectly well aware of what you are, sir.
• Higher than a hippie on a third day of an open air festival.
• May I suggest the rest of this discourse is conducted by those with a brain larger than a grape.
• Don’t you know how very rude it is to burst in on an earlier version of yourself without warning? You’ve made our day totally surreal now.
• Pardon my paradox.
• Were the words “kit” or “paint before assembly” written on the side?

Gleðileg Jól

For some unknown reason this year there’s a big tizzy about the use of the word Christmas. It shouldn’t be a surprise since the names for other holidays (Easter and Halloween, especially) have suffered the same ridiculous maligning. All this nonsense made me, being half Swedish, wonder why the Swedes call this holiday Jul (and the Icelanders Jól.) Apparently, the Vikings and the Norsemen celebrated the winter solstice around December 21st. The celebration was called Iol, Iul, Jule, or Yule. Yuletide means "the sun's turning." The Swedish word for wheel is hjul, the Old Norse jól and the Icelandic hjól. So Jul or Jól was celebrated as the turning of the wheel, to identify when the wheel of the year was at its lowest point, ready to rise again. None of this explains why the Swedish and Icelandic name for the month of July is Juli. I do know that after listening to interminable Christmas songs on Icelandic radio this month, I am thoroughly sick of the jólasveinar. Oh yeah, and Happy Festivus to the rest of ya’s.

Waltzing with osbcuring sound

Since year’s end rapidly approaches, lists are being compiled on the best songs and/or albums of 2005. In looking over US lists, I might have heard of one or two artists, if not their songs. When Iceland’s Radio 2 publishes their most played song list of the year, I’ll be able to comment since most of those will be familiar. As for what I would nominate for Song of the Year, the Leaves’ “Shakma” is foremost in my mind, so I guess that would be it. Probably having nothing to do with the 1990 slasher movie of the same name about an escaped murderous baboon, the song has been described as “eight minutes of brooding majestic beauty that gets bigger and bigger as it develops, resulting in a frantic instrument-bashing wall of sound” and “jaw-dropping” and “a lingering, wide-reaching epic, drawing a beautiful soundscape, with minor to major chord changes giving the track a bittersweet feel” and with “lyrics that verbally describe the vastness of the music.” The lead singer of Leaves, Arnar Guðjónsson, says it “was like writing a symphony.” You may or may not be able to listen to the song streamed at this guy's blog. Here are the lyrics:

SHAKMA

I'm drifting weightless far above the ground

My hands are feeling frail

I try to swim towards the soothing sound

But something slows me down.

Soon they're shining ever clear

The skyline is beautiful

The sleeping fleet is marching to the moon

The horns are blown with joy

Just passing by

Drunken starlit sky

It's a carnival in the air

And everything seems clear

The wind is waltzing with osbcuring sound

The stars are lining up

It makes me colourful and dreamy

But then I start to fall

Just passing by

Drunken starlit sky

It's a carnival in the air

And everything seems clear

It's where I feel so real

Everything seems so clear, so real

Cause when it appears to me I'm free

How they play and play

Thanks to Carolyn for loaning it to me, I got to watch the first season of the BBC show Extras. The series deals with the lives and encounters of background actors Andy Millman and his Scottish gal pal Maggie. He (Ricky Gervais) is more likeable than his character in The Office, but still severely lacking in social skills. She comes across as a bit daft. Together they fumble their way through life and work, perpetually sticking a foot in their mouths, then extracting it only to stick the other one in its place. Some quotes:

• You are guaranteed an Oscar if you play a mental.
• Sorry to interrupt you again when you’re thinking about your slaughtered loved ones.
• I can’t – I’m doing anything else.
• I love all the number films.
• At the moment I’m concentrating more on background work looking out towards getting a speaking role.
• Your heart’s not in it, is it?
• If you do get a hair in there, he just gets it out with his big sausage fingers.
• Why do men not dress like that nowadays? –Because they’d get beaten up on the tube.
• That’s three years of drama school for you.
• They’re only human. – He’s not.
• What’s ET short for? He’s only got little legs.
• I looked at you and thought, what a pathetic loser.
• You might be a mental case but let’s find out.
• She’s really lovely but she’s a wee bit mental.
• Microphones are for wimps.

When will I be loved?

Movie: Must Love Dogs. What tried to be a romantic comedy but instead borrowed every cliché available and ended up with a dull and slightly immature script for discussing “mature” (meaning over 40?) relationships. Which is a shame because Diane Lane and John Cusack are appealing and have performed excellently in other better written and directed movies. I didn’t think it was as horrible as many reviews stated, just nothing special. And some things confused me. Starting with Lane’s family feeling it necessary to perform an intervention because she hadn’t dated for 8 months. 8 months? Like that was a major crisis! And I couldn’t figure out what spurred these people to date at all besides hormones and an aversion to loneliness, which is what everyone is looking for in a mate (sarcasm mode here.) I may have zonked out or gone brain dead at one point because Lane’s reasons for being angry with Dermot Mulroney also escaped me. The one thought provoking question this film does ask, though, is why “mature” men want to date young girls who don’t have many cultural experiences (in this case not being able to understand Dr Zhivago.) It seems it would prove annoying as all get out, but maybe it makes men feel superior and intelligent. And that’s what’s really important. Where this movie lost major points for me was in adding Cheryl Crowe to the soundtrack. Whoever told this woman she could sing was severely deranged. Her half note off key voice is an assault to my ears! Please, someone lock the studio doors before she tries to record again!

In a swamp down in Degobah

Yoda

A venerated sage with vast power and knowledge, you gently guide forces around you while serving as a champion of the light.

Judge me by my size, do you? And well you should not - for my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life greets it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us, and binds us. Luminescent beings are we, not this crude matter! You must feel the Force around you, everywhere.

I'm not confident about your hairstyle, Jack! 

Countdown to 24

A ten minute video preview for the upcoming Season 5 of 24 is available online. Also see screencaps from it. Can't wait, but unfortunately there's another month to go before the first episode airs. Chloe's system has been compromised and Jack's sporting a mullet! Talk about disasters!

An honour to be nominated

One of the films nominated for the next Nordic Prize is the Icelandic Dís, based on the novel of the same name written by three friends. One of those friends, Silja Hauksdóttir, appears to be the one in charge of the group who adapted the book into a film. The film is set in Reykjavík during the summer of 2000 when a twenty something girl named Dís has taken a summer job as a receptionist at the Hótel Borg. This leads to encountering some interesting people who influence her life in different ways. Add in some clubbing, romantic entanglements with or without twins, retracted job offers, a fixation on former Icelandic president Vigdis Finnbogadóttir, the Dallas TV show, an earthquake, and some sarcasm and stir. Hauksdóttir studied philosophy at the University of Iceland which somehow led to working freelance in tv commercials, sitcoms and films. Since Dís, Hauksdóttir has directed a documentary about an Icelandic women's choir, titled The Choir. Go figure.

Miss Iceland

 

What in the world

In my diligence to keep an eye on all things Icelandic, I see that Miss Iceland won the ever-so-important Miss World 2005 competition held Friday in Sanya, China. The 21-year old Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir, a name probably unpronounceable to the non-Nordic, was born in Reykjavík but grew up in the small town of Seltjarnarnes. For the past year, she's been studying anthropology at university. Next fall she'll begin to study law and graduate with a double major. In the meantime she spent her summer working as a police officer intern at the airport. She enjoys acting, singing, dancing, snow-boarding, hiking, camping, horsemanship and playing the piano. Her favourite motto is “You are what you do” or “You are what you make.” Perhaps not coincidentally (thanks to genetics), her mother also represented Iceland in 1983. Now if only genetics could explain why I'm half Scandinavian and half Celtic (like most Icelanders), with brown hair and green eyes but never looked anything like this gal! Bummer!

Tónlist ársins nominations

Nominations for the annual Icelandic Music Awards have been announced. I'm not sure when the voting and winner announcements take place, but I'll blog about it when it happens. Here are the nominations, with my personal preferences starred (not to say that those are necessarily the best or what will win, just what I like most.)

