Men, Look 10 lbs. Lighter!

Hey, you! Prince Charming! Your time is now. Sure you've got the winning personality, but maybe things just aren't shaping-out right for you. You look around and think, it's not only women who have a desire to keep their less flattering bulges under wraps. You also want to look your most slim; your most fit. You also do not want that bit of extra weight detracting from your most treasured trait--whether that be your devil-may-care smile or your chiseled jaw line. You care about your physique, too! Of course, we all know by now that the best way to take care of extra poundage is proper diet and exercise. But, until the day you finally reach your goal size through all that time and effort, you could always give yourself a 10-lb. advantage with some slimming style...

That's right. It is possible to create the illusion of a slimmer you through your choice in clothing. Take these tips to heart, use the weekend to go out on a brotherly shopping spree with your buddies who also think they could stand a lose a few, and pick-up of some of these sure-fire slimmers! You'll be having your coworkers asking you if you've been working out (assuming you haven't) even before the coffee huddle is over, come Monday morn'. How could you lose?

Speedy Slimmer: Crease-Proof, Tailored Blazer or Suit Jacket
These are great because they can help to hide your generous booty and/or gut. Also, left unbuttoned, it will create a vertical line to your handsome face, drawing people's attention there, instead. The "tailored" aspect is important, as well, because there won't be any excess material adding to your figure. And, of course, the fewer creases, the lesser the visual betrayal of an issue with fit. The casual fella on the right is sporting a Banana Republic Tailored Pinstripe Three-Button Blazer in Navy for $150. See more options here.

Speedy Slimmer: Shapewear
This is the most obvious solution. Shapewear for men will hold you together so you don't have to make the extra effort to suck-in and puff out your chest every time a cutie walks by. It'll also contour your body to give you that tighter look. The superhero-looking guy at right is wearing RIPT FUSION: Firm Control Shapewear Crew Neck T-Shirtfor $58. See our larger selection here.

Speedy Slimmer: Dark Colors
Male or female, dark colors are always a winner, with black serving as the king to that winning crowd. Wearing colors like navy, charcoal gray, chocolate brown, dark green, and black will smooth out your bulges and thus, your silhouette. Also, dressing as closely to monochromatic as possible will slim your form, as well. You can incorporate pops of color, if you wish, in your layering. The confident chap on the left is wearing a Lacoste Men's Long Sleeve Cotton V-Neck Sweater in Black for $135. It also comes in navy! Find more dark sweaters here.

Speedy Slimmer: Well-Fitting Pants with Belt
Well-fitting pants that sit on your natural waistline, and are loose enough to drape, will do the trick. The belt, buckled just enough, will hold your pants comfortably in place and will help to define your waist. Just make sure it is not cutting into your gut, or it will be obvious what's going on there. Always classy are finds from the Jos. A. Banks collection. At left is the Wool/Cashmere Plain Front Trouser, Available in 9 Colors and on sale for $79. See other pants here. Check out dress belts here.

Speedy Slimmer: Light-Weight Fabrics
Easy. Cutting-down on your clothing's bulk, will cut-down on your overall bulk. Find some light-weight clothing here.

Speedy Slimmer: Long Sleeves
The shorter the sleeve, the more your middle will stand out. Make sure your sleeves are just long enough to cover the base of your hand, when your arms are resting at your sides. Also make sure that they are fitted closely to your arms, to avoid an unflattering baggy effect. The active-lifestyle businessman at right is wearing a Zorrel Men's Stanford Long Sleeve End-on-End Dress Shirt in Grey for $29.24. Browse through other dress shirts here.

Speedy Slimmer: Vertical Stripes
Now, I'm not talking Beetle Juice-style stripes. The focus is more on pinstripes. Subtlety is paramount. Vertical pinstripes will elongate you, whereas horizontals and diagonal patterning will bring your look closer to "short 'n stout"--yes, like the teapot. Mr. Smiles at left is sporting a Cotton Pinstripe Ludlow Two-Button Suit Jacket in Navy from J. Crew, on sale for $119.99. Take a look at other pinstripe suit jackets here.

