'Lost' - "D.O.C."

As we near the season end, we're finding out a bit more each week. At least to this point, I'm much more satisfied with the series than I was last year at this time. I now think the writers may actually have a plan.

I think so, anyway.

Tonight's episode was Sun-centric and told us a bit more about her past, as well as Jin's. Oh... and we found out whose baby she's carrying, too! That was a concern and, alas, remains a concern for a different reason.

In Flashbacks:
A happy Jin and Sun, newly married, are planning their life together -- a new apartment, plans down the road... the future. They're deeply in love, but trouble is brewing.

Sun is approached by an older woman on a park bench. The woman recognizes her as the daughter of the man who owns Paik Automotive. She looked at the wedding picture and soon tried to extort Sun. Not only is Jin's father a mere fisherman, but his mother is a prostitute. For a sum of $100,000, she'll remain quiet about it. She gives Sun three days to get the money.

Sun questioned Jin about his parents. He had told her that his father had died, but he was in the army when he passed. Sun knows the timeline is off -- Jin would have had to have been in the army at the age of sixteen. He was staedfast about it, so she dropped the conversation.

Sun then tracked down Jin's father. She told him that Jin had told her that he was dead. He told her he wasn't invited to their wedding and that he had raised Jin alone as Jin's mother "had many men." He did not want him to suffer the shame.

Sun went to her father's business to ask him for the money to pay off the woman. He originally denied her, but she told him of the shame it would bring to the family. She told him that she knew what he did and how he operated his business, but if she had the money she would keep pretending not to know. He gave it to her.

Jin saw her at the business, but she told him she didn't want to bother him at work. Then he found the envelope of money. She lied and told him her father gave it to her for their honeymoon and furniture. Jin told her to give it back to him because "I don't want to owe him anymore than we already do."

Instead of giving it back, she met the woman. As she gave it to her, she told her that she knew she was Jin's mother. The woman said, "I only gave birth to him." Sun shoved the money at her and told her to never contact them again.

On the Island:
In the Sun storyline, she was approached by Jack and was suspicious of several health-related questions he asked her about the pregnancy. She went to Kate asking if she had noticed any changes in Jack since he returned, since he started being around Juliet. Sun was worried that the Others want her baby and that Jack was working with them.

Kate told her that Juliet is a fertility doctor and how she helped Claire. Sun went to Juliet and asked her what happened to pregnant women on the island.

"They die. They all die," replied Juliet, feigning ignorance of Sun's pregnancy.

Juliet told Sun she could help her, but she needed to come with her alone and trust her. Sun was reluctant, but went along.Juliet had promised an ultrasound which could pinpoint the time of conception -- whether the baby was conceived on the island or before. Of course, we know that if the baby was conceived on the island, it's Jin's baby. Before they arrived on the island, Jin had been diagnosed as having too low of a sperm count for conception. And, Sun had a fling before they came to the island. So either way, it's bad news as babies conceived on the island means the mother dies.

Juliet led Sun down a hatch and through a hidden door, then declared the baby was conceived since the plane crash. The ultrasound revealed that Sun was in her first trimester; Juliet told her that pregnant women who conceive on the island don't live to the third trimester.

When Sun asked about the room, Juliet told her it had been the nursery. But then it became just where they would bring the pregnant women to die. She had tried to help nine other mothers in three years, but all of them died.

Juliet told Sun that the island affects sperm count, making it six times higher than elsewhere. She and Sun both started to leave, but Juliet told Sun that she just wanted to double-check that they had covered their tracks. Yeah, right. Instead, she called Ben to tell him she was collecting samples. She said, "I hate you." Then she hung up the phone and rejoined Sun.

In the Jin, Hurley, Desmond, Charlie, and Woman From the Skies (Naomi) storyline -- She woke up speaking Spanish. Hurley translated and said she claimed she was dying. They noticed that she had impaled her chest on a tree branch and was surely dying. Hurley picked up a gun which fell from her pack... BANG. "Oops." At least it was just a flare gun.

Then the woman spoke in Chinese. Jin recognized the language, but didn't know what she was saying. And then... then... MIKHAIL came through the bushes! Yes, dead Mikhail! Jin started to fight with him as he fled, then held the flare gun to his neck. Mikhail pointed out that it was a flare gun. Someone else told him it would still be bad at close range.

"So? I already died once this week."

Mikhail made a deal with them that they'd let him go and he'd help Naomi (not that they knew her name yet). She spoke again, this time in Italian. She said she was dying. Mikhail intubated her lung to relieve the build-up of blood in her lung. He told the others that healing is different on the island and she should be okay soon.

Naomi said "thank you" to Mikhail in yet another language. Desmond told Mikhail he could go and Charlie had a fit. "He's one of them! We can't keep letting them go!" Desmond told him that they've killed more of the Others than the Others have done to them.

But when Mikhail left, Jin chased after him and retrieved the phone that Mikhail had lifted (Naomi's). Mikhail left.

Naomi then regained consciousness once again. "Where am I?" Hurley was with her and he went on and on: "Are you here to help us? Were you sent here to rescue us? We were on Flight 815. We're the survivors!"

"Flight 815 out of Sydney?," asked Naomi. "That's not possible. They found the plane. There were no survivors. All of the passengers were dead."

"What?"

LOST [thunk]

Oh, what an ending! And, how is Mikhail alive? Is it due to the healing powers of the island? If so, why have others died? Or was he never dead at all? And... he seemed to crash through the bushes looking for Naomi, not realizing that Desmond and all were there. He wanted that phone and he was the communications guy. He also asked what else she had in the pack. What's the connection?

Oh... and have we been watching dead people for three years?

I see dead people, y'know.

'American Idol 6' - Idol Gives Back Results Show - East Coast Updates

Tune back to this entry throughout the evening for updates as the show airs here in the NYC area. Over 70 million votes last night.

Simon is in a suit with a 70s look open white shirt. Ryan shaved.

Earth, Wind, and Fire did a medley of their hits. Ben Stiller keeps singing badly. The final six sang "Time to Care" all dressed in white and looking great. Lots of bits about Africa, New Orleans, California for the cause. Il Divo is performing now.

Only one contestant has been told she's safe so far... Melinda Doolittle is safe. Supposedly we're in for the biggest voting shock in the show's history.

Jack Black did a bit. Paula told him the School of Rock Called and wants their diploma back. Simon declared it better than Sanjaya... cut to Sanjaya cracking up in the audience.

VOTING UPDATE: Now Blake is safe. So, Blake and Melinda can breathe easy for the rest of the show.

A Carrie Underwood taped video is playing now - "I'll Stand By You" - obviously created solely for the show and the cause.

Rascal Flats is singing "My Wish."

An unusual version of "Staying Alive" will air soon... 36 superstars if I heard right. Now another telethon kind of moment from the Appalachia area.

Ford video, now "Staying Alive" - celebrities lip-synch and dance. It can be downloaded on Itunes later. David Schwimmer, House, Blue Man Group, Shaq, more and more. Oh, and Miss Piggy, too.

VOTING UPDATE: Now Phil Stacey is safe. On the chopping block, LaKisha, Chris, and Jordin remain.

Ellen DeGeneres is personally donating $100,000. Josh Grobin is now performing backed by an African Childrens Choir.

Ohhh... Kelly Clarkson accompanied by JEFF BECK! (I'm an old-time Jeff Beck guitar freak.)

VOTING UPDATE: LaKisha is safe! So, only Jordin and Chris remain on the block. These aren't in a top to bottom order this week.

Who wants to bet Chris is going home? (Out of those two, it better be him!)

