What determines the longevity of a television show? Is it simply down to views, or is it the message conveyed from episode to episode that also makes a difference? What does that message have to be in order to lead to long-term success?

For South Park, the creators’ ability to make light of current events has been so successful, the show just finished its 19th season Wednesday, with a 20th season confirmed in 2015. Although having drawn plenty of critics for the manner in how it’s parodied certain topics and celebrities, Trey Parker and Matt Stone have continued to entertain much of the country with their brand of humor.

In earlier seasons, the two were able to accomplish despite not having continuity from episode to episode. As the years progressed, the show slowly started to gain continuity, not always for an entire season, but in three-episode storylines. One example came at the end of 2013, when South Park put together a mini-series that parodied Black Friday shoppers’ activities, HBO’s Game of Thrones, and the “battle” that year between Playstation 4 and Xbox One as the top video game console.

2015 saw the show’s 19th season follow recurring themes throughout all 10 episodes. Topics included the controversies involving political correctness, gentrification, gun control, and body shaming, among others. The fact that South Park is able to explore these topics over an entire season is partially due to the fact that Stone and Parker have recently changed the show’s structure to one 10-episode block in the fall, as opposed to two seven-episode blocks in the spring and fall. This allowed viewers to keep up with the plot lines easier – instead of waiting several months for the season to continue – especially since the show’s website now only posts certain episodes for free at a time.

Season 19 ended Wednesday on a mini-cliffhanger, with “PC Principal,” introduced at the beginning of the season, announcing that he’ll stay in the town and help it continue to become more politically correct. Will this continuity be seen in 2016, or will the creators decide to take the show in a different direction? The mantra for upcoming seasons has often been to “expect the unexpected,” and that doesn’t seem to change soon.

The 60th Eurovision Song Contest begins Tuesday in Vienna, with 39 nations competing for the title and a chance for artists to kickstart, or add to, their careers. Many previous winners have seen their careers grow successfully on a global stage; winning artists in the past include Swedish group ABBA and Céline Dion, who won with Switzerland in 1988. Finnish hard rock band Lordi parlayed their 2006 win into a spot on the following year’s Ozzfest Tour.

This year’s contest is hosted by Austria, following the country’s triumph in the 2014 Contest. It was a break from precedence in multiple ways; the winning artist was drag queen Conchita Wurst, who used his victory speech to acknowledge the pro-LGBT crowd in Copenhagen. Also, the winning song was a breakaway from previous tracks, which usually fit in either the “bubblegum pop” or “Top 40” genres. Wurst’s song, “Rise Like a Phoenix,” is more of a power ballad, similar to a title track in a James Bond movie. With “Rise Like a Phoenix” winning last year, most of the entries in 2015 are ballads, trying to replicate the success of a year ago.

2015 is a unique year for the Eurovision Song Contest, as Australia will be entering the competition as a guest entrant. Australia has broadcast the Contest to the point where there is a Eurovision cult following in that nation, and will be in Saturday’s Grand Final. Should Australia win, they would choose the host of the 2016 Contest.

There have been many controversies about the voting patterns of nations in past versions of the Contest. The ESC has drawn criticism for how Eastern European countries tend to vote for each other, and other political issues that give some nations a tough path to victory. Last year, the Contest took place amidst the tense circumstance of whether or not Russia would annex Crimea. Upon Russia being voted into the Final, neutral reaction was mostly negative because of the Crimea situation and Vladimir Putin’s stance on certain human rights issues. Will there be a similar controversy this week?

16 nations will compete in the first semifinal Tuesday, with 17 more in the second semifinal on Thursday. The top ten from each semifinal, as voted by a combination of national juries and the public, advance to Saturday’s Grand Final, where they will join hosts Austria, Australia, and the “Big Five” nations: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The winning country will host in 2016.

J.D. Power released its 2015 North American Airline Satisfaction Study earlier this week, with results continuing to establish the trend set over the last several years. Alaska Airlines is still atop the traditional carrier rankings, scoring better than Delta, U.S. Airways, American, and United. JetBlue finished first in the low-cost carrier rankings for the 10th straight year, although Southwest was not far behind.

An interesting note is that many flyers today are starting to pick airlines based on what each one offers, not necessarily which flight is the cheapest or non-stop. In-flight offerings vary from airline to airline when it comes to entertainment, food options, and the check-in process.