Speedy Slimmer: Vests
Here's a great way to conceal your middle. Shy away from baggy fits that will add bulk, and make sure the vest is not screaming at the seams, or you'll be alerting people to that region. This L. L. Bean Shetland Wool Cable Vest in Heather, on sale for $29.99, also comes in a deep green, brown, port wine, and blue color. All colors that are rich and dark and great for slimming. The vertical cable design also will help to elongate your body. See other sweater vests here.

Speedy Slimmer: Conservative-Width Ties
If you're of heavier proportions, skinny ties (about 3" or 3.25" across) will really emphasize that fact. Skinny ties can also make your face/head look bloated/inflated. And, while wider ties add to a man's apparent confidence, overdoing it is also just overemphasizing your larger size. Choose something more conservative, and it'll compliment and flatter you. At left is the Necktie Emporium Men's Woven Green Tie for $12.80. Search for more ties here.

Cargo Containers Could Help House Haitians

This school, fashioned from containers by Richard Martin's organization in 2005, now stands in the Haitian town of Gonaives.

Richard Martin, a retired professor of construction and industrial design, says he has the answer for Haiti's sudden housing shortage: steel cargo containers. "Right now, the way I see it, there is no way you can use conventional construction to rebuild Haiti," says Martin. "The concrete block they use is very weak. It just crumbled, and they can't afford the cement to make proper concrete. Everything has to be imported, so why not import some containers, just position them and put in windows and doors and interiors?" Corrugated steel shipping boxes, which come in standardized 20- and 40-foot lengths, are universally used on container ships, which haul them daily across the world's oceans, through hell and high water.

Though smaller than most manufactured homes, the containers are built to withstand the rigors of stacking and freight shipping. They are also watertight enough to ward off heavy rains and stout enough to remain standing in all but the worst earthquakes. What's more, Martin notes, because the U.S. is no longer a net exporter of manufactured goods, empty containers are piling up at U.S. ports and can be purchased relatively cheaply for under $1,000 apiece. Martin is not just talking theory. He has already used containers to build schools in Jamaica and Haiti, and says he has seen photos of containers that remained intact after Haiti's 7.0-magnitude earthquake on Jan. 12. "I'm sure they are in great shape. They are designed and built to cross the ocean in all kinds of rough seas," says Martin, whose Atlanta-based Global Container Partnerships used four of the steel containers to build a Haitian school in two months in 2005, aided by grants from the Transamerica Corp. and the Andrew J. Young Foundation, named after the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. (Martin's company is not a registered nonprofit, but he says he's not making money from it.) The school was constructed in Port-au-Prince but installed about 80 miles north in Gonaïves, well outside the immediate impact zone of last week's earthquake . Martin previously installed a school compound of four containers in Mandeville, Jamaica, in 2000. Built at a material cost of just $12,000, the school serves more than 100 students through the fifth grade. "My company is prepared to go down to Haiti at any time," says Martin. "We can secure the containers. It's just a matter of what they need. It's a matter of getting hold of Bill Clinton, since he's raising all this money. It will take money to hire Haitians and to buy the containers and the equipment to move them and convert them." Martin initiated the cargo container home idea when teaching at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He assigned his students to find uses for the thousands of old steel shipping containers piling up around the world. Martin and his students came up with the housing idea, and they went to work. The advantages are many, Martin says. Shipping containers can be quickly shipped by rail, truck or ship. Openings can be cut for windows, doors and ventilation. They also can be wired, fitted with plumbing, insulated, painted or finished with brick, stone or other facades. At 20 to 40 feet, 8 feet wide and 8 feet high, each provides about 160 to 320 square feet of living space. They are studio-apartment sized when alone, but adjoined, much bigger. Using them as shelter is also much cheaper than breaking them down for the scrap metal heap. There may be one drawback: A compound of steel container homes might reverberate like one big steel drum concert. Martin isn't the only shipping container home proponent. Clemson University researchers are experimenting with containers as emergency housing for hurricane-prone regions. A prototype, under construction on the Clemson campus, will be featured at the 2010 National Sustainable Design Expo on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in April. At the high end, New Zealand's Atelier Workshop has a prototype for a $90,000 container home called the Port-a-Bach, designed as a rugged, transportable domicile to help potential owners-with-a-view escape rising sea levels due to global warming. In Toronto, a firm called Ecopods claims to be "rethinking the box," using containers to create living, working and display spaces for as little as $41,000. Units can include sliding-glass doors, solar heating and flooring made of recycled tires. And London-based Urban Space Management's Container City projects include Lego-like homes, schools, studios and park structures.

