'Survivor: Exile Island' - Ep. 10 -or- "Survivor Down!'

Argh, my apologies ... I know this isn't Friday evening. I've had mouse issues. Computer mouse, not furry living mice issues. Enough of that.

Onto the really, really late review/recap of the show which aired on April 20:

Seven are left. Who will be voted off tonight?

Of course, after the time-consuming recap of last week, we see Terry is all alone although he's supposedly a part of the tribe. The ex-Casaya tribe members alliance is still solid even though soon they'll have to turn on one another. If Terry wins Immunity again, it'll force their hand. Bruce is clutching his stomach and complaining of severe pain. He's constipated, perhaps a bit too much information, but very necessary in the light of this episode.

I always enjoy the challenges which have the castaways attempt to be creative. So, I was pleased to see that the tree mail told them to decorate huge straw voodoo dolls in their own likeness, then head off to the Rewards Challenge with them. Cirie was a hoot building up the chest on her doll, but Shane should have made the pants on his doll droop more and somehow reflect that odd little malnourished boy figure of his.

The Rewards Challenge itself was one of those which reveal the pecking order of the tribe. Jeff posed questions about the tribe members; the tribe members then had to answer what tribe member was the most popular answer. Folks who got the answer right got to chop a rope leading to the voodoo doll of their choice. Three chops would set fire to the doll and knock that player out of the running.

This challenge was a bit of a two-fold whammy for some -- it showed the order the majority wanted out of the game by whose ropes were chopped the quickest, plus the questions themselves revealed rather controversial impressions for some. For example, Courtney was the one most chose as Most Annoying. You would think she freaked right then and there, but Shane wins the Freaking Award. He took every cut of his rope as a personal affront, was upset that folks thought he thought he was in charge of the game and went down-out whacko when Cirie (the winner) didn't choose him to accompany her on the reward. Heck, Terry knew he'd be first out and just accepted it. He also figured that Cirie would send him to Exile Island, which she did.

The reward was a helicopter trip to a spa, feast and overnight rest. Cirie chose Aras and Danielle to go with her. I'd imagine to this day Shane is still resenting her choice. Oh, the Drama Mama Shane! I think if I had been there, I would have chopped his voodoo doll rope just to watch him go crazy!

While the three were off to the spa, it left only Shane, Courtney and Bruce back at the camp. Bruce crawled off to writhe in pain while Courtney and Shane fussed at each other. Sheesh, just call it a tie -- they're both the Most Annoying! And, another thing that I find annoying about Shane is that his front is usually blurred because he wears his pants too low under that little boy belly physique of his! I don't think I've ever seen any of the men on the show constantly blurred there. Eww.

Bruce's pain eventually necessitated calling in the medics. (Good-looking male medics with cool British accents, I might add.) He was hauled on out of there as the medic couldn't rule out appendix issues. Oh. And Shane was naked through all of that. Poor Courtney.

So, like when Mike Skupin was removed from a show for severe burns, Bruce is gone and there was no Tribal Council. After the reward winners and Terry returned, Jeff informed them that Bruce had a severe intestinal blockage. If the doctors permit, he might be able to be on the jury. But, he's out of the running for the million. The spoiler sites pre-season had this one right. They knew Bruce was carted off, but I don't recall any claiming illness. I had the impression it would be an injury.

Out of the castaways left, I have a few I'd like to see make it to the Final Four. I'd like to see Terry there because he's really kicking butt on the show despite the Casaya-LaMina numbers game. I'd like to see Cirie make it just because she seemed like the least likely person to make it anywhere near the end, but she's a smart player. She's very observant of others and stronger in the natural setting than I thought she ever would be. Although he's not my favorite player, I have a pre-season online cyber-bet that Aras will be there. Hmmm ... now I have to pick a fourth, eh? Let me think about it!

'Survivor' Recap/Review Will Be Posted Tomorrow Evening

My apologies to those who may be looking for it. Due to odd circumstance, I'll get the review up tomorrow night.

'Survivor: Exile Island' East Coast Update 4/20 - Gone

Bruce's entire digestive system was blocked up. He will not be returning to the game although if cleared, he might be a jury member. No Immunity Challenge and no vote tonight as Bruce is out of the running for the million.

'Aurvivor: Exile Island' East Coast Update 4/20 - Medical Emergency

Bruce has been removed by medics for severe stomach pain. Medics say they can't rule out appendix problems and must take him for treatment.

The other emergency was that Shane was naked through this.
Ewww. Poor Courtney.

'Survivor: Exile Island' East Coast Update 4/20 - Reward

Cirie won the Reward Challenge - a helicopter ride, spa, feast overnight. She could choose two to go with her - Aras and Danielle. She chose Terry for Exile Island.

Immunity and boot updates will be posted as they happen. A full recap/review will be posted late this evening.

'The Amazing Race 9' - Ep. 8 -or- "TTOW! Dig It, Hippies, Dig!"

Perhaps the desert sun was beating down, but I was shivering; shivering in fear that my favorite team would hear the words, "I'm sorry to tell you, but you've been eliminated." Yes, we're due for a non-Philimination leg, maybe even overdue for one. Usually the non-elims save teams I want to go away. So, what happens on this week's The Amazing Race?

Five teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?

The show opened on the southern tip of Greece where the teams spent 12 hours in a mandatory rest period at the last Pit Stop. The "Frat Boys" Eric and Jeremy (also known as HornDogz and Surfer Jerks) were the first to depart as they had arrived first in the last leg of the race. The clue directed them to take one of two charter buses to the airport where they would head to Muskat, Oman. That's near Saudi Arabia. The hitch was that there were two buses, one leaving an hour after the other. All the teams except one got aboard the first bus, set to go at 9 AM. Oh, no! The team running an hour behind? Fan favorites and my personal favorite team of BJ and Tyler! Waaaah!

They took it in stride, though. They pretended the empty bus carried not only them, but the teams eliminated thus far during the race. BJ did a spot on impersonation of Lake and I smiled despite the fact that my team was already starting behind all the others.

Once the teams arrived at the airport, it happened all over again. All the teams except for BJ/Tyler ended up on one flight. BJ and Tyler took a flight which landed in Oman an hour later as the first one was full. Life just ain't fair, I tell ya! Oh, wait. Maybe it is fair. Maybe it's a bunching point which will even up all leads once again. They were supposed to find this huge incense burner building and sure enough, its opening time allowed all the teams to run for the clue at approximately the same time. Phew!

The Incense Clue directed the teams to the town of Sur, about 135 miles away. They had to find the ferry crossing which held their next clue. All of the teams were impressed by the country, as was I. Stunning architecture, interesting people. But we didn't have time to dawdle - there's a race to be run! In a bit of Revenge of the Nerds, Fran and Barry passed Jeremy and Eric. I loved it! Monica/Joe and Ray/Yolanda both got quite lost. Ray and Yolanda fought from the start of the leg, too. Too bad, so sad. The teams had to drive their 4-wheel drive vehicles through sands and floods. In the latter, a native of the area on foot led them through the water. BJ/Tyler knew how to say "thank you" in Arabic. Cool. The phonetic pronunciation is SUE-cah-ron. I learned something new.

The clue received at the ferry was for a Detour - a choice of two tasks, each usually having a cultural glimpse into the area. The choice this time was Camel or Watchtower. After I stopped humming "All Along the Watchtower," I noted that most of the teams chose Watchtower where teams had to find a cluebox located in one of three watchtowers. Not all the watchtowers held clues, some held multiple clues and it was first find, first get clue. Once the clue was found, they had to deliver it. It was a very ornate silver doohickey containing the clue. I want one! BJ/Tyler and Fran/Barry teamed up and got the first clues! Woohoo for the Hippies and the Oldsters!

The Frat Juniors chose Camel as their task. They had to use a block and tackle to raise a camel into the back of a pickup truck, then deliver the camel to receive their clue. They had been first, but got incredibly lost driving what should have been a few minutes to deliver the camel. Joe and Monica, who changed tasks, beat them. Ray and Yolanda, running last, took only a few minutes for the delivery if you can believe the editing.

The clue after the Detour led to a village 80 miles away towards sand dunes and desert territory. (Not to be confused with dessert territory, in which I have a personal expertise!) Uh-oh, it's a Roadblock - a task only one member of a team can complete. This one looked miserable. There were 117 sand mounds. The chosen team member had to dig for what was actually food cooking in a sand oven ... in the heat. BJ and Tyler got there first, but it was the second arrivals Fran and Barry who actually found the food first.

