on the record

I want to go on the record about something.

In the last few years, fans of the television show LOST have debated back and forth the mysterious — solved and unsolved — of the island and its inhabitants. Some say the writers have left way too many things unanswered for too long. They see that as a sign of sloppiness and apathy towards the feelings of the fans.

We as a collective sit through week after week of polar bears, smoke monsters, hatches, the Dharma Initiative, the numbers, etc., if only to learn something new that makes sense of something old.

Eventually, people get sick of waiting week after week, then months at a time, for just morsels of information. They say in frustration, “I’m never watching that show again! There are too many mysteries left unsolved! %##&^!!!!”

Well, I’ve never been one of those people. As soon as I became an official LOST fan, I was in it ’til the end. Even after a lackluster second season, a weak 6-episode arc beginning the third season, and a 9-month break between season, I sit here as excited about the show as I was when I watched the pilot episode.

Some of you doubters will say, now that LOST is awesome again, “Well, I never really doubted it.” Bull. I read thread after thread on Lost Facebook pages and AIM conversations of the same, tired laments. I got so sick of hearing people whine and moan about the show that I just stopped listening.

I’ve never whined about a thing on that show. Never.

Of course, after every episode I would excitedly chat with friends and family about what the @#$^ had just happened, and get each other excited about what would happen next week. And that whole time, no matter how lame others said Lost was getting, I loved it. Every freaking episode.

I think it’s because I know I’m watching something historic. (Historic in terms of television.) LOST made a huge splash it its premiere — literally. I didn’t start watching it until after the first season, on DVD. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked. Anyone who watches it is. You just can’t stop watching it.

Now, since we know that they have a firm end date to the show, I know that LOST will be even greater. This is not one of those I-knew-it-all-along things. I’ve always had to try to convince the doubting Losties I know that no matter how they felt about the latest episode, they had to appreciate the show itself. Look at it from a wider perspective. Because from there, it’s quite beautiful.

So go on, doubters. Complain that there are just more mysteries to solve and not enough time to solve them. Go ahead. It’s your loss. While you sit at your computer and bitch about the Others, I will be happily absorbed in a great show.  I just wanted to make sure that you know I’m in it no matter what.

I don’t care which characters they kill off, how lame the latest twist is, what is behind the Dharma Initiative, or how much of a rip-off the grand finale might be. I just don’t care. LOST is just too good a show to diminish.

Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, watch the two-hour season 4 premiere tonight,  8/7c on ABC. It’s back, LOST fans. And it’s going to be awesome.

I’d like to thank the Academy…

Here is my debut acting performance – surely one for the ages. It takes a little while to load, but it is worth the wait.

It’s called A Sophisticated Party. Mi amigo Tim Collins directed, co-wrote, filmed, edited, and cameoed; Bridget Anderson starred; Eric Nondahl worked the sound and lights; and I co-wrote and co-starred. We wrote it in less than a day, then filmed it for 4 hours the next evening, which happened to be New Year’s Eve 2007.

It was a tedious yet fun experience. Maybe we’ll submit it to Sundance…

Oh, Montel…

 I never thought I would actually care about what Montel Williams was saying…

Watch how the hosts try to squirm away from Iraq back to the Heath Ledger stuff…

excellent.

Yay!

At least one of my favorite teams won on Sunday. I totally called it before the season began. They looked like they would get along and have fun along the way, which they did.

Although, this was the first season in a while where I wouldn’t have minded if any of the top 3 teams won. Ron & Christina finally fell into a positive dynamic, and Nicolas & Don seemed to always have fun together. I give them all props.

There was no preview for the next season; I’m guessing because they don’t have it ready yet. But I’m pumped already.

Congrats TK & Rachel!

Dear Packers fans,

We had a fantastic year. It did not end so fantastically, but nobody could have predicted how well we did with such a young, inexperienced team led by a grizzled veteran quarterback who may or may not have had his best years pass him by.

Sure, we shot ourselves in the foot with those penalties, missed third-down conversions, blown coverage, and failure to convert turnovers into big points; but we fought all the way to overtime, where anything can happen. We as Packers fans should know that much:

The Seahawks a couple of years ago and Denver earlier this year; we came out on the victor’s side of overtime. The “4th and 26″ Philadelphia game and tonight; we simply came out on the wrong end. That’s how the game is played.

