THE MOLE has a host...

Anderson Cooper will not be making a grand return to reality television (of course being a news anchor is kind of like hosting a reality tv program, right) but ABC has officially announced the new host of The Mole and you can read about it right here:

The identity of "The Mole" is still a secret, but the name of the show's new host can be revealed: Jon Kelley.
Kelley, a former weekend anchor for "Extra," replaces original "Mole" man Anderson Cooper. Cooper, an unknown at the time of the show's 2001 debut, is now a key CNN primetime anchor.
It's believed ABC is planning to air the new "Mole" Mondays at 10 p.m., starting May 26. Skein will likely be paired with another Alphabet reality revival, "The Bachelorette," which is being eyed for a possible May 19 debut.

PATD; A Pretty Odd Review

After smashing the charts and making oodles of money on their breakthrough premiere album Panic! At The Disco are back with their sophomore attempt titled Pretty.Odd. The band is hoping to show their musical chops and aim for a more mature audience. So the first change was dropping the ! from their name. And for good reason. Gone are the flashy lyrics, the stinging one-liners, and the sexy attitude that made the tween crowds go ga-ga. What the band is presenting here is a much more trippy, adult-tinged foray into The Beatles and The Beach Boys bag o' tricks.

The band still implores the horns and the stringed sections from A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, but they're used much less frequently and not to increase the festive atmosphere, but to carry you away to a new atmosphere. The music is very melodic and slow and the boys have clearly decided that you don't have to sound like you're having a good time in order to make good music. But the truth is, you don't have to have a good time to be a good band. There in lies the catch.

This album is truly good. The lyrics are much more poignant and meaningful and the songs are arranged with a lot more care and precision. But the tempo of the entire album never gets above a loud roar. If Fever was an album of roller coaster theme park rides then Pretty.Odd is a kiddie sized merry-go-round. What they've managed to create are careful, lasting songs that people can listen to ten or fifteen years from now without feeling old. What they may have forgotten to take into account is that their fan base is not THAT much older since their 2005 debut. They might not be ready for the "laying in the lily field" sound that Panic has created.

When The Killers released Hot Fuss in 2004 they were the new face of glam rock. No, not your '80s glam, but a new era of boys in make-up playing good rock n' roll that the general public could tap their feet to. By the time their follow-up Sam's Town was released the make-up, flashy suits, and free spirit had been erased and replaced with bearded men with sulky faces. Their music wasn't worse, but the fun was gone and so were a lot of fans. I fear that Panic might be making the same mistake. Will the Fall Out Boy crowd follow these guys now that they want to be stars? I'm not so sure.

Either way, what it's really about is the music. And the album is full of top notch songs including the best tune "Behind the Sea" where Brandon Urie belts; "Behind the sea they sang, So our matching legs are marching clocks, And we're all too small to talk to God. Yes, we're all too smart to talk to God." Other great songs include the entirely too short, but appropriately named "Folkin' Around." Only two up-tempo songs make the cut one of which is the closing track "Mad as Rabbits."

The Beatles influence and White Album rip-offs (I mean that in a good way) don't end with the band's songs. They also recorded at Abbey Road. If the band can capture an older audience with the song's first single "Nine in the Afternoon," then they have a chance to grown a bigger, long-lasting fan base. I doubt they'll ever enter The Beatles stratosphere as far as album sales, but they've done a nice job here of capturing that atmosphere.

Album Grade: B+

Baseball Season Predictions

Here are my choices for division winners, wild cards and champions.

National League:
East - New York Mets
Central - Chicago Cubs
West - Arizona Diamondbacks
Wild Card - Los Angeles Dodgers

American League:
East - Boston Redsox
Central - Detroit Tigers
West- Los Angeles Angels
Wild Card - Cleveland Indians

Yes, I have the Yankees missing the playoffs. I also have the National League Pennant winners from 2007, the Colorado Rockies missing the playoffs. Call me crazy.

Mets over Dodgers
Cubs over Diamondbacks (revenge for last season's sweep)
Mets over Cubs

Redsox over Indians (no revenge here)
Tigers over Angels
Tigers over Redsox

Tigers over Mets in 7

You heard it here first. No need to to even watch the season...most of you wouldn't have anyway.

OUT!

My Bru

Many of you ask to see more pictures of Brutus since I haven't put him up on the blog lately. So here ya go...Brutus all 13 months, 155 pound of sweetness.

