'American Idol 6' - The Final Six Rock to Bon Jovi

Shot through heart and it's too late, Chris is gonna go away (go away)...

Yes, rockers and rockettes, it was Bon Jovi night on American Idol! I'm ready to put on my Slippery When Wet CD to annoy my neighbors. But, instead, I guess I'll write this entry as the thunder rumbles outside.

Jon Bon Jovi was his usually cool self. I think I'd like that guy no matter what he says or does. He also ages so well and remains eye candy despite the fact that he's no spring chicken anymore. He gave the contestants the main advice of "make the song your own." Well, one contestant went above and beyond in making it his own and I think that performance was the shining star of the whole night.

Phil Stacey was up first this week singing "Blaze of Glory." While it's not my favorite Bon Jovi song at all, it is one that's special to him. He's been singing it for fifteen years. He nailed it and got the show off to a good start. But I have to admit I wasn't all that enamored with it, possibly because of the song itself, possibly because watching Phil sing doesn't thrill me. Maybe I should have just listened.

Randy called it Phil's best performance ever except for country week. Paula thought it was the best opening all season for the show, although Simon balked at that. Simon said the performance was "okay" but had no authenticity. He said it was like a bad actor playing the role of a rock star. Simon also doesn't think it's enough for him to last next week. I agree a bit with Simon's call on this one.

Jordin Sparks said her mother grew up on Bon Jovi... which makes me feel so old. Ack. I was already a full-fledged adult when they hit big. She chose a very tough song for a seventeen-year-old girl. She sang "Livin' on a Prayer" with really big hair this week. Hmmm... she didn't do horribly, I didn't think. But I think the performance was a bit of a letdown. She was so out of her genre and element. I think her past will keep her in the competition, though.

Randy did four "yo's" and three "check it outs." Sometimes that's a good thing, this time not so much. He called the performance "interesting" and said the verses were rough -- "not your best." Paula told her she went for it and she's hot. Simon started with "cue the boos." He said she looked like something out of the Addams Family, that she was shrieking and out of control, and terrible. Eep.

LaKisha Jones sang "This Ain't a Love Song." Jon was excited about how she would do and thought it was her opportunity to shine. And, it was definitely the return of her powerhouse performance ways. That said, I think LaKisha is losing her magic for me. She runs hot and cold. While she did very well tonight, I wasn't all that moved.

Randy shouted that LaKisha's back and that she blew it out of the box. Paula gushed. Simon said he could actually kiss her for that. She rose to the challenge and nailed it. She did kiss Simon. @@ I certainly wasn't as excited as the judges were about the performance and I think her chances of remaining in the competition are iffy.

Oh, but then there was Blake Lewis. Jon worried that he was taking too big of a risk with a very popular song that folks don't like to see messed with... "You Give Love a Bad Name." Yes, he Blake-ized it, he beat-boxed it, he sported dark hair. And, he brought the house down with his version. I think it's the most original version of any song any season on the show. Yet he was true enough to the song enough to carry it off. This was my favorite performance of the season and makes me wish I had recorded the show so I could re-watch it. Amazing! What I also found interesting is how much more confidence he seems to emit when he's in his element doing his thing.

Randy gave two "check it outs" and gave it the award for the most original song version ever on the show (it was). Paula said it was amazing (it was). Simon said half will love it and half will hate it, but it was the right thing to do and will keep him in the competition.

Chris Richardson was up next singing "Wanted Dead or Alive." He mentioned Chris Daughtry doing the song last year. Heck, give me him again. Chris wasn't quite as nasally as he often is, but he still did those Timberlake-type dance moves like he's in a boy band or something. He didn't listen to Jon's advice to pick up on the blues note for the song and smiled a lot through the performance, hamming for the cameras. I think he bought his ticket home, six-string on his back.

Randy said he liked it, but didn't seem overly enthusiastic. Paula sidestepped saying it was such a great night. (Say what?) Simon said he did as much as he could with it and was iffy about his possibilities of staying on the show.

Melinda Doolittle, way out of her element, closed the show with "Have a Nice Day." That one was a bit of a surprise for me, but I can't connect Melinda with too many Bon Jovi songs. She nailed it. I'd still prefer to see Jon Bon Jovi performing the song, but she got into the spirit and she rocked the house. When she was working with Jon, he told her she just joined the band -- he's thrilled with her. He told her to treat the song like she was taking it to church, but I have to admit I didn't see that much of that. What I saw was a great performance and perfect vocals. I also got a kick out of her trying to give the index/pinkie fingers rock salute.

Randy thought it was a great performance. Paula called her a rock star and said the game was on. Simon likened her to a young Tina Turner and said she was vocally in a different league from the other contestants. Woo!

So, who will be going home? We lose two this week and the votes from last week and this week are added together. I think Chris is a definite goodbye. The other two I think are on thin ice are LaKisha and Phil. What do you think?

TV Newsy Bits - Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Phew, rainy April is behind us and hopefully May will indeed bring flowers instead of showers!

But, no matter the weather, there's always something to watch on television. I think back to the days when I had four networks to choose from and wonder what I did with my time. Oh, I read a lot and there was no such thing as time spent online. The times have changed, though. I still read a lot... I think I exchanged sleep time. Uh-oh!

Here are the TV Newsy Bits I found while perusing that Big Bad Internet, as well as some personal TV Newsy Bits observations and thoughts:

• Tonight is Bon Jovi night on American Idol. I'm psyched! Hey, I live in Jersey, what can I say? I'll be posting about tonight's show late this evening and would love to read your thoughts about how the contestants perform.
• I'm still hooked on BET's showing of The Wire, now into season two. But, and it's a big BUT... they cut it down to an hour an episode. Now, when they aired the episodes at 90 minutes, they got in the content of the hour-long HBO shows which air without commercials. Yeah, there was a commercial overload with the BET first season, but now we're missing content. I've been going to the HBO The Wire website reading up on each episode in their recaps to see what I've missed. Grr. What's worse is that I've been reading ahead, too. Shame on me!
• BuddyTV has an exclusive interview with Danny and Oswald, the most recently Philiminated team from The Amazing Race 11: All Stars. Oh, my... could Eric be gay? They seem to think so! Yikes! Not only is there a transcript, but there's also an MP3 file of the interview.
• In ex-American Idol news, Constantine Maroulis has joined the cast of the soap The Bold and the Beautiful. (Which is he? Bold or beautiful?) And, as you may have heard already, Jessica Sierra has been arrested for assault and drug charges. Hmmm... isn't it about time for Corey Clarke to be in another publicity brouhaha?
• Newsday (out of New York) has a thought-provoking article on race and the possible finalist scenario for American Idol 6. Will talent win out no matter the race of the contestant? After all, it is a singing contest. Right?
• Inside Pulse has an interview with castoff Edgardo Rivera from Survivor 14: Fiji. Ah, Edgardo... we hardly got a chance to know you. Edgardo thought if he could get in the final three with Alex and either Mookie or Dreamz, he'd win hands-down. He also wants to apologize for some of the things he said about Cassandra. It's too bad that Edgardo didn't align with that group instead of the Four Horsemen. He would have made it a lot further in the game.

'Heroes' - "String Theory" - A BulletPoint Report

Oh my gosh, I don't think I've ever experienced a show which keeps me as riveted to my seat as this one. I swear, you blink and you miss out on something crucial. Now, I wasn't invited to the big Spider-Man 3 premiere in the city tonight, but I think Heroes was probably more entertaining. And, but of course, who cares about the red carpet stuff, anyway?

Tonight's episode brought us five years into the future. Gulp. It's not a pretty world, not at all. Since the present Hiro and the future Hiro are both in the episode, I'll refer to them as Hiro and Future Hiro respectively. I guess we should also keep in mind that anything which happened in tonight's episode is subject to change if the past is changed.

