I Interrupt This Blog ...

So, there I was heading to the train station to go off for my blood draw and ... what is that up there? Yes! Yes! It looks like ... the return of ...

... ROOFUS THE CAT!!!

Alas, I had to go to the track on the other side away from Roofus, but he moved and started grooming himself. It's him! I had to zoom more than usual, so the photos aren't the best. Today was the kind of day I see him there -- chilly but with sunshine on the building probably making it the purrfect napping spot.


If you click on the images, they will enlarge.

Double-Deckers, Rat Race, Rat Poison, and Survivor

Yep, I'm still alive. Tuesday I came home from work, fell asleep. Last night I worked late, picked up my rat poison ... er, Coumadin prescription, at Target, shopped some while there, and headed home catching one of the few new fancy-schmancy double-decker trains on my New Jersey Transit train line. Very cool trains. Sure, you have to do stairs to go either up or down but there are entrance level foyer kind of areas with seats. I bumped into a train friend I haven't seen since pre-surgery and I kidnapped him to sit in the top level with me. These night shots without a flash are lacking a bit as my arms were full of Target bags while taking them. Clicking on the images will enlarge them and show more detail.

Then I went home and fell asleep sometime during the Obama half-hour. Sigh. My stamina is really shot. But I woke up at five this morning ... what a joy!

Still no sightings of Roofus the cat. But it has been overcast, raining, sleeting, extremely windy, and snowing each time I've been at the station. In the past when I saw him, it was when sun was shining on the building. It's been a rough weather week around here.

I'm off to go visit the vampires. Countdown time -- two more weeks after this one. (Yay!) At least it's not snowing today and it's supposed to be nice tomorrow for the kids. I'll be posting the Survivor post tonight when the show starts. I hope to see you there!

Tv Stuff and My Return to the Rat Race

Just another plant in the wall. I always enjoy man vs. nature kind of shots. I took this last week at the old stone wall surrounding the Old Presbyterian Graveyard in Bound Brook, NJ. I also took some interesting old grave shots ... but I'll save them for Halloween.

I returned to work today. I lived. But I'm really tired. I didn't review The Big Bang Theory for CliqueClack TV as it was a rerun. My Reality Clack column went up there this morning and tomorrow morning (Tuesday), a Halloween special post with a video I made will be posted around 9:00 ET. All of my work there can be found at this author link, but check out the place ... quite a bit happening! Last night my review of The Amazing Race went up over on TV Squad.

I watched Heroes tonight, but I'm getting more mind-muddled by the week with the show. I don't know -- since they have Marlo and Bubbles from The Wire on it, maybe all we need is McNulty to look into the case and explain it all.

I think I'm going to have to head to bed early. I've got to get used to this working for a living kind of thing again. Grr, now that my 401K has been hit so hard lately, I'm not thinking early retirement!

The Amazing Race - 10/26 Show

Oh my, the show is actually starting on time here tonight. I just might faint. While I won't be live-blogging tonight's show per se, I will update this post with important events. Later on tonight or early tomorrow morning, my review of tonight's episode will be up over on TV Squad.

Pit Stop Order
1. Starr and Nick - Won a trip to St. Jean
2. Toni and Dallas
3. Terence and Sarah
4. Ken and Tina
5. Kelly and Christy
6. Andrew and Dan
7. Ty and Aja - Philiminated

There goes my team in the blog pool!

OFF TOPIC: I'm So Vein, I Thought This Clot Was About Me

The sign outside my pharmacy. Er, okay. It's a pest control place I walked by today. But it reminds me of my Coumadin! Hmm ... maybe I can give them my leftovers when I ... get off Coumadin in three weeks! Yes, I'm leaving the rat poison and vampires behind in just three more weeks. The good news is that no new clots have formed. The bad news is that there is a bit of vein damage and an increased possibility of blood clots in the future. The doctor said that the risks of continuing on with it at this point are more dangerous than the possibility of another clot when mine was directly connected to the knee replacement.

Below is a shot I took of knee replacement parts and other knee implements of destruction. I took that at the orthopedic surgeon's office yesterday. Yes, I do have a metal stake down my tibia and some of those parts.

Thank you all for your concern.

TV Squad, CliqueClack TV, and Signs of the Times

Roaming the neighborhood near my orthopedic surgeon's office yesterday, I found these two signs about a block apart. The first one is so welcoming, so um ... bilingually friendly. The second is forbidding. Sure enough, as I was shooting the second sign, a very vicious watchdog started barking furiously at me. But they're both typically New Jersey -- a rising Latino immigrant population meets The Sopranos.

My latest Survivor review is up over on TV Squad for your perusal. Later today (not sure when), my latest TV Shows Off the Beaten Path column will go live over on CliqueClack TV.

As for me, I'll be heading out to the vascular surgeon appointment before long. I'll let you know when I know.

Survivor Gabon: 10/23 Show

The show has started here on the East Coast. While I won't be live-blogging it per se, I will update this entry with the big news. My full review will be going up on TV Squad later tonight. As always, have fun in the comments. But if you make a mess, you have to clean it up yourself! I've had enough to do with cleaning up Mandarin spam for days now. Sorry about missing a few. I reported the spam blog owner, but still getting it. You guys only saw a few -- it's been about two dozen a day all week.

Argh ... Sugar gave Ace the idol for "safekeeping."

Kota won reward -- baked goods, coffee, tea. They once again sent Sugar to Exile Island.

Kota won Immunity again, thanks to Ace thinking he's Boy Wonder on Fang.

