Published: July 23, 2008 11:08 pm      

Looking forward to this cool stuff ...

The Meridian Museum of Art and the MSU Riley Center are planning on holding a press conference this afternoon in connection with a new partnership related to the museum's annual murder mystery performance.

The museum is working on its seventh murder mystery, which is a major fund-raiser for the museum. It typically includes a dinner and interactive murder mystery. It will be exciting to see what's in store for this year.



Dust off your boots



Other up and coming local excitement you'll be able to find more info on in Meridian 360º in the coming weeks is the next Ralph Morgan rodeo scheduled for Aug. 8-9, and this year's clown entertainment Gizmo McCrackin ... and the Queen City Fair, which is scheduled for Sept. 29-Oct. 5 this year.



Make a bowl of popcorn



For couch potatoes his might be exciting, too — Ted Allen, the food expert from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," will have his new show, "Food Detectives" on the tube Tuesday at 8 p.m. CDT on the Food Network.

It's not really a cooking show, it's more of a science experiment that seeks to answer puzzling food mysteries.

Some examples offered by the Scripps Howard News Service, includes: whether or not ginger prevents motion sickness ... whether or not an apple a day can keep the doctor away ... whether or not celery does have negative calories ... and ... what about that five second rule when you drop food on the floor?

You can ask Ted your own food questions through the Food Network Web site at www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ta.



B-Blast from the past



This will be exciting to fellow middle-agers: The Smithereens new release, "B-Sides The Beatles" will be available Sept. 2.

And, Jack Davis, the artist and illustrator I admired as a kid in the '70s, reading Mad Magazine, is going to do the album cover.

All the Beatle Bs The Smithereens are covering in this CD are from the 1964-1965 era, so my all-time favorite B-side, "You Know My Name, Look Up The Number" from the back side of the "Let It Be" single wasn't a contender.

Here's what you'll find on The Smithereens new CD: "Thank You Girl," "P.S. I Love You," "There’s A Place," "Happy Just To Dance With You," "I’ll Get You," "If I Fell," "You Can’t Do That," "Slow Down," "Ask Me Why," "I Don’t Want to Spoil The Party," "Cry For a Shadow," and "Some Other Guy."