Wanderlust

I hope the show doesn't follow the obvious cliches: The Republican woman survivor is a back stabbing, power grabbing b*****, because that's how they all are. The true culprits are a group of US Army trained, Bible thumping, demolition experts with hillbilly accents. The governors have forgotten about the state laws that provide for filling vacancies in the House and Senate. Please, show, surprise me. And BTW, the White House cleaning staff is so efficient that they removed the dead president's personal stuff from the family quarters within about 30 minutes after the blast.

I do want P & E to face the consequences of their actions, just as an American spy who is caught in Russia would face his/her Russian consequences. A "happy" ending would merely pander to audience in the way the first "Independence Day" movie panders to the audience desperate for a happy ending. The family unit should be decimated. Maybe one of P/E dead in a shootout with the FBI and one in solitary confinement forever - the kids should have to change their last name (as the Rosenberg kids did) and make a life forever hiding and denying their heritage. Maybe that's too much reality for the audience to handle, but it would be more believable than any other ending.

The Learned League board has an ongoing discussion about Buzzy. Here's a video I found there about the hate-watchers:

CBS typically plucks a line of dialogue spoken by the cast for the title of each episode. Just like Keith's line "you call, we'll haul" became an episode title, someone on the cast refers to a "witches coven." MAYBE EVEN THE WOMEN THEMSELVES, or maybe not. So before jumping all over production, let's wait and see how the line plays out. I think it would be cool if the women used it to refer to themselves.

I would be very pleased to see more diverse contestants -- so long as neither the application process nor the actual questions are dumbed down. Even some of the recent final J questions have been embarrassingly simple. Matt Jackson, who is a quiz bowl champion, discussed his intense preparation for his appearance -- he didn't just stroll in and say "I've got this." I'm solidly behind everyone who works their butt off to achieve a goal -- and I'm not behind anyone who gets in to fill a "quota." The lack of contestant diversity is not the producers fault. They can't get into schools and make acquisition of knowledge more attractive than cheer leading or playing football. That starts at home.

One more episode of America's Next Top FBI Agent. Might as well have that reality show competition for the job of agent, makes more sense than the show.

Long ago, on a quiz show far far away, TPTB wanted Herb Stempel off. They got him off. I believe Jeopardy is a clean show, and Jeopardy PTB would not resort to category/question manipulation. One hint of that and the show would be dead in the water.

I'm rooting for Matt to pass Julia Collins for regular game wins (20) and Dave Madden for regular game winnings ($430,400). Jeopardy is so much more interesting to watch when someone combines knowledge and board management and uses game theory in betting. He does show a sense of self-effacing humor on his Matt Jackson Jeopardy fb page - he posts a picture that represents each fj that he has missed. The Wednesday game was frustrating to watch. Alison got a DD late in DJ, and bet like a wuss. She essentially played for 2nd. When there was an opening to overtake a great player, she didn't have the guts to go for the win. When Matt eventually loses, I hope it is to another great player who takes him down in an exciting match.

Spiders invade village in Argentina! They cover the town with "slime of the devil." http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3206247/Invasion-spiders-leave-villages-Argentina-blanketed-cobwebs-known-slime-devil.html

Bravo now has a Top Chef Finder. You can search by chef, cuisine, or location. Find restaurants owned or helmed by a TC contestant. http://www.bravotv.com/bravo-chef-finder/top-chef?CID=TCD_PHO Pretty cool. Best soup I ever had was fois gras soup at Kevin Sbraga's restaurant in Philly. To die for.