Miscellaneous rambling, and bragging about my kids.

It has been completely filmed. They had to do it all beforehand to avoid being shut down by Lord of the Flies comparisons.

Unfortunately, I am not aloud to know anything, because if CBS finds out about any of the participants releasing information they're not supposed to, there are serious consequences, which I'm not even sure I'm supposed to mention.

What I can tell you is that I wouldn't worry about it being TOO "feel good." There certainly will be angry, intense moments. Not Lord of the Flies intense, but intense.

As far as the success of the show goes, my number one concern would be whether or not adults have any particular interest in watching a television show in which all of the contestants are kids, especially if they cry a lot. Which they do.

It has been completely filmed? Got any gossip? How did it work out? I think people are afraid that with no eliminations it will be too "feel good" to actually pull in any ratings.

I wouldn't worry about it. One of the contestants ("I'm a 30 year old trapped in a 14 year old's body") is one of my best friends, and as far as I know, there was no cannibalism.

if u didnt find the song out yet, its "Stolen" by Dashboard Confessional

Too good to pass up is this story about the police breaking into someone's house because they saw the silhouette of an armed figure in the window. The problem was that the silhouette was a lifesized cutout of videogame heroine Lara Croft that the homeowner, a videogame store employee, had taken home to sell on ebay.

The figure remains "impounded as evidence". The homeowner , who is apparently waiting to find out if he'll be charged with anything (ummm…like what?) is trying to decide whether to sue for wrongful arrest. Personally I think it's silly but I'm not really sure that he has to go running for the lawyers. The story does NOT take place in the United States, so he may not overreact.

CBS is planning a kids' version of Survivor, dubbed "a reality take on Lord of the Flies."

In the show, kids 8-15 will inhabit a ghost town (rather than an island) with no parental supervision. They will be expected to choose leaders, and make decisions about things they need (food, shelter) versus things they want (Nintendo). There will be no mandatory eliminations, and each week someone will be chosen for a reward.

It's the Lord of the Flies reference that bothers me. Has no one read this book? It does not turn out well for the children. Though I suppose if the producers are smart they'll get in a reference to somebody sharpening a stick at both ends. That'll have em glued to the seats.

Update: This post is old. Check out More on Kid Nation!

Really, can there be any shockers when there's only 3 people left? I'd like to say I predicted this, but I can't find any links to back it up. Melinda is eliminated this week, putting Blake and Jordin in the finals. I'm not really all that surprised. Melinda is a classic case of peaking early and becoming such a favorite that people just get bored with her consistency. Look at Blake over the last few weeks, and all the crazy risks he's been taking to bring the beatboxing back into his performances. Does that make him a better singer than Melinda? No, not even close. But it makes people interested in him. He got their attention. The same with Jordin. Every season there is a 17yr old with a stellar voice. None of them make it this far. She was positioned by the producers as the threat to Melinda, and that worked for her.

I expect Jordin to win the whole thing. I'm not really into it this year, there's no Taylor or Daughtry that is singing the kind of music I'd actually listen to.

More American Idol stories…

Technorati: American Idol

What to serve the Dalai Lama? Veal, apparently.

I wish this story had gone into more detail about how and why the Dalai Lama is cool with being a meat eater. I'm not saying that I'm a vegetarian by any stretch, but neither am I the spiritual and political leader of Buddhism, where most hardcore practitioners believe in the sanctity of all life, not just human life. A comment from him on why he's ok with it would have been fascinating.

The story is amusing in many ways, though, as the restaurant owner and workers talk about how the preparations and protocol for the visit were worse than Al Gore. "Do not turn your back on him, do not touch him, and do not speak to him unless he speaks to you," the chef was told. So when he bumped into the Lama coming up the stairs, what was he to do? "I did this little kind of moonwalk backward all the way up, and smiled," said the chef.

I love that the holy man has a great sense of humor. When asked to sign his book, "How to See Yourself As You Really Are" he apparently giggled and said, "There's no 'self' in Buddhism, and this is my book!" I'm sure he gets lots of mileage out of that joke :).

He's also a big eater, they say, polishing off every plate that was put in front of him. His vows do not permit him to eat after 1pm (didn't know that) so I could see where he'd have to pack on the calories for the rest of the day. I'm still curious about the veal thing, though. I suppose it's one thing to just say that as a humble monk he'll eat whatever is put in front of him out of graciousness to his hosts, but if he's got people preparing the way for him before he ever arrives, surely they could have said "No meat" and chose not to.