Kelly was voted out.

Some TV Stuff, Some Other Stuff

This is a cool tree fungus I found in my travels. I really should have kicked the litter on the left out of the way.

Let's see ... what sort of TV have I been watching? Well, you know about Survivor and Amazing Race -- both shows I review over at TV Squad. Letterman is in reruns this week. I'm hooked on Bonnie Hunt and will be recording that one next week after I return to work. I've managed to watch (and make sense of) the entire run of The Sopranos on A&E, but have yet to see the finale.

As for new shows this season, the only one really hooking me in is Life on Mars. I think a big part of the hook are my own memories of 1973. I was in college back then and recall some of my visits to NYC which was a few hours away from my school. So I think the familiarity has a lot to do with being hooked.

I know I'm looking forward to the new season of Law and Order: Criminal Intent. It's going to be on Friday nights at 9 PM on USA. I really want to see how Jeff Goldblum is going to do in his new role on the show.



The new season of Frank TV kicked off and I'll watch that now and again. TBS has sent me lots of promotional stuff for the show and I feel guilty because it's not always my cuppa tea. But I do like the travel mug!

Okay, onto the other stuff. Last week I went for the Doppler exam on my legs to check out the condition of the existing clot and look for new ones. They told me that the doctor was away and he'll call me with my results on Wednesday (now today). I didn't like the look on the one giving the exam's face, nor her increased attention to my left leg (the surgery one with the clot). But she can't say anything.

The next day when I got the call about my weekly blood draw results, I was told my level remained the same (has for four weeks). But, in a rather unusual move, they want to raise my INR levels, so they increased the Coumadin dosage. Now, from what I understand, the only reason for them to do that is if there is a higher risk of new clots. I'm hoping I'm wrong.

On Tuesday (yesterday), the doctor's office (the vascular surgeon) called me. Instead of him calling me today to go over the results of the Doppler, he wants me to go to the office on Friday to discuss it. This just doesn't sound good, but I can't let myself get all worked up over it. I did find out during the Doppler that the pain and swelling I've had in my left ankle is probably due to the clot. With the major knee surgery it's hard to tell what symptoms are from the surgery and what are from the clot. Nonetheless, I'm actually walking quite well and without the pain I endured the three years between the first surgery and the knee replacement. And I don't have the huge swelling or constant pain which is symptomatic of a large clot -- never really had that.

Tomorrow I go for my weekly blood draw, then to my pre-work release visit at the orthopedic surgeon. On Friday, I'll find up what's up with the clotting status. On Monday, I'll be at work at 8 AM. Life goes on.

The Amazing Race - 10/19 Show

Sigh. Once again, the show is delayed in this area due to football. 60 Minutes started at about 7:45 PM ET here. I'm going to go ahead and open this post for comments in case the show started on time elsewhere. While I won't be live-blogging tonight's show per se, I will update this post with important events ... once I see them anyway. Remember, it's going to be Phil's father at the Pit Stop tonight!

Finally, it's starting ... recaps.

Uh-oh. My team in the pool -- Aja and Ty -- have a flat tire. I can't believe neither know how to change a tire. That should be required knowledge to drive a car as far as I'm concerned!

Maori warriors are cool.

Pit Stop Order

1. Ken and Tina - used FF. Won a trip to Rio.
2. Terence and Sarah
3. Kelly and Christy
4. Toni and Dallas
5. Nick and Starr
6. Andrew and Dan
7. Aja and Ty
8. Marisa and Brooke -- Philiminated

TV Squad, CliqueClack TV, and Off Topic Photos

My review of last night's Survivor episode is alive and well over on TV Squad. And, I have a new TV Shows Off the Beaten Path column up over on CliqueClack TV. I want to thank everyone for the well-wishes. I'm feeling okay now, mainly just really tired. But that didn't keep me from going to the vampires for my weekly blood draw or my Doppler test yesterday. I won't know the results of the latter until next week, but I didn't like the look on her face as she did the test. The sounds would make a cool Halloween wav noise, though.

Here are some of the photos (click on them to enlarge) I took on my rounds yesterday:


Now, what are the chances of me noticing this bench graffiti on the way to my blood draw? I think it's the same vampire slayer as in this older post of mine. Along with the vampire reference, it had that "lovescool, warkills" tag line.

Detour on the way to the Doppler test.

The hawks were circling above me. No, I am not a small bunny, nor am I a mouse!


I think this ornamental kale was perhaps planted a bit early as we have been having a warm streak lately. But it's a neat plant nonetheless.


Perhaps if we all go to the market and invest, do you think we might actually have peace on Earth?

Survivor Gabon - 10/16 Show

The show has started here on the East Coast. While I won't be live-blogging it per se, I will update this entry with the big news. My full review will be going up on TV Squad later tonight. As always, have fun in the comments. But if you make a mess, you have to clean it up yourself!

Kota won Reward -- herbal garden, oils, spices,and fruit. They're sending Sugar to Exile again. She'll be back for Immunity Challenge.

Kota wins immunity.

GC was voted out ... he wanted to quit anyway.

The Latest

I took this shot with that illustrator mode on my old Pentax digital camera a week or so ago. The Red Tower #1 restaurant in Plainfield, NJ. Not to be confused with the Red Tower #2 or #3. As always, if you click on it you'll see it enlarged.

