Betty White

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for the weekend … but let’s enjoy the latest edition of the High 5 first:

WHAT THE WORLD IS TALKING ABOUT: Have you ever noticed any news concerning Betty White brings a smile to your face?

1. Betty White: NBC has just announced it will broadcast Betty White’s Off Their Rockers, a new hidden-camera comedy show hosted and executive -produced by White. According to USA Today, the 12 half-hour episodes of the series will follow a band of seven senior citizens who play pranks on unsuspecting younger people (which, in Betty’s case, includes just about everyone).
2. Barack Obama: The president’s appoval rating among an important voting bloc — 18-29 year-olds — rose to 55 percent, a six-percentage point uptick since last October, according to a poll releasedby the Institute of Politics at Harvard University.
3. Mad Men: The A&E hit series is going to end — after three more seasons, its creator, Matthew Weiner, has announced.
4. Paul McDonald: One of the leading favorites on this season’s American Idol competition, McDonald was nearly eliminated Thursday night when he was among the three lowest vote-getters after Wednesday night’s performance show. The bottom two vote-getters were sent home, but McDonald survived to sing another day. Barely.
5. Opening Day: Baseball season returned Thursday, but it was not a happy day for Cardinals fans. St. Louis lost its opener to San Diego in extra innings.
6. John Travolta: He has signed to play mobster John Gotti in an upcoming film.
7. The movies: Source Code, Hop and Insidious open this weekend. Hop may win the box office, but Source Code is getting the top reviews.
8. Moammar Gadaffi: It has been revealed the Libyan nutball had cosmetic surgery in the past. Hmmm … didn’t seem to work.
9. Charlie Sheen: All has been quiet in Charlie’s world the past few days. Not sure if that is a good sign or not.
10. Albert Pujols: The Cardinals’ slugger went 0-for-5 in Thursday’s season opener and became the first player to ground into three double plays on Opening Day since such things started being kept in 1933.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Obviously you’ve never seen Spongebob.”

OVERRATED: Those small bags of Pepperidge Farm cookies that cost almost $4 for about five minutes worth of enjoyment.

UNDERRATED: Walking through the Hy-Vee bakery late Thursday afternoon when a box of five maple-frosted longjohns is reducted to $2. Suh-weeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

BIRTHDAY BANTER: I could never watch Love Story a second time, not even after all of these years …

– MSNBC host Rachel Maddow is 38. (Funny, isn’t it, how she survived at MSNBC and Keith Olbermann didn’t.)
– Singer Hillary Scott is 27. (She’s the lady in Lady Antebellum.)
– Actrss Ali MacGraw is 73. (Love Story is still one of the saddest movies I have ever seen.)
– Google GMail is 7. (I’m still a Yahoo! mail kind of guy.)

Bill Murray

Bill Murray? Bill Murray? Bill Murray as FDR? Read all about it in the latest edition of the High 5:

WHOAAAA: I seriously doubt anyone saw this one coming. Comedian Bill Murray — yes that Bill Murray of Caddyshack and Ghostbusters fame — has signed to play former President Franlin D. Roosevelt in the film Hyde Park on the Hudson. It’s been a long time since Murray has taken on a serious role. Even in his more dramatic recent fare like The Limits of Control or Passion Play, “his characters have offered a slice of charismatic levity in an otherwise more serious environment,” according to PopEaster.com. The movie will revolve around FDR’s love affair with a distant cousin, and the first time a reigning British monarch stepped on American soil. The king and queen spent a weekend on the Hudson with FDR in 1939, as World War II was beginning. The only question now? Who will play Eleanor?

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Oh to be a wealthy man’s poodle.”

OVERRATED: Olympics, mostly the winter variety.

UNDERRATED: Wrestlemania.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: I always felt a Cheers spinoff involving Rhea Perlman would have been a huge hit …

– AC/DC guitarist Angus Young is 56. (His older brother, George, was a member of the late 1960s group The Easybeats.)
– Actress Rhea Perlman is 63. (She played waitress Carla Tortelli on Cheers.)
– Actress Shirley Jones is 77. (She’s best remembered as the mom in The Partidge Family TV series.)
– Acror Gabe Kaplan is 66. (The Welcome Back Kotter star now devotes most of his time to being a professional poker player.)

Shania Twain

The wait is almost over … find out concerning what in the latest edition of the High 5:

WHAT THE WORLD IS TALKING ABOUT: What’s your favorite Shania Twain song? I think I’ll go with “You Win My love”.

