I know, I know. With the notable exception of The Apprentice and MTV's Newlyweds, I have long opposed the proliferation of reality TV. In fact, American Idol has actually been a frequent target of my criticism of the genre because of its overwhelming popularity.

I admit to having watched the audition episodes every year because they've always been damn funny. However, I inevitably tune out once the real competition starts because the spectacle never really catches my interest. To me, it was like a glorified Star Search. I've also never bought into the karaoke craze either, something which I am sure has contributed greatly to the show's following.

So I've long bemoaned reality TV, particularly American Idol; yet here I am coming out of the closet to confess that I have been secretly recording every episode with my DVR since this newest season began, even after the auditions were over. Being the thoughtful person that I am, I had to wonder: What brought about this sudden interest?

Upon reflection, the answer was clear: It's the talent and, perhaps more important, the personality of this season's contestants. Although I never really paid much attention to past contestants, I don't think I'm going out on a limb here when I say that the talent was never really mindblowing. Kelly Clarkson, whom I like very much, has been the only one who has actually achieved pop star status. (I mean, the girl won a Grammy this year, which is amazing when you consider where she started from.) All the other contestants have pretty much disappeared because they were completely forgettable, with last year's Carrie Underwood being a possible exception.

I would hesitate to call any of this year's contestants a breakout star, but there's some definite talent there. More importantly, from my prospective at least, is that many of this year's competitors are exceedingly likable. That's what has really gotten me hooked on the show this time around. I want to see some of these people win, and that's what keeps me watching.

With that said, who are my favorites then? Well, I absolutely love Kellie Pickler, as I'm sure many, many other people do as well. She has an incredible back story, a fantastic personality, looks adorable, and can actually sing (oh yeah, there's that). Unfortunately, I don't think she has the talent to win, but I think her endearing presence will carry her far.

So who do I think will win? Honestly, I think the field is so close this year that it's too early to pick a winner yet. If it were up to me, I'd choose Chris. From his initial audition, I have always thought he has had the most talent and charisma. He has a kick ass voice, but the question is is whether people will vote a rocker in as the next Idol.

From the girls, I would pick Katharine. She's attractive, charming, and has a great voice. I think she's got the whole package. Of the others, I'd be remiss if I didn't give a nod to Taylor. I get a kick out of each of his performances. I dig his voice and his Ray Charles-que dancing gyrations are fun to watch. Those are the three that I'm rooting for this year.

I like Lisa as well, and Paris has pipes, but I'm not a fan of her personality -- she's a great performer but a little too cocky for my tastes. Mandisa can wail and Elliott's pretty good, but I just don't think they have the "It" factor. The rest? Well, they can all go home in my opinion.

Holy crap, did I just spend ten paragraphs talking about and analyzing American Idol? Dear god, I really am addicted.

For the past month, someone named Spring has been masquerading around in your stead. Mild temperatures reaching up into the mid-50s, people walking around in short-sleeves and sunglasses, eating at tables on the sidewalk - it seemed more like mid-March than the middle of January. Some people were actually declaring winter over and done.

Well, you certainly showed them. And thensome. The biggest recorded blizzard in history sure does prove that this is still your time of year, and that we better respect. (Twenty-six inches of respect, in fact.)

I, for one, am glad, to see your comeback because I'm one of those people that actually enjoys winter. To see the spring-like temperatures of the past month troubled me. I took it as yet another indication of the damages occuring to our global climate that are caused by our abuse of the environment. Even if it could be explained away by another cause though, that kind of weather just didn't feel right. I like bundling up against the cold, witnessing the beauty of freshly fallen snow, and seeing my own breath as I breathe. It's winter, a natural part of the cycle of the four seasons of the year. For it to be absent was not right.

So I welcome you back heartily, old friend, to your proper place in the order of things. You certainly made up for your absence in one short day, although it would've been nicer if you had spread the love out over a few separate storms instead. But I'm not complaining. It's just good to have you back. (Now, if I had to shovel all this snow, I might be feeling a little differently.)

