Harry Potter fans, rejoice: In under two months, you'll be holding the final book in your hot little hands (or "lugging it around," if past page-lengths are any guide). The final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," will be published on July 21, and the next movie, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,"  will be in theaters July 11 (moved up from July 13). It's a Wild About Harry summer. (And even then, it's not over...await the theme park in 2009.)

But forget the movie for now, loyal readers know what happens there. Let's talk about the next book. (If you don't like speculation and possible spoilers, duck out of this post now and go enjoy a chocolate frog or two.)

The nice thing about waiting on the book is that there are so many unanswered questions to ponder (sound familiar, "Lost" fans?) The biggest one of course, is who will die? Rowling has promised (threatened?) two major deaths in this last book. My pal Chris Bahn offered odds on various characters' chances to bite the dust in this 2006 article.

The major question about the deaths: Will Harry be one of them? (Make your prediction here.) Will he have to sacrifice himself to end the series to Rowling's satisfaction? Will Voldemort be the other, or is that just two easy, bad guy and good guy fighting to the death, like Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls?

If it's not Harry, who will it be? His pal Ron has to be a hot contender. (Remember the song lyric from "Sunset Boulevard" -- "nobody dies except the best friend"?) But maybe that's too cliched. If so, there are plenty of other Weasleys to take a bullet. (Fred and George maybe shouldn't buy any green bananas.) And don't forget ever-loyal Hagrid, or Neville, or even Hermione.

And what about Snape? The question with him is not only will he live or die, but is he good or bad? Where does his loyalty lie, and what exactly happened with Dumbledore?

There are other plot twists that cry out for resolving as well. Who wouldn't like to know exactly what happened the night Harry's parents were murdered? Is the mysterious RAB really Regulus Black, or is that again, too simple for words? What are the remaining horcruxes?

And fans have creative and fun theories too. It's not just Snape's loyalty that comes into question -- what if someone Harry trusted turned out to be working for He Who Must Not Be Named? (One theory I like suggests this person could have secrets, but I'm not sure I buy that.) I also like the idea that Harry will not die, but will live out his days in peace as Hogwarts' longest-running Defense Against the Dark Arts professor -- after all, who knows more about fighting baddies?

Let's hear your theories. After all, there's just seven weeks to go.

I was out of town for Memorial Day, so am now just catching up with a flood of short posts about recent entertainment topics. Let's start with a tribute.

Like many of you, I kind of assumed Charles Nelson Reilly was already dead, but upon hearing that the actor just passed away, I felt another piece of my 1970s memories pass on, too. He was as much a part of that goofy decade as avocado appliances and macrame.

As a kid, I loved his repartee with Brett Somers on "Match Game," a show that could probably never happen today. It was both too broad with its humor ("Dumb Dora was so dumb...") and too loose with its seemingly always schnockered guests. But we kids didn't know that: We thought "Match Game" was hilarious, and Nelson Reilly and Somers were so obviously the coolest people at the party. Want to remember the show in rich detail? Just read through some of the pages of memories shared at Jump the Shark -- even if you disagree with the shark-jumping moments, it's a memory flood like no other.

Even before "Match Game," Charles Nelson Reilly had a voice I knew -- if not a face. He helped create nightmare fodder for a whole generation of kids when he played the villain Horatio J. HooDoo on the Kroftt brothers' creepadelic "Lidsville."  Walking and talking hats terrified us? Oh, I can assure you, they did. Ah, the childhood innocence of a pre-"Saw" world.

Rest in peace, sir. Thanks for the BLANKS.

"Paradise Hotel" is coming back. No, really. "Paradise Hotel." Not to be confused with "Temptation Island" or "Bachelorettes in Alaska," but if you remember "Forever Eden" and its whiny theme song ("ForEV-er Eden, ForEV-er Eden, I'm never going home..."), you're on the right track. ("Forever Eden" was kind of a spinoff of sorts of "Paradise.")

As Andy Dehnart reports for us today, "Paradise" is scheduled to start a new season on FOX Reality Channel (where else?) in January. If you missed "Paradise" the first time around, well ... think of the nastiest clique in your high school and imagine then having a Spring Break party (filmed at this breathtaking Acapulco resort) that goes on and on for weeks. There's plenty of backstabbing and behind-the-back whispering, one popular couple clings to power and arbitrarily decides who's cool and in and who's lame and dorky. Still, the show was one major guilty pleasure for the dozens of readers who've written in to our reality TV column over the years, wondering what happened to the show and when it will return.

I always felt pretty embarrassed for the participants on "Paradise Hotel." It's one thing to one day show your children or grandchildren a tape of you on "Survivor" or even "The Apprentice," it's another for them to have to know that Grandma or Grandpa was the foul-mouthed bikini girl from "Paradise Hotel."

