Apparently, There's a Lot In a Name

Recent research says that a child's name can affect their future: specifically, girls with overly feminine names are less likely to study science and math. It sadly has a lot to do with the lower expectations that teachers of those subjects have for girls with girly names. I'm not entirely sold on the "linguistic test" that determines which names are more feminine than others, especially since only fifteen names are listed at the end of the article. I don't know why Jessica scores so much higher than Ashley, nor why Alex was one of the fifteen female names chosen (other than to tip the scales in the non-feminine-female-name direction). But I do agree with the idea that a person's name evokes certain connotations with every person they meet, and I certainly agree with this statement:

"A name is part of an impression package," said [UCLA psychology professor Albert] Mehrabian. "Parents who make up bizarre names for their children are ignorant, arrogant or just foolish."

Amen! In long-term personal relationships, ultimately, a person's name doesn't matter. But what about the initially superficial relationships formed with new teachers or potential employers? Someone named sensibly will be perceived differently than someone named after a food item. That's just the way first impressions work. Parents should have faith that their child's personality and achievements will make them unique instead of imposing individuality on them with an asinine name. Do you hear me, Jason Lee?

Lost: D.O.C.

• Jin is the son of a prostitute? Extortion drama? Secrets and shame? Who cares about all that: Sun looks gorgeous! So her love for Jin and desire to keep him shame-free caused him to work for her father, which changed him and drove Sun into the arms of Jae, which caused him to die because of shame, right? Man. Ka IS a wheel. (I so totally called that the mystery woman was Jin's real mother, by the way. I'm so totally smart.)
• Sun and Juliet: the beachfront showdown! I like this whole "someone asks a question, someone gets an immediate answer" thing. But with all the longing glances at Claire's healthy baby, why would Sun believe Juliet so readily before getting the explanation of the on-island/off-island conception loophole? I'm just glad she went through with the ultrasound. I would have lost my sh*t if we didn't find out whose baby it was. But does she really have only two months to live?
• Dammit, I believe Juliet when she gets all sad and sincere. I believe that she's heartbroken over the lost babies and patients. I believe that she wants to give good news. I believe that even more after hearing her whispered "I hate you" to Benry. What did he DO to her the day of the crash?
• EYEPATCH MCGEE IS ALIVE?!?!? "I already died once this week." Heh... but seriously, HE'S ALIVE, and just in time to heal the Mysterious Lady Polyglot. "On this island, wounds are different." Then, naturally, Desmond lets him go without asking HOW COME HE'S ALIVE. So much for that little "asking questions, getting answers" thing the writers tried out earlier. My idea: there's a Miracle Max on the island.
• The Mysterious Lady Polyglot speaks: "They found the plane. They were all dead." Let the purgatory theories be revived! (I don't believe it's true, I'm just saying.)

Ch-ch-changes

I took an all-too-brief trip to Rhode Island this weekend. Good, relaxing, family-filled times. I'm sorry that I couldn't address the changes at Q101 before now. Change is, oddly, the one constant in radio. Change is often what makes stations grow and thrive. That being said, I'm personally bummed to see two of my co-workers go. Fook is one of my favorite people in Chicago, and though I didn't see JVO often enough, we're certainly partners in sarcasm. I know that they're both immensely talented and hope that they won't be out of work for long.

As for the changes: we have a young, fun, funny airstaff that's dedicated to making Q101 awesome. Sherman and Tingle are going to be a great team. The Manno brothers kick all forms of ass. The Morning Fix is really starting to come together. And I guess I don't suck. (Obligatory self-deprecating remark: check.) Onward and upward, y'all.

Lost: Catch-22

• Awesome opening scene. Arrow through Charlie's throat = brutal. It made a nice creepy set up for later on... though seriously, Desmond, let him die already.
  