I am still alive, but still a bit under the weather. I caught some sort of stomach virus last week. That was bad enough in itself. But, because of it, I didn't eat hardly at all (couldn't) for more than a couple of days. And, because of that, my levels for the Coumadin went all kinds of screwy and I ended up in the hospital for one day due to internal bleeding. I'm recovering again now, but I'm totally wiped out. I'm trying to catch up slowly.

Tomorrow I go to the vampires for my blood draw and then an early evening appointment for my Doppler test to check on the blood clot and see if there are any more. Yes, I still plan to return to work on October 27.

I thought I should get an explanation up.

CliqueClack, TV Squad, and Other Things

I have no idea what kind of bird this is -- I call 'em dotty birds. They're kind of ugly and have evil beaks.

I have a new Reality Clack column up over on CliqueClack TV and my Amazing Race review is up over on TV Squad.

My condolences go out to blog reader Nana in the NW on the loss of her mother. Words can't always express how we feel, but know you're in our thoughts and prayers today.

The Amazing Race - 10/12 Show

I apologize for my absence as of late. I haven't been well. But the show has started here on the East Coast (on time even!). I won't be live-blogging it, but I will update this post with important events. As always, everyone's welcome to hang out in the comments rooting for your team or mocking teams!

Argh. The clue says "make your way on foot." Mark and Bill, wake up!

Uh-oh ... will Starr convince Nick to U-Turn Kelly and Christy (who have crashed anyway)? U-Turn wasn't used. The Roadblock is a hoot with them donning spandex and fighting women!

Pit Stop Order

1. Ken and Tina -- also won trip to Mexico
2. Toni and Dallas
3. Terence and Sarah
4. Marisa and Brooke
5. Aja and Ty
6. Nick and Starr
7. Andrew and Dan
8. Mark and Bill -- Sit out 30 minute penalty due to taking cab
9. Kelly and Christy

Alas, Kelly and Christy arrived before the 30 minutes was up. They're still in while Mark and Bill were Philiminated.

Survivor Review up on TV Squad

Why, yes it is... my Survivor review can be found right here.

Survivor Gabon - 10/09 Show

The show has started here on the East Coast. While I won't be live-blogging it per se, I will update this entry with the big news. My full review will be going up on TV Squad later tonight. As always, have fun in the comments. But if you make a mess, you have to clean it up yourself!

Yep, they switched tribes --

New Kota - Marcus, Dan, Charlie, Randy, Corinne, Susie, Bob
New Fang - Matty, Ace, Crystal, Jacquie, Ken, Kelly, GC (Danny)

Since she wasn't picked, Sugar goes to Exile and returns after TC going on whatever tribe is short a member. I hope she has her hidden idol with her and Ace doesn't have it!

Kota wins Immunity!

Uh-oh, my namesake was voted out -- Jacquie. They really should have voted out either GC or Kelly, but old Fang is running the show and Kelly teamed up with them.

Announcing the Winner of the Bonnie Hunt Contest!

Yes, blog commenter Lynn1 has won the Bonnie Hunt sweatshirt and mug! I want to thank everyone who entered and wish that there was more to give away. The correct answers to the Ultimate Bonnie Hunt Quiz were as follows:

1. In what HBO movie did Bonnie share the billing with Mekhi Phifer?
Subway Stories

2. How many times has Bonnie been married?
Once

3. What was Bonnie's occupation before her show business career took off?
Oncology Nurse

4. In what movie did Bonnie Hunt make her acting debut?
The Rainman

5. Who was the co-executive producer of two sitcoms of Bonnie's -- The Building and The Bonnie Hunt Show (not to be confused with the current talk show and later retitled simply Bonnie)?
David Letterman

6. How many siblings does Bonnie have?
Six

7. Is Bonnie Hunt related to Helen Hunt?
No

8. What famous improvisational comedy troupe did Bonnie join in 1986?
Second City

9. How many movies has Bonnie appeared in, not including voice work?
I accepted 18-23 in the contest due to discrepancies on websites.

10. What is Bonnie's zodiac sign?
Virgo

11. What character in the 2006 animated movie Cars was Bonnie's voice?
Sally

12. What kind of pest recently infiltrated Bonnie's home?
I was looking for rats, but also accepted crickets as she's had problems with both.

Thanks again, everybody! And, congratulations to Lynn1!

We have a winner!

And we have a winner of the big Bonnie Hunt Ultimate Quiz prize giveaway! I've notified the winner by email and will wait for confirmation before announcing the name. I want to thank everyone for participating.

I'll be posting the answers and the winner's commenting name here a bit later today (after the vampires have their way with me). Until then, I found this snippet of Bonnie with Amazing Race Philiminated team Stephanie and Anthony. It's just a teensy bit of their interview with her. He did say he was joking and put on the spot when he said he was thankful for his good looks.

Reminder: Bonnie Hunt Ultimate Quiz Prize Giveaway Ends Tomorrow

This is an older photo I took and messed with. He's not waiting for the subway train -- he's waiting for you to enter my Ultimate Bonnie Hunt Quiz Prize Giveaway! So far I have over a dozen correct entries in the punch bowl and, if you haven't entered already, you have until midnight ET tomorrow to get in the running!

The Big Bang Theory Review

I actually took this photo of fall foliage in my neighborhood a season or two back, but it's fitting for today. Brrr ... it's chilly!

My TBBT review is up over on CliqueClack TV if you want to take a peek!

NEW 2008 Dancing With the Stars Discussion - Part 2

Here's your NEW place to discuss the new season. The official website for the show is located right here. I received comments that there were too many comments on the original post, so spread the word there's a new one!

