Big Brother 11 Bloggy Bits

First, the esteemed Zoetawny has created another new BB season logo for the blog. She rocks, y'know. Thank you, Zoetawny!

Second ... blog community lifeguard Margo is running the blog pool this season. The way it works is that we're assigned a houseguest to cheer on. There isn't any wagering (although virtual wagering would be okay, I guess -- you know, like a dozen virtual chocolate chip cupcakes or something). It's all just in fun. Here's the latest on the pool from what I can gather:

Braden – KarenCA, Monty924, DonnaAL
Casey – PDX Granny, Jackie, Patti in kzoo
Chima – Brent McKee, Delee, DonnaFL
Jeff – sizzie, dla, Margo
Jordan – Becky, meb, Lynn1
Kevin – Tessa, NanaNW, Laurie
Laura – nomad, SueGee, Sasha
Lydia – Witt, RBennie, Gaylos
Michele – Sydney, ORKmommy, Susan in FL
Natalie – Caroline, Jennasmom
Ronnie – Sally, Catonine
Russell – TerryCA, Zoetawny
??? – Lars Eller, Feral Cat

Margo will assign a name to the mystery houseguest once we know who it is. I'd like to thank her and possibly get a virtual round of applause from everyone for her efforts!

Some BB11 News

Look! It's Chris (Gunther?) from The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson! He was one of the twelve media people who did a week in a day in the Big Brother 11 house last week. Yikes, he got himself evicted, but not before he got a shout-out in to Craig. The videos aren't embeddable, but you can find them on the CBS BB11 website. Jen Johnson from BB8 was the host for the bunch. If you recall, I wasn't invited.

If you're not familiar with Chris, this video I previously posted may jolt your memory --



Due to Chris being in on the Press Day in the house, I guess we'll be seeing the hamsters and Julie each week on Ferguson once again. Also on the CBS website, there is a (non-embeddable) video of the houseguests telling us how great they are. One mentions her boob job. @@

Regarding Live Feeds

I always have mine as I use the Rhapsody credit monthly. I don't know how to go about offering the feeds to customers. But, if you're looking to sign up for them, it would be great if you did it through That Dingo's Hamsterwatch website. She runs one of those sites I keep an eye on all season and she works hard for her money. Of course, they can also be purchased at real.com.

Regarding my show episode reviews and live feeds coverage

TV Squad is paring down the coverage of Big Brother. I'll be reviewing all the episodes, but the reviews will be much shorter. I was also informed they will not be doing live feeds reports this season even though they brought in a lot of traffic. That decision may change, I don't know. It hits me in the financial arena as I was expecting the income.

Not to fear, though. I'll just do all the live feed reports here and not run myself ragged doing separate content for TVS and here. As always, there will be live blog show posts for discussion of the episodes as they air here on the East Coast. You know you're all invited!

New this season

I succumbed to cyber peer pressure. I'm now on Twitter. While I won't be going wacky tweeting all the time, I'm definitely planning on using it for some reporting in addition to this blog.

I'll be starting the more in-depth look at the houseguests tomorrow. In poking around, I already found two words for Braden -- "soft porn."

Sneak Peek: 'Leverage' Season Premiere

When I met up with blog buddies RBennie and Becky recently, the timing was perfect. I know that Becky is a big fan of TNT's Leverage and I just received the screener copy of the season premiere. How could I not? I'm including a video bit about the show and Becky's review. Once the season starts, I'll create a blog discussion post for the show.



From Becky, Guest Reviewer and Leverage fan:
The "Beantown Bailout Job": Thrills, cons and the pursuit of justice are back as TNT's fast-paced drama series LEVERAGE returns on July 15 with the Grifter, the Hitter, the Hacker, the Thief and the Brains returning for another season.

In case you missed last season, Timothy Hutton stars as Nate Ford, a former insurance investigator determined to bring down the kind of corrupt bigwigs whose neglect led to the death of his son. His highly skilled team includes Sophie Deveareaux (Gina Bellman), a grifter who uses her acting skills to corner her marks; Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane), a "retrieval specialist" with bone-crunching fighting skills; Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge), a gadget and technology wizard who keeps the team connected and informed; and Parker (Beth Riesgraft), a slightly off center thief adept at rappelling off buildings or squeezing into tight places.

During the first season, the team members put their energy, quick minds and keen intellects toward securing justice for society's underdogs. The five loners learn how to work as a team and to rely on each person's unique skills. They also developed a strong emotional bond.

