1. So ... just WHY is it called Swine Flu? The New York Times is glad you asked! And here's an excellent post on the wannabe pandemic.

["Pork producers question whether the term "swine flu" is appropriate, given that the new virus has not yet been isolated in samples taken from pigs in Mexico or elsewhere. While the new virus seems to be most heavily composed of genetic sequences from swine influenza virus material, it also has human and avian influenza genetic sequences as well, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta."]

2. Marshall Fine celebrates the journeyman character actors of the small screen in "He Certainly Looks Familiar."

["There's something similar happening on TV, though the actors aren't unknowns. Because of the staggered nature of TV seasons these days, actors are suddenly available for more than one series at once—and can have two or more shows on the air at the same time. I think of them as serial actors—not because they act in serials but because they seem to move so quickly from job to job. So quickly that they sometimes can be seen on a couple of series at a time."]

3. Via Coming Soon, we learn that a.) Peter Jackson's film of The Lovely Bones actually exists, b.) Saoirse Ronan's eyes have been replaced by digital effects and c.) there are apparently Saoirse Ronan fan sites. Make of this what you will.

["Saoirse Ronan fansite Access-Saoirse has received more scans of photos from Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones that can be found in the new issue of Empire magazine. Opening December 11, the big screen adaptation of Alice Sebold's best-selling novel stars Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli and Ronan."]

4. If you've been paying attention, you know that I have a soft spot for things that were way more popular in the early 20th century than they are now and are thus Hopeless, Lost Causes (TM), like baseball and jazz piano recordings and big tent revival meetings. But, Lordy me, don't get me started on the lowest of the low art forms, the newspaper comic strip. You comics fans may attempt to justify your existence by pointing to All-Star Superman or whatever, but the best WE can do is say, "Well, Calvin & Hobbes only ended a little over 10 years ago!" and pretend we're still relevant. Also, we make fun of the zombie strips. Often. Which is why you need to be reading The Comics Curmudgeon.

["Hey, kids! Remember the Jungle Patrol? This exciting Bangallan law enforcement agency featured into a Phantom storyline from year and change back, in which a lady cop and and waitress shook up that formerly all-male bastion by combining toughness, trigger-happiness, and lady parts. The story lasted long enough to prompt some t-shirtage, then faded into that narrative netherworld where all Phantom storylines go, presumably never to be heard from again."]

5. Funnyman Patton Oswalt just had a kid (not the one pictured, though that IS a cute baby), and he uses the opportunity to muse on the ascent of nerddom, the death of MySpace and Jason Statham. As you might expect.

["But MySpace has become a neglected strip mall, which is slowly going out of business because someone built a shiny new mega-mall just down the street. Every now and then you stop by because abandoned, derelict buildings have a weird beauty to them. Have you been over to Friendster lately? The rats are so tame they'll let you pet 'em. So think of this as me taping up a discreet flyer in the window of the sketchy Chinese restaurant next to the dollar movie theater where they're still showing THE WILD WILD WEST. I want to announce this, but people are going to have to pack a sandwich and drive somewhere to find it."]

Quote of the Day:

Image of the Day (click to enlarge): Oh, come on. You knew it had to happen eventually.

Clip of the Day: Look! Kids! Singing! A song from a Rocky movie! Surprisingly well!

"Links for the Day": A selection of Links that will hopefully spark discussion. Comments encouraged. Suggestions for links are also welcome. Please send to todd@vanderwerff.us.