Two Bands, One Night, Eight Fans, One Fight

Selena and I went to Little Rock two weeks ago to see Eve 6 and Wheatus. For those of you who don't remember Eve 6, they're a pop-punk trio from So.Cal famous for the hits "Here's To The Night," and "Inside Out." You remember "Inside Out," wanna put my tender heart in a blender, watch it spin around...

And what about Wheatus of the "Teenage Dirtbag" fame? You know...I'm just a teenage dirtbag baby, listen Iron Maiden maybe with you

Anyway, if you don't remember no sweat. A lot of other people didn't either. 8 people showed up to hear Wheatus. The turn out for Eve 6 was quite a bit better at least. Here are a couple of pics.

Lindsey Davenport

I never got a chance to post any pictures on here from the tennis tournament. Here are a couple of shots of Lindsey Davenport. The grandslam champion is making a comeback after being out of tennis for over a year to have a child. She won the Cellular South Cup here in Memphis this year and we can only hope that she will return next year to defend her crown.

Remembering Kurt

I always get a little down in the dumps around this time of year. Early next month will mark the 14th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death. I am still reluctant to call it a suicide, but officially that's what it was. Nothing more, nothing less. If he didn't pull the trigger that day he likely would have killed himself eventually with the drugs and lifestyle that he was living. Nirvana's legacy will always be one that is debated. Some, like me feel that this band transformed the musical landscape and brought us out of the glam rock-cheese pop 80's. Others credit bands like The Melvins or The Pixies. My real feeling on the matter though is that Nirvana scored the popularity needed to focus America's attention to a new sound. We still have many copy cats and pretenders living off of the road paved by Cobain and Cornell and Mark Arm (Mudhoney) and The Screaming Trees. Those modern rock bands have watered down the sound and spirit of what the grunge movement was all about.

Either way Kurt was a pioneer and a unique soul and I still think about him every year around this time. He was the sound, voice, and the face of Generation X.

RIP

Holla...

I don't want to gloat until we are sure Memphis actually makes it past the Sweet 16, but I wanted to take a minute and say goodbye to Chris Lofton, I won't miss you at all, asshole.

Slogging on Blogging

Don't really know why I've been so sluggish with the blogging lately. I want to blog every day, several times a day, but I just don't do it. So let's play catch-up. Lots to discuss.

1. Is anyone else already missing Lost yet? It's supposed to be on right this minute, but thanks to the stupid strike it's off until late April. At least when it returns it gets some friends in Grey's Anatomy and Housewives. Who knew Housewives would be a show I missed, but this season has easily been the best in the series' history.

2. Is anyone going to beat North Carolina? I don't think so. They dismantled a good Wazzu team their athleticism. Pretty impressive.

3. Speaking of sports, this is a really cool time of year. I love it. Not as good as August and the feeling of football being right around the corner, but it's still a special time of year. March Madness. Baseball season starts Sunday (the American Opening anyway). NBA and NHL playoffs both start in just a couple of weeks. Beth is going to hate being around the house the next month or two. Luckily for her I am a nice guy and still watching American Idol for her.

4. Speaking of American Idol, I finally have a favorite contestant. I think I like David Cook. He is the only rocker left on the show and I'm pretty sure he isn't going to win, but he should have a few more safe weeks as long as Syesha, Kristy Lee Cook, and Ramiele are around. Then we'll be down the the folks that can both sing and perform. I love Syesha, but she's destined to be an actress, not a singer. She's too beautiful to be a singer.

5. Big Brother was wild this week. A-Baller put a big fat target on his head, but was spared when Naughty Natalia won HoH. I'm pretty bummed about that because I don't think Crazy James has too many lives left. But didn't the video package about Adam make you like him more? It did for me.

6. I know only like two of you reading will care about this, but Battlestar Galactica is back NEXT FRIDAY NIGHT. Hell Frakkin Yeah! For those of you who think you are too cool to watch BSG, the joke's on you. It is the most intelligent show on television.

7. Tigers play tomorrow night and I'm a nervous wreck. A lot of people saw Mississippi State give us problems and expected us to be playing Pitt. They assume since we dodged the Pitt bullet that Michigan State will be a piece of cake game. Don't count on it. They have a couple of great guards and shoot the three well. Truth is this; if Dorsey plays like he did last weekend then MSU won't hang with us. He is our energy source.


