I've decided his name must be Roofus. His fellow roof companion cat (four stories up) seems to have vanished, but Roofus still watches the birds daily from his perch in the sky. I believe he's part of the group of feral cats living in the area near the train station. That isn't the best of life a cat can have, for sure. A few months ago one of the feral cats in that area was diagnosed with rabies and a gang of big-headed strays roam the night.
I can't save them all -- I have my own two elderly cats saved from that sort of life as kittens. As I watch Roofus, I don't think he could ever adjust to a home. He comes and goes from the roof at will apparently getting up there through a condemned building on the block. Oh, well. I think the roof is safer for him than the city streets. Unlike my own cats who would probably fall off, he seems to know its boundaries. After all, I first spotted him and his companion about a year ago.
In today's TV Newsy Bits:
- Has Grey's Anatomy jumped the shark? This news article explores that very possiblity.
- I was watching last night's rerun of Without A Trace on CBS. The key missing character was played by the same young man who plays West this season on Heroes. Uh-oh. I think type-casting has affected my mind. I wanted him to remain vanished without a trace.
- Ellen DeGeneres took a few days off after the big Iggy Dog fiasco. I don't think she wanted the death threats to the folks at the dog rescue and I'd imagine she's horrified at how everything has gone. Me? I still think that while rescues do fantastic work, sometimes things should be looked at on a case by case basis rather than no shades of grey. My own family always had pets when I was very young. None of us kids ever would have harmed any size pet -- they were a part of our family.
- I watched The Next Great American Band on its premiere night this past Friday. I think I'll be following the show as my Friday night television watching is a bit of a vast wasteland. This coming Friday (10/26) I'll be sitting in to review the show for TV Squad for the regular writer as he'll be on vacation. After that, I think I'll be reviewing it weekly here. Anyone interested?
- Letterman's in reruns this week. Grr.
- Survivor's most recently ousted Aaron was interviewed by Fans of Reality TV. He said he was cast because he happened to meet someone who asked him to try out for the show. He seems to think that Amanda and Todd are the true Survivor fans of the game.
Today's music non-sequitur:
"The reason you're cool is because you're from the old school.
All the critics love you in New York."
-- Prince "All the Critics Love You in New York"
Yes, be considerate -- a good motto, a good way of life. The incongruous part of it all is that this is New Jersey, a NJ Transit train to be more precise. NJT has a new politeness campaign starting up, but I don't think it will make a huge difference.
I'll still end up being surrounded by the party crowd in the evenings heading towards the city. That woman who speaks loud Mandarin Chinese yelling into her cell phone will still sit in back of me no matter where I sit. Some fool will still put a full cup of coffee on the floor as if expecting it to remain upright. People will still put their nasty feet up on seats or even worse, take their shoes off. Someone will still have their iPod so loud I can hear the tinny sounds from half a car away. Me? Nope, I don't do any of those things. I occasionally sit with train friends, but we talk using "indoor voices." I be considerate.
Random mention: I'd be willing to coach the Yankees next year for only four million dollars. Have your people call my people and we'll get it done.
In today's TV Newsy Bits:
- As a tribute to the recently deceased Deborah Kerr, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will be airing From Here to Eternity and Separate Tables starting at 8 PM ET/PT this Sunday night.
- The folks over at Morty's TV have recent interviews with Daniele Donato and Evel Dick Donato from Big Brother 8. Beware -- the language is a bit rough on Dick's interview. One interesting thing to note on that one is that he said he has a DUI arrest in the past, but has never been arrested for domestic abuse (which was plastered all around the Internet). Both of these interviews are really long. Grab a cup of coffee and get to reading!
- Yahoo TV should be your new home for Seinfield stuff -- you can watch complete episodes, vote for your favorites and more.
- Celebrity Rides: Burt Builds a Bandit premieres tonight at 10 PM ET/PT on the DIY network. That's Burt Reynolds and, remember ... you can enter to win a classic Trans Am.
- Buddy TV has two interviews which will be of interest to many of the readers here. Wonder Twin Alejandro from Heroes, Shalim Ortiz, is one of them although I'm not too keen on the characters. The other interview is with Taylor Kitsch of Friday Night Lights.
Today's music non-sequitur:
"Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?It took me years to write, will you take a look?It's based on a novel by a man named LearAnd I need a job, so I want to be a paperback writer,Paperback writer"
--The Beatles "Paperback Writer"
The show has started here on the East Coast. As it airs, I'll update this post with important events. Please refresh the page for the latest.
Um ... so far, no important events, but it has started! ;-)
UPDATE: Messages came by boat -- each tribe picked two from the other tribe who will compliment them. Fei Long chose Sherea and Frosti. Zhan Hu didn't think. They didn't realize they would lose two of their own -- chose James and Aaron thinking they'd have seven people and would vote out Aaron.
UPDATE: Immunity Challenge -- Fei Long won, but it was thrown by Zhan Hu by Jaime and Peih Gee. They want to vote out either Aaron or James thinking their end game will be stronger after the merge.
UPDATE: Aaron is voted out.
My review of the episode is up over on TV Squad.
This is a photo I took a while ago, but some folks said it passed by too quickly in the video in which I used it. If you click on it, it should enlarge. I took it on a very narrow side street in Chinatown, Manhattan.
As per my usual practice, I'll be posting an East Coast Update post for tonight's Survivor: China shortly after the show starts here in the NYC area. Folks are welcome to drop by and visit in the comments once I get the post up. It looks like a good show tonight! My full review of the episode will be posted on TV Squad later this evening, but the important events will be updated almost live right here. So, stop on back!