Okay, okay, "robbed" might be a little strong. But the officiating was awful tonight, especially on a few critical calls that cost the Seahawks a fair shot at winning the thing. The big ones:

• The offensive pass interference call on what should have been Seattle's first touchdown. Yes, technically he did give a slight push-off, but it didn't make any difference in the result of the play. This is the Super Bowl for crying out loud. You've got to let the players play, not call ticky-tack fouls like that. I'm watching to see the players determine the winner, not the men in stripes.
• It was close and will probably be widely debated, but I don't believe that Big Ben broke the plane when Pittsburgh scored their first touchdown. The on-field official gave a very delayed TD signal. What he should have done if he wasn't sure was to call it down before the end zone and let it go to replay. It's harder to take away a touchdown than it is to award one.
• The phantom holding call on the play where Seattle completed a long pass down to the Steelers 1-yard line when the score was 14 - 10. Even Michaels and Madden thought it was a bad call. I thought this was bigger than the Big Ben TD, as a couple of plays later Hasselbeck threw a big interception. Instead of being up 17 - 14, Seattle ended up down 21 - 10. A huge momentum swing. The ridiculous cut block foul on Hasselbeck on the ensuing return didn't help either.

I went into this one without really caring who would win. My only hope, as with any Super Bowl where the Giants aren't involved, was to just to have a close, entertaining game. But due to the bad calls, I found myself rooting for the Seahawks as the game progressed because I felt they were being cheated. I can't imagine what Seattle fans must be feeling when I, as a neutral fan, even feel outraged.

Despite the bad calls, however, the Seahawks still had their chances. They hurt themselves with way too many dropped passes, dumb penalties, and some downright atrocious clock management at the end of each half. I mean, what in the world was the coaching staff thinking having a run play at the end of the 1st half with time winding down? And then the playcalling at the end of the game made no sense. Go for the field goal and on-side kick!

In the end, the Steelers might just have been a team of destiny this year. Has any team had a playoff run filled with such incredible luck in recent memory? The Bengals' Carson Palmer tearing up his knee on the first drive; the Colts' inexplicable though not surprising choke (highlighted by Nick Harper running himself into The Tackle); and Denver's embarassing self-destruction that saw Jake Plummer finally being Jake Plummer again. Thus the poor calls tonight were merely a continuation of good fortune for Steeler Nation this post-season.

It wasn't a great Super Bowl, but it was certainly entertaining to watch because of how strange the whole game was. But when history looks back, the little details aren't going to be remembered. The only things that will be remembered about this Steelers team are the storybook ending of the Bus's career, and of course, The Tackle. Perhaps it wasn't the prettiest ending to their title run, but it certainly was fitting.

As a self-proclaimed foodie, I have looked forward to these promotions every six months to score great meals at a terrific bargain. Lately, however, the value of these deals has decreased dramatically (seemingly along with the portions and quality of food). When it first started a few years ago, they were indeed a terrific bargain. But after having two disappointing dinners last week (and a few from the previous RW), I was beginning to question whether these promotions were worth it anymore.

My first dinner this time around was at Pampano, which is touted to be one of the Top 101 Restaurants in NYC, according to New York Magazine. With high praise like that, I went in with some understandably lofty expectations.

Disappointment doesn't even begin to describe what I experienced. The appetizer (calamari) was okay though unspectacular, while the main was awful. The chicken I had was terribly dry and tasteless. I've had better chicken from my local diner. Judging from my friend's lackluster reaction to her halibut, I don't think she really enjoyed her order either. And don't even get me started about the desserts. My friend took one bite of hers and left the rest, while I forced myself a few spoonfuls of the flan in the vain hope that maybe I could convince myself that it wasn't that bad. It was that bad.

What made the experience even more disappointing (on top of the totally overpriced meal for the quality we got) was the pushy service. Our waiter took forever to take our order. When he finally did, he kept trying to get us to order add-ons and didn't seem too pleased that we were doing the RW menu.

The sad part is that their regular menu looked very good, and I wouldn't mind going back to try something from there. But the piss-poor service and horrible food (they clearly weren't trying very hard with the RW stuff) really put me off from ever going back, especially when there are so many other great restaurants in the city.

