Lost After LOST

ABC's LOST has easily become one of my favorite shows on television. It's episodes have "mind-boggling" plots which has people talking all week from episode to episode. LOST has become, what I believe to be, a television sensation of the 2000's. What is so unusual about LOST than any other show is that it had an end date; approximately four years ago, the shows creators announced that it was going to end in the spring of 2010. Currently there is only the series finale episode left, and I, like everyone else, has no clue how this show will end.; I feel as though there hasn't been a show before LOST that has required so much thinking. LOST has a huge fan-base with hundreds and thousands of blogs dedicated to the show; LOST fans on these sites refer to themselves as "Lostaways". Although LOST is in a completely different category than other television shows that have ended their run on a good note such as Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends, and Seinfeld, I believe the end of LOST will be just as bittersweet as it was for the other shows; I say bittersweet because I don't want to see it end, but I WANT SOME ANSWERS! (as do most LOST watchers, I'm sure)

ABC has already come up with two new shows, V (standing for The Visitors) and Flashforward (which was recently cancelled), with similar characteristics in that they, like LOST, have complicated plots and their episodes leave you wanting answers. I'm personally devastated (I know that sounds a bit dramatic) that LOST is coming to an end; I feel like I won't have anything to watch on Tuesdays ever again, but I know there is life after LOST.

Avatar: Film-Making Phenomenon

Avatar has been called the film of 2010, even though it was released in late 2009. Many credit this to the amazing story by James Cameron, and others say it's because of the visual effects. If you have ever seen the movie, the character's movements and facial expressions seem to be unlike any other animated film; that is because Avatar is not like any other animated film. The actor's voices isn't the only part they contribute to the movie; their facial expressions and physical actions are recorded through a new technology called motion capture which essentially records someone's movements and translates them onto a digital model. Most of the physical stunts that are performed in the movie are actually performed in real life by the actors.

Motion capture isn't the only thing that is what helped make Avatar such a huge success; James Cameron, who is the director, used a new camera called the virtual camera; what this does is it allows the director to view the "actor's virtual counterparts into their digital surroundings in real time, allowing the director to adjust and direct scenes just as if shooting live action". Before seeing Avatar, when I hear that it was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars I thought it was ridiculous that a "cartoon" would be with regular films; however, this was before I saw the movie and how it was made, changing my classification of it from "cartoon" to film. After watching the following, The Making of Avatar, I was completely amazed how technology has developed to allow such a movie to be filmed at the most "mind-blowing" standards. Avatar has changed the future of film-making forever.

Facebook: What's So Appealing?

Facebook seems to have taken over the internet world of networking. Like MySpace, Facebook's users were mostly made up of people in their late teens and twenties. Now, Facebook has users ranging from their late teens to late sixties and seventies. The questions is, why has Facebook become so much more popular than MySpace, when they really almost seem to be the same thing. I believe Facebook is less complicated and more easy to use than MySpace, which is why the older generation, who claim they still know nothing about computers, can have a Facebook. It's easy to look up a "friend", write on a friend's "wall" and to share news, pictures, links, video, and music with friends. Facebook isn't as "fancy" as MySpace because it doesn't have the option of choosing backgrounds and different fonts and colors; this simplicity seems to draw users in.

Facebook has become a way for people to re-connect with old friends and stay in touch; it has also been used in schools; my National Honor Society used Facebook to remind it's members when meetings were and for general discussion. Although Facebook has been in the news lately for invasion of privacy, many people say that the privacy settings on Facebook are, for the most part, general and easy to set up; however, the people who don't use the privacy settings the proper way are the ones who usually end up with a "problem". Facebook, when used the right way, is a good social networking site where people all over the world can keep in touch with old and new friends.

How to Go From a "D" List Star to an "A" List Star: Dancing With The Stars

Dancing with the Stars is a reality show on ABC where, most of the time, they have what people consider "D" list celebrities competing for a dance trophy. Many stars haven't been seen sometimes in ten years. Dancing with the Stars is an outlet for seasoned celebrities to come back into the limelight. Stars have used Dancing with the Stars as a way to "kick-off" their new show or any other kind of project. Mario Lopez would be the best example of an actor from a 90's sitcom, Saved By The Bell, which the new generation of television watchers did not know about. After Dancing with the Stars, Mario Lopez made several guest appearances on television shows, made work-out videos, and now is a host on Extra.

Chad Ocho-Cinco is also a "D" list star who has gained fame from Dancing with the Stars. Chad Ocho-Cinco is a football player who supposedly had an offer for a reality show on VH1 before Dancing with the Stars; now that he has become more of a household name, other than only being associated with football, his new show will most likely have a bigger audience. Dancing with the Stars also helps make a celebrity who has a tarnished image look better; examples are Tom Delay, and Steve-O. Dancing with the Stars is the quickest, not always the easiest, way for a "D" lister to become an "A" lister.