From personal experience, I have flown with the following airlines over the last two years: United, Southwest, U.S. Airways, and Allegiant (and Air Canada as well), with all four having their positives and negatives. I can only compare it with Air Canada, but United did have the best in-flight entertainment options (music, movies, etc.), although the Chicago-based airline could make many improvements when it comes to customer service at the check-in gate. Southwest is popular because of its open seating policy (meaning you pick a seat when you board, not ahead of time) and the ability to check two bags free, but does not have in-flight movies or music to offer. That’s not a big deal on a short flight, but for one traveling from Baltimore to Los Angeles (a nonstop flight as of May 15), it may add to the flyer’s experience. U.S. Airways as a traditional carrier may draw some critics because of the prices, but more often than not provides a stress-free flight. Allegiant is a unique airline; it has very cheap rates partially because it flies out of lesser-used airports (Orlando Sanford, for example, as opposed to Orlando International). However, those who fly Allegiant pay an extra fee to bring carry-on luggage aboard, and flights to and from destinations are not on a daily basis.

Do you have any advice for fellow travelers looking for an airline to go with? What is your favorite or worst airline to fly? Leave a comment below!

There was major political news in West Virginia on Monday, as businessman Jim Justice formally announced his intention to run for Governor of West Virginia. Justice was strongly considering campaigning for the office earlier this year, and made his announcement in White Sulphur Springs.

Justice has a history of revitalizing areas of Southern West Virginia, particularly in Greenbrier County. In 2009, the philanthropist and coal mine owner bought the historic Greenbrier Resort, laying down a foundation for the area to attract marquee events. In 2015, the resort will host the PGA Tour’s Greenbrier Classic, the New Orleans Saints’ summer training camp, and will open a new tennis court with a christening match featuring legends Andre Agassi & Pete Sampras.

Justice, whose net worth is currently 1.7 billion dollars (making him the richest man in West Virginia), will be running as a member of the Democratic Party. The Mountain State has had Democratic governors since 2001, the last Republican to serve being Cecil Underwood from 1997-2001. Also, from 1959 to 2015, West Virginia had two Democrats serving in the U.S. Senate; Republican Shelly Moore Capito was elected in 2014 in a race that helped the GOP take control of the Senate for the first time since 2006. In the U.S. House, there are three Republicans from the Mountain State for the first time since the state was given its current allocation of three seats. Both chambers of the West Virginia state legislature have a GOP majority.

There have many issues surrounding the candidate, primarily his not paying two million dollars in mine safety fines. Justice owns 70 active mines in the region, and while his philanthropy has won him many fans, he also has numerous critics because of his handling of mine safety issues. The NPR report linked above says there were delinquent mines that committed 4,000 violations in regards to mine safety.

Justice is the second Democrat to officially announce his candidacy for Governor, joining West Virginia Senate Minority Leader Jeff Kessler. Several Republicans have expressed serious interest in running, but none have formally declared yet.

Whoever wins the gubernatorial election in November 2016 will succeed Earl Ray Tomblin in 2017.

A federal jury found Dzhokhar Tsarnaev guilty Wednesday on all 30 charges related to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, which killed three and injured more than 250 others.

The counts against the now-21-year-old ranged from conspiracy to deadly use of a weapon of mass destruction. 17 of the 30 counts make Tsarnaev eligible for the death penalty; the same jury will decide his sentencing next week.

Tsarnaev, along with his older brother Tamerlan, were accused of placing two bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Tamerlan died days later during a getaway attempt.

In addition to the three Marathon deaths, Dzhokhar was also charged with killing a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer.

Both Tsarnaev brothers were born in different republics of the old Soviet Union, and emigrated to the United States over a decade ago. Tamerlan was an aspiring boxer, while Dzhokhar was a student at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. The younger Tsarnaev became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2012.

Boston received nationwide support in the weeks following the incident, and the city itself vowed to stay strong, with the Red Sox’s David Ortiz giving a powerful speech before their game against the Royals on April 20. (Ortiz’s profanity has been censored in the video linked above.)

Last year’s Boston Marathon went ahead as planned, with extra security measures in place. The 2015 Marathon will be on Patriots’ Day, April 20.