I am currently locked inside my apartment, in the hopes of producing enough homework that the grad school gods will be appeased and let me out again. I am promised that it will happen in the first week of May. Ahhh, May. I’m looking forward to it.

Life in the past few weeks in a nutshell (today’s nut: the filbert!) – my sister will be producing a tiny little girl in July. We are all very excited. She requested that we all get our pink hats on – I counter requested to get my plaid flannel hat on. I’m sure we’ll be able to work it out. I have been writing heavily on my thesis stuff – click the link at the lower right if you’re interested in that. It has really been exciting – I think I am close to the final idea, and in my opinion, it’s a game changer. Of course, I always think that. I’m playing lots of racket sports on the Wii these days. The gym has become boring again, and so I have all but abandoned it. I need something physical to do that will keep me healthy, but also engage my brain. If anyone has any suggestions, that would be extremely helpful.

Must go. The grad school gods have noticed that I am not at my post.

I’ve been lusting after a job at either Google or Gallup since before I went back to school. I cannot get over how many opportunities have come my way in the last couple of years. I’ve always been challenged in terms of having the right credentials on my resume. This is one hell of a turnaround.

There will be many more details as I go through this process, especially as I get closer and we start hammering out the details. For now, I need to get to my database homework. With great assurance, of course, that this is all going to very valuable. Good night, all.

Originally, Jack was supposed to die in the pilot, and Kate was to be the leader. I still think that it would have been much more interesting. However, would the writers have been able to go that far afield of the normal TV plot? Maybe we’ll never know the answer to that one.

So. There were many interesting elements of last week’s episode, and this list will be far from exhaustive. However, I will make my best attempt. Obviously, this flight 815 is not the former flight 815. Shannon isn’t even on it. Our characters are also different – it is as if they have led different lives up to this point. Hurley is likely the best example, with his statement about always having good luck. We didn’t focus on Sawyer too much, but I have a hunch that he is not a con artist in this timeline. My evidence here is that con artists generally do not draw attention to themselves, and Sawyer was constantly bothering people (Cindy the stewardess, the police in the elevator, etc). It just seemed very odd for him. Another oddity – Jack seems older. His face had more wrinkles, and his hair was much longer than it had been on the first flight. It only stood out to me because no one else seemed older.

I can’t say enough about the actor who plays John Locke. I’ve witnessed a lot of bad acting in my lifetime (and so have you) where it seems that from movie to movie, the actor is playing the same character over and over again. (Think Tom Cruise.) However, Terry O’Quinn has earned his mantelpiece display with this show, and this episode in particular. When he talks about wanting to “go home”, the look on his face is striking. I’ve been watching this character for five years, and I’ve never seen that look before. Most impressive.

Seeing our LOSTies relate to each other as if they were all meeting for the first time was very “Twilight Zone” (my favorite show when I was a kid). The theft of Jack’s pen was classic, as was the implied reference to the pen Boone was trying to find for Jack in the pilot episode. This episode mirrored the pilot in many ways. I almost did a direct comparison this week, but I actually do have other responsibilities.

Predictions? I’m not sure. Who was Juliet talking to right before she died? Many are saying Sawyer, which I find plausible. Will Sawyer and Kate get together again? God, I hope not. Cliche relationships suck rocks, and there is so much more to women than whatever dude they happen to be sleeping with. The romantic relationships are seriously the most boring part of the show. I know that I would like to see Richard’s (aka Manscara’s) back story. I know that I would also like a moratorium on new characters. I know that I flat don’t believe the text on the screen at the end of the episode – “the time for questions is over”. Right. It might be over by the series is over, but I’m not counting on it.

One more thing, and then I’m done for the night – Sayid’s accent when he wakes up at the end of the episode sounds a lot more like his natural English accent. Has anyone else noticed this? Am I making this up? True, I have had the DVR on repeat since Tuesday… you’ll have to forgive me. It’s LOST – I’m going to miss it so much. Until next week…

