Watching Survivor

The infamous naked first Survivor is STILL fighting!

Richard Hatch, the winner of Survivor: Borneo, is still appealing his tax evasion conviction and now he’s gotten it all the way to the US Supreme Court, according to his attorney. Two years ago, he was convicted of failing to pay taxes on the $1 million prize he netted after besting the rest of the Season One Survivor Contestants. He was sentenced to more then 4 years in prison for being a dumbass.

You see, he claims that he discovered producers cheating during the filming of the show, and when he confronted them, they promised to pay the taxes if he kept quiet and won the competition. Because of this, he didn’t pay his taxes at all on the final prize.

…

I know, right? Even IF the claims were true (and CBS, of course, says the claims are ridiculous and have no merit) why on earth would he not just pay the taxes upfront, and have them pay him back, instead of getting tangled up with the law? Seriously, it’s the height of stupidity, and I’m far more inclined to believe that he blew all the money and then couldn’t afford the taxes so started pointing fingers and sputtering foul play. Idiot.

The appeal has made it to the Supreme Court based on claims that the judge improperly prevented Hatch from testifying about the conversation he supposedly had with the Survivor Producers. He also argued that his cross-examination of the tax accountant who filed the returns, a key witness for the IRS, was unfairly limited.

Meanwhile, Hatch is, of course, writing a book about “his experience with the legal system and his disappointment not just with the problems that he suffered but with the problems other people have suffered that he has met.”

Gee. Sounds like a gripping read, there, Richard, but I think I’ll pass, just like the Supreme Court should have done on this idiotic appeal.

And how did the weekend treat you? Have I got a bunch of stuff for you today!

The Pool Party is heating up, with Sugarbooger and Danyv fighting for the lead with only 11 points between them! I’m still third, which means there’s room for folks to knock me off and nap a prize still! In fact, anyone can still win, as we’ve a few weeks left, and one good week is all it takes to propel you to the top! Silver and Silent_Rain are creeping up slow and steady, in 4th and 5th place - get those picks in for this week!

Speaking of this week - We have come to the Merge, folks! The press photos show green is the buff color of choice, and there will be a get to know you feast, as usual. That means no Reward Challenge, and Immunity will be for an individual - and that challenge looks ROUGH. How long can YOU hold your breath with your life in the game on the line? Have to give the producers props for this season and for China too - the challenges have been top notch!

And I’m throwing in these two for no other reason then they’re cute and hot. Of course - according to certain people (Probst!) there’s a possibility that Alexis will make the Ozzy/Amanda duo a triangle…

And, to help you with those picks, perhaps, here’s the Probst Preview for Episode Nine - where he mentions this impending shomance triangle…

If you want to read Ami’s interviews - check here, here and here. Turns out she really wasn’t after Ozzy (so she says) and she, too, came away from the season with an injury! Micronesia certainly isn’t for the weak!

And! As I was writing this - Billy Garcia heard my cry for details on the Wrestling Event last Saturday and sent me the a complete play by play - Check after the cut to read all about it!

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Hey, it was morning when I started writing this - close enough, right? (grin)

Congrats to those who chose well in our Survivor Pool Party this week! I certainly didn’t expect them to turn on Yau-Man so soon and am sad to see him go…

Congrats to Sugarbooger62 for pulling out the top numbers for the week with 18 points! That moved her clear up into 4th place overall. Colette was second for the week with 13 points, which kicked her up to 2nd place overall, right under me! Well done, you two!

As you can see - the standings are ever changing, and one good week can get you on top and in reach for those prizes, so get your picks in for next week’s episode soon!

As heartbroken as I am to see Yau-Man go, he handled it like I expected he would - with class and gratitude. You can find some of his interviews here and here - the last done by my buddy Lynn over at Reality Expoits. I’m sure other interviews will pop up around the net too - Yau-Man is extremely popular - and I’ll miss seeing him on the show!

