Update: Thanks to TV Squad for taking my tip. I’m still looking for the video.

I’m watching the Magic game and at halftime there is a new version of the ABC House commercials they’ve been running (which are brilliant by the way) and it shows Dominic Monaghan, Charlie from LOST, playing foosball with Courtney Cox, who has a new show this fall. At one point in the commercial someone says to Monaghan “Aren’t you dead?” to which he replies “I was.” After seeing the video again, I realize that my recollection was slightly off. Towards the end Patrick Dempsey, challenging Dominic Monaghan, says “you’re so dead” to which Monaghan replies “actually, I was.”

Ok, what?

We all watched Charlie drown at the end of season three. It was horrible. He sacrificed himself to destroy the Looking Glass so the Freighter could be contacted. But what’s with this tease? “I was.” Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof have been critical of ABC for creating LOST promotions and commercials in the past that tend to offer more information then they like, could this be an example?

We’re at the beginning of nine very long months before the final season of LOST begins and almost zero hints were dropped in the finale as to what could potentially happen. But Charlie coming back? It would explain why Hurley has been carrying around the guitar case since returning to the Island. Does that mean setting off the bomb really did reset things? Oh man this is going to drive me nuts.

What do you think?

This behemoth is made up of eight scoops of ice cream, every topping in the house and “a whole can of whipped cream.” Yes, a whole can. It’s a gluttons dream and a parent’s nightmare but on that day it was our treasure, our triumph, our mountain to conquer. And conquer we did.

You, too, can attempt to tackle this lactose nightmare if you ever visit the Beach Club Resort at Walt Disney World. Find Beaches and Cream and prepare yourself for the fury that will soon be unleashed.

Want to know what bounty lies inside the silver sink’s belly? Watch this video:

The entire issue is built around mystery. It’s basically an entire magazine dedicated to the ideas Abrams presented at TED 2007:

Abrams believes in the art of mystery and the magic behind it. Take LOST for example. Knowing the answers to all the question not only kills the mystery, but it also takes all the fun out of viewing the show. It’s this reason I’ve stopped reading my favorite LOST blog, Lost and Gone Forever, it’s been to accurate as of late.

But the Wired issue isn’t solely about LOST and JJ Abrams other works, there are other articles that are extremely captivating. Articles about the CIA’s Kryptos statue, an apartment where there are puzzles built into every wall and piece of furniture, and a bizarre monument dedicated to the end of the world. Literally every article is as captivating as Abrams’ editorial. There’s also a dozen puzzles in the magazine that I could spend days trying to figure out, one involving “the numbers.” I don’t think I’ve ever read an issue of any magazine as captivating as this one.

Will it make me a subscriber? I don’t know. I’m not sure if each issue of Wired is this interesting or if JJ Abrams deserves all the credit. I will keep an eye on it and, who knows, I might actually become interested in a magazine.

For two years I’ve watched as Chuck Bartowski bumbled his way through his dual career as Nerd Herder and CIA Intersect. Along the way he’s tried to maintain his secret identity while pretty openly falling in love with his handler, Sarah. It all changed when Chuck, determined to finally be the hero everyone already thinks he is, uploaded the new version of the Intersect into his brain and actually turned into a super spy. He knows kung fu. It was just like when Keanu Reeves uploads in The Matrix but way better and far more surprising. Then the screen cuts to a simple “To be continued…” title screen leaving me, and I assume all the other Chuck fans, speechless.

The problem is that Chuck is on the cancelation bubble for the last few weeks. I don’t know anything about ratings or ad sales or whatever the idiotic TV executives look at when they determine what gets canned and what gets renewed, but I tell you one thing, if Jeff Zucker cancels Chuck in favor of some stupid reality show or to make room for Leno’s soon to be epic failure then he’s making a huge mistake. Some people think the writing is already on the wall, but I’m going to hold on to hope that Chuck won’t end with such an epic cliffhanger.

Remember, there are still plenty of ways that you can try to save Chuck so join the Nerd Herd and go buy a Five Dollar Footlong just like Zachary Levi recently did:

And just remember NBC, if you cancel Chuck, I will end you.

The question arises again as the closing line in Watchmen. The movie debuts today and so to prepare myself I decided to read the only graphic novel Time Magazine included in it’s 100 Best Novels list. I knew nothing about the story, other than it was about superheroes of some sort. Staying away from internet hype and movie trailers, I dove into the book.

Warning, minor plotline spoilers and viral marketing videos will follow.

It’s an interesting concept: when superheroes first appeared in comic books in the 30′s, it spurred certain people to dawn masks and fight crime on their own terms. Now super powers, just costumed vigilantes. As a result superhero comic books went out of style and time moved on.

