The Office has really seen a resurgence in quality over the past several weeks. I lamented once before about a perceived downward spiral for the show, but tonight's episode was a real throwback to the good old days of seasons 2 and 3. Other recent episodes have been equally as strong, making the show a joy to watch again. Michael's tension with his new boss Charles is truly palpable, allowing the viewer to share those awkward moments that made the early seasons so fun.

It looks as if the writers are setting things up for a huge season finale. We get to see Ryan for the first time in a while in the next episode (which is two weeks from tonight), and hilarity should ensue as Michael and Pam set out to start a new paper company. Will Michael hire Ryan as an employee in his new company? Could Holly make another appearance at the end of the season? Will the folks at Dunder-Mifflin realize that, despite his antics, Michael Scott is the right man for their company?

I can't wait to find out.

If I ran the Academy Award ceremony:

• The host would be a news reporter, chosen specifically for their inability to make lame jokes.
• Said host would read the award category, the nominations, and the winner, without any pauses or cuts to montages of said nominations.
• Award presentations that no one cares about (best sound editing, best art direction, best makeup, etc) wouldn't be televised.
• Award winners would receive their award on a side stage with no podium or microphone, thereby removing their ability to give an acceptance speech.
• The entire award ceremony would be 30 minutes long.
• Nielsen ratings for the event would be at an all time high.

Hold your applause, please.

I just completed the final season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and all I can say is wow. This show is, without any doubt in my mind, one of the top 5 television shows I've ever seen. It ranks up there with The Simpsons and Pushing Daisies, in my opinion, and that's saying something (seeing as how big a Simpsons nut I am).

The series finale takes place across four episodes, each more epic than the one before it (and the episodes leading up to this finale are just as good). There are some excellent surprises throughout each episode, with the vast majority of the lingering mysteries finally being resolved. A surprising twist occurs in the finale's climax, and it's safe to say I was thoroughly surprised. The ending was fulfilling beyond anything I imagined.

If you haven't checked out this series, I cannot recommend it highly enough. I will definitely be purchasing the entire series on DVD (Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3).

There are only two things that could have made the series better. First, I was disappointed that we didn't learn more about the air bender society. If Aang is the only one left, what becomes of their heritage? Has this nation therefore truly become extinct? Second, there were still a few strings left dangling at the series end. I won't list them here so as to avoid spoilers, but I'd love to know what becomes of these threads. Another episode (or two ... or three) would have been really appreciated to see where everyone ends up. Perhaps the creators of the show will come back in the future to wrap up these threads.

All in all, I had an enjoyable time with this series. Even though I'm a little sad to say goodbye to it, I'm oh-so-glad I took the journey. I now have other shows to catch up on, both old and new, and that's what I'm off to do next. So long, Aang and company. It's been a wonderful ride.

I am really enjoying the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. This cartoon, which was launched in 2005 and wrapped up earlier this year (for a total of 3 seasons), is outstanding. It appeals to all ages, and is a joy to watch. Here's a brief premise, as taken from Wikipedia:

Avatar: The Last Airbender takes place in a fantasy world that is home to humans, fantastic animals, and spirits. Human civilization is divided into four nations: the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Nomads, and the Fire Nation. Each nation has its own natural element, on which it bases its society. Within each nation exists an order called "Benders" who have the ability to manipulate the eponymous element of their nation. The show’s creators assigned each Bending art its own style of martial arts, causing it to inherit the advantages and weaknesses of the martial arts it was assigned. The Bending types are Waterbending, Earthbending, Firebending, and Airbending.

The Avatar is the one person who is able to bend all four elements. He (or she) serves to ensure that the nations all live together in peace. One hundred years before the starting point of the series, Aang, a young airbender, learns that he is the next incarnation of the Avatar (each generation yields one Avatar to preside over the nations). He disappears out of fear of his looming responsibility. With the Avatar gone, the Fire Nation attacks the others, and essentially takes complete control.

As the series begins, two water nation siblings, Sokka and Katara, happen to find the Avatar frozen in a block of ice. They remove him from the ice, along with his giant flying bison Appa, quickly become friends, and set out to help the Avatar master the four elements, so that he may restore balance and order to the world.