In other news - if you’re around Penn Laird, Virginia on April 5th, you’ve got to check this out! There will be a Charity Pro Wrestling Event that will feature two of our favorites - Billy Garcia from Survivor Cook Islands, and the man we all love to hate, Jonny Fairplay! Thye’ll be squaring off in front of a special Celeb Guest Judge in a no DQ, no holds barred wrestling match with their partners Mr. Terriffic and Coach Dodson. This event will raise money for computers, smart boards, speech devices and other learning devices for severe and profoundly disabled children. And the big prize? The winners shave the loser’s head, right in the ring! That’s right - Billy might just be taking Jonny’s curls from him after the match!

There will be other special guests there - including Cao Boi (Cook Islands), Tracy Wolf (Micronesia) Kynt & Vyxsin (The Amazing Race 12) among others. The event is on April 5th, 2008, at the Spotswood High School. Admission is $10 and doors open at 6pm. If you get a chance to go, let me know, as I’d love a first hand account of the festivities! (When, oh when will these guys come to Alaska so that I can attend a function?! Sigh!) Good luck with the fundraiser, Billy and Jonny!

The Survivor Finale was marked with controversy yesterday when the Superintendent of Denise Martin’s school - and Denise’s boss - sent out a press release saying that Denise’s tale of woe on the finale was an outright lie. Information is still trickling in, of course, and I doubt we’ll ever actually get the whole truth on the intentions behind it. Our favorite Chen-bot moderated a brief interview and confrontation between Denise and Nancy Lane this morning on CBS. You can find the video here.

What it boils down to is that Lane points out again that Denise was promoted - per Denise’s request - before leaving for the show and had worked as custodian since March 30. She was granted the requested for leave of absence for Survivor (which was filmed during the summer - July/August), and returned to her position of Custodian (a job with a $10/hr increase in pay) that she had gained before leaving for China, and has in fact been working in that position since her return in August. Denise said that was indeed accurate, apologized to Lane, and her community, saying that she didn’t intend it to come out that way at all, that she simply meant she had tried to go back to the old job but was turned down, without reasoning (though she stated on the Reunion show that the reasoning was her popularity. This also doesn’t compute, since the show had not aired yet!). Lane countered that the reasoning was simple - the position had since been filled and that if it should come open once more, Denise knows how to transfer within the district - she’d done it once before.

Up until this point, I found myself wavering a bit. Denise is not the most well spoken person, and as we’d seen throughout the season and especially during the Final Tribal Council, she often gets flustered and unable to get her point completely across the way she likely intended it. Maybe she just didn’t think through what she was saying, what it would mean or how it would come across. I was willing to believe that until she completely sidestepped Julie Chen’s last question: would she still accept the $50k if Mark Burnett still insisted on giving it to her? She said she’d done all of this for her family and rambled until Julie had to cut her off and end the segment, and Denise never actually said yes or no.

That, in my opinion, was a simple and easily answered question. In her position (a place I’d never be for MANY reasons) my answer would have been a straight up “No, of course not!” It wouldn’t matter how much I needed the $50k, I would have jumped at the chance to save face and say no - insisted it was donated to a charity or something of the sort if it was going to be pushed on me.

Denise had me at least willing to give the benefit of the doubt until then. Now? I’m not so sure. Maybe she just missed her chance, maybe it goes back to her not being very well spoken and easily flustered, or maybe… maybe she really does intend to keep the now tainted cash.

What are your thoughts on the whole ’scandal’? Did she? Didn’t she? Will she? Won’t she? And what on earth will/should happen now?

Throughout the season of Survivor: China, I had a soft spot for the Lunch Lady. I’ve known several people like her, and hey, part of me resonated with her feelings of being the outsider, and left out of the group of ‘cool kids’. Who hasn’t felt that way? (The cool kids, of course. ha!) I’ve been that girl more then once in my lifetime.

As she was picked last for challenges, left out of challenges, brought on some rewards then bombarded by petty bitterness when she didn’t return the ‘favor’ at a later date - we all could empathize, could sympathize, and really pulled for her. She was the ultimate underdog, the one we loved to love, the one we wanted to pull through, even though she lacked strategy and really never played the Survivor Game.