I've really been trying to ignore the Lindsay Lohan story, but today's Associated Press article finally tackled the topic I've been wondering about for some time: Does anybody care that Lohan is not yet of legal drinking age, yet seems to be having no trouble getting served alcohol? If a 20-year-old non-celebrity was getting into this much trouble and alcohol was involved, you can bet the servers and bars in question would be in hot water by now, but it takes this long for anyone to notice that Lohan won't turn 21 until July?

Apparently California does have a Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which must have been on vacation for the past few years, and employees of said department have been conducting undercover investigations at "trendy celebrity watering holes." Why don't they just surreptitiously follow Lohan around from club to club? It would seem that if they want to find a trendy spot where the liquor is flowing and the ID is not necessary, they could do worse than to put a tracking device on her.

Whoopi Goldberg? Kathy Griffin? Ricki Lake? ROSEANNE? Who should replace Rosie O'Donnell as the host of "The View"?

I'm a Kathy Griffin fan myself, and thought she was quick-witted and irreverent on her recent guest appearance, but I don't watch "The View" nearly enough to weigh in much more than that. "View" watchers, here's your chance: Who would be your pick, and why?

Taking a long weekend, new posts after the holiday.

I think we need a post about the "Lost" finale, don't you? Especially about that final scene.

If you need a refresher on what happened, check out these stories:

• Our chart: Catch up on the whole season in one convenient spot.
• Fans will debate season finale all summer long
• 'Lost' view of the future isn't pretty

The show was full of action, death, and surprises. Charlie's dead! Locke's not! Hurley's a hero! The Others are in disarray, with only Ben apparently left to carry on. And a rescue ship is on the horizon.

But the last scene was the long-awaited game-changer. Jack and Kate, and presumably the rest of the gang, have returned to the United States. But Jack, for one, can't leave the island behind entirely, telling Kate "We made a mistake. We were not supposed to leave. ... We have to go back!"

Just to keep viewers talking, the show dangled a few more unanswered questions. Someone's dead, someone both Jack and Kate knew. Is it Sawyer? Locke? Someone else? And Kate told Jack she had to get back to a man who would be waiting for her. If Sawyer's not dead, is he the one waiting for her? In this scene, the show reminded me a little bit of the short-lived series "The Nine." In that show, nine people were hostages in a bank robbery, and all viewers knew was that it had been horrible, and we saw only flashes of their memories of the event.

The plot didn't keep "The Nine" on the air, but it's a much better fit for "Lost," in which we already know the characters and what their island plight was. We care about them, and now we want to know: Why do they need to go back? What has happened to all of them since the island days? And it throws a bunch of additional fun questions into the mix. Will the next season be set back in the U.S., with the flashbacks now of island days? And what happens to all the theories (many of which have been denied again and again by show creators)? Do those who claim they were in hell, or the island was purgatory, or they were all being held in a secret government lab, still hold to those theories, or are they formulating new ones as we speak?

Share your thoughts about the finale in the comments. Since the show doesn't return until January 2008, it's going to be a long "Lost" year.

It's been a while since the "American Idol" announcement made on finale night was really a surprise. Maybe when Ruben beat Clay -- that infamous decision is still argued among the diehard Claymates out there. But it was pretty clear in years past that Fantasia was going to defeat Diana, Carrie and her little bit country would beat Bo and his little bit rock and roll, and that Taylor Hicks was riding a wave of goofy, grey-haired personality to beat Katharine McPhee.

This year was no different. Almost everyone who cared to hazard a guess was picking young Jordin Sparks, she of the powerhouse vocals, to defeat Seattle beatboxer Blake Lewis. And almost everyone was right: At just 17, Sparks was crowned the 2007 champion of this reality show that still captivates the nation.

"Idol" has been criticized for everything from a lack of clarity about the voting system to the stupid, apparently scripted jokes between host Ryan Seacrest and judge Simon Cowell. Some viewers claim that Ryan is too rude, and others say Simon is a big ol' meanie, apparently wanting all the judges to all play the Paula role and deliver nothing but meaningless platitudes. Viewership is down this sixth season, sliding to levels the show last saw in seasons three and four.

And of course, every season, fans complain that "because Melinda/Chris Daughtry/Stephanie/etc got kicked off so early," or "because Sanjaya/Hayley/Kevin Covais stayed so long," that they'll never watch again. And maybe they don't, but the show is going to have to come a long way before it really feels those losses. The show still pulls in everyone from senior citizens to young preteens with their parents It's still the Mount Everest of American TV shows, so unavoidable a colossus that other networks plan their TV seasons to shield their important shows from the "Idol" timeslot.

