In just a few minutes, TAR (The Amazing Race) will be starting here on the East Coast. As per my usual, I'll post important events as they air. A bit later on, I'll post a recap/review of the premiere.Racers ready? Will this season be all we expect? There are more teams than usual... what's up with that?We'll find out soon!Graphic by Zoetawny.
Shade over on AOL was kind enough to give me a cup of coffee, so I decided it's the perfect time for a BB7 break!There are tons of news articles out there and I thought that some of the readers would enjoy catching up with our summer shomances. Of course, we just led them on... let them THINK we loved 'em. We don't, really. They were just our summer shomances and we're onto new shomances for the fall season!But, here ya go:Media Fiends put up the transcript of the final Housecalls with Mike Boogie and Erika here at this link.Entertainment Weekly ran an interview with Mike Boogie and Erika here.SC Magazine interviewed Mike at this link. They interviewed Erika separately at this link.There are wrap party photos at http://www.tvgasm.com/archives/big_brother/002785.php?page=all Sit back and enjoy your cup of joe as you read about our summer fling.
Yes, Zoetawny created some The Amazing Race logos for me. Yay!Tomorrow night (Sunday, September 17) marks the season premiere of The Amazing Race 10, a new night and a new season. TAR will air after 60 Minutes on CBS on Sunday evenings this year. Now, there is a problem with that. Unfortunately, CBS tends to have sports aired on Sundays often delaying the start of primetime programming, thus making the show time very unpredictable. For example, the season premiere is slated at 8:30 PM ET around here. Will it be exactly at that time? Are they guessing? Sheesh. Another issue facing this season's show fans is that it's up against the new Sunday Night Football on NBC. That won't affect me as I'm not a football fan, but it's a concern for many. Why can't networks just leave shows in one night/timeslot for a few seasons running?Ah, well... to the show information:This season, we'll see more friends teams, less dating couples, more "real" people, but with the token beauty queens and model-boys thrown in. Of course, we'll have a gay male team. That should go without saying. After all, it is The Amazing Race! The race will run through thirteen countries on four different continents, and log a total of approximately 40,000 miles. Twelve teams, each composed of two racers with a pre-existing relationship, will compete for a million dollars in a whirlwind race around the world. Get your cup of coffee ready as I look a bit more into the teams. Are you ready?
Bilal and Sa'eed are best friends from Cleveland, Ohio. Bilal (age 37) is a medical supply technician, while Sa'eed (age 39) is a power lineman. They both love food, the Cleveland Browns football and their shared Islamic faith. Both men hope to stop stereotypes regarding their faith. Bilal is the outgoing and energetic one of the two while Sa'eed is more quiet and passive. Their chances of winning? Hmmm... they look a bit out of shape. I'm not overly optimistic about the win, but think they will do well with their goals.
David and Mary Conley, married parents from Stone, Kentucky, are next. (I'm just going alphabetically here from the first name of the team, no mystery or conspiracy to the order.) David is a 32-year-old coal miner, while Mary is a 31-year-old homemaker. They first met while working at a McDonalds ten years ago and have three children. While David traveled a bit while in the Army, they're not too well-traveled as a pair.My thoughts? I bet they're nice people, but I also bet they won't come across the Finish Line at the end of the season. Prove me wrong, David and Mary! (Well, not about the nice people bit!) 
Duke (age 52) and Lauren (age 26) are not only a father and daughter team, but one with fences to mend. They became estranged for several years when Lauren told her father she was a lesbian. Drama! They hope to rebuild the relationship they once had. Duke is the owner of a tour company while Lauren is a speech and language pathologist. They both hail from Warwick, Rhode Island.I think their bond together will indeed grow, and they'll probably place well in the race. Will they win? My personal jury is out on that.
These women are both 24-years old and they're both beauty queens. Dustin is the reigning Miss California and a marketing director from Riverside, California. Kandice is the reigning Miss New York and a Rockette (you know, the chorus line ones from Radio City Music Hall) living in New York City, New York. They first met while rooming together as they participated in a Miss USA Pageant and have been best friends ever since. Dustin is religious and conservative while Kandice is wild and impulsive. Well, I'm not all that keen on beauty queens on the show and they generally don't do overly well. But, I also know that becoming and being a Rockette is tough work and requires a lot of determination. Maybe these girls have a shot! Much may depend on whether Dustin has what it takes.