1. Shania Twain: Awesome news from this front. Shania has announced she is going to return to the studio to record a new album and tour again. Twain added that fans will be able to hear her new music “soon,” and that she’s documented some of her songwriting process in an upcoming documentary-style TV series about her life. Set to debut May 27 on the OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in Canada, “Why Not? with Shania Twain” follows the chart-topper as she rediscovers herself after divorce and a break from recording. (In a word, suh-weeet!)
2. NCAA Tournament: People like their March Madness, so much so CBS took the No. 1 spot in last week’s network rankings.
3. Jake Gyllenhaal: His new movie Source Code is creating quite the buzz, looks like guaranteed boffo box office.
4. The Kennedys: The Reelz Channel’s miniseries, which was initially being hailed as “controversial,” is now being called “dull, unwatchable” and a “hamfisted mess.”
5. Kourtney Kardashian: She made her acting debut this week on ABC’s One Life to Live. Don’t hold your breath for any sort of Emmy nomination.
6. Kevin Federline: The former backup dancer, one-time rapper and father of two children with Britney Spears is expecting his fifth child this summer — his first baby with latest girlfriend Victoria Prince.
7. Kelly Osbourne: Ozzy’s kid owes more than $30,000 in unpaid taxes.
8. Scarlett Johansson: It’s official. She and Sean Penn are an item. Don’t know about you, but I’ll sleep it better tonight knowing that.
9. Dancing with the Stars: The ABC hit show attracted 22.3 million viewers Monday night. That’s American Idol territory.
10. Reese Witherspoon: Her wedding shoes cost $645. What? Wasn’t Kohl’s open?

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Some guys simply just have it, and some guys don’t.”

OVERRATED: Any sort of burrito, except the breakfast variety.

UNDERRATED: Fajitas, particularly those with such ingredients as steak, mushrooms and/or shrimp.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: I think it would be cool to have Eric Clapton as a neighjbor. Imagine all of the people who would be stopping by to see him …

– Actor Warren Beatty is 75. (So, was it him that Carly Simon sang about in “You’re So Vain” — or not?)
– Musician Eric Clapton is 66. (Raise your hand if you remember Clapton when he was with Cream.)
– Singer Celine Dion is 43. (She is now the queen of Las Vegas.)
– Singer Norah Jones is 32. (Isn’t she about due for another hit? What a great voice.)

Welcome to the 553rd consecutive day of the High 5:

AND IT DIDN’T EVEN INCLUDE PAY PER VIEW: Let’s be honest. We’ve all been upset with the cable company at some point in our lives, but a Beavercreek, Ohio man has more than enough reason to make a phone call. Seeing his $16.4 million cable bill from Time Warner, Daniel DeVirgilio “almost had a heart attack,” according to published reports. DeVirgilio, an engineer at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in southwest Ohio, received a notice that his credit card payment to Time Warner had been rejected for non-sufficient funds. The payment amount was for $16,409,107. “Had I known this I would have bought Showtime,” DeVirgilio joked. “Five bucks more for Showtime is a bit much, but heck – $16,409,112, who cares?” Time Warner Cable blamed the $16.4 million figure on human error, saying that an employee typed in the incorrect number for DeVirgillio’s payment, causing the Time Warner’s automated system to generate the letter. DeVirgilio, 26, says his usual monthly automatic payment is about $80. He did some calculating and figured out that in order to run up a $16.4 million monthly bill, he would have to order an on-demand movie 1.6 million times or a pay-per-view fight 400,000 times. “All I want(ed) to do is watch March Madness,” DeVirgilio said. “I didn’t really expect to pay $16 million to watch the Sweet 16.”

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “ I’ve been shot twice and stabbed once but I still like guns and knives better than cocktail parties. Further evidence of man’s inhumanity to man.”

Elle MacPherson

OVERRATED: The new Hawaii Five-O. (I’ve had enough after Monday night. Four reruns in five weeks is a bit much. This was one of my favorite shows since the start of the fall season … but what is CBS thinking? Is it any wonder the show’s ratings are plummeting?

UNDERRATED: The NCAA Women’s basketball tournament. (Hey, I had to watch something when Hawaii Five-O turned out to be another blasted rerun.)

BIRTHDAY BANTER: With baseball season opening later this week, it’s only fitting we remember one of the all-time greats today …

– Actress Lucy Lawless is 43. (She was Xena: Warrior Princess.)
– Supermodel Elle MacPherson is 47. (What red-blooded male baby boomer does not know Elle MacPherson?)
– In memoriam: Baseball legend Cy Young would be 144. (He was so good they named an award after him.)
– Comedian Eric Idle is 68. (He’ll forever be linked to Monty Python.)

