Mew for Miles

R.I.P. Miles the Monkey
September 7 - September 9, 2009

Yep. That's his head.

And here's the rest of him. Poor guy. :o(

I thought this toy might live a little longer, given that the manufacturer is Kong, the same people that built Garfunkel's only still-living furry friend. But no go. Garfunkel still likes dragging Miles' body around, though, so I guess that's something. Sort of.

In other Garfunkel news, we just took him to the vet and he weighed in at a whopping 56.5 pounds - that's 7 pounds more than he weighed just a month ago! The Funk is still growing like a weed. Here he is enjoying a sun bath on our patio (his new favorite pastime):

Amazing Race 15: Meet the Teams

All right, Robert, this one's for you. And, to a lesser extent, the Stovalls and Blackards. :o) Anyway, the bios for the new Amazing Race teams are up on CBS's site so without further ado, here they are:


Meghan Rickey (23); Cheyne Whitney (23)
Hometown: San Diego
Occupation: Account Executive/Brand Manager
Relationship: Dating

Meghan and Cheyne met while playing a competitive game of tetherball in elementary school. After 10 years of friendship, Cheyne realized he could not let the most athletic girl he knew get away. Other than a six-month period where Meghan studied abroad in Italy, this couple has been essentially inseparable for nearly five years.

Meghan and Cheyne both work in fields where they deal extensively with different publics. She is an account executive at a public affairs firm and he works for a social change marketing company where he develops after-school programs and deals with a diverse group of teens, school administrators and corporate executives. When not in the office, Meghan can be found coaching competitive girls' soccer — a sport that she and Cheyne have shared a passion for since they were kids. The couple feels strongly that their occupations and experiences with team sports have taught them effective communication skills and the virtue of patience, which they believe will benefit them in the Race.

Even though they are head-over-heels for each other, they still have their pet peeves just like any other couple. Meghan does not like that he tries to diffuse tense situations with laughter rather than by talking things through. The biggest thing about Meghan that frustrates Cheyne is her stubbornness. He claims that once she has her mind set on something she is difficult to reason with and it can be impossible to change her mind.

Ready to tackle the Race head-on, Meghan and Cheyne are very eager to use the power of positive thinking and their athleticism to compete as a team and hope that this experience further validates their friendship and love.
____________________

Maria Ho (26); Tiffany Michelle (25)
Hometown: Arcadia, Calif./ Los Angeles
Occupation: Professional Poker Players
Relationship: Professional Poker Players

These two female professional poker players have been best friends for three years, and were also the last women standing in the World Series of Poker Championship Event in 2007 and 2008. From Vegas to Monte Carlo, the two have competed against the toughest fields across the world and hold their own playing for high stakes in a male-dominated sport.

Maria is currently ranked 33rd in the Top 100 Women's All Time Money list among poker players and finished 38th out of 6,358 people in the 2007 World Series of Poker Championship Event.

Tiffany, who is known throughout the poker community as "Hot Chips," fell into poker via Hollywood home games that she played with fellow actors while working in film and television. At the 2008 World Series of Poker Championship Event, Tiffany broke records when she finished 17th out of 6,844 players, the largest field ever conquered by a female in live tournament history.

Maria was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and moved to the United States with her family when she was just four years old and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. Maria graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a degree in communication and a minor in law. When she is not busy traveling the poker tournament circuit, Maria enjoys singing with her sister's band, "Another Sky."

Born with a love for the stage and competition, Tiffany naturally found her way into competitive sports, pageants and the college Speech & Debate team. She got her start in theatre at the age of 10 and began performing and touring with shows across the country. A far departure from poker, Tiffany is a former beauty queen, having held the titles Miss Teen Newhall, Miss Teen Santa Clarita Valley and was a finalist in the Miss Teenage California where she was named Miss Congeniality.

As a team, these two are well traveled, extremely competitive, strong-minded, savvy players who can deal with any hand they are dealt. Even though they are known as two of the hottest young females in poker, they are willing to put pretty aside when it is time to battle it out.
_______________________

Marcy Malloy (60); Ronald Shalita (59)
Hometown: San Francisco
Occupation: Advertising Photographer/Stock Trader & Math Tutor
Relationship: Dating

Marcy and Ron both believe that at 60 you can be strong, sexy, vibrant and energetic. They met one year ago on an online dating website and are looking forward to sharing the intense experience of the Race. They hope the Race will reinforce the strengths of their relationship and identify potential areas of conflict.