Celine Dion is singing a duet with Elvis Presley. Yes, you heard me. I thought it was an Internet joke, but there they are. Shades of Forrest Gump.

Now an Annie Lenox performance. (Oh, give me the days of "Sweet Dreams are Made of This" but she's singing "Bridge Over Troubled Water.")

VOTING UPDATE: Chris is SAFE. Jordin is also SAFE.

NO ONE is voted off this week. This week's votes will be added to next week's votes and next week TWO will go home.

NEWS FLASH: Rosie O'Donnell to Leave 'The View'

Now, this wasn't around when I posted my TV Newsy Bits earlier today.

According to several sources, Rosie O'Donnell will be leaving The View in mid-June. Her run on the show has been short, yet very controversial to the point of explosive at times. It seems that she was unable to agree on a contract.

Sources quote her as saying, "My needs for the future just didn't dovetail with what ABC was able to offer me."

Rumors are abounding that she may be seeking a solo talk show gig.

TV Newsy Bits - Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Yes, the town of Bound Brook, New Jersey, is still all but cut off from the world. Trains are bypassing the train station, roads are closed, flood-ravaged business and home owners are still trying to clean up. I took this shot of the State Farm Catastrophe Services mobile unit set up in a Home Depot parking lot just outside of Bound Brook. None of my friends and co-workers who were evacuated from their homes over a week ago have been allowed to return as of yet.

But, television goes on. That's actually a good thing as entertainment can get our minds off of troubles for a while, at least.

Here are today's TV Newsy Bits:

• Celebrity Spider has very mild location and other spoilers (nothing to ruin it for you) for the next The Amazing Race 11: All Stars as we head towards the season finale (May 6).
• Ousted Apprentice wannabe Nicole says love (for Tim) is worth losing the position. Do you think that will last?
• Did anyone catch Ivanka Trump on Letterman last night? She wasn't listed on the guest list when I made my weekly post on Sunday morning. I discovered that when allowed to talk freely, she has Frank's disease. What do I mean? I believe she said "at the end of the day..." six times (or more) during the interview. Actually, it was nice to see her really smile and not be a stiff Mini-Me of her dad for a change. But this "at the end of the day" stuff is as annoying as the "like" and "you know what I'm saying." I'm crossing it right out of my vocabulary. You know what I mean?
• Blog readers are buzzing about Heather Mills getting the boot on Dancing With the Stars. Gee, I would have thought she'd have a leg up on the competition! Join in on the conversation in the blog discussion post for the show or check out all the articles on the show's SirLinksAlot page. I've only been catching the show now and then, but have those childhood "Paul is the cute Beatle" memories stuck in my mind. So I was happy to hear of the boot.
• Huh. Ellen DeGeneres will be hosting the Idol Gives Back concert tonight. I don't recall hearing that on the show, but I hope that's not the "shock" promised to us by Ryan.
• The finale of Survivor 14: Fiji will mark the 200th episode of the long-running show which really set the reality television genre in motion. The finale reunion show will air on May 13 from the Ed Sullivan Theater in NYC (where The Late Show with David Letterman is located). Hey, Survivor staff... I'm local. I like tickets! (Yeah, like that will work.)
• Celebrity Spider has the skinny on the upcoming episode of Heroes. Oh, Hiro and Ando are in for an adventure!
• And, Bachelor fans... remember to drop by the blog discussion post for the show! Lots of great folks are dishing on the latest episode there!

'American Idol 6' - The Final Six "Idol Gives Back"

Tomorrow night is the big two-hour results show and star-studded concert night for "Idol Gives Back." But the voting tonight is what counts, not only for the contestant of your choice, but for the cause. Several corporations have joined in to support the event and News Corporation is giving 10 cents for each vote up to 50 million votes.

Each contestant has two phone lines tonight and the time you can vote has doubled to four hours after the show. They've also formed a MySpace page for the event.

The contestants were asked to choose a song which fits the theme of helping others and inspire folks. I thought that, overall, they all made good song choices and tonight the performances came across as professional.

Here's the skinny:
Chris Richardson was the first to perform, singing Eric Clapton's "If I Could Change the World." While I thought it was a good performance for him, no way could he have come close to how I feel about the original version. He was less nasally than in previous weeks, I'll give him that much. I don't think the song needed his little Chris Richardson hand jive bit.

But the judges liked it. Randy said he was in it to win it. (I beg to differ!) Paula is proud of him and said it was exciting and fantastic. Simon said it was a good vocal and a good start to the night. Um. Okay.

Melinda Doolittle was up next with Faith Hill's "There Will Come a Day." It's actually not my favorite song choice for the night, but she sang in true Doolittle Style. Not a missed note, not a missed emote.

The judges felt the same way as I did. Randy started with "Yo, yo, yo... check it out." Anytime he leads with three yo's, he likes the performance. He called her the "resident pro" again. Paula told her, "There's no one like you. It was magical." Simon loved it, said it wasn't a copycat performance and it was a vocal master class.

Blake Lewis sang John Lennon's "Imagine." Even more than the Clapton song, I find it hard to "imagine" anyone singing it other than the original artist. I thought he was a bit off at times and it definitely wasn't his best performance. Blake is more of a faster-paced song kind of guy. I hope it doesn't hurt him in the long run as he's my favorite male contestant left at this point.

Randy seemed to think along the same lines as I did. He thought it was a good song choice, but it just ended up being "all right" and "okay." Paula thought it was sensitive and emotional. Simon thought it was sincere.

LaKisha Jones chose Fantasia's "I Believe." Mistake number one in song choice. I was a big LaKisha supporter but I think she's fallen off her game the last few weeks. I think she's a lot more talented than others we've seen on the show, but she seems to be growing weary... or something. She hit a few bad notes here and there and I just wasn't feeling the song.

Again, the judges reacted as I did. Randy mentioned pitch problems, said he liked it but it wasn't her best. Paula said she was a powerhouse, but it's hard to sing a Fantasia song. Simon all but came out and said he preferred Fantasia's version. He mentioned the shouting again, too.

Phil Stacey chose Garth Brook's "The Change." It's a bit of a draggy kind of song, but I think he may have sang his best performance ever on the show. I didn't care for Phil some weeks back, but he seems to have gained confidence.

When he's on his game, I think he has the best voice (richest and most versatile) of the remaining guys. It's just that he's often been not on his game and I think he's got one of those heads that probably looks best with something on it. But kudos to him -- he did very well tonight.

The judges were also impressed. Randy thought it was his second strong performance in a row. Paula thought it was his best performance. Simon would have liked a bit more "country" in the song as now he's decided country is Phil's genre. He says he now has the confidence; if he could connect the two elements, it would be great. "People like you."

Jordin Sparks closed out the show tonight with "You'll Never Walk Alone."

Magnificent. She also looked very pretty once again this week. She sang the song like a seasoned pro -- adding her own personality to it and making it amazing.

The judges loved it, too. Randy once again mentioned her age and followed it with "this was one of the best vocals ever on the show." Paula said it was amazing and lovely. Simon thought it was fantastic. "That song is about 60 years old. You could have a hit record with it today."

And, there you go. Once again, I think Melinda and Jordin were in a class of their own and those two deserve to battle it out at the end... in my opinion, at least. I think Phil outsang Blake and Chris tonight, but I would like to see Blake stay on the show. I think LaKisha should really worry this week.

How about you?

'Heroes' - ".07 Percent" - A BulletPoint Report

Heroes is back! Yes! This show is consistently the most action-packed, can't take your eyes away for a moment, don't dare get distracted, hour on television I've ever encountered. And, mind you, I've encountered a heck of a lot of television in my time.

