The Morning After LOST

The Variable - Season 5, Episode 14 (#100)

"Daniel Faraday returns to the island in order to warn its inhabitants of a catastrophe involving the Swan Station. Jack, Kate, and Daniel start a gun fight with the Dharma Initiative, leading Dharma to go after Sawyer and Juliet. In flashbacks, Daniel's relationship with his parents, Eloise Hawking and Charles Widmore, is shown."

Happy 100th episode!!! I loved this episode because we learned so much about Daniel Faraday. We also learned what a sneaky snake his mother, Eloise Hawkings, is! She puts Sybil's mother to shame.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

What the hell moment: Daniel's mom is a true bitch!! All school work and no play will make Daniel a dull boy. I can't believe she didn't want him to continue playing the piano, and then later not have a girlfriend - unbelievable!

Hubba-Hubba moment: Daniel was right cute at his Oxford graduation!!

Funniest moment: Phil in the cabinet at Sawyer and Juliet's house - what did they think they were going to do with Phil??

Famous last words: Daniel, "I'm from the future..." Well, duh!!

Best flash back: All the flash backs about Daniel's earlier life - being the youngest to get his doctorate at Oxford, seeing the girlfriend (lab assistant Teresa), seeing him play the piano as a child - it was great to learn so much about Daniel.

Heart wrenching moment: I had 2 tonight: 1.) Having to watch Penny when Desmond was brought into the hospital. She was so afraid she was going to lose him again. 2.) Daniel telling little Charlotte to make sure she and her mother are on the submarine when Chang gives the evacuation order.

Unbelievable of the night: Charles Widmore is Daniel's father!

Best quote of the night: "Welcome to the meeting Twitchy." What Sawyer said when Daniel showed up at the house for the 2nd time.

"Ah, how sweet" moment: Little Charlie is adorable - I'm so glad he and Penny are okay and it seems Desmond will be fine.

I don't understand moment: I'm still uncertain about what happened to Daniel's memory. I know about the time travel accident and the death of Teresa, but I don't understand what happened to his memory.

The Ah-ha moment: Daniel wants to detonate the hydrogen bomb - the one he told Richard to bury back in 1950something. Apparently the bomb will keep the Swan station from being completed in the 1970s so the abnormal magnetic energy won't escape and there will be no need to build the hutch and no reason to have to push the button every 180 minutes so Oceanic Flight 815 will never crash - making everything right with the world. Whoa - what a mouthful!!

Blast from the past: Sawyer, Juliet, Hurley and Miles are going to be returning to the beach - yeah! Maybe we'll finally see the other castaways again. But hold on - oh no - caught in the act of hiding Phil - maybe they won't get back to the beach after all.

Jealous moment of the night: The look Juliet gave Sawyer when he called Kate "Freckles" - she looked like she wanted to tear Kate's throat open!! And then giving her the fence code so she would leave with Daniel and Jack - this was the first spark of "fire" I've seen in Juliet when it comes to Sawyer. I may change my opinion of her yet ...

Whoa moment: When Daniel said, "My mother was wrong." That was like the understatement of the year!

Holy mackerel moment: Eloise "Ellie" Hawkings shot her own son! I did not see that coming!

Payback's a bitch: You mess around with time travel and you end up having your mother shot you in the back!

What I missed: Once again, where are the other castaways and 2nd plane survivors???

Way Back Wednesday - JAWS

Jaws is a 1975 horror thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg, his second theatrical film and very first blockbuster, which made him a household name. This movie is based on Peter Benchley's best-selling novel of the same name.

The movie takes place in the fictional summer resort of Amity Island where the police chief, Martin Brody – played by Roy Scheider – tries to protect residents from a great white shark. The town council overrules Brody’s decision to shut down the beach during tourist season, and we all know what happens next. It is open buffet season for the great white.



After several shark attacks, Brody enlists the help of a marine biologist, Matt Hooper – played by Richard Dreyfuss - and a professional shark hunter, Quint – played by Robert Shaw to help him track down the shark and kill it. I loved Richard Dreyfuss' portrayal of Hooper - I've been in love with his acting since The Goodbye Girl!

