Yep, it’s that time again, folks. Time to see what washed up, has-been “celebrities” ABC has decided are “stars” for the next season of Dancing With The Stars.

I have to say, I’m getting more and more impressed each season as they actually get people I know what they’ve done instead of leaving me scratching my head.  They’ve also been nice enough to announce the professionals this time around from the get go so we know who will be dancing with whom.  The line-up is … interesting, to say the least.

I know the links are a tad hard to read, sorry about that, but I wanted to make sure you could have quick access to information on each person.

An eclectic group to say the least.  Some quick facts on each:

• Aiden Turner used to play Aidan Devane on All My Children.
• Buzz Aldrin is the famous astronaut.
• Chad Ochocinco is the  football players from the Bengals.
• Erin Andrews is the ESPN sportscaster who was involved in that infamous, and unfortunate, peephole video scandal.  Luckily the man was later caught.
• Evan Lysacek just won the gold medal in Vancouver for men’s figure skating.
• Jake Pavelka was just on The Bachelor.
• Kate Gosselin is the famous mother of eight children from Jon & Kate Plus Eight.
• Nicole Scherzinger is the lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls.
• Nicey Nash is the woman with the annoying voice from Clean House.
• Pamela Anderson used to be on Baywatch and Home Improvement.
• Shannen Doherty was on the original Beverly Hills 90210 and Charmed.

No clue who will win this one, but somehow I suspect it won’t be Buzz Aldrin …

Season 10 of Dancing With The Stars premieres on March 22nd.

Capt. Phil Harris of the Cornelia Marie, one of the ships on the popular Deadliest Catch series, has passed away after suffering from a stroke on Jan. 30th.

It has been confirmed that Capt. Harris passed away on during the evening of Feb. 9th at the age of 53.

Capt. Harris had suffered a stroke on Jan. 30th while the Cornelia Marie was off loading a load of Opilio crabs in St. Paul.  He was taken to the local medical center, and was later flown out to Anchorage by medevac.  He had undergone surgery, but put into a medically induced coma and eventually came out of it to look like he was making progress.  Sadly it seems he unexpectedly took a turn for the worse and passed away.

Capt. Harris’ two sons, Jake and Josh, released the following statement to the Cornelia Maria Web site:

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our dad – Captain Phil Harris. Dad has always been a fighter and continued to be until the end. For us and the crew, he was someone who never backed down. We will remember and celebrate that strength. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers. – Jake and Josh Harris

Discovery channel has also made an official statement:

Discovery mourns the loss of dear friend and colleague Captain Phil Harris. He was more than someone on our television screen. Phil was a devoted father and loyal friend to all who knew him. We will miss his straightforward honesty, wicked sense of humor and enormous heart. We share our tremendous sadness over this loss with the millions of viewers who followed Phil’s every move. We send our thoughts and prayers to Phil’s sons Josh and Jake and the Cornelia Marie crew.

Capt. Harris had suffered health problems over the past two seasons of the popular television series, but it is doubtful anyone saw this coming.

My deepest condolences to the entire Harris family and the crew of the Cornelia Marie.

Survivor host Jeff Probst showed up on YouTube to discuss the cast for Survivor: Heroes vs Villains that were announced recently, and it is interesting to say the least.

I make no bones about the fact that I still watch Survivor as I find it fascinating to see how after hundreds of players people still do unpredictable things (I’m looking at you Russell!).  The reason I’m fascinated by this upcoming season is that everyone is entering the game with a label.  Normally we have to get to know the cast, see how they play and then we pick who we root for and who we loathe.  This time we already have our “heroes” and “villains”, but will any of them do anything to surprise us?  Will the Heroes sit around the camp singing songs?  Will the Villains be backstabbing each other before they even get their shelter built?

The answer to both is “no.”

I think this season has a chance to push our boundaries of perception, and we may walk away realizing that first of all, reality TV is so heavily edited that we really don’t have a clue or secondly we could realize that depending on your circumstances, your actions change.  Don’t expect this season to be as clear cut as many suspect it will be.

The cast for Survivor HEROES vs. VILLAINS has been announced, and it looks to be a doozy.