Regardless, I enjoyed the ride. 13 wins and 3 losses. It’s an incredible feat, no matter if another team will probably go undefeated. We gave the country something to talk about. They remembered why the Packers are such a esteemed organization and great ball club.

The Cowboys have been branded “America’s Team,” but we all know who the rightful team team of that label is. It’s the only team that is owned by thousands of individuals, rather than one person or a wealthy family, in all of professional sports. It’s the only team that has won more NFL Championships and Super Bowls than any other football club. It’s the only team with more Hall-of-Famers than any other team.

It’s the Green Bay Packers, and tonight they fought a good fight, and lost. So it goes.

The phrase, “next year is our year” is normally reserved for Cubs and Red Sox fans, but I think we can reclaim it. But it’s not a phrase we utter in vain desperation for it to come true; I think next year is our year. History shows that teams who lose their conference championship come roaring back the next year, assuming all of their pieces are intact. We did it after the 1995 conference championship loss to Dallas – I think we can do it now.

Of course, “assuming all of our pieces are intact” refers primarily to Brett Favre. I’m not naive. I know that we would not be where we are if not for the Iron Man with the Golden Arm.

But I think he’s coming back next year. He came so close. His year to quit would have been last year, with the tears and the closing horizon of his viability in a younger man’s profession. He said himself that this was the most talented group of players with which he’s ever played – he wouldn’t simply walk away from it. He’s too good. Too fun. Too needed.

We Packers fans know loss. After our victorious Super Bowl year, things went downhill. We lost the next Super Bowl (a hurt too deep for tears), then went 8-8. It was then a quick ascension into playoff-caliber play with Mike Sherman, then he too led us down an ugly slope.Now, Mike McCarthy has taken the reigns and steered us back into relevance. Thank goodness.

Winning so many games this year seemed strange. We were used to losing a few more due to Favre’s interceptions stupid mistakes and last-second botches. It all seemed a little too easy. We were racking up too many points; winning by too much; seeing Favre play too well.

Well, now that the dream had faded and we’re grounded back in our now-empty lives, we must accept the loss with dignity and resilience – as we always do. We’ll come back stronger, more experienced, and with a vendetta.

We’re coming back full throttle, ready to beat the Giants and the Patriots and the Bears.

So, good luck Eli and the Giants. Brady and the Pats are the team to beat, and I think most of America, sans Patriots fans, are hoping for an upset. It would certainly help Eli’s respectability.

Here’s to a great year, Cheeseheads. Let’s hold our heads high and remind ourselves how blessed we are to be a part of such a historic and talented team, and that we have a good quarterback.

Be grateful for that. The Bears have never been as fortunate. (And let’s hope it stays that way.)

We’re witnessing history with every Favre pass, touchdown, interception, and win we see.

Remember that, and enjoy the ride. I most certainly am.

Always and forever a Packer fan,

CHAD

A most unlikely Cowboys fan…

interesting…

Here is a very interesting article on the psychology of President Bush. He explains a lot of things I’ve always thought about him but didn’t realize actually made sense.

seriously.

I linked to this site, a list of the Most Loathsome People in 2007, in an earlier post, but I want to repost a part from that list because it’s so freaking true. Check out the rest of the list for a gut-shot of truth.

The Founding Fathers

Charges: Lionized as moral pillars and demigods ad nauseam without the slightest hint of irony. Can’t be judged by today’s tandards. Electoral College? Dumb f*cking idea. Invoked by every a*shole in the last two hundred years to support every stupid idea ever. The original liberal elite. Able to withstand lightning strikes and the British military; unable to fathom poor people voting.

Exhibit A: Owned wigs, Africans.

Sentence: Depicted as cartoons on rapidly devaluing currency; beaten at effective democracy by former monarchies.