A couple seasons ago, "Idol" was consistently under fire for weird happenings with the voting. MSNBC.com regularly received mail from viewers who claimed they called in to vote for one singer and heard a recorded message thanking them for voting for someone different. The show's editors got lazy, too, and a couple of times, the wrong phone numbers appeared on the screen. Shrieks that "the fix is in!" were heard from coast to coast. Viewers still grumble about how ridiculous it is that "Idol" isn't more open about the vote totals -- how close the show is from week to week, and how many calls the winner actually wins by.

"Idol" is unlikely to change. For one thing, if it revealed those numbers, and Blake was trailing Jordin last week by some huge number of votes, you're fooling yourself if you think it wouldn't affect the next week's votes. Blake's fans would be galvanized and Jordin's fans might get complacent, and this season's outcome might have been forever altered.

But most of all, "Idol" won't change because it doesn't have to. When you're that far above the other shows in the ratings race, you can get lazy if you want. When the ratings numbers come in for Jordin's coronation, they'll be unbeatable. As was she.

On "Survivor," every season the contestants remind themselves constantly that it's just a game. "Idol" is a game, too -- part singing competition, part popularity contest, part magic and luck and random chance. Like many "Survivors" in the past, Jordin hung back a little, letting Melinda and LaKisha, not to mention Sanjaya, take much of the early attention. But she never was less than stellar, and she played the game with all the charm and vocal chops of a woman twice her age. Future "Idols" can learn a lot from the young girl with the great big voice.

I've beaten the drum for Blake Lewis before, but after Tuesday's show, it's hard to imagine anyone but Jordin Sparks walking away with the next "American Idol" crown. Try to remember being 17, if that age is in your rearview mirror. Now try to imagine a talent or skill that you had in which you could go up again adults with more than a decade of experience. Imagine standing toe-to-toe with them, as well as with professionals in that field, week after week with millions watching you, grading your performance, your looks, even your nervousness.

I don't know too many 17-year-olds who could pull that off. Yet even when her fellow teen, Sanjaya Malakar, was making the news for his outlandish hairstyles  and the disproportionate amount of attention he received, Jordin just stood back and kept pace with pros like Melinda Doolittle.

Simon Cowell said it repeatedly in the final performance show: Blake, with his beatboxing, his creative takes on songs, and his engaging manner, was the best performer of this "American Idol" season. And although Melinda Doolittle had an awesome voice, Jordin's vocals soared and she also had a personality to match her last name. It's been said over and over that while the show is supposed to be a singing competition, popularity and personality and performance all come into play. Jordin, at her tender age, combines more of those three than any other singer who took the "Idol" stage this year -- and yes, that includes you, Sanjaya.

Should she become the youngest-ever "American Idol" on Wednesday night, it will be truly deserved.

Spoilers for "Desperate Housewives" finale lurking ahead. Consider yourself warned.

"Desperate Housewives" wrapped its third season up with an old-fashioned, juicy, pull out all the stops finale Sunday night, and fans who weren't so sure about recent episodes finally received their reward. This show was up there with a good old "Dallas" episode -- two weddings, a fake baby, a suicide, and a wrenching toxic mom/cancer subplot. The results were electrifying, leaving fans with plenty to chew over as they wait all summer for the show to return. This episode finally was a return to the soapy drama of season one, and it was about time.

Start with the biggest plot twist, the one the writers appropriately saved for the end. If you saw that one coming, you're more of a psychic than most. Edie was hiding the fact that she was taking birth control pills, despite knowing that Carlos desperately wanted a child. He found out just before the emotional experience of attending Gaby's wedding reception, and perhaps that pushed him to tell Edie it was over between them. Instead of the usual "Housewives" back and forth of forgiving and forgetting and breaking up and getting back together, Edie went home, wrote a note to Carlos, and apparently hung herself.

Not only was the apparent death stunning (is there any chance Carlos could find her in time?), it reached back to the series pilot, in which another housewife, Mary Alice Young, killed herself. And while we didn't know Mary Alice when she killed herself, viewers have come to know Edie. She's often been the comic relief, the entertaining blonde who never received enough lines of her own. She's come into her own lately, and to see this often wise-cracking woman brought to the ultimate despair was all the more horrifying because viewers knew her so well.

Edie's trouble was just one of the plot lines that will keep viewers chatting. Bree returned, as Marcia Cross made an appearance after taking time off to give birth to twins. Yet she shocked her friends by showing up with an apparent pregnancy of her own. Smart viewers knew right away that it was a pregnancy pad, and Bree was faking her pregnancy so that when unwed daughter Danielle has her baby, Bree can pass the child off as her own, but watching the deception was enthralling.

And what would a soap opera finale be without a wedding? "Housewives" offered up two: An elaborate, well-attended ceremony for Gaby and Victor, and an intimate, moonlight wedding for Susan and Mike. Both weddings advanced their respective plots as well. Gaby discovered that Victor was probably using her to court the Latino vote in a planned race for governor, while Susan, for once, saw one of her crazy schemes turn out even better than she planned. She surprised Mike with a secret wedding, and it was every bit as beautiful and meaningful as her elaborate bridezilla ceremony would have been wrong.