Sarah Palin

Welcome to another week of the High 5. Proceed with caution:

NOT DEAD YET: Just when it appeared Sarah Palin’s star may be falling on the GOP presidential candidate horizon, the Hollywood Reporter reveals: Among all Republican presidential hopefuls, Palin is winning in popularity on Facebook. When looking at official Facebook pages, the former Alaska governor and TLC reality star has more than 2.8 million “likes.”  That’s far more than her rivals. Here’s a breakdown:

– Sarah Palin, 2.8 million Facebook “likes”
– Mitt Romney, 830,000
– Mike Huckabee, 550,000
– Ron Paul, 315,000
– Donald Trump, 197,000
– Newt Gingrich, 120,000
– Michele Bachmann, 114,000

However, Palin has a lot of catching up to do on Twitter, where Gingrich has a massive lead at more than 1.3 million followers compared to Palin’s 462,000. Here’s the breakdown:

Julia Stiles

– Newt Gingrich, 1.3 million Twitter followers
– Sarah Palin, 462,000
– Donald Trump, 445,000
– Mike Huckabee, 140,000
– Michele Bachmann, 39,000
– Ron Paul, 38,000
– Mitt Romney, 31,000
 
FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “It’s never good when they hand you the spark plug.”

OVERRATED: Hershey’s dark chocolate.

UNDERRATED: Snickers, the peanut butter version.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: We need a comeback by Julia Stiles …

– Actress Julia Stiles is 30. (Whatever happened to her? Ten years ago I thought she was going to be one of the next big stars. Very, very disappointing.)
– Actor Vince Vaughn is 41. (Vince Vaughn or Will Ferrell? Vince Vaughn.)
– Singer Reba McIntire is 56. (How can you not like Reba?)
– Singer Lady Gaga is 25. (Twenty-five? She looks like she is closing in on 40.)

Sylvester Stallone, during his "Rambo" period.

For the guy who thought he had everything, think again … read all about it in today’s High 5:

THAT SLY, HE’S SO FLY: Movie star Sylvester Stallone, 65, is launching his own line of men’s wear and will try and to combine the “Rambo” and “Rocky” themes that have made him famous. In a move sure to have the fashion police on red alert, Stallone has announced plans to develop Stallone, a “men’s lifestyle brand” inspired by his turns in those films. The line will debut in 2012, and its first collection will feature jeans, outerwear, shirts, underwear and watches. Eyewear, grooming products, fragrance, and athletic shoes will follow. It’s unclear just how much camouflage will be involved into the designs — insert laugh track here — but Stallone says he will target men between 25 and 40, and sell the range in mid-tier department stores like Macy’s. Wow. Can’t wait for this stuff.

Fergie

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Oh look …. a duck.”

OVERRATED: Potato soup.

UNDERRATED: Potato salad (but leave those little chunks of pickle out. Use celery instead.)

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Have you ever noticed the common denominator for pop culture is American Idol?

– Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas is 36. (Did you see Fergie and the Peas on American Idol earlier this month? What exactly was she thinking with that look?)
– Director Quentin Tarantino is 48. (He’s a huge American Idol fan.)
– Singer Mariah Carey is 41. (Nine more years and she can have an AARP card.)
– Saxophonist Dave Koz is 48. (But is he better than Kenny G?)

Kirstie Alley, left, was called a "pig" by talk show host George Lopez.

Welcome to the 550th consecutive day of the High 5:

1. Do You Believe This? LOL!: The Oxford English Dictionary this week approved a number of new words that have left many scholar types scratching and shaking their heads. Some of the most noteworthy additions include the words “muffin top” and Internet acronyms “LOL” and “OMG.” The definition of “muffin top” is “a protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers”. The Internet acronyms being included are a continuing trend where pop culture and social norms emerge as legitimate words. The Oxford English Dictionary is the largest collection of recognized words and definitions, with more than 600,000 words being defined. One more oddity: The heart symbol has also gained entry into the Oxford English Dictionary
2. George Lopez: The comedian and talk show host apologized to Dancing with the Stars contestant Kirstie Alley for comparing her to a pig.
3. Kirstie Alley: She’s not quite ready to forgive George. This could be entertaining for a week or so.
4. Jersey Shore: Ronnie Magro and Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola broke up on the Season 3 finale. And for those who care, MTV is sending the Jersey Shore bunch to Italy for Season 4.
5. American Idol: Thursday’s incredibly interesting results show is still the talk of the industrry (see the “Idol Nation” blog on this website).
6. Sucker Punch: One of this week’s new movie releases is getting such bad reviews, that the reviews themselves are becoming famous for their creativity in trying to describe the absurdity of the film.
7. Lady Gaga: The singer posted a self-described country version of her current hit “Born This Way” on her YouTube site. The song adds country instrumentation, including a fiddle. The song is also slightly different lyrically.
8. “Songs for Japan”: Lady Gaga, Eminem, Beyoncé, Madonna, the Kings of Leon and Katy Perry joined a list of already-announced artists like Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna on the album, which is available worldwide on the iTunes Store for $9.99. Proceeds from the sale of “Songs for Japan” will benefit the Japanese Red Cross Society.
9. Whoopi Goldberg: Now admits she was stoned when accepting an Academy Award in 1990 for her role in Ghost.
10. Lindsay Lohan: She is dropping her last name. She is now known simply as Lindsay. Here’s a quarter, Lindsay. Call someone who cares.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Just did a good ole’ fashion Facebook friend clean-up. Had to let several go.”

OVERRATED: Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon.

UNDERRATED: Freddie and the Dreamers.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Some huge stars are celebrating today, starting with the new Mr. Television, Steven Tyler …

– Singer Steven Tyler of American Idol (and Aerosmith) is 63. (He’s personally responsible for rejuvenating America’s favorite television show.)
– Singer Kenny Chesney is 43. (Seriously, about 10 years did anyone really think Kenny would become this big of a superstar?)
– Singer Diana Ross is 67. (And she still looks good.)
– Actor James Caan is 71. His son, Scott, is one of the stars of the new Hawaii Five-O.)

Sit back, relax, grab a doughnut and a Diet Mountain Dew and enjoy the latest edition of the High 5:

WHAT THE WORLD IS TALKING ABOUT: The first time I heard Aretha Franklin sing I was in the seventh grade. I’ve been a fan ever since …

1. Aretha Franklin: We usually save the birthday wishes for the “Banter” section, but we’re making an exception. The Queen of Soul is 69 on Friday and deserves a special round of applause. She’s bouncing back from a nasty bout with pancreatic cancer. Not only has she lived to tell about it, but she’s getting ready to perform again. Gimme a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T for the first lady of Motown.
2. Glenn Beck: The controversial talk-show host is reportedly planning to leave Fox News to start his own network. The controversial host is said to be contemplating “partial or wholesale takeover of a cable channel” once his contract expires at Fox News Channel.
3. Census: The U.S. Hispanic population is now at 50 million, according to government reports.
4. Simon Cowell: Says the gifted one about his new X Factor show coming in the fall: “We were here 10 years ago with a show no one knew about, and I remember thinking, ‘This is fun because you don’t know what’s going to happen.’ And it’s like the same feeling all over again.”
5. American Idol: The comeback show of the year continues to sizzle in the ratings — and at the water cooler. My only question is, How can Idol be considered a comeback show of the year when it was already No. 1 for the last 500 years (or so it seems)?
6. Robert Pattinson: He says he’s ready to move on from the Twilight series. Good luck with that.

Glenn Beck

7. Michael Jordan: He’s opening a new restaurant in Chicago. I hear each woman who enters the establishment will be presented with a rose, a Derrick Rose.
8. Russell Brand: He said he wanted to marry Katy Perry on their first date. (I know how you feel, Russell. I wanted to marry my wife on our first date, but like you and Katy, it took about a year to convince her.)
9. Comic books: Thor, Iron Man and Captain America will face Serpent and Sin villainy in a seven-issue monthly miniseries that starts April 6. (I’m not even sure what that means.)
10. Elizabeth Taylor: The late Hollywood legend who died Wednesday officially succumbed at age 79 to heart disease, the leading killer of women in the world. She had been hospitalized for six weeks with congestive heart failure.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Your shake just got better.”

OVERRATED: Keith Hernandez.

UNDERRATED: Toby Keith.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Four of my favorite personalities, all on the same day …

– Auto racer/TV personality Danica Patrick is 29. (Has the girl ever won a race?)
– Former National League Cy Young Award winner Tom Glavine is 45. (One of the classiest players ever who should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.)
– Actress Sarah Jessica Parker is 46. (The Sex and the City star was born in Ohio. I always knew there was always something about her that I liked.)
– Singer Elton John is 64. (It all started with “Your Song”.)

Turkeyburger? No. Hamburger? Yes.

