'Big Brother 8' - Live Feeds Report - Through the Day - 07/07/07

It's the Double Ds! Dustin and Dick laze about outside in the yard.

To address a few things in the comments --

I said "Keith Richard stand-in" for Dick because he actually was exactly that in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies (the most recent, I believe). Yes, he bears a resemblance to Tommy Lee, too. Give him a few more years and I bet he'll look more like Keith.

Some entries back, a reader questioned why I said Canadians are technically Americans. I reply: On what continent is Canada found? Oh? North America, eh? It's similar to someone from France being both French and European.

These are live feeds reports, so beware... there will be spoilers!

Here are the events from today in that Big Brother House of Silly Sycophants:

• Just a note - I think this is the first season that a good percentage of the men wear shirts.
• Big Brother woke the houseguests up not long after 8 AM their time. The lights must remain on in the bedrooms. They fussed, but they're right. It's a fairly early wake up call for a quiet day.
• Carol thinks Dick snores too much and said she only likes Starbucks coffee -- nothing else will do. She also hates the cameras. (Well, duh... that's the idea behind the show! @@)
• Nick and Zach are agog at Daniele's beauty.
• Jameka thinks Jen doesn't even know her name. (But I bet she knows Mike Boogie's name!)
• Jen's latest Jen shirt is "Jensa Member." @@!
• Eric clipped his mic to one of his nipples. He's our player? Eep. Big Brother finally told him to move the mic higher.
• For a change, not all of the talk in the house is about Hollywood and such. Dick tends to get into talks of art, museums, race, religion and more with others.
• Aha... Daniele and Dick are indeed strategically working together. They're worried that Zach may have some suspicions about them doing do.
• In addition to that huge $5 debt, Carol also had problems with Jessica's mother. She said she's a pageant mom and put too much pressure on her.
• We got a brief audio blurb of a Diary Room discussion with Zach. They were asking him about the Veto comp and staying the HOH during it.
• Nick is still smitten with Daniele.
• They must have entered the house last Saturday as they said it was their one-week anniversary inside.
• Jameka got a bit offended by Dick during a talk about religion, but it's not a huge deal.

That's about it for the day so far. We still don't know if Daniele will use the Veto to save either Carol or Amber. In the beginning before I watched this group much, I really wanted Carol to stay. But the more I see her, the more she grates on me a bit. However, if Daniele used the Veto to save Carol, Kail might put Jen in her place. Amber would certainly stay over Jen. That would be fine with me. Get it done, Ladies.

But... you know, I think we almost always lose a woman first on the show. I'd have to research back to be sure, but the count of Women First Gone has to beat the men.

'Big Brother 8' - Live Feeds Update - Into the Morning - 7/07/07

At least I like the colors of the house "screensaver" more this season than last. It's a blue whirly liquid tunnel, perhaps tying in with the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland. It would be almost relaxing if it didn't move so quickly and wasn't accompanied by the overly loud theme music once again.

But I like blue liquid tunnels much more than angry red clouds (or fire). If we must endure this whenever the show doesn't want us to see what's happening, at least I can sit and say, "Hey, pretty colors."

Some folks wonder why we see it, right? Every time a houseguest sings, we get this clip because it's considered broadcasting and the show hasn't paid royalties to air the song. If the houseguests talk about someone who hasn't signed a release, we get the clip because they don't want lawsuits. Then there's when the show doesn't want us to see various competitions or houseguest talk about the show's staff. Although we often get the clip until well after a competition, eventually the houseguests talk about what happened when we were liquid blues.

Before I go into the actual events of the night, I'm going to call my early season favorites... I like Dustin and Jameka. Both get along well with others and seem to be going with the flow in the house. I enjoy watching Dick more than I thought I would and Daniele a bit less. He seems a bit lost, a bit bereft. She won't give him the time of the day. Eric is probably going to work out okay as America's Player, but the guy has issues. He's very antsy and will end up getting bleeped on the show more than Dick, the Keith Richards stand-in. Now, if Dustin didn't have the Joe Nightmare on his back, I think he would have been better as America's Player. But, of course, he might not even be on the show without the connection.

Onto the late night into the dawn events from that Big Brother House of Hapless Hipsters:

• Carol, who could very be evicted this week, wants Big Brother to change her picture on the Memory Wall. No, not to black and white. She thinks she looks snaggle-toothed in it. She noted that only she and Jameka seem to be dressed in the women's photos.
• Jen seems to be the one on the outs with almost everyone in the house. Although Kail said that she had no problem with Jen, almost everyone else has mentioned that she annoys them. Unless she can win competitions, I don't foresee a long stay for her.
• If it means anything this early in the game, Nick's key was the last to be revealed in Kail's Nominations Ceremony.
• Is Nick smitten with Daniele? Possibly. There's been a lot of flirting and he had a long talk with her about how his first impressions were totally off-base. He thought she was a hot dumb blonde, but told her that instead, she's a very smart hot blonde. @@
• Unlike previous seasons, these houseguests are into fake "dates." In a way, it's interesting as they get to know each other. But all they really do is dress up and prepare for the date, then sit around and talk.
• Joe decided he would tell scary stories accompanied by a flashlight. The stories weren't scary, but the flashlight worked.
• Dick, Jen, and Mike had a discussion about how boring Kail is. No, Kail wasn't there to give her opinion.
• Dick has an issue with all of the knives in the house being plastic. He obviously didn't watch Season Two.
• Mike and Dick were the Stay Up Late Dudes, still up as I type this at 5:30-ish in the morning their time. Joe woke Eric up, so now he's out there with them ticked off at Joe.
• The boys are talking about making the teacup in the yard the new Jack Shack (no, I won't explain) by covering it with quilts. Eww.

I'm going to go ahead and get this posted. Why am I actually liking Evel Dick? That's just not right!

'Big Brother 8' - Live Feeds Report - Into the Evening, July 7

<--- Mike and Jen seem to be getting close on a hammock, eh?

I'm still trying to get the feel of these folks in the house this season. So, until I choose anyone I like, I'm not getting really excited. Oh, I know that they'll grow on me. But they ain't there yet!

