Angie and her glad hands

Well, folks, I don’t mind telling you that I’m kind of tired this week. Actually, make that fucking exhausted. For whatever reason blogging has been taking a lot more time than usual, particularly the AfterEllen posts (more words/pictures, less swear words/naked pictures) and it’s ridiculous the number of times recently I’ve hit send on a post as the sun was waking up to coffee and a doughnut. So today please just enjoy this short, yet quite sweet, video of Angelina Jolie being good to her fans.

Apparently at the “Beowulf” premiere Monday she spotted a crazy fan with an “ADOPT ME ANGELINA” T-shirt and, as you can see, hilarity ensued. I’m just a tad bit jealous of where Angelina put her hand on the aforementioned crazy fan while signing her T-shirt. Also, check out where she signed her shirt. Brad, schmad. The woman’s still got a little bisexual left in here. Recent evidence to the contrary, I try not to blog too much about Angie here because it’s almost cliché, plus every other site on The Internets writes too much about her anyway. But, you know what, I really do like her. I know some people are turned off by her aggressive doo-goodery and United Colors of Benetton approach to adoption. And, yes, I know (and she knows) that she is too skinny these days. But at her core she seems like a truly good person and, dear sweet jesus, her bone structure. I could stare at her until the sun comes up.

Mafia hit

Say hello to the first casualty of the writers strike. ABC has bumped midseason replacement “Cashmere Mafia” from its original Nov. 27 premiere date to an indefinite TBA. Presumably, they’re saving the show in case the strike goes long. But what this means right now is that we’ll have to wait until who-the-hell-knows when to see some Bonnie Somerville girlie action. And that also leaves us in lesbian limbo with one fewer gay woman character on TV to root for this season.Dammit, producers. Pay your fucking writers fairly and let’s be done with this thing. We want to see women kissing on primetime television! In fact, we demand it! Trust me, the last thing you want is a mob of pissed gay women descending on your posh Hollywood offices. We know how to use power tools and can wield a mean softball bat. Believe me, the teamsters got nothing on us.

A peek at what we’ll be missing. Now, where did I put that bat?

Pencils down, pickets up

The Writers Guild of America went on strike today, which to the casual consumer will mean mild TV watching disruption now and, depending on how long it drags on, repeat/reality hell later. But what it means for the writers is so much more. Now, I believe in unions. In fact, I belong to a guild so I support the striking workers unequivocally. And you know I’m always going to have another writer’s back. Solidarity now, scribes! While the negotiation details are complicated they essentially boil down to giving the writers a bigger, fairer slice of the profits pie.

So, what does this mean to the average couch potato? Starting today, all the late night talkers (Dave, Conan, Jay and the rest) and-- sniff, sniff, sob -- Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert will have their shows go dark. Expect repeats and the sound of millions of Americans flipping through the dials in frustration come 11 p.m. As for the primetime lineup, most of the scripted dramas and comedies have about two months worth of shows already in the can. So we shouldn’t see too much of a difference, unless things get ugly. And then -- oh, the horror -- networks may start filling the airwaves with even more unscripted reality programs. Kind of makes Tina Fey’s joking on “30 Rock” earlier this season about “MILF Island,” “America’s Next Top Pirate” and “Are you Stronger Than a Dog?” less funny and more foreboding. Bottom line, writing matters. Imagine turning on your TV and seeing nothing but “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” on every dial. Shudder. Pay up, Hollywood. Pay up now.

p.s. I was happy to see almost all of the showrunners from my favorites included in this ad supporting the striking writers. As if I needed another reason to love Tina Fey, she is also no scab.

My Weekend Crush

Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes this week. I wasn’t fishing for presents, I swear. Honest. My treat this week was going to see Gwen Stefani. There is so much to like about Gwen. She is sexy without being skanky. She is smart without being sanctimonious. She is glamorous without being gaudy. She is fun without being fluffy. She is perky without being pesky. And she works hard without making it seem like hard work. Sure, I’m a little tired of her shilling her L.A.M.B. brand at me, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do to pay the bills.

I think the best thing about Gwen is that she is a pop star who owns her own image. No one is silently pulling the strings above her head. Her songs are her own, her style is her own, her success is her own. For a superstar, she seems refreshingly grounded. So much so that when she says that she is just an Orange County girl living in an extraordinary world, we actually believe her. Plus the woman just puts on a damn good show. And at age 38 (not to mention as the mother of a 1-year-old), she still has abs that could make a grown woman weep. Gwen is the kind of pop star you can feel good about liking. And, sadly, there aren’t too many of those around these days. Happy weekend, all.

Who you calling ugly?

America Ferrera is kind of pretty, no? These gorgeous shots of Ms. Not-At-All Ugly are for the Dec. issue of Marie Claire U.K. These photos serve two purposes for me today. One, they’re beautiful and by Friday the best my brain can manage is to stare at something beautiful and go, “Look, pretty.” And two, they help assuage my guilt about being four episodes behind in my “Ugly Betty” watching. Don’t worry, I plan to repent this weekend with a nice, long marathon. But for now, please sit back and enjoy the eye candy. [Click any to enlarge.] Look, pretty.

A ‘Wanted’ woman

You know what, this ain’t too shabby a birthday present either. Angelina Jolie from her new action flick “Wanted.” Well, after looking at that, I’m pretty sure I want something. Ahem.

[Click to enlarge, you know you want to...]

Joss + TV + Eliza = Heaven

Joss Whedon is coming back to TV! Joss Whedon is coming back to TV!! Joss Whedon is coming back to TV!!! OK, I’m done hyperventilating. OK, no, I’m not. Read my somewhat less hysterical ravings about Joss’s new sci-fi drama over at AfterEllen.com today. Oh, and did I mention he is bringing Eliza Dushku with him? This is like the best birthday present ever.