'The Apprentice 5' - Ep. 14 -or- "The Prelude to a Finale"

I wasn't expecting much from this latest episode of The Apprentice as it's basically just setting things in place for next week's season finale. And, sure enough, I wasn't delivered much. So, no recap/review this week.

Oh, okay, since you're here and reading and all...

The show opened with Roxanne and Allie getting fired once again. Been there, done that! Lee and Sean, the only two remaining candidates, were awaiting the return of one of the girls to the suite. Lee was already chowing down and Sean, perhaps the more mannerly of the two, decided against waiting. After all, his Tammy is gone and he felt her firing was the work of Roxanne and Allie. They received a phone call instructing them to head to the Boardroom immediately. Of course, they had no clue both women had been fired, so they fussed while dressing to meet Trump. Once there, he gave them the news they were the final two. So, it's the Politician against the Brit, friend against friend.


Trump told them they were about to undertake the hardest task in the fifteen-week long interview. They would have to select a team of three to lead in the task from previous candidates and meet Trump in the morning.

Little did they know that all their former rivals for the position were waiting for them at the suite. Woohoo, a par-tay! All of the former candidates were vying to be on the teams. Sean had his team selected -- Tammy (of course), Andrea and Tarek. Other than Lenny as a definite, Lee seemed a bit more undecided with his decision. He finally settled on Lenny, Roxanne and Pepe.

Pepe? I had forgotten he existed! Was it the second week that he went? Yikes! I personally have some doubts about Lee's team. I know Lenny is fiercely loyal to him and that's why he was chosen. But Lenny is abrasive, falls back on his "I'm Russian; I didn't know" bit too much and he could be a detriment. Why Roxanne and Pepe, I haven't a clue.

The teams had a choice of two fund-raising, celebrity-laden tasks. They had to manage all aspects -- business, creative and logistics. Sean, whose team became Synergy, took the BareNaked Ladies (rock group) performance at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. He only got that as Lee handed it over to him, taking a celebrity hockey game at Chelsea Piers instead. It was an act of good will or perhaps politics on Lee's part.

As the teams got into the tasks, they realized how much they had to do. I think Sean and his team were more on top of things as Lee seemed clueless about so much. Both teams appeared to be overwhelmed.

Sean got a decent start, touring the facilities at the Taj Mahal and such. However, he seemed to be letting his affection for Tammy take him over a bit. Tarek and Andrea, thankfully, are both strong and smart.

Oh, but, Lee! He managed to offend Denis Leary's representative for one of the big recipients of the proceeds. He missed an opportunity with one of the Pontiac folks where he could possibly have gained matching funds. Even Carolyn commented that he was too laidback and not showing good leadership qualities.

Then Sean faced his own team dilemma. While I never liked Andrea, she is a smart woman and an important part of the team. For unbeknownst reasons, she started coughing up blood and ran off to the doctor.

Oh, no! What will happen? It's a cliffhanger, I guess. The task completion wasn't shown; the last we saw was Andrea walking away crying. The finale show is next Monday, June 5 at 9:30 ET/PT in most viewing areas. In the meantime, viewers are encouraged to vote for their favorite at the NBC website and could even win $30,000. If you visit that site, don't bother with Trump's Blog -- it's "notes" from the Trump University. Yes, I rolled my eyes and deep-sighed, too!

Lee and Sean have their respective sites begging for votes, too.

Me? I won't bother voting. I think Lee will win, but right now it's not looking too good for him. But he has a history of succeeding while always on the brink of failure.

Dollar bills, y'all...

'American Idol' Finale East Coast Update - The Winner Is...

...Taylor Hicks!

The Summer of Reality (TV) Is Coming

Remember the olden days of television? There was little new content for the summer, thus we had to be content to watch repeats with the exception of a few variety shows. An example of summer fare was The Summer Smothers Brothers Show circa the late-sixties. There were other beach-related shows, too. But, that was about it. Mostly, television was reruns all through the lazy, hazy days of summer.

In the current TV market, networks compete with each other for viewers, and for the even more important advertising dollars. In scouting around for this year's summer shows, I found it to be a Summer of Reality TV more often than not. So, if you're not a reality television genre fan, you might end up with reruns or feel free to accompany your child to summer camp!

Now, this is by no means a complete list of all the new summer shows (and returning ones) for the season, but I took a look at the big networks to see the major players in the market.

On CBS this summer:
Of course, there's my guilty pleasure summer staple, Big Brother. This year, BB7 is being called Big Brother All-Stars.
Dates to mark on your calendar:
Wednesday June 21, as from the CBS website -

For the first time in BIG BROTHER history worldwide, viewers will vote on which former HouseGuests will compete in BIG BROTHER 7: ALL-STARS. On CBS Wednesday, June 21 at 8PM ET/PT, Julie Chen will unveil the top 20 candidates from seasons past. Web voting opens right here [CBS.com site] after the show at midnight ET/9PM PT. The polls close Wednesday, June 28 at 11:59PM ET/8:59PM PT

Thursday July 6 at 8 PM ET/PT, it's the season premiere.
Just a note: I'll once again be blogging the live feeds in some capacity although it's too early to announce any details. Stay tuned!