As such, around the nation last night, there was a collective “Awwww!” as she spoke of losing her job and having to clean toilets now because she was too recognizable, and a collective cheer when Mark Burnett had Jeff make the announcement that he was going to give her $50k to help get her life back on track once again for her and her kids.

And now, this morning? There’s a completely different reaction. According to the article posted at EW.com’s Hollywood Insider, Denise’s boss, School Superintendent Nancy T. Lane, claims that Denise outright lied during the reunion show. According to Lane, the promotion to custodian was worked for, asked for, and gained by work performance by Denise before she took her leave for the show, and they’ve issued a press release stating this as fact:

Press Release: Mrs. Denise Martin
December 17, 2007
Douglas Public Schools

On the “Survivor China” television program that aired on December 16, 2007, Mrs. Denise Martin, an employee of the Douglas Public Schools, stated that she was demoted from her position as a cafeteria worker upon her return from taping the show. This statement is false. In fact, Mrs. Martin held a full-time position as a custodian prior to her participation in the series, and she returned to this same position upon her return from China. Mrs. Martin was granted - at her request - an unpaid leave of absence so that she could participate in the “Survivor” program. We were pleased and excited to support Denise, and have enthusiastically cheered her on throughout the duration of the show.

Although Mrs. Martin was a cafeteria employee prior to her selection as a contestant, she asked to be considered for a promotion to full-time custodian, and was promoted to this position on March 30, 2007. This promotion came with additional benefits and a higher salary. Following her leave, she then returned to this same position.

Regretfully, the Douglas Public School District was inaccurately portrayed as failing to be accommodating to an employee during what the District viewed as a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity. This is far from the case. On the contrary, we granted all requests made by Mrs. Martin so that she could participate in the “Survivor” series. Since Mrs. Martin was on an approved leave, her position was held open for her, and she returned to this same position upon her return from China. As a District, we make every effort to support our employees, and will continue to do so.

Nancy T. Lane
Superintendent of Schools

She added to EW:

“I can empathize, having been a working mother,” Lane said. “It’s tough to work those night shifts. But she took the job; that’s the job she took leave from [to do Survivor]. If she wants to go back to the day shift, she should apply when one comes open.”

Lane says she spoke with Martin on the telephone on Monday afternoon and that the show’s fourth-place finisher was apologetic, but that “she did not explain why she said that to my satisfaction,” Lane explained. “It’s difficult to grasp. We did nothing but encourage her. She took leave for almost three months, she was given additional times off when ever she needed it. Now she says this on national TV…. Douglas is a nice little town. Everybody was rooting for her, the local paper was bending over backwards with positive articles. Then to have it end this way. Talk about a letdown.”

Martin was still in California on Monday, but Lane says her job is waiting for her when she comes back home on Friday. “I told her, ‘I think we have a few things to go over,’” Lane says. “I might have a few things I’d like to talk about.”

CBS only had this to say for now:

“The comments made by Ms. Martin on the program were compelling and sympathetic. If these statements were misleading or false, we hope that she will take immediate and public steps to clarify her remarks.”

So - this begs the question…. what do YOU think of these developments?

Hey ya’ll - do you live in the New York area? Planning an early December Visit? Love Survivor’s that love to participate in a good cause? Have a secret (or not so secret) adoration for the movie ‘Dodgeball’ because hello! That’s THE GAME of ALL GAMES and GO TEAM!!?

Have I got a DEAL for YOU!

Well, ok, really my buddy Billy Garcia has a deal for you, if you want to be all ‘technical’ about it. As we’ve seen before, Billy has a soft spot for raising money to help support Diabetes research, which is something near and dear to my heart as my dad has Type Two Diabetes and has been battling it for most of my life. So, it stands to reason that I love helping spread the word for his upcoming events with Reality 4 Diabetes!

