I am Jeremy Bentham

To most of my regular readers (and friends), this might come as a surprise.

It is a VERY long story, but for the past month or so I've been quite busy with a secret side LOST project: http://jbentham.wordpress.com.

I'm off to San Diego for Comic-Con today through the weekend, but will elaborate in greater detail soon. I promise.

- Jo

p.s. Thus the addition to the new logo...

Dharma Initiative: Recruitment at Comic-Con

I received another email from Octagon Global Recruiting. Apparently I need to bring my Bluetooth headset to San Diego this week, because the Dharma Initiative are recruiting at Comic-Con (and unlike Jacob, they appear to embrace new technology).

Here it is, followed by a secret message that was embedded in the source of the email (nerd alert!):

ATTENTION ALL RECRUITS
DHARMA HEAD OF RECRUITING TO ATTEND LAUNCH

Octagon Global Recruiting, on behalf of the Dharma Initiative, is pleased to announce that Dharma's Head of Recruiting, Mr. Hans Van Eeghen, has confirmed his availability for the launch of our latest recruiting drive at Comic-Con 2008.

"My colleagues at Octagon Global Recruiting assure me that Comic-con hosts some of the brightest minds in the country," said Mr. Van Eeghen. "As Head of Recruiting it is my intention to personally assess the very best of this talent in the hope that they may join us."

The Dharma Initiative will be conducting eligibility assessments at Booth 3529 at Comic-Con, San Diego between July 24th - 27th.

If you are attending Comic-Con and would like to submit your name for a randomly selected drawing to secure one of ten (10) pre-release appointments with one of our recruiting officers, please click here.

The volunteer eligibility assessment will be available online from July 28th for a limited time at www.dharmawantsyou.com

The Dharma Initiative hopes you will spread the word. Invite your friends to join the team at www.octagonglobalrecruiting.com

[and the random message within the page source]:

…If you’re reading this, wanna hear something cool?
I’ve got intel about his little “recruitment drive.”
They’re doing some kind’ve personality/IQ testing or something down in SD for ComicCon.
Buddy of mine works down there and has the approvals for their “booth,” he says once you go in no one knows what happens inside and you need an appointment to get in. He also said to make sure you’ve got your Bluetooth on and visible – he’s rigged up a little something.

The whole thing sounds like elitist B.S., doesn’t it?
Well, I’m getting in that booth and taking the test.
As many times as I have to before I “pass” (whatever that means?)
And then…
If I can?
I’m gonna tape it so EVERYONE can see what these idiots are up to.
Should be fun, right?
See ya in SD. RuckusGuy OUT.

So...I have no idea what any of this means, but I intend to keep the Bluetooth function on my cell on at all times, and plan to stop by that booth on Preview Night (Wednesday) if they're up and running.

Stay tuned Wednesday-Sunday for reports from the Convention Center!

LOST! 2008 Emmy Nominations

Finally! The cast and crew of the best show on television was shown some serious love and respect with the following Emmy nominations:

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Michael Emerson (Benjamin Linus)

OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY
"The Constant"

OUTSTANDING MUSICAL COMPOSITION FOR A SERIES
Michael Giacchino

OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
"There's No Place Like Home (Parts 2 & 3)"

OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A SERIES
"The Shape of Things to Come"

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE-HOUR)
"Meet Kevin Johnson"

Emerson's nod is long overdue, well deserved and quite amazing, considering that he was originally only slated to appear in a handful of episodes in Season 2. To me, Ben Linus is the most compelling and likable villain to ever grace the small screen.

When Emerson is announced during his category at the Emmy's, they should simply show the scene where Ben watches and reacts to Keamy killing Alex. Game over. Hand the man his trophy.

LOST at Comic-Con 08: An Update (amended)

Here is an official programming update about all Lost-related activities slated to take place during Comic-Con in San Diego in a few weeks.

It is my goal to attend all of these events and report in detail here, immediately following each (if logistically feasible). Here is a list of ALL panels I hope to attend, including those not related to Lost.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23 [Preview Night for those w/a 4-day pass]
6pm-7:30m or 7:30pm-9m
Screenings of the Fringe pilot (JJ Abrams' new series on FOX)

THURSDAY, JULY 24
2pm-3pm
The Middleman panel
Creator/executive producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach is a former Lost scribe

FRIDAY, JULY 25
1:45pm-2:45pm
Entertainment Weekly's The Visionaries: Showrunners
Not only will Lost's Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof be on this panel, which will be moderated by EW's Lost guru Jeff "Doc" Jensen, they will be joined by Josh Schwartz (Chuck/Gossip Girl), Josh Friedman (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) and Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies).

SATURDAY, JULY 26
Noon - 1pm
The official Lost panel
Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse will discuss Season 4, as well as answer questions. And of course we all await a reveal of some sort, leading up to Season 5...

4pm-5pm
Lost Podcast with Jay and Jack
An interview with the premier and popular Lost podcasters.

or...

4:45pm-5:45pm
Fringe Q&A
With JJ Abrams, the writers, producers and cast.

Besides attending these panels, I will definitely be perusing the Dharma Initiative/Octagon Global Recruiting booth.

If you're also going to be there, drop me a line and look for me in the black JOpinionated logo t-shirt!

Stay tuned for the unveiling of a brand new Get LOST with JOpinionated logo here on the site and on materials that will be distributed to fellow Lost fans at Comic-Con as well...

The LOST Book Club

For those of us with time on our hands during the hiatus, there is now an official Lost Book Club. Seriously.

Here is a note from the producers:

Welcome to the Lost Book Club.

Over the first four seasons of LOST we've managed to incorporate more than 40 books into the show. For the first time, we've catalogued a list of books available in audio form that relate in some way to LOST. Some are being read by our characters, such as Sawyer, or are just sitting on shelves in episodes of the show; others connect with various themes of the series.

We hope you'll join our informal Lost Book Club. To paraphrase one of our heroes, Stephen King, to be a writer one must first be a reader. We find ourselves constantly striving for even a small measure of the accomplishment of what all these authors have achieved in their books. Pick up any of them and experience the richness of storytelling, character, and theme, and then allow your imagination to connect all that back into our show.

We can't promise you any of these books will lead you to answers about LOST, but we can promise you'll be enriched for having read them.

Enjoy! And fall through the rabbit hole with us!

All our best,
Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse