25 Feb 2009
Be sure and read Part 1 and Part 2 before reading this theory.
We know the island moves and there are specific windows or opportunities of time where people can enter or exit the island. Last week we saw the flipper board in the Lamp Post station (with the big pendulum) that had a number of latitudes and longitudes that determined the islands whereabouts.
If you’ll remember back to the very first season when we saw Desmond pushing the button every 108 minutes. What were the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 … I think those numbers held the island in place, in time, so they could be found. And I’m guessing that by having to press the button every 108 minutes means the island moves or shifts every 108 minutes.
Also, when Desmond failed to press the button in early seasons he had to use the fail safe key which, if we remember, shook the island and blinded everyone with that bright flash of light – the same light that flashes when the island moves in time. So the survivors were experiencing time travel even in early episodes, which makes me question the existence of the Others at that particular time, unless they were time traveling too.
When they visited the Orca Hydra station (was that what it was called?) – the old rusty doors were indicators of the passage of time. Then, having no dolphins or whales there to study (instead the place was a prison for Jack, Kate and Sawyer) the rooms were rusty and appeared weathered and old. How long does it take iron and steel to so thoroughly rust exactly?
This is the second time we’ve been in Tunisia. The first was when Charlotte uncovered the polar bear skeleton. The second was tonight when John Locke appeared after turning the wheel in the Orchid station. Apparently it’s the exit. That means when Charlotte appeared there before she must’ve been on the island before and it explains the polar bear.
So Ben killed John Locke. Interesting. I still don’t think this makes Ben evil. I think he’s doing whatever it takes to achieve his goals. Or maybe he is bad and Whidmore is really good? We still don’t know yet.
This weeks’ episode left me at a loss for any progression of my theory. It didn’t alleviate any further towards the islands timeshifting and the only mention of “future” was the threat given to John Locke to get back to the island “or else”. We know Locke is important but we still don’t know why aside from his supposed call to leadership.
Until next week…
25 Feb 2009
This past weekend I went hiking and camping with a group of friends, one of which being one of my best friends Melissa. We went to Mt. Mitchell, which just so happens to be the highest peak east of the Mississippi River, which was a pretty daunting thought the days leading up to the hike.
I arrived in Charlotte – a 3.5 hour drive from my apartment in Athens – around 6:45pm and unpacked and repacked equipment with part of the team. After getting our effects together, packed up, we took a trip to REI to purchase any last minute articles such as S-biners, socks, and headlamps. Then it was dinner at the adjacent food court in the mall. McAlisters Deli.
We went back to the house and picked up Melissa’s pup, Breanna, a 8-year old fun-loving dog who’d be accompanying us on the trip and then were on our way to basecamp, two and a half hours away in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. It was dark by this time and the last leg of the trip was up the mountain in extreme curves (we’re talking near-180s) and down a long dirt path to the basecamp parking lot.
There we set up camp in relative darkness, the light being only our LED headlamps and the soft glow of the fire and settled in for the night. Temperatures dropped into the teens that night and our water bottles had frozen over. Spit turned to ice not too shortly after leaving the mouth and water began to freeze as soon as it was melted.
Having overslept the next morning we ate frozen Krispy Kremes, warmed over campfire, made freshly ground coffee, and packed up camp for the trek up the mountain. My pack contained a tent, a blanket, a sleeping pad, four liters of water and other small knick knacks, and on a fresh pair of legs wasn’t terribly heavy.
At close to 11am we had begun the 2.5 mile hike to the location where we’d set up camp for the night. It was cold, but hiking with well insulated clothing made us hot really quick. To prevent freezing later while sweat evaporated from our clothes we took off outer layers.
A few hours later we arrived at our camp location, which was a nice little grove with a fire pit made by a previous group. We pitched the tents and began collecting firewood for the cold night ahead. Unfortunately, due to our late start we didn’t have time to follow through the original plan of setting up camp, hiking to the summit and then back to camp before darkness fell. So we decided to just spend time enjoying each others’ company around the campfire.
For lunch we military MRE’s and Lunchables, and drank water and alcohol we had secretly kept in flasks. We spent a considerable amount of time gathering firewood, by chopping fallen hardwoods. One particular stump gave all the men a good bit of grief, but we finally got it. And it was a good thing too, because that one log lasted through the snowy night and into the morning.
Yes, I said snowy. That night, after both the flask of whiskey and the flask of rum were polished off, we made our way to our respective tents. All was quiet until the early morning hours.
Among the (imagined?) footsteps and rummaging outside of the tent, snow began to fall with little “tinks” on the outer shell of the tent. Breanna later squirmed as she needed to use the bathroom, and I took her out, but was sure to make it a fast trip. Unfortunately I forgot to zip up the outer shell door so snow and ice came in sideways and dusted our equipment and shoes, but being that it was so cold it shook off without leaving wetness.
In the morning, amid the snow and ice, we rebuilt the fire, made more coffee, and enjoyed oatmeal and watery (rehydrated) eggs and bacon. Afterwards we packed up camp and decided that with the bad weather, the summit would be best viewed from the windows of a vehicle and we headed back down the mountain.
A few hours later we were down and unpacking our gear into the vehicles and ready to make our way up to the summit until our plans were foiled by a road block and a sign denoting the closing of roads due to bad weather. What’s left but a stop at Waffle House and a two-hour drive back home.
