what the what

"They even possess a form of intelligence: bananas and oranges connected to lie-detecting polygraphs have been shown to respond to mathematics questions in experiments by Dr. Ken Hashimoto and Cleve Backster. Asked how much two plus two is, the plants emit a hum that forms into four peaks when translated into ink tracings." Adam Leith Gollner, "The Fruit Hunters" (2008), p. 31.

aww! zachary levi

Okay, okay, I got it I got it, I got a song.

Ever since I met you, I wanted to be your guy
But as you've probably noticed, I'm pathologically shy
And standing on this stage right now I think I'd rather die
So I'm just gonna start by saying... hi.

:DD

yes on chuck season 3 frustrations

I almost barfed during the explosion scene. That horribly painful "My hero!" expression after she sees Chuck hauling Shaw from the fire was ridiculous compared to that wonderful moment in "Chuck vs. The Best Friend" where Sarah almost collapses at the apparent death of Chuck.

a secret life of bees

"There will undoubtedly be a place for bees in future wars. For the past decade, the American military has been testing their potential as special agents in the wars on drugs and terrorism. Bees are as sensitive to odor as dogs and can be trained to buzz in on drugs, explosives, land mines, and chemical weapons. It takes less than two hours to condition a hive of bees to reject flowers and, rewarded by sugar, seek contraband scent instead. Bees successfully locate explosive chemicals more than 99 percent of the time. They are more accurate than dogs, cheaper to train, feed and maintain..." -Holley Bishop, Robbing The Bees - A Biography of Honey, The Sweet Liquid Gold that Seduced The World (2005), p. 160

the private lives of pippa lee (2009)

robin wright penn is luminous.

57:30

that's my daughter, grace. she hates me.

i wonder...

what?

if i got it all wrong with her. i just didn't want to suffocate her the way my...

i think it happens like that with families sometimes, though, where you just keep swinging back and forth from generation to generation, getting it wrong the opposite way. (58:04)

it was so simple with ben.


///

sounds like your daughter's like you.

why?

you said you were always in a drama.

i was reckless with my life, that's true.

DSM-IV Substance Dependence Criteria

Addiction (termed substance dependence by the American Psychiatric Association) is defined as a maladaptive
pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by three (or more) of
the following, occurring any time in the same 12-month period:
1. Tolerance, as defined by either of the following:
(a) A need for markedly increased amounts of the substance to achieve intoxication or the desired effect
(b) Markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of the substance.
2. Withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following:
(a) The characteristic withdrawal syndrome for the substance
(b) The same (or closely related) substance is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.
3. The substance is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than intended.
4. There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control substance use.
5. A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain the substance, use the substance, or recover
6. Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of substance use.
7. The substance use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent physical or psychological problem
that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance (for example, current cocaine use
despite recognition of cocaine-induced depression or continued drinking despite recognition that an ulcer
was made worse by alcohol consumption).
DSM-IV criteria for substance dependence include several specifiers, one of which outlines whether substance
dependence is with physiologic dependence (evidence of tolerance or withdrawal) or without physiologic
dependence (no evidence of tolerance or withdrawal). In addition, remission categories are classified into four
subtypes: (1) full, (2) early partial, (3) sustained, and (4) sustained partial; on the basis of whether any of the
criteria for abuse or dependence have been met and over what time frame. The remission category can also be
used for patients receiving agonist therapy (such as methadone maintenance) or for those living in a controlled,

life, "dig a hole" (s01e10)

16:23

"What would you like to come back as? Don't limit yourself, you could be an animal."

"Once should be enough."

"I'd like to be a Giant Flemish rabbit. 15 pounds of pure bunny.

... or a whale. Can you imagine being a whale?"

hehehhehee

sweet hour of prayer

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I’ll drop and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout, while passing through the air,
“Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!”


(dang, christina hendricks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ7AeDquMo8)

the informant! (2009)

46:35

When polar bears hunt, they crouch down in the ice and wait for a seal to pop up. They keep one paw over their nose so that they blend in... because they've got those black noses. They'd blend in perfectly if not for the nose. So the question is, how do they know their noses are black? From looking at other polar bears? Do they see their reflections in the water and think, "I'd be invisible if not for that." That seems like a lot of thinking for a bear.