After the destruction of their headquarters and the decision to go their separate ways at the end of the first season, the team now finds itself together again when Nate witnesses and attempted murder of a bank whistle-blower. Nate's new digs soon become the operational headquarters from which the team will conduct their activities.

When the group meets at a Sound of Music play starring Sophie, the not-so-good singer, they all profess that they enjoyed their six months away from each other. They then confess that Nate has "ruined" them for a life of selfish crime by making them one of the good guys. He has to be convinced to do "this one last job" to find justice for the bank employee. Some of their plans to vindicate the employee do not go as they thought they would, but they still overcome the obstacles for a delightful season opener.

Tonight's 'So You Think You Can Dance' and 'America's Got Talent' ... plus Julie's BB11 House Tour

Yikes. I've been posting so much today! Eep.



But I wanted to give folks a place to comment on So You Think You Can Dance and America's Got Talent. I'm watching the first one and recording the second.

And here's another BB11 bonus -- Julie Chen's tour of the BB11 house:

The Big Brother 11 Cast Cheat Sheet

I'll be taking a closer look at the hamsters in posts down the line. However, I edited these images with their names, current location (well, real current location is either sequester or in the house!), ages, and occupations. I figure I can look back at this entry in the beginning when I can't keep track who is who. Or, is that who is whom? Only three are married -- Ronnie, Michele, and Casey.

BB11 Twist Revealed

All kinds of news today -- I'm still working on my intro posts for the hamsters.

Meanwhile, from a CBS Press Release:

07.01.2009

CBS INTRODUCES 12 NEW HOUSEGUESTS AND REVEALS A SURPRISE TWIST THAT EVERYONE CAN RELATE TO WHEN "BIG BROTHER" PREMIERES THURSDAY, JULY 9, ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

The Houseguests Will Be Going Back to High School as They Are Divided into Memorable High School Cliques - Popular, Athletes, Brainiacs and Off-Beats

A Mystery 13th Houseguest Will Also Join the Game

House Guests To Compete in House That Has Been Transformed into Green, Eco-Friendly Living Machine

What group did you fit into in high school? That is the question 12 strangers will face on the season premiere of BIG BROTHER, Thursday, July 9 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

12 strangers will move into the Big Brother house and learn that they will be ‘kickin it old school' this summer, high school to be exact. The House Guests will be shocked to learn that they will be playing the game in one of four familiar high school cliques - popular, athletes, brainiacs and off beats. They will compete for food, safety from eviction and luxury prizes as part of their clique.

They will also be surprised to discover that a mystery 13th Houseguest is coming to the BIG BROTHER house, to join the game and give an advantage to one of the cliques.

"You may have graduated, but the truth is we never leave high school and this summer we are going to prove it," says Allison Grodner, Executive Producer of BIG BROTHER. "From the brains to the jocks to the off-beat, everyone will be able to identify to one of these cliques, giving the viewers a group to root for and against from the very beginning. The division will cause instant drama."

****************************

High school? Now I'm going to have nightmares! Your thoughts?

Big Brother 11 Cast on The Early Show Video

I'll be posting more later, but here's the video of the cast reveal on today's The Early Show --

Big Brother 11 Bulletin!

I just saw a blurb that the Big Brother 11 cast will be introduced this morning on The Early Show. I expect the website will be updated later today. It's my day off, so I will catch The Early Show and update here later!

UPDATE: Gack. The oldest hamster is 41. There is a gamer who can name all of the houseguests all of the seasons in order. He also led debate teams. My money would be on him for the win if I had to name a winner now. Lots of pretty (young) faces, a gay guy and a bi-sexual gal.

Once the video of the segment goes live either on YouTube or CBS, I'll post it here. Later on today, hopefully they'll update the website. I'm not so thrilled with the new hamsters. However, watching them implode as the season goes along should be fun!

UPDATE on the UPDATE: The hamsters are now on the official CBS website. I'll be analyzing them, snagging images, and sharing thoughts in my next post.

Big Brother 11 House Photos Revealed

The CBS website has photos of the new Big Brother house right here. There still isn't any word on the new cast. But when I know, I'll get the skinny and their photos!

Sorry this is so short and sweet, but I've been out being a tenant activist (or something to that effect). I went from work to grabbing a bite to eat to attending a City Hall meeting. I met Bernice, the local blogger, too! And, I was jokingly offered a job by the building inspector when I showed him some of my photos of building violations. I did tell him I can freelance!
;-)

More BB news as it comes in!

So You Think You Can Dance 6/25 Results Bulletin

Osuka is gone for the girls.
Jonathon is gone for the guys.

