New 'Survivor' Castaways: A Closer Look at Melinda Hyder

All right! Moving right on along with my 'Closer Look at...' entries regarding the new cast members of 'Survivor' -- it's time for Melinda Hyder! I want to get finished with the cast entries today as it's my day off and I want to get on with blogging about show stuff! ;-)

From her CBS bio page:
Melinda's a 32 year old singer from Sevierville, TN. She was born and raised in Tennessee and seems very cleancut and family oriented. She's thrilled her parents were high school sweethearts and have bee married for 44 years. She started singing while in church at the age of four. (I started singing about that time, too. Alas, it took me another 20 years to realize I cannot sing at all!) She trained in ballet, tap, jazz and gymnastics for 12 years -- all good for show comps in their own ways. She's even taught dance. (I can't dance, either. :::thump:::) Oh, she must really be able to sing -- she went to college on a full scholarship for voice. In her singing career, she's worked at Six Flags and toured Europe. In other work, she's been a real estate agent, private vocal coach, model (I think she's a cutie as far as women go), pageant coach and dance instructor.

An excerpt from the bio: "Hyder describes herself as vivacious, competitive and compassionate. Her hobbies include creative home decorating, collecting Marilyn Monroe memorabilia, watching CBS soap operas and jogging." Interesting. I think she's the only one so far who hasn't said why she thinks she'll win or what qualities she possesses which will help her win. Hmmm.

It's onto her CBS Favorites page for more insight:I like her scents -- vanilla, sandalwood and cinnamon. Two of those were listed by another. Hmmm. Taboo, Twister, Tetra and Frogger are her games. Okay. (Dang, I haven't played Twister in like decades!) Heh... movies include Legally Blonde. She doesn't have any favorite sports to play, but has various outdoor activities she enjoys which include fishing, hiking and swimming, plus snow sports (which don't come into play much in tropical climates). In TV shows, she goes for CBS soaps, American Idol, Survivor and NUMB3RS.

Well. She seems like a very nice person. But I'm getting the feeling she might not have enough drive and compassion to really get into the game and win. I also think she has that nice quality which, with the exception of the flying under the radar approach, isn't a great quality for winning. I predict early boot, although she does seem sweet. I think it's a shame she's too old to try out for American Idol, that's what I think.

Your thoughts?

New 'Survivor' Castaways: A Closer Look at Dan Barry

It's a flip back to the older crowd for this 'Closer Look at...' retired astronaut new 'Survivor' cast member Dan Barry. He's 52 years old, born in Norwalk, CT but considers South Hadley, MA his home.

From his CBS bio, we glean:
Besides being a retired astronaut who's logged over 734 hours in space including four space walks; he's an inventor; has a mind-bogglingly impressive educational background and has published over 50 articles in scientific journals. He owns his own company, Denbar Robotics, and has five patents for his creations. Yikes. I feel so insignificant in the scheme of things now. Thanks, Dan!

He's also a lifetime member of the United States Tennis Association.

But... what are his CBS listed Favorites? What will they tell us about his quirks and weaknesses? Let's see:
Okay, he won me on his favorite scent. It's what I would list if I were asked -- cookies baking in the oven. Board game is Go, nice. Red Sox and Patriots fan, boo. His music and movies/actor tastes are a bit in line (to a degree) with my own. That could be a generational kind of thing -- he's only a few years older than I am (but he looks a lot older than I do -- I think). Oh! He likes Cap'n Crunch and Sugar Smacks! He's human, woohoo! He likes Ruffles (must be the ridges). Frozen strawberry margaritas and fruit smoothies.

Oh, my prediction? I want him to do well. I think I really like him -- he seems extremely intelligent, but looking at his favorites he's more in synch with my own than many of the others. A drawback would be that he is older and, though somewhat athletic, I don't know how well he'll hold up. I'm hoping NASA puts them through rigorous physical training, but I don't know all that much about what astronauts go through on the physical end of things. He only retired in the past year... okay, I know I'm stalling on my decision. Hmmm... I think I'll go near mid-game with him although I would rather he go further.

What do you think?

New 'Survivor' Castaways: A Closer Look at Misty Giles

It's time for a 'Closer Look at...' new 'Survivor' castaway Misty Giles. She's listed as a 24 year old engineer living in Dallas, TX. So far I'm more impressed with the older castaways, but let's see what Misty is all about from her CBS bio page...