As for the other housewife, Lynette's plot may not be as headline-grabbing, but it was doubly wrenching. The mom of four (plus Kayla) does indeed have Hodgkin's lymphoma, and who should show up but her bossy mother, Stella? Stella's had her own cancer bout in the past, as well as her own experience with infidelity, and she was quick to throw both in Lynette's face once Kayla spilled the beans about Chef Rick. Lynette ordered her mother out, but her mother cowed her with a depressingly realistic speech about how the cancer would wipe her out, and she would could either fight her mother, or the disease.

"Desperate Housewives" lost a lot of viewers with the second season's Applewhite murder plot, but if those viewers returned to give season three a shot, they were rewarded handsomely with the drama of Sunday's finale. How long till the show returns in September?

Let's turn this Multi-link Monday over to the readers. All five of the links below were submitted by readers over the past few weeks. Give them a shot, and feel free to submit your own choice links by posting them in the comments.

• "I cannot stop wasting time at retrojunk.com. After watching intros for little-remembered 80s cartoons like "The Raccoons" and "Count Duckula" I got caught up watching commercials for things no one else seems to remember like "Nintendo Cereal" and "Crispy Critters Cereal." It has stuff from 70s/80s/90s sorted by TV, movies, commercials, etc."    --Anonymous child of the '80s

• "I finally have a link to send you. It's a link to all of the speed traps in all 50 states. I checked it out for my state (NJ) and it was right on target.)    --Amy, New Jersey

• "How about www.livingto100.com? Find out how long you're going to live!"    --Stephanie, Nashville

• "Interesting site for a Multi-link Monday: Racial Questions and Answers." (Questions and answers about what it would be like to wake up and suddenly be a different race.)    --Diane, Seattle

• And finally, a reader sent in this fun online game with Gonzo from "The Muppet Show" being shot out of a cannon, but I misplaced the comment and the reader's name! If that person cares to write again, I'll add in their name and hometown, and sorry about losing it the first time around. Cool game, though. I love Gonzo.

If you're going to be vocal about the bad, you'd better be ready to speak up when things go well. I haven't been shy to say I've found "Lost" a bit of a turn-off this season, what with too much emphasis on unknown Others, Nikki and Paulo style characters turning up only to bite the dust, and so many of the original castaways left to do nothing but build sand castles on the beach. Last night's "Lost" episode turned things on its head, and in my mind, we're back now to the thrilling "Lost" that hooked me in the first season.

Charlie has never been one of my favorite characters, but his flashback -- really, numerous small flashbacks -- was one of the more engrossing ones of the season. As he faced possible death (did his brave underwater swim have anyone else remembering Shelley Winters in "The Poseidon Adventure"?), he decided to list his five favorite memories for sweetheart Claire. Viewers got to go back in time and see Charlie's favorite memories, and they were not only lively, but relevant.

He remembered Dad helping him overcome his fear of water, which was not only touching,but pertinent, as he prepared for a very scary swim. He remembered his brother and bandmate passing on a family heirloom. He remembered his pride at being called a hero for protecting a woman being mugged -- and, in true "Lost" fashion, the woman turned out to be Sayid's true love, Nadia. And he remembered his first night on the beach, introducing himself to a pregnant and lonely Claire. Even the non-romantic hearts in the audience had to say "aww" at that one. Sometimes on "Lost" the flashbacks slow things down, but not tonight.

The non-flashback parts of the show were all clicking, too. Who wouldn't root for a steely-eyed Rousseau stepping out of the jungle, prepared to share her knowledge of explosives with the castaways she'd once fought? And the idea of stocking tents with explosives when the Others expected pregnant women was both intriguing and exciting. Finally, the much-put-upon castaways, who've been caged, tortured, and made to eat fish pellets, might be getting their revenge.

Jack was back, Sayid was back, Desmond and Hurley all had decent-sized parts. We even saw those beloved lovers, Rose and Bernard, who fascinate old-time "Lost" watchers, but rarely get a line. There's another Dharma station, this time an underwater one, The Looking Glass. We learned how Rousseau's broadcast of more than a decade has been eternally blocked by the Others. There was even one of the famed "Lost" twists, when Charlie clobbered Desmond with an oar to ensure he got to at least attempt his sacrifice.

This was a "Lost" episode that satisfied on all accounts, and it only took them most of a season to get to it. With just the season finale remaining next week, I'm hoping that "Lost" is back on track for good.

The networks have been letting news about their various renewals and cancelations trickle out all year, but their upfront presentations are this week, and this means much more news. Some of the news is good ("Friday Night Lights" is back), some not so good ("Gilmore Girls" is done, although even some fans didn't like this last season) and some shows are still on the bubble.

