Amazing Race - 11.30.08

Where will they go from Moscow? Will Dan and Andrew survive their Speed Bump (hope not!). Will the dancing be as hilarious as the marching?

Let's see - tonight, on The Amazing Race! (That was in my best Phil

From their Moscow pit stop, the teams head out by taxi to a retired Russian Nuclear submarine, and have to search the sub for an actor who was in The Hunt for Red October. The dreaded Moscow Taxi drivers strike again, and teams resort to drawing and miming to trying to get their destination across. Starr and Nick are hoping for better luck than the last leg. Andrew and Dan thought they might be searching for Sean Connery in the sub. Because he doesn't have anything better to do.

All of the teams got to the sub at almost exactly the same time. Dallas, Ken, and Nick got their clues right off. Andrew and Dan were nowhere to be seen. I didn't see them arrive at the sub, so I guess they were farther behind.

Their next destination is Park Iskusstv. They have to search the Graveyard of Fallen monuments for the next clue. Ken and Tina lucked out in getting a cabbie with GPS. That hardly seems fair.

Andrew and Dan managed to get their clue and then had a hard time finding another cabbie (and got drenched by a passing car going through a puddle.

Tina got pissy about the cabbie smoking. Ken basically told her to deal.

Nick and Starr got to the park first, and it's a Roadblock.

The team member needs to find all of the statues of Lenin (6) and Stallin (2), with the help of the Cyrillic spelling. They then have to go to a bookstore and tell the shopkeeper "62" to get a book. If their number is wrong, they have to wait 10 minutes before trying again. If they get the right book, they have to go to page 62, which will lead them to an apartment of a famous Russian author - Mikhail Bulgakov, where they will get their next clue.

Nick decided to do the roadblock for their team, and I think that's a good decision, given that he seems calmer than Starr and more able to handle something kind of complicated like this Roadblock without flipping out.

Andrew and Dan got to A park, but it turned out to be THE WRONG park, after they had driven about 40 minutes to get there.

Dallas and Toni arrived third. Dallas decided to do the Roadblock...

And his mom told him to take the money and the passports.

I think that means they are the foreshadowed team who loses passports and money.

Nick got 6 and 2 properly and headed off to the book store. Ken and Tina arrived at the park and Nick got their GPS-cab. Tina flipped out about being cold and dug through the bag.

And mentioned money and passport. More foreshadowing. Who will lose it all?

Tina did the Roadblock.

Toni mentioned that she was not sure Dallas knew who Stalin and Lenin are, though she spent a lot on his education. Dallas proves not to be the sharpest crayon in the box, mixing up Stalin and Lenin and getting some of them wrong. Then, on the way out from the bookstore, Nick passed Dallas, who seemed like he had his head in the clouds and totally missed seeing Nick pass him. Tina also seemed to get the tally wrong on the first try.

Dallas had to wait 10 minutes after his first faulty guess, then another after yet another faulty guess.

Meanwhile, Nick and Starr headed to a children's park to find a woman with a Shetland Pony for their next clue.

Dan and Andrew ended up getting to the park finally, and Andrew did the Roadblock, leaving his ...

money and passport with Dan!

Tina and Dallas ended up helping each other with the numbers, and still didn't get it right.

Nick and Starr arrived at the Shetland Pony Lady and got a clue for a Detour.

Ride the Rails - Go on foot to a metro station, ride to the proper stop, then find the marked snack shop, get a traditional pastry - with a clue on the wrapper that will lead them to their next stop, where they have to find a statue dedicated to the creators of the Cyrrilic alphabet. Near the statue, there is a babushka, who will give them a postcard in exchange for their pastry, with the name and picture of their final destination, where they have to find the next clue.

Ride the Lines - Go on foot to a bus stop and go to a particular station, where they will find a key maker who will give them a key to a storage locker. They need to catch another trolley to another station, then find the locker that matches their key, and inside is the same final destination postcard as the babushka has in Ride the Rails.

Nick and Starr decide to Ride the Rails, since Nick is a New Yorker and is used to subways.

Tina and Dallas corroberated several times more and Tina finally got the right answer and told Dallas what it was.

Andrew got a Russian to show them all the proper statues, and was finished readily, though the number was wrong (he got 6 and a 1).

Tina was sure to tell Toni that she helped Dallas. Ken was upset with her for helping, but she didn't think Dallas would ever get it by himself.

And it turned out to be Dallas who lost the money and passports. He left the bag in a cab, which took off.

(If this was Sweden, the bag would probably be quickly brought to a police station. Seriously. My sister left her purse full of money and and a passport on the street in Stockholm and it was found very quickly with nothing taken. The same thing happened to a co-worker last year - he lost his passport and it was brought to the police station and, although he missed a flight home, he got one the next day, passport back in hand. In Moscow? Not sure the same thing is true.)

Dan was not sad to see Toni and Dallas with a problem, because it gave him and Andrew a chance. Andrew got the number right on his second try and was off to reunite with his teammate. Andrew thought that Mikhail was a woman's name, but that still got him to the apartment.

Toni and Dallas decided to try begging for money. They found out that the metro is much cheaper than a cab, and some nice Russians gave them some money, and they took the subway, even though it was against what the clue told them to do (which was take a cab).

Tina and Ken decided to do Ride the Lines.

Nick and Starr were doing a good job with their Detour.