Both are exceptionally fit, have great people skills and a high energy level. Marcy is not your typical 60-year-old; she attends flying trapeze classes, studies Kung Fu and rock climbs with Ron. To keep pace with Marcy, Ron is in the gym lifting weights, running, swimming or kickboxing. After being selected for the Race, he found a new physical challenge in a course that allowed him to confront his fears of heights.

Marcy is a nationally recognized advertising photographer, while Ron spends his mornings as a high-volume day trader and his afternoons as a math tutor. They both have traveled extensively and Marcy speaks several languages. Ron is personable and extroverted. Trained as a lawyer, he is cautious and likes to take his time to think things through while Marcy is spontaneous, impulsive and easily distracted. Marcy finds balance in Ron's pragmatism and calmness. While he likes to process his thoughts, she prefers to tackle problems head-on. Both are concerned about their different approaches to problem solving, but believe the Race will give them greater insights.
____________________

Lance Layne (41); Keri Morrione (33)
Hometown: Salem, Mass./ Peabody, Mass.
Occupation: Lawyer/ Finance Manager
Relationship: Engaged

Lance and Keri have been dating each other for over two years. Lance proposed this winter, and the two are planning to be married soon. Both are looking to the Race to test their relationship, communication skills and their physical breaking points.

Lance and Keri are very athletic, love animals and the outdoors. Some of their fondest memories include recent vacations in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, and they are now looking forward to traveling around the world together.

Lance, a self-made trial attorney and black belt in karate, has an über-aggressive personality and is admittedly confrontational — he describes himself as having a "street persona" and will do whatever it takes to win. Keri is a health care finance manager and while she likes to take the kinder and gentler approach to dealing with certain situations, she admits that she is equally as competitive.

Keri's hobbies include jogging, jet skiing and shopping. Lance's hobbies include karate, weight training, and following the Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics.

Lance loves the competition aspect of the Race and Keri loves to travel. Both are eager to compete and put their relationship through the rigors of the Race. They have not lived together around the clock before, or necessarily had to work as a team….and believe this experience will be good practice for the rest of their lives together.
___________________

Herbert Lang (32); Nathaniel Lofton (28)
Hometown: Brinkley, Ark. / New Orleans
Occupation: Harlem Globetrotters
Relationship: Teammates

Their athletic talent brought these two friends together five years ago when they met at the Harlem Globetrotters training camp. While getting to know each other, Herbert and Nathaniel discovered that their occupation and need to entertain others were not the only things they had in common. They both live in Louisiana, have two children and shared the same college basketball coach.

Recently, Herb and Nate lost one of their best friends and teammate, Chris Richardson, who passed away in December — and both continue to struggle with that loss. The three were commonly referred to as the "three amigos" throughout their inner circle.

Herbert believes he can get along with anyone on the planet and that he brings joy and laughter to all corners of the globe. Standing at 6'3," Herb is known among his colleagues as "Flight Time." Nathaniel, who goes by the name "The Big Easy," towers over the competition at 6'9," and admits to being worried that seating could present a problem on some of the flights.

Both have traveled extensively with the Globetrotters. Herbert has traveled to over 60 countries, and Nathaniel has traveled to over 30 countries. Despite their love of exploring new places, and their extensive knowledge of other countries, they're eager to see how well they can travel together when it is just the two of them.

Even if their fancy footwork does not translate to winning the $ 1 million prize, they both are confident that their relationship will remain the same regardless of where they end up in the Race.
____________________

Gary Tomljenovich (47); Matt Tomljenovich (22)
Hometown: Laurel, Mont. / Bozeman, Mont.
Occupation: Construction Manager and Mortgage Broker/ Student
Relationship: Father/Son

Gary is a PC, Matt is a Mac. Gary enjoys hunting, Matt enjoys video games. Gary enjoys classic rock, Matt enjoys metal. This father and son duo do not have a lot in common and they never have … that is why they are running the Race. They are eager to share the experience of a lifetime with one another and establish a bond for the rest of their lives.

Despite their many differences, these two share a bond in their common sense approach to problem solving, which at times, has been said to be uncanny.

Gary is hoping Matt will open up to him during the Race, as they will be forced to spend all of their time together — a first for each of them. Matt is hoping that his dad will learn to listen to him and attempt to understand his point of view.

