Puppy, Puppy, Puppy With A Tutu

I just couldn't describe Damon's Pictionary drawing any better than Caroline, so I decided to subject you to some more very bad fan art. You're welcome. Without further ado, here is my finger-drawn Puppy Puppy Puppy With A Tutu, a la Damon Salvatore.

The Vampire Diaries, episode 2-4, "Memory Lane" - Theme Song!

Theme song!

For posterity: "Dreams" by The Cranberries

The Vampire Diaries, episode 2-3, "Bad Moon Rising" - Theme Song!

Theme Song!

For posterity: "Brick House" by The Commodores

The Vampire Diaries, episode 2-2, "Brave New World" - Theme Song!

Theme Song!

For posterity: "Transylvanian Concubine" by Rasputina

The Vampire Diaries, episode 2-1, "The Return" - Theme Song!

Theme Song!

For posterity: John Sebastian's "Welcome Back" (Welcome Back Kotter theme)

Lost: Tubey & The Glow Hole

So, when Desmond uncorked the island's glowhole, it looked like this:

Is it just me, or did it look like a depressed Tubey...




...in Darth Vader drag:



M'kay. Just me, then.

How I Met Your Mother, episode 5-24, "Doppelgangers" - Theme Song!

Theme Song!

For posterity: Knowing Me, Knowing You, by Abba

So little to do with the show, yet so very much how I feel about it.

Lost, episode 6-17, "The End": Finale Theme Song!

Theme song!

For posterity: Semisonic's "Closing Time"

Closing time, every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.

(Oh man, I still want to cry.)

Lost, episode 6-16, "What They Died For" - Theme Song!

Theme Song!

For posterity: "Vaya Con Dios" performed by Les Paul and Mary Ford

The Vampire Diaries, episode 1-22, "Founder's Day" - Theme Song!

Theme Song!

For posterity: The Cars, "Just What I Needed."

Lost, episode 6-15, "Across the Sea" - Theme Song!

Theme Song!

Oh, Show.



For posterity: The Tubes perform "Don't Touch Me There," live.

Lost Notes: Message in a Bottle; Verses in a Bible

I know this is Blogspot and all, but I never intended to use this blog for writing. First, it was a place to stick up my dumb, finger-on-touchpad drawn pictures. Then I thought: "Hey, why not stick the theme song videos in here, too? While they're not my creations, they are pictures, right, and they're often dumb." And so I did.

But then I was writing the recap for Lost, episode 6-14, "The Candidate" and found myself going off on a huge tangent about how, even if you hate the Bible, or don't know anything about the Bible, or don't care about the Bible, or think the Bible is the only book in the world -- that doesn't mean Lost shouldn't draw on Bible stories, or that fans shouldn't use the Bible (a frame of common reference) when analyzing Lost. What follows isn't polished. Heck, it isn't even proofed. It's a raw dump. I'll probably link to it in the recap, but maybe not. I didn't want to toss it, but as it developed, I felt that including it in the recap would make the recap less relevant to the episode, not more. And yet, I feel like it's a thing people might want to read. I feel like it's a thing that might help some people enjoy Lost even more. I feel like it's a thing that might help other people hate religious analysis of Lost a little less. Or maybe not. Maybe it'll just piss people off. That's fine too. I have no more time to spend on it, so...

Here's the thing:

About all that Bible Stuff: I’m noticing more and more people at wit’s end over Bible references in the show and biblical analysis of the show. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen people worrying that Lost is going to turn out to be a story of the type fandom often labels Goddidit. (You geddit?) And yeah, maybe this is the blind leading the blind, but I’m inviting you to stand over here next to me (don’t knock over the wine) and look at all the Bible-in-Lost stuff from a certain vantage point -- regardless of (but not despite) your real-world worldview. I’m trying to point out that all the Bible-in-Lost stuff is no fly in the ointment, but rather a common literary technique reaching back to the genesis of our culture.

The Bible (Eastern in origin) is arguably the foundation of the Western Literary Canon, and part and parcel of Western Society and Thought, and it’s not just the old dudes like Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton (although they too are foundational, and their work is chock full of Bible-y stuff).

Regardless of individual religious beliefs and experiences, Western Culture (literature, music, art, thought) is suffused with things biblical. Sometimes we get The Chronicles of Narnia; a fantasy retelling by a believer. Sometimes we get His Dark Materials; fantasy from a skeptic. Sometimes we get adaptations (think of all the epic bible-based films). Sometimes we just get allusions (think the film Jezebel, or Leonard Cohen’s song “Hallelujah”). Sometimes we get entire U2 albums, or a random Bruce Springsteen song. It’s in our politics (often, in my opinion to the detriment of both), and even in our advertisements.