While I can't possibly rehash every cancelation here, I'll share some thoughts on five for now, and you're welcome to add your thoughts in the comments.

"Jericho":  I tried to regularly watch this apocalyptic drama, though when I missed it, I didn't feel I'd missed that much. The concept -- nuclear bombs go off across America, shredding the country and forcing a small Kansas town to depend on itself -- was both depressing and intriguing. It was hard not to watch Jericho struggling for power, medical care, and fighting violent wars with the neighboring town and not realize how dependent we are on our modern infrastructure and way of life. The show wasn't 100% there, but I'll miss it.

"Close to Home": I loved Jennifer Finnigan on "The Bold and The Beautiful," and followed her to this law drama. The first season, which wrapped her job as a prosecutor with her happy family life at home with hubby and adorable baby, clicked for me. But in the finale of season one, they killed off hubby in a drunk-driving accident, hoping, apparently, to bring on new love interests for Finnigan's Annabeth Chase. Bad, bad idea. The second season dragged, we never saw the cute baby any more, and the cases got more complicated and less "close to home."

"The Class": I thought this was a sweet, funny comedy when I saw it. Liked Jason Ritter, liked the concept of kids from the same grade-school class reuniting as adults. But it never earned the attention of other comedies ("Two and a Half Men"?), and the cancelation was no surprise.

"Knights of Prosperity": Loved Donal Logue, didn't mind the concept of a group of misfits plotting a big celebrity robbery. But back at summer press tour, when the show's producers announced that they'd changed the name from the catchy "Let's Rob Mick Jagger," the show seemed to start making mistakes. Never underestimate the importance of a good title.

"Gilmore Girls": Easily the biggest cancelation news of the season, though it had been rumored forever. I enjoy the rapid-fire dialogue and the Rory-Lorelai relationship, but I'll leave it to the true "Gilmore" faithful to fill in their thoughts in the comments, since they'll have more to say about how this season compared to others. The loyal fans I've spoken to think "GG" wasn't the same once creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband, Daniel, left the show.

Update: It's official. "Veronica Mars" has joined the ranks of the canceled. Instead the CW is getting behind..."Gossip Girl"? New York city folk go to Africa? And a reality show that sounds like "The Bachelor" in the country? Ay-yi-yi...

More cancelation/renewal news:
--'24' renewed
--CBS: 'Christine' returns, 'Jericho' bombs
--ABC adds 'Grey's spinoff, more
--NBC saves 'Law & Order'

I like to think I'm tough to shock, especially when it comes to fictional characters, and especially with a show like "The Sopranos." But not only was I surprised that Tony killed his almost-son Christopher,  I was shocked at how matter-of-fact the murder was.

Chris and Tony were in a car accident caused by Chris, who was high on cocaine and let his truck slide into the other lane, then swerved back and flew off the road, flipping the truck several times. Tony escaped with bruises, and doctors at the hospital later said Chris' injuries were survivable. But those doctors don't know Tony Soprano.

While Chris struggled to breathe through what seemed to be a lungful of blood, Tony, the man who'd been his foster father, his boss, who'd stood godfather to Chris' daughter, reached into the car as calmly as if he were swatting a bug and held Chris' nose closed until he lost consciousness and died. It seemed almost an impulsive decision for Tony, who at one point had dialed 9 and 1 on his cell phone before thinking better of it.

Some "Sopranos" fans are saying that the murder came out of nowhere, that a major character like Christopher deserved more of a buildup, more of a dramatic death. Perhaps his death should have come along the same lines as his fiancee Adriana, who lived in agony for months before Silvio murdered her. She felt forced to rat to the FBI on Chris and the family, but then confessed all to Chris and begged him to run away with her. But Chris' loyalty to Tony topped his loyalty to her, and he turned her over to Tony and crew to be shot down in a field, crawling and crying.

In fact, as "Sopranos" deaths go, Chris' was pretty tame. Already badly injured from the crash, he didn't really have a chance to call Tony out on what he was doing. He died quietly, not beaten to death in a motel room like Vito, or tortured in any of the other numerous ways Mob soldiers have died on this show.

As an Adriana loyalist, I'm a little irked about that one -- it would have been interesting to see Christopher have to face what he'd done to the woman who loved him. Imagine the scenario if Carmela, she who has been so suspicious of Ade's death, had come face-to-face with the fact that her beloved nephew had killed the woman who was his lover and her friend. Carmela has, bit-by-bit, had to come to grips with the ways in which she has sold her soul for her lifestyle, but had she been forced to face Chris knowing he killed Ade, that might have been the last straw. If she was able to stay in denial after that, she would have been a haunted woman for the rest of her days.