• Desmond was a monk! Well, a novice, really. For a bit. Enough time to pick up a catchphrase, scam some free wine and meet the love of his life. Not bad, brother.
• "Afternoon delight" loses Sawyer points with me, but "need me to make you a mix tape" followed up with the gift of Phil Collins? Hee. He said he got the tape from Bernard. Who's that? I don't remember a Bernard. Or a Rose, or a Michael, or a Waaaaaaaaaaaaalt.
  
• Ew, Jack and Kate flirting. Ew, stupid dumb Jack fawning all over lying Juliet. Ew ew ew, Kate crying during jealousy-inspired sex. She really shouldn't play with Sawyer's emotions like that. Someone might climb through her TV screen and cut a bitch. (I love him in his dorky glasses. Swoon.)
• I enjoyed the ping-pong match. Guess "who's got the bigger d***" wouldn't play out well on ABC.
• I also enjoyed the Korean ghost story. Random. Awesome. And was Hurley talking about the chupacabra? Maybe there's one on the island!
  
• So who's excited about the girl dropping out of the sky? Who didn't believe for a second that it was going to be Penny? Seriously, when you're that rich, even if you really love the guy, you send a minion off to the uncharted island to investigate first. Then you show up in your jet. Gee whiz.

Jam-Packed Weekend

Someday I'll return to snarky commentary about local, national, and global events, I swear. In the meantime:

1. Chevelle was great at the Black Cat Ball last night. They played two songs from Vena Sera for the first time: "Brainiac" and "I Get It," which are two of my favorites. We got to spend a little bit of quality time with Pete and Sam afterwards, too. I like those guys a lot. They were really proud because the night was the biggest headlining show they've ever played in Chicago, tickets-sales-wise. And Sam was happy because they just worked out a deal to have their bus constantly supplied with biodiesel. Smart, nice, and environmentally conscious! They're sweethearts.
   
2. Thanks to my buddy Mike, I'm heading over to House of Blues in a few hours to see Tom Morello and Zack De La Rocha! It's part of a big celebratory rally in honor of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers coming to terms with McDonald's on better wages and working conditions. I'm so geeked that I'll get to see Zack and Tom's onstage reunion. I never got to see Rage perform, and I can't make it to Coachella or the other three shows they're playing this year. This might make up for it.
3. Self-promotion alert: I'm going to be on TV tomorrow night. I'll be talking sports in the Rant 'N Rave segment of The Final Word on Fox Chicago. The show starts at 10pm. Thanks Jill. You're the best. I promise not to be too nervous or throw up on myself in your studio.
   

Lost: One of Us

• NOOO! More spying and betrayal? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOokay, I'm done.
• "You created life where life wasn't supposed to be." Juliet sure does have a gift: a freaky God-complex-type gift, at that. No wonder she and Jack get along. "Our problem" is a creepy one, too. Why does the island cause pregnant women to die, yet somehow cure Rose? Remember Rose? Me neither.
• JACOB took care of Juliet's sister himself? Who IS that guy? And does anyone else remember seeing the video of little Julian while following the Lost Experience? I think their happiness had to be threatened during Benry's talk with Juliet on the day of the crash. I can't imagine her doing an emotional 180 without some convincing... unless SHE's now playing Benry? Who smells triple-cross?
  
• I was unmoved by Jack's Triumphant Return, but Sawyer's adorable relief at Kate's return made me swoon a little bit. He's got a little bit of Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall going on right now. Mmm.
• Jack: "The fact that I trust her should be enough." Sayid: "It's not." OUCH! And yet Sayid was right. Dammit, Sayid should be the leader. Watching Jack in the Juliet's-a-liar montage, with that cheerful, too-trusting idiot's grin, made me want to stab him in the eye with a pencil.
• Nitpick #1: Really didn't need to see naked Juliet eating ice cream with naked Goodwin. Seeing Goodwin reminded me of Ana-Lucia. Ana-Lucia = bad times.
• Nitpick #2: Why was it daytime when Juliet found the serum? Much as I'm now angered by her, I kinda loved the mind-stomping she administered to Sayid and Sawyer. Ben's not the only master of manipulation on the island.
• In other news: DUUUUUUUUUUDE, Sun's pregnant, remember? So is she gonna DIE?
• Finally, Jack said, "eventually they're going to need some answers." Getting tired of all the meta, Lost writers. Once was cute. Every week is tiresome.

