Pants for Progress - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - Jan. 15 - 19, 2007

Goodness, they've changed the official website for the Late Show with David Letterman, mostly for the better. But, instead of faulty listings of the upcoming guests, they now have extensive video clips and such available for the past week's guests. Since they didn't even list Madonna on their upcoming guests last week, maybe they're better off to just focus on recaps from the past week.

As for me, it's off to the TV listings to see whom I'll be seeing on the show this week.

• Monday, Jan. 15: Actress Amy Sedaris, magician Jason Randall and, get this, the musical guest is America with Ryan Adams. The show sounds interesting - I like Amy Sedaris. And, though I thought them to be defunct, America (if it's roughly the same group) was a part of my growing-up music. Somewhere around I have them on vinyl... or maybe 8-Track. ;-)
• Tuesday, Jan. 16: Actor Paul Newman, racing star Sébastien Bourdais and Diana Ross is the musical guest. I don't know about the race car driver, but I surely want to see Paul Newman and, to a lesser extent, Diana Ross.
• Wednesday, Jan. 17: Ohh! Terri and Bindi Irwin (Steve Irwin's wife and daughter) are scheduled. No one else is listed, but I'm sure they won't be the only guests for the evening. Dave is great with kids and Bindi is a neat little girl, so this should be another fine show.
• Thursday, Jan. 18: Actor Harry Shearer is the lone guest listed. Um. Okay.
• Friday, Jan. 19: Dan Rather, actress Tricia Helfer and musical guest Todd Barry performs.

Well, I'm more impressed by the shows through Wednesday night, but it's an all-new no-repeat week on Letterman.

And, that's a good thing indeed.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - The Castaways, Part 2

Are you ready to learn more about the next five castaways we'll see on Survivor 14: Fiji? And, but of course, my impressions of them? I'd love to read your first take on them in the comments, too!

I'm listing the castaways male/female/alphabetically as I go along and the first five were explored in this entry. I'm looking at the official CBS Survivor 14: Fiji website and gleaning information from their bios and favorite lists. Let's see if I can get a true handle on the upcoming excitement before the season premiere on February 8 at 8 PM ET/PT!

Here's the second group of five, this time leading off with a woman (roar):

Although she lists her home as Los Angeles, Jessica is originally born and raised in New Orleans, LA. She attended Millsaps College in Mississippi, the University of New Orleans, and Tulane University... yet no degree is listed for her.

Currently working as a fashion stylist and make-up artist in California, from her bio page: "deBen describes herself as ambitious, warm and unbreakable. Her hobbies include portrait painting, jogging, hiking, kayaking, biking and eating pancakes at The Griddle Café."

She's currently single and her birth date is April 25, 1979. [I wonder if all these "currently single" folks weren't always single.]

Heading to her Favorites list to get the real skinny on her:

• She lists Pac-Man in her video games, as well as X-Box. Maybe there's a resurgence in Pac-Man that I just don't know about. Another Monopoly player - must be a prerequisite or that's one of the only board games folks can come up with under pressure.
• At least she mentions Survivor as one of her favorite TV shows, as well as A&E True Crime and VH1's Fabulous Life Of...
• Heh, her music choices are foods! Red Hot Chili Peppers and Black Eyed Peas! (Yes, I know they're not really foods.) She also likes Aaron Neville.
• Leaning towards women authors, she lists Ayn Rand, Daphne Moore, and Anne Rice. Hmmm...
• Her favorite snack foods are fairly healthy choices (rice cakes and SmartFood popcorn), but she lists good junk food, too.
• Non-alcoholic beverage is Kool Aid Tropical Punch Sugar Free? I believe that's a first that Kool Aid has made the list.

Okay, my take on her... I can't put my finger on it, but I think Jessica could be a contender. Winner of it all? I don't know. She's familiar with the show, which isn't the same for some of the others this season. And, something is just telling me she's a pretty tough gal. Of course, I could be totally off-base. I guess we'll see!
Now, if I were a young man named Andria, I think I'd want to be called "Dre," too. I try to keep in mind that John Wayne's real first name was Marion.

Dre seems to be the "school of hard knocks" graduate in this season's cast. Growing up homeless in the projects (despite the fact that seems a bit contradictory) of Wilmington, North Carolina, Dre turned to sports and cheerleading. He's also into boxing, basketball, stunting (?), tumbling, and more.