RockStar: Supernova will premiere on Wednesday July 5 at 8 PM ET/PT. The second episode will be shown after the season premiere of Big Brother All-Stars the next day, then the regular day and time will be Wednesdays at 8 PM ET/PT. This is the second season for the show; last year's band was INXS. This season a new band (Supernova) will be formed with the winner accompanying former Motley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, former Metallica guitarist Jason Newsted, and former Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke. The music genre isn't so much my cuppa tea, so I probably won't tune in too much to the show, though I'll give it a look-see from time to time.

On ABC this summer:
ABC-TV only has one of its expected five summer reality shows featured on its website - How to Get the Guy - a "romantic reality series." The premiere is slated for Monday June 12 at 10 PM ET/PT. I tend to not watch reality television dating shows, so don't look to me for reports on this one.

Other shows previously-announced, but no premiere dates available are:
1. Master of Champions - Six competitors vying each other in extreme challenges.
2. The One: Making a Music Star - This one follows musical academy aspiring singers and the audience will vote one candidate off each week. It sounds a bit lifted from American Idol in concept. I may or may not watch.
3. Buy It Now - This one is a bit of a fresh concept mixed with a house-makeover kind of family dream (or something similar). A family puts up prized possessions for auction on EBay; neighbors and friends also put items up for auction to help the family realize their dream. It's to be aired twice a week. I'm just using the remodel show concept as a comparison -- the dreams may be very different. Heck, they may want to go to DisneyWorld.
4. One Ocean View - Five young NYC professionals spend summer weekends at an exclusive beach. These Friends may remind us of The Real World as one of the producers of the MTV series has a hand in the series.

On NBC this summer:
Wednesday June 21 starting at 8 PM ET/PT is the two-hour premiere of America's Got Talent. This one is on my list to watch. Created and produced by American Idol's Simon Cowell and hosted by Regis Philbin -- I predict a summer hit! Yes, a talent contest, but an all-encompassing one, not just singing. I'm psyched for the debut!

The other summer show on NBC that I'm very interested in watching is Treasure Hunters. It sounds like a cross between The Amazing Race and The Da Vinci Code (sans the religious aspect). The two-hour season premiere is on Sunday June 18 starting at 8 PM ET/PT. After that, its regular day and time will be Mondays at 9 PM ET/PT. Here's a bit of what the NBC website had to say about the show:

In this fast-paced adventure reality series, multi-player teams try to stay one step ahead of each other as they are mentally and physically challenged in their quest of a promised hidden treasure. The teams must avoid elimination as they travel to historically significant locations where they must decipher cryptic codes and puzzles, each with a clue leading them closer to solving the ultimate puzzle, and obtaining the coveted grand prize.

Last Comic Standing returns for its third summer stint Tuesday May 30 at 8 PM ET/PT. I may check it out now and then, but I lost interest in the show after the first season. I liked Rich Vos and he's a very local guy I actually talk to now and then, so I watched for him. Since then, yawn. (Well, for me, at least!)

On FOX this summer:
Hell's Kitchen's second season premieres Monday June 12 at 9 PM ET/PT. I enjoyed the first season with really-ranting chef Gordon Ramsay. I'll be watching. Or taping.

On Thursday May 25 (tomorrow) at 8 PM ET/PT, it's the second season premiere of So You Think You Can Dance. I can take this show or leave it. I enjoyed the start of last season, but lost interest halfway through the season. I'll probably give it a glance now and then dependent on what's up against it. And, no. I don't think I can dance. If you saw me dance, you'd agree.

So, there's a bit of what's on the TV this summer. I have a few shows I'm really looking forward to watching, but predict I'll be listening to a lot of music and reading. Oh. And watching Big Brother live feeds and blogging. Now, that's a summer!

The Meaning of TTOW! (BJ/Tyler of 'The Amazing Race 9')

Aha! I found a good explanation of TTOW, the exclamatory "word" used by BJ and Tyler throughout the recent Amazing Race season. This TV Guide online article also gives lots of insight, so check it out!

But, TTOW? Here ya go:

TVGuide.com: What does "TTOW" stand for?
BJ: Truth, justice and the American way.

TVGuide.com: No, for real.
BJ: It's basically the Chinese word for "good times." We went to China in 2002 and ended up with these awesome shirts that randomly said TTOW on them. In Asian countries, they like English characters and it didn't mean anything at the time, but since we bought the shirts and have been yelling out the phrase on national television, it has become our power call to the universe.

'The Apprentice 5' - Ep. 13 -or- "The Embassy Suites Space Cadet Program"

It's down to the Final Four, two episodes to go after this one. Yes, indeed...it's the 13th week of the 15 week long interview. Thirteen is bad luck, right? I guess it was for...

Wait, let me tell you about the episode first!