Scott Baio Under Twitter Fire for Michelle Obama Dis

Jenna Lynn/Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

There aren't too many people on Twitter wishing happy days for Scott Baio right now.

The former sitcom star's is being reamed by fellow Twitter users after posting a highly unflattering photoof Michelle Obama with the accompanying comment, "WOW He wakes up to this every morning."

Very ungentlemanly behavior toward the first lady, yes, but probably just a douchey attempt at a joke from an avowed Republican with issues.

"People need to relax and laugh a bit," a probably startled Baio wrote when the onslaught began of people calling him everything from racist to a-hole to irrelevant. "Life is too short no matter what party you are with. A joke is just that, a joke."

The tweeters who say they want him dead aren't seeing the humor, however.

"PLEASE NOTE: The FBI has been contacted & we have a file number for the threats, along with twitter support. Thx," Baio wrote at about noon today in response to posts like this one:

"Timafi: 'easy to find your house Scottie boy and finish YOU. I am a republican and I love Mrs O.'"

Ishatonu "wonders how long until @RealScottBaio realizes his career is dead. Resorting to insulting Michelle Obama will only further his irrelevancy."

"LOL @RealScottBaio got called out for being a racist mean spirit asshole and now he is having a meltdown via twitter," wrote an apparently tickled windycitywatch.

"One bad picture of a woman & everyone wants to bash me? If it had been of Palin ppl would have prob. cheered. I am NOT making fun of any1," countered a baffled Baio, who earlier today posted a photo of him and a woman he identified as his wife's black best friend as further defense against the racism accusations.

But informing Twitter users that he had contacted the authorities didn't stop the bum rush.

"Do everyone a favor @realscottbaio, and KILL YOURSELF!" user TrendZ86 wrote on Baio's page at around 3 p.m.

"I love you to @TrendZ86 Waa Wa Wa.. LMAO," the Charles in Charge star responded. "Funny thing is I've jumped to almost 5000 because ppl like to hate. You'd think they wouldn't follow. I block'em & play golf."

Vacationing in Hell: Cruise Ships Land in Haiti

It would seem that nothing, not even a devastating earthquake that has claimed tens of thousands of lives, can deter the American vacationer's drive to unwind. To prove the point, one cruise ship from Florida-based Royal Caribbean International landed in Haiti on Friday, the Guardian reports, and three more are due in this week.

Royal Caribbean cruise passengers visit Labadee Beach, a walled resort only 60 miles from the epicenter of the quake. On its Web site, the company advertises "pristine beaches," "breathtaking scenery" and "native charm." Armed guards patrol the perimeter, even under normal conditions.

Caribbean vacations have always provided a stark contrast between decadent resorts and the impoverished countries that house them, but not even the magic of the cruise ship could hide the horror at this uncommon port of call.

Joe Kafka, AP

Royal Caribbean is continuing to ferry passengers to its Haitian resort at Labadee despite the misery wrought by the earthquake in Port-au-Prince.

"I just can't see myself sunning on the beach, playing in the water, eating a barbecue and enjoying a cocktail while there are tens of thousands of dead people being piled up on the streets," one commenter wrote on an Internet forum about cruises.

While Royal Caribbean's decision to cruise on to the destroyed country might seem callous, the company defends its decision, saying its ships are transporting not just cruise passengers but also foodstuffs for Haitians. The company has promised to use 100 percent of the proceeds from its cruise visits to Labadee to benefit victims of the quake.