Ok enough rambling, I'm off to watch Louisville vs. Tennessee. I hate both of these teams, but I can honestly say that I'm a Cardinal fan tonight.

OUT!

How I Met Another Year

I'm a huge fan of How I Met Your Mother and I begged my friends to watch it last night. I don't know if you did or not, but someone sure watched. There were nearly 10 million viewers and with those kind of numbers the show has a chance of getting picked up next year. WHOOO HOOO!

The sitcoms are back -- and viewers have returned with them.

The first scripted productions to resume their broadcast runs since the writers strike ended were rewarded with some of their highest ratings all season.

CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" (9.1 million viewers, 3.7 preliminary adults 18-49 rating/11 share) matched it season premiere rating. "How I Met Your Mother" (9.7 million, 4.3/11), "Two and a Half Men" (14.0 million, 5.4/13) and "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (11.4 million, 4.3/11) all hit a season highs. The sitcoms were followed by a "CSI: Miami" repeat (9.6 million, 3.0/8).

The news should give broadcast networks a sigh of relief as the industry expected the four-month strike to result in viewership declines for returning shows. Also, "Mother" has yet to be renewed for the fall, and its rating should help ensure the series a pickup.

Big Brother House Is A Hot Tranny Mess

The competition in the Big Brother house is FIERCE. And I mean, split right down the middle, pick a side or die, Fierce.
James is the HoH and what a time to be in charge. His side; James, Chelsea, Sharon, and sort of Joshuah are one man short of having an equal playing field. The other side; Matt, Natalie, Ryan, Adam, and Sheila are holding on to their alliance by a thread. Will Baller switch sides? Are Ryan and Matt the most paranoid people in the game ever.
I have to say that Sheila has played the game exceptionally. Minus a few bitchy hiccups in the first few days after getting stuck with Baller she has been controlling virtually everything in the house. Yeah Matt can scream and point fingers and parade around like Joshua at at Rainbow Parade, but Sheila is the only reason his pretty face is still being shown on tv.
The two easiest people to turn in the house are Sheila and Adam. They flip and flop more than a shoe sale at American Eagle, but they know how to make it look like they're clean.
Here is what I think this all comes down to this week; If word officially gets out that Matt was the 3rd vote to bring back the mystery guest and not bring back James, then James could turn on his word, back door Matt and all hell will break loose. But, the question is whether James is so concerned with proving a point by keeping his word that he will lose focus of the game and end up making a mistake.
By getting Sheila evicted this week James will have really accomplished nothing. Like I said earlier, Sheila is a flipper and she isn't going to ever be fully loyal to anyone. Remember how she sold Allison down the river? What a perfect ploy to make Allison look like a bitch. So James needs to focus his attention on getting Ryan out. If Ryan wins the Veto then James would be a Class A fool to not replace him with Matt. Period. That plan could backfire and the house keep Matt because of James going back on his word to Natalie who worked so hard to strike that deal during the HoH comp, but getting Adam or Sheila out of the house serves no long term purpose!

Well that's my two cents. What do you Brother Watchers think? Chime in and let's see how this plays out.

OUT!

When You've Gotta Go...

