SmartFIX40: Countdown to I-40 closure begins
Let the 16-month to 3-year media-generated panic begin.
I've read a hundred stories in the news about what's about to come.
And 9/10 of a mile stretch of the interstate in downtown Knoxville is about to be closed for repair and enhancement. Knoxville and Knox County residents react with a frenzy that's equal to 10 impending-snowstorm-grocery runs. Running in the streets, cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria...
The media - that includes newspapers, TV stations, radio, etc - has made every effort to make this small change in traffic flow into a major, major traffic disruption. And that's now just what it will become, because people believe it will be.
If all this had been pushed to the back page of the local section, we wouldn't see traffic problems past the first day or so. Out of town travelers passing through would simply be redirected by signs through I-640 around town. Local folks traveling from West Knox to East Knox and vice versa would follow similar routes. People wishing to get downtown are surely passingly familiar enough with downtown topography to get where they need to go with only a slight delay or some extra time planning a route. It's simple - everything eastbound is open up to James White Pkwy, from which all of downtown is completely accessible. And being from the west, that's going to be the majority of the traffic anyway. Westbounders from the east may have a slightly more complicated time of it coming west, but still should know where you can go when you get off at Hall of Fame Dr. or Cherry St.
It's a huge package of a no-brainer, people. Just follow your noses and your instincts, and above all....
DON'T PANIC!!!!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
All of This Has Happened Before...
It's getting more and more difficult to watch Battlestar Galactica. It really is. I just don't do well with dramatic shows that simply have no real hope. Or with characters that have collectively lost their way. The path this show travels continues to get darker and darker, and if it doesn't end this year with a great satisfaction, I'm going to be rather upset. And I'll probably feel, as I did to a certain extent with Babylon 5 and Farscape, that I've wasted some of my time being faithful to a show that wasn't faithful back to me.
I have higher hopes for Lost. But we'll see.
Anyway, about Galactica. Here are my two alternate ending theories. I don't think both could happen, though I suppose it's possible. I just think either of these revelations might occur.
1) A frequent phrase used by the human-looking Cylon skinjobs is, "All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again." We've seen old-series-style Basestars, centurions and Raiders, as well as old series Vipers that were all supposedly used in the original war with the Cylons. I wouldn't be surprised if somehow the old series is tied back into the new one, as having actually happened before in the past. Or some alternate reality/dimension/whatever. That one time there was another Adama, another Apollo, a male Starbuck, a black male Boomer, etc. And as time went on and evolved, the current Galactica crew evolved into the current story we watch today.
2) The 12 Colonies were established by survivors/refugees of the planet Kobol, which was rendered uninhabitable sometime in the distant past - that much is established. Legend tells them that a fabled 13th tribe went off and founded the lost colony of "Earth". I'm thinking that last colony didn't go off into the dark, but went in search of the actual origin of mankind. That they probably found Earth - but didn't "found" it so to say. They probably resettled it, or established themselves into its own culture.
In other words, long, longer ago than even Colonial history claims, our Earth sent out travelers into the deep, taking with them the names of the Greek gods, the idea of monotheism, phrases like "We the People", the term "nihilism", toasters, neckties, automobiles, nuclear bombs and, yes, "All Along the Waterfront" by Bob Dylan. These travelers from our future eventually settled Kobol, established themselves as an original settlement, long enough to reclaim the Greek gods as their own theology, then eventually founded the 12 Colonies. One group decided to hike back to Earth and see what was up. What happened to them we'll probably eventually find out.
And this is more likely the origin of the "All this has happened before, all will happen again" motif.
Whether the two theories merge, and the old-series BSG crew is really the original returnees, I don't know. But I wouldn't be surprised to see both ideas incorporated into the ending.
I have higher hopes for Lost. But we'll see.
Anyway, about Galactica. Here are my two alternate ending theories. I don't think both could happen, though I suppose it's possible. I just think either of these revelations might occur.
1) A frequent phrase used by the human-looking Cylon skinjobs is, "All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again." We've seen old-series-style Basestars, centurions and Raiders, as well as old series Vipers that were all supposedly used in the original war with the Cylons. I wouldn't be surprised if somehow the old series is tied back into the new one, as having actually happened before in the past. Or some alternate reality/dimension/whatever. That one time there was another Adama, another Apollo, a male Starbuck, a black male Boomer, etc. And as time went on and evolved, the current Galactica crew evolved into the current story we watch today.
2) The 12 Colonies were established by survivors/refugees of the planet Kobol, which was rendered uninhabitable sometime in the distant past - that much is established. Legend tells them that a fabled 13th tribe went off and founded the lost colony of "Earth". I'm thinking that last colony didn't go off into the dark, but went in search of the actual origin of mankind. That they probably found Earth - but didn't "found" it so to say. They probably resettled it, or established themselves into its own culture.
In other words, long, longer ago than even Colonial history claims, our Earth sent out travelers into the deep, taking with them the names of the Greek gods, the idea of monotheism, phrases like "We the People", the term "nihilism", toasters, neckties, automobiles, nuclear bombs and, yes, "All Along the Waterfront" by Bob Dylan. These travelers from our future eventually settled Kobol, established themselves as an original settlement, long enough to reclaim the Greek gods as their own theology, then eventually founded the 12 Colonies. One group decided to hike back to Earth and see what was up. What happened to them we'll probably eventually find out.
