No Telling How This Came To Be. You Ended Up Here When You Didn't Agree.

[I have video and stories from Japan, which will be posted soon, but I wanted to talk about TV first. Check back later for cool Tokyo stuff]

NBC blew my socks off last year. Seriously, there wasn't another network that even came close to the success they found with their new and returning shows. Heroes, The Office, 30 Rock, and Friday Night Lights just hit me in the face and reminded me how amazing television can be.

I watched them all on my computer and iPod because I don't have cable, a dependable VCR, a DVR machine or the inclination to be sitting front of my TV, hoping for decent reception, every week at the same time. Sure, that sounds petty, but it isn't like I'm tuning in for the cure for cancer or the key to transcendental awakening. It's great entertainment, but it's just storytelling. However, I happily paid my $1.99 per episode to make it convenient to enjoy that entertaining storytelling. Really, I just enjoyed taking 22 minute lunch breaks so I could watch the latest 30 Rock each Friday. It was convenient, easy and dependable.

I guess it just wasn't enough for Vivendi.

They're ending their agreement with Apple to sell new programs on iTunes, which sucks. The relationship went flying off the rails for the same three reasons that most relationships do: money, control, and ego. Vivendi wants to raise the rates above the standard $1.99 per episode, Apple wants to keep the price low to make video iPods more appealing, and neither wants to cave to the other's demands.

The end result is that NBC won't be putting up the new seasons of Heroes, 30 Rock or The Office, or new shows like Bionic Woman. Instead they'll be selling them through Amazon's Unbox program (which is incompatible with Apple's operating system) for $1.99 per episode. So, I won't be downloading them this year. For now Heroes is available for streaming on NBC.com (with commercials and some glitches), but for some reason The Office does not seem to be. I have to wonder at the logic behind these decisions (if there in fact is any) and why Vivendi seems to have such little regard for the consumers they have found through iTunes.

The whole fuss reminds me, though, that my life was just fine without Heroes, 30 Rock, The Office, Friday Night Lights or any other NBC/Universal program. They're great entertainment, great storytelling, but they aren't going to cure cancer or help in my spiritual awakening.

So, goodbye NBC.

Maybe I'll check out the DVDs next year. In the meantime, I'll just have to find someone else to eat my lunch with.

Once Again, It's All About Me. And Pride Is Not A Factor, No.

or "But I Get Along All Right. As Long I Don’t Have To Interact
With Anyone Else On A Meaningful Level, I’ll Be Fine."

So, I somehow got nominated for an award. Whoever did that to me, "thanks." It's great to be recognized, but now I have inadvertently been put in the position of incipient loser. Or perhaps not. If enough people vote for me, I might just win. But don't bust your ass doing it, kids, because there's no money at stake, just my foolish pride and ego.

Speaking of foolish Pride and Ego, I've got some shows coming up.

Tonight I'm at Othello's! New stuff tonight.
434 Buchanan in Norman! FREE! 9:30pm!

Thursday night I'm at Pepe Delgado's! Slightly less new stuff, but likely much funnier.
752 Asp in Norman! Three Bands, Four Comics, Five Dollars! 10:00pm!

October 3-7 I'm at the Tulsa Loony Bin! Older stuff, but they haven't seen it.
6808 S. Memorial in Tulsa! Free - $8.00! Various times!

October 12 I'll be at OKC COMEDY NIGHT 2007 at Stage Center! It will be a good show, or Jason Black will slit my throat.
400 W. Sheridan in Oklahoma City!
Buy tickets at the Civic Center Box Office: $10.00 plus $1.50 service charge = $11.50
Buy tickets over the phone at 405.297.2264: $10.00 plus $2.50 service charge = $12.50
Buy tickets online at www.myticketoffice.com: $10.00 plus $5.50 service charge = $15.50

In the meantime, you can listen to me fail at the Loony Bin last week.

Oh, and I'll be going to Tokyo next week for pretty much no good reason at all.

Don't forget to vote, kids.