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LOST! And My Adventures Therein.

Posted by Allyson on 6:08 AM
My dear readers,

Gather round and allow me to tell you a story about what happened this last Wednesday night in my quest to watch LOST, here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

It was a dark night, chilly as usual, and I was preparing myself for a nice, long night of watching LOST, only one of the more brilliant and amazing shows on television today. I had long written on the TV schedule in the common room that I was intending on using said TV for a period of 3 hours, from 8-11pm. Someone had already written The Real World at 10pm, but I didn't care, I was fully prepared to fight someone to get my LOST on. At 7:30pm I left my room and went to the Sun Room, where I told the two people who were there that my show was starting at 8 and that I wrote it on the schedule, so they better back off. One girl was trying to find SciFi on the TV because HER show started at 9. She was being a little mean about it, and I, avoiding any confrontation, decided that surely there was another TV on campus that no one was using so I told her that I'd go somewhere else. I was trying really hard to be accommodating.

I decided that I would try the Carriage House, which is the student lounge, to see if there were people in there watching TV, and naturally there was. I didn't go in, but I saw through the window that they were watching a movie, so I didn't go in and ask them. Instead I went and grabbed some dinner and set out to find another TV.

Next I went to Laughlin House, which is another dorm, and usually has an empty TV room. Tonight, however, the did not. There were two girls studying, and not wanting to disturb them, and also knowing that there were other places on campus, I left them and went to the next house, Rea. When I walked into Rea I found an empty TV room. I was happy! I sat down, turned on ABC and watched the last 15 minutes of Entertainment Tonight. At 8pm the LOST recap episode started, which unfortunately coincided with American Idol, that which I quickly found out when two girls came in looking to watch it. They point out to me that it is written on their TV schedule, and again, not wanting to be rude and unwilling, I left there and went to the last place on campus I could think of to watch LOST.

This last place was Fickes Hall. Now, I'd been informed by a few people that there was a fair number of fellow Losties on campus, and that they usually watch in Fickes, so when I went in I expected to find a bunch of happy fangirls watching the recap episode. This is the opposite of what I found. I walked into Fickes and found CHAOS. There were people everywhere playing Wii on a bunch of TVs placed around the front rooms. When I went to the TV room, I expected more Wii, but what I found was more American Idol! This was the worst possible thing, and I though I had nowhere else to go.

So, what was I supposed to do? I went back to Laughlin and asked, begged on my knees, and apologized profusely to the girls who were studying, who weren't happy, but let me watch LOST. I was happy and relaxed, just casually watching the recap episode in peace.

Until disaster struck. Again.

At five till nine one of the Laughlin residents came in and I asked if she was planning on watching some TV. She said yes. I, hoping desperately that she would respond with LOST, asked what she was planning on watching. Lie to Me was her answer. Lie to Me is a new show that is on NBC at 9 on Wednesdays. This was the worst possible thing. Knowing that I couldn't do anything, I packed up and left, and went back to Rea where I assumed American Idol would be ending at 9pm.


When I arrived at Rea a few moments later I looked at the TV and noticed that American Idol didn't really look like it was ending. Which was just great. So I went back to the Carriage House. They were watching American Idol but it was ending! I saw the credits! So I went in and asked if they were watching something after American Idol, and of course, they were goign to watch Lie to Me! But at this point I knew that American Idol was over so I RAN back to Rea where I knew the TV was free after 9. I ran so hard, I ran up the steps and ran ran ran into the common room. The girl who was watching had subsequently turned to E!, but I zoomed in and switched to ABC.
For another hour I was left in peace. The first episode was simply amazing and I was happy. The second episode started at 10. I was watching it, still in Rea, when some other girls came in and told me that they were going to watch The Real World. The. Real. World. The dumbest show ever. I don't understand the obsession with stupid people on reality TV, but that's another story. But this upset me. First of all, they were watching that in Woodland! I expressd my concerns to the girls, I begged them to just watch it somewhere else, I'd already run everywhere on campus to watch my show. They were sympathetic, but obstinant. I had to leave, or watch The Real World. At this point I was almost ready to give in. Almost. So I went back to the Carriage House, hoping that the people had left after the show. They had not.

So there I was. Standing in the cold between the Carriage House, Anderson Dining Hall, and the Athletic and Fitness Center. What could I do? I assumed that I'd lost this battle and I was about to go back to Woodland and just cry over my loss. And then I had an epiphany. The AFC had TVs in it. In the workout room you could watch TV if you have a little FM tuner to hear the sound, and I walked in planning on asking th front dsk if they had an extra. Instead I remembered that the TV on the second floor could also show TV, so I asked how to change the channel, got some generic instructions, so I ran upstairs. I couldn't figure out how to change the channel. It was about 7 after 10 now, I was running out of time, I needed to see enough to get the context, I didn't want to miss it or it wouldn't even be worth it to watch, so my very very last chance for LOST was on the third floor.