And this is more likely the origin of the "All this has happened before, all will happen again" motif.
Whether the two theories merge, and the old-series BSG crew is really the original returnees, I don't know. But I wouldn't be surprised to see both ideas incorporated into the ending.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Gene Rayburn! Go Gene Rayburn!
With new pistons plugs and shocks,
Flox, flox, flox!
You know that I ain't braggin'
Have you ever seen a dragon?
Gene Rayburn!!
Who knew we were singing it wrong?
Flox, flox, flox!
You know that I ain't braggin'
Have you ever seen a dragon?
Gene Rayburn!!
Who knew we were singing it wrong?
Friday, April 25, 2008
Greased Lighting! Go Greas----zzzzzzzzt.....*pop*
I have been quite lax lately in blogging, some because of Twitter, some just laziness, mostly a lack of anything to say.
But some things just write themselves.
Tonight opened "Grease" at the Oak Ridge Playhouse. To give you an idea of where the band is located in the show, in the middle of the stage is constructed what's basically a giant jukebox. An open area in the middle lets a platform slide back to front, and we're on a fixed bandstand above it, in the face of the "jukebox". Because we're up in the air, power to all of our instruments, lights and amps comes from one long extension cord.
About 1/2 hour before we started tonight, our power went out. Oops! Sorry, mistake. It was restored eventually.
Fast-forward to the end of the first act. It's the final song of the act, "We Go Together" and we're coming out of the drum break into a key change and the final verse.
Our power goes out. Again.
Now, we have a bass, an electric guitar and two electronic keyboards. No sound, no lights on the stands, nothing. But we have our intrepid drummer, Carey who continues to pound out the beat. Later I heard the cast tell us that they raised a few eyebrows at the lack of music coming from behind them, but kept bravely on...
The verse ended, we were about to continue into the final repeated chorus and our power came on. We were able to pick right up where they were and ended the act.
The explanation was that when they moved that lower rolling platform out of the way, it bumped the extension cord and knocked it out of the wall! Needless to say I made my concerns known quite clearly to the stage manager and she had things fixed very quickly - they added a longer extension cord and wrapped it around the top of the set.
Problem solved! I hope. Till next time, I think I may invest in a set of acoustic guitars and a xylophone just in case...
But some things just write themselves.
Tonight opened "Grease" at the Oak Ridge Playhouse. To give you an idea of where the band is located in the show, in the middle of the stage is constructed what's basically a giant jukebox. An open area in the middle lets a platform slide back to front, and we're on a fixed bandstand above it, in the face of the "jukebox". Because we're up in the air, power to all of our instruments, lights and amps comes from one long extension cord.
About 1/2 hour before we started tonight, our power went out. Oops! Sorry, mistake. It was restored eventually.
Fast-forward to the end of the first act. It's the final song of the act, "We Go Together" and we're coming out of the drum break into a key change and the final verse.
Our power goes out. Again.
Now, we have a bass, an electric guitar and two electronic keyboards. No sound, no lights on the stands, nothing. But we have our intrepid drummer, Carey who continues to pound out the beat. Later I heard the cast tell us that they raised a few eyebrows at the lack of music coming from behind them, but kept bravely on...
The verse ended, we were about to continue into the final repeated chorus and our power came on. We were able to pick right up where they were and ended the act.
The explanation was that when they moved that lower rolling platform out of the way, it bumped the extension cord and knocked it out of the wall! Needless to say I made my concerns known quite clearly to the stage manager and she had things fixed very quickly - they added a longer extension cord and wrapped it around the top of the set.
Problem solved! I hope. Till next time, I think I may invest in a set of acoustic guitars and a xylophone just in case...
Friday, April 18, 2008
Factum, Adeptio
When Brainyboy started middle school this past fall, we weren't sure what to expect. Especially since our school was starting a brand new subject that all sixth graders were required to take: Latin.
Latin?? Why would anyone want to take Latin? I remember in high school some of the brainiest kids took Latin, but I never could understand why. Did they just all want to become doctors? Archaeologists? Anthropologists? I was happy taking French (well, happy as a high school could be taking any foreign language).
But hey, I'm all for progress. All this school year, every night, he's brought home a set of Latin vocabulary words that he's written each onto a half of an index card to study. I can't count the number of flash cards he's made...has to be in the hundreds.
He's since become one of the best Latin students in his class, which makes us proud.
But he saw his greatest factum, adeptio (or achievement) last week.
Incredibilis!
Latin?? Why would anyone want to take Latin? I remember in high school some of the brainiest kids took Latin, but I never could understand why. Did they just all want to become doctors? Archaeologists? Anthropologists? I was happy taking French (well, happy as a high school could be taking any foreign language).
But hey, I'm all for progress. All this school year, every night, he's brought home a set of Latin vocabulary words that he's written each onto a half of an index card to study. I can't count the number of flash cards he's made...has to be in the hundreds.
He's since become one of the best Latin students in his class, which makes us proud.
But he saw his greatest factum, adeptio (or achievement) last week.
