'Survivor 14: Fiji' - The Castaways, Part 4

Survivors ready? The new season will premiere Thursday, February 8th at 8 PM ET/PT. Although I haven't seen confirmation, I'm sure it's only going to be an hour as it has been in past years. So, (at least) one of the 19 castaways will be gone before we even get to know him... or her.

I previously listed the other castaways in Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. For easy referencing, I'm also going to add these entries in their own section in the blog's sidebar. Then, as the series airs, I can see exactly how wrong I was in my predictions. Hey, I'm just an avid fan of the show; I'm not omniscient. I refuse to place wagers. In making my predictions and observations, I'm using the bios and favorites listed at the official CBS Survivor 14: Fiji website.

The Last Four Castaways in This Series

Stacy was born in South Korea, adopted at the age of six months, and raised in Montpelier, Vermont. She chose to move to Miami sight unseen at the age of 17, attending the Ai Miami International School of Art and Design, interning, and working full-time. She sounds like a go-getter, doesn't she?

From her bio page: "Kimball enjoys knitting, making jewelry and cooking. She describes herself as resourceful, optimistic and good-humored. Whether living in Vermont, Miami or Boulder, she is most proud of her ability to adapt to her surroundings." She's single and her birth date is October 1, 1979.

What do her Favorites tell about her?

• For a favorite color, she likes "baby pink." Is that a real color? Is that a new crayon or something? [I'll always miss raw umber and burnt sienna.]
• She likes backgammon, but lists no video games.
• Her most common answer throughout the listing is "no favorite." She either likes too many to list or likes none at all, I guess.
• No favorite TV show, no favorite sport. No Survivor listed. Does she even know the show? I don't know.
• She likes horseback riding. That's always a good skill for the show, right?
• Well, she likes Sinatra and lounge music. That's not quite what I expected from her.

Gee, I don't know about this girl. Her favorites don't tell me much about how she'll do on the show while her bio itself shows she might be strong. Her possibilities could go either way, but I doubt she'll win it all or even come close.

Next up to the plate is Mookie Lee. I had to say that as the only other "Mookie" I've ever heard of was a baseball player. This Mookie was born in Seoul, Korea, moved to Connecticut, and raised in Northbrook, Illinois. His Bachelor's is in Actuarial Science and Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

From his bio page: "Lee enjoys traveling, playing competitive sports (particularly basketball and volleyball) and spending time with his friends and family. He is a die-hard Chicago Bears fan and is a season ticket holder. He describes himself as outgoing, humorous, strong-minded, competitive and athletic." Mookie is single, currently living in downtown Chicago, and his birth date is November 10, 1981.

So far, so good. Taking a gander at his Favorites:

• Favorite colors are black and blue. I hope he doesn't bruise easily.
• Another Monopoly player. [I swear that often that's the only board game folks can think of when asked. Me? I'd say Scrabble.]
• Yet another new castaway not listing Survivor amongst favorite television shows. What's up with that? He lists Seinfeld, CSI, SportsCenter, Entourage, and 24.
• An interesting (and different) choice of magazines including SmartMoney and Money. In his favorite books I see Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. I'm sensing some sort of pattern here, aren't you?
• He likes Bacardi and Jagermeister Bombs.

Mookie looks like he may be a strong contender - young, in good physical shape and such. But my Survivor-sense isn't tingling. I just don't get the feeling that he'll make the Final Four. Don't ask me why... and I could be totally off-base.

Ah, the "older woman" of the cast. Can she break free of the fate of previous Survivor Women in their 50s? (I think of MadDog and the singing one, Wanda...!) Sylvia was born in Hong Kong, but moved to Los Angeles when she was eight years old. After high school, she moved up the coast and earned her degrees (Bachelor's and Masters) at the University of California at Berkeley. She's the founder and Chairman of a renowned architectural firm in San Francisco.

From her bio page: "Kwan describes herself as creative, energetic and determined, and according to her husband, holds the unofficial title of “Ultimate Consumer.” In her spare time, Kwan plays tennis, skis, hikes and plays golf. She’s also happy that she finally learned how to swim, because it was sink or swim as a Survivor contestant. Kwan's never met an exercise routine she didn’t like, keeping in shape with Pilates, yoga, Tai Chi, and any new type of gym equipment introduced." She lives with her husband of 26 years, has two children, and her birth date is August 18, 1954.

Time to glean more insight from her Favorites:

• In most categories, she lists multiple favorites. That means she enjoys life or that she's indecisive, I say.
• She likes Scrabble! And Apples to Apples, whatever that is.
• She enjoys hiking, jogging, and running. [I would think the last two similar interests, but I never got into either.]
• Once again, no Survivor listed in favorite TV shows. She likes Jeopardy, The Apprentice, and Shark.
• She has a lot of favorite fruits, but likes sugarless candybars? Oh, the horror! But she redeems herself by liking dark chocolate.

In looking at her favorites, Sylvia seems very health-conscious. She also seems very intelligent. Will those aspects help her make it to be the Sole Survivor? Can she beat the older-woman odds of the show? I think she may do better than some in the past, but I'm not getting winner vibes from her. I hope I'm wrong - it would be cool for a 52-year old woman to win. Yeah, Tina Wesson won one season and she was an "older" woman, but Colby Donaldson handed that win to her on a silver platter. (That's my own personal opinion, of course.)

Last, but certainly not least as he just happens to be the last man on an alphabetical level, we have Yau-Man. Fun to say, isn't it? Yow, man! Yau-Man Chan is originally from Malaysian Borneo (ringing a Survivor bell with me) and moved to the United States where he earned his degree at M.I.T. Then he went on to earn a Masters at the University of California at Santa Barbara. While he's currently the Director of Information Systems for the College of Chemistry at the University of California at Berkeley, he's worked menial jobs while coming up - including dishwasher and house painter.

From his bio page: "Chan enjoys playing table tennis, bicycling, woodworking and reading. He is a member of the USA Table Tennis Association. He describes himself as intellectual and contemplative. He considers himself a natural leader, a good organizer, very skilled with his hands, very resourceful and feels he possesses a keen intellect." Yau-Man Chan has been married for 23 years, has two children and he was born on August 26, 1952.

Oh, but what about his Favorites?

• On quick glance, I see his favorites are short and to-the-point.
• No favorite board games, but enjoys the Atari classic games and Mrs. Pac-Man.
• He's not into team sports at all. [Does that mean he's not a team player?]
• He likes to watch the news and 60 Minutes. Not a single reality show listed and, more importantly, no Survivor listed. Yikes.
• He enjoys classical music and reads The Economist.
• He likes shrimp chips as a snack. Hmmm... never noticed them on the shelves. They sound tasty to me!
• So many one-word answers.