Erwin and Godwin Cho, ages 32 and 29 respectively, are brothers hailing from San Francisco, California. Erwin is an insurance company manager and Godwin is a financial analyst. Erwin is a Harvard grad and Godwin wants to show he has what it takes to win. They're both well-traveled and love to compete.I like these guys and put them in my personal How They Might Win Or Make It Near The End category. They're smart, young, and could very well both have what it takes to bring home the prize.
Both Kellie and Jamie are 22-years old and both hail from Columbia, South Carolina. Kellie is studying broadcast journalism and Jamie is a recent college graduate. They were both active on the cheerleading squad, are highly competitive, physically fit, and feel that they can win the race. Hmmm... I foresee some rivalry for Alpha Female positioning between these two and the Dustin/Kandice team. I just feel it, don't you? These women seem to have the spunk and energy, but I don't predict they'll win the race.
Lyn and Karlyn are both 32-years old. Lyn is a fourth-grade teacher from Birmingham, Alabama, while Karlyn is a program analyst from Helena, Alabama. They've known each other since they met in 9th grade and it's the first time they've traveled abroad together. Neither has much traveling experience, but they believe they're witty and resourceful. Will that be enough to carry them through the Finish Line first? I don't know. I think I'll like this team as people, but as racers they could very well fall behind the pack. I hope I'm wrong.
Peter and Sarah are already huge Internet favorites for the win, and I have to admit to falling under their spell. Peter is a 35-year old clinical prosthetisist from Laguna Beach, California. Sarah, age 31, is a motivitional speaker from Trabuco Canyon, California. Sarah is the first woman to compete in the Hawaiian Iron Man Triathalon and Peter travels the country as a consultant speaking to amputees about prosthetic legs. Sarah's left leg was deformed due to a condition called proximal femoral focus deficiency and was amputated when she was 7-years old. She's gone onto compete in many marathons (including NYC, L.A., London and more) and is a true athlete. Heck, she might be in better shape than Peter! I think that competitively, these two will do very well and could be the winners if they also know their traveling... which is another strength.
A dating couple, eh? I hope they get along better than some we've seen in the past! Rob, age 31, is a bartender and real estate student from Los Angeles, California. Kimberly, age 28, is in public relations and also hails from Los Angeles. They met while bartending and their relationship has had some "rocky moments." Uh-oh. Not good. What's with troubled couples looking to make or break their relationship on this show? I predict squabbling and I have no clue how well-traveled or athletic either of these two are. Next!
A gay male team on The Amazing Race, what a shocker! Yes, read that with sarcasm. Has there ever been a season of the show without a gay male team? I know one year they just had a gay male with his brother and the Cha-Chas weren't really a couple, but...! Tom, age 39, is a college admissions director while Terry, age 45, is a special events director. Both are from New York City, New York. They say they playfully nitpick at each other, but their relationship is solid. They think the race will prove to them that they indeed have what it takes to stay together. They've been dating for two years. They say they're both feisty and fun-loving. Could they be contenders for the win? Maybe, but I think they might be fun to watch whether they win or not... and they're my "local" team this season.
Up next is the requisite pretty-boy-heterosexual-models team. Tyler (not to be confused with last season's Tyler, for sure) is 29 and James is 27. Both are from Los Angeles, California. Both are models. I have to roll my eyes as I type that, y'know. It could be worse. They could be bartender/models. They feel that since they've each had substance-abuse problems and have gone through rehab, they're tough models. Or, something to that effect. They think their new lease on life will carry them through to the finish line.Well, gag me now. I'll give them a chance, but I'm so tired of models and wannabe actors on reality shows. Sorry, but the real life is not composed strictly of pretty. That said, I like to watch male eye-candy.