Here's the skinny, not necessarily in the order shown on the show:

• Hiro and Ando were in the future Isaac's studio after half of New York City was destroyed.
• They were confronted by Future Hiro who insisted Hiro shouldn't be there.
• "I scare me." -- One of the best lines of the night from Hiro.
• As they look at the timeline on strings in the studio, both October 4 and "save the cheerleader" stand out.
• Future Hiro thought Sylar had exploded and that Hiro had killed him the day the bomb exploded.
• Hiro said he hadn't killed him.

• Future Hiro told him that he had to go back and kill him the day after the election (Nathan).
• Nathan Petrelli is President and has Parkman (mind-reading ex-cop) and the Haitian working as Homeland Security.
• The government has decided that heroes (those with powers) are terrorists and must be rounded-up.
• Parkman and the Haitian burst into Isaac's studio and capture Hiro, but Future Hiro and Ando escape.
• Future Hiro said only Peter Petrelli is strong enough to fight the Haitian and they must find him.
• Ando and Future Hiro went to a nightclub in Las Vegas where Peter's girlfriend works.

• Oh? His girlfriend is Nikki, no Jessica about her. No DL, no Michah, either.
• Peter's weird haircut is gone, but he bears a scar on his face which resembles the one on Omar in The Wire.
• Peter's not interested until they mention stopping Sylar may change the world he sees now (five years in the future).
• Nathan is pushing for gathering all the heroes and killing them, telling the nation it was an attempt to cure them, but failed. Extinction, he calls it.
  
• His advisor, Suresh Mohinder, claims that would be genocide.
• Nathan argued the powers are out of control -- he used the example of a kid who sucked all the oxygen out of his school classroom and killed all his fellow students.
• When Mohinder reminded him that he (Nathan) has powers, Nathan said he could only fly. That's not dangerous to others.
• Meanwhile, Mr. Bennet (Horn-Rimmed Glasses, HRG) has set up a service to help relocate heroes... sort of like witness protection.
• When Future Hiro and Ando approach Bennet, he agrees to help them because they reminded him Hiro told Peter to "save the cheerleader, save the world."
• Suresh and Parkman were checking out the timeline. Suresh said October 4 is the day he had his father's ashes and met Peter Petrelli. He realizes that Hiro wants to go back to change the future. Suresh determined that each string of the timeline is a person. One breaks in the past, it changes the future.
  
• Parkman has turned into a real creep, in my opinion.
• Claire, with brown hair, is now a waitress in a diner in Midland, Texas, going by the name of Sandra.
• She's in love and plans to be married to a boy who doesn't know her past.
• HRG shows up at the diner and urges her to leave.
  
• Before she can (planning then to elope), Parkman shows up and takes her back to Mrs. Petrelli's house in NY.
• Nathan meets her at the house. But he ISN'T Nathan! It's Sylar! He's killed Candace and taken on her morphing powers! Oh, no! Sylar is the President!
• He went for Claire's brain, but we didn't see her die and, if she did, that could change if the past is changed.
• In NY, Parkman was frustrated and beating Hiro because he wouldn't (couldn't) tell him anything from the past five years.
• But... HRG ratted out Future Hiro and Ando in Las Vegas to Nathan! ACK. Apparently, he had an agreement to "give him the big ones."

• Parkman realizes there are two Hiros and that Hiro is being truthful.
• Nathan directs Suresh Mohinder to kill Hiro with an injection.
• Peter Petrelli saved Future Hiro and Ando from Parkman and they escape.
• Ando was saddened when Peter told him he died in the explosion. Future Hiro had refused to tell him.
• Pete thinks that Hiro wants to save Ando when he goes back.
• Suresh knows that if Sylar is killed five years ago, millions of lives would be saved.
• Pete told Nikki he's going with them. He said he was the bomb and killed them all, not Sylar. He must help Hiro.
• As Nathan is giving a five-year anniversary speech in NY, he announced a new treatment for the "terrorists" - one which will cure them. (Kill them.)

• The Haitian was assigned to help Mohinder give Hiro the shot to kill him. Mohinder pulled a fast one and gave the Haitian the shot instead so Hiro could escape.
• Meanwhile, Future Hiro, Ando, and Peter were trying to rescue Hiro.
• When Parkman radioed Nathan to tell him the Haitian was down, Nathan flew away... in front of the whole crowd and world attention.
• Parkman shot Future Hiro in the back, stunning Hiro. "I'm dead."
• Nathan morphed back into Sylar. He and Peter got into a super-fight in the hallway. Who will win? I dunno.
• Hiro and Ando time-traveled back to NYC to save the world.

Episode overload alert, eh? I can't wait until next week! If I left something important out, let me know. I may have blinked.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - Ep. 12 -or- "The Teletubbies Go To War"

Well, the spoilers I linked to some time back called it right. I was so hoping they would be foilers deliberately posted to lead us astray. As we head into next week's finale, I noticed Phil Keoghan's intro was decidedly different tonight.

"Which of the four remaining teams will be eliminated tonight?"

We last left the teams in Macau, China. The Beauty Queens, Dustin and Kandice, were in first place while Oswald and Danny, Team ChaCha, were marked for elimination due to their last place status. If they don't arrive in first place during this leg, they stand to suffer a thirty-minute penalty.

From the Pit Stop, teams had to fly to Guam where they would then head to Andersen Air Force Base. They would then have to select a military escort and climb the control tower on the base to receive their next clue.

Oh, but we know, getting through the airport and getting the best flight is often more trying than the actual destination's challenges! Sure enough, the Beauty Queens faced down Eric and Danielle as one said, "You look buff in your white shirt." Eric just glowered. There's no love lost there even though he seems to be on the ChaCha Warpath at this time.

While in the taxi, Mirna turned on the odd fake accent once again. She then smugly declared, "The right accent makes all the difference in the world." I'm sorry. Maybe I'm just not the globe-trotter she is. Maybe it's because my high school French teacher told me I had a bad American accent. I just don't get it. After all, if the driver can speak and understand English, why? Why?

Charla and Mirna, Eric and Danielle, and the Beauty Queens all ended up on the first flight to Guam, set to connect in Tokyo. Oswald and Danny made a different flight, but with the same connection in Tokyo if they could make it in 45 minutes. Much to the chagrin of Eric, they made it.

The teams would have bunched up at the Visitors Center anyway as it didn't open until 7 AM. Once they climbed the tower (Charla wanted to know where the elevator was... I would, too), the clue led them to a Detour. Both tasks had to do with the United States Air Force. The first one was Care Package -- teams would have to load a 500-pound care package of food and supplies, then go in a cargo plane to the air drop, then return. The other task was Engine Care -- teams would have to scrub a huge B-52 and only receive the next clue after it passed scrutiny from the Sergeant.

I was stunned that only Charla and Mirna chose the Care Package! If I were there, I would have gone for the humanitarian deed. It sounded like a lot more fun and probably easier than scrubbing a whole plane.

Dustin and Kandice found out there's "no charming the sergeant." No-sirree-Bob, that guy was all business. I'm surprised the teams ever got his approval. Meanwhile, Charla and Mirna sort of irked their Air Force guy by tossing the goods into the box. "Don't just throw things like they're garbage!"

Once they loaded the box and got aboard the cargo plane, the fun began. "I feel like we're Top Gun!" They got to see the package dropped at its destination and experienced zero gravity as the cargo plane nose-dived.

I'm not sure how thrilled the airmen were when Mirna asked them to please go faster as they're in a race. I don't think I'd be pushing them too much, but then again... I don't think I'm as pushy as Mirna. That, of course, is probably a good thing. They ended up landing after the last team (Team ChaCha) had finished the plane, but it didn't seem like there was a big time gap there.

The clue at the completion of the Detour directed them to drive 21 miles to the US Naval Base. Again, they had to have an escort. Dustin and Kandice complimented their female sailor on her cute uniform and nails.