As the original group of “costumed heroes” started to fade a new batch came into fashion. This group brought something new to the table, something truly super. As a result from a nuclear accident appropriately named Dr. Manhattan was born and thus had the power of a god. Thanks to Dr. Manhattan, and other members of the Crime Busters, the war in Vietnam was won and President Nixon earned a third presidential term.

Though in 1977 support for the few remaining “adventurers” was waning fast and the Keene Act was was adopted outlawing masked vigilantes. Some costumed heroes exposed themselves, others went into hiding while Dr. Manhattan and The Comedian became employed by the US Government and therefore exempt from the new law.

Fast forward to 1985 — the pinnacle of human civilization (just ask Marty McFly). Someone has killed The Comedian and, it seems, is going after other masked vigilantes. Dr. Manhattan gets bored and decides to head off to somewhere that would better stimulate him and, as a result, the Russians invade Afghanistan. The proverbial doomsday clock is quickly ticking toward midnight and it seems everyone is powerless to do anything.

The book itself is very dark, which fits the storyline, and tells a depressing yet highly interesting tale. It comes across as very ordinary and believable, that the events in the book could actually happen today. While it’s technically about superheroes, there doesn’t seem anything overtly spectacular about it. There are awesome characters, introduced by the director in the video below, ranging from the previously mentioned Dr. Manhattan to the borderline insane — yet fascinating — Rorschach. All that said, it’s a great story with an unsatisfying ending. It’s not to say it’s not a good ending, it just left me wanting.

Despite the ending, I’m looking forward for to the movie. Since I finished the book I’ve gone on to read early reviews and watch trailers, as well as the viral videos shown above. By all accounts, the movie will live up to the books reputation and truly be worth seeing on the big screen.

I can’t wrap this article up without posting this really funny video (Four videos in one post? Yowza!) showing Watchmen as an 80′s cartoon. Pure awesome follows.

Told you it was awesome.

It’s pretty easy to see why this video has spread so quickly: it’s hi-freaking-larious. But here’s the thing, this kid is never going to get a job. At least not a normal one. It’s the day of the digital trail. Everything that goes online is remembered, forever. This post, this post will be read by some bumbling moron a thousand years from now when crabs are doctors and robots have their own devil. You know what I’m talking about.

But seriously, this video is never going to go away. When this kid is in high school he’s going to get beat up because he’s the stoned dentist kid. If he’s lucky enough to bring a girl home to meet his parents, they won’t be showing baby pictures, they’ll be showing when David was a YouTube celebrity. Then, when it’s time for David to get a job, his potential employer will not want his drug using self anywhere near their company. He’s basically going to have to become an actor — this is totally the kind of thing that would get shown on someone’s first visit to the Tonight Show. If acting doesn’t work out, I guess he could always be a dentist. That’d kind of be fitting. Or a bounty hunter. He could always do that.

Polyphonic Spree or Snuggie commercial? You be the judge.

There is a plague sweeping our land; a terrible ill that cannot be stopped. We’re being attacked by the Snuggie. The Sunggie is an evil piece of cloth, in some circles known as a harmless blanket, with a menacing addition: sleeves.

Ok. It’s not exactly that terrifying, but it is pretty silly. I’m sure you’ve seen the infomercial — they seem to be everywhere lately. The thing about it is, and I’m sure someone on marketing side figured this out and was snickering the whole time, the thing looks like a freaking cult robe. I’m talking, full on drink the Kool-Aid cult. Throughout the infomercial people wearing the Snuggie are doing normal things — watching TV, reading books, roasting marshmellows — but because they’re wearing the Snuggie it looks like it’s all cult activity.

It actually reminds me of the first time I saw the Polyphonic Spree. I was watching Conan O’Brien back when Light and Day was being used for the VW commercials. Anyway, they were on Conan wearing their robes and playing happy music while bouncing balls in the air. I decided right then and there that the Polyphonic Spree was a cult. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I mean they seemed happy.

Flash forward back to the Snuggie. Now I could be wrong, and I probably am, but what if the Snuggie was the marketing end of the Polyphonic Spree? A new way to get people to think the robes are acceptable, so they can return to the mainstream and peddle their wears? Probably not. But it’d be cool, right?

The Snuggie Commercial

Polyphonic Spree at FSU

On February 3, 1959, a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, United States killed three American rock and roll musicians: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson. The day was later called The Day the Music Died by Don McLean in his 1971 song “American Pie”.

The unfortunate death of these three musical legends spurred many memorials and tributes over the years, but none as well known as Don McLean’s “American Pie.” So, what a better way to honor the golden anniversary then a YouTube video of Don letting it all out?

Now can someone please tell Britney Spears and Beyonce that the music, is in fact, dead?