Toni and Dallas got to the park at the same time as Dan and Andrew, but were denied a clue because they didn't arrive by taxi. They went off in search of a taxi. What they are planning to do with it once they find it, I am not sure.

Dan and Andrew were treated to their Speed Bump.

They need to perform with traditional Russian Dancers for one song, to the instructor's specifications. They were absolutely dreadful.

Toni and Dallas met some more wonderful stangers who gave them money, and they went back to where they needed to take the cab from - via trolley.

So, before even doing their Detour, they are experienced in both metro and trolley travel. How ironic.

Tina and Ken were on a bus, not a trolley, and had to go back to the beginning, while Nick and Starr found their Babushka without problems.

Dan and Andrew managed to only do their dance two times before getting approval. They decided to Ride the Lines.

Toni and Dallas finally got a taxi, and had enough money thanks to the kindness of stangers.

Nick and Starr got their final clue and headed to the pitstop on foot, VDNKh park.

They found the park easily, and won a trip for two to Anguilla for 5 nights to the Cuisinart Resort and Spa, a Foodie retreat. mmmmmmm.

Tina and Ken got their key and headed to the next stop. Dan and Andrew also got the key and headed to the next stop. They got to take the trolley to the Pitstop. Dan and Andrew also got their postcard and headed to the park.

Dallas and Toni finally got the clue for the Detour, and decided to Ride the Lines, since they were familiar with them. More kind strangers gave them money to take the trolley. They got their key and then needed to get more money.

Amazingly, Andrew and Dan came in second at the pit stop, followed by Ken and Tina. However, Ken and Tina didn't pick up the clue at the station, so they had to go back and find the clue to tell them to go to the mat.

Dallas and Toni got enough money to take their next trip, as Tina and Ken searched for their final clue. They found it before Dallas and Toni (were shown to) got their postcard. Instead of making them beg more, Phil found Dallas and Toni before their next ride and told them the sad news that they were eliminated. It was very sad to see them go. I wonder if the Race will help them get their passports replaced (or back, if a camera man found their bag or something). I feel badly for them, and really think that they deserve a spot in the top 3 more than Dan and Andrew.

I am hoping for Nick and Starr to win. How about you?

Survivor Gabon: Thanksgiving Recap episode

Let's go back in the season, shall we? Let's remember when Fang was totally floundering, and when it looked like the end for the whole tribe. Goodbye Paloma, Goodbye Spunky Grandma, Goodbye the first girl I forget. And the Onion? The Onion looked so strong, like such a sure thing, didn't they? Well, look how the mighty have fallen, that Onion peeled back layer by layer and discarded until only Corrine remained at it's bitter center.

This is the kind of story Survivor has been wanting to tell for a long time in a recap episode. The grand comeback of the underdogs.

And there's going to be audition videos! Yippee!!

Ace's Audition video featured him on a beach in a suit.
Randy's Audition video featured him loving his dog (bald).

Bob's video showed him doing science and being chased by a "bear" in the woods and hanging out with the cafeteria ladies saying he can eat anything since he was eating cafeteria food for 20+ years. He he.

Crystal apparently auditioned at a casting call, and she claimed to have "beauty, brains, and blazing speed." Yeah, haven't seen any of that.

Susie just wanted to bring her tweezers so she wouldn't have a mustache and a beard.

Ken had braces in his video.

Corrine graduated at the top of her class, in three years, with a full academic scholarship. She planned on flirting and manipulating her way to the top, and then she got into a bikini and jumped into the pool.

Sugar was featured homeless with a tongue ring. She wanted to eat a whole lot of funky food and do whatever it takes.

Matty's video showed his girlfriend and his dog, and he said he wanted a little pain and suffering. He sure got that with Fang.

It's back to the recaps. Kota was living large and Fang was scraping the bottom of the barrel and eating "Gabon Pears," which they said were icky, and grasshoppers. Randy got a leach. Matty was safe, or so he thought, but he had one.

The formation of The Onion over at Kota was cemented by the continued winning. Dan's ineptitude at idol searching was showed again. Apparently at Kota, Marcus was getting chummy with Jacquie, and Corrine disapproved of their possible relationship.

Sugar was horrifically maligned by Kota when she was sent to Exile. Corinne thought she would be clutching herself and shaking instead of doing anything clever. Little did Corinne know that Sugar was handily finding the Idol. He he.

Ah, Ace. He was so cocky about everything. He was so sure that Sugar would set him up to be safe with her idol. Over at starving Fang, Matty sang a song in honor of his girlfriend because he missed her birthday. And made everyone else sing with him. He seems a little like a stalker and I hope his girlfriend loves him as much as he loves her. Randy said that the only thing he ever loved was his dog who died five years ago, and he plans on getting a new dog when he gets home.

A Fang alliance was formed with Randy, Susie, Matty, and Dan - just in time for the first Tribal shakeup. The new Fang proved to be as inept as the previous Fang. Jacquie was sent home, and I hardly had a chance to know her. Sugar missed Jacquie. Corinne missed Jacquie. Marcus missed Jacquie.

Bob's awesomeness was featured. He made a bench. He made a slingshot. He made a tripod for over the fire. He made a spoon. He made a sundial. Yup, Bob pretty much rules.

Crystal and GC's "Eat your rice" spat was shown again, and it is a poor imitation of Alicia's finger waiving moment. GC quit, and I cannot respect a quitter.

Kota continued to dominate, and Crystal called Randy a troll when he complained about her crying. Kelli went home.