The show opened with Sean preparing a salad for whichever Synergy team members survived the Boardroom. He was so hoping that Tammy would return, although he acknowledged there was a strong possibility that she was the one Trump fired. He looked absolutely crestfallen when Allie and Roxanne walked in. Then he changed to determined and outright angry. "They lack integrity!"

In the morning, the teams met up with Donald Trump and the Trumplets -- his adult children Ivanka and Don, Jr. For no reason on earth (that I can think of) other than to promote his own fragrance, they met at the Estee Lauder offices. The actual task for the teams involved Embassy Suites, so you figure the reason they met at Estee Lauder and showed the design of the fragrance bottle.

The task had the candidates in their gender war team mode, Gold Rush men, Synergy women, designing uniforms for Embassy Suites staff. They had to create four designs -- front desk, bellmen, suitekeepers, and chefs. The finished product would be voted on by Embassy Suites employees.

Lee decided he wanted to be the project manager for Gold Rush, and he went with Sean to meet up with the E.S. executives. He wanted a focus group of employees and that's pretty much what the execs suggested, too. They went about asking the employees what they liked about their present uniforms and what they would want changed if they could. They didn't go hog-wild and worked on more functionality than changing everything around.

Sean seemed to know a lot about fashion and clothing design. He believes it's because he's a metrosexual. That prompted Lee to say, "What's a metrosexual? A cross between a homosexual and a heterosexual?" He must live under a rock.

I was out in my kitchen getting a cold tasty beverage during the commercial break prior to the Trump Firing Prediction Quote, so I missed the actual quote. The gist of it came down to business and friendship don't always mix. Hmmm...at that point in the show it could be either team. Sean and Lee had just been saying how great they got along. We know that Allie and Roxanne are tight. Or...are they?

The second they showed Synergy (Roxanne and Allie), I knew they were doomed. Allie decided to be the project manager, but oh-we're-really-co-PM mindset took over. She didn't want to just tweak and update the uniforms; she wanted to create fashion! I swear Roxanne almost rolled her eyes at her, perhaps gave a deep sigh. But she played along. Bad mistake. Roxanne thought she was rude to the designer (she was, she was!). But she told us; she didn't tell Allie.

The day of the fashion show was a hoot! The Gold Rush uniforms were the clear winner with the crowd -- fashionable, but very functional and improvements the employees themselves suggested to Lee and Sean. You could almost hear horrified gasps coming from some of the employees when Allie's Space Cadet designs hovered down the runway. Oh. My. God. It was like she took her designs from a '60s science fiction space novel! On the models they kind of looked um...interesting. Put real people with not-so-great builds in the uniforms, get the fashion police -- a crime has been committed!

Sure enough, the employee vote went overwhelmingly to Gold Rush - 83 votes against 37 for Synergy. Sean and Lee won the honor (well, to them, I guess) of having dinner at Aquavit with Ivanka and Don, Jr. As for Roxanne and Allie, someone wil be fired. Or...

Lee and Sean's dinner with the Trumplets went very well. They asked a lot of questions about growing up Trump, being Trump employees and on and on. I found it interesting that Trump gave his son $300 a month on a credit card when he was in college. He had to budget or get a job if he wanted more. I went to college in the Dark Ages, so I could have done a semester on that, but judging on his age, that wasn't exorbitant at all. Lee spilled the beans that Sean was smitten with Tammy (fired last week).

As Allie and Roxanne prepared for their last night together, they cuddled and said they'd never turn on each other. "I'd throw myself under a truck for her," said Roxanne. Yeah, right.

In the Boardroom, all started well. Then, the more nervous and defensive she got under Trump's questioning, the faster and higher-pitched Allie's speech became. Soon she was laying the blame on Roxanne. Then Roxanne spoke up (which she should have done in the task) saying she didn't decide the designs and Allie was rude to the designer. Catfight! Meow! Ivanka literally lit into Allie. Don, Jr. just watched for the most part. Meow, meow, hiss, hiss.

"Stop it! Roxanne and Allie, you're both fired!"

Afterwards, he commented on the lack of loyalty. They came in as good friends and all fell apart over a loss. Well, of course it did. One would have to get fired. While I understand where Trump was coming from, what did he expect? Each one would have to defend their own actions and they best way to do that is to focus on what the other did wrong. Although I get his reasoning for the double fire, I think Allie should have gone as she made the fashion decisions and failed miserably.

'The Amazing Race 9' - Finale Part 2

I'm so happy, I'm so pretty, so pretty...!

Well, um...

This season was almost perfect in my eyes, at least. After a bit of a recap of the last leg, I'll be reflecting back on a very satisfying season of The Amazing Race.

Now, where were we leave off? Japan? Ah, yes, that's it! Domo arigato! We were at the Pit Stop where Phil announced there would be no more eliminations in the race. However, since Ray and Yolanda came in last on the leg, they lost all of their money and possessions...in Tokyo (a very expensive city) with only the clothes they had on their backs and their passports.

BJ and Tyler only had a two-minute headstart against Jeremy and Eric, but made sure to stop at Ray and Yolanda's car to leave them some money and "stuff." I don't believe Jeremy and Eric left anything at all. While the flight tickets are paid for by the production staff, nothing else is. So, they had to beg.