While I have generally stopped my reality TV coverage, and this news is actually a couple days old, I figured since it got lost in the holiday shuffle I would post it. Also have to say, I am shocked by some of the returning players, my comments follow the list. (memorable moments compiled by AOL Television)

Rupert Boneham
Age: 45
Seasons: ‘Pearl Islands’ (8th place); ‘All-Stars’ (4th place)
Memorable moment: Known for his boisterous personality, bushy beard and tie-dyed shirts, Rupert made his mark on the first day of ‘Pearl Islands’ when, embracing the pirate theme of the season, he stole the shoes of the opposing tribe.

James Clement
Age: 32
Seasons: ‘China’ (7th place); ‘Micronesia’ (7th place (injury))
Memorable moment: James has the unfortunate distinction of being the only player in the history of ‘Survivor’ to be voted out of the game while in possession of two immunity idols.

Colby Donaldson
Age: 36
Seasons: ‘The Australian Outback’ (2nd place); ‘All-Stars’ (12th place)
Memorable moment: Colby made a costly (to the tune of $900,000) decision when, after winning the final five immunity challenges, he selected the well-liked Tina Wesson to sit beside him in the final tribal council, instead of Keith Famie. Third time’s the charm?

Cirie Fields
Age: 39
Seasons: ‘Panama’ (4th place); ‘Micronesia’ (3rd place)
Memorable moment: Cirie endeared herself to fans through two seasons of ‘Survivor’ with her sweetness while playing an amazing social game, which included several blindsides and eliminations of close allies.

Amanda Kimmel
Age: 25
Seasons: ‘China’ (3rd place); ‘Micronesia’ (2nd place)
Memorable moment: Amanda became the first female to find a hidden immunity idol on ‘China,’ using it to save herself.

Jessica “Sugar” Kiper
Age: 30
Season: ‘Gabon’ (3rd place)
Memorable moment: Sugar spent more time on Exile Island (or “The Sugar Shack,” as she called it) than any other player; she found the hidden immunity idol almost immediately.

Stephenie LaGrossa
Age: 30
Seasons: ‘Palau’ (7th place); ‘Guatemala’ (2nd place)
Memorable moment: Stephenie was the only surviving member of her tribe; rather than participate in a merger, she was simply absorbed into the opposing team, and was quickly voted out.

James “J.T.” Thomas
Age: 25
Season: ‘Tocantins’ (winner)
Memorable moment: In one tribal challenge, J.T. lost half of a tooth to secure his victory. Host Jeff Probst later returned the tooth at the live reunion special.

Tom Westman
Age: 45
Season: ‘Palau’ (winner)
Memorable moment: During an impromptu fishing challenge, Tom stunned everyone when he caught a shark.

Candice Woodcock
Age: 27
Season: ‘Cook Islands’ (8th place)
Memorable moment: Candice chose to join the other tribe with then-ally Jonathan Penner — a costly mistake, as Jonathan went on to stab her in the back.

VILLAINS

Tyson Apostol
Age: 29
Season: ‘Tocantins’ (8th place)
Memorable moment: Tyson will forever be remembered for his biting commentary during interview segments (“It’s funny when people cry,” he said) and his constant sparring with Sierra Reed, who managed to finish one place ahead of him.

Randy Bailey
Age: 50
Season: ‘Gabon’ (8th place)
Memorable moment: Randy held a grudge with Sugar for taking the last cookie that he’d bought during an auction. Much to his dismay, Sugar wound up giving the cookie away.

Sandra Diaz-Twine
Age: 35
Season: ‘Pearl Islands’ (winner)
Memorable moment: Sandra became sole survivor of ‘Pearl Islands,’ despite having never won a challenge throughout the season.

Danielle DiLorenzo
Age: 28
Season: ‘Panama’ (2nd place)
Memorable moment: Danielle’s key moment came when she beat Cirie in a fire-making challenge to earn her spot in the final three.

Russell Hantz
Age: 36
Season: ‘Samoa’ (2nd place)
Memorable moment: Russell went in intending to play the game hard and “evil,” which meant doing things like pouring out his own tribemates’ canteens and burning their socks just to get into their minds.

Jerri Manthey
Age: 38
Season: ‘The Australian Outback’ (8th place); ‘All-Stars’ (10th place)
Memorable moment: Perhaps the first “Queen of Mean” in ‘Survivor’ history, Jerri infamously accused Kel Gleason of smuggling beef jerky into the Outback.