I think that's about right, don't you?

Rest in Peace, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson

It's a sad day in the entertainment world today as we lost two very iconic figures. Farrah Fawcett died at 62 years of age while Michael Jackson was only 50. Farrah made her battle with cancer very public and showed admirable courage. As for Michael Jackson, it was cardiac arrest. He might have had his scandals and oddness, but his talent cannot be denied.

May they both rest in peace.

So, What's New on TV Tonight?

A feral cat poses for my camera near the Plainfield (NJ) Train Station.

Ah, it's dilemma time. Although I do really consider I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here to be shoddy entertainment at its best, tonight is the finale. Add in the fact that America's Got Talent is airing its second show of the season after it ... and there's a block I kind of sort of would like to watch.

But, So You Think You Can Dance is on FOX opposite of those two NBC shows. Yes, it's two hours. Since this is the show I'm most likely to follow until the end of the season, it wins my live in person viewing time. I'll record the other two and may peek in on the first one to catch the winner.

Hmm ... then there's the 10 PM (ET) hour. Now, The Philanthropist on NBC is new but the whole premise of the show isn't quite grabbing me. ABC is having a health care question and answer Primetime with President Obama. I realize that's probably what I SHOULD watch. There's a new Real World on MTV. A&E has two new episodes of Tattoo Highway. Bravo has a new Top Chef Masters.

Decisions, decisions. What will you be watching?

Big Brother 11 News

Today was media day for Big Brother 11. They showed off the new house to press folks. And, here it is! Okay, I lie. It's a vintage Metro North train car I saw sitting when I headed into the city for dinner last week. If you click on it, a large image will open in a new window.

Anyway ... here's the skinny I picked up from folks who were invited to the media event --

• Allison Grodner said it's going to be an interesting cast (doesn't she always say that?).
• The media event had people from media, television, print, and the Internet living a week's worth of events in one day while in the new house.
  
• Remember, I wasn't invited. (Sniffle)
• The cast is all but finalized. They're not sequestered pre-show yet. I'm thinking we might get some official announcements perhaps midweek next week or Friday (July 3) at the latest.
• This season's twist is supposed to be unique, but something everyone can relate to. Um, okay. I'm not so sure I can always relate to her brilliant ideas, but ...!
• The house is eco-friendly and green this year.

And that's the big news. Just a teaser, I say!


People are waiting in anticipation of Big Brother 11.

Belated Bloggy Bits

Finally! I've been trying to post an entry since I got home from work! Blogger has been out of order and I couldn't even get a comment on my last entry to post.

But I have to talk about my dinner with two fine blog friends last night. It never fails that when I meet folks I've befriended online, they're people who I find truly enjoyable to be around. Of course, meeting up with a bad element from online is what we all see on the news. And that certainly happens. But it all depends on the venue involved.

Last night's dinner with blog friends RBennie and Becky could have been dangerous. Yep. We could have stayed out all night talking until we were hoarse. We could have eaten far more calories than humanly possible. We could have gone shopping! We could have giggled until we started hiccupping or something.

It makes me feel so good inside that this blog has created such a fantastic community of really GOOD people. We may all live in various places around the country, but when we meet up ... it's like we've been "in person" friends for years. RBennie in person has that voice of reason with humor thrown in (but that voice of reason within couldn't stop her from having at least a bit of the triple chocolate cake!). Becky is such a firecracker (which is a good thing)! She kept us in giggles all evening ... I love it!

Both Becky and RBennie are exactly the kind of friends I like in my life -- kind, interesting, witty, intelligent women with whom you can have a good time. I have a feeling they also might be good shoulders to cry on, but we did no crying last night. Lots of giggling.

I don't want to just slap up photos taken of us last night. I myself am always a bit camera shy. But here's a bit of my journey --

Newark Penn Station ... where is my train? That's not my train. Why is my train late? I need to get to Midtown!

Finally, New York City, just as I pictured it ... skyscrapers and everything. Oh, wait. That's from a Stevie Wonder song ("Living for the City"). It's been horrible with rain this month here. However, the skies stopped for our Ladies Evening Out. All that was left was the fog. It usurped the Empire State Building.

Here's where we had our dinner -- O'Reilly's Pub and Restaurant.

After leaving Becky and her friend at Penn Station to catch their train back to Long Island, I walked over to Times Square just for the heck of it. Er, not really for that reason. I had to go to Port Authority as I took a bus home. If I'm in the city late, I usually catch the bus back home as the bus stop is across the street from my apartment while the train station is six (dark and scary) blocks away. Port Authority is on 42nd Street right at the edge of Times Square. I peeked at the pedestrian mall bit, but I'm not impressed. Even without cars right at Times Square, it's still a sensory overload.