Oh, Yau-Man seems to have a lot working against him - his age, the fact that he seems so "serious" in his Favorite listings, his lack of knowledge (so it seems) regarding Survivor itself. But, then again, he grew up in Borneo, a key Survivor territory. I'm going to go out on a limb here and give a strong player prediction. I think he might just make Final Four. Don't ask me why - it could be because I like to say his name. And, of course, I have nothing to lose. I'm not placing any wagers.

It's Pants-olicious! - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - Jan. 22-26

Last week I mentioned changes in the official website for the show. The Dave himself mentioned the changes during the week. If you're a Late Show fan, or even if you're just interested in some of the past guests, you should take a peek at the official site as there are tons of video clips in the archives and lots o' neat stuff. You could spend hours going through it all, so grab yourself a cup of joe and prepare to settle in.

My only complaint about the page is that it no longer lists the upcoming guests for the week. In a way that's okay as the website listings were notoriously obsolete for some time now. So, it's off to the listings for the show elsewhere...

• Monday, January 22: Actor Kevin Spacey, musician Alicia Keys, Nellie Kay and the Broadway Philharmonic perform. Oh, I always enjoy Kevin Spacey's appearances on the show. He's interesting and witty. What more could I want?
• Tuesday, January 23: Actors Forest Whitaker and Ricky Gervais with musical guests The Shins. Sounds good to me!
• Wednesday, January 24: Impressionist Frank Caliendo spoofs sports commentator John Madden, actress Mandy Moore and Rosanne Cash performs. Um, okay. For some reason Wednesday night shows aren't hitting with me so much lately. However, the monologue and other happenings keep me tuned in.
• Thursday, January 25: What? From the listings I see, this one is a repeat. Howard Stern (promoting himself and Sirius, as usual) and Gwen Stefani. The Stefani performance is excellent.
• Friday, January 26: Another repeat? Dave must have some wild plans for an extended weekend or something, eh? But, if you missed Clint Eastwood's appearance on the show in December, you'll want to check it out. Plus, actor Matthew Fox from Lost.

There you go. Pantsolicious, of course.

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, January 20, 2006

Baby, it's cold outside. To me, this is the kind of weather that makes me want to stay inside... watching TV or DVDs, of course! Well, if my knee was better, skiing may be on the menu. But that's not the case.

There's no American Idol on this weekend, which could be a good thing. But there's a lot of other stuff! I've marked my own calendar to watch The Wire at 9 PM ET/PT on BET. I'm so glad I discovered the show there since I don't have HBO. And, what's even better is that time slot. None of my "have to see" shows are on at that time... until now with The Wire.

Here are the TV Newsy Bits I found while peeking around the Internet:

• TMZ broke the news that American Idol Hollywood choice Tommy Daniels has a criminal record. (He's the 'fro dude.) Meanwhile, Rosie has a new target.
• Heroes will return Monday night and the viewers will experience a TV 360 experience with interactive activity according to this Celebrity Spider article.
• Shhh... Milo Ventimiglia of Heroes reveals a few spoilers.
• Will Rob and Amber hit the "end of their shelf life" after the upcoming season of The Amazing Race? Entertainment Weekly seems to think so.
• CW has renewed Everybody Hates Chris for another season. I don't talk about the show so much, but the episodes I've seen, I've liked. Actor Todd Bridges, a survivor of Diff'rent Strokes, will be a guest star on Monday's episode.
• CBS has ordered/renewed Survivor through 2007-2008 - two more seasons in addition to the upcoming Survivor 14: Fiji.

What's on Television Tonight?

There's no American Idol to tie up the hours, but there are plenty of new episodes of other shows on tonight.

At 8 PM ET/PT on ABC, it's an all-new Ugly Betty while ABC has new episodes of My Name is Earl and The Office. Since CBS is showing a repeat in the slot, it's a great opportunity to check out the other shows. Oh... and Fox has new episodes of 'Til Death and The War at Home. CW has a new Smallville on.

A new C.S.I. starts at 9 PM ET/PT and we'll the new boss taking Grissom's place. Kemper. Kempler? Simon Templar? Whatever. NBC has new episodes of Scrubs and 30 Rock while ABC is showing a new Grey's Anatomy (check out the blog discussion post to talk about the show). FOX is showing a new episode of the dwindling down The O.C. CW has a new Supernatural and A&E has a new The First 48 (which is an interesting real action police investigation show). BET is showing The Wire (repeated late Saturday night).

At 10 PM ET/PT, NBC is showing an E.R. repeat while ABC has a new Men in Trees and CBS has a new Shark. Over on MTV, there's a new Real World.

'American Idol 6' - The Seattle Auditions

The smile on Simon's face that you see in the photo didn't stay around too long as the auditions hit Seattle. Not to worry, Minneapolis, Seattle brought about even a worse day of auditions according to Simon. In one day, Minneapolis put through 17 contestants to Hollywood. In two days in Seattle, only 14 made the cut.

A few things remained constant between both audition cities. The level of the talents, both the highs and the lows, are a bit disappointing for me this season. Why the heck are they keeping the left door of the double doors locked in place? It was another evening of "the other door." Not everyone is righthanded, American Idol. I was waiting for someone to run out in horror after a Simon scowl, hit the locked lefthand door, and slither down to the floor like in a cartoon.

There were no guest judges on the panel and Paula seemed to hang in through both days without really odd behaviors. The niceness that Simon seemed to exhibit last night was gone for the most part and Randy wasn't as harsh. Well, except for the ones who really didn't have a clue or were silly to even think of auditioning. I felt sorry for some of the contestants, as I did last night. But, when you think about it, they know the show. They chose to go on national television. They signed releases for the footage to be shown. Me? I'd never want to be a star that bad... and I know I can't sing. Or dance. I shouldn't even really hum.

Tonight's Most Notable of the Odd

Oh, how apt is this? A candidate for the Darwin Awards in relation to American Idol, we endured Darwin "Misha" Reedy accompanied by her Mom. Holding to the idea that she was bringing sexy back, I think her shirt was too sexy for her and not vice versa. And, it was a huge floppy shirt. Like mother, like daughter and she performed much like she portrays herself. She frightened me. Justin Timberlake may never sing his song again if he saw her mention of it.

I have no idea what's going on with this woman's skin color, but it can't be healthy. They asked her if it was a sunburn, but she didn't really say much. But, since she dressed the way she did, she knew it would be commented upon. She's Melissa "Carlene" Stavros and Simon basically said she sounded like a goat. What did goats ever do to Simon?

Her performance didn't really remind me of a goat. I thought more along the lines of a cacophony of sound and motion. If she had been on much longer, my head may have started to spin.


Nick Zitzmann (pictured on left) brought about thoughts of a young Kyle Secor gone bad. Now, I like Kyle Secor, but not when he's gone bad and thinks he can sing.