Rob “Boston Rob” Mariano
Age: 34
Seasons: ‘Marquesas’ (10th place); ‘All-Stars’ (2nd place)
Memorable moment: At the live ‘All-Stars’ reunion, Rob proposed to ally — and now wife — Amber Brkich.

Parvati Shallow
Age: 27
Seasons: ‘Cook Islands’ (6th place); ‘Micronesia’ (winner)
Memorable moment: In an attempt to extend her stay, Parvati put her best flirt forward when she got into a hot tub nude with Ozzy and Yul.

Ben “Coach” Wade
Age: 38
Season: ‘Tocantins’ (5th place)
Memorable moment: In a shocking move, Coach chose to go without fire and food during his stay on Exile Island.

Courtney Yates
Age: 28
Season: ‘China’ (2nd place)
Memorable moment: Courtney was an aggressive player from the start, making strong alliances and crafty strategic moves throughout the season, though she is most remembered for her sharp wit and how incredibly thin she got during the course of the show.

My thoughts … wow.  This really is an All-Stars lineup.  The Heroes especially are like a “who’s who” of memorable players.  I do notice a lot of “match ups” from previous seasons (Colby/Jerri from Australia & Sugar/Randy from Gabon being the most notable), but overall this this is a great selection of players from both sides.  While the original All-Stars season was pretty lackluster, this one has so many large personalities in it, it is almost impossible for this season to misfire.

I know … famous last words.

And may I just say … RUPERT!!!  I knew he had to be in this.

Anyway, this season begins at Thu., Feb. 11, at 8PM EST.  I can’t wait for this one.

CBS has decided people love TV … and they love video games … so they should mix them!

Licensed properties have been a staple of the video game industry since its inception. Sometimes the games work, but most often they don’t. It’s hard to capture the essence of another medium in a video game, but this isn’t stopping television network CBS from licensing a truck load of shows into video games for 2010.

Worth Playing has the synopsis for each of the upcoming games … my thoughts after each one …

AVAILABLE 2010:

The Amazing Race (Ludia Inc.)
Get ready for around-the-world competition with the video game based on the eight-time Emmy® award-winning television series The Amazing Race where team players split up in pairs for a remarkable journey across exotic locations in a race against time. Players will face frantic challenges and tasks as they navigate through detours, roadblocks and other unpredictable game elements from the show. Working together strategically throughout the game is essential as each team tries to discover hidden clues that are crucial to getting them to the Pit Stop first – and one step closer to ultimate victory at the check-in mat. This video game will be launched throughout North America across multiple platforms in tandem with the show’s 16th season.

Sean’s thoughts: I love the Amazing Race, like crazy love.  I dream of going on the show constantly (mainly with The Diabolical Miss M as my team mate … whom I imagine I would carry in my pocket due to our size differences), but the idea of playing it on a game console?  Um … I guess it could be somewhat challenging?  Maybe something on the Wii where you would have to be physically involved?

Survivor (Mindscape)
This game is perfect for any fan of the show Survivor. Players will be able to live like the contestants on Survivor. With challenges such as fishing, collecting food and participating in Immunity challenges, players will compete to outwit, outlast and outplay in order to be crowned the ultimate sole Survivor. Available on Wii & Nintendo DS platforms.

Sean’s thoughts: This is a horrible idea.  90% of Survivor is the conditions you live in, you will never be able to capture that in a satisfying manner on a video game screen.

AVAILABLE FOR HOLIDAY 2010:

Diagnosis Murder (Merscom)
Available in early 2010, this is an adventure game where the player must find different items in a scene to use as clues in order to solve the mystery. Available for the PC/Mac, this video game will be sold on most casual gaming websites and at major retailers.

Sean’s thoughts: … this show has been off the air for almost 9 years.  Who in the world is the target demographic for this title?  My 88-year-old grandmother?

Criminal Minds (Legacy Interactive)
In the Criminal Minds game, players will be able to take on the role of different members of Behavioral Analysis Unit to solve a series of five shocking crimes. In order to track down the killers and solve each case, players will need to examine crime scenes for clues, interview witnesses and suspects, analyze evidence and build a profile based on real-life criminal profiling techniques. The videogame is slated to launch in the fourth quarter of 2010 on the PC.