Matt was almost killed when he was hit by a car and broke his leg so badly that he had to have a metal rod put in to hold it in place. It has since been removed and he is back in great shape and ready to race. Matt describes himself as creative, trustworthy and a peacemaker, while Gary describes himself as decisive, direct and competitive.

They see this as a great opportunity for them to see the world and spend quality time together, while hopefully winning the Race and a million dollars along the way.
____________________

Garrett Paul (28); Jessica Stout (27)
Hometown: Santa Cruz, Calif. / Larkspur, Calif.
Occupation: Engineer/Editor
Relationship: Dating On and Off

One word to describe this team is passionate. Garrett and Jessica met in Barcelona, Spain while on a yearlong study abroad program and have been dating on and off for seven years—during which time they've had three major breakups. Their fiercely independent natures have kept them from making any real commitment. Both are the oldest children in their families and thrive on being in control and competitive. However, one thing they both agree on is their love for travel--they have been to over 50 countries.

Garrett is certain his engineering background—including a master's degree in engineering from Stanford University—will come in handy on the Race, specifically the ability to assess and analyze complex situations on the fly. He describes himself as confident, hardworking and adventurous. Surfing is his favorite hobby.

Jessica, who describes herself as loyal and spirited, is a travel and lifestyle editor accustomed to being a creative, quick thinker, which will definitely be useful on the Race. Coming from a large Colombian family, Jessica has learned the importance of teamwork. She enjoys photography and being physically and mentally challenged. One of her proudest accomplishments was climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (19,340').

Garrett and Jessica believe that this experience may be the final make or break moment in their relationship.
____________________

Ericka Dunlap (27); Brian Kleinschmidt (27)
Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
Occupation: Ericka (Entertainer/Miss America 2004) / Brian (Marketing Tour Manager)
Relationship: Married

Ericka and Brian Kleinschmidt are excited to be the first married interracial team on The Amazing Race. They have a singular game plan in mind — to win over the hearts and minds of The Amazing Race audience by proving that true love is color blind. They compare their relationship to the Yin-Yang symbol, which represents the philosophy of two total opposites coming together as one to accomplish a common goal.

Ericka and Brian met at a leadership seminar at the University of Central Florida nine years ago, and it was love at first sight for Brian. Ericka, on the other hand, played hard to get for the next five years….but Brian's persistence finally paid off as the couple shared wedding vows over two years ago.

Ericka has lived a very structured, prim and proper life but plans to embrace her true self and expose a vulnerable side of her life beyond Miss America while racing around the world. Her life's goal is to become a country music recording artist.

Brian is an all-American guy who contends that nice guys do not always have to finish last. He has enjoyed life as a standout athlete, singer, actor, and loyal friend. The opportunity to extensively tour the U.S. with his job as a sports and entertainment marketing manager has further boosted Brian's confidence and travel expertise.

Though some may see Brian and Ericka as total opposites, they believe that their differences are actually their greatest strength and will propel them around the world all the way towards the finish line.
____________________

Eric Paskel (41); Lisa Paskel (43)
Hometown: Encino, Calif. via Michigan
Occupation: Yoga Studio Owners and Instructors
Relationship: Married Yoga Teachers

Eric and Lisa have been married for over 18 years. Both are vegans who have a passionate and fiery approach to their personal and professional lives and are extremely dedicated to helping others.

Eric and Lisa own four yoga studios and both serve as instructors. In addition to running their business, they teach classes and workshops where they deal with issues such as family crisis and addiction. Lisa describes what she does as, "helping people connect to their supreme self."

Lisa claims that Eric is much more easy-going, carefree and trusting of others while she has the ability to see people for what they really are — an ability that will undoubtedly come in handy on the Race.

Neither Eric nor Lisa are afraid to challenge one another to be the best people they can be and no matter the challenge at hand, both are open to working together to find a solution. They hope that their experience on the Race will further solidify a marriage that they consider a true blessing.

They reside in Encino, Calif., and have two daughters.
____________________

Dan McMillen (21); Sam McMillen (23)
Hometown: Liberty, Mo.
Occupation: Students
Relationship: Brothers

Brothers for 21 years, Sam and Dan will tell you that their relationship did not truly start until last summer when they both came out and told each other that they were gay.

Growing up Christian in a conservative community, neither one of them felt comfortable enough coming out at an early age but after doing so, they've found a whole new bond with one another and instantly became closer through honesty and trust. Sam and Dan will tell you that being gay is only one of the many aspects of their lives.