On March 13, thirty sixth graders took the National Latin Exam. They joined more than 187,000 students world-wide who take the exam yearly. I am pleased to announce that 11 of our 6th graders have earned scores high enough to be recognized by the American Classical League. For those students who missed 9 or fewer questions on the exam, they will receive a certificate of Achievement on the National Latin Exam. For those who missed 5 or fewer, they will receive a certificate of Outstanding Achievement on the National Latin Exam. I would like to say how proud I am of the effort of everyone who took the exam and especially for those honored.Brainyboy is a winner of a certificate of Outstanding Achievement on the National Latin Exam.
Incredibilis!
Friday's Feast
Appetizer - Name a color you find soothing.
Green. Green trees, grass, etc - anything out in nature. We have a lot of spaces of just endless green here in East Tennessee. i love living here near the mountains, and the valley with all our varieties of hollows and forests.
Soup - Using 20 or less words, describe your first driving experience.
Parking lot - Central High School. In our station wagon, just me and dad. No injuries, no damage, no lawsuits!
Salad - What material is your favorite item of clothing made out of?
Um...cotton? I have no idea.
Main Course - Who is a great singer or musician who, if they were to come to your town for a concert, you would spend the night outside waiting for tickets to see?
Probably Jimmy Buffett, if I actually had a chance of getting tickets. Although a couple of artists I've never seen in concert, namely Paul McCartney (A Beatle! I mean, c'mon, there's only two left and the other one's Ringo) and Billy Joel that won't be touring forever and it might be my last and only chance...
Dessert - What is the most frequent letter of the alphabet in your whole name (first, middle, maiden, last, etc.)?
There are 4 "a's" in my first, middle and last names combined. And two "l's", two "r's", and two "w's".
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
A Fine Young Man on a Fine Spring Day
I hope you enjoy this video of my son, Brainyboy, playing soccer.
Not just your typical camcorder footage, this is something special... please take a look and leave comments. It's my first real attempt at video editing...
Not just your typical camcorder footage, this is something special... please take a look and leave comments. It's my first real attempt at video editing...
You Can Have It Both Ways
Pope: 'Ashamed' of clergy abuse scandal
Because even more diligence needs to be paid to ensure that existing men of the clergy do not become pedophiles - or have long-suppressed urges emerge - while being around children. Because that's what happened before. Local bishops were seemingly aware of the conduct of their priestly charges and turned a blind eye.
There doesn't need to be a witch hunt, and innocent, Godly men need to not be falsely accused. There's a line between genuine fatherly affection for children - the same that Jesus showed the little ones that came to him - and unnatural, hurtful contact that can affect a child for years and years. The entire process needs to be dealt with in love, fairness and openness. But it needs to be dealt with and not again swept under the rug.
It's not enough to say we've done all we can to keep the bad guys out. We have to make sure they're not already here...
Pope Benedict XVI said Tuesday he was "deeply ashamed" of the clergy sexual abuse scandal that stained the Catholic church and will work to make sure pedophiles don't become priests.I hope he's sincere about it, unlike apparently his predecessor (although I would imagine the blame lies more in the US church's leadership). But I certainly hope he doesn't imply that once the "vetting" process is over, and they are satisfied pedophiles have not slipped through the priestly screening process, that they will clap themselves on the back and congratulate themselves on a job well done.
Because even more diligence needs to be paid to ensure that existing men of the clergy do not become pedophiles - or have long-suppressed urges emerge - while being around children. Because that's what happened before. Local bishops were seemingly aware of the conduct of their priestly charges and turned a blind eye.
There doesn't need to be a witch hunt, and innocent, Godly men need to not be falsely accused. There's a line between genuine fatherly affection for children - the same that Jesus showed the little ones that came to him - and unnatural, hurtful contact that can affect a child for years and years. The entire process needs to be dealt with in love, fairness and openness. But it needs to be dealt with and not again swept under the rug.
It's not enough to say we've done all we can to keep the bad guys out. We have to make sure they're not already here...
Friday, April 11, 2008
Logtar's Friday Feast
Apparently the folks at Friday Feast are taking the day off today (obviously to repair their email notification system which hasn't notified me a new feast is ready like it should in like, months) so Logtar's taken it upon himself to create one!
Appetizer - Lets start with a trio sampler of word association… I say,
Tear :: Down
Hawk :: Man
Alien :: Autopsy
Soup - If you had to pick a body of water that you have visited in your life to build a house next to, which one would it be… describe the scenery.
That's easy - the Caribbean Sea. I'd like a villa on the coast of St. Maartin, a wide stretch of beach between us and the sea, a small port village nearby. Several shady palm trees out front, just far enough apart to hang a hammock. Blue skies, fresh salty breezes, a boat waiting nearby to sail off into the harbor...
Salad - Everyone is being green now-a-days, what is your favorite green initiative?
Trees. Lots of trees and grass. And shrubbery. But seriously, hey, we recycle every other Thursday (when I remember to set out the recycle bin).
Main Course - Mexican is one of my favorite foods, share the name of your favorite Mexican dish with all of us (and where to find it) … even if it is just a Taco Bell chalupa?
I love tacos, that's the basic thing. Love-'em love-'em love-'em! Had three from Taco Bell last night - and I survived! I also really like tostadas, the flat tortillas covered in ground beef and queso. Yum...
Dessert - What was the color of your first bicycle, or the oldest toy that you remember and what fruit do you associate with that color?
I guess the first bike I had was red, and I associate red with cherries, strawberries and apples.