Here are the details:

What: Reality Castaways Dodgeball
Where: The Sports Center in Long Island New York
Hosted by: Billy Garcia from Cook Islands & Grant Stanis
When: Saturday, December 8th, 2007

1st Tournament: Fans can watch, play against & play with past contestants from Survivor in a Dodgeball Tournament.

2nd Tournament: Fans get to watch as teams from Fiji, Cook Islands, Guatemala, Vanuatu, Asia (Thailand + a surprise! I’m betting it’s a recent China castaway!), Panama and a Hybrid team compete in a PRO RULES dodgeball tournament.

3rd - After Party: Fans get to hang out at a special VIP after party with all the stars from the Grandfather of All Reality TV, Survivor! Food, drinks, and paaaaaaaaaaarty - including raffles, silent auctions and a whole heck of a lotta fun!

You can check out the myspace, and sports center pages, as well as Reality 4 Diabetes to keep up with all the fun, get tickets and breaking details! Also, below after the cut is the confirmed list of attendees and teams!

Get you’re tickets now, and don’t miss this event! And if you’re feeling REALLY frisky, maybe you can cover it for Watching Survivor by hitting the comments and contacting me for info on a guest post! How cool would THAT be? Or if you’re REALLY awesome, you can pay my way from Alaska and I’ll do the covering! (grin) Hey, as long as we’re dreaming…

So, if you’re gonna be out that way, drop in and have a ball. A DODGE ball! And tell Billy I sent ya!

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Heather, over at the Salon, makes me laugh, especially with her unwavering enthusiasm to making sure we’re educated about TV and what to watch, with careful consideration to those who read her column just to comment on what a waste TV and reading her column is. You gotta love that kind of dedication!

Recently, she dedicated her column to Dave - or as she calls him “the aging Derek Zoolander” and “how he represents the broad-scale collapse of the American personality”. How could you not love her?

She goes on to compare the American’s of old - strong, silent, occasionally drunk and promiscuous to Dave - the control freak who accuses you of being controlling, the bully who’s main line is what a bully you are.

The magic of Dave is that, when he gets in your face about something, he can almost convince you that you’re the crazy one. And then he goes away, and you don’t feel crazy anymore. You just want to kill him — a completely rational urge, actually.

Pop over there and read the rest of her take on the Dave’s of the world, a pox on the land!

In other news, my buddy Jonny Fairplay got a disappointing verdict in his lawsuit filed against Danny Bonaduce for the incident at the Reality TV Awards. According to the press release, the district attorney’s office Friday said that there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Bonaduce committed battery, due to Jonny initiating contact.

Thing is - Jonny’s really a nice guy. He’s one of the first past survivor’s to talk with me, and I find his antics mostly amusing. Bonaduce, on the other hand, has always annoyed me to the very depths of my soul. He’s a trainwreck that I gladly look away from. I think he overreacted, and really should man up and at least admit that. So I’m definitely biased in my opinion here, as most folks are. But at the core of it all? I just want to wish Jonny a fast recovery!

Get better soon, Fairplay!

Last but not least? There’s this little tidbit in the TV Guide:

Oh how I love the conspiracy theories! Especially when it’s a 99% probability that it was just editing that put things into the wrong order. *chuckles*

That’s right folks, as I mentioned in the wee hours of the morning over here, last night was the Fox Reality Channel’s 2007 Really Award Show, and gaggles of reality stars were out and shining brightly, including some Survivors!

I have to admit, I never thought I’d see two favorites and vastly different personalities - YauMan and Evel Dick posting together anywhere! That’s Fox for you, bringing fans together all over the place! Both Evel Dick and Yau Man were up for awards last night, and though I have some spoilers, I don’t have all of them just yet. I will keep looking though, and post what I have after the cut!

First, however, the internets are BUZZING over Johnny Fairplay vs. Danny Bonaduce! I first saw it over at Perez Hilton’s, then read Adrianne Curry’s account on her blog, and then went to the source of all scoopable celeb sources - TMZ.