Dan describes himself as organized, open-minded and spontaneous and hopes to gain a new sense of appreciation for his life from running the Race with his brother. His hobbies include exercise, volunteering and traveling.

Sam claims to be optimistic and happy-go-lucky and his hobbies include cinema, logic games and anything involving the outdoors. Communication may be the biggest challenge for this Team, as they claim to be polar opposites. From academic interests to how they approach tasks, these brothers are very different in everything they do. Due to his passive mentality, Sam will need to be more vocal to overcome Dan's blunt, assertive personality in order to contribute to the team while on the road.

Sam is pursuing a degree in medicine while Dan has one more year left at William Jewell College to complete his business degree. When asked what former Team they would model their style of play after, Sam points to Nick and Starr because they maintained a positive attitude which carried them to the $1 million prize. Dan identifies with the competitive style of Rob and Amber. Both brothers hope that the Race will take their new found closeness to the next level and help them forge an even stronger bond.
____________________

Zev Glassenberg (26); Justin Kanew (30)
Hometown: Sherman Oaks, Calif. / Los Angeles
Occupation: Unemployed/VP of Production and Development for National Lampoon
Relationship: Friends

Zev and Justin's friendship started six years ago when they were working as camp counselors and the two have been very close ever since. Zev has Asperger's Syndrome, but they don't let it affect their relationship. They share friends and interests, and the friendship is as mutually beneficial as any could be.

Zev is an avid sports fan — especially basketball — and he has an intense competitive spirit. He describes himself as funny, modest, and loyal, and is running the Race to prove to himself that he can do anything.

Justin prides himself on his patience and his ability to problem solve. He admits the biggest difference between he and his partner is that Zev is not great in large groups of people — one of the characteristics of Asperger's — while Justin is very easy-going and can assimilate himself into any group.

Outside of the occasional trip to Vegas (where Justin took Zev to lose his virginity), neither has traveled extensively, particularly with one another. Their relationship is spontaneous and unedited and resembles one of brothers more than friends.
____________________

Mika Combs (22); Canaan Smith (26)
Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
Occupation: Aspiring Singer/Professional Songwriter
Relationship: Newly Dating

These southern sweethearts will charm you with their fresh faces and wide-eyed enthusiasm for life. They have only been dating for a few months, but admit to spending every waking hour together since they fell in love.

Mika grew up in Hazard, Ky. and moved to Nashville, Tenn. two years ago to pursue a career in country music. She claims to excel in high pressure situations, but admits to often breaking down in tears when she gets upset. Her favorite hobbies include singing, dancing and riding four-wheelers.

Canaan is a professional songwriter who is looking at the Race as an opportunity to grow his relationship with Mika. Mika believes that Canaan can be way too demanding, while he believes she can be too sensitive. He lists his favorite activities to do with Mika as writing songs and making out.

Neither one of them has traveled extensively outside of Canaan's mission trip to Mexico with his church, but they have no doubt that their love will take them to the finish line and the $1 million prize.

The bios are slightly informative, I guess, but it's always hard to guess who will win based solely on info the contestants self-report. Plus, I think I've guessed (and rooted for) the wrong team to win for, like, the past 4 seasons so... I'm really not the go-to gal for these kinds of things! If I had to pick, however, I'm going with Meghan and Cheyne. My initial - and instant - dismissal of a team with a member named Cheyne was overcome by the simple fact that they met over tetherball. Tetherball is awesome!!! I was quite accomplished at it myself as a youth. :o) I don't expect there to be any tetherball challenges on the Race but still...

UPDATE: People.com has just posted their take on each team's odds at winning... And apparently Cheyne crapped up his ankle right before filming started. Way to go, loser!! Yeesh! Way to live up to your wussy expectations Cheyne. Hmpf.

A Hot Men Movie Morsel

Oh, Hot Men. I haven't posted about you in so, so long. I have missed you. And Ewan? I haven't seen you since last year! My, my... How the time flies. ;o)

Luckily for me, Ewan has started making the festival rounds to promote The Men Who Stare at Goats. (Yeah, George Clooney's in it, too, but he's never done anything for me. Sorry.) The film is based on the book of the same name and stars Ewan as a reporter investigating a "top secret unit within the American military whose purpose is to develop mind-control powers for 'psychic spying.'" I'm never a huge fan of Ewan's American accent - though it could definitely be worse - and the plot sounds pretty iffy on paper. But the trailer actually looks kind of funny... And even though Robert and I are the only people on Earth who didn't love Jeff Bridges as The Big Lebowski, I am always oddly drawn to Jeff Bridges' movies. He's a cutie.