I'm currently half-way through the second season, and I'm greatly anticipating the rest. The overall story-arc is wonderful, and each episode also has a great side story. Action scenes are incredible, the animation is fantastic, and the dialogue is very funny. I highly recommend this series to anyone even remotely interested in animated series' (or good television for that matter). I'm really looking forward to finishing out this season and the next!

Well, four years later I'm finally catching up on LOST (hat tip to Dustin). So far I'm enjoying the show: I gave the first season a 4-star rating ("I Really Like It") at Netflix. There's obviously a lot left for me to catch up on, but so far, so good. Mystery abounds, the characters are interesting, and the plot twists and turns all over the place. Hopefully things will start making a little more sense in season 2. Here's a brief rundown of my current opinions of the main characters:

Jack

Probably my favorite character and the most practical (which is why I think I like him best).

Kate

I started out liking her, but the more I see, the more I dislike her. She's "peas in a pod" with Sawyer.

Sawyer

Not much to like about this con-man, though I do feel a little sorry about his childhood trauma.

Locke

Meh.

Jin

I'm liking him more and more. His "business" dealings with Sun's father are mysterious and pretty violent.

Sun

I'm enjoying her character more as well. She's becoming much more independent, and is stepping into a leadership role. Here's hoping that continues.

Sayid

Moderately interesting guy. Definitely someone you want on your side.

Charlie

Another of my favorite characters. I came to enjoy Dominic Monaghan in the Hetty Wainthropp series, and he shines here as well. I know how this character ends up, so it's a bit of a bummer.

Michael

Started out a jerk, but has improved a great deal.

Walt

Along with his dad, he's improved as a character. Gets abducted. Oh no!

Hurley

Another of my favorites, and great for a laugh. Has some of the best lines in the show, and a great back story.

Shannon

One of my least favorite characters. Snotty, boring, and someone I wouldn't want to be around.

Boone

Again, one of my least favorite characters.

Claire

Always seems to get the short end of the stick. Very likable, however, and the kind of person that would be fun to get to know.

Rousseau

I know she's been stranded on this island for 16 years, but someone needs to shoot her. Multiple times. Now.

I'm looking forward to season 2. Do you follow the show? If so, what do you think? No spoilers please.

Netflix has a movie rating system designed to help them recommend titles that you might like. They present the user with six rating options:

• 5 stars (Loved it)
• 4 stars (Really liked it)
• 3 stars (Liked it)
• 2 stars (Didn't like it)
• 1 star (Hated it)
• Not interested

When I first signed up, I went through the movies that I either owned or could remember well enough, and rated each one as carefully as I could. However, as time goes on, I find it more and more difficult to rate movies that I watch. I often find myself second guessing my initial rating, usually in the negative direction. For example, I've recently watched the first four Dirty Harry movies (out of the total five). Here's what I gave each:

• Dirty Harry: 5 stars
• Magnum Force: 4 stars
• The Enforcer: 3 stars
• Sudden Impact: 5 stars

I feel pretty solid on my ratings for the first three movies. The first movie is an all-time classic and set the bar (and tone) for most subsequent police dramas. Magnum Force was nearly as good, but felt a little flat in parts, hence my four star rating. The Enforcer was weaker still, and felt like any generic action film might in the 1970s (the female partner story was particularly disappointing). But what about the fourth title? Towards the end of the movie, I found myself thinking that it was a solid four-star film. But the climax was so epic, that it vaulted the movie into five-star territory for me.

I later found myself second guessing my five-star rating, wondering whether or not it was truly "five-star worthy." The movie had some flaws (what movie doesn't?), but were they enough to lower the rating? Which leads me to the ultimate question: what makes a movie five-star worthy? I know I'm over-analyzing the matter, but it's so hard to compare apples to oranges. Do you use Netflix? If so, how do you rate movies? Are there any rules you follow?

Damn ABC! Damn everyone that won't damn ABC! Damn everyone that won't put lights in his window and sit up all night damning ABC! (Apologies to all my U.S. history professors. For those in the dark, here's the cultural reference to the above joke.)

I simply don't understand it. An incredibly clever, imaginative, and entertaining television show gets canceled because it's not getting the ratings the executives want. This proves that creativity has no place anymore in Hollywood. In short, it's not a crime drama, a medical drama, or a reality show, apparently making it the scourge of the land. Maybe the fact that the network didn't advertise the show has something to do with it. Or perhaps we can blame the failing economy. Either way, I'm disappointed.