Loved this episode.  Loved loved loved it.  Kim's back!  And believe it or not they actually did it in a good way, you're still allowed to hate her and think she's a bitch and yet still manage to want JD to be happy.  Some of the most complex drama they've ever done, actually.  Turk as the best friend steps up, awesome.  The only thing I didn't like was Dr. Cox trying to break up Elliot's engagement.  Sure he fixed it and played the "I just like to mess with your head" card, but it still came across as pretty mean.

One of the best parts, by the way, came in the podcast where the writer of this episode kept saying things like "That's pretty F'd up what Kim did" and "And she gets left alone….good, she deserves it."  Sounds like somebody took the whole miscarriage storyline a little personally!

You already picked the church?
  Yeah, I've reserved it for the third week in July every year since I was 13.  When I tell Father O'Neill that I actually need it this time he is going to crap a communion cracker.

Women tend to hear one thing when men offer them wedding advice.  So when Keith said this:
  Elliott, two montns isn't enough time to plan a wedding.
Elliott heard this:
  Go ahead, do whatever you want, regardless of what I say.

You've made bigger mistakes.
  "For tickets to see Basic Instinct II, press the # key…"
    That one still stings!
Yeah, she didn't even show her vajayjay.
    It's on the DVD extras.  It's labelled "vagina".

Oh, Bob, would you hit that?
  What are you stoned?  I wouldn't hit that with Stottlemeyer's dong.

Out of my way boys, me and my fellow chiefs of medicine gonna tear this bitch up!
  One of those dudes is gonna die this weekend.

And here's a photo of my wedding dress, which I am totally going to fit into thanks to that awesome parasite I got from eating sushi.

Hey everyone?  I've been looking for a new roleplaying game ever since my Lord of the Rings club booted me for using an actual warhammer.  So would anybody mind if I pretended to be the chief of medicine while Kelso's out of town?

Fantastic.  Let's make cancer feel foolish!

Say I was too nervous to hit on that girl over there.  What advice would you give me?
  Bust a move!
    All right, all right, what if a great song comes on, but I'm too shy to get down.  What should I do?
  Bust a move!
You're awesome man.  What are you drinking, we'll buy you one.
  Bust a move.

Look, just because I get to spend the weekend drinking beer with the guys and paying the escorts extra so they'll do the weird stuff doesn't mean you two get to screw around.

Dr. Toilet I'm sorry about the other day, I had just had my morning coffee and a bran muffin, it was kind of an emergency situation.  I know you were napping, but it was an accident.
  An accident?  Dr. Dorian there are 48 other toilets in this hospital, I'm the only one that's a doctor.  And yet you came into my office and you sat on me.  Didn't you hear me screaming to get off?
Roger in my defense those sounds were very muffled!  I thought they were coming from me!

I'm notifying all my old boyfriends that I am officially off the market.
  I'm sure the pulse setting on your showerhead will be devastated.

Over the past six years you've become a huge part of my life, so I would love you to come.  Plus if you don't then table 14 will be boy girl boy girl girl, and that's insanity.

Listen hear, young Dr. Gilchrist.
  Uhh, that's not my name.
Gilchrist!  Please. She's not upset with you because you asked her to help, she's upset because you insinuated her job was less important.

And you, Nurse Iponima.

I will check to see if the quarterly fiscals can accomodate the financial comps.  I hope so.

Blondie, attached as I have become to my patient, his death due to my inability to see a clear picture of his heart would still be a preferable alternative to hearing you recite your self-written vows:  My dearest Keith, my heart was like a vault but you picked the lock like an apple thief who picks the first golden delicious of the fall harvest.
  Ok first of all stop reading my wedding binder.

Soulmate?  Try 'last resort'.  Let's just be honest for two seconds here. You basically lived in this dump for the last six years and there weren't that many guys to choose from once you eliminate the women and the gays, the too old, the too poor, the ones who just barely beat the rap for murdering their first wife, and of course, Ted.  Well then, what's left?

Why would you tell me you miscarried our child when you clearly didn't?

Anyone else have a question?  Yes, you in the back?
  Bust a move!
Really more of a statement than a question, but thank you.

