Others on the interwebs however are not as... congratulatory.

I read an article on Wired last night entitled "Emmy Night Marks Last Hurrah for Lost." As you can guess from the title of the article, you can figure out who they wanted to win Best Drama. But the argument for Lost to win Best Drama is one that is interesting to me. It goes: Lost should win Best Drama not just because it was great, but also because it would be a hallmark for the sci-fi genre as a whole. 

Let's be honest. This is a silly argument. It's like brining affirmative action to the Emmy's. A show shouldn't win just because it is a token show; a show should win because it is truly the best show. Take a look at this list of nominees and tell me that Lost truly deserves it:

• Lost
• Mad Men
• Breaking Bad
• Dexter
• True Blood
• The Good Wife

I can't say anything about True Blood or The Good Wife, but Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and Dexter are just more engaging dramas. Let's think about season 6 of Lost. What happened? What was the drama? Half the season was spent describing a heaven like afterlife where everyone gets to live happily ever after. Most of the conflict that arose on season 6 was forced.

But take a look at these other shows. The narrative is compelling and driven by interesting characters. Lost has interesting characters, but they were never really utilized to tell a good story this season (except for "Ab Eterno"). Wired goes as far as calling Mad Men glacier-paced. Really? Just because the show doesn't involve time travel or smoke monsters doesn't mean it isn't exciting. Try watching the season finale from season 3 and tell me the show is glacier-paced. More drama happens in that episode then all of season 6 of Lost combined.

I'm happy about the outcome and would have honestly been disappointed if Lost won for best drama as a goodbye consolation prize. And it's not like it's all terrible. Lost already won Best Drama once when they truly deserved it: season one.

Ready?

I don't know if you've heard about this latest trend on the internet, but it's sweeping the net by storm. It's these invite only clothing retailers that sell quality clothes for cheap. If you haven't checked them out yet, you really need to. What makes these retailers cool isn't the fact that they are "exclusive." It's the fact that you can get high end clothes for up to 80% off! No joke.

If you're familar with sites like Woot! then you already know how these sites work. But as opposed to Woot!, there is more than one deal a day, organized into different sale groups. For example, one specific designer might decide to put all of their clothes up and the sale lasts as long as inventory holds. It's first come first serve and the deals change daily.

The first great option is Gilt. Not only do they offer sweet deals on clothes for men and women, but also deals on home furnishing and gifts. Gilt swings more towards the designer high end side of things.

Another site to check out is JackThreads. Sorry ladies, but this site is strictly for men only. Whereas Gilt focuses on designer clothes, JackThreads centers on clothes the cool indie kids would wear.

But if clothing just isn't for you, the last option for discounted fun is Jetsetter. What's great about Jetsetter is that they offer crazy deals on luxurious hotels across the world. All you have to do is pay for airfare! Someday when (if) I ever have a lot of money, I think it would be sweet to sign up for random Jetsetter trips. They look freakin' sweet.

I'll admit that I visit these sites everyday just to see what new stuff is added. If you do want an invite, drop me a line so that you can be included in the bargin hunting fun. I'm going to go daydream about what cool vacations I can take.

I know that there's been a lack of updating on the blog as of late and that the podcast has seen a couple weeks without some updating love. You may be wondering, what gives? That's what the emails ask anyway.

Let's just say these last couple months have been pretty crazy. I recently got a new job and moved to LA. If this wasn't enough I've also been working 14-16 hour days almost everyday. Not to mention flying back to Minnesota to be in a friend's wedding and taking my cousin to Disneyland and yeah... there's not much time left for blogging.

Add to the fact that this blog has become a wasteland for spam commenters (I just deleted 150 spam comments this morning) and it makes it hard to keep up. Damn you spammers.

But have no fear. Instead of posting three times a week, I'm going to try the "cool internet personality" approach where I blog when I have the time. This means posts will be less frequent, but it also means they will be approximately 100 times better.

As far as the podcast goes, there are plans to revive that too. Just give us some time.

If it helps, just think of it like we've entered the Zombie stage of life. We were once dead, but now we're back to life. 

Hey. Don't point that shotgun at my head.

When someone says this to you, a clear picture enters your head immediately. People that are hungry and need to eat. People that are without shelter and clothing that need something as simple as shoes. Things that kill people that really shouldn't, like diarrhea. 

First World Malaise.

This idea is a bit more abstract to connect with. First world malaise is a term I use for things that people in first world countries could ever really face. Let me tell you, as someone that lives and works in Los Angeles, I see people who only know the "stress" of first world malaise.

You don't have to be wealthy to be someone that deals with first world malaise all the time. Here's an example of first world malaise that I deal with that really should be a non-issue. What should I have for lunch?

When I'm sitting in my office, I always end up spending a couple of hours before lunch thinking about where I want to get food. I weigh through my different options to figure out what will fill my craving. Sometimes, I don't know where I want to go so I just give up and choose randomly.

