Tonight marks the return of the only show on TV that can possibly make the writers’ strike feel a bit less painful for all of us. Where we left off last season, Through the Looking Glass, we saw a glimpse of what the future held for both Jack and Kate after they returned from the island and reclaimed at least a piece of their former lives. Notice, I conveniently left off the inclusion of “selves” in the previous sentence. That is because the future was not so bright for Jack as he seemed unable to reconcile his past with his present, or rather, future as the case may be.
SPOILER ALERT!
A preview of tonight’s episode, eerily titled, The Beginning of the End which starts at 8/9 PM picks up where last season ended with Jack and Kate rejoicing in their preeminent rescue (and the thought of seeing other people aside from the rest of the incestuous crew perhaps) and with others like Ben and Locke who are not quite so excited by the prospect of getting off the island and getting back to their former lives. To throw a wrench into all of this, Desmond rejoins the group and bears a dying message from Charlie that the rescuers might be up to no good.
Be sure to stay tuned for the Amaldo post-Lost show, er, um, blog post.
I hate when people put the cart before the horse. The New England Patriots are favorites to win Superbowl 2008 over the New York Giants, with more then 12 points spread. That’s fine by me, and if you want to bet on the game, I’m OK with that too. What I don’t like, is that the city of Boston is already making preparations for the Pat’s victory parade. Excuse me, I am a Pat’s fan and live in Boston, but this parade is what you will find if you open the dictionary in the word Arrogance. Not to mention that they plan the event to take place on Tuesday, that happens to be Super Tuesday, where people are expected, and being encouraged to go and vote in the presidential primary elections. In general, there is too much Non-Football related stuff going on with the Patriots in the last couple of weeks, and the biggest beneficiary are the Giants, who get all the peace and quiet they need. Let’s just hope that all this parade BS will not jinx us, and that the Pat’s will win the game.
I really wanted this post to be about politics, but what can I do, even Boston’s Mayor Menino knows, that Football is more interesting…
The question is not who will win an Oscar but if the event will ever take place. If to judge by Hollywood’s outspoken I know how to fix the world wannabe George Clooney, the Oscars will only happen if the Writers Guild of America and TV and film producers will reach an agreement that will end the writers strike, and he offers to help solving this issue: “When the strike happens, it’s not just writers (affected)… Our hope is that all the players will lock themselves in a room and not come out until they finish. We want this to be done. That’s the most important thing.” He told Hollywood.com. Oh come on George, you got your nominees, let go will ya? It reminds me a South Park episode from a couple of years ago, when a cloud of smug, carrying Clooney’s Academy Awards speech, was threatening to destroy society.
Daniel, Javier, don’t lose hope, Michael Clayton is not such a great movie…
And besides, Day- Lewis always wins!
Film star Heath Ledger died today of an alleged drug overdose. The 28-year-old who recently split with his Brokeback Mountain co-star Michelle Williams, with whom he shared a daughter, was found dead in his NYC apartment this afternoon by his maid, naked and unconscious. While sleeping pills are rumored to be the culprit and foul play has not yet been ruled out (but most likely will be), police are awaiting a formal autopsy before they make an official call.
A bizarre twist on all this: The deputy police commissioner originally cited that the apt. Ledger was found in was owned by none other than troubled former tween queen, Mary-Kate Olsen - no stranger to emotional foibles herself. The commissioner later retracted his comment when Olsen’s publicist went on record denying the twin owned the apartment.
Ledger had been cast as The Joker in the upcoming Batman movie and was already filming The Dark Knight with former Brokeback co-star, Jake Gyllenhaal’s, older sister Maggie. No word on how/if this role will be recast.
I could have said that The History Channel’sLife After People is I Am Legend, minus Will Smith and the huge budget. I could but I won’t because Life After People is far more interesting, and so much better then the box office hit. The name of the show gives up what it’s all about. It all starts with the first day after human race suddenly disappear forever, and goes on for weeks, months, years, and centuries. As a case study, the show goes to a place that was actually deserted 20 years ago- the city of Pripyat, Ukraine-the site of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
As a disclaimer I just want to say, that though I think Life After People was excellent and worth watching, my dear wife didn’t like it at whole, especially the parts showing our good friends the rats and cockroaches.
This week, in our usual Amy Winehouse update, its all about the The Prisoner, The Blond, and The Burger.
“Love you handsome, gorgeous one” shouted the now blond Winehouse to her husband Blake Fielder-Civil in a London court where he had his hearing. Amy almost missed Blake’s court appearance, and arrived just five minutes to the end. To the reporters she only said: ” I am not talking to you.”