A first for the show -- an Indian-American team! Vipul, age 29, is in sales and his wife Arti, age 26, is a nutritional educator. They're from Windermere, Florida. They both speak several languages and are well-traveled. Vipul admits to being a bit over-zealous, but Arti thinks she reins him in nicely. Will this be a Hindi Jonathan and Victoria Baker? Oh my gosh, I hope not! I think this couple has the potential for a really strong showing in the race and might be contenders for the win. A lot will depend on tempermant. I'm always leery when a contestant says he or she is over-zealous. I guess we'll see.So, there are the teams we'll see this season. Have you picked a favorite? Or a least favorite?
This blog entry is for you! I'm not following the game, but it seems many of the blog readers are very into it. Last night a reader asked me to watch for a clue that was supposed to be on the Survivor 13: Cook Islands premiere, so I did. However, I don't know the clues and I'm not playing, so I'm sort of clueless about the clues.I thought a meeting place to share clues, find out more and talk with others would help everyone out. If clues are posted in various show entries, others might not read them. So, here you go... a place to gather in the comments section just for AOL/Gold Rush clues, news and more! Have fun and I hope one of the blog readers here win! Or many of them win!The website for the game is here --> Gold RushYou can favorite place or bookmark this link for easy access as the game goes on by saving -> The (TV) Show Must Go On...: 'AOL/Gold Rush' Clues Meet Up
Okay, this looks like a good cast! I don't care how they're split up. It's great to see real diversity on the show!Tonight's show began a bit differently as the tribes were already separated by ethnicity/race... whatever. They had two minutes to gather supplies from bananas to firewood to two live chickens to Hawaii-sling fishing spears and more. Each tribe had a raft in their tribe colors and the game was on. Although there are longer names for the tribes, Jeff Probst referred to them by abbreviated names, so will I. After all, I really don't think this tribe split will last all that long. Hiki Tribe is the African-Americans, Aitu Tribe is the Latino-Americans, Puka Tribe is the Asian-Americans, and Raro Tribe is the Caucasians. The supplies were in boxes, not all that easily accessed on the boat, and not really enough for all. So, it was a scramble for survival right at the start of the game. Yul (Puka) had a chicken which Jonathan (Raro) grabbed away. Not how to win friends and influence people, eh?Each tribe was then shown in turn as they arrived to settle their camps. To be honest, I don't know if that was their actual arrival order at their camps. So don't ask. The first tribe was the Aitu Tribe. Billy thinks the tribe will have an advantage because they're all from more tropical areas. He joked about his parents rowing to the US from an island and he was rowing to an island. The rest of the tribe just isn't too impressed with Billy, though. They think he's out of shape and talks more than knows how to really do anything. Ozzy, on the other hand, is not just another pretty face. He can shimmy up a coconut tree like he's been doing it all his life. Overall, they're off to a good start. Next was the Puka tribe. Cao-Boi isn't quite meshing with the rest of the group. They don't like his jokes and I think he's just so different from them that they're not sure how to take him. He's a refugee actually born in Vietnam and older than the others, and he thinks he probably belongs on a Hippie-American tribe. Cao-Boi thinks the Asians will be underestimated if the others go by stereotypes while Yul is concerned that they will be stereotyped and caricatured. I think this tribe is going to be very tough. They're also working together well even though one of the women commented that while they're all grouped as Asians, they're from very different cultures for the most part.Then it was onto the Hiki Tribe's arrival. Lots of spirit and they want to represent and all that good stuff. But Sekou alienated most of the others when he took charge. A point to remember - if you're going to take charge, you should have an idea of what you're doing. He seemed to have no real idea. Sundra thinks it's not so much that they're black, but most are city slickers and don't really have experience in the woods. Nathan, the only other male on the tribe, bristled at being told what to do. He said, "Black people don't like to be told what to do." Uh-oh, Sekou!Over at the Raro tribe, they seem to be the ones worried more about being a bit politically correct, it seems. Adam thinks the show is more about individuals and personalities within tribes. Jessica (the one with