Appetizer - Lets start with a trio sampler of word association… I say,
Tear :: Down
Hawk :: Man
Alien :: Autopsy
Soup - If you had to pick a body of water that you have visited in your life to build a house next to, which one would it be… describe the scenery.
That's easy - the Caribbean Sea. I'd like a villa on the coast of St. Maartin, a wide stretch of beach between us and the sea, a small port village nearby. Several shady palm trees out front, just far enough apart to hang a hammock. Blue skies, fresh salty breezes, a boat waiting nearby to sail off into the harbor...
Salad - Everyone is being green now-a-days, what is your favorite green initiative?
Trees. Lots of trees and grass. And shrubbery. But seriously, hey, we recycle every other Thursday (when I remember to set out the recycle bin).
Main Course - Mexican is one of my favorite foods, share the name of your favorite Mexican dish with all of us (and where to find it) … even if it is just a Taco Bell chalupa?
I love tacos, that's the basic thing. Love-'em love-'em love-'em! Had three from Taco Bell last night - and I survived! I also really like tostadas, the flat tortillas covered in ground beef and queso. Yum...
Dessert - What was the color of your first bicycle, or the oldest toy that you remember and what fruit do you associate with that color?
I guess the first bike I had was red, and I associate red with cherries, strawberries and apples.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
The Only Way It Would've Been Sweeter...
...is if it had been UConn....
But no matter - the Tennessee Lady Vols win their EIGHTH Total and Second consecutive National Championship and with a 64-48 win over Stanford.
Nothing more need be said :)
But no matter - the Tennessee Lady Vols win their EIGHTH Total and Second consecutive National Championship and with a 64-48 win over Stanford.
Nothing more need be said :)
Monday, April 07, 2008
When is a Cylon not a Cylon?
...when it just thinks it's a Cylon.
Bear with me, all those who do not partake in the joyous nectar that is Battlestar Galactica.
Ok, maybe that's over-romantacizing it. I'll leave the hyperbole to Michael discussing it and Doctor Who. But for those that follow the show closely, I have some ideas..
As we all know in last season's finale and this past Friday's final season premiere, four of our beloved Galactica cast members discovered they were actually Cylons. More specifically, four of the "final five" Cylons, a subgroup of the total twelve human-looking models that supposedly exist. Only the elusive twelfth remains unseen and unidentified.
However, I think we should actually take this with a grain of salt at this point, and here's why...
All during the two-part season finale last year, Tigh, Anders, Tory and Tyrol began hearing music in their heads. Snippets of a tune none of them had heard before, but seemed to be broadcasting from somewhere in the ship. All throughout the two-parter they searched out the source before finally in the heat of the battle came together in common purpose. Each had a line from Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" being sent to their brains, a signal which led them to the conclusion that they were all Cylons...
What??
Ok, this may rehash arguments that have raged over the summer, but the leap of logic from "We all hear tunes in our head" to "We're Cylons" is a pretty big leap. A leap that seems to have been pushed along a bit by whatever is causing the signal in the first place.
Ok, now jumping ahead to the premiere episode.
Of the four cast members, only Tigh and Anders have actual experiences that might lend us (and them) to believe they are truly Cylons. Tigh reports to Admiral Adama on the bridge with renewed belief that he is in control of his own destiny. He is is own man, a Colonial Warrior for many years, and fiercely and faithfully human. Then he sees himself shoot Adama in the head, assassinating their leader and his best friend in cold blood just as another newly-discovered-Cylon did, Boomer. It's a vision, but an incredibly real one and it shakes him to the core. Proof he's a Cylon - ready to betray his friends and his people at the worst possible time, right?
No. Seems to me to be an easily explained hallucination of self-doubt. Tigh is a man who wants to be the best he can, but is continually attacked by his own inner demons. Demons of the bottle, of the wrong women, of anger, of power. He is extremely insecure and would consider betrayal the worst thing he could do. So of course, what would a Cylon controlling influence want to play up in his mind? The scenario that he might indeed become a traitor to his people. Which would make him believe more than ever he was actually a Cylon. Whatever influence the music signal has over him has suggested the idea of betrayal in his head, which manifested itself in a hallucination.
Anders is a natural hero, from sports to resistance and finding himself a bit useless - especially with his wife, Starbuck supposedly dead - becomes a nugget Viper pilot. When all available pilots are called to the air to defend the fleet, Anders is hesitant. He has the same doubts and fears Tigh has - that he will turn on a fellow pilot in combat. What happens to Anders is a bit different... he freezes when a Cylon Raider is in his sights - wait, his safeties are on. How did that happen? Did his Cylon programming subconsciously cause him to lock the safeties without him knowing it? But wait...it gets worse. The Raider he's chasing turns a quick 180 and locks him in its sights. The red laser eye of the Raider Pilot zeros in on Anders, and we briefly see our hero's eye turn red - red glows being a running symbol of Cylon-ness.
To many that was the big confirmation. Anders eye turned red...yep - it's confirmed for sure now. He's a Cylon! They're all Cylons! Everybody's a Cylon!
It seemed to me on further review that all the Raider Pilot did was illuminate Anders' eye with the beam, identify the Viper Pilot as one of the contacted "four", understand that Anders had had him in his sites and failed to fire which confirmed the contact and "suggestioning" was successful. The Raider turned and ran, and the attacking Cylon fleet did the same.