Anyhoo, check out the trailer and see if you agree that it makes the movie seem at least a little bit more interesting than you thought it was going to be:

I also snagged some photos of Ewan at the Venice Film Festival. Admittedly they are not his best - but a less-than-his-best Ewan is still a lot better than many other actors in my opinion. ;o)

'Monday' Humor

Returning to work after a 3-day weekend is always a bummer, so I thought I'd post a couple of humorous bits a friend of mine at work sent me to brighten up your unofficial Monday.

Worst Speeches of All Time - Ashton Kutcher Fan Fiction

www.comedycentral.com

Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games

(This is so sad to me. Funny but sad. I can't determine whether or not this is an actual video of a girl's speech or what. I kind of hope it's not because this girl is just too sad. If the part @ 1:35 doesn't break your heart just a teensy, tiny bit you are a robot!!! Poor thing.)

The Fall Season is Upon Us

Ugh. I'm pretty sure I've complained about having TV homework earlier in the summer but oy. I still have the last 6 (or so) episodes of The Office, Cold Case, Numb3rs, SVU, NCIS and Medium to catch up on... and I don't really want to. I mean, I want to know what happens and I am still going to watch the new seasons and whatnot but I just don't feel like sitting down and watching all of these stockpiled episodes. Will they ever get watched? Probably... but I'm not 100% sure. And it will definitely take some time and effort!

Unfortunately for me, however, the start of the fall season is rapidly approaching. Here's a cheat sheet, courtesy of Ausiello, on many shows' premiere dates:

Tuesday, September 8:
90210, 8 p.m. (The CW)
Melrose Place, 9 p.m. (The CW)
Sons of Anarchy, 10 p.m. (FX)

Wednesday, September 9:
America’s Next Top Model, 8 p.m. (The CW)
Glee, 9 p.m. (Fox)
So You Think You Can Dance, 8 p.m. (Fox)

Thursday, September 10:
Supernatural, 9 p.m. (The CW)
The Vampire Diaries, 8 p.m. (The CW)

Friday, September 11:
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, 8 p.m. (Fox)

Saturday, September 12:
America’s Most Wanted, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Cops, 8 p.m. (Fox)

Monday, September 14:
Eddie Griffin: Going for Broke, 10 p.m. (VH1)
Gossip Girl, 9 p.m. (The CW)
The Jay Leno Show, 10 p.m. (NBC)
Lincoln Heights, 8 p.m. (ABC Family)
One Tree Hill, 8 p.m. (The CW)

Tuesday, September 15:
The Biggest Loser, 8 p.m. (NBC)

Wednesday, September 16:
The Beautiful Life, 9 p.m. (The CW)
Launch My Line, 10 p.m. (Bravo)

Thursday, September 17:
Bones, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Community, 9:30 p.m. (NBC)
Fringe, 9 p.m. (Fox)
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 10 p.m. (FX)
The Office, 9 p.m. (NBC)
Parks and Recreation, 8:30 p.m. (NBC)
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Survivor: Samoa, 8 p.m. (CBS)

Friday, September 18:
Brothers, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Crash, 10 p.m. (Starz)

Sunday, September 20:
Bored to Death, 9:30 p.m. (HBO)
Curb Your Enthusiasm, 9 p.m. (HBO)

Monday, September 21:
Accidentally on Purpose, 8:30 p.m. (CBS)
The Big Bang Theory, 9:30 p.m. (CBS)
Castle, 10 p.m. (ABC)
CSI: Miami, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Dancing with the Stars, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Heroes, 8 p.m. (NBC)
House, 8 p.m. (Fox)
How I Met Your Mother, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Two and a Half Men, 9 p.m. (CBS)

Tuesday, September 22:
The Forgotten, 10 p.m. (ABC)
The Good Wife, 10 p.m. (CBS)
NCIS, 8 p.m. (CBS)
NCIS: Los Angeles, 9 p.m. (CBS)