the tattoo on her shoulder) calls herself Flicka or something like that. She thinks they have a good mix, but she's the only non-mainstream type. Jonathan admitted to the others that he stole Yul's chicken. They didn't seem too thrilled even though it was food for their own survival. Or not! JessFlicka, for some odd reason, lifted the wooden crate containing the two chickens and they escaped into the woods. Adam's mad. Jonathan is madder. Good. I don't like him and he shouldn't have stolen the chicken from Yul. So there. Alas, it puts JessFlicka in a bad light.The focus for the next few days shifted from tribe to tribe. Tensions increased over Sekou in Hiki and the split in that tribe became Rebecca and Sundra, Sekou and Nathan, with Stephannie as "odd man out." Sekou's laziness took a toll on the rest, even his best bud Nathan. All talk. And, I wanted so to like him because his musical background is incredible. Oh, well! Over at Raro, Candice and Adam are snuggling. For warmth, they say. Huh. Then more snuggle with them and they make a "cuddle puddle" to stay warm for the night. Parvati picks up the Candice/Adam vibes. Only two days into the show and we have a couple going on. Than came the best part of the whole show. Well, the part that made me smile, at least. At the Puka Tribe, Brad had a headache he thought was caused by being seasick. Cao-Boi decided he had a bad wind headache and proceeded to perform some sort of native folk medicine ritual which was a mix of a strong massage, pinching and pulling the skin betwixt Brad's eyes to let it (the bad wind) out. The result? As Brad said, "My headache is gone, but now I have a big red dot on my forehead." The others thought it was a hoot, but it apparently did solve the headache. The Immunity and Reward Challenge were one and the same this week. Jeff announced that the losing tribe would face Tribal Council and one would go home. The first-place tribe would win Immunity and a fire-making kit which even included a kerosene lamp. Second and third place tribes win Immunity and a flint to make their own fire. Jeff also mentioned that he had an envelope he'd open for the losing tribe after the challenge. He also called out Jonathan on stealing the chicken and Jonathan laughed it off. The challenge itself was very Survivor, but not exactly as we've seen before. The tribes had to put together puzzle boats, row out, get fire, come back, put together puzzles, climb and raise flag. Only on Survivor, only on Survivor. Puka (Asian) won the challenge. Aitu (Latino) won 2nd place. Raro (Caucasian) won 3rd. Hiki (African-American) lost.The envelope, please.Ah, the losing tribe gets to pick one person from any of the three winning tribes to send to Exile Island for two days. Sekou and Nathan immediately stepped away from the women. Hey! The men decided that Jonathan should go because of the stolen chicken. Jeff asked why the women weren't involved and one said the guys just seemed to have their minds made up. Jonathan fussed and moaned, then he fussed some more. He looked at the clue for the Hidden Immunity Idol, dug around a bit, then lay down... fussing. (Have I mentioned that this guy is on my Get Rid Of Him Soon List? He is. Make him go away. Pompous, chicken-thieving so-and-so!)As Hiki prepared for the vote, Sekou and Nathan were confident that even though the women were tight, no way would they or could they vote one of the two strong men in the tribe out. How could they? For insurance, Sekou approached Stephannie (odd wo-man out) and tried to secure her vote for Sundra to leave. After all, they'd be cutting their own throats if they voted out Nathan or him. Yes, really.Heh.At Tribal Council, Nathan and Sekou voted to oust Sundra while the women voted as a block against Sekou. What can I say? He deserved it. Perhaps it will come back to haunt them if they have a brute strength rope pulling something heavy kind of comp, but he's not the all that he believed himself to be. The women had said the weakest should go, but I don't believe they meant physically weakest. "Sekou, the tribe has spoken."He took it well, still thinks he's all that and left like a class act (BB7 reference). "My torch may be out, but my flame is still burning."So, that's the recap. I have to get to know these folks better, but a few made strong first impressions. JessFlicka, the performance artist, reminds me a lot of last season's performance artist, Courtney. That's not necessarily a good thing, you understand. Jonathan, though not with a spouse on the show, reminds me of Jonathan Baker from The Amazing Race. That's a worse thing. I like Stephannie. I really enjoy Cao-Boi, but I doubt he'll win it all. I think Ozzy is definitely someone to watch for the possible win.What are your thoughts?