Here's the lowdown on the happenings of the evening not necessarily in the order in which they occurred:

• The Primatech Morphing Woman, Candace, tried to fool Mr. Bennet into thinking she's Claire, but to no avail.
  
• Bennet, Parkman (reading thoughts ex-cop), and Lionel Sprague (radioactive hands guy) are still being held prisoner at Primatech. Bennet's boss intends on killing them -- he was just waiting for the order to do so.
  
• Bennet uses his mind to communicate with Parkman who springs Sprague. All three escape from Primatech. Bennet wants to go to NYC where they can destroy the tracking system which tracks the heroes.
• Linderman and Nathan were in Las Vegas where Linderman revealed an Isaac painting of Nathan as President.
  
• Linderman wants Nathan to work with him to "save the world." He wants to heal it, and brings a dead plant to life to prove his point.
• Linderman believes the future, including the NYC explosion, needs to happen to save the world. After all, only .07% of the world's population would die and Nathan would be a hero bringing people together for a common goal.
• The explosion would be a catalyst for good. Peter would die the day after Nathan was elected.
• Back in Brooklyn, Peter Petrelli went to Suresh's apartment (where Suresh was stuck on the ceiling by Sylar in the last chapter).
• Sylar tried to cut Peter's head to steal his brain, but Peter healed too quickly. Then it became a powers struggle between Peter and Sylar.
• At one point Sylar gathered glass shards with his power, then shot them like shrapnel, one striking Peter's brain.
• But Peter sort of had the last hurrah when something he did rammed an object into Sylar, knocking him unconscious.
• Suresh fell from the ceiling, fussed about Peter being dead and brought him to his mother's house where Claire had been getting to know her grandmother. Grandmom had plans for Claire to go to Paris with her.
• She was crushed that Peter was dead, as was Nathan when he arrived. "You weren't supposed to die like this."
• Mrs. Petrelli told Nathan "we hide it" until after the election.
  
• Claire wanted to see Peter once again and removed a huge glass shard from the back of his head. Oh, no... he lives once again!
• Mrs. Petrelli told Peter and Nathan that she knew all about them and had earlier admitted her own powers to Claire.
• It's decided that Claire indeed will go to Paris with Mrs. Petrelli... maybe.
• Suresh met up with Bennet's boss in lieu of Bennet (he's "no longer with the company") and Bennet's boss wants him to work with him... for the purpose of good, of course. @@
  
• Back in Las Vegas, DL wants to take Micah and leave Jessica (no Nikki in the picture). He doesn't want Micah mixed up with Linderman.
• But Linderman wants Micah. When he told Jessica (it was just a courtesy, not really asking), she refused to give him Micah.
• So he sent a morphed-into-Jessica/Nikki Candace to fool Micah and took him. "Do you want to save the world today?"
• Sylar recovered and saw the list of heroes had gone missing with Peter and Suresh.
• But he found a slip of paper with Isaac's name and address.
• He went there, and found Isaac was expecting him. Isaac told him that he had already sent the information on how to kill him (Sylar) and he'd finally be a hero.
• Sylar absorbed Isaac's painting powers and set himself up at an easel.
• Then there was Hiro and Ando in the future, looking at a destroyed NYC.
• Ando mentioned he now had the sword and they could transport themselves back and change the future.
• They went to Isaac's future studio where they found a timeline of events with things like "save the cheerleader" and Nathan's election.

And, this just in from Primatech Paper:
Learn more about the guy Linderman wants to put in office so bad...and you've been helping keep out (so far).
Visit: votepetrelli.com

I can't wait until next week! How about you?

'The Apprentice: L.A.' - Season Finale - East Coast Update

An unsatisfying end to an unsatisfying season.

Stephanie won the job with James taking second place.

Um. Okay, I guess. I'm not sure what she did all season, but she's pretty.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - Ep. 11 -or- "My karma ran over your dogma."

Sigh. Sometimes even my favorite teams make some incredibly stupid moves on the show. Now, I know I couldn't do any better; I might even do worse. But it's still frustrating for a viewer. I may have to go drown my sorrows and disappointment in chocolate ice cream or something.

Four teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?

The teams left in the order of arrival from the last Pit Stop, the Hong Kong Jockey Club. That was the tenth Pit Stop of the race and time is dwindling down. The season finale is set for Sunday, May 6th. Of course, that gave me a bit of a clue about tonight's finish before it even aired. Can anyone tell me how many teams go into the season finale night? Heh.

Oswald and Danny, Team ChaCha, left first while the last team, Danielle and Eric, left last while having the thought that they were marked for elimination hanging over their heads. Since they were saved in the non-Philimination leg last week, they have to come in first place on this leg or suffer a thirty-minute penalty.

Oswald and Danny had their own problems, though. In the previous leg, they spent almost every last penny they had. The show gave each of the teams $73 for this leg of the race. That money may not cover the cost of the leg as the producers might expect teams to have some money saved up by this late in the race.

Teams had to take the TurboJet Ferry to Macau, China. That costs money. From there, they had to figure out what the tallest structure in Macau is and take a taxi to that location. Taxis cost money. Just getting from there to anywhere... costs money. Oh, and caution -- there's a Yield ahead. This is the last Yield in the race and Danielle/Eric are still mighty miffed about the Beauty Queens, Dustin and Kandice, using the Yield on them.

Uh-oh.

Desperate for money, Oswald and Danny sold their souls. Well, perhaps not their souls themselves, but they sold their Yield rights to the Beauty Queens. Yipes. They told them that they would Yield the team of their choice for money. Ack! Team ChaCha was in first place at the time, and Dustin/Kandice had caught up with them. The latter can't use the Yield for a second time.

But do the girls use it the way I would like them to for their Oswald/Danny Yield Buy-Out? Do they use it on Charla and Mirna? (It would be interesting to see how the ChaChas would have reacted to that choice.) Nope, the BQs wanted Danielle and Eric Yielded again!

I don't want Danielle and Eric to win the race and don't think all that highly of them as a team, but that's kind of nasty to Yield them again when they're already marked for elimination. Oh, well. It's the love of money that's the root of all evil, not the money itself.

Teams found out easily that the highest structure in Macau is the Macau Tower. Once Mirna and Charla caught up to the ChaChas, Charla offered them money. But it was too late. Oswald and Danny told them what they had done. Mirna, right for once, said they made a deal with the Devil.

It looks like we don't have many fear-of-heights teams left. The Roadblock teams encountered at the Macau Tower had them walking the perimeter of the top, then doing a sky jump guided by cables. It actually didn't look too tough, but would have been horrible for someone who suffers acrophobia.

When Danielle and Eric arrived at the Yield, Eric made obscene gestures, talked in bleeped expressions, and were definitely displeased with the ChaChas. I don't think it crossed their minds that any sort of deal was made and they took it as a personal affront from Oswald and Danny. Meanwhile, Oswald in particular, seems to be very unsettled about their decision to sell the Yield rights. A bit late now, ChaCha Boy.

From the Roadblock, teams had to take a taxi to the Lou Lim Ioc Gardens where they would receive their next clue. It's too bad it was pouring as they arrived -- the gardens looked stunning even in the rain. Once there, the clue led to a Detour. They could Noodle or Dragon.

In Noodle, teams had to make two bundles of noodles to be approved by Official Noodle Dudes. In Dragon, teams had to pick up a dragon head (not a real one) and drum, then carry it less than a mile to fit the head to a specific boat. The ChaChas were first to the task and for odd sentimental reasons, chose the Dragon task. In their season there was a neat dragon head task, but this certainly didn't compare. Dustin and Kandice immediately went for Noodles, as did Charla and Mirna when they arrived.