"In the end, Labadee is critical to Haiti's recovery; hundreds of people rely on Labadee for their livelihood," Vice President John Weis told The Guardian. "In our conversations with [Haiti's special envoy to the U.N.] Leslie Voltaire, he notes that Haiti will benefit from the revenues that are generated from each call."

Cruises and resorts suffer from the same moral difficulties as sweatshops. On one hand, the symbolism behind impoverished workers slaving to provide luxuries to Western consumers is repulsive, while on the other hand, those industries are vital to the economies of developing nations. Guardian columnist Gwyn Topham points out that Friday's visit was really just business as usual -- the only difference was scale.

"Tourism provides a microcosm of modern globalized inequality, with all the advantages or injustices it bestows on those on different sides of the divide," he wrote. "From the Caribbean to Southeast Asia, cheap labor and land allow holidaymakers to relax in style for less."

Some passengers are determined to make the best of their sunny day in hell. "I'll be there on Tuesday, and I plan on enjoying my zip line excursion as well as the time on the beach," one told The Guardian.

Royal Caribbean says it is providing "at least $1 million in humanitarian relief" to Haiti.

Conan O'Brien, NBC Agree on $45M Divorce Deal

Following several days of often tense negotiations, NBC and Conan O'Brien inked a deal early Thursday to end the host's short tenure on 'The Tonight Show,' NBC has confirmed. This paves the way for allowing Jay Leno to return to late night from his unsuccessful run at 10 p.m.

According to the network, O'Brien will receive $33 million and his staff another $12 million. The sticking point in O'Brien's complex exit negotiations with NBC had involved his employees. It's also believed the agreement includes a provision that would bar O'Brien from appearing on other shows or hosting for an undetermined amount of time.

His final show will be Friday, and Leno will return to 'Tonight' on March 1.

"In the end, Conan was appreciative of the steps NBC made to take care of his staff and crew, and decided to supplement the severance they were getting out of his own pocket," his manager, Gavin Polone, told The Wall Street Journal. "Now he just wants to get back on the air as quickly as possible."

The proposal allows O'Brien, who would exit 'Tonight' less than a year after taking over from Leno, to start work on a competing network as early as September. But he would be barred from making NBC the butt of jokes. Speculation that the Fox network might court O'Brien for a late-night show when he leaves NBC prompted a monologue joke Tuesday.

Listing things he might do with "all my new free time," O'Brien concluded with "Make a big move to Fox. Megan Fox."

The fate of characters developed by O'Brien and his staff was also part of the negotiations. Since they are technically the intellectual property of NBC, O'Brien deemed it the right time on Wednesday's show to bring out an old friend, one last time:

The negotiations became heated on Wednesday, with NBC brushing back criticism from O'Brien's camp.

O'Brien was "dug in" on getting his staffers a good severance package, but NBC fired back in a statement, saying "it was Conan's decision to leave NBC that resulted in nearly 200 of his staffers being out of work."

Adding: "We have already agreed to pay millions of dollars to compensate every one of them. This latest posturing is nothing more than a PR ploy," the network said.

O'Brien asked to be released from his contract, which has about two-and-a-half years left, after rejecting NBC's plan to push him and 'Tonight' to 12:05 a.m. EST to make way for a half-hour show with Leno at 11:35 p.m.

The network, hit by poor ratings for its prime-time experiment, 'The Jay Leno Show,' and for O'Brien's 'Tonight,' was trying to keep both comedians on board.

O'Brien has seen his viewership jump in recent days. Ratings for Leno in the same window, however, remained flat.

The dispute has repeatedly spilled on-air, with jokes aplenty made about it by Leno, O'Brien and hosts at other networks. CBS' David Letterman has been especially brutal on NBC and Leno, whom he has dubbed "Big Jaw" during several scathing monologues.

A pro-O'Brien fan protest held Monday outside Universal Studios, one of several such big-city rallies, included a mock martial arts fight between a man wearing a white Leno wig and one in a red O'Brien wig. The fake O'Brien won.