That's the thing I don't get about how some of these restaurants approach this promotion. They should view it as an opportunity to draw diners in to sample their food. If people like it, it's likely that they'll return for more. With that in mind, you would think that they would all put the effort into crafting great meals for RW. But in my experience, many do not, and it boggles my mind as to why. (I had an experience last year where the wait staff was flat-out rude to us once they found out we were doing the RW menu.) If they turn up their nose to RW patrons, then why bother participating at all? It only creates bad feelings and turns away any chance of repeat customers. Sure, they sucker us in for $30 or $40, but at the cost of negative word-of-mouth and any chance of going back? Doesn't seem like good business sense to me.

Luckily, my second dinner, at Eleven Madison Park, was much improved, though it still left me wanting. Literally. The food, while good, was served in such small portions that everyone in my party was still hungry afterwards. Perhaps our appetites were too big, but I doubt it. We saw other diners order the à la carte versions of some of the dishes on the RW menu, and their portions were clearly much larger. I can understand having reduced portions because of the price, but at least size them enough so that diners can leave feeling satiated after shelling out a good deal of money.

The funny thing is that I went to the same Eleven Madison Park a few years ago during another RW promotion, and remembered it being a much better experience. Clearly, the value seems to be on the decline for these "deals," especially when you factor in the $5 increase in the prix-fixe prices this time around.

So just as I was losing my belief in this enterprise, along comes a fantastic lunch at the famed Union Square Cafe to restore my faith. It was simply wonderful, from the outstanding food to the friendly service, and epitomizes what the whole RW promotion should be about. All four of us that went absolutely loved it, from app to main to dessert. And here's something amazing: we all left feeling totally full! (Even one of the people with us who always complains about portions at fancier restaurants had nothing bad to say.) I now understand why it's consistently rated the #1 restaurant in New York City according to Zagat year after year. It was a such great experience that I'm already planning to dine there again soon, even at their regular menu prices.

See, that's how this whole RW thing should work. Let diners sample some great food at an affordable price and get them hooked. Really now, is it that hard to do?

Through it all, I'm learning to take things in stride and avoiding the extreme highs and lows that probably would've plagued me in the past. I view everything as an experience that's worth having regardless of the outcome. I've always felt this way in some fashion, to do certain things merely for the sake of doing and not so much for the end result. But now I'm applying it in more areas of my life now, and it's leading me to learn and experience more of... well, life, quite frankly.

I'm still a perfectionist, and I still do not handle failure all that well. However, the fear of failing does not stop me from trying as it once did. Now I try to go into things thinking that the experience itself is the reward, the outcome secondary. Success is fantastic, but I try not to expect it or anticipate it. Failure is still disappointing and frustrating, but it's not as demoralizing as it used to be.

I still have a long road to travel to get to the person that I want to be. But now I try to focus on the ten feet ahead instead of the ten miles beyond.

The highlight of my year was the four weeks that I spent in China and Taiwan back in March and April. It was unquestionably one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I saw and felt so many things it's almost impossible to recall them all. I am so glad that I was able to keep a journal of my thoughts and experiences during that time because it allows me to always look back and relive some of those memories.

2005 was a year of many other firsts besides my first trip to China. There was my first Shakespeare in the Park. My first house party. My first classical concert. My first Knicks game. And a few other firsts that will go unmentioned but will undoubtedly be remembered.

I also had one of the most fun and enjoyable summers that I can remember. I met a lot of new people, and I finally feel that I am moving forward in my life again. It's cooled down a bit in the fall and winter (both literally and figuratively), but I still say goodbye to 2005 with a big smile on my face.

It's almost a pity that this year has to come to an end, but I look forward to the year ahead with eager anticipation. Happy New Year, everyone!