Again, the power of suggestion at work. I think the real Cylons found a way to send a signal to certain individuals to make them think they are Cylons. Tigh, Anders, Tory and Tyrol - all in positions of authority and close proximity to important people in the fleet (Adama, Starbuck, Roslin and...hm, not sure about Tyrol. Callie? Athena?) Regardless, all we've seen so far is the power of suggestion. The Cylons suggested, via the music signal, that the four were Cylons. Their imaginations and deep-seated fears and insecurities have taken care of the rest.
Until I see some of the current Cylon hierarchy acknowledge the four's identities (something I don't believe even they know for sure - witness Six's reluctance to even think about them) or see some kind of incontrovertible proof I am not yet convinced.
And I think this is a much more interesting plot direction to take, personally. Letting someone's fears work for you. Nice job.
Other Thoughts:
* If these guys are not four of the final five, who are the four? Other Galacticans we've seen before? Totally new faces? If there are four other cast members that actually are Cylons having them pop up later in the season would seem like a cop-out and retread, which is not good story-telling. This is the biggest hang-up to my theory, and I hate it because it's not a plot hangup it's a dramatic one.
* Which possibly means the Final Five aren't like we think they might be. As a matter of fact, I think the Final Five don't even have the same agenda or motivations as the original Seven. Why so mysterious? Why so "ethereal" as in Six and Baltar's vision? Why don't they come out in the open?
* I thought Baltar's Cylon detector actually worked, but that he made it appear to be a failure. The cast discussed it, saying it didn't work at all because it didn't detect Boomer. But I think I remember it did detect Boomer, but Baltar supressed the information. Am I remembering that right? If it does actually work, could it be used to test the "final four" at some point?
Bear with me, all those who do not partake in the joyous nectar that is Battlestar Galactica.
Ok, maybe that's over-romantacizing it. I'll leave the hyperbole to Michael discussing it and Doctor Who. But for those that follow the show closely, I have some ideas..
As we all know in last season's finale and this past Friday's final season premiere, four of our beloved Galactica cast members discovered they were actually Cylons. More specifically, four of the "final five" Cylons, a subgroup of the total twelve human-looking models that supposedly exist. Only the elusive twelfth remains unseen and unidentified.
However, I think we should actually take this with a grain of salt at this point, and here's why...
All during the two-part season finale last year, Tigh, Anders, Tory and Tyrol began hearing music in their heads. Snippets of a tune none of them had heard before, but seemed to be broadcasting from somewhere in the ship. All throughout the two-parter they searched out the source before finally in the heat of the battle came together in common purpose. Each had a line from Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" being sent to their brains, a signal which led them to the conclusion that they were all Cylons...
What??
Ok, this may rehash arguments that have raged over the summer, but the leap of logic from "We all hear tunes in our head" to "We're Cylons" is a pretty big leap. A leap that seems to have been pushed along a bit by whatever is causing the signal in the first place.
Ok, now jumping ahead to the premiere episode.
Of the four cast members, only Tigh and Anders have actual experiences that might lend us (and them) to believe they are truly Cylons. Tigh reports to Admiral Adama on the bridge with renewed belief that he is in control of his own destiny. He is is own man, a Colonial Warrior for many years, and fiercely and faithfully human. Then he sees himself shoot Adama in the head, assassinating their leader and his best friend in cold blood just as another newly-discovered-Cylon did, Boomer. It's a vision, but an incredibly real one and it shakes him to the core. Proof he's a Cylon - ready to betray his friends and his people at the worst possible time, right?
No. Seems to me to be an easily explained hallucination of self-doubt. Tigh is a man who wants to be the best he can, but is continually attacked by his own inner demons. Demons of the bottle, of the wrong women, of anger, of power. He is extremely insecure and would consider betrayal the worst thing he could do. So of course, what would a Cylon controlling influence want to play up in his mind? The scenario that he might indeed become a traitor to his people. Which would make him believe more than ever he was actually a Cylon. Whatever influence the music signal has over him has suggested the idea of betrayal in his head, which manifested itself in a hallucination.
Anders is a natural hero, from sports to resistance and finding himself a bit useless - especially with his wife, Starbuck supposedly dead - becomes a nugget Viper pilot. When all available pilots are called to the air to defend the fleet, Anders is hesitant. He has the same doubts and fears Tigh has - that he will turn on a fellow pilot in combat. What happens to Anders is a bit different... he freezes when a Cylon Raider is in his sights - wait, his safeties are on. How did that happen? Did his Cylon programming subconsciously cause him to lock the safeties without him knowing it? But wait...it gets worse. The Raider he's chasing turns a quick 180 and locks him in its sights. The red laser eye of the Raider Pilot zeros in on Anders, and we briefly see our hero's eye turn red - red glows being a running symbol of Cylon-ness.
To many that was the big confirmation. Anders eye turned red...yep - it's confirmed for sure now. He's a Cylon! They're all Cylons! Everybody's a Cylon!
It seemed to me on further review that all the Raider Pilot did was illuminate Anders' eye with the beam, identify the Viper Pilot as one of the contacted "four", understand that Anders had had him in his sites and failed to fire which confirmed the contact and "suggestioning" was successful. The Raider turned and ran, and the attacking Cylon fleet did the same.
