'The Amazing Race 10' Teams

The Amazing Race 10 will premiere on Sunday, September 17 at 8:30 PM ET/PT in most viewing areas. The show's official CBS website is up and running with the teams and bios. As always, although I've been boggled with BB live feeds through the summer, I'll be blogging TAR with show recaps, east coast show night spoilers bulletins and news I gather from online sources. I hope some of you hang around for the fall show season discussing them, too. I plan to cover Survivor and I'm thinking about actually trying to cover Lost this season, as well. Here's to the fall show season!

The TAR 10 Teams:
Best Friends: Bilal, age 37, a medical supply technician and Sa'eed, age 39, a power lineman. Both are from Cleveland, Ohio. And, shades of Kaysar Ridha... both are from the Islamic faith and claim vastly different personalities.

Married Parents: David, age 32, a coal miner and Mary, age 31, a homemaker. Both hail from Stone, Kentucky. They met while working together at McDonalds a decade ago. They're not well-traveled although David traveled a bit while in the Army.

Father and Daughter: Duke, age 52, a tour company owner and his daughter Lauren, age 26, a speech and language pathologist. Both are from Warwick, Rhode Island. Another parent/adult child team hoping to recapture the closeness.

Best Friends: Dustin (it's a female Dustin), age 25, reigning Miss California and marketing director from Riverside, California. Kandice, age 24, reigning Miss New York and a Rockette. She's hailed as being from New York. Oh, obligatory blonde bombshells!

Brothers: Erwin, age 32, insurance company manager and Godwin, age 28, a financial analyst. Both are from San Francisco, California. Erwin is a Harvard grad and both brothers are over-achievers and ambitious. And both were given funky names by their parents! I know. I'm mean. It's probably better than naming your kid "Apple."

Best Friends: Kellie, age 22, a broadcast journalism student and Jamie, age 22, a recent college grad. Both are from columbia, South Carolina. Highly competitive and co-captains of the University of South Carolina's cheerleading squad. Lots of best friends this season, huh?

Best Friends: Lyn, age 32, a fourth-grade teacher from Birmingham, Alabama. Karlyn, age 32, a program analyst from Helena, Alabama. Friends since they were in 9th grade and, while not well-traveled, they believe they're resourceful. Chalk up another best friend team.

Friends: Peter, age 35, a clinical prosthetist from Laguna Beach, California. Sarah, age 31, a motivational speaker from Trabuco Canyon, California. Just friends, mind you. But with Iron Man competition backgrounds and Sarah with an artificial leg. Note what Peter's work is. This could be a very strong team indeed.

Dating: Rob, age 31, bartender and real estate student from Los Angeles, California. Kimberly, age 28, in public relations and also from Los Angeles. Is this our obligatory model/actor wannabe team? They're looking to prove they belong together. Okay, gag me now.

Dating: Tom, age 39, a college admissions director and Terry, age 45, a special events director. Both are listed as from New York City, New York. Here's the gay couple for the season. They think they're feisty, fun-loving and playfully nitpick at each other and want the race to prove they belong together. Okay. Will they out-fun the Cha-Chas?

Best Friends: Tyler (not last season's Tyler), age 29. a model and James, age 27, also a model. Both are from Los Angeles, California (at least now). They've both been through rehab, for exactly what I don't know. They're the eye-candy for women this year.

Best Friends: Vipul, age 29, is in sales and his female friend Arti, age 27, is a nutritional director. Both are from Windemere, Florida. They both speak several languages and are well-traveled.

So, those are the teams. An overwhelming amount of best friend teams this season, for sure. I see more cultural and ethnic diversity in the cast this season, but less age diversity. Twelve teams is a bit more than the norm, hmmm... not sure what to make of that. I'm getting psyched for the season ahead after a lackluster (in my opinion) season of Treasure Hunters I tried to use for my Amazing Race fix.

Pardon the non-Big Brother interruption. You may return to your regularly scheduled blog now. Or, at least when I next update the feeds reports!