Becky and RBennie ... thank you for an enjoyable time last night! You're both sweeties! And fun, too!

Tonight, Tonight

I won't be able to post the results for So You Think You Can Dance or I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here tonight because I'm heading into the city after work to meet up with blog buddies RBennie and Becky after work. We're going to have dinner (food is always a good thing) and I don't anticipate being home until the shows are over.

No, I won't be taking a taxi into Manhattan. I'll just take the train, thank you very much. I spotted this NYC cab in nearby Westfield on Monday. I have no clue what it would cost!

If someone would be so kind as to post who got the boot on both shows, please have at it!

Tonight's 'So You Think You Can Dance' ... and Stuff

"In the clearing stands a boxer ..." - "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel. Of course, this is more like The Boxer by Jackie. I met this dog this past Saturday. While I tend to have cats, I enjoy a good dog, too!

Speaking of cats, I finally spotted Roofus the Cat yesterday but I had grabbed the wrong camera going out of the door. Um ... I took the Pentax whose memory card was sitting in my computer. Argh! I haven't seen Roofus for quite a while and was relieved to see him. It would have been better with a working camera!

Onto the meat of the matter here tonight ...


It's the two-hour So You Think You Can Dance. None couples are taking the stage. And here's your place to discuss the action! Please feel free to share your thoughts on the show as it airs and afterwards, too. I'll be here.

At Least TNT Has Fresh Shows ...

... which aren't about pseudo-celebs in a jungle!

The Closer is new at 9 PM ET/PT ... and here's a peek --





Then, at 10 PM ET/PT, it's a new Raising the Bar --



I've already screened both of these episodes and, trust me ... much better than watching those fools in the jungle!

It's June 12; Do You Know Where Your TV Signal Is?

Wall Street has really taken an economical hit, eh? I took this photo in Plainfield, NJ.

Oh no! It's DTV Transition Day!
I hope everyone is either set with cable service, satellite, or have their DTV converter boxes and a good UHF/VHF antenna. Where I first moved when I came to NJ (about a mile from where I am now), I had actual reception with rabbit ears. I could pick up all of the NYC stations, all the Jersey ones, and even two Philly ones.

I was in the midst of moving here to this apartment when 9/11 happened. I had both places for a few weeks and found I had snowy reception of most of the NYC stations, no Philly. But then when the towers went down, I lost all reception as the transmitters for the stations were atop of one of the towers. So I've had basic cable ever since.

I didn't have any issues today and didn't expect any. Eventually I plan on getting a DTV converter and perhaps a decent in-home UHF/VHF antenna for one of my old unused 13" color televisions (or maybe the ancient 12" B&W one). It sounds like I might actually have reception with it. We'll see.

Off TV Topic, but sometimes money does fall from the sky
Oh, I'm not talking about a ton of money. I'm talking about $90. Yep, it fell from the sky. It seems I was part of a class action lawsuit with no knowledge about the lawsuit at all. If they sent me something previously, I probably shredded it as junk mail.

As it is, I was skeptical of the check I received yesterday. It was a lawsuit against an insurance company whose name meant absolutely nothing to me. I thought it was a scam -- you know, cash the check and get charged for some sort of never-ending deductions from your bank account.

So I went to the online URL in the letter with the check. The FAQ document cleared it all up. When I bought my last car over a decade ago, I paid it off a few years early. Although I had contacted the loan company for the exact balance owed, no thought was given to the insurance which came along with the car loan. I gave up the car more than a few years ago as it got all persnickity on me. Apparently the $90 check I received is thanks to someone named Poole who sued and started a class action suit against the insurance company. According to the paperwork, it's actually only 45% of my loss. But seeing as I didn't realize I lost anything, it's money from the sky.

Tonight, tonight
Right now as I type this, I have old reruns of Roseanne on from TVLand. At 9 PM I intend to watch Mental. It's the episode from earlier this week with David Carradine's last television performance. I missed it the first airing, so it's on the slate for tonight. That whole thing with his death is just plain old bizarre. I doubt that when I die it will be anything which compromises my integrity (I lead a boring life). But, sheesh ... I do feel bad for the family.

I will be watching A&E's 11 PM showing of Criminal Minds. A lot of this series is fresh to me as I missed most of the shows on their initial airing. So, even if it's an old repeat, I probably haven't seen it.

