Survivor-Gabon-Premiere

First of all let me say that Gabon Africa looks totally awesome, different from the Survivor Africa that my favorite good guy Ethan won. That survivor was a hot, dry and dusty experience. Gabon is lush, green, tropical and beautiful. This one will definitely go on my bucket list. And best of all, they already have huts made for them. The only thing they needed was to figure out the latrine situation, do they really poop in the ground and wipe themselves with leaves? Already there is one tribe in trouble. I thought when Jeff asked for the two oldest survivors to step up and pick their teams, that Gillian, being the seasoned woman would be wise and pick from the handsome display of male physique. But no, she picks women, it's like Michelle said, the dumbest people in the world. The first challenge is to sprint up a hill which we know are going to separate the weak from the strong. I definitely thought Ms. Olympic sprinter would have no trouble climbing up that hill, but she blamed her 10lb tennis and dress. I concluded right there and then that Fong's women were totally pathetic. When Jeff said Fong, it sounded like thong, maybe that's the African version? Kota on the other hand has the dream team, with old geezer Bob as the patriarch making benches out of twigs. All Gillian could suggest was to gather elephant dung and pick out the seeds to eat it. Ah, ask that about 3 days in when people are starting to get hungry, then maybe elephant dung will sound tasty. The Geek and the Skank on Fong's team immediately bond as good little outcast usually do, while Marcus, resident physician, and Charlie, token gay boy, strike an immediate friendship. I'm think Charlie probably is hoping to convert Marcus to the boy's team, but Marcus says, it may be Eden, but this is not Adam and Adam.

On the first evening, Randy, mister pessimistic photog, on Fong's tribe hits his noggin a bloody gusher. He asks Gillian for some nurse's aid, which she counters that she can't see. The night vision camera shows him bleeding profusely so they call in the Survivor Medics. Once again, nothing like jungle surgery in the wild.

Fong manages to lose two challenges because they just plain gave up. The first survivor to take the walk of shame was Michelle, whose very words come back to haunt her, playing with the dumbest survivors. In this case, the tribe votes Michelle off, a strong women and the first one up the hill to keep Gillian, the resident Pollyanna den mother. The second challenge the winning Kota tribe sends the lawyer, Dan to exile island. Instead of choosing the comfort, Dan chooses the clue to find the hidden immunity idol. He should have chosen comfort, because he sucked at figuring the clue.

So this two hour premiere in a nutshell:

Fong tribe sucks

GC nominated leader

GC abdicates his leadership

Michelle voted out

Gamer boy sad

Charlie in love with Marcus

Marcus in love with himself

Dan the lawyer not too smart

Gillian voted out. Fong tribe in trouble.

-Single D

Gone Country 2-Bach Rocks Gone Country

In the previous episode Chris makes a fool of himself when JR ask him why he wants to be the next Gone Country music star. Chris makes the incoherent statement that it's ironic he asked that since he does have a studio and could make music anytime. JR lights into him saying that if he has a studio then why is he here? Later Chris throws himself at the mercy of JR, sobbing hysterically (not really) telling him he wants it because he's a washed up has been ex-boy band member and that when he walks down the street know one knows him, waaaaa! For the final episode, Sebastian still wants to do more than one song since he did write three. He's moping around like a wounded hound dog while all the others, with the exception of Sean are practicing their songs. Here we see Lorenzo singing in the pool, that man's in good shape, isn't he like 60 years old? I mean Falcon Crest wasn't that decades ago? Mikalah is practicing her enunciation . I think she needs the help of Henry Higgins, the rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain. Germaine is practicing at the piano with the flames. And Chris is off crying somewhere. At the Wild Horse Saloon, Sebastian is hogging all the rehearsal time much to the disgusted looks of the others. For the show, JR brings everyone's family to the show much to the surprise of the contestants. Lorenzo's three little girls are adorable, tiny petite Shane Llamas in the making. Sean Young's two boys are there and all I could think of is I hope she doesn't make a fool of herself, forgetting the lyrics and all. First on stage is Chris and once again he puts his boot in his mouth by saying that walking in JR's boots is uncomfortable. JR on stage doesn't know quite how to respond to that and everyone backstage is cringing. Sean did managed to get through her entire song without having to stop the band and start over. That was left for Mikalah to do. Mikalah totally bombed. She was so nervous, stops the band to start over, touches JR's cowboy hat (taboo I guess in the cowboy world) and brings a little girl on stage during her song, then leaves her. Where was that child's mama? It was a total disaster which Sean and everyone couldn't bear to watch. It was just plain embarrassing and just showed her terrible lack of experience. She's not that tough as she appears to be. I think Sean looked great in that bolero jacket, but the hair was a little dykish. Sebastian after much internal debate decides to do the ballad song which wins the audience over. The cast was holding their collective breath to see if Sebastian would be the rebel and do two songs. Come on Sebastian, be the rebel! But he stuck to the rules and just sang the one song which was wise for him because in the end, JR tells the cast that it was a dead heat between two contestants, Sebastian and Germaine. I totally thought that Chris was going to win, or at least hoping that he would win another chance at fame, but I guess JR was not having any of it. Boy, JR comes off being a real tough cookie, hard, conceited, cold and calculating, but he's still yummy in a weird sort of masochistic way. So in the end, JR pointed the finger to Sebastian as the winner of season 2. I guess he really could do country, he's got that it factor which Chris is lacking. The women love that long hair and bad boy persona. I'm just wondering if he really will do the country thing, because where in the world is Enrique Iglesisa from last season?-Single D