Wednesday, September 23:
Cougar Town, 9:30 p.m. (ABC)
Criminal Minds, 9 p.m. (CBS)
CSI: NY, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Eastwick, 10 p.m. (ABC)
Gary Unmarried, 8:30 p.m. (CBS)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, 9 p.m. (NBC)
Mercy, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Modern Family, 9 p.m. (ABC)
The New Adventures of Old Christine, 8 p.m. (CBS)

Thursday, September 24:
CSI, 9 p.m. (CBS)
Flash Forward, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Grey’s Anatomy, 9 p.m. (ABC)
The Mentalist, 10 p.m. (CBS)

Friday, September 25:
Dollhouse, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Ghost Whisperer, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Law & Order, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Medium, 9 p.m. (CBS)
Numb3rs, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Smallville, 8 p.m. (The CW)

Saturday, September 26:
48 Hours Mystery, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Saturday Night Live, 11:30 p.m. (NBC)

Sunday, September 27:
60 Minutes, 7 p.m. (CBS)
The Amazing Race, 8 p.m. (CBS)
American Dad, 9:30 p.m. (Fox)
Brothers & Sisters, 10 p.m. (ABC)
Californication, 10 p.m. (Showtime)
The Cleveland Show, 8:30 p.m. (Fox)
Cold Case, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Desperate Housewives, 9 p.m. (ABC)
Dexter, 9 p.m. (Showtime)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)
Family Guy, 9 p.m. (Fox)
The Simpsons, 8 p.m. (Fox)

Monday, September 28:
Lie to Me, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Trauma, 9 p.m. (NBC)

Wednesday, September 30:
Hank, 8 p.m. (ABC)
The Middle, 9 p.m. (ABC)

Thursday, October 1:
Private Practice, 10 p.m. (ABC)

Friday, October 2:
Stargate Universe, 9 p.m. (Syfy)
Til Death, 8:30 p.m. (Fox)

Sunday, October 4:
America’s Funniest Home Videos, 7 p.m. (ABC)
The Next Iron Chef, 9 p.m. (Food)
Three Rivers, 9 p.m. (CBS)

Monday, October 5:
Sherri, 7 p.m. (Lifetime)

Tuesday, October 6:
Scare Tactics (Syfy)

Wednesday, October 7:
Secret Girlfriend, 10:30 p.m. (Comedy Central)
South Park, 10 p.m. (Comedy Central)

Friday, October 9:
Sanctuary, 10 p.m. (Syfy)
Ugly Betty, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Wizards of Waverly Place, 8 p.m. (Disney)

Thursday, October 15:
30 Rock, 9:30 p.m. (NBC)

Friday, October 16:
Supernanny, 8 p.m. (ABC)

Friday, October 23:
Southland, 9 p.m. (NBC)
White Collar, 10 p.m. (USA)

Wednesday, October 28:
Friday Night Lights, 9 p.m. (DirecTV)

Monday, November 2:
I Want to Work for Diddy, TBD (VH1)

Tuesday, November 3:
V, 8 p.m. (ABC)

Saturday, November 7:
The Wanda Sykes Show, 11 p.m. (Fox)

Oh! And if, like me, you missed the premiere of Glee (a show I was sort of ambivalent about when I first heard about it but have since heard and read nothing but raves and so now feel compelled to catch the pilot) just a heads-up that Fox will be re-running the first episode this Friday.

Now! I also culled some tidbits from Ausiello's column today so here are some spoilers on Chuck, Bones, Monk, Numb3rs, Cold Case and The Mentalist:

CHUCK:
1.) Erstwhile Superman Brandon Routh is joining Chuck for a multi-episode arc...

Routh’s character, Shaw, is a mysterious new spy who takes control as the new leader of Operation Bartwoski, becoming a mentor to Chuck and a rival in his affections for Sarah. He first appears in this season’s fourth episode.

2.) Smallville vet Kristin Kreuk is joining Chuck for multiple episodes as Hannah, a girl Chuck meets on a flight to Paris. “Chuck and Hannah definitely have feelings for each other,” teases an insider.

Laid off from her glamorous publishing job, Hannah ends up working at the Buy More. (I’m sure that won’t prove distracting to the horny nerd herders at all!)

BONES:
Will Brennan rethink wanting Booth’s baby?
Ausiello: Booth’s baby? No. A baby? And how. “She does not want to have his baby if he doesn’t want her to have the baby,” says series creator Hart Hanson, adding that “it was really significant that once he had doubts, she wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I’ll have the baby with someone else.’ If Brennan wants to have a baby, she wants to have Booth’s baby. Her interest in having a child declines to zero when she considers having anyone else’s baby.”