Sean’s thoughts:  I’m going to guess the already released CSI games must be doing well …

Ghost Whisperer (Legacy Interactive)
Debuting in early 2010. Ghost Whisperer will be the first-ever video game based on the hit series. Written by Emmy Award-winning television writer Lance Gentile, the PC game calls for players to embark on the adventure of helping the recently departed move on to the afterlife and providing closure to loved ones left behind.

Sean’s thoughts: Having never watched the show, I’m guess it’s going to involve talking … a lot of talking.

The Hollywood Squares (Ludia, Inc.)
This timeless TV game show experience comes to fans everywhere on the platform of their choice. The Hollywood Squares game will feature all the favorite elements of the show as played on television, as two contestants play head-to-head in a bid to win money and prizes. Nine open-faced cubes make up the tic-tac-toe style “board” for the game which are occupied by celebrities/TV personalities. The stars are asked questions and players judge whether their answers are true or false, all the while incorporating outrageous “zingers” and “bluffs” to fuel the fun. Each correct answer earns the player a square on the board, and the first player to mark three squares in a row wins the game. Additionally, the game will incorporate bonus video of the funniest moments from the TV show. The North America-wide exclusive deal will result in games across major platforms including PC/Mac, consoles, iPhone™ and iPod® touch. The first of The Hollywood Squares games is slated for release in 2010.

Sean’s thoughts: Eh, I actually kind of enjoy The Price Is Right on my iPod Touch.

I guess there is a market for everything these days.  I don’t personally see myself buying any of these except maybe the Amazing Race, and I would need to see a lot of really good reviews for it before I would, but obviously someone has convinced all of these companies there is a market for these.  Wish I knew … I have a bridge I would love to sell them …

The Duggar family, stars of the TLC series 18 Kids and Counting, have announced that Michelle, the mother of the family, is pregnant with her 19th child.

What sort of insanity is this?

While one of the great things about the United States is that you have the freedom to make whatever choices you want, and that includes having 19 children.  Does it make it right?  Of course not, but that it isn’t stopping the Duggars.

I have never watched one moment of this series, even when it was 17 Kids and Counting, and I have no desire to ever watch any of it.  How can anyone possibly glamorize this family?  Say what you will of Jon & Kate Plus 8, but at least there 8 children were the result of extreme luck with fertility treatments.  The Duggars are doing this the old fashioned way of popping out one child after another.

It is the right for every family in this country to have as many children as they want, but is it really the responsible thing to do?  According to The Inquisitr, the Duggars are part of a religious movement known as QuiverFull which deals with Psalm 127: 3 – 5:

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

I am all for religious freedom, and worshiping as one sees fit, but isn’t there a point where practicality and social responsibility finally kick in?  What about the strain on the planet?  The Earth is already over populated, and here we have a family with 19.

Some years ago I knew a girl who was the 15th of 17 children, and since I haven’t talked to her in 15 or so years now, I can safely say she was messed up by it.  Her siblings I met were also rather ‘out there’ and all seemed desperate for whatever attention they could get, and by whatever means necessary.  This isn’t to say all large families have similar effects on their kids by any means, but it certainly was an eye-opening look into that kind of life.

It’s difficult to say that enough is enough as this does fall under religious freedom, and if it’s something they believe in, they should be allowed to practice under the freedoms of this country, but it certainly doesn’t mean I have to agree with, or condone it.

The “celebrities” for season 9 of Dancing with the Stars have been announced, and Tom DeLay is among them?

• Melissa Joan Hart (actress)
• Kelly Osbourne (reality TV star/singer)
• Aaron Carter (singer)
• Mya (singer)
• Chuck Liddell (Ultimate Fighting Champion)
• Louie Vito (Professional snowboarder)
• Michael Irvin (former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver)
• Natalie Coughlin (six-time gold medalist for swimming)
• Debi Mazar (actress)
• Mark Dacascos (actor)
• Joanna Krupa (swimsuit model)
• Ashley Hamilton (actor)
• Donny Osmond (singer/actor)
• Tom DeLay (politician)
• Kathy Ireland (former supermodel)
• Macy Gray (singer)

I swear that each cast list just gets stranger and stranger on this show.  Although I will say they are getting better at finding people I actually remember from things like Melissa Joan Hart, Kelly Osbourrne, Donny Osmond and a few others, but who in the heck is Mark Dacascos?  Never heard of him before today.