I’ve been camping before but this trip was by far my favorite, and not only because of said company, but because of the challenge of it all. It felt … extreme, and in some ways I guess it kind of was. And in fact, I’ll be investing in my own equipment so weekends in the wilderness won’t require much more than tossing equipment into the back of the car.
20 Feb 2009
Enter today – a sunny morning with near perfect temperatures hovering around 50. I woke up to the sun pouring in through my windows, bundled up in a mass of white 300-count cotton. Exhausted from a busy, emotional, challenging, yet enlightening week and refreshed, energized and excited to begin the day and enter what looks to be a promising and fun weekend.
I’m going hiking and camping this weekend with a group of people, one of whom being one of my best friends and favorite people, Melissa. We’re going to Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. It’ll probably be in the teens at night and in the 40s during the day if we’re lucky. Nonetheless I imagine it will be a nice time. Challenging to say the least, but fun.
The weather channel was saying how there’s another cold front coming through Saturday evening that is likely to dump snow on higher elevations. I haven’t seen snow in years, and I miss it. Granted, I’d rather not sleep in it, but how many other times in my life will I be sane enough to go camping in the dead of winter at six-thousand feet up? Actually, I just got word of it being 1.2 degrees there last night. Crazy? Maybe I’m not so sane after all.
Winter brings many things, the cold, it stings
chapped lips, and often, tired hearts, weary
just wanting the warmth of the summer again
During the fall and winter, things die. Animals bulk up with food and go into hibernation, birds fly south for warmth, and leaves and trees shed their foliage, wither in a struggle for survival – to hold it out until spring. Frozen leaves crunch underfoot as gray skies neutralize the colors of everything. It’s cold, and it’ll be hard, but spring is near. Spring is near.
17 Feb 2009
1. I handwrite in ALL CAPS, I instant message in lowercase, and I write notes on Facebook with proper punctuation and capitalization. Is that weird?
2. I left Myspace to avoid these notes, but it turns out I’m doing one anyway.
3. I only know 3 Beatles songs and they are “Lucy in the sky with diamonds”, “Let it be”, and “Come together”. Thanks to Melissa for #3.
4. I miss school.
5. I moved around as a kid so many times that I get restless if I stay somewhere for too long.
6. I hate that McDonald’s commercial that sells itself on the shitty economy.
7. I hate capitalism, but I love it.
8. Communism was actually a really brilliant idea. It’s just impossible to effectively incorporate.
9. I love all music. I say I hate country, but I secretly don’t. I don’t prefer it, but if it’s on you might find my foot tapping. And Taylor Swift is hot.
10. I have an iPhone. I don’t know how I lived without it.
11. I like when my users have a good experience.
12. I have a penpal in Amsterdam. We’ve been writing for over a year. I started to learn Dutch but gave up :)
13. I only use Pilot Precise V5 black ink pens.
14. I’m watching Accepted and I’m not really impressed.
15. I’m on Twitter and you should be too.
16. I don’t play hockey anymore but I can’t bring myself to get rid of my equipment as if keeping it makes me feel like I still play.
17. When it comes to books, I tend to alternate between fiction and non-fiction. I’m currently reading A Thousand Splendid Suns. Next up is The Monster of Florence.
18. I’m a deep thinker when I want to think, but I lately I rarely think at all.
19. I prefer logic over emotion, but emotion always seems to win. And I hate it.
20. I think Bob Marley knew what he’s talking about.
21. I come across as a know-it-all but really I’m just looking for a good conversation.
22. I don’t like to go to bed upset with anyone. I’d prefer we work out our issues before the day is over.
23. I believe in evolution. The fact that we learn from mistakes is proof enough that species evolve.
24. I believe “God” is an idea and nothing more. I believe that hope in that idea makes a lot of people happy. Hope, as we know, is the last thing to ever die.
25. I am tired.
16 Feb 2009
Utilitarianism is “the idea that the moral worth of an action is determined solely by its contribution to overall utility: that is, its contribution to happiness or pleasure as summed among all persons. It is thus a form of consequentialism, meaning that the moral worth of an action is determined by its outcome: put simply, the ends justify the means.” I feel I’m very much utilitarian. When it comes to website design I believe (rather strongly) that form follows function. I believe that less is more. And I believe the web is and should be an extremely useful tool. Tools, as we know, are not full of fluff. They exist to perform a task or to make performing tasks easier and more efficient.
When it comes to my life, I tend to believe the ends justify the means. In a way, form follows function. All that really matters is the outcome. Are you happy? No? Then do whatever it takes to get happy by any means necessary. Maybe that’s selfish, but it is my life, right? Who should I be living for? Often this means you compromise more for the in-between things, giving of yourself for the greater good – the greater happiness. You back down rather than take stands. You give in rather than fight. Or you suck it up when shit sucks because you know that after a long bout of darkness, the sun will rise, and after being so deprived it will be the most beautiful sight.
In a way, you die so that you may live.
I was trying to find an opposite to utilitarianism, but got to thinking that there may not be one. Of course everyone desires to be completely happy, we just all find that happiness differently. Some ruthlessly and recklessly hack their way to the top while others find happiness in higher beings. In the end though, all that matters is our happiness. When we die, we die either reflecting on how happy we are or we die regretting doing this or that, or even not doing this or that.