Here's where my boys ran into trouble. All of the teams arrived after them and BJ was still digging long after all the other teams left. And, they knew the clue they'd receive directed teams to the next Pit Stop (Jabreen Castle) where one team may be eliminated. Oh, no! Horrors! BJ looked like he was going to pass out! The bickering Ray and Yolanda beat them! Jeremy and Eric got hopelessly lost once again and beat them! Everyone beat them! I was about to have a panic attack for my favorite team, yes I was! I knew deep down that a non-elimination leg was overdue. Please, please, Phil! As the boys said, "The Eliminator will not eliminate us!" They never lost their spirit even though BJ was visibly exhausted. I was on the edge of my seat.

The arrival order at the Pit Stop was:

1. Fran/Barry. Oh, my. Who woulda thunk it? They also won a Rome vacations. Good for them.

2. Monica/Joe

3. Ray/Yolanda

4. Eric/Jeremy

5. SNIFFLE - BJ/Tyler arrived clicking their heels and happy even though they knew they were last.

But ... yay! It is indeed a non-Philimination leg. They're still in the race! TTOW!

I'm so happy that for once a non-elimination leg saved a team I wanted to remain in the race. These two guys are upbeat, intelligent and just plain fun. I love how they've known at least some of each language in each country though which they've traveled. I love how they root on Fran and Barry. I love that, while they're definitely competitive, they're not mean to anyone. I want them to win.

What team's your favorite? Did you think Fran and Barry would ever make a first place finish?

'American Idol' East Coast Update 4/19 Boot

Bottom Three -

Paris, Ace and Chris.

Ace going home.

'Amazing Race 9' 4/19 East Coast Update Arrival Order and ...

The teams arrived to the Pit Stop in this order:

1. Fran and Barry. Yes, I said Fran and Barry. They won a trip for two to Rome.
2. Monica and Joe
3. Ray and Yolanda
4. Eric and Jeremy
5. Last ... BJ and Tyler... BUT, it's a non-Philimination leg! They're still in it! Phew! We were due for a non-elim. I'm glad it's now.

A full review/recap will be posted later tonight. An East Coast Update for the American Idol boot will be posted when it's announced here.

WCBS-TV (NYC), Darn You!

My early mornings just aren't the same. Y'see, I'm usually up by 5:30 AM to get ready for my workday. I'm out the door before 6:30. And, more importantly, I'm not really a morning person. Oh, yeah ... I like to see the sunrise at times. But, more often than not, I like to see my bed.

The past three years or so, I've been an addict of the local CBS affiliate's early early morning news show. I've mentioned it before on the blog. The CBS 2 News Crew in its prime featured Dave Price (weather and craziness), Shon Gables, Mario Bosquez, Vanessa Alfano (traffic reports) and Duke Castiglione (sports and the infamous Stump Duke t-shirt giveaways). They made me smile; sometimes I even guffawed early in the morning. Yes, they delivered the news, but it was more than that. The chemistry between the folks on the show, the zaniness of Price Gone Amok, the music choices from Scooter and Dave, the Dance Fridays ... all gone. One by one, the cast has been vanishing.

First I noticed Duke was mysteriously gone. Of course, I miss a bit of the show. Perhaps there was an announcement, but I didn't hear one. Duke, the NYC transplant, whose father was the voice of the Red Sox radio reporting, was always fun to watch in the "Stump Duke" segments where folks would e-mail or call in sports questions. Quite often, he got stumped and the caller would receive a t-shirt. Sometimes celebrities called in. I never did. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy watching the segment, though.

Then, one day, I heard Vanessa Alfano say something about not being there next week in regard to something going on with Dave Price. I assumed she would be on vacation. She and Dave had a flirting fun thing going on -- Dave acted like it was a case of unrequited love, while in reality it looked like just a good friendship hammed up for the cameras. Alas, she never got her Muppet and poof ... gone. I know anyone can do traffic; it doesn't require a lot of personality or anything. But I enjoyed her.

I've had my secret crush (okay, not so secret I guess) on Mario Bosquez for a while. He just seems like such a nice guy. He has a pleasant announcer's voice and comes across as an intriguing intelligent man. Although he's off the early morning show, he's apparently staying in some capacity at the station. In the past, he's often filled in on anchor slots when folks are away. I'll be looking for him! Well, not literally stalking or anything. I'll be looking for his appearances on newscasts.

Then there's Shon Gables. I like her. She's quick-witted, personable, attractive and intelligent. She's involved with so many community things as a representative of the station that I hope she'll be around in some capacity somehow. I'd rather see her than Roz Abrams who seems to be intent on posing cute or something to that effect. She, Mario and Dave all had their 2 Crew Muppets. Sigh.

Of course, I feel the heart of the show was Dave Price. He was the magic which inspired the rest. Recently, his mentor in the business, the retired Jim Ryan joined the Crew. I saw his announcement last week that it would be his last day as a regular anchor but that he would be a contributing reporter or such. But, when Price went, I figured Jim would go. I think he came aboard due to Price. And, Dave Price ... the last year or so I was wondering how he could keep up such a hectic pace traveling here and there for The Early Show, yet always getting up even earlier on location to transmit the local NYC stuff via satellite. He's cut back his duties to just the national show. While I understand on a human exhausting point of view kind of way, his departure made my early morning routine less happy and more ... well, routine.

Oh, why couldn't they have at least kept Mario and Shon in the early morning slot? Instead, WCBS 2 changed absolutely every little thing about the show so many of us dedicated viewers loved. Nothing against Maurice DuBois - he's professional, attractive, well-spoken and all. But his strictly news, no fun, no bits of personality shining through just doesn't cut it in the morning. I'm still not sure of the imported from the Midwest co-anchor's name. I just know it isn't Shon. Of course, I wish her luck in her new endeavor. I know that getting aboard the NYC viewing market is a big thing for a TV news person. The set has changed; the attitude and fun is gone out of the show. What the heck is WCBS doing? Trying to culture shock us by going from one extreme to the other? Heck, if I want just straightlaced news in the morning, I can turn to any station.

Maybe I'll just go back to listening to New Jersey 101.5 in the mornings as I did before discovering the the ultimate morning news show which is now history. Sigh...

'Survivor: Exile Island' - Ep. 9 -or- "Chafing Shane, Insane in the Brain and Not So Privates Pain"

Something has to change on the show or Terry will have to be Superman. Although he's such a strong player, I get irked when one tribe is picked off one by one in a numbers game after the merge. Yes, he has the hidden Immunity Idol from Exile Island, but is he going to conquer the odds against him? I guess we'll just have to keep watching, right?

Eight are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

After the predictable and inevitable recap of last week's show, we opened on Day 22 at the Gitanos campsite. Super Terry was going on about his jet fighter pilot career, something which may not endear him to others who already are worried because he keeps winning immunity. Courtney, Cirie and Danielle were giggling as he talked to Shane and Aras about his past. We got a hint of what Danielle wants for the ousted order when she said in a confessional Terry, then Sally, then Aras. That really didn't surprise me much - go after the remaining LaMina folks, then hit the strongest Casaya one. She searched through Terry's stuff a bit looking for the hidden Immunity Idol to no avail while telling the girls it was a "furry thing." Many are doubtful Terry has the Idol. Aras actually wants to be sent to Exile Island so he can look for it or traces that it's gone.

In the Rewards Challenge, they all got to see a tidbit of videos from loved ones. Shane went hysterical while watching his son and, again not a surprise, was the most emotional. His child looks like a normal little boy. That was the surprise! The tribe was randomly split into two teams. The winning team would see their videos in their entirety while chowing down on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and guzzling cold milk. The challenge itself was a new one for the show. One team member was harnessed in a cradle suspended by bungee cords and the other three had to steer her (both teams went for women) with ropes to collect 15 numbered flags in order. Once the last flag was placed in its holder, the team would win. Along with the videos and treat, the winning team would choose someone to send to Exile Island. The team of Terry, Courtney, Bruce and Sally won. Aras got his wish; he was sent to Exile Island.

We didn't see the videos as the show focused on those folks who headed back to camp. Shane was fussing and fretting. What now? He called Cirie over to him and told her, "I have an issue with my penis." Of course, she cracked up. He insisted she look at it (poor woman) as she's a nurse. She explained to him that he's been wearing wet underwear for more than 20 days and he's chafing. He didn't understand. "But it's all red! LOOK!" Finally she told him it's like diaper rash and he understood that. He made his shirt into a skirt. What an odd, odd little man.

Aras had troubles with the clues over on Exile Island. He spent some time digging and finally gave up to relax. He couldn't determine whether someone has the Idol or not, but he thinks it's probably been found. He's probably right, I'd say. Heh.