• RadialContext. An indispensable extension that I cannot live without. It's the same concept as mouse gestures, except with a graphical interface to it. I find it imminently easier to use, and the default gestures it has just make more sense. Unfortunately, the Firefox version no longer works with 1.5, but oddly enough, the Mozilla version does.
• Bookmarks Synchronizer. Another indispensable extension and another one that hasn't been updated to work with 1.5. That's why you should grab the modified version for FF1.5 since the original developer seems to have fallen off the face of the earth. If you use more than one computer, you need this baby.
• SessionSaver. Extremely handy extension that saves the state of your browser when you close it. Ever have a whole bunch of tabs open at one time but then suddenly had to shut your computer down? You could bookmark all those tabs, or you can just install this and have those pages automagically restored the next time you start up Firefox.
• FLST. Focus Last Selected Tab. The name pretty much describes what it does. When you close the current tab, the browser's focus goes back to the last tab you were viewing. Simple and useful.
• ForecastFox. It's not all that accurate sometimes, but it's a nice way to get a quick idea of what the weather is like right now.
• Web Developer and ColorZilla. These probably aren't that useful for the general population, but these are essential tools for any Web developer. The first creates a toolbar of very helpful widgets, while the latter lets you grab the color of anything on a web page.

There are, of course, others, but these are the ones I recommend the most. If you haven't tried Firefox yet (and seriously, why not?), you should definitely give it a whirl. With excellent functionality and a highly active development community, it's the better way to browse.

When I bought the tickets to my first ever basketball game, a Knicks v. Sixers contest on Thanksgiving weekend, I honestly wasn't expecting a whole lot. With the Knicks a work-in-progress (and that's putting it lightly), all I was hoping for was a competitive game against Iverson and Webber, two of the more entertaining players in the league. To my complete astonishment, I got that and more.

It didn't start out that way though. Prior to tip-off, my friend Bob and I took wagers about how much the Knicks would lose by; I said 10, he went with 15. At the end of an ugly first-half, our guesses looked to be prescient as the Sixers led by 13.

But then something remarkable happened. No, not that the Knicks made a run (I expected that); it was that the Knicks made that run and were able to sustain it. Suddenly they had the lead as time ticked down in regulation. Then Webber tipped in a basket in the last second and we were heading to overtime.

As exciting as regulation was, overtime was even better. When Iverson (who was amazing throughout the game) hit his second of two 3-pointers in the final minute to tie the game again, I thought for sure we were heading for a second OT. But then little Nate Robinson, the 5'9" rookie dynamo, hoisted up a prayer at the buzzer sounded to end the game. As it swished through the net, the crowd erupted in euphoria. It was unbelievable.

You just can't ask for much more from your first NBA game. It was a great experience all around. Even our nosebleed seats weren't that bad. It had been eleven years since I was at the Garden for Game 5 of the Rangers v. Devils series in 1994, and I had forgotten how close you are to the action, even at the highest levels.

We even got to see Anthony Fedorov of American Idol fame sing the national anthem prior to the game. He was pretty good. Bob went so far as to say it was the best rendition he'd ever heard. (I don't know about that; Whitney's 1991 Super Bowl version is tops in my book.) One should note that Bob's a man of superlatives. That, or he's just a closet American Idol fan.

And on that note, it's time to eat me some turkey. Happy Gobbles, folks.

Up until a few years ago, this would not have been my idea of spending a Saturday of my own free will. I had been to various museums throughout my childhood, but as with most children, I never really had any particular interest in them outside some of the "cool" science exhibits. It wasn't until my first visit to Europe that I started to develop a liking for museums. And it wasn't until I visited the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam during second my second trip that I finally began to have an appreciation for fine art.

Later on during that trip, I also visited several other museums that solidified my interest in art, particularly the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, which would probably be my favorite museum in the world if not for the van Gogh in Amsterdam. Even if I eventually do come across a bigger favorite one day, the van Gogh will always have a special place as the one that truly drew me into art. It was his life and his amazing works that captured by fascination and made me really appreciate art for the first time.

Still, as much as I have an appreciation for art, I am a terrible art historian and don't really understand much of it. That's why I was so surprised to discover that van Gogh was actually a prolific drawer on top of being an outstanding painter. I had no idea that he had compiled such a collection of drawings, and that he in fact felt that "Drawing is the root of everything." It was astonishing to see what he was able to accomplish with just pen and ink, using various techniques to achieve different effects (even more astonishing when you realize that his artistic career spanned a scant eleven years). It's a truly fantastic exhibit to behold, and despite the crowds, I wholeheartedly recommend a visit, especially if you are a van Gogh fan like I am.