The crowd was rewarded with a studio rooftop wave from O'Brien and a few words from his 'Tonight' sidekick, Andy Richter, who thanked them and said it's been a tough time but also a "really fun" one.

"The lawyers won't let me say anything else," Richter added.

How to Negotiate a Better Employment Contract Than Conan O'Brien

It looks like Conan O'Brien may have reached a settlement with NBC and his last night as host of The Tonight Show will be on January 22. It's a shame when you realize that perhaps the whole fiasco could have been avoided if Conan had negotiated a more precise contract.

When Conan signed his contract, he never imagined that NBC would consider changing the time slot of a show that has been synonymous with the 11:35 slot for close to 60 years. But when it comes to contracts, no one should ever assume anything.

While you probably don't have the army of agents and lawyers that Conan might have at your disposal, you can certainly do some due diligence to ensure that the next time you negotiate an employment offer, you walk away with a package that protects you and guarantees everything you negotiated for during the interview process. Here are some things to keep in mind.

1. Get everything you negotiate for in writing. Any item that you negotiate for should be documented in writing. Standard employment agreements generally won't include everything you may have negotiated for and if you agree on something based on a handshake, you may have a hard time collecting on the goods later on, especially if the person who you originally negotiated with is no longer in the picture. If you get any push back after requesting that the terms of your employment be spelled out in writing, let the hiring manager know that you think it would be best for all involved if they were. If the company does not routinely use offer letters or employment contracts, document everything you have negotiated for in a letter to the hiring manager and ask him to sign it and keep it in your employment file.

2. Review non-compete clauses carefully. A non-compete clause is a contractual agreement where employees promise not to share trade secrets or work for direct competitors for a certain period of time. The problem with some non-competes is that they are so broad that they can make it extremely difficult to find employment in the same industry or geography within a reasonable period of time. Review your non-compete clause carefully if you have one and negotiate for something more narrow in terms of the employer's definition of direct competitors, location, or time frames to make sure you are not severely limiting your future opportunities should your employment be terminated.

3. Make sure the obvious is obvious. If you negotiated for specific work hours, additional vacation time, an earlier salary review, etc. make sure all the numbers, times, and dates are formalized. I wonder how much grief it would have saved Conan O'Brien if his lawyers had only done that!

Of course it's not all bad for Conan. He stands to make $30M in severance by walking away from The Tonight Show...not bad for a job he held for less than eight months!

Taxpayers take the IRS to court -- and actually win

It may be hard to believe, but it turns out that your chances of fighting the IRS in court -- and winning -- are actually better than getting hit by lightning (1 in 6,250),dying after a shark attack (9 in 152) or even having twins (3 in 100). In fact, the National Taxpayer Advocate's office found that over the course of a year, taxpayers won some portion or all of their cases roughly 14% of the time.

Taxpayers who were represented by counsel won about 20% of those cases, while those who represented themselves, referred to as pro se, prevailed in about 12% of them (download the entire report here). The predictable losers, with only a 6% success rate, were tax protesters who attempted to litigate based on frivolous arguments. On the other end of the spectrum, requests for "innocent spouse" treatment or other types of separation from joint liability were granted nearly 45% of the time.

Maryland Nurse Takes on the Tax Man

Among that sliver of people boldly taking on the IRS is Lori A. Singleton-Clarke, a nurse from Maryland, who fought the IRS in court, represented herself -- and won.

Singleton-Clarke's David and Goliath story began in 2006, when the IRS notified her that they would be auditing her 2005 tax return. On her federal income tax form for that year, she had reported $50,000 in income offset by a number of deductions, including $14,787 in educational expenses associated with her pursuit of an MBA/HCM (an MBA for health care management professionals) from the University of Phoenix, an online school. But the IRS wasn't buying it. After reviewing her filing, the IRS claimed she owed an additional $2,126 in income tax for 2005.

Singleton-Clarke agreed to eliminate some of her deductions but refused to budge on those related to her education expenses. After receiving several notices, including a Notice of Deficiency, Singleton-Clarke filed a challenge to the IRS in U.S. Tax Court. Since she couldn't afford an attorney, she represented herself.