Shane, Cirie and Danielle were already not too thrilled that Bruce, Terry, Courtney and Sally saw their videos and ate. They were outright disgusted that the four returned with their luxury items, too. Now, this is weird. We haven't seen the luxury items for the last few seasons. Apparently, although they haven't had them on the show, contestants are still selecting them. Bruce had a sketchbook, Terry had the flag from his father-in-law's funeral, Sally had her journal and Courtney had fire toys - basically two ropes, each with an attached ball. Remember, she has an act she does with fire. She's a performance artist, oh-la-la-la.

The Immunity Challenge wasn't in itself all that thrilling. Castaways had to swim out and dive down to a huge bar with 7 symbols, memorize the order, swim to shore and recreate the bar in the proper order in a puzzle box. The twist was that each person was handed a nut and a shell. (I don't know why that had to be done, all Jeff would have to do is ask...!) One meant they wanted to go for Immunity, the other meant they felt secure and would gorge themselves on hamburgers, fries and sodas rather than compete. As I said, the shell/nut bit wasn't necessary at all. Just ask! It ended up that the only three competing in the challenge were Aras, Sally and Terry. Terry won. He's immune once again, plus has the Exile Island Hidden Idol. You go, Terry!

So, back at camp, the campaigning and trying to flip some Casaya members over started anew. The results were the same as last week, not a flip in the bunch. At Tribal Council, the vote went right by LaMina and Casaya lines -- six votes for Sally and two for Aras. Terry wisely, for his own game, didn't use the hidden idol to save Sally. After all, once that hand is played, it's over. Right now, although outnumbered, his only chance is to keep winning immunity until at least the Final Four and keep the find a secret. In Sally's good-bye confessional, she said she totally understands why he didn't use it to save her and hopes he wins it all.

My opinion? I'm getting a bit perplexed with this season. Yes, I understand why Casaya members aren't flipping. I don't think I would, either. I like Terry. I think he's pretty ethical in how he's playing the game. He seems like a good guy and he's definitely one of the strongest competitors ever on the show. While he has the figurative ace up his sleeve, is that going to be enough to go against the Sinister Six?

What do you think?

'Survivor: Panama - Exile Island' East Coast Update 4/13 - Voted Off

Sally was voted off. Voting went along Casaya/La Mina lines - 2 votes for Aras, 6 for Sally.

A full review/recap will be posted late this evening.

'Survivpr: Panama - Exile Island' East Coast Update 4/13 - Immunity

Terry won Immunity once again!

'Survivor: Panama - Exile Island' East Coast Update 4/13 - Reward and Exile

The tribe was split into two random teams for the Rewards Challenge. The team of Terry, Bruce, Courtney and Sally won. Reward was watching videos from home while eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with cold milk. They chose to send Aras to Exile Island.

I will enter East Coast Updates for Immunity and Tribal Council as they happen here in the East. A full recap/review will be posted late tonight.

'The Amazing Race 9' - Ep. 7 -or- "Fast Forwards, Penalties and a Hippie Scare, Oh My!"

I still have to get used to this new day and time. The 8 PM hour is better than 9 PM as it would then be against Lost. I don't want that to happen! Yipes! But, remember folks ... it's now on at 8 PM ET/PT on Wednesdays in most viewing areas. I know a few folks got caught off guard with the change last week and this season's too good to miss!

Six teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?

We picked up with the teams at their Sicily Pit Stop from last week. Here's one of the things I love about the show -- the history of some of the places where they travel. Their location is Sicily was founded in 734 B.C. Wow! That right there is amazing, isn't it? Jeremy/Eric were the first team to leave at 10:33 PM while the last team to depart was Ray/Yolanda at 1:02 AM. That's not an incredibly huge time difference. Well, if I were racing for a million dollars, I may think otherwise. But, in the end, it didn't matter. The clue received directed the teams to travel by train to Rome where they then must find the Trevi Fountain, locate a man on a red and yellow scooter and get the next clue from him. It turns out that the train station didn't open until 4 AM and the first train to Rome would be at 8 AM. So, two and a half hours between first and last meant nothing -- we hit another infamous TAR bunching point.

However, it was at the train station that either Jeremy or Eric said of Lake: "I think he's bipolar." They could be right!

I noticed a few teams taking a taxi. Ray/Yolanda and BJ/Tyler. Uh-oh! Didn't the clue specify train? All the other teams took the train. Hmm...

Continuing to set the pace, Jeremy/Eric got to the clue first. That clue directed them a mile away, but more importantly it gave them the first piece of a DaVinci Code graphic. The instructions told them to put the pieces together and crack the code. The first team to bring the correct solution to the Pit Stop would win ... something. Okay. When BJ/Tyler found their piece, the conversation went like this -
"What's that?"
"It's a naked man, that's what it is!"

That clue led them to the airport where there was yet another bunching point. All the teams ended up on the same flight to Athens, Greece. They're bunching teams a lot this season. While I understand that the teams can't get spread too far apart or the outcome won't have any kick to it, twice in a leg? If that bunching point with the flight didn't get them, their destination in Greece would. It didn't open until 8 AM. What was amazing at that time is that Fran/Barry got to the clue first! The clue indicated a Fast Forward was available, one of two on the race. More than a few teams made a go at it. Mo/Jo got there first, then Jeremy/Eric. Since it was a one mile hike on foot, Fran and Barry lost their lead. Much to the dismay of MoJo who had been at it for a while, Jeremy/Eric found the clue breaking plates to reveal a TAR flag. A small one, of course. Supposedly, the breaking of plates wards off mischievous spirits. Who am I to argue? Excuse me while I go to the kitchen to break a plate or two...

There. I'm back. Where was I? Oh. Greece.

Jeremy and Eric went onto the Pit Stop at the Fortress of Dorion where they not only arrived first, but had their DaVinci Code bit figured out. I'll talk about that later, but the other teams still had a race going on. The remaining teams had a Roadblock (a task only one team member can perform) ahead. Bungee jumping, woohoo! Of course, we had to watch Monica cry and Fran/Barry whine a lot trying to get there. Once at the Roadblock, Fran would have something to whine about. It was either her turn to do the Roadblock or she just committed to doing it before reading the entire clue. It turns out bungee jumping scares her to death. Not quite. She lived through it. Just barely, though. It was 240 feet into a canal. I'd love to give that one a try!

The clue after the bungee jump led teams directly into a Detour, a choice of two tasks tied in with Greek Mythology or culture. The choices were Herculean Effort which had the teams perform three Olympic sports - discus, javelin and wrestling or It's All Greek to Me where teams had to select nine pottery chunks marked with Greek letters, translate the letters to English, then solve the clue as the word would be a location on a map they received. Most of the teams chose the sports event and the wrestling was a hoot! Fran and Barry knew that the physical task wouldn't be a wise choice and went for the cerebral challenge. Lake and Michelle ended up at that task only because they got lost.

The show then got very scary. Y'see, BJ and Tyler are my favorite team this season. They got lost! Oh, no! They got to Herculean Effort after all the other teams departed! Nononononono! For a while, it looked like they would be the last team to arrive. Thankfully, Lake and Michelle got more lost after leaving All Greek to Me. Phew!

The finish order was:
1. Jeremy/Eric - Since they also presented the finished DaVinci Code Product Placement Propaganda puzzle, they will attend the Hollywood premiere of the movie on May 19 and get the red "cappet" (as Phil pronounces it) treatment.
2. Monica/Joe - Originally Ray/Yolanda, but they got a 15 minute penalty for taking a taxi to the station and MoJo arrived before the 15 minutes were up.
3. Ray/Yolanda
4. Fran/Barry - Who should have gotten some sort of penalty for Barry smashing the whole back end of the car into a tree. "I didn't see it."
5. Arriving piggyback, BJ/Tyler. They also got a 15 minute penalty, but no teams arrived during it.
6. Lake/Michelle. Last and Philiminated. Bye, bye Lake ... I won't miss you!

To be honest, I didn't think it would be Lake and Michelle gone this week. I actually figured it to be a non-elimination leg. We're overdue for one of them. I thought Barry and Fran would be last to the mat, elimination or not. It's a good thing I'm not a gambler, eh?

What did you think of tonight's episode?

'American Idol' 4/12 East Coast Update - Bottom 3 and Boot

The bottom three are Elliott, Ace and Bucky.

Bucky is gone.

FINALLY! Yay!

'The Amazing Race 9' East Coast Update 4/12

Here's the order at the mat -

1. Jeremy and Eric used the Fast Forward. Won a trip to the Hollywood premiere of The DaVinci Code
2. Monica and Joe replacing Ray and Yolanda who received a 15 minute penalty
3. Ray and Yolanda
4. Fran/Barry
5. BJ/Tyler - who got lost and received a 15 minute penalty
6. Lake/Michelle, indeed Philiminated.

