bye-bye le boyfriend

Definition of The Boyfriend Yank:

This is a phenomenom noticed at concerts, usually in club venues, wherein a boy has taken the ill-concieved move of bringing a date/girlfriend to a concert, and 3 songs into the set he gets the tap on the shoulder as the date/girlfriend has tired of indulging his musical tastes and asks to leave. And they do. Such a phenomenom is very fulfilling if it happens to the guy who cuts in and stands directly in front of you at a concert.

This was first pointed out to me by K., who recognized a die-hard fan at the final Rheostatics show. The guy apparently had brought his date to share the magical experience of seeing the last Rheostatics gig ever, only to find 3 songs in that she had grown bored and asked that they leave - and the schmuck did.

Teeth on the Dial: WGA Writer's Strike Ends

The WGA Writer's Strike is officially over after 3 months. Production staff, writers and stars are expected to get back to work as soon as tomorrow. So where does this leave your favourite show?

• Late night shows ("Daily Show", "Colbert", "Conan", "Leno") are expected to have their writer's back Wednesday cranking out new material.
• The next big return after that is "Saturday Night Live", which should air it's first 2008 episode on February 23rd (no host or musical guest announced yet). They have a quick turn-around time over there, and I wonder if we'll see any of the material the cast used a live SNL performance they put on during the strike.
• Generally, expect most 30 minute comedies to be able to crank out between 6-10 new episodes before the end of the season. First new episodes should appear in April.
• Most of the dramas like "Smallville", "House", "CSI", and "ER" are aiming for between 4 - 8 new episodes before year end.
  
• "24" won't be back until 2009.

To find out the latest news on your shows, I encourage you to check out Michael Ausiello on TV Guide, who is keeping the page updated regularly as he hears from various shows:

After The WGA Strike, When Will Your Favourite T.V. Shows Return?

On to my favourites:

• In addition to 6 completed episodes, in addition to the 2 that aired, the producers of Lost are expecting to be able to do 5 more episodes, for a total of 13 out of the previously planned 16 episode season. Look for about a 4 week gap between the pre-strike and post-strike episodes, as mentioned in this interview with "Lost" executive producer Carlton Cuse.
  
• "30 Rock" is expected to shoot 5 to 10 new episodes to air in April/May. NBC must be eager to capitalize on recent Golden Globe wins for the show. "The Office", "How I Met Your Mother", and "My Name is Earl" are expected to be back with the same amount of episodes.
• My two favourite 2007 rookie shows "Chuck" and "Pushing Daisies" won't be making any new episodes, but both will be back for full seasons in the fall. This is great news for "Pushing Daisies", which has the full season pick-up, and thanks to the shortened season will not have to compete against "American Idol".
• Looks like "Reaper" caught a lucky break with 5-10 new episodes planned. I hope they can capitalize on the potential I saw in the first episode and only in a few spots here and there after that, like the episodes with Patton Oswalt and Curtis Armstrong. They really need to avoid the "Catch-the-Demon-of-the-Week" formula that was bogging them down like bad Scooby-Doo episodes (aka any ones with Scrappy Doo).
  
• While some ABC shows won't see new episodes during the remainder of the 2007-2008 season, ABC gave some sense of security by announcing fall 2008 pick-ups for a bunch of their shows: "Brothers & Sisters," “Desperate Housewives," "Dirty Sexy Money," "Grey's Anatomy," "Lost," "Private Practice," "Pushing Daisies," "Samantha Who?" and "Ugly Betty."
• "Heroes" won't see any new episodes, but may be getting a jump on the next season, perhaps airing in late summer. Producer Tim Kring is reportedly working on a "show bible" that will outline where the show is headed over the next few years.
• Big question marks over the fate of "Scrubs", who were slated to wrap up the series this year. There were still seven episodes left to go, and producer/creator Bill Lawrence has said in an interview with Ausiello "that he can wrap up all the storylines in four episodes if he needs to". But NBC hasn't been very enthused about giving the show a proper farewell, as it is the bastard stepchild (ABC/Disney owns the show). Worst case scenario would see Lawrence getting the budget from ABC/Disney presumably to produce the final episodes for the final season DVD if NBC won't air them.
  
  sources: What's Alan Watching? and Michael Ausiello at TV Guide
  

looking out the window, thinking of throttling that groundhog...