He tried to sing "Unchained Melody" which is a tough song even if you can sing. Oh, my. He may think he's a leader, be he ain't no singer. While Simon referred to him as possibly not human, I think he's wrong. This could be a zombie situation. You may want to alert the GhostBusters. Even Nick said watching the performance might scare himself.

Hopefully it will be a lasting friendship between Jonathan Jayne and Kenneth Briggs. Neither should have tried out for the show, Jonathan more so than Kenneth. I'm glad the judges weren't cruel to Jonathan and I'm also glad that Kenneth (for the most part) took Simon's comments in stride. And, he knows a bush baby is a kind of monkey! These two are the Odd Couple of Tonight's Most Notable of the Odd.

Why, oh why am I hearing "Dueling Banjos"? Like a character from Deliverance, Stephen Thoen likes to try "cro-akie." He likes to be called "Red." See, he's not representative of all redheads. My hair is a similar color (thankfully a different style and I have no beard) and I always hated to be called "Red."

He likened himself to Freddie Mercury and absolutely slayed "Bohemian Rhapsody." He also seemed just a tad dangerous. He was the last contestant of the day and I bet the judges had security escort them out.

There were other bad acts, but they didn't make my Most Notable list. Brandon Groves, the one who sang "I Shot the Sherriff" while dressed as a cop last year returned this season all decked out like the Apollo Creed guy in Minneapolis sans boxing gloves. David Mills had an epiphany and a wake-up call. There was a Taylor Hicks clone, Eric Chapman, who couldn't sing a lick.

Friends and relatives of AI wannabes, please don't let your loved ones think they have talent when they don't! Stop them before they sing again! I beseech you, I beg you... confine them to the shower. I beg you, tell them. Spare them the public humiliation. Friend don't let friends go without talent on American Idol.

There Were Some Good Ones

Tommy Daniels has tried twice before to make it on the show. He slept by trashcans awaiting his Seattle audition. He fluffed his 'fro and he put on a show. Blake Lewis, a champion beatboxer, showed off his "skillz" and proved he can sing, too. The Malakar siblings (brother and sister) both made it through shining. I liked how Sanjaya wouldn't admit that the judges said he has a better voice than his sister.

Rudy Cardenas took a chance with a Journey song (Randy was a band member) and was passed through to Hollywood by Randy and Paula, but not Simon. Anna Kearns, a lofty lady at 6'3" without heels, passed through although I wasn't too impressed with her singing. 16-year old Jordin Sparks whose father is NFL's Felipe Sparks, is going to Hollywood.

Me? I'm just waiting for the Memphis auditions we'll see next week.

TV Newsy Bits - Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Are you ready for another night of American Idol auditions? Tonight we'll see the Seattle auditions and I'll be posting an entry complete with screencaps of some of the events. In a newsy note, last night over 37 million folks watched the AI season premiere. Yet so many claim to never watch it, eh?

Due to my lengthy entries of today, well... two lengthy Amazing Race entries here and here in addition to my to-be-lengthy American Idol review/recap I'll be writing later tonight, I'm holding off on my final Survivor 14: Fiji cast entry. You can expect that in the next day or two. If you missed any of the first three parts, they'll be listed on the sidebar of the blog once I complete the final one.

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• The good folks over at Court TV let me know that a series I found very intriguing - Murder by the Book - is going to be renewed and this time will feature one of my favorite authors in the mystery genre. The series features an author looking into a case which has caught their own interest. The new shows will include authors David Baldacci, Sandra Brown, Lee Child, Harlan Coben, Linda Fairstein, and Kinky Friedman. Which one is one of my favorite authors? Well, the Kinkster, of course. That man can turn a phrase and I love the way he works his words. Plus, he's a character literally as well as figuratively. He stars in his own novels. As soon as I know the date, I'll be chatting this one up!
• The Court TV folks also dug up the real dirt behind the OJ failed novel. Was it a confession?
• Was Paula Abdul drunk, stoned or otherwise incapacitated on last night's show and various interviews? Celebrity Spider posted her side. Me? Something's way off with that gal, but I don't know what. She was definitely getting worse as the show went on.

Check back later tonight for the latest on American Idol!

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - The Teams, Part 2

As we've been anticipating, the next season of The Amazing Race is indeed an All Star version. CBS revealed the teams yesterday, so you know I have to get in my two cents on them today. And, but of course, I welcome your two cents, too. For the skinny on the first six teams I wrote about, head to this article.

Here are the rest of the teams, again in no particular order:

Often a team I loved to hate during Season 1, I'm happy to see that Team Guido, Joe and Bill, are included this season. These guys are cut-throat, albeit very entertaining to watch. Even though they only made a third place finish in their season, the other teams shouldn't take these two lightly. They're the ones who started the matching team outfits. Mary (TAR10) may have had a very different first impression of gay men had she met Team Guido instead of Tom and Terry in her season. Ruthless competitors, but true TAR history, welcome back Joe and Bill! View Joe & Bill on innertube now

Eric and Danielle come to us from Season 9 in which they were competitors, not a team at all. Eric was teamed up with his buddy Jeremy and they made it to second place. Meanwhile, Danielle was with her best friend Dani and only made it to a seventh place finish. Oh, but they're dating now and coming together as a team for All Stars. I'm a bit ambivalent about the idea of them as a team, but I think they might be fairly competitive. As long as they don't bicker and fuss at each other, I can take 'em on the show... I guess. View Eric & Danielle on innertube now

Oh, no! It's the return of the "Evil Beauty Queens" from Season 10... which we just finished watching a month ago. To their credit, I admit that they're a very strong all-female team and I was surprised they only finished in fourth place in their own season. It still bugs me that they saddled the ChoBros with their wrecked car instead of taking their chances with the damage they created. That was a very low move, I say. That aside, it will be interesting to see how these two fare when the show most likely won't get into alliances. View Dustin & Kandice on innertube now

Yet another Season 10 team, David and Mary touched the hearts of many viewers. With a little bit of help from their friends (and a lot of help from the ChoBros), they made it to a sixth place finish. While I find their worldly innocence and their willingness to thrive on new experiences very refreshing, they're not a strong team. Hopefully they have their determination set to succeed because it would be a blast (and shock) if they were to win at All Stars. I don't think we'll see that happen, but it's nice to think that it possibly could. Wait... they're up against Romber and the Guidos. Make the win a fleeting thought. View David & Mary on innertube now

Last, but only least if we're talking height (Charla), it's Charla and Mirna from Season 5 where they had a sixth place finish. This team caused a lot of controversy similar to the Peter/Sarah relationship in Season 10. Mirna fared poorly with many viewers as she seemed to use Charla's height for her own benefit. If memory serves, she also gushed at show host Phil Keoghan to the point of creeping me out. (I don't know if Phil felt the same way, but maybe...!) I actually enjoyed Charla and think she really did very well when she faced obstacles due to her stature. Mirna, I'm not so thrilled about seeing again. View Charla & Mirna on innertube now