Popp - Hljómplata ársins (Pop album of the year)
Ampop - My Delusions*
Emilíana Torrini - Fisherman's Woman
Hjálmar - Hjálmar
Ragnheiður Gröndal - After the Rain
Jónsi - Jónsi

Rokk/jaðartónlist - Hljómplata ársins (Rock/alternative album of the year)
Ég - Plata ársins
Daníel - Swallowed a Star
Kimono - Arctic Death Ship
Sigur Rós – Takk*
Trabant - Emotional

Dægurtónlist - Hljómplata ársins (Contemporary music album of the year)
Baggalútur - Pabbi þarf að vinna
Bubbi - Ást/...Í 6 skrefa fjarlægð frá paradís*
Guðrún Gunnars og Friðrik Ómar - Ég skemmti mér
Ingibjörg Þorbergs - Í sólgulu húsi
Orri Harðar - Trú

Flytjandi ársins (Performer of the year)
Dr. Spock
Hjálmar
Sigur Rós
Stuðmenn*
Trabant

Lag og texti ársins (Music and lyrics)
Baggalútur - Pabbi þarf að vinna
Bubbi - Ástin mín
Sálin hans Jóns míns - Undir þínum áhrifum*
Emilíana Torrini - Sunnyroad
Ég - Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen

Söngkona ársins (Female singer of the year)
Emilíana Torrini
Hildur Vala
Ragnheiður Gröndal
Ragnhildur Gísladóttir*
Regína Ósk

Söngvari ársins (Male singer of the year)
Bubbi
Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson
Stefán Hilmarsson*
Jón Þór Birgisson
Jón Jósep Snæbjörnsson

Myndband ársins (Music video of the year)
Ampop - My Delusions*
Brúðarbandið - Brúðarbandsmantran
Emilíana Torrini - Sunnyroad
Ég - Plata ársins
Sigur Rós - Hoppípolla

Bjartasta vonin (Newcomer of the year)
Ampop*
Baggalútur
Benni Hemm Hemm
Garðar Thór Cortes
Jakobínarína

In the middle of a cloud

This being the 25th anniversary of Mr Lennon's murder, they've been discussing him and playing his songs this morning on Radio 2. Since I was born sometime in the 60s, he was a huge influence on my life. Because he was the intelligent one, of course he was my favourite Beatle. I was in school when I found out he'd been killed. There was a note on the bulletin board. For weeks later a lot of the guys wore black armbands. All this time later, it still seems impossible of a thing to have happened. He gave us some great music, with and without the Beatles. In alphabetical order, here are the solo songs I like best:

• #9 dream
• Dear Yoko
• Gimme some truth
• Give peace a chance
• God
• Happy xmas
• How do you sleep
• Imagine
• Instant karma
• Mind games
• Nobody told me
• Power to the people
• Watching the wheels
• Whatever gets you through the night
• Woman is the nigger of the world

Surprised by Inklings

I was surprised yesterday that my niece Shannen, who’s greatly anticipating the new Narnia movie, had not heard of the Inklings, the group of C.S. Lewis’s friends and colleagues who met weekly to critique their writings and discuss current events. Begun around 1933, the meetings continued until nearly 1950, every Thursday evening at Magdalen College in Oxford. In addition to Lewis, the most famous Inkling was J.R.R. Tolkien. He and Hugo Dyson were instrumental in converting Lewis from atheism to Christianity. Reportedly Dyson held such a dislike for Lord of the Rings that when Tolkien read from his works in progress, he was heard to mutter “not another elf!” Other notables in the group were Warnie Lewis (Jack’s brother), Christopher Tolkien (son of Tolkien), R.E. Harvard (Lewis and Tolkien’s doctor, affectionately referred to as “the useless quack”), Owen Barfield (“the man who disagrees with you about everything” and appropriately went on to become a lawyer who lived to age 99), and Charles Williams, an electric personality who never stopped scribbling dark themed supernatural thrillers that no one comprehended. Williams seems to have created a wedge between the good friends Lewis and Tolkien. Lewis’s marriage to divorcee Joy Gresham and his insistence on her inclusion in the Inklings who considered her too brash (can anyone say Yoko?) also strained Lewis and Tolkien’s friendship.

Lost : What Kate Did

Lost: 2.9. While arguing over who has more faith, Locke and Eko forget to enter the numbers in time and the hatch explodes which sets off a chain reaction of explosions in the 815 other hatches on the island and the entire island explodes, killing everyone on it except for baby Aaron who’s seen in the last shot floating away in his cradle. Or, we learn that when Kate found out her obnoxious abusive creepy stepfather with horrendous taste in music was really her father, she faked a gas leak and blew up his house, with him in it. What a gal! My problem with her stated reasons for doing this, being that she wanted to kill the part of herself that was like this man, is that, first of all, since her mother was the one being abused, her mother was the one who needed to take responsibility for fixing her own life. Secondly, there’s no way killing someone is going to make you a better person, or take away the bad parts of your personality. Seeing a horse and a seemingly possessed Sawyer on the island made Kate think she was going crazy, but me and my cat think she was already “a few picnics short of a summer.” And leaving the button unattended was the height of irresponsibility. But I did appreciate her choosing the song “Walking After Midnight” as that song is often on my mind.

I also highly appreciated a shirtless Jin who just looks better every week. Thumbs up, indeed! I didn’t understand what Ana Lucia was doing. Burying something it seemed, but what? Her ego, we can hope. Michael notices the hatch has blast doors in case of an explosion. It’s video night on Crap Island so Locke shows him and Eko the not exactly Oscar worthy Dr Candle film. Michael’s full of questions, like what about the missing sections? Locke doesn’t think they’re anything important. Let’s all laugh at that one! Eko shows Locke the Bible he found in the arrow hatch. After telling him a curious and timely story of the Temple being rebuilt, he shares the contents of the Bible with Locke. Oh look, it’s the missing section of the video. Or one of the missing sections. When spliced back in, it informs us that trying to use the computer to communicate with the outside world is forbidden because it could compromise the integrity of the project (whatever the project is) and lead to another incident (whatever the incident is.)

Michael heard none of this but he did hear the computer beep a strange hello. The typist appears to be Walt but I don’t know how this show expects me to believe anything it shows me. In the meantime, Sawyer perks up. I’ll be grateful for his returned sarcasm. Eko warns Locke about the difference between coincidence and fate. But they really needed to be asking themselves who cut out the piece from the filmstrip and why? And why does Candle appear younger in the missing section? In a way, this show seems like a scavenger hunt: Find the Black Rock and retrieve the sweaty dynamite. Find the second hatch and retrieve the lost section of film. Kill a wild boar/polar bear/monster. Build a raft and try to escape. Hike across island to return to base camp, etc. Why didn’t the airbag on Kate’s side of the car inflate? I’m also still confused why the Marshall was so antagonistic towards Kate. I blinked and missed Sayid being arrested on the television at Kate’s father’s recruiting office. Best line: “This place is crazy and it’s driving me nuts” from Kate. Welcome to Fandom. Next up (January 11th??!!) Eko meets the monster.

It's cold outside, there's no kind of atmosphere

Quotes from Series 5 of Red Dwarf:

• I thought it was the worst pile of blubbery schoolgirl mush I’ve ever been compelled to endure.
• I realize technically speaking that’s only one flaw, but I thought it was such a big one, it was worth mentioning twice.
• They’ve taken Mr Rimmer – Let’s get out of here before they bring him back.
• We have in our midst a complete smeg pot.
• To him we are the intellectual equivalent of domestic science teachers.
• Over the years I’ve come to regard you as people I met.
• We won’t be apart, we just won’t be together.
• I have as much interest in saving my own life as a chronically depressed lemming.
• All in all, today’s been a bit of a bummer, hasn’t it?
• Sawing me in two will invalidate my guarantee.
• That walking vomit stain the world calls Arnold Rimmer.
• Boys from the Dwarf!
• Two hours it’s taken me to panel beat my head back into shape.
• You think I can’t extract my own head from the waste disposal unit.
• The King of the Potato People won’t let me.
• That kind of thing can really put a crimp in your day.
• Mr Flibble’s very cross.
• Abandon shop! This is not a daffodil!
• Who left the lights on?
• I don’t wanna be Duane Dibley!
• Jake Bullet, cybernautic detective.
• You probably have to be a mechanoid to fully appreciate that one.
  

You'll never walk alone

Documentary: March of the Penguins. While excellently filmed, I found a lot of this heartbreaking. The anthropomorphic style of ascribing human feelings to these birds may have been too emotionally manipulative for me. I felt horrible for the eggs that froze and the parents and chicks that, for one reason or another, didn’t make it. And it bothered me that a film crew was watching all this, but did nothing to help them. Now that the entire world knows what hardships the penguins go through, will anyone help them? Survival of the fittest. Natural selection. We wouldn’t want to upset the balance of nature, would we? Well, I would. I can’t help wishing FEMA would build them a shelter or airlift in some krill for the poor starving things. Seems too cruel to sit back and watch. And, continental drift aside, it doesn’t say a lot for whoever’s responsible for creating penguins, to make them suffer such hardships. What could penguins possibly have done to anyone that they deserve this treatment? Sure, life may be unfair, but should it be? The film overall: an injustice to a species that’s most likely acting on instinct alone but with gorgeous cinematography.