And, beg they did. They went to restaurants, Ray wore a white sign dangling from his neck which read "yen." While he made more of an effort than I ever thought he would, even a humble and gracious one, it was Yolanda who brought in the bucks. The Japanese businessmen in one restaurant thought she looked like Janet Jackson and she had them handing over the money with ease.

All three teams caught up to each other at the airport and were on the same flight heading to Anchorage, Alaska. None of the teams seemed to be too happy about that situation, but the Frat Boys (Eric and Jeremy) seemed outright disgusted.

Once in Alaska, the teams had to drive thirty miles to Mirror Lake where they faced a Detour (a choice of two tasks relating to the local area). This one was Drill It or Deliver It. In Drill It, teams had to drill ten holes in the lake's ice with an auger, then drag an ice-fishing shack over to their area, setting it up to be approved by a local. In Deliver It, teams would have had to fly supplies 150 miles while doing the navigation for the pilot. Scratch that. All teams had to do Drill It because bad weather grounded all the planes.

Eric and Jeremy finished the task first and received a clue directing them to a chalet in Kincaid Park where they had to don snowshoes and follow an intricate map to find the next clue. BJ and Tyler weren't all that far behind, but walked right by all the snowshoes! Argh! Not once, not twice, but at least three times! A sidenote: When I Googled "Kincaid Park," the information I found starts with "Don't throw snowballs at the moose." Heh.

So...where my favorites, BJ and Tyler, far behind? And, what of Ray and Yolanda? Did they throw snowballs at the moose? Did a polar bear think they were salmon heading upstream? Well, the latter team was way behind, but in the end it didn't matter. All three teams made it on the same flight to Denver.

They first had to head to Golden, Colorado to find hidden clues in what looked like a dilapidated chicken farm. First Eric/Jeremy, then BJ/Tyler. Alas, Ray and Yolanda lost any chance of winning right then and there. Between getting lost and having trouble finding, they were too far behind too close to the end of the race to catch up.

The race would end where it began, in the Red Rocks Amphitheater (Denver). But there was a Roadblock before the Pit Stop. At Red Rocks, one member of each team was confronted with a field containing 285 flags. That team member had to select the 9 flags which represent the countries through which they had traveled. The racer had to take them one by one to a stand where they had to be placed in the correct chronological order. The other team member couldn't help physically, but could shout out advice.

Eric and Jeremy got there first with what seemed like a huge lead, but they really had no clue. BJ and Tyler arrived and, while they had some difficulty, they nailed it in the nick of time and ran their way to the Pit Stop to win the million dollars! Woohoo! As Eric and Jeremy said, "We didn't know the last one would be about brains." I love it!

This team has been my favorite since about the second show. Watching them deal with the people in the various countries was refreshing compared the the "Ugly American" persona we've seen in some teams other seasons. In a lot of countries, they knew at least bits and pieces of the language. They obviously were out to have fun and an adventure, as well as trying for the million dollars. They entertained me without going for that idea of nastiness is "good TV" -- can you say Jonathan Baker?

All in all, this was one of the best seasons in a long time. Even the villains this time around weren't once that had folks up in arms thinking they should be arrested. Amazing Race -- thank you for a fun, entertaining, exciting and truly amazing race.

And, for BJ and Tyler, TTOW! Well done!

If anyone out there reading this is interested, the CBS website has the information for applying to be on The Amazing Race 11. Where was this show before I wrecked my knees? Also, if you missed it, Ray proposed to Yolanda on The Early Show:

Ray shocked Yolanda by proposing, live, on his knees, in the plaza Thursday.

"I think the race was, I mean, it was a once in a lifetime experience," Ray said, "and I mean, you got to hang out with hippies and frat boys but, most of all, sharing the race with Yolanda. It was something that was special. I would have not been here if it wasn't for you and you're like everything I've dreamed of my whole life. Will you marry me?"

With onlookers cheering wildly, she said yes, tears streaming down her face.

Aww...

'The Amazing Race 9' Finale Part 1 -or- "May I Touch Your Beard? Arigato!"

Well, well, well...a perfect conclusion to a fantastic season of The Amazing Race. Of course, that's in my own humble opinion. Yes, the lackluster, boring, tedious, and family-safe family version faux pas of last autumn is but a distant memory. This season was one heck of a whirlwind ride with excellent casting (overall), excitement, and lots of close finishes. Ah, but close doesn't win the million, does it? On with the show...

The three remaining teams (BJ/Tyler, Eric/Jeremy and Ray/Yolanda) left their last Pit Stop at the Marble Temple in Thailand taking a taxi 75 miles to the Royal Kraal Pavilion - an historical place where wild elephants used to be taken in round-ups. Today, it seems like a trained elephant hangout. Now, what would the show be without a product placement? The clue there, passed by elephants to the team (via trunk mail) was a T-Mobile cell phone with a message. Although the teams left the Marble Temple in their arrival order with a few hours between first and last, this was another bunching point as they waited for the Pavilion to open. Rats, there went BJ and Tyler's lead! One thing I noticed -- Ray and Yolanda had a bright pink taxi. I thought some of the taxis in New Jersey had odd colors!