Having a busy day at work, but tonight I promise updates on:

• The TV Writer's Strike is being settled as we speak - I'll let you know which shows are coming back this season, which are on hold until September, and how my favourite new show has been picked up for next year and managed to avoid being stomped on by American Idol
• It's Oscar season and I embark on my usual round of Oscar Nominee Marathon catch-up

* please note that "Throttling a Groundhog" is not a euphenism for any particular act that you are thinking of accusing me of. Now, if I said "Throttling a Haggis", you could draw your own conclusions.

The Cupcake Experiment

I was the willing guinea pig in an experiment on cupcake shipping - my friend Nikita baked a batch of Pina Colada cupcakes and wanted to see if her shipping method would work. As you can see from the photos, her cupcakes arrived from Ottawa safe and sound and delicious.

The Package arrived safe and sound. Once the box was open I discover a secure interior with foam and newspapers. It's either cupcakes or a brick of ... wait, was "cupcakes" a code word? Let's just open the foil and find out.

They're alive - through the outer casing, it appears the cupcakes are unharmed. Nikita advised me she froze them prior to shipping. Piercing the outer shell... it's cupcake kevlar!



... the cupcakes are whole and un-smooshed.


I've just finished an 16 hour day at work - needless to say, I'm looking forward to this.


First bite, no ice or freezer burn - deeelicious! It's a basic vanilla cupcake and filled each one with a thick and gooey pineapple filling made from ripe pineapple, and topped off with coconut buttercream frosting.




And it's a thumbs up from the judges - the2scoops seal of approval! Thanks Nikita! Cupcakes were delicious and undamaged after one day in transit. Now the next experiment should be to see if you can do it just as safe, but cheaper shipping costs.

In the name of sweet delicious science

The experiment has commenced and the package is on the way... I am the frosting craving guinea pig in a test of what's the best way to package cupcakes for shipping via snail mail. The mad cupcake scientist is Nikita over at Ranting & Raving. See her side of the cupcake equation and I'll let you know what condition her Pina Colada cupcakes arrive.

Welcome to the stage.... Pray for Mojo!

So, what's the name of your next band?

(Real life band, Guitar Hero, Rock Band or otherwise)

[Notion grabbed from ALOTT5MA, who in turn stole it from John Scalzi. It's the blog circle of life.]

"Jack, I swear... "

Class:

Daniel Day-Lewis, accepting his SAG Award as Best Actor for "There Will Be Blood" last night:

“It has always been the work of my fellow actors, including my fellow nominees, who have given me a sense of regeneration. Heath Ledger gave it to me. We wanted to follow him and yet we were afraid to follow him. In Brokeback Mountain, he was unique. He was perfect. The scene in the trailer at the end of the movie was as moving as anything we have ever seen. I ‘d like to dedicate this award to him.”

No Class:

The Heath Ledger speculator market is in full effect. Wizard Magazine sells their Heath Ledger Joker-covered magazine for $31 on eBay. (via Blog at Newsarama))

So you wanna be a rock superstar?

I managed to get my hands on a copy of Rock Band for the Playstation 2. This was due to a confluence of events:

1) I played Guitar Hero for the first time last weekend and was hooked right away. The developers for the original GH split, with RedOctane creating Guitar Hero 3 and Harmonix making Rock Band. I was in Best Buy looking to see if they restocked on Guitar Hero (they hadn't) when I came across...

2) ... an open box set of Rock Band (game/wireless guitar/drums/microphone) - it wasn't discounted properly, but once it scanned it was $40 cheaper.

3) I had a pocket full of gift cards and store credit.

