Lost 2x03 - Orientation

Ok, Lost was awesome again. No real surprise there, but we again get some new questions to ponder.

Here's what I picked up from the episode in both question and statement form:

• Is this the Helen Locke was talking to in his first flashback? Wasn't she some kind of phone sex operator? I guess Helen could have dumped him and the operator let him call her whatever he wanted.
  
• If the research project, or whatever it is, started in 1970, then why did they wait until the early '80s to make an orientation film?
• And didn't it seem convenient that certain parts of the film had been very obviously edited out?
• I guess we know where the polar bears came from now.
• Also, the film was number 3 of 6 and the station was the third of 6. Does that just mean that the film is for station 3, or could there be 5 other films lying around somewhere?
• The film mentioned BF Skinner, the father of behavioral psychology.
• Why was Jack so opposed to watching the film again? It seemed to have had some sort of impact on him.
  
• The logo for the Dharma Initiative contains a swan, no doubt for the name of the station, rather than a ying yang.
  
• What's up with those other island people? It's pretty obvious they're crash survivors, based on Seat 42F chick and how all of them were dressed, but what have they gone through to make them act like that?
• Was the big guy supposed to be Rose's husband? He looked a little too young for that and he didn't sound American.
  
• When Locke's dad emotionally bitch slapped him again, he said something about being conned. I've got a feeling that Locke's dad is the real Sawyer.
• Was it me, or did Desmond seem particularly interested in Jack's ex-wife?
• And who was in that picture with Desmond? The quick look we got was of a blonde chick and my mind immediately jumped to Jack's ex-wife.
• How did Desmond's partner die, how long had he been there, and how did that guy's partner die?
• Did Jack recognize that medicine Desmond grabbed on his way out?
• Who's thinking the timer thingy is a dead-man's switch? I kinda think that it's linked to the "monster" and was set up as an option of last resort to contain the "sickness" that Desmond and Rousseau seem to think is on the island.
• I like the EM field is what brought down the plane and attracted Desmond's boat. He did say he crashed there or something. Maybe it affected his compass.
• Why did Jack let Desmond get away? I'd imagine that he might have been able to provide some more useful information. I don't doubt that we'll see him again, though.
  
• Jin speaking English in next week's promo? WTF?

I'll stop there. I'm sure I could go on for hours, but I've got other stuff to do.