Teams took off to the airport to fly to Tokyo, Japan. BJ and Tyler were ecstatic as Tyler speaks fluent Japanese, has a Japanese girlfriend and hiked the length of the country. Of course, it would have behooved them to get the first flight to Tokyo. Nope. Eric/Jeremy and Ray/Yolanda filled that one. My heart sank. Instead of the two-hour lead they had, all of a sudden they were running two hours behind the other teams! Ack!

Once in Tokyo, teams had to drive to Shibuya which is so much like Times Square in Manhattan that I had to do a double-take. They had to search the huge video ads on the buildings for a clue which turned out to be "Find Hachiko." What's a Hachiko, you ask? It's a statue of a beloved dog, an Akita named Hachiko. Ray and Yolanda fell behind in Tokyo and set the pattern for the rest of the leg. Their obstacles were the language barrier compounded by a big traffic jam. The fun note on this leg was when Ray told Yolanda he was "driving Miss Crazy."

The clue at Hachiko was a Detour, a choice between two tasks usually having something to do with the locality. The choices were Maiden (carrying a maiden to a tea house) or Delivery (delivering two packages to separate businesses on folding bikes). Eric and Jeremy chose Maiden, probably because there was a woman involved, those HornDogz! BJ and Tyler thought they could make up time with delivery as Tyler could easily ask for and understand directions in Japanese. Ray and Yolanda? Still roaming in the search for Hachiko! Once they got there, they took the Maiden Detour and whined less than Jeremy and Eric about it.

Oh, no! The clue after the detour led to yet another bunching point. All teams spent the night in the Capsule Land Hotel -- a very odd hotel whose accommodations reminded me of morgue shelves with better lighting. Definitely not a place for folks with claustrophobia! Teams departed the hotel in the morning in 15-minute intervals, Eric/Jeremy first and Ray/Yolanda last.

Teams were then off for Fujikyu Highlands, a huge amusement park located near an even larger mountain -- Mt. Fuji. Either Eric or Jeremy called it Mt. Tokyo. (Yes, I rolled my eyes!) In a Roadblock (a task which must be completed by only one team member), racers had to ride three very fast, high, and wild rides searching for a man holding a sign which had their next destination written upon it. At the amusement park and throughout Tokyo, the locals really took a liking to Tyler, blond and bearded, and fluent in their language. "Want to touch my beard?" he asked when a young girl told him she liked it. Both guy teams finished at the same time and headed to the Pit Stop which was a gigantic swan boat in Yamanaka.

BJ and Tyler won the paddle-boat race with Eric and Jeremy to the bird and took first place. As per usual, they didn't win a cruise or trip. They won a T-Mobile phone and service contract, hence the earlier product placement. Jeremy and Eric came in second and got razzed by Phil Keoghan for letting BJ/Tyler beat them in a physical endeavor. Heh.

What? Ray and Yolanda? Dead last. The clue had read the last team may be eliminated. It was a non-Philimination leg. I sort of figured that as they usually have three teams racing for the million dollars at the finish line. They lost all their money and possessions except for their passports and the clothes on their backs.

Stay tuned for Part 2 which I'll be writing up tomorrow evening!

East Coast Update - 'American Idol' Boot 5/17

Elliott Yamin is going home.
:::sniffle:::

YAY! 'Amazing Race' Finale Winners!

BJ and Tyler!

'The Amazing Race 9' Finale East Coast Update

Pit Stop order:

1. BJ/Tyler
2. Eric/Jeremy
3. Ray/Yolanda

Non-elimination, heading to Alaska

I Did It! I Did It! Dilemma SOLVED!

I've been in a bit of a panic about tonight's television. I'm glad I don't throw things out and keep them because I might fix them someday.

What does one sentence above have to do with the other? Read on...

Tonight's television at the 9 PM hour was putting me in a quandary. The Amazing Race finale show starts at 8 PM, ends at 10 PM. I have to watch that one and take notes to blog about it later (as well as provide East Coast Updates here on this blog for the West Coast Viewers Who Can't Wait). Lost has a new episode on at 9 PM. American Idol has an hour-long results show this week starting at 9 PM - while I don't necessarily blog that show, I give an East Coast Update on the boot.

I don't have TIVO.

I do have cable and have it going to two TVs -- one in my computer room (s/b dining room) and another in the living room which I can actually see from my computer set-up area. What I've been doing at 9 PM on Wednesdays is to watch Lost by the computer, tape and have on American Idol on the living room TV (where my working VCR is) so that I can watch it later, but catch the boot. Throw The Amazing Race in there at that time and you can see my quandary.

What to do? What to do?