'Prison Break' Blog Discussion Post

Here's your place to gather and discuss Prison Break. I don't watch the show, but I do read the comments! You can get here via the link in the sidebar. Prison Break airs on Mondays at 9 PM ET/PT on FOX and the official show website is right here.

Blog Announcements and Stuff

This is another flowers photo I took with the illustration mode on my older Pentax digital camera last week.

You may wonder why I called you all here. Well, I didn't really physically call y'all, but you know what I mean. A longtime member of this blog community, Sharon, has been experiencing extreme health issues. As a result, a group of folks got together to try to help her out. With no health insurance and hospital/doctor bills, it's probably cash Sharon needs the most. If you wish to contribute, please send an email to laurie1109@yahoo.com with the word "donation" in the subject header. She can give you more details. We're all praying for her.

In other news, I have a new Reality TV Newsy Bits post up on CliqueClack TV and my Amazing Race review is aboard TV Squad. Hmm ... interesting ... someone at CliqueClack decided to change the name of Newsy Bits to "Reality Clack." Nice of them to ask me.

In yet other news, I have to go for another Doppler test next week to check the status of my DVT and check for any new ones. I don't mind the test as it's actually kind of cool -- sort of like an ultrasound for pregnancies, but the veins have all kinds of audio. What I'm not too thrilled about is that they're out of my insurance network. But I've already paid my out of network deductible (the day after my surgery when the clot was discovered and I was all doped up). So it's not as bad as it could be.

Tonight I'll be reviewing The Big Bang Theory for CliqueClack TV. I think I'm going to drop trying to live-blog Heroes here as it's hard to pay attention to the show and you really have to. Maybe I'll put a post up around the time it airs so folks can talk in commercials, then fill it in with some of the major goings-on afterwards. I'll face the same quandary with Lost once it returns. Both shows are very hard to blog because there's so much happening in each episode.

The Amazing Race - 10/05 Show

Argh, it's no surprise, but the show is delayed here in the NYC area due to football. Once it starts, this entry will be updated with major events and perhaps a random thought or two as it airs. Meanwhile, enjoy Zoetawny's new TAR graphic and cheer on your team in the comments!

Finally it started here, 8:30 PM ET.

Okay, I deem both Terence and Tina utterly annoying.

I feel bad for Sarah, but don't mind that Terence didn't follow the signs to the taxi. Kelly and Christy digging for a container on the Beach It is a hoot!

Pit Stop Order
1. Ken and Tina - Each won an off-road vehicle
2. Mark and Bill
3. Terence and Sarah
4. Aja and Ty
5. Toni and Dallas
6. Nick and Starr
7. Kelly and Christy
8. Andrew and Dan
9. Marisa and Brooke
10. Anthony and Stephanie - Philiminated

What I've Been Up To

No, I didn't go into the city today. This is a photo I took when I was at the Feast of San Gennaro a few weeks back. I edited it to have the hard-working NYPD guys in color and the background black and white.

What I have been doing isn't nearly as much fun. I've been going through this blog, uploading image files to a Photobucket account (it was easier than getting them to show from my web host), and then redoing the HTML coding on hundreds of pages of this blog. All of the animated images have to be moved. But if you want to take a cool trip down memory lane for Zoetawny's blog contributions, check out my Photobucket album. Right now I'm nowhere near done -- for one, I still have BB8 to get through!

I also wrote this post for CliqueClack TV and I'll be back for The Amazing Race a bit later.

Looking at 'The Ex List'

I watched The Ex List last night and found myself enjoying it more than I thought I would. Now, I can't really say it's going to be on my "must see, never miss" list. But thankfully, it's not one of those shows which you end up totally lost if you miss an episode. The premise is that this young woman went to a fortune teller who told her that she's already met her true love during previous dating. If she doesn't find him within a year, she will never find her true love again.

So she has to go back over all the men she's dated in the past to try to find the right one. She's obviously had more of a social life than I have. The series wouldn't last long with the men in my past and I know none of them were Mr. Right!

All in all, I found the show entertaining and nice light fluff kind of stuff for the rather barren wastelands of Friday night television. Did you watch it?

Stuff and Some TV Stuff, too

Nope, this isn't a television image. I took my older Pentax digital camera with me yesterday as I went to the vampires for my weekly blood draw. It has a filter in it for illustration photos and I really like the effect. You can click on the photo to enlarge it. So here are some fall flowers for everyone!

If you haven't kept up with the comments, blog reader Sharon has been located and has been having some severe health issues. Sydney is acting as a go-between and is the one who finally found her. Kudos to Sydney!

I got the bad news that AOL is closing Hometown, the FTP space for members, and all AOL Journals. I'm looking into relocating the content of a few of my older blogs. But the more immediate problem is that I've been using my AOL FTP space for all of the animated Zoetawny graphics as Blogger won't support GIF files. The shutdown is scheduled for November 1st. I've already backed up my files to an external hard drive but have to figure out how to get them actually showing on a new web host I have. But this news means I'll have to go back through all of the posts to change the image addresses. So we might have some missing graphics and I apologize in advance. Plus, folks using any of my AOL Journals or the web pages I made with AOL to get here will have problems after November 1.

I want thank all of the commenters discussing the VP debate for being respectful to others. I was wondering how the Survivor episode generated that much discussion! (Especially with no exposed bananas!)

I have new posts up over on both TV Squad and CliqueClack TV if you're moved to take a peek.

Don't forget to enter my Bonnie Hunt Giveaway if you haven't already done so. I've decided to give a bit of leeway in the movie counts as there seem to be discrepancies. I have lots of names already sitting in the punch bowl for the drawing and I'd like even more!