I have truly lost what little faith I had left in television. All the more reason not to watch it. My only hope is that Bryan Fuller will come through on his promise to finish out the story with either a movie or through comic books. What a dark day.

Every so often, I troll the Apple movie trailers page to see what's in the pipeline (ironic, considering I almost never go to the theater). In browsing the page today, I noted a trailer for "The Pink Panther 2," which will undoubtedly be an embarrassment to the good name of Peter Sellers. This got me thinking, however, about how sequel titles have gotten dumber over the years. Here are the original Pink Panther movie titles:

• The Pink Panther
• A Shot in the Dark
• The Return of the Pink Panther
• The Pink Panther Strikes Again
• etc...

Note the clever new names for each movie. The upcoming film, starring Steve Martin (who can't seem to make any good movies anymore), has simply appended the number 2 to the end of the title. Many movies these days resort to this cop-out tactic, which seems to me to be an excellent indication of the lack of imagination and creativity left in the entertainment industry. I can think of only a few recent exceptions to this trend: the Lord of the Rings movies (whose titles come from books anyway), and the Jason Bourne movies (again, which come from book titles). Everyone else just tags a number on the end: Pink Panther 2, High School Musical 3, and Star Trek 12: So Very Tired. Do movie executives really believe that the public is stupid enough to not know a sequel when they see it? Apparently so.

I'm not sure how many of you here follow the television series The Office, but it seems to be headed downhill. Last night's episode, Employee Transfer, was the first to be directed by Stephen Merchant, one of the original minds behind the British version of the show. I recently had the opportunity to watch all of the episodes of the British version, and I really liked it. Some episodes were full of uncomfortable situations and were painful to watch (a testament to the actors' strength), but sadly, the characters were more one-dimensional than their American counterparts. Mr. Merchant's involvement in last night's episode had me looking forward to it; perhaps it would recall some of the extremely awkward and uncomfortable situations that made the British version so fun (and difficult) to watch.

Frankly, I was disappointed. Last night's episode was the second misstep in a row, following the previous Crime Aid episode, which was just as weak. Laughs were few and far between, and the episode simply seemed as a vehicle of (presumably) writing Michael's latest love interest off of the show. Not only is this disappointing from a character development standpoint (Michael has been maturing rather well this season), but it's a shame to lose such a great actress in Amy Ryan. She played so well with Steve Carell, which was a nice return to form, seeing as we've seemingly lost Dwight to this ridiculous Angela/Andy marriage business.

I'm a giant fan of the show, and I'll definitely keep watching (especially now that I can watch it in HD). But I'm afraid that the show has peaked, and the best times are now behind us. Perhaps the writers will prove us wrong; I certainly hope they do. Do you watch the show? If so, what do you think?

Now if only more people would start watching Pushing Daisies...

In six minutes of testimony before the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Fred Rogers was able to persuade John O. Pastore, head of the subcommittee and a man known for his impatience, to increase funding for public television by $20 million. This short video is a recording of those proceedings, and illustrate just what a great man Mr. Rogers was. The song he recites at the end of this video is particularly compelling.

One of the decisions I made before I moved into my new house was to not sign up for cable television (though RoadRunner was a requirement). Instead, I've decided to watch television over the air. This will fulfill nearly all of my television watching needs: The Simpsons, The Office, Pushing Daisies, the news, PBS, etc. Right now, I've got an old, tiny CRT television hooked up to some rabbit ears. The reception is shoddy, the picture blurry, and things are generally bad. Hopefully, switching to digital television will fix this (more on this in an upcoming post).

Instead of cable television, I'm going to try out Netflix. I've heard great things about it from various people, and it's way cheaper than paying Time-Warner (in the neighborhood of $40 or $50 cheaper a month). And interestingly enough, I see reports of people dropping cable for Netflix around the web (in a number of product reviews at Amazon, for example). There are a literal ton of movies that I've never seen, and it's high time to catch up. Plus, I'm eager to catch up on some old television shows that I enjoy (MAS*H, Cheers, and Frasier to name a few). Just as soon as I can pick up a DVD player (and possibly a new television), I'll sign up.

Do you use Netflix? If so, what do you think?