More off topic
I stopped by yesterday and visited my physical therapist who dealt with my knee replacement. He finally has his website up and I invite everyone who has aches and pains to take a peek. And, if you're anywhere in the area and in need of physical therapy, I highly recommend him.

I've been loading a lot of my older photos to my Photobucket account (linked on the sidebar). If you want to take a slideshow gander, just head here.

That's it for now. I hope you all survived the DTV transition!

So You Think You Can Dance - June 11 Results Show

Yes, I know I set up a blog discussion post for the show (which you can find on the sidebar). But, by popular demand, I'll be making a post for commenting each show. I'm not sure how involved I'll be able to get into actually posting about the SYTYCD after Big Brother 11 starts on July 9. But we'll worry about that when the time comes.

The show is starting here on the East Coast. I'm going to miss whoever leaves tonight -- they all have so much to offer us. I think this season has the most talented dancers ever! I'll update this post with big news as it airs and everyone is welcome to hang out in comments. Bring your own bottles ... er, snacks, please.

Kayla and Max, Randi and Evan, Phillip and Jeanine are safe. (Yay, Phillip!)

Jason and Caitlin are safe (Bollywood). Melissa and Ade are safe. Ashley and Kupono are safe (crash test dummies). Tony and Paris are in the bottom three couples.

Vitolio and Asuka are in the bottom three. Brandon and Janette are safe. Jonathan and Karla are in the bottom three.

Paris is going home. Tony is going home.

I'm Being Entertained (not by I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here)

Cat in a window, Plainfield, NJ

Don't ask me what's going on with that screen. I believe the cat lives inside the house or maybe he just sits there for the view. I don't know.

I'm here to report that I'm finally having a great TV night! Am I watching pseudo-celebs eat bugs and have rats bite them? Nope! I'm watching the first night of the top twenty dancers on So You Think You Can Dance. What a fantastic group!

I think my heart is going to be with Phillip Chbeeb through the season. However, my favorite number was the crash test dummies dance. I'm glad I never vote on these shows. As I'm typing this, only one performance remains. Now, this is entertainment! I don't want to be a part of deciding who's going to go home. They should all stay another week!

The only drawback to the show tonight was my sucky Comcast cable. Similar to an incident last week in which all of my NYC stations lost signal, tonight's signal for all the NYC stations cut in and out, pixeled, froze, aired with no volume, etc. That went on for the first half hour. Grr.

A very little known fact about me:
My mother made me take tap dance starting at the age of five. That lasted until I took jazz dance at eight. Unfortunately, the only dance style I ever got to be good at was square dancing in backwoods upstate New York bars when I was a teen (with my parents and their friends and their friends' kids). These were the kind of places which had signs up which read "Dance at your own risk." Oh ... and I was also heavy into disco dancing on roller skates for a number of years.

But, to quote an old Genesis song:
No, I can't dance, I can't talk.
The only thing about me is the way I walk.
No, I can't dance, I can't sing
I'm just standing here selling everything.

But I can walk.

Um. Let's make that last line ... "but I can limp."

Someone asked me if I have a date set for the next knee surgery. Not yet. I'm thinking late fall. While I don't want it so late it would spread out my deductible into two years, but an overlap of years for the physical therapy insurance limitations would be a good idea. Since that's just a co-pay and the deductible doesn't come into play, it might be worth considering. The drawback is I'd be returning to work and going to PT on ice and snow. I don't know. I just know the knee can't make it through another winter.

Leather-clad dude on Plainfield (NJ) street corner.
No, that's not where Dog the Bounty Hunter works.
At least, I don't think so.

TV Doldrums ...

Is it just me or is television at its worst in a long, long time? One redeeming shiny gem could be the openings for The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson.



Since I watch Letterman almost religiously, I try to catch the Ferguson openings before hitting the sack. It's always a delight when they're "special." I hear the two dancers are staff members, but don't ask me the story about the gay leather bondage little dude. Of course, the puppets are part of the scene. Last week when this opening in the above video played, I couldn't get to sleep right away. I kept singing the tune in my head.

So... what have I been watching? Hmmm ... I stayed up really late one night (perhaps the "Istanbul" night) watching Craig, but then flipped to Jimmy Fallon during a commercial. Oh my. He had Paul Simon and Steve Martin TOGETHER on the show. They interacted with each other, did a skit, performed. The only drawback is that Fallon hasn't gotten the hang of interviewing people down yet. Great guests; I'm just glad they talked to each other most of the time while Fallon was basically limited to dorky comments now and then.

