I was bothered over the fact that the fate of Eames wasn't even mentioned in the article I cited in my last journal, so I checked Wikipedia to see if there was any news there.

And this is so much worse than I originally heard that it's untrue.

Here's what happened. "Monk" is on its final season, and USA Network felt that there should be another lighthearted, quirky detective, someone who's very Monk-ish, to keep those "Monk" viewers tuned in to their network. USA's execs figured that Nichols is a perfect Monk substitute, whereas Goren is too dark to take that role. (It didn't hurt that Dick Wolf apparently prefers Jeff Goldblum's character to Vincent D'Onofrio's, either.)

So, they're going to take the show apart and put it back together in a Monk-ish fashion. Goren, Eames, and Ross are therefore all being jettisoned. Goren and Eames will hand off Major Case to Nichols in the two-hour season premiere in March '10. It's not clear to me whether Ross will be leaving at that time or later in the season. In addition, Wheeler will be jettisoned sometime during season 9, because Julianne Nicholson reportedly is tired of being on the show.

My understanding is that they're going to drop the whole "Partner A/Partner B" format, since the show will now revolve around Nichols. Nichol's new partner will be played by Saffron Burrows.

You know, I was distinctly unthrilled with Nichols when he was added to the show, and deeply disappointed with what a poor character he was (especially considering that Goldblum is normally a great character actor). Now I really have no choice but to hate him. He's ruined my fucking show. And even worse, he's the reason why they're now changing my show into a "Monk" knockoff. I hated "Monk" when it was first on, and I see no reason why I'd like it now that it's infected one of my favorite programs.

There aren't enough curse words in the world.

What's the fucking point of watching it anymore?

Not that I'm surprised. But I'm already having a bad year.

So the wife and I have been trying to rescue a mother-cat with three kittens nested outside her place of work. We tried to get her co-workers to take the cats. We tried to call the SPCA. Finally, this week, we got in touch with some wonderful people who work with cat-rescue organizations.

Those people told us that, by the laws of our state, we were the legal owners of the cats because we fed them. And that we could therefore legally surrender the animals to the SPCA. The wife spent all of yesterday trying to contact the person we were told to speak to at the SPCA to arrange the surrendering.

The wife also begged me to let her bring the mother-cat and kittens home. I told her no. I told her that we'd lose the apartment if we got caught with them (we already have three). I told her we couldn't afford them. I pointed out that we might not be able to get them all homes. She sighed, then finally agreed with me and left them alone.

Today, she went to go feed the cats. And they're not there anymore. She called for them; she laid out food for them. Their nest is empty. There is no sign of them anywhere. None of her co-workers adopted any of them. They don't appear to have been attacked. They're just gone.

And the selfish part of me is killing myself over it, because I know that if I had been compassionate instead of selfish, it would have worked out better. If I had lived up to my own principles I would never have suggested that leaving innocent kittens outside all alone was a good idea. I really hate myself right now and I don't even have a right to--it's not like I'm the one who's probably in desperate trouble, is it?

I haven't stopped crying. I don't deserve to stop.

What's more offensive: Kanye West interrupting the VMAs to insult Taylor Swift, or the thousands of people on the Internet who are calling him a n*gger for interrupting the VMAs? Which one do you think is more likely to be discussed to death on the news?

How many of the people who are getting the vapors over a black man insulting a white woman didn't notice or care when a white Representative* insulted a black President in the middle of an address to Congress?

_{*In my original journal, I referred to this odious member of Congress as a Senator. I really should have just typed "congresscritter" or "idiot", since either would have sufficed. I regret the error.}

Torture apologists certainly require a little of it.

What still amazes me is how people like ~talespin think that swearing is more morally objectionable than insulting American soldiers. American conservatives like her are a pathetic bunch.