So, there are the teams we'll be cheering on or booing a month from now. Did your team make the cut? Any teams you'd rather see? Any guesses who might win it all? My own thoughts are a bit tainted as I saw a spoilers site where they were tracking the teams. I'll post that link in a Newsy Bits once I find what I did with it. Of course, sites had Christy and Colin in the race and they're not there. So, take any spoilers you see with a grain of salt.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - The Teams, Part 1

Ah, it just goes to show you that not all Internet spoilers are indeed reality when it comes to reality TV. The early spoilers out there had Colin ("my ox is broken") and Christy running the race, but no Frat Boys (Kevin and Drew). Other spoilers were indeed correct. There were teams who either weren't available or didn't make the cut -- I, for one, would have loved to see Jon and Al (the Clowns from TAR4) take another go at the million.

Overall, I'm pleased with the teams we'll be seeing. Well, for the most part anyway. There will always be a few teams we'd rather see than a few who made it. But it looks like it's going to be a great season. And, that's coming from someone (me) who is usually a bit turned off by the "all stars" versions of reality television shows. I'm marking my calendar -- Sunday, February 18 at 8 PM ET/PT, don't call me. I'll be watching The Amazing Race 11: All Stars.

The Teams In No Particular Order

Winners of The Amazing Race 7, Uchenna and Joyce were very popular with many show fans. They came across as nice folks, not necessarily ruthless at all. There was a brouhaha about flights and Romber which caused some controversy on the Internet. So, it's going to be interesting to watch how the teams interact this season. They have the right stuff for the win - I think back to Joyce shaving her beautiful hair in order to get a jump on the others.
View Uchenna & Joyce on innertube now


From TAR3, it's second place finishers, Teri and Ian. While their success in the season is definitely "a job well done," they're not a team I would have chosen had they asked me. Now, I'm all for older folks (read that as my generation) doing well, but I didn't really enjoy watching this team. I can still hear Teri yelling, "Ian! Iiiiiiiaaaaannnnn!" To me, he came across as gruff and demanding -- not to the point of a Jonathan Baker, but not a nice guy, either.
View Teri & Ian on innertube now

Not surprising me at all, Romber (Rob and Amber), second place on TAR7, made the cut. I'm of two minds about this team. They've certainly milked reality TV for all it's worth and their fifteen minutes of fame has gone into years now. I don't want to see either of them on Survivor again. That said, I think they're a worthy team and one to watch this season on TAR. Rob, more so than Amber, is shrewd and competitive. He's not afraid to push the envelope and it's going to be very interesting to see what he does next. After all, he staged a coup at a challenge in his own season which benefitted his own goals. He's good at the game. View Rob & Amber on innertube now

Yes! It's the return of Team ChaCha! Oswald and Danny may have only made it to fourth place in Season 2, but they were one of the most entertaining teams ever to appear on the show. These gay friends (not a couple, but best friends) put a priority on shopping instead of the race to be run, but they were a delightful reprieve from overly-competitive teams. I personally don't think they'll have a chance to win this season in view of some of the hardcore teams aboard, but I'm going to enjoy watching them again.
View Oswald & Danny on innertube now


It's the return of yet another fan-favorite team - the Frat Boys, Kevin and Drew, fourth place finishers from Season 1. Even though they didn't make it that close to the big win, they won the hearts of many viewers with their sense of humor, attitude, and the spirit of friendship. More recently, they played the role of hot dog vendors in a clue stop on TAR8. Despite the foilers (as opposed to true spoilers) on the Internet, they'll grace our Race once again. I'd like to see them take it all. But, even if they don't, I'm loving that they're back for more.
View Kevin & Drew on innertube now

Although they're now listed as a "formerly dating" couple, John and Jill came to us with a bittersweet story in Season 3 -- John was the best friend of Jill's brother who was killed on 9/11 at the World Trade Center. She had originally applied to be on the show with her brother, but John stepped in take his place in the race. They only made a fifth place finish, but with both the backstory and their demeanor as a team, they won the hearts of viewers. They didn't bicker and were a strong team. I'm glad they're on again even if they no longer date.
View John & Jill on innertube now


The last five teams will be in Part 2 due to the length of this entry. The links you see posted will lead you directly to the CBS video interviews with the teams.

'American Idol 6' - The Minneapolis Auditions

It's back! Yes, one of my favorite junk food for the mind shows... American Idol. From the cheesiness to the real talents to the stunned expression on Randy's face to Simon's um... Simonisms.

Right now my current plans are to write about the auditions. Then, once the finalists are in place, East Coast Updates will be posted on boot nights in addition to entries about the show. So, if you're an American Idol fan, you're right where you should be. All opinions are welcome in the comments even if you disagree with me, but I ask that all remains civil. Onto the show...

Tonight was the first time the show has held auditions in Minneapolis and they picked up 17 who will go onto Hollywood. But, hey... it's the auditions. At this point the show is more about the losers than the winners, right? Alas, although there were some odd ducks and some who lacked any kind of voice or stage presence at all, I didn't see any who would go the road of the Classic Idol Rejects. You know, folks like William Hung or even Crazy Dave.

Sitting in on the judges panel with no explanation why (or maybe I missed it) was Jewel. She fit right in, though. The most notable line of hers for me was when an Army Reserves woman was auditioning and told Simon she loved his personality. "You have to go through boot camp before you can enjoy Simon's personality." Not bad, not bad.

Tonight's Most Notable of the Odd

Charles Moody, age 26, from Brooklyn, New York. He dressed as Apollo Creed and sang opera. Actually, the opera wasn't done extremely horribly, but the overall package was so not American Idol that it was hysterical. According to Simon, "You're singing opera dressed as Apollo Creed wearing a funny hat."

A young man named Jesse Holloway talked forever in a monotone before singing. But once he started singing, I wished he had just kept talking. He left in the middle of his audition for water, came back singing even worse. Then he blew up in the hallway - "They [the judges] ought to be fired!" The noive, I say!

Oh... and speaking of "the noive" -- now, I didn't catch her name, but one young woman's whole singing style revolved around evoking the ghost of the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz. Yes, I wouldn't lie. Her song was "If I Were King of the Forest" and in later clips she used the style in normal songs. Yikes.

There was a cowboy-outfit dude named Matthew Volna who looked like Henry Winkler (recent, not as Fonzie) and sang like Ben Stein in a lower octave. He performed - and I use the word loosely unless it was a comedy act... wait, even then... - "Folsom Prison Blues." Poor Johnny Cash. It's a good thing he's not around to hear that version. In reference to his music selection, he told the judges, "I can't sing that other stuff." "You can't sing that!"