I watched Mental on FOX, the first episode. I didn't catch the second one. It wasn't bad, but not an instant hit with me.

The Bonnie Hunt Show is in reruns. It's been two weeks now. Does she get the entire summer off?

I watched The Tony Awards last night. I've actually seen one of the shows. Well, kind of, sort of. Hair was the first Broadway show I ever saw on my own. Alas, I saw it when I was 14 or so and it's not quite the same cast these days. Some of the men would have to be singing, "Hair, hair, comin' out of my ears" if it were the same bunch. I was very happy for the three boys who play Billy Elliot. Liza and Elton were their usual big shot selves. And, what was that suit that Neil Patrick Harris was wearing?

I also caught the season premiere of Gene Simmons Family Jewels on A&E last night. I think Nick and Sophie are the only two teenagers I like on TV these days.

It's going for 8 PM and I'm not sure if I'll watch I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. It's almost embarrassing that I've actually seen three of the four shows so far. It's two hours of my life I'd never get back.

There's a new episode of The Closer on TNT at 9 PM ET/PT tonight. That sounds much better.

TV Stuff and Stuff

I'm a pseudo-celeb and I'm stuck in weeds ... get me out of here!

Yes, I watched the second night of I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. I'm not proud. It seems that Heidi and Spencer are gone. I hope it stays that way. The next one I want out is that Janice. Not only is she annoying, but she looks a bit like that Cat Lady with too much plastic surgery. She was really a supermodel at one point? I find that hard to believe!

I find it a bit incongruous that the show was followed by an NBC special featuring President Obama's day in the White House. As I watched that one, all I could think was that if I had so much important for the world stress on my shoulders I'd be screaming, "I'm not really the President! I was joking! Get me out of here!" I'd definitely crack under the pressure. But the burgers looked good.

Tonight on Letterman it's Jack Hanna! I'm such a sucker for those segments. Not only do I find the animals so interesting, I enjoy the interaction between Dave and Jack. I took a nap. I will stay up! I peeked in on Conan last night on and off between Dave. He's got some good guests lined up, but nothing will take me away from Jack Hanna tonight.

On writing bits, I wrote up a brief article on I'm a Celeb, blah-blah for TV Squad. Yesterday TVS posted my short newsy bit about the upcoming Big Brother 11. It's been confirmed that once again I'll be posting live feed reports from the BB house on TVS. Of course, I'll still be posting them here, too. And, not the same reports. Also yesterday, my latest Reality Clack column for CliqueClack TV was posted.

Other than that, there's not much TV going on in my life. Tomorrow will bring us So You Think You Can Dance. I haven't really checked the schedule, but watching that over the pseudo-celebs is a given.

Today's musical non sequitur:
The monkeys stand for honesty,
Giraffes are insincere,
And the elephants are kindly but
They're dumb.
Orangutans are skeptical
Of changes in their cages,
And the zookeeper is very fond of rum.
-- "At the Zoo" by Simon and Garfunkel

I'm a pseudo-celeb and I'm stuck in poison ivy ... get me out of here!

I'm in New Jersey, Get Me Out of Here!

No! Really! I'm stuck on a NJ Transit train ... get me out of here! I'll be like the man who never returned. You know, Charlie on the M.T.A.! You do see I can't escape from television, not even on the train. That's an ad for Top Chef Masters which premieres on Bravo on June 10.

Okay. I lied about being stuck on the train and in New Jersey, too. I can leave. My cat would be upset, but I would come back. But, it's a tip of the hat to the show I just finished watching -- I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

Celebrities, eh? I know Lou Diamond Phillips, Stephen Baldwin, and Sanjaya Malakar. Well, not personally, mind you. And Sanjaya is more notorious than an actual celebrity. I don't watch The Hills, but hear a lot about it on The Bonnie Hunt Show. The one time Spencer Pratt was on Letterman, he was a jerk. Guess what? He still is.

Then there's Patti Blog ..er , Blag ... um ... Blagojevich, the wife of the impeached husband with the hair. She sort of surprised me. I think I like her, but her husband irks me just with his hair alone, not even taking any crimes he may or may not have committed into consideration. He's a new age Trump hair man.

The rest of the celebrities, I haven't a clue.

However, I was entertained. I'm not sure if I'll watch its entire run. Four nights a week is a lot to ask of viewers. I came away from tonight's show thinking Spencer is so full of himself. He shouldn't accuse others of being non-celebrities when he's such a non-celeb in his own right. Sanjaya remains very eager and personable, much like he was on American Idol. I just hope he doesn't burst into song.

