Factual Friday

Margie: Edna told me that there's going to be a new search for Amelia Earhart's plane and I surely hope they find it. What a mystery it's been as to what happened to her. Edna and I always felt quite fond of Amelia as she was also a Kansas girl.

Amelia was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and she disappeared in 1937. That reminds me of the time Edna tried to fly. I told Daddy that I saw Edna and Mr. Green go in the barn together. Well, Daddy headed for that barn in a run. Edna saw him coming and jumped out the barn loft door. She landed on her tushie and sprained her ankle. When Daddy finished with her I think her ears were sprained too.

LOST, for the last time

Beth: You can't go anywhere on the Internet this week without stumbling over a blog post about the end of LOST. I guess I don't really need to contribute to the hype, but I'd like to at least share a few of my thoughts about the show's ending.

In 2004, when LOST premiered, it was unlike any other television show I'd ever seen. I didn't start watching right from the beginning; if I remember correctly, it was on at the same time as another show I watched regularly, although for the life of me I can't recall now what it was. But I was hooked as soon as I saw that group of survivors on that beautiful beach, as soon as I saw Sawyer shoot that polar bear, as soon as I saw Locke with that somehow sinister orange slice in his mouth. There are people who say that the magic of LOST is in its mythology, but I disagree. The real magic of LOST, for me, has always been in the complexity of its characters. On LOST, as in life, no one is ever all good or all bad. Rather, there are an infinite number of shades of gray. That's what kept me coming back week after week, and what has kept me hanging on to the very, final end.

It's been a 6-year journey to get to this point. LOST has had its ups and downs, and to my mind it never quite regained its footing after the giddy excitement of the first couple of seasons. I think the show suffered after JJ Abrams left, although it's still likely one of the best shows on television. Even when I've been annoyed with the show this season (for reasons I won't start to list here or I'll never stop), I've stuck around because I have been in this for the long haul. LOST has been more than just a show, it's been the medium through which I've made some wonderful friends, truly some of the most fabulous people I know. It's been the medium through which I learned something new with almost every episode; this show requires more concentration than anything I've ever watched outside of a documentary. It's been the medium through which I became part of a larger entity: the LOST nation. This is a group of fans whose attention to detail would put even the most anal retentive person to shame. And I have been proud to be one of their number since the fall of 2004.

It's been equal parts thrilling, frustrating, exhilarating, and exhausting to be a LOST fan. And by Sunday night, it will all be over. But oh, what a ride it's been.

Edna, the LOST fan

Edna: Everyone in Jericho knows what a big LOST fan I am. They know not to call me on Tuesday nights under penalty of death. I have even gone so far as to lock Margie out in the tool shed every Tuesday evening, but it's getting harder and harder to lure her out into the back yard each week.

LOST fans are a dedicated group; some might even say they give the word "fanatic" new meaning. But LOST fans are also a highly talented and creative group. Today I'd like to share with you a new LOST video that's making the rounds of the interwebs lately. It's a re-imagining of the show's credits, set to 1960's-style music and graphics. Give it a watch, folks, I think you'll love it as much as I do.

Lost vs. Saul Bass from Hexagonall on Vimeo.

Blog Appreciation Week: Humor

Edna: Folks, anyone who's met me will tell you how much I love to laugh. And Lord knows it has taken a good sense of humor to live with Margie all these years. I do have a handful of humorous blogs that I like to visit every day, and I definitely have some favorites.

Miss Kath over at Blurb from the Burbs never fails to make me smile. I love reading about her life and her take on everyday occurrences. And who wouldn’t love someone whose pet name for their husband is “Love Chunks”?

Margie, what about you? Even as sour as you are, I hear you laughing in front of the computer from time to time.

Margie: Lord a mercy, if you love to laugh then I'm a monkey. You're sour as a lemon. Maybe worse.

I laugh at Daisy the Curly Cat. I love the fashion shows Daisy puts on and she always has a riddle or joke. It will start your day off right.

Edna: Kiss my grits, you harpy. At least you’re right about Daisy. I swan, I think that cat has a fancier wardrobe than the two of us combined! And I just love Harley, too. The two of them together are mighty entertaining.

There are so many witty and talented bloggers on the interwebs, it never ceases to amaze me.

