BOOK IT: Some interesting authors are coming through town this week for book signings. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, whose newest book is titled "Hot, Flat and Crowded," will appear 5:30 p.m. Thursday at a fundraising lecture for the Fresno Metropolitan Museum at Warnors Theater. The Met's Amanda Allen was reporting on Mindhub this morning that tickets are still available. Friedman will be across the street at the KJWL/KYNO studios for a book signing from 3-5 p.m. prior to the lecture. (I read Friedman's "The World Is Flat" a couple of years ago and recommend it.) Also on the author circuit this week: Mike Farrell, former star of "M*A*S*H" and "Providence," who will sign copies of his book "Of Mule and Man" at 7 p.m. Friday at Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 7849 N. Blackstone Ave.

TV WEIRDNESS: I find this story quite amusing: A TV anchor in LaCrosse, Wis., had been receiving harassing emails for two years, including ones that criticized her hair or reporting. Other emails said that that the anchor's co-host, the weather guy, was better. When police traced the emails it turned out they came from the weather guy's home computer. Now the anchor has a restraining order against her co-host. Talk about a frosty off-camera relationship, with a further cooling trend in sight.

BIGGER THAN EVER: Speaking of TV news, I was reading Beehive colleague Rick Bentley's column about TV ratings and was surprised at how dominant KFSN (Channel 30.1) has become in the local market. At 5 p.m., Channel 30 attracted an average of 82,000 viewers, almost four times second place KSEE (Channel 24.1). Poor KGPE (Channel 47.1) had just 9,000 viewers in that time slot. As someone who works for a monopoly daily newspaper in town, I don't have much room to talk, but is there a danger in having one local station so dominant?

WHERE'S THE POETRY: A Beehive commenter stumbled on an April post I wrote about the demise of the Fresno Poets Association. David W. Clary wrote: "Great. I finally start looking for a poetry group to share my work with, and they disband. Dang it. Anyone know of any other poetry groups in town?"