Did you watch the show? Your thoughts?

I'm now stuck in a flower! Get me out of here!

OFF TOPIC: So You Think You Can Hop

So, there I was at the Bridgewater Train Station ready to head home. Hey! What's that? (No, not the big yellow circle -- I did that!) I saw movement from whence I came. I must investigate. Reminder: clicking on any of the images will open them larger in a new window.


Why ... it's an animal ... as opposed to vegetable or mineral. I must get closer.


Baby bunny alert! Baby bunny alert! I must get closer.


Aww. How cute is that? He's only about five or six inches long. I must get closer.


Warm fuzzy baby bunny alert! Whoops ... there's my train coming in. Must get farther away!


I managed to get about two feet away from the bunny. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that's a good thing. He knew I was there, but was very frightened. I hope he reacts more quickly to hawks and other predators.

So You Think You Can Dance Blog Discussion

It's the 5th season of So You Think You Can Dance and here's your place to chat about the show with your friends ... even if you know you can't dance, or you can dance, but you could never do THAT! I don't blog about this show on a regular basis, but I'm a fan. I'll be joining you in comments, for sure.

Jump aboard -- we're all hot tamales on this train!

Happy Memorial Day

I hope everyone is having an enjoyable kick off to the summer season and that the weather is cooperating for you.

I'd also like to pause for a moment to reflect on the reason for this holiday -- to remember those who have served for our country. My own father was a WWII veteran and my grandfather re-upped to help in that effort. I recently read a book written by a quasi-family member (my brother's first wife's sister's daughter's husband if you can follow that). He joined the National Guard at 17 and served in Iraq at 19, all inspired by the attack on 9/11. For me, the epitome of today's young soldier is indeed Ryan Smithson. His book, Ghosts of War, was an amazing effort and really told the story of war from a different perspective.



I'd rather a world without wars. But that seems unlikely. Bless the men and women who serve our country.

So You Think You Can Dance, Some Off Topic, and Hooked on a Commercial

I'm sitting here watching So You Think You Can Dance. I have no clue why I always get so addicted to this show but don't care for Dancing With the Stars. Maybe it's because it often has more of a street vibe and/or because the kids on the show work so hard to achieve their dreams.

Obviously, since it's the first night, we're in the auditions phase. Do you want me to set up a discussion post for this season? I'm sure to comment, but don't know if I'm up to blogging each show.

Some off topic --

Due to so much rain and timing, I haven't seen Roofus the Cat lately. However, local blogger Bernice emailed me and told me she spotted Roofus inside the garage building where the food and litter box sit. I'll keep looking! BTW -- if you look at her blog, the new Senior Citizen Center is just a few doors down from where I took all my kale shots and I walk by there on my way to the train every day. It's just a bit away from my own neighborhood and is where the business district starts up.

Many of my commuting NJ Transit trains have gone to the fancy-schmancy double-deckers. If you sit in the top level, it tends to sway a bit like a boat on a mild sea. If you sit in the lower level, you bang your head when you stand and there's a step up to the seats (which I've already tripped over). If you sit at the main level in the bikes/handicap area, the seats aren't as comfortable and it's like a fancy-schmancy version of the NYC subways with passengers facing each other.


Above is a shot of the nearly empty lower level on one of my rides. The conductor is watching me shoot him. Oops. (Clicking on the image will open it larger in a new window.)


There's a fancy-schmancy at my train station. One thing which will take getting used to -- you can't flip the seats. Half of each car faces backwards for the trips. They're only two-seaters instead of two-seaters down one side and three-seaters down the other. I can't sprawl my stuff. BUT ... the seatbacks are one-piece molded plastic. No one in back me can poke me with their feet working them between the seatback and the seat itself. I hate toes poking me in the butt! I'm funny like that.

I'm still putting in extra time at work, but it's paying off as we're acing all of our audits. Phew! Also, I went for my year follow-up with my orthopedic surgeon for the knee replacement. He's happy. I'm happy. My knee can grin if I hold it sideways (the scar). He gave me another cortisone shot in the other knee. Hopefully it will last more than four days. My plans are to get the knee done before winter. I have to build up financial doings and stuff.

Hooked on a feeling commercial
"Front, back, side to side, front front back back side to side, up down ..." I have mad hamster love going on for those Kia hamster commercials. The songs are catchy, but the hamsters are the bee's knees. Or something like that.

American Idol Winner Bulletin

KRIS ALLEN has won American Idol!