Again, the power of suggestion at work. I think the real Cylons found a way to send a signal to certain individuals to make them think they are Cylons. Tigh, Anders, Tory and Tyrol - all in positions of authority and close proximity to important people in the fleet (Adama, Starbuck, Roslin and...hm, not sure about Tyrol. Callie? Athena?) Regardless, all we've seen so far is the power of suggestion. The Cylons suggested, via the music signal, that the four were Cylons. Their imaginations and deep-seated fears and insecurities have taken care of the rest.
Until I see some of the current Cylon hierarchy acknowledge the four's identities (something I don't believe even they know for sure - witness Six's reluctance to even think about them) or see some kind of incontrovertible proof I am not yet convinced.
And I think this is a much more interesting plot direction to take, personally. Letting someone's fears work for you. Nice job.
Other Thoughts:
* If these guys are not four of the final five, who are the four? Other Galacticans we've seen before? Totally new faces? If there are four other cast members that actually are Cylons having them pop up later in the season would seem like a cop-out and retread, which is not good story-telling. This is the biggest hang-up to my theory, and I hate it because it's not a plot hangup it's a dramatic one.
* Which possibly means the Final Five aren't like we think they might be. As a matter of fact, I think the Final Five don't even have the same agenda or motivations as the original Seven. Why so mysterious? Why so "ethereal" as in Six and Baltar's vision? Why don't they come out in the open?
* I thought Baltar's Cylon detector actually worked, but that he made it appear to be a failure. The cast discussed it, saying it didn't work at all because it didn't detect Boomer. But I think I remember it did detect Boomer, but Baltar supressed the information. Am I remembering that right? If it does actually work, could it be used to test the "final four" at some point?
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Movie Quotes Meme UPDATE
I'll be posting the answers to the rest of the Movie Quotes Meme this afternoon around 3. Better hurry and get those last second answers in, or a Sandman might get you!
Ok, that a was a clue if you weren't paying attention.
Here's some more:
The main guy from Enchanted is quoted (from another movie).
Two of the quotes are from non-human characters.
One is from a screen musical.
One was based on a hit TV show of the time, and had the same actors.
One's a horror movie from the 80's.
One's a remake that has subsequently been remade again. So it's like the middle remake.
UPDATE - THE ANSWERS:
1. Play the sunset.
(Glen Holland/Richard Dreyfuss, "Mr. Holland's Opus")
2. It wouldn't be terrible at all. It would be a miracle, not to mention the money I'd save on epsom salts and ace bandages.
(Audrey, "Little Shop of Horrors")
3. I need to talk to you. Every time I call you're either taking a bath, washing your hair or you're out of the country. That was a good one, by the way.
(Ronald Miller/Patrick Dempsey, "Can't Buy Me Love")
4. Now hear this, now hear this. This is your Captain speaking. My fine pinioned pirates, we're approaching the tricky buoy! Sharpen your cutlasses! There may be skullduggery ahead!
(The Penguin/Burgess Meredith, "Batman the Movie (1966)")
5. My little brother got his arm stuck in the microwave. So my mom had to take him to the hospital. My grandma dropped acid this morning, and she freaked out. She hijacked a busload of penguins. So it's sort of a family crisis. Bye!
(Lane Myer/John Cusack, "Better Off Dead")
6. Well, it's a puzzle because, technically, you're not alive. Except you're conscious, so we don't know what it means.
(Paramedic, "Return of the Living Dead")
7. Fish, and plankton. And sea greens, and protein from the sea.
(Box, "Logan's Run")
8. Remember you told me to tell you when you were acting rudely and insensitively? Remember that? You're doing it right now.
(Jim Sting, "WarGames")
9. Hey, hey, I'm sorry, okay? Twenty-six years buried in the deepest, darkest jungle and I still became my father.
(Alan Parrish/Robin Williams, "Jumanji")
10. Not beautiful you understand, but you have a certain prettiness, different from my other heads. I believe I'll lock you in the tower for a few years until your head is ready. And then I'll take it.
(Mombi, "Return to Oz")
11. Jack, let me straighten you out on a couple of points. One, that wall is an ancient ruin. Two, this island is uninhabited. [Loud drumming begins] ...And three, there's an uninhabited German beer hall down there with a mechanical band.
(Fred Wilson/Grodin and Jack Prescott/Jeff Bridges, "King Kong (1976)")
12. So that's how my twelfth husband died. So, now I'm a widow. Well, I've always been a black widow, so now I'm a black widow widow.
(Rosie/Bonnie Hunt, "A Bug's Life")
13. So, let me get one thing straight here... We have a pro football team now, but they're in Nashville?
(Chuck Noland/Tom Hanks, "Cast Away")
14. Patriotism swells in the heart of the American bear.
(Fozzie Bear/Frank Oz, "The Muppet Movie")
15. They were about to confront the villain in its lair, FVB, the evil force that would poison young minds, pollute the environment, and subvert the democratic process.
(Mr. Kite/George Burns, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band")
Ok, that a was a clue if you weren't paying attention.
Here's some more:
The main guy from Enchanted is quoted (from another movie).
Two of the quotes are from non-human characters.
One is from a screen musical.
One was based on a hit TV show of the time, and had the same actors.
One's a horror movie from the 80's.
One's a remake that has subsequently been remade again. So it's like the middle remake.
