by John Walters

Starting Five

1. More Gilmore

Great news! What, Jaylon Smith is returning for a fourth year? No, not that great, silly. NetFlix has ordered four 90-minute episodes of Gilmore Girls, a show that loved side quips as much as it did Friday night dinners. Sookie and Richard Gilmore won’t be back, but count on seeing Lorelai, Rory, Luke, Emily, Taylor Doose, Kurt and hopefully, a performance or two by Hep Alien.

I have no idea if Logan Huntzberger will return, but really he and Christopher can go suck an egg.

So we might be getting those “final four words” that creator Amy Sherman-Palladino always wanted to put into the series finale.

2. You Had To Be a Big Short, Didn’t Ya?

I only read one book about the 2008 sub-prime mortgage disaster — I was too busy throwing darts at photos of Lloyd Blankfein — but the book I did read was The Big Short by Michael Lewis, and it was exquisite. The book takes you through the financial crisis by focusing on the outliers, the few people who had the insight to see the approaching bubble, to bet against the system and conventional wisdom, and to reap huge sums of money. A truly spectacular read and a lesson in sticking to your guns when you know you are right.

Anyway, Hollywood is all in on this one, with a December 11 release and starring roles for Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling (nearly unrecognizable) and Brad Pitt.

3. Poutine Heartthrob

That’s Justin Trudeau, who was either just elected as Canadia’s next prime minister or Canadia’s Next Top Model. He’s even more popular than Jose Bautista right now. Trudeau won on a platform of building a wall — made of ice — between the USA and Canada and promising that the country will produce a Stanley Cup winner while he is in office.

4. Jan Hammers

A week or so late here, but Germany’s Jan Frodeno won the Hawaii Ironman two weekends ago in Kona. Frodeno won the gold medal in Beijing in the Olympic triathlon, which is a far shorter course. He becomes the first person, man or woman, to win an Olympic gold medal and the Hawaii Ironman, and that feat probably won’t be seconded until Michael Phelps takes up jogging.

5. Where In The World?

Friday’s Answer: Amedi, Kurdistan

Music 101

Room At The Top

Happy 64th birthday to Tom Petty (we love you, but you’re not bumping Candace Swanepoel from that perch, babe; unique views and all)! Gainesville’s favorite son becomes our first repeat offender in this space and instead of posting one of his biggest hits, here’s one from his 1999 album, Echo. Just a consistently excellent musician; yes, I’m a Petty-file (come after me, Chris Hansen, I dare you!).

Remote Patrol

The Grinder

FOX 8:30 p.m.

Yes, we have DAY BASEBALL from Toronto, as well as a playoff game from Wrigley Field tonight, but I’m putting in a little pitch for The Grinder, a FOX sitcom that’s pretty smart and pretty funny. If not tonight, give it a try soon. Rob Lowe and Fred Savage already have fantastic chemistry.