See this phrase and logo above? It is on a Life is Good hat that I own, but I do not take the advice it offers.  As most of you are aware, I have been inside of a Lost box with television tunnel-vision on for several months now. I am currently recovering (albeit with a rather large time-travel and character death hangover), as the fifth season has just ended.

But the good news for those of you who don’t watch that show is that I’m back, I’m ready to talk about shows that YOU love and watch, and I will be doing so much more frequently now. If you’re back, thank you for your patience. If you’re new, welcome to my babbling brook of consciousness!

We have several very emotional/controversial/strange season finales to discuss. The Office (baby!). Grey’s (RIP Gizzie?!). Private Practice (the horror!). Fringe (woah). Bones (wtf?). Heroes (yawn). Brothers & Sisters (let the door hit you on the way out, Tommy). 30 Rock (ten shades of awesome; I Lizzed). I haven’t seen the House finale yet, but Kutner’s death and Amber’s ghost made for a pretty great season.

File under: surprised but excited – Dollhouse has been renewed. I was very skeptical of this new series because of the pace of the first few episodes, but I highly recommend it as a summer series to catch up on because it is quite unique and compelling.

File under: donde esta? Samantha Who was yanked from the schedule without much notice or reason. It hasn’t been canceled so I’m curious to find out when they’ll be bringing it back.

File under: sad but relieved to get closure – ABC will be airing the final three episodes of Pushing Daisies at the end of the month.

Random season/schedule shows I’m currently enjoying: Rescue Me and Southland.

Summer TV: bring on True Blood and Mad Men. And let’s admit our guilty pleasure reality fixes…The Bachelorette starts tomorrow. I will also openly admit my addiction to The Biggest Loser; this was the first season I tuned in and am now hooked.

And music! Anyone else listening to the new Green Day? I am loving that and the new Phoenix album.

Movies: loved loved loved the new Star Trek. Was disappointed by Wolverine. New films I am really looking forward to include Away We Go (John Krasinski & Maya Rudolph/directed by Sam Mendes), Julie & Julia (Meryl Streep & Amy Adams/directed by Nora Ephron), and Nine (ensemble musical/directed by Rob Marshall).

So, hi. Thanks for stopping by. By all means, please let me know what shows, movies, bands, books, etc. that you’d love for me to discuss here and I will do my best. I owe you. And I’ve missed you.

See, I warned you about my lack of posts here once Lost started up again. I’m certainly not complaining, but watching every new episode 2- 3 times and then writing several entries about each per week is quite time-consuming (and is more than likely the culprit for this lingering headache I’m nursing).

I’ve given up on The L Word and Ugly Betty. But in the next few weeks I will be adding these to my collection: The Amazing Race, Dollhouse, Heroes, Life, Medium and Samantha Who.

Why do I list these out and why should you care? Because I’m an over-sharer and like to keep you in the loop. I would also like to know which shows you’d like me to write about; I’m much more likely to discuss YOUR favorite series…if only I knew what they were. Do tell.

In the interest of over-disclosure/overexposure, I also wanted to let you know that I will be out of town next week on business and then in Hawaii for 10 days on vacation. Don’t hate me. So you may not hear as much from me in February, except for occasional pop culture related reports (i.e. after our 8 hour private Lost tour on Oahu)!

Keep watching, keep reading and keep in touch.

Love you, mean it.

- Jo

Click here if you’re interested to hear my initial thoughts about Joss Whedon’s new show. If you are a fan of Whedon’s previous efforts (Buffy, Firefly, Serenity) or enjoy any combination of Alias, Fringe, Heroes, Lost and The X-Files, I highly recommend that you tune in when Dollhouse debuts on FOX on Friday, February 13!

Are you one of those people who are online (via cell or computer) during most waking hours? Do you ever wonder what some of your friends and family are up to, or where they are, but don’t feel like calling or emailing to find out?  If so, I highly recommend that you either sign up for a free Twitter account or find out which of your loved ones and buddies already use the service so you can follow them.

I casually refer to Twitter as ‘cyber-stalking with permission,’ but in reality it is a quick social networking message system. When you have an account, you have up to 140 characters to answer the question, “What are you doing?” in real-time, as often as you like. Some people offer very specific and personal details, while others are purposefully mysterious or controversial. You also have the option to reply to someone’s update, often resulting in a tweetversation.

