The office

Played well, a good internship can be a great way to see if a field of work you're interested in is right for you while giving you the chance to prove yourself at the very bottom of the heap and make connections with professionals who will help mentor you along the way up.

Or... they can be slow-ticking hours of absolute drudgery, doing unappreciated tasks that have nothing to do with the work you hope to do one day, while paying little money (or nothing).

Like the unwitting, shy high school boy who nearly fell into the swag-less snare set by Michael Scott at the Valley View High School job fair in last night's 'Office' episode, many of us have been smart enough to avoid a deadly dull, pointless internship at the last second. And many of us have not. Am I right?
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So, Stanley let loose on Michael and told him what he really thinks of him and he only got "fake fired." Ah, if life were like "The Office."

Stanley had more than one of those moments that we each have dreamed of at one point in our working lives in last night's 'Office' episode, playing out a fantasy about what we would say to a really bad boss if we only had the guts, no need for a paycheck and the desire to sabotage ourselves and dash all hopes of a career. In last night's episode he ditched his passive-aggressive, crossword-during-meeting approach for a full-out, insubordinate rebuke in front of the whole office:
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The most touching point of the episode: We found out high-on-his horse Ryan is high a lot, and in a veiled way asked Michael for help. Michael didn’t catch the signs, but we did. Have you ever suspected that a co-worker is abusing drugs or alcohol and is in need of serious help? How did you respond if they asked obliquely for help or if they didn’t but you knew they needed it anyway?
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NBC’s The Office was back in true Office form last night, thank goodness. Michael has split from Jan (that story line was going nowhere but nasty, sad and abusive), so he is back to his rude, ignorant and inappropriate best. Just the way we love him.

And why do we love him? Because at one point or another, we’ve all had a boss just like him. Am I right?
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Big, big night at our house last night. NBC's "The Office" was back on the air after a looooong time away. My kids have had the DVR set for weeks. I am all for writers getting paid better and fairly, you know it, but there are just so many times you can watch Michael Scott sabotage himself via webcam at the DunderMifflinInfinity website launch party.

So, Michael's desperate attempts to get Pam and Jim to hang out with him finally work when he leaves no escape from accepting a dinner party invitation to his condo with Jan. (The ruse: an edict from corporate that everyone work overtime on Friday night, until Michael makes a phony phone call demanding they let his people go.) Going to your boss's house for dinner can be tricky terrain for lots of people. But as Jenna Fischer says: "Any time you have to go to dinner at your boss's house it's a little awkward, but it's especially awkward when your boss is Michael Scott. And when his girlfriend is Jan!"

The show took a turn from funny to mean to really sad fast, but not before imparting us yet again with some wonderful workplace wisdom. From the first Season 4 episode, some dinner-party-with-the boss do's and don'ts:
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I know that the writer's strike ended weeks and weeks ago, but in my mind, it doesn't really end until I get my Liz Lemon back! And second only to her, it's not over until I get Dwight Shrute and Jim & Pam back, as well. Well, the time has finally arrived -- tonight NBC is airing new episodes of "30 Rock" and "The Office." I've got my TiVo primed and ready.

To celebrate, I've polled some pals on their favorite moments from each show, and here's what I came up with:
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