Troy Benham describes himself as Urban Amish. He's never seen the show, doesn't watch television, doesn't listen to modern music... or so he says.

I personally think it was all an act. He "sang" some weird not memorable song which he said he had written. I don't fall for the Amish act at all. The hair is wrong, the sunglasses are wrong, Troy Benham is wrong.

Next!

There were temper tantrums and too many young kids whose parents let them go to the auditions when they should have told them not to make fools of themselves. There was a Number One Fan whose voice could herd cats. "Is there anything I can do to improve, Simon?" "Yes, leave."

Stephen Horst, a voice coach, thought he had it made. Nope. Simon instigated problems between Randy and Stephen. There was one young woman whose boss flew her to the audition after she didn't make the cut in Pasadena. She didn't make it in Minneapolis, either. (I guess if you can't make it in Pasadena, you can't make it anywhere.)

Jason Anderson is a 16-year old boy who believes he's a talented juggler, dancer, and singer. Um... none of the above.

Simon to Jason: "You sum up Minneapolis, useless at everything. Your future involves not singing." [Yeah, I thought that first line was a bit harsh on a kid. But, true.]

Jason in the hallway: "He said I sum up Minneapolis! It's my fault Minneapolis has no talent!"

Enough of the Odd Ones even though I know I left many out... there were a few good singers tonight. My favorite was Sarah Krueger who sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." The kid whose parents didn't come with him, 16-year old Matt Sato, was touching. As in past seasons, every backstory ended up a Hollywood choice. One I wasn't impressed with was Perla Meneses. I don't think flirting will keep her in the contest.

I liked how the sailors on the USS Ronald Reagan held their own "Reagan Idol" and sent the winner to the auditions... and he (Jarrod Fowler) made it onto Hollywood! He was pretty good, as was Michelle Steingas, Rachel Jenkins, and Denise Jackson. As always, they didn't show all going on to Hollywood.

Tomorrow night's auditions will come to us from Seattle and it looks like we'll have many new additions to the Notable of the Odd. As for the decent ones, I personally hope Simon comes up with something better than "I think people will like you." Was does that mean? Does he not like them?

So, what did you think of the show?

Tonight!

I'm just dropping by with a quick note here. I have an article about the Amazing Race 11: All Stars teams in progress, but right now American Idol is starting. So, TAR is on hold so I can watch, note, and get some images for my AI entry.

Darn that staying late at work tonight. It threw my schedule off!

Both the TAR and AI entries will be posted later tonight. It's a good thing tomorrow is my day off from work, eh? Please stop back!

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - The Castaways, Part 3

There are 19 castaways starting out on Survivor 14: Fiji set to premiere on Thursday, February 8 at 8 PM ET/PT. I posted the first ten here and here. I plan to have the last four castaways up sometime Wednesday. I'm checking out their bios on the official CBS website, exploring their favorites, then attempting to assess how well they might do on the show. Of course, I could be totally wrong in my guesses, but I like to guess anyway! Without further ado...

The Next Five Castaways

What? No Los Angeles? I might just faint. Edgardo was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He moved to the States to attend Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and played on their tennis team. He then moved to Miami to advance his career.

From his bio page: "Rivera enjoys playing beach volleyball, tennis, basketball, traveling, spending time with his family and friends when he visits Puerto Rico and occasionally hitting the hot spots in South Beach, Miami. He describes himself as spontaneous, ambitious and very adventurous." He's single, born on October 5, 1978.

Ah, but the real skinny is in the Favorites, right?

• Another chess player. As I mentioned with Dre, chess is the sort of strategical game which makes folks think moves ahead. It's a game which should fare well for someone on the show. Oh... Battleship is his other one listed. Eep, watch out other castaways!
• He likes camping, another plus.
• Argh, he doesn't list Survivor in his TV shows at all! It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Family Guy, 24. Why are so many not fans of the show this season? It's screaming "recruit."
• He likes alcohol, it seems. He listed wine, vodka, rum, whiskey, and tequila.

With the exception of not listing Survivor in his shows, he looks like a strong player. He's an ad man, so he should be able to "sell himself" to his fellow castaways, but I wonder if he would realize things like not too much leading, etc. I think he'll do well. Winner of it all? Maybe.

Michelle hails from Cincinnati, Ohio. She's completing her last year at the University of Cincinnati, studying fashion design. She likes pirates and things that are green. Hey, it's in her bio -- I'm not making it up.

From her bio page: "Yi describes herself as very independent and is a true believer in following one's passions and staying inspired. She thinks a positive attitude will keep you smiling through anything. She believes her bubbly and laid back personality allows her to enjoy most people, but she claims if you rub her the wrong way, she'll be sure you know it!" She's single, born on December 2, 1983.

What do her Favorites tell us?

• Scrabble and Mario Bros. games make her list. Not bad. I like them both, too.
• She's a rock climber - good for the show, I would think.
• She doesn't list Survivor as her favorite show. She only mentions The Amazing Race. Hmmm.
• Oh, she likes When Harry Met Sally as her movie. I think I'm liking her.
• No favorite alcoholic beverage but enjoys water and fruit juice.

Well, I like her. She sounds like a neat person. Has she got what it takes to win the show? I'm not sure. I think she could do very well if she works her fellow castaways right. Often it's that skill which is the crucial one to make it to the Final Two and then tip the scales for the win.

At least this latest batch isn't all from California. Gary was born and raised in Silver Lake, Minnesota. He was a barber for 14 years and currently works as a carpenter and school bus driver. He's a Vietnam vet and has also worked as a taxi cab driver and landscaper.

From his bio page: "Stritesky has competed in multiple inline skate marathons. He also enjoys biking, canoeing and coaching. He spent many years coaching his children's soccer, baseball, basketball and football teams. At least once a year, Stritesky travels to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, taking part in portaging, canoeing, fishing and enjoying the solitude of the northern Minnesota lakes." He's married with four children and two grandchildren. His birth date is September 16, 1951.

His favorites will tell us even more:

• Monopoly and checkers, but no Pac-Man for him - it's XBox!
• Biking, rollerblading and walking made his list.
• Ah, finally... favorite shows are Survivor and The Amazing Race.
• A beer drinker, but he also enjoys quaffing root beer.

It looks like he has his Survivor act all together. He watches the show, is physically active and into camping and such. I don't know if his age is going to be a factor on not. If he doesn't try to run things, he might do well. We'll see.

Just when I thought I could stop typing California for this entry... Rita was born in Venezuela, but moved to San Francisco when she was eight years old. She went to the University of California at Berkeley, then transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles. Her degree is in Italian and French literature.