Here are the afternoon into evening happenings from that Big Brother House of Mad Hatters:

• The details of the Veto Comp grew more clear -- each player had to hide a Veto and each had to find hidden Vetos. Daniele won. (The spelling of her name drives me crazy! It should be double "L.")
• The houseguests aren't too clear on the timeline for events. They think the eviction will be Sunday. Silly hamsters, it's Thursday!
• Daniele and Amber talked about how annoying Jen is. I mention this because I agree with them.
• Amber told Daniele that Dick told her he'd never put her (Daniele) on the block.
• Carol is really down. She's still sure she'll be the one to go home. Unfortunately, her attitude won't help her case, methinks. She started trying to campaign a bit.
• The HG had to do a lot of cleaning to put the house back in order after the wild Veto search competition.
• The houseguests got into the hot tub just in time for the After Dark show. @@
• Amber told Dustin that she'd put up Joe and Jen if she gets HOH. (Hmmm... I want to like Carol for the stay, but Amber has her points!)
• Joe is one of the HG on slop. He ate a piece of pineapple and got all the slop bunch yelled at by a female Big Brother voice.
• A lot of the HG think that Dick is a nice guy and Daniele's being cruel to him by ignoring him and being nasty.
• Carol called the cameras the Evil Eye of Satan. ("Pleased to meet you, hope you guessed my name...)

They're talking about the Veto Comp, its rounds and the timing of the rounds. It was actually hidden items and one POV from what I gathered before they cut the feed to hide the details.

So, right now things aren't a thrill a minute, but I'm positive it will improve. I hope so, anyway.

Just a note: Please don't use the comments section to advertise or spam personal sites. Those posts will be removed. Blog links posted by anonymous commenters are unwelcome spam.

I recommend JokersUpdates, Hamsterwatch, Morty'sTV, SurvivorSucks, and TV Clubhouse (amongst others) for extensive BB coverage!

'Big Brother 8' Live Feeds Notes, Friday 7/06 Daytime

My apologies for being a bit late with this. It was one of those days in which my issues became a magazine.

But, no fear... you really haven't missed much going on in that Big Brother House of Friends and Foes:

• Dick finally went to bed at almost 7:30 their time.
• Big Brother gave them all a wake-up call at a bit past 8:30. Heh.
• At about 8:45, Big Brother told the houseguests the veto competition would begin in 90 minutes. It actually began (feeds blocked with trivia) at about 10:30, so they're a bit more timely so far.
• Amber wants Dick to win the Veto for her.
• Joe mocked the Chenbot's robotly ways.
• When the feeds came back about a half-hour after the blockage, Amber seemed upset.
• Then we realized the comp hadn't even taken place yet. All they had done is pick the players. Forget me calling them timely! @@
• Amber thinks God wants her to keep the nominations the same if she wins. Can we get a mass eyeroll going here? One word... Marcellas.
• Then the feeds were blocked for almost five hours...! Argh.
• When they came back on, only those houseguests who didn't play for Veto were trapped in the HOH Room.
• Now they're all back together talking about wearing headphones, listening to music, talking about missing clothes, messy rooms, time elements to look for something, tornado spins... I have no clue what the comp was or if we have a winner. I'll post more when I get something concrete. They had to hide something and others had to find it. It's very confusing!
• But Big Brother gave them pizza.

'Big Brother 8' - Live Feed Notes - Overnight Into July 6, 2007

Who woulda thunk it? One houseguest is up washing dishes and cleaning in the kitchen as I write this. Are you thinking Kail? Nope, it's Dick. It's past 3:00 AM their time as I write this. He is indeed a character... and he talks to himself. A lot.

Remember, we already knew from my last post that Carol and Amber are nominated for eviction. The Power of Veto will be played out sometime today. They have been in the house for six days.

Here's the latest skinny:

• There must have been a food competition more than a few days ago. Some of the houseguests are on Big Brother slop. Daniele and Dustin, for sure, are slop eaters.
• They don't have playing cards. (Good, because watching them play cards is boring!)
• Eric is a play-flirter with all of the girls. Alas, he has a potty-mouth. But our America's Player does seem to fit in well with the others. Dick has some problems with him -- something about him lying to him about something. But, on the whole, he gets along decently.
• It seems the concensus among the houseguests is a vote off of Carol, at least partly because she said she didn't want to be there when she was nominated.
• If POV is used, Zach may be the next on the block.
• Nick is shy with the girls? His father thought he could be gay until he was around 21.
• Big Brother gave them body paint. The slop eaters wanted to eat it because it's flavored.
• The HOH Room is very futuristic-looking. For some reason, Kail didn't seem to spend much time up there, but Jen did. Jen checked out all of the spy screen views.
• There seems to be a bit of difference in opinion regarding the vote, but it always seems to fall back to Amber staying unless the POV is used to save Carol.
• Dick coughs a lot. It might be good for him to run out of cigarettes this summer.

'Big Brother 8' - First Feeds Screencap and Live Feeds Spoilers

It's ON!

Right at midnight, they came on. Well, not until after I had to uninstall and reinstall RealPlayer. But...!

Okay, the skinny I've caught so far...

Carol and Amber are up for eviction. POV will be played for tomorrow. Carol apparently gave the others the idea she wanted to leave when nominated.

She's telling Dustin how much she's given up to be there. He told her that unless something changes, his vote has to be for Amber to stay. Joe wants to build a Six Alliance, but Carol thinks that Daniele and Dick have a one-alliance pact?

According to Dustin, Zach wants to run things.

Amber and Carol get along well. Carol hates being up against her for eviction. Neither will campaign.

It's Day 6 for them. They don't know if the Three (Dustin, Dick, Jessica) can vote for eviction or not (since they're safe this week).

Ah, well, gonna switch feeds and take more notes.

'Big Brother 8' - Season Premiere and East Coast Spoilers

Although I'm not so keen on such a young cast, I think we have a lot of promise here.

I'm still getting the names straight, but here's a brief lowdown on the happenings...

Only eleven people entered the house first. Carol, Joe, Mike, and Amber went in as the first group to choose beds. Then it was Nick, Daniele, and Jameka. Then Kail, Jen, Eric, and Zach.

Notably missing were Dick, Dustin, and Jessica. Now we knew Daniele is Dick'c estranged daughter. I had guessed it right that Dustin and Joe are a "pair." They're ex-boyfriends with a horrible break-up in their past. Jessica and Carol are high school friends turned rivals.

The three were hidden away upstairs, able to watch the eleven's every move from the HOH room. They were brought down after the HOH competition, but Julie told the larger group about them with no specifics. All three are safe from eviction this week.

Once Julie told them about the "unfinished business, enemies, rivals, the last person you want to be with" bit, Joe immediately guessed Dustin and blamed him for a bout with an STD. Meanwhile Dustin was upstairs denying it was true to Dick and Jessica. A few who don't have the "enemy" in the house were imagining enemies. Daniele told the Diary Room she thought it would be her father, but didn't tell the Eleven. Carol couldn't think of anyone since junior high or high school.

The beds are too short, too tall, and simply not enough. Some will have to share beds.