A full report will be posted later. I must watch Lost! I have American Idol taping in the background and will get the boot up when I know.

'Big Brother 7' News

From this article - Entertainment Weekly's EW.com Feature: All-star ''Big Brother'': It's on! - it appears that this summer's Big Brother 7 will indeed be the wanted-by-many-but-not-by-me All Stars show. I'm just personally not too keen on watching folks I've already watched before on reality shows. That said, I'll be watching because I'm a BB addict and I'm pretty sure I'll have the feeds once again. I don't think I could get into the show without the feeds accompanying it. I'm also pretty sure I'll be blogging about the show, whether on this blog or another or perhaps even a team set up with other bloggers. Unless I have knee surgery again this summer (which is unlikely, but there are knee issues) and have the summer off from work again, I won't be able to devote the kind of time I did with last year's blog. But, with the help of other fans, maybe we can get something fun going once again to while away the summer days while watching the House Hamsters!

Here's a quote from the article:

...for the first time ever fans will get to choose who participates in the game from a pool of 20 former houseguests (BB6's Kaysar Ridha, stay by your phone!). CBS has yet to announce how or when voting will occur.

So... who do you want to see return on the show?

'The Apprentice 5' - Ep. 8 -or- "P'eatzza Party'

All right, it's onto the second episode aired tonight. Or, last night by the time most will read this. (Grr.)

Trump had the candidates meet him at the fountain in Cherry Hill in Central Park. No, don't ask me. I know where a lot of things are in the park, but that's not one with which I'm familiar. It's a big park, y'know.

He came driving a fancy-schmancy souped up car with doors like the old Pantera or DeLorean cars. I'm thinking the term is gull-wing doors, but what do I know? Why they met there makes no sense to me other that he could drive up in the cool car. He made the offer for anyone from Synergy who thinks they can help Gold Rush win to make the switch. Michael was feeling very alienated by his team as they all told him that they won the last task in spite of his poor leadership. (Yes, I agree with them. He's a nice guy, but doesn't trust his own judgment.) So, he went over to Gold Rush.

The task this episode was to promote 7-11's new P'eatzza sandwich -- a combination of pizza and sandwich. Each team was assigned to a store and the goal was to increase sales through promotion of said sandwich. Eh. Andrea decided she wanted to be the Project Manager for Synergy and Leslie took the reins for Gold Rush. Andrea abruptly decided caps would be the promotional giveaway. "It is HATS." Um, okay, Ma'am.

The foreshadow quote was "Know Your Customer." Of course, Donald Trump gave a mini-lecture about it. So far this season, the phrase has indicated something wayward with the team which inevitably loses. This time, not so much. I think this time it referred to the final two in the Boardroom. But I'm getting ahead of myself here.

Synergy picked a decent price for their promo -- $4 for one or $6 for two. And, they had the caps. Over at Gold Rush, Lee kept saying he knew the area and he knew the customer as it was a college clientele. Leslie really didn't listen to him on the price. He kept saying it was too high. They were giving a rather neat six-pack cooler with the sandwich, but the price was $7.99 for one, $8.99 for two. Yikes! I know 7-11 prices. For eight bucks a sandwich, cooler or not, I want a table! Lee was right. Leslie also came up with odd trivia doings. I still don't see her reasoning on that one. She obviously doesn't know the 7-11 customer. Except for drunks in the wee hours, most people go to 7-11 planning to get in and out quickly with their purchase and trivia isn't going to attract them. Lee, meanwhile, asked the manager to pull all the sandwiches except the P'eatzza. That was a good move.

On the day of the event, the trivia failed and Lee vanished, irking Leslie even more at him. It turns out he was trying to make a deal to sell a thousand sandwiches to a corporate customer. He would be the hero or the goat. In the end, the deal fell through. But I was impressed with his actions with management and his deal attempt. He's not just political -- he tried to get it done.

When it came time for the Boardroom, both teams did better than I thought either would. Gold Rush increased sales by 608% at their location. Alas for them, Synergy increased by 997%. Unbelievable!

As a reward for Synergy, the team took a private jet plane to Washington, D.C. where they met New York Senator Chuck Schumer. After a nice time with him, it was off to the White House where Sean got all choked up. He only had his green card for six months and loves America. He thinks he's living the American Dream. Aw.

Back at the Boardroom, Michael feels that he fit in better on the losing team than the winning one, so he has no regrets. Leslie was intent on blaming Lee when the main mistake the team made was the high price point. That was her decision and he was very vocal more than a few times about it being too high. She chose to only bring Lee in the Boardroom with her. Of the two, in my opinion, Lee really tried harder and was innovative. Plus, he wanted the lower price.

"You're fired, Leslie. Oh. And, happy birthday!"

She really didn't give Trump much choice on this one. What was she thinking with that price? What do you think?

Dollar bills, y'all...

'The Apprentice 5' - Ep. 7 -or- "Russian Through the Ice"

I hate when they do this. I really hate it. The Apprentice aired two episodes back to back and there will be no new show next Monday night. Oh, whatever happened to one new show a week at the same time (as in same Bat Channel and same Bat Time) each week for an entire season? The next new show will air two weeks from now on April 24.

This episode opened with Leslie crying over losing Bryce, someone she considered a friend. We all know she wants Lenny gone. Will she get her wish? Lenny decided since he was on thin ice, he'd be Project Manager to prove himself ... or not.

The candidates, wearing silly hardhats, met Donald Trump, wearing a silly hairdo (apparently it doubles as a hardhat) atop of the Trump Building at 40 Wall Street. There were two executives from Ace Hardware there, as well as an executive from the Boys and Girls Clubs. The task? Well, based on creativity, originality and judge's approval, teams had to renovate a Boys and Girls club with a theme in mind. Woohoo! Fingerpaints! Oh. Okay, no finger paints. Sigh...

Lenny started right off on a bad foot with the project. He decided music or dance, which were okay. But he didn't make a real decision although he finally focused on music. More than one time I heard him say "I don't care." What kind of attitude is that? Even if he was having problems dealing with Charmaine, that's not the phrase he should use. Eek! When they had the meeting with the executives, Lenny just went tongue-tied. If not for the rest of the team, no questions would be asked. That was their chance to find out what the execs wanted which, in the end, would win the task.

The commercial break return foreshadowing quote and lecture from Trump this episode was "Be Decisive." D'oh! Why didn't he say, "You're fired, Lenny" and get it done and over with right then and there?

Over at Synergy, Michael was the Project Manager and was pretty much the polar opposite of Lenny. He didn't stop asking questions of the executives to the point of repeating himself and becoming a bit annoying. But, at least he asked good questions for the most part. They decided on a variety of activities which would be interactive and children could gather in groups. They went for a big screen TV, video games, music, a comfy girls' gathering corner and board games.

In my opinion, both teams blew it with time management. It's a wonder either team got things done. Michael dawdled and was indecisive. Lenny was dismissive of others and indecisive. Everyone fussed at each other. Lenny and Lee like each other, but Charmaine and Tarek don't like either. Synergy on the whole was frustrated with Michael's lack of leadership. Both teams were a mess. Bill Rancic actually asked Andrea what she thought of Michael's leadership qualities in front of Michael! Ack! She fumbled through it rather politely for her.

However, when the execs arrived, both clubs were finished. They seemed more impressed with Synergy's multiple interactive activities than with Gold Rush's simply music. The children brought in actually seemed more excited by the music only one, but they weren't the ultimate judge. In the end, the judges went for a Synergy win. As their reward, they took a young girl with cancer to a Make a Wish Foundation sponsored toy buying spree at Toys 'R Us. It was touching.

Gold Rush got to visit the Boardroom once again. Lee, in a show of loyalty to his buddy Lenny, coached Lenny on what he should and shouldn't say to Trump. Now, of course, I'm wondering how even Loyal Lee could think that Lenny could indeed actually work for Trump if he won the show. Yes, Lenny has drive, but he has few people skills at all. Lenny asked Lee if he could bring him in the Boardroom and it was given that he'd bring Charmaine as those two are like oil and water.

Lenny pleaded conspiracy. Lenny tried his best to make Charmaine look bad, but it didn't work. She really did nothing wrong in the task. A "no-brainer" as Bill said.

"Lenny, you're fired."

Trump did think highly of Lee's loyalty. I personally think it was misplaced unless Lee planned to have a poor candidate against himself at the end. Friendship is one thing, but defending someone like Lenny ... I don't know.

Welp, there's another episode yet to be written up before I hit the sack. What did you think of the show?

Dollar bills, y'all...

