Wednesday, December 28, 2011

This year in my blog...

Since every magazine, radio station, and blog seem to do their year-end retrospective this week,  here's mine:

Crazy Charlie Sheen made news early in the year.  This was my take.  It sure provoked a lot of comments. 

My book came out in March.  What?  You haven't ordered yours yet?  For only $2.99?  It's not too late.

One of my true passions is reviewing cheese-rich reality shows.  PREGNANT IN HEELS caught my attention in April.  

May was the month where I had my big feud with Roseanne.  I was called an "asshat" and "balless little bitch" among others.  Here's my response. 

I broadcast for the Seattle Mariners last summer and filed travelogues along the way.  Here's one.

I traditionally review major award shows.  This was my take on the Emmys.

As a public service I explained the secrets of how to create a hit procedural. 

In October I uncovered Tweets from Gettysburg

Stories from my checkered radio days seem to be a favorite.  Here's one from my days at W-Drek.

One feature I occasionally do is "Comedy 101" where I show an episode of something I co-wrote and then break it down scene by scene.  This is an example. 

From time to time I have guest bloggers.  This year I was fortunate enough to have a former U.S. president step in for me one day. 

The big highlight for me of course was TIME magazine naming this one of the top 25 blogs of the year.  I'm still floored.  But thanks to them and you for your patronage.  On to 2012.  Let's see what celebrity calls me an "asshat" next year.

19 comments :

  1. Message to CA Arthur: You know they discontinued the Presidential dollar coin for general circulation, and it'll only be available from the collector market. Guess who they ended with? Garfield. Yup, you did it again.

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  2. It's been a great year and the Time Magazine listing was well-deserved. Whatever an asshat is, keep wearing it.

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  3. Ken, ever since I discovered your blog it is my morning pick me up along with a nice cup of joe.
    Keep up the good work in 2012 and I promise my cup and joe and I will keep showing up.

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  4. The spat with Roseanne was how I found your blog.

    You left out this year's SITCOM ROOM.

    wg

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  5. Hey Ken,

    How about a link to the TIME best blog list?

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  6. P.S. My write-up of the SITCOM ROOM:

    http://www.pelicancrossing.net/netwars/2011/11/the_write_stuff.html

    wg

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  7. Ken,

    Please never put a picture of Rosanne on your blog like that ever again. I've been coming to your blog every morning since your first year and this was the first time I ever regretted it.

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  8. She is such a Butt Beanie...

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  9. januaryfire:

    http://www.time.com/time/
    specials/packages/completelist
    /0,29569,2075431,00.html

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  10. Ken, Thank you for giving me a fun place to visit each day this year. I'm really looking forward to what you have for us in 2012.

    (I really prefer when your default photo is Natalie Wood)

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  11. Cheeky Roseanne has just ordered a hole class of handicapped Chinese orphans to make an extra large asshat as her head grew way to big for the old one.

    ps- Cheers Ken for the funny year eh!

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  12. Ken, I am a regular reader and love the blog!

    May I ask a question?

    Did you know Joe Bodolai? I am not in show business, and had never heard of him until his suicide became news (although apparently I must have seen his work).

    Much of his final blog post discussed his life as a writer. Just wondered whether you had any reaction to it personally, or as a writer.

    Thanks.

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  13. Andi,

    I did not know him. Like you, was unaware of him until the tragic news of his suicide. My condolences to his family.

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  14. You can take the writer out of television, but you can't take the TV out of the writer. I see even this blog goes to repeats during the holiday season! [but they are worth reading again]

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  15. Ken, Friday question: Did you watch the West Wing when it aired and would you like to write for something like that? I recently acquired the 7 season set and am going through them. Aaron Sorkin's writting is amazing.

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  16. To Roger Owen Green:

    It's a sad commentary on the US, if we decide to commemorate a pizza-eating cat on a coin.

    As for the Roseanne fracas, I read all of the comments in this blog and I think that Roseanne did indeed kick down a lot of doors, and that sexism is a horrible thing, I believe her situation is analogous to the character Sol Nazerman in "The Pawnbroker". I am not equating the Holocaust with sexism, but the point of "The Pawnbroker" was that the survivor became as bad or worse than the enemy.

    I also believe that Roseanne would have been a bitter and angry Target employee as well, because fame and fortune is not a cure-all and what was part of her personality before was there afterwards, it just has a massively larger stage upon which to watch all of the action.

    Thanks, Mr. Levine for a fascinating, educational and entertaining blog.

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  17. I was bored at work one day and searched 'top blogs.' The Time article came up and I've been reading it ever since. Great publicity.

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  18. Brian: Not to nit-pick, but he's a lasagna-eating cat, though admittedly if you put a pizza in front of him, he'd likely devour that as well.

    WV: "dedici"--Deceased Romans.

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  19. Congratulations for the Time Magazine listing, you deserved it. It has been over 2 years and I still find that your blog is among the best blogspot in this world (via Google). Keep up the good work and keep on blogging.

    Regards:
    Paul Schiver

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