The HOH comp was neat -- the Eleven had to pair up, leaving Nick unable to take part in the competition. One had to kneel on a spinning mushroom while the other answered questions about the houseguests. The questions were ones posed to them before entering the house, things like "would you give up your bus seat to a pregnant woman?" They only give True or False to a number of how many said they wouldn't, not specifically who may or may not. Every wrong answer made the mushroom spin faster and muck would spurt on on them occasionally.

In the end, Kail and Eric won. Julie let the three upstairs decide which of the two would be HOH. They chose Kail as she was the one to endure the spinning and muck. Eric didn't want to win the first HOH anyway, so he was very happy. He wanted to throw the comp but kept accidentally answering the questions right.

When the three were brought down to the eleven... Joe went from good-going to miserable and nasty. Daniele went to the bathroom and cried. Carol and Jessica seemed to just stare at each other.

Eric is our America's Player. Starting Sunday, we can be the puppetmasters! I knew it couldn't be anyone tied to another in the house and I think he's a good choice. He's a big fan of the show and seems to fit in fine... for now.

I have to see what's wrong with my RealPlayer feeds... today of all days, they've gone awry. The feeds start tonight!

Your impression of the season premiere?

Happy Independence Day!

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! I decided to take it a bit easy today writing-wise because I foresee three months with little sleep.

The NJ city in which I live had their 84th Annual July 4th Parade which happens to go right by my apartment. So I watched that, played with videos I made of it (more to go) and experimented a bit with YouTube since I'm hoping to upload some feeds videos this season.

Right now as I type this, I have the Boston fireworks on in the background. I've done the Charles River and Boston Pops scene a few times in the past, as I have the Philadelphia and New York City celebrations. Tonight, though, it's raining here. I can hear that the local fireworks event went on as scheduled. But it was a good night to stay indoors.

I've been watching the Boston fireworks wondering if Craig Ferguson, the host of the show, will say anything about receiving his US citizenship today. According to one of the NYC WCBS news folks, he was slated to be sworn in (or whatever they do) today.

Sleep well tonight... tomorrow is the start of Big Brother 8!

More 'Big Brother 8' News - Exec. Producer Allison Grodner Talks to GlobalTV (Can)

Although Big Brother 8 executive producer Allison Grodner doesn't seem to realize that Canadians technically are also Americans, there are some juicy tidbits coming out of her interview with the GlobalTV folks.

While I suggest reading the entire interview, I want to bring up some excerpts I thought of particular interest.

The first has to do with America's Player:

While two of the weekly polls will be strategic in nature -- asking viewers who the 'America's Player' should target for a nomination and whom they should vote to evict -- the third poll on Sunday's show will be for fun. For that poll, viewers might be asked who 'America's Player' should start a showmance with or who they should have a meaningful conversation with. If the player makes it to the final seven, the viewers will also have a vote on the 'Big Brother 8' jury.

"The viewers will have a vote every week so that's a big deal. It is the most interactive we have ever been," commented Grodner.

For every five tasks the 'America's Player' completes, they will get a cash bonus. While the other HouseGuests won't know about the 'America's Player' twist until that person is voted out or wins the game, their identity will be revealed to the audience on the debut of 'Big Brother 8' this Thursday night.

"We are really happy with whom this is. We think this person will do a terrific job," said Grodner.

Oh, a possible jury vote for the viewers! I think that when the viewers hold the power entirely they tend to remove the most controversial folks first. It's often those very folks who make the show more interesting. One jury vote if the America's Player makes it through to the jury might be just enough to feel involved. After all, America kept Sanjaya on American Idol way too long. The viewers don't always vote wisely.

Onto the "ememies" twist, there's this excerpt:

In speaking to GlobalTV.com, Grodner was quick to clear up another misconception: Not everyone in the house will be a part of the "rival or enemy" twist. The twist of having to deal with a real life foe in the house will only apply to some of the players.

"There are past relationships that will surprise some of them on opening night. Not all of them will have a past relationship but some of them will and nobody knows any of this when they walk into the house. We will see how this plays out as this is like the 'X Factor' from four years ago," she explained. "You know the old saying...Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Well, let's see how that plays out this summer. "Expect the Unexpected" doesn't just go for the audience, it goes for us, the producers, too."

I've been comparing the concept to the X-Factor season in my mind and hope it's not quite the same. That wasn't my favorite season. I still have Holly and Cowboy night terrors.

Again in this interview, Allison seems very high on Joe. I can't help but thinking that he could very well be America's Player. But, mind you, that's my personal opinion from seeing how enthralled she is with him.

'Big Brother 8' - ET House Tour and the Latest News

If you missed the house tour on Entertainment Tonight, have no fear... I have it for you here. I kind of like it. I think it certainly presents the opportunity for some unusual happenings, don't you?




In other new show news...

The Early Bird special for the live feeds will be expiring soon. If you're going to spring for them, the time to act is now! I suggest that you get them through a link on your favorite Big Brother website as the sites providing them receive some income from them. No, that wouldn't be me. But Hamsterwatch, Jokers, and more sites have the deals. If you go to RealNetworks, they should be offering the two-week free trial, too. But I think (I could be wrong here) the feeds themselves after the free trial are a bit more than the Early Bird costs.

The official CBS Big Brother 8 website, at the time I'm posting this, has nothing new to offer us. Bah on them so far this year.

Janelle has been quoted on various sites saying than this year's Jen is a ChillTown ringer. Jen has some ties to both Mike Boogie and the Evil Doctor Will. Supposedly Mike is going around saying that if she wins they can claim a third victory for ChillTown. Of course, Jen was the one who turned me off with her "Jenius" t-shirt on The Early Show cast introductions.

The TV Guide House Tour, not as good as the video above, can be found here.

There is still a lot of speculation on various couplings as far as the "enemies" and "unfinished business" twists go. Dick and Daniele, father and estranged daughter, are the most obvious. Carol and Jessica, both hailing from the same town in Kansas, are a strong possibility. Joe and Dustin are both living in Chicago and gay. But the vision clouds when you consider Dustin is from Minnesota and so is Nick.

Executive Producer Allison Grodner told WeLoveBigBrother.com that Samantha, the 15th houseguest seen on the TV Guide interview, is merely an alternative who won't be on the show. I still think that was a rather odd mistake to make, don't you? In regard to America's Player, she had this to say: "We chose someone who we felt could pull this off," she explained. "This is a daunting challenge because it's a secret to the rest of the houseguests and yet this person will have to balance their own sort of strategy and stay in the house as long as they can while possibly making some erratic moves that the viewers have him or her make."

I'm expecting the traditional "slip" on the live feeds sometime tomorrow. I tried to check them a few minutes ago, but they just kept loading to no fruition for me. Up until that I had a message that the feeds would be coming soon and bizarre music. I prefer the trunk monkeys a few weeks ago - an ad for some car dealer.