After college, she moved to Mexico City where she lived for eleven years with her (then) husband and two children. She was a Miss Venezuela contestant and did modeling.

From her bio page: "Verreos enjoys playing with her children, cooking, listening to "world" music, reading and writing in foreign languages. She also enjoys playing basketball, football and walking. She describes herself as persistent, tough on the outsideÂ…tender on the inside, considerate and respectful." She lives with her parents and two children. Her birth date is July 19, 1968.

Her Favorites will spill the real beans...

• Um, she lists the "scent of children's skin" under favorite scent. I do hope that's not to be confused with dirty diapers or a child who's been playing with the dog all day!
• Barbie Fashion Designer is her favorite video game. Eep. That exists?
• He TV shows include Survivor (good), Project Runway and "anything on the Food Network."
• Tristan & Iseult are listed for authors/books. I haven't a clue.

Well, I just don't know about her. In some aspects, such as actually knowing the show, she may do well. But I get the feeling she's not going to be around for a real long time unless she rides coat-tails. I could be wrong.

Why, oh, why am I getting Johnny Fairplay vibes from this photo of James Reid? Either that or soft porn Brian. I feel my judgment of James is probably going to be clouded due to the fact that this photo turns me off. It looks like he's trying to be smug, sexy, and "all that."

Originally from Boston, he received his high school diploma in an adult program. He's a Navy veteran and currently works as a bartender, but with a catering set-up job going, too.

From his bio page: "Reid enjoys working out at the gym, most sports (especially football) and hanging out with good friends. He describes himself as outgoing, tough (but an overall "good kid"), a people person and a "man's man." He's single and currently living in Los Angeles. His birth date is September 11, 1978.

Onto his Favorites:

• Chutes and Ladders? Yipes. At least he lists Monopoly and Sorry, too.
• He lists six favorite colors. What does that say about him? Fickle? Amongst others, he lists both silver and gray. Okay...
• He likes to play catch.
• No Survivor in his TV list, but he likes Entourage, Weeds, and Brotherhood.
• The Departed, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas make his movie favorites. I'm sensing some sort of pattern here.
• Okay, he's a Cap'n Crunch eater. Maybe my pattern was premature.

Remember, my opinion may be tainted by what I think of the photo from CBS. I wish they had just used a normal shot like with the other castaways. I want to say slacker or, perhaps belligerent leader. I don't want to say "winner." Prove me wrong, James.

TV Newsy Bits - Monday, January 15, 2007

It's yet another big TV night! For fans of 24, it's the second two hours of the season premiere starting at 8 PM ET/PT on FOX. The 64th Annual Golden Globes Awards start at 8 PM ET/PT on NBC. Over on CBS, there's a repeat of How I Met Your Mother at 8, then a new episode of The Class at 8:30.

ABC's primetime lineup is Wife Swap, Supernanny, and What About Brian - all new episodes. CBS has a new episode of The New Adventures of Old Christine surrounded by repeats of Two and a Half Men and C.S.I.: Miami. Don't ask me what's with their new/old programming for the evening. I haven't a clue.

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• The cast of The Amazing Race 11: All Stars will be announced on The Early Show tomorrow morning. The official website should be up sometime tomorrow as well. We already know some of the teams - Romber, the Guidos, David and Mary, Charla and Myrna, and Colin and Christy. We know some we won't see (Jonathan and Victoria, the FratBoys, BJ and Tyler)... but who else is on the show? Tomorrow evening I'll be posting the teams and my thoughts about them from their own seasons. And, of course, I want to know what you think!
• I have the first two parts of the new Survivor 14: Fiji cast up - ten down, nine more to go. The New Castaways Part 1 and The New Castaways Part 2. I hope to get parts three and four up by Wednesday evening.
• Some corrections/additions to my Inside Scoop from the Unknown Fiji Survivor... it's Jeff Probst with the potty mouth necessitating retakes, not the Unknown Survivor. And, it's not $3,000 dollars for the cast to show up at the finale/reunion - it's $10,000. The finale will be back in New York City this season (yay!) and they get $300 per diem for meals while being put up in luxury by the show. And, of course, they can bring three family members or friends along.
• Remember - American Idol, two-hour season premiere tomorrow and Wednesday night at 8 PM ET/PT on FOX. I'll be posting about the auditions and once the show is in motion you can expect East Coast Updates on boots.
• Our dear friends at BuddyTV have an interview with fired Apprentice Carey for your perusal.
• I found a great interview with Masi Oka (Hiro on Heroes). Heroes returns next Monday night. (Yay!)

'The Apprentice: L.A.' - Ep. 2 -or- "How to tank a show in two episodes"

I think the 24 fans had a better TV night than Apprentice fans. At least, I hope they had a better time than this Apprentice fan. I should speak for myself, after all.

Here's the idea - move the show to Los Angeles, go more shallow than need be, send a team of mainly women to the Playboy mansion as an exciting reward, talk about how great your body is, think pink, and call it a show. The great body bit was Trump. He's known for his abs and pecs, right?

This season is seriously flawed and it's just the second episode! Now, I know I watched the premiere. In that premiere, the teams had no names. I know they didn't. The caption on the screen referred to "Heidi's team" or "Frank's team." Tonight, with no discussion, the teams suddenly have names as if they had them all along. What's up with that? Heidi's team is Kinetic while the losing team is named Arrow.

When the teams met Trump and the Trumpette (Ivanka) at Palisades Park, what the heck was with Ivanka? She looked all goth-gone-Beverly Hills with a with an odd black outfit and raccoon make-up. The task this week was to design, manufacture, and model a bathing suit line for Trina Turk. It wants to bring the Valley Girl out of me. Oh, the task itself is very "California" and it's technically a challenging job. But to saddle the winners with a trip to the Playboy mansion and a meeting with Hugh Hefner? Gag me with a spoon... please.

On the Arrow team, Nicole became the Project Manager while Heidi retained her position on the Kinetic team. Just like last week, it was very obvious which team was having problems. On Arrow, Carey threw himself into the task; he always wanted to design. Michelle spoke up against his teensy pink bikini brief shorts for men, and the guys on the team rolled their eyes, too. But Carey was adamant and persuasive. Carey, who's gay, was obviously thinking the gay market, but not the big picture. And, the mens' suit line is what killed their bid to win the task.

It's off to the boardroom for Arrow! And, off to the Playboy mansion for the overwhelmingly female Kinetic team. Oh, joy, joy... bunnies everywhere, with their little ears and tails, and Hugh telling his rags to riches story to anyone who'd listen. Don't get me wrong. I respect his success, but he's not someone I'd kowtow to, not at all.

One point I made last week was actually brought up while at the mansion. I said that the new "twist" of the Project Manager remaining the same on the winning team didn't give the others on the team the chance to shine. Sure enough, almost the same words came from Marisa while at the mansion. Envy is growing roots.