47:04

tim be told, "analyze" (free download @ link)

Dear friend, please tell me who I am
And start from the inside
Or wait instead, before it's said
All these monsters I couldn't hide
Beneath the bed or in my head
If I was stronger they would've died
But every once in a while I'm terrified

Hey you, could you analyze my state of mind, my state of mind
What did you recognize? What did you find? What did you find?
Better days I've fantasized if I'm satisfied, am I satisfied
Get rid of this low feeling with soul healing
Get rid of this low feeling with soul healing

Please talk before the clock runs out
And I'm still a mystery
You're not so wise, I apologize
I still care what you think of me
To survive, I criticize other people that I'll never be
The truth is, I bruise too easily

Hey you, could you analyze my state of mind, my state of mind
What did you recognize? What did you find? What did you find?
Better days I've fantasized if I'm satisfied, am I satisfied
Get rid of this low feeling with soul healing
Get rid of this low feeling with soul healing

Convince me it's alright
That loneliness will subside
My hands tied, surrendered
To all these storms that I've weathered
Are you listening? Whatever
Why is this taking forever
Heal it quick, I don't care
Just fix me now

Hey you, could you analyze
What did you recognize?
Yeaaaaah

Hey you, could you analyze my state of mind, my state of mind
What did you recognize? What did you find? What did you find?
Better days I've fantasized if I'm satisfied, am I satisfied
Get rid of this low feeling with soul healing
Get rid of this low feeling with soul healing

life, "powerless" (s01e06)

charlie crews and i have the same phone! hurray! now my grandkids will believe it was a real thing hahahaha (29:44)

bright star, 2009 (a thing of beauty is a joy forever)

(30:30 or so)

a poet is not at all poetical. he is the most un-poetical thing in existence. he has no identity. he is continually filling some other body, the sun, the moon.

... can you say something of the craft of poetry?

poetic craft is a carcass, a sham. if poetry does not come as naturally as leaves to a tree, then it had better not come at all.

... i still don't know how to work out a poem.

(i am annoyed by my sister as often as i love her)

a poem needs understanding through the senses. the point of diving in a lake is not immediately to swim to the shore, but to be in the lake, to luxuriate in the sensation of water. you do not work the lake out. it is an experience beyond thought. poetry soothes and emboldens the soul to accept mystery.

i love mystery. (33:42)

and why they keep topher around

Doll personalities are created by "mapping" real people's brains, but there are also a lot of fictional elements as well. (If all that was in their brains was the original person's personality, they wouldn't be loyal to the Dollhouse or focused on the mission at hand -- or be caused to fall in love with whomever the Dollhouse feels like, for that matter.) Topher's genius is in blending one or more personalities with these fictional elements to make a coherent whole personality that does exactly what he wants. So instead of taking the abused girl's brain and "growing her up" into a functional adult version, maybe he took a brilliant child psychologist and inserted a past that included all the horrors that they knew the girl went through. It wouldn't be a perfect match, but it would be enough to allow Echo to bond with the girl and seem to know what she was thinking.

dollhouse explanation?

Eric said...
I think I enjoyed the episode more than most here, although there were definitely some weaknesses. The implications of the A story for the Doll technology were too serious to push the somewhat lame rich-folks murder mystery to 11 a-la Dynasty or a Telenovela, and really have fun with it.

Other than that, a few general notes on the series:

1) My pet theory, which I have zero evidence for, is that Helo is a former Doll, whose 5-year commitment is up. It explains why we've gotten absolutely no backstory on him - he may not have many true memories going back more than a few years.

2) My grand conclusion on the series as a whole is that it means that Joss needs to quit TV, and possibly Hollywood altogether. The Dollhouse is an allegory for Hollywood, and given the amount of queasiness and disgust it produces, also a cry for help.

The dolls are actors, living lives of heightened, though fake experience, and downtime of body-focused luxury. Topher is the writer, and therefore the Joss standin, turning the dolls into whatever is required for the mission/story without any regard as to how it affects their psyche, their soul their humanity.

Adele is the producer, trying to hold it all together, appease the people with the money (both customers and corporate) while keeping the whole thing running. If she has to be a ruthless bitch to get it done, so be it.

And I think the whole set-up just shows how conflicted Joss is about what he's doing. He loves telling stories, but he can't stand being a cog in the dream factory any longer.