Let's see ... tonight's TV ... hmm. For me, Friday nights are almost like a night off from writing. I might try out The Ex List tonight and will probably watch Life although I've missed most of that series. How about you?

Survivor Gabon - 10/02 Show

Okay, Survivor fans and those in the pool ... the show has started here on the East Coast. I won't be live-blogging it per se, but I will update this on and off with important events and/or some thoughts of mine. As always, everyone is welcome to chat it up in comments!

Wow, that rewards challenge was brutal ... and Fang actually won! They're sending Sugar to Exile Island.

That seems to be the wrong choice ... she's found four clues and has it!

Yikes, Fang won Immunity!

Paloma is out, Sugar didn't use her (and Ace's evidently) idol.

Big Bonnie Hunt Giveaway and Ultimate Bonnie Hunt Quiz

No, I'm not giving Bonnie Hunt away. Why not? Well, I don't think I can. She doesn't know me and would probably be miffed if she had to adjust to a new lifestyle. She'd most likely give me what-for for lousing up her life! Giving her away is probably illegal or something, too.

But I like Bonnie Hunt. Oh, I don't know her personally, mind you. It's her personality I enjoy and that's what shines on her talk show. Here's a little video example:




But you want to know what I'm giving away, how this all came about and how you can win, right? Well, I was contacted by the PR folks from the show due to my previous post about Bonnie. They're the ones who are giving the prize -- a Bonnie Hunt Show mug and sweatshirt. You can click on the image to enlarge it. But I get to decide exactly HOW I'm going to award it. So it's the ...

ULTIMATE BONNIE HUNT QUIZ!

Now, I'm not a Bonnie Hunt expert even though I've enjoyed her so much over the years. The answers to these questions can easily be found in an Internet search.

I will be tossing all entries with the correct answers in my punch bowl, close my eyes and draw one. Don't worry -- the punch bowl will be dry. I want to have fun with this and not a soggy mess. The deadline for entries will be a week from today -- Wednesday, October 8, 2008 at midnight. I will contact the winner for details, so please don't leave any personally identifying information here on the blog. The prize will be awarded by M80, a PR firm out of Los Angeles.

Please do NOT post the answers here in the blog comments -- email them to jackiestvblog@gmail.com with the subject header of Bonnie Hunt Contest so I can watch for them.

Here we go ... are you ready?

1. In what HBO movie did Bonnie share the billing with Mekhi Phifer?

2. How many times has Bonnie been married?

3. What was Bonnie's occupation before her show business career took off?

4. In what movie did Bonnie Hunt make her acting debut?

5. Who was the co-executive producer of two sitcoms of Bonnie's -- The Building and The Bonnie Hunt Show (not to be confused with the current talk show and later retitled simply Bonnie)?

6. How many siblings does Bonnie have?

7. Is Bonnie Hunt related to Helen Hunt?

8. What famous improvisational comedy troupe did Bonnie join in 1986?

9. How many movies has Bonnie appeared in, not including voice work?

10. What is Bonnie's zodiac sign?

11. What character in the 2006 animated movie Cars was Bonnie's voice?

12. What kind of pest recently infiltrated Bonnie's home?

There you go, folks. Remember -- do not answer the questions in the comments area, send them to the email address I listed above.

TV and Writing, Writing and TV

This is a Manhattan subway shot I took a few weeks ago, messed with a bit with my editing software. But that's not why I'm here. I'm here to mention some of the writing I've been doing.

Last night over at TV Squad, I had a Survivor article posted. The comments are interesting (speaking of bananas). ;-)

Although I'm still with TV Squad, I'm pleased to announce that I'm also writing for a new venue -- CliqueClack. That site is having its "grand opening" today. The articles I write there are unique to CliqueClack and can be found at my author link on the site. But do check out the whole site! A bit later today another post is due to er ... post. I hope I see you there!

Keep tuned here, too. I have an exciting (well, not like skydiving or going off to Paris exciting) contest with a prize coming up just for you guys!

The Amazing Race - Mosquito Net Scenes and Final Words

The CBS websites are really putting in more video clips than they've done in previous seasons. I was looking around today and found more clips on their site than what comprised the actual show! So, I couldn't help but to share a few with you. While I liked Anita and Arthur, they are a bit "out there" for this show. I can't help but wonder if CBS made them wear the tie-dyed outfits. I'm adding Dallas and Toni to my "hope they do well" list. They're the mother and son. I'm definitely not too keen on the blonds.

OFF TOPIC: We Interrupt This Blog

There I was ... innocently watching and blogging Heroes. All of a sudden I heard a huge crash. I left my Heroes dangling, called 911, and headed outside. Oh, yes. I put my camera in my pocket. Mind you, I live in a 30 MPH zone -- a city street with parked cars on either side.


These are the driver and passengers of the overturned Jeep which hit all the cars.

Shhh ... I wasn't back 300 feet.

I'm out of order here. The overturned Jeep is on the flatbed and that's red car #1-- her back axle is smashed, the car is probably totaled. The car parked behind her was hit, too. That one got by with scrapes and a destroyed hubcap.


This is car #3 on the right with the overturned Jeep on the left. Car #3 had been innocently parked with its nose to the right ... and not on the lawn.


The Jeep on its side and car #3 again. The front end of that car is all crunched, too.

Lieutenants dress funny here.

This is car #4. Car #3 pushed in its back end about ten inches and its nose is under a second (parked) Jeep.