My favorite biblically infused pop culture production, one that broadened my own understanding of my lifelong faith, comes from an atheist with a well-documented addiction to redemption. Yeah, if you’ve read any 3 of my Lost recaps, you know where I’m going, but follow me anyhow.

That favorite is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Ostensibly, BtVS had a mission: let’s watch as the pretty little blonde thing -- who is always monster chow -- takes back the night. And in its heyday, it had one overriding theme: high school is Hell.

But as the opening sequence reminded us every week, it was about "one girl in all the world -- a chosen one." Literally, messiah means chosen one (or “anointed one” which should get a chuckle from my fellow Buffy fans). In Buffy, my favorite atheist, Joss Whedon, gives us a messiah (mashiach) who manages to conform to one aspect of modern Jewish thought: messiah as mighty military leader; and one who conforms to modern Christian thought: her blood as substitutionary atonement; she died to save the world (a lot); and she rose again.

My point, and I do have one, is that if it's out here (in our shared consciousness), it's in there (the Bible). Lost is full of ideas from many religions and ideologies (although I see less objection to those ideas): dharma, Cerberus, Tawaret, astrology, psychics, walk-abouts, sweat-lodges, etc. As someone who holds to none of those beliefs, their incorporation hasn't watered down the show (for me). It's enriched it. It has enriched me. It has enriched my understanding of this show and my world.

Lost fandom, you are the apple of my eye. Like Sawyer in Faucke's cave, you can see the writing on the wall. It's time to rise and shine. There's no rest for the wicked. Our last handful of Losties have temporarily escaped Faucke's clutches by the skin of their teeth for while many are called, few are chosen. I'm watching Sawyer and Kate and wondering can a leopard change its spots. Maybe so. I no longer want to grab Jack and yell, "Physician, heal thyself," so anything is possible. All I know is that the end is near. Woe is me.

Namaste.

Lost, episode 6-14, "The Candidate" - Theme Song(s)!

Theme Song(s)!

Okay, here's the thing. This week, I had a song for the episode and a separate song for Jin and Sun (sob) right off the bat. But after writing the recap, I felt like I needed...something more, so I searched for songs about mirrors and reflections and the like. (If you haven't read the full recap yet, trust me, you'll understand once you do.) And I came across this song: "Backwards" by Apartment 26. I found the lyrics first, and my word, it's my whole recap, just several thousand words shorter. I didn't recognize the song or band, so I searched for it on YouTube and it's just -- it's too loud for me. It actually makes my heart pound. The only heavy metal I like these days is heavy metal I liked a decade or two ago. But these lyrics -- they're perfect. So I'm posting them first. Here we go:

"Backwards" by Apartment 26

Finished looking for the answers Now I’m looking for the questions I can look into you mirror and see inside your head See my reflections and this is what I’ve bled I look right into your mirror but I can’t see me Chorus: Everything’s gone backwards Nothing’s what it seems I awake from my nightmares Smash the mirror, smash the dreams Backwards into future Now you’re making up for lost time I hide under the shadow and try to hide my name Eyes that will question and this is what I mean I look back into your mirror But still don’t see me Chorus (2x) Smash the mirror, smash the dreams (3x) Chorus (2x) Smash the mirror, smash the dreams (3x)

I know, right?! So, here's theme song #1:



For posterity: This is a beautiful Matrix fan vid, set to Apartment 26's "Backwards." And don't get me wrong, Apartment 26. It's not you. It's me. "Backwards" is a cool song. I'm just not the cool recapper. I'm the cozy recapper. My hook: I've got wine, goodies and tissues. Now lets kick off our shoes, curl up on the couch and watch Lost. Why did we leave the wine bottle all the way out in the kitchen? Oh right, so we don't accidentally knock out the cork and get evil all over the carpet..



So, onto songs that are less representative of my thoughts, but way more my speed...

(Okay, this one is a great theme song for the series, writ large)



For posterity: "Reflections of My Life" by The Marmalade (I'm ashamed I didn't think of this song on my own. I found it when I was searching Youtube for the next song).



This next song popped into my head as soon as I started writing the full recap, but it seemed so...accessible. I'm not dissing The Supremes. Heaven knows they're on every short lost of music I love. It's just -- I was making a big deal about reflections in the recap, so of course I thought of this song. But you know what -- listening to it now, it really is appropriate for this episode.



For posterity: "Reflections" by Diana Ross & the Supremes (note, they then go on to sing "That's Why the Lady Is a Tramp" which is appropriate here, given how many songs I'm running through for this episode).