Kota got to have a picnic on the mountain, with their letters. The picnic was fantastic looking, with pickles, various cheeses, etc. Corinne thought everyone was an idiot because they didn't know what some of the picnic items were. The champagne was a bone of contention, with complaints about people getting more than their share.

Sugar got some screen time for the Sugar Shack. She made herself a new dress out of a rug at the shack. She picked flowers. She had a lot of guilt about food when no one else had it in the tribe.

Ken's dominance began to emerge, with the ouster of Ace, and the lawyer was sent packing at Kota.

Next came the presumptive merge and the idol that was tossed into the ocean (*or was it?* I am pretty sure it was, but there's some gameplay going on with it next week. Can't wait)

And the non-merge came, with Matty telling Sugar that Ken fooled her into getting rid of Ace. Marcus was totally cocky. This was his downfall and Marcus was gone.

Poor Bob didn't find the idol, and then made his Most Awesome Fake Idol. I wish Bob had been my physics teacher. Seriously. Awesomeness.

The domination of the Underdogs came to light with the ouster of Charlie. Sugar tried to talk to Corinne about how to get along with people. Corinne was completely unreceptive. Sugar said Corinne's complaints about people are "like cancer in my ears." Corinne went off because Sugar is not college educated and has no job right now. Corinne and Randy had a complaining whispering conversation in the woods about how stupid Sugar is (I don't think she is), and how much she hates Sugar. She really is a bitter, total elitist, isn't she?

The Randy vs. Sugar Cookie Debacle was recapped. Randy was so sure that Sugar was a complete idiot and couldn't possibly have found the idol that it was his downfall. Randy decided his strategy was to be an ass to everyone, and people were scared he was going to sabotage the camp before they had a chance to vote him out.

I still can't freaking stand the fact that they named their merged tribe "Nobag." That has got to be the stupidest merged tribe name ever.

The Fake Idol came into play, and it was classic and hi-freaking-larious. I would have been giggling like Sugar if I had been there. So glad to see him gone.

And next week, we'll get our first joyful Randy-less week. Yippee!

That was a pretty good recap episode. It ended with the boys of the original Kota getting naked and jumping into the water, with cat calls from the girls. Including Bob - who didn't seem to get any cat calls, but he is still full to the brim with Awesome.

Top Chef - 11.26.08

It's a Thanksgiving Episode! I always think the Holiday themed episodes of any previously-taped reality show are a bit weird, but I like to see what Top Chef has to say about Thanksgiving, so I guess it's ok.

Richard revealed some of the other Cheftestant's nicknames in the house - Jeff is Don Johnson, Fabio is the Cute Italian, Leah is the Fun Flirty One with "the nice rack," and Richard and Jamie are living on with Team Rainbow.

Time for the Quickfire! The Guest Judge this week is Grant Atkins, a molecular gastronomist, and the challenge is about "rolling with the punches."

Everyone pulled knives, with seemingly random numbers on them.

The numbers refer to page numbers in a Top Chef cookbook filled with recipes from chefs from previous seasons, and they have 60 minutes to put their own spin on them.

Jeff has Howie's Fennel Crusted Pork Chops with a three apple salad and is feeling pretty cocky about it, calling it basic and claiming he can bang it out in 15 minutes.

Melissa has CJ and Trey's Black Truffle and Parmesan Linguine with Kale, Tomato Confit, and Grilled Chicken.

Leah has Hung's Tuna Tartar with Nicoise Olives, asparagus, and egg vinaigrette.

The challenge comes to a screeching halt when a few minutes in, Padma and Grant come in, and tell everyone to STOP and declare that they now have 50 minutes to use their ingredients to make a soup (using Swanson broth, since there is a time crunch, and the segment is obviously sponsored by Swanson).

Daniel's inspiration dish is Black forest ham and egg bundle.

Carla's inspiration is Poached Shrimp from Leah. She claims to be a soup McGuyver.

Jamie declares her love for soup, and her inspiration is a deconstructed falafel by Miguel.

Richard's inspiration is Sara M's Chile Relleno with roasted red pepper sauce. He missed his final garnishing with lime juice.

And it's time for judging.

Stefan's original recipe was a scallop and shrimp burger, and he has done a thai green curry bisque with shrimp and scallop dumplings. The judges like his broth.

Ariane had a Colorado rack of lamb with ratatoille by Dale, and ended up making Diced Lamb, eggplant, red pepper and couscous soup. The judges thought it might be overcooked. Ariane couldn't hind her wince. She has the confidence of a mouse, apparently.

Daniel has ended up making a hama nd egg soup with sauteed mushrooms, corn, and cheese. It looks really delicious. Padma said "I don't think I've ever had ham and egg soup. I like ham and egg soup!" This made me want to go try making ham and egg soup. Ideas are floating around in my head.

Richard did a black bean and roasted pasilla pepper soup with rice cooked with broth. The judges bemoaned the lack of acid. Guess the lime juice would have helped. To his credit (or at least the editors), he did not jump in with excuses, just took the criticism. Thanks for that.

Melissa's linguine has morphed into a version of Italian Wedding Soup. This did not go over well. "We blurred the line here, and not necessarily in a good way." Ouch.

Fabio was working from a recipe of Michael's, a trout and salmon duo. He made it into a mushroom and asparagus soup with seared trout and salmon belly. The flavor is called flat, to which Fabio said "fair enough." More salt? Isn't that the call of many-a-judge's table?