'Survivor: Exile Island' - Ep. 8 -or- "Bonding Ain't What It Used To Be"

Nine are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

Tonight's episode opened on Day 19 at the Gitanos camp. Ah, Austin explained his behavior at Tribal Council. He was so certain he was going to be voted out that he felt he had to explain how he tried to look weak. Of course, that backfired on him. Now he's got the biggest target in Panama plastered on his back. That target would be Terry's, but he keeps winning everything and we know he has the hidden Immunity Idol from Exile Island. If he keeps this up, he's going to make Tom Westman look like a wimp! Courtney and others feel they made the wrong choice in voting Nick off instead of Austin. Aw, too bad. Too late. Aras keeps pushing the Casaya Agenda and no one trusts Austin. It's not a happy place, not at all.

But the Rewards Challenge comes around and temporary happiness will be had by a few castaways while two others will be in for the most miserable two days of their lives. Jeff splits the tribe into three teams of three -- Shane, Austin, Terry; Bruce, Aras and Sally and Cirie, Courtney and Danielle. The teams had to run coconuts from up on the beach and put them in the boats of their opponents, the objective being to weigh the boats down and slow the other team(s) as they row out to retrieve their flag and a net. After arriving back at shore, they had to load the coconuts in the net and haul them up the beach loading them into a coconut corral. Aras kept pushing for the girls to target the mens' boat. It didn't really work too well. The Women Only team ended up having to put coconuts in their own boat after the other teams finished loading their nuts. Had the Men Only team not decided to take two trips with their coconuts, they might have won. Instead, it was Aras, Sally and Bruce winning Reward.

They won a bed and breakfast feast and the opportunity to name a person from each of the other teams to go to Exile Island. Aras took over and decided Austin and Danielle would go. The B&B initially started out bad. It was pouring rain and the canopied bed was on a sandbar, soaked clear through. But once the food arrived, all was peachy keen. According to Sally, "I can't believe I'm cold and wet and in a bed with two strange men." Well, it happens. Meanwhile, over on Exile Island, Austin and Danielle are really suffering. No fire, no shelter and they're cold miserable. A perfect situation for bonding. But will the bond be enough to break tribal ties?

While the Lucky Three chowed down in their damp bed and the Exiled Two shivered, back at camp Terry was once again campaigning. He was prying information out of Shane who admitted he wants the final four to be himself, Aras, Cirie and Courtney. Of course, that gave Terry the idea of who to pursue for a flip -- Danielle and Bruce. Will it work? Once Sally and the Breakfast Club returned, Terry told her he had the hidden Immunity Idol and was planning on using it to barter votes. Now, I'm not sure that was such a good move. I think Terry has got to be one of the strongest contestants ever on the show. He has the ace in the hole and it's not a game of tribal lines anymore. I personally think he should have kept things mum and remember it's his ticket to $1,000,000 if he plays it right.

The Immunity Challenge was a huge contrived affair. There was running, digging, crawling, jumping, brainteasers, a Lincoln Log type obstacle course and more. Eventually it was down to the three ex-La Mina members pitted against each other, then down to Sally and Terry. Terry won, not surprisingly. However, it was pretty surprising that Sally was only a smidgen behind him. She almost snagged Immunity. I'm suitably impressed, aren't you?

Then the scheming starts. Danielle claims she's bonded with Austin. She also is angry with Aras for sending her to Exile Island. All the women get ticked off at Aras. Shane, for once, stayed out of the fracas. Terry is going around telling Danielle and Bruce that they're the next targets of their own tribe. He offered Danielle the Immunity Idol to flip her vote. Bruce claimed he respects Terry more than members of his own tribe. So, what happens?

They voted along previous tribal lines at Tribal Council. Five votes for Austin and three for Aras. So much for bonding. So much for Terry's secret find.

"Austin, the tribe has spoken. You must leave the Tribal Council area immediately."

Argh. Terry should have kept his mouth shut about the Idol. Obviously, Bruce and Danielle didn't flip and now everyone will know he has it. What is going on with him? He's a great player and it's honorable that he doesn't lie or cheat. But he should know that's not Survivor.

I found this episode very frustrating. What did you think?

'Survivor: Exile Island' East Coast Update 4/06 - Voted Off

By a vote of 5-3, Austin was voted off. Aras received the 3 votes. The hidden Immunity Idol didn't come into play.

A full recap/review will be posted later tonight. Please stop back! :-)

'Survivor: Exile Island' East Coast Update 4/06 - Immunity

Terry won Immunity. Again!

'Survivor: Panama - Exile Island' East Coast Update - Reward/Exile

The tribe was split into teams of three for the Reward Challenge. At stake was bed and breakfast and the choice of who to send to Exile Island.

The teams were chosen by Jeff (or producers, or someone not a castaway) -
Shane, Terry, Austin
Bruce, Aras, Sally
Cirie, Courtney, Danielle

Winning team - Bruce, Aras, Sally
Sent to Exile Island - Austin, Danielle

'The Amazing Race 9' - Ep. 6 -or- "He's Not Heavy; He's My Swordfish"

So, I had some nice grilled swordfish for dinner around 7 PM, then tuned into The Amazing Race at its new day and time - 8 PM ET/PT on Wednesday. I like the time, but prefer my TAR on Tuesdays. 9 PM on Tuesdays is good. Someone fix that, please. Huh. For some reason, I don't think the network cares what I think. Darn them to heck. There. I told them!

Apparently the new day and time necessitated a recap of the whole season thus far. Yikes! I sat through each team's trials and tribulations wondering when tonight's episode would really start. I'm not too thrilled with reality shows showing a five, sometimes ten, minute recap of the previous week. I've been watching. I don't need it. Oh. I forgot. The network didn't listen to me on time slot and day; they don't care what I think of weekly recaps. To the show ...

Seven teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?

The show opened where we left the teams in Sicily at the last Pit Stop. I learned that the word vandal is historically connected to a group of people from that area. Cool. I love learning trivia stuff! As the show progressed, it seemed fitting with the amount of graffiti on the walls of the cities there. It could almost rival the Lower East Side of Manhattan or along the NJ Transit train lines. I kept looking for an Uncle Sex tag to no avail.

After pausing to skritch-scratch a puppy's tummy, the first team to leave was BJ and Tyler. The clue directed teams to drive approximately 135 miles to the city of Catania where they had to find an historic amphitheatre. They referred to Jeremy and Eric as the Frat Brats while Eric/Jeremy mentioned pixie dust while talking about them. Of course, neither comment was actually made to the teams. The race is on!

The destination was supposed to be yet another bunching point for the teams, something which usually gives the teams departing later a chance to catch up -- it didn't open until 8:30 AM. BJ and Tyler arrived first and decided to make an "official" sign up sheet for arriving team order and entrance once the site opened. Jeremy and Eric came along next, noticed BJ/Tyler napping in their car and almost fell for the "official" notice until it dawned on them that it was the other team's handiwork. Both teams were the only teams there at 8:30 when the gates opened as all the other teams got stuck in rush hour traffic and/or got a bit lost. The teams had to first find a clue, then count the number of heads on fenceposts around the structure. No, not real human heads, silly! Then they had to find the groundskeeper to tell him the count and receive the next clue. Jeremy/Eric edged out my favorite team of BJ/Tyler by moments, but it was enough to hand over the lead. I found this task very simple and, while the location was indeed historical, it wasn't too challenging at all.

That clue led to my dinner. Well, not directly to my dinner. At least, I don't think so. Teams were faced with a Detour -- Big Fish or Little Fish. In Big Fish, teams had to travel by foot to a street vendor, then each had to carry a 32 pound swordfish for a third of a mile to a street market. Once there, they had to find a particular vendor and swap the fish for the next clue. In Little Fish, teams traveled by foot directly to the market where they had to sell 2 kilos of a small fish whose name escapes me. Both groups of guys carried the Big Fish the best way, over their shoulders. Other teams had some issues. Monica had a breakdown over her fish, cried and fussed. In tears she declared it "the worst thing I've ever done!" Get a grip, girl! Even Ray was trying to carry his in one hand so as to not get his clothes fishy. Fran and Barry made the wise decision not to attempt Big Fish and were the only ones doing Little Fish. Amazingly, it didn't take them all that long to sell 2 kilos worth of fish. Little fish, that is. They thought it was fun.

Teams then had to drive to the town of Siracusa (not to be confused with Syracuse) where they encountered a Roadblock. Now, of course, a Roadblock is a task only one member of the team can undertake. This one was kayak water polo, which actually looked like fun. The racer had to join an existing game as part of a team, then score a goal. Most teams didn't have too much trouble with this. Barry had some rowing issues while Ray managed to capsize his kayak, but all got through it.