It seems that Johnny was on stage to present an award (the last one of the night?) and he was getting boo’d - Not an unusual occurrence for our favorite Survivor Bad Boy. Bonaduce (According to Curry) asked her if he should go up and tell him that he’s hated, and she - naturally - said yes, because it IS the Really Awards, and all. Never one to be calm and sedate, Bonaduce did exactly as he said he would.

Now here’s where things start getting into he said/he said. According to Curry, when Danny went to walk away, Johnny, being the man we love to hate, ran up and jumped on Bonaduce, wrapped his arms and legs around him, and started humping him. This apparently startled Danny so much (read: he can’t ever take a joke!) he grabbed Johnny by the ass and threw him up over his head (”I didn’t know how light he was!”) and Fairplay landed on his face, smashing out two of his teeth, and somehow breaking a toe as well. Bloody and battered, Fairplay was taken from the awards by ambulance, and after treated by a dentist in the wee hours of the morning, was sent home and is resting comfortably.

He has made a police report, and declared he intends to follow through. Danny Bonaduce maintains that HE was attacked, and thus the result was provoked.

My take? Grow up boys! You know, I was married to an Irishman for 15 years - forever will love him, and he was known to scuffle just for the fun of it! A man such as mine would take all that as it was, as scuffle between boys too big for their britches, and buy each other a beer, and laugh about it for years to come.

Somehow, I don’t think that will happen with these two. However, as TMZ also reported, Johnny Fairplay and his girlfriend ANTM Michelle Deighton got some good news today - they’re having a GIRL! Congrats, Johnny and Michelle!

NOW! After the cut! Did Yau Man win an award last night?

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The day is almost here! Survivor: China premieres in just TWO MORE DAYS! So here’s some more Jeff Probst fun to watch while we wait!

This clip is from actober.com, they’re having a contest - re-enact an immortal postseason moment and you could win a trip to the World Series! Jeff Probst shows us how it’s done Survivor Style!

And, for the fourth year in a row, Probst is acting as spokes person for St Jude’s Children’s Hospital fundraiser, createapepper. In partnership with Chili’s Grill and Bar, St. Jude’s invites people to get creative for a worthy cause between now and September 30th.

What can you do?

Make a donation to St. Jude, for which patrons will receive a Create-A-Pepper coloring sheet. Guests’ coloring sheets will be displayed in restaurants during the month.

Purchase Create-A-Pepper T-shirts that can be customized with permanent marker.

Purchase Create-A-Pepper Gift Cards and dog tags. Chili’s will donate $1 to St. Jude for every $25 purchased in commemorative Create-A-Pepper Gift Cards.

Eat at Chili’s on Monday, Sept. 24, when Chili’s will donate 100 percent of its profits from restaurant sales to St. Jude.

Jeff Probst, host and producer of the Emmy™ Award-winning CBS-TV series “Survivor,” serves as spokesperson for the campaign and is featured in a public service announcement that can be viewed at www.createapepperpresskit.com. Probst urges people nationwide to participate in the campaign, explaining that “you go into any Chili’s during the month of September and simply make a donation to color a pepper. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but every dollar helps the children who depend on the life-saving research and care provided by St. Jude.”

Check it out!

Also - remember Billy Garcia’s walk for Diabetes? I’m THRILLED to say that he’s met his goal, thanks to Barbara (aka - mah mama!) at Diabetes Health Talk! What say you take a peak over at his fundraiser page, and see if you can’t help him DOUBLE his goal before the walk?

Survivor, Survivor: China, CBS, Jeff Probst, Reality TV, rumors, contestants

Miss the preview on the TV Guide channel? Don’t worry, I did too! But folks on YouTube have our back, for sure! Hosted by Earl Cole, we get the first view at what we have to look forward too on Thursday, from the Immunity Idols, the opening ceremony, and more in-depth intros to the contestants to a tour of the Tribal Council! Check it out!

It’s almost here, ya’ll! Who are you’re early picks for the season? Make a prediction or four by clicking the comment button below!

