'The Simpsons' has long been a favorite show of mine, despite the fact that recent episodes been extremely odd.

Well, that's a fact of life in a show that's run over ten years. Standard television scriptwriters have a limited pool of ideas that run out after about five years, and they are forced to resort to the strange and peculiar. Or to have a wedding or get someone pregnant.

Anyway. In tonight's latest bout of weirdness, the show started out by lampooning Internet web sites. Homer set up a site under the name of 'Mr. X' and posted a succession of rumors and scandals.

The really bizarre part began when he ran out of stories and started making things up. Turned out that one of the wild stories he created was true and he was drugged, kidnapped and imprisoned for months on this bizarre island where no one was allowed a name, and everyone was assigned a number.

Sound familiar?

If it does, you are probably one of the very few people in North America who got the joke. Yup, it turned into a parody of the cult sci-fi classic, 'The Prisoner', right down to the funny suits and Rover, the giant scary balloon. Patrick McGoohan even provided the voice of Number Six.

I got it immediately. Of course, I am a geek, and freely admit it.

The average viewing population didn't get it, I expect. Those of you who know 'The Prisoner', imagine showing someone an episode from the middle of the series with no explanation as to what was going on. To them it'd be just some 60's drug-inspired conspiracy show, with bad special effects and an odd fashion sense.

Which is what I suspect most people will think about the latter half of tonight's Simpsons. Kind of a risky tack to take, given all the animated competition the show is facing these days.

For me, though, it's been a while since I laughed out loud at a television show. Thanks, Mr. Groening, for putting out one episode just for us geeks out there. Appreciate it.

Well, this is our last week here. Lisa is coming in tomorrow to help pack (And snuggle and kiss and stuff. I miss her terribly much). I'm very glad she is too. I've been moping around the apartment and am very far behind where I should be.

Sigh.

The next couple weeks will be touch and go around here. We may not even have Internet access for a while at the new place. At least we'll get cable before the next Buffy is on...

Still to do:

• Get some sort of Internet access
• Get new computer
• Forward mail

Better hurry

Talk about the move

Is Lisa home yet?

Take me home, big fella