Of course the name every one is focusing on is Tom Delay.

He was the Republican House Majority Leader from 2003–2005, and eventually stepped down over some legal issues.  Doesn’t really matter, just not the kind of guy you imagine dancing a tango or a jive on national television, ya know?

Yes, the cast is the largest yet, and apparently there will be some special eliminations to deal with that.  There will also be new professionals to help with the number of “stars”.

The new season kicks off on September 21st.

UPDATE: Oh!  Mark Dacascos is the “chairman” of Iron Chef America… got ya.

The rumors are true folks, Chima Simone is no longer on Big Brother 11.

Although I long ago quit doing reality television news, this was just too good to pass up mentioning.

For those who need to be caught up, on Thursday’s episode of Big Brother 11, Jeff Schroeder used a special power given to him by the viewers, the Coup D’Etat. This allowed him to over throw the current Head of Household (HoH), Chima Simone, nominations and replace either one or both of the current nominees with his own selections. He chose to replace Lydia Tavera and Russell Kairouz with Natalie Martinez and Jessie Godderz, with Jessie being his ultimate target.  By a vote of 3-to-2, Jessie was evicted, and Michele Noonan became the new HoH.

Chima was quite angry about her nominations being over turned, and as Thursday night wore on, and she and Lydia & Natalie mourned Jessie’s eviction in something akin to a cult leader dying, Ms. Simone reportedly considered quitting the game. Big Brother staff talked her out of it, and she stayed in the game.

When Friday rolled around, Chima, Lydia and Natalie, now known by fans as the Bitches/Witches of Eastwick, continued their mourning and attempted to rattle the other house guests by doing things such as taking over the lone washer and dryer and washing one pair of socks at a time. They also stole other house guests property and hid it around the house, conspired to slip red M&Ms into Michele’s food as she is allergic to red food dye and numerous other antics.

Things escalated even more as Michele announced her nomination for possible eviction this week, and she put up Chima and Natalie with the hopes that Chima would be the one evicted.

Late Friday night/early Saturday morning, things escalated as Chima began refusing to listen to the requests of Big Brother, and when told to put on her microphone pack, she instead threw it in to the hot tub. She was later told to get a replacement mic from the storage room, which she also refused to do. Fellow house guest Kevin Campbell eventually retrieved it for her, and again Ms. Simone refused to put on her mic. She did finally concede to that request, but only after her fellow alliance members begged her to do so.

Around 12:30 AM PST, the live feeds were cut and people who watch the live feeds (myself included, and all of these accounts of what happened are from my watching) were treated to what is known as FotH, Fish of the House, where Big Brother forces us to watch the fish in the aquarium, for a little over an hour and half.  When the feeds returned, I was in bed, but the house guests reported that Ms. Simone had indeed left the house and would not be returning to the game.

It is unclear at this time if she left of her own accord or was removed by the producers of the show, but either way, she is no longer a part of the game.  As the game had now moved on to the Jury portion, she will not be included in the Jury, and will have no vote in who the ultimate winner of the game is.

This week was a planned Double Eviction, meaning that two house guests would be evicted.  The way this usually works is that one is voted out at the beginning of the live episode on Thursday and then an HoH and Power of Veto competition are quickly played to nominate the next two potential evictees.  The night then finishes off with another HoH being played for the next week.  As Ms. Simone has left the game, Mrs. Noonan has been removed as HoH and another competition is to be held prior to Thursday to keep the show on schedule.

Having watched this show for 11 seasons, I can tell you that Ms. Simone’s actions in the house have been some of the most atrocious ever seen.  She has been referring to Mr. Kairouz as a “terrorist” for some time now as they do not get along and he is of Lebanese descent.  She carried this further on Thursday night referring to him as “a Muslim extremist” and she likened herself to the World Trade Center.  Her flagrant disregard for the requests from Big Brother producers were merely icing on the cake for her antics.

CBS is expected to make a formal announcement at some point, and footage is sure to be shown on the Sunday and Tuesday editions of the series.

