What The Puck? (We're Talking Hockey Here, People)

As March rolls into April, it means spring is just around the corner of course, but it also means the marathon that is the NHL playoffs are about to begin once more (sans the Leafs...again...argh).

For the past 20 years or so (yikes...has it been that long?), I went about organizing a hockey playoff pool as many TV industry writers, directors, and producers (though there's been some actors, production designers, and 1st AD's in as well) I could get into a room or around a phone for a conference call. It was never a large group, but t'was always fun and made the long road to the Stanley Cup more exciting to follow.

Then there came what I'm calling the recent 'dead zone years' where there was no pool for a variety of reasons...primarily stemming from being in LA where no one cared about hockey, and my general malaise about most things social.

But last year Henshaw convinced me to get back on the horse and we put together the 1st Annual Infamous Writers and Bloggers Hockey Pool. Around 15 people signed up (no entry fee...just for fun), and it actually went right down to the last game with Mark Askwith managing to barely overtake long-time point leader yet hockey novice Bill 'the Mad Pulp Bastard' Cunningham (still shaking head about that Bill...ouch).

Anyway, it helped make spring fun...even if you aren't a hockey fan. Seriously.

Jim at Legion of Decency will be doing the official post announcing the pool next week, but start thinking about what teams you will be pulling for...what players will be big point getters....and let's see if we can get a lot more people/bloggers involved.

Jim even has some cool prizes lined up....wheeee

Game on!

Belch...Erp...Arrrrggghh!

Regular programming will resume shortly, but it didn't help that Blogger ate a couple of posts I'd done up earlier this week. Grrr...argggghhh.

So instead...hmmm...drunk animals!




Because it makes me smile...

Burning Down The House....

I know it's been a good/bad news week, which makes excellent fodder for comedy, but shiiiittttt....have Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert been on fire lately or what?

I say yes, nation...and that's the word.

I Called For You...I Said...Laura...

From Man Stroke Woman, Friday Fun arrives in the form of the mighty Man Cold!



I feel some sniffles coming on...and I'm calling 911.


Because it makes me smile...

Damn...

I hate it when someone else writes the post I was about to write...so I guess I won't be penning a 'Follow The Money in the Canadian Broadcasting Industry' essay since Henshaw just up and WROTE THE SHIT out of that topic yesterday.

And people wonder why a lot of us old guys are a little jaded and some might even say, bitter...

The Ghastly Backside of Television

More Screenwipe from the UK --- I love this series.



Because it makes me smile...

Bill C-10 Edumacation

All I can say is....wow.

And...cool.

And...huh?

Well, it seems that all the stamping of feet is making a difference...but I still have to wonder what we all could do about this travesty posted by McGrath...

The CRTC released their report on Canadian Broadcasters' Financial Results:

Ratio of money spent on foreign drama to homegrown drama, in dollars: 12.6 to 1
Amount spent on foreign: 461, 770, 968.
Homegrown: 36, 500 000.
That's almost 462 million versus 36 and a half million.
Broadcaster profits in 2007: stable
Profit before tax income, 5.2 %
Increase over last year's profit, 1.3 %

And you pay twice on your cable bill for these programs -- once for the U.S. networks where you'd get them anyway, and once for the Canadian nets. Nice. Racket.

Where's all the news reporting and letter writing and facebook groups regarding this little outrage? Or if we did stamp our feet just as loud, would anyone in the government even listen. Or care.