What Came Out of The Box…

On LOST last week we learned how Mr. Locke ended up in a wheelchair and why and what the C4 was for. All of it, of course, was related–in that twisted, ironic LOST fashion.

So. John comes up with a plan for dealing with the Others, how to get past their defenses unseen. But, before the plan is even executed, John watches Ben intently, marking in his mind which one is his cabin. Hmm. Sayid looks uncertain at this point, yet he doesn’t disagree with John’s plan. He simply goes along with it. And Kate, she’s too worried about Jack. Next thing we know, Sayid is going his way, Kate hers. Then, Kate sees Jack and he yells at her to run, but it’s too late. The Others bring Sayid in and throw him down on the floor. Oops. Their caught. Except, when asked if they’re the only two, they nod their heads, realizing that somehow John has escaped. Uh huh. Where is John?

Well, Mr. Locke is in Ben’s cabin. John wakes the leader of the Others at gunpoint. Ben tells him that he can tell him where Jack is, but John tells him he’s not their for Jack, he’s there for the submarine. I was sort of disappointed here. It’s too simple for the submarine to be real. But, I started linking things together. And the conclusion I came up with is that John doesn’t want to. He believes that the island saved him.

During John and Ben’s talk, Alex enters the cabin and John takes her as a hostage. Then, somebody is heard coming up to the cabin. John grabs Alex and pulls her into the closet.

Ol’ Tom shows up at about this point and is surprised when Ben tells him to get the “man from Tallahassee”. After some hesitation, Tom does as Ben asks and leaves the room. That’s when John asks for Alex to get his satchel. Meanwhile, we flash back to John’s past. We see exactly how he gets in a wheelchair.

Honestly, I think they could have shown this before. I don’t know why they waited so long. To be a long story short: John learns that his father is trying to con a woman. He decides to help the woman’s son by getting his father to stop the con. At first, it looks like John is successful, but then the woman’s son ends up dead. John confronts his father and his father throws him out of a window in his high-rise apartment building. That’s how John ended up with a broken back. Ouch.

By the way: John blows up the submarine. Go figure. However. Towards the end, when Locke is captured, Ben starts telling him about The Box, the “magic” Box. His little speech on it gave me goose bumps, too. Ah. It was like the old days of LOST: mystery. At the end, John laughs about the magic box and asks if Ben is going to show him it. Ben laughs and says, “No, John. I’m not going to show you the box. I’m going to show you what came out of the box.”

And in typical LOST fasion, suspense hung on every frame as the door was being opened to reveal the mystery. What was behind the door? Who would fit better, because John’s father is behind the door. And that’s how it ended. Hmm. So, Ben knew it was John’s father, but he called him the Man From Tallahassee. It should be interesting to see how that’s played out.

Ogre’s Macbook

A couple of weeks ago I bought a Macbook, and I’ve been enjoying it. So, I thought I’d just share my experience with it thus far. I had meant to do this when I did the post about the TV, but I got lazy Anyway.

I guess I’ll start with the design. The new Macs, obviously, use Intel processors instead of IBM’s PowerPC line, which they had bought a few years ago from Motorola. Really with that change the Mac basically becomes a PC, except for the BIOS, firmware, and OS. In fact, with Bootcamp, a program provided by Apple, you can actually run Windows in conjunction with Mac OS X in a dual boot configuration. I’ve yet to try this. However, I’ve heard that it works fairly well. The biggest drawback of the Macbook versus it’s more powerful sibling the Macbook Pro is that it lacks a good video card. It uses a built-in Intel chip, which is sufficient for everything but gaming. The Pro also includes a titanium case and backlit keyboard plus other niceties. However, I didn’t really care about any of that since I’m basically using the computer for my writing projects.

One feature that I think is pretty cool, though, on all versions of the Macbook is the magnetic connection for the power supply. A magnet simply holds the power connecter into the unit instead of a mechanical clip. This keeps the unit from going down if some clutz trips over the cord. It just pops out without damaging the unit or the power adapter’s connector. Also, not that’ll ever use it, there is a built-in webcam.

To me the best part of the unit is how quiet and cool it runs. Even with an Intel Core 2 Duo in it you can put the unit down anywhere and you don’t have to worry about it getting too hot. The vents are behind the lid and face outward, too. So, you don’t even have to worry about burning your legs, either. And you can’t even hear the hard drive being accessed. Also, the fan is extremely quiet. Probably the loudest part is the DVDRW drive, but it’s not that bad.

Another unique feature built-in to the Macbook is the media center. There is a provided infrared remote control that allows you to control basic functions such as song skip, DVD chapter skip, etc. It’s pretty nifty. Speaking of DVDs, the Macbook has an awesome glossy LCD display, which most of the lower-end PC notebooks still don’t have. It gives a nice, crisp picture and looks great in almost any light.