Although the movie scared me senseless and made me nervous just swimming in a pool, it wasn’t the images that scared me the most – it was the theme music. Written by legendary John Williams, the score to “Jaws” still evokes cold chills down my spine every time I hear it. My favorite quote: “I think we’re going to need a bigger boat” - famous last words. Da da, da da ...

Jaws is considered the father of the summer blockbuster movie. The film was followed by three sequels, none with the participation of Spielberg or Benchley and none as successful as the original: Jaws 2 (1978), Jaws 3-D (1983) and Jaws: The Revenge (1987). A video game titled Jaws Unleashed was produced in 2006.

Save the Frogs Day

In an effort to raise awareness of the plight of amphibians, the scientific community has declared April 28th, 2009 the 1st Annual 'Save The Frogs Day'. On this day we encourage the appreciation and celebration of amphibians by people from all walks of life.

Frog populations have been declining worldwide at unprecedented rates, and nearly one-third of the world’s 6,418 amphibian species are threatened with extinction. At least 100 species have completely disappeared since 1980, and this is NOT normal: amphibians naturally go extinct at a rate of only about one species every 250 years!!!




Check out the Save the Frogs website here.

I Hear You Knocking but You Can't Come In

Listening to news reports concerning the swine flu has sent many people into a panic, especially individuals who already have health concerns.

For years we've been hearing about possible pandemics across the globe - bird flu, monkey pox, SARS, Ebola and MRSA. We are already living with pandemics of AIDS and Malaria. So, what signs and symptoms to we need to be alert for?

According to the CDC, symptoms of swine flu in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Current statistics of U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection - (As of April 27, 2009 1:00 PM ET)
State # of laboratory confirmed cases:
California - 7 cases
Kansas - 2 cases
New York City - 28 cases
Ohio - 1 case
Texas - 2 cases
TOTAL COUNT - 40 cases
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection

There are everyday actions people can take to stay healthy.

1.)Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
2.)Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
3.)Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
4.)Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people. If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

The Barnyard Goddess and Flying Monkeys

Continuing on with the theme I started on Friday, the Kentucky Writers’ Celebration spilled over into the weekend. It has definitely been a busy weekend for Kentucky writers.

On Saturday a few people from my writing group attended the celebration at Penn’s Store in Gravel Switch. Penn's Store is the oldest country store in America being run continuously by the same family. This is the same store that is famous for the Great Outhouse Blowout in the fall.

Although I have been a writer most of my life, I am still terrified to read in public. I have been pushing myself more and more because everyone says it will get easier – let me tell you, it doesn’t get easier! This weekend I was in good company, because two of my friends are as scared of public readings as I am, but my friend Tammy found a coping mechanism to help her.

Enter the Barnyard Goddess, stage left …

Tammy thought dressing as someone other than herself would help her get through her readings and she was absolutely right! Dressed in her blue jean overalls complete with gold glitter sprayed boots and a barnyard tiara, Tammy did a wonderful job of reading her great story “Ponies on the Patio” and two poems. She won the crowd over instantly and we were all so proud of her! You can check out some of Tammy's writing in her Advocate Messenger bi-monthly column, Hillybilly Zen.

Of course, the funniest thing of the whole day was when the “tornado” blew through the holler. The emcee of the event was Herschel, also a member of our writing group, and although he had been talking to the crowd all day, he waited to read his poems with our group. There had been a gentle breeze all afternoon, but just as Herschel stepped up on the stage to begin his reading, the wind started to blow like there was no tomorrow! I swear I saw an old woman on a bike with a little dog in a basket and I told someone, “If we see flying monkeys, I’m outta here!” The wind blew the microphones over, as well as the big umbrella shading the speakers.

And then the wind calmed back down just like nothing had ever happened. I know it wasn’t Herschel’s reading because this man has such a great voice – hell, I could listen to him reading the phone book and be enthralled!

We made it through the rest of the day – and yes, I did get up and read, although I read two poems instead of the longer story I had planned. I didn’t want to take any chances on the wind blowing me to Oz.

Sunday's Seven Wonders - SS Great Eastern

Having completed the 7 Natural Wonders of the World, I am moving on to the 7 Wonders of the Industrial World.