In the boardroom, Carey tried to put the target on Michelle (who is the only one who really spoke up about not liking the teensy suit). When polled by Trump, most thought Carey was responsible for the loss, with a smattering of Michelle and one vote for the Project Manager. Trump made it clear it was the teensy pink suit which killed their chances to win, but thinks his own body is so great that he could get away wearing it just like Carey did while modeling it on the runway. Yeah, right. Carey actually did look good in it. Just the thought of Trump's pasty skin against the pink is frightening to me, say nothing about the teensy factor. (Take that as you will.)

Nicole chose Michelle and Carey for the boardroom, but it was obvious that the firing choice was actually between Nicole as PM or Carey because he designed and pushed the suit. In the end, it was "Carey, you're fired." I kind of wonder how he would have done if he stayed longer. And, though I get the reasoning, I think that Nicole should have done more to control the team. Michelle and others definitely didn't care for the suit and she turned a blind eye to them.

Just a few random notes to end this:

• I'm going to keep a running tally of how often Frank says the phrase "at the end of the day." Last week he said it three times, this week once.
• When Frank told Trump he had to sleep outside because he's claustrophobic, Trump replied, "Don't worry about it. You'll be back in the Bronx very soon anyway." I guess he's out of the winning picture, eh?
• Trump actually said the words, "I have a great body." Feh. If he had said, "I have a great ego" - well, that would be believable.
• Next week some sort of "ultimate bombshell" is supposed to happen in the boardroom. Okay, save the show Trump Boy!

Dollar bills, y'all...

TV Newsy Bits - Sunday, January 14, 2006

What a night it's going to be for true television fans tonight, eh?

NBC has a new Deal or No Deal airing at 7 PM ET/PT, then a new Grease (whatever - that's something which is very low on my interest scale), followed by The Apprentice: L.A. (which I'll be recap/reviewing late tonight) and wraps up the night at 10 PM with the return of Crossing Jordan. I used to watch that show, but it's been gone so long I fear I forgot what last happened on it.

At 8 PM ET/PT, there's the highly anticipated by many two-hour season premiere of 24 on FOX. Another two hours will follow tomorrow night starting at 8 PM ET/PT.

CBS has new episodes of Cold Case and Without a Trace starting at 9 PM ET/PT. ABC is airing new episodes of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters for its evening primetime block. And, don't forget - if you're a Jay Leno fan, he's a guest on HGTV's Living with Ed tonight at 10 PM ET/PT. We've gone from famine (repeats) to an overwhelming feast of new shows... and I'm just talking about a few networks.

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• Not having HBO with my cable, I've missed a show I keep hearing about - The Wire. I caught an episode of it last night on BET. It immediately snagged me. It's created and written by David Simon, the writer who's responsible for Homicide: Life on the Street. It's that same rough edge Baltimore he knows so well. I chatted with him once at the New York is Book Country Book Fair. I like his books. Now I like The Wire.
• CBS has an article in which Matthew Fox (Lost) talks about his dark side. [I'll refrain from discussing my own dark side for the sake of the general public.]
• The New York Post has an article about wild times in the depravity dorm of American Idol. Heh.

Pants for Progress - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - Jan. 15 - 19, 2007

Goodness, they've changed the official website for the Late Show with David Letterman, mostly for the better. But, instead of faulty listings of the upcoming guests, they now have extensive video clips and such available for the past week's guests. Since they didn't even list Madonna on their upcoming guests last week, maybe they're better off to just focus on recaps from the past week.

As for me, it's off to the TV listings to see whom I'll be seeing on the show this week.

• Monday, Jan. 15: Actress Amy Sedaris, magician Jason Randall and, get this, the musical guest is America with Ryan Adams. The show sounds interesting - I like Amy Sedaris. And, though I thought them to be defunct, America (if it's roughly the same group) was a part of my growing-up music. Somewhere around I have them on vinyl... or maybe 8-Track. ;-)
• Tuesday, Jan. 16: Actor Paul Newman, racing star Sébastien Bourdais and Diana Ross is the musical guest. I don't know about the race car driver, but I surely want to see Paul Newman and, to a lesser extent, Diana Ross.
• Wednesday, Jan. 17: Ohh! Terri and Bindi Irwin (Steve Irwin's wife and daughter) are scheduled. No one else is listed, but I'm sure they won't be the only guests for the evening. Dave is great with kids and Bindi is a neat little girl, so this should be another fine show.
• Thursday, Jan. 18: Actor Harry Shearer is the lone guest listed. Um. Okay.
• Friday, Jan. 19: Dan Rather, actress Tricia Helfer and musical guest Todd Barry performs.

Well, I'm more impressed by the shows through Wednesday night, but it's an all-new no-repeat week on Letterman.

And, that's a good thing indeed.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - The Castaways, Part 2

Are you ready to learn more about the next five castaways we'll see on Survivor 14: Fiji? And, but of course, my impressions of them? I'd love to read your first take on them in the comments, too!

I'm listing the castaways male/female/alphabetically as I go along and the first five were explored in this entry. I'm looking at the official CBS Survivor 14: Fiji website and gleaning information from their bios and favorite lists. Let's see if I can get a true handle on the upcoming excitement before the season premiere on February 8 at 8 PM ET/PT!

Here's the second group of five, this time leading off with a woman (roar):

Although she lists her home as Los Angeles, Jessica is originally born and raised in New Orleans, LA. She attended Millsaps College in Mississippi, the University of New Orleans, and Tulane University... yet no degree is listed for her.

Currently working as a fashion stylist and make-up artist in California, from her bio page: "deBen describes herself as ambitious, warm and unbreakable. Her hobbies include portrait painting, jogging, hiking, kayaking, biking and eating pancakes at The Griddle Café."

She's currently single and her birth date is April 25, 1979. [I wonder if all these "currently single" folks weren't always single.]

Heading to her Favorites list to get the real skinny on her:

• She lists Pac-Man in her video games, as well as X-Box. Maybe there's a resurgence in Pac-Man that I just don't know about. Another Monopoly player - must be a prerequisite or that's one of the only board games folks can come up with under pressure.
• At least she mentions Survivor as one of her favorite TV shows, as well as A&E True Crime and VH1's Fabulous Life Of...
• Heh, her music choices are foods! Red Hot Chili Peppers and Black Eyed Peas! (Yes, I know they're not really foods.) She also likes Aaron Neville.
• Leaning towards women authors, she lists Ayn Rand, Daphne Moore, and Anne Rice. Hmmm...
• Her favorite snack foods are fairly healthy choices (rice cakes and SmartFood popcorn), but she lists good junk food, too.
• Non-alcoholic beverage is Kool Aid Tropical Punch Sugar Free? I believe that's a first that Kool Aid has made the list.

