Wow

Justin Vernon, the man behind Bon Iver and other musical guises, is amazing. There is pretty much nothing better than finding new music that resonates so deep so immediately. For me, this does just that. Wow.

LOST

Back in 2005 I started, somewhat reluctantly, watching the first season of LOST. At the time it was hugely popular and I think I felt it had somewhat of a bandwagon following; not something I was too keen to become a part of.

Regardless, I have to admit I enjoyed it immensely and was subsequently hooked. After Sky One was axed from my Cable provider mid season two, I resorted to watching each series in the Autumn after it was released on DVD. This went on until the end of season five last year when I alerted my girlfriend to the show. I proceeded to watch, in its entirety, the whole show i.e. seasons 1-5 all over again and once more, I was not disappointed... In fact, I felt it bestowed on me an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the show's multi-faceted nature.

As season 6 (the final season) ends this month, I will have to say goodbye to a show that has occupied my life for months at a time for the past five years - I will definitely miss it! Having not written on here (again) for a long time and with the season finale in sight, I felt it fitting to offer my breakdown on how I see things shaping up in these final few hours of entertainment. Before reading on, and if you have not watched season six or still plan to start the whole show from season one, I advise perhaps averting your eyes...

So where are we? With the demise of Sayid, Jin and Sun in 'The Candidate', we are left with three remaining candidates: Jack, Sawyer and Hurley. Flocke (i.e. fake John Locke - aka the Man In Black or MIB) has made it clear that he will endeavor to kill these remaining guardians of the island to aid his personal liberation from it's so-called 'cork' effect imprisoning him there. Indeed, the logic has remained solid throughout - MIB cannot kill the candidates himself, he needs to find other means just as he had to have Ben kill Jacob at the end of season five. Hence, confining them all to the sub with a bomb that they ultimately detonate themselves. What, however (or who), is not allowing the MIB to kill the candidates remains a mystery as does the effects of what will happen to the MIB should he do something to them.

So, my questions and short answers going into these final three episodes are as follows...

1) Who or what is the young blood-stained boy haunting the MIB? My thoughts: He is an entity above both Jacob and the MIB. He appears to age leading some to suggest he is Jacob reincarnated yet his cheeky, 'I'm in charge' grin exhibited a couple episodes back would perhaps suggest he is indeed a higher being.

2) Who will takeover as the new 'Jacob'? My thoughts: Sayid, before being blown to smithereens, informed Jack that 'it's going to be you'. Whether there is weight to this statement or not is yet to be answered, although all fingers do appear to be pointing in Jack's direction.

3) What's happened to Desmond and what is his significance? My thoughts: Desmond has always been both an interesting and hugely popular character on the show and I feel the writers would be ill-fated to dispose of him haphazardly. We have seen his Jacob-like power in bringing the characters together in the flash-sideways timeline, but how important this will end up being is again another question. After being electromagnecuted (yes, that's what I'm calling it), something has definitely happened to him and he appears somewhat enlightened and evidently immune to the MIB's intimidating advances. I think we have a lot more to see from him yet...

I think that's enough Q&A for now. I know the title of this week's episode and what it will broadly cover so hope it should shed a lot of light on all the questions we have up to this point. Until then, we will just have to ponder...

Jonty x

Greenophobia

I feel that I have a perfectly legitimate excuse for my lack of postings on this blog; my dissertation. Whilst I am only 5000 words into the requested 8-10k word paper, it has admittedly consumed me. Before class began last September I decided it was something I wanted to do and went to my advisor with the aim of addressing Coca Cola Corp's take on the wonderful notion of corporate social responsibility. Come November, with nothing written, and two more meetings with my advisor I began to debate whether Coca Cola's ethical doings were indeed where I wanted to take my discussion. Then I read this.

I guess I've had somewhat of turnaround with regard to what I'm writing now. In effect--and when this piece of work is handed in--I'll have a sort of green marketing framework. I'm yet to fully decide on a title for my dissertation but I definitely want it to suggest an analysis or recognition if you will of the interface between marketing and the myriad of green issues we currently face. Even those without a specifically academic background in marketing theory could tell me that such an interface, through common sense, flags up a few problems. One wants us to consume more (and indeed fuels it) whilst the other wants us to consume less. I guess that's exactly what I want to answer though...

Perhaps when I'm done I'll make it available on here as PDF? Let me know if you're interested!

Jonty x

Goddam phonies...

I'm in a good mood as I managed to clean my room good and proper and as a result I feel pretty organised. That doesn't mean that I'm making any progress on the plentiful amount of homework I have to do though. Instead, I've cleaned my iTunes and iPod up and organised my school folders as opposed to working off whatever I had left in my bag from the day before...

Having been recommended to by my girlfriend's sister, I read J.D. Salinger's 'The Catcher in the Rye' this week (I say read this week, I mean finished this week after reading the first quarter on and off for the past four months or so). But it was very, very good and very enjoyable. I've never been that into first person narrative but there was something about this book that was immensely captivating in that it really offered insight into the way we think. Maybe 'we' is the wrong word - 16 year-old boys is maybe a better choice. Anyway, for those of you who haven't read it, I must urge you to...

One of my favourite bands, American Football have a song entitled 'Letters and Packages' off their first EP back in good old 1998. I realised this week that the song actually references / pays tribute to one of Salinger's more famous short stories entitled: 'For Esme, with Love and Squalor'. The story is about Esme, a young girl that the main character, an American soldier, met in a tearoom after seeing her perform in a choir. They talk over tea and she tells him about her fathers death. When she leaves she gets his contact information and at the end of the story he is looking through an assortment of unopened 'letters and packages' and finds something that she had sent him...

I think it's awesome how some of my favourite music can be so closely related to my favourite books...

Jonty x

Although

I don't read anywhere near as much as I'd like to, I managed to finish Stephen King's Carrie this week and yeah, it was pretty cool. I've never seen the movie adaptation but for being written by a relatively young Mr. King, I thought it was a good read. I feel I also kind of stick with what I like and know I will enjoy which is why starting It-the next book on my to-read pile-will make it the fourth King book I've read in a row. Almost.

I'm taking my girlfriend to London tomorrow which should be fun. Hopefully we'll get to visit the National Gallery and perhaps the British Museum with a trip to Denmark St. on the way. Plus, thanks to a well timed visit to my university fresher's fair, we will be able to travel in style for only £1 return... And my grandad's taking us out for dinner. Sweet.

I think I'm going to read Catcher in Rye next as it's one of those must reads. Oh well, school starts on Monday so we'll have to see how much time I have to do things other than research and study...

Jonty x