Brian reports that instead of seeing the ending of "Eli Stone" last night, Channel 5 viewers got to listen to pre-newscast banter:

We caught Ed Harding and the weatherman making jokes, smalltalk and discussing a baseball game. The latter practiced his weather tease three times.

LUCKILY, and I do mean luckily, Harding and the rest of the news team seemingly kept the language clean, didn't criticize anybody or say anything incriminating. ...

On Channel 5, Ed Harding just promised that Harvey Leonard would explain "that clump of shmutz coming our way."

Harv started his weather forecast and, when some giant blob of clouds came on the screen behind him, said: "And that SHMUTZ that Ed referred to earlier, well, here it is."

Don't ask the Boston Gal to pick up any of the new $5 Sox scratch tickets for you:

... [M]y beloved Boston Red Sox have sold their soul to the Massachusetts State Lottery by teaming up with them with this scratch ticket which will "offer a mix of killer ticket deals, cash prizes and Sox paraphernalia."

Why do I get the feeling this move will be as bad for Red Sox Nation as the Musical No,No, Nanette?Why do I get the feeling this move will be as bad for Red Sox Nation as the Musical No, No, Nanette? ...

Grumpy media question: If the tickets don't go on sale until next month, what was Ed Harding doing scratching one off on the Channel 5 late news last night? Does the lottery favor certain people with free tickets now? What if he'd won lifetime Sox tickets?

Bonus grumpy political question: How many photos of Treasurer Tim Cahill, and how many mentions of his name can you find on this Lottery Commission page? Why not just rename it the Treasurer Tim Retirement Fund and Lottery Commission?

Also see:
Why stop at lottery tickets?

Things that Suck decrees that one thing that sucks is local newscasts pimping for shows on their networks:

... Channel 4 just did a little report on Boston connections to the new season of Survivor, which of course just had its season premier tonight on CBS. The Apprentice is always news on Channel 7. Ed Harding gets all giddy talking about the happenings on Desperate Houswives. When Barbara Walters has done some lame interview on 20/20, it's news at 11 on Channel 5. Hardly a day goes by when there is not a least one story that is nothing more than a shameless plug. ...