Step back for a second and read that last paragraph. While this sounds like a huge ordeal, it's really not. I'm "struggling" with figuring out where I need to eat. This is really a true embarrassment of riches. The problem is really ridiculous if you really think about it because while I can't decide at which place to eat, there are people that struggle just to find something to eat. It's the issue with first world malaise.

One of the biggest dangers of first world malaise is that it makes us forget the real problems that many people in the world have to deal with. It makes us numb to the rest of the world.

Deciding what to have for lunch is just one example. There's plenty of others: What kind of coffee should I drink? How should I wear my hair? Which pair of shoes do I put on.

But you're smart. You get the idea. Do you have any examples of first world malaise?

My favorite example that I heard someone actually say yesterday: Which assistant do I tell to get my mail?

True love dictates that when you meet the perfect person, you'll fall more and more in love with them everyday. For awhile, this happens in every relationship. Things could never get better because you are learning all of the great things about them everyday. But there comes a time when you stop learning about those great things and the only things left are bad things. And thus enters the ugly.

This rule is true not just of romantic relationships but of people in general. For example, I've met plenty of people that I thought were gorgeous bombshells. However, as I got to know them more, they grew more and more unattractive. 

My theory is that you begin to acclimate to a person's physical attractiveness. I'm not saying that physical attraction isn't important in a relationship. What I am saying is that overtime, it becomes a non-issue. 

The good news about this is that the flip slide of this is true. People who are unattractive begin to grow more attractive over time. You may not notice someone right away because they are "average" or "unattractive," but the more you get to know them, the more attractive they become.

But even then, that growing attraction will eventually die as you finish learning all of the good things about them. Sorry, it's the cynicism inside of me. 

While this may sound cynical, I actually do believe in true and romantic love. As in, eventually, I will find someone out there that will not grow ugly over time. I believe that someday I'll be able to be with someone that makes me want them more every day.

But ironically, that may be my biggest problem. Maybe I should stop believing in true love.

Do I see a copy of The Fall? You are my new instant best friend.

How about Legally Blonde 2? Maybe we shouldn't talk. Ever again.

But if you want to know someone really intimately, you should take a look at their RSS Reader. Think about it. Your RSS Reader captures everything that you are interested in. You wouldn't follow a blog if you weren't interested in the content that it covers. Chances are high that if you are really into something, you'll follow a lot of similar types of blogs.

And let's admit it now. We all have a couple of feeds that we are embarrassed to admit we follow.

Looking at a person's RSS Reader is a great cross-section of what grabs your attention. For example, let's break down my stats for a second. Out of 78 total subscriptions:

• Technology and Science: 15%
• Screenwriting: 15%
• Film and Industry: 14%
• Lifestyle: 12%
• Friends' Blogs: 12%
• Web Comics: 8%
• World News: 6%
• Video Games: 6%
• Design: 6%
• Humor: 6%  

You can tell a couple things looking at this right away. 

1. I'm a nerd. Take a look at the tech/video games percentage (21%).
2. You can easily tell what I want to do with my life (29% = film).
3. I didn't realize I read so many web comics!
4. I'm not as informed on news and politics as I should be.

See, you've already learned something about me today. Now I want to know what your RSS Readers look like. Did you discover something about yourself that you didn't realize? List your results in the comments!

The Good:

• Hardcore Platforming- At its core, Mario is all about platforming fun. Don't expect any kind of story immersion or RPG elements in this game. What you see is what you get, and that's something I can respect.
• Difficulty- I was debating whether to put this down under the good or the bad. Ultimately it landed here because this is something I miss from modern games. Do you remember back in the day playing through levels on Super Mario Bros. 3 over and over again because you kept drying? This game makes me feel like I am in a constant state of deja vu.
• Controls- The controls in this game are tight. When I die, I know it's not the game's fault. I know it's because I suck too much. At the end of the day, I've got no one to blame but myself.

The Bad:

• Co-op- I know critics around the world lavished praised on this game because of its co-op elements, but I found them ultimately frustrating. Yes, screwing people out of power-ups is fun but at some point you just want to play the game. Also, the "bubbling" system can become klunky and troublesome. Like for example when you want to make a jump but then you run into your partner's bubble. Game over.
• Wii Controls- This is just my gripe with the Wii, but I don't want to mess with motion issues while playing a hardcore platforming game. I don't want to shake my controller to fly into the air. I don't want to tilt my controller to lean on a platform. Sorry, but it just gets in the way of my fun.
• Repetition- At the end of the day, you're not really doing anything different. Sure the game introduces new power-ups and circumstances, but eventually it all starts to feel the same. You can only mix it up so much before it starts to get old.

Super Mario Bros. Wii is a hardcore platforming game. It makes no efforts to hide this. If you want some old school platforming fun, then give it a shot. But if you play your games for story and immersion, you're going to get bored in the first 10 minutes. Overall, the game is fun. It just depends how long you can play it before it all starts to feel the same.