So in a way, Chris got off easy. Those of us who wanted a satisfying revenge for Adriana's death will have to wait and see if the remaining episodes bring that revenge to Tony or even Silvio, who wielded the actual gun that shot her down. But Chris' death still shocked on other levels. If Tony is so quick to end the life of someone this close to him, it's obvious that he's been pushed to a breaking point. With just three episodes to go, viewers have been alerted: If you thought we were on a dark and twisty road before, hang on. There will be no warning signs when the bridge is out, and anything could happen between now and the June 10 finale.

Multi-link Monday returns, and remember, your contributions are always welcome -- just post them in the comments.

• It's wedding season, and many of us have a couple of ugly bridesmaid gowns in our closets. UglyDress.com highlights some eye-scorchers, including this gown for a grandma, the dress that matched the groom's Camaro, this one with enormous sleeves, Z, and the infamous Hello Kitty wedding dress.

• I named my cat after my favorite one-hit wonder band, Dexy's Midnight Runners. (Dexy would like it known, however, that she is no fan of "Come On, Eileen.") One Hit Wonder Central offers everything you want to know about those one-hit bands and their songs, including this list of the site's most popular 100 one-hit wonders. Man, Edison Lighthouse may have only had one hit, but it was a darn good one, as far as I'm concerned.

• Wish I'd thought to link to this before Mother's Day. Why send a simple flower or cookie bouquet when you can send a flower-shaped fruit bouquet? I wonder how fresh the fruit is when it arrives.

• Reader-submitted link #1:  David offers up this very cool site showing amazing sidewalk-chalk masterpieces by artist Julian Beever. Hard to believe this image of Princess Diana,or this amazing swimming pool, are done in chalk.

• Reader-submitted link #2: I'm one of those people who always checks out the latest colorful or commemorative license plates, so of course I loved this link from Alicia: License Plates of the World. I didn't know there were special plates issued for the various presidential inaugurations, but this site has photos of them going back to 1933. The 2005 plate is exceptionally lovely.

First off, how stupid would the show have to be to kill off Locke? I'm not buying it. ABC just announced that the show has three more seasons, 48 more episodes to go. Are they going to kill off a character who's been part of the heart of the show since the beginning? Not to mention a character who's been intimately linked to the island's powers in ways that no one else is, and one who's already seen the island heal him from paralysis. If Mystery Island can fix his broken back and withered legs, surely a bullet to the gut is nothing.

Locke has always been different -- from almost the show's premiere, viewers have argued about whether he is good or evil, whether he has the castaways' best interests at heart or only his own, whether he will somehow conquer the mysteries of the island or they will conquer him. Jack was presented as the island's leader, but his goody-two-shoes straightforwardness turned off more than one viewer.

Locke, masterfully played by Terry O'Quinn, managed to always keep fans guessing. His troubled past, his take-charge attitude, and his visible struggles have all fascinated us. Who can't identify, even if just a little bit, with a man who had Walter Mitty-like dreams of strength and success, but in reality, was mocked by jerks at the box company where he worked?  To see him discover, once on the island, that his outer strength for once matched his inner abilities, was a smartly developed plot.

For several episodes early in this season, Locke had been underutilized, his character allowed to fade into the background as the Others came to the forefront. Like other fan favorites, including Hurley and Sayid, he was relegated to an occasional witty line or minor scene. And he was missed.

In recent weeks, more of Locke's past has unfolded. Viewers finally learned about how he landed in the wheelchair (no surprise, his evil dad was behind it). And Locke,  eerily like creepy Other Ben, managed to get revenge on daddy dearest.

Locke was back this week, however, in an intriguing episode where he got to pound on Other Mikhail, a rather satisfying scene for regular viewers. He also learned, via Ben, that Ben didn't just kill his own father, he led the massacre of the original Dharmans. And the episode tied into Locke's mystery powers, too, when Ben took him to see supposed Other leader, Jacob. In a scene reminscent of HBO's "Carnivale" and its mysterious Management, Jacob at first seemed not to exist. (Eagle-eyed viewers, however, have already snatched screen grabs of a brief moment in which someone did seem to be seated in Jacob's otherwise empty chair.)

But Locke's powers came through again, and he heard a mysterious voice say "help me." His power to hear that didn't please Ben, and the lead Other raised his gun and tried to add John Locke to the pile of Dharma bodies in a creepy mass grave. But this longtime viewer's not buying it. There's no way we've seen the last of John Locke yet.

In just a month we'll be kicking off this summer's TV commercial contest, but there's one omnipresent commercial running now that I just have to mention. If you've watched TV at all in the last week, you've almost certainly seen it, and you either love it or hate it.