So there's your Big Brother fix for the morning. As I hear or see news, I'll get it posted for you!

'Hell's Kitchen' - A Quick Take on Episode 5

My goodness, each week it seems like someone on the show becomes the demon seed of Gordon Ramsay.

But, the problem is... Gordon Ramsay can get away with it and the chef-wannabe can't.

Tonight it was Melissa. She's been a bit in the background for the last few episodes, so it was her turn to shine. Well, perhaps not shine, but go nuclear.

We knew from the promos for this episode that some fools... er, a bride and groom, chose Hell's Kitchen to serve their reception. I find something inherently wrong with the concept, but they never ask for my opinion.

The challenge had the Red Team (women) and Blue Team (men) shopping for ingredients for an appetizer, meat, and fish entree. They had $100 to spend. The women got off to a good start coming in at $97.50 while the men overspent and had to lose ingredients they needed to knock off nearly forty bucks. Remind me not to send them shopping with my grocery budget money.

In the kitchen, it started -- Melissa decided she was the only one who knows anything and started bullying and bossing the other women. And, mind you... she was totally wrong in her direction! Julia tried to speak up. She had taken the duck out of the stove so the other dishes could catch up and it wouldn't be overcooked. Melissa slammed it back in the oven. The men weren't doing great, but they didn't have a misguided maniac bullying them.

The bride and groom to be were the ones to judge the challenge. Melissa, much to Ramsay's spitting rage, tried to block the duck dish from being served. There it was. The men won their first challenge. The women got the nod for their crab appetizer, but the men won for both the meat and the fish. The men were off to a spa for some pampering while the women had to decorate the restaurant (with the help of an overly stereotypically gay decorator) for the reception.

The men relaxed and rebuilt their spirit while the women started bickering over the decoration task. Oh, it was actually Melissa trying to boss the others and the others not wanting to be bossed by her. It wasn't quite a brouhaha. Where the Bonnie, Julie, and Jen made their mistake was by not mutinying on the spot. It could have saved them.

As the teams cooked for the actual reception, Melissa not only kept up her dictating and nasty ways, but she was making costly mistakes. The men finished serving three minutes ahead of the women. For the first time, the teams served the entire dinner to all of the patrons.

The men won for both the time factor and better teamwork. Ramsay chose Jen to decide which two from her team would be nominated for elimination. She's soft on Bonnie. We knew that. But she also respects Julia. It was pretty much a given that Melissa should be nominated -- it was just the second person up on the chopping block which created her dilemma.

In the end, she chose Melissa for the night's performance and lack of being able to work with others. Then, to Bonnie's shock, she chose her. Later Jen told Bonnie that she loved her and thought that given the choice between the two, Ramsay would definitely choose to send Melissa home.

But it wasn't meant to be. Nope. He sent her to the Blue Team and Bonnie back to the Red Team. No one went home.

Next week should be interesting as Rock and Melissa had a dust-up during the wedding service tonight. She botched her potatoes after he explained to her several times how to do them, then tried to say he mislead her. I want a brouhaha!

'Big Brother 8' - A 15th Houseguest?

Thanks to the rockin' Dreamer, this video from the TV Guide channel was posted over at Jokers.

I missed the TV Guide segment, but the video seems to nail it. The hosts talk to all of the houseguests we've already seen... but there's one more. Samantha.

Say what? Is it an error? Is she an alternate? Has CBS tipped us to yet another twist? I couldn't get the video to embed properly in this entry, but head on over to the Jokers link above to check it out.

Curiouser and curiouser...

But here's a guy we won't see on the show. We won't see his "hideous cat" either.

The Latest 'Big Brother 8' Cast News - Sunday, July 1, 2007

Graphic artist Zoetawny has made me yet another tag for the show. She rocks, right?

To bring up all of the show posts on this blog, simply use the 'Big Brother 8' label tag you find on the bottom of any show post. I've posted lots o' news already and I'm still scouting for more as the premiere looms on the horizon.

Before I tell you the latest, I want to give a shout-out to the folks at JokersUpdates, Hamsterwatch, and the other fine sites covering the show. I haven't had any "inside connections" to the show since my producer buddy Jym Buss left after season 6, but through the wonders of the Internet, I always have news to share!

Here's the latest buzz from the Internet Fans:

• A poster over at Jokers found an article about houseguest Jessica Hughbanks. It turns out she's a dancer for Wichita Thunder (hockey) and, if you're a fan of So You Think You Can Dance, you know her dancing idol -- Shane Sparks. There's not a heck of a lot of insight, but it's certainly worth a peek. She doesn't like rude people, huh? What's she doing going into the Big Brother house?
• Rumors are all over the web about the America's Player person being male. I think it all stems from Julie and Allison Grodner always referring to the person as "he." That could be just semantics, but I don't think we'll know for sure until next Sunday night.
• Jokers also has a Wichita Eagle blurb about houseguest Carol Journey. She had to forego her first season as a Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader to be on Big Brother.
• You can't get enough show news? The best link sites are Reality TV Links and SirLinksAlot, both set for their Big Brother links. Oh, and is that this blog listed on them both? :-)
• The Entertainment Tonight house tour is scheduled for Monday, July 2. Check your local listings for times in your area.
• Not new season related, but interesting nonetheless -- BB Lane has a recent interview with Season 1 winner Eddie McGee. It really makes you stop and think... eight years ago this all started. It's definitely changed my summers! That first year I was a board host on the AOL Message Boards for the show and they were hopping as AOL was a partner in the show. Big Brother 1 had input from the boards featured on the show each week and the live feeds were through AOL, too. Ah, the memories of the Chicken Coop cam... and the one which was behind the walls with the crew! That would be cool if they brought that camera back!
• An Oregon online newspaper, the Register-Guard, has an article about new houseguest Kail Harbick.
• The Kansas City Star has a blurb about new houseguests Carol and Jessica, but no insight.
• It seems to be real, but I can't say... someone claiming to be houseguest Carol's father has posted about her over at Jokers. Now, that can present a dilemma. Right now all is safe, but things can get rough as the season goes on. It may be hard for a parent to read what the Internet thinks of his beloved child. Eep. That said, it sounds like she's a smart one. We'll see how she does!
• The WeLoveBigBrother site has more house photos online.
• I found the YouTube clip of Julie Chen's appearance on Letterman. They've disabled embedding the clip here, but this is the link.
  

That's it for now, but I'll still be looking for more news. If you're having pre-season jitters and want to list your favorites just like the new houseguests, check out this entry on the blog and jump on in!

Phone Your Pants - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - July 2-6, 2007

Yes, use your new iPhone to phone those pants! While I won't be getting an iPhone, I'll probably be watching Letterman this week. Heck, I don't have to pay over $600 for him and I can touch the screen if I want to! But the thought is kind of weird and then I'd have fingerprints all over my TV.