The Roadblock, Search Far and Wide, was kind of cool, I thought. One member of each team had to locate a hidden officer using a handheld GPS unit. Dustin did best of the girls as Mirna and Danielle seemed hopelessly lost for ages. Charla kept touching the face of the GPS and Danielle kept hitting the side buttons. Once Oswald got going, he seemed to really know what he was doing. Was there hope? Would there be hope?

Nope. If he hadn't walked right by his hidden soldier a dozen times, maybe he would have made it, maybe not. You couldn't really tell how edited the timing was at that point.

Dustin completed the task, then Danielle. Charla squeaked by Oswald in radioing, tossing her smoke grenade, then getting her helicopter ride back to from whence they came. Oswald saw her running in her camouflage gear and said, "Oh, no. The Teletubbies go to war!" It didn't look like anything short of all the other teams getting totally lost and driving into the ocean would save the ChaChas as Charla landed before Oswald.

The Pit Stop at Fort Soledad would be the telling moment... and it was sure to tell what I'd rather not hear. Here's the order of arrival:

1. Dustin and Kandice - Each won an all-terrain vehicle.
2. Eric and Danielle
3. Charla and Mirna
4. Danny and Oswald... Philiminated. (Sigh)

So, my favorite team is out of the running. They took it well and said they hope Mirna and Charla win. As much as I like the guys, the team I'd like to see win out of the remaining three would be Dustin and Kandice. No all -female team has won the race before and only one all-female team has ever made it in the Final Three. And this year we have two teams. If Mirna wasn't as grating on me with her rudeness, fake accents, condescending ways, poor treatment of Charla... I could cheer them on. But Mirna just turns me totally off. Eric and Danielle were never originally a team and Eric's sexist ways irk me. At least Dustin and Kandice don't whine and they're generally a strong team.

As for Guam, it was an interesting destination for the leg. It brought back memories for me as a friend of mine was stationed there at the Naval Base after his tour in Vietnam. He told me when he first got there, he'd see lights and hear noises coming from somewhere in the distance. When he asked, he was told, "That's just Gorco." So, he pictured a monster dinosaur in his mind. It was actually GORCO - Guam Oil Refining Company. No, not as exciting as a monster dinosaur, but Gorco made a good name for a cat years later.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - The Final 3 - East Coast Update

The arrival at the Pit Stop:

1. Dustin and Kandice - each won an all-terrain vehicle
2. Eric and Danielle
3. Charla and Mirna

4... and Philiminated... Team ChaCha -- Oswald and Danny

A full review/recap will be posted later tonight.

Tonight's 'Amazing Race' Blogging

The show is starting on time here in the Northeast. Expect the finish order at the Pit Stop and elimination posted in an East Coast Update entry as it airs here. The show ends at 9 PM EDT (6 PM PDT). A full review/recap will also be posted later this evening.

Pants On Fire - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - April 30-May 4, 2007

It was so successful the first time around that he's doing it again for May Sweeps. Yes, it's a second round of Impressionists Week!

Me? Heck, if he doesn't get Rich Little, I'd just as soon see Tapdancing Week. What? No Tapdancing Week? Why not?

Here's the guest list from the official show site:

• Monday, April 30 - Kirsten Dunst promoting Spider-Man 3, impressionist Rob Magnotti, musical guest Dinosaur, Jr. (CD is Beyond). Spider-Man 3 has Venom... woo!
• Tuesday, May 1 - Amy Sedaris (oh, I so enjoy her appearances on the show!) promoting Shrek the Third (how creative to not have yet another "3" in the title), impressionist John Byner (ah, old school, love it), and musical group Modest Mouse whose latest CD is We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. This looks like the winner show of the week for me. Although... I have to admit I like Modest Mouse's name more than I enjoy their music for the most part.
• Wednesday, May 2 - Drew Barrymore promoting Lucky You, impressionist Mike MacRae, musical guest Ben Kweller (CD is Ben Kweller).
• Thursday, May 3 - Marcia Cross of Desperate Housewives, impressionist Joe Piscopo, Tori Amos (latest CD is American Doll Posse), and Kenny Brack will be sitting in with the band. No, he will not be driving a car around the band. At least, I don't think he will. That would be cool if he did.
• Friday, May 4 - Ray Romano promoting The Grand, impressionist Reggie Reg, and Dennis Haysbert of The Unit. What? No musical guest? Hmmm...

So, Dave... what about Tapdancers Week? Huh? Give it a shot!

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, April 28, 2007

Gee, it rained here yesterday. Like we needed that!

Here are some of the TV Newsy Bits I found while roaming the Big Bad Web:

• Reality News Online has an interview with recent Survivor castoff Mookie - "We May Have Gotten Outwitted, But We're Not Stupid." Just the title alone makes you want to read it, eh?
• The Knox News has an interesting take on The Bachelor with the first woman to go this season, Peyton.
• I found an interview with Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond on Lost).
• While British news source Sky has an article about Heather Mills (Dancing With the Stars) possible moving to the United States, their Daily Mail has Americans cruelly mocking her disability as she got voted off the show. I guess she couldn't be that upset with Americans if she's considering moving here.
• According to Celebrity Spider, Alec Baldwin's request to get out of his contract for 30 Rock has been denied.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - Ep. 11 -or- "Snakes and Rats Run Amok in Mud"

Ah, the show is fresh once again. Of course, it's not too cool if you're named Alex or Mookie, but it's all in the game. Last week was one of the best episodes in years and this one wasn't too shabby, either. New and different challenges, too.

Eight are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

Picking up on the return to camp from the last Tribal Council, Mookie and Alex think Dreamz burnt them -- double-crossed their alliance. (And, yes... he did.) Meanwhile, the six are happy with the way their strategy worked at Tribal. Edgardo was totally blindsided, the hidden Immunity Idol of the "Four Horsemen" was brought out and wasted, and the opposing alliance lost a member. Life is good if you're on Earl and Yau-Man's side.

Stacy was the real shocker. For someone who had been toyed with by the Horsemen for their own purposes, yet was disposable to them, she's turned full force to the bigger alliance. She's really turned against Alex and Mookie. "They'll be lucky if they get fed."

In the morning of Day 28, Mookie and Alex were still down on Dreamz. When they talked to him, he gave some odd excuse although admitting he voted for Mookie. He played dumb saying that "we all got outwitted." Dreamz told them that he had no clue how the vote was going. He confused the two Horsemen and they weren't as mad, but the trust certainly isn't there. They seem to know it's them against the six.

The Reward Challenge saw the tribe split into teams of two once again. The split was random. On the Orange Team, there was Yau-Man, Boo, Cassandra, and Mookie. On the Green Team, it was Stacy, Dreamz, Earl, and Alex.

There was a big muddy field and two platforms with slingshot devices to fling balls. Stacy and Yau-Man were chosen to be the ball-slingers for their respective teams. Out in the field, the other members had a catching device with a basket. Each ball caught counted for the team who caught it no matter who slung it. (Are you following me?) The first team to catch five balls would win.

It got down and dirty... and way too muddy. People played dirty, but they were in mud, so it seemed fitting. At one point Boo went down and medics had to be called. The others heard something pop in his knee and we heard when he popped it again while putting weight on it. Well, the sound may have been edited in. Despite the injury, he kept on playing. He may regret that later as knees tend to blow up, but we'll see.

In the end, the green Team won. They chose to send Boo to Exile Island because he has been living pretty much the life of luxury since the start of the show. The winning team won a seaplane trip to a luxury spa with lots of Olay product placement. As they were showering with it, they kept repeating the brand name. And, gee... yes, they're a sponsor of the show. Go figure.

Alex thought he may have a chance to try to wiggle into the Alliance of Six, but his talk with Earl seemed to go nowhere. Earl was basically just evasive in the talk. Alex switched strategies and tried to get a clue whether he was the more immediate target. He planted the seed that Mookie was growing tired of the game. Earl just nodded and didn't really say much at all.

On Exile Island, Boo found the new clue for the re-hidden Immunity Idol. It said that the Idol was back on their beach, a singular tree, and in reach. His knee was hurting and he was dehydrated, so he was happy to rest knowing the Idol wasn't on Exile Island.