In court, the IRS said that the educational expenses Singleton-Clarke claimed for deductions weren't sufficiently connected to her job as a nurse since an MBA isn't a nursing degree -- they cited Treas. Reg. 1.162-5(a), which states that, to be deductible, your expenses must be for education that either maintains or improves your job performance or is required by your employer or by law to keep your salary, status or job. The IRS specifically focused on the idea that the expenses can't be part of a program that will qualify you for a new job.

Singleton-Clarke argued that the educational expenses were indeed work-related. She had earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing from New York University in 1984 and had worked as a registered nurse at several hospitals and medical facilities for 24 years. She said she took the MBA courses at the University of Phoenix in order to gain greater credibility and make her more effective in her current position. After all, the University of Phoenix advertised the MBA/HCM degree as providing students "with the business management skills needed to manage successfully in today's health care delivery systems."

After reviewing Singleton-Clarke's job history, the Tax Court found that the MBA/HCM degree may have improved her preexisting skillset, but didn't qualify her for a new trade or business, as the IRS alleged. With that finding, the Tax Court allowed the expenses. You can read the Singleton-Clarke Tax Court opinion here.

Man Crashes Truck, Gets Cited for DUI and Beats the IRS

Like Singleton-Clarke, Justin M. Rohrs successfully represented himself in Tax Court after the IRS rejected a deduction that he made on his tax form and demanded that he pay additional taxes, plus a penalty.

Rohrs had taken a casualty loss deduction for his 2006 Ford F-350 pickup truck after he failed to properly negotiate a turn and went off the side of the road and into an embankment, totaling his truck. He was cited for the crash when his blood alcohol limit tested at .09, just over the legal limit in California.

Rohrs filed a loss with his insurance carrier, which was turned down. He then attempted to recover his loss by filing for a casualty loss deduction of $33,629 on his federal income tax return. The IRS disallowed the deduction and assessed a $6,230 federal income tax deficiency, plus a $1,246 penalty. Rohrs took the matter to court.

The pivotal question of the trial was whether Rohrs' drunk driving was considered a willful act. The IRS's case relied on Treas. Reg. 1.165-7(a)(3), which states that you can claim a casualty loss for damage to a vehicle only if the damage is not due to the willful act or willful negligence of a taxpayer.

After listening to Rohrs' testimony, the judge found that "[w]hile petitioner's decision to drive after drinking was negligent, that alone does not automatically rise to the level of gross negligence." The judge also said there was no evidence that Rohrs' drinking was the cause of the accident and ruled in his favor. (You can read the Rohrs Tax Court opinion here.)

Couple Discovers That Not All Tax Advice Is Right

Of course, pro se appearances don't always result in a win.

When Kenneth and Trudi Woodard filed a joint federal income tax return for 2004, they failed to include $150,000 in distributions from Kenneth's IRAs. The IRS subsequently assessed the Woodard's tax in the amount $27,606, plus a penalty. In response, the Woodards filed an appeal at Tax Court, representing themselves.

Kenneth told the court that he had relied on information that he claimed he found after a search on Google, and decided not to include the money on his tax return. Instead, he referred to the money as a "self-directed IRA" and claimed it wasn't reportable. He eventually agreed the income should have been reported, but argued the penalty shouldn't apply.

Relief from penalties can be granted in certain circumstances. Relying on third party tax advice may be a good excuse for abating a penalty so long as you use "ordinary business care and prudence." Unfortunately, Kenneth failed to provide the web site links he allegedly relied on, nor could he point to any other evidence that supported his claim. The court didn't believe he exercised ordinary business care and prudence when failing to report the IRA withdrawals. As a result, he lost the entire case. (You can read the Woodard Tax Court opinion here.)

