As I said here, this is the best tv season in recent memory.

Tonight Prison Break returns. It has just the right mix of action, romance, drama, and right when it starts to go over the top, reigns it in. It's a fun ride, if you're willing to go with it.

And don't forget that The Shield finale tomorrow night is one and a half hours long. My gut feeling is that a major character [maybe Lem] is going to buy it. I'm glad to report that The Shield will be back for a sixth and possible final season.

I'd like to write more but there's just too much good stuff on right now.

Yesterday, James Howell [top left], John Higashi [top right] and I [middle] spent the day at John Beatty's [not pictured - every time I tried to get a pciture, he shot a bird! LOL!] We get together every so often just to hang out, catch up and share a few laughs. We generally arrange a get-together after a comic book convention to scan in our new art acquisitions and to share "con stories" like this one. It's always a blast and yesterday was no exception.

Of course Higashi was the first to arrive [just as he's always first in line at conventions]. I arrived second and Beatty was already scanning away. Higashi has an unbelievable Star Wars art collection, but he doesn't just limit himself to the realm of the Jedi. Yesterday John showed us two really nice Walt Kelly Pogo strips that he'd picked up, as well as a Stan Drake "Julliet Jones" strip.

Finally "The James" Howell rolled in. James needed to get some pieces for his Batman collection scanned. James is always entertaining and yesterday he had us nearly crying as he told us of his recent charity race. In the last several months James has dropped 70+ pounds through exercise, diet, working out and now jogging. He recently decided to enter a charity run, and not only did he finish, but he had an experience with "the runs" during the run. LOL! Luckily there were strategically placed port-o-potties along the way. James also had us dying as he told us about special preparations and clothes needed for longer races! The thought of James "lotioning up" is just not something you want burned in your mind. Then again, maybe it is.

We decided to go to the Ale House for lunch. Big Beatty has lost over 25 pounds and limits himself to a "sloppy meal" every week or so. He had the Chili-Burger with onion rings. The James, ever vigilant had a chicken breast sandwich with no condiments, steamed broccoli instead of fries and a side salad. I normally would have gone for some wings, but since I've been watching my diet, I opted for the Chef's salad. Higashi, who doesn't need to watch his weight, went for the Mushroom burger and fries.

The meal was a lot of laughs. I had to try to get Beatty to talk a bit quieter when he began to loudly share with us what to expect during a colonoscopy. Luckily our meals came and the conversation drifted. We only had one "near incident" and that was when Beatty asked our waitress if he could see her "tat" and I misunderstood his question... luckily she didn't. ; )

After lunch we hit Circuit City. I picked up a couple of DVDs [Antz and the Thief: Special Edition], and Beatty picked up two DVDs [Big Trouble in Little China and Poolhall Junkies] and a cd. Then it was back to Beatty's for more scanning and nonsense.

The James, Beatty and I were cutting up when I looked over to see Higashi had nodded off. How he could do that with all the noise, not to mention funny stories, is beyond me. I've seen Higashi work all day [overtime even], drive through the night and then work [and I mean work] a convention and still have enough energy to stay up late into the night, only to rise before the crack of dawn and do it again. Yet, there he was catnapping! A sixth sense must have alerted him to the fact that our attention had turned to him and he snapped out of it and picked up the conversation as if nothing had happened.

Unfortunately, The James needed to get back to J-Ville, so the party broke up around 5pm. Still, as we were all leaving, we discussed plans to "do it again."

Wow! Was I shocked?

When American Idol opened with the annoucement that either Kevin Covais or Ace Young was in the bottom three; I would have bet the house that it was Kevin packing up to go. And, man-o-man, would I have been wrong.

The second shocker was that Lisa Tucker was in the bottom three! I was thinking that she was a lock to get to the later rounds.

The fact that Melissa McGhee got the boot made sense [if it wasn't going to be Kevin] since she forgot her lyrics on Tuesday.

So, Ace and Lisa were on the bubble. I wonder how that will affect their performances next Tuesday. I guess we'll know in less than a week.

This is, without a doubt, the best season of American Idol yet. We're down to the final 12 and there are at least 4 who have a real shot of winning.