Okay, my take on her... I can't put my finger on it, but I think Jessica could be a contender. Winner of it all? I don't know. She's familiar with the show, which isn't the same for some of the others this season. And, something is just telling me she's a pretty tough gal. Of course, I could be totally off-base. I guess we'll see!
Now, if I were a young man named Andria, I think I'd want to be called "Dre," too. I try to keep in mind that John Wayne's real first name was Marion.

Dre seems to be the "school of hard knocks" graduate in this season's cast. Growing up homeless in the projects (despite the fact that seems a bit contradictory) of Wilmington, North Carolina, Dre turned to sports and cheerleading. He's also into boxing, basketball, stunting (?), tumbling, and more.

From his bio page: "Herd describes himself as humorous, energetic and intelligent. Describing his perfect day, he says, "When everybody is happy all day... that's a perfect day."

Although he seems to be single, he's the proud father of two boys - aged 2 and one-month old. The younger may have aged by now. His birth date is December 15, 1981.

Onto his favorites to see the "real" Dre:

• Oh, a chess player. A strategical game which involves thinking many moves ahead. That's a good game for a Survivor contestant to enjoy.
• Another clean linen aroma lover.
• He lists Underdogs as his favorite sports team. I'm thinking that means he roots for the underdogs. They aren't an actual team of some sport, right? I'm not always the most knowing when it comes to sports.
• He does not list Survivor as his TV show choice - only Seinfeld.
• Shel Silverstein and Stephen King make his authors list.
• Yet another Fruity Pebbles eater.
• Water is his favorite non-alcoholic drink. He listed no favorite alcoholic drink.

Oh, my. I'm really not sure of his chances. He has some interesting favorites, but he's not a fan of the show itself. Will that hurt his chances? Or, perhaps, maybe it's better to go in fresh? Although he's the "hard knocks" entry, I get the feeling he's on the upbeat side, not bitter. He's a cheerleader, after all. He's athletic, enjoys being happy, and likes chess. I think he could possibly make it far - after all, he survived the mean streets, what's Fiji but a new challenge? Save the cheerleader; save the world. (Yes, I want my Heroes back!)

Liliana grew up in Oxnard, the second eldest of eight siblings. (How much do you want to bet she got stuck babysitting a lot?) When she was 11, she lived a year in Guadalajara, Jalisco, exploring her cultural roots.

She served the country in the Marines for eight years and also worked with handicapped children. Although currently a loan officer, she would like a future in entertainment.

From her bio page: "She describes herself as strong, stubborn, confident, goofy and a witty gal. She is most proud of her sense of family and her burning fire for life." She's single and her birth date is April 5, 1981.

Peeking into the inner psyche of her Favorites list:

• No favorite games listed at all. Hmmm... maybe a Marines thing?
• She enjoys hiking and playing soccer, softball, and football.
• Yet another castaway who doesn't list Survivor at all in her TV shows. She enjoys Heroes, Oprah, and MTV3.
• I think she may have the record for saying "no favorite" in so many categories.
• Chocolate chip cookies and Gatorade make her list, as do Mojitos, wine, and tequila.
• V for Vendetta is her favorite movie while she lists no authors or books.

Well, I just don't know. She's definitely a tough woman. You can't be in the Marines for that long worried about breaking a fingernail. She likes Heroes (which, to me, is a plus). But how well does she know the people-manipulation aspect of Survivor? I think that's what will make or break her on the show. I'm sure she could handle any challenge thrown her way, but the interaction may do her in.

Although his name is Earl, he's nothing like the character in that television show. He's also not a native of California even though it's listed as his home. Earl was raised in Kansas City, Kansas. He went onto the University of Washington in Seattle and received a National Scholastic Achievement Award, then relocated to California.

From his bio page: "He also enjoys playing chess, hiking, watching movies, billiards and playing basketball. He considers himself to be very intelligent, creative, athletic and confident, with a witty sense of humor. He is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)." Yet another April birth date (so far, the majority have been born in that month, but it could be the luck of the draw in how I'm listing them) - April 9, 1971. He seems to be single with no children.

Hitting his Favorites for more insight:

• Ah, good... a multiple choices lister. None of this "no favorite" or one-word answers to everything.
• He lists many games, both video and board. Gamers tend to think ahead to make their moves.
• Once again, no Survivor listed in his TV choices, though he lists Grey's Anatomy, The Wire, Family Guy, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Hmmm... all good choices, but no Survivor?
• The Bible is one of his favorite books.
• Yet another Fruity Pebbles eater. [I don't think I've ever eaten Fruity Pebbles in my lifetime. Is it that good? Where are the Coco Puffs fans?]
• Pom juice? Whazzat? Pomegranate, maybe?

What do I think of Earl? He seems a very intelligent guy, but he's yet another who may not be all that familiar with the politics of the show. Although he's a successful businessman, he might find out he's not in Kansas anymore. He's one I'll have to hold off my guessing on until I see him in action on the show. Something is telling me he might play the people a bit wrong and that could lead to an early boot. Prove me wrong, Earl.

I'm getting tired of typing "Los Angeles." All I can think is that they must have done some heavy recruiting in California. But, knowing that I used to live in the Los Angeles area and I was never really "from" L.A., keeps my faith alive.

Sure enough, Lisi is originally from Miami and spent time living in New York City, too. She has a rather interesting job - a customer service rep for a psychic service company. Huh. I wonder if there's really a need or do the psychics predict customer service issues and pro-actively solve them?

From her bio page: "In her spare time, she enjoys hiking with her dog. Her favorite sport is tennis. She describes herself as creative, intelligent, smart, observant and fun. She believes her resourcefulness and humor will help her do well on SURVIVOR." She's single, living with her Scottish terrier, George. Her birth date is June 9, 1970.

Checking her Favorites:

• She likes Pac-Man. [It must be a new fad of retro-games, I guess. I've been playing Millipede and Pong lately. I should stop fussing.] Her board game choice is retro-back-to-childhood, CandyLand.
• Her favorite outdoor activity is "hiking with dogs." That sounds like some sort of nature movie on Animal Planet.
• Again, Survivor is not listed as a favorite TV show! She only mentions Breaking Up with Shannen Doherty. [Feh.]
• No favorite books, but likes magazines listing Wired, Newsweek, and The Economist.
• Kashi cereal and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups both make her list.
• She gave a lot of one-choice answers.

For some reason, I'm finding her a bit perplexing just looking at the available information. She's probably not all that familiar with the show and I'm just not getting great vibes on her. I could be wrong, but I predict an early boot. No, I'm not psychic.

Stay tuned for the next five castaways! And, of course, please feel free to share your first takes on these folks, too!