MUSIC/Oregon City, music capital?

Portlanders are used to bragging about how the gifted band The Shins has a base here in the City of Roses. But as the Web site Pitchfork Media reports, the band recorded its much-anticipated new album, "Wincing the Night Away," at Oregon City’s Supernatural Sound. The CD’s due out Jan. 23, with the first single coming to iTunes on Nov. 14. CULT FAVE DEPT./Now hear this, "Firefly" fans

November sweeps on TV will bring the usual assortment of Very Special Episodes and other folderol. But good news for the ultra-devoted fans of the short-lived "Firefly" TV series and its movie spinoff, "Serenity": Captain Mal Reynolds — aka Nathan Fillion — turns up in a guest spot on the Nov. 8 episode of "Lost." Mark your calendars, browncoats!

The strangely enduring career of professional spoofer "Weird Al" Yankovic gets another boost from the pretty darn funny video for his single, "White & Nerdy." A parody of Chamillionaire’s "Ridin’," Weird Al’s version features him geeking out while rapping lyrics like, "First in my class here at MIT/Got skills, I’m a champion at D&D/M.C. Escher, that’s my favorite M.C./Keep your 40, I’ll just have an Earl Grey tea." TV/No deal

The ratings-challenged NBC network isn’t just laying hundreds of people off. It has announced that the 8-9 p.m. time slot just can’t attract viewers (tell that to "American Idol"). Anyway, the not-so-proud peacock network says it plans to run even more cheapo reality series and game shows in that time period, given the strong ratings for "Deal or No Deal" and "1 vs. 100." I’ll take "Shameless Cop-out" for $500, Alex. FOOD/The smiling steamroller

Rachael Ray, the celebrity cook people either love or teeth-gnashingly hate, continues her quest for world domination. Not only is Ray all over the Food Network, writing cookbooks, hosting her own syndicated talk-show and publishing a magazine, Ray just announced she’s going to open a chain of burger joints. As the giggly Ray would say, "Yum-O!" MOVIES/Fields of gold

It’s never too early — well, actually, it is, but people are already doing it, so what the heck — to start betting who’ll take home Oscars next year. The award-crazed crew at "The Envelope" (http://goldderby.latimes.com) are already chattering about, among others, Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness" (yes, that’s how it’s spelled); Brad Pitt in "Babel," and the movie version of the Broadway smash "Dreamgirls," starring Beyonce. Place your bets, ladies and gents.