While Oswald and Danny's driver took them to the end of their destination (where the boats were) instead of where they needed to go first to pick up the head, the noodle-making was going on and very bizarre. I don't think I'll ever eat any noodles made in Macau. Charla was climbing all over the food, the girls were doing a teeter-totter odd horizontal pole dance move. I don't know. It all frightened me. I may now have noodle-phobia.

The Beauty Queens finished first and were off to find their mini-moto cars, retrieve the clue from the windshields, then drive off to the Pit Stop. Back at Noodle, Charla and Mirna were struggling. Danielle and Eric finished their Yield time, did the Roadblock and then chose Noodle. Mirna told them that Dustin and Kandice offered the ChaChas money to Yield them. That was a bit away from the real story, but it doesn't really matter. Danielle and Eric are mad at both teams. But their anger made quick work of Noodle and they finished before the girls.

But where were the ChaChas? Still wandering around lost! Argh! Maybe there is something to the karma thing. They thought about good karma when they were nice to another team, perhaps they should have thought of the bad karma their latest actions may bring.

The show tried to make it look like it was close between Charla and Mirna and the ChaChas, but it wasn't. Although Mirna was a hoot with not being able to drive the cheap car, they were minutes ahead of the ChaChas.

At the Pit Stop in Taipa, this was the arrival order:
1. Dustin and Kandice - each won a Waverunner
2. Originally Eric and Danielle, but in waiting out their 30-minute penalty, Charla and Mirna took their place.
3. Danielle and Eric
4. Oswald and Danny

Oswald and Danny were saved by the non-elimination leg, but they're now marked for elimination and will suffer a 30-minute penalty if they don't arrive in first place next week. Since it's always been three teams heading into the finale, non-Philimination won't save any team from now on. The race is on!

I think Eric and Danielle made incredible time this week even though I don't care for them as a team. I think my favorite team, Oswald and Danny, made some really bad decisions this week ranging from the choice to sell their Yield to Dustin and Kandice to not verifying directions. While the Beauty Queens are playing a bit evil, they're running the race well. Once again, we saw a toned-down Mirna and Charla stepped up to the plate for tasks.

I still want the ChaChas to win. Of course, I might not get what I want.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - East Coast Update 4/22 - Pit Stop Arrival Order

The arrival order of the teams at the Pit Stop:

1. Dustin and Kandice - Each won a Waverunner
2. Originally Eric and Danielle, but they had a 30 minute penalty due to being saved in a non-elim. leg
2. Mirna and Charla took over 2nd place.
3. Danielle and Eric
4. Oswald and Danny

This was the last non-elimination leg, so all teams still in the running. A full review/recap will be posted later tonight, as well as an East Coast Update on the winner of The Apprentice: L.A.

Stop on back!

Tonight's 'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' Blogging

The show is starting on time here in the NYC area... yay! So, I'll be posting an East Coast Update with the finish order and elimination by 9 PM EDT. Later on this evening, I'll post a full review/recap.

Puff Up the Pants! - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - April 23-27, 2007

Ah, it's finally really spring here in the New York City area. It's the perfect time to go stand by the Hello Deli and watch the guests come and go from the show, and perhaps even a bit of tomfoolery on 53rd Street.

Oh, but I probably won't. I've done it before, though. It's fun, but be warned... no offense to Rupert, but the Hello Deli is a bit of a teensy deli dive.

Here's the guest list for this week:

• Monday, April 23: Sanjaya Malakar (American Idol recently booted contestant in case you're living under a rock) will present the Top Ten list, Brian Williams (MSNBC), and Steven Wright whose latest DVD is When the Leaves Blow Away. I'll most certainly be watching this one. I have to see if Sanjaya can get the words right when they're on a cue card and I've been a Steven Wright fan for a few decades... or so.
• Tuesday, April 24: Ex-Frasier co-star David Hyde Pierce who's currently starring in Broadway's Curtains, and Corinne Bailey Rae (CD is Live in London & New York.)
• Wednesday, April 25: Nicholas Cage promoting Next, Barry Sonnenfeld (Notes From the Underbelly - which I really have to check out, but haven't done so yet), musical group The Fratellis whose latest CD is Costello Music.
• Thursday, April 26: Oh, this one may be the winner of the week for me -- Steve Martin, David Cota & AJ the Parakeet, and a performance by Tony Trischka, Steve Martin & Bela Fleck (CD is Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular). Of course, I'm in it for the parakeet. Heh. No, I'm a big Steve Martin fan and love the banjo-playing. But, then again, maybe the parakeet will dance to the music! After all, the parakeet can golf... so I'm sure he can dance.
• Friday, April 27: Frank Caliendo as George W. Bush (which I'd prefer to watch than George W. Bush as George W. Bush), Andy Dick whose CD is Do Your Shows Always Suck? (Yes, they do, Andy. It's you, it's not me.) Jarvis Cocker whose CD is Jarvis is the musical guest.

It looks like a good week of late night entertainment and a good bit of silliness, as well. After all, there can never be too much silliness in the world today

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, April 21, 2007

Although the TV has been good, this is one week that will be good to put behind us. Flooding still affects many of my friends and co-workers with some still not able to return to their homes. The horrible tragedy at Virginia Tech reminds us of what horrors can happen in today's world. Even though I focus on escape -- television shows -- it's a real world in which I live... and sometimes not such a pretty one.

Ah, but there was a monumental moment in television this week -- Sanjaya's off of American Idol! Here are today's TV Newsy Bits:

• What? Sanjaya Malakar's gone, right? He's more present than ever at the moment. On Monday night he's slated to deliver the Top Ten List on The Late Show with David Letterman. And, he's given us all "something to talk about" as the articles and interviews pile up.
• Sunday night at 10 PM ET/PT we'll see the only one-hour long season finale of the rather lackluster The Apprentice: L.A. -- if I were a betting woman, my money would be on James. But the Final Four aren't that impressive at all to me.
• On Monday night, Heroes returns! Woohoo!
• The most recent Survivor castoff, Edgardo, went the interview route. His The Early Show appearance is transcribed by Reality News Online. RNO also has an interview with Edgardo online. Huh... we're not seeing the booted stand in the Hello Deli this season. What's up with that?

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - Ep. 10 -or- "Dreamz Plays Both Teams... Not Very Well"

I've come to the conclusion that they should all band together to vote out Dreamz next. He plays both sides which, if done well and with sneakiness, works. But when no one trusts you, you're the lone wolf. And you're a dangerous wild card often a step out of step in the game.

Nine are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

The show opened on Night 24 at the Bula Bula camp. Mookie's mad about the vote. He thinks that Dreamz gave the power right back to Alex. Dreamz rationale for voting for Michelle last week, given to us in a confessional segment, still makes no sense. "I voted for her because she said she didn't know me. If she hadn't said that, she'd still be here." Um... okay.

Making it obvious that there is no real trust, Alex told Mookie that a different member of the Four Horsemen (Alex, Mookie, Edgardo, Dreamz) should hold the found hidden Idol each day. Well, he may have left Dreamz out of that equation. He did. I guess it's the Three Horseman and the Guy They Don't Trust.

In a confessional, Earl told us he was upset about Michelle being voted out. It "flipped the script" for him. He likened it to a chess game when you're down a few important pieces and have to rethink your strategy. The man is playing a thinking man's game. He doesn't think he can trust Dreamz, but thinks they may need him.