And finally, this song is not a theme song, but a dedication, to Jin and Sun Kwon. Sob



For posterity: "I'll Be Seeing You" by Bing Crosby. Note: This is someone's video dedicated to their grandparents (Mima and Pop Pop Joe). It was my grandparents' song too (Nana and Grampy Red), so I couldn't resist. Here's to grandparents and great love stories. I'll be seeing you.

Why I'm Not Getting More Upset About Elena's Friendship With Damon

Long ago and far away, kerfucalypse broke out in the Veronica Mars fandom.

My Buffy friends and I pointed and laughed. Then we committed intentionally bad fan art. My most favorite piece is this icon from my friend Denise:

Denise's birthday is coming up this week. Happy Birthday, Denise!

The Vampire Diaries, episode 1-21, "Isobel" - Theme Song(s)!

Theme Song(s)!





For Posterity: Opening theme from How I Met Your Mother; "Hey Beautiful" (excerpt) by The Solids


(For this next one, the pun is just a bonus)

For posterity: "Mamma Mia" by Abba

How I Met Your Mother, episode 5-21, "Twin Beds" - Theme Song!

Theme Song!




For posterity: "Sleeping Single In A Double Bed" by Barbara Mandrell

Here's a link to a non-embeddable live-action video by Ms. Mandrell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QGN2Z4_mKA

"Pick Pick Pick It Apart" - finally a Theme Song! for my blog --by Joss Whedon

Oh Joss, you shouldn't have, but I'm so glad you did, because now I have my own personal Theme Song!

For posterity: Joss sings a thing.

Poor J Weewee, hates what I do -- what we all do -- and does it in the most delightful way. Thanks to Nikki Stafford for the link.

The Vampire Diaries, episode 1-20, "Blood Brothers" - Theme Song(s)!

Theme Song(s)!

For Damon & Katherine; Elena & Stefan; Stefan & his favorite crittertarian meal; and (yes, I'm hiding my head as I type this) Anna and Jeremy:



For posterity: "Puppy Love" by The Osmond Brothers



And 'cause Youtube sent me on a sentimental Osmond tear, here's one from Stefan to Elena, when she visits him in detox dungeon:



For posterity: "Go Away Little Girl" by The Osmonds this song used to make me cry when I was a tiny little girl



This one goes out as a big "thank you" from Stefan to Dean Winchester, for the single, perfect manly tear:



For posterity: "Tracks of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles



And, finally, in continuation of our Johnny Cash mini-theme, I give you the man in black:



For posterity: "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash

(Stef licked his daddy's gut blood, just to watch him die...)

Wordle for My Review of The Vampire Diaries, episode 1-20, "Blood Brothers"

Based on my review at TelevisionWithoutPity.com.

Now make your own Wordle at Wordle.net.

Lost, episode 6-13, "The Last Recruit" - Theme Song(s)!

A dedication, from Sawyer to Jack:

For posterity: Ray Charles sings "Hit the Road, Jack."

Jack wants to send a song back to Sawyer, 'cause he's a giver like that.

For posterity: "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by The Rolling Stones

Bonus!

For posterity: "Jackie Blue" by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils

The Vampire Diaries, episode 1-19, "Miss Mystic Falls" - Theme Song!

Theme Song!

A double-header for Stefan, for obvious reasons.

For posterity: "Paxilback" by Gray Kid (parody of Justin Timberlake's Sexyback)

And...

For posterity: "God's Gonna Cut You Down" by Johnny Cash



BONUS CLIP:

Here's Elena and Damon, dancing to Within Temptation's "All I Need." Was the music wrong for a waltz? Too loud for this scene? Let me know in the comments, that is if you can type at all, after watching the hotness that is their dance.



Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to take a cold shower.

Eyjafjallajökull: Say What?

Eyjafjallajökull:

Island = Eyja = Aya (rhymes with "heya")

Cover/dwell on = fjalla = fyatla (like "fiat" + "la", but you really smoosh the f+y together and nearly swallow the "t")

Glacier = jökull = yo + kutl (like if English had a portmanteau for...um..."coddled yogurt", but changed the short O into a short U, and ran the "t" and "l" sounds together, such that it became yokutl).

I couldn't get the video to embed in this post, and it was too wide for the righthand sidebar so I've added the widget to the bottom of this page. To learn how to pronounce Eyjafjallajökull from someone who actually speaks Icelandic, instead of a TV recapper, scroll down to the bottom of the blog .

How I Met Your Mother, episode 5-20 Theme Song!

Theme Songs!

For posterity: "The Worst That Could Happen" by The Brooklyn Bridge (live, on The Ed Sullivan Show).