From his bio page: "Herd describes himself as humorous, energetic and intelligent. Describing his perfect day, he says, "When everybody is happy all day... that's a perfect day."

Although he seems to be single, he's the proud father of two boys - aged 2 and one-month old. The younger may have aged by now. His birth date is December 15, 1981.

Onto his favorites to see the "real" Dre:

• Oh, a chess player. A strategical game which involves thinking many moves ahead. That's a good game for a Survivor contestant to enjoy.
• Another clean linen aroma lover.
• He lists Underdogs as his favorite sports team. I'm thinking that means he roots for the underdogs. They aren't an actual team of some sport, right? I'm not always the most knowing when it comes to sports.
• He does not list Survivor as his TV show choice - only Seinfeld.
• Shel Silverstein and Stephen King make his authors list.
• Yet another Fruity Pebbles eater.
• Water is his favorite non-alcoholic drink. He listed no favorite alcoholic drink.

Oh, my. I'm really not sure of his chances. He has some interesting favorites, but he's not a fan of the show itself. Will that hurt his chances? Or, perhaps, maybe it's better to go in fresh? Although he's the "hard knocks" entry, I get the feeling he's on the upbeat side, not bitter. He's a cheerleader, after all. He's athletic, enjoys being happy, and likes chess. I think he could possibly make it far - after all, he survived the mean streets, what's Fiji but a new challenge? Save the cheerleader; save the world. (Yes, I want my Heroes back!)

Liliana grew up in Oxnard, the second eldest of eight siblings. (How much do you want to bet she got stuck babysitting a lot?) When she was 11, she lived a year in Guadalajara, Jalisco, exploring her cultural roots.

She served the country in the Marines for eight years and also worked with handicapped children. Although currently a loan officer, she would like a future in entertainment.

From her bio page: "She describes herself as strong, stubborn, confident, goofy and a witty gal. She is most proud of her sense of family and her burning fire for life." She's single and her birth date is April 5, 1981.

Peeking into the inner psyche of her Favorites list:

• No favorite games listed at all. Hmmm... maybe a Marines thing?
• She enjoys hiking and playing soccer, softball, and football.
• Yet another castaway who doesn't list Survivor at all in her TV shows. She enjoys Heroes, Oprah, and MTV3.
• I think she may have the record for saying "no favorite" in so many categories.
• Chocolate chip cookies and Gatorade make her list, as do Mojitos, wine, and tequila.
• V for Vendetta is her favorite movie while she lists no authors or books.

Well, I just don't know. She's definitely a tough woman. You can't be in the Marines for that long worried about breaking a fingernail. She likes Heroes (which, to me, is a plus). But how well does she know the people-manipulation aspect of Survivor? I think that's what will make or break her on the show. I'm sure she could handle any challenge thrown her way, but the interaction may do her in.

Although his name is Earl, he's nothing like the character in that television show. He's also not a native of California even though it's listed as his home. Earl was raised in Kansas City, Kansas. He went onto the University of Washington in Seattle and received a National Scholastic Achievement Award, then relocated to California.

From his bio page: "He also enjoys playing chess, hiking, watching movies, billiards and playing basketball. He considers himself to be very intelligent, creative, athletic and confident, with a witty sense of humor. He is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)." Yet another April birth date (so far, the majority have been born in that month, but it could be the luck of the draw in how I'm listing them) - April 9, 1971. He seems to be single with no children.

Hitting his Favorites for more insight:

• Ah, good... a multiple choices lister. None of this "no favorite" or one-word answers to everything.
• He lists many games, both video and board. Gamers tend to think ahead to make their moves.
• Once again, no Survivor listed in his TV choices, though he lists Grey's Anatomy, The Wire, Family Guy, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Hmmm... all good choices, but no Survivor?
• The Bible is one of his favorite books.
• Yet another Fruity Pebbles eater. [I don't think I've ever eaten Fruity Pebbles in my lifetime. Is it that good? Where are the Coco Puffs fans?]
• Pom juice? Whazzat? Pomegranate, maybe?

What do I think of Earl? He seems a very intelligent guy, but he's yet another who may not be all that familiar with the politics of the show. Although he's a successful businessman, he might find out he's not in Kansas anymore. He's one I'll have to hold off my guessing on until I see him in action on the show. Something is telling me he might play the people a bit wrong and that could lead to an early boot. Prove me wrong, Earl.