Lost: Collision

Lost: 2.8. So Ana Lucia was a gun happy hothead even before she boarded the plane. Super. Maybe she learned something this episode, particularly when Sayid tried to explain to her that revenge has no point when life has lost meaning. With all the theories floating around that the Lostaways are already dead, it’s interesting that both characters mentioned they feel dead. I don’t buy this theory, though. From Ana’s backstory, we have no idea why she was in Australia, but we learned she was indeed a cop, as was her mother who looked like she must have given birth to Ana quite young. Ana had a husband or boyfriend named Danny who left when she couldn’t cope with a shooting (also caused by an error of her judgement) that took the life of her unborn child. The police force sent her to some sort of psychologist, but one obviously specializing in ineptitude. Thanks for the help, NOT. Ana’s continued questions to the Lostaways and Others she meets as to whether they have children, and her concern for the kids from the plane crash, make more sense now.

We were very proud of Michael for standing up to Ana, and then later Bernard and the rest of the group for leaving her to find the Lostaway camp. And for Eko’s taking Sawyer to the doomsday hatch, which he said he did for his own sake, not Sawyer’s. I didn’t understand that statement, unless it just meant he was no longer accepting Ana’s leadership or felt it necessary to obey what seems to be an altruistic nature. Let’s hope Ana can learn from her experiences on the island thus far, gain some closure, and become a better person, possibly with Jack’s help, before anyone else has to suffer her quick trigger. One thing’s for sure, the Lostaways aren’t going to take any more barked orders and enforced leadership from her.

Guess we’ll see if Locke’s filling in clue 42 as Gilgamesh in the crossword puzzle turns prophetic. Locke’s meeting of Eko and their reticent exchange of “Hi” was wonderfully funny. I didn’t as much enjoy the intended comic relief of Jack challenging Kate to a golf game because I don’t care for his ego, although it was nice to see her wallop him. Do we think Kate is not the golf novice she claims to be or is “the woman on bloody steroids” as Charlie thinks? I didn’t understand why Sayid didn’t tell Michael that he and Shannon had seen Walt, or a version thereof. Even though it’s only been around 49 days there, it’s been far past a year here that Rose and Bernard have been separated. Their reunion was a joy to witness. And nice to see Jin hug Sun. Nice to see Jin, anytime! Best line: “Ignore him, he’s an idiot.” Next up: what really happened to Kate.

Don't drink the water

Movie: War of the Worlds. The aliens are back and they’re mad. And they’ve decided to exterminate us for some reason. Perhaps because if our behaviour in this movie is anything to judge by, humanity deserves it. The reviews weren’t very kind, but I found this spectacular CGI fest entertaining, despite its many glaring flaws. It isn’t until the movie’s way too abrupt ending that one’s brain is freed from the visual candy and starts asking questions. Like, how did the son miraculously return home when we last saw him in a huge fireball battle? And if the aliens had any intelligence, wouldn’t they be aware of earth’s bacteria and know how to deal with it? And was Wells suggesting that the millions of humans who have succumbed to earth’s bacteria over the centuries deserved death as much as hostile aliens because they were unable to adapt? Clearly no one consulted logic. Oh well. Pass some of that peach schnapps this way. Best exchange: “This came from someplace else.” “Like Europe?” Let’s hope pretty boy Tom Cruise is a better father in real life than his character here. But what are the odds, really?

Ragga, Egill, Jakob 

Hverjir eru bestir

This past year’s film Í Takt Við Tímann by rock band Stuðmenn has been selected as Iceland’s contender for nomination at the next Academy Awards in the Foreign Language category. The title is usually translated as “in tune with the times” or “ahead of the times.” I would be ecstatic if it won an Oscar but I’d also be mega surprised because it’s not only a musical comedy (and the Academy favours more serious, dramatic films), it’s also a sequel to a movie the band made over twenty years ago, called Med Allt á Hreinu. That movie (still Iceland’s most popular film of all time) concerned two bands, a male band called Stuðmenn (pronounced closer to Stewmen than what it looks like) and a female band named Grýlurnar, that compete in the Icelandic music market and eventually decide to join forces. A couple decades later, the lead singers of both bands, played by Egill Ólafsson and Ragnhildur Gísladóttir, are living separate lives. Their former band is working in Spanish bars and no one is happy. Egill rejoins the band which enters a competition against a band with Ragga’s son. And the fun begins. Back are the outlandish costumes Stuðmenn always perform in, each more ridiculous than the last, and an album of zippy new songs I’ve enjoyed tremendously this year. I would dearly love to see both these movies on DVD, but neither is available in these parts.

Lost : The Other 48 Days

Lost: 2.7. Those were a lot of days to cram in one hour with commercials. We learned that Mr Eko talked freely until he was nearly kidnapped and, in defense, killed a couple Others. Some interview said to pay attention to Eko’s stick. The music got very dramatic the first time it was shown. And then Eko started carving something in it. Beyond that, its importance is a mystery, like everything else. Libby spent a year in med school but dropped out. Wasn’t Desmond a med school drop out too? And Jack attended med school. Who wants to bet Libby knows at least one of them? Her setting the broken leg had an even greater Ewww Factor than Eko’s clearing the dead bodies. So Goodwin says he’s from the Peace Corps and is surprised Ana knows what that organization is. Am I old or was that confusing? Don’t younger people know about the Peace Corps? When Nathan doesn’t want to go to the bathroom in pairs, he becomes suspect. Saying he’s from Canada doesn’t help his case, since Ethan also was from Canada. Ana digs that Interrogation Pit all by herself and tosses him in. But she’s not a savage. At least not today. Goodwin, on the other hand, breaks Nathan’s neck much the same as he did the chicken’s.

Moving on, the Tailaways stumble upon their own private hatch which has quarantine written on the inside of the door. Libby can’t understand why there’s a glass eye in there. Me either. They can use the conveniently placed radio, though, providing they move to higher ground. Ana offers to go with Goodwin and bravely allows him to borrow the old US Army pocket knife she found on the Other girl she killed. Goodwin seems to think the Others aren’t necessarily attacking, so much as just dragging off into the jungle and there’s no real harm done. When Ana wonders if Bernard saw him so he had to pretend to be one of the Tailaways, Goodwin explains those taken were good people. The kids are “fine” and “better off.” During a struggle, he stumbles down the hill and falls on Ana’s spear. She brings the radio back to the gang and they pick up Boone’s transmission but Ana thinks it’s the Others trying to draw them out. Cindy spies Jin washed up on the beach and the rest is history.

For having spent 48 days on this freaky island, the Tailaways, unlike the Lostaways, did not experience the strange whispers, the monster, the “security system,” the insane French chick, etc. I also still find it strange that Ana would be so quick to fire the gun. In next week’s previews, she admits to killing Shannon, but she also fires the gun again, seemingly into the air. It has been stated several times that the gun only had one bullet. Unless there’s a munitions store nearby, someone can’t count. It’s still ambiguous whether Nathan was an Other or not. And if there are several groups of Others. And the extent of their involvement in all this. To infiltrate the group within ten minutes of the crash, The Others must have known about, if not caused it. Next up: I dunno. I’m completely lost.

Oh, just shoot me

Love is most important in your life. A high love concentration indicates that you want love in your life. It is very important to you and something that you strive to attain.

What is Most Important in Your Life?

Romance Romance is most important in a boyfriend/girlfriend. You need romance in your life. You love the extra dimension that romance brings to a relationship and you tend to fall in love very quickly.

What's your Perfect Guy Composed of?

Sawyerisms

The character of Sawyer on Lost is continually giving new and funny nicknames to the rest of the cast. One of the Lost forums has been keeping track of them, so I'll copy the majority here. The other Lostaways do this too. For a complete list, checkout the Lost Hatch.