I honestly think the biggest downside is the mediocre graphics card. Also, the price will probably turn most off. But, considering that the Macbook is supposed to be between the ultra-portable and middle-end notebook categories, I think the price isn’t all that bad. I really like the machine and believe that, if it’s as reliable as my Mac Mini in the long run, I’ll get a lot of use out of it.

With the following options, including a case made exclusively to fit the unit, things came out to just over $1400.

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz
Memory: 1GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (2×512)
Hard Drive: 80GB SATA @ 5400rpm
Optical Drive: 6x (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Network: Wireless B/G and Bluetooth and Webcam
Connections: 2 USB 2.0 and 1 Firewire, 1 RJ45 (1000/100/10 Ethernet)

Casino Royale

Well, I got to watch the latest outing of James Bond, Casino Royale, and I’ve got to say that Daniel Craig does an excellent job at playing the spy all of us want to be. He brings an honest air to the part, and knows how to kick some serious butt. I’d never seen any of the movies he’s been in before this, but none of that matters as the producers definitely chose the right guy for Bond.

Besides a new actor, Casino Royale’s tone is much different from previous Bond films. First off, it’s much, much darker in its mood, and second, it’s nonstop action. There are so many stunts just in the opener that you’re left bewildered. And the best part of it all is that everything is real! Nothing is faked. When you see Bond nearly smash into a bad guy with a front loader, you can be assured that it was very real. Same thing when he chases the same guy off of a crane, and the guy jumps to one right below that, both are separated by at least 40 feet in height. Yikes!

Casino Royale follows Bond from when he was a recruit until when and just after he got is double-O certification. So, how does one exactly go about getting their License to Kill? Well, you have to make two clean kills, that’s how! Of course, Casino Royale was the first book that Ian Flemming wrote, so that’s why things are set at the beginning of Bond’s career. It’s interesting how the producers handle this as well. The very first part of the film is done completely in faux-black-and-white, sort of telling us that the events being portrayed on the screen happened long, long ago. Then, after the credits, things go to color, bringing us to the modern day. I like how they did that. Chris Cornell (of Soundgarden fame) lends his voice and music to the credits as well, which I think is an interesting choice. Yet, it does seem to somehow…fit. This is a much grittier bond, deserving of a much more aggressive soundtrack.

Also, keeping with the past theme, the producers decided to throw in a classic Aston Martin DB5 That car still rocks! And, of course, M sends him a brand new Aston Martin to chase the bad guys in, too, and pick up babes. The producers also give us two rather nice-looking Bond-girls. Eva Green plays Vesper Lynd. Vesper is the MI6 treasurer leant to Bond’s mission by M. She’s a little different from other Bond-girls in the fact that she’s a bit stronger. The entire story focuses on the fact that Bond must play in a high-stakes poker tournament in Montenegro at Le Casino Royale to win the pot away from a known terrorist financier who goes by the name of Le Chiffre. If he loses than he understands the British government has indirectly funded terrorists.

The battle between Bond and Le Chiffre heats up and Vesper finds herself in the middle of it. There is a really cool sequence that, to be honest, caught me off guard, though I think I saw it in the trailer. Bond is chasing after Le Chiffre in his Aston when all of a sudden tied up in front of him in the middle of the road is Vesper. He swarves to avoid her and ends up flipping the car seven times (a Guinness world record). I definitely wasn’t expecting that.

Anyhow, Casino Royale is defintely a good action flick, and a decent Bond film–better than the last one, that’s for sure.

And Claire’s Daddy Is…

Seems like I was just writing about another Claire and her mysterious daddy. LOL So, there was no Heroes on this week, but LOST was on and it was yet another mediocre episode. It confirmed things that really we already knew.

After a tragic car accident in which Claire’s mother was thrown from the vehicle, Claire learns that her mother is now in a coma and that only the machines she’s hooked up to are keeping her alive. Of course, she blames herself for this as she was arguing with her mother moments before the crash. The doctor told Claire that her mother might come out of the coma in a few days, a few months, or never. Then, when her aunt asked who was going to pay for all of it, the doctor said everything had been taken care of by an anonymous doner. Eventually we learn that the ‘anonymous doner’ was none other than her father whom she had thought all her life was dead. And, who was her daddy? Why Jack’s father, of course.