For posterity: "Our House" by Madness

Lost, episode 6-12, "Everybody Loves Hugo" - Theme Song!

Theme Song!

For posterity: John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band's "Well, Well, Well." (You knew I had to choose one of their songs this season, right? My screams on Tuesday night sounded remarkably like the middle portion of this song.)

The Vampire Diaries, episode 1-18, "Under Control" - Theme Song!

Stefan thinks this is his theme song:



(For posterity: Janet Jackson's "Control")


But Damon knows the truth:



(For posterity: Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt")

HIMYM episode 5-19, "Zoo or False" - Theme Song!

For this weeks's theme song, in honor of my guardian angel, Angel Cohn, I present you with a TwoPperific (and slightly shortened) filk of "The Banana Boat" song, which (I hope) conveys my feelings about recapping HIMYM versus recapping Lost, these days. Ahem.

Day-o, Day-ay-ay-o
Daylight come and me wan' go bed
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day
Me say day, me say day-ay-ay-o
Daylight come and me wan' go bed

Work all night on a drink a wine
Daylight come and me wan' go bed
HIMYM sucks; Lost is extra fine!
Daylight come and me wan' go bed

Come, Madame Editor give me an extension
Daylight come and me wan' go bed
Come, Madame Editor give me an extension
Daylight come and me wan' go bed

Lost: flash sideways, car crash, kiss, punch
Daylight come and me wan' go bed
HIMYM: no better than The Brady Bunch
Daylight come and me wan' go bed

Day, me say day-ay-ay-o
Daylight come and me wan' go bed
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day
Daylight come and me wan' go bed

A beautiful bunch of Lostaways
Daylight come and me wan' go bed
Don’t care about Your Mother these days
Daylight come and me wan' go bed

Day-o, day-ay-ay-o
Daylight come and me wan' go bed
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day
Day, me say day, me say day....ay-ay-o
Daylight come and me wan' go bed

And for those of you who have grown fond of video links (or for the very young among you who don't know "The Banana Boat Song") here's some audio-visual assistance.

For posterity: Harry Belafonte (oh, so beautiful) and The Muppets perform "The Banana Boat Song" on The Muppet Show.

And since you've been such good sports about my filk, here's a bonus video:



For posterity: That's "The Banana Boat Song" from the dinner scene in Beetlejuice.

'Til next time, I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping HIMYM gets better or I get over it. Cheers.

The Vampire Diaries, episode 1-17, "Let The Right One In" - Theme Song!

Poor Stefan. Poor Elena. Poor Anna. Poor Jeremy. Poor Caroline. Poor Matt. Poor everyone.



For posterity: "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash

Lost, episode 6-11, "Happily Ever After" - Theme Song!

EDIT: Youtbue disabled the video I originally embedded, due to copyright claims by EMI. There are plenty still up though, so here's another shot:

For obvious reasons:



For posterity: "Ob-la-di" by The Beatles

----

(Pre-edit)

For obvious reasons:



For posterity: "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da," by The Beatles.

Homepage episode blurb

Desmond is our oh-so-special sno-ow flake. Penny is the half-sister of Dan. Desmond loves Penny so much she makes him faint, which happens right after he takes her by the hand...

Headline

Ob La Di, Ob La Da Life Goes On, Brothah

The Vampire Diaries, episode 1-6, "There Goes The Neighborhood" - Theme Song!

For the Germ:



For posterity: "Changes" - David Bowie.

Lost, episode 6-10, "The Package" - Theme Song!

There's a war coming, kids.

For posterity: "War" by Edwin Starr.

Lost, episode 6-9, "Ab Aeterno" - Theme Song!

For posterity, "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," by The Platters. I'd apologize for the punniness of this one, except that's exactly why I chose it.

A Headless Horseman On The Vampire Diaries?

BEFORE AFTER

When she was first leaving Trudie's, did anyone else think Elena was being stalked by the headless horseman?

Just me, then.

The Vampire Diaries, episode 1-15, "A Few Good Men" - Theme Song(s)! - Reader's Choice

This week, I submit to you two extremely different theme song options for The Vampire Diaries, episode 1-15: "A Few Good Men."

Option 1:



For posterity: Paul Simon's "Mother and Child Reunion." Based on the lyrics, it seemed the perfect choice:

Oh I would not give you false hope

On this strange and mournful day

But the mother and child reunion

Is only a motion away.

It's a nod to the sorrow and strangeness surrounding Elena's life, and also to the breakneck speed at which The Vampire Diaries resolves plots.

And then I had some coffee and completely changed my mind. Hence...

Option 2:

For posterity: "It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls. To explain would be to over-explain, yes?