Hippity Hop, Y'all!

Ah, the end of another crazy busy week. Alan and I are about to take our first road trip of the spring! We leave for Indianapolis in 15 minutes to visit my brother for his birthday. There will be fun, frivolity, and no shortage of adult beverages. Steve doesn't have internet at the moment, so there will be no snark over the weekend. Hope it's a good one for you. I leave you with an Easter gift: how to make the world's largest Cadbury egg. I haven't had a Cadbury egg in far too long. They were always my favorite Easter treat. That and the Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs. Mmm, candy. Perhaps we'll have to make a stop at CVS before we make the three-hour trip.

Lost: Left Behind

Not as good as the last few eps, but not awful. I'll take what I can get, especially when there's plot development and a monster sighting.

• Neat and unexpected opening scene with Kate gettin' flipped. Good start.
• Locke's cold goodbye to Kate: "They told me who you were and what you had done - let's just say forgiveness isn't one of their strong suits." Oh crap. Locke spends a smidgen of quality time with the Others' Magic Box, and now he's abandoning ship with the rest of them? Where did they go? Why did they need gas masks? Do I care?
• Sawyer's girls were partnerettes in crime, la-di-da. The flashback was pretty useless otherwise. We knew Sawyer was a daddy. We knew he was a bad guy, and that Kate's mom loved her own bad guy enough to turn her daughter in. Man, it would be awesome if they could can the flashbacks in Season 4.
• The island's bad guy ain't gonna get the Korean vote. Also, he can't gut a fish for crap. Also, he doesn't like blankets. With Jack's return next week, Sawyer won't be the "leader" for long. He really should be, because I don't remember there being a gleeful luau on Jack's watch. There WAS once a gleeful Dharma food orgy thanks to Hurley (and kudos to him for conning the con man). So why must happiness = food on this island??? Oh right, because otherwise they'd starve and die, or eat each other and stave off starvation for a bit and then die.
• I'm glad that they didn't drag the Kate/Juliet catfight out too long: the mudbath, however, was unnecessary. "Welcome to the wonderful world of not knowing what the hell's going on," snarked Kate. I vote this the new Lost tagline. "Ben has a thing for mind games," snarked Juliet. YA THINK?
• The return of Lostzilla!!! And he's picked up a new hobby: flash photography! "We don't know what it is, but we know it doesn't like our fences." So Smoky McMonster isn't an Others creation... it's a true islander, through and through. What's it protecting?
• Sayid doesn't like Juliet, not one bit. This could get interesting.

I'll Sing It One Last Time For You

I'm tired, so this will be quick. I saw OK Go and Snow Patrol tonight at the Aragon. OK Go was just that: OK. Damien was his usual witty self, and the band gets bonus points for covering an E.L.O. song. But the crowd seemed blah, and so was I. I was much more pleased with Snow Patrol. Lead singer Gary Lightbody sure likes to talk. He soliloquised more in-between the first four songs than most bands talk in an entire set. The funniest/most bizarre rant involved their post-show plans with OK Go, the ridiculousness of "drinking responsibly," and the f-word. I'm sure the vulgar language confused the crowd, who seemed somewhat listless until the band played "Chasing Cars (Denny's Dead)."* Granted, I was in the balcony with friends, where the sound is not the best. Maybe there was more singing along than I thought. I do know that I belted out every word to every song from Final Straw. That is a great, great, GREAT record.


*Not the real title, but let's face it, after its use in last season's finale of Grey's Anatomy, it ought to be.