Boone: Metro, Son

Hurley: Lardo, Pork Pie, Stay Puff

Jack: Hero, Doctor/Doc, JackO, St. Jack, Chico, Cowboy, Dr. Quinn, Dr. DoRight, Sherriff, Brother, Hoss

Kate: Freckles, Sweetheart, Belle of the Ball, Sherriff, Baby, Sassafras, Boar Expert, the Mighty Huntress, The Lady, Sweet Cheeks, Puddin'

Sayid: Abdul, Al Jazeera, Omar, Captain Falafel, Muhammed, Ali, Arab, Abu, Genius, Sheik, Buddy, "the terrorist", Chief, Gen-u-ine I-raqi

Shannon: Sticks, Sweetcheeks

Charlie: Sport, Amigo, Rock God, VH1 has-been, Limey runt, Chucky

Walt: Tattoo, Short Round, Kid, Kazoo

Jin: Mr. Miyagi, Bruce, Chief, Cato, Sulu, Boy, Chewie

Sun: Betty

Michael: Daddy, Pilot, Chief, Mikey, Han, Hoss

Claire: Mamacita, Missy Claire

Ana Lucia: Sweetcheeks, Sister, Cupcake, Rambina, Hot Lips, Ponce de Leon

Mr. Eko: Shaft, Mr. Ed

Aaron: Baby Huey

Ethan: Jungle Boy

Lost : Abandoned

Lost: 2.6. It's back and my life has meaning again! Without Eko, Ana (aka Ponce de Leon) is as lost as the rest of us. It isn’t until he and Mike and “Chewie” return to the group that they’re able to find their bearings. The guys mention seeing The Others and, before Ana can silence her, Libby asks if they saw the kids. We learn Libby is a clinical psychologist, not a shrink. But to get to the Lostaways, Eko says they have to travel inland, through the jungle which apparently belongs to The Others. Ana’s comment “I liked you better when you weren’t talking,” must be a clue. It’s possible Eko had some physical problem similar to Locke’s and was miraculously cured by the island. This would explain why his senses of hearing and sight seem to be heightened. Ana tells the Rafters that The Others came the first night and took three of the Tailaways. Two weeks later they took nine. She’s convinced they’re smart and they’re animals. What’s more, they have the ability to be anywhere, anytime and one bullet isn’t going to stop them. Sawyer collapses and Mike has the nerve or stupidity to ask, “You okay?” Um, I think not. The man’s suffering from septic shock. The group is clever enough to build a makeshift stretcher. As they’re dragging the stretcher and themselves up a cliff, Cindy the flight attendant hands Libby a stick and then disappears. Ooh spooky. Then the spookier whispers start and Ana, gun at the ready, thinks they best run.

On the Lostaway beach, Shannon has a vision of Walt talking backwards again which is creepy enough to make anyone scream. Let’s not forget his stepfather couldn’t deal with Walt’s creepiness & passed him over to Michael. Shannon’s sure Walt’s in trouble and Vincent, a Labrador not a bloodhound, can track him down. Despite the fact that I’m talking to my television, telling her she might want to think twice before heading into the jungle which contains at least one murderous monster, she takes off. During her search, she remembers being called to the hospital and told her father died in an accident. And look, which she didn’t, there’s Jack rushing past her and Sabrina, her wicked stepmother. Boone returns for the funeral but can’t help with stepmother who’s seen to it she doesn’t receive a cent. Back on the beach, Ruth doesn’t like the hatch. Charlie’s a little testy with Claire who realizes she doesn’t know him very well. She mentions the Mary statue to Locke, how ‘bout that, so when Charlie says Claire has a lot to learn about responsibility, Locke’s not afraid to call those strong words for an addict. Or a recovering addict. Sayid chases after Shannon and after professing his love for her also sees Walt who’s telling them to be quiet. Shannon tries to run to Walt and a shot rings out.

Now, this is even stranger than Cindy’s disappearance. Shannon’s been shot in the stomach but she’s facing the jungle. She turns around when Sayid finds her. His back is to Ana who’s holding her gun up as if she shot Shannon. But if she had, wouldn’t Shannon’s wound be in her back, not stomach? I watched this twice and was confused both times. Unless the force of the shot caused Shannon to turn in the first place. And why would Ana shoot at all when she said before that one bullet wasn’t going to stop The Others. Well, whatever. Shannon goes the way of Boone and Sayid is heartbroken and dang mad, I’d say. Best line came from Boone: “Death sucks, doesn’t it?” Yes, and so does your hairstyle, man! Next up: What happened when the Tailaways crashed.

Saturday update: I stand - or sit - corrected. I watched the final scene again last night and Sayid doesn't turn around. The camera does. So Ana Lucia could very well have fired the fatal shot. But will we ever find out for sure?

Funny as a crutch

I mentioned in a previous post how, in the internet personals, men claim they’re looking for someone fun and that pretty much left me out as it’s been a few decades since anyone described me as fun. Funny, yes. The consensus seems to be that although I haven’t much else left, at least I haven’t lost my sense of humour. A recent study at McMaster University (oh those wacky Canadians!) suggests I shouldn’t take this as a compliment. According to this study, men are looking for a partner who laughs at and appreciates their jokes, not one who makes the jokes. I’ve always gravitated towards comedy. If given a choice between watching a sitcom or a drama, I’ll choose the sitcom. But I’m also very philosophical and retrospective, which means I don’t lol much. Like at all. I might chuckle once or twice a week. That’s about it. So unless you’re Victor Meldrew and have just mistaken the neighbour’s dachshund for a cordless phone, I’m not going to laugh at you.
Here are the main points of the study:

• Women want a man who is a humour generator, while men seek a humour appreciator.
• To a woman, “sense of humour” means someone who makes her laugh. To a man, a sense of humour means someone who appreciates his jokes.
• Women choose men who produce humour 62% of the time. Men choose women who appreciate their humour 65% of the time.
• Men use humour to compete. Women use humour to bond.
• A man thinks a woman is interested in him if she laughs at his jokes.
• The more a girl giggles at a man, the more he wants to date her.
• If a man laughs at a woman, it’s unrelated to whether he’s interested in her or not.
• Men feel threatened by funny women.
• Men who appreciate their partner's humour are usually more secure, mature and educated than the average guy.
• When it comes to friendships, men like to be around women who produce humour. When it comes to relationships, they only like women who laugh at their jokes.

Neil says hi, by the way

I’m currently reading Mark Haddon’s much acclaimed The Curious Incidence of the Dog in the Night-Time and some philosophy in the form of Schopenhauer. Talk about diametrically opposed. A couple weekends ago I finished Neil Gaiman's latest novel, Anansi Boys and found it wonderfully clever. I’ve seen other places around the net quote this one passage that stood out, so I will too:

It is a small world. You do not have to live in it particularly long to learn that for yourself. There is a theory that, in the whole world, there are only five hundred real people (the cast, as it were; all the rest of the people in the world, they theory suggests, are extras) and what is more, they all know each other. And it’s true, or true as far as it goes. In reality the world is made of thousands upon thousands of groups of about five hundred people, all of whom spend their lives bumping into each other, trying to avoid each other, and discovering each other in the same unlikely tea shop in Vancouver…

So it's an obsession

Movie: Dirty Filthy Love. Offbeat British romantic comedy. Not as racy as the title would suggest, not at all. Instead it concerned a man named Mark (not Jack!) who suffers from Tourette’s Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. At first these conditions seemed to be triggered by the stress of his failing marriage which led to him losing his job. I kept wondering if the condition developed because he was subconsciously trying to push his wife away and Tourette’s gave him the chance to say what he was really thinking about her, and about some other people in his life. Turns out that wasn’t the case and he’d had a lesser version of these problems as a child. So he meets Charlotte, played by Shirley Henderson whose distinctive voice Harry Potter fans will recognize as Moaning Myrtle, who has some OCD problems of her own, not the least of which concerns numbers. Oh, nobody introduce her to Lost! She’d completely freak out. She does her best to help Mark and, being a movie, falls in love with him while doing so. Something she said, from a psychological point of view, was very astute: OCD people are unable to filter out all the white noise in their brains which is forcing them into this behaviour so what they need to do is ignore the white noise. She also had the funniest line: “I refuse to go to my grave holding a packet of wet wipes.” The exchange with a friend, “You’re still there for me, aren’t you?” “Actually, I’ve got to go now” was equally inspired. As was the scene where Charlotte has the self help group stick their hands in farmyard muck and mud for a five full minutes.

Ampop live

Iceland's national radio has streamed a live performance of Ampop's song "My Delusions." That's one enthusiastic drummer, there! Also, the band has posted the lyrics on their webpage so we can sing along:

My Delusions

How long does it take to land this plane?
This flight is making me afraid
I’m not sure whether I can face the pain
I am alone with my delusions
I might be wrong but I feel I’ve much to prove...
My mind is playing tricks on me
I feel like I am losing it
How long does it take to land this plane?
I might be wrong but I feel I’ve much to prove...
My mind is playing tricks on me
My mind is playing

Good morning starshine...the earth says hello!

Movie: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. If there was a flaw, I missed it. Everyone had said it was so different from the Willy Wonka film that I expected totally different scenes and plots, but I found it very true to the original. (Unless it’s been so long since I’ve seen the first one that I don’t remember it well enough.) The main difference is Wonka’s portrayal and here I think Johnny Depp made the right decision. Rather than trying to copy Gene Wilder’s version, which would have proved impossible, he made Wonka his own. The little cultural references from the past few decades, some of them so quick or just a second on the screen, were marvelously funny. Was that The Vicar of Dibley’s Letitia as a grandmother to Charlie Bucket (not pronounced Bouquet and probably not related to Hyacinth, at least not during daylight hours)? Line I inexplicably liked most: “I can’t have a blueberry as a daughter!”