MONK:
Any scoop on whether or not Monk will finally figure out who killed his wife Trudy? It’s the last season of the show, and so far USA Network hasn’t given us any indication that they’ll wrap up this thread before the show calls it quits.
Ausiello: A USA insider assures me that we “will have closure on Trudy’s murder by the end of the season. Viewers will start seeing clues to that in the upcoming episodes.”

THE MENTALIST:
Ausiello: Series creator Bruno Heller confirms that Rigsby and Van Pelt “will take their courtship to the next level. We’ve been working toward this. The push and pull of should-they-or-shouldn’t-they is a big part of their dynamic in the office. But once they do take it to the next level, that presents a whole fresh set of problems for them: Who do they tell? Can they tell anyone? What happens when the bureau finds out?”

Will they finally catch Red John this season?
Ausiello: Not by a long shot. “I don’t foresee finding Red John,” Heller confesses. “I think finding Red John is a lifetime’s journey. But never say never.”

COLD CASE:
Ausiello: Look for Nick to spin out of control after he receives some overwhelming news about his health.

NUMB3RS:
Is this the last season?
Ausiello: “With the reality of what the business is, we would love it to come back another year after this, but we don’t know,” concedes Numb3rs co-creator Cheryl Heuton.

Also, there will be a Rashomon-type episode where there’s a shooting and everyone there tells a different version of what happened. So the team uses the mathematical concept of “Combinatorics” to filter through the different points-of-view and make sense of what actually happened. In other news, Peter MacNicol’s Larry will disappear for a chunk of the season to gain a new perspective on things.

Twipcomics

I really abhor just about anything Twitter-related but a couple things on this site, unfortunately, struck a chord with me. I found Twipcomics' site via EW.com and yesterday's image caught my eye:

“What does Gene Shalit wear when he needs to comically disguise himself?”

Read Nick’s Twitter feed at @nick

I thought it was pretty cute. But then as I scrolled through previous entries, many of which were not impressing me much, I came across this:

“I routinely forget the name of anyone who can help my career. And yet, I know Lamar’s rap from ‘Revenge of the Nerds’ in its entirety.”

Read Christian’s Twitter feed at @ChristFinnegan

And I started giggling and thought "Me, too!" It's true. My brain is FULL of all sorts of useless information!!! As many of you can attest. :o) How much more I would know about important things like current events if I didn't remember things like D.J. and Stephanie Tanners' middle names (Answer? Margaret and Judith, respectively. [The 'J' in D.J. isn't her middle name - her full name is Donna Jo Margaret. Look it up!]) Oh, and if you've never seen Lamar's rap from Revenge of the Nerds, check it out:

UPDATE: Okay, in scrolling even further the entries have gotten noticeably better. Here are a few more good ones:

“Is there anything in this world as repulsive as the naked male body? What the hell is wrong with you, women/gay dudes??”

Read Christian’s Twitter feed at @ChristFinnegan

“Wife back from Costco. I think her feminine hygiene needs are covered until menopause.”

Read Rafael’s Twitter feed at @rafitorres

“My car smells like farts. I am alone in my car. I did not fart. And so begins the worst slasher film ever.”

Read Jason’s Twitter feed at @sween

“That early workout I planned ended up consisting of me rolling over and turning off the alarm. My left arm is now .00000000001% stronger.”

Read Paul’s Twitter feed at @paulfeig

“If they had twitter in 1865. HonestAbe: i declare, this ‘our american cousin’ is a hoot. hang on, some1’s at the door.”

Read Eric’s Twitter feed at @EricWilliams1

Hubby Hubby

I try not to post wildly immature and/or inappropriate content on the blog if at all possible (yes, the posts that do get published are actually me demonstrating restraint) but this just made me giggle. It's totally immature and probably very wrong but it really gave me a fit of giggles... I think I'm so tired I'm delirious at this point. Yeah. I'm gonna go with that.

Anyway, in honor of Vermont permitting same-sex couples to marry as of today, Ben & Jerry's has temporarily renamed "Chubby Hubby" to "Hubby Hubby" for 30 days. See?