WICHITA, Kan. -

Authorities are considering charges in the bizarre case of a woman who sat on her boyfriend's toilet for two years — so long that her body was stuck to the seat by the time the boyfriend finally called police.
Ness County Sheriff Bryan Whipple said it appeared the 35-year-old Ness City woman's skin had grown around the seat. She initially refused emergency medical services but was finally convinced by responders and her boyfriend that she needed to be checked out at a hospital.
"We pried the toilet seat off with a pry bar and the seat went with her to the hospital," Whipple said. "The hospital removed it."
Whipple said investigators planned to present their report Wednesday to the county attorney, who will determine whether any charges should be filed against the woman's 36-year-old boyfriend.
"She was not glued. She was not tied. She was just physically stuck by her body," Whipple said. "It is hard to imagine. ... I still have a hard time imagining it myself."
He told investigators he brought his girlfriend food and water, and asked her every day to come out of the bathroom.
"And her reply would be, `Maybe tomorrow,'" Whipple said. "According to him, she did not want to leave the bathroom."
The boyfriend called police on Feb. 27 to report that "there was something wrong with his girlfriend," Whipple said, adding that he never explained why it took him two years to call.
Police found the clothed woman sitting on the toilet, her sweat pants down to her mid-thigh. She was "somewhat disoriented," and her legs looked like they had atrophied, Whipple said.
"She said that she didn't need any help, that she was OK and did not want to leave," he said.
She was reported in fair condition at a hospital in Wichita, about 150 miles southeast of Ness City. Whipple said she has refused to cooperate with medical providers or law enforcement investigators.
Authorities said they did not know if she was mentally or physically disabled.
Police have declined to release the couple's names, but the house where authorities say the incident happened is listed in public records as the residence of Kory McFarren. No one answered his home phone number.
The case has been the buzz of Ness City, said James Ellis, a neighbor.
"I don't think anybody can make any sense out of it," he said.
Ellis said he had known the woman since she was a child but that he had not seen her for at least six years.
He said she had a tough childhood after her mother died at a young age and apparently was usually kept inside the house as she grew up. At one time the woman worked for a long-term care facility, he said, but he did not know what kind of work she did there.
"It really doesn't surprise me," Ellis said. "What surprises me is somebody wasn't called in a bit earlier."

THE NEW INCREDIBLE HULK TRAILER

Follow this link to check out the MTV exclusive trailer for The Incredible Hulk trailer...

http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1583143&vid=215625

Another Bad Movie Idea

From Perez Hilton:

Michael Bay is ruining yet another film.

The big budget, special effects-crazed director/producer is remaking the classic scary movie, Rosemary's Baby. You know…the devil made her preggers movie!

Bay's company is also remaking A Nightmare On Elm Street and previously worked on the Texas Chainsaw Massacre update.

He needs to retire!!!!

Big Brother "It's On"

Hey, now that the couples have been busted up, Big Brother has flipped the switch into high gear. Last night's episode was chock full of drama, laughs, and twists. Just wait until tonight when the houseguests find out that a former player is making his or her way back onto the show.

Who do you think it's going to be. I can make a case for almost any of the players to come back. I don't think it will be Jacob because the first person out is usually the least remembered by America. But if he returned it would certainly spice things up assuming Sharon stays in tonight. Like I said though, it is unlikely that he gets the votes.
Parker was the nice guy that most everyone I have talked to liked. However, will America vote for the nice guy or a vixen who is going to come in and shake things up? Allison or Amanda would really bring some added spice to the house. Allison and Joshuah having another showdown sounds great to me. And then there's Alex who might garner some sympathy votes from fans who thought he wouldn't have been booted if not for Amanda. Also, he might have some votes from fans of Mattie who he was close with in the house. Either way, no matter who it is, it's going to turn the house upside down again.

Ryan taking the money from Sheila was a low blow, but I would have done it too. It's 10,000 dollars. Hello. I don't care about her kid. To defend Sheila though, I think a mom has a right to play the "single parent" card anytime they want. Have you raised a baby lately? From what I hear it gives you a whole new appreciation for all of the sacrifices your parents made for you. Chelsia should have just kept her mouth closed, even though I completely see where she was coming from.

I so didn't really think James would be put on the block. How could it not have been Josh? I guess Ryan really is a man of his word. He promised safety to two people, Josh and Matt. Funny that it's those two people since they now find themselves on opposite sides of the divided house.
James, Sharon, Chelsia, and Josh are going to be pitted against Matt, Ryan, Natalie, Baller, and Sheila for the next few weeks. With James or Sharon going home tonight Matt's alliance would seem to hold all of the power. Who comes back into the house will now be a BIG difference maker.

Have I mentioned I love this show... As of right now;

My favorite Player: James
My favorite Person: Ryan
My least favorite Gamer: Matt
My least favorite Person: Josh
The Most Worthless Player: Natalie
The most surprising player: Adam


I hope Sharon goes home tonight. She's already been evicted once and she brings nothing into the house at all.

Quick Hits

A woman in Dallas, Tx threw her 6 year old and 8 year old off of an overpass into oncoming rush hour traffic. The boys survived and are in good condition. I think one of them has a broken arm. The woman is said to be in critical condition.


