Just in time for summer reruns we are getting a few, paltry new episodes of a few shows. I kind of wish they hadn’t bothered – the whole schedule’s such a mess.

But, Hell’s Kitchen is back!!!!! I just relish the screaming tirades of Chef Ramsey!  I haven’t watched tonight’s episode yet – I’m saving it for my treat after I get through posting on all my blogs and catching up on mail.

I just have to decide which ice cream goes good with the premiere of Season Four of Hell’s Kitcken. . . . .

Like a good lawyer, Popsquire is always one step ahead.  With today’s vote by the writers expected to end the WGA strike and send people back to work by tomorrow, Popsquire figured you’d want to know how this affects you.

According to Popsquire’s sources, below is a reliable list of shows and their status, in alphabetical order and sorted by broadcast or network.

BROADCAST:

Big Shots: No new episodes expected.

Boston Legal: Expected to shoot four to seven new episodes to air in April/May.

Brothers & Sisters: Expected to shoot four or five new episodes to air in April/May.

Chuck: No new episodes until fall.

Cold Case: Expected to shoot four to seven new episodes to air in April/May.

Criminal Minds: Expected to shoot four to seven new episodes to air in April/May.

CSI: Expected to shoot four to seven new episodes to air in April/May.

CSI, Miami: Expected to shoot four to seven new episodes to air in April/May.

CSI, NY: Expected to shoot four to seven new episodes to air in April/May.

Desperate Housewives: Expected to shoot four to seven new episodes to air in April/May.

Dirty Sexy Money: No new episodes planned until fall; three remaining pre-strike episodes will
undergo some tweaking and kick off fall run.

ER: TBD.

Friday Night Lights: No new episodes expected for this season; future TBD.

Gossip Girl: Expected to shoot up to nine new episodes to air in April/May/June.

Grey’s Anatomy: Expected to shoot four to seven new episodes to air in April/May

Heroes: TBD.

Jericho: Seven episodes remain; no additional episodes expected for this season.

Las Vegas: Two pre-strike episodes remain; no additional episodes expected for this
season.

Law & Order, SVU: TBD.

Life: No new episodes expected until fall.

Life Is Wild: No new episodes expected. Ever.

Lost: Six pre-strike episodes remain; six additional episodes could air this
season.

Medium: Six pre-strike episodes remain; no additional episodes expected this season.

Men in Trees: Eleven pre-strike episodes remain; no additional episodes expected this
season.

Moonlight: No new episodes expected until fall.

NCIS: Expected to shoot five to seven new episodes, only three of which may air this
season.

Numbers: Expected to shoot five to seven new episodes, only three of which may air this
season.

October Road: Five pre-strike episodes remain; future beyond that TBD.

One Tree Hill: Six pre-strike episodes remain; future beyond that TBD.

Private Practice: Slim chance it could return with four or five new episodes this season, but most likely back in the fall.

Pushing Daisies: No new episodes until fall.

Smallville: Four pre-strike episodes remain; expected to shoot three to five additional
episodes to air in April/May.

Supernatural: Two pre-strike episodes remain; expected to shoot three to five additional episodes
to air in April/May.

Ugly Betty: Expected to shoot four to seven new episodes to air in April/May.

Without a Trace: Expected to shoot four to seven new episodes to air in April/May.

Women’s Murder Club: A deal to bring the show back this season is in the works.

CABLE:

Big Love: Expected to go into production on Season 3 in March; airdate info is TBD.

Burn Notice: Production on Season Two expected to get underway in late April; new episodes
could start airing as early as July.

The Closer: Expected to kick off its fourth season this summer.

Greek: Kicks off second half of Season 1 on March 24; still awaiting Season Two pickup.

Nip/Tuck: Season Five concludes Feb. 19; production on the show’s eight-episode sixth
season expected to start up this summer.

So, the last post I wrote was back in November. What happened between then and now that I stopped posting? Well, for one, my computer crashed again. Right before Thanksgiving break, my hard drive imploded for the second time (2007 was a bad year for me and technology–two computer crashes and a dead iPod) and by the time I got it back, the holidays were in full swing, and then I went home for nearly two weeks, and then I came back to a whole lot of work after vacation. During that span of time I almost forgot this blog existed.