The clue after the Roadblock directed them to travel on foot to the Pit Stop where one team may be eliminated. Jeremy and Eric hung onto their lead and made it to the Pit Stop first passing a band playing some nice music. We got to see Phil dance. Um ... that brought back my nightmares of Donald Trump dancing. Make him stop!

The order of arrival was:
1. Jeremy and Eric -- won a Caribbean cruise
2. BJ and Tyler, frolicked their way in
3. Joe and Monica
4. Fran and Barry
5. Lake and Michelle
6. Ray and Yolanda
7. Dave and Lori - last team to arrive and Philiminated

Sigh. I liked Dave and Lori. I would like to see Lake and Michelle outta there. Or, even Monica and Joe. Ah, well. I guess the Force just wasn't with them. Watch ... next week one of the teams I want gone will be last and it will be a non-elimination leg. I'm still liking BJ and Tyler the best out of the bunch. They're smart, funny and entertaining. I'd love to see them win!

How about you?

'American Idol' East Coast Update - Bottom Three and Boot

Bottom three --

Elliott. Mandisa and Paris.
Paris is safe.
Mandisa is going home.

'Amazing Race 9' East Coast Update 04/05

Arrival order to Pit Stop:

1. Eric/Jeremy - won a Caribbean cruise
2. BJ/Tyler
3. Monica/Joe
4. Fran/Barry
5. Lake/Michelle
6. Ray/Yolanda
7. Dave/Lori -- last and indeed Philiminated. So long, Nerds. I really enjoyed you on the show!

In an unrelated matter, I had grilled swordfish for dinner.

A full review/recap will be posted late this evening. An American Idol East Coast boot entry will be made as soon as it happens here. Meanwhile, I must watch Lost.

Tonight's Blogging Plan (and a bit of whining)

Well. This is the week with the new day and time for The Amazing Race. While I didn't care for the 10 PM (ET) slot for the show, I liked the day. I just wanted it at 9 PM. I just got into watching Bones in its Wednesday at 8 PM time slot instead of taping. Now it's back to taping. Grr. For me TAR was best on Tuesday night for another reason -- my regular day off from work is Wednesday, so I could watch the Philiminated on The Early Show. Now no more. I can't watch the eliminated Survivor, nor Amazing Race folks now,either. Grr!

Tonight's TV plan is as follows:
I will watch The Amazing Race, taking notes for a later tonight (before midnight ET) blog entry while I tape Bones for my Sunday afternoon viewing. As Amazing Race ends here on the East Coast, I will post a blog entry with the finishing order and who was eliminated or whether it's a non-elim leg. Then, at 9 PM, I'll watch Lost with American Idol taping, but on with no sound just a glance away on a second TV. I'll post the bottom three and the voted off American Idol as soon as it airs on the East Coast. Then it'll be a toss up of watching or taping C.S.I. NY or Law and Order. While I watch one, I'll write up the recap/review/blog entry for The Amazing Race and get that posted to the blog. Yes, I multi-task. ;-)

So, stop by later for East Coast updates!

'The Apprentice 5' - Ep. 6 -or- "What's a Jingle? A Bell?"

Well, here we are at the sixth week of the fifteen week interview. Gee, that's longer than some people I know have ever held a job! No, I'm not referring to me. I've been gainfully employed for a number of years. Um ... decades. Okay, more than a score. Eek. At least Donald Trump is older than I am!

Back to the show - As Gold Rush awaits the non-fired, they want it to be Tarek gone. Alas, no go. Even though Charmaine and some of the others think Tarek holds the team back, he's not the one fired. Bryce decides to take Tarek under his wing and help him. He calls a team meeting to discuss how they should get off to a fresh start and forget past problems. Yes, it's a great idea, but it doesn't seem to go over too well. He's volunteered to the the Project Manager, but will his team listen to him? Will they respect him?

Of course, Tarek blew the play nice party when he decided he was oh-so-great-and-powerful and told them that's why they target him. After all, they're the coyotes chasing after the buffalo (him). Yes. I'm rolling my eyes. Aren't you?

All the rain they kept showing looked very familiar to me. It rained for a good part of September here. Sure enough, it was filmed during Yom Kippur - another holiday that Lee took off to observe. I don't fault him for doing so. Religion is a personal issue and most businesses allow folks the time off for such purposes. I will say it's a shame that the show was filmed when it was as Lee has had to miss part of the "interview." Even though he definitely had a valid reason to go, it can create problems on the team to have a member missing for a task. Or, it can if the Project Manager delegates responsibility properly.

Trump summoned the teams downstairs to the lobby area of Trump Tower where he showed the display cases with the Trump branded merchandise. I took the photo above in the same area of Trump Tower the last time I was in there. (No, I wasn't there for an interview, but I do recommend the public restrooms there!) He then introduced two Arby's corporate bigwigs to the teams and told them their task this week is to create a jingle touting Arby's new all natural chicken line, the only fast food chain offering such. The rest are unnatural, I guess. Aren't nuggets a body part?

They had to write the lyrics and the melody or tune with the aid of a professional band to perform the finished jingle. Lenny wanted to know what a jingle is. Even after it was explained, he played Russian about it all. I know he's smarter than that. It's something I feel just wasn't a strength of his and he fell back to acting like he just stepped foot into modern society. I don't buy the act.

Sean decided to be the Project Manager for Synergy and, for the first time, I personally thought both teams worked well on the task. No one really fought; no catfights. Andrea was almost nonexistent except for working along. Gold Rush made a horrible error which cast a shadow on anything they'd do in the task, though. They showed up 25 minutes late for the meeting with the CEO and other bigwig. Yikes! Dumb move!

This week's Donald Trump lecture and quote was about needing the respect of your employees. I think he was pulling straws with this one. In other weeks, it was evident who would lose the task by the lecture point. This time, I found it a bit murky. Neither Project Manager was really not respected. Out of the two, perhaps Bryce was a bit disrespected as his smile on your brother meeting didn't work. But Gold Rush did pull together as the task went on. I think Trump could have gone with a "Nice Guys Finish Last" quote and lecture, but it wouldn't put him in a great light, would it?

The jingles were played for the bigwig folks, Trump and a bunch of Arby's customers. Donald danced to the Synergy one. I think I'll probably have nightmares tonight. Unfortunately, Gold Rush left out the vital "Arby's is the only natural chicken" and, combined with a bit catchier tune from Synergy, they lost. They will have to go to the Boardroom.

Synergy won a fancy-schmancy meal which included $4,000 a pound white truffles. The girls fawned all over Shawn while poor Michael (who is an attractive young man) was left out. Shallow, shallow. Thankfully, Andrea was a bit quiet. Me? I'd prefer a meal at Arby's, probably going for the roast beef and not the chicken.

As Gold Rush prepared to go to the Boardroom, they were all getting along and really wanted no one fired. Heck, they even forgot how much they disliked Tarek! Bryce did something very right in leading this team in the task. While they lost, they had worked as a team. Bryce also held his head high and refused to backstab or place blame. I think his actions were pretty admirable, but it was a bit like Dead Man Walking to me. Unless he blames others, it will be him gone as he was ultimately responsible for the entire team as the Project Manager.

In the Boardroom, we didn't see fighting as in previous weeks. Lenny knew he didn't contribute much to the task and was resigned to his fate of being chosen to be a fired possibility. I think Bryce took the easy way out by choosing Lee to go with them. He knew Lee wouldn't be fired and that had he brought Charmaine or Tarek, one of them might be. I believe he figured he was a goner. He didn't want Lenny fired either. But, someone had to be fired. He was the Project Manager. He was responsible. Plus, he argued with Trump which sealed the deal.

"Bryce, you're fired!"

When he rode off in the taxi, he was a bit arrogant. But I think he may be right. Watching him bring Gold Rush together on the task this week, he worked miracles. I think Bryce may be the best candidate not hired yet. He wasn't perfect, but he got that team working as a team. I understand the firing - he was the logical candidate in this case. He'll do well in life without winning the show.

Your thoughts?

Dollar bills, y'all...

'Cash Cab' Carry Me Away!

Oh, I admit it's a fantasy. It's one that I suppose could happen although I tend to take the subway more than taxicabs in Manhattan. But, I do take cabs now and then. Sometimes I even get a cabbie who can speak English or one doesn't drive like a maniac. Yep, it happens!