The Rewards Challenge was the Big Reveal one for the season. The castaways had to answer questions about their fellow tribemates in private, then guess the answers of the majority. Those who were right then got a chance to smash a tower of another tribemate. Each person had three towers. So, tribemates got to find out what others think of them, plus who wants whom out of the game. In the end, it was Stacy taking the personal blow, but she reacted better than a few in the past.

Here are the questions and majority answers:
1. Who do you trust with your life? Earl
2. Who is least likely to be invited to a family dinner? Boo
3. Who has the largest sense of entitlement? Alex
4. Who would you want to be stranded on a desert island with? Yau-Man
5. Who don't you want to see after the show ends? Stacy
6. Who smells the worst? Dreamz
7. Who mistakenly thinks he/she controls the game? Alex
8. Who wasted the greatest opportunity? Stacy
9. Who has shown the most athletic surprise? Yau-Man

Stacy was the first one knocked out with Boo, Cassandra, and Yau-Man taking her down immediately. The rest of the tower-smashing went along alliance lines or revenge until only Cassandra remained. She won Reward and sent Mookie off to Exile Island.

Reward was a luxury yacht trip with food and beverages. She got to choose three other to go with her. She first chose Dreamz, then Boo. She told us she chose them to work on them for the alliance. She chose Yau-Man last because she thought he deserved it.

Over on Exile Island, Mookie was steaming. He's mad at Cassandra and makes a personal vow to get her voted out, then her alliance one by one. He thinks Earl has the hidden Idol from their camp. But on the yacht, Cassandra and Yau-Man are doing their best to brainwash Boo and Dreamz. It looks like Boo's better for them than Dreamz. Neither Cassandra or Yau-Man feel they can trust Dreamz. They're both good people-readers. Heck, I don't know if Dreamz can even trust himself!

Then it all goes awry. Dreamz told Alex he's in danger as per what he's heard. Earl just happens upon them catching Dreamz spilling beans. Cassandra and Earl confront Dreamz away from Alex. Dreamz played the same "you don't trust me" card he played with the Four Horseman alliance. No, Dreamz. No one trusts you because you're playing both sides and proving you can't be trusted!

Then he did it. Dreamz betrayed the Four Horsemen to Cassandra and Earl. He told them Mookie had the hidden Idol from their camp. What is this guy thinking? Yau-Man told us in confessional that everything will now have to be rethinked.

No time for thinking when there's an Immunity Challenge to be endured! Yes, it was endurance this time around. It's the first individual Immunity Challenge of the season. The castaways had to stand in a frame using only their arms and feet.

The hitch was that each half-hour, they'd take a step down. The foot-holds grew increasingly smaller with each step down with the lowest being less than a quarter-inch wide. Cassandra fell almost right out of the competition. Edgardo gone, Earl out, Mookie, Alex, Dreamz... leaving it contest between Yau-Man, Boo, and Stacy.

I personally think that this challenge was actually better for those who weighed the least and may have the smallest feet. And, I'm sure those two would be Yau-Man and Stacy. Boo had to be hanging in with sheer determination.

In the end, Yau-Man won and looked like he could last another hour or two.

Day 27 at the camp found Dreamz doing more double-dogging backstabbing on both sides. Mookie is still determined to get rid of Cassandra and thinks Earl has the Idol. Yau-Man talked to Stacy and won her over. He told her she wouldn't be alone voting for Alex, but please don't vote for Earl. Stacy, thinking smarter than Dreamz, thinks she'd do better with the Cassandra, Earl, Boo, and Yau-Man alliance and decides she'll vote out Alex.

Dreamz went to Mookie and told him that he thought Earl and company knew he had the idol and they were planning to vote out Alex. So, Alex convinced Mookie to give him the Idol so he could save himself with it although Mookie was reluctant to give it up.

Then Dreamz saw Mookie pass Alex the Idol and ran to Earl and company to tell them. So, they switched their plan. Without telling Dreamz (because he can't be trusted!), they decided they would all vote for Edgardo and get him out by surprise. It was actually Stacy's suggestion. It looks like she is going to be valuable to her new alliance. She thinks.

At the Tribal Council, that's pretty much how it all went down. After the votes were cast, but before they were read, Alex used the Idol to save himself. So any votes for him wouldn't count. But there were no votes for him. Alex, Edgardo, and Mookie voted for Cassandra. Dreamz was a whack-vote again -- he voted Mookie. (I just can't get his thought process or lack thereof.) The other five all voted for Edgardo.

"Edgardo, the tribe has spoken."

Well, I'm glad that a hidden Immunity Idol has finally been used. And, I like the thinking game of the Earl, Yau-Man, Cassandra, Stacy alliance. Yeah, I know Boo's in there, but I see him as more of a follower. It's too bad that Edgardo paid the ultimate game sacrifice when the target was originally Alex or Mookie, but it was a good move. Another interesting development is that the Idol will be re-hidden and new clues will be set.

Your thoughts?

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 4/19 - Voted Out

Twisty and turny and a mis-used Idol... Edgardo is voted out.

A full review/recap will be posted later tonight.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 4/19 - Individual Immunity

Yau-Man won the first individual Immunity for this season.

(As it should be.)

Stay tuned for the boot East Coast Update and the full review/recap later tonight!

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 4/19 - Reward, Exile

Cassandra won Reward - a trip on a luxury yacht. She had to choose three others to go with her. She chose Dreamz and Boo first (to work on them) and then Yau-Man. She sent Mookie to Exile Island.

I'll post another update at Immunity, then the boot. A full review/recap will be posted later tonight.

'Lost' - "Catch-22"

Another good episode, although this one created more questions than answering them. Just what we need... new mysteries when I would like to know more about the giant polar bear!

The episode was Desmond-centric, a character whom we get in occasional bursts, but one of the more mysterious characters on the island. The flashback sequences showed us a bit more of his psyche and, more importantly, explained why he calls all men "my brother." I had thought it an affectation, but there is indeed a reason.

In Flashbacks:
Desmond is a monk just completing his vows of silence. There's your "my brother" reasoning! At the monastery, they produce wine (and imbibe a bit, too). The Head Monk told Desmond that he underestimates the power of sacrifice. He spoke of the story where Abraham was asked to kill Isaac and Isaac was spared by God. Desmond mentioned that Isaac was saved anyway, but the Head Monk said the importance of the story was that Abraham was willing to make the sacrifice.

Then a man arrived at the monastery and punched Desmond in the nose. No, not a random man. It was Ruth's brother (I think). Remember, Ruth was Desmond's fiance that he unexpectedly deserted shortly before the wedding. Desmond then went to talk to Ruth. He thought he owed her an explanation. He said he woke up on the street at one point and heard a voice ask, "Can I help you, brother?" He knew he was supposed to go with him... sacrifice all answering a greater calling.

After the confession, what does Desmond do? He went and got wasted on the expensive and rather rare wine they produced at the monastery. He thought he wasn't cut out to be a monk. But the Head Monk left him no choice; he fired him. "God has different plans for you, bigger plans." Head Monk told him that he spent to much time running away to realize what he was running toward.

It was then that Desmond met wealthy Penny. She arrived at the monastery to take a shipment of wine for her father. Desmond helped her load the shipment and told her he was a fired monk.

On the Island:
The show opened with Charlie and Hurley in an animated debate of Superman versus the Flash walking through the woods with Jin and Desmond. Then something impales Charlie in the upper chest/low neck area. Whap! Scenes of dark clouds with a red beacon light in them. Oh, so confusing, but they meant something to Desmond.

Ah, but it was a vision of Desmond's, not actually happening. Not right at that time, anyway. Cut to Desmond telling Hurley he needed him to find the cable wire, something also in the vision. When Hurley asked why, all Desmond said was a cryptic, "Someone's coming."