Carla ended up with Shrimp, tomato, and coriander soup with cucumber and avocado salad. It got good marks.

Leah seemed apologetic about her chilled asparagus soup, with brioche, and tapanade with tuna tar tar (she mentioned while cooking that she didn't really like white asparagus, but didn't think there was anything else to do to play off the tuna tartar.) Still, the judges liked it, and even said that white asparagus is not an easy thing to work with. Leah admitted to them that she doesn't like the flavor, but even so, she seemed to do it well,

Jamie's falafel inspired soup is a chickpea soup with pickled chilis, yogurt, and crispy shallots. They really enjoyed it.

Again, we did not see everyone's soup. That is disappointing. I want to know if Jeff pulled something delicous out of his cockiness. I haven't seen Hosea all episode. Did Radhika make a curry soup? I don't like this selectivity. I want to see what everyone is cooking!

Jamie, Leah, and Daniel got top marks. Leah won, and I think deservingly so, for making a yummy soup with something that she didn't personally like. Being able to make something delicious out of something you personally don't care for is truly an art.

No bottom tier is mentioned. Humph. I know it doesn't matter in a quickfire, but I like to know.

For their Elimination Challenge, the Foo Fighters show up via video tape. They have to make Thanksgiving dinner for them, working in two teams.

Because she won the Quickfire, Leah got to choose her team, and she chose Jamie, Hosea, Melissa, Stefan, Fabio, and Radhika. They end up calling themselves "Team Sexy Pants."

The other team is Daniel, Richard, Jeff, Alex, Carla, Ariane, Eugene. They end up calling themselves "Team Cougar." They say that Ariane is their Cougar Mascot.

They have to cook a Thanksgiving Feast for the Foo Fighters and their entourage, including vegetarians, and plan according to their Rider, which is full of their likes and dislikes. The winning team will get to watch the gig, and the losing team has to clean up. They have to cook in microwaves, no fridge, no freezer, one burner, toaster ovens, cooking outside. This could get really tricky.

They have an hour and $1200 to shop.

Back at the venue, the chefs got to cutting up turkeys and other prep. They have 3 hours to cook. Eugene decided to build a grill using a chafing dish rack and some charcoal. That could be very clever.

Team Cougar's menu is Butterball (think they're a sponsor??) turkey, stuffing, roasted potatos, sweet potatoes, pork roast, macaroni and cheese, pumpkin parfait, peach cobbler, and banana s'mores.

Team Sexy Pants' Menu is Butterball turkey, stuffing, mashed potatos, sweet potatoes, gravy, side salads, pumpkin tiramisu, and fruit crisp.

Mother Nature decided to throw a curve ball at the cheftestants, and it started to rain. They managed to get it done.

The Foo Fighters came in to eat, and Richard spent some time mooning over Tom Colichio again, which was cute.

Team Cougar served first. The Foo Fighters were really funny. The stuffing did not get good marks, with figs in it. The mac and cheese with Bacon went over really well, as did the pork roast with the makeshift grill and the turkey.

Team Sexy Pants served next (they waited for desserts), and Jamie's Vegan Stuffing got really high marks, as did the yams with marshmallows. Ariane's turkey won in that battle, though.

And it's dessert time. The banana s'mores looked fantastic. I want to make them. Team Sexy Pants' Pumpkin Tiramisu went over very well. The crumble was also given high marks. Team Cougar's Pumpkin Parfait got very low marks. The S'mores amazingly did not get high marks.

The winning team (and the team going to the Foo Fighters concert) is Team Sexy Pants. Team Cougar was grumpy about losing and having to clean up and also be up for elimination. The concert looked like fun, and the cleaning looked like hell.

Team Cougar went before the Judge's Table. Jeff complained about the curveballs and the rain, and Tom basically told him to stop complaining, because it was nothing the other team had to deal with. Jeff was put forth as a leader or an organizer or what have you. Ariane's turkey got very good marks, and that was good for her. The potatoes were al dente, and that is not good, Daniel. Carla's cobbler was not executed well. The pumpkin mousse with berries made by Jeff was not good. The S'mores were not gooey and had no warm chocolate, so that's a problem. The vanilla cream on top ended up looking like spit, and that's really bad. The desserts are the worst, though Daniel's undercooked potatoes are in the mix for the worst. Carla's seems to be "fine" and "least offensive." Jeff's spoonbread and pumpkin berry parfait were both executed badly. Grant's least favorite dish was the S'mores.

In the Stew room, Daniel made himself a sandwich, and dripped some on the floor and got snipped at by Jamie as being the reason why there are flies all over the place. He decided it must be "her time of month." Ugh.

Back to the business at hand, Eugene, Alex, and Carla are sent to safety, and so was Ariane, who redeemed herself with good turkey. The person going home is Richard, and I am very sad. I liked him. Team Rainbow is shattered! I wanted to see Jeff gone. I think it was a bad decision for him, but I sure do wish he hadn't gone home because of badly executed s'mores.

And there is no winner this week. Next week they are doing The Today Show. Ought to be fun.

What do you think? Did the right person go home? Would you have been able to better execute Banana S'mores? (I think I could). What dishes do you want to make right now (I want to try making Ham and Egg soup!).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Amazing Race - 11.23.08

It's the final four, and I think it's a pretty good race. If Dan and Andrew get eliminated this week, as they should, it will be a really good Final 3.