1. The mysterious Man In Black – the one we have been nicknaming all summer long because his name was never shared with us – his name is Jacob. I don’t know why I know this, but I do.
2. This season’s major time/space continuum disruption will be alternate timelines. These timelines run parrallel with our own, only people made different choices at different points.
3. When Jacob was making visits to Kate, Sawyer, John Locke, and Jack, something struck me. He told them each something that it would have been very good for them to hear, something that might have changed the course of their lives. When I listen to all the podcasters and read the blogs, people seem to think that Jacob has already made these visits. i disagree. he hasn’t made them yet. I think they were flashing us forward again – to the end of the series. Jacob hasn’t made those four visits yet at all, but he will.
4. Many of us are concerned with the fate of Juliet – did she die in the blast? What happened there, anyway? Many have been pointing out that she was wearing a red shirt at the time of her apparent demise. I disagree with this, as well. According to my television, her shirt was technically magenta. There’s hope for her yet.. Juliet is one of my favorite female characters, next to Kate.
5. Support for the alternate timeline theory – remember the waterfall, where Sawyer and Kate found the suitcase, and where Paolo and Nikki were looking for the script bag? I’ve never heard anyone mention this, but it struck me the first time I saw it, and I think it’s going to be important. Under the water, there are a couple of seats from the plane wreckage, and sitting on them are a couple of bodies that look suspiciously like Kate and her Federal Marshal friend. I’m going to put forth that this is no coincidence.
6. The whole light vs dark game is a red herring. That’s right, I said it. The producers have a way with sleight of hand, and this is only more evidence. We’ve been led to believe since the very beginning that what is happening on the island is some sort of battle between good and evil. Sorry, kids, but I don’t think that’s it. Jacob, and his “bad twin” (other Jacob) are not two separate entities – they are two sides of the same coin. Two different perspectives, to be certain, but not two powerful god-like figures who are in control of everything that happens on the island.We are much more responsible for our destinies than we would like to believe.
7. I think that may be the central point of the show, actually. If anyone’s read anything about the Law of Attraction, you’ll recognize it all over the show. Characters are continually manifesting what they are thinking about. The island is a metaphor for the world.

Well, I know I’ll have more to say tomorrow. For now, I’ll just bid you all good night.

Why this isn’t a fantastic idea – the needle on the scale never moves, even if you’re doing well. Muscle weighs more than fat. So while you lose fat, you gain back just as much (or more) poundage from the muscle you’re gaining. Discouragement sets in, and Ben and Jerry begin to make house calls. (Phish Phood – dude. What an excellent example of an ice cream flavor.)

So don’t let this happen to you, because I’m not going to let it happen to me. I’ve come a long way, and I’m not ready to give up over this! The new routine started today – it’s the all cardio, all the time channel. Positive aspect: I did burn way more calories in less time. My next challenge is to keep myself from getting bored on the elliptical machine.

Well, screw guilt, officially. The pathway to a skinnier me can be dotted with late night food, as long as it’s not crappy food. I feel the metabolism gods smiling on me today…

Due to some scholastic commitments, I did not work out today. However, I am still under on my calorie count. I’ve noticed that I have been bouncing up and down a bit, lately. I think it’s time to get a scale at home. The ones at the gym are never synched with each other, and I sometimes have problems with math. I’ll get back on track yet!!

That’s all for today… feed yourself well.

I had a magnificent idea today. One of the components of my thesis project is an “IT Workshop” for small businesses/nonprofits in the Omaha metro area. I gather a few of my IT friends, small business owners come up with a list of common difficulties, and we all get together and figure out better ways of doing things. If you know me at all, you know this is right up my alley – better ways to do the same old thing has always thrilled me. This IT Workshop – or maybe a series of them – will be held through the spring, with possible extension into the summer, if necessary.

I’ve done many of these interactions over the years, with differing results. Whether we’re successful or not depends on many factors, but the most important factor seems to be self-efficacy. That type of “I can do this” mentality is generally a recipe for success, at least in my experience. The question is, how much of a part does it play? Is it as necessary as I think it is? Is it the most important factor, and how can we measure this? Hmmm…

As I was having this idea, I saw an image in my head (typical RJ behavior) of myself in front of a room of people, leading a sort of 10-minute session that is geared toward helping achieve an “I can do this” mentality before the IT teaching begins. For a control group, we could do the same sort of IT teaching without the ten minute session at the beginning. We could give surveys before and after the teaching sessions, and follow up by phone a few months later.

I am excited about this. We may have something here.

Speaking of fruitful, let’s talk about pomegranates. As worldly as I am, I never actually had one of these until a few weeks ago, at a friend’s house. I discovered a while ago that when changing your eating habits, it’s a good idea to try new foods. Reasoning: when food gets boring, it’s easier to stray off of a diet. Anyway, I really enjoy this fruit. Why? Because it’s kind of an adventure. The process of de-seeding one of these isn’t difficult, but it does take a while. Food that takes a little more work is good for me, especially because it means that I’m less likely to overindulge. Also, one pomegranate is about 105 calories, so that works for me as well.

That’s about all for today – I’m really loving this opportunity to share whatever progress I’m making. It’s a way to accentuate the positive, you know? I have spent so much of my life only paying attention to the negative aspects of my body – it feels nice to make a change in that pattern.

Things I’m trying to avoid this semester:

• Worthless stress. Seriously, in the long run there is very little difference between an A- and a B+, except for my own ego gratification.
• Throwing up after I read the syllabus. Really, it never turns out badly for me – I just think that after many years of being in school, that this is the semester that it will all change. I’m going to try some positive messages this time. Again, I have nothing to lose – and possibly much to gain. I’ll be reporting on my progress.
• Focusing only on school. My brain gets tired, but the tricky thing is, it doesn’t know it’s getting tired – until it stops working completely.
• Being more accountable. it helps me feel better about things.

Well, that’s it for now – I know it’s short, but short is beautiful!!