THE SS GREAT EASTERN

(Photo copyright Arny Grimbear)

The SS Great Eastern was an iron sailing steam ship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. She was the largest ship ever built at the time of her 1858 launch, and had the capacity to carry 4,000 passengers around the world without refueling. Her length was 692 feet and her gross tonnage was 18,915. Brunel knew her affectionately as the "Great Babe." He died in 1859 shortly after the SS's ill-fated maiden voyage.


(Isambard Kingdom Brunel against the launching chains of the Great Eastern in 1857)

The Great Eastern's maiden voyage began on September 9, 1859 as the ship passed down the Thames and had just passed into the English Channel when there was a huge explosion. The forward deck blew apart with enough force to throw one of the four funnels into the air, which was followed by a rush of escaping steam. The captain - Scott Russell - and two engineers went below and ordered the steam to be blown off and the engine speed reduced. Five stokers died from being scalded by superheated steam, while four or five others were badly injured and one had leaped overboard and had been lost. The accident was discovered to have been caused by a feedwater heater's steam exhaust having been closed, while the explosion's power had been concentrated by the ship's extremely strong bulkheads.

(SS Great Eastern with its four funnels)

In 1857, during the planning of the Suez Canal, it was thought the Great Eastern would not be able to traverse it, since she had a draft of 28 feet and it was expected that the canal would be excavated to a depth of 26 feet. In the event, when the canal was opened to shipping in 1869 the Great Eastern was no longer in passenger service.

When the SS Great Eastern retired from passenger/cargo transports, it was refitted to carry coiled cable. In this new role, the Great Eastern was responsible for laying 2,600 statute miles of the 1865 transatlantic telegraph cable. From 1866 to 1878 the ship laid over 26,000 nautical miles of submarine telegraph cable.

(The SS Great Eastern, July 1866)

In 1880 at the end of her cable laying career, the Great Eastern was refitted once again as a liner but these efforts failed. She was used as a showboat, a floating palace/concert hall and gymnasium. By the time she was sold piecemeal at auction in 1888 she had become an embarrassment. She was broken up for scrap at Rock Ferry on the River Mersey by Henry Bath & Son Ltd in 1889–1890 —it took 18 months to take her apart.

Penn Store Writers

Continuing the theme of Kentucky Writers, my writing group - The Community of Mercer County Writers - will be participating in the KENTUCKY WRITERS DAY CELEBRATION at Penn Store this afternoon at 2:30.



Penn Store is the oldest country store in America being run continuously by the same family. It has been in the Penn family since 1850. Nestled in the central region of Kentucky, Penn's Store has become a popular site for visitors seeking living history in an ever changing, modern world.


The Kentucky Writers Day Celebration was started to honor, preserve, and encourage the UNBRIDLED SPIRIT of the written word. Writers, authors, poets, journalists, songwriters from all over Kentucky will be reading and performing.

PRIMEVAL

Yes, Primeval returns in 3 weeks! If you haven't watched this cool BBC program, I think the Sci-Fi channel is rerunning the first 2 seasons - I don't know what day or time.

Free Flowing Friday

1.) I have big plans to today - today is Kentucky Writer's Day at the Capitol in Frankfort. Several people from my writing group are going to watch the induction of our new Poet Laurate, Gurney Norman. This is a great day for Kentucky writers. I was able to get Christine excused from school today, so she will be able to go with us.


2.) I've started a new series of young adult books - Stoneheart Trilogy by Charlie Fletcher. The 3 books are Stoneheart, Ironhand and Silvertongue.

"When George Chapman accidentally damages a stone dragon at the Natural History Museum, he is plunged into an alternate London where the statues are alive."

3.) I've been busy planting the mass amount of hostas I bought earlier in the week. They were $2 a piece for the huge Sum and Substance hostas and for the smaller varigated and golden hostas. I'm lining the walkway from the mailbox with a combination of the smaller ones and planting the large ones up near the front of the house.

4.) I have several DVR programs to watch this weekend - it's been too busy of a week to watch them all. Castle, Heroes, Bones and Dollhouse - this will give me something to do while Keith and Christine are at work tonight and tomorrow night.