 

You

Charges: You believe in freedom of speech, until someone says something that offends you. You suddenly give a damn about border integrity, because the automated voice system at your pharmacy asked you to press 9 for Spanish. You cling to every scrap of bullshit you can find to support your ludicrous belief system, and reject all empirical evidence to the contrary. You know the difference between patriotism and nationalism — it’s nationalism when foreigners do it. You hate anyone who seems smarter than you. You care more about zygotes than actual people. You love to blame people for their misfortunes, even if it means screwing yourself over. You still think Republicans favor limited government. Your knowledge of politics and government are dwarfed by your concern for Britney Spears’ children. You think buying Chinese goods stimulates our economy. You think you’re going to get universal health care. You tolerate the phrase “enhanced interrogation techniques.” You think the government is actually trying to improve education. You think watching CNN makes you smarter. You think two parties is enough. You can’t spell. You think $9 trillion in debt is manageable. You believe in an afterlife for the sole reason that you don’t want to die. You think lowering taxes raises revenue. You think the economy’s doing well. You’re an idiot.

Exhibit A: You couldn’t get enough Anna Nicole Smith coverage.

Sentence: A gradual decline into abject poverty as you continue to vote against your own self-interest. Death by an easily treated disorder that your health insurance doesn’t cover. You deserve it, chump.

 

the reason is you.

I wrote this for my Style class. We simply had to write a short essay about a topic of our choice.

 

I’ve never thought of myself as a minority. I’m a Caucasian male, I grew up in middle-class suburbia, and I received a fine education and upbringing. I’ve always had enough of my own money to buy things I may not need, but nonetheless enjoy. I also consider myself blessed to understand that all of these things are not inherent rights but privileges. So when I said I never thought of myself as a minority, I was not referring to my race or socioeconomic status. Rather, I was referring to being an introvert.

You see, in a world where talk is cheap and time is money, life for an introvert can often become disorienting and exhausting. In a society dominated by extroverts, who gear more towards conversation and activity, introverts become marginalized for our perceived lack of social skills. The truth is that introverts hardly lack social skills. We simply get our energy from being alone rather than from being with other people. That trait is too often confused with shyness, but in fact we may just want to be left alone.

Extroverts have a difficult time discovering this distinction. Because of their shorter conversational attention spans and inability to be alone for extended periods of time, they do not, or simply cannot, understand their introverted friends. They ask an introvert to dinner and do not understand why they would rather stay home alone and read than socialize. Or perhaps they balk at an introvert’s request to leave a party after only a short time, not knowing that the introvert cannot take much more mindless chatter.

We introverts fight battles constantly. We fight with leagues of extroverts for airtime to voice our carefully-crafted thoughts. We fight for time alone everyday to recharge and recollect. We fight the stereotypes branded on us, wishing for nothing more than understanding. We also feel like picking a fight when we’re asked, “Are you alright?” for the hundredth time, when all we want to do is remain deep in thought.

Often our reluctance to socialize leads extroverts to believe that we introverts are arrogant, detached, or self-absorbed. This misconception is probably due to an introvert’s disdain for small talk. Our days are filled with thinking—we like to figure out exactly what we’ll say before saying it—so the concept of small talk seems obligatory and a waste of time. But even more than small talk, introverts hate repeating themselves. Calvin Coolidge once said, “If you don’t say anything, you won’t be called on to repeat it.” I wonder if Coolidge would have even survived in today’s political atmosphere. 

But we introverts must trudge on. In the article “Caring for Your Introvert”, Jonathan Rauch writes, “Many actors, I’ve read, are introverts, and many introverts, when socializing, feel like actors.” We learn to put on a happy, sociable face when it’s called for, if only to keep the inquisitive extroverts off our backs. Indeed, before I enter a social circus, I have to mentally ready myself for an unknown amount of hyper-interaction. I tell myself, “This is a party. You can have fun and talk with people.” I try not to be a recluse, but sometimes my social battery runs out and irritation quickly sets in.

Perhaps one day, extroverts will understand the hell they put us introverts through. Perhaps one day, breaks in conversation will not seem awkward, and small talk will not be required to maintain proper etiquette. Perhaps one day, extroverts will discover the joy of seclusion, and the value of stillness. Perhaps. Until that day, you extroverts should be more mindful of your quieter, less convivial peers. Do not ask them why they’re so quiet, or why they want to be left alone, because the reason is probably you.

…and I’m a PC.