If you like Ryan Adams, take a peek at the Late Show website. He appeared on the show last week and sang one song, but they have him singing another in a video on the site. I looked through the clips they have and don't see the Julie Chen appearance. I'm not surprised. There wasn't much to it.

Who will be on the big shoe this week? Well, I'm glad you asked... we're in for another week of reruns.

• Monday, July 2: Kid Scientists, Luke Wilson, Rufus Wainwright and the Top Ten from Homer Simpson. This was a good show -- Luke Wilson was a hoot and the kids are always fun.
• Tuesday, July 3: Nicole Ritchie, Artie Lange, Chrisette Michele. Dave put Nicole on the spot as he talked about Paris.
• Wednesday, July 4: Stupid Pet Tricks, Rosie Perez, Dr. Dog. We need more CATS on Stupid Pet Tricks!
• Thursday, July 5: Jane Fonda, Tom Ruprecht, Kelly Clarkson.
• Friday, July 6: Teri Hatcher, Jonah Hill, Elvis Costello.

There's your Pants for the week. Wear them well!

The Blog's 'Big Brother' Favorites

This seems like it might be fun. A few folks in this entry told us their favorites as per the list that the new houseguests have to answer.

Here's my list -- if you want to play, jump in with yours in the comments!

FILMS: Any films directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Fallen, Rocky Horror Picture Show (only in theaters, though), The Thin Man (1934)

TV SHOWS: Heroes, Survivor, Big Brother, Lost, C.S.I, all Law & Order, The Amazing Race, The Late Show with David Letterman, Hell's Kitchen, The Wire, more and more.

ACTORS: Tom Hanks, I get a kick out of Bruce Willis... anyone but David Caruso.

ACTRESSES: Meg Ryan, Meryl Streep, more.

HOBBIES: Reading, writing, photography, music, messing around with my collection of computers and related gadgets.

SPORTS TO PLAY: Pretending my knee still works here... skiing, rollerskating, basketball, softball, bowling.

SPORTS TEAMS: New York Yankees, New Jersey Devils, no basketball or football faves at this time. I used to like the Knicks but they need some tough love now.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES: Again, pretending the knee isn't wrecked -- Hiking, camping, mountain climbing, hangliding, spelunking, whitewater rafting/canoeing.

BANDS/MUSICIANS: Dave Matthews Band, Blue Man Group, Simon & Garfunkel, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Tom Waits... more and more and more.

SONGS/CDS: Too many to name. I love some of all types of music and my collection shows it.

FOODS: Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, meats, potatoes, vegies, seafood.

CEREALS: I'm cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs but don't have them often.

COOKIES: Freihofer or Entenmann's chocolate chip, my own chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven, my own double chocolate cherry bourbon balls, Girl Scouts Thin Mints.

CANDY BARS: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, any good quality dark chocolate bars

ALCOHOLIC DRINKS: Screwdriver, rum and Coke, frozen strawberry daquiri

NON-ALCOHOLIC: Trader Joe's Expresso soda, milk, white grape juice, water, ginger beer.

Uh-oh. It appears I have a huge chocolate problem, don't I?

'Big Brother 8' - CBS Show Website Now Updated

The official CBS Big Brother 8 show website has been updated, but I don't think it's quite finished right now.

However, they have the favorites lists up for the new hamsters!

So, let's take a gander...

I'm finding this all a bit odd. Usually when the website pops up, it looks complete. This season, it's going up piecemeal for some reason. There also seems to be a huge difference between the hamsters themselves.

For example, Amber's page versus Carol's page. Amber's is to the point of being loquacious while Carol has barely answered the questions. Also, what's the "bio_soft" in the URL? I've never seen that during previous seasons. Will we have a "bio_hard" soon?

Eric seems to be a reality television show buff and I like his choice of cookies. I always look at their cookies, y'know. I find them very telling. Entenmann's chocolate chip is a fine choice indeed. Anyone liking them (or Freihofer's of the same ilk) has to be a good person. Right? With the exception of listing Pee Wee's Big Adventure in his film choices, he's fairly spot on with some of my own favorites.

Although she's the odd man out (or woman, that is), Kail lists Big Brother in her favorite shows. She might know what she's getting into. But, I don't know. She also lists "work" as her favorite hobby. So it's unlikely that she has been into the whole aspect of the show from the feeds standpoint. I've never just watched the show -- I've always had the feeds from the house, too. If she's just watched the show on television due to her personal love of work, she may be in for a surprise. Right now, she's a bit like a fish out of water -- conservative, married and a mother, and older (if you can be "older" at 37). I think she's going to be one to watch. She'll either really clash and crash, or she'll be so out of any in-fighting that she'll go under the radar.

I find Jameka's favorite list interesting. She lists Big Brother in capital letters, no less. She's also a big reality television buff with some of the shows I enjoy. Looking at her list, I see a lot of diversity. I think perhaps the promos might have overplayed the "99%" of interactions with only black folks angle. I mean, sheesh... she likes John Mayer and The Golden Girls. She'll do fine interacting with any normal white folks, I'm sure.

But then there's Dick. Oh, my. His favorites list looks fairly normal. But I've read his MySpace page -- this guy is the one who's "out there." If you go to the MySpace page, beware... there's very adult content there. How can he look so normal on his Big Brother page? He even lists Cocoa Pebbles as a favorite! What an innocent, huh?

Now, Executive Producer Allison Grodner said that Joe is the one who's "out there." Other than some bands and musicians I've never heard of, Joe's favorites list is rather tame. In lieu of Cocoa Pebbles, he likes Fruity Pebbles. He seems to be into the clubs scene, but that's not surprising me.

I'll be looking more into these favorite lists as time goes on. I may have to do personality profiles from their favorite cereals. That, of course, is quite a science in and of itself.

'Big Brother 8' - The Official CBS Site is Live, Plus a Spoiler for You!

Finally, the CBS Big Brother 8 website is up and running. Right now there's very little there -- photos of the new houseguests with less information than I posted about many of them, an explanation of the "America's Player" twist, and the information about the "enemy" twist almost verbatim from the press release I posted yesterday. There's a cute little Fun Facts section with four fun facts. I see no linkage for previous houseguests blogging, nor the HOH blog. There are no favorites lists or any other information regarding the houseguests... and no last names.

You can still get the feeds on the Early Bird Special at real.com. I don't have a deal with the feeds for you, but I recommend getting them through the hamsterwatch.com site if you're so inclined. That Dingo runs a tremendously creative and thorough site each year and getting the feeds through there helps support the site. Oh... and before you ask, no. I'm not affliliated with That Dingo, just an admiring addict of hamsterwatch.