But ... what if I got in a NYC taxicab and all of a sudden lights started flashing throughout the cab's ceiling as if in a bad flashback to the Studio 54 disco days? What if I had a driver whose name was easy to pronounce? Oh, something as easy to say as "Ben Bailey"? What if, out of the 13,000 taxicabs in the city, I caught the Cash Cab? Easy money or I'd fall on my face, kicked out of the cab in the rain, in a bad neighborhood or wherever I happened to hit the third wrong answer to the quiz questions posed by Ben, a real NYC cab driver in a real NYC taxi. Albeit, it's the Cash Cab, a relatively new show on the Discovery Channel.

Like many successful shows as far back as All in the Family and as recent as American Idol, this show originated in the United Kingdom. But now that it's based in New York City, it takes on a life close to my heart and perhaps the hearts of others who like to see actual Manhattan doings. New York is one of those cities which draws folks in from far and wide. I'm lucky enough to live close enough to go into Manhattan for an evening out and still make it to work in the morning, but many who are mesmerized by its magic settle just see it on television and in the movies. Cash Cab isn't only a fun little game show, it's a trip (or several) through the city and a peek at the city life in Manhattan.

Unlike a show such as Street Smarts, it isn't for the the totally clueless. The questions aren't horribly tough to start out, but do require a thinking mind and an idea of what's happening in the world. Once in the cab, the disco light ceiling lights up and cabbie Ben Bailey tells the passengers they're on television to participate in a game show. Now, I did a bit of research - some of the passengers are indeed "plants" but even they don't exactly know it's the Cash Cab. They know they're going to be on television and think the cab is just the vehicle they'll take to their destination. After being told what they're in for, the passengers have to spend about 15 minutes filling out release forms, so the show tends to lose folks in a true hurry. Me? Unless I was hitting the last train or bus back over or under the river to New Jersey, I'd take the time! Heck, even if I was, it's only a three hour or so wait in Penn Station before 5:15 AM rolls around. I shouldn't be out that late at night anyway, right? May as well win money!

The first round of trivia questions are worth $25 each. Then the rounds go to $50 and $100 each. There's also a Red Light Bonus Question if you happen upon a red light. (A red light in Manhattan is more common than green, sheesh!) If you get three questions wrong, you lose all your winnings and get tossed out of the cab wherever you may be. Contestants are allowed two shout-outs for help with questions. They can ask someone on the street or make a call. At the end of the ride (if you make it to your destination), the offer is made to double your winnings or lose it all based on a video bonus question. I only found this show a week or so ago and haven't seen anyone taking Ben up on that offer. The passengers are filmed walking away with the cash or empty-handed. I believe they're actually mailed a check and the cash is just for the filming, but it's still money for nothing and the check's for free! Or, something to that effect.

What I enjoy about this show besides sitting at home answering the questions in the same manner I do when I watch Jeopardy are the locales, where the people are going, what their plans are - Ben asks them at the start of each ride. Because I'm in and out of the city a lot, I know the locations and some of the things I might actually do when I'm there. I mean ... it could happen to me! I'll be watching for cab number 1G12 the next time I go into Manhattan!

But, in reality I'll probably get a cabbie named Abdul eating something reeking of onions and complaining about street fairs blocking the main thoroughfares. I've only had a few interesting taxi rides in my life - once when the cabbie told me he had to take a detour because Godzilla was tying up traffic all around Central Park West (a movie was being shot, but he told me Godzilla and I said, "Cool!") and another with a minor accident between two cabs which turned to a screamfest between the drivers. This is the best thing since Adam West (Batman) told me to buckle up my seatbelt in a cab.

Cash Cab can be seen in the NYC area on the Discovery Channel at both 6:00 and 6:30 PM weekdays. Give it a peek and let me know if you'd like to take that ride! I know I would.

'Survivor: Exile Island' - Ep. 7 -or- "When Tribes Merge, Shane Remains Obnoxious"

Ah, finally! A new episode of Survivor: Panama - Exile Island! I had fear I'd forget their names in the three week forced Mad Marchness hiatus. Yeah, I know they had the recap show on one off night at the beginning, but that doesn't count. I went through Survivor withdrawal. I almost went as far as to tattoo "Boston" on my chest, but decided against it.

10 are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

At the Casaya camp, it doesn't look like Shane's apologies at the barbeque meant much to Danielle and Courtney. They still want him out. I respect them for that. Even Aras is still worried about being able to trust Shane. Bruce just wants to make the merge. I don't think he cares much about any of them.

Meanwhile, Sally is happy off at Exile Island. She's digging for the hidden Immunity Idol and pleased to be off the chopping block. Peace and tranquility are hers ... for the time being, at least. At the La Mina (sans Sally) tribe camp, the boys' club gets tree mail. And, it's actual tree mail, unlike the ceramic pot mail we kept seeing on Guatemala. The rhyming letter indicated that a treasure could be found on the back beach and they'd be more comfortable tonight. Nick and Austin automatically thought food and beverage. Terry was more reserved. While technically, in the end, they were right -- it was a boat with some firewood and wooden crates. There was a map to the Casaya camp and an admonition not to open the boxes until they arrived there. The merge is on! The La Mina men vowed to stick together with Sally as an alliance knowing the numbers are right for Casaya to pick them off one by one. All they need is a flip of one from the other tribe for a tie, two for a majority vote. Terry knows he has the hidden Immunity Idol from Exile Island, but he's not sharing the news.

Over at Casaya, they're enjoying a lazy day eating rice when they spot the La Mina tribe coming in on the boat. They quickly vow they'll be the final six and pick off La Mina one by one. Then they chow down eating all the rice they can so they don't have to share their food. Oh, but then they go greet La Mina like they're childhood sweethearts. No sooner are the La Mina men ashore than Sally gets dropped off to join them. One big happy family ... of schemers and would be wheeler dealers. Inside the crates were the paint supplies and new buffs for the newly merged tribe. Also in the crates was food. Glorious food. The new tribe named themselves Gitanos (saying it means gypsies) and enjoyed chocolate, fruit, pickled stuff, wine, crackers and cheese.

Terry, in my opinion, was a bit too blatant as he campaigned for a flip from Casaya. I could understand him approaching Bruce as they were on the Older Men tribe together and have a bond. But, he approached Cirie and Shane! Cirie (dang, I get a kick out of her) said in confessional that she had an encyclopedia and there he was trying to sell her a dictionary. What the heck is wrong with him? I thought Bruce would flip, but when Casaya saw Terry talking to him, they started buttering him up with how valuable he is and what a great leader he is for them. @@ <-- I need to roll my eyes at that one! Will he flip? He seems to know the score. He knows he's sitting pretty with both tribes wanting him in their numbers game. Shane doesn't think Terry has the Immunity Idol and vows he'll be voted off first chance they get.

Of course, it didn't help matters for La Mina that Nick hit Bruce in the face with a machete. Nope, that wouldn't help their cause at all, accident or not. There have been spoiler rumors since before the season aired that Bruce got hurt and had to be taken away. The promos before the hiatus showed a helicopter. But if that happened with this injury, it wasn't shown on tonight's show. Maybe he'll get hurt again! Actually, for a machete blow to the face, it wasn't all that serious. He may have needed a stitch or two on the inside of the lip from how it looked.

Tonight, with the merge, it was the first individual immunity up for grabs. The contest was a physical one. On horizontal wooden poles the castaways had to hang upside down holding onto the pole with their arms and legs. One by one they fell leaving Terry last man hanging. So, he has the hidden Immunity Idol and won the first Immunity Necklace. He's safer than safe at the upcoming Tribal Council.

Terry campaigned again with Casaya folks, but no one outright committed. Nick just wants to make the jury. Austin said in confessional he pretended to be weak and drop because he knows either Nick or he will be voted out. Nick knows it's between those two, too. Terry keeps on campaigning. Then, Creep Me Out Shane loudly calls a meeting of the ex-Casaya tribe and they all agree to vote out Nick. Shane actually wanted Austin out, but the rest wanted Nick.

And, so it went. The voting went strictly according to previous tribal lines - four votes for Shane from the four La Mina and six votes for Nick from the Casaya.

"Nick, you must leave the tribal council area immediately."

He didn't make the jury. He tossed something to Cirie on his way out, but I'm not sure what it was. His goodbye speech was odd, not mentioning the show at all. It was something about young hungry people working on their dreams and changing the world. Maybe he had too much wine; I don't know.

I hope that we're not going to see La Mina decimated one by one for the next four weeks. I'd rather see a flip or even a mutiny with Shane being voted out. Did I mention he creeps me out? What did you think of tonight's show?

'Survivor: Exile Island' East Coast Update 3/30 - Boot

The voting went strictly along tribal lines with no flipflopping -
6 votes for Nick to go; 4 votes for Shane to go.
Nick was voted off.