There a really great page with photos from this summer's Paralympic Games, the forgotten little brother of the Olympics. The things some of the folks in these pictures are doing are way more impressive than anything I saw in this year's Olympics (excepting Michael Phelps' craziness). Soccer matches featuring blind players? Crazy. One armed archery? Epic. These people truly define 'athlete'.

The season finale for The Office was aired last night, and it really threw me for a loop. A lot of what I expected to happen didn't, and some surprising twists and turns occurred throughout the entire episode. Some of my predictions are coming to fruition, though others may be increasingly off the mark. Like before, there are spoilers ahead so be forewarned.

Jim and Pam

I'm surprised that the Jim-Pam storyline took a turn at the end, with Jim failing to propose to Pam (as I expected would happen). Hopefully we'll see the couple take this step at the beginning of next season. I'm not sure I can take the tension any longer!

Jim taking career risks

Jim's two voice-mails to Ryan don't bode well for the future of his career. If Ryan is able to dodge his current criminal problems, Jim could be in trouble.

Ryan gets his comeuppance

This prediction came true, though not in the way I expected. It seemed to me that Ryan's drug problem would catch up to him, but it turns out that his business fraud was what got him into trouble with the law.

Michael grows up

For the first three-quarters of this episode, Michael was maturing at an incredible pace. His behavior around Holly, the new HR rep, was remarkable. Unfortunately, he relapses after finding out Jan is pregnant. I truly hope he ditches Jan and doesn't fall back into his old ways.

Angela, Andy, and Dwight

I certainly didn't see the Angela-Andy proposal coming. And what's up with Angela and Dwight at the very end of the episode? Who knew that they have apparently been seeing one another? This storyline should be very interesting to follow.

Holly and Kevin

I absolutely loved the running joke where Holly thought that Kevin was slow-minded. The entire gag was genuinely funny, and Brian Baumgartner did an amazing job as Kevin (this is his best performance so far in this show).

What did you think of the finale? Are you as excited about next year's season as I am?

I'm a big fan of The Office, the comedy television show on NBC (hopefully everyone else is too). Last night's episode was great, and it provided a glimpse of what might be coming down the pipeline (there are only 2 episodes left this season). Here are a few predictions I have for where this series is headed; note the possible spoilers ahead:

Jim proposes to Pam

This seems pretty obvious, and I wouldn't be surprised if it happens during the last episode of this season (and on top of the Dunder-Mifflin building). The proposal will most likely occur either during or immediately after the events of my next prediction...

Jim to be fired (or transferred)

Ryan had some harsh words of warning for Jim last night, thanks to a spiteful Toby (who's scheduled to depart in the coming weeks). I predict that Jim will indeed either (a) be let go from the company, or (b) be transferred away from the Scranton branch, due to his 'wasting time' at work. The latter option in my opinion is most likely, and I predict that he gets transferred to the Dunder-Mifflin branch in Utica, which is now managed by his previous girlfriend Karen. Awkward situations are bound to follow, especially if Pam comes along for the ride (as Jim's fiancée).

Ryan gets his comeuppance

It's pretty obvious that Ryan is a jerk, and we've now learned that he has a drug problem. I predict that this will catch up to him, and he will fall from his current heights, providing him with some much needed payback.

Roy to return?

If we assume that Jim leaves the Scranton office, and Pam doesn't come along, his relationship with her will be subsequently strained. I predict that Roy will make another appearance (perhaps hired by Vance refrigeration?), and will cast some doubt in Pam's mind as to who she should be with.

Michael grows up

For the first time ever, we are seeing some growth in Michael. He finally stood up to Jan, and he showed much more maturity with Stanley in last night's episode. I think Michael will continue to mature, and the show will slowly stop revolving around his character (it's time to flesh out some of the other characters in the show).

NBC has ordered an entire season of The Office for next year, so I'm excited to see where things are headed. What are your predictions?

I'm not sure if any of you have seen Pushing Daisies (Wednesdays at 8:00 PM EST on ABC), but I am thoroughly enjoying the show. It's a comedy-drama (described in some places as an 'forensic fairy-tale') and is, in my opinion, the most creative thing to come to television in a long time. The story revolves around Ned, a pie-maker, who has the uncanny ability to bring dead things back to life. There are, however, several rules he must adhere to:

1. If Ned touches something that he has previously brought back to life, it dies permanently.
2. If the thing that Ned brings back to life is alive for more than one minute, something else nearby dies to take its place.