Roll on down the highway

The Icelandic band Lights on the Highway have posted their new CD on their webpage. Just click on Music and the 12 tracks will play from beginning to end.

The Empire strikes out

Movie: Revenge of the Sith. The third of the Star Wars prequels and just as lame as the first two. It really boggles the mind to think of the money involved in and earned from these movies and yet, Lucas can’t shell out for a decent scriptwriter? There are no comedic moments, no attempt at Soloish witty banter, no character development much less camaraderie. There is, however, some recycled dialogue from the future that sounded put in for old time fans to make us wax nostalgic. Instead I winced. There are also an abundance of computer effects and lightsabre fights dangling over precipices. And a character named Commander Cody, no doubt searching for his lost planet airmen. And a wookie who does a Tarzan yell. Natalie Portman does little besides stare out a window and gestate. How she delivered two full term babies when she was nowhere near her third trimester was more astounding than any CGI effect. But the babies don’t return her will to live? Good mothering skills, there. Hayden Christensen did not bother with any acting lessons between films two and three. And he turns to the dark side and starts killing children because he’s afraid his wife will die in childbirth? And this wife he’s terrified of losing says one thing against him and he turns on her and strangles her? Please. There’s more sense in daytime soap operas. The thing I enjoyed most, and it was nearly the only thing I enjoyed, was briefly hearing Luke & Leia’s theme music. C3PO was the lucky one. After al this, he got to have his mind wiped. Sign me up.

Hunting for Happiness

The Icelandic alt-rock band Dikta has posted three songs from their new CD at their second webpage over at Myspace. Do give them a listen. The first two especially. I love both those songs. Someone over at Blogcritics has discovered and reviewed the Icelandic singer/one man band Mugison, now that he’s finishing up his soon to be released fourth CD. I like some of his work, but he is very different. Almost painfully experimental, glitchy, surreal and abstract but occasionally brilliant. Nice to see him get some US recognition.

Fourth time (un)lucky

You Are Likely A Forth Born

At your darkest moments, you feel angry. At work and school, you do best when your analyzing. When you love someone, you tend to be very giving. In friendship, you don't take the initiative in reaching out. Your ideal jobs are: factory jobs, comedy, and dentistry. You will leave your mark on the world with your own personal philosophy.

The Birth Order Predictor

Note: it took me four times taking this quiz to get the correct answer. The other three times, it insisted I was an only child. Sorry to my three older sisters! Probably more of a reflection of my innate solipsism, living in my own little Varushka World!

The universe ad infinitum!

Briefly, very briefly, as in blink and you would have missed it, from February to March in 1978, the science fiction sitcom Quark appeared on television. Created by Buck Henry, the show is still referred to as everything from ahead of its time genius to the worst show ever broadcast. Whichever, it did its best to parody the likes of Star Wars, Star Trek, 2001, and Flash Gordon. Set in the 23rd century, or the year 2222, it followed Adam Quark and his unusual crew aboard their spaceship as they collected the universe’s garbage. And had some absurd adventures along the way.

Quark’s crew consisted of: Andy the Android, Ficus who was a take-off on Mr Spock, half man and half plant (funnily when they traveled to a parallel universe where the rest of the crew became their opposites, he stayed exactly the same), clones Betty I and Betty II who both denied being the clone, Gene/Jean (not sure if inspired by the Bowie song) played by Tim Thomerson of the futuristic cop Trancers movies, and a pet ball of protoplasm named Ergo. Mork & Mindy’s Conrad Janis also appeared as Otto Palindrome. I’m not sure how he was connected to the crew. Quark’s boss was The Head, a large head (see 3rd Rock from the Sun’s boss “The Big Giant Head”) which appeared disembodied on a viewscreen much like Holly from Red Dwarf. Their enemies were called The Gorgons, sounding if not looking quite similar to Douglas Adams’ Vogons.

Only the pilot and seven other episodes of Quark aired before the network realized it was on and quickly yanked it off. There’s no sign of a DVD release of the series although there is an online petition for one that you can sign. Since it might be quicker to travel across the universe than wait for that, you can download poor quality files of the episodes from the internet.

Ampop 

All alone with My Delusions

Ampop's new CD titled My Delusions is out! And it’s spectacular! They’ve gone more the direction of alternative pop on this one whereas their last albums were more electronica and dance. The band played at the Iceland Airwaves festival last night, following some shows in the UK, where they’ve received some well-earned attention and radio play lately. There are a couple MP3’s at their website, along with some videos and a place to purchase their work. I wish some US record company or distributor would pick them up, but I tend to live in Dreamworld.

Lost ...and found

Lost: 2.5. Thanks to the observant people on the Internet (who thought it was a continuity error), I already knew Sun lost her wedding ring and where. I wasn’t aware, though, that love will look orange, at least for Jin. He learned a lot of English in one episode. And yes, looked stunning. We learned he worked in the Good Korea as a hotel doorman before he was a waiter. Try as he did to get away from his father’s fishing business, he ended up being the best fisherman on the island. And I’m guessing Ana Lucia isn’t easily impressed. Sawyer thought the Tailaways were going to eat them, which is exactly what I was thinking. Instead they decide to go looking for the Lostaways. Libby stands up for Michael, then apologizes for throwing him in the pit. They’ve got trust issues. How about that? When she tells Michael the Others come from inland, he runs off in search of Walt. Jin and Mr Eko work out their differences and search for Michael who might want to rethink his concept of friendship. He doesn’t consider Sawyer a friend, but Sawyer saved his life and tried to defend Walt. He does consider Jin a friend, but didn’t want to look for Jin when he was lost at sea. I’d be hesitant if I was Libby. Was that a hockey stick Jin carried? In previous episodes, Eko seemed mean, but we may have judged too quickly. We still don’t know much about him except he has an accent and was worse than married, whatever that means.

The Tailaways have a radio but aren’t listening to Oldies FM. Why didn’t they bother burying Goodwin? And if the Others have guns, why did they kill Goodwin with a spear? Why don’t the Others don’t leave tracks? And why don’t they wear shoes? The birds and other animals of the jungle were sure making a ruckus as they approached and walked by. The last Other dangled a stuffed teddy bear. There must be a significance behind or inside these stuffed animals. Otherwise: Jack’s wedding ring is in his sock drawer back home. I was prepared to like Mr Lee for his normalcy and knowledge of medieval Russian history only to learn he was leading Sun on when all along he planned to marry a girl from Harvard. Anyone we know? Jin once gave Sun a puppy named Popo. Sawyer thinks Ana Lucia seems “suited for marriage.” Why, because she’s mean and loves to boss people around? I suspect Kate lied to Sun about why she was reading the bottle messages. Hurley calls women “dude” too. Best line was Sawyer’s: “It’s every man for himself, Chewie.” Next up: One of these survivors will be lost forever.

Out there somewhere

Just to say: There's a link on Kate Bush's website to her "King of the Mountain" video.

Also, the Icelandic band Sálin has posted streamed wma versions of the eleven songs on their upcoming CD at this Tonlist page.

If I was on South Park 

Lost in South Park

There's a website where you can create your own South Park characters. A few Lost fans over at Live Journal have created what some of the Lost characters would look like if they were on South Park.

In a northern town

Movie: The Ballad of Jack and Rose. Surprisingly not about the Kennedy’s. I don’t recommend this movie due to the creepiness of the father-daughter relationship, mostly her being obsessed with him. And I don’t see how, with that obsession and his being on the verge of dying, she could act in ways that would hurt him. But Daniel Day Lewis gave a marvelous performance as yet another main male character named Jack. And it gives me the opportunity to blog about how I’ve always found it strange when children don’t share (at least some of) their parents accents, as the daughter in this film didn’t. My Swedish grandmother immigrated to America when she was only 5 and when she went to school, her teacher forced her to drop her accent. A move which today would be considered a violation of one’s civil rights and worthy of a lawsuit. My Swedish grandfather immigrated in his mid 20s and kept his very thick accent all his life but my mother has no trace of a Swedish accent. Maybe it’s just me. I pick up accents easily. After living in Mass a while, it took years to sound like I was from New York again. Then after countless hockey games and always listening to Canadian radio, I ended up with a Mass/New York/Canuck mix. The past few years I’ve listened to Icelandic radio on the Internet and it’s a wonder I can speak at all anymore. And yes, many people wish I wouldn’t.

