NBC yanked Quarterlife after one showing. The internet–the future of entertainment, remember?

Daily News guy Brent Hopkins takes the buyout, but maybe he can keep the blog?

LA Times Book Award finalists announced.

LAObserved dropped us from the blog-roll. Is this a hint?

LA Marathon route means we can watch from our windows.

TimeOut LA? There’s no time outs in LA.

(photo by John Humble)

Margaret B. Jones rates two NY Times pieces

about her memoir of life as a foster child in South Central, Love and Consequences.

Mimi Read’s piece, in the Home and Garden section, and is called A Refugee from Gangland, which is odd, because Jones doesn’t portray herself as a refugee. And “gangland” seems to be sort of where you find it:

The first time my o. g. visited me here–meaning original gangster, the gang’s leader–he slept 20 hours straight. In L.A. your anxiety is so high you sleep three hours a night.

That visitor, whom Rya calls Uncle Madd Ronald, is now in prison in California. The ways Ms. Jones and her daughter responded to the news reflected their vastly different childhoods. “Rya was just shattered,” Ms. Jones said. “I told her, don’t worry about it, he didn’t do anything bad. He just got caught up selling drugs.”

Read could have asked Jones if she knew Billy Ray Hines, but asks about her slipcovers, instead.

Michiko Kakutani’s book review is less worshipfully patronizing of the author, while still praising the book.

It’s about time Orange County was appreciated for its sheer hotness.

On March 1, FOX11 will launch an OC Edition of myfoxla’s HOTLIST, a reader-based rating system that allows the hoi polloi to comment on their favorite (or not-so-favorite) businesses.

Powered by CityVoter, this Yelp-like site allows for photo-sharing, video uploading and other new-media/citizen journalism/customer interactive doodads.

We’re becoming increasingly enamored of such sites. Why, it was myfoxla.com/hotlist that first introduced us to Menchies. Thanks, guys!

SUNDAY 3.01.08
WHAT: KCRW’s ArtDontSleep concert series
WHO: Blu & Exile, Platinum Pied Pipers and Black Spade Tiombe Lockhart
WHEN: 9 p.m.
WHERE: The Crash Mansion
WHY: It’s an underground hip hop and soul music scene. And you know what that means: Old, white people. More info here.

SATURDAY 3.08.08
WHAT: Classic Rock Sing-Along
WHO: You. And a bunch of other drunks.
WHEN: 10 p.m.
WHERE: M Bar
WHY: If you have to ask, don’t come. 21 and over. $5 cover.

THURSDAY 3.27.08
WHAT: Meet The Teachers Night
WHO: Mediabistro.com Teachers, including Jen Jones, Chad Gervich, Rita Williams, Sally Lehrman, David Seidman, Eric Hiss and Nancy Kremer
WHEN: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: Mediabistro.com LA Headquarters
WHY: Because our classes our great, our instructors are smart and the drinks are free. Reservations Required.

Journos looking for a quick interview with California’s Governator might want catch a flight to Columbus, Ohio, this weekend. The Arnold Classic–not a golf tournament, thankyouverymuch–is in full schwing, and the former Mr. Universe never misses the event.

Another tip from Italian TV correspondent Valentina Martelli–”Speak to him in Italian! He always stops to chat in Italian.”

The New New Line: The 30-year-old studio behind The Lord Of The Rings will lay off hundreds and be merged into its corporate sibling, Warner Bros. We blame Iraq.

To My Blake, Incarcerated: Amy Winehouse will not be joining her hubby in jail. ondon police are no longer investigating the “Rehab” singer on suspicion of witness tampering.

Peddling Influence: The Troll-Doll Olsen Twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley are putting together a coffee-table book about fashion, titled Influence. We’d have to be under the influence to buy it.

In today’s Morning Call Time podcast, Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne need a new line of work, ABC gives Zach Braff and Bill Lawrence a fresh set of scrubs, and Judd Apatow, Nick Stoller, and Jason Segal get engaged.

Click here to subscribe to mediabistro.com‘s Morning Call Time… or check us out on iTunes!

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Brie O’Reilly or Michelle Yates.

From the brilliant Pretty on The Outside.

Things are moving along in the Anthony Pellicano trial. FBLA has learned that the plea deals for retired police sergeant Mark Arneson and telephone company ex-employee Ray Turner (reported yesterday in Radar) have broken down. The pair were hoping to plead guilty only to charges not including RICO statutes.

Arneson was charged with supplying Pellicano with personal and private information through the illegal use of his police computers, and Turner is accused of helping set up the illegal wiretaps.

The FBI has notified witnesses (and their lawyers) to get ready.

Commie Girl (aka Rebecca Schoenkopf) needs no introduction. She’s famous in Orange County and infamous around certain drinking holes. But what the former OC Weekly columnist did need is a book deal. So she went out and got one. Just like that.

Now her collection of columns is all bound up and purdy and coming out in June. Titled Commie Girl in the O.C., this Verso paperback is sure to make you laugh and cry… and then cry some more about the fact that you still haven’t written a book.

We all want to write a book. Well, we really want to write award-winning screenplays and sit back and let the tide of global adoration come lapping at our toes. But barring that, we really want to write a book. So we asked Commie Girl how she did it:

“First, you have to quit your job and not do anything for two weeks. Second, be friends with Mike Davis. Third … that’s about it.”

Before you throw things, read on. She’s really a lovely person and we’re betting her compilation of favorite musings will make for a good read. So don’t hate. Buy.

Read more