The Lost Experience

For those that know me well, you're probably thinking right now that this post has been a long time coming. Too long in coming. But it's here now, and all I ask, honored guest, is that you read it with an open mind. Because it may change your life forever.

All right, so I have a flare for the dramatic.

The topic of this post is Lost, the breakthrough ABC series now in its third season. But first, the obvious question: why write at length about a TV show? What's the big deal? Why must I seem like a giggling schoolgirl when I talk about it? Well, I will give you your answers, but first, the premise of the show:

An international flight, containing nearly 300 passengers, suffers communications trouble and is lost en route from Sydney, Australia to Los Angeles, California. The plane unintentionally flies far off course...and then suffers a major catastrophe in mid-air. The tail of the plane completely tears free from the fuselage, and the fuselage crashes into the ocean next to a large deserted island (much as in Cast Away).

48 people survive the plane crash. Practically none of them know each other. A story of survival ensues, as the passengers come together and try to figure out how to return to civilization. In doing so, however, it is not long before they realize they are not alone on the island...and that their story of survival just got a lot more complicated.

An interesting premise, certainly. But the beauty of it is that ABC has taken this premise and turned Lost into what I believe is the greatest show on television. Ever. And to answer my original question above, here are the reasons why:

• This story could have easily been told in a linear fashion, much like 24 or most other network dramas. It differs, however, in that each episode features a specific main character--both in the present and the past. Between island scenes, we get a very focused glimpse into the character's background through the use of flashbacks. Everyone is deeply affected by their past, and these characters are no different...and the writers do an amazing job of tying those past events into what is currently happening on the island. As the episodes go along, we gradually find out more about each character, and we know begin to know them better and better.
  
  
• Even with the dramatic elements of the show, many people are drawn by its mystery. The entire show acts as one enormous puzzle: what is really going on with this island? For every question answered, another is asked, and finding the answers to these smaller mysteries is always entertaining.
  
  
• Without question, there has never been a show that takes such special care with its details. Those that aren't interested can simply pass right by them, but for those that are, the producers weave many different hidden clues throughout the scenes if one looks hard enough. Some of the flashbacks, for instance, end up being woven together in ways that you would never expect. Other times, on the island, seemingly irrelevant things that were planted in Season 1 suddenly take on great meaning in Season 2. The show is incredibly well thought-out.
  
  
• The cast, of course, is also extremely good. From top to bottom, everyone really makes it work, and there are very few weak links. It also adds a lot of different flavors through diversity.
  
  
• Finally, the ensemble cast, being as large as it is (14 regulars after the crash), creates a sense of family that has not existed in a show to date. When something threatens the castaways, it's hard not to feel that you know all of them as one large family, and there is a prevailing sense of teamwork that just doesn't exist anywhere else.
  

I know you're thinking this is the world's biggest sales pitch, and perhaps it is. :) But I have enjoyed this show more than anything else I've ever watched, and I hear too many people saying, "Oh, I meant to watch that, but never did." Jump in before it's too late! You can easily catch up on Season 1 by renting (via Blackbuster or my preferred method, Netflix) or purchasing. Season 2 is already out as well, and we're only two episodes into the third season.

Lost is truly a masterpiece. As my family and friends, I feel it is my responsibility to pass this onto you...do not neglect it. At least, not for something like Deal or No Deal. ;)

Rituals (Inspiration #23)

In the continued efforts of sharing music, here is the first instrumental selection--a gorgeous cut from The Village, composed by James Newton Howard. Regardless of whether you enjoyed the movie or not (and I very much did), Howard chose to create a score that mainly consists of haunting violin work. I've never really heard anything like it. The track below, Rituals, plays within the middle of the movie as the tension heightens.

Song: Rituals
Composer: James Newton Howard
Motion Picture: The Village

Enjoy! This one's really great in the quiet of night if you have the chance.

Homeownership

As of Tuesday, I will have been a homeowner for exactly four months. Coming on the heels of nine years of renting, this has been quite an experience. And by my calculations, the homeownership experience of those reading this post literally goes from zero to two days to forty years. Thus, my task here will to see if I can describe the process to you--those who are long-time homeowners can tell if I'm right or wrong.

Well, actually, if I'm wrong, I would prefer to keep living in my fairy tale world, so please keep those comments to yourself.

As it turns out, homeownership is most like an Ethiopian food drive--both have needs that never end. The excitement of a new house is astonishing, but the amusing part of this is that it takes no time at all for supply to be dwarfed by demand. The to-do list becomes the size of something you'd normally see only at the Pentagon (or possibly a highway construction project). All of a sudden you find that the recent project management course you attended is more useful at home than at work!

But let's not confuse things--owning a home is fantastic. You find that you own a pair of shoes in the garage with green stains from your grass. You can sing Weird Al Yankovic songs at the top of your lungs, and you don't get death stares from anyone but your wife. You can expand your manliness index by 20% in 24 hours by purchasing and assembling an enormous grill. You have neighbors that don't seem petrified to speak when you pass by them. You even have this little attachment called a "garage" that both shelters your car and attracts junk at an unprecedented rate. The only drawback is that you begin to wish that your overweight cat and new staircase were mutually beneficial to each other, but they're just not. And never will be.

More than anything, though, you are overwhelmed by the fact that you now have your own throne. It's generally low to the ground and made of porcelain, but nonetheless...it's yours. Now it's easy to imagine what ancient kings must have felt like.

Another point, however: I think most people, myself included, greatly underestimate the educational value of owning your first home. If you live in an apartment, and something breaks, you pick up the phone and call the office. The next day a hairy man repairs whatever it is that was broken--even if you broke it! In a home, however, there is no one to call. There is no calvary waiting to come to your aid. There is only a wife, looking at you patiently while you search through the microscopic amount of repair knowledge you've picked up while watching Home Improvement.