Project Runway-Musically Inspired

Leanne's stealing of Jerrell's model was all in vain, as the models this week were the designers themselves. They have to design an outfit to for a specific musical genre. Kenley of all persons has to do hip hop, which she blatantly shows us she knows nothing about. But there's no telling Kenley that she doesn't know thing one about hip hop. The girl is always right and brilliant at least in her own mind. She's like I'm going to design high waisted jeans, picks up a floral fabric for the top and a tiny leather jacket. Ok to me that screamed 80's! When Tim came in and told Kenley he wasn't understanding her outfit, she practically told him that he didn't know what he was talking about, because she knows way more about hip hop than he does. I'm sure the exchange between Tim and Kenley was much longer, because finally Tim tells Kenley that he doesn't appreciate her sarcasm! This must have been the first time in PR history that we got to see the ever elegant Tim Gunn on the brink of losing his temper. Go Tim! It was so bad, that the voting text on the commercial was do you think Kenley was mean to Tim! Well, yeah! Will someone hit her over her Lucy Ricardo, I'm stuck in the 50's head!

Korto, on the other hand, was not having any of it and the entire time looked like she would rather have a root canal than design a punk star outfit. I think she just didn't want to create an outfit for one of her own competitors, in this case Suede, which was perfect in my opinion. She did manage to pull out of her own funk after trying on the outfit that Leanne was making for her to channel the country music diva, Dolly Parton. Korto's moment of brilliance was splashing bleach over those jeans which really spoke to the punker fashion, a little over wrought, but nonetheless, ended up winning her the judges favorite.

Suede's rocker dude outfit was too tame for the judges and they said that it just looked like the everyday Jerrell. I'm wondering why does Jerrell dress like an orphaned street urchin? Jerrell did brilliantly to create 50's Kenley into a brunette Kenley Spears with his rhinestone fishnet mini dress. Maybe Kenley Spears seduced the guest judge LL Cool J in voting to keep her over sad Suede and his ever bright rainbow hair.

In the end, I'm sure we were all hoping that the ego inflated Kenley would get das boot, but once again, PR decided to keep the diva and toss the designer, in this case Suede to the curb. Maybe Suede should have defended himself up a blue streak, instead of looking like a sad Boy George's chubby cousin. In the end, Kenley's red mommy dearest lipstick mouth survives another round. Does she deserve to go to Bryant Park, heck no! But Spolier here by Double D, she said they refer to the Bryant Park fashion show as the girls from Project Runway, does this mean the only man standing Jerrell gets the auf next week and Kenley stays? Was that why all the tears on next week's preview was all about? Heavens!-Single D

Survivor - Preview

Yes, I can admit that I'm a Survivor fan. Maybe it's Jeff Probst, maybe because it's like Big Brother without bathrooms. Who knows, so when I saw the TV Guide channel (of all things) had a preview, I was front row center.

Our cutie pie Jeff offers up his take on who he thinks will last and who will not. Pavarti, winner of Fans vs Faves, was the hostess for the show. Kudos to her for winning but go back to spending that cool million because she was terrible! You could SO tell she was reading off of cue cards, no inflection, no emotion, come on girl you lived it! Make us feel it! Anyway, here are a few insights and stats for your enjoyment.