Last night's American Idol just made a ton of people look dumb. And by a ton of people I mean critics. Everyone has already crowned 17 year old wunderkind David Archuletta as the next idol...including my favorite critic Alan Sepinwall. He ran a commentary yesterday in the New Jersey Post about how it was Archuletta on top and everyone else playing for second. And then the kid comes out and butchers a Beatles song forgetting his words three or four times.
He's still a front runner, but he just let the pack catch up to him.

TV shows are about to start heading back to the small screen. How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, and The Big Bang Theory all return on Monday the 17th. Please tune in. Especailly to How I Met Your Mother. It is the little show that could and also the little show that should...as in should be watched by WAAAAY more people. It has Neil Patrick Harris for crying out loud. Please check out this show. It is on the bubble and might not make it past this season if you don't tune in. And if you weren't able to watch The Big Bang Theory during it's inital set of episodes before the strike, check out this new gem. It is highly entertaining and very funny. The Big Bang Theory kicks off the CBS Monday Night Line-up on the 17th at 7:00 Central Time, followed by Mother, Christine, and 2 1/2 Men.

This Movie Just Keeps Looking Better and Better

SPRING MOVIES TO SEE

Can you believe it is already time to SPRING your clocks forward this coming Sunday? It's going to be getting dark a lot later, softball fields are going to start filling up, and good movies are finally going to return to the theaters now that the January and February dumping fields have moved on.

WHAT TO SEE:
MARCH

Funny Games - March 14 ( Naomi Watts, Michael Pitt, Tim Roth)
Two psychopaths invade a couple's home and bet them that they can't survive a series of sadistic games until the morning. It's a new twist on cinematic sadism.

Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who! - March 14 (Jim Carrey, Steve Carrell)
If the two starred in a live-action film I wouldn't miss it for the world. For now I'll have to settle for a Carrey/Carrell collaboration in animation format.

The Grand -March 21 (Woody Harrelson, David Cross)
This is the first that most of you have or will hear of this HIGHLY acclaimed mockumentary. There are two distinct differences between this film and the Christopher Guest style movies that many of you are familiar with; the first being that this isn't a Christopher Guest movie and 2nd this movie takes place over the course of a pro poker tournament. It should be laughs aplenty.

21 - March 28 (Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworht, Kevin Spacey)
The true story of how several MIT students learned to count cards and take several casinos for millions of dollars.

Noteworthy:
Chapter 27 - March 28 (Jared Leto)
This film premiered at Sundance this year and is mostly remembered because Leto gained so much weight to play Mark David Chapman (Lennon's killer) that he got gout.

Stop Loss - March 28 (Ryan Phillipe)
The biggest buzz about this Iraq-soldier driven story is that it's directed by Kimnberly Pierce, returning to the director's chair for the first time in nine years when she helmed Boys Don't Cry.

APRIL

Leatherheads - April 4 (George Clooney, John Krasinski)
Hey, Jim from The Office is in this old-timey football dramedy. Need I say more? Clooney also directs.

The Ruins - April 4 (Jena Malone, Shawn Ashmor)
I'm pretty sure this will be a box office bomb, but I read the book by Scott Smith (A Simple Plan) and it scared the hell out of me. So count me in.

Street Kings - April 11 (Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker)
Directed and written by David Ayer (Training Day) Keanu Reeves suits back up in an LAPD uniform for the first time since Speed. This time he's fighting the guys on the same side of the law as him hen he is accused of killing a fellow cop. James Ellroy co-wrote this can't miss crime caper.

Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay - April 25 (Kal Penn, John Cho, NPH)
Can this movie live up to the first, no way. Am I going to be there hoping it does, hell yeah.

Noteworthy:
Baby Mama - April 25 (Tina Fey, Amy Poehler)
Tina Fey looks hilarious in the trailer, so for right now, I'm in. She wants a baby and Amy Poehler is apparently the only one she can find. Hilarity ensues.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall - April 18 (Jason Segel, Kristen Bell)
First of all, I am seeing anything that Kristen Bell is in. I loved Veronica Mars that much. Secondly Judd Apatow produced this film and it has a lot the usual misfits in small roles. The plot? A guy gets dumped by his girl and so he goes on vacation to recover only to run into said girl and her new beau.


WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE IN MARCH AND APRIL?

OUT!

A Week Off

I took most of the week off from blogging so that I could enjoy the tennis tournament. It was a great week for me. Very relaxing. I was able to forget about all of the stressful things in my life for a while and just kick back.
I will be back to blogging full time starting tomorrow.