Drowning in the reel

Movie: Bewitched. Wow, this was a real stinker. And I’m blaming Nicole Kidman. I don’t know if it was the director’s choice or her choice to speak in a whispery bimbo voice, but it made her character come across as a dumb (and wimpy) blonde. Perhaps she was trying to channel Marilyn Monroe. The smart and strong Elizabeth Montgomery would have been the sensible way to go. And it didn’t help when Kidman’s fake American accent slipped into Brooklynese a few times. The script was also severely lame. We’re supposed to believe she or anyone would be attracted to such an egotistical actor (named Jack - can we please have a TV show or movie without a Jack)? And she seemed to love him most when he sweated. Yes, that’s what every woman’s looking for – a man who sweats. The harridan wife mispronounced Reykjavík. There is no substitute for Paul Lynde although the actor gave it a try and came up with the only good line: “The long version is in Aramaic.” As for Bewitched, stick with the original series.

Lost: Everybody Hates Hugo

Lost 2.4. Had to laugh at Hurley in the pantry, especially when the scene went all Twin Peaks on us. Interesting his dream included a milk carton picture of the missing Walt when Hurley doesn’t know Walt is missing. Charlie still doesn’t believe Hurley is worth 156 million and “must have confused it with the 900 trillion I am worth myself.” He sulks off with the made of chocolate lollipops island baby to spy on, then complain to Locke that he’s “tired to being at the bloody kid’s table” instead of on the A-Team mission and wants some soddin’ answers. Locke fills him in on the hatch even though Jack ordered them to wait until inventory was taken. Charlie thinks the button pushing sounds a bit nutsy. Hurley fears change since the last change in his life appears to have ruined quite a bit. We’re guessing particularly his friendship with Mr Cluck co-worker Johnny the gnome thief and Led Zeppelin t-shirt wearer. Can we say Swansong? And look, there’s Drive Shaft’s CD in the $2 cut out bin. Sorry Charlie. Aside from the White Stripes, I listen to little American music, so Hold Steady may as well have been some fictitious band, but they’re not. Anyone care to guess what happened with Starla?

As for the Rafters, Sawyer’s sick of making human pyramids. I knew Ana Lucia (aka Rambina or later Hotlips and probably soon Empress of the Tailaways) wouldn’t take him out with the others, but let him stew for a while. If she isn’t a cop or misplaced from 24, there’s no cider in Canada. Libby says 23 of the Tailaways survived. Past tense. There are only a few of them left in their own private though not as well stocked hatch, including Bernard, Rose’s husband, who’s finally come out of the bathroom. Were the missing lunch for the monster or infected with Danielle’s disease/virus or taken by The Others? If the Lostaways are ever rescued or beamed up, I bet Sawyer’s the first one to sue Oceanic. For all they’ve been through, Jin’s looking mighty fine. Couldn’t help noticing.

Otherwise, at the end picnic Rose keeps an Apollo candy bar (mentioned again and as if there was some significance behind them) for Bernard. Claire finds the bottle from the raft and gives it to Sun who inexplicably buries it. Sayid and Jack investigate the under workings of the hatch. Sayid suspects there’s a geothermal generator or similar power source behind the 8 to 10 foot thick concrete wall but he’s never heard of so much concrete being poured over everything since Chernobyl. Kate mentions the water smells of sulfur. The best quote was really a silly soliloquy by Hurley’s mom, Carmen, which went something like: “Falling down is not exercise. The only time you move is to lift a drumstick from the bucket. Maybe if you pray every day, Jesus Christ will come down from Heaven and take 200 pounds and leave you a decent woman and a new car. {Phone rings} Oh, that must be Jesus. He wants to know what colour car you want.” Next up: Mike goes off in search of Walt and the waskly wabbit shows up again.

Lost online games

While waiting for the next episode, or my post about the last episode, work on a Lost jigsaw puzzle or take the trivia quiz.

Not burning down the House

Movie: House of D. Call it bittersweet and moving or “sweet but inept” or “awkward and atrocious,” as one reviewer did, I liked it anyway. A lot of it was set up as a showcase for Robin Williams’ humour so one had to expect some juvenile crassness. But the Duchovny/Leoni team gave this coming of age story a good try and I’ve seen so much worse, so I won’t rip it to shreds like the press did. I will complain, however, about the young actor’s looking a good five years older than thirteen and the ridiculous mullet wig he wore. What, the kid couldn’t have grown his hair out for the movie? The thing I found most strange was the adult Tommy’s Parisian wife not having a clue that he was American. She, not Robin, may have been the real retarded character. Zelda Williams seemed very natural in her role and could easily pursue an acting career. The orange jumpsuit was wonderfully funny. I think I remember some similar outfits. I appreciated the soundtrack, circa 1973, when music was real. I literally gasped when the song “Harmony” came on and it was 1982 all over again. Aw….

The THT channel

Thanks for the idea to Margaret at work who thinks CNN might as well be renamed "Twentyfour Hours of Tragedy."

Cold water surrounds me now

Movie: The Girl in the Café. British romantic drama starring Bill Nighy as an awkward civil servant and the loneliest man on earth who happens to meet Kelly Macdonald, a soft-spoken but outspoken last chance for something like love with a mysterious past. When I reserved the dvd, I had no idea part of it took place in Iceland. So that was a nice surprise and a chance to see some beautiful shots of Reykjavík. Bill thinks everyone knows just one fact about Iceland. Clearly he’s never met me. The movie is reminiscent of Lost in Translation, engaging and bittersweet, but with a dose of G8 Summit politics thrown in. Good soundtrack featuring Damien Rice and Sigur Rós (there are other Icelandic bands, people!) The question of whether Kelly was trying to be supportive of Bill’s work and truly committed to pushing the end of poverty or whether she was a fanatic protester was never truly answered. But it didn’t need to be. Some good quotes: “Anything you say will be more interesting than everything they’ve ever said.” “The dullest man in Canada - and that’s a pretty competitive category.” “The price that has to be paid for that ray of light is some sort of disgrace.”

Lost: Orientation

Lost 2.3. The previouslies are getting lengthy and there’s more backtracking. Anyone care to guess the eight simple rules for dating Locke? It’s interesting to see him in the flashbacks being so messed up and incompetent. Something must have happened between the failed anger management meetings and the plane crash to change him and I’m guessing it has to do with Helen and his former paralysis rather than that his kidney was returned or his father suddenly wanted a best friend. I’m still not sure if the people who said they were Locke’s parents really are or if they’re just con artists. Locke appears to have no doubt. So Kate finds the hatch’s arsenal and rescues John and Jack and I wish they’d either use Locke’s last name permanently or they’d given one of them a different name because of Jack being a nickname for John. But that’s my problem. They’ve got more to deal with when Kate’s ricochet hits the computer. She gets to leave via the front door and return with Sayid and excitement junkie, Hurley. In the meantime Desmond explains that on his race around the world three years ago, some Calvin came running out of the jungle and brought him to the hatch where he inexplicably stayed and every 108 minutes they “saved the world together for a while and that was lovely” until Calvin died. Did he die from Danielle’s virus? Before anyone thinks to ask, Desmond runs off like he has somewhere to go. Jack chases him and ends up lamenting whatever went wrong with his marriage instead of asking if Desmond knows of a way off the island. This ain’t brain surgery, Doc.

It may, though, be some kind of experiment gone wrong. The noticeably edited orientation video from the Dharma Initiative explains that the hatch is station three of six social science research facilities which deal with experiments in psychology, zoology, weather control, electromagnetism and parapsychology or thereabouts. An “incident” happened and since then a code must be entered into the computer to reset the numbers and do who knows what else. Stop another “incident”? Jack believes it’s all a mind game and for once I was on his side and wished he hadn’t pushed the button so we could see what happens if they don’t. That would have been the true “leap of faith.” So now for the rest of the series someone has to be in the hatch, taking care of this. Super. Can’t say I was surprised that Hurley discovered the pantry.

The Rafters get thrown into a cage/pit by Shaft. After a while Ana Lucia drops in and says she was in the tail section of the plane. Sawyer thinks he and his Howdy Doody gun are the best thing that’s ever happened to her but she has her own agenda and it isn’t to be helpful. Curious they showed a picture of Desmond with some so far unseen girl. And that two of the research scientists resembled younger versions of the deliverance dude who stole Walt and the woman on the boat with him. There’s some good reading material in the hatch for Sawyer. Best line: Locke’s “we’re gonna need to watch that again” which is how I feel after every episode of this show. Locke’s father’s “there is no why…get over it” disqualified for being too harsh. Next up: Jin miraculously learns to speak meticulous English and everything’s going to change.

What were they thinking? Take 7

Movie: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Chick flick. The pants, a pair of Levi’s that the girls hope will positively influence their young lives, seem more of a gimmick and have little to do with the action. Instead, the movie concerns the events of a summer in the lives of four teen friends, three of whom travel, and how their lives are changed by what happens, not by the pants. The one girl, Tibby, reminded me of an Arquette. I don’t know if Amber Tamblyn is related in any way, but she could be. Wherever they shot in Greece was gorgeous and I wish I could spend a summer there. The Romeo & Juliet family feud and the shy girl coming out of her shell and becoming a gorgeous babe stuff was a little clichéd. I suppose the leukemia part was too, but having had two classmates who died from it, that storyline got to me.

