'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - 9/28 - East Coast Update - Merge

Two new tribes:

Blue - Raro: Brad, JP, Nathan, Adam, Parvati, Jenny, Cristina, Rebecca, Stephannie

Red - Aitu: Jonathan, Yul, Ozzy, Cao-Boi, Cecilia, JessFlicka, Sundra, Becky, Candice

TV Newsy Bits and Tonight's 'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' Blogging Schedule

Tonight, as usual, I'll be posting important Survivor 13: Cook Island events as they air here in the East Coast. It's going to be a really big show tonight - don't miss it! To get the newest post on the blog, try refreshing the main page or using the archive link for this month's posts which you'll find in the right sidebar of the main page.

In comments, some folks wondered what shows are in ratings troubles and what can be done. You can usually find a feedback or contact us link at the main network websites. That would be the quickest way to contact them.

On "hiatus" -
Happy Hour - FOX

In ratings troubles:
Justice - FOX
Kidnapped - NBC
Men In Trees - ABC

New shows doing well:
Heroes - NBC

Most, but not all, CBS shows can be watched on Innertube which you can find linked at the CBS website. ABC does have some shows available online and you can check on their site, then through the link for the show which you want to watch. I'm not sure how many are online, but noticed that a few are available.

And, yes, I know my sidebar links are still overwhelmingly Big Brother. When I have a moment, I'll change them.

Additional note added at 7:45 ET -- They're scrolling that we're under a tornado watch until midnight here. Grr - I'm in NJ near NYC. Sheesh. Right now it's not even storming at all, but if I vanish it will be weather-related.

Blech... Pronounce it Phonetically

I've had a bit of a stomach bug since yesterday afternoon. I'm sure it's nothing serious, but it waylaid me for last night and for most of today. Sigh.

I just wanted to remind people that Lost has a new recap (if such a thing can exist) which brings us through last season. It should prep us all for next week's season debut. Yay! That's on at 9 PM ET/PT in most areas.

At 8 PM I have a dilemma. I want to watch both Bones and Jericho. Which to watch live and which to tape? And then I have my 10 PM dilemma. C.S.I.: NY or Kidnapped? Which to watch, which to tape. And when will I have the time to watch the stuff I've taped? Woe is me! Too much television and not enough time! I watched Kidnapped last week and found it intriguing, but I don't know how it'll work as a longterm show concept. What if it goes on for years? What if the kid is 42 when he's released by his captors?

I don't know.

At least I found the time to watch my David Letterman tape from last night to see the 10-year old girl "Lizard Whisperer" who hypnotizes lizards, then dresses them in doll clothes and poses them.

It's an interesting world.

TV Newsy Bits and Schtuff!

Yep, it's time for TV Newsy Bits! And, but of course, schtuff. Can't forget the schtuff!

For those of you interested in Survivor spoilers for the upcoming episode, check out this article which goes into the major shake-up as we're seeing in the TV ads.

I previously linked one Janelle chat, but came across this chat with both Will and Janelle, too.

Don't forget that folks are still talking about the clues in the 'AOL/Gold Rush' Clues Meet Up entry. I want one (or more) of the blog readers to win!

Celebrity Spider has some interesting articles up:

• Cheech Marin and Jai Rodriguez are Eliminated on Celebrity Duets
• Preview for September 27th Episode of "Kidnapped"
• Preview for September 28th Episode of The Office
• Special Two Hour Episode of The Biggest Loser Wednesday September 27th

Tonight I watched How I Met Your Mother. I liked it better when Lilly and Marshall were a couple, but Neil Patrick Harris is always a good Barney. I also watched Heroes. Now, I found that one intriguing. I may have to write about it tomorrow. Now I have on the episode I missed of Men In Trees after giving up on Studio 60 (whatever). I can't watch C.S.I.: Miami because David Caruso bugs the heck out of me. Later on I'll watch Letterman - he's going to have Billy Garcia (Survivor) standing over in the Hello Deli for the interview.

What did you watch tonight? Are there any series about which you'd like me to start an entry for commenters? For example, I don't watch Desperate Housewives, but I know some of you do. I could create a Desperate Housewives Meet Up post for you if you wish. Let me know!

'The Amazing Race 10' - Ep. 2 -or- "Knot a problem? Go for the ox!"

Ten teams are left. Who will be eliminated next?

We last left the teams atop the Great Wall of China, and two teams were Philiminated in the season premiere. Both Bilal and Sa'eed and Vipul and Arti bit the dust, but the race goes on.

Since Tyler and James had been the first to arrive at the Pit Stop, they were the first to leave. The clue they received directed them to travel 963 miles by bus and train to Outer Mongolia. Now, that sounds cool, eh?

We encountered the first quasi-bunching-point of the season as the teams arrived to the bus station. They were split up in two buses, one departing two hours earlier than the other. Five teams on each bus, the first held the teams of Tyler/James, Duke/Lauren, Sarah/Peter, Dustin/Kandice, and Rob/Kimberly. The second group bonded while awaiting for their 2 AM departure. Then it was off for the Erlian Train Station in Inner Mongolia. The train will take them to their destination.