Margie: It never ceases to amaze me that you have no wit. You should check Canucklehead's blog. That's always good for a laugh. I think I'll go there now since you're a drag.

Edna: Fine by me, sourpuss. I’ll just head over to my favorite LOST blog, Dispatches from the Island. Our readers may have noticed it over there to the right in our blogroll, it’s written by Jorge Garcia who plays one of my favorite LOST characters, Hurley. Mr. Garcia not only shares behind-the-scenes tidbits, he often does so with a great deal of wit.

Margie, maybe you should go to that LOST island. No one can find you once you’re there, and I for one would not be sad about that.

Bittersweet Tuesday

Edna: Margie, I don't mind telling you today that while I'm excited, I'm also a little bit sad.

Margie: Why is that, Edna? Is it because I ate your last can of sardines?

Edna: Oh please, those are your sardines, and any day you get rid of a can of them is cause for celebration. No, I'm of mixed feelings today because the 6th season of LOST starts tonight. I'm so excited for it to start up again, but I'm sad because it's the last season ever of one of my favorite shows. What am I going to do when it goes off the air?

Margie: Glory be! We can go back to playing cards when this season is over. Does this mean you'll be taking those Sawyer posters off your bedroom walls?

Edna: You hush up about those posters, those are between me and my honey-bunny Sawyer.

Stuff about LOST is all over the Internet lately, but maybe our readers will like this video from ABC that recaps the last five seasons of the show. No spoilers here, folks!

LOST Untangled: 5 Seasons in 5 Minutes

Edna: On second thought, watching that might confuse everyone. Just watch the season 6 premiere tonight on ABC at 9PM EST. I'll be tuned in with my bowl of popcorn and my stupid sister on mute.

Margie: I'll be doing my nails.

Edna's Fun Friday: Get LOST

Edna: One of my favorite shows the past few years has been the ABC drama, LOST. It gets a mite confusing at times, but it's still plenty enjoyable to watch! This season is going to be their last season, which is sad, but I suppose all good things must come to an end. To get everyone excited for the season premiere on February 2nd, ABC has been airing promos. Although they don't have any footage from the new season, they're still plenty exciting to watch.

The 2nd Annual M&E Awards

The Primetime Emmy Awards are coming up this Sunday night, and as usual we don't fully agree with all the choices the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has made. So, in what has become a tradition here in the Basement, we present to you our very own...

M&E AWARDS

Hottest male lead on a new show: Nathan Fillion
(Castle, ABC)

Show that was finally (thankfully) put out of its misery: According to Jim (ABC)

Worst new show (now canceled and none too soon):
Kath and Kim (NBC)

Shows that shouldn't have been canceled
but, sadly, were:
Pushing Daisies (ABC), Samantha Who? (ABC)

Best last-minute show renewal choice: Chuck (NBC)

Sweetest voice: Jensen Ackles
(Supernatural, The CW)

Sweetest Voice runner up: Patrick Warburton (Rules of Engagement, CBS; The Venture Bros., adultswim)

Show that made us want to turn on all the lights in the house:
Harper's Island (CBS)

Most exciting show: Sons of Anarchy (FX)

Best reality show: 2-way tie
Margie's Choice: The Biggest Loser

Edna's Choice: Dancing With the Stars

Cutest non-couple that should be a couple: Penny and Leonard (The Big Bang Theory, CBS)

Oddest Romantic Coupling: Sawyer and Juliet
(LOST, ABC)

Most nail-biting season finale: Lucifer's summoning on Supernatural (The CW)

Show that is quickly surpassing LOST as being confusing as all get-out: Fringe (Fox)

Edna's Fun Friday: Sawyer the Shirtless Redneck

Edna: Folks, I dearly love this time of year. Everyone is so festive and nice, and there are all kinds of holiday treats just lurking around. A good friend of mine, Miss TRoss, made this video a couple years ago in honor of her favorite TV con man. (He just happens to be mine, too.) I hope you all enjoy this little piece of holiday cheer!

The M&E Awards

After getting into the TV award spirit this week, we decided to list some awards that we think are more accurate than anything the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences could come up with. And so, we present to you the M&E Awards!