5.) And speaking of my family working, the movies this weekend at Twin Hills Drive-In are Hannah Montana and Knowing.

Bobbi's Yummy Meatloaf

My youngest daughter loves my meatloaf, so I normally cook it several times a month. I have adapted my recipe many times over the years and finally hit upon a combination my entire family enjoys. So ... I thought I'd share it with you!


BOBBI'S YUMMY MEATLOAF

--1 lb. ground turkey (chicken, deerburger or hamburger - whatever your family enjoys)
--1 egg
--1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
--1/2 cup chopped onions
--1 envelope onion soup mix
--1/2 cup tomato paste with 1 TBSP of sugar (or you can use ketsup)
--1 box stuffing mix

99% of the time, I use ground turkey for my meatloaf because it is what my family likes. The chicken and hamburger are just as good, and using deermeat is delicious, but you need to add a 1/2 water with the deermeat because it is so lean.

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl until everything is incorporated. Press mixture into a loaf pan. You can place a thin layer of tomato paste (or ketsup) over the top of the loaf and then cover the pan with foil.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes; uncover loaf and continue cooking for 10-15 more minutes, or until loaf feels firm when a knife is inserted into the center. Let rest for 10 minutes then slice.

Yummy!! Serve with salad and your favorite veggie ...

Freedom of Speech - Even if We Don't Agree

Although I don't agree with her opinion on gay marriage or gay rights, I think the media has been too harsh on Miss California, Carrie Prejean. That's the beauty (no pun intended) of this country, we are allowed to have our own opinions.

If Perez Hilton didn't want to hear an opposing opinion on gay rights, he shouldn't have asked the question. I don't agree with her answer, but I respect her right to say it.

I actually feel sorry for the new Miss USA - she is being overshadowed by all this hub-bub.

Way Back Wednesday - American Graffiti

Okay folks, I'm reaching waaaaaaay back in the Way Back Wednesday machine - 36 years to be exact, probably before many of you were born. OMG - I'm really getting old!

American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film directed by George Lucas, and written by Lucas, Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck. The film stars Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Charles Martin Smith, Paul Le Mat, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Cindy Williams, Suzanne Somers, and Wolfman Jack and features Harrison Ford.

American Graffiti takes place in 1962 Modesto, California, and follows the activities and adventures of a group of teenagers during a night of cruising around town and listening to pirate radio personality Wolfman Jack.

The story is presented in a series of vignettes focusing on the four main characters—Curt Henderson (Dreyfuss), Steve Bolander (Howard), John Milner (Le Mat) - I had such a crush on him - and Terry "The Toad" Fields (Smith). Steve and Curt are preparing to leave town to attend college in the East, John goes off cruising the streets in his yellow deuce coupe and Terry is car-sitting Steve's 1958 Chevy Impala for the evening.

The entire movie revolves around friendships, breakups and reunions with a look at typical summer activities for a group of teenagers in the early 1960s. I loved the cars in this film: '32 Deuce Coupe, '55 Bel-Air, '56 Thunderbird and '58 Chevy Impala - all of them too cool!

I think part of the appeal of this movie for me is the fact it is supposed to take place the year I was born. It is a fascinating - and somewhat realistic, according to my parents - look at teens and young adults in the early 1960s. I can actually picture my Dad at that time - he stills loves the cars from that era and has made a hobby out of restoring old cars. I can also picture my Mom with her big hair and trendy clothes - I have a few pictures of her at this time and she could have fit right into this movie.

This is a great family film and is rated PG.

Gurney Norman

The Kentucky Arts Council will have an induction ceremony for

GURNEY NORMAN

on Kentucky Writer's Day

Friday, April 24th at 11 am

The Capitol Rotunda, Frankfort, Kentucky

There will be a reception at 12 noon

This event is free and open to the public

I encourage everyone to try and attend this wonderful ceremony, whether you are a writer or not.

Johnny Depp and Rex Mundi

Johnny Depp has bought the film rights to the world of Rex Mundi - see Times Online for the entire article and a chance to download the 1st issue.