UPDATE: Well, that was quick, CBS has made an official statement:

Chima has been evicted by the producers from the Big Brother house for violating the rules. She will not be part of the show’s jury. Her eviction will be addressed on an upcoming broadcast of the show.

The nominations for the 2009 Primetime Emmy Awards have been announced, and the big show for this year is 30 Rock with 22 nominations across all sorts of categories.

Some notes:

• Jim Parsons being nominated for the role of Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory isn’t a surprise, but being in the “Lead Actor” spot is as it is an ensemble cast.  Figured he would be in “Supporting Actor”.
• Could this be the year The Amazing Race doesn’t win Outstanding Reality Competition Program?  Doubtful.  It’s won every year since the category came into existence.  Other shows have actually asked them not to put themselves up for consideration which is just laughable.  You can only win if they don’t run?  Is that even a win at that point?
• Thrilled to see Christian Clemenson is up for the role of Jerry on Boston Legal.  Great part.
• Neil Patrick Harris should win Supporting Actor in Comedy for the role of Barney on How I Met Your Mother hands down.
• Glad Kristin Chenoweth got a nod for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy for the role of Olive on Pushing Daisies.  She was fabulous in that role.
• I think 30 Rock will win for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy…
• Likewise, I think Mad Men will win for Outstanding Writing in a Drama… (I really need to start watching that)

The Emmys will be on CBS on September 20th at 8E/7C, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris.

Lots of nominees below the fold.

Continue Reading ->

Billy Mays, the television pitchman that has been a staple of late night television commercials for years, has passed away.

The St. Petersburg Times is reporting that Deborah Mays, Billy’s wife, found him dead this morning in their St. Petersburg, FL home.  No cause of death is known at this time, but foul play is not suspected.  He had been on a US Airways 737 flight yesterday that blew a tire upon landing, and was questioned by company representatives after wards, but did not request any medical attention.  It sounds like this may have been more of a coincidence than anything.

Mrs. Mays has released only one public statement at this time:

Although Billy lived a public life, we don’t anticipate making any public statements over the next couple of days. Our family asks that you respect our privacy during these difficult times.

An autopsy is expected to be conducted tomorrow, but is unknown when, or if, those results will be made public. According to the police, as of 6:00 PM local time last night he was discussing business with his father-in-law, and everything appeared fine with him health wise.

Mr. Mays was a television pitchman that advertised just about everything you could think of, including:

• OxiClean
• Orange Glo
• Kaboom
• Engrave It
• Handy Switch
• iCan
• Mighty Mend-It
• Mighty Putty
• Hercules Hook
• AwesomeAuger
• Steam Buddy
• Zorbeez
• Big City Slider Station
• The Ding King

His popularity made him a prime target for Internet memes making Billy Mays videos hugely popular on YouTube, many of them featuring alternate audio tracks that simply aren’t appropriate for mixed company.  Do go take a look though, there are nearly 72,000 of them!

He teamed up with fellow pitchman Anthony Sullivan for a reality TV series called Pitchmen that tried to reveal some of the process behind the selection of what products they would choose to advertise, and the competition that existed between the two men as to who was better at the job.

While I have spoken several times about how his commercials annoyed me, I certainly never wished the man any harm, and my deepest condolences go out to his family.

Want to know which boat sinks on the Deadliest Catch season 5? Want to know what happens to Phil Harris from the Cornelia Marie? You’ve come to the right place.

The fifth season premiere of Deadliest Catch sure led you to believe that Keith Colburn and The Wizard sink this season, but I am happy to tell you that it does not.  As I mentioned in an earlier post in regards to this season, a cod fishing ship, the Katami, was lost in the same area that all the crab ships were in.  The ship went down and there were 4 survivors, but sadly 5 fisherman lost their lives back in October.

As for Captain Phil Harris, he does miss King Crab season, but reports are that he returns in time for opilio season.  There has been no word on what happens with his blood clots, but seeing as he did listen to his doctor for the first half of the season, it’s probably safe to assume that he is cleared health wise when he comes back.

Sadly there are no other Deadliest Catch season 5 spoilers at this time that I know of, but here are images of all of this year’s crews.