She was born in Georgia, but as part of a military family she moved frequently eventually ending up in Texas where she finished high school. In school she played varsity sports and was Miss Texas Teen USA 1999. She supported herself through college and earned her Bachelors in Electrical Engineering (not an easy field) from Southern Methodist University. She's currently pursuing her Masters and is training for running marathons.

Misty thinks she's highly adventurous, determined and sexy. She also describes herself as a tomboy in high heels. Now, that sort of thinking could be good for playing the game of 'Survivor.' An excerpt from her bio: "Giles believes her competitive nature and natural problem-solving skills will help her get to the end of the game. Competing in the ultimate game of survival and winning are her motivations for taking on SURVIVOR: PANAMA--EXILE ISLAND." Okay... yes, those things can take you far in the game, but one of the most important skills is the old people skills or, more specifically, people manipulation skills. Does she have that attribute?

Onto her CBS listed favorites for more insight:
Ah... nice favorite scents -- vanilla and cinnamon. (Unlike musty dive bars. @@) Chess, PlayStation, basketball, volleyball... Heh -- she likes both Newsweek and the Victoria's Secret catalogue. In my opinion, decent actor/actress favorites, perhaps not my own choices, but ones I've heard of at least. No Olsen twins, good. She likes rock music, considered Twizzlers a snack food while 3 Musketeers is her candy.

I guess it's time for my prediction, huh? I think she'll do okay. I'm getting the feeling she might be a bit naive or, more to the point, nice. Unfortunately, nice rarely makes it to the end of the game. I don't think she'll be an early boot, but I don't think she'll make the Final Four. Go ahead, Misty. Prove me wrong.

Do you have any thoughts on her possibilities in the game?

UPN/WB No Longer?

To be honest, I'm not sure how this is all going to work. But here's some links to follow if you're wondering what the heck is going on with the UPN and WB networks becoming one or going away or finding their inner peace or something:

• Reuters Business Channel Reuters.com
• Exit WB, UPN; Enter the CW - Jan 24, 2006 - E! Online News
• UPN, WB to fold; the CW emerges

I dunno. Sounds like the Country Western station to me.

Bloggin' AMERICAN IDOL - Greensboro, NC - Hour 2

Jeffrey "Ryan" somone is on now. He's 27, but to me looks "old." Simon says he's the first Ryan he's ever met with talent. They like him -- onto Hollywood.

Cedric Robinson, related to Fantasia is next. Singing 'Chain of Fools.' Simon says absolutely dreadful. He's right. Now, I'm not familiar with Anne Nesmond (sp?), but a relative of hers is singing a Dixie Chicks song. Ah, they asked her for another song -- Billie Holliday's 'Take Five.' Wow. I like her. 17 years old and I missed her NAME. Argh! There.. Paris. 24 went through to Hollywood on the first day in Greensboro.

It's Day 2. Simon's birthday. Randy sings Happy Birthday, dear Slimon...

Now a Marcus who thinks his singing is unique and different. He's comparing himself to Usher. We'll see. Okay, he's holding single notes forever. Simon has this mesmerized night of the living dead look on his face. "What the hell was that?" Heh. He said he has the Randy and Paula DVD of vocal lessons. He's going to sing one more song. Sounds sort of the same. Paula seems upset. Randy is laughing. Paula thinks he should model or do commercials. Randy is still laughing.

Now Marcus is taking a hammer to the DVD.

All right, "Mr. Personality' Jimmy Crabtree is on. He has a very exaggerated country twang yodel in his song. Simon says he has the personality of a hippo when he sings. Even Paula is telling him he's not any good.

Sammy, a self proclaimed crazy person is up. He says he's so RAH. Not good. Flat. Weird and flat. Why don't they stop him? Please stop him! "Sylvester Stallone's younger sister singing Paula Abdul" according to Simon. He's going away. Good.

Tyra Juliet is singing 'In the Still of the Night'. Hmmm... I'm on the fence about her. She looks like Pochahantas, but with a good voice. They like her. She's onto Hollywood!

Seth Strickland is the one they've been showing doing 'Thriller' and then says "oh, crap." He's history. But we knew that when they fiurst blurbed him last week, didn't we?