Unfortunately Kevin Covais isn't one of the four. He seems like a nice enough kid and all, but I'm actually surprised he's made it this far.

Let's look at the rest of the group:

Katharine McPhee had the best performance last night and she could go all the way.

Ace Young has the right look and can sing so he has a shot too.

Chris Daughtry can sing, is comfortable on stage and knows "who he is" -- I just wonder if a rocker can actually be the next American Idol.

Bucky Covington seems like a nice down to Earth guy, but I don't think he'll be around much longer.

Elliott Yamin can sing. I mean the man CAN SING. The question is does he have the "it" factor to get enough votes to win?

Kellie Pickler is the country cutie. She's got a great voice for country music. Cute as can be... but that may get old quick. "I feel like I got tarantulas on my eyes! They're not real though!" Arrrgh!

Lisa Tucker is the youngest in the finals and without a doubt, one of the best. She... could... go... all... the ... way!

Mandisa can sing and has a great personality... but I don't think that she'll win.

Melissa McGhee has her moments, but my guess is that she or Bucky will be the next to go.

Paris Bennett could take the crown. Her rendition, a few weeks ago, of "Midnight Train to Georgia" was the best performance that I've ever seen on American Idol. The only thing that could mess her up is that her "cuteness" may wear thin as the weeks drag on.

Taylor Hicks won't win. He'll go far but I just don't see him taking the crown. I love the guy's style and he's a fun performer but I don't see him beating out some of the others. I think I look forward to his performance more than any of the finalists, but he's still a longshot to take the crown.

So, am I on the right track?

Many of you Zoners, like me, love a good zombie story. You can't get enough of "Night of the Living Dead," "Dawn of the Dead," "The Walking Dead,"... well, you get the idea.

So how does this sound:

If you like the sound of that, then you might want to check out Zombies! a new series from IDW written by Shane McCarthy and art by Chris Bolton. Look HERE, HERE, and even HERE for more about the series.

I'm a big Vin Diesel fan. Yeah, even after "The Pacifier," I'll still admit to being a fan. Yep, even after "The Chronicles of Riddick."

Vin has the ability to own a screen. Watch nearly any scene in "Pitch Black" or the scenes in "Knockaround Guys" where Vin lays out his plan to get the money back and then carries through on it.

Sure, Vin's had his share of misses, but still he's taking chances and trying to build a foundation for a long career. Don't believe me or in him? Then check out this article and tell me what you think.

In one of the best tv seasons in recent years, 24 continues to shine just a bit brighter than anything else.

Now, that's not to say that I'm not totally digging what's going on with The Shield. I am. Forrest Whitaker is a great addition to the cast. I love how he's tearing apart the strike team as he slowly falls apart himself. Vic Mackey is still the man. So much so that I find myself knowing that he should go down for his past deeds but hoping that he finds a way to save himself and his team.

Lost continues to entertain and intrigue. Michelle Rodriguez was a great addition to the cast, but from all I hear, her days are numbered. Mr. Echo is perhaps the best new character on ANY show this season. I was surprised at how much the last episode gave away... or seemed to.

The West Wing returns tonight with a new episode. There are only a handful left and then it'll be gone. Still, it's been a great run and I look forward to the rest of the journey.

American Idol surprises me that it can remain so popular despite being on three nights a week. Of course, my family watches every episode, so I shouldn't be too surprised. Usually by the time we're down to the final 12, I have a pretty good idea who will win. At this point I still think that any of maybe 4 different performers have a real chance.

And finally, 24. This is my favorite show this season. Jack Bauer continues to be the best "hero" on tv. The writing, direction and acting all continue to be top notch. What takes this season to the next level is that no one is safe. [Former] President Palmer gets assassinated in the first few minutes of the first episode. Tony Almeda's wife dies in an explosion. Edgar Stiles buys the farm last week. [And I have to tell you that I was REALLY thinking that Curtis was going to be blown to bits last week. I would have hated that since I think that it would be cool to see a season focus on him!] I can't wait to see what's going to happen next!

So what are you watching?