…if you’re wondering what’s going to happen to your favorite TV shows (read: Friday Night Lights, 30 Rock and The Office) post-strike. The NY Times published this TV decoder yesterday. It’s a helpful guide that is broken down by networks, and the site states that it will be updated with new info as they get it.

Good news on The Office, 30 Rock front. And I must admit (shamefully) that I’m happy to see Gossip Girl will have 9 new episodes. Yes, I have revealed myself…the secret is out. Bad, yet not unexpected news for 24, which can’t seem to get its act together, and possibly downright frightful news for FNL. Please, NBC, do NOT cancel Friday Night Lights. This is your chance to make amends for Freaks and Geeks (well, not really, but still); don’t screw up again and cancel one of the best television shows on air.

Photos from the Obama rally show at the Slowdown featuring Secret Life of Sparrows, Jim Ward, Bright Eyes, M. Ward and Jim James can be found here, taken by Omaha photographer Kayla Benker.

Well, the caucus lived up to my hopes…and more. There were so many people! There had to be over a thousand at our location, and it was just 1 out of 12 district locations. Crazy. As a fellow caucuser noted, “I never knew there were so many Democrats in Nebraska.” Others echoed similar sentiments: “We’re the only ones in our neighborhood…I can’t talk about it to people at work…” and so on. So, the Nebraska Democrats definitely came out of hiding today – in record numbers.

Photos and videos of the caucus to come.

Just got back from seeing Darren Kean and Thunder Power!!! at Slowdown. Great show. I’ve got to get to bed for my early wake up tomorrow at 8:30 am to make history attending Nebraska’s first ever caucus. I’m so excited! I am so intrigued by the weirdness and mystery that is a caucus. I even love the word.

Also, I wrote a review of the Bright Eyes, M. Ward, Jim James, etc. show for the great Omaha music blog, Omahype.

Today (technically yesterday) was a busy day. I went straight from teaching to pick Kyle up and head downtown to the Civic Auditorium to attend a Barack Obama rally.

Bright Eyes, Jim James and M. Ward played a few songs at the opening of the rally. Then we waited awhile for Barack to come onstage (he was an hour late) and then he spoke for about an hour. We arrived at 3:30 and left at 7, at which time I had to head straight to Slowdown and stand in a long line in the freezing cold to get into the free Barack Obama rally show with, again, Bright Eyes, Jim James, M. Ward and Jim Ward of Sparta and Secret Life of Sparrows. The show was awesome. Basically an all star band that sounded really good and we got to hear about 5 great bands for free and Jason Boesel was drumming. I’m too tired to describe any of this in any detail whatsoever, except to say it was a great and exhausting day.

Photos below. I took some videos too, so maybe I’ll post some more on the rally/show tomorrow. And I have photos from Florida yet to post. I’m getting behind!

In a nostalgic moment last week, I purchased Flashpapr’s self-titled CD from Polyvinyl (they’re not actually on Polyvinyl, but you can order it there). Flashpapr is/was (don’t think they’ve made music together in awhile, unfortunately) a really great band from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Some of the musicians were living in New York at the time, but they all have roots in Ann Arbor. They are also a group of really nice people. The singer, Fred Thomas, has been involved in a bunch of other good bands/projects, including the current Saturday Looks Good To Me (who are actually on Polyvinyl) and has released solo stuff too.

I know I had this CD at some point, but it has been lost in the shuffle of numerous moves (or stolen along with most of my other CDs from the break-in of Laura’s jeep in Detroit). Anyway, I decided that I wanted the real thing once again. Here is a song, Free Rides on the Bus, from that CD:

Free Rides On The Bus

I came across this photo from a Screenwriting practicum class in an old Michigan newsletter and thought it was pretty funny. I didn’t know this photo existed, or maybe I did and forgot. Anyway, that’s Alexander Payne in the white button down on the left. I’m to his left, looking very enthused.

I feel obligated to note that my expression belies the fact that I greatly enjoyed having Payne as a guest (for 2 days, we also had lunch with him) and that he was very helpful and inspiring. He workshopped a portion of my script and was complimentary and encouraging at a crucial time where I had pretty much no confidence in my writing ability. He gave me hope and turned things around. So, Alexander, I think it’s time for another talk. I’m in Omaha now, please give me a call.

Here’s my article from last Thursday’s issue of The Reader (click on the photos to enlarge them, and thus be able to read the print):