Inqlings: Dena Blizzard gets a new TV gig

There are now two degrees of separation between

Oprah Winfrey

and South Jersey comedian

Dena Blizzard

.

Blizzard, a frequent contributor to NBC10 (and Miss New Jersey 1995), started work Thursday as the audience warm-up act for the new Nate Berkus show in New York.

Berkus, the decor guru from the Oprah stable, launches his syndicated daily program Sept. 13. It will air locally at 2 p.m. on NBC10.

The show's general theme aims at organizing a mom's life, something that Blizzard, 37, can relate to as she'll juggle the three-day shooting schedule with her home life: kids Dean, 10, Jacqueline, 8, and Brooke, 6, and husband Jim.

Lately, Blizzard has been sitting beside Dennis Malloy, filling in on Trenton's WKXW-FM (101.5) while midday host Michele Pilenza takes maternity leave. With the new job, which took all of three weeks to land, Blizzard will move to two days a week on the radio.

She's done warm-ups for shows hosted by Paula Deen and Emeril Lagasse, and cohosted PBS' Real Simple.

Next to doing stand-up at the United Nations, she says, "this is the biggest regular job I've had."

Also on the comedy circuit: Fishtown's Eric "Doogie" Horner returned to work Friday as a graphic designer at Quirk Books - 36 hours after he was released from NBC's America's Got Talent. Horner, 30, was in the top 48 for his comedy act. "I am happy I made it this far," Horner says. "It exceeded my highest expectations."

Phillies centerfielder

Shane Victorino

spent a little private time with security officials at Philadelphia International Airport. He had no ID with him on July 29 when he joined a promotion in which players, broadcasters, and the Phanatic traded places with Southwest Airlines workers. (The Phanatic brought his ID. Go figure.) Victorino was pulled out of line, quizzed at length, and directed to sign all kinds of declarations. On another Victorino note: He is part of a new AT&T campaign to raise awareness about the risks of texting and driving. High schoolers can enter a contest to have him spend a day at their school, where he presumably will need a hall pass; info:

» READ MORE: www.att.com/txtngcanwait

.

Doug Kammerer

's last day on the CBS3 weather desk is Aug. 17, and his buddies are taking him out Thursday for a farewell. He will start in September as chief meteorologist at the NBC station in Washington.

Wallingford native Chris O'Connell, last at the ABC station in Minneapolis, starts Sept. 13 as a reporter on Fox29. He's 40, a Temple grad, and a former staffer at the school-owned WRTI-FM.

Prashant Shah, seen on ABC's Boston Med, has relocated to Philly to join Fox Chase Cancer Center as a thoracic surgeon.

Wilmington's WSTW-FM (93.7) has shuffled staff, shedding morning host Dana McDonald and afternoon host Rob Acampora. Nancy Johnson and Spencer remain in the morning. Nighttimer Joe Alan is now working afternoons.

Comcast SportsNet is giving away a pair of 2010 lower- level Eagles season tickets at CSNPhilly.com.

Union Trust steak house (717 Chestnut St.) will host a viewing party, complete with comp hors d'oeuvres, from 9 to 11:30 p.m. Friday as the Food Network televises a Chefs vs. City episode featuring executive chef Quincy Logan and chef de cuisine Chaz Brown. The show was shot May 20.

Rapper-actor

T.I.

will walk a red carpet between 7 and 8 p.m. Sunday at the Ritz East (Second Street and Sansom Walk) before a special screening of the flick

Takers

, in which he plays a bank robber. Opens Aug. 27.

Keep your eyes open Monday for Ice Cube, who will be doing the usual media circuit (Fox29's Good Day, NBC10's 10!) as he tub-thumps for the comedy film Lottery Ticket, opening Aug. 20.

Mount Laurel's

Mindy Brooks

wanted to score a meet-and-greet with the

Black Eyed Peas

, her son

Hunter

's favorite group. Hunter has brain cancer and was being treated in Boston, and she knew that the Peas were booked Tuesday at the TD Garden. She boldly called TD Bank headquarters in Cherry Hill, and bank officials secured backstage access. Hunter's chemo ended Wednesday, and the bank threw him a surprise 15th-birthday party Thursday at the branch on Route 73 in Mount Laurel. He's about to enter his freshman year at Shawnee High School.

"Wachovia Center" signs started coming down last week from what is now the Wells Fargo Center, leaving letters scattered about the sidewalk. Not sure of what Comcast-Spectacor and the sign company will do with the letters, I put 'em through an anagram generator.

The best combos using all of the letters:

THEN I CRAVE A COW

NCAA CHEW OVER IT

WE VETO RICH NCAA

EVICT ARENA CHOW

I TEACH NOVA CREW