I dragged out my two not-working-correctly VCRs -- my first old 2-head one from the '80s which, last I knew, only really had issues with the timer and limitations of a VCR from that time period. My other non-working VCR is more modern, 4-head and retired due to the fact that it eats tapes. I first hooked up the older one to my computer-room TV. No go. I haven't tried it in years and it just sort of sits there. So, I tried the second one, removing its top cover and trying a tape I don't care if it gets eaten. Sure enough, I saw the mechanisms go to eat the tape! Ack! I stopped it and gently threaded the tape back to what it should be. I then wiggled the mechanisms inside and made progress trying again and again.

I fixed my VCR. Woohoo! So, here's the plan for tonight:

• Watch The Amazing Race live, take notes for a later review (probably will post it tomorrow evening due to the plethora of TV watching I'll be doing tonight and the fact I must go to work early).
• Tape American Idol on the computer room TV/VCR while running it live on the living room TV so I can catch the boot.
• Tape Lost on the living room VCR as it plays AI so I can post the boot. I know for sure that VCR works with no issues, so it's the safest to use for taping Lost. I'm more concerned about actually watching Lost than I am about American Idol.

Just call me Jackie, VCR Technician and TV Addict.

Stop by later for the updates!

'The Apprentice 5' - Ep.12 -or- "Eye-Rolling? Me? @@"

Oh, my...this season is dwindling down to its last few weeks. Oh, whatever will I do? Survivor has ended; The Amazing Race finale is on Wednesday. I might have to hit up my book pile for entertainment going into June. Well, that can be fun, too! Onto the show...

When the girls (Roxanne, Tammy and Allie) saw Lee and Sean returning from the Boardroom without Michael, they all seemed a bit surprised Lee remains in the running for the job. I personally think that no one's more surprised than Lee himself. They all pretty much think that Trump has taken a special liking to Lee. I can't really disagree. He squirms his way out of that Boardroom each and every time he could be fired -- and that's a lot of times! Tammy, of course, was happy to see Sean return. She fluttered her eyes and all. I think she's smitten with the Brit.

This week, it's Bill Rancic and Ivanka Trump who monitor the progress of the teams and report back to Big Daddy Trump. The task looked like fun, but I don't think it's the best challenge they could face. Bigwigs from MicroSoft and Wal-Mart explained that the teams had to create an environment within a Wal-Mart store focusing on MicroSoft's XBox 360™ geared for display and promotion of the product. The envirnoment created had to be interactive and three-dimensional. Now, that seems to be kind of easy. Just with the "360," it screams out full-circle, doesn't it? Use their promo designs and colors and you're there!

Sean and Lee were immediately full of ideas and excitement about the task at hand. Their team, Gold Rush, is down to just the two, so they outsourced almost all of the labor details -- flooring, a roof, the banners, signage and all. "No more Kinkos for us!" Sean was the Project Manager, but they both took on even roles in the task. Both were very familiar with the product, so they knew what could tie in with it as far as goods sold within Wal-Mart. Ivanka peeked in on them and seemed to be very positive about their teamwork and enthusiasm. Their only real downfall was that by sourcing out the work, they lost control on the completion time. That's bad, very bad.

Ah, the after-commercial Trump quote and Forecast O' Firing this week was "Death to Traitors." I think it was a bit over the top, but then I was never good with office politics and backstabbing ways. He lectured about getting rid of those who sabotage your efforts from within. Hmmm...I never was into that either. Since they had already shown Lee and Sean working great together, I knew it had to be the Synergy team. And, it was.

Tammy wanted to be the Project Manager for the task to prove herself worthy or something to that effect. She literally said, "I want this to be about me!" Eep. Her idea was a rather odd red carpet Hollywood ordeal focusing on the entertainment aspect of the Xbox 360™. Okaaay...that's her choice, though certainly not something which would come to my mind when I think of the product.

She assigned Roxanne the sign-making tasks as she's into graphics and, to be honest, I can't recall what she assigned to Allie, if anything. As they shopped for supplies, both Roxanne and Allie were so not into her ideas or her plans that it was super evident. Not only to me, but to Bill Rancic who stopped by to check on their progress. He saw the eye-rolling and disdain wafting out from both Allie and Roxanne. Uh-oh! Traitors! Off with their heads! Oh, wait. Trump didn't say be-head, just generic "death." Tammy was the Rodney Dangerfield of the episode -- "I don't get no respect." I think her main turn-off with the team dates back to her statement that she wanted it to be all about her.

As the time came close, Gold Rush (Lee and Sean) had a super-dilemma on their hands -- no ceiling for their enclosure! They did the best they could with the banner-walls decorated in the product theme, having several related items from Wal-Mart, the specification sheets, and the pricing of the items.

When the Wal-Mart and MicroSoft bigwig dudes arrived, they didn't seem all that thrilled with either exhibit. In the meeting to discuss the efforts of both teams, they went with the Gold Rush effort even though it remained unfinished. They loved the product tie-ins and thought it integrated both companies very well. The reward was a neat one this time around. No stomping grapes, we're talking a private jet trip to California. a meeting with Jeffrey Katzenburg of DreamWorks Studios, and a voice audition for parts in the upcoming movie Over The Hedge. I officially give this one the Best Reward Award! Oh, but it made the Synergy team quite jealous. Plus, of course, they have to go to the Boardroom where one will be fired.

