Well first off I think I need to make something clear.  The title "Sokka's Master" is the 4th episode of season 3, hence episode 3.4.  It's not the premiere episode, I'm very sorry if I didn't make that clear.

Anyway, you may recall last year I tried to hold a vote for the DF Avatar Fan Awards, but that didn't work too well.  On transfer to the new site the results were lost, so we just scratched the idea altogether.

Now that we have a full-time, paid server to work with, we're going to try it again, only this time it will be a bit different.  We will instead be having some different categories.  Last year we split it up by halves, the first 10 episodes had a winner, then the last 10 episodes had a winner.  It will work much differently this time.  This year we will be doing categories such as "Best Action/Adventure Episode", "Best Comedic Episode", etc.  We'll also pick 5 episodes each for Animation, Writing, Directing, Character Design, etc.

More details to come after the holidays.  It will certainly be a fun time!

Finally, and I'm very sorry I didn't bring this up before, but Avatar is at this time up for several awards.  Most importantly, Avatar received two nominations for the Annies this year, both in individual achievement categories.  Those include Yu Jae Myung for "Character Animation in a Television Production" for episode 2.6 "The Blind Bandit" and Giancarlo Volpe as "Directing in an Animated Television Production for episode 2.13 "The Drill".  Avatar is also up for Best Animated Show at tv.com, so lend your support here as well!

Well if you're a fan of the ntions of Earth or Water, today is your lucky day!  Today we are proud to introduce two new skins, Water and Earth.  Each has significant changes.  For one, the spirtes (from Distant Horizon) that we use are now customized to the nation, Sokka for the Water skin and Toph for the Earth skin.  Note that the Earth skin is the main one used previously on the site, but it does have a new background (gotta love Ba Sing Se!) as well as the Toph addition and a new menu heading image.  The Water skin is totally cool, too.

And if you've been visiting the site lately I bet you've noticed the ads.  On the left-hand side of your screen there is a place for Google Ads and a Firefox button below it.  Please do not hesitate to click on these, because the site is supported by ads as well.  If you don't have Firefox yet and want to download it, using our link to get it on your computer would be a great help to us (plus Firefox is the best browser out there).  Also, if you use the new search box above and search and click on a result, it will also benefit us.  Like I said before in my previous update, the money will be used to help fund the site, keep it running and provide for new opportunities.  If you cannot donate for any reason this is a great way to help the site!

As for content, we'll have a lot to look forward to over the break.  At least you all will.  Character bios, episode recaps, updated VA Index, new Destinations section, new Currency section, new creatures, new Fire Nation Advancements page (which will list all their scientific and technological advancments to date) and if I have time a guide to Xin Fu's Earth ble VI, which is long overdue.

Well for now I'm out.  Feel free to contact me at  at any time or PM me (pooldude256) in the forums.  Make sure to leave comments on the skins and such.  Peace!

Simply put, this site is not free to run.  As it stands I have payments to make to my hosting provider as well as my domain name registrar.  The domain is $7.95 per year, while the hosting is over $20 every three monhs (they bill every three months, it's like $7 per month).  So in order to keep this site running I am going to try to make it worth keeping up.

So we have decided to open up a Paypal Donations channel for some fundraising.  You can either donate directly to the site via Paypal through this method.  If you don't have a Paypal account, it's easy to sign-up at www.paypal.com.  You will need to verify a bank account/credit card first, though.  This is the most secure method of paying online, with about a zero chance of having your private information revealed to anyone but yourself.

Note: Any and all funds received through this program go directly into the site to pay our domain, hosting and other charges.  Also, if enough money is raised, we will be sponsoring some giveaways of Avatar items (DVDs, toys, video game, etc.).  We will also create a page listing all our donators (If you would rather we not publish your name, please email us ahead of time).