'Big Brother 7: All Stars' - Quick Live Feeds Update - Wednesday Morning 8/16

Just a quick update as not too much is going on in the house so far, but a few rather important things have happened:

• Now it turns out that the houseguests were only speculating about votes being cast today. They now think they'll be cast live again tomorrow. Dang, if they are guessing, they should tell us feed-watchers it's a guess!
• George told Danielle and Mike (separately) that he will be voting for Erika to stay.
• James hinted that he'll also vote for Marcellas to go despite all his talk at... er, to... Janelle last night.
• George asked Mike Boogie what it would take to join Chill Town.
• They're already fussing about hunger. It's their only Slop Day this week. @@

'Big Brother 7: All Stars' - Live Feeds Report - Overnight Into Wednesday 8/16

Once again, we have the Up All Night Crew in the house. Y'see, they don't need Kaysar around to be up until dawn their time - which happens to be past 9 AM from here. Sheesh. Darn vampires! So, while I posted the last entry in the wee hours, even more went on!

Here's the scoop to catch up on the overnight events from that Big Brother House of Hoodoo The Voodoo As Good As Woogie Do:

• Janelle told Will that she felt pressured to put up Marcellas. [Editor's note: Um, well... that was the point! She was pressured and she caved into it. End of story, Janelle. You've been had!] Will smooth-talked her and worked his ways to steer her into thinking it was all in her best interest.
• Danielle seemed to get herself quite drunk. Marcellas was right - she shouldn't drink. Danielle depends on her wits and insight; alcohol affects those aspects.
• Will told Janelle that while he trusts Erika, Chill Town had a pre-season "thing" with Marcellas and Marcellas jumped ship immediately once in the house. He claims that shows how disloyal Marcellas is.
• Janelle thinks Will will be safe next week even if he goes on the block.
• Howie at times has strokes of brilliance and insight, which sort of makes one wonder if the Dumb Howie is all an act. He told HG this: "Will has me convinced that if I win HOH next week I should put myself up on the block." He sees what's going on with the PuppetMaster and James, while Janelle is so gullible with both of them.
• Danielle kept telling the cameras what a great actor she is. [Editor's note: Maybe she's exaggerating the drunken bit? I dunno. I predict no Emmy and certainly no Oscar.]
• In her camera confidentials (as opposed to Diary Room - she's doing this for the Internet), Danielle said her only allegiance is with the Legion of Doom and she's great. [Editor's note: @@ I have to give her an eyeroll! She knows how the LOD falls apart and right now Will's running circles around her gameplay. She's a very capable gameplayer, but she's made a few bad decisions in strategy with which she's now burdened.]
• The HG ate as late as they could as today (Wed.) marks their one day of BB Slop this week. [Editor's note: You'd think they think they'll starve in one day the way they ate!]
• Janelle told James she knew she shouldn't have put Marcellas on the block. James told her she cannot trust her "beloved doc." He goes on to tell her that they have to stop supporting Chill Town after this week as CT are not on their (S6) side. [Editor's note: This may sound confusing, but I think I know what's going on here. James is really with the LOD which includes CT. But... he wants to convince Janelle he's really on HER side, then backstab her once she's fallen for his act. While he's trashtalking Woogie, it's all part of his scheme and Woogie is in on it all, as is Danielle.]
• James told Janelle that Erika and Mike Boogie were dating before the show.
• James confronted Erika about the previous relationship with Boogie and she denied it. She wanted to know where he got the information. James told her he feels like both of them lied to him. [Editor's note: Erika holds her cards very close at times. While it sometimes seems she's not playing the game, she is. I don't think she trusts James and I doubt she'll ever give him any more information than is necessary.]
• Will and Janelle talked - she's waffling on voting out Marcellas. He acted like he's okay with it, but kept his smooth-talking going. He asked her if she wanted him to wake up Mike to tell him that she's voting out Erika. [Editor's note: We know she can't vote as she's HOH - it's more what she WANTS the others to do rather than her personal vote.]
• Will wants to do The Amazing Race with Janelle. He thinks that CBS owes him favors for being on the show... or something.
• In a camera confidential to the Internet, Will told us he's trying to make this all good for TV and he loves his girlfriend Erin. He said he wants this season to be the best Big Brother ever.
• Erika told Howie she had no intentions of playing the game "mean." She said she's a loyal person and doesn't backstab. [Editor's note: But, of course, she didn't tell him to whom she's loyal! Bwahaha!]
• Howie called Will "Dr. Malicious." He's onto him, but will it do any good this late in the game?
• Howie started being really disgusting to break up a Janelle/Will talk. He tends to revert to his inner 12-year-old boy at times. He also mooned the cameras. My eyes! My eyes!
• Will told Janelle and Howie he can get them jobs in pharmaceutical sales (what April does!). Interesting - Mike offers restaurant jobs, Will offers drug sales (legal ones). I wonder if either could offer me a job writing stuff! Heh.
• Janelle told Will, "Of course we trust you." Then she gave the camera a big wink. Is she onto him?
• Will told Janelle that Erika will honor the deal to put up Danielle, but he thinks she will throw HOH so as not to even deal with the noms.
• Will also told her that he had a deal with Kaysar and that he's only telling her now because Kaysar is gone. [Editor's note: And to get her to trust him!]
• Alone together, Howie told Janelle that Will is just twisting things around to get her to believe him and to do what he wants her to do. Janelle said she's angry about what happened tonight. [Editor's note: I'm assuming she means the HOH meeting with CT/S6 and her change of heart to have Marcellas voted out.]
• Howie and Janelle stayed up just about all night discussing evicting Erika. Howie thinks she's backstabbed them and won't feel bad at all betraying her. [Editor's note: Hmmm... they have to realize that they're not going to have the numbers. They know the rest of the house is for a Marcellas ouster with Danielle and George as wildcards (as far as they know).
• Janelle had an epiphany - "Howie, do you think Will is hanging out with us just so he doesn't get voted out?" D'oh!
• Howie and Janelle drilled each other with questions in anticipation of the HOH comp tomorrow.