Oh, yeah. I promised you a spoiler, didn't I? Remember when I said that Daniele had to have something to do with the twist because she's too young? Well, Internet scouts found the answer. Her name is Daniele Donato. Dick is Dick Donato. On his MySpace page, there are a few messages from Daniele, his estranged daughter. This could be a bit too uncomfortable.

And, thanks to the Jokers site, I found out that Dustin is indeed gay. Although living in Chicago (same as Joe), he's originally from Minnesota. Lots of Minnesota going on as in Nick, too. Hmmm... the plot thickens. Jokers also has a cute foiler-take on the enemies twist. Jessica's a Crip and Joe's a Blood? Who woulda thunk it, eh?

Now that you know a bit about the cast (a very little bit, yes)... who do you think is our mole? I mean, our America's Player?

'Big Brother 8' - Julie Chen on 'The Late Show with David Letterman'

Now that Robin Williams took up the major portion of the show (after the regular tomfoolery), it's time for the Chenbot.

Er, that's after a dozen commercials. At least one was for Big Brother 8 with the new houseguests.

Or not... now Robin Williams is doing an Alan Kalter skit. Hey, Dave... ten minutes to go. I want Julie Chen! Well, not on a personal level, y'see. I want her to be on the show already!

More commercials. I't now 12:29. The show ends at 12:37 here. Argh.

Sheesh. This is going to be an almost bump by the time the commercials end. It's now 12:32.

Finally...! Paul is playing Stevie Wonder's "Big Brother." They're talking about seasickness. Why are they talking cruises? Doesn't she have a show to promote? The show now. "Mostly felons, right?" Dave asks. "Just that one year."

Brief talk about the house. Two twists. She's telling about the person designated America's Player. She suggested something like the viewers wanting so-and-so to start a showmance as an example. Feed talk now. A schedule mention and that's it. She didn't even mention the "enemies" twist.

If you missed it, don't feel bad. I knew Robin Williams would monopolize the time.

'So You Think You Can Dance' Results Show - East Coast Update - 6/28/07

Keep returning to this entry -- I'll be updating it throughout the show.

They opened with an African group dance. I couldn't help but notice Cedric was a bit out of step.

Lauren and Neil and Lacey and Kameron were brought to the stage first. Lacey and Kameron are safe; Lauren and Neil are in the bottom three couples and will have to dance for their lives.

Jaimee and Hok are safe. Sabra and Dominic and Jesus and Sara are awaiting their fates. Sabra and Dominic are safe. Jesus and Sara are in the bottom three.

Jessi has been cleared by the doctors and will automatically dance for her life. Jessi and Pasha are performing the cha-cha we missed out on last night. Nice! It turns out that she was very dehydrated and it threw her EKG results off. Pasha himself is safe!

Shauna and Cedric and Anya and Danny are on stage now. One of the couples will be in the bottom three.

Say what? Shauna and Cedric are safe. Anya and Danny are in the bottom three couples and must dance for their lives. "What an interesting night tonight. Five million people voted and five million got it wrong," says Nigel.

Lauren is dancing her solo. A strip act? (Covering my eyes.) Huh. I'm not overly impressed. Neil is doing ballet/acrobatics. A lot of energy, I'll say. Sara is up doing freestyle breaking. Jesus now dancing to The Romantics "What I like About You." A good job.

Jessi is up now - a robot/hip-hop mix. Well done! Now Danny is up making Neil's leaps look like an amateur. I think he's great! Anya is up, love the colors on her costume. I think she did well.

My guess right now, GUESS, would be Neil and Lauren leaving. But that's purely my personal guess as right now Fergie and Ludacris are singing "Glamorous."

The judges are up now. They aren't unanimous according to Nigel. He said none of them did well enough. Jessi is going home. Aw, she's really sweet on Pasha.

Now it's to the guys... Neil, Danny, and Jesus. The decision is unanimous according to Nigel. Neil was outstanding, so was Danny. Jesus has been outstanding all season, but because of the other two guys tonight... Jesus is going home.

Bye-bye Jesus and Jessi... and, boy, my guess was off, eh?

TV Newsy Bits - Thursday, June 28, 2007

There's no word on whether Jessi from So You Think You Can Dance will be able to perform tonight. If she's physically able, she'll have to dance for her life.

I'll be live-blogging the important results as the show airs here on the East Coast. It doesn't start until 9 PM ET, so please stop back to check for a post started around that time. That, but of course, would be 6 PM PT.

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• Tons of Big Brother 8 news is out and about today. For the lowdown, use this link to bring up all of my entries about the upcoming season.
• According to ET Online, Apolo Ohno will join the dancing tour for Dancing With the Stars. He'll only be on the tour for five performances.
• Celebrity Spider reports that Jack Osbourne is being sued by a Muncie woman for his "work" on Armed and Famous. Apparently her home was mistakenly raided. She must be after the bucks, eh? Otherwise, she should be suing the Muncie Police, not Osbourne.
• The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that America's Got Talent is a ratings winner for NBC.

'Big Brother 8' - CBS Press Release Tells Us More

You'll probably want to read the entire CBS press release, but this excerpt caught my attention...

On premiere night, Thursday, July 5 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), Houseguests will learn that some of them will be sharing the house with an enemy, a rival or someone with whom they have unfinished business -- in short, someone from their past who they had hoped never to see again or someone with whom there is an extreme amount of tension.

In addition to the surprise twist of an unwelcome person from their past, the premiere episode will reveal a new interactive element that will give viewers the most control they've ever had over someone in the BIG BROTHER house. For the first time...America is in the house.

One participant has been selected to be "America's Player." At the conclusion of every episode, beginning Sunday, July 8 (8:00-9:00 ET/PT), a question will be asked of viewers where they will vote on an important assignment that "America's Player" must complete. It could be a strategic move or a personal action. They must attempt to do what viewers request, including voting out a specific Houseguest. And, they can never tell anyone in the house that they are working on behalf of the viewers. But, they need to be careful...just like their fellow Houseguests, they can be voted out at any time. If "America's Player" successfully accomplishes these assignments, they will be financially rewarded. Viewers will be able to vote on cbs.com or via text messaging on a mobile phone and will choose from multiple choice answers on each question. The prevailing vote must be completed by "America's Player" in order for him or her to be rewarded.

Oh! I like the idea of this America's Player!

'The Early Show' Exposes New 'Big Brother 8' Houseguests

Can you feel the tension building? Julie Chen, affectionately known as The Chenbot, introduced the houseguests this morning on The Early Show. Well, all but one, that is. For some odd reason not known to me, the houseguest listed as Carol, age 21, a student from Lawrence, Kansas, wasn't featured at all on today's show.