The teams start out in Khazakhtstan, and Nick and Starr are the first to head out to Moscow. Once in Moscow, they have to get to a monastery, and enter the church and light a candle to get their next clue. It's Nick's birthday, and Starr made him a t-shirt that said "It's my Birthday!" They get a flight to Moscow that is at 6:05 AM. This gives them a whole night at the airport. That sucks.

To keep them company, Toni and Dallas (who's hair is kind of hilariously "finger stuck in a light socket" this week - more so than I've seen in the past) show up and get on the same flight. Dallas and Starr spent some of the down time flirting. Nick appreciates the prospect of the Dallas/Starr romance.

Arriving third at the airport are Ken and Tina, who get on the same flight. Dan and Andrew forgot their shoes at the last Detour and ended up wearing hotel slippers, and then had to haggle with the taxi driver to get the price down. And, in the end, they all get on the same flight.

Dan and Andrew checked out a 24-hour shoe store in the airport, and spent over $100 on two pairs of sneakers. I think it was probably the best bet, since they weren't going to get far in hotel slippers.

Off the plane in Moscow, Dan and Andrew used their new sneakers to run to the first taxi. Nick and Starr got a taxi driver who spoke no English, and they ended up behind Dallas and Toni and following them. Ken and Tina were also unsure if their driver knew where they were going, and he ended up stopping to ask for directions, along with Dan and Andrew.

Turns out the following was a good idea, and Starr and Nick and Dallas and Toni got to the monastery first. The women had to cover their heads and they all lit candles and got their clues.

They have to travel by taxi to a decommissioned military base at the outskirts of Moscow, to search for their next clue. Dallas and Toni worried about running out of money, and Nick and Starr worried about getting lost. Meanwhile, both of the other teams headed to the military base.

Dallas and Toni were the first to arrive at the military camp.

It's a Detour:

Don a traditional Russian military uniform, including foot wraps, and choose from:

Boots - learn a traditional parade march and march a lap of the parade grounds.

Borsht - serve borsht to 75 soldiers, and be clean about it.

Nick and Starr's taxi driver got very lost and everyone else got to the military base first. Dallas and Toni chose Boots, and were pretty uncoordinated at first. Tina was uncomfortable changing in front of everyone, but ended up sucking it up. Dan and Andrew thought they would be good for the Boots, because of years of marching band experience. Unfortunately, they had troubles getting the uniforms on. Toni and Dallas and Ken and Tina did a good job with their marching and got their next clues, just as Nick and Starr were arriving.

Somehow, Dan and Andrew thought they could get past the uniform by choosing Borsht, but they didn't seem to realize they needed uniforms for that, too. Way to read the clues, morons. Nick and Starr had no troubles getting into the uniforms, and began the marching.

Dan and Andrew read the clue again and realized they had to go back and do the uniform. Their ineptitude at dressing themselves sent them into last place, and then, even with "years" of Marching Band experience, they were truly embarrassing at the marching. They had band members heckling them. They really should have served soup. Dan was the offending party with the marching. He said "I'm not arts and music based, I'm sports and tv based." After several failures, they switched to Borsht.

Dallas and Toni reached the next clue first, and it's a Roadblock.

One team member must deliver 50 x 55 lb bags of flour to a bakery by placing them horizantally on the floor. Once delivered, they get the next clue.

Dallas did the Roadblock, and got reprimanded by the shop owner for not being neat, but managed to do a good job of it, and worked it out. Ken and Tina arrived second, and Ken did the task. Nick and Starr's taxi driver had a hard time finding the bakery. Dan and Andrew did a better job of serving and headed to the bakery.

Dallas finished the Roadblock first, and they headed to the Pit Stop, which is a park in the middle of the city. Ken made up a lot of time and they weren't far behind. They drove off as Nick and Starr headed into the Roadblock, and they dismissed their taxi driver, deciding they would find a new taxi driver if they needed it. Nick did the job, and was heckled by the bakery woman - who said "He is not fit." Still, they finished the task before Dan and Andrew showed up.

Nick and Starr did have a hard time finding a new taxi, and Dan did the Roadblock. He seemed to do an ok job with it.

The next clue sent them to the Pit Stop. Nick and Starr found another taxi, who also had no idea where the park was. They finally got a driver who knew his way around, as Dan and Andrew worried that they would not have enough money to pay their cabbie.

Toni and Dallas got to the Pit Stop first, and they were thrilled to win one. They won a trip for two to the Dominican Republic, including all sorts of kooshy things, like a helicopter ride, spa, and lobster dinner on the beach. Ken and Tina came in second. Nick and Starr finally got to the park, and had a hard time finding the pit stop. Dan and Andrew fought with the cabbie about money, and Dan even offered to sell his shoes, and finally offered what I think was money out of his own wallet.

Happily, Nick and Starr came in third. Dan and Andrew arrived last. Tragically, it is a non-elimination leg. They have to do a Speedbump during the next leg. I hope it trips them up.

I want to know what they gave the cabbie in the end! Did anyone catch it?

Next week looks insane. More fun from Rhythmically-Challenged Dan, and one team loses their passports and all their money! Any bets on who?

Oh no! Pushing Daisies!

As you may know, Pushing Daisies is my favorite show on television. And I watch a lot of television, so that's not a statement lightly made.

This was recently posted on a message board I frequent, and I wanted to share it with you, my dear readers.

‘Move Pushing Daisies’ Campaign Begins

By admin • November 20, 2008

With the ratings for “Oh Oh Oh… It’s Magic” reaching a series low, PD future is looking ever more grim. But at this time, giving up is something that we should NOT do!

