Information to enrich your day

Technically, still on vacation; consider this a bonus entry from Your Mayor, who has arisen from an Easter weekend getaway:

Don Imus wants you to know that he’s very sorry he referred to the Rutgers University women’s basketball team as “nappy-headed ho’s.” “I am not a racist,” Imus insists, but the question is, if someone makes racist “jokes” on a semi-regular basis, what does that make them, exactly?

Of course, the problem with Imus and these sorts of pundits is, if they say something thoughtful and considered and rational, they don’t make national headlines (which is not to say that these jokers ever do say something thoughtful and considered and rational), whereas a stunt like this has the blogosphere in an uproar and their names everywhere. And since these guys don’t exactly feed on obscurity, of course they’re gonna aim for incendiary. So unless we begin to celebrate civil discourse, this is our future and we’re just going to have to put up with it.

* UPDATE: Imus has been suspended two weeks beginning next Monday, in order to be allowed to conduct a previously scheduled on-air charity fundraiser later this week. MSNBC issued a statement: “This comes after careful consideration in the days since his racist, abhorrent comments were made. Don Imus has expressed profound regret and embarrassment and has made a commitment to listen to all of those who have raised legitimate expressions of outrage. In addition, his dedication - in his words - to change the discourse on his program moving forward, has confirmed for us that this action is appropriate. Our future relationship with Imus is contingent on his ability to live up to his word.”

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Katie Couric declares that anchoring a network nightly newscast takes “patience.” And a compatible skill set would come in handy, too.

But maybe that tips us to Couric's new sign-off: Whereas Dan Rather once ended broadcasts intoning, "Courage," Katie could bid viewers adieu with a semi-hopeful, "Patience."

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Time to, um, rejoice?: The 200th episode of “The King of Queens” airs tonight at 9:30 on CBS, and if you’ve seen any of the previous 199 episodes, you’ve no doubt seen some variation of this one, as well. You know the drill: More fat jokes (because Kevin James is, well, fat!), more petty behavior worthy more of a playground rather than interaction between cogent adults and – who knows where this came from – some cringe-inducing homoerotic moments between Jerry Stiller and Patton Oswalt.

And then, for its big finale, an incredibly lazy gag in which Stiller’s character Arthur lands then loses a job because the Social Security number he supplied his employer turns out to be the number for a “Gamblers Anonymous hotline.” OK – Social Security numbers are nine digits; phone numbers are 10, so while the joke ostensibly comments on what a indefatigable reprobate Arthur is, in truth, it makes no sense whatsoever, sort of like, what did Leah Rimini’s character ever seen in Kevin James, anyway?

“King of Queens” will call it quits this season after nine years on the air; how Ray Romano’s buddy’s show lasted as long as his own will go down as a mystery as big as Who Killed Kennedy or What Was in the Suitcase in "Pulp Fiction?"

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Fox has another “Drive”-related promotion set up this week, but since reports on the last one were so dismal, we’re gonna pass on touting this one. But Nathan Fillion's being dangled as a carrot-on-a-stick for this one, as well, albeit sans squeegee.

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New York Magazine likes Keith Olbermann, about four months after all the other pop-culture magazines sent him their mash notes. Most of the best quotes are lifted from other pieces, but bonus points for the revelation: Turns out Sean Hannity likes Olbermann, as well. Just imagine the uproar if Hannity uncorked such a sentiment on his radio or TV show: It’d make the response to the Imus outburst seem like a demure shrug.