Exile Island this go around offers either a clue to the hidden immunity idol or a comfort. Gabon wanted Survivor to film there because they are trying to boost their tourism. The tribal counsel area was built based on local huts. The doors were acquired from the locals after some negotiations. Jeff didn't say what was negotiated, maybe a walk on part in "Survivor, the Movie". Be sure and check out the hut doors at tribal, they are pretty cool. The snuffer Jeff uses this season is an elephant head with the trunk as the handle. Apparently he gets to test it out to make sure it "snuffs" on the first try. Gee, if it doesn't snuff, does the player get to stay?

Here is a sneak peek at some of the players:

Jacque, a medical device salesperson, is 25 but looks 35 possible because of her working life. Jeff thinks she will do pretty good and may be a threat.

Charlie is a corporate attorney who has watched every Survivor. We know how well that works. Those are usually the ones who get an early reality check and over or under play. Jeff thinks he'll be one to watch if he can get into a good alliance.

Professional video gamer, Ken, feels video games have prepared him for Survivor. Just remember Ken, there is no reset button. He is Jeff's favorite, not to win necessarily. He just looks like that stray dog you want to adopt.

Michelle the 24 year old boxer is one that Jeff sees going out early.

Salesman Ace, is an early leader according to Jeff. We all know how that usually turns out when someone dominates too early. "The tribe has spoken!"

Jessica aka Sugar, is an actress and a pin up model. Didn't pin ups go out with World War II? Doesn't matter, Jeff thinks she's an early out too.

Doctor Marcus was voted Cosmopolitan's most eligible bachelor for 2008. More eye candy! Listening to him, it sounds like he is more interested in getting a something, something than in winning. Brown chicken, brown cow! (It's a joke, some of you will get it).

Jeff seems to have found some eye candy of his own in Kelly. He just hopes she sticks around for a while.

Matty is the son of actor James Whitmore and grandson of Audra Lindley (Mrs. Roper from Three's Company). Sounds like he was a trust fund baby who lost it all. Jeff thinks he - could - go - all - the - way!

Corine quit her job to be on Survivor and looks to be the bitch of this season.

That's a quick look at some of this seasons survivors. Just make sure to tune in to check out the tribal counsel set in HD. Double D

The Pest in the Garden

The other day when I was doing my treadmill outside on my patio, in my beautiful garden, looking at the hummingbirds and roses, feeling in a zen like state, a scampering thing caught my eye. There I spied scurrying across the garden toward the bird feeder was a grey mouse. Yikes! I quickly called to my daughter to come out and see it. She's like what? I said a mouse! She came out excitedly, gee I've never seen a mouse. I said yes you have. She says no. What about Tom and Jerry? Yeah but that's animated. What about Stuart Little or the mice of Mousehunt with Nathan Lane? But those aren't real mice she exclaims!

Living in the desert of Las Vegas, you have to reconcile living with pest of all kinds. Like the day I was in my den, when I noticed a mass movement of black crawling across the carpet. With chilling horror it was an army of winged ants! I had never seen ants with wing, let alone hundreds of them on some intense mission to invade my house. Someone said that they could be carpenter ants, maybe from my old bookcase. Or the day I saw a roach so big it was the size of a small car. Roaches plain and simple give me the willies. They always remind me of that Dean Koontz book Whispers and the sound of whispers which were the roaches crawling. Chills! I've had to stop feeding the birds in the summer because of the attraction for the roaches. Nothing like sitting in the garden at night watching the social habits of roaches communing with each other!

This summer the main insect of annoyance was ants. One day in the pantry there were thousands of invading ants living the high life. There were ants in the pantry and ants in the bathroom going after the mouthwash and ants in the hummingbird feeder. I yelled at my husband to call the exterminator. The exterminator put these liquid vials of poison and said that it would get worse before it gets better. Well it never did get better. Thank God, I had the secret Chinese weapon, the chalk! Yes you heard me, Chinese chalk. A little known secret weapon against ants that I found one day in Chinatown San Francisco, when I had an invasion of ants doing the death march into my freezer of all places. A sage withered Chinese man in an herbal shop told me to buy the chalk, and proceeded to tell me which store to buy it in. Many many years later, I still have that same piece of chalk in it's original slender box of orange and yellow with Chinese writing on it with a picture of a bug. That chalk has been the answer to the menacing hoards of invading ants. Just outline the places you want the ants to be verboten and they vanish almost instantly. Who knows what's in it, I always use gloves and treat it like it is nuclear waste. Never know with these Chinese products, but I swear by it!

