In this week's cast, I take the Thanksgiving holiday as a moment to reflect on television I've been thankful for in the past year -- and television I've been less thankful for. Included in my reflections are thoughts on the more-than-usually acceptable Day Seven we had with "24." Also, Kim Raver from that series -- the only context of "24" in which I'd call for "More Kim, please!" -- and her work in "Grey's Anatomy." Also, ABC's decision to burn off a bunch of canceled programming over the summer, which was just the loveliest bit of fan service I've seen since FOX decided to give "Dollhouse" a shot at a second season. Also, a quick shout-out to the "100 Word Stories" podcast's upcoming weekly challenge with a story prompt suggestion of "Smoke." Original blog posted here.

For my side cast, I briefly mention the beginning of the end for Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse," beginning at 8/7c this Friday, next weekend's premiere of the "Alice" miniseries on Syfy, for some reason mention ABC's bucket of holiday schmaltz "Find My Family" premiering Monday, and forget to mention the season finale of FX's "Sons of Anarchy," set for Tuesday at 10/9c (although I do remember to mention it here).

Mostly I look ahead to the series finale of "Monk," devoting pretty much the balance of my sidecast to comment on the run of that show from the summer of 2002 through part two of the finale this Friday, Dec. 4 at 9/8c, following an encore of part one at 8/7c and a daylong back-to-back marathon of excellent episodes beginning at 6/5c on USA. Original blog posted here.

Enjoy!

And they are using my Achilles heel - food! (How did they know?)

Ok, I don't know who it was, God, Karma (though what I could have done to deserve this is beyond me - maybe I'm a serial killer in my sleep) or just a nasty piece of work caterer, is trying to poison me. I believe it was a sandwich, because when I think of a sandwich now, I shudder, but something I ate last week gave me food poisoning. I spent half the week feeling like I was dying and the other half wishing I was dead.

I remember at university a friend of mine got food poisoning from what doctors later described as a 'dirty burger' from a McDonalds. The poor guy couldn't believe how often he had to run to the toilet to throw up or... whatever, and counted 36 trips in one day. I remember how funny it was, but now, I'm not laughing. No, I don't think me laughing at him un-karma'd me into getting it, that was several years ago now, I'm sure I've been punished for that already - but good thinking.

Question: Whats the worst you have ever felt, and what caused it? Nothing too gross please, I still have a weak stomach...

Well anyway, I'm beginning to feel better now, and I can even leave the house - AAAAGHH THE LIGHT BURNS... no not really, I live in the UK. Its just bright. So, Ill leave you with a moral and a joke:

Don't trust people that prepare your food! They don't have to eat it, so why should they care about washing their hands or what goes in it!!

The joke is from a stand up comedian I saw on TV this week, I thought it was amusing:

Did you know that there are more people in the rest of the world claiming to be Irish than there are in Ireland itself? The Irish tourist board is thinking of changing its slogan to Ireland: We're not all there.