As it stands now as I post this, Danielle and Marcellas are up. Marcellas is still trying to get her vote to stay. He thinks he has her, George, James and perhaps Howie as "Janelle is getting rid of Erika." She just kept brushing her teeth and didn't seem to really commit to anything.

There have been no more clues for the Coup d'Etat, so I will stick with my feelings that Mike won with "Ewe reap what ewe sew" or "You reap what you sow."

It looks like Janelle may have seen the light and realizes now that Will's playing her, but I bet he can damage-control that. It also seems that Janelle is putting blind trust into James once again. Silly buxom blonde, silly.

Graphic by Zoetawny.

'Big Brother 7: All Stars' - Live Feeds Report - Tuesday Evening 8/15

<--- Ohhh, the big meeting in the HOH with James, Janelle, Howie and Woogie! Woogie are trying to do damage control so that Janelle will work with them on the Marcellas vote-out. Of course, that way they still are in like Flynn with all sides if they turn Janelle and Howie.

Will it work? Right now, it's not looking too good. I'll get more to the point after I get what's happened through the evening hours all written up.

Here are the happenings from the Big Brother House of Inconsistent Inconsistencies:

• Howie confronted James about betraying S6. James said they did it to themselves by going with Chill Town and that Howie hasn't done anything this season but talk.
• James told Janelle and Howie that Woogie are backdooring Marcellas.
• James ran back to Woogie to report his conversation. He told them that they said Chill Town doesn't trust him. "Perfect!," says Mike.
• Then James went to the Floaters and bragged about how he told off Janelle and Howie.
• Chicken George apparently hasn't committed his vote. He told Woogie he's thinking of asking Marcellas for his slop pass in exchange for his vote.
• James told Erika that Danielle cannot drink tonight. [Editor's note: But no one's the boss of Danielle. She shouldn't drink, but she ended up doing so.]
• Marcellas told Mike that if he stays and gets HOH, he'll go after Howie and Janelle.
• Mike told Janelle that he thinks Marcellas is going to target him and S6 - they should all (CT and S6) have a meeting in the HOH Room later.
• Will started working his Will ways to turn Janelle's lead to vote out Marcellas instead of Erika. Oh, he can talk and dance those circles around her, can't he? He turns her right around and it becomes a Marcellas Bashfest.
• Over at the Legend of Doom, Danielle wants Janelle to believe she's been betrayed by Chill Town.
• Will talked to Danielle and told her that it's going to be very bad if James doesn't vote out Marcellas.
• Erika complained more about the re-do of the HOH with the floaters.
• Janelle was sticking to her guns about voting Erika out, but they all kept working on her. [Editor's note: She should have Gullible tattooed across her forehead this season. She's oblivious to the fact that everyone in the house except Howie and Chicken George are working her for their own benefit. Oh, add Marcellas to those two. He sees what's going on, but right now is powerless to stop it. Danielle has been shmoozing him, so he thinks she's the only one on his side.]
• For the longest time, Janelle was telling both CT and S6 that she'd be "pissed" if Marcellas was voted out because that would mean everyone betrayed her. [Editor's note: Precisely why Woogie's tactic is to turn Janelle around. Then they have the best of both worlds. Janelle's not mad at them and Marcellas out/Erika remains.]
• The meeting went on forever, it seemed. Finally she agreed to to talk to Erika.
• Mike went running to get Erika and prep her for what she should say to Janelle - promise to go after Danielle and not S6, etc.
• I found it interesting that when Mike was scheming with Erika about what she should say to Janelle, this screen cap (right) shows Erika at the Fraudulent wall.
• In the end, after what seemed like forever, Janelle made a deal with Erika - she will be saved this week, but she must target Danielle if she wins HOH.
• So, Will did it again. He is the PupperMaster and proves it at every turn.
• He stayed shmoozing with Janelle for time on end while Danielle works her own magic with Marcellas to make him think she's his only friend. However, she's in the thick of it with Woogie and wants Marcellas to go instead of Erika.

