Thursday, February 26, 2009

Survivor Tocantins - "Mama Said There Would Be Days Like This" - Ep. 3

jackie's tv blog, survivor

Welcome one! Welcome all! While my more extensive show review will be posted later at TV Squad, this post will be updated with events and my thoughts as the show airs here on the East Coast. Everyone is invited to party in the comments -- just remember, if you make a mess in there, you have to clean it up.

Jalapao won reward -- comfy stuff. They chose Brendan to go to Exile again. He chose Taj again to accompany him. Tonight there is finally a separate immunity challenge.

Jalapao wins Immunity! Jerry is worried he'll be the target because he hasn't been feeling well.

Brendan found the hidden idol at his camp. Yay!

Jerry was indeed voted out.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

American Idol - The Second Twelve

Jackie's TV Blog, American Idol

Well, tonight was the second group of twelve. Obviously, I didn't go into what each one sang this week. But I figured a quick post with those who I think will make and/or I liked --

My picks for the top three would be: Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta, and Megan Joy Corkrey. Of those three, I think Adam would have the teenage female fans, but I find Megan the most intriguing.

It's too bad Nick Mitchell had to be Norman tonight, but it was funny. He's so not right for the show, but I got a giggle. I never giggled back in the days I was paying the Norbert E. Mitchell Oil Company my bills back in CT.

I kind of like Kai -- he's got a disheveled John Stamos thing going on. I feel I should note that the Jimmy Ruffin song he sang, "What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted?" was released the year AFTER "Satisfaction" (sung by Adam Lambert) was -- 1966 vs. 1965. They gave grief to Kai about the "old" song, yet loved Lambert. Sure, it was a different kind of song and Lambert rocked his out ... but!

Sunday, February 22, 2009

The Amazing Race - 02/22 - "Your Target is Your Partner's Face"

Jackie's TV Blog, Amazing Race, TAR

Yes, it's time for ... The Amazing Race! Yay! I'll be writing a more thorough review for TV Squad a bit later tonight, but this is the place for the party! I'll update the post here with important events and all are welcome to join us in the comments area.For the second week in a row, we're starting on time here on the East Coast. We're going to get spoiled, eh?

Off to Germany!

Pit Stop
1. Tammy and Victor
2. Mel and Mike
3. Amanda and Kris
4. Margie and Luke
5. Brad and Victoria
6. Jaime and Cara (14 hours after the first team)
7. Kisha and Jen
8. Mark and Michael
9. Christie and Jodi
10. Linda and Steve - Philiminated

Sunday, Sunday - Some Off Topic and a Bit o' TV


Oh my gosh, Roofus the Cat was watching me take photos of him from his little balcony roof yesterday! (If you click on the image it will open larger in a new window.) I get the feeling that Roofus is one of those cats who does anything he can to avoid contact with humans. Actually, the feral cats near the train station are pretty amazing in their street smarts.

Once, at night, I saw a parked car with its lights on alongside the street. The ferals were crossing the street and, although the car was parked and not even running, each cat looked at the headlights and changed direction to run in back of it, not in front of it. I see the cats stop and look both ways before they run across the street as fast as they can. My own cat would be a goner in the feral cat world.

To my bit o' TV:

I'm still not really into anything airing on Friday nights. Usually that's okay as I can take time to watch daytime shows like The Bonnie Hunt Show which I record as I'm off to work. This week Bonnie was in reruns all week. I decided to take a brief nap after dinner and ended up waking up in time to watch Letterman. Argh. I hate when I do that!

But I do know why I was so tired. Y'see, after I watched Survivor on Thursday night, I wanted to watch C.S.I. before I got into writing my Survivor review for TV Squad and my TV Shows Off the Beaten path column for CliqueClack TV. So my plans already had me staying up pretty late writing when I have to get up at 5:45 AM for work. I watched C.S.I., turned to the computer determined to speed write my way through the two articles and then it happened ... my power went out. Poof. No storm. No nothing. No power. I looked out my windows and saw my own block was dark for as far as I could see yet the block in back of me had lights. I got out my scanner and heard fire and police talking about a pole down on the street in back of me. Yet they had power! Grr. It came back on about an hour later and I finished writing at about 1 AM. No wonder I power-napped.

Cold Case and The Big Bang Theory are both repeats this week. So I won't be writing them up for CliqueClack TV. Later today I'll write up my weekly Reality Clack for that site, though. It will go up on site tomorrow. Later tonight (of course), I'll be posting an Amazing Race post here and my full review of the show for TV Squad.

One thing I will certainly be watching tonight is the airing of The Sopranos on A&E. I got into the show over the summer when I was home recuperating from the knee replacement but kept wondering how I kept missing the last few episodes in the A&E airings. Well, duh. That's because they weren't showing them! But now on Sunday nights, they have the last handful. Sure, I know how it ends, but I want to see it for myself! If the entire thing wasn't so cost-prohibitive, I'd buy the DVDs.

For years I lived in the Danbury, CT area. I still read the online version of the local paper there. One of the most notorious American Idol contestants this year, Nick Mitchell (Norman Gentle), is from nearby Brookfield. When I first moved to CT, I lived in Bethel and his father's oil company was my heating oil supplier for the rented cabin I had. The Danbury News Times has an interview with Nick. Should he make it through this week? I just don't know. But I recall those Mitchell oil delivery payments I made way back when! I had to order a minimum of 150 gallons. Oy!

I probably won't watch any of the Oscars. I know, I know. But I don't think I've seen any of the movies up for wins and I'm not all that into Hollywood glitz and red carpet stuff. If any of you want a discussion blog post for the Oscars, let me know and I'll get one going for you.



Here's a different angle on the fancy-schmancy double-decker train from NJ Transit. I was standing on the ramp leading to the raised platform and had the camera at ground level of the platform. Most of the trains I ride are still the older one-level ones. But I'm seeing fancy-schmancy more often. In a way, it's not so good for my knee as, unless I sit in the vestibule area which is between levels, I have to go either up or down stairs. As much as I ride the trains, I'm still a window seat kind of person. I like to sit high and oversee the terrain. One thing I want to note -- as much as I ride the commuter trains, I've never been in the bathroom of one. Not once, never. I just don't want to know.

Today's musical non sequitur:
Good sense, innocence, cripplin' mankind

Dead kings, many things I can't define.
Occasion, persuasions clutter your mind
Incense and peppermints, the color of time.
Who cares what games we choose?
Little to win, but nothin' to lose.
-- "Incense and Peppermints" by The Strawberry Alarm Clock

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Survivor Tocantins Ep. 2 - "The Poison Apple Needs to Go" Blog Gathering

jackie's tv blog, survivor

Oh, I wonder who the bad apple is, don't you? I hope it's "Coach" because he's so obnoxious! He lost his real job for lying about being away on the show. Heh.

Welcome one and all to the blog party known as a Survivor episode! Feel free to join in down in the comments as the show airs or afterward. If you're in the Survivor pool, I hope your chosen one fares well tonight. That is, unless my own pool choice is kaput because of your chosen one! I'll be updating this post with the major events and my review of the show will be posted later on TV Squad. Survivors ready?

Jalapao won immunity, fishing gear, and sends Brendan to Exile. The note twist from promos is that Brendan can choose one from the other tribe to go with him. He chooses Taj.

Neither have the idol.

Candace gets voted out in a blindside.