Queen of the mountain 

She's here! she's here!

Although the release date is supposed to be October 24th, Radio 2 has been playing the new Kate Bush single, “King of the Mountain.” Her new album Aerial is to be released November 7th and while that’s quite a wait, we’ve all been waiting twelve years for something new from her, so I guess I can wait another month. The music world sure needs her return. Especially since a few weeks ago Gunnhild from Gåte announced her band is “on a break” for an indeterminate time as she wants to do something else. Excuse me for being selfish, but someone that talented shouldn’t be doing anything else. Back to Kate, the Bronte sister’s nightmare with the windmilling arms. I first saw her performing in 1977 (also a November 7th, the internet tells me) on Saturday Night Live and went “what the huh?” The song was the gorgeous “The Man with the Child in his Eyes” whose lyrics ended up haunting me to this day. Of course lame American radio wouldn’t play her music, so it wasn’t until Canadian radio started playing singles from Hounds of Love that I became a true fan. Early reviews of Aerial are excellent: “a melodic, organic sprawl of wind, sea, seasons, time passing, dreams, secrecy and revelation” with the words astonishing and masterpiece also being thrown around. Now if we could just convince Harriet Wheeler to release something!

Lost: Adrift

Lost 2.2. Originally shot as a Sawyer episode but changed at the last minute to focus on Michael which may have been what made it disjointed and full of backtracking. This hour should have been attached to and part of the premier so things would have run smoother. Oh well. Desmond may be living in the bunker alone after all, but waiting for either a replacement or a roommate or a snowman. Locke’s willing to be anyone, and tries to explain the Lostaways story but according to the tick marks on the wall, Desmond’s been there a lot longer than 44 days and doesn’t have much sympathy. He also can’t figure out why the Lostaways aren’t sick or ill or dead. Kate discovers the dharma logo all over the pantry as well as some candy bars that may have been destined for the Apollo space mission. Ever resourceful, she hoists herself into the air duct and goes in search of an exit. Jack trips the security system which may be what prompts the computer beeping and counting down. When it’s reset, it goes back to the number 108. Desmond must know Danielle since she appears in his mural. I loved his chuckle when Locke mentioned a raft. We learned Locke took off his shoes so they wouldn’t squeak across the floor. And Desmond appears to call all men “brother.”

Now back to Crochet Today. No, that was just a commercial. As for the Rafters, being in the water all that time made Sawyer’s hair shrink. Mike was once hit by a car and required several surgeries which Susan paid for. He also once gave a stuffed polar bear to Walt. No idea how Walt and his mom ended up in Australia when they were moving to Rome. I’m with Sawyer, how about a little gratitude for saving Mike’s life? Instead he blames Sawyer for everything and they bicker for too long. Sawyer’s been winged and manages to extract the bullet on his own and Michael not only doesn’t even have a bandaid, he splashes salt water in the wound. Ouch. Sawyer figures the Walt-nappers boat wasn’t build for the open ocean so they must have been on the island, and are in fact The Others who had been after Walt all along. Way too harsh of Mike to tell Sawyer he had no idea what it’s like to care about somebody else. At least he shot the dharma stamped shark which I doubt was a real shark at all. By morning, the tide brings them back to the island where they run into Jin who’s trying to escape from some makeshift spear wielding crazies. My guess: they found the part of the island with the disease.

Otherwise, nice roll of eyes there Claire. I thought she was making a statement about Jack trying to be the hero again, but she was really annoyed at Charlie for making another joke and being evasive. Charlie thinks the Mary statute may come in handy some day. Perhaps to hit someone over the head with rather than how he’s thinking. The best line went to Sawyer for: “At least Walt is on a boat probably wrapped in a blanket with a cup of cocoa.” It was the southern accent on the word cocoa that made me laugh. Next up: we’re all gonna die!

Take Take Take

I watched the Cowboy Bebop movie over the weekend and noticed the last song which is played over the closing credits seemed not only good to me, but very familiar. After a few days it dawned on me that the music and phrasing of the verses is very similar to The White Stripes song "Take Take Take" from their most recent album. Listen to the sample of that song at Amazon and then listen to Yamane Mai's song "Gotta Knock a Little Harder". Either Jack White is a Cowboy Bebop fan or he's not the musical genius he could be.

A moonbow 

A fantabulous night

While leafing through July’s copy of Astronomy magazine, I saw an article about lunar rainbows or moonbows, rainbows visible at night. I wasn’t aware they existed. They occur less than ten percent as often as normal rainbows and are coloured the same but their light is too dim to activate colour sensors in our eyes and appear ghostlike white or black. They form when moonlight strikes drops of falling rain in the sky opposite the moon. The raindrops act like a prism and reflect or refract the light. Summer full moons, bright and low in the sky, are best for creating moonbows. Usually they’re obscured by pollution.

Sometimes I feel like screaming

Screaming Masterpiece is an Icelandic film released this year over there so I haven’t seen it, but I sure would like to even though reviews from Icelanders don’t make it sound like the next Rokk í Reykjavík. It’s an 87 minute documentary/overview of contemporary Icelandic music, composed mostly of interviews with the musicians talking about their craft and influences. The mistake the film seems to make is its focus on the, however extraordinary, still occasionally dissonant and pretentious avant-garde and underground metal scenes while ignoring pop, jazz and folk artists. Says The Grapevine: “While all of these musicians can be appreciated on their own, together, on one disk, they became intolerable. So much cutey cute, so much sugar, and you begin to hate the whole lot of them.” Still seems worthwhile for the “hyper-dramatic, semi-Wagnerian performance from Sigur Rós and Steindór Anderssen combined with the strong recurrent image of a raven flying in slow motion” and seeing a lingering close-up shot of folk-rocker Mugison’s woolen socks as he’s rehearsing in a church in the remote West Fjords. The band Múm, who planned to work in a chocolate factory, is interviewed at the seashore with another raven flying around. There also appears to be lots of stock footage of glaciers, snowy mountains and black sand beaches mixed in the music video and live footage of concerts and the Airwaves music festival. If the documentary ever makes its way over here, I’ll give my real impressions.

Lost: Man of Science, Man of Faith

Lost 2.1: We could have done without the pregame show Destination Lost, although it did bring a few things to mind. Is Rose’s husband still in the bathroom? Walt has had quite the growth spurt. Will they explain that by his special powers? Did Sawyer draw his gun first? The quotes: “everything happened for a reason” and something like “Locke will save us all” stood out. As for the season premier, well now, who is Desmond when he’s at home? He appears to follow the same daily or nightly routine in his underground lair or biodome. His technology is stuck in the 80s and his supply of antibiotics or antibodies or whatever serum he was injecting has the serial numbers of The Numbers. His mural included 108, all the numbers added up, and 42. His bottle of Febreeze was either a continuity error or he gets out more than it seems. As he told Jack in a flashback, he was almost a doctor and was training to run around the world. His proximity has miraculously cured two paraplegics. His accent is a mix of Scottish and possibly South African. All I know about this guy for sure is he didn’t appreciate Locke dropping in, although Locke graciously took off his boots. The biodome appears to be the same as the one in Hurley’s comic book. Is it quarantined to keep the germs out or in? Is this biodome running the island’s security system? Does it have multiple hatches? Are the barrels full of toxins? Does it contain a magnetic field that caused the plane crash? Who is the second bunk for? Desmond’s clone? His backgammon opponent?

As for the rest of the Lostaways, Kate is making time with Locke, perhaps because Jack’s bedside manner sucks. Jack seemed annoyed at having to explain to Sarah her condition. Good on his father for correcting him. So Sarah’s miraculous recovery is what drew her and Jack together into marriage. The man she hit, Adam Rutherford, may have been Shannon’s father. He died at 8:15. Was Jack the only doctor there and chose to work on Sarah and let Adam die? Way to go. Is Dom’s hair sun bleached or dyed? Shannon has lost the dog and her hairbrush. Hurley lost a lot of weight in two minutes. He also seems to have lost 42 million dollars since last season. Kate got the shaft. The best quote once again goes to Hurley for “The Others are coming to like eat us and all and once in a while someone blows up all over you” although Dom was a close second with “The French woman is missing a bloody wingnut.” Enjoyed the Mama Cass song. Next up: whatever happened to the Rafters.