Best Fictional Town That Should Be a Real Town: Jericho, Kansas

Coolest Car: Two-way tie between Dean Winchester's 1967 Chevy Impala (aka The Metallicar; Supernatural, the CW) and Jake Green's 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner (Jericho, CBS)

The Metallicar (Supernatural)

Jake's Roadrunner (Jericho)

The Miss Fix-It award: Heather Lisinski (Jericho, CBS)

Sweetest Voice: Jensen Ackles (Supernatural, the CW)

Best Dimples: Josh Holloway (LOST, ABC)

Hubba hubba!

Most Over-Rated Hero: Dr. Jack Shephard (LOST, ABC)

"He walks among us but he is not one of us..."
Uh, okay.

Most Insanity-Inducing Hiatus Span Between Seasons: 24 (Fox); runner-up, LOST (ABC)

Cutest Couple: Pam and Jim (The Office, NBC)

See how cute they are?

Cutest Non-Couple That Should Have Been a Couple: Jake Green and Heather Lisinski (Jericho, CBS)

Awwww!

Best Married Couple: Claudia (Kim Delaney) and Michael (Brian McNamara)- Army Wives (Lifetime)

Best Portrayal of a Psychologist: Roland (Sterling K. Brown)- Army Wives [Formerly seen on Supernatural]

Most Unjustly-Hated New Character (2007 season): Bela Talbot (Supernatural, the CW)

Best New Show (2008 season): Sons of Anarchy (FX)

Best Spy-in-Geek's-Clothing: Chuck Bartowski (Chuck, NBC)

Most Deserving of his Own Home Improvement Show: Cousin T

We'd watch it!

Josh Holloway loves ice cream!

Edna: My lands Margie, take a look at this ice cream commercial that young man from LOST made. I guess it’s for some Turkish company; Lord knows that if they ran that commercial in this country, there’d be a run on ice cream bars.




Margie: Lord have mercy, Edna. I need to open a basement in Turkey!

Edna: For once, I'm in agreement with you. You know, that man can ice down my ankle any day--I do so love a gentleman with a twinkle in his eye.

Margie: And I love a man who feeds me ice cream.

Edna: Margie, that sounds like a story for another time.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

To watch some of Josh's recent American TV appearances, go here, here, and here.

And don't forget to watch the two-hour LOST season finale on Thursday night starting at 9PM EST!

Margie and Edna’s Favorite Things

Edna: Margie, I was reading this nice young man’s blog today, and it got me to thinking. Some cake company sent him all this free stuff because he said in a magazine how much he liked their product. Do you think we’re famous enough that if we say we like something on our blog, some corporation will send us some swag?

Margie: Well, we are famous enough.

Edna: I think it’s worth a try. We should send them a letter.

Margie: Write it, Edna.

+++++++++++

Dear Corporate America,

We are two very famous bloggers, and we have a lot of friends. When we like something, we tell people. Please see our list below of our favorite things. We would appreciate it if you could send us a lifetime supply of everything on our list. Trust us, you’ll get a lot of free advertising because we talk to everyone, whether they want to talk to us or not.

Our Favorite Things:

1. Oreos
2. Dr. Pepper
3. Neutrogena RainBath
4. Hershey Kisses
5. Redken Clear Moisture Hair Care
6. Wal-Mart gift cards
7. Free books from amazon.com
8. Charmin
9. Bounty paper towels
10. Paula Deen Cookware



Thank you.

Yours very truly,

Edna's Man-harem

Edna: You know, Margie, looking at those scandalous pictures of yours yesterday got me to thinking. I might want to put up some nice artwork of my own. If you can re-decorate, so can I.

Margie: Artwork, Edna? Who are you kidding?

Edna: Here, take a look at this one. Goodness knows I need something nice to look at up on the wall so I don’t have to look at you, all wrinkled and frizzed.

This is that nice young man on the TV, Josh Holloway. I think he’d make a nice change of scenery around here, don’t you? Especially if he keeps his shirt off.

Margie: He'd make a nice addition to my basement.

Edna: You stay away from him, you harpy! Oh, and here’s another one. His name is Jensen Ackles, he’s on that “Supernatural” show. If he's anything like the character he plays, he’s got a wicked streak in him.