How are the teams getting on with each other? Well, while the "slower" group is bonding some and generally having fun on the race, Tyler and James spied on "the blondies" - Dustin and Kandice. They don't trust them. Hey, guys, it's a race. Everyone is trying to win. They're allowed to make a cell phone call and try to get information for themselves. Sheesh.

Now, this week, Peter did it again. Last week I was a bit miffed with his claim that they were "going to play the Disability Card" and now this week he said, "It's good to have a physical disability. We're going to use that to our advantage." Keep in mind, it's Peter... not Sarah, the one with the disability. I'm not liking what I see here. While Sarah is an incredible athlete, disability or not, I don't like this relationship. The more I see of Peter, the more I think he's using her for his own purposes. He's starting to creep me out. Yeah, she's whiney at times, but he's devious. Dump him, Sarah!

And, if I have to hear the rehab, life is so hard, it's a new life, we're sober, blah-blah-blah from James and Tyler again so much during a one-hour show, I'll...I'll... um... I'll say bad things about their hair! So there.

The taxi rides that the teams took once they hit Ulaanbaater were wild! It makes the slow cabs of past experiences horses of a different color. They collected their clues in a temple which grouped them a bit as they could only go in every ten minutes.

The clue directed them to some deathtrap Russian Jeeps which they had to drive to Terlej. Then they had to ride horses (while wearing spiffy Mongolian hats) two and a half miles to receive the next clue.

Surprisingly, David and Mary (of all folks) picked up a local to help guide them in their Jeep. He guided them well until he guided him through mud and they got stuck. Bad, bad guide. They ended up getting a replacement car, but TAR's rules state they get no credit for the wasted time. They weren't the only team with car woes. Tyler and James got lost and then had a flat tire. Not only that, but they had a broken jack. Maybe their Russian Jeep needs rehab? Rob and Kimberly tried to give them their jack, but they couldn't get it out of the car. When other teams approached, all left the Pretty Boys in their dust. Finally a local helped them.

Off to the horses! Sarah changed for a prosthesis with an actual foot in case she had to use stirrups. Peter barely waited for her to do it. (Picture a sneer as I typed that. Did I mention the guy is creeping me out?) Kimberly is afraid of horses and asked, "Do you think they can smell fear?" Apparently, they can. She promptly got dumped while another racer (either Dustin or Kandice?) got dragged. A horse is a horse, of course. And, horses in Mongolia must smell fear. Leave it to the ChoBros to actually call out, "Rawhide!" I can't help but like those two. I hope their racing seriously improves, though.

After the horse ride, the teams were faced with a Detour. Their choices were Take It Down or Fill It Up. In Take It Down, the teams had to dismantle a traditional Mongolian nomadic camp, tie it according to specifications, and load it on a waiting camel. In Fill It Up, the teams had to guide an ox cart to the river, fill up buckets of water, bring them back and fill up a larger container to the specification of a Mongolian guide.


The knots involved in the Take It Down task presented problems for the teams choosing that one, while some of the oxen had minds of their own for the other task. Peter and Sarah first chose the Take It Down task, then flipped to the Fill It Up, got an ox with "fire in its eyes" (according to Peter) and flipped back. Sarah fussed that she didn't want to quit the first attempt and Peter did pretty much what he wanted to do. (Dump him, Sarah!) Kimberly and Rob bickered and he too barked out instructions. Dump him, Kimberly.


Although Team Barbie (Dustin and Kandice) finished their ox task first, they lost one of the Mongolian hats and had to go back to search for it. The teams had to ride the horses back to their Jeeps and had to have the spiffy hats. Mary and David gave Karlyn and Lyn their excess water they hauled in a nice gesture. They may be backwoods, but they seem genuinely nice folks.

As the teams took off for the next clue once they hit the Jeeps, a few wouldn't start. Both Lyn/Karlyn and Jamie/Kellie were stranded with dead batteries. (Others had issues, too. The ChoBros got stuck on the road and pushed to start theirs). The situation with the girls led to one of the most suggestive, yet totally innocent lines of the night - "He's got a long rod." Hey! It was a crank! The Russian Jeeps can be crank-started like a wind-up toy. Yes, I confess to a gutter-mind. But it was funny.

Once they hit the road, the next stop was a Roadblock. It was a tough one, too. One member oif each team had to shoot a flaming arrow 160 feet to light a target which was flat on the ground. Some teams did very well, but the last team to arrive worked into the darkness of night making the attempt, then finally gave up. They couldn't even see the target.

Here's the arrival order at the Hotel Mongolia, the Pit Stop for this leg of the race:
1. Peter/Sarah - Also won a trip for two to Mexico for first place.
2. Tyler/James
3. Duke/Lauren
4. Tom/Terry
5. Dustin/Kandice
6. Rob/Kimberly
7. David/Mary
8. Erwin/Godwin
9. Lyn/Karlyn
10. Kellie/Jamie - Philiminated.

At a confessional not on the mat, Sarah said she's noted some problems with Peter. Dump him, girl! He's using you!

And, that was the show. I sort of liked Kellie and Jamie and, though I hate to admit it, I'm liking Kandice and Dustin more. I'm usually the anti-beauty queen/model show watcher. Don't fear I've totally changed my ways. I still don't like James and Tyler. I wish they weren't such strong competitors.

I'd like to see Rob and Kimberly and Peter gone. Sarah can stay, maybe hook up with the ChoBros... or something.