I am confused about the timing - Sam's widow said they heard the #'s 16 years ago? But French Chick (heeee) said she changed the recording AND Sayid said her msg has been broadcasting for 16 years. So either Sam & Lenny heard it right before it got changed, or I wasn't paying as close attention as I thought.

I think you have it right. The original broadcast of the numbers was probably picked up by both Rousseau's ship, and Sam and Lenny's listening post the same night.

He just wanted to use him as a sounding board to spill his own stuff.

I don't think so -- if he'd found out in the jungle, I doubt he would have said anything. My read was that he thought his secret was so earth-shatteringly huge, that telling it was a massive gesture of trust that would shock anyone into instant candour.

Hurley was a patient. His mother said something like he was starting to gain weight again like he had been larger before. Perhaps at a life threatening point to put his family through quite an ordeal.

Obesity puts you in the psych ward? I don't see how the two are related.

The original broadcast of the numbers was probably picked up by both Rousseau's ship, and Sam and Lenny's listening post the same night.

That was my assumption.

I read somewhere that the Korean TV said that Hurley was being arrested for money laundering. For the life of me I can't remember the site to check it, but am very confused about how that could gain such legs.

From Cleolinda's recap:

he's marching down the beach like Lawrence of Do-Rag.

Hee!

ETA, hm, the quick edit quote thingie seems to be on the fritz.

ETA again- never mind!

My read was that he thought his secret was so earth-shatteringly huge, that telling it was a massive gesture of trust that would shock anyone into instant candour.

Yeah, which was a good plan, but he should have realized that he didn't need the plan when Hurley started talking to him and just listened.

Nah, whoever said that is wrong like a wrong thing. (ETA: the thing about Hurley in ita's white-font.)

I went back and rewatched the Korean TV thing several times (in the interest of research and *cough* scientific verification and whatnot), and the dialog, as much as it's audible, goes something like;

"Hugo Reyes, from Los Angeles, California, is the winner of... lottery. He has been living an ordinary life so far, but it will now be transformed, as if in a dream."

And the caption on the screen states:

"Lucky Winner"
"Los Angeles, California"

No mention of any criminal activities at all.

Where is Tustin? I've seriously never heard of it.

And I'm definitely viewing the episode as saying Hurley was a mental patient at some point. His touchiness about being called crazy, the fact he didn't know Lenny's last name, and the way the doctor reacted to him all pointed that way to me. Plus, I think if he'd been a volunteer or an orderly, the show would have been more explicit about that.

What I think is interesting about the fact Rousseau heard a numbers recording 16 years ago that drew her team to the island, is that it suggests there either was someone on the island then, or is someone on the island now who's been hiding for more than 16 years. There are just layers and layers to this show, though i'm not sure there's anything underneath them.

Also, I thought Locke with the cradle was incredibly sweet.

but he should have realized that he didn't need the plan when Hurley started talking to him and just listened.

Absolutely -- I think he was being self-centred, but I also think his instinct was that he could help (grandiose, perhaps), but as importantly that he wanted to.

Obesity puts you in the psych ward? I don't see how the two are related.

My thought was the possibility of the obesity being a life threatening state caused by an eating disorder. Her comment sounded to me like he might be getting back to old bad habits. Eating disorders being psych related and tough on families.