On Day 29, Mookie told Dreamz that he thought Yau-Man had the other hidden Immunity Idol. Then Mookie and Alex went to the camp and searched Yau-Man's bag. They found the Idol in it. Dreamz had no part in the search, nor did they tell him they were going to do it. After all, they don't trust him.

As Mookie and Alex were talking about how they were going to expose Yau-Man to his alliance at Tribal Council, then force either the use of the Idol or, at the very least, ruin Yau-Man's trust within his team... Cassandra and Stacy were eavesdropping on their conversation. I love it! While Alex and Mookie thought they were ruining Yau-Man, they were digging a deeper hole for themselves. You don't go through the personal belongings of others!

Mookie and Alex heard the girls and ran to confront Yau-Man. They told him that either he told his alliance or they would. Yau-Man told them to do whatever they felt they had to do, it wouldn't change anything. In confessional, he told us it would change his own personal strategy and may affect things down the line. But he feels safe with his alliance.

When Yau-Man reported the confrontation to his alliance, they all freaked out. No, not mad at Yau-Man. Although Earl was the only one who knew he had the Idol before this, the rest were mad that Mookie and Alex went into personal bags and they all seemed very protective of Yau-Man. It was as if Mookie and Alex had punched him or something. So, their little plan totally backfired and made the bonds of the Alliance of Six even stronger. Heh.

No one seemed upset that Yau-Man had the Idol or that he hadn't told them. In confessional, Dreamz thought it might be worth something down the road for flipping folks. But that can wait. He knows he's not a target right now. Yau-Man is a bit worried that Dreamz or Boo may flip, but not right now, either.

The Immunity Challenge was a thinking one and not a puzzle (thankfully). Each tribe member was given a three-square (diagonally, horizontally, vertically) row on a grid. They knew their own, but no one else's. This photo shows the grid lighted up to show the audience Stacy's row.

Each one would give coordinates to "bomb." The game depended on memory and strategy. When all of a person's squares were eliminated, so were they. It came down to Stacy and Yau-Man at the end. Then it was Stacy alone -- the winner of individual Immunity. And, of course, a strong member of the Alliance of Six. Since she's been away from Lisi, I'm sure admiring her game a lot more.

Then Mookie and Alex knew one of them would have to be a goner. They tried the "Yau-Man can't be trusted card" but it fell on deaf ears. Boo thought that it might be possible that one of them had the second round of hidden Immunity Idol as the clue made it sound very easy to find. So, the Alliance of Six decided to split their vote -- half voting for Alex, the other half voting for Mookie. That way it would be a tie and either gone would be okay. Earl wasn't too thrilled about the split, but went with it.

At Tribal Council, Alex decided he'd talk about snakes and rats. But then Jeff called both him and Mookie about going through the private property of others when Mookie admitted to searching Yau-Man's pack. That's the snakiest and rattiest, according to Jeff.

The vote went down as planned with one flip... Alex betrayed Mookie to save his own butt in the game. Yes, he voted Mookie, thus tipping the scales. Mookie, knowing he was throwing a vote away, voted Boo and didn't betray Alex.

Mookie was voted out. He actually took it pretty well.

Oh, this is getting good.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update 4/26 - Voted Out

Mookie was voted out.

A full review/recap will be posted later tonight.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update 4/26 - Immunity

Stacy won individual Immunity.

Stay tuned for the boot and the review/recap will be posted late tonight.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update 4/26 - Reward and Exile

The tribe was split into teams for the Reward Challenge.

Green: Stacy, Dreamz, Earl, Alex
Orange: Yau-Man, Boo, Cassandra, Mookie

Green won. They chose to send Boo to Exile Island. Reward is a trip via seaplane to a luxury spa.

Come back for Immunity and Boot East Coast Updates, then a full review/recap will be posted late this evening.

'Lost' - "D.O.C."

As we near the season end, we're finding out a bit more each week. At least to this point, I'm much more satisfied with the series than I was last year at this time. I now think the writers may actually have a plan.

I think so, anyway.

Tonight's episode was Sun-centric and told us a bit more about her past, as well as Jin's. Oh... and we found out whose baby she's carrying, too! That was a concern and, alas, remains a concern for a different reason.

In Flashbacks:
A happy Jin and Sun, newly married, are planning their life together -- a new apartment, plans down the road... the future. They're deeply in love, but trouble is brewing.

Sun is approached by an older woman on a park bench. The woman recognizes her as the daughter of the man who owns Paik Automotive. She looked at the wedding picture and soon tried to extort Sun. Not only is Jin's father a mere fisherman, but his mother is a prostitute. For a sum of $100,000, she'll remain quiet about it. She gives Sun three days to get the money.

Sun questioned Jin about his parents. He had told her that his father had died, but he was in the army when he passed. Sun knows the timeline is off -- Jin would have had to have been in the army at the age of sixteen. He was staedfast about it, so she dropped the conversation.

Sun then tracked down Jin's father. She told him that Jin had told her that he was dead. He told her he wasn't invited to their wedding and that he had raised Jin alone as Jin's mother "had many men." He did not want him to suffer the shame.

Sun went to her father's business to ask him for the money to pay off the woman. He originally denied her, but she told him of the shame it would bring to the family. She told him that she knew what he did and how he operated his business, but if she had the money she would keep pretending not to know. He gave it to her.

Jin saw her at the business, but she told him she didn't want to bother him at work. Then he found the envelope of money. She lied and told him her father gave it to her for their honeymoon and furniture. Jin told her to give it back to him because "I don't want to owe him anymore than we already do."

Instead of giving it back, she met the woman. As she gave it to her, she told her that she knew she was Jin's mother. The woman said, "I only gave birth to him." Sun shoved the money at her and told her to never contact them again.

On the Island:
In the Sun storyline, she was approached by Jack and was suspicious of several health-related questions he asked her about the pregnancy. She went to Kate asking if she had noticed any changes in Jack since he returned, since he started being around Juliet. Sun was worried that the Others want her baby and that Jack was working with them.

Kate told her that Juliet is a fertility doctor and how she helped Claire. Sun went to Juliet and asked her what happened to pregnant women on the island.

"They die. They all die," replied Juliet, feigning ignorance of Sun's pregnancy.

Juliet told Sun she could help her, but she needed to come with her alone and trust her. Sun was reluctant, but went along.Juliet had promised an ultrasound which could pinpoint the time of conception -- whether the baby was conceived on the island or before. Of course, we know that if the baby was conceived on the island, it's Jin's baby. Before they arrived on the island, Jin had been diagnosed as having too low of a sperm count for conception. And, Sun had a fling before they came to the island. So either way, it's bad news as babies conceived on the island means the mother dies.

Juliet led Sun down a hatch and through a hidden door, then declared the baby was conceived since the plane crash. The ultrasound revealed that Sun was in her first trimester; Juliet told her that pregnant women who conceive on the island don't live to the third trimester.

When Sun asked about the room, Juliet told her it had been the nursery. But then it became just where they would bring the pregnant women to die. She had tried to help nine other mothers in three years, but all of them died.

Juliet told Sun that the island affects sperm count, making it six times higher than elsewhere. She and Sun both started to leave, but Juliet told Sun that she just wanted to double-check that they had covered their tracks. Yeah, right. Instead, she called Ben to tell him she was collecting samples. She said, "I hate you." Then she hung up the phone and rejoined Sun.

In the Jin, Hurley, Desmond, Charlie, and Woman From the Skies (Naomi) storyline -- She woke up speaking Spanish. Hurley translated and said she claimed she was dying. They noticed that she had impaled her chest on a tree branch and was surely dying. Hurley picked up a gun which fell from her pack... BANG. "Oops." At least it was just a flare gun.