Paypal is secure and really the only place where you can feel 100% safe that your identity will not be lost, and credit cards will not be stolen.  If you still have any questions, you can email me (pooldude) at .  Like I stated above, all donations will go right back into the site and no staff member (including myself) will be paid using your money.  We do sincerely thank you if you decide to donate to us, though.  Every little bit (even $1) helps, so please don't hesitate to give even a small amount.

Well I finally got around to creating those skins I was tellin' ya'll about.  By the end we'll have one for each nation, which is pretty cool.  I will change the current one up, I promise.  It's green so it will be earth, but I will change some of the things inside it.

Anywho, the new skin is called "Fire".  Creative, eh?  You can test it out now by scrolling down on the page, and on the left-hand side below "Template Chooser" click "firetemp".  You may have to click in the box and then hit the up arrow key to get there.  Once it's selected in the box (and you see the preview) hit the "Select" button and in a matter of seconds the site will change colors!  Please tell me what you think.

 I did get some positive feedback on the music video idea, but I just need to figure out to work it.  Would it be better just for you guys to download the videos or is there a way I can allow you to watch it here without Youtube or something like that?  If anyone knows, please .

And in case you didn't hear about this already, I found something interesting out yesterday.  Did you know it took six years to develop Avatar from an idea to the first episode?  That's amazing... surely Mike and Bryan have put their hearts and souls into this project.  Here is where I found the info.  That is amazing, and after this I believe even more they'll make a fourth season.  Just a hunch. :-)

Well some of you guys probably have been following the fiasco over at The Avatar Portal this week.  I even made a public apology to Littlerain, the head admin of that site, in hopes it would smooth things over.  Well, a couple of hours ago thankfully she put the issue to rest and said she really didn't care who sent the fraudulent emails claiming to be Nick's Margie Cohn, and we should just put the issue behind us.  Well I for one second that notion.  So this will be the last I talk about it on here.  If you need the details, see the previous update.  I'm just glad the issue has been put aside.  This has personally caused me great pain because I did not do this (send the emails claiming I was Margie Cohn) but no one (well there were a few) believed me.  Though the issue has been closed so I don't feel a need to go further.  The issue has now died, been buried, dug up, buried deeper and that's it.  I did not try to take down Avatar Portal or the episodes on the site, and I will maintain my innocence well after I'm off this earth.

As for sitely stuff, the C-Box will be back shortly(clearing out the flames), only this time you will have to register your name.  All you need to do is give a passowrd for your username.  If you don't use it for 3 months, it will auotmatically be deleted and you'll have to get a new one.  You will also have a feature where you can delete your last post, if for some reason you pressed the button too quickly or something.  Also, it's been expanded so you can now fit up to 500 characters in a message, instead of 200 before.  New look for the character guide is also coming up, as are the new characters who we met months ago. :-P

Exciting news on the Avatar season 2 finale.  USAToday.com reports the finale was viewed by 4.4 million people and was the 7th-most-watched program on Cable last week (Nov. 27-Dec. 3).  It was also the most-watched Nickelodeon program of the week in primetime, and also the top overall new episode of a scripted program on all of Cable in primetime.  To compare, the season 2 premiere was watched by 3.7 million viewers and last year's season finale I believe was watched by a similar number of people, so our fan base actually has grown this season very significantly!  Long live the Avatar!

On a related Avatar finale note, don't you think: 1) the "Previously Ons" are really annoying.  I told my contact at Nick about that, and he said he heard Nick makes them do that "so anyone can catch up at any time".  Basically they just want to give viewers a chance to enjoy an episode anytime and have all the info, but I don't agree with it.  And 2) don't hour-long specials seem to have too many commercial breaks?  There's typically two per Avatar episode (with 3 individual segments, each about 8 minutes give or take).  But for hour-long specials there's five.  Nick is dangerously close to the FCC's rule of 12 minutes of commercials per hour in children's programming (find out more here).  Though they have been guilty of breaking this rules many times in the past (I read somewhere over 600).