In the apartment, I'm OK with unlimited heat, since I can just keep the windows open. And I don't pay for it.

In related tax commentary, I heart Turbo Tax so much that I have my return all ready to go-- took only 30 minutes for state and federal. But trying to avoid Jesse's predicament. I hate waiting for my refund! I'm looking at you CITIBANK and your missing 1099-INT!

I have a query for y'all. Bob sent me a link to a National Review article about why there are so many more males in the comedy business than females and it contained the following:

In my 15 years in the sitcom business, I have worked side-by-side with 30 different women writers. Ten of them have since gone on to be show-runners, the highest rank a TV writer can attain, short of David Kelley, who is show-runner-married-to-movie-star.

My recollection is that a show-runner is actually one step below the executive producer/creator (Angel's Minear to Whedon)-- and I kind of doubt Kelley does that much show running, given how many he cranks out. Is it true that this is the highest rank a TV writer can attain?

Did anyone else using Turbo Tax get the free federal filing? When I logged on to TT using my bookmark, I didn't get it. But buy using the link at irs.gov (after I had already entered my information) I got the federal filing free (and half-priced state filing). Saved me about $40 for both returns and I'm getting everything direct deposited.

I got out all my tax info last night to prepare it for my tax guy, but then I didn't do it. Tonight I must. betting on a big refund.

know what's good? hot chocolate. That was my breakfast proxy today.

Technically, EP isn't a writing position, even though in practice television producers are overwhelmingly mostly writer-producers, and I've never heard of a show-runner who wasn't also a co-EP. The creator-EP probably gets paid more, but the showrunner has more day-to-day control.

Did anyone else using Turbo Tax get the free federal filing?

That's why we use it.

That's why we use it.

When I filled my return out just using my old bookmark from last year, I was charged $9.95. But when I logged out and went through the IRS website, I got that fee waved. And the additional money off my state filing.

It wasn't advertised on TT's site--just on the IRS site. Last year it was only people 65 & over or people filing under a certain amount that got the free thing. At least I know I paid for using TT last year.

It makes so much sense to me that the IRS would want people filing online -- it's got to be so much easier for them.

We actually use TaxCut from the box, which has a mail in rebate for free federal filing.

I think I used TurboTax on the web last year or the year before to do my state filing. Whichever year it was that Mass. decided to stop their own free web filing and funnel the business to TurboTax instead (who says that lobbyists don't earn their salaries). They gave a one-off voucher that year for people who had used the old system.

It was very annoying when Mass. dropped the free web filing. It was really quick and really easy, but never advertised and pretty hard to find on their web site. Then they dropped it due to lack of interest. Maybe if you'd told people about it, they might have used it!

I'm looking at you CITIBANK and your missing 1099-INT!

Bank Of America says to not bother them until the 15th of February. My 401K people sent me a pretty much blank 1099 whatever yesterday. Why BofA gotta make me wait?

Bob sent me a link to a National Review article about why there are so many more males in the comedy business than females and it contained the following:

Can you share the link? When I was in Montreal, as many women would workshop as men, but a teeny percentage of them ever made it past an audition. They were so tense and self-conscious, in comparison to most of the guys. The class clown tradition just didn't seem have been one they prepared with.

So, I'm heading off to a meeting yesterday.

"ita!" She's running to catch up with me. "You know, you look better in skirts than in pants."

I'm wearing pants.

"You stopped me so you could tell me I look like crap."

"I didn't ..."

"You might as well have -- you stopped me to tell me you didn't really like what I was wearing."

"Well, no I ..."

"That's really cold. If the boss asks were I am, tell her I'm in the ladies', crying."

"But I meant ..."

I let her twist in the wind for a while before I suggested the better way to go about it is to wait until a day I'm wearing a skirt and tell me how much she likes that, and maybe skip mentioning the pants entirely.

We'll see.