Then the woman spoke in Chinese. Jin recognized the language, but didn't know what she was saying. And then... then... MIKHAIL came through the bushes! Yes, dead Mikhail! Jin started to fight with him as he fled, then held the flare gun to his neck. Mikhail pointed out that it was a flare gun. Someone else told him it would still be bad at close range.

"So? I already died once this week."

Mikhail made a deal with them that they'd let him go and he'd help Naomi (not that they knew her name yet). She spoke again, this time in Italian. She said she was dying. Mikhail intubated her lung to relieve the build-up of blood in her lung. He told the others that healing is different on the island and she should be okay soon.

Naomi said "thank you" to Mikhail in yet another language. Desmond told Mikhail he could go and Charlie had a fit. "He's one of them! We can't keep letting them go!" Desmond told him that they've killed more of the Others than the Others have done to them.

But when Mikhail left, Jin chased after him and retrieved the phone that Mikhail had lifted (Naomi's). Mikhail left.

Naomi then regained consciousness once again. "Where am I?" Hurley was with her and he went on and on: "Are you here to help us? Were you sent here to rescue us? We were on Flight 815. We're the survivors!"

"Flight 815 out of Sydney?," asked Naomi. "That's not possible. They found the plane. There were no survivors. All of the passengers were dead."

"What?"

LOST [thunk]

Oh, what an ending! And, how is Mikhail alive? Is it due to the healing powers of the island? If so, why have others died? Or was he never dead at all? And... he seemed to crash through the bushes looking for Naomi, not realizing that Desmond and all were there. He wanted that phone and he was the communications guy. He also asked what else she had in the pack. What's the connection?

Oh... and have we been watching dead people for three years?

I see dead people, y'know.

'American Idol 6' - Idol Gives Back Results Show - East Coast Updates

Tune back to this entry throughout the evening for updates as the show airs here in the NYC area. Over 70 million votes last night.

Simon is in a suit with a 70s look open white shirt. Ryan shaved.

Earth, Wind, and Fire did a medley of their hits. Ben Stiller keeps singing badly. The final six sang "Time to Care" all dressed in white and looking great. Lots of bits about Africa, New Orleans, California for the cause. Il Divo is performing now.

Only one contestant has been told she's safe so far... Melinda Doolittle is safe. Supposedly we're in for the biggest voting shock in the show's history.

Jack Black did a bit. Paula told him the School of Rock Called and wants their diploma back. Simon declared it better than Sanjaya... cut to Sanjaya cracking up in the audience.

VOTING UPDATE: Now Blake is safe. So, Blake and Melinda can breathe easy for the rest of the show.

A Carrie Underwood taped video is playing now - "I'll Stand By You" - obviously created solely for the show and the cause.

Rascal Flats is singing "My Wish."

An unusual version of "Staying Alive" will air soon... 36 superstars if I heard right. Now another telethon kind of moment from the Appalachia area.

Ford video, now "Staying Alive" - celebrities lip-synch and dance. It can be downloaded on Itunes later. David Schwimmer, House, Blue Man Group, Shaq, more and more. Oh, and Miss Piggy, too.

VOTING UPDATE: Now Phil Stacey is safe. On the chopping block, LaKisha, Chris, and Jordin remain.

Ellen DeGeneres is personally donating $100,000. Josh Grobin is now performing backed by an African Childrens Choir.

Ohhh... Kelly Clarkson accompanied by JEFF BECK! (I'm an old-time Jeff Beck guitar freak.)

VOTING UPDATE: LaKisha is safe! So, only Jordin and Chris remain on the block. These aren't in a top to bottom order this week.

Who wants to bet Chris is going home? (Out of those two, it better be him!)

Celine Dion is singing a duet with Elvis Presley. Yes, you heard me. I thought it was an Internet joke, but there they are. Shades of Forrest Gump.

Now an Annie Lenox performance. (Oh, give me the days of "Sweet Dreams are Made of This" but she's singing "Bridge Over Troubled Water.")

VOTING UPDATE: Chris is SAFE. Jordin is also SAFE.

NO ONE is voted off this week. This week's votes will be added to next week's votes and next week TWO will go home.

NEWS FLASH: Rosie O'Donnell to Leave 'The View'

Now, this wasn't around when I posted my TV Newsy Bits earlier today.

According to several sources, Rosie O'Donnell will be leaving The View in mid-June. Her run on the show has been short, yet very controversial to the point of explosive at times. It seems that she was unable to agree on a contract.

Sources quote her as saying, "My needs for the future just didn't dovetail with what ABC was able to offer me."

Rumors are abounding that she may be seeking a solo talk show gig.

TV Newsy Bits - Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Yes, the town of Bound Brook, New Jersey, is still all but cut off from the world. Trains are bypassing the train station, roads are closed, flood-ravaged business and home owners are still trying to clean up. I took this shot of the State Farm Catastrophe Services mobile unit set up in a Home Depot parking lot just outside of Bound Brook. None of my friends and co-workers who were evacuated from their homes over a week ago have been allowed to return as of yet.

But, television goes on. That's actually a good thing as entertainment can get our minds off of troubles for a while, at least.

Here are today's TV Newsy Bits:

• Celebrity Spider has very mild location and other spoilers (nothing to ruin it for you) for the next The Amazing Race 11: All Stars as we head towards the season finale (May 6).
• Ousted Apprentice wannabe Nicole says love (for Tim) is worth losing the position. Do you think that will last?
• Did anyone catch Ivanka Trump on Letterman last night? She wasn't listed on the guest list when I made my weekly post on Sunday morning. I discovered that when allowed to talk freely, she has Frank's disease. What do I mean? I believe she said "at the end of the day..." six times (or more) during the interview. Actually, it was nice to see her really smile and not be a stiff Mini-Me of her dad for a change. But this "at the end of the day" stuff is as annoying as the "like" and "you know what I'm saying." I'm crossing it right out of my vocabulary. You know what I mean?
• Blog readers are buzzing about Heather Mills getting the boot on Dancing With the Stars. Gee, I would have thought she'd have a leg up on the competition! Join in on the conversation in the blog discussion post for the show or check out all the articles on the show's SirLinksAlot page. I've only been catching the show now and then, but have those childhood "Paul is the cute Beatle" memories stuck in my mind. So I was happy to hear of the boot.
• Huh. Ellen DeGeneres will be hosting the Idol Gives Back concert tonight. I don't recall hearing that on the show, but I hope that's not the "shock" promised to us by Ryan.
• The finale of Survivor 14: Fiji will mark the 200th episode of the long-running show which really set the reality television genre in motion. The finale reunion show will air on May 13 from the Ed Sullivan Theater in NYC (where The Late Show with David Letterman is located). Hey, Survivor staff... I'm local. I like tickets! (Yeah, like that will work.)
• Celebrity Spider has the skinny on the upcoming episode of Heroes. Oh, Hiro and Ando are in for an adventure!
• And, Bachelor fans... remember to drop by the blog discussion post for the show! Lots of great folks are dishing on the latest episode there!

'American Idol 6' - The Final Six "Idol Gives Back"

Tomorrow night is the big two-hour results show and star-studded concert night for "Idol Gives Back." But the voting tonight is what counts, not only for the contestant of your choice, but for the cause. Several corporations have joined in to support the event and News Corporation is giving 10 cents for each vote up to 50 million votes.

Each contestant has two phone lines tonight and the time you can vote has doubled to four hours after the show. They've also formed a MySpace page for the event.

The contestants were asked to choose a song which fits the theme of helping others and inspire folks. I thought that, overall, they all made good song choices and tonight the performances came across as professional.

Here's the skinny:
Chris Richardson was the first to perform, singing Eric Clapton's "If I Could Change the World." While I thought it was a good performance for him, no way could he have come close to how I feel about the original version. He was less nasally than in previous weeks, I'll give him that much. I don't think the song needed his little Chris Richardson hand jive bit.

But the judges liked it. Randy said he was in it to win it. (I beg to differ!) Paula is proud of him and said it was exciting and fantastic. Simon said it was a good vocal and a good start to the night. Um. Okay.