Desmond asked Jack for the first aid kit, explaining that he had to tape up his twisted ankle. Hurley demanded more of an explanation, so Desmond told him it was indeed a vision, but one like a jigsaw puzzle with no accompanying picture. He didn't know how the pieces fit. But he saw Hurley pulling the cable out of the sand, so he needed him to do that. This was a vision he wanted to happen, not to stop or change.

They needed both Jin and Charlie to complete the vision troop. He told Charlie that someone was coming to the island and denied that his life was in danger. (But.. but... the WHAP arrow!)

They whistled "Bridge Over the River Kwai" as they headed to the area where the cable was buried. They set up camp after Charlie and Hurley balked at going into the dark jungle. While Jin told ghost stories in Korean to Hurley and Charlie, Desmond sat a distance away looking at the photo of Penny and himself.

The sounds of a helicopter came from the distance, but they soon sounded a bit wrong. The men were at the beach as the helicopter crashed into the ocean. Then they saw a red beacon in the sky which indicated someone had ejected. (Do people really eject from helicopters? Maybe they jumped.)

Desmond wanted to immediately go to where the beacon seemed to go down, but the others refused. Since he knew they had to be with him according to his vision, he agreed they would go at first light. Now, in his vision, Charlie dies. Desmond wanted the vision to go according to plan so that he could have Penny, his love who ejected from the helicopter.

But, when the time came, he couldn't sacrifice Charlie to obtain Penny. The Superman versus the Flash argument was ongoing and Desmond spotted the trap with the arrow. He yelled "Duck!" before the trap-arrow hit Charlie. He was sure that he would lose Penny, but couldn't do it to Charlie. Charlie realized that Desmond had to know about the arrow. Desmond told Charlie he was supposed to let him die. He reminded him it was pointless. It would happen again and again until Charlie died.

"I'm so sorry, Penny."

They first found a pack, apparently from the ejectee. In it was a copy of Catch-22 in Polish, a cellphone which died the second they turned it on, and the photo of Penny and Desmond which was tucked in the pages of the book.

Jin spotted the ejectee hanging from a tree and Desmond climbed to cut her down. The others were ready to catch the body in a blanket. Yes, they were pretty sure it was a body, not a live Penny.

Ah, but it wasn't Penny at all. When Desmond removed the mask from the ejectee, it was an unfamiliar face. And, she was alive, just barely. According to the credits, the character is Naomi.

She knows Desmond and utters his name before passing out. He doesn't seem to know her.

LOST [thunk]

Wait! Wait! How could I forget the thrilling love triangle now square betwixt Sawyer, Jack, Kate, and Juliet? Kate doesn't seem to know what (or whom) she wants. She appears upset that Jack is paying attention to Juliet, so she jumps Sawyer's bones. She told Sawyer that Jack knew about them, he saw it on the monitor at the Others. And so forth and so on.

'American Idol 6' - 4/18 Results Show - East Coast Update

This post will be updated as the events of the evening go on. So, please return throughout the hour.

9:20 PM EDT: As I write this, Fergie is singing. We've seen some "insider" clips into the show, Simon explained his eye-rolling was in a discussion with Paula regarding Chris claiming that "nasally is a form of singing." Oh, and the group sang a song, too. No announcements on who's safe or not yet.

9:30 PM EDT: Still no boot news, a segment on next week's Idol Gives Back is done and over. Into commercial.

UPDATE: Sanjaya and Phil sent to opposite sides of the stage. Jordin joins Phil. LaKisha joins Sanjaya, Blake joins both of them. Chris goes with Jordin and Phil. Ryan talking to Melinda. Melinda is safe.

UDPATE: Ryan wants Melinda to pick which group - Chris, Jordin and Phil or LaKisha, Sanjaya, and Blake - is safe. She sits in the middle.
Ryan declares Chris, Jordin, Phil, and Melinda safe.
Blake, Sanjaya, LaKisha are bottom three.
Simon is smiling. He must think Sanjaya may go home.
Into commercial.

UPDATE: They're dragging the results out with a Shrek movie segment. Now dragging it out more with a Martina McBride performance. Right now (9:48 PM EDT), all we know are the bottom and top three.

UPDATE: Blake is safe

38 million votes - Sanjaya is going home. The Sanjaya Universe has ended!

'American Idol' Results Show Starts Soon

Just a reminder -- the American Idol results show starts at 9 PM (a few minutes from now) here in the NYC area. As news comes in, I'll post an East Coast Update which I'll keep updating throughout the show. You can find the latest American Idol post on this blog by hitting the American Idol 6 link under Categories in the right sidebar or using the link at the bottom of this (and any show-related) entry after Labels.

'Survivor' Host Jeff Probst Guest Host Gig on 'Live with Regis and Kelly'

I rarely really watch Live with Regis and Kelly. Oh, nothing against the show; usually I'm not around all that much on weekdays to catch it.

But today I was channel-surfing and happened to see Jeff Probst from Survivor just as the show began. Yep, Mr. Dimples himself. Hoping that he would leak some kind of information about the show, I just had to watch.

Alas, not one mention of the current season. No yays to Yau-Man, nothing. Even though that was the case, I still found his appearance in the capacity of co-host interesting. From watching, I get the feeling that Jeff would like this sort of gig. I really can't see him as a late-night talk show host. But I could see him in a daytime slot if the market wasn't so glutted over the past few years. His interview skills aren't too shoddy and he came across as taking a genuine interest in the topics and guests at hand.

While he seems to appreciate his Survivor stint which has made him a household name, he hinted he's ready to settle down a bit. He indicated he'd eventually like a family. He's also still with Julie Berry from Survivor: Vanuatu, but not married yet. I think Mr. Dimples is definitely off the market despite the lack of the wedding ring.

I think his most interesting segment on the show had to do with his dog, Bear. He adopted Bear from a shelter and then found out that the dog had serious health issues. He could have returned the dog, but instead opted to have open heart surgery done. Of course, I'm sure he's in better financial position than your average dog owner, but it still took some love to go ahead with the decision to have the surgery. As a result, Bear is now a healthy-looking and beloved pet when her (I think he said it was a she) chances of living more than a few months more were dim indeed.

Good boy, Jeff! Have a treat!

Although I would have loved some sneaky inside information on the current season of Survivor, I'm glad I caught Jeff's appearance today. In eight days, Regis will be back from his own heart surgery.

'American Idol 6' - The Final Seven Go a Little Bit Country

Often only a few can successfully handle the country genre when it comes around on the show. I think tonight's show stuck to that very theory.

The show opened with Ryan mentioning the VT massacre. But when a contestant (Chris) mentioned it, I noticed Simon's eyes rolling. Simon himself mentioned it at the end of the show along with the fact that the contestants had a "tricky week." I can't help but wonder if they told the contestants not to mention it.

Country singer Martina McBride was the mentor for this week. On the whole, her main advice was to be believable, connect with the lyrics, and tell the story. All good advice, I think. But did they all follow it?

Phil Stacey was first on stage singing a Keith Urban song, "Where the Blacktop Ends." Martina had told him to start as powerfully as he ends. I'm not a huge Phil Stacey fan, but I thought he did well. If I don't look at him, his voice sounds better. He still tends to creep me out and seems to get paler each week. The Roswell Alien and Uncle Fester like to watch him, though.

Randy thought it was really good. Paula thinks it's his genre. Simon said it only took ten weeks for him to show some personality.

Jordin Sparks was next with "Broken Wing" by Martina herself. She was a bundle of nerves as she worked with Martina. She needn't be. Martina thought she was "awesome" in rehearsal and I think she was awesome on stage. In addition to a WOW performance, I thought she looked exceptionally pretty tonight.