UPDATE - THE ANSWERS:
1. Play the sunset.
(Glen Holland/Richard Dreyfuss, "Mr. Holland's Opus")
2. It wouldn't be terrible at all. It would be a miracle, not to mention the money I'd save on epsom salts and ace bandages.
(Audrey, "Little Shop of Horrors")
3. I need to talk to you. Every time I call you're either taking a bath, washing your hair or you're out of the country. That was a good one, by the way.
(Ronald Miller/Patrick Dempsey, "Can't Buy Me Love")
4. Now hear this, now hear this. This is your Captain speaking. My fine pinioned pirates, we're approaching the tricky buoy! Sharpen your cutlasses! There may be skullduggery ahead!
(The Penguin/Burgess Meredith, "Batman the Movie (1966)")
5. My little brother got his arm stuck in the microwave. So my mom had to take him to the hospital. My grandma dropped acid this morning, and she freaked out. She hijacked a busload of penguins. So it's sort of a family crisis. Bye!
(Lane Myer/John Cusack, "Better Off Dead")
6. Well, it's a puzzle because, technically, you're not alive. Except you're conscious, so we don't know what it means.
(Paramedic, "Return of the Living Dead")
7. Fish, and plankton. And sea greens, and protein from the sea.
(Box, "Logan's Run")
8. Remember you told me to tell you when you were acting rudely and insensitively? Remember that? You're doing it right now.
(Jim Sting, "WarGames")
9. Hey, hey, I'm sorry, okay? Twenty-six years buried in the deepest, darkest jungle and I still became my father.
(Alan Parrish/Robin Williams, "Jumanji")
10. Not beautiful you understand, but you have a certain prettiness, different from my other heads. I believe I'll lock you in the tower for a few years until your head is ready. And then I'll take it.
(Mombi, "Return to Oz")
11. Jack, let me straighten you out on a couple of points. One, that wall is an ancient ruin. Two, this island is uninhabited. [Loud drumming begins] ...And three, there's an uninhabited German beer hall down there with a mechanical band.
(Fred Wilson/Grodin and Jack Prescott/Jeff Bridges, "King Kong (1976)")
12. So that's how my twelfth husband died. So, now I'm a widow. Well, I've always been a black widow, so now I'm a black widow widow.
(Rosie/Bonnie Hunt, "A Bug's Life")
13. So, let me get one thing straight here... We have a pro football team now, but they're in Nashville?
(Chuck Noland/Tom Hanks, "Cast Away")
14. Patriotism swells in the heart of the American bear.
(Fozzie Bear/Frank Oz, "The Muppet Movie")
15. They were about to confront the villain in its lair, FVB, the evil force that would poison young minds, pollute the environment, and subvert the democratic process.
(Mr. Kite/George Burns, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band")
Shave and a Haircut - Two Hits!
Hey, how do I get in on this action?
Apparently SayUncle blogged about the new Gentlemen’s Top Cuts hair salon on Middlebrook Pike, got noticed by the folks that do their website, and was given a complimentary haircut and manicure as a way of saying thanks.
That's pretty nice of Gentlemen’s Top Cuts to do. It's an inexpensive way for Gentlemen’s Top Cuts to increase their awareness in the community, and maybe Gentlemen’s Top Cuts, by being affiliated with one of the region's top bloggers can boost some business. You know, some business for Gentlemen’s Top Cuts.
Because in today's society increased exposure on the internet can only help businesses like Gentlemen’s Top Cuts. I hope Gentlemen’s Top Cuts stays around for a long time, and possibly reaches out to, you know, other bloggers that might spread the word of that new hair salon, Gentlemen’s Top Cuts.
I hear the folks that work at Gentlemen’s Top Cuts are a really nice group of people, too? I mean, the best. Really. Seriously.
Did I mention their name? Gentlemen’s Top Cuts.
SU, let us know how it goes ;)
UPDATE: Looks like Michael Silence blogged about SayUncle getting treated so well at Gentlemen’s Top Cuts. See what happens when businesses embrace bloggers? Their exposure grows! Gentlemen’s Top Cuts is a prime example...
Ok, I'll stop now. :)
Apparently SayUncle blogged about the new Gentlemen’s Top Cuts hair salon on Middlebrook Pike, got noticed by the folks that do their website, and was given a complimentary haircut and manicure as a way of saying thanks.
That's pretty nice of Gentlemen’s Top Cuts to do. It's an inexpensive way for Gentlemen’s Top Cuts to increase their awareness in the community, and maybe Gentlemen’s Top Cuts, by being affiliated with one of the region's top bloggers can boost some business. You know, some business for Gentlemen’s Top Cuts.
Because in today's society increased exposure on the internet can only help businesses like Gentlemen’s Top Cuts. I hope Gentlemen’s Top Cuts stays around for a long time, and possibly reaches out to, you know, other bloggers that might spread the word of that new hair salon, Gentlemen’s Top Cuts.
I hear the folks that work at Gentlemen’s Top Cuts are a really nice group of people, too? I mean, the best. Really. Seriously.
Did I mention their name? Gentlemen’s Top Cuts.
SU, let us know how it goes ;)
UPDATE: Looks like Michael Silence blogged about SayUncle getting treated so well at Gentlemen’s Top Cuts. See what happens when businesses embrace bloggers? Their exposure grows! Gentlemen’s Top Cuts is a prime example...