Rhonetta Johnson will catfight with Paula, but a firefighter is on first. His name is Jordan Southerland. I personally don't care for the song "You Raise Me up." Randy says no, Paula says yes... Simon agrees with Paula. Yikes.

Now the one they've hyped all night... all lady and all mouth. Blonde black woman chunky with glitter cowboy boots and a matching halter top. Yipes. Rhonetta Johnson. Simon already made a fat reference. So bad. So, so bad. Simon says never. She's saying we'll all see her on TV and she'll be on the top of the charts. She's going on and on. Get her off. Where do some folks come off thinking they've got talent when they sing worse than me? Oh, go away. She's getting all ghetto all over the place. And her gut is hanging over her skirt. So appealing. Or appalling. Whatever!

Greensboro is over. Only nine made it on the second day. Tomorrow night is San Francisco. The ending is a collage of bad 'Fame.' Not David Bowie style, the movie/show one.

Bloggin' AMERICAN IDOL Audition Night/Greensboro, NC - Hour 1

Okay, to start -- yes! I totally got Simon's comment to the one girl regarding Jerry Springer! Gotta love it. ;-)

I'm not too keen on the sob stories this year. Yes, I think Kelly Pickler has a good voice. But do I need to know her Momma left her at 2 and her Daddy's in jail? I know she seems nice, but what if her voice sucked and we sat through the sob story?

Tux Guy. Shawn. He's gimmicky, for sure. But I'm liking his voice. With his facial hair, he seems a lot older than 17. He's a no according to the judges. Oh, but they took Crazy Dave! Shawn's little brother is so defensive.

Now Jimmy is there with a dummy, Scottie. This gimmick at least has them smiling. Ah, he can sing. If he goes on, what about the dummy? He didn't get on, but it gave the judges some good reasons for working with dummy jokes. Now a helium-voiced woman with a pink cowboy hat is on. No, say no! "I want this more than a whole bag of gummy bears!" Sorry!

An egotistical National Guard dude is going to start. He's inviting Paula to dance with him if he sounds good. Steven David, Jr. Simon and Randy dragged Paula to dance with him as he sings 'Let's Get It On.' Onto Hollywood for him! I think this is one to watch. He's full of it, but he's a hoot. And, he can sing. Ryan Seacrest brought Steven's wife into the room to break up the party. Randy thinks the show has turned into speed dating.

A 27 year old with an almost 12 year old son named Halicia is singing. She can sing. She now says she is supposed to kiss Simon and brought plastic to kiss him through if he didn't want germs. He said no to the plastic and it's yes to Hollywood.

Going for a perky boy named Donny, age 19. Hmmm... has had a vocal coach for a year. To me, he sounds choppy, off key and fast as he sings 'Bridge Over Troubled Water.' Simon says he murdered the song. It's a no.

Now a girl named Kendra with a sob story -- has been in 42 foster homes. She married very young, three kids? She worked her way into college. She seems very level-headed. Yes, she can sing. She's kind of bubbly, perhaps it's just nerves. Paula: "Breath of fresh air." Simon says he would have said no, but since Randy and Paula said yes, Kendra tells him -- "It doesn't matter, I'm going."

Chase who's Kennet who's a bit... um different, is on. Until they flashed his real name, I was thinking woman, myself. He sang a Whitney Houston song. They're comparing him to Wayne Newtown. Now Simon is doing his "in a dress" thing. He's onto Hollywood.

"I'm not being rude" is getting a segment. I love his line "you look like the Incredible Hulk's wife." They haven't shown her sing. Now a woman is telling Ryan how short he is. Now the latter is about to sing -- her mother was a stripper. Sob story or not? Now, she is odd. She's wearing what's wild lingerie. Eep. They're advising vocal lessons and come back.

A Brandon is on now. He does a weird little hiccup thing at the end of his lines. It's a no. Aw... he's sad. His Momma thinks it's his white trash po' boy clothes.

Hour One done.

New 'Survivor' Castaways: A Closer Look at Courtney Marit

This latest 'A Closer Look at...' entry focuses on Courtney Marit. She's listed as a 31 year old performance artist from Los Angeles. I hear the words "performance artist" and tend to cringe. It could be just me.