So we are going to start a new campaign, the “Move Pushing Daisies Campaign”, to e-mail, send letters to Warner Bros and try to convince them to move it another network or if this doesn’t work — at least a Direct-To-DVD 2 hour movie special that wraps up the show.

Sends letters and packages to:

Pushing Daisies Warner Bros. TV
300 Television Plaza Burbank, CA 91505

And you can contact them online here:

http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/main/help/c…mer_service.jsp

*********

So, do your part and join in the fight for Pushing Daisies!

Here's the email I sent - to the Feedback section of the website.

It has recently come to my attention that the decision has been made to not order any new episodes of the best and most unique show on television, Pushing Daisies.
I am writing to urge you to try to move the show to another network. I think that ABC Family might be a perfect choice. This show is sublime on so many levels, and I would mourn the loss of it. The acting is amazing, the characters are completely appealing, the writing is quirky and imaginative, and each week, it's the show that I want to give a big hug to.
I think that television would be a much more interesting genre if shows like Pushing Daisies were given more of a chance before getting the axe. I have no interest in watching CSI: Albequerque. I don't care about another Grey's Anatomy spin-off. I want the fantastical world of Pushing Daisies, for many many years to come. I know I am not alone.
Give it a chance, please, I implore you.

I have not yet decided if I will commence sending pies to them in protest.

I also wrote to ABC - and encourage you to do the same.

Survivor Gabon: 11.20.08

I'm still mad that they named the merged tribe Nobag. Really? Really?

Randy is stunned that he was not voted out, because he has no friends, but he thinks that they made the right choice. The remaining Onion, mainly Corrine, is feeling nervous about her future.

Sugar is gunning for Randy. She had a chat with Bob and he told her that he made a fake idol. She was impressed. He says he is only going to tell her about it. I would love to see a Sugar/Bob alliance to the end. That would be pretty cool.

Corinne and Randy had a talk about the peeling of the Onion alliance, and they agreed that they hate everyone else. They want to work on Matty, and try to pull him over to their side.

Treemail has individual envelopes for everyone, and it's time for the Survivor Auction!!!

They each have $500, bidding in increments of $20, and they cannot pool or share.

The first item is beer and peanuts. Randy and Sugar bid on it, and it goes for $180 to Randy. The next item is hidden, and Ken and Randy bid back and forth. Ken got it for $340 and it turned out to be a scroll reading - "Send yourself or someone else to Exile, and if you send someone else, you get all their money." He sent Bob, and took his money.

The next item was also covered, and Randy and Ken went back and forth, until Sugar upped it to $340, and she got chocolate and peanut butter. This was enough to get Heidi and Jenna naked a few seasons ago, so I think she got a bargain.

The next item is a hot bath and grooming materials, and a clean set of their own clothes. Susie got it for $340. Sugar said Ken should have gone for it, because she would have cuddled with him with no clothes on, and he said "Would you cuddle with a rich man?" no answer.

The next item is burgers, fries, and a soda. Matty got it for $400.

Susie decided to get out of her bath after a really short amount of time because it was too hot. Crazy.

The next covered item went to Randy and it was $280 - Spaghetti, garlic bread and a glass of wine.

Corinne got the next item (for all of her $500) when Ken gave it up. It's a bottle with a clue in it, and it remains sealed until the next immunity item.

Next, Randy bought a covered item for $20 for the whole tribe, and it was a tray of chocolate chip cookies. Sugar wanted to give hers to Matty, and he said no, and gave it to Corinne, and then Randy offered Sugar his own cookie, and she gave it to Matty. And the auction is over. I don't get the animosity between Sugar and Randy. I don't think we have seen the whole story.

Randy is out of his mind mad back at camp. about a cookie. Insane. Matty went to chat with Randy and Corrine, and told him that he set himself up, and needs to drop the attitude.

Over at Exile, Bob goes for a clue and realizes he's already gotten the clue, so went off on his own personal safari, and just enjoyed it. It was a breathtaking bit of editing, and I still love his attitude.

Back at camp, there are talks amongst everyone. Everyone wants to get rid of Randy, except Matty wants Bob gone because he's more of a physical threat. Sugar thinks that Matty is really playing the game, and as a physical threat, he doesn't want Bob, the other physical threat around. He is sure it needs to be Bob, then Randy, then Corinne.

The next morning, Randy talked to Corinne, and told her he was going to crash and burn all day, and make everyone miserable, and hopes that Bob will give him the Hidden Idol. Little does he know that it's fake. I hope that Bob gives him the fake one and says nothing. That would make me laugh and laugh and laugh.

Randy followed his plan pretty well, and Crystal said he was "wreaking havoc in the Nobag Tribe." I can't take that tribe name seriously. Randy calls his plan "Operation Strongarm." We'll see about that.

And it's time for an Immunity Challenge!

The challenge involves racing across balance beams carrying a bag of puzzle blocks. The first two people to get three bags across the line move on.

The final round involves Puzzle blocks arranged on a multi-level platform, avoiding trip wires, to arrange them like dominos, to fall and raise their flag.

Corrine's bottle is opened, and she gets an automatic pass in the first round, so the first two people move on.

Matty and Ken are first across, followed by Bob and Susie. Matty and Ken get their second bags, and poor Bob fell off right at the end with his second bag and missed it. Matty got his third bag across, and then it was a battle, ending with Ken securing his place in the next round.