Emerson Cod, a detective friend who discovers Ned's secret ability, gets Ned to partner up with him to solve unsolved murders. The general plot is that Ned brings back the murder victim, asks them how they died, and they collect the reward money (if any). But there are further complications to the story.

In his childhood, Ned was good friends with a girl who lived across the street, one Charlotte "Chuck" Charles. Ned's mother dies unexpectedly, so he brings her back to life, at the time not knowing about his power's two constraints. As a result, Charlotte's father dies unexpectedly (from rule 2 above). After touching his mother a second time, she too dies (from rule 1 above). Ned is sent to a boarding school, and never sees Chuck again. Later in life, however, he sees that Chuck has been mysteriously murdered. He brings her back to life and, unable to bring himself to killing her again, keeps her alive (a nearby undertaker dies to take her place). Chuck and Ned are instantly smitten with one another, but their relationship becomes somewhat difficult as a result of Ned being unable to touch Chuck.

The show ultimately revolves around the unsolved murders (a new one each week), and around Ned and Chuck's relationship and the complications therein: namely that they cannot touch one another (though they find a few workarounds), and that Olive Snook, a waitress at the Pie shop where Ned works, falls in love with Ned. It has been a long, long time since something this unique and engaging has been on television, so I heartily recommend it. The direction of this show is very similar to the works of Tim Burton, so if you like his movies, you'll like this show.

Update: You can catch full episodes of the show at ABC.com if you want to get caught up on the storyline. You have to install a custom player (yuck), but Dustin tried it out and it says it works OK.

It's Labor Day weekend once again, which means that it's time for the Old Fashioned Farmer's Day in Silk Hope, NC. Last year I took a number of pictures of the event, and I plan to do the same again this year. If you're located in central North Carolina, and you're looking for a good time this weekend, I recommend checking it out. It's just good ol' country fun!

I've been meaning to discuss The Totally Rad Show for some time now, and I'm just now getting around to it. For those unfamiliar with the show, TRS describes itself as the "summer blockbuster of geek news shows." Alex Albrecht (from DiggNation), Jeff Cannata, and Dan Trachtenberg all host the show, and they talk about movies, video games, television, comics, and more. One of the great stylistic elements of the show is that it is shot entirely in front of a green screen. Throughout the show, as the guys bring up various topics, related images appear behind them. The effect is subtle, but it really adds to the overall presentation.

TRS is currently on its 12th episode as of this writing, and I have followed it since episode 1. The content of the show is entertaining, and I've been introduced to several really great things based on their discussions. If you're a geek, or you like video games, movies, and more, be sure to check it out. If nothing else, it's a great thing to listen to at work. :-D

I've recently been listening to some music by The Mamas & The Papas, and it got me thinking. Cass Elliot, one of "The Mamas," was rather heavy-set to say the least. Would a person like this make it in today's music scene? I'm inclined to say "no" since so much of music today is visual. As I see it, Cass just doesn't have "the look" to compete in today's market.

She's not alone. Roy Orbison is another candidate in my list of performers least likely to make it. Anyone who's listened to any of Roy's work can't deny that he has an incredible voice. But he's certainly nothing to look at. He would most likely be overlooked if he started today. Who knows how much great music we're missing out on because the artists aren't the Ken's and Barbie's that producers want them to be?

I'm going to go ahead and call this one: Ctrl+Alt+Del has jumped the shark. What used to be a mildly amusing online comic has devolved into something so far out in left field, so detached from reality, that I'm not going to bother reading it anymore. The current story line is just a joke. Each character is a mindless, empty shell of what they used to be. It's sad to see the comic take this turn, but I can't say I'm surprised. In some way, I sort of saw this coming.

Does anyone else besides me love The Office? A coworker of mine (thanks Dustin!) got me into the show, and I'm currently working through season 2 (so no spoilers, please). Season 1 was surprisingly short, and I wish it had been longer. The one thing that I enjoy most about the show is that all of the characters are incredibly believable. I mean, I feel like I could work with any of these people. None of them are overly beautiful, like most television shows where the actors are all Barbie and Ken cookie cutters. Steve Carell does an excellent job as the manager, and John Krasinski is great as Jim. Dwight is a riot, and Ryan the temp plays a good part as well.

Don't even get me started on Pam; words simply fail me.

Update: I've finished season 2. All I can say is wow.