In college she received a gymnastics scholarship and was part of the 1993 NCAA Championship team. Okay, that's impressive, I'll say. Her current performance artist work mixes fire (ow), stilts (thunk), trapeze, music and more in a theatrical show. Hmmm... sounds a bit like Cirque du Soleil. She's the founder of Revolve Productions -- apparently not either of the two companies with that name which come up with a quick Google. She teaches fire dancing. Eep. Her more lofty goal is to make films and documentaries that promote world unity. Okaaay.

She's traveled a lot, to over 30 countries. Past jobs include deckhand/cook, farmer, ski instructor, snow maker, trailblazer, biking/hiking guide, elder caregiver, importer and massage therapist. She's climbed mountain peaks, ran marathons, lived in caves in India and other cool stuff. Oh, my. And she's only 31? She thinks she's free spirited (you don't say), compassionate, creative, fun and sensitive.

Onto her favorites from the CBS site:
Hmmm... favorite game is Risk. That's always a good one for strategic planning. She lists both LOST and SURVIVOR as TV shows she likes. I like her taste for the most part in actors and actresses. (At least the Olsen twins aren't in there!) I have absolutely no clue who her music groups are. Ah, for cereal -- healthy and sugar -- Cap'n Crunch mixed with granola.

It's time for my prediction, I guess. Y'know, so many things in her background are really perfect for the show. I think a lot will depend on her personality. Will she annoy others? Is she bubbly or "out there"? I just can't tell. If, and it's a big if, her personality isn't too abrasive or odd, she could go very far in the game. I predict well past the halfway mark at the very least.

Any thoughts about her chances?

TV Newsy Stuff

These are a few of the television related news bits out and about on the web:

• NBC Drops "West Wing," "Will & Grace" - Jan 23, 2006 - E! Online News
• Lost Cast Gets Dramatic Pay Hike Lost : People.com
• Earl Star's Chicken Pox Shuts Down Show My Name Is Earl, My Name Is Earl : People.com
• Amy Fisher, Buttafuocos plan TV reunion -- Newsday.com

That last one is ridiculous, but true. Ack.

Quick 'Crossing Jordan' Rant

Now, I like this show. Don't get me wrong.

But ALBANY is not pronounced Ail-ben-knee. It's ALL-ben-knee. No one says Ailbany.

Cut it out.

(I went to ALL-ben-knee State.)

Sunday's 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent'

I thought I wouldn't enjoy 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent' without Vincent D'Onofrio as Goren. He brought a bit of quirkiness to the series which I thought was vital to the show. But since his fainting/dizziness spells and apparent desire to work less, they brought in Chris Noth reprising his role as Det. Logan from the original 'L&O'. The premise is to "look into the mind of the killer" which I really wouldn't have pegged the Logan character to be the investigator. But it works. Last night's show was an intriguing story of a bullied boy grown up and seeking revenge. I know it sounds a bit trite and done too often, but there were enough twists in this one to keep it fresh. I didn't catch the name of the actor who played the killer, but thought his portrayal came across very well.

'L&O: CI' gets an 'A' sans Goren.

There is a bad point, however. When looking at the NBC site to snag the link, I notice that next week's episode is a three-peat with Noth. I know I've already seen it twice and I'm thinking network, not the cable eps. It's the one with the mother and son jewelry thieves/killer. Dang.

Did you watch last night? If so, how is the show for you with Noth instead of D'Onofrio?

New 'Survivor' Castaways: A Closer Look at Nick Stanbury

It's time for 'A Closer Look at..." new 'Survivor' castaway Nick Stanbury. He grew up in Wyoming, did his freshman year of college in Montana, then transferred to Arizona to finish his BS in finance and supply chain management. I have no clue what supply chain management is, so don't ask me!

According to his CBS bio, he's a waiter while waiting word (would that be a waiting waiter?) on law school applications. He likes quite a few sports in addition to reading an traveling. He thinks he's curious, loving and overly analytical. (Uh-oh!) According to his bio -- "He wants to be on SURVIVOR so he can travel, learn about himself in a difficult situation and meet smart, beautiful women." Um. Okey dokey. I guess. I would think college campuses probably have more smart, beautiful women, but I must be wrong.