Then she was led out by Georgette Fielder-Civil, Blake’s mother, who gave her take on Winehouse condition by saying: “She’s fine, thank you.”
The good news is, that after this drama, instead of getting a drink, Amy went to one of her favorite places: McDonald’s. These are good news because if to judge by what she looks like in recent photos, a burger is exactly what she needs.
It all sums up to one simple question: When was the last time you actually got a good customer service? And if your answer starts with something like: I do remember getting a good service…. you just prove my point. We are so surprised when we call to ask something and get a courteous and knowledgeable response that we remember when it happened. We all know how it works. You walk into a shiny store, or go to a fancy website, find what you want and buy it. But it’s not so fancy anymore when you need something from the dark side of the moon: the call center. And it is literally the dark side of the moon because all call centers were outsourced a long time ago to India, The Philippines and other countries that are about 10 hours ahead of us. In the dark side, a simple question turns to a Via Dolorosa of repeating your private information and random answers that are being scripted to the poor representative who can barely speak the language, but will tell you a thousand times in perfect English that he or she understand you, and that a supervisor will give you the same answer. I admit, I snap. I rise my voice and won’t let go until I get what I want, but I know its not worth the effort. And this brings me to my next question: How much more are you willing to pay for a good, local based customer service? 10% more? Maybe 20%? I know I will, maybe…
It seems like the beginning of this year belongs to Apple. The impact is being made not by the sounds and sights of smiling presidential candidates, making empty promises of a change to a brain washed crowd, but the new ultra thin MacBook Air, the iPhone and iTunes upgrades, the Time Capsule wireless hard drive, and basically, everything Steve Jobs. The magazine Fast Company, dedicated its latest issue to Apple, and had a computerized Steve Jobs portrait. Also, everybody talks about MacWorld Expo. So if there is one man that will bring a change, it’s not going to be McCain, Obama, Clinton, or God forbid racist Romney, it will be an iChange, and Steve Jobs will iBring it.
Ilana Donna’s new video is sure to give some amount of thought to the validity of psychic networks, but really how much of your future do you want dictated to you? In short, is there any consolation to be found in knowing your fate or is there something to be said about a the element of the unknown when it comes to romantic entanglements?
Last night’s new episodes of 30 Rock, and the one of My Name Is Earl, were the exception that proves the rule. There is nothing to see on TV. With the writers strike going nowhere, we are stuck with a bunch of crappy reality shows, and with Jay Leno who writes his own stuff…
One might think, that with the lack of good TV, we would embrace different activities such as poetry or at least go to the gym, but the fact is that we just keep on starring at the screen and as usual being stuffed with shit. Only this time, the shit stinks more. Please come back writers, we need you.
I saw Frank Bell, whom I know nothing about other then what this page has to offer, singing and playing the guitar (and whistling…) on YouTube. And since I liked “The Penguin”, I decided to share. So, here it is: Frank Bell- “The Penguin”
Amy Winehouse, now with a new hair, is working on hersinging skills with her dad to improve her self confidence. A source told Showbiz Spy that:“She often has friends round for drinks and inevitably most of the time she ends up singing. One night Mitch (Amy’s dad) joined in and Amy loved it. They had a great giggle and it really made her feel good about herself so Mitch wants to repeat the experience as often as possible.” It’s also a good practice before her scheduled appearance at the Grammies next month. If to judge by this picture, it looks like the problem is not her singing or her hair cut, she is in a dyer need of a good meal, make it two.
It’s only Monday, but you are already counting the days for the weekend? Climbing the thin walls of your cubicle? Boredom makes you buy stuff that you really don’t need online? OK, before you spend your paycheck, check out this simple though addictive word game. You just need to find the word. Thats all.
One of the most powerful and effective tools in marketing is The Intimidation Factor. It is used to “scare” the consumer into buying the advertised product. Works great for insurance companies. Every 2008 presidential candidates is offering a change - something new - that’s another old marketing shtick. But for Mitt Romney it’s not enough for him to offer promise of change like everyone else. To gain a competitive edge, he wants you, the potential voter to be scared of something, he wants to intimidate you. For that, he needs an enemy for you to fear. And who is a better enemy, then the weakest layer (and one least capable of defending themselves) in our society, the illegal immigrants? Don’t get me wrong, illegal immigration is a major issue, and it’s on each presidential candidates’ agenda. But Romney goes one step further. He hates immigrants, he wants to get rid of them right here, right now. In his campaign add about the topic, you see a guy, standing with his wife and baby, and saying:”Illegal immigrants are taking jobs from Americans…” I will be very careful with my words now: During history, this argument was very common among radical leaders and dictators who wanted to incite the people against a certain minority. And by “Approving [the above] message” if to use his own words, Mitt Romney showed us his true colors.