Lost, episode 6-9, "Ab Aeterno" - Recaplet/Review

My recaplet/review of Lost, episode 6-9 -- the fabulously Richard-centric "Ab Aeterno" is up at TWoP. Grade the episode and enjoy!

How I Met Your Mother, episode 5-18, "Say Cheese" -- Theme Song!

For Lily Aldrin, Alyson Hannigan, Satyana Denisof, and of course, my Scott!

For posterity: "Birthday" by The Beatles.

How I Met Your Mother -- Review & Recaplet, episode 5-18, "Say Cheese"

"Pictures Or It Didn't Happen," my review and recaplet of How I Met Your Mother, episode 5-18, "Say Cheese" is up at TWoP. I'm working on the full recap, now.

Lost, episode 6-8, "Recon" - Recap

My recap of Lost, episode 6-8, "Recon" was published at TWoP, yesterday morning. Enjoy!

Lost, episode 6-8, "Recon" - Theme Song!

Theme Song!

For posterity: That's "Tom Sawyer" by Rush.

Sometimes, a theme song just comes to me while I'm watching the episode, but this time, although a few songs occurred to me after the episode, it took days for one to feel right. I finally thought of "Tom Sawyer" on Friday night, but I failed to make note of it. So, of course I forgot it, early Saturday morning. I dug through Jacob's my endless lists trying to find the right song.

So let's flash back to this entry as originally posted...

Since Tuesday, I've been playing with Alan O'Day's "Undercover Angel," and Johnny Rivers "Secret Agent Man," but neither of them felt right for this Sawyer-centric episode. In the end, I said, "Phuket. I'll let the man sing for himself."



For posterity: The above is a clip from Lost, 3-9, "Stranger In a Strange Land" -- Sawyer, sings "Show Me the Way to Go Home" on the outrigger, as he, Kate and an unconscious Karl sail back to Craphole from Hydra Island.

That clip was too short for my taste, and the only clip I can find of the "Show Me the Way to Go Home" scene from Jaws is not embeddable, so finally, I decided on this, instead:



For posterity: The above is the music video for "Stuck In the Middle with You," by Stealers Wheels.

Faucke to the left of him, Widmore to the right, here James is, stuck in the middle with Kate.

And now let's flash forward to the present...

Boston, Saturday, March 20, 2010, 11:06 AM: I think "Tom Sawyer" has it all over the others. What about you? Let me know in the comments.

Lost, episode 6-8, "Recon" Recaplet/Review

My recaplet/review of Lost, episode 6-8, "Recon" is up TWoP.

Lost, Episode 6-7, "Dr Linus"

Episode recap, here. Vote for the best Ben-centric episode, and grade this one, too.

Lost, episode 6-7, "Dr. Linus" -- Theme Song, etc.

If you're reading this, you most likely know that I put theme song links in all of my recaps. Why? Well, because I am protesting the current state of the television theme song. I mean, if we're lucky, today, we get a few BA BA PA PAs, ala HIMYM for a theme song. And boo hiss, I say. So, over time, I've started adding Theme Song! links to my recaps for Lost, How I Met Your Mother, and The Vampire Diaries.

The TWoP front page headline for Lost, episode 6-7, "Dr. Linus" will be "Ben, You're Always Running Here And There," which is, of course, a line from Michael Jackson's song, "Ben." If/when I use lyrics for my headline and episode blurb, they don't always match up to the theme song, but this week, it feels appropriate, so here's your theme song:

I almost didn't use this video as my theme song link, because in season 5, episode 5-10, "He's Our You," Sayid shot wee Ben Linus, so I gave that episode the headline, "Ben, The Two Of Us Need Look No More," which is the first line from the aforementioned Jackson song. The episode blurb was a filk of that song, as well, so I was assuming I'd already used "Ben," as the theme song for that episode.

But then... I did this wonderful thing. I checked! And it turns out, I didn't use "Ben" for that episode, at all. I was free to use it now. Go research; it's your birthday! It turns out that for "He's Our You," I used "Born Bad," as you can see, here:

A few weeks ago, I discovered that some of the videos I've used for my recap theme songs have since been removed or have been marked private on YouTube. So, from now on, I'm going to embed them there, with a note on the song title and artist, so that if/when they disappear from YouTube, I'll still have a record of which song I've used with which show/episode. Plus, you don't have to read all the batshit insane comments at YouTube.

We all win!

Shady Sayid

Sayid arrives at Nadia and Omer's (not Omar's) house in L.A. Do you think the show is trying to TELL us something with this image? Whatever could it be?

No, Seriously. Rabbit or Duck?

And for that matter, what's better?

Rabbit or Duck? You Be The Judge

Who dat?