Lost for a lifetime

Sung to the tune of The Talking Heads song "Once in a Lifetime"

And you may find yourself in an exploding plane wreck
And you may find yourself with that guy from Party of Five
And you may find yourself with people who don’t even speak friggin' English
And you may find yourself at a mysterious hatch with a sealed tight latch
And you may ask yourself, well, how do I get in there?

And the days go by, Hurley isn’t losing weight
And we don’t know why. Wonder what’s the deal with Kate.
There are the numbers again and Arzt exploded.
Lost for a lifetime with some weird monster underground.

And you may ask yourself wasn’t that guy in Lord of the Rings?
And you may ask yourself where the hell did that polar bear come from?
And you may tell yourself I’ve got this show figured out
And then it dawns on you, you have no idea what’s going on.

And the days go by, the Black Rock really was a ship
And we don’t know why, French chick needs to get a grip.
Walt is gone at sea after the Others come.
Lost for a lifetime with some weird monster underground
And nobody’s coming for us.

What do I know?

You scored as Bedshaped. Your Keane song is Bedshaped. You must have someone in your life that wants to move on, but you only want them to come back. Keep trying! Bedshaped 92% Somewhere Only We Know 83% We Might As Well be Strangers 83% Walnut Tree 75% On A Day Like Today 58% Snowed Under 58% Something In Me Was Dying 58% Nothing In Your Way 50% Everybody's Changing 50% Can't Stop Now 8% Which Keane song fits you best?

Exposition Falls

Movie: Empire Falls. With such an all-star, talented cast, what was there not to like? And the answer is: plenty! The continual voiceover narration was as dull as watching paint dry or watching the characters actually painting. The dialogue was stilted and awkward and as bogged down by exposition as the voiceovers. Helen Hunt shouldn’t have bothered trying to affect a Maine accent. It sounded like she was from Brooklyn instead. Asking me to believe Ed Harris is anything like ineffectual is impossible. The book and screenplay’s author, Richard Russo, must truly hate cats. While I’ve known some psychotic felines in my time (and presently live with one), none of them behaved like rabid monkeys. Talk about unfair portrayals. The big shocking ending was too quick and seemed misplaced, like it belonged in a different movie. Three and ½ hours was at least two hours too long. Severe editing may have helped the lethargic monotony. Having read the book might have helped me care about the characters, but the movie sure didn’t make me ever want to read the book. Philip Seymour Hoffman may have been engaging in his small role here, but it’s more worth noting he’s already creating an Oscar buzz with his performance in the upcoming Truman Capote biopic. I expect that film is much more entertaining.

The shaper's lies

Since I started this blog, I’ve been meaning to write about the upcoming movie Beowulf and Grendel. There are many pictures around the net, but still no trailer or US release date although it did make its world premier this past Wednesday at the Toronto Film Festival. Filmed along the south coast of Iceland near Vík í Mýrdal, it holds the distinction of being the most expensive movie shot entirely in Iceland. Starring the wonderfully Scottish and hunky Gerard Butler as Beowulf and Canadian Sarah Polley (not as Grendel), it promises to be a harrowing, often gory fantasy adventure with spectacular scenery. Butler plays the hero who is Beowulf, unlike in the late John Gardner’s nihilistic book Grendel or the epic Marillion song of the same name where the monster is the hero.

Working on the sequel

Right now I’m reading The Nobodies juvie book, but before that I read two thriller mysteries from Icelandic author Arnaldur Indriðason, a former journalist and film critic at Morgunbladið. Both books, Tainted Blood and Silence of the Grave (inexplicably published in English again under the title Jar City), featured the same team of detectives headed by an Inspector Erlendur. I found myself wishing he had a different name because my mind automatically translated it to Foreigner every time it was printed and that was disconcerting. Written with attention to the backgrounds of the victims, Erlendur works to piece together clues and hidden secrets to determine what happened and who was responsible. Faced paced and haunting, the books show the less than savoury side of Reykjavík and surrounding area, unlike Zane Radcliffe’s mystery The Killer’s Guide to Iceland which too often sounded like a travel brochure. I especially enjoyed the mention of Halldór Laxness’s short story Lilly, one of my fav’s.

Why does it always have to be me?

You scored as Athos. You are Athos, Le Comte de la Fere, the brooding, angry member of the Musketeer Company. You harbor deep secrets and hidden pain, but you are unquestionably loyal to your friends. You tend to by unlucky in love but respected by many. Athos 75% Aramis 60% D'Artagnan 60% Mercedes 50% Richelieu 45% Porthos 40% Edmund Dantes 30% Rochefort 25% Which Dumas character are you?

Mind the Icelandic band

I’m also waiting the hopeful fall CD release from an Icelandic rock band called Touch. They began in Spring 2001 when drummer Kópur was asked by his brother to play at a hotel dance. He didn’t have a band but called up friends singer/guitarist Böddi and bassist Einsi to join him. They enjoyed the gig so much, they decided to keep going. In July 2002 guitarist/high school friend Danni joined and they began working on original music which is described as soaring melodic rock tunes with driving beats. From what I’ve read, these guys need to be experienced in concert. Böddi, in addition to being a powerful singer and the band’s lyricist, is a tall, muscled blond with gelled hair and a penchant for Hawaiian shirts. On stage, he has a tendency to go crazy with unrestrained enthusiasm which includes back flips and contortion acts. “Böddi, often jumps from tables and croons to anyone who will come near him,” said the Grapevine. An excitable boy, he’s thrilled to have been hired as an extra in Clint Eastwood’s next movie Flags of Our Fathers that is being filmed in Iceland, although from the following quote he needs to check with Ricky Gervais as to the definition of “extra.”

“It has become clear that I am becoming a movie star… The part is called ‘an extra.’ I’m not quite sure what that means but I’m pretty positive it means I’m getting the leading role!! I better get out to a real estate agency and buy my self a house with a pool and a tennis court.”

About me survey

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey
Name:	Varushka
Birthday:	11 July eons ago
Birthplace:	WCA Hospital
Current Location:	Work - don't tell, slow day!
Eye Color:	green
Hair Color:	brown
Height:	5"5'
Right Handed or Left Handed:	right
Your Heritage:	Swedish-Scottish/English mix
The Shoes You Wore Today:	black sneakers
Your Weakness:	hats and Scottish accents
Your Fears:	too many to fit in this box
Your Perfect Pizza:	pepperoni, mushrooms, lots of cheese, thick crust
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year:	survival
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger:	eek? or gads? or ee-gads?
Thoughts First Waking Up:	&*^#$ oh no not again
Your Best Physical Feature:	green eyes
Your Bedtime:	too early
Your Most Missed Memory:	hanging out w/ best friend Jill back in late 60s/early 70s or something unprintable
Pepsi or Coke:	neither but Coke if necessary
MacDonalds or Burger King:	Mac
Single or Group Dates:	single
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea:	Lipton
Chocolate or Vanilla:	Vanilla
Cappuccino or Coffee:	no caffeine please! I'll be hanging from the ceiling and not in a good way
Do you Smoke:	no but I love the smell of cigarettes
Do you Swear:	see above question: thoughts first waking up
Do you Sing:	of course
Do you Shower Daily:	who doesn't?
Have you Been in Love:	too much
Do you want to go to College:	did
Do you want to get Married:	dunno, probably not - sorry Mr Vee
Do you belive in yourself:	gads no
Do you get Motion Sickness:	no (or only in the back seat of a mini zipping around Scotland's insane roads)
Do you think you are Attractive:	no
Are you a Health Freak:	no
Do you get along with your Parents:	usually, unless I'm cranky
Do you like Thunderstorms:	yes
Do you play an Instrument:	piano
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol:	no
In the past month have you Smoked:	no
In the past month have you been on Drugs:	only prescription
In the past month have you gone on a Date:	no
In the past month have you gone to a Mall:	yes, and on no tax day!
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos:	no, a box of shortbread cookies
In the past month have you eaten Sushi:	no, I avoid all seafood
In the past month have you been on Stage:	no
In the past month have you been Dumped:	no
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping:	nobody needs to be looking at that!
In the past month have you Stolen Anything:	no
Ever been Drunk:	um... taking the 5th (literally)
Ever been called a Tease:	of course
Ever been Beaten up:	no
Ever Shoplifted:	no
How do you want to Die:	quickly
What do you want to be when you Grow Up:	a writer
What country would you most like to Visit:	Iceland!!!!
In a Boy/Girl..
Favourite Eye Color:	blue or green
Favourite Hair Color:	blond
Short or Long Hair:	medium?
Height:	5'6" to 6'
Weight:	whatever
Best Clothing Style:	classy
Number of Drugs I have taken:	ha ha
Number of CDs I own:	lots!
Number of Piercings:	none
Number of Tattoos:	none and I never would get one, but a small star or ring of stars would be nice
Number of things in my Past I Regret:	all of it?