I saw this posted on Dlisted and I thought it was a joke. I don't know Ben & Jerry's flavors super well (I am boring and stick with either Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream) so I don't know what's in Chubby Hubby. When I read the description, "Fudge Covered Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels in Vanilla Malt Ice Cream Rippled with Fudge & Peanut Butter," I thought for sure it was a joke. Peanut butter filled pretzels? Covered in fudge?!! Pardon my bluntness but it sounded like a classic anal sex joke to me! But nope. Those are the actual ingredients, be it labeled Chubby Hubby or Hubby Hubby. Whoa. My mind is clearly firmly ensconced in the gutter. I type here ashamed.

(P.S. Ice cream with the official Hubby Hubby label will be available only in Vermont at Ben & Jerry's shops - regular Chubby Hubby tubs will continue to be sold across the rest of the country due to distribution challenges. Just FYI.)

This Year's Recital Stuff

It's been many moon now since I've had my recital photos and video in my possession but with the wedding and Hawaii and blah blah blah I just haven't had time to actually sit down and get it all uploaded to the blog. But this past weekend I finally buckled down and did it so for your enjoyment, I offer up this year's tap humiliation. :o)

The first dance we did was set to 'Burning Love' as sung by Wynonna. Let me just tell you - you do not know true torture by music until you have to listen to Wynonna's growling and grumbling week in and week out! The dance itself is... okay I guess. It's hard to tell, though, because there are just SO many frickin' people in the class! Apparently, this is because all the older ladies that would normally have signed up for the senior class didn't the like the time and/or day on which it was offered this year, so they signed up for my class. My class was positively packed with Red Hatters!!! I'll be honest - it was annoying. It's always annoying when there are too many people in a class because there's just no room to do steps properly. And with so many, ahem, less... agile people in the class, the steps were noticeably lighter this time around. I mean, it's not like I take tap lessons to be a hard core team dancer or anything - but I would like to at least sort of, maybe, kind of be close to being almost a little challenged. Just once in while. Then again, I don't break off and take classes at a studio because I know the people and I like the people and I'm comfortable so... it's a vicious cycle. :o) Oh well. It IS exercise at least! And this year I noticed there aren't the usual two but three senior tap classes this year so hopefully some of the ladies will opt out of my class next month. We'll see.

(Oh, and in this routine I start out in the back row. As we enter the stage, I'm the 3rd one out in the back line.)

And the 2nd dance we did was to a mishmosh of, like, the theme song to I Love Lucy and "I Go to Rio." That actually might have been a worse song choice than the Wynonna song because I'd wind up leaving class with "I Go to Rio" in my head for at least an hour! :oP And this dance was just ridiculous. The audience thought we were cute in our Lucy costumes and whatnot but the dance was just sooooo easy. Everyone - and I mean everyone - in the class thought it was too simple of a routine so you know it was too easy! (This, however, I should point out does not mean that everyone could perform the steps properly. Ahem.) The amount of arm-rolling was just too much. We all joked that if anyone got lost, they should just start rolling their arms; there was an 80% chance no one would notice! It's true. Plus, red hair is just not a good look for me... ;o)

(In this one I start out in the front row - I wind up 3rd from the left. [I had to latch on to Spazzy Man as he entered the conga line... ick.])

Depression!

Today is the worst day. The WORST. First, it's already 81 degrees in the condo. Second, some twit is having a birthday party at the pool so there's going to be oodles of people, loud music and a buttload of shrieking all. day. long. (It's a little kid twit to boot, so you know there is going to be a bunch of little kids running around and screaming all afternoon.) And lastly, some douchebags are moving into the vacated unit above us. THEY. ARE. SO. LOUD! And it's been soooooooooooooooooooo nice not having anyone up there for the past few weeks. (When the previous tenant moved out, Robert and I didn't tell anyone. We didn't want to put it out in the atmosphere, you know? We never even mentioned to one another how very, very nice it was with no one above us. Just in case. But it came up at my parents' house the other night and now look - people!!! Stupid universe.) It's still unclear as to whether or not they have kids; it sounds like they do but we haven't seen any go up or down the stairs. And we're spying on the new people through the window and the peephole so, you know, we're checking. Today SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS!! :o( I wanna die.

Sam the Elephant

Samudra is an elephant at the Oregon Zoo who just celebrated his 1st birthday on Sunday. I'm late, I know, but I just found the video and couldn't resist - I love how he plays in his snow cake!

Samudra's claim-to-fame is that he is the first 3rd generation elephant to be born in the United States. To read more about him, click here.