Onto his CBS Favorites page:
He likes the scent of musty dive bars. (I suppose the scent of beer and vomit are desirable?) His favorite actresses are the Olsen twins. @@ <--- gotta roll my eyes at this guy, gotta. His favorite books/authors bring to mind assigned reading, not usual favorites -- Ayn Rand, Herman Hesse. He likes Fruity Pebbles as a cereal choice. Okay, he listed Grape-Nuts and Quaker Oatmeal, too. But he said Fruity Pebbles! (I wonder if he'll share them with the Olsen twins in a musty dive bar.) In music, he likes rap, alternative amongst others. His favorite alcoholic drink... Budweiser. (Which he'll quaff in the musty dive bar with the Olsen twins while eating Fruity Pebbles and pretzel snack mix from a germy dish.)

You really want my prediction on this guy? Really? I predict amongst the first few out. I could be wrong, of course. He is athletic enough, but...!

Your thoughts?

'American Idol' Twins BUSTED

The first set of twins we saw on the 'American Idol' premiere show are no strangers to the law. An excerpt from this article I found on the web:

Memphis twins Terrell and Derrell Brittenum may have wowed 'American Idol' judges, but the next judges they face may be a bit stricter.
Terrell, in fact, was jailed in Tuesday night when the 'American Idol' episode taped in September showed him and his brother passing their first audition before the Fox TV judges in Chicago, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported Thursday.
Relatives told the newspaper Derrell was preparing to surrender to police on the same charges his brother faces in Georgia.

Read the entire article for the skinny on the Brittenum twins.
Huh. Now, what do you think of their chances in Hollywood?

'60 Minutes' Kinky (Friedman) Segment

Woohoo! As a Kinky Friedman (the novelist) fan, I had to watch this segment on '60 Minutes.' He's running for the Governor of Texas. I have some of his music by Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, but it's more his novels I collect. I was lucky enough to meet him in NYC a few years back. He's a character, for sure.

Oh... the segment? If you're a Kinky fan, it's a must see. It touches on his past, his music, his novels in addition to his seriously wanting to be Governor.

Heck, Kinky should be Governor more than Arnold should have been voted in! My own opinion, but hey... that's me.

New 'Survivor' Castaways: A Closer Look at Cirie Fields

Cirie Fields is the subject of this New 'Survivor' Castaways: A Closer Look at... entry. Cirie was born and raised in Jersey City, NJ (you go, girl!), but has settled in Walterboro, SC where she's a registered nurse. She's 35 years old and recently remarried.

According to her CBS bio, she's worked at several occupations including candy factory employee (which I can't think of without seeing Lucy with the candy conveyor belt episode), telemarketing and nursing related fields. She swims, runs and works with a personal trainer. And, she thinks she's funny, charismatic and compassionate. We'll see about that! Cirie believes she possesses attributes and skills which will do her well -- strength, fishing, cooking, some carpentry. She lost 30 pounds in anticipation of being on the show. Wow!

A quote from her CBS bio: "She believes she will be the Sole Survivor because people love her cute, smiling personality." I hope she's jesting. Don't tell me she's gonna be bubbly, perky and smiling! (I don't do "perky" well.)

It's off to peek at her CBS Favorites page:
Um, it looks like she's into perfumes... her favorite scents are such. Board games are Chess and Monopoly -- both a bit strategic games. Ohh... a 'Big Brother' fan. Her sport to play is dodgeball. I'm not familiar with her books/authors or even her favorite alcohol drinks. But she likes Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Cool.

All right, my prediction? Well, a lot will depend on if she's an annoying to others kind of bubbly personality, I think. Due to the old geographic proximity factor, I'd like to see her do well -- she's quasi-local to me. But... but... I dunno. I will say booted between 5th and 8th boot. I hope she proves me wrong since I'm just going by the information on the CBS website with no spoilers.

Your thoughts?

New Easy 'Survivor' Reference Link

I created a new web page which will be updated regularly to list all the 'Survivor: Panama - Exile Island' blog entry links from here, as well as 'Survivor' website links I often peruse. You can find that page by clicking here or clicking on the graphic you see on my right sidebar of this blog.

At the present time, I haven't finished my "Closer Look at..." series for the new castaways. As I post the remaining castaways (my thoughts and predictions), each one will be hyperlinked to its blog entry. So, that's why some aren't linked. If you haven't noticed, I'm working both ends against the middle on the listings.

Once the show starts and even before then, all my 'Survivor' entries links can be found at that page for easy reference.

Last Week's TV Hits and Misses (IMO, but of course)

This Week's Hits:

'Love Monkey' -- I like this show. I wrote about the premiere here. Once again this week, I'll be watching and I'm sure to jot at least a quick entry about it.

