IT WAS ON THE WAY TO CASA DE SUSHI: Well, since we're posting weird videos today, I must draw your attention to the weirdest political ad since Wes Clark's "Outkast isn't breaking up" ad--ladies and gentlemen--Al Sharpton salsa dancing for NYC mayoral candidate Fernando Ferrer. (No, really--that is the entire content of the ad.)

ALBUM OF THE YEAR? You can stream Neil Diamond's new 12 Songs disc at this site in advance of its relase next week. This is Neil's colloboration with producer Rick Rubin in the vein of the stripped-down work we did with Johnny Cash. All the songs are originals, but say what you will about Neil, there's no denying his songwriting chops, which date back to the hey day of the Brill Building. Give it a few listens and I think you'll find it to be easily the best stuff Neil's recorded since the hits of the early '70s (pre-Greek Theatre and Seagull era). Favorite tracks so far are "Oh Mary," "Evermore," "Save Me a Saturday Night," and "Delirious Love," a Beach Boys inspired track with backing vocals by Brian Wilson. This one will have me go out and actually purchase my first CD in a store since Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose, which was my favorite album of last year.

AREN'T THE FANGS ON TYSON REDUNDANT? How did I not know that the real Bobby Brown and the real Mike Tyson went on the Jimmy Kimmel show to do Monster Mash? (Watch the commercial, then click on the picture that says "Bobby Brown and Mike Tyson Perform the Monster Mash".)

ALL DAY LONG I'D BIDDY BIDDY BUM . . . Some smart people cross-tabbed the Nielsen ratings with demographic data, and ranked all the television shows in terms of which audiences skewed most towards an audience full of of wealthy 25-54 year olds. Your top ten:

1. The Apprentice (NBC)
2. Desperate Housewives (ABC)
3. ER (NBC)
4. Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
5. The Office (NBC)
6. Will & Grace (NBC)
7. Lost (ABC)
8. My Name Is Earl (NBC)
9. West Wing (NBC)
10. Gilmore Girls (WB)
    

Note the complete absence of police/law/forensics show in that top ten. CBS's top show, The Amazing Race, is down at #17, and Fox's top placer is the "Princeton" set Dr. Hizzy, at #21.

ALSO A CLUE--THE DENIM CUTOFFS: David Cross has a tip for how to detect David Cross impersonators. (And, yes, apparently, there is a David Cross impersonator attempting to take advantage of women's love for glasses-wearing bald guys.)

TAKE THAT, ABC AND NBC: If you're like me, you're frequently annoyed by ABC and NBC's newfound habit of running shows from 9-9:59 and then 9:59-11:01 because it screws up your TiVo, TiVo's getting smarter and solving the problem. Now, when Lost ends at 10:01, I don't have to worry about appropriate flipping to Law and Order being cancelled completely--instead, TiVo will just hop over to Law and Order a minute late. (I've had the problem with ER and Everwood this season, though I'm uncertain if I will take back ER at this point.)

WILL MARY-KATE, ASHLEY, OR STAMOS APPEAR? I don't quite know what to think about the story, but I know some folks here will celebrate--Bob Saget is at work on an R-rated March Of The Penguins spoof which he will write, direct, produce, and provide vocal work for.