[If you watch the movie, watch for BBQ Barry in a scene where critters run through his barbeque -- that's Sean's voice. And Lee is the voice of Lunch Table Larry, a critter himself.]

Before heading to the Boardroom, Allie and Roxanne moped and whined and then fussed that they wanted that reward. Too bad, girls! Tammy thought Allie gave a half-assed effort in the task. She thought Allie was just following Roxanne who "isn't capable of sabotaging me!"

The catfight in the actual Boardroom pitted Tammy against Roxanne while Allie was smart enough to basically sit this one out. I noticed that she went for the Lee Politician Approach a lot during Trump's questioning. A very wise decision, indeed. Trump thought their task looked like a place where tired shoppers would sit and fall asleep or, as he said, "a cheap third-rate liquor lounge." Well, it did look comfortable enough! Voices were raised! Accusations of eye-rolling or not were um...accused! Trump declared he actually hates some people! Nobody can get along with each other! A lousy idea! A horrible team leader! A shot rang out! The maid screamed!

Ahem.

"Tammy, you're fired."

All in all, the best thing about this episode was the reward. Y'see, I am a firm believer in eye-rolling. I eye-roll a lot at my own writings. @@

'Big Brother 7: All-Stars' News

It's official. This season's Big Brother 7 (USA) will be an "all star" version and we (you, us!) get to decide who we want in the house for our summer's voyeuristic pastime! According to the official CBS website:

For the first time in BIG BROTHER history worldwide, viewers will vote on which former HouseGuests will compete in BIG BROTHER 7: ALL-STARS. On CBS Wednesday, June 21 at 8PM ET/PT, Julie Chen will unveil the top 20 candidates from seasons past. Web voting opens right here after the show at midnight ET/9PM PT. The polls close Wednesday, June 28 at 11:59PM ET/8:59PM PT.

The season premiere is slated for Thursday, July 6 at 8 PM ET/PT in most viewing areas. Information regarding the live feeds hasn't been announced at this time, but I feel it's likely going to be RealPlayer providing them for a fee once again.

I'm personally not a huge champion of reality television "all-stars" shows, but the show is a guilty pleasure of mine, so I'll be watching. And blogging about it, although I don't foresee a summer out with knee surgery like last year. But, then again, I didn't expect it last year! Right now I'm trying to think what previous houseguests might make the top 20 candidates from seasons past. It could be a scary bunch!

'Survivor: Panama - Exile Island' Finale and Reflections on the Season

Sniffle...this will be the last time I get to use my cool revolving Survivor/Jackie logo made by Zoetawny. She rocks, y'know!

Well, last night was the big night, the season finale. As I thought, the commercials deliberately misled viewers to thinking that Cirie would win the fire-making tiebreaker challenge against Danielle. As an observer of the show and its promos since its inception, I know the editors tend to do that sort of thing. So I wasn't surprised when when the Final Three turned out to be Danielle, Aras and Terry. I was a bit surprised at who won the final Immunity Challenge, but that's getting a wee bit ahead of things at this time.

I want to focus just a little on Cirie at this time. Here's a city born and bred woman, coming up from Jersey City, New Jersey. She didn't know woods, critters, fishing, camping, or anything else of the outdoor life going into the show. She knew her couch, TV and stuff of the city. I'm sure if someone asked her how to catch the PATH train into lower Manhattan, she'd answer with ease. But ask her to make a fire with flint, catch a fish or make a camp? No way! It was amazing to watch her grow through the season. Apparently, her couch-sitting ways made for decent people-skills and strategical planning. She vastly improved her outdoors skills while she was the true manipulator of people on the show. Her buddy Aras wasn't the leader - Cirie had him wrapped around her finger. Hats off to Cirie and I'm glad she won the Yukon SUV voted on by show fans. She added a lot to this season.

Back to the finale show...I was leery of Danielle turning on Terry once again with good reason. Once the three returned to camp, Terry brought out the shrunken-head Immunity Idol from Exile Island so that Danielle and Aras could check it out. Right then and there, it was evident that her alliance was still with Aras, not Terry. She made a few comments about the macho thing between Aras and Terry, but seemed to think Terry was gloating.

Instead of the expected Immunity Challenge, the three had an opportunity to play for Reward - a power meal, cot and pillow which might help the winner be in better shape for the final Immunity Challenge. It entailed finding pegs in bags on spinning wheels and then using the pegs to climb a three-story wall. It was only seconds between Terry and Aras at the end, with a Terry win and Danielle way out of the running. But will it work? Will Terry come back refreshed and ready? Will Aras' determination push him into high gear for the win? Oh...and what about Danielle? She hasn't won anything all season.

As inevitable as the season recap which took up the first ten or more minutes of the show, we had the Memory Walk to endure. I watched as each previous castaway had his or her blurb and the three remaining said basically kind words about them. Eh. The only rather neat thing about this segment was they used the torches to set the huge bamboo skull on Exile Island afire. Alas, it was a very smoky fire; the material must have been damp from all the rain. It was all very symbolic and all that stuff nonetheless.