Ok, I'll stop now. :)
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Movie Quotes Meme
Becky's been doing this for a while and Logtar has challenged me, so here it goes:
1. Play the sunset.
(Glen Holland/Richard Dreyfuss, "Mr. Holland's Opus" - Becky)
2. It wouldn't be terrible at all. It would be a miracle, not to mention the money I'd save on epsom salts and ace bandages.
(Audrey, "Little Shop of Horrors" - Rich)
3. I need to talk to you. Every time I call you're either taking a bath, washing your hair or you're out of the country. That was a good one, by the way.
4. Now hear this, now hear this. This is your Captain speaking. My fine pinioned pirates, we're approaching the tricky buoy! Sharpen your cutlasses! There may be skullduggery ahead!
5. My little brother got his arm stuck in the microwave. So my mom had to take him to the hospital. My grandma dropped acid this morning, and she freaked out. She hijacked a busload of penguins. So it's sort of a family crisis. Bye!
(Lane Myer/John Cusack, "Better Off Dead" - Rich)
6. Well, it's a puzzle because, technically, you're not alive. Except you're conscious, so we don't know what it means.
(Paramedic, "Return of the Living Dead" - Rich)
7. Fish, and plankton. And sea greens, and protein from the sea.
8. Remember you told me to tell you when you were acting rudely and insensitively? Remember that? You're doing it right now.
(Jim Sting, "WarGames" - Cathy)
9. Hey, hey, I'm sorry, okay? Twenty-six years buried in the deepest, darkest jungle and I still became my father.
(Alan Parrish/Robin Williams, "Jumanji" - Cathy)
10. Not beautiful you understand, but you have a certain prettiness, different from my other heads. I believe I'll lock you in the tower for a few years until your head is ready. And then I'll take it.
(Mombi, "Return to Oz" - Misty)
11. Jack, let me straighten you out on a couple of points. One, that wall is an ancient ruin. Two, this island is uninhabited. [Loud drumming begins] ...And three, there's an uninhabited German beer hall down there with a mechanical band.
12. So that's how my twelfth husband died. So, now I'm a widow. Well, I've always been a black widow, so now I'm a black widow widow.
13. So, let me get one thing straight here... We have a pro football team now, but they're in Nashville?
(Chuck Noland/Tom Hanks, "Cast Away" - Susan)
14. Patriotism swells in the heart of the American bear.
15. They were about to confront the villain in its lair, FVB, the evil force that would poison young minds, pollute the environment, and subvert the democratic process.
(Mr. Kite/George Burns, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" - Cathy)
Good luck!
* Pick 15 of your favorite movies.The Quotes
* Go to IMDB and find a quote from each movie.
* Post them on your blog for everyone to guess. Fill in the film title once it’s been guessed.
The Rules
* Leave guesses in the comments.
* No Googling or using IMDB search functions. Don’t cheat, suckas!
* Know-it-alls, limit your guesses to three movies.
1. Play the sunset.
(Glen Holland/Richard Dreyfuss, "Mr. Holland's Opus" - Becky)
2. It wouldn't be terrible at all. It would be a miracle, not to mention the money I'd save on epsom salts and ace bandages.
(Audrey, "Little Shop of Horrors" - Rich)
3. I need to talk to you. Every time I call you're either taking a bath, washing your hair or you're out of the country. That was a good one, by the way.
4. Now hear this, now hear this. This is your Captain speaking. My fine pinioned pirates, we're approaching the tricky buoy! Sharpen your cutlasses! There may be skullduggery ahead!
5. My little brother got his arm stuck in the microwave. So my mom had to take him to the hospital. My grandma dropped acid this morning, and she freaked out. She hijacked a busload of penguins. So it's sort of a family crisis. Bye!
(Lane Myer/John Cusack, "Better Off Dead" - Rich)
6. Well, it's a puzzle because, technically, you're not alive. Except you're conscious, so we don't know what it means.
(Paramedic, "Return of the Living Dead" - Rich)
7. Fish, and plankton. And sea greens, and protein from the sea.
8. Remember you told me to tell you when you were acting rudely and insensitively? Remember that? You're doing it right now.
(Jim Sting, "WarGames" - Cathy)
9. Hey, hey, I'm sorry, okay? Twenty-six years buried in the deepest, darkest jungle and I still became my father.
(Alan Parrish/Robin Williams, "Jumanji" - Cathy)
10. Not beautiful you understand, but you have a certain prettiness, different from my other heads. I believe I'll lock you in the tower for a few years until your head is ready. And then I'll take it.
(Mombi, "Return to Oz" - Misty)
11. Jack, let me straighten you out on a couple of points. One, that wall is an ancient ruin. Two, this island is uninhabited. [Loud drumming begins] ...And three, there's an uninhabited German beer hall down there with a mechanical band.
12. So that's how my twelfth husband died. So, now I'm a widow. Well, I've always been a black widow, so now I'm a black widow widow.
13. So, let me get one thing straight here... We have a pro football team now, but they're in Nashville?
(Chuck Noland/Tom Hanks, "Cast Away" - Susan)
14. Patriotism swells in the heart of the American bear.
15. They were about to confront the villain in its lair, FVB, the evil force that would poison young minds, pollute the environment, and subvert the democratic process.
(Mr. Kite/George Burns, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" - Cathy)
Good luck!
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