Melinda Doolittle was up next with Faith Hill's "There Will Come a Day." It's actually not my favorite song choice for the night, but she sang in true Doolittle Style. Not a missed note, not a missed emote.

The judges felt the same way as I did. Randy started with "Yo, yo, yo... check it out." Anytime he leads with three yo's, he likes the performance. He called her the "resident pro" again. Paula told her, "There's no one like you. It was magical." Simon loved it, said it wasn't a copycat performance and it was a vocal master class.

Blake Lewis sang John Lennon's "Imagine." Even more than the Clapton song, I find it hard to "imagine" anyone singing it other than the original artist. I thought he was a bit off at times and it definitely wasn't his best performance. Blake is more of a faster-paced song kind of guy. I hope it doesn't hurt him in the long run as he's my favorite male contestant left at this point.

Randy seemed to think along the same lines as I did. He thought it was a good song choice, but it just ended up being "all right" and "okay." Paula thought it was sensitive and emotional. Simon thought it was sincere.

LaKisha Jones chose Fantasia's "I Believe." Mistake number one in song choice. I was a big LaKisha supporter but I think she's fallen off her game the last few weeks. I think she's a lot more talented than others we've seen on the show, but she seems to be growing weary... or something. She hit a few bad notes here and there and I just wasn't feeling the song.

Again, the judges reacted as I did. Randy mentioned pitch problems, said he liked it but it wasn't her best. Paula said she was a powerhouse, but it's hard to sing a Fantasia song. Simon all but came out and said he preferred Fantasia's version. He mentioned the shouting again, too.

Phil Stacey chose Garth Brook's "The Change." It's a bit of a draggy kind of song, but I think he may have sang his best performance ever on the show. I didn't care for Phil some weeks back, but he seems to have gained confidence.

When he's on his game, I think he has the best voice (richest and most versatile) of the remaining guys. It's just that he's often been not on his game and I think he's got one of those heads that probably looks best with something on it. But kudos to him -- he did very well tonight.

The judges were also impressed. Randy thought it was his second strong performance in a row. Paula thought it was his best performance. Simon would have liked a bit more "country" in the song as now he's decided country is Phil's genre. He says he now has the confidence; if he could connect the two elements, it would be great. "People like you."

Jordin Sparks closed out the show tonight with "You'll Never Walk Alone."

Magnificent. She also looked very pretty once again this week. She sang the song like a seasoned pro -- adding her own personality to it and making it amazing.

The judges loved it, too. Randy once again mentioned her age and followed it with "this was one of the best vocals ever on the show." Paula said it was amazing and lovely. Simon thought it was fantastic. "That song is about 60 years old. You could have a hit record with it today."

And, there you go. Once again, I think Melinda and Jordin were in a class of their own and those two deserve to battle it out at the end... in my opinion, at least. I think Phil outsang Blake and Chris tonight, but I would like to see Blake stay on the show. I think LaKisha should really worry this week.

How about you?

'Heroes' - ".07 Percent" - A BulletPoint Report

Heroes is back! Yes! This show is consistently the most action-packed, can't take your eyes away for a moment, don't dare get distracted, hour on television I've ever encountered. And, mind you, I've encountered a heck of a lot of television in my time.

Here's the lowdown on the happenings of the evening not necessarily in the order in which they occurred:

• The Primatech Morphing Woman, Candace, tried to fool Mr. Bennet into thinking she's Claire, but to no avail.
  
• Bennet, Parkman (reading thoughts ex-cop), and Lionel Sprague (radioactive hands guy) are still being held prisoner at Primatech. Bennet's boss intends on killing them -- he was just waiting for the order to do so.
  
• Bennet uses his mind to communicate with Parkman who springs Sprague. All three escape from Primatech. Bennet wants to go to NYC where they can destroy the tracking system which tracks the heroes.
• Linderman and Nathan were in Las Vegas where Linderman revealed an Isaac painting of Nathan as President.
  
• Linderman wants Nathan to work with him to "save the world." He wants to heal it, and brings a dead plant to life to prove his point.
• Linderman believes the future, including the NYC explosion, needs to happen to save the world. After all, only .07% of the world's population would die and Nathan would be a hero bringing people together for a common goal.
• The explosion would be a catalyst for good. Peter would die the day after Nathan was elected.
• Back in Brooklyn, Peter Petrelli went to Suresh's apartment (where Suresh was stuck on the ceiling by Sylar in the last chapter).
• Sylar tried to cut Peter's head to steal his brain, but Peter healed too quickly. Then it became a powers struggle between Peter and Sylar.
• At one point Sylar gathered glass shards with his power, then shot them like shrapnel, one striking Peter's brain.
• But Peter sort of had the last hurrah when something he did rammed an object into Sylar, knocking him unconscious.
• Suresh fell from the ceiling, fussed about Peter being dead and brought him to his mother's house where Claire had been getting to know her grandmother. Grandmom had plans for Claire to go to Paris with her.
• She was crushed that Peter was dead, as was Nathan when he arrived. "You weren't supposed to die like this."
• Mrs. Petrelli told Nathan "we hide it" until after the election.
  
• Claire wanted to see Peter once again and removed a huge glass shard from the back of his head. Oh, no... he lives once again!
• Mrs. Petrelli told Peter and Nathan that she knew all about them and had earlier admitted her own powers to Claire.
• It's decided that Claire indeed will go to Paris with Mrs. Petrelli... maybe.
• Suresh met up with Bennet's boss in lieu of Bennet (he's "no longer with the company") and Bennet's boss wants him to work with him... for the purpose of good, of course. @@
  
• Back in Las Vegas, DL wants to take Micah and leave Jessica (no Nikki in the picture). He doesn't want Micah mixed up with Linderman.
• But Linderman wants Micah. When he told Jessica (it was just a courtesy, not really asking), she refused to give him Micah.
• So he sent a morphed-into-Jessica/Nikki Candace to fool Micah and took him. "Do you want to save the world today?"
• Sylar recovered and saw the list of heroes had gone missing with Peter and Suresh.
• But he found a slip of paper with Isaac's name and address.
• He went there, and found Isaac was expecting him. Isaac told him that he had already sent the information on how to kill him (Sylar) and he'd finally be a hero.
• Sylar absorbed Isaac's painting powers and set himself up at an easel.
• Then there was Hiro and Ando in the future, looking at a destroyed NYC.
• Ando mentioned he now had the sword and they could transport themselves back and change the future.
• They went to Isaac's future studio where they found a timeline of events with things like "save the cheerleader" and Nathan's election.

And, this just in from Primatech Paper:
Learn more about the guy Linderman wants to put in office so bad...and you've been helping keep out (so far).
Visit: votepetrelli.com

I can't wait until next week! How about you?

'The Apprentice: L.A.' - Season Finale - East Coast Update

An unsatisfying end to an unsatisfying season.

Stephanie won the job with James taking second place.

Um. Okay, I guess. I'm not sure what she did all season, but she's pretty.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - Ep. 11 -or- "My karma ran over your dogma."

Sigh. Sometimes even my favorite teams make some incredibly stupid moves on the show. Now, I know I couldn't do any better; I might even do worse. But it's still frustrating for a viewer. I may have to go drown my sorrows and disappointment in chocolate ice cream or something.

Four teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?

The teams left in the order of arrival from the last Pit Stop, the Hong Kong Jockey Club. That was the tenth Pit Stop of the race and time is dwindling down. The season finale is set for Sunday, May 6th. Of course, that gave me a bit of a clue about tonight's finish before it even aired. Can anyone tell me how many teams go into the season finale night? Heh.

Oswald and Danny, Team ChaCha, left first while the last team, Danielle and Eric, left last while having the thought that they were marked for elimination hanging over their heads. Since they were saved in the non-Philimination leg last week, they have to come in first place on this leg or suffer a thirty-minute penalty.

