One year later and I still can't believe (a) how sense-shattering the ending scene of last season's finale of Lost was, and (b) that I was way slow on the uptake. Lisa figured out first that instead of Lost's usual flashback, that the entire episode had been a flash-forward and we were seeing what became of Jack after he was rescued.Here it is again: the final scene of "Through the Looking Glass", perhaps the most stunning conclusion to date for...
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
CHILDREN OF EDEN Update: 38 Days to Opening Night
I've a few nights off from rehearsal for the Theatre Guild of Rockingham County's production of Children of Eden ('cuz those are being used to focus on the solo numbers and I don't have one of those). In the past few sessions we've finished going over all the choral pieces. I'm still amazed at how much work we've done in so relatively short a span of time.The last major song from the show that we took on was "Ain't It Good" from Act II. I've thought...
Classic GARFIELD AND FRIENDS: "Truckin' Odie"
I've been scouting around for this one a way long time. First airing in November of 1991 on Garfield and Friends, here is one of the greatest Garfield cartoons ever (and a real highlight of Lorenzo Music's vocal abilities): "Truckin' Odie"...
Gas now $3.75 per gallon in Reidsville, North Carolina
Spotted it earlier this afternoon while en route to a client.Humorously, the price of gas in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV is $3.59 a gallon. When I told Mom she suggested that perhaps the makers of the game should have it auto-update via the Internet so that Liberty City will have high gas prices, too.Seriously though, it seemed like just yesterday (actually it was about nine years ago) that gas was about ninety cents a gallon. It's now well...
"HEYYYY YOUUU GUYYYYYSSS!!!" PBS is turning on THE ELECTRIC COMPANY again
Previously (like, 1977) on The Electric Company ...The cast sings "That's All" for the final scene of the very last episode of the original The Electric CompanyAs it turns out, that's not all!Before this day is over with, somewhere in New York City, the first filming will have been done for PBS's updated version of The Electric Company. The first episode is scheduled to air...
Monday, May 12, 2008
BANDIT RUN 2008: Because they're thirsty in Atlanta and there's beer in... Ohio?
Chad Austin sends along this neat story from the Atlanta Journal and Constitution about a Georgia guy who's a devoted fan of the 1977 film Smokey and the Bandit (which was the #2 top-grossing movie that year by the way, after a little art-house film called Star Wars). And Tyler Hambrick not only wound up buying a Trans-Am like the one Burt Reynolds used in that movie, but last year for the movie's 30th anniversary he re-created the epic journey...
A night of John Williams music with the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra and Michael Krajewski
It all started several weeks ago when Eric Wilson asked if I knew of any concerts featuring the music of John Williams: the composer of music for the Star Wars movies, the Indiana Jones trilogy (soon to be quadrilogy), Jaws, some of the Harry Potter films and too many other things to mention. I told him that I knew Williams sometimes conducted concerts featuring his work...
A philosophical problem
What if there was a way to really have physical immortality?Would you want that? Would you choose to accept it?What if you wound up with immortality, and found out too late that it was more a curse than it was a blessing? Would you then spend the rest of your existence trying to find a way to be mortal again?Three thoughts on the subject: the first is that immortality is possible but it's not something meant for this material realm. 1st Corinthians...
Sunday, May 11, 2008
"The Doctor's Daughter": New DOCTOR WHO episode a mixed bag
Usually I post some choice quotes from whatever new episode of Doctor Who (the ones that I'm watching courtesy of good chaps who post 'em for download right after they premiere on BBC One in Great Britain) that I'm reviewing. I'm gonna forgo doing that this week, mainly 'cuz (a) I've a few more projects on my plate this evening and (b) I'm still trying to decide how much...
Friday, May 09, 2008
Devilish coincidence
Today was the day that the estimated world population was set to hit 6,666,666,666.(On a related technical note, today was also the day that available IPv4 addresses were going to number 666,666,666.)So what movie did AMC just start running in the past few minutes? Heh-heh...The original version of The Omen.I honestly have to wonder if someone in AMC's programming division intentionally planned for this ...
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS trailer and why I'm not at all crazy about it
For awhile I've been wondering: is it even accurate to refer to the six Star Wars movies as "Star Wars Episodes 1 through 6" anymore? I mean, the Star Wars saga is now way more than the story presented in George Lucas' original films, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars will only muddle the waters further. Perhaps Lucas should amend the titles of his movies to a scheme like "Star...
Last night's storms, and this week's LOST
Last night north-central North Carolina got severely thrashed by a line of thunderstorms, and that might be putting it too mildly. It was more like a series of supercells that rolled through the region. There were numerous reports of tornadoes that touched down, particularly in Guilford County directly south of us and there's been at least one death reported there. The local television stations were providing live coverage well into the early...
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Prepare for sparse postings
Now's a good time to let everyone know that for possibly the next several weeks, I'm going to be cutting back on writing for this blog. It's not going to be a complete sabbatical: I'm certainly having too much fun posting reviews of new Doctor Who episodes to give that up, and there are a few other things that I'd love to work on for this blog too.But there are also a few other projects beyond the scope of The Knight Shift that I need to focus on...
Mr. Knight's Dark and Twisted Day of Substitute Teaching a Second Grade Class
Today brought an experience that I haven't enjoyed in a number of years: substitute teaching a second grade class at a nearby elementary school. I heard yesterday afternoon that they needed someone to fill-in for a teacher, so I promptly called and volunteered for duty. Subbing is something that I've been doing for a month or so now, one reason is that I'm seriously thinking...
Post-North Carolina primary results: Eric Smith comes in 2nd (and about some other races)
Lisa and I had an unusual perspective from which to watch the returns of yesterday's North Carolina primary election: since I've been treasurer for Eric H. Smith's campaign for statewide Superintendent of Public Instruction, we spent the evening at "campaign headquarters". That being Eric's house.We had a very fun time! In addition to getting to play with Eric's eighteen-month...
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Proof that I voted for Ron Paul in today's North Carolina primary
My precinct is at Reidsville Middle School. I just returned from there. Here is a photograph that I took of my ballot in today's North Carolina primary election. As you can see I cast my vote for Ron Paul for President... and it's been a long time since I've enjoyed having so clean a conscience in voting for a presidential candidate! None of that "hold my nose and pull...
Striking while IRON MAN is hot: Marvel announces 2010 sequel and Avengers movies
Good friend of this blog Crystal is the first to pass along word that Marvel Comics has already declared that Iron Man 2 will hit theaters in April 2010. No doubt that a $100-plus opening weekend helped expedite the matter :-)In addition to the further on-screen adventures of Tony Stark, Marvel has also announced Thor for July 2010 (I was wondering the other day if they'd...