When I got engaged all I could think was, why am I with this angry cynical idiot?  Then I fought through it and realized he was the love of my life. Unfortunately we had a little argument so we broke up, but then I met Perry maybe a month later, we have two beautiful children and the point is, sometimes settling works.

That is how I got my name.
  You don't look Asian.

The hospital needs you.  I need you.  Doesn't that mean anything?
  Damn right it does.  Now let's go find a cure for polio.

I mean, what could I possibly say?
  I don't know, how about JD I think there might be something living in my uterus?

You know what?  No more excuses.  I did a horrible thing, and I don't expect you to forgive me.
  Ok, because I'm not going to.

Then comes the "Oh my god I can't believe I'm going to have sex with the same person for the rest of my life" stage. And that's when you head to the nearest frat house, ditch your undies and then the next morning do the walk of shame to your beemer.

Now don't you screw this up Keith.  Because if this goes wrong, then the wedding goes wrong, and then I'll get depressed, and fat, and you cheat on me and I swear to god I will CHOP IT OFF!

I'm the chief of medicine, Bob Kelso, who the hell is this?
  I'm you!  I'm talking to you from a future phone! By the way sell all your gasoline stocks, everything now runs on potatoes!

I'm sorry sir, we don't have appletinis.  I could make you a peachtini.
  That's a little foofy for my taste.

Nono, that was bigger than a bomb.  More like an asteroid about to hit the planet.  You know, people running in the streets screaming, "Oh my god, it's coming right at us!" Dudes turning to hot chicks and they're all like, "Look, we all about to die, so can I hit that?" and then girl's like "Oh hell to the no!" but then she realizes, "Oh my god, I'm about to die, so you know what you can hit this, but no kissing."
  That's exactly what it's like!

Part of me wants to talk to her, part of me wants to
  Bust a move?
You have a problem sir!  Seek help!

You know what you're gonna do?  You're gonna sit here and wait for Kim, and then you're gonna talk to her because you're a good person. No matter what mistakes she's made she's still having your kid, and you're not walking away from that.

Look, I love it that after six years I can still mess with your head.  It is both a testament to my commitment and a glaring statement about your mental fragility.  But still, as much as it pains me to say it, there's nothing I did or said that had any real impact on your relationship with the future Mr. Barbie.
  But I got all crazy and went off on him.
Of course you did, you're a woman. Sure, ya do come with a little extra crazy but what the heck, that's what makes you you.

Lay off the stick or I will wait til you're asleep and then I will cheesegrate your nerps.
  Because sometimes I like to do nice things without being coerced.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm gonna go grab a quick shower to rinse this moment off of me.

Turk was giving me the silent treatment because I had taken Old MC's advice over his.  I had busted a move, and left.  And yeah, I still have doubts about my decision. I guess I'm just hoping that the doubts will fade away.  Who am I kidding, eventually we all have to face the music.   For now I was just glad to get back home where life wasn't so complicated.
  JD, do you think I'm making a mistake by marrying Keith?
    JD, how could you just leave me waiting there?
Yup, life is so much simpler here.

Big semi-final week, with scores of 60-60-59-58. I bet Apollo feels pretty dumb saying that he's aiming to be the first person to score 60, and not only doesn't he do it, but two other people do it in the same night.

Here's some trivia. This weekend, My Big Fat Greek Wedding was on tv. Know who plays cousin Angelo in that movie? Joey Fatone. He even gets to dance a bit.

This week Joey is the first to be safe, and then Laila, so it's down to Apollo and Ian. The obvious guess is Ian. He made a valiant comeback, but he's not as strong a performer as the others.

You know, when the musical guest (Julio Inglesias) just sings and there's no dancing, I think we're pushing it a bit. I think that the combination of a musical guest with a dancing demonstration is absolutely brilliant, combining the best of several worlds into something that is completely unique on television today. But then they go and fall into a pattern — sing an old song that everybody knows (Let Me Be Your Hero), and then sing something to promote your new album. Which would be fine, except why wasn't anybody dancing during the second number? Lame.

The flamenco (am I spelling that right?) demonstration looked….weird. I swear it looked like a bunch of guys in an ethnic neighborhood sitting around on the front steps banging on the side of the house while a guy in his pimpsuit pretended to be Michael Flatley Lord of the Dance. I guess it just wasn't for me.

And after 25 minutes of filler and 30 seconds of payoff, Ian goes home as it should be. Everybody's happy. He got his 10s.