When a few friends asked me if I’d return to it, I 1) was flattered that they actually read it enough to know it hadn’t been updated in months and 2) wondered if it had outlived its purpose. Because I took an amazing writing class in December that got me all fired up about aiming to get published in big-time magazines and what not, and the habits from my pop culture diet plus the motivation of the class had me so focused that I didn’t need to keep track of how much time I wasted each week, or perform community service for the error of my ways. The first piece I decided to write was about, well, internet addiction.

I reworked it constantly over the course of three weeks, and finally finished it late Sunday night. I emailed it to an editor of a well-known mag at one AM Monday morning. Nine hours later, she wrote back: “It’s well-written, but not surprising enough.”

Ack. The response had come so quickly that it hammered me into oblivion for the better part of the week. I remember wishing she could have given me a day before rejecting it, just so I could have had longer time to feel optimistic about the piece getting published (for $1.50 per word, no less). And how did I deal with her kindly worded but emphatic “no”? By slowly letting myself return to the websites I had given up for good only two months before.

A week that began with such drive and optimism screeched to a disheartening end when I received an email on Friday from the editor-in-chief of a small but wonderful magazine I’ve been writing for. She sadly announced that her publication was halting production, at least for now. Devastated again, I took larger steps back towards my worst impulses, and satiated myself with other people’s words so I wouldn’t have to confront the failure of my own.

This weekend I’ve been musing a lot about what it means to be a writer–and how some people make it and many others do not. And I learned one very basic thing: I’m a muckety-muck who need to get her head out of her ass and push on regardless. Because that’s what writers do. It might be what truly defines all artists beyond their talent–their sheer perseverance.

See, that’s a lesson I haven’t truly absorbed yet. I knew of it, seen it preached by others a million times, yet I haven’t felt it deep enough in my bones. I think a part of me has always thought, “I’m talented, so I’ll make it big eventually.” Well, not so much. Not to put down my accomplishments so far, but in obsessing over what I haven’t done yet, I forgot how much I just love writing in and of itself.

And that’s where all the pop culture stuff came in. What was once a sincere love and enjoyment mutated into a way to not write, a way to ameliorate disappointment, a way to forget what was going on in my life. So this blog continues to have a reason to exist, in order to have one of my passions not distract me from my other, greater passion. I refuse to regress back to what I was, and I know I have it in myself not to do that. I just have to learn how to deal with rejection better, develop my armor, and keep on going on no matter what.

Here are two things that have particularly inspired me this weekend. I recommend them to anyone who wants to feel a little more in touch with person they desire to be.

-Once: Maybe you’ve heard the hype that goes along with this little indie movie that could. But it’s not hype, it’s the real deal. I’ve been dying to see this movie ever since I heard about it, and finally watched it on DVD this weekend. Made for less than $200,000, it’s about an Irish musician who meets a young Czech woman and they write and perform music together. A very simple plot with incredibly beautiful music. And really, just so moving.

The director said he named the movie “Once” because of all the men he knew who would hang out at bars and say “once I get a better job/make more money/get married/etc I’ll finally go out achieve my dream.” But they’re so busy making excuses they never just go out and actually do it.

In the movie, the musician receives the kick in the pants he needs to finally take a risk and record his songs because the girl believes in him so strongly. Their connection transcends sex or attraction to something more transcendent. To sample a taste of what I mean, watch this scene where the musician teaches the girl, a talented pianist, one of his songs, which they then perform together for the first time. To watch them play together is to watch them fall in love:

Now go out and rent it already!

-Why Greg Berlanti Writes: I’ve never watched Greg’s shows Everwood or Brothers and Sisters (though I did enjoy a few episodes of his Dirty Sexy Money), but I know he’s a highly regarded TV showrunner and writer. But he wrote an outstanding essay for the “Why We Write” blog in which TV writers, currently on strike, talk about what motivates and inspires them. I really like what he has to say about how he had to do a bit soul searching himself before figuring out why he does write, which led me to do some soul searching of my own. Also make sure to read comment #5 for really great insights too.

Signing off now. If you notice any words are missing an “s” that’s because the “s” on my keyboard is sticking. Orry!

Not that sites like YouTube and Google Video need anymore momentum…but isn’t this a great time to something crazy? Off the wall?

If this strike lasts until the breaking point (the point in which all NEW content is placed with the dreaded RE-RUN)  where are people going to go for their entertainment?

How about say a million dollar competition for the most highly voted drama, comedy, or reality TV show produced on YouTube?

Get people participating, watching, and glued to their computer screens…they may never go back!

Who knows maybe ABC, NBC, and CBS will chip in. We all know they could use better original content!

Big moment for digital media, methinks.