I'm not a huge video game guy - I have a PS2 and X-Box, I go through stints of Final Fantasy, Tomb Raider or Halo, but I don't tend to buy or rent a lot of games. I haven't touched a video game in about 6 - 12 months. But the first time I played Guitar Hero last week, I was hooked. GH and Rock Band are so much fun, especially when you get together with your friends. I only had a chance to play a little guitar this weekend, but it's looking good. Guitar controls work same as Guitar Hero. The microphone adds a karoke component to the gameplay. The drum kit is a full set and by all accounts, if you can beat the drumming levels on hard, you can play real drums. No signs of virtual groupie however.

It looks like you can use the PS2 guitar/drums/microphone with the PS3. Add in that the PS3 allows players to create and customize their own in-game character and download more tracks, plus the Blue Ray DVD player in the hardware, and I'm definitely leaning in the PS3 direction more than X-Box 360. They even have whole albums on download, so you and your friends can play, for instance, "Nevermind" by Nirvana from end to end. The minute I see a full Radiohead album like "The Bends" up there, I'm doomed.

I wonder if this game has the potential to be a relationship-killer, as Guitar Hero and Rock Band widows roam the earth while their husbands and boyfriends live out their rock star fantasies. Any female game players out there tried out either GH or Rock Band?

Maybe there'll be a "Rock Band - Failed Glory" edition where, after a stint in rehab, you end up in a Ratt cover band, playing bars in middle America, fighting for your shot at a VH-1 reunion special or reality show.

Some of the Rock Band's track listing highlights that sold me on it:

"Are You Gonna Be My Girl" – Jet, "Blitzkrieg Bop" – Ramones, "Cherub Rock" – Smashing Pumpkins, "Creep" – Radiohead, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" – Blue Öyster Cult (you use the microphone like a cowbell?! Hell yeah!), "The Electric Version" – The New Pornographers, "Enter Sandman" – Metallica, "Epic" – Faith No More, "Go with the Flow" – Queens of the Stone Age, "Here It Goes Again" – OK Go, "Maps" – Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Paranoid" – Black Sabbath, "Sabotage" – Beastie Boys , "Should I Stay or Should I Go" – The Clash, "Suffragette City" – David Bowie, "Tom Sawyer" – Rush, "When You Were Young" – The Killers

"If I’m not wakin’ up for Monica Bellucci, I’m not wakin’ up."

Shotgun Reviews lets us know "if you ever find me non-responsive, please do not call Mary-Kate Olsen before calling the proper emergency agencies. If you believe that you must call a celebrity, please select from the following list (click here)"

This following the news that, upon noticing that Heath Ledger wasn't sleeping, but was unconscious and cold to the touch, "masseuse Diana Wolozin actually called Mary-Kate Olsen three times before dialing 911" (source). Investigators are saying this won't "affect the investigation into the actor's death because authorities believe he was already dead when she discovered his body". 3 calls? 10 minutes before dialing 911? WTF! What can an Olsen twin do that an ambulance can't? Is there some special Celebrity Super Defibullator she has access to? Where's Danny Tanner when you need him?

don't call it a comeback

Hi. Remember me? The2scoops? I used to write here pretty frequently.

• I was not in witness protection for squealing on Conrad Black.
  
• I was not playing Guitar Hero for 4 months straight - I only got into the game last weekend. If Cheap Trick is ever looking for a guitarist that can master the easy setting on "Surrender", I'm the man.
  
• I was not in a shotgun Vegas marriage, and consequential annulment.
  
• I was not Britney's Narcotics Anonymous sponsor.
  
• I was not showing solidarity with the Hollywood Screenwriters on strike.

I went and threw myself into a big project at work. One of those things that act as a time-suck, and is really pretty important to my professional development.

So that was 4 months ago. Well the project is winding down, and I can now poke my head up out of my little hidey hole and start getting earning your love and admiration again. I mean, what's a guy supposed to do when his blogmates are calling him out as a lazy non-blogging bastard?

So here's the deal: I'll start writing regularly again, and not just the YouTube filler. You come by once or twice a week and let me know what you think.

Deal?

Burning Bush

Fire burns on White House grounds while its confirmed the fire is under control, it remains to be seem if in fact the cause was "liar liar, pants on fire."