Empaneled

Several of my friends including SSW will be on a panel tomorrow evening. I think it is the surest sign of growing up when you end up on a panel, view by those seeking whatever wisdom you might have accumulated from your life experience. More coverage tomorrow, possibly a joint blog with SSW…

Wednesday

OhmiGod – LOL moment. Mary Worth comic strip, 1/24/06 edition:

Mary Worth: What?! … You’re being SUED?!
Her neighbor Wilbur: Yes, my advice column persona “Wendy” is being sued.
Mary: That’s terrible, Wilbur… Do you want to talk about it at my place? … I made apple strudel this morning.
Wilbur: Thanks, Mary. I could use some advice myself right about now.

Ah, ok, Mary, do you really think apple strudel will solve Wilbur’s problems? I laughed. Then, of course, there’s that odd little feeling that maybe this is a joke or reference to this other comic strip Mary: Apple Mary.

Crazy tv network news. So, if WB and UPN join forces to be the new “CW” (or, as Leslie Moonves, the exec of CBS, whose parent company owns CBS and UPN, puts it, “‘C’ for CBS and ‘W’ for Warner Brothers…” – trying to be stupidly cute, Mr. Moonves?), and in NYC, the local UPN – Channel 9 – is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s FOX people (such that a bunch of Channel 5 FOX’s shows show up on Channel 9) – and Channel 11, the local WB, is now somehow allied with Channel 9 (although I’m still not clear where Channel 5 fits in this equation) to capture the 18-34 demographic – it’s just nuts. Someone will lose out. Likely Channel 9, if you ask me, since it’s weaker (Channel 11 gets more viewers, and even its news gets more local Emmies – no offense to the longtime anchorman Rolland Smith on Channel 9 or even the Fields father and son weatherforecasters and sports guy Russ Salzberg). But, the consolidation of power – all those shows on one station? Veronica Mars, Everyone Hates Chris – on the same network as Smallville, One Tree Hill (which I don’t care for), Gilmore Girls, and Everwood? Yikes.

Flavors of the Lunar New Year.

Hockey player Mario Lemieux is retiring. Again. But for real. This time. Seriously.

And, last but not least, those folks in Boston – they’re strange: Red Sox re-hires Theo Epstein as General Manager. In vague, inspiring language, Epstein and his ex-boss/ex-mentor/new boss, Larry Lucchino, have kind of kissed and made up. Sort of. Whatever. Epstein barely got to claim unemployment benefits (well, ok, so he resigned, so it’s not like he was fired), and he’s back in the job. Wish we can be all so lucky.