I'm getting tired of typing "Los Angeles." All I can think is that they must have done some heavy recruiting in California. But, knowing that I used to live in the Los Angeles area and I was never really "from" L.A., keeps my faith alive.

Sure enough, Lisi is originally from Miami and spent time living in New York City, too. She has a rather interesting job - a customer service rep for a psychic service company. Huh. I wonder if there's really a need or do the psychics predict customer service issues and pro-actively solve them?

From her bio page: "In her spare time, she enjoys hiking with her dog. Her favorite sport is tennis. She describes herself as creative, intelligent, smart, observant and fun. She believes her resourcefulness and humor will help her do well on SURVIVOR." She's single, living with her Scottish terrier, George. Her birth date is June 9, 1970.

Checking her Favorites:

• She likes Pac-Man. [It must be a new fad of retro-games, I guess. I've been playing Millipede and Pong lately. I should stop fussing.] Her board game choice is retro-back-to-childhood, CandyLand.
• Her favorite outdoor activity is "hiking with dogs." That sounds like some sort of nature movie on Animal Planet.
• Again, Survivor is not listed as a favorite TV show! She only mentions Breaking Up with Shannen Doherty. [Feh.]
• No favorite books, but likes magazines listing Wired, Newsweek, and The Economist.
• Kashi cereal and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups both make her list.
• She gave a lot of one-choice answers.

For some reason, I'm finding her a bit perplexing just looking at the available information. She's probably not all that familiar with the show and I'm just not getting great vibes on her. I could be wrong, but I predict an early boot. No, I'm not psychic.

Stay tuned for the next five castaways! And, of course, please feel free to share your first takes on these folks, too!

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - The Castaways, Part 1

Phew, my source was spot on. I panicked last night when I couldn't find anything anywhere about the Survivor 14: Fiji castaways set to be revealed this morning on The Early Show. And, then they were there. The official CBS Survivor website has also been updated with photos, interviews, and other neat information. The premiere is Thursday, February 8 at 8 PM ET/PT.

I'm taking a peek at each of the new castaways, but there are too many for one entry. I decided to break things down to the old boy/girl/boy pattern alphabetically. Although this entry may look very heavy in one ethnicity, it's a diverse cast and the luck of the boy/girl/alphabetical draw. Once I get the cast entries all together, I'll link them to each other... maybe even list them on the sidebar for easy reference. It'll take me a few days to get them all listed. Any predictions I'm making here are based solely on their bios and it's very possible I'm totally wrong.

The First Five Castaways

Although he's now living in Los Angeles, Alex is originally from Columbia, South America. Ohhh, a Harvard Law degree and a member of the Harvard Boxing Club.

From his bio page: "He enjoys boxing, running, basketball, weight-lifting, painting and yoga. He recently spent a week climbing Mt. Whitney. He describes himself as assertive, witty and personable."

He seems to be single (no spouse listed) and his birth date is April 20, 1978.

But, to me, the real dirt comes out in the Favorites list on the bio page. Here are a few things which caught my attention:

• Under "scents" he listed laundry soap. [Is Survivor going to be the right place for that?]
• He lists Survivor, as well as Entourage and Family Guy, in his favorite shows. [If I were on the show, I'd certainly list it, too!]
• Rocky III made his movie list, not surprising in view of his boxing.
• His literature choices are intriguing - The Count of Monte Cristo and The Alchemist.
• While his cereal choice is very healthy (Smart Start), his junk food choices are Cheez-Its, Oreos, and KitKat bars. I like his junk food.

My overall thoughts? Attorneys historically don't do well on the show. He seems in good physical shape and, without a doubt, he's a smart man. His chances will most likely depend on being not perceived as a threat and his people skills. I give him a "maybe" as far as making it well into the game.

Unlike many who list Los Angeles as their home, Cassandra was born and raised there. She has been employed by the University of California for 23 years. Currently she manages the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. Very impressive indeed.

From her bio page: "Franklin's hobbies include skiing, traveling and shopping. She describes herself as fun, warm and giving. She is very proud of her family..."

She's very involved in many worthy causes and her love of family really shines in her bio. She's roughly still a newlywed - married two years to husband Clif. Her birth date is April 19, 1964.