It’s been seen time and time again that once the game is over, once the lying, backstabbing, conniving, strategy, winning is over - Reality TV stars stick together - even if they’re from different shows. Now is no different.

Big Brother star - Howie Gordon and his girlfriend Sonia recently received the devastating news that their 4-year-old goddaughter, Rabekah, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Here’s a bit of what they have to say about her:

This past week Howie and I received devastating news. My God-daughter Rabekah (”Bekah”) was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. The specific type of tumor is a Pontine Brain Stem Glioma. They were told it is inoperable.

Rabekah’s parents, Shannon and Glenn, are now in search of the best treatment option. This has become very expensive as they are no longer working and a lot of travel is involved. Thus we have set up an account entitled the “Rabekah Fund” to help cover Rabekah’s medical treatment and expenses.

Rabekah is a beautiful 4-year old little girl. She was born April 16th, 2003. Aunt Sonia was so very lucky to be right in the birthing room as Rabekah was welcomed into this world. She has one older sister, a younger sister and mommy has a baby on the way. Rabekah can’t wait to be a big sister for the second time!

Rabekah has a light about her that emanates for everyone to see, and a wonderful imagination. She likes dressing up like a Disney princess, wearing crowns and jewelry. She loves to sing and dance. Every time Aunt Sonia comes over, the first thing Rabekah does is turn on her music and show off her new dance routine. Bekah’s favorite color is purple and she loves, loves, loves kittens! She especially adores Hello Kitty and the Barbie princess Serafina Kitty.

When Howie first met her last year, he and Rabekah hit if off. They played all night and watched the movie “Free Willy.” They sat on the floor and watched the entire movie from start to finish singing and laughing all the way through. Then the following week after Howie had long since returned to his home in California, Rabekah was helping set the dinner table and set one extra spot. When Rabekah’s mom asked who the spot was for, Rabekah exclaimed, “It’s for Howie!!” Shannon called me right away to tell me that story which I find so sweet. Then a few months later Rabekah found out it was Howie’s birthday and she took her own personal movie of Free Willy from her collection and gave it to Howie for his present!!

Many Reality Stars are banding together to help raise money for Rabeka and her parents to help offset the medical costs of the treatment.

Where does Survivor come in? Mookie of Survivor: Fiji has generously donated an autographed shirt and hat to be auctioned off at Bids for Rabekah. The shirt is the only one that was signed by Mr. Dimples himself, Jeff Probst, as well as many other cast members. It’s a one of a kind item, and for a fantastic cause to boot.

There are many, many other very cool items as well (A 10 minute phonecalls from Big Brother’s James? HELLO!) So what are you waiting for? Go to Bids for Rabekah right now and help raise treatment funds for an adorable little girl!

Survivor, Survivor: Fiji, Jeff Probst, Reality TV, Mookie, Big Brother, Howie

Richard Hatch, winner of the first Survivor in Borneo, has always protested his innocence on the charges of tax evasion for which he’s currently serving a simply hellacious 52-month sentence. [Why my snarky emphasis? Well it seems he’s got email access at least, and hell, I could do 51 months standing on my head if I had internet access! Ahem, anyway…] Since he’s always proclaimed his wrongful imprisonment, he felt it necessary to speak up about Scooter Libby’s presidential commutation. Instead of spending two years in jail, Libby will only be given probation and a rather large fine.

Richard Hatch is, of course, outraged, as >Buddy TV reports.

“What a country! Excessive sentence! Where’s my pardon/commutation?” Richard Hatch wrote to The Boston Globe last Tuesday.

“If Bush believes the judge in Scooter Libby’s case sentenced Libby too harshly, perhaps Bush should closely examine what bigoted and otherwise biased judges are doing every day all over the country. Our system, with its judges (simple, flawed human beings) appointed for life and virtually without oversight, is destroying lives. I suggest we begin in Rhode Island with Ernest Torres.”

Hatch has been emailing Joanna Weiss of the Boston Globe, about his disdain for the legal system and the Bush administration. I, of course, have my own views on all of it, including Richard Hatch’s profession of innocence and that his tax evasion is the fault of the Survivor Producers and CBS who he claims to have made a deal with after they were caught cheating.

