The Emmy nominations this year provoked an unfamiliar feeling in me. I'd almost describe it as contentment if that weren't a ridiculous notion.

Sure, there were some questionable choices. There were some overlooked shows and performances. But the limited selection of shows I have on my must-watch list — House, 30 Rock, The Office, Ugly Betty — are well represented, with just enough travesties of justice to make things interesting, like Dexter. After all, what use would the Emmys be if they weren't a lightening rod for our petty venom?

The biggest travesty for me as a new convert was the annual omission of The Wire. However, this is the year critics have to shut the hell up about about that, since they picked Heroes as program of the year for their own awards instead of the series so many of them keep calling one of the greats.

If there's ever a sure thing at the Emmys, this is it: The Sopranos ended this year, meaning it's guaranteed to sweep most if not all its categories. That would bother me more if it were a long-past-its-expiration-date Will & Grace instead of one of the most celebrated and talked about shows, but since I don't watch it, I'm already working on the grudge I'll feel when James Gandolfini, who already has a statue, beats Hugh Laurie, who should already have one.

So though I haven't seen many of the nominees, and don't care about others, I figure my chances of picking the winners are at least as high as anyone else's. Continuing the tradition I established way back in 2006, I'm making my completely ill-informed picks with my heart (what I want to win), my head (what I think will win), and a random number generator, which I suspect is more astute than the average Emmy voter.

Outstanding Comedy Series

• 30 Rock
• Entourage
• The Office
• Two And A Half Men
• Ugly Betty

Heart: I almost need a random number generator to pick with my heart. 30 Rock, The Office, and Ugly Betty all brought laughter to my Thursday nights. But 30 Rock started off a little, er, rocky, and Ugly Betty hit an ugly patch towards the end, particularly when the appearance -blessed but acting-challenged Rebecca Romijn sucked the air out of every scene she was in. So I'm going to go with The Office, which had a terrific year from start to finish.

Head: The Office. My heart justified that one pretty well.