Well, Immunity was back up for grabs for the last time. In this one, it's a mix between endurance and balance as the castaways had to stand on floating "lily pads" and move to smaller ones in 15-minute intervals. Uh-oh. This one is a challenge geared for a woman to win. After all, women have a lower center of gravity. In a shocker, Terry couldn't get up and stay up on the third pad and was out of the running. Then a wobbly Aras took Danielle's nod for a jump-off and Danielle won her first challenge ever in the show - the most important Individual Immunity of the season. She's guaranteed to be in the Final Two and it's her choice to pick the other half of the Final Two.

Aras immediately got a bit threatening when talking to her about her choice. "If you don't choose me, you'll lose both my vote and Cirie's vote!" Terry was a bit more laidback about things, but almost killed her with fairness. It's a tough decision for her, indeed. But, my own thoughts? I don't think she stands a chance to win against either of them. Now, if she were up against Shane in the Final Two, she may win. Terry or Aras? Nope, both of them have played so well and so hard that she'd be doomed to second place. Her choice? Aras. It doesn't matter; her fate is sealed anyway. All it really does is enforce the Survivor Winner of the Car Curse - no player has ever won a car and gone onto the million dollars. Terry, of course, won a car a few episodes back.

Tribal Council was rather uneventful and almost "nice" compared to some of the past finales. Who can forget Sue's speech about rats and snakes and not giving a drink of water to Richard (or was it Kelly for that - one was a snake while the other was a rat) dying of thirst in the desert? Shane got a bit odd, but he's Shane. He's angry that they did better than he did and both betrayed him in the game. In the end, like mimicking Greg (Season 1) with the Blackberry bit (Greg had the coconut phone), he told them to choose a number and the closest would get his vote. Courtney was still a bit of a space cadet in her comments and I just wanted her to stop talking. What the heck was her point?

As I guessed, Aras won. I had a message board bet elsewhere that he would win, but that was just on the pre-season bio information. Too bad it was just a cyber-bet, eh? The vote was 5-2 with just Shane and Bruce voting for Danielle (I believe - correct me if I'm wrong on that). They didn't show the last vote, but 4 was enough for Aras to win. In the reunion show, through a show of hands, Terry would have won against Danielle with roughly the same count - only Bruce and Cirie would have voted for her. So, she would have lost either way.

To me, this season was the best in a long time. My favorite Survivor season remains the first one when all was fresh and new. I picked Richard Hatch for the win on that one and he was instrumental in starting the alliances which have continued throughout the show's run. I wasn't happy with Vanuatu and Africa didn't rank too highly on my list either, although I liked Ethan (the winner). I felt last season in Guatemala was tainted with the gimmicky return of Bobby Jon and Stephenie from the previous season. They had their chance; I don't want previous castaways returning. I want fresh meat. Um...players! If there ever is to be another rehash of castaways (I don't like All-Star versions, either), let it be those we never got to know - perhaps those castaways voted off in the first show each season. The person voted off first is usually an unknown entity in game play and all but forgotten as the season goes on. Bring them back if someone must come back!

In this season, we had Super Terry who did a fantastic job. We had wacky Shane who's still wacky though cleaned up for the Reunion Show. We had Cirie who possibly backstabbed others more than anyone else, yet came away with them all liking her. I give this season an A for its entertainment value to me. Good casting, nice location and a different twist with Exile Island and the hidden Immunity Idol. Although the idol itself was never used, it certainly played a huge role in the show just by folks figuring Terry had it.

Next season it will be Survivor: Cook Islands and it's to have an Exile Island with a new twist. I'll be there! Well, not on the show, but watching it!

'Survivor: Exile Island' East Coast Reunion Update/New Season Location

Cirie won the Yukon voted on by viewers.

Next season's show will be Survivor: Cook Islands and it sounds like there will be another Exile Island there.

I'll be writing up the finale and reflections on the season in the wee hours or in the morning. Please stop back!

Winner 'Survivor: Exile Island' is...

Aras is the sole Survivor.

I won my bet! ;-)

'Survivor: Exile Island' East Coast Finale Update - Final Two

Danielle chose Aras to go to the Final Two with her. Terry has his car, no million.

'Survivor: Exile Island' - East Coast Update Finale - Immunity

Danielle won Immunity. Although Tribal Council hasn't occurred yet, it looks like she'll probably take Aras with her. They were on little floating platforms and she gave him a nod to jump indicating he'd be her choice for Final Two.

It looks right now like the Car Curse of Survivor holds true. Terry is most likely not going to win the million...but he has a car!

'Survivor: Exile Island' East Coast Update Finale - Rewards

In as close a finish as one can imagine, Terry won Reward against Aras. (Danielle was way behind.)

Reward is a power meal, a cot and a pillow which could be an advantage in the Immunity Challenge.

'Survivor: Exile Island' East Coast Finale Update - Final 3

Danielle won the tiebreaker.

The final three - Aras, Danielle and Terry