You can watch the video on today's Early Show segment here -- you'll need to play in either Windows Media Player or through your RealPlayer.

Here's what they look like, what they had to say about themselves on the show, and whatever else I could dig up about them as I write this:

Amber is a 27-year-old cocktail waitress at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. She says she can "weasel her way with anybody" but that she's charming and she'll weasel them without them knowing it.

At this time, I can't find a last name on her, nor any other information.

My first impression was that she briefly reminded me of a younger Jerri Manthey from Survivor: Australia.

Hey... 20 years old? The minimum age is supposed to be 21. So I can only guess that Daniele is in the show as part of the "enemies" twist.

She's a server at Hooters. 'Nuff said.

Daniele is from Huntington Beach, California. She's single.

Um... not sure what to say about her, so I'll move along to the next houseguest.

Dick, age 44, is from Los Angeles and is currently a bar manager. In his clip he said he's run both bars and nightclubs and that he might win because "manipulating girls is a way of life" for him.

Okay. Why am I thinking middle-aged dude reliving the glory days? He thinks he's a wild and crazy guy, for sure. He's the oldest one of the mostly-twenties cast. I think his persona could very well put a target on his back. But I could be wrong.

Dustin is a salesman from Chicago. He thinks he can sell himself to complete strangers and that's his plan to win.

In light of the "enemies/bullies" twist, we should note that both Dustin and Joe are only a year apart in age and both are from Chicago. Joe (scroll down) claimed gay in his clips while Dustin sets off my gaydar although he didn't mention his sexual orientation.

I don't have a last name on him at this time.

Eric is a talent management assistant from New York City, New York.

He thinks he has charisma which will have folks rallying around him... then he'll cut their throats. Eep, bad memories of Justin Sebik from BB2 shot through my mind! I don't think he's Justin-like, though. He seems to have a bit of a mind and didn't come across as a thug.

Yet again, I have no last name on him at this time. Next?

Jameka is the sole person of color in this year's cast. What's going to make it even tougher for her has to do with what she said about herself in her clip this morning.

"I've been around only black people for 99% of my life." Uh-oh, culture shock time, I guess!

She's a 28-year-old school counselor hailing from Temple Hills, Maryland.

Jen is the type of gal who wears a t-shirt with her name upon it. In her clip she said she's a bikini model and a computer nerd. She's single.

I found a last name on her -- she's Jen Johnson. She's a model and has lots of small TV parts listed in her resume.

But I can't help but think she better not wear her name on her chest all season. After a week or so, I'll remember their names. I don't need the reminder, thank you.

Jessica, from Haysville, Kansas, is a college student. In her clip she said she thinks she's smart and competitive. She's loyal unless she's backstabbed, then beware!

Just judging from her clip this morning, I think she's the one whose voice will pierce through my head forcing me to turn down the volume on the feeds in the middle of the night. Not quite as bad as Holly's voice, I think if she shrieks a lot, we're in trouble.

She's another houseguest without a last name right now.

Then there's Joe from Chicago. According to Allison Grodner (Executive Producer), he's 6'4" and "over the top."
"What's gay and has two thumbs?"

Well, gee... could it be Joe? In his clip, he had some concern about the bully angle. I think he may have bullied, but I don't know for sure. Remember, he's the one I'm tying in with Dustin (above). He's a receptionist and he's single.

Kail probably usually has her eyes open. But seeing what she's about to do... maybe it's best she goes in with them closed.

Kail Harbick is a conservative Republican from McKenzie Bridge, Oregon. She's the only married houseguest and is also a mother, a broker, and restaurant owner.

This could be interesting, eh?

Next up is Mike Dutz who just happens to have a MySpace page. While he claims to be a 26-year-old single painting contractor from Three Lakes, Wisconsin... this MeetUp page claims differently. He lives in Placentia, California and he's a model.

Oh, he mentions the painting contractor and Wisconsin bit on the MySpace page, but I think the model work is what he wants to do. He's appeared on the show Gay, Straight or Taken, amongst other ventures. In his clip this morning, he didn't say much other than "I'm a painting contractor."

Nick Starcevic was captured in a timeline of football pictures on this JokersUpdates post.

He thinks he's good-looking and will charm the ladies. He obviously likes to show his muscles.

He's single, 25, and comes to us from Kimball, Minnesota. Although preliminary information had him as a former pro football player, it seems that should be college level.

Zach is a bit quiet. In his clip he said he was an alumni of Florida State and gave a "Go Seminoles."

He's a 30-year-old single graphic designer from Burbank, California.

I guess he's a man of mystery.

For now, at least.

The real person of mystery is Carol, age 21, a single student from Lawrence, Kansas. They may have flashed some images of her in the segment this morning, but they didn't talk with (or about) her at all.

I'm Bustin' with 'Big Brother 8' News, Bustos!

Yes. Julie Chen introduced the cast today on The Early Show. Yes, it seems the "bully" aspect of the rumor mills may be true -- the hamsters are in the house with their "worst enemies." As I write this, the official website hasn't been updated, but it's sure to be up there sometime today.

There's a new article this morning at the TVGuide.com site - Big Brother is Racier and More Interactive Than Ever! Although I recommend reading the whole article, I want to mention a few things right here.

"This year, there will not be an America's Choice because America will be able to participate in the game like they never have before," Grodner teases. "It will be revealed at the end of the first episode, and you can hop on [the Internet] and get involved. I promise you, you've never heard of an interactive opportunity like this on a television show, because we're the only show — in the way that we are structured, being almost live — that can pull this off."

Ohhh... sounds good to me! Whatever could it be? I've read hints that the internet (and I imagine text message folks) will be able to vote on cash or prizes, make the houseguests do stuff to win them, and such. I guess we'll have to wait until the end of the premiere to get the real skinny.

Also mentioned in the TVGuide.com article is the fact that PB&J is out and BB Slop is back in for the season. Blech. The HOH and POV system will remain intact this season.

Ah, but you want the real deal on the houseguests, right?

I'm working on that next! Stay tuned...

'Big Brother 8' - The New Cast? Really, This Time... I Think

That lovable Dingo over at Hamsterwatch has the new houseguest list up! As I type this, the official CBS website hasn't been updated. But the houseguests will be introduced on The Early Show this morning.

I'll be checking these folks out and reporting back later with my thoughts!

New Promo for 'Big Brother 8'

Uh-oh. I'm watching Letterman and a new promo just showed for Big Brother 8.

"Fourteen new houseguests will be moving into the house. Little do they know, but so will their enemies."

Now, I just paraphased that, but it confirms the fourteen picture frames on the memory wall. And, alas, it sure sounds like the bully rumors that have been around for a while may have some truth to them.