Real Life Social Issues...On Soap Operas?

When people think of soap operas they usually think of corny daytime television that has bad acting and even worse "story-lines". While some of this may be true, soap operas have been increasingly devoting story-lines to real life situations; people find it easier to relate to better now that their favorite characters may have similar problems they have in life, where as before the characters would discover their evil twin which most people, I believe, may have a hard time relating to.

Soap operas audiences range from young teenage girls to women in their sixties, and all the social issues that have been included in the shows can apply to all these age groups. Some real life social issues that are discussed on the shows are substance abuse, dating abuse, alcoholism, AIDS, bipolar disorder, heart disease, and many more. Mostly what the shows seem to do is show audiences that these issues can be treated and it's okay to have these problems as long as they're treated.

Having personally seen several episodes of General Hospital devoted to issues like these ones, the show usually shows the characters in distress at first, then they show how they are able to receive proper care and take responsibility by taking care of themselves. There have been several testimonials from people who have seen shows on certain issues and have recognized signs of these issues in either themselves or people they know and were able to get help.

This is a Public Service Announcement at the end of a General

Hospital episode in which the character shown was being

physically abused by her boyfriend. Here the actor gives out

hotlines where people in similar situations can go for help.

Although many people seem to put soap operas down and make fun of their "corniness", they seem to be doing a good thing- putting their focus on real life situations and not just evil twins.

The Tonight Show War- The Results:

It's been almost two months since it was announced that Conan O'Brien would have to give up his job as the host of The Tonight Show, and that title would go back to Jay Leno. Many people were upset with this switch back. Jay Leno explained that five years ago he was asked to give the show to Conan in five years, even though his show was still number one. He claims that once NBC realized they had made a mistake because Conan's ratings weren't terribly high they decided to push Conan with The Tonight Show to 12:00. Conan refused to because he said it would no longer be considered "The Tonight Show" which would ruin it's dynasty. It seems like it all comes down to whether or not Conan was given a fair chance to make it on The Tonight Show with only 7 months.

Many people thought this had tarnished Jay Leno's image as "Mr. Nice Guy" to take back the job willingly. Supporters of Conan O'Brien launched a group which started on Facebook called "Team Coco". This quickly grew overnight into a mass following with almost one million fans. Rallies were held by Team Coco in an effort to save Conan's spot on The Tonight Show, but NBC claimed it was all too little too late.

The Tonight Show War seemed like the only thing in the news for two weeks straight. Jay Leno looked as though he was "winning" because he was getting back the most sacred job a comedian could have; being the host on one of television's greatest dynasties, The Tonight Show. However, no one, especially NBC, expected Conan to get the response that he did after the show was over.

NBC had signed a deal with Conan that he couldn't have a television hosting 'gig' until September 2010. In response to this, Conan, to keep his fans happy and his staff employed, set up a nationwide tour in 30 cities which almost completely sold out in one day. Conan has figured out a way to stay in touch with fans and seems to be talked about more than Leno. Not only does he have this tour with 30 cities, but it looks as though he will in fact have a television hosting job on another channel in the same time spot as The Tonight Show, which he once hosted; many critics and fans are anticipating Conan's return to television so he can finish what he started. Many people are also curious to see who will come out on top. Even though Jay Leno got his job as the host of The Tonight Show back, it seems as though Conan O'Brien has won The Tonight Show War, for now, even though he doesn't hold the title as the host, wouldn't you say so?

iPad... Not iDeal?

There has been a lot of buzz about Apple's new iPad. Like many of their other products it is the first if it's kind, as a NY Times article says, "...few people have ever owned a tablet computer." It has all the features of modern day technology: touch screen, apps, video, music, and a whole lot more. Apple advertises the iPad as being able to use for everyday technologies, almost like a computer... however, they never seem to attach the term "computer" to it, but that is essentially what it is.

The iPad seems as though it would be so unreasonable to use because of its flat surface. It also seems destined to fail just as the Mac Air because of its lack of features such as USB ports and a cd-rom insert.

Apple has already come out with the iPhone and the iTouch, which have nearly all the same features, so why the iPad; because Apple is trying to appeal to the Kindle and Nook lovers. The iBookstore feature resembles the Kindle and Nook, but it's supposed to look "prettier".

It seems as though it would pay more to have the iPhone or the iTouch because it has all the same features as the iPad, but it's more portable. They've been trying to sell the iPad as a product for everyone, but it gives the feeling of more of a product for businesses because of its flat design. for the price that some of the iPads would be going for, it almost pays to spend the extra two hundred dollars for a device that sits propped in front of you like the MacBook.