The crew of the Cornelia Marie. Left to right: deckhand Jake Harris, deckhand Dave Millman, Captain Phil Harris, Deckhand Murray Gamrath (front), Deckhand Mark Anderson, Deckhand Josh Harris

The crew of the Lisa Marie

The crew of the Northwestern

The crew of The Wizard. Left to right: Crosby LeVeen, Cooper Weatherby, Lenny Lekanoff, Lynn Guitard, Gary Soper, Captain Keith Colburn, and Monte Colburn

The Crew of the Time Bandit

The crew of the Trailblazer. Deckhand Chet Hamilton (green jacket), Deckhand/Engineer Monte Beck, Deckhand/Engineer Tristen Burris, Deckhand Victory Swan, Deckhand Scott Newman, Deckhand Scott “Sky” Doar

Other posts about Deadliest Catch Season 5

Deadliest Catch Ramps Up For Season 5

Deadliest Catch Season 5 Adds A New Boat

Deadliest Catch Season 5 Premiere Announced

UPDATE 02/10/10: Capt. Phil Harris of the Cornelia Marie has passed away

I’m always up for a good laugh, and thanks to a crack “legal team”, I got one last night.

Back in August 2007, I wrote a post about Armando Montelongo, one of the people on the series Flip This House that goes around buying cheap houses and “flips” them quickly to resell them at a higher price after he’s fixed them up.  The post focused on a particular episode known as “The Cathouse” that led to Armando’s brother, David, calling his partnership with his brother over as he walked away from the house in disgust over the cheapness Armando was trying to get away with.

This post, approaching its 20-month anniversary of when I wrote it, has been a constant performer for me in terms of visitors and pageviews.  I can always tell when an episode of the show with Armando airs because I see a spike in visitors to the post.  Beyond that, I no longer watch the show, and I don’t give the Montelongos a second thought.

Well, last night that all changed when I received the following email from legal@armandomontelongo.com:

Mr. Aune:

Re: Your web page at     http://www.seanpaune.com/2007/08/26/armando-montelongo/

Armando Montelongo’s  image is copyrighted. Please remove the photo you have on the above web page immediately.

Thank you,

Legal Team
Armando Montelongo Worldwide, Inc.

This email came in at 1:00 AM CST, and I replied to them at 1:10 AM CST that the image had been removed, and they replied at 1:19 AM with a simple “Thank you.”  No biggie, right?  Well, I have questions about this whole thing, so lets analyze it, shall we?

- Have you ever seen an email from a lawyer that didn’t include their name, let alone the name of their law firm?  The law firm name I could almost excuse because it is quite possible Mr. Montelongo has a full-time lawyer on staff, but no name?  Doubtful.

- It came in at 1 AM… on a Sunday night/Monday morning… of Easter weekend… what lawyer is cruising web sites looking for pictures of their clients at a time like that?

- There is an actual process to officially request the removal of copyrighted materials from a web site.  I’m not going to name it here as I’m not doing the work for his “legal team”, but you would be hard pressed to find a lawyer that doesn’t know how to do it, but apparently this “legal team” is not aware of it.

In short, I feel the email I got from legal@armandomontelongo.com was actually from Armando himself.  Do I have proof?  No, but considering the things I mentioned above, who else would be looking around for pictures of him at 1:00 AM.  I would say “Googling himself”, but my site records show the person coming in via a Yahoo search for “Armando Montelongo”.

So, why do I bring this all up?  No matter who it was behind the address, was the image really causing that much harm?  It had been there for 20-months, but it doesn’t change the post which is not friendly to him at all.  They also didn’t take into consideration this may lead to another post talking about Mr. Montelongo in a negative light.  Or that I may contact another blogger who is considering writing about this in a future post of his own.

Reputation management is an amazing thing, and annoying bloggers is not a way to do it.  Instead of getting a picture removed, they got a picture removed and yet another post on the Internet that doesn’t cast them in a favorable light.  Good thinking.

There is every chance that this was an actual lawyer, actually doing his job, but there is a point where it is better to just let one slide.  I obviously don’t like the guy if I took the time to write a rant about him, so what did they think I would do when they reached out to me and told me to remove an image?  Yes, they got their way, mainly because I didn’t feel it was worth the headache of arguing with them, and, hey, I had to give them some sort “thank you” for giving me an excuse to write about the guy again.

My gut tells me this wasn’t really a lawyer, but I just also don’t really care.  So, thank you, Armando for giving me fodder for another post!