Randy said, "Dude, that was the bomb!" (A good thing, y'know.) Paula bubbled and gushed. Simon said she showed that she could win it all based on that performance.

Sanjaya Malakar, the monster we've created, was next singing "Let's Give Them Something to Talk About" by Bonnie Raitt. Oh, his singing sucked, an expression I don't often use.

But I think Randy hit the nail on the head last week -- this kid is very smart. He knows the controversy and is playing into it full force. It's like he wants to be a William Hung who can actually sing a bit. (Notice I said "a bit.") He's nowhere near the league he should be to still be in the competition, but he's working his Malakar Monster Mojo.

Randy said the performance was karaoke. Paula said he's a lovable guy who enjoys adversity. Simon said it was "actually horrendous." Ryan accused Simon of never liking him and verbal fisticuffs ensued... or something like that.

LaKisha Jones sang "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood. She told Martina she chose it because she connected with the lyrics. Well, um... she had a really off night for her. Her eyes looked weird to me like she had been crying or not feeling well. Technically, she sang fine hitting the notes. But there was no Kiki Kickin' in this performance.

Randy said it wasn't his favorite performance of hers. Paula agreed with Randy but added that even though she screamed, she was still "brilliant." Simon claimed she didn't connect with the lyrics and likened it to "eating a hamburger for breakfast." Now, I have nothing against hamburgers for breakfast, but her game was definitely off tonight.

Chris Richardson proclaimed his talent for country music and chose Rascal Flatt's "Mayberry." Martina thought it was an unusual choice, but he's a "good country singer." Say what? He got on stage and sounded all nasally once again! Randy said he sounded nasal with no connection and no emotion. Paula said he didn't show his love and joy of the stage. Simon said it was nondescript, nasally, tinny, completely and utterly insignificant.

That's when we got a lesson from Chris. "Nasally is a form of singing." @@ (Sorry... had to roll those eyes!) Chris actually defended his nasality claiming he does it on purpose! Well, that shines a new light on things, doesn't it?

Melinda Doolittle sang "Trouble is a Woman" by Julie Reeves. Martina had never heard of the song, but was dazzled by Melinda. So was I when she sang it on stage. Her voice is always superb, but tonight she also threw a lot of personality in into her performance.

Randy yo-yo'd and declared it a "solid performance from our resident pro." Paula said it was the right song for her and she sang her heart out. Simon told her not to act surprised (lose that) and then said she was fantastic. That, she was.

Blake Lewis took the stage last. He chose a good song -- "When the Stars Go Blue" by Tim McGraw. Martina told him to relax, so it's not surprising that he looks like a deer caught in the headlights in this photo I took early in the performance.

I don't think he was all that comfortable with the genre. He did okay, but it wasn't my favorite Blake performance. I think he's the most talented of the guys left, but Phil out-sang him tonight. I don't think he has to worry about going home and we all know that if this kid starts selling records, they won't be in the country genre.

Randy liked the performance -- "the right song" and "you know who you are." Paula said he had the whole package. Simon said it was okay, not a "jumping out of the chair" performance. I know what Simon means.

So, who's going home? Well, it should be Sanjaya and I predict he'll be out of there soon. I think Phil, Chris, and LaKisha should worry this week.

TV Newsy Bits - Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Before I get started, I'd like to offer my condolences to those touched by the tragedy at Virginia Tech. Such an incredible loss to the families and friends... words cannot express my sadness. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

And, if you noticed, my usual TV Newsy Bits graphic has been temporarily replaced. This is a shot I took of the underpass I must walk beneath to get to the eastbound commuter train (towards Newark/New York City). It has a 13'6" warning for low trucks. Well, um... if I lay down on an inflatable raft, I might just clear the bridge. Blame the Raritan River. Needless to say, the station is still closed. Yet, I made it to work. (Sigh.) The devastation I saw in Bound Brook today was unbelievable. I saw it on TV, but seeing it in person is very different.

Onto TV Newsy Bits:

• Interviews with the most recent America's Next Top Model eliminee (is that a word?), Whitney, can be found in these articles -- RealityShack and Reality TV World.
• Country superstar singer Martina McBride will be coaching the American Idol 6 contestants tonight. Hmmm... what will Sanjaya sing?
• This week's American Idol contestant will be Number Seven. I found a blog with an interesting look at previous Number Sevens on the show. Jennifer Hudson was a Seven.
• Whether really spoilers or just a writer's predictions, this Reality TV Calendar article may or may not have real spoilers for next week's Survivor 14: Fiji. You've been warned.
• Tonight is the elimination show for Dancing With the Stars. Since I don't watch, if someone could get the eliminated announcement in the comments of the blog discussion post for the show, I'd love you! (Well, a platonic kind of love, you know.)

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Monday, April 16, 2007

Ah, I'm enjoying my restful unplanned day off from my day job. I was right. Had I gone into work, I would have been stranded. NJ Transit has suspended the train line I need for my commute and flooding of the Raritan River has necessitated the evacuation of Bound Brook, a town I have to go through to get to work. And the river won't even crest until early this evening. Closed roads, canceled trains, a cozy apartment with working electricity. I'm set!

Similar to when Hurricane Floyd flooded Bound Brook, there was another fire there today. During the last really big flood, it was a motorcycle dealership burning in the middle of flood waters. That made national news. As I type this, they just announced five homes were involved in the fire, not three. Fire boats from other areas of NJ and NYC didn't arrive in time and firefighters couldn't get near enough to the fire due to the flood waters. With its history of flooding, I'm wondering why Bound Brook doesn't have its own fire boat.

Oh, well... here's hoping the cable doesn't go out. What will I watch tonight?

• 8 PM -- CBS has a repeat How I Met Your Mother followed by a new The New Adventures of Old Christine. NBC has a new Deal or No Deal. ABC has a ninety-minute Dancing With the Stars -- remember to stop by the DWTS blog discussion post to talk about the show with a fine group of folks! FOX is airing a new Drive. Hmmm... did the show start last night? I'll probably take a peek at it, but if I recall correctly, the premiere was last night while I was busy with Amazing Race. I could be wrong.
• 9 PM -- CBS has new episodes of Two and a Half Men and The King of Queens. NBC has a new Thank God You're Here. FOX has a new episode of 24.
• 9:30 PM -- ABC has a ninety-minute The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman airing. Again, if you watch the show, please drop by the blog discussion post for the skinny and good discussion!
• 10 PM -- CBS has a new C.S.I.: Miami while NBC has doubled up repeats of My Name is Earl. Chances are I'll be either watching a new Animal Precinct on Animal Planet or FOX, UPN or CW news trying to see what's happening with the storm closings around here.

All in all, it's not an exciting night of television for me although I know some very popular shows are on. What will you be watching?

'The Apprentice: L.A.' - East Coast Update - 4/15/07

No one was fired this week. The task was to create a Renuzit commercial. Frank and Nicole were paired together as were James and Stephanie. Old candidates of their choice joined them.

Both teams did the task well. The Final Four -- Stephanie, James, Nicole, and Frank -- were sent home to be back for the live finale next week.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - Ep. 10 -or- "Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting"

Well, well... I found tonight's Hong Kong leg very entertaining. I'm still not too thrilled with a few of the remaining teams (cough:::Mirna/Charla:::cough:::Eric/Danielle)... but I thought tonight's challenges were a lot of fun and Hong Kong has always fascinated me.

Four teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?