Checking out her Favorites:

• Interesting... while others answer with many words, most of hers are a single word. I'm sure that says something about her. Reserved? Basic? I don't know.
• She likes Monopoly (board game choice) and Pac-Man (video game choice). Monopoly often makes the board game choice, but many of the castaways are often too young to truly appreciate Pac-Man. Or, if older, they've gone onto more current games. Hmmm...
• She likes home decor and cooking TV shows, but doesn't list Survivor or any show by name at all.
• She likes all snack foods, but has no favorite alcoholic drink.

Well, I'm not sure what to make of Cassandra other than she sounds like a really nice woman and a good person from the heart. She likes to ski, but doesn't seem really into outdoors endeavors. Although anyone who likes all snack foods should have some spunk, I don't think she'll make it far into the season - perhaps midway?

Anthony was born and raised in Compton, then headed to Yale in New Haven, CT. While at Yale, he participated in plays and sketch comedy shows. (Yes, Survivor could use a comedian.) His current job is finding expert witnesses for court trials.

From his bio page: "Robinson enjoys gaming--live action role-playing (dressing up in costumes and reliving an era or genre), video games and poker. He also enjoys dancing, juggling, roller hockey, watching movies and creating his own movies. He describes himself as friendly, dorky and intelligent."

Anthony is single and his birth date is June 25, 1974. Oh, but what about his Favorites? What will they reveal?

• True to the form of most castaways, he lists multiple choices.
• He likes video games. He really does. And we're not talking decades-old Pac-Man.
• Survivor, Lost, and M.A.S.H. make his TV list. [Good choices, I say!]
• Singing in the Rain made his movies list, amongst others.
• He's a Twinkie eater, but can be forgiven for that because he also likes Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
• He likes Pringles. [Pringles is often a sponsor of the show. They'll like that.]
• Nice music choices including jazz and old school R&B.

Now, unless he's clowning around too much, I think I'm going to like this guy. Or, at least enjoy watching him on the show. Any guy who can describe himself as "dorky" usually is nice. His chances? I think he might do pretty well. I'm not getting Sole Survivor vibes from reading about him, but I don't think he'll do too shabby.

Erica was born in Lake Charles and received her Bachelors in Mass Communication from Grambling College in Louisiana. After college she moved to New Orleans, but Hurricane Katrina forced her to relocate back to Lake Charles, then to Baton Rouge.

From her bio page: "She describes herself as subtle, confrontational and outgoing. Her hobbies include writing, reading and spending time with her family. Her favorite sports are football and soccer."

Note the word "confrontational." That could be entertaining! She's currently single and her birth date is December 11, 1979.

Her Favorites should give some insight:

• She should get together with Alex - she likes the smell of fresh linen. [I'd be so weird if I were to do this favorite list - scents would be cookies baking, autumn leaves burning, coffee brewing.]
• She has no favorite video game, but lists Monopoly like so many others.
• Under both Sports and Outdoor Activities, she lists the same things - soccer and jogging.
• Survivor did not make her TV list. Forensic Files and Flavor of Love did. [Set your red flags now.]
• What's in a Ketel One Dirty Martini? That's her favorite, but I'm so not a martini drinker and I'm clueless.

I think I'm just confused by Erica. I have no clue how she'll do at all. She looks like she might be a tough contender. But she also doesn't seem familiar with the show and admits she's confrontational. I'll abstain from guessing exit or win until I see just how confrontational she really is.

"Me and you and a Survivor named Boo... travelin' and livin' off the land."

Boo was born and raised in Layfayette. He's a construction worker by day and manages the bar he owns by night. Not only that, but he used to be a crawfish farmer! He has a Bachelors from the University of Louisiana in Lafayette.

From his bio page: " He enjoys participating in mixed martial arts fighting and Olympic lifting. He describes himself as strong-willed, outgoing and adventurous. He considers himself to be a cerebral athlete, a great problem solver and strong both mentally and physically."

He's single (or they just aren't talking) and his birth date is June 21, 1972. His bio is short and to the point, hopefully his Favorites will tell us a bit more.

• Uh-oh. One word answers for the most part, like Cassandra.
• His favorite scent? FOOD.
• Another old video game favorite - Asteroids.
• When you link a few of his favorites together, it's an odd combination... The Shawshank Redemption (movie) and Queen (music). He likes Fruity Pebbles and Sports Illustrated.
• He's a milk drinker. Milk does a body good, y'know.