The Domino round is tricky. Corinne and Matty started at the beginning, and Ken went to the end first, and that was not the best strategy, because he tripped the wires easily. He picked up the pieces and kept arranging. Ken and Matty seemed to finish at about the same time, and Ken gave his a shot first. His spacing was off and he failed the first time. Matty and Ken both gave it a try, with Corrine following suit. It was a fight to the end, and Corrine's stopped short, along with Matty's, and Ken managed to work it out and win Immunity. Good for him.

Back at camp, Ken is pretty happy about his win, and Randy is grumped out. He thinks the majority is gunning for him, and he wouldn't be wrong. Sugar tells Bob that he should offer Randy the fake idol, and looks forward to seeing the hilarity. So do I. Bob acknowledges that he can't save himself directly with the fake idol, but he could keep his longevity a while longer with the fake one. Corinne talks to Bob and tells him that she hopes he can share the idol with Randy. Bob did a wonderful acting job, acting unsure about what to do with it, and then ended up giving over the (fake) idol in the forest. Tee hee.

I think if nothing else, Sugar is on Bob's side wholeheartedly now.

Sugar told Ken and Crystal "Tonight is going to be the funkiest night of your life. Wait for it. Wait for it." I am so excited.

At Tribal, the Cookie Fiasco is brought up again. Randy won't let it go. I forsee this being an issue at the Reunion. Susie says that she thinks Randy is probably a sad person inside, and she feels sorry for him. He gets defensive and says that he feels that's like her saying "You're so pathetic." To me, that would be about right.

Let's get right to the vote. There were some unpleasant words from Sugar towards Randy (and I can't say I disagree.) As most of them whisper at the vote, but Crystal practically yelled her joy at voting for Randy, and the people back at the benches looked incredulous.

And hilarity ensued. Randy played the Fake Idol. Go Bob.

Sugar and Crystal tittered as Jeff tossed the Fake Idol into the fire. Corinne looked stricken. The votes were read, and Randy is outta here. I hope that Bob manages to stick around for a while - and that this doesn't potentially cost him jury votes.

Corrine looked pissed.

I'm kind of sad that Bob's wonderful fake idol got burned. It was so good.

And next week, it gets more interesting. There was a scene of Bob telling Corinne that Marcus hid the "disposed" Immunity Idol at camp (after hiding it in his pocket), and told him (Bob) where it was. Is this an attempt at fooling Corrine right out of the game, too? We'll see.

Can't wait to see it!

Top Chef - 11.19.08

Let's see if I can keep everyone straight this time! I apologize for my sometimes lacking formatting, it's a busy time.

Richard laments the loss of Pat from Team Rainbow. Ariene feels vulnerable, and Stefan feels pretty good. Fabio says he doesn't mind Stefan winning the challenges. "In Italian, we have a saying. It doesn't matter how many dragons you kill, it's who takes home the princess."

And with that, onward to the Quickfire, where the guest judge is Donatella Arpeia (sure I messed that name up). I wish I knew these guest judges more.

Their quickfire is all about cooking something New Yorkers love - hot dogs. They are cooking against a famous hot dog cart cook - Angelina. Chef with the best hot dog in 45 minutes wins immunity.

Some are making hot dogs from scratch, and both Stefan and Fabio decide to make something on the panini side of things. Radhika, who doesn't want to be called the Indian cook, is making an Indian-inspired kebab-dog. Sounds good, so hopefully it won't pigeon-hole her.

Jill - Summer Roll hot dog cooked in chili, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. She did not make her own hot dog, and they didn't say much about it.

Radhika - Kabob-stule sausage (lamb, pork, ground chuck) with caramelized onions, cucumbers, and tomato jam. I would so eat that. Of course, I love Indian food, and I love kabob, so I am predisposed to cheer for Radhika.

Daniel - Pork Hot dog with horseradish mustard, fried onion, garlic powder. He used his own casing. They looked like they liked it.

Eugene - Maki roll hot dog with pita bread, boursin cheese, and red onions. The guest had an almost pained look on her face. Probably not good. I don't know if I would have called it "maki" because that brings to mind the horrors of Spam Musubi.

Hosea - Pork Hot Dog with Roasted Poblanos, Jalapenos, smoked bacon & red vinegar. They seemed to appreciate the smokiness.

Stefan - He called this a "world dog" - Italian Sausage on French Bread with Wisonsin Cheese and Irish Tartar Sauce, served with a German beer. Padme appreciates a cocktail, so she looked pleased. Sounded yummy. I think I could have skipped the tartar sauce.

Carla - Lamb & Pork sausage with sauerkraut, caramelized onions. They liked how moist it was, or at least commented on it.

Ariane - Chicken sausage with bacon, celery seed, garlic and white pepper. They commented on how strong the celery seed was. Probably that's not a good thing.

Fabio - Andouille sausage with goat cheese, roasted bell pepper and sundried tomato. They commented on it's mediteranean flavors.

Jamie - Pork & Beef sausage with bacon, onions, and cayenne pepper. Oh nooooo - Padma got a piece of bone. That's such a no no.

The judges then enjoyed a hot dog from Angelina, and it looked yummy.

They skipped some people. Were they that bad, or just in the middle of the pack and not worth mentioning? Curious.

Jill is called out for using a store-bought hot dog, which is one thing, but then she used it in an unimaginative way. The guest judge said that she wouldn't travel anywhere for Stefan's "World Dog" and he is upset by that.