'American Idol' -- Hey, what can I say? It's a guilty pleasure and I think I like the bad auditions as much, if not more, than after the twelve finalists are selected. It'll always be a hit with me at this stage of the season. Let's see how much I like it after the auditions end! I blogged both nights this past week here and here.

'Everybody Hates Chris' -- Now, I didn't blog about this one. I usually don't watch the show and have only caught one other episode. The show is in a bad time slot for me as during 'Survivor' season I already watch one show and tape another at that time. However, for the moment, the 8 PM slot is free of 'Survivor' and 'The Apprentice', so there's Chris. I enjoyed the episode and it reminded me of saving my babysitting money for one of those suede fringed jackets circa 1969 or so.

'Law and Order: SVU' -- Again, not blogged about, but a good episode. This episode's "ripped from the headlines" story was based on a recent local Newark story, so I watched with a bit of insight into it. A horrible case, although a well-written episode.

'Ellen' -- I'm off from work one weekday a week and this is a never miss. Alas, for a while I was taping daily, but there were never enough hours in the day to catch up, so I stopped. I watched Wednesday's episode which included guest Matthew Fox. This show never disappoints me except when it's a rerun and I only see Wednesday eps!

'C.S.I.' and 'Without a Trace' both end up in the Hits of the Week category as does 'NUMB3RS.'

This Week's Misses:

'The Four Kings' -- I keep watching as there's nothing else I watch in the time slot and I have my big secret crush on Josh Cooke. Woefully lacking, for the most part. Sigh.

'LOST' -- Yikes! I so don't want this in my Misses category as I'm addicted to the show! Waah! But this week's episode didn't move enough forward for me. Okay, Michael ran off to look for Walt again. The only interesting forward movement for this week's episode was the appearance of the Others (who really seem to be pirates and the guy should have a parrot on his shoulder, a wooden leg and say "ARRRR" a lot). Improve next week, LOST!

What did you watch? I'd love to hear your Hits and Misses for the week!

New 'Survivor' Castaways: A Closer Look at Ruth Marie Milliman

This morning's "New 'Survivor' Castaways: Closer Look at..." is all about Ruth Marie Milliman. Y'know, the more I read about this cast, the more impressed I am at most, if not all, of this season's castaways. What I'm not seeing much of is those who just want to be on television and be a "star." That's very refreshing to me. Of course, down the road we'll probably see folks whining about the "old" people or such. Tough. I like the cast! Nyah.

Back to Ruth Marie -- she's a 48 year old director of retail leasing (according to the job listed) in Greenville, SC. Oh, but she's so much more than that! I mean, we're talking the 1978 South Carolina Watermelon Queen here! :::grin::: More seriously, she's a woman who's been successful in beauty pageants, holds a degree in Criminal Justice, was a head cheerleader in her college days, was a flight attendant and a narcotics agent (not at the same time) and is currently regarded as a top competitive long distance runner. She seems fit, photogenic and looks like another contender to me.

Let's take a quick look at her CBS Official Favorites for insight:
Ah, she likes honeysuckle... one of the finest scents on the planet in my opinion. Good. Um... board game is CandyLand? Huh. I believe that was Judd's game. Eep. Her magazines and books are geared to running and bicycling. She likes watermelon (no wonder) and champagne. Oh... and she likes Elvis.

My prediction for her? Well, just basing on her background, I believe she's going to be a strong competitor in the game. Perhaps not the Sole Survivor, but latter half towards the Final Four.

Your thoughts?

New 'Survivor' Castaways: A Closer Look at Bruce Kanegai

This 'Closer Look At' entry is all about new 'Survivor' castaway Bruce Kanegai. He's a 58 year old karate instructor/high school art teacher who grew up in Los Angeles and now calls Simi Valley his home. As a child he obtained both a black belt in karate and the rank of Eagle Scout. During his 34 years of teaching he's taught over 10,000 students and received many career awards for doing so. In karate, he's taught over 7,000 students. (I can bet this guy has a built in audience on 'Survivor'!)

His background is very impressive ranging from his work to being a backpacking instructor and working with police department training. Oh... he was bitten by a rattlesnake three years ago! Eek! He's married, has two children and one dog. On the web, a Google came up with several karate-related links like this one.

