THE DELICIOUS DISH: Trader Joe's has launched pre-mixed, shelf-stable brownie batter--pour from a pouch into a baking pan, bake, and voila!, brownies--no additives required aside from greasing the pan. I've not yet tried (though I was intrigued enough to buy two pouches), but let's be honest--some not inconsiderable amount of this is going to wind up eaten with a spoon sitting on the couch, right?

BETTER DECISIONS: As I said back when LeBron James left Cleveland, every person should have the right to make decisions in his or her own best interest, but no person needs to be a dick about it. LeBron James was so astoundingly dickish in the way that he left Cleveland that he actually made people say things like "how dare he leave Cleveland?", which is kind of like saying "how dare he stop poking himself in the eye with scissors?"

Bad 2011 aside, Albert Pujols is the closest thing to LeBron that baseball has (except that his teams actually won some championships). Yet when he left St. Louis for the browner pastures and greener wallets of Anaheim, there was nothing like the outrage directed at LeBron. Why? Because Pujols didn't go out of his way to be a dick to St. Louis. And while some people questioned his sincerity in thanking his St. Louis fans, today Pujols provided some evidence that he meant it. Out of deference to St. Louis legend Stan "The Man" Musial, Pujols is criticizing his new employers' "El Hombre" marketing campaign. Just more evidence that if one is a baseball fan, it's hard not to be a Pujols fan.

WITH YOUR HOST, RICHARD DAWSON: When I was watching -- and rather enjoying -- Full Metal Jousting, it occurred to me that reality television was nearing the asymptote defined as a vertical line at The Running Man. The curve, however, has bent. Ladies and gentlemen: Ultimate Tazer Ball.

FRONT AND FOLLOW:  Episode 8 of season one of The Wire, "Lessons," and we learn that Stringer's even smarter than we thought (elasticity!), McNulty an even worse dad, and Bunk can't handle ... well, a lot of things. Also, that it's probably nice to get your spouse's book into your tv show if you can.

Alas, poor Stinkum. I have many thoughts right now, none of which I have time to share because of work needs. Tara's TWoP recap is another good place to start, and I'll see you in the comments when I can.

PRECIOUS: Matt Zoller Seitz argues convincingly for the creation of an Academy Award for Best Collaborative Performance (link fixed) to honor folks like Andy Serkis and Frank Oz.

Of course, I'd also like to see them recognize Best Stunt Coordination, Best First Film (director), and Best Debut Performance (actor), but doing so would require their doing something sensible like moving the two Short Film and some technical awards to prior-to-broadcast.

SO HURRY UP, AND BRING YOUR JUKEBOX MONEY: Dexter's Dad reviews Shake Shack for the NYT, hailing the service, shakes, hot dogs and democratizing features while decrying the inconsistency of the burgers and hating on the crinkle-cut french fries.

Shake Shack opens its first Philadelphia location -- a block and a half from my office -- this summer.

IT'S A WRAP!: SFGate's Peter Hartlaub has a charming interview with Erik Bauserfeld, the fellow who voiced Admiral Ackbar.