“So far, nobody has expressed much interest in most of what has occurred or is true in my case,” Richard Hatch wrote to Weiss. “I am absolutely innocent and I find such apathy personally sad but nonetheless fascinating.”

Hatch’s lawyers have filed an appeal, but it’s still in the works. My take on Hatch’s plea? It’s bogus, and he is in jail simply because of his own stupidity. While there is no evidence to prove OR disprove the deal he says he made, anyone with half a brain would have filed the taxes correctly, paid the taxes, and then - IF (and that is a MIGHTY BIG IF) there were such a deal, accept a reimbursement from the other party.

For such a smart guy - boy is he dumb.

–

Don’t forget! Pirate Master moves to TUESDAYS starting TOMORROW, airing right after Big Brother!

Survivor, Survivor: Borneo, CBS, Reality TV, Richard Hatch

Hello Survivor Fans! Here’s hoping everyone is recovered nicely from the Reality TV Convention (And if you are - and would like to do a guest post or email telling me how it went, be sure to use that Contact button over on the right hand side under the ‘about site’ section, hm? We’ll work something out!) this past weekend - I’m only a LEETLE bit jealous. Ok, A lot. But still! I hope you all had a fantastic time!

Because it’s time to look forward to the next big events! Thanks to a reader, I was tipped off to the big benefit coming next weekend in Louisville, KY - The 4th Annual Kentuckiana Police and Firefighter’s Children’s Summer Bash Benefit.

They will be hosting over 500 police officers, firefighters, public safety personnel, military personnel and citizens for a “Night of fun and live entertainment.” The event is for charity and will be open to the public.

The benefit kicks off at 8:00 PM and goes until Midnight. We have a photographer available for all of our guests to have digital photos taken with our celebrities and the celebrities sign them during the event. This makes our event very unique in the community. Each year, the organizers seek to hold an event that is both professional and pleasing to the general public. The environment is very laid back and people friendly. Dress for the evening is business attire.

We will also be doing a moonlight VIP cruise on Friday night, July 6th, with some of the celebrity guests who will be in town. Please refer to the link for information about the cruise. Tickets are $50.00 and will be limited to 100.

Attending Survivors include Yau Man Chan, Rupert Boneham, Cao Boi, Bobby Jon, Twila Tanner, Big Tom Buchanan and many more!

Check it out - and Rocky, thanks for the tip - if you get to attend, feel free to send pictures and a write up about the experience!

Speaking of Big Tom Buchanan - Watching Survivor would like to congratulate his son, Bucky Bo, who spent the weekend getting hitched to the lovely Kacey Foley! A birdy told us that Lex van den Berghe flew out for the occasion to officiate the wedding!

Congrats to both the Buchanan and Foley families - may Bo and Kacey have many years of happiness ahead of them!

Also coming up - The Second Annual Survivor Beach Party, July 27-29th in Cocoa Beach, Florida!

Click here for a complete list of attendees - over 60 Survivors plan on being there! If you plan on attending, give me a shout out via the contact button, hm?

Know of any other Survivor parties and events going on? Let me know and I’ll be sure post it for you!

Survivor, Reality TV, Events, Lex van den Berghe, Big Tom Buchanan, Bucky Bo, charity events

Last week, Wilmington’s Star News reported that Dreamz Herd is seeing the other side of being a 15 minutes of fame Celebrity! It seems that his tie for second was enough to have him slapped with a paternity suit as soon as he got back home.

The mother, Amanda S. Young, gave birth Nov. 30 to a boy named Luca Finley Young, according to a birth certificate filed with the New Hanover County Register of Deeds.

The lawsuit seeks child support and reimbursement for medical expenses relating to the pregnancy, along with medical insurance coverage for the infant, who is now nearly seven months old.

The lawsuit was filed in May, shortly after the Fiji installments of the popular television series concluded.

