Bits and pieces

Dave worried me this morning by reporting that everybody's favourite wannabe-American fascist Adam Yoshida had removed comments from his site, but a quick check seems to indicate that it's just down to Haloscan glitch. I was worried for a minute there - what else would I do to fill those desperate hours in the middle of the night shift? - but one of my favourite sources of fun looks set to remain for the time being. The comments usually remove the need to read the post itself as well as there's normally a 'shorter Yoshida' in there somewhere.

Dave also mentions a picture revealing how Janeane Garofalo (ah, be still my beating heart) is 'teeny' which reminds me of one of my few inadvertent-meetings-with-famous-people stories, when I encountered Sally Phillips and Peter Baynham in a lift at Television Centre a few years ago. 'Ah-ha' think I, 'this is my chance to come up with a marvellously witty comment that will see them cower at my comedy genius!' Visions of a development deal with Baby Cow and lunches with Chris Morris filled my head, but unfortunately the only other thought in there was 'You're tiny!' Peter Baynham's rather short, but seemed like a giant next to Phillips, who really is rather tiny. Another great opportunity passed by...

Talking of tiny actresses, I was watching EastEnders on Tuesday night - I find watching it once every few months and a flick through train-abandoned tabloids is more than enough to keep up with the myriad plots - I noticed that the actress who plays Sharon appears to be rather short as well. Completely irrelevant, but I just wanted to share.

And as this has turned into an odds-and-sods, semi-stream of consciousness post about various entertainments, I was watching ER last night and found myself wondering just how much of Maura Tierney (Abby)'s salary goes to the writers and producers, for it seems that in their eyes she can do no wrong and many episodes now seem to be All About Abby, She Who Can Do No Wrong. Even Carter, who, let's remember, was dumped by her after coming to visit her straight after getting back to Chicago after a god-knows-how-long journey from the heart of the Congo, seems to spend any scene with her reminding her just how wonderful she is. Scenes involving her are starting to head down the line of French and Saunders Witless Silence sketch.

Ha. Yoshida to French and Saunders in four paragraphs. If I keep this up, I can be the Bill Deedes for the pop culture generation.