A few days ago I wrote here about my horrible experience with Buy.com. I just thought I should report what happened after I wrote that post in this short follow up post.
First, a quick reminder. I bought something from this site, and never got it, after contacting UPS, I found out it was sent to the wrong address. Buy.com would not refund me for the item, and was giving me the same answer all the time, saying that it was shipped and somehow it’s my fault I didn’t get it.
Lucky for me, there is one company that does stand behind what they say, and this company is PayPal. After exhausting my efforts with Buy.com, I remembered that I paid for the item using my PayPal account. So, I logged into my PayPal account, and filed a claim against this headless stupid company- Buy.com and guess what?
Not 3 days have past, Including a Holiday weekend (!) and I got my money back. So tell me this, Mr. /Ms. Buy.com hotshot, was replying my 3 emails, talking to me for about an hour over the phone (Buy.com customer service phone number: 1-800-800-0800, a number you do not advertise on your site), getting all the bad publicity, and having to deal with a PayPal claim worth the money you had to refund me? After all we are talking about less then $10…
bet on the game, I’m OK with that too. What I don’t like, is that the city of Boston is already making preparations for the Pat’s
victory parade. Excuse me, I am a Pat’s fan and live in Boston, but this parade is what you will find if you open the dictionary in the word Arrogance. Not to mention that they plan the event to take place on Tuesday, that happens to be Super Tuesday, where people are expected, and being encouraged to go and vote in the presidential primary elections. In general, there is too much Non-Football related stuff going on with the Patriots in the last couple of weeks, and the biggest beneficiary are the Giants, who get all the peace and quiet they need. Let’s just hope that all this parade BS will not jinx us, and that the Pat’s will win the game.
The question is not 
I could have said that The History Channel’s 
it’s all about. It all starts with the first day after human race suddenly disappear forever, and goes on for weeks, months, years, and centuries. As a case study, the show goes to a place that was actually deserted 20 years ago- the city of Pripyat, Ukraine-the site of the 1986 
a good service…. you just prove my point. We are so surprised when we call to ask something and get a courteous and knowledgeable response that we remember when it happened. We all know how it works. You walk into a shiny store, or go to a fancy website, find what you want and buy it. But it’s not so fancy anymore when you need something from the 
It seems like the beginning of this year belongs to Apple. The impact is being made not by the sounds and sights of smiling presidential candidates, making empty promises of a change to a brain washed crowd, but the new ultra thin MacBook Air, the iPhone and iTunes upgrades, the Time Capsule wireless hard drive, and basically, everything Steve Jobs. The magazine 
Last night’s new episodes of 30 Rock, and the one of My Name Is Earl, were the exception that proves the rule. There is nothing to see on TV. With the writers strike going nowhere, we are stuck with a bunch of crappy reality shows, and with Jay Leno who writes his own stuff…
Amy Winehouse, now with a 
One of the most powerful and effective tools in marketing is The Intimidation Factor. It is used to “scare” the consumer into buying the advertised product. Works great for insurance companies. Every 2008 presidential candidates is offering a change - something new - that’s another old marketing shtick. But for Mitt Romney it’s not enough for him to offer promise of change like everyone else. To gain a competitive edge, he wants you, the potential voter to be scared of something, he wants to intimidate you. For that, he needs an enemy for you to fear. And who is a better enemy, then the weakest layer (and one least capable of defending themselves) in our society, the illegal immigrants? Don’t get me wrong, illegal immigration is a major issue, and it’s on each presidential candidates’ agenda. But Romney goes one step further. He hates immigrants, he wants to get rid of them right here, right now. In his campaign add about the topic, you see a guy, standing with his wife and baby, and saying:”Illegal immigrants are taking jobs from Americans…” I will be very careful with my words now: During history, this argument was very common among radical leaders and dictators who wanted to incite the people against a certain minority. And by “Approving [the above] message” if to use his own words, Mitt Romney showed us his true colors.
A few days ago I wrote here about my horrible experience with Buy.com. I just thought I should report what happened after I wrote that post in this short follow up post.
