Under Construction!

I'm surprised Google hasn't sued me for neglect. Amazon has threatened to pull my blog from their Kindle service - my apologies to my one reader, Bryan. You deserve better than four posts a year.

I refuse to have a blog that just sits there collecting dust like my Galoob Star Wars micro machines still-in-package ACTION FIGURE set - who needs the stock market?

I have so much to say but have had trouble articulating the...words...on paper or screen. But I shall return. Soon!

Thank you for your patience. Please feel free to peruse the other 450 million active English-language blogs whilst you wait.

I Am Not a Resource

I haven't posted in quite a while. [CHOOSE YOUR EXCUSE HERE.]

But I am motivated to write for three reasons.

First, Amazon reminded me I haven't posted in forever and they'll dump my blog from Kindle availability if I don't. It's not that Amazon is threatening or foreboding; they just make a good point. The fact that they charge a monthly fee for blog subscriptions is stupid, and it's why I have no Amazon subscribers, including myself. I would actually pay a fee to Amazon to offer my blog through the Whispernet and not pass it along to readers. I'll recommend it and see where it goes.

Second, my friend and wonderful artist, Katayoon Zandvakili, @KatZandvakili publicly threw down the gauntlet and challenged me to have something posted by Friday. OK, in all honesty she sweetly said "if you post your blogs, I'll post too!" I'll be checking her blog tonight whilst enjoying Keith Morrison's contradictory storybook-style narration of a triple murder on NBC's Dateline.

Third, I nominated myself for Baltimore's Mobbies awards. Not this blog because it's been too quiet here -- and I'll hope for a nomination next year by someone other than myself because this thing is rocking -- but I did nominate my personal Twitter account, because I am very active enough on that, and bust out jokes that make me laugh.

Fourth, I actually have something to say. And I apologize for misleading you with suggesting there were only three reasons. Oh dear. I apologize again, because I didn't suggest or infer but indeed actually stated there were "three reasons."

So what DO I have to say? Simply this...

Dear corporate world: I am not a resource. I am not human capital. I am a human fucking being. When discussing "Who's gonna do this work?", please refer to me, and my fellow human beings, as "people."

How hard would that be? Not very.

I wanted to say "Dear whorporate world" but realized since I grab the cash off the nightstand every other Friday, the whore is me.

TV's New Fall Season 2011 - Spreadsheets and Analysis

TV is my first love. And I'm a spreadsheet guy. I've written all about my obsession with both TV and spreadsheets here.

For 2011, I've done it once again. Poring through the various network and cable sites, TV blog sites, and the best episode guide on the Internet (epguides.com), I've taken the last few weeks compiling the following:

• A list of network and cable TV shows returning this fall, complete with the season number, network, premiere date and scheduled air day.
• A list of shows coming later this season.
• A grid for each day of the week with the shows, times, premiere dates and season number
• A grid for each day of the week with each show, times and dates for episode tracking
• And something new: a list of shows cancelled/ended in the 2010-2011 season

Get the Fall 2011 TV Collection of Spreadsheets here. If you just want a PDF of shows and premiere dates, that's here.

One of the things that disappoints me the most each year is investing my time in new programs that really capture my interest, only to have them cancelled, often in mid-story.

I was curious if it was common across networks, or if some may be more likely to cancel. Here is a ranking of the most shows cancelled after one season in 2010. Not ironically, NBC turned out to be the biggest loser, with 11 cancelled new shows, 3 of which had unaired episodes.

• NBC - 11 shows cancelled (3 with unaired episodes)
• ABC - 7 shows cancelled (2 with unaired episodes)
• FOX - 6 shows cancelled (1 show with unaired episodes)
• CBS - 5 shows cancelled
• Toon - 3 shows cancelled
• FX - 2 shows cancelled
• AMC - 1 show cancelled
• CMT - 1 show cancelled
• CW - 1 show cancelled
• Starz - 1 show cancelled
• Syfy - 1 show cancelled
• TBS - 1 show cancelled

From my list, that's a total of 40 new shows cancelled, 29 from the Big Four. I wonder how many will fall this season.

Of the programs cancelled, I was most disappointed to lose four very well-written and brilliantly acted shows:

• The Chicago Code

• Detroit 1-8-7

• Lie to Me

• Men of a Certain Age

Just a thought: I believe American cable needs to carry Canada's CBC, even if it's lagging behind the true release schedule, just like they've arranged with BBC America.

Anyway, I hope you find this helpful or mildly interesting, or you feel better about yourself knowing you don't suffer from such an obsession. Or high-five if you do!

Cheers!