The Simpsons: Crook and Ladder

Homer: What are you, a travel agent? 'Cause you're sending me on a guilt trip.

I have watched a lot Simpsons shows for many, many years and I try to judge each episode on its own merit. One of many great things about those earlier episodes is that they managed to combine top-notch humor with truly touching moments without making those emotional moments seem trite or tacked-on. I think the series, even as it nears its 400th episode, can still conjure up those moments, but I will admit that sometimes it doesn't quite hit the target.

Take, for example, this episode. First of all, this one of the funniest episodes I had seen in a long time. Here's just a few of the moments I loved and be sure to watch the YouTube video above:

• The Nappien ad, complete with a bird pooping the pill into the man's mouth and phrases like "napping centers" and "awakegins"
• The clever jab at the expense of Ambien (which was proved to cause "sleep eating" in some people) when Lisa 'accidentally' says the name of the real-life product
• Homer's "Dominex" kneepads, and his videotape dominoes self-portrait, complete with Matt Groening's signature
• Homer's MOOD SWINGS! Moooood swings.
• The man in the house fire who states that gay marriage is the "real emergency"
• The pastiche of the Forrest Gump theme that plays when Mr. Burns floats out his window
• Apu's threatening stance: slapping a puppy against his hand
• Apu pretending to be a reincarnated into a cat ("you have just been Apu-ed!")

However, when it came time for the emotional arc of the episode when Homer realizes his kids are disappointed in him, the episode was so immersed in wackiness it just couldn't pull it off. I thought the "Sad Eyes" sequence was funny, but it was funny at the expense of the kind of emotional payoff that puts The Simpsons ahead of more cartoony fare like Family Guy and American Dad (which are both funny shows in their own right, and yes, you can like them all equally and for different reasons).

CSI: Leapin' Lizards

Another one-shot episode and a crazy one at that. Fortunately I got some little hints as to what may be in store for everyone as the season winds down.

The main case as I said was a bit crazy. Believers of some kooky reptilian race were behind the conspiracy and murder of a Las Vegas black-jack dealer who they apparently thought was some kind of hostile lizard queen. Hmm... there's a sentence you don't find yourself typing out every day.

Ally Sheedy (she looked terrible!) was featured in many of the interrogation scenes. She played the woman with the sword who slayed the aforementioned hostile lizard queen. This sounds hilarious now that I'm writing about it by the way. It was just an all-over-the-place plot from the aliens, to the hallucinations, to the mounted woman's head and the pigs that ate her body. I suppose it's stuff of that nature that keeps me glued to an episode of CSI.

As far as our main characters go, we got some very interesting developments which has me excited for the conclusion of the Miniature Killer plot. Before I jump to that, let's talk about Warrick. I feel bad for the guy. I feel like he's barely been in this season at all and now I find out that his wife Tina is having issues with the hours he works. So his marriage is going downhill. If it does fall apart, it'd be interesting if they tried to explore his gambling addiction again.

Back to the good stuff. Way back when Grissom was on sabbatical in MA, he wrote that love letter to Sara. I didn't know if he mailed it. He didn't and Sara found it tucked in a book near Gil's nightstand. She read it, smirked a little, and then her face was almost drained of any emotion. She looked downright creepy, almost as if she was thinking about how she has this guy wrapped around her finger and he has no idea.

Speaking of that, how about Grissom making his own replica (of what?) at the end of episode? It's like he's trying to get into the mind of his adversary.

My Name Is Earl: Get A Real Job

Continuing on his quest to become a real adult, Earl goes and finds himself a job. And of course Randy gets a job at the same retail establishment because, well... he's Randy.

As for Earl's ongoing efforts to become a real man, I was treated to an examination of class warfare as Earl learns that the stockroom workers do not mix with the show floor employees. He may have his GED, he's told, but the sales staff went to junior college.

The explanation of the differences between the Dockers and the Dickeys may have been one of the funniest things I've heard on Earl or any other show for quiet some time. "In a perfect world, we'd switch pants, but Dockers doesn't make a coverall."

Sean Astin didn't get nearly as much airtime as I would have expected in this episode. If he's going to play a jerk, it would have been nice to see him play even more of a jerk. But most of the action happens in the back room, where Earl struggled with his choice to move up in the world, and Randy's desire to just fit in.

Meanwhile, Joy prepares for the possibility of going to jail by selling most of the items she and Darnell own and buying a blow-up doll so that her husband doesn't get lonely. None of it makes any sense, "but hey," I said to myself, "since when has Joy ever made any sense?"

That said, I was taken completely off guard when the plan finally did make sense, and it turned out that all along her goal had been to flee the country.Hopefully her flight to Mexico means I'll get to see Catalina's family again. If there's one thing that the producers love, it seems to be recurring characters.

And as for character backstory, I found out how Earl decided he wanted to live his life with a mustache: the first time he drank chocolate milk. The irony that voice-over Earl says this line in all seriousness while fulfilling the second part of his three-part quest to be an adult is delicious. Almost as delicious as chocolate milk.