The third floor of the AFC is a little common area/cafe for students. I walked in and lo and behold there it was. LOST! On the TV screen, well, one of them anyway. I ran over, turned the volume to the top and tried to figure out how to watch it. The radio was up very very loud, and it was practically drowning out LOST, but I figured out how to turn the TV up enough so I could both hear it and see it if I stood in the right spot. But I saw it! I only missed a few minutes worth due to commercials but I saw it! Even with all of my obstacles and running around and such, I saw LOST!


But never. Never again will I do that again. This was a special occasion, the season opener. From now on I will claim the TV in MY dorm! That TV doesn't even GET SciFi so it didn't even matter that I let her watch it, because she couldn't! Never. Ever. Again.

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Oh, CNN and Other Texting No-nos.

Posted by Allyson on 1:43 PM
Today I signed up to get CNN text alerts when something amazing or incredible happens in the world (at least what CNN is reporting, which we all know is NOT the whole story). However, upon receiving my "confirmation" text I was greeted with this:
"UR now registered for CNN Breaking News Mobile Alerts...Reply 'HELP' 4help."
What? CNN. Shame. On. You. First of all, UR is NOT an acceptable substitute for 'you are', in fact the only substitute for those two words is 'you're'. And 4?? Is it too much to get a 'for' instead? Is CNN trying to appeal to the demographic that texts like that? 13-year-old girls? OMG leik cnn is ttly txting meeee 4real
No. I expected better of you, CNN.

Also, I received an IM the other day that included the abbreviation "jw." At first I thought I was being called a Jew. That or something about my jaw. But no, apparently it means "just wondering." This is also not acceptable. People, when you have a full keyboard at your disposal USE IT! I am firmly behind the school of thought that encourages proper grammar and spelling. Text-spelling is going to be the downfall of the English language, so please, please don't let it go to the teens.

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Best/Worst

Posted by Allyson on 6:03 AM
Following in the footsteps of others I've decided to create a Best and Worst of 2008 list. This is by no accounts comprehensive and no doubt I can't remember everything, so, with all that said, we I go!

BEST
  • Comic-Con in July. I met some pretty cool people, BJ Novak and Mindy Kaling, the cast of the Sarah Silverman Program, and freaking Damon Lindeloff! Unfortunately, I have a very poor sense of celebrity and didn't take pictures or get signatures of any of those people. Also that may have been the only time I saw Megan Walker that entire year.
  • Seeing Mates of State! In the front row! And Jason Hammel looked at me I swear it so!
  • Leaving Target. This one event was months in the making and when it finally happened things just got better. I still miss it somehow, but I went somewhere that gave me SO much more money.
  • Coming home for Christmas. Although I didn't get to do everything that I had on my list, I still had a great time and was desolate to leave so soon. Oh well, that will just have to go on my "Worst of 2009" list.
  • Coming to Chatham? I suppose this should go on here. It was a huge change and I think I'm a little better for it. I had to pick up some skills like how to catch a bus, how to wake up on Saturday mornings without my mom waking me up, and hardest of all, how to deal without my family at arm's reach.
  • My summer reading program. I set up my own reading program this summer called "The Summer of Future Dis-Utopian Societies in Fiction" and I think I did a pretty good job. Selected titles included 1984, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451 and Little Brother.
  • Barack Obama winning the hearts of the people, the popular vote, and the electoral college by an absolutely amazing landslide.
  • Moving out of my childhood home. My entire family moved this past spring and it's an experience I'd never had before. It was hard to pack up my entire life and move it, but we all managed it. And I love my new house.
  • The DOOM of July that turned out to be very un-doom like and an event I'm quite happy finally occurred.
  • Parts of working for Valley. I liked when I did nothing.
  • Seattle! I loved Seattle and I had a fabu time with my Auntie.
  • Spring Break in Sacramento. I always love spending time with the ladies up there.
  • Misc. things like Barnes and Noble time, sleepovers, Tuesday Movie Nights, THE OFFICE, John Krasinski's beautiful face, Kate Harding, and my brand new comfy bed!
Worst of 2008!
  • Prop 8... No comment lest I go off on a rampage.
  • Getting the 24-hour stomach flu when I was practically alone on campus.
  • Leaving Bakersfield.
  • Riding the wrong bus all the way to the end of the line.
  • I don't want to think about the bad things anymore.
Yay New Year!

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