This is car #4's nose under the Jeep which was parked in front of it.

Six vehicles, four of them totaled. When they righted the overturned Jeep, beer bottles were all over the ground falling through the broken windows. The driver was arrested for drunk driving. There were five people in the Jeep. The neighbors here pulled them all out. Other than minor bumps, no one was hurt.

Ah, but an odd man on the street carrying a bottle in bag and reeking of alcohol claimed he saw it all. According to him, someone came out of the driveway across the street, bottomed out on the slight hill in the driveway, then went out of control. According to him, he hit three other cars going the other direction, then sideswiped the Jeep causing him to lose control.

I don't know. It could have happened that way. It's just a good thing no one got hurt. And, if the Jeep driver was drunk, his reactions are off.

But I wouldn't advise parking on my street.

Heroes ... Tonight's Show Live-Blogged

Yes, it's Monday and it's Heroes time! As the show airs, I'll be updating this post as much as I can. Please feel free to join in down in the comments!

It's creeping me out that Mrs. Petrelli is cuddling her adopted son, Sylar. She calls in Bridgette who can see everything an object has ever touched. Dhe's going to "feed" Sylar.

Jessica/Tracy/Whoever finds that she can burn through a rose stem with her finger. Nathan approaches the fake Peter (future) and demands to see his real brother. He got a message saying that Peter broke out of Level Five..

Meanwhile Peter and Marlo (oops, wrong show - he played Marlo on The Wire) are doing a bank robbery?

Back at Primatech -- HRG returns only to get scolded by Mrs. Petrelli. He says he wants to get all the escapees. She introduces him to his new partner ... Sylar.

Back at the Bennet's house -- Claire's mother is there to protect them, but she isn't allowed to smoke in the house. Claire has decided that she's going to leave school. She thinks she should be out there helping her father fight the criminals. Her biological mother insists she goes to school.

Primatech -- Noah is reluctant to work with Sylar. Mrs. P. says Gabriel has just been misunderstood.

Ando and Hiro - Still going after the speed girl Daphne. He wants his formula back. She's already sold his father's half. She called Hiro Pikachu. Heehee. Uh-oh she's slow. Hiro's powers aren't working either. Ah, it's because the Haitian is there!

Claire tells her bio mother about how she wants to fight the bad guys. She's hoping that her mother can teach her how to fight.

Nathan -- meets up with Tracy/Niki ... whoever. She has the video of the sex with Nathan, yet she insists she's not her. Nathan isn't all that convinced.

Back to the bank -- Police are arriving Yikes, ex-Marlo (didn't get his hero name), has a plan. He called the police, ripped the heart out of one of the robbers who threatened him, and wants the cops to get Noah there.

Parkman is still walking the desert. The man with him painted a painting which told him everything he knows about Parkman. He painted it when he was a boy.

Oh, Sylar has a suit on. He questions if she's his real mother. She says he was born with powers which made him the way he is. They get the report on the bank robbery in Poughkeepsie. Mrs. P tells Nathan that Peter's in the body of Jesse.

Ando and Hiro -- In a movie theater. The fast girl is there. She told Ando he's Robin to Hiro's Batman. They're upset that Daphne is looking for the formula for money.

Back to the desert and more paintings ... Parkman's entire life. The future has changed and Parkman with the baby painting is no longer. Sure enough, the guy has Isaac eyes when he paints!

In the bank -- "Peter" says he doesn't want to go back. The ex-Marlo realizes he's not Jesse and flings him across the room.

Sylar and Noah -- Noah tells Sylar that she's playing them. Noah tells him that they're not partners, he's in charge. But Sylar goes forward into some kind of FBI guy persona and wins his heart. Well, maybe not his heart.

Peter tells the other robbers he was put in the body against his will. They beat him.

Noah is donning a vest to go in the bank. Sylar is actually acting human. Noah doesn't want him going in the bank to "use that buffet" in there -- the powers.

Hmm ... Tracy (?) is at a casket with pictures of Micah/Niki and Niki in the coffin. New Orleans. Micah realizes she's not his mother. He asks her if she's special and has a super power. He tells her he can talk to machines. Both she and his mother were born in the same hospital, same time, same doctor.

Hiro tried a ploy to get the briefcase (with the formula?) from the Haitian. He accidentally knocked him down the stairs. Powers are back -- Daphne whizzes by them and grabs it.

Back to the bank -- Noah is facing Knox (ex-Marlo!) and Knox isn't pleased. Jesse/Peter finds his powers. First everything blows, then all freezes. Future Peter arrives to save Jesse-bodied Peter. They vanish together. Uh-oh ... now the real Jesse has Noah!

Claire and bio-mom are going into a warehouse of some kind where the mom is going to teach her how to fight. The beginning is survival. Claire says she wants to learn to fight.

In the bank, Syalr has arrived to save Noah from Knox and Jesse. It looks like a new partnership is forming between Noah and Sylar.

Claire tells her Mom she's indestructible. The mother mentions suffocation. Claire is having problems. The bio-Mom is telling her it's her mind. She feels trapped. Her body won't stop the bad guys. Claire screams that she wants to hurt them ... and then goes free.

Bank -- Sylar let Knox escape. He goes for Jesse ... I guess the partnership isn't too cool. He does his thing to Jesse while Noah is trapped watching him through glass.

Claire and bio-Mom are talking. You have to learn how to save yourself before you save the world. Aw, they

Desert --

Yikes ... big car crash outside here. Later!

