Sherry Huang: January 2009 Archives

Perhaps I have the presidential inauguration and President Obama on my mind, but the word "change" was easily the keyword of last night's two-hour "Lost" premiere.

For two hours, the stories shifted back-and-forth in time and locale, much the same way the island kept shifting back-and-forth as it got "unstuck" in time. As those who remained on the island tried adjusting to the intermittent purple flashes that propelled them back and forth through time, leaving them without a constant, Daniel Faraday the physicist was (thankfully) on hand to explain what was happening.

At one point, the island "landed" at a time in the past when Desmond's hatch hadn't been found/open/exploded. Even though Sawyer attempted to get Desmond's help, Faraday stopped Sawyer and explained, "You can't change the past." By changing Desmond's past, the future might be temporarily altered, but eventually time would course-correct itself to reflect what it's supposed to be. In a way, this is another thread in the theme of free will and fate/destiny that "Lost" touches upon--one may have the free will to change past and future circumstances, but fate will eventually bring about what's-meant-to-be. However, making changes in the past is more dangerous than changing the future--you never know what you might change for the worse.

What do a Hindu monkey god, a Madonna and child, and a gambler's chit have in common?

They are just some of the tiny good luck trinkets that soon-to-be-president Barack Obama carries with him. They are charms that have been gifted by people he met on the campaign trail and they serve as a reminder of those he wishes to help.

Surprisingly, the one thing missing is a tiny cross--unless that's worn around the neck.

Check out more lucky charms that John McCain and Hillary Clinton carry with them across the nation, available for viewing at Times.com.