Pam's New Music Downloads

There's real down-hominess to Cassadaga, the newest disc from Bright Eyes, the brainchild of indie hero Conor Oberst. The album's name comes from a small Florida town inhibited by psychics. The twangy tune "I Must Belong Somewhere," is the kind of bright ditty that will keep Oberst's "new Dylan" buzz going.

The British buzz bands just keep on coming: Latest to arrive are Klaxons, who unite rockers and ravers, punks and popheads, on their kinetic full-length debut, Myths of the Near Future. "Golden Skans" pours on the hooks and the harmonies as if the lads could be the Beach Boys of the near future.

After they won the Best New Artist Grammy in 2002, the challenge for Maroon 5 was to avoid the curse that has befallen other ward recipients. And they've done that with this satisfying if slightly lesser follow-up CD, It Wont' be Soon Before Long. The swoonworthy ballad "Better That We Break," could be the breakup song of the summer.

Rather than rehash their self-titled debut, which found them ably joining the ranks of the neo-new wave movement, the Bravery summons the courage to change things up on The Sun and the Moon. They have injected their '80s revivalism with a fresh dose of '60s psychedelic pop on the track "Time Won't Let Me Go." Think the Cure meets the Beach Boys.

On the scale of today's piano-pop men, Jon McLaughlin falls somewhere between Daniel Powter and Gavin DeGras. Proudly repping Middle America on his major-label debut, Indiana, has charm and chops. This evident on the tune, "Indiana", on which this boy earnestly confesses that he's not so ready to meet the big bad word.

On this ambitious concept album, American Doll Posses, the piano-playing singer-songwriter, Tori Amos, delivers her tunes from the perspective of five characters representing different female archetypes. The highlight comes on "Bouncing Off Clouds," a heavenly slice of atmospheric pop set to a bouncy beat.

The stakes have been raised for the Chicago band, Wilco. but they don't seem to be feeling the pressure on the breezy Sky Blue Sky. The sextet nails the bluesy, Stones-esque "Hate It Here."

Although Charlotte Gainsbourg, is better known as an actress, she has released her second album 5:55, which reels you in with its almost cinematic quality on songs like the evocative "Set Yourself on Fire."

Dinner & a DVD: Good Night, and Good Luck

The flavors found in this delicious dish are wonderful. Packed with pasta, three kinds of meat, veggies and cheese, it makes a hearty meal.

Pizza Pasta Dinner

2 cups uncooked spiral pasta

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb sausage

Green pepper, chopped

Onion, chopped

1 cup sliced pepperoni

1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 jar (14 oz) spaghetti sauce

1 jar sliced mushrooms

1 can chopped ripe olives

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, sausage, green pepper, and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the pepperoni, tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, mushrooms and olives; cook and stir for 5 minutes.

Drain pasta; stir into meat mixture. Heat through. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand until cheese is melted.

Featured Attraction: Good Night, and Good Luck

In 1954, television was still a new invention. Few Americans owned one, and those who did had only three or four channels to choose from. It was the time of the Red Scare, of Joe McCarthy's House Un-American Activities Committee, of Edward R. Murrow.

"Good Night, and Good Luck" is not your typical biopic or docudrama. It does not delve into Murrow's childhood or marriage. Murrow (David Strathairn) and his news producer Fred Friendly (George Clooney) learn an obscure story of an Air Force Lieutenant who is discharged because his father might have been a Communist. With his commander unwilling or unable to explain his dismissal (one of the contents of a top secret envelope), Murrow and his team take on the ring leader of the Pinko witch hunt, Sen. McCarthy. (And if you don't think it can happen now, think again .)

Standing in the way is CBS news manager William Paley (Frank Langella), who has to balance his journalists' integrity and freedom with the desires of his sponsor Alcoa. Murrow convinces Paley to let him run his critique of the Senator, mostly by washing his (Paley's) hands of Murrow if it blows up. So on March 9, 1954, Murrow's show "See It Now" used McCarthy's own speeches to show inconsistencies between his words and actions.

A month later, McCarthy appeared on "See It Now," accusing Murrow of being affiliated with the Communist Party. Of course, he had no proof. "We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty," Murrow says. Viewers responded overwhelmingly against McCarthy. After that, politicians of all stripes openly criticized McCarthy, and McCarthy's career spiraled downward.

Filled with jazz and cigarette smoke and filmed in black & white, "Good Night and Good Luck" brings the viewer back to 1954. Patricia Clarkson, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr., and Ray Wise round out the supporting cast with terrific credibility. At only 93 minutes, the movie--which has no sex, no violence, and only one blasphemous swear word--is anything but boring, letting the drama of the time dictate the action.

"Good Night, and Good Luck" is less a movie about McCarthyism than it is about courage and journalistic integrity. All journalists, especially those who tripped over themselves to cover OJ Simpson's trial and Anna Nicole Smith's death, and columnists who close their minds to the opinions of others, need to see this movie so they could learn what journalism really is.

Lost: The Brig

This was the episode I have been eagerly anticipating for almost a month now, and it was definitely worth the wait. Locke took me on a roller coaster ride of intensity and revelation, while keeping me guessing from start to finish.