Amazing Race Review is up on TV Squad

My review of the season premiere of The Amazing Race is now up on TV Squad. I hope folks take a gander.

As long as I don't get goosed.

The Amazing Race 13 Season Premiere

Yes! I mean ... no! It's not on here on the East Coast as it's delayed by football. Once it starts, while I won't actually be live-blogging the entire show, I'll be updating this post regularly with my thoughts on the happenings and critical events. Of course, everyone is welcome to do the same in the comments area!

Until the show starts, we'll just have to admire Zoetawny's cool new graphic.

8:15 PM and we're getting started here in the NYC area.

Okay, they're going to Brazil leaving from Los Angeles. Out of my own geekiness, I'd like to see the comic book guys do well.

Lots of teams off to a bad start -- marked counter means just that. Duh. At least my comic book guys were #1 on the first flight!

Even though the first flight was delayed, they still had an hour and a half lead over the second flight.

In the Detour I was thinking they should count the steps. After all, what else could the question be?

Pit Stop order so far:
1. Nick and Star - won a trip to Belize
2. Ken and Tina
3. Terence and Sarah
4. Mark and Bill
5. Kelly and Christy
6. Toni and Dallas
7. Andrew and Dan
8. Aja and Ty
9. Anthony and Stephanie
10. Marisa and Brooke
11. Anita and Arthur

Alas, the hippies Anita and Arthur were Philiminated. Once my show review goes live at TV Squad, I'll post the link!

Survivor Gabon: The Jeff Probst Blog

Nah, paying Jeff Probst to blog here on my blog isn't quite in my budget. But he is blogging his thoughts on each episode at ew.com on their PopWatch blog. Since I can't get him here for you (my apologies, but I'm sure you don't expect him here, right?), I can do the next best thing ... spread the word about the blog he is doing and share some excerpts for discussion.

Regarding the Fang tribe, Jeff said:

• It's not the last time they'll make questionable choices either.

• The mismatched tribes continue to haunt Fang. I kept reminding them, "Quit complaining. You did it to yourselves." I like being a pain in the ass.

• They're all afraid to do anything and coming from a place of fear is never a good idea.

Regarding some of the castaways, Jeff said:

• Actions speak louder than words. Marcus and G.C., good for you. Hope that first episode immunity really pays off for you 'cause it may cost you later.

• Randy getting injured was a nice bonus for episode 1. Anytime there is an injury, along with blood or stitches, it's usually good for the show. Randy is going to be a star if he can last long enough. Everything he says cracks me up. I also think most of it is heartfelt. He's mean as an alley cat, and trust me they're mean.

• But nobody can touch Corinne on the Bitch meter. I only feel comfortable saying this because Corinne told it to me in person ... In her favor, Corinne plays the game hard, she knows how important alliances are, and if she forms a good one she could be around for a while.

• Not sure what happened to Michelle's attitude. I had her picked as a favorite in my preshow picks. Yes. A favorite. Something happened and her zeal disappeared.

• At the first tribal council, G.C. reluctantly accepted the leadership position. The question is how long will he last and how effective will he be? I would have never chosen him as my leader. This is the guy that raced ahead to get immunity for himself. It is a sign.

• Over at Kota, Ace is cracking me up. I love him!

• Sugar cries a lot. Just warning you. But I think you're going to like her. Maybe even root for her.

• Marcus is getting a lot of love from everybody. They love his leadership, they love that he's a doctor, and they love how calm he is. He drove us nuts as producers because he was telling everybody to act rationally! What?! What are you doing? Quit ruining Survivor, dude. Marcus is waaaay too good for this game.

• Dan's visit to Exile Island tells you everything you need to know about Dan. He's lovable and extremely well-intentioned but he overthinks everything. He's Hamlet.

• I actually liked Gillian quite a bit during casting. But once the show started, Gillian...you became a little annoying. You simply talked too much without saying anything substantive. You were a cheerleader, and let's face it, cheerleaders are…well, annoying. We hated to see you go, but if you hadn't been voted out, we may have removed you ourselves.

Jeff also said that the idol on Exile Island is relatively easy to find. He said that next week Fang needs a win and Sugar needs a Kleenex. Uh-oh for those on the Sugar pick in Orkmommy's pool!

Survivor Review up on TV Squad

I want to thank everyone for the fun evening on the Survivor post here! What a great bunch we are, aren't we? My sympathies to those who ended up with Gillian and Michelle in Orkmommy's pool. I see I have Charlie. I don't think he's going to win it, but I think he's in a good bunch with Marcus, Jacquie, and Corinne. If they do get Bob in there, that's going to be the alliance to watch.

Overall, I'm most impressed with Bob. Heck, I even like the bowtie.

My Survivor premiere review is up over on TV Squad. They almost weren't going to cover it this season, so I hope you can all take a gander at it. I'd appreciate it!

Survivor Gabon Premiere

Yes, Zoetawny has made a new and nifty graphic for the blog! I have said she rocks, right? I won't be live-blogging every detail of the two-hour show(s) tonight, but I will keep the blog updated with major events and stray thoughts about the show. Everyone is welcome to visit in comments! Survivors ready?

Interesting start -- I felt bad for Gillian struggling up the hill, but I was shocked that Crystal had trouble! Kudos to Matty for helping them. My Charlie (in Orkmommy's pool) lied about being a lawyer, as did the doctor lie about being a doctor. Crystal didn't mention the gold medal in the Olympics for track and field ... had she done so, she would have been humiliated. Kota is definitely a stronger tribe than Fang.

