Boring buffy stuff
 

I heard that he's already signed on for a sitcom on Fox or something. As for Anya, I agree that there hasn't been enough Anya. Her line "why don't you just masturbate like everyone else?" was the best thing so far this season. However ...

not a big spoiler space because this is just casting/scheduling/contracting spoilage, not plot spoilage ...

Emma announced that she wasn't re-upping her contract with Buffy before it was even clear that this was the last season, so expect to have her bite it before the end.

More interesting (worrying?) are the rumors that

again just casting/scheduling/contracting rumor spoilage ...

Spike will turn up on Angel next season, and that his inclusion (on a guest-appearance basis at least) was (is? Is Angel Season 5 a done deal yet?) a condition to WB agreeing to re-up Angel and a big revamping (heh) of the show. Not to spark a hate/love Spike debate, or get into all the spoiler discussions about who lives & dies in the Buffy apocalypse, but how badly could that screw up the dynamic on Angel? Not that I mind seeing James Marsters acting snarky in very little clothing, but, dang, it could really mess up what is a reasonably good group dynamic. Or it could be OK - Angel has been annoyingly self-righteous when not being evil & taunting the censors this season, so seeing someone take the piss out of him would be fun. But the Spike character now has a significantly bigger fan following than the Angel character (and in an entirely different, younger, stupider and more lucrative demographic), which could lead to big ego problems w/ Boreanaz, who isn't rumored to be all sweetness and light. And, it increases the risk that they will kill of another character to make room (Gunn? I love Gunn! But he looks vulnerable).

Any Texans with inside information on this are encouraged to comment.

A Note from the Mod/etiquette for the Mod
 

Though I am only a Mod here, I would think that would be fine.

Interesting thought. I've been hoping things would calm down, but it has been a couple of months. Our neighbor is very sweet about the whole thing, and I know how traumatic it was for em.

I feel silly for posting my growing irritation. Frankly, we are grateful we happened to be home and awake in the middle of the night.

A Note from the Mod/etiquette for the Mod
 

I concur, I don't see a problem with it. If someone objects we can deal with it at that point.

Reality TV--paging NCS especially
 

the new "Reality Central" cable network is coming soon, bankrolled in part by some of your favorite reality show stars! It will feature US and foreign reality TV shows, interviews, and even a "making of Reality Central" reality show.

Speaking of reality programming, Michael Jackson's home movies tanked in the ratings--and I was not, repeat not, one of the viewers.

p(going cold turkey; incipient case of the shakes but holding on just fine)j

And on another topic
 

By the way, I was informed over the weekend that Dr. Hathaway himself was in the movie theater last week when the s/o and I saw "A Mighty Wind." She never points those things out to me at the time. Speaking of celebrity sightings, Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz are star-fuckers. More in a bit.

str8

The CNN of Reality TV
 

In a moment of weakness, I clicked USA Today online today. Please don't judge me. Anyhoo, thought this would be of interest to the FB.

Larry Namer, who co-founded E! Entertainment (originally as Movietime Channel), and Blake Mycoskie, a contestant from The Amazing Race, plan to launch Reality Central, a round-the-clock cable network focusing on the genre. Investors include winners of CBS' Amazing Race and Survivor.

This strikes me as a little late, kind of like trying to cash in on the refinancing boom now. FWIW, the full story is here:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/televis...-channel_x.htm

And just for Paigow, another USA Today story contains the following nails on a blackboard headline:

This old house ... PBS' Manor House adds a touch of class to reality TV.

Too bad Nicky or Paris Hilton didn't sign up for this show. I read that one of the young women who was cast as a scullery maid quit after a day or two because 18 hours of scrubbing pots was not her idea of a good reality-TV time.

Reality Crap
 

I stumbled across a Japanese program called something like "Ultimate Elimanation Challenge" on TNN (I think). It is GREAT!!!! Dubbed over commentary that cannot possibly be direct translations, and completely stupid challenges. Some of the contestant either have exceedingly high pain thresholds or lack bones.

And on another topic
 

How was the movie compared with Guest's other vehicles? I'm dying to see this, but I hardly ever make it to the movie theater anymore.

Porn in the Workplace
 

I feel comfortable in saying that I know of no organization, be it law firm, corporate law depatment, investment bank, accounting firm, etc. that does NOT informally call a formal dinner dance the prom.

It's about as unique and individual as tatoos and unwashed hair on slackers.

This should not be so unusual
 

Very cool. It's nice to know that I'm not alone. Mr. Elk-to-be is 9 years my junior. No, we didn't meet in the Peace Corps.

Reality Crap
 

I'll have to look for it. But it can't be better than Iron Chef. Who cares what they're cooking. The commentary is hysterical. I have a soft spot for badly dubbed Japanese tv. Brings back memories of Saturday mornings with Godzilla and Gamera. I loved those!

Porn in the Workplace
 

That's just silly. High school proms are more painful rites of passage than enjoyable social events, so why use a term that is so fraught with adolescent angst for an event that is supposed to be a simple good time for adults?

On second thought, nevermind.

Anyhoo, do they call it prom (which annoys me) or the prom? Is the presence or absence of the definite article a regional thing or a generational thing?

Reality Crap
 

It's the word-for-word translation of the commentary -- including the giggles -- that makes Iron Chef hilarious. "Giggle giggle, I've never seen a lobster stuffed with chocolate cake and kim-chi before, giggle giggle."

And on another topic
 

It wasn't quite as laugh-out-loud funny as Best in Show or Guffman (or Tap), but it wasn't trying to be, either. Kind of a warmer feel-good feel to it, with some genuinely hilarious moments, as funny as the best moments from any of the earlier films, provided by Fred Willard. Not enough Parker Posey, however.

Odd coincidence
 

Where's Bilmore? In the hip vernacular of his youth, "making" a woman was the same as sex. It almost goes without saying that alcohol was involved, at least when one couldn't get Quaaludes.