Let's start off with a major theme that's been prominent lately on "Lost" — I have NO idea who is good and who is evil anymore. It seems like everyone has secrets and everyone is out for themselves entirely at this point.

Locke is growing to be more and more like Henry Gale with each episode. They both oscillate between trying to keep their cool, eerie exterior and exposing their inner anguish. There's a yin and yang type situation between them (e.g. at the beginning of the episode Henry is in the wheelchair). It's hard to tell who is manipulating whom, and I love how they expose weakness in each other.

I'm not sure if I believe any of this hell/purgatory stuff. It sounds like a theory the Others want to plant into the minds of the Losties, and I'm wondering if the Others got to Naomi and brainwashed or bribed her before the Losties found her. This would explain why Desmond never saw the actual helicopter she fell from.

Why would the Others leave their cozy little community to camp out in tents?

I love that Henry tells Locke that the Others need a gesture of "free will," and then promptly demands that Locke kill his father.

It makes no sense that Locke's father would egg both Locke and Sawyer on. In Locke's flashbacks, we always see his father begging for Locke's help whenever he needs it. This makes me even more sure that the Others are pulling all the strings, and are behind the purgatory theory.

I don't believe a single word Naomi said. I think she's entirely full of crap and not to be trusted.

I'd like to know how Locke managed to get his father into the Black Rock, what with his father's razor sharp teeth and all.

What is the deal with Rousseau? She used to be super suspicious and paranoid, and now she just strolls into the Black Rock, gets some dynamite, and heads out? What is she going to blow up? I really hope I get some more information about her character before this season is over.

I find it interesting that the Others think Locke is "extremely special," and that Richard the doctor wants to spend more time with him. Didn't they also say the same thing about Walt, and then let him leave the island entirely?

As you know, I don't really like Kate, mainly because she always fails to use common sense. The scene where she runs and tells Jack that nobody trusts him was a cringe-worthy, desperate attempt to get him to like her again. Also, I'm not sure about Juliet. I know that all those manipulative side glances at Jack are designed to make the audience hate her, but I haven't got a gut feeling yet.

When all is said and done, the last few minutes of the episode gave me the chills and made really excited to check out the rest of the season, which is all I can ask for from a show like "Lost."

Bones: Spaceman in a Crater

This episode opened with one of the most grisly crime scenes I've seen on TV. After watching many Bones and who knows how many CSI episodes, it takes a lot to shock me with a crime scene. The exploded spaceman in the crater was just enough to do it. Seriously, that was just gross. Kudos to the behind the scenes folks that put that together.

The exploded spaceman, who turned out to be Colonel Howard, did end up presenting an interesting case for the team to solve. The bone loss, due to demineralization (I hope I have that right, I have Booth's capacity for understanding what the squints are talking about) was an interesting twist. I liked that it kicked off the alien angle, because I'm fascinated with all of that stuff. It did bring up one small complaint with the episode.

Zack estimated how much time in space the subject would have had to account for the level of bone loss, or bone rot as Booth called it. They matched that up with the time that Colonel Howard had been up. That's all well and good, but it doesn't really jibe with Dr. Pascal's story about how well the bone replacement therapy was going. I would have preferred some confusion because Howard had been in space for long enough that there should have been more bone loss, leading to the revelation of the implant and the therapy. A small complaint though, because the rest of the mystery actually worked really well.

Commander Adams was an obvious suspect, for the simple reason that he was getting the spot vacated by Howard. However, when Bones pointed out to Booth that Howard could have seen some classified weapon, or any number of things, while up in space, it did cloud the situation. The fact that Nina Sanbourne came off as so cold and calculating helped in that regard. I could have gone along for a ride that found the National Space Agency taking Howard out because he was going to blow the whistle.

That possibility also presented a perfect opportunity for Jack (Hodges) to release a little of that inner paranoia. It's one of my favorite things about his character. You could just see him getting wound up when he started in about how they had to go repair the telescope, "again." I also liked his annoyance at how the aliens are grey, not green.

The Space Travel Coalition was another effective bit of misdirection. The fact that Howard was working for a guy that has been abducted multiple times, had an implant, had an implant taken out, etc. cast enough doubt on him, and the STC to float yet another possibility for what could have happened. It's also interesting, and perfectly in character, that Jack already has his seat reserved.

And speaking of Jack, what do you make of Angela's crazy proposal requirements? You had to feel for the guy. It was a very sweet moment, and he really laid it all out there, only to be told, "No." That's a tough situation, but I thought he handled it well. I don't understand her reasoning any more than Jack does, but I like the Angela/Jack relationship. They are good together and it adds a bit of an ongoing story to the episodes that otherwise usually stand on their own.

Another bit of the ongoing story that stuck out to me in this episode is the change in Bones. Her time with Booth has softened her edge somewhat, and it was shown by just how cold and calculating Zack is. Cam's bewilderment at how he could just completely ignore the person that Howard was in his eagerness to strip the flesh from his bones reminded me of just how off-putting some of Bones' actions were early in the series.

Overall, this was another really good episode. A good mystery for the team, some crazy Jack paranoia, and the exploded spaceman all added up.