That was one thing confirmed. Out in the jungle, as Sayid confronted John, we learned from Mr. One-Eye that Ben isn’t the leader of the Others after all. Yet another confirmation. The Him is another person. I think we pretty much already knew that, though. Because, even though Ben is a good lier, he’s not that good. He was pretty damned scared of Him. And he had said that the guy with the beard, Tom, was nobody. “He’s nothing,” is what he said. Unfortunately we didn’t get much information from Mr. One-Eye, not because he wasn’t willing to share it, but because Locke got hasty.

All I can figure is that Locke has his own purpose (agenda), which I suppose we’ll find out exactly what that is next week. Anyway. Sayid, Kate, Rousseau, John, and their captive came to a security perimeter, and John decided to test it out. So, he shoved Mikhail (One-Eye) into the path of the invisible fence. He started bleeding from his ears, foaming from his mouth, and then fell to the ground. The steel pillars with little dish things on the sides of them were humming when this happened. Sayid said he probably died from a cerebral hemerage, which would indicate that soundwaves possibly blew up his brain. Oops. Yet, that’s not the strangest thing. Guess what Sayid found in John’s backpack? C4.

Apparently, John did know that The Flame was rigged with C4. Hmm. I still haven’t quite figured that one out. Why blow up the place? I mean, I can see why he took the C4. *scratches chin* Unless, during the process of removing the C4, he accidently tripped a safety. That’s possible. Because, it did seem to me that even Locke was truly surprised by the explosion. You could see that maybe he was thinking, “But, I didn’t even press 77!”

Putting together a makeshift bridge, the gang hops over the fence and makes it to Otherville where they find the Doctor enjoying a game of football. Hmm. Have the Others converted him? He looked pretty friendly with ol’ Tom and company. I guess we’ll find out next week. Oh, and I almost forgot about Claire and her migratory birds. She did catch one, thanks to Desmond’s help, and was able to tie a message around its leg. Hmm. Well, maybe they’ll get some help. The bird’s leg was tagged, so scientists would be tracking its movements. That doesn’t mean they’ll get the message, though.

Locke’s Blunder, Claire’s Surprise

Last week’s LOST was, in my opinion, mediocre, but still better than the doctor’s episode, and Hurley’s. This time ’round it was Sayid’s turn, which, I have to say, it’s about time. Sayid is one of the only characters on the show that seems to know any tactics and who might be able to figure a way off of this crazy mystery island. Though, I wouldn’t mind seeing Kate being a bad ass again (yes, writers, Kate is a bad ass, just for your notes). Anyway.

I said this episode was mediocre. Why? Well, first off, if I had found this shack out in the middle of the jungle, and found patchy in it, I’d have been a lot more cautious than Sayid was. I wouldn’t have approached unarmed and completely vulnerable, but then again, that’s just me. Also, why didn’t Sayid tell John about the C4? That would have been handy to know–in fact, it might have sent alarm bells dinging in John’s head that maybe, just maybe pressing 77 wasn’t a good idea. “In case of an incursion by the hostiles.” Yeah, John, that means in case the station is overrun, blow it up.

Oh, and, if patchy couldn’t fix the equipment, I doubt Sayid could have. Sayid shouldn’t really have been mad at John, except that he didn’t give him a chance to at least look at the equipment. Oh, and another thing, why didn’t Sayid take some of those manuals he found? I mean, I would have, at least, taken one of them–specifically the pallet drop one. But, maybe that’s just me as a curious viewer wanting to know how the entire lockdown process worked and why it was necessary.

All right, all right. I hate cutting down a show I still really like, but as of late, it’s been hard to really like it when it seems the answers are forced–same thing with the mystery. One thing I’d love to have seen would have been them using Hurley’s VW bus to travel around the jungle. I could have seen the monster chasing them, too, as they headed for the unknown shack. That would have been awesome.

Oh well. At least there was Heroes to rave about. I really enjoyed last week’s Heroes. I have to say that I was surprised when Mr. Bennet came back to the apartment and his wife suddenly began acting weird. I wasn’t expecting her to shape-shift into his new partner. I was like: “oh shit, he’s a dead man now!” Then, as a writer, I just nodded and smiled, because I knew it was something that was obviously needed to move the plot forward. Claire needs to be chased. Yet, that wasn’t the only part that really got me.

When Claire went in search of Peter and ended up at his apartment, it surprised me that her real grandmother even recognized her and that the Haitian was there and that she could speak Haitian. What the hell? That wasn’t the best part. Her grandmother says, “Come in Claire, we’ve been expecting you.” LOL And she thought she was escaping. Yeah, right.

Yet, it sort of annoys me that the producers of Heroes are falling into the LOST-trap. They’re doing the mini-breaks. We’ve got to wait a few weeks before the story picks back up where it left off. Oh, and the same excuse was used as well: production schedules. I’m sure some of that is true, I know it is, but we’ll have to wait and see how Heroes does with this. We all know it hurt LOST.