Rough day for Missouri basketball fans, but they can find calm in the eye of the storm right here in the latest edition of the High 5:

WHAT THE WORLD IS TALKING ABOUT: For those who grew up in the boomer era, the loss of Elizabeth Taylor was a big blow …

1. Elizabeth Taylor: Farewell to a fine actress and a beautiful lady.
2. Japan disaster: Early price tag on the devastation is more than $300 billion.
3. All My Children: Looks like ABC will pull the plug on longstanding soap All My Children — after 41 years.
4. (The late) Paul Newman: He once gave a touching tribute to Liz Taylor, saying she “radiated charm”.
5. Zsa Zsa Gabor: The ailing actress, 94, says she “is next” after hearing of Taylor’s death.
6. Gwen Stefani: The lead singer of No Doubt donates $1 million toward Japan relief.
7. Stefano Langone: A police report has surfaced indicating that Langone, a finalist on American Idol, was arrested for DUI last year.
8. Lady Gaga: She says she will not do any sort of reality TV show. I’ll sleep better tonight knowing that.

Mike Anderson: Here today, gone tomorrow.

9. Detroit: The beleaguered city has lost 25 percent of its population since the last census.
10. Mike Anderson: In the noble world of college basketball, Anderson committed to staying at Missouri on Tuesday and agreed to coach Arkansas on Wednesday.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Do I ever think of the hereafter? Yes wherever I go, I ask myself, ‘Now what am I here after?’”

OVERRATED: Turkeyburgers. If it’s a “burger” it better have “ham” as prefix.

UNDERRATED: Those $5 box lunches at KFC. Hmmm… which is the better bargain, the $5 box lunch at Hardee’s or KFC?

BIRTHDAY BANTER: I don’t think Tommy Hilfiger makes my size of jeans …

– Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is 35. (As soon as he retired from the NFL, a career in TV will await Archie Manning’s oldest son, who has never met a camera he did not like.)
– Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger is 60. (I prefer to get my jeans at Walmart and save about 75 bucks.)
– Comedian Louie Anderson is 58. (I have no proof, but I’m pretty sure Louie has never tried that South Beach diet.)
– In memoriam: Actor Steve McQueen would have been 81. (Favorite Steve McQueen film? Mine is Papillon.)

It’s a wonderful day in the land of the High 5. Let’s enjoy it together:

WHAT THE WORLD IS TALKING ABOUT: In a way, I hope Charlie Sheen and CBS are able to tie the knot (again). That way we’ll be done hearing about all the peripheral crap …

1. Charlie Sheen: After all that has happened in the past month, it appears the troubled star of Two and a Half Men may be headed back to the CBS show after he was unceremoniously canned. I didn’t see this coming.
2. Kirstie Alley: The Jenny Craig poster girl was apparently the star of the night in her debut on Dancing with the Stars. I didn’t see this coming either.
3. Prince William and Kate Middleton: Raise your hand if you care.
4. Tiger Woods: He has a new girlfriend. There’s a surprise, eh?
5. Jennifer Lopez: Talk about resurrecting a career. Her American Idol gig now has her everywhere, including commercials and with a hit single. J-Lo has gone from forgotten to fabulous.
6. Glee: Looks like the honeymoon is over with viewers. Ratings are sagging and critics are complaining about the “ridiculous stories and production numbers”.
7. Matthew McConaughey: He’s drawing rave reviews for his performance in The Lincoln Lawyer.
8. Japan disaster: How long until Hollywood tries to cash in on the disaster?
9. Red Riding Hood: Apparently, it’s (one of) the most boring werewolf movies to ever hit the screen.
10. Martin Sheen: He says he understands the “hell” son Charlie is going through. If so, could he please enlighten the rest of us.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Ready for the vroom vrooms.”

OVERRATED: Hash browns that are not cooked crisply. Otherwise, they are simply fried potatoes.

UNDERRATED: Root beer floats. The concept may be the same with other kinds of soft drinks, but there is no substitute for root beer in the “float” scheme of things.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Favorite song by The Cars? I still think it was their first big hit, “My Best Friend’s Girlfriend.”

– Actress Keri Russell of Felicity is 34. (I always loved the way she spelled her first name.)
– Singer Chaka Khan is 58. (Talk about great names.)
– Singer Ric Ocasek of The Cars is 61. (He always kind of looked like a vampire.)
– Comedian Marty Allen is 88. (Anyone under the age of 50 probably doesn’t remember this guy, but at one time he was hilarious when he teamed with Steve Rossi.)