Uh-oh. I thought the house pictures (see previous entry) were intriguing, but I'm not too keen on a school bullies angle. Why can't they just be strangers in a house?

'Big Brother 8' - New House Photos Online

As we near the big press day which seems to be tomorrow by all indications, the TVGuide.com website has posted pictures of the new Big Brother 8 house. Due to copyright issues, I don't dare copy the photos here, but you can take a look at them, then come on back here.

After all, we have to talk about this.

Look at that memory wall. There are 14 frames, not the 12 which have been in the promos. That tells us it won't be a short season, it's unlikely that a previous houseguest will unexpectedly return, and there will probably be a typical double eviction week (or two).

Enchanted Forest? Purple touches throughout? A bedroom in which you feel very big and one in which you feel very small? Shades of Alice in Wonderland, according to executive producer Allison Grodner.

A quote from the site: "Claustrophobia alert! This two-sizes-too-small room has five beds that are only 5 feet long and is filled with low-to-the-ground child-size chairs 'Essentially [they'll be] living in a dollhouse,' says Grodner." Meanwhile, the "big" room has shoulder-height beds.

Oh, no! It sounds like that bad BB take-off they use in an old commercial where a couple is living in a tiny house! Ah, but topiaries in the yard are cool.

I'm not quite sure what to make of this. I feel like I've had some kind of mushroom...

Your thoughts on the new house decor?

TV Newsy Bits - Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Okay, it's official. I've given up on On the Lot. I still haven't watched last week's show I taped and didn't bother taping it this week.

I've gotten myself hooked on America's Got Talent. Tonight was the NYC auditions and there were some great ones! My personal favorite was a rabbit who took over the act from his handler. And, shocking as it is, I actually know one of the acts who appeared this evening.

Well, I don't really know him, per se. He's a street performer I've seen around the fountain at the 72nd Street entrance of Central Park for years now. I used to go to the Skate Circle nearby (Central Park Skate Dancers - check out the video, then you know why my knees are shot now) and he was there more often than not. I'm talking Thoth... the dude in Native American garb with the odd opera and violin. And, yes. He's that weird... um... unusual, unique. If you're in Central Park on a weekend, walk on by Thoth and follow the music to the Skate Circle. You'll be entertained very well there. If you skate, bring your skates - inline or old school. It's all free.

In other real TV Newsy Bits:

• I have watched my screener of Saving Grace due to premiere on TNT in just a few weeks. I'm suitably impressed and will be writing more about the show soon. But I received a press release from TNT today - the premiere date for Saving Grace has been changed from July 18 to July 23. It will be following The Closer on Monday evenings at 10 PM ET/PT. Heartland will be seen for the next three weeks following The Closer, then will move to Thursday evenings. I personally think it's a good move. Saving Grace is good and TNT will build a nice block with those two shows every Monday night.
• Reality Check by Gina has an interview with Vinnie Fama, last night's boot on Hell's Kitchen. If you want to learn to cook via Vinnie, check out his own website. Yikes.
• The Idol Thoughts site lists the dance styles chosen for the couples on tomorrow evening's So You Think You Can Dance.
• My favorite Survivor 14: Fiji guy, Yau-Man Chan, recently appeared at a local (to him) food bank's fundraiser and there's a nice write-up in the Vellejo Times Herald.

That's all for now. Is it hot enough where you live?

'Hell's Kitchen' - A Quick Take on Episode 4

Remind me to never visit the restaurant which receives a chef from this season's show. Each season it's a comedy of errors, but this season takes the cake. Oh, and said cake will probably have too much pepper in it or something else odd.

The show opened with Vinnie continuing to harp on Jen's using pasta from the trash bin. Yeah, that struck a nerve with me, too. But Vinnie, on a people skills level, should learn when to stop. Although Gordon Ramsay is no poster child for people skills, they do count for the contestants on the show.

The chef wannabes first experienced a blindfolded taste test to check out those determining palates. Most of the foods seemed like they should be rather simple. I know I would have had problems with a few, but I'd certainly recognize boiled carrot and hard-boiled egg yolks!

Once again, the women (Red Team) won the challenge. As a reward, they went with Ramsay to dine at Opaque. Now, Opaque is one of those "dining in the dark" restaurants similar to the Dark Dining Projects here in the NYC area. As I understand it, the sense of taste is heightened in the dark. But for me... I'd probably miss my mouth and wear my dinner.

Meanwhile, the losing team (Blue men, but not to be confused with Blue Man Group), had to work on their palates by suffering through large amounts of variety meats and other not-so-popular dishes. After eating what looked like a few meals each, they then had to prep both their own kitchen and the Red Team's kitchen, too.

Then came the service... or, once again, the lack thereof. This time around, the winning team would be determined by the comment cards filled out by the patrons. Both teams were in trouble. From what I could see, the only "stable" one on the Blue Team was Rock. Had Julia not burned the scallops, she would have been best on the Red Team. Bonnie and Vinnie were both bimbos although Ramsay only called Bonnie a bimbo.

"____ me senseless!" screamed Ramsay.

So, they did.

Tonight's episode was yet another night where the kitchen was shut down and the service wasn't complete. The patrons said that what food they had was good. But 65% percent said they wouldn't return because of the time spent waiting. That's not good, not at all.

Ramsay declared there was no winning team. He chose Rock and Jen to choose a lamb (goat, whatever) to be led to his slaughter. Well, okay... just to be a candidate to be booted from the show.

I knew Rock would make the wrong choice. He's really not surrounded with any talent -- Josh, Vinnie, and Brad. Out of those, Vinnie is the one who screws up most consistently. But Rock has it out for both Josh and Brad more than he does for Vinnie. He's more interested in eliminating the competition he may face rather than the worst chef. He chose Josh.

I don't think I can ever have any faith in Jen since she took the pasta out of the trash to serve. Julia's name didn't come up in her decision, which I felt was right for this week. Her choice had to be between Bonnie and Melissa. I could tell that Bonnie was upsetting Ramsay more than Melissa. Thinking more with her heart than her mind, she chose to nominate Melissa.

Ramsay overruled both choices and replaced them with Vinnie and Bonnie. (Can I say I told you so now?) I figured he'd kick out Vinnie because of his attitude. Oh, Bonnie will go soon enough. She's to the point where she realizes she's out of her league and even wants to go home. But she's not surly to Ramsay when Vinnie comes across as surly and sneaky.

But it wasn't Bonnie's choice to make. Ramsay booted Vinnie.

As I said, though, none of these "chefs" seem worthy of any fine dining establishment.

That said, tonight I had steak with onions, baked potato, steamed asparagus, and cantaloupe for dessert. I gave myself a good comment card, but mentioned the wait staff was a bit lacking.