The Dresden Files: Soul Beneficiary

Waking up in bed with room service delivered by a hot blonde would make any sane man question his luck–and might even cause a bit of confusion Heh. Well, that’s what happened to Mr. Dresden this Sunday.

At first, I thought the TV series of The Dresden Files was complete crap, to be honest, but now I’m slowly changing my opinion with each succeeding episode I see. This last episode, Soul Beneficiary, had Harry investigating a case of black magic. At first, it just seemed a run of bad luck with two people dying in his apartment. One was a client, one was the client’s wife. Both died supposedly of heart attacks. Yet, the thing was that Harry found out neither really had died.

Come to find out, the wife was in league with a morgue assistant who just so happened to be a dark wizardess. The scheme they had was simple. Drug an unsuspecting man, move him to another city, and have think he was married. Then, with a life insurance policy taken out, the wizardess would kill them and then resurrect the man after having collected the money and start the process all over again. Neat trick, huh? Yeah. That was until Harry Dresden got involved.

The two women, who turned out to be lovers as well as partners-in-crime, abducted Harry and set out to do the same scheme using him. However, it backfired, of course, and Harry was able to escape. It was hilarious when the one woman (the one playing the wife) was trying to kill him, and he was like, “wait honey, can’t we talk this out?” Heck, she was wielding a fireplace poker at him! I guess that’s what drugs do to you. Then, when Murph came to pick him up, she had to help him into the Suburban she was driving, twice. He climbed out. LOL Now, that was funny.

Oh, and, I haven’t read this in the book series yet, but the skull Bob lives in is supposedly his own skull. That is to say: his skull when he actually had a body. That was his punishment. Apparently, he’d brought back to life the woman he loved using a resurrection spell, which is against the laws of magic–because it’s considered dark magic. So, now he has to spend eternity as a ghost inside his own skull. Yikes! Nice touch, though.

Ogre’s New TV

On Saturday I bought my new TV and received it Sunday morning–I had to have it delivered since it would never have fit in the back of my Cobalt I was surprised, though, when the guy at the store said he could have it to me the next day. I was more or less like thinking Monday, but apparently, HHGregg (where I bought the TV) has seven-day-a-week shipping. So, it worked out nicely. And the price was also good. I got it for $1300. Keep in mind it used to be $1799. So, what TV did I exactly buy?

After doing the research, and already having in mind a plasma, I settled for the 42″ Panasonic TH-42PX60U. It’s been around for about a year and a half, and has all the features I was looking for. However, it doesn’t have a cable-card slot, which would have been nice since Charter, the cable company in my area, is now offering the use of cable-cards. That means that if you have a TV with the slot, you can just rent a cable-card from them that has all your customer information on it, such as what packages you have. That way you don’t need a stupid cable box. Oh well. The TV’s picture makes up for that, I suppose.

I’d read a good deal of reviews from various sources before buying. I think I only encountered a few negative comments. Some people weren’t too impressed by the sound quality. However, being fair, really the only time you use the speakers is when you’re watching TV, so it’s not that big of an issue. Besides, there are audio outputs, which allow you to connect the TV directly to a receiver. And when you’re watching a movie, you should have some sort of home theater system All in all, though, the sound quality isn’t really all that bad, even compared to TV’s from other manufacturers. It sounds OK to me. Doesn’t rock my socks off, but then again, that’s what I have my home theater system for.

Like I said, picture-wise, the Panasonic is awesome. It looks especially good at night with the lights out. Surprisingly, glare hasn’t been an issue, either. Even with the sun coming in through that damn back door window that I need to get a curtain for, you can see things just fine. In fact, even with the lamp on on the end table beside the couch, you can’t even see it in the screen. Things stay nice and crisp. And, what about heat? There are two fans built-in to the top of the TV’s cabinet. They dissipate the heat just fine and you can’t even hear them when they’re running.

In the picture, you’ll notice that I only have a receiver and a DVD-player under the TV. That’s because I’m waiting on the cable company to send me the HDTV box I can’t wait to see what that looks like. I know there are only a handful of channels in HD, but it’ll still be cool just to see anything in it. In the picture below, those two huge bookshelf speakers you see on stands are only used for music. I’ve got a five-speaker system with sub-woofer for watching movies. You can see two of the speakers hanging on the wall, plus the center speaker fitted conviently in front of the TV. The rear speakers are, obviously, hanging from the rear wall, and the sub-woofer is to the left of the TV. Right now, my only gripe is all of the wires I’ve got strewn about the floor behind everything. I might need to neaten them up. Also, I might lower the speakers on the wall and fish the wires up through the wall, but that’s another project