It's the Victoria's Secret catalog with a lovely Australian (I think) model clad only in a bra, panties and angel wings. (And, as numerous readers point out in the comments, she looks barely old enough to be out of Girl Scouts, or whatever the Aussie equivalent is.) She flirts into the camera and delivers the following doggerel:

"There was a young angel with wings

I've just never understood the appeal of Susan Meyer on "Desperate Housewives." Can anyone explain it to me? Why is this character likable? Why is she the favorite "Housewife" of so many viewers? Why do so many who watch long to see her live happily ever after with hunky plumber Mike? With "Housewives" close to wrapping its third season, it's time for me to admit it, even if I stand alone: I. Can't Stand. Susan.

I've tried to see her as a charming, klutzy ditz with a good heart -- at least, I think that's how the character is intended to come across. And it's not as if all the characters on "Housewives" are saintly -- how boring would that be? Gabrielle Solis, especially, is better when she's bad, when she's "borrowing" couture gowns from her boyfriend's ex-wife or throwing a fit in front of a traffic cop. Bree and Lynette both seem to have good hearts, but often put their foot in it in a big way (Bree--kicking out her own son! Lynette--almost cheating on her husband!). Yet neither of them bug me in the same way that Susan does, and none of them seem to have her following.

Susan's appeal just escapes me, week after week. Especially this week. After breaking up with fiance Ian seemingly moments before, Susan set out after love of her life Mike. He was camping, or finding himself, or something, at a site that took two days to reach, and the Fairview park service apparently provided Susan with a free overnight guide to get there, realizing the pampered princess would never make it on her own.

The guide was a large, stolid woman, Susan's polar opposite, but she listened fairly patiently as Susan rehashed the entire Mike-Ian fiasco, and repeatedly helped Susan through such agonies as getting her hair caught in a branch or accidentally eating a bug. She warned her to not use a honey-scented face mask in bear territory. And to thank her, Susan simply left her a heart-shaped note and stole off in the middle of the night by herself. Because this is what rational, tax-paying, home-owning adult mothers of high school students do -- they act like six-year-olds.

Of course, Susan twisted her ankle and ended up huddled alone under a tree, babbling into Mike's turned-off cell phone. Of course, Mike blew in like a knight in shining armor to rescue her, sweeping her into his arms for a kiss.

I can imagine the "Housewives" writers knew exactly what they were doing -- giving long-suffering Susan fans what they had long clamored for, Susan and Mike, together at last, having overcome everything and fought to find each other. Naturally, next week will put more obstacles in their path, but for now, the show closed on a romantic cliche, the man carrying the woman who, without one thought for her own safety, had taken on a single-minded quest to find him. It's very Harlequin romance circa 1966, but apparently, it's still selling in 2007.

Another offering of Multi-link Monday linkage, for your work-avoiding pleasure. Remember, I love your submissions, so post them in the comments and look for them on an upcoming Monday.

• Remember last week's "Star Wars" personality test? The creator wrote to let us know that the site has added a "Spider-Man" version of the test. As with last week, feel free to share your results in the comments. I'm ... Spider-Man himself, apparently. Hmm. Nerdy and romantically inept, whee!

• This color test isn't difficult, but it may take you a few minutes to catch on to what they're asking. Or maybe that was just me. (Thanks to Karen for the link!)

• Stealing this from my pal Will's Clicked, but Suicide Food is a Weblog showcasing food logos in which the animal is cheerily participating in its own consumption. This one, in which the cow is gleefully watching itself be sliced up while alive, is enough to make a person consider veganism. It reminds me of the great "Clucky the Chicken" parody commercial (video here; transcript here) on "Saturday Night Live," featuring the great Adam Sandler as the voice of the chicken, and the much-missed Phil Hartman as the dad.

• Two reader submissions this week. The first is from Julie in Nashville: "Just found this site for your Multi-link Monday crowd, sponsored by Emma Email Marketing, a site I use for work. For every 'yes' vote between now and Memorial Day, this Nashville-based company will plant a tree. You don't have to give out your email, just click 'yes'. They also have a very funny FAQ about trees, some charts and graphs and information about how to be friends with a tree through its MySpace page. You have to see it all to believe it!"

• A reader who goes by Ohio Betty offers up this submission, which some "American Idol" fans will no doubt love. Her comment makes the submission for me., She says "I clicked on a link on a blog that said 'Buckymania,' thinking it might be a fan site for the 'Get Fuzzy' fan site, but ... noooooo. It was this.  I can't completely decide whether it's for real or for goofs. Either way, eeeee."

Sanjaya has only been gone two weeks, and it's as if he never existed. All the "Idol" fans who bemoaned his presence on the show and tried to blame the entire country of India for keeping him around have been quiet lately. Every season, viewers wail about how the voting messes things up, but almost every season, things straighten out by the end.

