Miscellany for a Monday Morning

Before I launch into my exposition on Deadwood and this weekend, I thought I'd give you some random information, most of which I gleened from this week's issue of Entertainment Weekly.

Acccording to the aforementioned magazine's exclusive on the Dave Chappelle situation, the show is pretty much over for good. Staffers are looking for new jobs. Horrible, I know. BUT, according to a Time mag article, in which Dave spoke out for the first time since he left, he's actually on a "spiritual retreat" with a Muslim friend in South Africa, and "he has not checked himself into a mental health facility, though he acknowledges spending a single 40-minute session with a psychiatrist." He also says the show is not over and he intends to resume production when he returns.... whenever that is. Read about it here.

In the good news department, Chappelle's Show season 2 DVD will be out May 24th.

Another favorite in the funny television section, Scrubs season 1 will be out on DVD tomorrow, May 17th.

EW also reviewed John Burdett's latest book, Bangkok Tattoo. Burdett wrote Bangkok 8 which came out in 2003 and followed the exploits of a Eurasian Thai cop investigating the murder of his partner and best friend. I read 8 earlier this year and it was definitely one of the more interesting books I've read in awhile, let alone pot-boilers. Burdett has a certain James Ellroy sensibility, but what makes his stuff so engrossing is his knowledge of Thai culture and Buddhism. I can't account for the latest book, although I will certainly pick it up when it comes out in paper back, but I highly recommend Bangkok 8.

An last but not least, believe it or not, dum da da duuummmm! The Yankees have reached .500! So now, I'm impressed. Yes, yes, they still have their problems and just because Giambi got a hit yesterday doesn't mean that I don't think he should be handed a one-way ticket to AAA-ville, but I said I'd be impressed when they got to .500, and so, color me impressed.