Oswald and Danny had their own problems, though. In the previous leg, they spent almost every last penny they had. The show gave each of the teams $73 for this leg of the race. That money may not cover the cost of the leg as the producers might expect teams to have some money saved up by this late in the race.

Teams had to take the TurboJet Ferry to Macau, China. That costs money. From there, they had to figure out what the tallest structure in Macau is and take a taxi to that location. Taxis cost money. Just getting from there to anywhere... costs money. Oh, and caution -- there's a Yield ahead. This is the last Yield in the race and Danielle/Eric are still mighty miffed about the Beauty Queens, Dustin and Kandice, using the Yield on them.

Uh-oh.

Desperate for money, Oswald and Danny sold their souls. Well, perhaps not their souls themselves, but they sold their Yield rights to the Beauty Queens. Yipes. They told them that they would Yield the team of their choice for money. Ack! Team ChaCha was in first place at the time, and Dustin/Kandice had caught up with them. The latter can't use the Yield for a second time.

But do the girls use it the way I would like them to for their Oswald/Danny Yield Buy-Out? Do they use it on Charla and Mirna? (It would be interesting to see how the ChaChas would have reacted to that choice.) Nope, the BQs wanted Danielle and Eric Yielded again!

I don't want Danielle and Eric to win the race and don't think all that highly of them as a team, but that's kind of nasty to Yield them again when they're already marked for elimination. Oh, well. It's the love of money that's the root of all evil, not the money itself.

Teams found out easily that the highest structure in Macau is the Macau Tower. Once Mirna and Charla caught up to the ChaChas, Charla offered them money. But it was too late. Oswald and Danny told them what they had done. Mirna, right for once, said they made a deal with the Devil.

It looks like we don't have many fear-of-heights teams left. The Roadblock teams encountered at the Macau Tower had them walking the perimeter of the top, then doing a sky jump guided by cables. It actually didn't look too tough, but would have been horrible for someone who suffers acrophobia.

When Danielle and Eric arrived at the Yield, Eric made obscene gestures, talked in bleeped expressions, and were definitely displeased with the ChaChas. I don't think it crossed their minds that any sort of deal was made and they took it as a personal affront from Oswald and Danny. Meanwhile, Oswald in particular, seems to be very unsettled about their decision to sell the Yield rights. A bit late now, ChaCha Boy.

From the Roadblock, teams had to take a taxi to the Lou Lim Ioc Gardens where they would receive their next clue. It's too bad it was pouring as they arrived -- the gardens looked stunning even in the rain. Once there, the clue led to a Detour. They could Noodle or Dragon.

In Noodle, teams had to make two bundles of noodles to be approved by Official Noodle Dudes. In Dragon, teams had to pick up a dragon head (not a real one) and drum, then carry it less than a mile to fit the head to a specific boat. The ChaChas were first to the task and for odd sentimental reasons, chose the Dragon task. In their season there was a neat dragon head task, but this certainly didn't compare. Dustin and Kandice immediately went for Noodles, as did Charla and Mirna when they arrived.

While Oswald and Danny's driver took them to the end of their destination (where the boats were) instead of where they needed to go first to pick up the head, the noodle-making was going on and very bizarre. I don't think I'll ever eat any noodles made in Macau. Charla was climbing all over the food, the girls were doing a teeter-totter odd horizontal pole dance move. I don't know. It all frightened me. I may now have noodle-phobia.

The Beauty Queens finished first and were off to find their mini-moto cars, retrieve the clue from the windshields, then drive off to the Pit Stop. Back at Noodle, Charla and Mirna were struggling. Danielle and Eric finished their Yield time, did the Roadblock and then chose Noodle. Mirna told them that Dustin and Kandice offered the ChaChas money to Yield them. That was a bit away from the real story, but it doesn't really matter. Danielle and Eric are mad at both teams. But their anger made quick work of Noodle and they finished before the girls.

But where were the ChaChas? Still wandering around lost! Argh! Maybe there is something to the karma thing. They thought about good karma when they were nice to another team, perhaps they should have thought of the bad karma their latest actions may bring.

The show tried to make it look like it was close between Charla and Mirna and the ChaChas, but it wasn't. Although Mirna was a hoot with not being able to drive the cheap car, they were minutes ahead of the ChaChas.

At the Pit Stop in Taipa, this was the arrival order:
1. Dustin and Kandice - each won a Waverunner
2. Originally Eric and Danielle, but in waiting out their 30-minute penalty, Charla and Mirna took their place.
3. Danielle and Eric
4. Oswald and Danny

Oswald and Danny were saved by the non-elimination leg, but they're now marked for elimination and will suffer a 30-minute penalty if they don't arrive in first place next week. Since it's always been three teams heading into the finale, non-Philimination won't save any team from now on. The race is on!

I think Eric and Danielle made incredible time this week even though I don't care for them as a team. I think my favorite team, Oswald and Danny, made some really bad decisions this week ranging from the choice to sell their Yield to Dustin and Kandice to not verifying directions. While the Beauty Queens are playing a bit evil, they're running the race well. Once again, we saw a toned-down Mirna and Charla stepped up to the plate for tasks.

I still want the ChaChas to win. Of course, I might not get what I want.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - East Coast Update 4/22 - Pit Stop Arrival Order

The arrival order of the teams at the Pit Stop:

1. Dustin and Kandice - Each won a Waverunner
2. Originally Eric and Danielle, but they had a 30 minute penalty due to being saved in a non-elim. leg
2. Mirna and Charla took over 2nd place.
3. Danielle and Eric
4. Oswald and Danny

This was the last non-elimination leg, so all teams still in the running. A full review/recap will be posted later tonight, as well as an East Coast Update on the winner of The Apprentice: L.A.

Stop on back!

Tonight's 'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' Blogging

The show is starting on time here in the NYC area... yay! So, I'll be posting an East Coast Update with the finish order and elimination by 9 PM EDT. Later on this evening, I'll post a full review/recap.

Puff Up the Pants! - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - April 23-27, 2007

Ah, it's finally really spring here in the New York City area. It's the perfect time to go stand by the Hello Deli and watch the guests come and go from the show, and perhaps even a bit of tomfoolery on 53rd Street.

Oh, but I probably won't. I've done it before, though. It's fun, but be warned... no offense to Rupert, but the Hello Deli is a bit of a teensy deli dive.

Here's the guest list for this week:

• Monday, April 23: Sanjaya Malakar (American Idol recently booted contestant in case you're living under a rock) will present the Top Ten list, Brian Williams (MSNBC), and Steven Wright whose latest DVD is When the Leaves Blow Away. I'll most certainly be watching this one. I have to see if Sanjaya can get the words right when they're on a cue card and I've been a Steven Wright fan for a few decades... or so.
• Tuesday, April 24: Ex-Frasier co-star David Hyde Pierce who's currently starring in Broadway's Curtains, and Corinne Bailey Rae (CD is Live in London & New York.)
• Wednesday, April 25: Nicholas Cage promoting Next, Barry Sonnenfeld (Notes From the Underbelly - which I really have to check out, but haven't done so yet), musical group The Fratellis whose latest CD is Costello Music.
• Thursday, April 26: Oh, this one may be the winner of the week for me -- Steve Martin, David Cota & AJ the Parakeet, and a performance by Tony Trischka, Steve Martin & Bela Fleck (CD is Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular). Of course, I'm in it for the parakeet. Heh. No, I'm a big Steve Martin fan and love the banjo-playing. But, then again, maybe the parakeet will dance to the music! After all, the parakeet can golf... so I'm sure he can dance.
• Friday, April 27: Frank Caliendo as George W. Bush (which I'd prefer to watch than George W. Bush as George W. Bush), Andy Dick whose CD is Do Your Shows Always Suck? (Yes, they do, Andy. It's you, it's not me.) Jarvis Cocker whose CD is Jarvis is the musical guest.