'Survivor: Exile Island' East Coast Update 3/30 Immunity

The first individual immunity was won by Terry.
Heh.

The new tribe name from the merge is Gitanos.

I'll update the boot when it happens and a full report will be posted late this evening.

'Survivor - Exile Island' East Coast Update

For the West Coast (and Hawaii!) --

The merge is on. La Mina got a boat with some supplies and scroll telling them to go join Casaya for the merge.

'American Idol' East Coast Update

The bottom three are ... (are you seated?)

Lisa, Ace and Katharine. Yipes.

Ace goes back to his seat.

Lisa got the boot.

'The Amazing Race 9' - Ep. 5 -or- "Lake is Just a Big Meanie Pants"

Do you know what "good television" would be? I personally think good television would be seeing Lake's head explode like in a cartoon! If I were more talented with digital imaging or knew someone with a cool digital imaging center, I could create it myself. Oh, what I'd have come out of his head! Bananas, cat excrement, boxes of Fiddle-Faddle ... the possibilities are endless. After all, what the heck is in his mind?

Here'a brief lowdown on what happened on last night's show:
The teams started out from their last Pit Stop in Munich, Germany. Jeremy and Eric (the HornDogz) had been the first to arrive there at 2:15 PM, so they were the first to leave at 2:15 AM. The last team to depart was Danielle and Dani (Double D's or Pinkies, though I hate the latter) at 7:28 AM. So, there was quite a time difference betwixt first and last and the DD's wouldn't be able to hook up with the Dogz this time 'round. Who would they hitch onto this week? Would they sink or swim on their own? I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here, but they sank a bit on their own and partly a Lake sank 'em. A mean, nasty despicable Lake.

While I find BJ and Tyler perhaps my most favorite team ever, they waited for Lake and Michelle while leaving the Pit Stop! Ack! Boys, boys, boys ... stay away from them! Lake is an evil meanie pants! He'll cut your throats while extracting your teeth with no Novacaine just to watch you bleed! He may have shot a man in Reno just to watch him die! Stay away from him. Wear garlic if you must be near him! I personally would love to see a team made up of Jonathon Baker and Lake. I know we'd be seeing exploding heads there, right?

The teams had to go to the airport to catch flights to Palermo, Italy. BJ/Tyler used those Ivy League brains and purchased tickets for the earliest flight on the Internet while Lake got ticked at Michelle because she couldn't understand enough German to pick up a ticket in the same manner. Ditzy Monica proclaimed how un-ditzy blonde she is by repeatedly pronouncing their destination as PAL-or-moe. Yeah, I know they probably edited that to make the situation look ditzier, but I snickered. Her oh-so-unditzy boyfriend Joe actually substituted a totally different word. Heh.

I know there are folks out there upset that Jeremy/Eric and BJ/Tyler played with the airport wheelchairs. Don't count me in as one of those folks. I've been around people in chairs for most of my life. I myself am a veteran of more than a few knee surgeries. Wheelchair sports are actually a big thing. They're fun for those involved and it's not in any way a mockery of those who need the chairs to get around. I don't know anyone in a chair who would have been offended by the guys racing and playing around in the airport's wheelchairs. Had they deprived someone who needed one to play, that would be another matter. I think they would have immediately handed over the wheelchairs if someone was in need. Pick your causes well and get over it (directed at those who think it was insensitive)!

The absolute best part of the airport waiting was watching Lake get madder and madder. I so wanted his head to explode! Now, you know the why behind my opening paragraph. He acted like a cornered cockroach frantically trying to figure a way out when he realized not only was he not on the first flight, he didn't make the second flight either. Heehee! Hmmm ... maybe I want him to stay in the race just to watch him implode. Perhaps I have a mean, evil streak myself.

Once the teams made it to Palermo, the next clue led them to a Detour. Their choices were Foundry or Laundry. In Foundry, the teams had to go to a metal works foundry to retrieve a 110 pound bell, load it onto a little truck thingee, drive it to a church and then carry it for quite a distance up steps to hand over to a priest for their clue. Laundry wasn't physical, but it could be time-consuming. The teams were faced with 2400 pieces of hanging laundry and had to find an Amazing Race label marked tag inside. There were only ten tags amongst the laundry, if memory serves. Most of the teams chose the laundry, but the teams who chose the bell seemed to make good time. Yolanda was so proud of Ray as he carried the bell solo. Joe also carried the bell solo, but Monica's reaction wasn't as sweet as Yolanda's. Over at the Laundry task, BJ and Tyler were so cute as they politely kissed the Laundry Woman and thanked her in Italian. (Is there a language these guys don't know?) The stragglers to Laundry were frantic and frustrated. Said stragglers would be Lori/Dave, Dani/Danielle and Lake/Michelle.

The clue teams received after the Detour warned them there is a Yield ahead, one of two in the race. BJ/Tyler, in the lead, clicked their heels and went on about Yielding the "Fratboys" - which would be Jeremy/Eric. However, once they hit the Yield, both in unison sang they chose to Yield ... nobody. It would have been a waste to use it, anyway. They had a good lead. They next hit a Roadblock, a task only one member of the team can complete. It was assembling the statue of David, but there was a hitch to it. Once properly assembled, there were two extra pieces. Eventually a team would cost themselves the race due to those extra pieces. Poor Lori had a breakdown trying to assemble the statue due to them. And, her equally poor David, lovebird that he is, cried actual tears because he had gotten frustrated with her as she freaked out over the statue. (Now, I'd like to see Lake go there, huh?) BJ/Tyler sailed through the task and were instructed to walk a mile to the Pit Stop where "one team may be eliminated."

No one was using the Yield until ... Lake came along. Michelle had told him she wouldn't use it; it was his decision. He knew that Dani/Danielle were a bit behind them, but also that Ray/Yolanda were even behind them. Out of some sort of pure mean dark soul kind of action, he used it on Dani/Danielle. Don't get me wrong -- I think they (DD) aren't a good team. I even had a cyberbet elsewhere that they would be eliminated this week as they're such a poor team overall. They hitch onto others, they frustrate easily, they aren't worldly. They had a lot going against them. But there was absolutely no need for Lake to use that Yield against them. They weren't a threat to him or Michelle. He's just plain mean. I bet he didn't use it on Ray/Yolanda because either one of them could whip his butt in the race (or elsewhere). He chose the girls because they're fairly defenseless in his mind. Nasty man, I tell you. Mean-spirited, sexist and plain ol' nasty.

Ray and Yolanda ended up passing DD at the Roadblock when DD furthered their woes with the two extra pieces of the statue. I watched The Early Show this morning. DD said that Ray/Yolanda had about ten minutes on them and it wasn't a race to the end at all as both R/Y are runners and they (DD) aren't.

Here's the finishing order at the Pit Stop:
1. BJ/Tyler - Won a digital imaging center. Maybe I can get them to digitally make Lake's head explode!
2. Jeremy/Eric
3. Monica/Joe
4. Fran/Barry
5. Lake/Michelle
6. Dave/Lori
7. Ray/Yolanda
Last and Philiminated: Dani/Danielle

My final thoughts on the remaining teams? Well, I want to know how many times we're going to see Fran and Barry walk by clues. I swear they have blinders on and no peripheral vision. I don't think we'll see them last a lot longer on the show. I'm pleased that BJ and Tyler are doing so well. Perhaps they're a bit of a gimmick, but they're enjoyable to watch. They're polite to the native folks in the various countries. They're respectful and even have a basic knowledge of most of the languages so far. They're nice to the other teams, but focus on doing well each leg. And, they're having fun with it all. I can take or leave the HornDogz. Yeah, they're male eye candy. I sort of wish they weren't as strong a team as they are -- the more I see of Ray and Yolanda, I'd like to see them take the reins up near the top. I still like the Nerds, Dave and Lori. I don't think they're a particularly stong team, but they're kind of like the representative of Normal Folks on the show - not too well traveled, not in fantastic shape, but in the adventure of a lifetime. As for Monica and Joe, they can go. I think they're a stronger team than the Nerds or Franberry, but they've done nothing to endear themselves to me. And, after all, it's all about me, right?

Heehee! What do you think?

Today's TV Newsy Bits - Mar. 28, 2006

Bet your sweet bippy, I've got bits for you!

Here are the television and entertainment related newsy bits links I found today --

• Fox Gives "Prison" Another Year - Mar 28, 2006 - E! Online News
• Variety.com - Hurwitz takes a hike (R.I.P. 'Arrested Development')
• CANOE -- JAM! Television: New Discovery Channel game show takes place in New York cab, pays riders
• Flashbacks Dominate Next Weeks Episode of Prison Break
• Court TV Develops Show With John Waters