For those of you on the West Coast, the show is well worth the watch. I think it was one of the more entertaining shows I've seen in years. Steve Martin, The Black-Eyed Peas, Carlos Santana, etc., etc.

Kris is stunned.

American Idol: The Final Showdown

Well, tonight was the big showdown between Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. I think we've all known all along that Adam would be in the final and it's very obvious that the judges want him to win. Kris has been a dark horse all along. But, as I've watched him all season, I think I'd prefer Kris over Adam for the win. Let me tell you why ...

Adam is extremely theatrical. While he does have a good voice, he depends on theatrics and often screams to songs. While the judges often comment on other people screaming, he seems to float on by with it. I prefer his voice on softer songs like the rendition of "Mad World" which is strikingly similar to this version by Gary Jules. (Nope, Adam's not the creative genius they've made him to be.) Adam screamed the Sam Cook song tonight -- and got mad praises by the judges. Go figure.

Then there's Kris. While I don't see me running out and buying his stuff, I think he's definitely got a Jason Mraz/John Mayer vibe going on. That's very popular these days. Plus, he's an actual musician and I think he'll be writing songs as his career progresses. I've been one partial to singer-songwriters since my childhood. He did an excellent job singing "Ain't No Sunshine" once again.

In ten years I can see Adam doing reprisals of Dr. Frank N. Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. In ten years, I can see Kris having a career which parallels folks like James Taylor, Elton John, and Billy Joel. Who's the winner?

BTW - Kara's song did absolutely nothing for me ... sung by either contestant.

Survivor Tocantins - Season Finale!

Well, it's time ... the big season finale night for Survivor Tocantins! At least we can all rest assured that Coach won't win. I doubt he'll win the $100,000 from viewers even. As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll update this entry with major news. However, the real fun is in the comments. I hope you all can join in -- we have snacks, beverages, and a good time for all!

Later tonight, I'll be writing up the review of the finale for TV Squad, but I don't expect it to be posted until tomorrow as tonight's gala event ends at 11 PM. Getting up before 5 AM for work is going to be tough. I think it will be a three alarm clock night. But I'll worry about that when it comes. Right now I'm ready to sit back, enjoy the show, take my notes, and have fun in comments. Taj, my blog pool pick, is still in the running. Yay! And, we're even starting on time. Double YAY!

JT wins immunity!

ARGH! They voted out Taj!

Rites of passage are over -- Coach is still delusional.

Erinn is the first out of the final immunity challenge!

JT won the final immunity challenge!

JT voted out Erinn -- it's JT and Stephen battling it to the end.

Votes: JT, JT, JT, JT ... wins it all!

It was the second unanimous vote in Survivor history.

Remember - If you're in comments, you have to hit the "newest" link at the top of the page!

Wow ... JT also won the $100,000 viewers prize.

Survivor 19 will be in Samoa.

Thanks, everyone for such a great time in comments tonight!

Survivor Tocantins - "The Martyr Approach"

The show has started here on the East Coast. Everyone is welcome to gather in the comments area for snacks, beverages, and show talk! I'll update this entry with major events as they air. My review of the show will be posted over at TV Squad later tonight.

JT won immunity and sent Coach to Exile much against his will -- Coach SO didn't want to go there! JT is taking Stephen on reward with him -- overnight trip.

JT won immunity. Coach is all drama about back spasms.

Coach was FINALLY voted out!

American Idol - Results Show 5/13/09

Although I'm watching the entire three hour block finale night of Lost, I have the other TV on in sight (muted) and will be posting the results of last night's voting as it happens here on the East Coast.

Kris is safe. Adam is safe (of course).

Danny Gokey is out of the running.

The Amazing Race - "This Is How To Lose a Million Dollars"

The finale is starting on time here! I'll be writing up my review on the episode later tonight for TV Squad, but important events will be posted here. As always, everyone is invited to hang out in the comments -- that's where the real fun is!

TAMMY AND VICTOR have won The Amazing Race!

Cara and Jaime came in second.

Happy Mother's Day!

I'd like to wish all the mothers out there the best of Mother's Day! The weather is nice here (for the first time in days) and I hope it's a good day in your neck of the woods. I took the photo above yesterday -- one thing about constant rain, everything is blooming! Seize the day!

Survivor Tocantins - "The Ultimate Sacrifice"

The show has started here on the East Coast. Everyone is welcome to gather in the comments area for snacks, beverages, and show talk! I'll update this entry with major events as they air. My review of the show will be posted over at TV Squad later tonight.

Stephen won Immunity!

Debbie was voted out. They're keeping Coach? Yikes!