Well, well, well... other than the fact that he's a grown man called Boo, he looks like he could be a powerhouse on a physical level. That often doesn't help much with speed or balance challenges. Just looking at the bio, he seems a bit sheltered as far as being out and about in the world. Is he the male eye candy for the show? Will he make it to the end? I think he could make it quite a ways, but once again, I'm not getting Sole Survivor vibes.

So, there are the first five. I think it's going to be another interesting season!

Survivors ready?

Update: My take on the next five castaways.

TV Newsy Bits - Thursday, January 11, 2006

It's Thursday and that means that a new episode of Ugly Betty is on tonight up against Armed and Famous (the second episode, also new). Not too hard a decision, eh? Ah, but then add NBC's My Name is Earl and The Office (both new episodes) to the mix and you just might have a dilemma!

At 9 PM ET/PT on ABC there's a new Grey's Anatomy and I'd like to remind everyone that we have a blog GA discussion post ongoing right here. I don't review or recap that one, but by popular request folks are welcome there to gather and discuss the latest or anything Grey's. Also in the 9 PM slot, a rerun of C.S.I. and new episodes of Scrubs and 30 Rock on NBC, as well as a new episode of The O.C. on FOX.

At 10 PM ET/PT CBS has a rerun of Shark while new episodes of Men in Trees and E.R. are airing on ABC and NBC.

In actual TV Newsy Bits today:

• Our friends at BuddyTV have an exclusive interview with the recent Survivor 13: Cook Islands winner, Yul Kwon.
• My HGTV contact told me that Jay Leno will be on Living with Ed this Sunday evening (10 PM ET/PT in most areas). The "Ed" in question, of course, is Ed Begley, Jr. He also shared a bit of Jay Leno/Ed Begley, Jr. trivia with me: "Jay Leno used to do stand-up with Ed back in the 1970s. When Jay heard Ed was doing a green show, he wanted Ed to see his new strides to become green. Jay is going to put a solar system in his shop in the next year. Jay also has several electric cars and a steam power engine, all technologies from the early 1900’s that are today being used again." It isn't easy being green (credit: Kermit), but the environment likes it!
• For those who missed the news, actress Yvonne De Carlo, perhaps best remembered for her role as Lily Munster in The Munsters, died at the age of 84. She was a well-known (and beautiful) movie star prior to the series playing such roles as the wife of Moses in The Ten Commandments.
• Celebrity Spider has linked some of the preview clips for the 24 premiere.
• Armed and Famous Gives Muncie Police Department Surprise Thank You Gift

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - Inside Scoop

One of the great things about blogging is you develop an extended network. You gather sources. Feeling much like Deep Throat with not as much at stake, I'd like to share with you some information which has been given to me from someone who knows one of the castaways who will be on the upcoming Survivor 14: Fiji.

The Unknown Castaway has not revealed anything vital such as the order of elimination or winners, but has told some interesting tidbits. Keep in mind, I can't verify this. So you may wish to file under rumors or foilers instead of spoilers.

• The new season will be introduced on Friday's The Early Show with the website going up around the same time.
• The Unknown Castaway was asked about the possibility of doing an All Stars version in the future.
• Two tribes start out the season and many of the castaways were not all that familiar with the show from past seasons.
• The Unknown Castaway spent at least one night on Exile Island.
• The snakes there are very poisonous and if bitten, they have to get to a hospital within 12 hours. That treatment was a four-hour flight away from where they were stranded.
• The Unknown Castaway has a tendency to swear and there were retakes (probably of confessionals). I bet we see bleeping, too.
• The season was filmed entirely in HD. The cameras weighed 65 pounds each and had to be carried everywhere. The cameramen would do things like walk backwards up rocky terrain to film them.
• They were never left alone. The film crew was always there, but wouldn't talk to them.
• Those who are voted off stay at nice accomodations -- sort of like a paid vacation, snorkeling and all.
• Those on the jury don't have it as nice as the ones voted off before the jury. They basically just get to clean up, but have no neat side trips.
• The challenges were age-friendly to older castaways.
• For the finale, each castaway is paid $3,000 and can bring up to three family members. This is done so that most (if not all) will show up.

Shhh... don't tell anyone.