Perseverance Will Help You Through

As encouraging as some of these cases may be, you can't rely on them to prove your own case. By law, a Tax Court opinion for a small case, or a dispute under $50,000, cannot be treated as precedent for other cases. There are, however, some good lessons to be learned from these taxpayers:

1. Stick to your guns. When you believe you're making the right decision, don't be intimidated. A majority of the cases filed in Tax Court are filed by pro se taxpayers; if you don't have the money to pay for an attorney, don't assume your case is a lost cause.
2. Be patient. It can take up to a year before your case is assigned a date once you file your petition. Singleton-Clarke didn't receive a favorable result until nearly three years after the IRS audited her return. Don't be put off by the passage of time. You might even take the time to try and resolve your case directly with the IRS; a majority of cases are settled before reaching Tax Court.
3. Be thorough. A case can turn on facts and circumstances. Be sure you understand the argument from the IRS and that your facts support your answer. Don't leave out key facts or evidence. Even if the evidence isn't necessarily flattering, such as Rohrs' blood alcohol content, it's part of your story. You need to offer sufficient detail for the court to understand your position.
4. Keep good records. When you get advice, write it down or ask your tax pro to put it in writing. Don't attempt, as Kenneth Woodard did, to rely on your memory.
5. Know enough to know when you're in over your head. I'm certainly not going to tell you that you have to hire an attorney to beat the IRS. Singleton-Clarke and Rohrs have proven that's not true. But if you're overwhelmed or you feel you need help, get an attorney. The IRS will certainly have one on their side.

Cracking the Lost Last Supper code

The Lost Supper Photograph: ABC

What is it with TV shows and The Last Supper? Over the past few years we've had versions of Da Vinci's masterwork recreated by everyone from The Sopranos (Tony as Jesus!), to Battlestar Galactica (sexy Caprica Six as Jesus!) and Shameless (Frank as a boozy Messiah!). Maybe it's just that Da Vinci's big painting has enough people in it to accommodate the large cast lists. But with a series like Lost, it's also a great chance to wind up fans with the promise of more revelations before the finale. With that in mind, we've put on our best Dan Brown hat for a totally forensic dissection of The Mysteries Of The Lost Supper …

1 Who?

Yes, you might have forgotten about Ilana, the well-informed bounty hunter who was taking Sayid to justice on Ajira Airways Flight 316 before it crashed. "What lies in the shadow of the statue?" she asked Pilot Frank before whacking him over the head with a rifle (obvs!). And what were her flashback meetings with mystery man Jacob about? Who knows!

2 Sayid

In the Judas seat here. Is he going to betray Locke? Does that skull positioned under him suggest that he's dead? Or about to be killed? What does that big bottle of Dharma Cola signify? And, more importantly, how come Hurley hasn't drunk it already?

3 The Swan Station

That octagonal symbol on a crumbling wall? It's a swansong for the Dharma Initiative. Has Juliet's A-bomb created a parallel timeline in which the Swan Station never had an electromagnetic meltdown in the 1970s and Flight 815 didn't crash? (Guide's head explodes – Ed)

4 John Locke

He died. He rose! So yes, it's no surprise to find out that John Locke is Jesus. Or is he? As we found out at the end of season five, Locke's back, but it's not really Locke. Instead, his body has been possessed in a kind of ultimate checkmate loophole by the guy who's been playing an existential time-travelling hyper-chess game with the island's other mystery man, Jacob. Are they Egyptian gods? Immortals? Placing Locke/Not-Locke at the centre of The Lost Supper here suggests that he's going to be – wait for it! – un-Locke-ing a lot of questions in Lost's final days.

5 Claire

If she's got a seat at The Lost Supper we can assume that she's going to be back for the last series. But where has she been? Will she know that she's Jack's sister? Or is Claire's return to the fold simply a question of maintaining Lost's blonde quota now that Dr Juliet has blown up?

6 Frank the Pilot

Ilana told the rest of her Action Team Jacob that Frank "might be a candidate". But for what? Hosting Jacob's spirit in a final showdown with Evil Locke? Flying them home? Or is he supposed to be Pilate Frank, here as Lost's Pontius Pilate to condemn Locke/Not-Locke to death? And why are there seven people sitting on this side of the table/plane wing? Jesus only had 12 disciples; this makes 13! Unless one of them is dead. Help!