I probably wouldn’t doubt this at all, except for the fact that she waited until the end of the show’s airing before filing the lawsuit. That and… Dreamz? Really? I mean, he’s… Dreamz! I just don’t get it - I must be getting cranky in my old age. Ha!

In other Survivor: Fiji news, my man Yau-Man spent Sunday helping the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano raise funds for their summer needs at their seventh annual “An Afternoon in the Admiral’s Garden.” The event was sold out, and all proceeds went to the Food Bank. Yau-man was at the Trader Joe’s tent, and one of the Auction prizes included dinner with him and as a souvenir, the fishing hat he wore on Survivor: Fiji! How cool is that?

This weekend! If you’re down in Nashville, TN, be sure to check out the 2007 Reality TV Con!

Unfortunately, a road trip from my home in Alaska to go was just a little out of my reach. If you’re going to be there, let me know! I’d love to get the scope on all the Survivors and fun and games going on!

Survivors slated to appear: Jonny Fairplay, Billy Garcia, Flica Flame, Cecilia Mansilla, Rupert Boneham (Sunday only), Burton Roberts, Cristina Coria

They’re also going to be doing casting calls for something called “The Alaska Experiment” - an adventure docu-series for an undisclosed cable network. It will be shot on location in Alaska and is about survival in the great outdoors. Interesting… I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes on this one!

And, in case there was any doubt? “Producer Burnett ruled reality TV.”

And last, but most certainly not least - Earl Cole (Winner, Survivor: Fiji) is taking part in the National HIV Testing Day Event today with the Screen Actors Guild, who vows to help end AIDS Epidemic in Black America by 2012.

National HIV Testing Day is on June 27th, and in anticipation the Screen Actors Guild as well as several other organizations will launch the “1 in a Million” campaign by hosting an HIV Screening event and press conference at the national Screen Actors Guild headquarters, featuring A-list Black celebrities being tested for HIV in front of the cameras.

The event was held this morning, from 10-11am (PT) in Los Angeles, California. According to the press release, Earl Cole is one of several celebrities who planned to attend and participate.

The group will call on 1 million Black Americans to get tested for HIV in the next year, and they will answer questions from reporters during the press conference.

Those who plan to attend and publicly take an HIV test at the press conference include: Jimmy Jean-Louis (“Heroes”), Regina King (“Ray,” “Jerry McGuire,” “24”), Hill Harper (“CSI New York”), Rockmond Dunbar (“Prison Break,” “Heartland”), Meagan Tandy (Miss California USA 2007), Vanessa Williams (“Soul Food”), Sheryl Lee Ralph (“ER,” Original “Dreamgirls” on Broadway), Hosea Chanchez (“The Game”), Angie Stone (recording artist), Anne-Marie Johnson (“CSI,” “JAG”), Darius McCrary (“Transformers,” “Family Matters”), Sandi McCree (“The Wire”), Ovie Mughelli (Atlanta Falcons), Isaac Keys (Arizona Cardinals); Henry Simmons (“Shark”), Tatyana Ali (“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”), Samaki Walker, Rob Sommers and Deandre Walker (NBA), Jennifer Lewis (“Shark,” “Girlfriends”), Alexandra Paul (“Baywatch”), Vida Guerra, Earl Cole (Winner, “Survivor: Fiji”); Howard Hesseman (“Boston Legal,” “WKRP in Cincinnati”), Beverly White (NBC reporter). Author/journalist Gil Robertson will sign copies of his book Not in My Family: AIDS in the African-American Community.

Phill Wilson (executive director, Black AIDS Institute) will be available for interviews
Gloria Reuben (“ER”, “Life Support”) will also be available for interviews from New York City.
Shari Belafonte will be available for telephone interviews.

For more information, go to BlackAids.org.

(…and really, HOW COULD YOU?) Here’s the final tribal council, plus the revealing of the winner of Survivor: Fiji! See if you feel the same way most of us do about how vicious the Jury was, many without cause…

Whatcha think? Bitter much?