I miss Dwight. Congratulations universe, you win.

Who smokes the Mustard? We smoke the Mustard!

While I’m looking forward to the upcoming 300, if you really want to get your historical fix, tune into HBO’s Rome. It’s second season has continued to top it’s first season even without Ciarán Hinds excellent Julius Caesar. This show and Deadwood prove that HBO just can deliver quality programming with an attention to detail that surpasses anything you’ll ever find on network television (probably because there’s no way a network would put up the kind of money needed for these shows that aren’t going to find a mass audience.) Sure they’re doomed to short lifespans from the get go (This will be Rome’s final season and Deadwood only lasted 3 plus 2 HBO movies to finish the series off) but as British television has proved, sometimes a couple outstanding seasons at the top of your game is a better way to go then holding out too long leading to an inevitable decline (I’m looking at you Friends and ER).

Am I the only one dreading the Oscars for no other reason than Forrest Whittaker’s acceptance speech? Look, the man is going to win. He picked up the Golden Globe and the SAG award for his role in the Last King of Scotland. But did you see his speech during the Golden Globes? He hemmed and hawed and giggled and barely got anything out. I’m sure it was just a little camera shyness and maybe a little shock. But then he went out and did the exact same thing at the SAG awards! Forrest, please just write down your speech because it’s going to horribly awkward when the orchestra starts playing you off the stage on Oscar night and you haven’t even started your speech yet.

So I have yet to make up my mind completely about where the new Shins album falls in their catalog. It’s quite good but has some very different sounds thrown in there in addition to the traditional Shins numbers (Phantom Limb will get stuck in your head so quick you’ll hate that it took them so long to get this album out). Then again, I took me quite a few listens before I fell in love with Chutes Too Narrow and now it’s easily one of my favorite albums. There’s nothing wrong with having to work at an album a little before really appreciating its nuances. After a few more listens I’ll give my full review. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to pick it up. I mean come on, it’s a new Shins album. How else are you gonna get My Humps out of your head?

News and Notes:

Hey Studio 60, the getting locked on the roof gag? Lame!

How freakin’ hilarious was last night’s Scrubs? “You shall be called Slagathor.”

I think it’s safe to say that the Prince halftime show is going to be completely tuned out.

Oh what the hell, Go Colts!

Until next time:

“So what… You’re just going to mope around like the guy in… What’s that book when the guy’s mom dies and he comes back to Jersey? And he’s got that motorcycle sidecar?

“Garden State was never a book.”

“It wasn’t? Oops. So much for that paper.”