Okay, let's peek at his CBS favorites list:
Ah, a man after my own heart... his favorite scent has to do with food! Barbequed steak. (I would say cookies, but food is food.) He's another Scrabble player. I like to see all of them on the show -- to me, it exhibits a more cerebral edge. I could be wrong, though. He likes hiking and, for magazines, National Geographic (amongst others). His music tastes range from classical to heavy metal.

My prediction? Oh... I so want to like this guy! I so want him to do well! He's older, but it seems that he's very active, so that's a plus. Will he make Final Four? Hmmm... he's used to being an instructor. In a way, that could work against him on the show, especially once the ages mix. Tough prediction here. I'll say that he lasts a long, long time, but not the Sole Survivor (though I think I'd like to see him win it just by reading the bio and favorites).

What do you think about his chances of winning?

New 'Survivor' Castaways: A Closer Look at Sally Schumann

Who's next on the docket? Well, it's a closer look at 'Survivor: Panama - Exile Island' castaway Sally Schumann.

According to the occupation listed on her bio, she's a 27 year old social worker living in Chicago, IL. But, is she? Reading through her official CBS bio reveals "She currently lives in Chicago, where she works as a waitress and bartender." She was a social worker for four years in Minnesota, where was born and raised. While in Minnesota, she also coached high school girls soccer. She thinks she's compassionate, competitive and funny. Okay. We'll see.

She's a huge fan of both 'Survivor' and 'The Amazing Race' and this is the fifth time she's tried to be on the show. Recently divorced, she is now dating her best friend.

Off to her favorites page:
Hmm, I like most of her board games (Scrabble, Cribbage, Yahtzee, UNO), but I haven't a clue what Settlers of Caton is. Anyone know? Most of her sports to play are with a ball, birdie or horseshoe. That's not too great for the show, although it may help with comps that include throwing or aiming. She enjoys fishing and running, both good activities for the show.Her books, music tastes are okay (with me). Oh! She sometimes feels like a nut! Almond Joy.

I'm not seeing anything on the web about her that's not related to the show, so I'll have to judge my prediction basing it on the CBS info alone. Y'know, I think she might do well. Both bartending and social work are jobs where you listen to folks more than talk. She's athletic enough, intelligent and just might make it to the Final Four.

Then again, I could be way off base.
What do you think?

Blogging 'American Idol' - Night Two, Denver

Tonight's 'American Idol' audition show came to us from Denver, CO. There still isn't a likable bad like a William Hung. Plenty of bad, though. Plenty.

There was Marlos who traveled so far -- from Denver. His line "I've come such a long way" reminded me of Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. That wasn't going to be the only Oz reminder of the night.

A 16 year old Lisa Tucker made it through. She has a tremendous voice and really seems to have a lot on the ball. The auditions were looking up!

For a minute, anyway.

The Rocker Contingent was horrible. It makes me want to turn to gangsta rap which is so not me. So, so not me. One rocker named Chris Daughtry made it through. I wasn't all that impressed with his version of 'The Letter.' I personally doubt he'll be in the 12 Finalists.

The show did a musical reference to something I doubt a lot of their audience would even recognize. During a bit of a face-off between Simon and a contestant (Simon wanted him to go away), they played theme from the 1967 Clint Eastwood movie 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.' It was perfect!

I honestly liked the naive cowboy kid Garrett who made it through. Alas, while I think he has talent, his lack of training is going to hurt. But, at least, he'll get to ride an airplane.

There were two odd characters -- one claimed to be an entrepreneur (but couldn't say the word entrepreneur, nor even say his cleaning business slogan) and the other claimed to be an inventor. Both were bad. But the latter gave Simon one of his best lines of the night. "You're useless and I'm bored." Here's when the second Oz reference came into play. The "inventor" sang "If I Only Had a Brain." Fitting song, very fitting.

A very androgynous young er.. man... named Zachary raised some eyebrows with his audition. He sang totally flat, but was convinced that the judges were prejudiced against him because of his appearance. In the talk afterwards, he wasn't so androgynous after all. No underwear and to the right. @@ <--- I needed to roll my eyes!

Nineteen people made it through to Hollywood from Denver. Next week's Tuesday auditions show will be two hours and coming in from North Carolina.

Are you watching? Did anyone (except perhaps Lisa Tucker) impress you?