It looks like a good week of late night entertainment and a good bit of silliness, as well. After all, there can never be too much silliness in the world today

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, April 21, 2007

Although the TV has been good, this is one week that will be good to put behind us. Flooding still affects many of my friends and co-workers with some still not able to return to their homes. The horrible tragedy at Virginia Tech reminds us of what horrors can happen in today's world. Even though I focus on escape -- television shows -- it's a real world in which I live... and sometimes not such a pretty one.

Ah, but there was a monumental moment in television this week -- Sanjaya's off of American Idol! Here are today's TV Newsy Bits:

• What? Sanjaya Malakar's gone, right? He's more present than ever at the moment. On Monday night he's slated to deliver the Top Ten List on The Late Show with David Letterman. And, he's given us all "something to talk about" as the articles and interviews pile up.
• Sunday night at 10 PM ET/PT we'll see the only one-hour long season finale of the rather lackluster The Apprentice: L.A. -- if I were a betting woman, my money would be on James. But the Final Four aren't that impressive at all to me.
• On Monday night, Heroes returns! Woohoo!
• The most recent Survivor castoff, Edgardo, went the interview route. His The Early Show appearance is transcribed by Reality News Online. RNO also has an interview with Edgardo online. Huh... we're not seeing the booted stand in the Hello Deli this season. What's up with that?

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - Ep. 10 -or- "Dreamz Plays Both Teams... Not Very Well"

I've come to the conclusion that they should all band together to vote out Dreamz next. He plays both sides which, if done well and with sneakiness, works. But when no one trusts you, you're the lone wolf. And you're a dangerous wild card often a step out of step in the game.

Nine are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

The show opened on Night 24 at the Bula Bula camp. Mookie's mad about the vote. He thinks that Dreamz gave the power right back to Alex. Dreamz rationale for voting for Michelle last week, given to us in a confessional segment, still makes no sense. "I voted for her because she said she didn't know me. If she hadn't said that, she'd still be here." Um... okay.

Making it obvious that there is no real trust, Alex told Mookie that a different member of the Four Horsemen (Alex, Mookie, Edgardo, Dreamz) should hold the found hidden Idol each day. Well, he may have left Dreamz out of that equation. He did. I guess it's the Three Horseman and the Guy They Don't Trust.

In a confessional, Earl told us he was upset about Michelle being voted out. It "flipped the script" for him. He likened it to a chess game when you're down a few important pieces and have to rethink your strategy. The man is playing a thinking man's game. He doesn't think he can trust Dreamz, but thinks they may need him.

The Rewards Challenge was the Big Reveal one for the season. The castaways had to answer questions about their fellow tribemates in private, then guess the answers of the majority. Those who were right then got a chance to smash a tower of another tribemate. Each person had three towers. So, tribemates got to find out what others think of them, plus who wants whom out of the game. In the end, it was Stacy taking the personal blow, but she reacted better than a few in the past.

Here are the questions and majority answers:
1. Who do you trust with your life? Earl
2. Who is least likely to be invited to a family dinner? Boo
3. Who has the largest sense of entitlement? Alex
4. Who would you want to be stranded on a desert island with? Yau-Man
5. Who don't you want to see after the show ends? Stacy
6. Who smells the worst? Dreamz
7. Who mistakenly thinks he/she controls the game? Alex
8. Who wasted the greatest opportunity? Stacy
9. Who has shown the most athletic surprise? Yau-Man

Stacy was the first one knocked out with Boo, Cassandra, and Yau-Man taking her down immediately. The rest of the tower-smashing went along alliance lines or revenge until only Cassandra remained. She won Reward and sent Mookie off to Exile Island.

Reward was a luxury yacht trip with food and beverages. She got to choose three other to go with her. She first chose Dreamz, then Boo. She told us she chose them to work on them for the alliance. She chose Yau-Man last because she thought he deserved it.

Over on Exile Island, Mookie was steaming. He's mad at Cassandra and makes a personal vow to get her voted out, then her alliance one by one. He thinks Earl has the hidden Idol from their camp. But on the yacht, Cassandra and Yau-Man are doing their best to brainwash Boo and Dreamz. It looks like Boo's better for them than Dreamz. Neither Cassandra or Yau-Man feel they can trust Dreamz. They're both good people-readers. Heck, I don't know if Dreamz can even trust himself!

Then it all goes awry. Dreamz told Alex he's in danger as per what he's heard. Earl just happens upon them catching Dreamz spilling beans. Cassandra and Earl confront Dreamz away from Alex. Dreamz played the same "you don't trust me" card he played with the Four Horseman alliance. No, Dreamz. No one trusts you because you're playing both sides and proving you can't be trusted!

Then he did it. Dreamz betrayed the Four Horsemen to Cassandra and Earl. He told them Mookie had the hidden Idol from their camp. What is this guy thinking? Yau-Man told us in confessional that everything will now have to be rethinked.

No time for thinking when there's an Immunity Challenge to be endured! Yes, it was endurance this time around. It's the first individual Immunity Challenge of the season. The castaways had to stand in a frame using only their arms and feet.

The hitch was that each half-hour, they'd take a step down. The foot-holds grew increasingly smaller with each step down with the lowest being less than a quarter-inch wide. Cassandra fell almost right out of the competition. Edgardo gone, Earl out, Mookie, Alex, Dreamz... leaving it contest between Yau-Man, Boo, and Stacy.

I personally think that this challenge was actually better for those who weighed the least and may have the smallest feet. And, I'm sure those two would be Yau-Man and Stacy. Boo had to be hanging in with sheer determination.

In the end, Yau-Man won and looked like he could last another hour or two.

Day 27 at the camp found Dreamz doing more double-dogging backstabbing on both sides. Mookie is still determined to get rid of Cassandra and thinks Earl has the Idol. Yau-Man talked to Stacy and won her over. He told her she wouldn't be alone voting for Alex, but please don't vote for Earl. Stacy, thinking smarter than Dreamz, thinks she'd do better with the Cassandra, Earl, Boo, and Yau-Man alliance and decides she'll vote out Alex.

Dreamz went to Mookie and told him that he thought Earl and company knew he had the idol and they were planning to vote out Alex. So, Alex convinced Mookie to give him the Idol so he could save himself with it although Mookie was reluctant to give it up.

Then Dreamz saw Mookie pass Alex the Idol and ran to Earl and company to tell them. So, they switched their plan. Without telling Dreamz (because he can't be trusted!), they decided they would all vote for Edgardo and get him out by surprise. It was actually Stacy's suggestion. It looks like she is going to be valuable to her new alliance. She thinks.

At the Tribal Council, that's pretty much how it all went down. After the votes were cast, but before they were read, Alex used the Idol to save himself. So any votes for him wouldn't count. But there were no votes for him. Alex, Edgardo, and Mookie voted for Cassandra. Dreamz was a whack-vote again -- he voted Mookie. (I just can't get his thought process or lack thereof.) The other five all voted for Edgardo.

"Edgardo, the tribe has spoken."

Well, I'm glad that a hidden Immunity Idol has finally been used. And, I like the thinking game of the Earl, Yau-Man, Cassandra, Stacy alliance. Yeah, I know Boo's in there, but I see him as more of a follower. It's too bad that Edgardo paid the ultimate game sacrifice when the target was originally Alex or Mookie, but it was a good move. Another interesting development is that the Idol will be re-hidden and new clues will be set.

Your thoughts?

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 4/19 - Voted Out

Twisty and turny and a mis-used Idol... Edgardo is voted out.

A full review/recap will be posted later tonight.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 4/19 - Individual Immunity

Yau-Man won the first individual Immunity for this season.

(As it should be.)

Stay tuned for the boot East Coast Update and the full review/recap later tonight!

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 4/19 - Reward, Exile

Cassandra won Reward - a trip on a luxury yacht. She had to choose three others to go with her. She chose Dreamz and Boo first (to work on them) and then Yau-Man. She sent Mookie to Exile Island.

I'll post another update at Immunity, then the boot. A full review/recap will be posted later tonight.