In other TV Newsy Bits:
- You can check out my latest review of Kid Nation on TV Squad. (I swear one of these days when I typo it as TV Squid, I'm going to leave it be!)
- Sigh ... Joey Bishop died. When I was younger, I used to like to stay up late watch his show in which Regis looked like the kid he was at the time. Joey Bishop had been the last living member of the Rat Pack. Another era gone by.
- Entertainment Weekly (on the stands tomorrow) will have an interview with American Idol Carrie Underwood. You can check out the interview at their sister site ew.com.
- Court TV's series Murder by the Book will be returning with an all new group of authers on Monday, November 5, 10 PM in most time zones. The latest authors set for this second season are: Joseph Wambaugh (an old favorite police procedural author of mine), Sandra Brown, David Balducci (yes!), Harlan Coben (yes!), Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Linda Fairstein, Nick Santora, and Linda Gage. Authors returning from last year are Lisa Scottoline, Faye Kellerman, and Jonathan Kellerman. I enjoy this series a lot as I'm a mystery buff in my reading habits. The authors each examine a case for their episodes.
- For any House fans out there, Buddy TV has an exclusive interview with Omar Epps and Jennifer Morrison.
Don't even THINK of parking here, but come on back to talk about tonight's Survivor!
Today's music non-sequitur --
"I know all too well the world takes a daily beating,
Please don't talk about murder while I'm eating."
-- Ben Harper
Fish gotta swim.
While it's probably one of the worst-composed photos of mine I'll ever post, it's the principle of the thing. There I was standing atop a boulder at the water's edge in Mindowaskin Park (Westfield, NJ) when a group of fish came to me as if I had called them there for a meeting. I told them my woes as they listened attentively but showed no emotion. They're probably more worried about being frozen in the upcoming winter than they are about my issues.
What kind of fish were they? I haven't a clue. They looked a bit like bullheads but are a lot smaller than the ones I remember from my childhood pond fishing days in upstate New York. These guys were about five to six inches long tops and would only be considered a meal if you're starving on Survivor.
In keeping with the thought of "fish gotta swim" -- AOL had more layoffs yesterday and more expected into December according to what I've read. I've had ties to AOL for about fifteen years as a member, AOL Community Leader, blogger, and more recently writing for Weblogs, Inc. My thoughts are with my friends in the company and those who left the building yesterday. AOL Journals Editor Joe Loong is amongst the dismissed. Joe was instrumental in supporting my blogging efforts at AOL Journals as he featured my Adventures of the 2-Faced Baseball and helped me with issues on my first Big Brother blog. Joe, you'll be missed on AOL, but a man with your mad skillz is going to be a great catch for someone. Fish gotta swim.
In today's TV Newsy Bits:
- I have a sadistic side to me. Yesterday, I looked forward to Richard Simmons being on Letterman most of the day. Yes, Dave is mean to him, but he keeps coming back. The segment didn't disappoint me at all and it wasn't quite like watching Paris Hilton almost cry a few weeks ago.
- I finished watching my season three DVD of The Wire after a marathon most of the night session last night. Oh, I know I'm so far behind the real world on the show, but I'm not going to spring for HBO just to watch it. Although I've been watching it on BET and I thought they were getting it okay, the DVDs are another world -- no blaring trashy chat line ads and seeing bits that were cut out in editing for BET make the show so much better. Rawls was in a gay bar? Oh, my! This show has moved into my top slot of favorite TV shows ever.
- Are you following the Ellen Degeneres Doggie Drama? Although I usually miss the show because I'm working most weekdays, this story caught my eye. I'm on Ellen's side of the battle. She rescued the dog, spent a lot of money on the vet and training, but it didn't get along with her pets already residing with her. I think she did the right thing by finding a loving family for the dog and the rescue place now has a huge black mark, as well as a bad reputation, for taking the dog from that loving family. You idiots ... the dog had a family and a home. Now it's got a kennel and staff once again. What are you thinking?
- AOL TV news has an interview with Floyd Mayweather, booted from last night's Dancing With the Stars. I actually briefly caught his performance the other night as I was channel surfing. I don't know if by not watching the show regularly it gives me a different perspective and I didn't see any of the other dancers (I was just passing through, y'see). But I thought he looked stiff at times and very much the amateur. Oh, I couldn't do any better, I know. But as I watched the bit I watched, I thought of my love for So You Think You Can Dance. I think I prefer to watch young'uns who aspire to be dancers than so-called celebrities on a dance show. Of course, your mileage may vary, but his performance didn't make me want to continue watching the show.
- How cool is this? I was just interrupted by the FedEx Man. The good folks at TBS just sent me a neat and spiffy battery-operated Frank TV wall clock and a promo reel on DVD for the show. Frank is Frank Caliendo and I'll report back on the promo. Right now I want to figure out where I'm going to put the clock!
Today's music non-sequitur --
Histories of ages past
Unenlightened shadows cast
Down through all eternity
The crying of humanity
'Tis then when the hurdy gurdy man
Comes singing songs of love
- Donovan "Hurdy Gurdy Man"
I've decided his name must be Roofus. His fellow roof companion cat (four stories up) seems to have vanished, but Roofus still watches the birds daily from his perch in the sky. I believe he's part of the group of feral cats living in the area near the train station. That isn't the best of life a cat can have, for sure. A few months ago one of the feral cats in that area was diagnosed with rabies and a gang of big-headed strays roam the night.