Kota has huts! So does Fang!

First injury on the first night -- Randy cut his head on a branch and needed stitches. Great start ... not even in a challenge! He's not quitting though and it was a definite cut, not really a bump to the head. He should be fine.

Kota won Immunity and fire. Fang goes to Tribal Council and one is going home tonight. Too bad Danny has individual immunity from the first challenge for his tribe. He sat and did nothing while the others were digging for their puzzle pieces. I don't think it looks too good for Gillian. Alas, she's more annoying than I thought she would be. Weak and annoying, she will make a good target for them at TC.

Tribal Council -- 5 votes Michelle, 1 vote Gillian. Enough for Michelle to go. I was wrong about the annoying factor for Gillian. Michelle is out because she's such a "Negative Nancy." GC (Danny) was voted leader of the tribe, albeit a bit reluctantly.

Randy is irking me. Heck, GC I'm not too thrilled with, but he's trying to lead. Hopefully Randy will follow his own plan and shut up, let others crash and burn. As long as the "shut up" part is done, I'll be happy.

Kota wins their second immunity and reward (fishing gear). At least this time Fang was close. Kota chose to send Dan to Exile Island.

Dan had no luck finding the idol and it looks like Gillian is the likely target again although she wants to get a movement afoot to get rid of the weakest young person (Ken).

Hmmm ... Fang is worried Dan has the hidden Idol and now he's targeted along with Gillian. Will she squeak through again?

Tribal Council - Gillian is out. Five votes for her and one (hers) for Ken. Enough to boot her.

Checking Out the Survivor Gabon Castaways: Part 3

This is my look at the last six castaways accompanied by their video clips from the CBS website. You can find parts one and two here and here ... but not here.


Watch CBS Videos Online

Jacquie Berg, age 25, Santa Barbara, California
Cool, a Jackie on the show, albeit with odd spelling and I'm not a 25-year-old natural blond. At least CBS fixed the spelling on her name. I pondered if she was transgendered with the name "Jacque." I kind of like her. Whether she'll get anywhere near the final four, I don't know. I think she's a contender, but wonder if the Sugars will stay on instead of her.


Watch CBS Videos Online

Gillian Larson, age 61, Temecula, California
Oh, I think I already adore this retired nurse who's tried 15 times to get on the show. She keeps herself fit, but I'm not sure how well she's going to hold up endurance-wise throughout the season. I'd say she might be just a bit nutsy, but she's turned into my newest favorite for the win. Who knows? It could happen!


Watch CBS Videos Online

Danny "GC" Brown, age 26, Portland, Oregon
Ah, a working man "Dreamz" -- one who actually has a job and home even though he had a hard upbringing. He's a maintenance man although his family has been homeless in his youth. The guy has some good ideals. While I'm not getting the "sole Survivor" vibe from him, I think he could go a long ways in the game.


Watch CBS Videos Online

Dan Kay, age 32, Boston, Massachusetts
Not to be confused with castaway Danny, nor Danny Kaye. A lawyer from Boston who comes across quasi-smug with himself to me on initial glance, he's wearing one of those silly little faux-hawks. You know, kind of like Memphis. Hopefully he won't have hair product in Africa. I'm a bit leery of anyone who talks about wanting to lead. They may as well say, "Slap a target on my back and stick a fork in me." Maybe I'll think differently once I see him in action. He isn't bad on the eyes and doesn't have the Boston Rob accent.


Watch CBS Videos Online

Crystal Cox, age 29, Durham, North Carolina
Crystal is a former track and field Olympics champion. She seems very determined and she certainly has overcome challenges in her life. I think she could definitely go far physically and probably isn't too shabby mentally, either. I only wonder if her own super confidence in herself might be a downfall. It's one thing for an older woman like Gillian to be super confident, but when it's a very physically fit younger woman, she might be looked upon as as much of a threat as a young physically fit guy.


Watch CBS Videos Online

Charlie Herschel, age 29, NYC, New York
Okay, this makes the second lawyer this season and I've lost count of how many of them are 29. He's this season's gay guy representative, I guess. He does run marathons and is a huge fan of the show. I think it's going to be interesting to see him work his strategies. He's making a lot of really good points. He's a go-getter in education and career. I think I might like his gameplay if he goes the route he says he will in the video.

Update, Update ... This is an Update

Nope, not a TV image. This is a shot I took in the NYC subway as a train was going by. I think it symbolizes how quickly things can pass us by.

I apologize for the lack of an entry yesterday. I have many things going on -- some good, some not so good, but all seem to be time-sapping. On the good end, I have a new computer monitor as my old one was fading away (thanks and a shout out to my brother for my birthday gift). I also bought a cheapie MP3 player and found out that all the Rhapsody music I've downloaded for years on my computer due to the BB SuperPass have to be burned to a CD before I can load them in the MP3 player as they're RealPlayer file format. The last few months of my SuperPass they've switched to MP3 format at Rhapsody, but I have years of the downloads.

I go not only to the vampires tomorrow, but to the orthopedic surgeon, too. It's my pre-release back to work visit. Right now I don't think I'm ready to stress the knee as much as need be for my return to work. When I go back, I have to return full time and with very few work restrictions. So I don't know. I'll see what the doctor says.

Also, tomorrow is the season premiere of Survivor. I'll be covering it here and on TV Squad later in the evening. It's going to be two hours. Right now I'm not sure if I'll do an actual live-blog here or not. I'll decide before it airs!

Can I get a show of hands from folks who want a Prison Break discussion post set up?