There's where we stand right now. The houseguests have been told that votes will be taped tomorrow. They assume it's because the Coup d'Etat on the live show Thursday will take a lot of time, but really have no clue. They also have no idea that there's a Prom King/Queen vote going on.

'Big Brother 7: All Stars' - Live Feeds Digest - Daytime Tuesday 8/15

I'm going to start this with an off-topic comment to a comment from SSW - she asked what I thought of Keith demanding money to do a good job for Virginia on the Hell's Kitchen finale. I think it was low class, but I also think he wouldn't have asked Heather for it. Virginia picked a poor team outside of Keith and then insulted them. So, she kind of "reaps what she sows" (BB Connection!)

And... to Annie in NJ -- I think Mike has the Coup d'Etat question answered right. I think it is (with the clues phonetically) - Ewe reap what you sew.

Here are the events from today so far in that Big Brother House of Psychotic Syncophants:

• Once again, Danielle actually got up around 7 AM their time.
• Erika and Danielle discussed Danielle's vote. Danielle said she has to be honest with Marcellas and let him know that she has to vote for Erika to stay.
• Mike Boogie and Erika are now smooching good morning. Apparently they aren't so worried they'll be found out these days.
• Erika said they should just leave George out in the cold. Both she and Danielle are irked that he didn't tell them his vote. [Editor's note: But, aha! Erika isn't being completely honest with Danielle. George agreed yesterday to vote to keep Erika... to Erika. He was under pressure, but...!]
• Mike thinks Danielle should go tell Marcellas he's gone. [Editor's note: Remember, Mike... Danielle doesn't like to do the dirty work for others!]
• Mike Boogie wants Will to "go puppy dog-eyes" at Janelle to get her to support the Marcellas eviction.
• James and Woogie tried to think of a plot to get Howie into a fight with Marcellas to show that Marcellas causes drama in the house and they're better off without him.
• Danielle talked to George in the Storage Room telling him they need his vote to save Erika. George told her just to let him know what he needed to do. He's still tickled pink to not be nominated.
• Woogie thinks they're working very hard for the show.
• Danielle told Marcellas everyone they told was safe ended up evicted and asked if he was sure Janelle wasn't trying to backdoor him. [Editor's note: Dang, Will's good, Danielle's good. They both know what to say to whom to get something rolling. Will is better than Danielle as she tends to let herself show too much frustration at times. But, she's good.]
• James is worried that if Janelle gets HOH next week, she'll put him up. [Editor's note: He should worry.]
• James told George how much he's going to enjoy Janelle and Howie's downfall. [Editor's note: Notice he didn't mention to George that he wants George's downfall, too.]
• Will's "one more reason the show's producers suck" - they should tell the jury to vote for who played the game the best, not out of friendship. He's right on that one.
• Marcellas went to Janelle and told her about Danielle's backdoor discussion. When Janelle asked him if he thought she was backdooring him, he said no. He thinks he has votes to stay from George (who said he'd think about it, but didn't commit), Danielle (ha!) and James (double ha!). He doesn't know how Chill Town is voting. [Editor's note: Chances are he'll have one vote from the one person he didn't mention -- Howie.]
• Erika and George talked again. She's still pressuring him although he seemed to say okay to voting to keep her from what I saw last night. Maybe I missed something.
• Erika and Danielle are still shocked that Will convinced Janelle to put up Marcellas - it's the perfect person.
• Will (lying) told Howie and Janelle that unless Marcellas slapped Boogie or something, he wouldn't vote him out. [Editor's note: Gullible, gullible, gullible...]

And, now you've been updated. Ready for the show?