Does this make sense to anyone else?

dave barnes, "the la song"

She drives down on Sunset
With the windows down
Just so she can let it in
She knows he's far-gone now
But there still are pieces
Pieces there still left of him

He uses love like a bullet from a gun
She's careful like a surgeon
Everywhere he goes they all know to run
But she can't help but love him
Love him

There is a picture sitting by her bed
Her reflection in his face
She has been meaning, meaning to move it
But it's always been his place

He uses love like a bullet from a gun
She's careful like a surgeon
Everywhere he goes they all know to run
But she can't help but love him
Love him

City of angels, everyone is sleeping
4 am and she's awake
She is moving, moving that picture
Someone else will fill that space

Someone else will fill that space

graham colton, "killing me"

The cars are passing down below and all thats left of you is all your clothes
You left your key the TV's on
Our picture's face down by the alarm clock radio
The only thing you ever wanted was for me to be here
To stay... but now you've gone away

I really don't know if it'd make it all better
But I let myself go and put it in a letter... to you
I know I've been stupid and dont have a reason
But I'm trying not to ruin the one thing I believe in... you
It's killing me, it's killing you

I remember how you drove me mad
You'd leave your rings and jewerly by the bath
Waking up the bed sheets gone
Spend half the night trying to steal em' back
And the only thing you ever wanted was for me to be here
To stay... but now you've gone away
I wish I could pick up the phone and tell you how I'm feeling
And tell you how I've changed
I'd tell you everything

I really don't know if it'd make it all better
But I let myself go and put it in a letter... to you
Cuz I know I've been stupid and dont have a reason
But I'm trying not to ruin the one thing I believe in... you
It's killing me, killing you

Cuz you're all that I want (I'm pleading)
You're all that I need (I need it)
Now that you're gone... I see it

I really don't know if it'd make it all better
But I let myself go and put it in a letter... to you
(The cars are passing down below and all thats left of you is all your clothes)
Cuz I know I've been stupid and dont have a reason
But I'm trying not to ruin the one thing I believe in... you
(You left your key the TV's onthe picture's face down by the alarm clock radio)

I really don't know if it'd make it all better
But I let myself go and put it in a letter... to you
(let go, let go, I gotta get ya to come back home)
I know I've been stupid and dont have a reason
But I'm trying not to ruin the one thing I believe in... you
It's killing me, killing you

116

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

george whitefield, the last idol

Before you can speak peace to your hearts, you must not only be troubled for the sins of your life, the sin of your nature, but likewise for the sins of your best duties and performances. When a poor soul is somewhat awakened by the terrors of the Lord, then the poor creature, being born under the covenant of works, flies directly to a covenant of works again. And as Adam and Eve hid themselves among the trees of the garden, and sewed fig leaves together to cover their nakedness, so the poor sinner, when awakened, flies to his duties and to his performances, to hide himself from God, and goes to patch up a righteousness of his own…

But before you can speak peace to your heart, you must be brought to see that God may damn you for the best prayer you ever put up; you must be brought to see that all your duties – all your righteousness – as the prophet elegantly expresses it – put them all together, are so far from recommending you to God, are so far from being any motive and inducement to God to have mercy on your poor soul, that he will see them to be filthy rags…

I do not know what you may think, but I can say that I cannot pray but I sin. I cannot preach to you or any others but I sin. I can do nothing without sin; and, as one expresses it, my repentance wants to be repented of, and my tears to be washed in the precious blood of my dear Redeemer. Our best duties are as so many splendid sins. Before you can speak peace in your heart, you must not only be made sick of your original and actual sin, but you must be made sick of your righteousness, of all your duties and performances. There must be a deep conviction before you can be brought out of your self-righteousness; it is the last idol taken out of our heart. The pride of our heart will not let us submit to the righteousness of Jesus Christ. But if you never felt that you had o righteousness of your own, if you never felt the deficiency of your own righteousness, you cannot come to Jesus Christ. There are a great many now who may say, Well, we believe all this; but there is a great difference betwixt talking and feeling. Did you ever feel the want of a dear Redeemer?

Did you ever feel the want of Jesus Christ, upon the account of the deficiency of your own righteousness? And can you now say from your heart, Lord, thou mayst justly damn me for the best duties that ever I did perform? If you are not thus brought out of self, you may speak peace to yourselves, but yet there is no peace.

daniel zott, "living a lie"

when i wake up with the morning light i can always breathe
somehow that never has meant much to me
and i can't say i am thankful for the things i have
i'm a hell of a guy
living a hell of a lie

and if i gave it all way i'd expect something back
i'm never sure that i could tell you where my heart is at
cause every good thing i do is a selfish act
and i'm a hell of a guy
living a hell of a lie

that's why i don't understand where you come in
showing a son of dirt how to be a man
i tried to refuse your name, still you love the same
singing hallelujah
singing hallelujah