The critically acclaimed Dark Horse Comic by writer Arvid Nelson and artist EricJ and Juan Ferreyra is a religious murder mystery. Like Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code, which came after it, Rex Mundi deals with shadowy religious societies, codes embedded in famous paintings and books, Templar Knights and the secret of the Holy Grail.

Renovations Begin

The Mercer County Public Library renovation project has begun - I'm so excited! This is a photo of the current facade at the corner of Main and Lexington Street. The new addition will match this on the corner of Chiles and Lexington Street.

The Dry Cleaner's have relocated to a new building and the old building has come tumbling down.

The original library sign is still standing.

Seems strange to be able to see the City Government building (former Gateway building)from the library parking lot.

The view down Lexington Street.

When Did USA Become a Nation of Torturers?

In order to bring transparency to the United States Government, President Obama has released a number CIA documents regarding torture.

According to the May 30, 2005 Bradbury memo, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was waterboarded 183 times in March 2003 and Abu Zubaydah was waterboarded 83 times in August 2002.

To sign the petition asking Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate torture, visit FDL Action.

I have not had time to review all the documents released, so I don't know all the facts yet. I do know it is a sad day in America to learn that top officials of our government green lighted the use of torture. This makes us no better than other countries who openly use torture techniques.

I love my country and I want to see it safe, but at what cost to our humanity?

Sunday's Seven Wonders - Parícutin

(Photo by Karla Yannín Alcázar Quintero)

I must admit, this is one of the natural wonders I knew nothing about - I'm not even sure I've ever heard of this volcano.

Parícutin is a cinder cone volcano in the Mexican state of Michoacán, close to a lava-covered village of the same name. Paricutín is part the Michoacán-Guanajuato Volcanic Field, which covers much of west central Mexico.

(1943 eruption)

Parícutin began as a fissure in a cornfield on February 20, 1943. The volcano grew quickly, reaching five stories tall in just a week, and it could be seen from long distances after only one month. Much of the volcano's growth occurred during its first year, while it was still in the explosive pyroclastic phase. Nearby villages Paricutín (after which the volcano was named) and San Juan Parangaricutiro were both buried in lava and ash; the residents relocated to vacant land nearby.

(I had no idea volcanos were made from the ground up! I had always assumed they were already mountains that finally erupted.)

(The cinder cone in 1943)


In one year's time the volcano had grown 1,102+ feet tall. For the next eight years the volcano continued to erupt, but they were considered quiet eruptions where the lava would scorch the surrounding 9+ square miles of land. Parícutin's activity would slowly decline until 1952 when the eruptions ended and volcano went quiet at a maximum height of 1,391 feet above the cornfield from which it was born. The volcano has been quiet since. Parícutin is a monogenetic volcano, which means that it will never erupt again.

(Photo: Getty Images)

(Paricutin lava fields - photo from Raphaelk)

Poetry Slam

Thursday night, April 17th, Mercer County Senior High School hosted a Poetry/Prose Coffee House in honor of National Poetry Month and Kentucky Writer's Day. The 2nd annual "Poetry Slam" was a great stage for accomplished writers and budding poets.

The Poetry Slam was organized by Betty Dean and Roni Gilpin.


The first person to read was Mercer County's very own celebrity author, Charles Semones. Charles read 3 poems: "Lethargy," "Wildflowers" and "Caine's Landing."


Tony Sexton is the leader of the Mercer County Community of Writers - Nomadic Ink - and he also conducts writing workshops throughout the year. Tony read "The Shoeshine Man" and "For the Students."


Earl Dean read an excerpt from his upcoming novella, "A Tailor Maiden's Secret." Watch this blog for updates on the publication of this young adult novella.


Taylor Griggs, MCSH, read an original poem.


William Crawford, MCSH, recited "Annabel Lee" - by Edgar Allan Poe - and read two original poems: "Lifeless Living" and "Love and Roses."


Kesha Bauer, MCSH, read 2 original poems: "Finally You Go" and "Phase Me."


Morgan Strautz, MCSH, read several original poems including "My Life" and "Road Not Taken."


Marian Bauer - Bauer House in Harrodsburg - is a wonderful storyteller and she related the story of "The Raggedy Man."


Christine Rightmyer, MCSH, read an original poem "Symbol of Death."