Well, back to the problem at hand, so when I saw the mouse scurrying past me I knew there must be a family of them nearby, because where there is one, there are many. I called the dogs hoping they might flush out that grey creature, but Henry was too interested in barking at the neighbor's lawn mower and Hazel didn't want anything to do with being outside. Me, I waited outside with my broom in hand until it got dark and my husband got mad, so the next voice that could be heard throughout the neighborhood was me yelling to my husband, call Dr. Death, the pest exterminator, this was going to be too big for the chalk!-Single D

Dancing with the Stars

My daughter piped up the other day and said that she has to watch Dancing with the Stars. I'm like why? She barely watches American Idol, except for the audition parts in which she laughs hysterically and tries to mimic the auditions. Her interest in Dancing is to watch somebody named Cody Lindley, (some Hannah Montana personality) dance. Apparently she thinks he's cute, although she will never admit it, saying only that her friend Vanessa thinks he's cute. She thought by the way, that he danced pretty good but hated his slicked back hair. Hair is a big thing for tweeners. I thought he was pretty good, a little wooden, but he does have one of the better teachers, Julianna Hough, she's so cute, hate her!

Cutie chef Rocco DiSpirito was totally yummy but he's better behind a stove, Rocco, you can come cook for me anytime! The funniest moment of the entire evening was 82 year old Cloris Leachman. She's 82 years old and danced like an 82 year old, leaving her walker behind and baring cleavage and all, letting Len Goodman to comment, mind your cleavage. Ok, no one wants to see cleavage that old. Cloris needs more dancing lessons especially to lose that I'll have another martini belly. I have to give her snaps tho, it takes courage to do that, but I guess at her age who cares. Now where's my Lark!

I thought the best team was Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer (of So You Think You Can Dance fame). Lacey, not your traditional ballroom dancer injected a much needed fresh approach to the stale dance routines. Len, step into the 21st Century, you old man! Another team to watch, Brooke Burke and Derek Hough. I know the reason why most people will be watching them, but I do have to comment that Brooke's body is amazing. She's got to be a clone, an experiment in the body perfect, not to mention that she's coordinated to boot!

And then there's everyone's favorite soap star, Susan Lucci. She looked like a little doll, so tiny and perfect, too bad Mattel didn't make her arms and legs bendable.-Single D

Ghost Hunters - Spirit Boy

The TAPS team heads to the Slater Mill in Pawtucket, RI. Apparently this is a hot spot for school field trips and our TAPS leaders Jason & Grant had gone there when they were but wee lads in school. Now they are back for a different kind of field trip. Slater Mill was built in 1793 and was the first successful water driven mill. The mill employed children to work on the machines because they were small enough to crawl in to make repairs. Because of this practice, children were injured and killed. Some of the reports here include machines operating on their own, feelings of being watched, full body apparitions and assorted sounds.

J & G have the best experience of the night. They start out in the water wheel room where they debunk the water wheel operating on it's own by seeing that when the river level rises, it comes into a door which is supposed to keep the water out but instead diverts the water into the wheel causing it to turn. They decide to do EVP work and use the K2 meter. They actually start a conversation with a spirit. By asking yes & no questions (and getting the spirit to light up the K2 meter) they find out they are speaking with a 9 year old boy who works in the mill and lives nearby. The temperature drops 8 degrees while they are talking to the boy.

J & G then go into another part of the mill only to discover the boy has followed them. Jason asks if he is lonely and gets a yes reply so Jason invites him to come home with him to his 5 kids. Jason then says he better text the wife to expect a guest.

After discussing whether or not Tango is growing a goatee, Steve and Tango get to work analyzing the tapes. They find audio of the boy shouting hello in response to Grant asking him to yell really loud. They also hear him saying his name as Edward or Edgar. That was a pretty good show and we find out later that Jason is not experiencing any difference at home after inviting Edward/Edgar home. Then again, he has 5 kids, who could tell?

The next stop is the Pettibone Tavern in Simsbury, CT. Built in 1780 there are reports of full body apparitions and a legend that a woman named Abigail was beheaded by her husband after he caught her cheating on him. Let that be a lesson ladies, don't get caught!

J & G go into the ladies room, the scene of the supposed beheading and don't experience anything except a toilet looking like it has wings.

Kris & Tango, also coming up empty, get bored and decide to check out an old phone booth and get stuck inside.

After doing some research, it was found that no one had been murdered in the house and that no one named Abigail had ever lived there. It seems the tavern may have been looking for some publicity. Double D