Edna: I tell you what; he’s young enough to be my grandson, but true love knows no age.

Margie: Lack of good sense obviously knows no age either, Edna.

Edna: Margie, have I ever told you that you're not my favorite person? Now here's a gentleman who's closer to my age. He can shiver my timbers any time.

Margie: Edna, he'll be knocking timbers down to get away from you.

Edna: Fine, that's the last time I ask your opinion about anything, I don't know why I even bother. You always rain on my parade, you miserable old bat.

Margie and Edna: Movin' Out?

Margie: Edna, the Rangers did everything they could to save Jericho. What will become of us now?

Edna: Margie, I know they fought very hard, but sometimes things are just beyond our control. Maybe we should find a new place to live...or at least go visit somewhere else for a while. What do you think?

Margie: I think you finally have a good idea, sister.

Edna: Margie, maybe we should go to Miami, I hear they have a good crime scene investigation unit there. I always say you can tell a town by its law enforcement.

Margie: Edna, Miami was hit by the blasts too. I heard there are more gentlemen there now than ladies. Let's go.

Edna: Margie, you dimwit. If it was hit in the blasts, then there isn't anyone there right now, gentlemen or ladies. We'd better find someplace else.

Margie: Edna, you're so hateful. I had my bikini ready.

Edna: Well then, I guess we all dodged a bullet there, Lord knows no one needs to see that. I know of someplace that's not too far from here, it's just down the road in Lawrence, Kansas.

Margie: Edna, I heard that place is haunted. I'd be scared.

Edna: Margie, I heard the same thing. But I also heard that there are two brothers there who can protect us. They're used to fighting demons. Say, I have something in common with them, you're a demon every morning before you have your coffee.

Margie: Funny, Edna, the only demon is you when you lose your temper. Two brothers? We could try them then. I mean try that town.

Edna: On second thought Margie, maybe we’d better not. Wasn’t Lawrence destroyed by the bombs too?

Margie: Yes, Edna, so we can't go there. Hmm...why don't we see if we can track these young men down and hitch a ride with them in their cool car? I do so love a back seat.

Edna: Margie, for their sake, maybe we'd better think of something else. I don't want you corrupting those two nice young men.

Margie: Edna, I'm tired of you. I think I'll just go all by myself to a remote Pacific island.

Edna: By yourself? Margie, you wouldn't get 30 yards down the road by yourself, you know how easily you get lost.

Margie: I hate you, Edna. I'll just go visit MY friends, the Beckers.

Edna: Your friends? Why are they just your friends, you selfish ninny?

Margie: Because, Edna, I wrote to them and we communicated very nicely.

Edna: Well, that's all well and good for you, but maybe we should go visit one of my favorite friends, Amy Vernon. She told me that I'm always welcome in her home. She probably meant as long as I didn't bring you.

Margie: I know Amy. She said she likes me best. You'd scare her children.

Edna: Don't you lie to me, I know what she told you, and it wasn't that she liked you BEST. You'd better turn up your hearing aid.

Margie: Hush up, Edna. We'd better go visit Mr. Skeet Ulrich. I bet he'd love to see us.

Edna: I'd better call ahead and warn him that we're coming, I know what you have in mind for that boy and it's not decent.

Margie: Edna, it is decent. I just want to take him a new towel.

Edna: Margie, it's nice of you to take him a new towel, but don't you dare give that boy any of your special tea. He'll wake up a week later, missing his new towel.

Margie: Edna, what a lovely thought. Thank you, sister.

Edna: Oh my Lord, what am I going to do with you? We're never going to decide what to do, at this rate.

Margie: Edna, I need time to think. Where do I want to go and do I leave you behind?

Edna: Well Margie, I guess I need time to think about those same things. How long should we take to decide?

Margie: Until I say I've decided. I’ll leave you, Edna.

Edna: No you wouldn't Margie. I'm all you have left, and you're all I have left, especially if the town goes under like I'm worried it will. We'd better stick together, no matter where we end up.

Margie: Well, I suppose. Let's have an elderberry cordial and talk some more.

Edna: That sounds good, I'll go get the cordial glasses and meet you on the front porch.

Margie: I'll meet you there, Edna.