This year, it took until the show got down to the final four, but it's hard to argue with the remaining singers. Melinda Doolittle has been the favorite to win since the beginning. LaKisha Jones has had occasional struggles, but for much of the season, she was right up there almost as good as Melinda. Teen Jordin Sparks has both a winning smile and a voice that belies the fact that she and Sanjaya are the same age -- 17. But it's Blake Lewis, the only male singer remaining, who has managed to mix a fun personality with a good voice and a sense of creativity towards his music that goes beyond the simple beatboxer label.

Melinda's been my pick all along, but I'm wavering a little now. Blake has shown viewers something that no other "Idol" singer has displayed so far. He's a little reminiscent of the rare season when "America's Next Top Model" features a model who actually can name three Vogue photographers and can hold her own in an interview.

Whatever you thought of his performance of "You Give Love a Bad Name," it was ambitious, creative and fun. Bon Jovi worried about him before he sang, describing it as "Sixteen measures of him not singing on a show that's supposed to showcase singers." And had Blake seen it written down that way, he, too, might have had second thoughts. But he has what all real artists have -- an innate confidence and a trust in himself.

Melinda could still win, but I wouldn't bet against the beatboxer from Seattle.

Don Imus was all apologies when the fire was raining down on him for calling the Rutgers'  women's basketball team names. But he's not taking his firing sitting down, according to Fortune.com. They report that the DJ plans to sue CBS radio for the $40 million remaining on his contract.

At first, the alleged suit seems laughable. Imus messed up, he got fired, and now he wants his big paycheck for doing nothing. But nothing is that simple. A source tells Fortune that Imus' contract urged him to be "confrontational and irreverent," and that he was promised a warning before he was fired. I'm no contract lawyer, but if that, especially the last bit, is really in Imus' contract, he may have a case.

It could get really interesting from here on out, however, if the suit does come to pass. Imagine suited up lawyers trying to define "confrontational and irreverent." I would think that CBS's side of things would be that it's one thing to be irreverent about public figures, another thing to use a tasteless racial slur against college women who've never asked to be in the public eye in quite the same way.

The "warning" language, if it exists, is more interesting. Did CBS really put that in Imus' contract? Had they thought that through? If the DJ did something severe enough to rate a warning, couldn't CBS have foreseen that a public outcry akin to the Rutgers situation would erupt? High-priced lawyers on both sides must be licking their chops at the prospect of delving into the actual contract language because if it's at all as Fortune represents, there could be a million loopholes on either side of the fence. If anyone thought Imus' firing meant his name would stay out of the news for a time, stay tuned. It looks like things are just heating up.

I've been stumbling across a lot of fun videos on YouTube lately. So in a kind of cousin to Multi-link Monday, here's YouTube Tuesday -- five videos that you might enjoy. Note: All links go directly to the videos, so if you're at work, have your headphones on.

• Now that Sunday's NFL Draft is over, enjoy this hilarious parody of The Killers' "Mr. Brightside" taking a look at some of the most disappointing draft picks of years past. ("You looked like a Grecian god, but hit just like my cousin Maude!") Anything by BradyFan83 is a must-watch for me on YouTube, but you have to like football -- and modern music. He also put up a video about Brady Quinn's draft day plunge -- that's quick work, man!

• I'm a sucker for those old mental hygiene films, the kind we had to watch in school ("please stop the projector now and discuss"). Save AV Geeks as a favorite YouTube contributor and you'll get plenty of these old gems. Some favorites of mine: "Shake Hands With Danger" shows how you can mutilate yourself with large equipment; "Ro-Revus Talks About Worms" puts a creepy face on intestinal parasites; and "Soapy the Germ Fighter" teaches kids not to be afraid of giant living cakes of soap who appear in your bedroom at night.

• Some slightly more modern mental hygiene films include these 1970s gems. Remember Yuck Mouth, who didn't brush? Timer, who hankered fer a hunka cheese? And I don't remember this PSA on eating more fruit, but it'll give you "Schoolhouse Rock" flashbacks.

• Saturday morning cartoons have changed a lot over the years -- remember when the networks actually offered up preview shows giving kids a sneak peek at the upcoming cartoons? Here's a fun commercial previewing the 1971 ABC lineup. Now I remember why "Lidsville" gave me nightmares. And how long did that "Jackson 5" cartoon last, anyway? If the 1980s were more your cartoon era, settle in for a half-hour recap of cartoon openings from that decade. Worth it if just for "Gilligan's Planet." If 1990s cartoons are more your style, this medley might appeal. Pokemon! Gotta catch 'em all!

• And not everything on YouTube is pop-culture fun. German abstract filmmaker Hans Richter made "Ghosts Before Breakfast" in 1927. The techniques and tricks he used may seem old hat to us now, but try to imagine them in the mid-1920s. As the commentor notes "Astonishing. I was under the impression digital technologies invented these techniques. " A note shown before the film begins says that the Nazis destroyed the sound version of the film, considering it "degenerate art." A fascinating bit of history.