TV, No TAR, and Stuff

Now, there's some New Jersey love if I ever saw New Jersey love, eh? Actually, it's rather foolish placement of an advertising sign with its bottom half behind the bench at the Dunellen (NJ) Train Station. The bottom half is WPIX Channel 11 Morning News. (Clicking on any of the images will open them larger in a new window.)

Onto some TV doings --

I was a bit disappointed that Bonnie Hunt didn't have Mike and Mel from The Amazing Race on her show this week. I could have gone without seeing Christie and Jodi the week before. I'm at work while The Bonnie Hunt Show is on, but I record it every day. Buddy TV ran an interview with them. I'm surprised to hear that Mike is a vegan and barely ate during the race. Here I was feeling all kinds of sorry for Mel due to his age and injuries (yet amazing perseverance) and Mike's not eating! I find it interesting to see that they thought Margie and Luke are more sneaky a team than shown.

I did watch Lost this week, but found it a bit confusing. I was tired when I watched it. Perhaps my mind just wasn't working quite right. Maybe the Lost Entangled will help me out.



I watched the finale of Life on Mars and got confused by that, too. A mind is a terrible thing to lose. Okay, they're really from Mars and it was all just a mission? Odd.

Taj needs to stop taking chances on Survivor! After all, she's my castaway in the blog pool! Sheesh!


Roofus was fast asleep in the gloomy fog near the Plainfield Train Station yesterday on my way to work.


Although it's been a bit on the cold side most days, spring has sprung. Achoo!

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
and I'm the only one and I walk alone

-- "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day

I thought the song went nicely with the photo I took walking to the train station pre-dawn ... which I did a few times this week. Every Monday lately, I've been going in early to work and I had to a few other days, too.

There is no Amazing Race nor a Cold Case tonight. But I'll be writing up my Reality Clack column for CliqueClack TV and I have an article in mind for TV Squad, too. At least I won't have the pressure of writing up two shows knowing I have to get up before 5 AM.

Survivor Tocantins: "One of Those Coach Moments"

The show is starting! While my full review will be up later over on TV Squad, this post will be updated with major events. Everyone is welcome to join in on the fun in the comments area!

Timbira won reward -- BBQ at a waterfall. From Timbira, Joe went to Exile Island and chose Erinn to go with him.

Timbira won Immunity.

Sydney was voted out with the Stephen, Taj, and JT alliance voting her.

American Idol 4/01 Results Show

My apologies for the lack of updates the last few days. I've been a bit under the weather and overworked at the same time. Yes, I believe I've become a zombie.

In the bottom three tonight are Megan, Allison, and Anoop. Based on last night's performances I think it will be between Anoop and Megan leaving ... most likely Megan. I'll update this when they announce it.

Allison is safe. Anoop is safe.

Megan is going home.

The Amazing Race - "Gorilla? Gorilla? Gorilla?"

Well, it's a bit better than last week, but still delayed here on the East Coast. 60 Minutes started at 7:17 instead of its usual 7:00 PM ET. So I expect that TAR should start here about 8:17 PM ET. Be warned that I'm in the middle of a line of severe thunderstorms, so if I disappear ...

Once the show starts, everyone is welcome to post your comments on the happenings! My show review will be posted on TV Squad later. However, I'll update this post with major events and the pit stop order. Enjoy!

8:17 and we're starting!

Uh-oh. Mark and Michael hit the Pit Stop first but have two thirty-minute penalties. One for tampering with the pumps on the rickshaws to hamper the other teams, the other for hiring a taxi to lead them while they did the rickshaw.

Poor Mike and Mel are WAY behind because they went to the beach instead of the zoo looking for the gorilla statue.

Pit Stop
1. Tammy and Victor (won trip to Oahu)
2. Jaime and Cara
3. Mark and Michael -- satisfied penalty time
4. Margie and Luke -- she passed out at the Pit Stop and we went to commercial
5. Kisha and Jen
6. Mike and Mel - Philiminated

Rats. I liked Mike and Mel, plus they were my team in the blog pool. SNIFFLE

BTW - Margie is okay

Off Topic: Darwin Theory?

So, there I was ... innocently riding the NJ Transit Raritan Valley Line train to work today. (No, I didn't see Roofus the Cat as it was very damp out this morning.) As usual, the train was approaching my departure station, so I was up waiting in the vestibule as it stopped.

Um. It stopped way before the station. The conductor messed with the doors, then got a message over his radio.

"Okay, everyone. Back to your seats. We hit a car."

Huh? None of us felt anything. So I returned to my seat and looked out the window. (Clicking on any of the images will open them larger in a new window.)


The dark bracket-looking thing on the other side of the brush in front of the car is the back bumper of the car.


A conductor checking on the woman in the car before police and rescue personnel arrived. She's hurt, but more like a stopping train hit her, not a speeding train.


The cops line the road on the other side of the train.


The gates were down, the clanging things a'ringing, and the train blew its horn before hitting the car. Either the woman thought the train was going to stop (as it was slowing for the station) and she could go through the gates or she thought she could beat the train. Nope!


Before the fire department arrived with the Jaws of Life, a Bridgewater police officer tried to shift the air bag so she could be a bit more comfortable.


If the train had been going at its highest speed through here, there would be no car. As it was, you saw the bumper. Car parts were strewn for about twenty feet, the car spun totally around once and ended up heading the same direction it was originally headed. It also hit a NJ Transit huge grey electrical stuff box/building.


Looking out the other window again.


There. She's out on the stretcher and ready to go away. We were stuck inside the train for over a half-hour. Although the front of the train was actually in the station where I wanted to be, they wouldn't let us out for liability reasons. After she was taken away in the ambulance, the lights on the train went out and we were told everyone had to walk to the front of the train and get out. Dang, I never realized how long the train actually is! For the ride in the morning, only the last two cars are open for passengers.

I was lucky -- it was my station. But anyone wanting to go further west was stuck there as the train had to stay for all kinds of investigation. I went off to work, just a bit late. Had I not been at work, I would have tried to sell some of the photos to news sources in the area. But it's old news now.

NJ Star Ledger article
NJ Courier News - UPDATE: Woman avoids serious injuries after train hits her car in Bridgewater
(I think we nudged it hard rather than slammed into it!)
WCBS erroneously reported two people were in the car. It was just the woman.