So when the dryer stops heating? Time to start reading. When the refrigerator decides to take a day off in the middle of the summer? Time to start eating. And when you decide to buy a new dishwasher and the installation company says it will have to sit in your kitchen for three weeks before they install it? Time to exert your manliness, say that you'll install it yourself, and then pray to the gods of all worldly religions.

These are all true stories, I'm afraid.

But again, the experience is great, even if it completely wears you out at times. Even if you have to get up on Sunday mornings and go straight downstairs to put on your lawnmowing shoes--instead of lounging around for an hour first. But as you push your lawnmower up "The Hill" (i.e. the backyard), you glance out across the top of your fence into this beautiful suburbia...and you realize that your place in the world is completely unique.

Just like everyone else.

The Beauty of the Rain (Inspiration #24)

As I mentioned via my post in August, I have always been someone greatly inspired by music. I have enjoyed playing it, writing it, and certainly listening to it. So whether I find myself on the worst of days or at the top of the world, I've found that music always has something to give to us. For me, it often comes in the form of inspiration.

Because of this, I have decided to share a little of this inspiration with all of you. Over the years I've amassed quite a collection of music, but experience has found that everyone listens to different things...and everyone has found hidden gems that go largely uncovered by others. So this is my very small gift to you: my own gems that I've discovered over time.

Some of these will hit home, and yet I'm certain there will be others that do nothing for you. But that is the nature of things, isn't it? Whatever the case, these are provided to you with no cost whatsoever--I only ask that if you find that you like one of these, give the artist a chance and try out either the larger album or individual songs on iTunes.

To give this a little structure, I am going to periodically post 24 songs to this blog--12 vocal and 12 instrumental (counted down in reverse order). I'll give a small background on each one and let you try it for yourself. First up:

Song #12 (Vocal): Beauty of the Rain (File removed due to space limitations)
Artist: Dar Williams
Album: The Beauty of the Rain

This song is by a fairly well known artist, Dar Williams, and was featured prominently in an episode of Alias, Season 2. I think it holds not only a terrific message but presents it in a wonderfully haunting way.

Enjoy! You can right-click on the link, then use "Save As..." to download to your computer, or most of you can likely click on the link directly to listen via your browser.

Viva México!

As you can see from my writing this post, I have returned home from two separate trips: Mexico City and Charleston. Next week I am headed for Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C., with a trip to Kentucky not too far after that. 'Tis the season of travel!

(This actually reminds me of an occasion, many years ago, when I knew this kid who was the smartest guy I've ever met. I think he actually missed two questions on the entire SAT. Anyway, he was mentioning something about his recent travels, and my mom said, "You must have wheels on your shoes!" His face clouded over for a moment, and then he looked down at his shoes with a puzzled look for about ten seconds. Poor guy just didn't have sense of the common kind. But I digress.)

So...Mexico City is quite the place. I'd never been to Mexico at all, and I admit that I was very curious as to what I'd find there. In no particular order, let me present to you the things that I learned:

- First, I have asked everyone the question, "What do you think the weather in Mexico City would be like this time of year?" Every single person (including myself) surmised that it would be very hot...and every single person was wrong. Mexico City is actually up in the mountains, and even in the middle of summer it rarely gets above 75 degrees. Who knew?

- Second, don't ever drive in Mexico City. Why? Because their drivers are far more skilled than ours--not the other way around. Either you or I would get mowed down in a heartbeat. The Mexico traffic system is quite admittedly unlike anything I've ever seen, but the best way to describe it is a system much less inhibited by structure. Lanes are always optional. Everyone cuts in and out of everyone else (politely), and somehow all of the other drivers know how to communicate this. It's really like taking the American system, , shrugging your shoulders, then removing most of the rules and telling everyone, "You'll need to work it out."

- Three, never travel with a Senior Vice President that has been forced to stay in a lower class hotel. It's like putting up Oprah in a Red Roof Inn.

- Four, it is unfortunate the political turmoil that Mexico is going through right now. If you're wondering, it's really the equivalent of the 2000 Bush-Gore election...if Gore had protested, fought, and urged all of his supporters to fight alongside him. Half of the Mexico population feels that their guy was robbed of the election and a select few of these are camping out in major downtown streets to protest. The worst part of this is that they are denying travelling Senior VP's their right to stay at nearby first-class hotels (see #3).

- Five, Mexico City is not a tall city. Most buildings are 2-4 stories, and yet they still contain over 25 million people. Doing the math, this means that the city is roughly 13.2 billion square miles (and looks like it).

- Six, there are different classifications of taxis in Mexico City: those that might rob you and those that won't. I'm not kidding. A fair amount of time was spent during our stay trying to contact our hotel for a "safe" taxi. I'm not sure which is more disturbing: that this is a reality, or the way that everyone knows this and just accepts it as fact. The taxi companies could at least make their drivers repeatedly write "I will not rob anyone today" on a chalkboard before starting their shifts.

- Seven, Starbucks is taking over the world. There is no question about it.

- Eight, from what I can tell, the food in Mexico is excellent, both local and not. I had to have gained a pound or two during the trip, as well as the title of "Most Likely to Get His Money's Worth From Expensed Meals".

That's pretty much it! The business side of the trip was great, and as an added bonus I can now come back and share all of my cultural enlightment with you. And free of charge, no less!

It also looks like I'll be going back to Mexico before the end of the year, at which point I'll purchase the obligatory sombrero. I would advise you to wait until you see the pictures before deciding if you still want to be associated with me or not.

Best of luck.