Here are just a few favorites from the hundreds I follow:

Whitney Matheson: USA Today columnist (Pop Candy)
Greg Grunberg & Brea Grant: Heroes actors
J.R. Orci: writer/producer, Fringe
Jesse Alexander: writer/producer, Alias/Lost/Heroes
Mo Ryan: Chicago Tribune columnist (The Watcher)
TheODI, DocArzt & DarkUFO & Ryan from The Transmission: Lost scoop
DuckyDoesTV, GiveMeMyRemote, Ramblings of a TV Whore, theTVaddict: TV bloggers
SlashFilm, FirstShowing, Cinematical, AintItCool: movie news, interviews
Brill, Hanh, Rick, Andy, Sarah, Ryan, Korbi:  Zap2It TV team

You have the option to link Twitter to your Facebook status updates, but I’m not a fan of that particular option for my page (I update far less on Facebook). On my iPhone, I use the free application Twitteriffic to catch up and post new updates on the go. 

If you’re interested in following me, feel free to bookmark my Twitter profile: http://twitter.com/jopinionated. If you already have an account or create a new one, make sure to click ‘follow’ under my LOST icon (and I will follow you in return).

When in doubt, exercise caution before drunk-tweeting or sharing specific work and life details via Twitter. Before I post anything, I keep in mind that my mom follows me; it can be a tad disconcerting to receive calls from her with a specific question about or statement regarding something I forgot that I had posted on Twitter…but it is one of the many ways for her to keep in touch and involved from across the country.

So…do you tweet, and if so – who do you enjoy following on Twitter?

It is safe to say that I was in denial, and severely underestimated what I’m currently experiencing (both the pain and the recovery). My days consist of naps and strolls around the house (waddling would be a more accurate description), and I don’t have much energy yet. I haven’t even watched one show or movie online! Geez.

But I am not seeking symphathy here. My condition will only improve with time, and I am on the mend!  I hope to be blogging again soon. Thanks again for checking in.

Jo

Well, it’s that time. I’m off to take care of some personal business early tomorrow morning and will be out of touch for at least a few days.

I’m thankful for the distraction of this election, because frankly I’m far more concerned with my presidential candidate and state propositions than I am about a brief stay in the hospital.

I aim to be back online and blogging by this weekend or early next week. As always and in the meantime, I will be oversharing (to a vague degree), so feel free to follow me on Twitter and via Facebook.

See you soon, and thank you for the well wishes!

- Jo

These are the only rules for the meme: share 7 facts about yourself (some random and/or weird) on your site, and then tag seven people at the end of the post by leaving links to their sites.

It was a challenge to think of seven vaguely pop culture related experiences (my choice; not a requirement) to share, but here are mine:

1. Close Encounters of the Celebrity Kind
Random celebrities I’ve met in person include poet Maya Angelou, pitcher Bert Blyleven, 3rd baseman Aaron Boone & catcher Bob Boone, author Max Brooks, singer Shawn Colvin, E! reporter Giuliana DePandi, actress Vera Farmiga, actor Michael Keaton, author Doris Lessing, singer Matt Nathanson, Rosie O’Donnell, actress Lori Petty, singer Bonnie Raitt, The Apprentice season 1 winner Bill Rancic, Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton, actress Katey Sagal, Heroes artist Tim Sale, 1/2 of the Indigo Girls – Emily Saliers, pitcher Fernando Valenzuela and singer Suzanne Vega. I’m sure there are more from my days in Southern California, but I’m having trouble recalling right now.

2. One Time, at Band Camp…
I played the clarinet briefly.  After junior high l I thought I was too cool to be in the band, so I quit (only to realize that being part of the drama club wasn’t much of a social climb up from there). Thankfully, being on the varsity soccer team and a member of student government improved my status over the years.

3. Extra, Extra!
One summer during college, I worked as an extra on the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers near Los Angeles. I had to keep 10-12 different outfits in my car every day, none of which could conflict with the 5 leads; Red, Yellow, Blue, Pink, Black and Green were not an option. I spent a good deal of time standing around as a ‘friend of the Pink Ranger’ and she (Amy Jo Johnson, who would later star on Felicity) almost ran me over once in the parking lot on set. I’m pretty sure it was inadvertent.

4. Bonds, Barry Bonds
We were at PacBell Park in 2001 when he hit homerun numbers 71 and 72, breaking the single-season homerun record. One word: electric.
 
5. Prom Princess
Somehow, I was elected to the Prom Court during my senior year of high school. Yes, me.  To this day I’m convinced that it was some kind of practical joke.

6. I’m (So Not) Going to Disneyland
Growing up, our house was so close to Disneyland that we heard their fireworks every night at 9:30pm. I don’t miss that or the proximity. And FYI, we never referred to where we lived as The OC.

7. Screenings at Pixar
I have attended two education fundraisers featuring screenings of The Incredibles and Cars (before they premiered in theaters) at Pixar Animation Studios, both of which rank high among the greatest pop culture experiences of my life thus far.