Heroes has continued to impress since returning from its December/January hiatus, consistently delivering episodes that have answered important questions while ratcheting up the serialized tension.

For any other series, last night would have been a season-ending clifhanger of epic proportions. But in an example of why Heroes is such a damn good show, they don't play for the cheap, easy shows that end up stretching out the story's continuum for years on end (like say, LOST). Instead, they take us to the future -- five years into the future -- and show us the consequences of not saving the world.

While I'm sure some are chagrined by Hugo Chavez's nationalization of Venezuelan oil, I for one welcome our new leftist overlords. After all, nationalization only hastens the day when his regime collapses under its own statist weight, making way for a better capitalist tomorrow.

The book review web site and blog Emerald City is ceasing publication. I'm sad to see it go -- the site featured a wide range of speculative fiction web reviews, and its blog was a useful way to stay up on the scifi literary scene.