The teams departed from the House on the Hill in Kuala Lumpur in the order they had arrived. There was less than a two-hour gap between first and last place this time. The first team to leave was the Beauty Queens (Dustin and Kandice) at 12:28 AM while the last team was Oswald and Danny at 2:19 AM.

They had to get flights to Hong Kong, then travel 22 miles to a laundry where they were to receive their next clue. The two-hour gap was meaningless as no flights were available until morning anyway. Of course we had to endure airport drama.

Eric and Danielle tried to stare down Dustin and Kandice as they Yielded them last week. Internet attempts to obtain tickets didn't seem to work this time although I thought it interesting that the Burger King had Internet at the airport. In the end, Oswald and Danny seemed to find the best plan -- going downstairs to await the arrival of the ticket clerk rather than waiting at the closed counter. Alas, they decided they'd work with/help Mirna and Charla.

They said they did it for the karma just as others were saying that karma would get Dustin and Kandice for the Yield. Actually, D/K are right. The Yield is a part of the race. All the teams are supposedly in it to win. But it seems indeed the good karma worked for Danny and Oswald and the bad karma really didn't harm the Beauty Queens.

Danny and Oswald got the first flight out thus sending them directly to first place from last. (Yay!) Most of the airport stuff was the same old sniping between teams. Mirna told the Beauty Queens, "Take your padded bras elsewhere!" And so on... and on. I found it interesting (and not totally safe) that Charla had heelies on in the airport. It did speed them along as Mirna dragged her. Why haven't they used them before? They had to be heelies, right? Eric and Danielle once again ended up on the last flight leaving.

Since the ChaChas, Danny and Oswald, arrived in Hong Kong before any of the other teams, they were the first to find the Fast Forward at the laundry. Well, of course they took it! The clue directed them to the old International Airport where they would take part in a high-speed movie stunt. Now we're talking!

These are the kinds of things I like to see on The Amazing Race! They weren't told exactly what they would be going through before experiencing it, but both took it all in stride. They knew from the gear they had to don that it would be something exciting and probably a tad dangerous. And, it was.

Once geared-up and strapped in, a stunt driver took them through a course which not only was high-speed, it was a roll-over! Woohoo! They both seemed to love it and took their clue which would send them directly to the Pit Stop skipping both the Detour and Roadblock the other teams would face. Oh, and they had to take a Travelocity gnome with them.

But the Detour was kind of cool, too. Well, at least the choice all of the teams made. One of the choices sounded a bit boring, but even Charla and Mirna went for the more physical task. Teams could Kung Fu Fight or be Lost in Translation. The latter was the boring task -- they had to study a sign in Chinese characters, then find it. Yawn! But, hey, when everybody's Kung Fu fighting, you know it's as fast as lightning! Oh, go ahead... click on that Kung Fu fighting link. You know you want to do it.

Dustin and Kandice arrived at the Detour first. Thinking that Charla and Mirna would go for the non-physical task, they went for Kung Fu Fighting. Actually, Charla and Mirna originally went for the Lost in Translation, but changed their minds. Once at the Detour, the teams had to climb up eight flights of scaffolding while being "attacked" by Kung Fu ninja-types.

Dustin and Kandice got through it first, then Charla and Mirna. Danielle and Eric seemed to be lagging way behind due to their later flight, but did the task in great time. I only wish that Danielle wouldn't wear low-cut sports halters in every country. I know some men probably disagree with me on that one. Heck, even the Beauty Queens cover up with t-shirts and such.

From there, teams had to take the Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island to find the next clue at the Old Police Headquarters. While Charla and Mirna took the wrong ferry, they remained ahead of Eric and Danielle.

The clue there was a Roadblock and, while not so exciting, dangerous, or even hard, it was sort of fun. It seems the show capitalized on the film industry in Hong Kong, mainly the adventure/crime/martial arts genres. One member from each team had to go through the old headquarters knocking down doors to find a clue in a room. Charla and Eric (not at the same time obviously) really got a kick out of it. (Heh.)

From the Roadblock, teams headed to Victoria Park where there were gnomes on junks floating in the lake. They had to gently pull their chosen gnome to shore without drowning the gnome.

No one drowned the gnomes, but Eric and Danielle seemed to be far behind even though editing attempts of the race to the Pit Stop tried to tie them in with Mirna and Charla. I personally don't think it was as close as they tried to make it seem.

The Pit Stop was at the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Danny and Oswald arrived there well before the other other teams due to the Fast Forward. Here's the order of arrival:

1. Oswald and Danny - They also won the most expensive trip of the race, a trip back to Hong Kong for the Chinese New Year. Wow, I'd love that!
2. Dustin and Kandice (don't see that bad karma doing much there)
3. Charla and Mirna
4. Eric and Danielle, saved by a non-elimination leg. They will be marked for elimination next week and must come in first place or suffer a 30-minute penalty.

Okay, what's with the gnomes? They usually have a gnome-challenge each year, but the gnomes are marked to win prizes. Phil didn't ask to see the gnomes although all the teams brought them as directed. Did I miss something? It seemed the ChaCha's trip was a regular non-gnome related first place winning one.

Will Eric realize that he should sometimes listen to Danielle? Is Mirna being suspiciously edited as being nicer to Charla?

So many questions... I guess I'll just have to wait until next week!

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - April 15 - East Coast Update

Pit Stop Arrival Order:

1. Oswald and Danny (used Fast Forward) - won the most expensive trip on the show so far -- Hong Kong for Chinese New Year.
2. Dustin and Kandice
3. Charla and Mirna
4. Danielle and Eric

It was a non-elimination leg, so all teams still in it.

A full review/recap will be posted later tonight.

Tonight's 'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' Blogging

The show will be starting on time here in the NYC area, so I'll be posting an East Coast Update with the arrival order and Philimination (if any) at about 9 PM EDT. A full review/recap will be posted late tonight.

It's Pouring Pants! - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - April 16-20, 2007

Oh, my... I've had a lazy Sunday. I usually post this early Sunday morning, but something went awry today, eh?

I blame the rain, the big nor'easter. While we haven't had the horrible winds forecasted (yet), we've had about four inches of rain. I've lazed about listening to the rain on the windows, old jazz, and the upstairs neighbors bowling (or whatever they're doing up there). I've read, watched the latest (tape) BET The Wire episode, took a bubble bath, did a bit of housecleaning... and now I should get the Letterman schedule up.

While we won't have Bruce Willis with a Sanjaya FauxHawk this week, here's what we can expect:

• Monday, April 16: Kelly Ripa from Live with Regis & Kelly, Simon Pegg promoting Hot Fuzz, and comedian Jim Short.
• Tuesday, April 17: Craig Ferguson (The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson), Dave Della Terza from votefortheworst.com, Avril Lavigne whose latest CD is The Best Damn Thing. Okay, I'm marking this the hit show for me for the week. Craig Ferguson makes me snicker and votefortheworst? Gotta see that segment!
• Wednesday, April 18: Edie Falco from The Sopranos, Paul Scheer (Human Giant), and musical guest Son Volt (CD is The Search).
• Thursday, April 19: Garry Shandling promoting his latest DVD Not Just the Best of the Larry Sanders Show, American CHopper guys Paul Teutul Sr. and Jr., and musical guest Tokyo Police Club whose CD is A Lesson in Crime. This one sounds very intriguing, doesn't it?
• Friday, April 20: Jessica Biel (Next), Ira Glass (This American Life), and Regina Spektor promoting her CD Begin to Hope. Um, okay. I'm not familiar with the first two guests and not a Regina Spektor fan at all. Ira Glass sounds a bit intriguing. I guess I'll see!

There are your hip-waders pants for the upcoming week!