On a positive note, she loved Radhika's offering, along with Fabio and Hosea's. The win is given to Radhika. I am happy.

For their challenge, they are going to be opening a Top Chef restaurant in Manhattan, with a 3 course New American menu.

They split up to do appetizer, entrees, and desserts. They had $1500 to shop between themselves.

Hosea made the dubious decision of taking the only crab available, in a carton, that he couldn't look at, smell, or anything first. That could bite him. Fabio is planning a carpacio. Jill was drawn to ostrich eggs and decided to do a quiche. I am not sure how a store has only one kind of crab, in a carton, but has ostrich eggs. That seems a bit off to me.

They have 2 hours to prep.

The appetizer group is Fabio, Hosea, Melissa, and Leah.

The entree group is Stefan, Alex, Eugene, Jill, and Jeff.

The dessert group is Carla, Ariane, Daniel, Richard, and Radhika.

Tom arrived to tell them that they would be cooking in one of his restaurants - Craft. All the diners will be 50 NY chefs that tried out for the show and didn't make it. Ouch. This should be interesting.

Back in the Chef apartment, Fabio dropped his favorite quots about princesses and dragons again. The next morning, Carla and her crazy eyes were feeling the pressure of working at Craft. They get to the restaurant and they have 2 hours to prep.

Jamie is doing a cold corn soup, and Fabio is doing a funky olive technique, and Hosea is feeling good about his crab after adding some seasoning. Ariane wanted everyone to taste her Lemon Meringue Martini, and there seems to be some consensus that it's too sweet, but she decides to keep it, and tells them "if I go under, you're all going to hear it." Way to stand up for your own product.

The disgruntled diners arrived and started complaining right off about the menu, but mostly because it wasn't theirs. Tom and one of his chefs is expediting.

Appetizers go out.

Jamie has made a chilled sweet corn soup with chili oil and mint. She is pretty confident about it, and the judge's table liked it.

Hosea's dish is Chilled crab with citrus vanilla dressing, mango, and avocado. The judges called it slimy and muddy, and one of the diners called it tinny. Not good at all. I wonder if Hosea actually tasted it.

Leah made Yukon potato, seared scallops, with chives and pink peppercorns. The scallops were called sandy, and the judges called it "very 80's." Yipes.

Fabio's appetizer is a beef carpaccio with arugula salad, parmesan, and his spherical olives. The judges appreciated his olive technique.

Melissa's dish is grilled avocado, white peaches, nectarines, and a light balsamic vinagrette. Nothing special, seemingly.

Onto the entrees!

Jill's offering is ostrich egg quiche with rice-pecan crust, asparagus, and aged cheese. It's taste is likened to glue and dog food. Not good.

Eugene has made an open meatloaf sandwich with ciabatta, gouda fondue, and portobello ragout. The presentation is called bad.

Stefan's entree is a pan seared halibut with micro greens, ravioli, champagne sauce, and dill oil. The judges liked it a lot, as did the diners.

Jeff's behind serving his dish, which is southern chicken, with honey mustard, and corn spoon bread. It seemed to go over well.

Alex has made a grilled pork tenderloin with potatoes and mixed vegetables. It's called "not good at all."

And it's dessert time.

Radhika made a citrus avocado mouse with chocolate wontons and a chocolate milk kalhua shot. The judges called it sweet guacamole, and she was lucky to have immunity, and they said you could tell she had immunity, because there was no real other explanation for that dish.

Daniel made a ricotta pound cake with toasted pistachios and strawberry lemon coulis. It gets good reviews.

Ariane's Lemon Merinque Martini has hidden cherries under a cookie at the bottom. The judges looked like they wanted to spit it out because of the sweetness. Not good at all.

Richard's looks much better - a banana bread sandwich with peanut butter and banana brulee, served with grape gelato. The judges called it an after school snack.

Carla made a rustic apple tart with ginger peach tea, apple cider reduction, and some cheddar cheese. The judges did not appreciate the plating of the cheese, but liked the flavor.

Once service was over, Tom tasted all of the food in the kitchen in front of the chefs. They looked about ready to throw up with nerves. The diners seemed even more bitter about not being chosen for the show after tasting some of these dishes.

It's time for Judge's Table. Tom appreciated the way they worked in the kitchen, but did not like a lot of the food. Jamie, Hosea, Ariane, Fabio, Carla, and Jill were sent back to the Judge's Table.

Carla's dessert is given high honors, and Fabio got defensive about his dish before they even told him how they felt about it, and was humbled when they said they liked it. I am little disappointed that it is the same dish he has made at his own restaurant. Jamie's corn soup is lauded. They liked how fresh it tasted.

Fabio is named the winner, and they really loved his olive trick. I still wish it was a new dish for him. He's happy to be tied with Stefan.

Hosea's crab salad was one of the worst ones, and they said it was underseasoned. He thought he was going to win. He was obviously delusional. Ariane's martini was pretty dreadful. Padma spit it out. Jill's ostrich egg quiche didn't go well together and she couldn't answer when the judges asked her how she would make it better if they keep her. She floundered a bit and looked lost.

It's Jill going home, and Ariane thought she was going. I was happy to see Jill gone, because she also failed at the Quickfire. Ariane felt that she didn't deserve to stay, and broke down afterwards.

Next week is a Thanksgiving episode. Fun.

Do you think the right person went home tonight?