But all wishing aside, I've been thinking about how Comic Con is a very important event for geek culture. I know what you're thinking. Comic Con is already a blown up event, how could it be even more important than all of the hype it gets?

My reason is simple. It's not the sneak peaks. It's not the panel interviews. It's not even the free swag that's given away. Then what's left? It's the social aspect.

One of the greatest things about Comic Con is that you know everyone there will be at least minor shades of geeky (unless you're at a Twilight panel, but that's another story). It turns out that in the real world, finding fellow geeks is not always the easiest thing to do. The real world is not like the internet where you can't go more than a couple of web pages without running into a super geek.

Unless you work in a geek friendly job, those interests don't run common throughout most people. Finding other people to share in the joys of geekdom starts to become a difficult task. And thus enters the importance of the Con. Finding other people that enjoy that same things as you is no longer a task. Rather, it becomes a task to find someone who isn't into the same stuff as you.

Finding other people who are into geek culture is like being gay and trying to find a date. You may think that you're into somebody and could be with them only to find out that they aren't gay. It's the same thing with geekdom. You may think that someone might be into dorky stuff only to find that they actually aren't. it's just one disappointment after another. Going to Comic Con is like going to a gay bar. You don't have to wonder. You just know.

So here's hoping that I can get down to Comic Con next year. Until then, I'm going to keep my geek-dar running.

1. Look for a Growing Business- One of the best things that you can do is to get an internship at a company that is experiencing a massive amount of growth. This might even mean that you end up doing your internship at a small company. Size isn't important in the company you're looking for, it's how rapidly it's growing. The reason for this is because rapidly growing companies often need new staff members to fill their burgeoning needs. Since the company is expanding quickly, they don't have time to go through a bunch of applications. Guess who they're going to look at first to promote?
2. You Can Learn From Every Experience- I'm sure that you think you are over qualified to be an intern. Guess what? Chances are you are right. But there's a truth you need to come to terms with. There's a reason that everyone else at the company is not an intern and is above you. As an intern, you are the least important person at the company. Instead of getting depressed about it, take it as a chance to learn. Even the most mundane tasks can teach you something. Need to get lunch for the office? Take note of who gets their lunch paid for and who doesn't. Something as simple as lunch can tell you a lot about office dynamics.
3. Work Hard- This seems like a no brainer, but you'd be surprised how many people don't. Many interns don't approach their work seriously because they are "just interns." But if you work hard and take every task seriously (even getting coffee), your bosses will notice. It's sad how many people expect good things to happen to them but don't work hard at all. Don't be one of these people.

Of course, a large part of getting promoted is timing. You've got to be at the right place at the right time. But if you follow the three steps above, you're going to be setting yourself up nicely so that you can go from intern to paid staff in no time. And who knows? Maybe someday you'll have your own interns.

The song that's been running through my head as of late is the song "Airplanes," by B.o.B. I encourage you to give this song a listen, the "pt. 2" version specifically, to get an idea of the lyrics that I'm talking about.

In case you need reason to give the song a listen, let me break down the main message of the song for you.

The song "Airplanes" is a song that asks, what if? There are so many times that people look back on their lives and wish that certain things never happened. We think that if we could take away some of the miserable things we went through, then maybe life would have been better off for us. But it's often that when we look back, we forget that although these things may have been unpleasant, they shape who we are. Take a look at a sample of the lyrics:

Pretend he just stayed outside all day and played with his friends

Pretend he even had a friend to say was his friend

And it wasn't time to move and schools weren't changing again

He wasn't socially awkward and just strange as a kid

He had a father and his mother wasn't crazy as shit

These lyrics are pretty raw. But we see here that yes, maybe life was difficult as a kid, but it is going through these things that have taken us to the place we are now. Yes, life would be great if it was just awesome all the time. But if life were easy and awesome all the time, then we would never grow or learn.

Beyond this retrospective, there is also a look towards the future. In order to get somewhere in life, you've got to have the drive and the motivation. Take a look at this:

Alright lets pretend Marshall Mathers never picked up a pen

Lets pretend things would have been no different

Pretend he procrastinated had no motivation

Pretend he just made excuses that were so paper thin they could blow away with the wind

I absolutely love that a message like this is being played on the radio. There are so many people in the world that think that if you want something in life, you'll get it. But this isn't true. You've got to be willing to work hard, to sacrifice, and to get through all of the rough stuff to get to the good stuff.

This takes us to the main point, the chorus:

Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars

I could really use a wish right now, wish right now, wish right now

Yes, there are times where we wish things could be different, where we could look into the sky and make a wish and any single thing could change. But life isn't like that. A person can want things to be different, to stare off into space and just wish, or a person can work through the situations of their life and make it what they want it to be.

So please, go ahead and give this song a listen to. I think you'll be surprised by what you find, I know I was. You shape what your life becomes. It takes more than wishing.