Whine & Cheese

Allan Wu Hoo!

Even though Amazing Race wasn't on last night, thought I'd still go back to the previous week's episode that featured an appearance by the host of The Amazing Race Asia, Allan Wu.

You may recall Wu was on hand to pass a clue off to the racers while they were traveling through Singapore.  I certainly wasn't blind to the fact that Wu was quite attractive...

But thanks to my buddy Jeff who suggested I do an image search on Wu, I certainly didn't realize all the "hubba hubba" that was really going on!  So here's you Monday eye-opener!

Wu is a Singapore-based Chinese-American and a graduate of UC Berkeley and is 38 years old (as of this writing).  No surprise that he is has modeled and also aced (a bio lists him as "Singapore’s one and only hunkalicious action hero").

This is only a small sampling of pix.  If you liked to see more it's as easy as typing his name into an image search... there are so many of the variety, that you don't even have to add in the world "shirtless" (though I will still do my search whore hit hint here and now: Allan Wu Shirtless)...

If you are more interested in knowing more beyond the visuals, and he seems like a genuinely nice guy, he tweets as wulander and there is also a link there to his website (no surprise, wulander.com).

Amazing Race 16: Cast Revealed

I don't think I missed introducing you to the new cast of The Amazing Race in quite some time, even during my unofficial hiatus, so no reason to stop now. Here's the new crew (apologies for the "have to squint to see it" picture, but this is the best that CBS posted for borrowing purposes):

...and here are the names, ages, and relationships.

Back Row:

Louie/Michael (age 47 & 45) - Detectives

Caite/Brent (20/28) - Dating/Models, if models weren't enough, Caite is the (in)famous Miss South Carolina who bumbled "the Iraq" when asked a geography question during the 2007 Miss US Teen Pageant

Middle Row:

Jordan/Daniel (22/24) - Brothers (according to Towleroad, one of 'em is gay)

Jet/Cord (30/29) - Brothers & Cowboys (just in case you didn't figure it out)

Monique/Shawn (39/39) - Attorney Moms

Joe/Heidi (42/37) - Married

Front Row:

Dana/Adrian (39/40) - Married High School Sweethearts

Jordan/Jeff (22/31) - Newly dating, former Big Brother contestants

Carol/Brandy (47/40) - Dating (and lesbians, if you didn't figure it out)

Jody/Shannon (71/22) - Grandmother/Granddaughter

Steve/Allie (57/23) - Father/Daughter

The (yikes!) 16th edition of The Amazing Race kicks off on Valentine's Day... Sunday, February 14th (and vs. the Winter Olympics, thank goodness for double-tuner TiVo) with the contestants, for the first time, having to get to LAX via public transportation ... no cabs, no rental cars... should be interesting!

Amazing Race 15: Cast Revealed

I almost wasn't going to do this, but since work is a bit slow it seemed just wrong not to continue this W&C tradition.  Here's the group pic, followed by the teams (ages in parentheses) and relationship... 

Back Row (left to right)
Cheyne & Meghan (23/23) - dating
Garrett & Jessica (28/27) - dating on and off
Zev & Justin (26/30) - friends, Zev has Asperger's Syndrome
Herbert & Nathaniel (32/28) - Harlem Globetrotters

Middle Row (left to right)
Ericka & Brian (27/27) - married, first TAR interracial couple
Daniel & Samuel (21/23) - brothers, both gay
Gary & Matt (47/22) - father/son
Lance & Keri (41/33) - engaged

Front Row (left to right)
Maria & Tiffany (26/25) - professional poker players
Eric & Lisa (41/43) - married yoga teachers
Ronald & Marcy (59/60) - dating
Canaan & Mika (26/22) - newly dating

The new season kicks off on Sunday, September 27th with a two-hour episode (first time?).... rumor has it one team will be eliminated immediately and a new "Switchback" will have teams revisiting some of the toughest challenges in TAR history.

Express Lane: Issue 67

It's True: 'Blood' Lovers Engaged - Stephen Moyer can really say "Sookie is MINE!" now as he is now engaged to his on-screen love interest Anna Paquin. (8/6/07)

'Survivor' and 'Amazing Race' Vets Rob and Amber Have a Baby Girl - A great sign that this duo have stopped becoming reality show whores, not only was the birth not televised but it also took nearly a month for it to the Internet! (8/3/09)

Work Day Ends for Broadway's "9 to 5" - While it didn't receive critical praise or the fact that star, Allison Janey, was not much of a singer still a bit surprised that the Dolly Parton-penned musical closes after just 5 months. (7/30/09)

The Longest Solar Eclipse of the Century - The Big Picture - As always, simply amazing TBP pictures from Asia of the July 21st eclipse! (7/22/09)

Foot Massage - Ancient Chinese Secret?!

As I tweeted/status'd (amazing what words come into being thanks to the Internets!) yesterday, I was pretty stoked about last night's episode of The Amazing Race as it brought the contestants to Beijing.  My international travels have been pretty limited, so it was fun to have them finally go to some place I had actually been!  (I know they've been the big European cities, but in the past seasons... not the after I had been there!)

Overall, I was a bit disappointed as they arrived... and pretty much all of last night's activities took place... at night... and they even arrived domestically, so I couldn't even recognize the airport terminal! 

I got excited when they said they were headed to the natatorium... so thought they were headed to where we saw water polo!  But alas, it wasn't the natatorium (Yingdong)... but a natatorium (Guangcai), which apparently there are quite a few of in Beijing... even sporting the Olympic logos (but they were everywhere... and apparently still the winter after the Games).

And while the episode ended at the well-known/tourist spot of the Drum Tower (oddly enough, the location where those American tourists - family members of the US Volleyball coach - were killed in the opening days of the Olympics), we didn't make it there and/or (???) only saw it from afar.  But it looks like from next week previews, we'll see a bit more Beijing...

Anyhow the one thing we did recognize and pretty much laughed our way through was the foot massage roadblock... which also inspired the name of this episode "Having A Baby Has Got To Be Easier Than This":

While we didn't go to this particular foot massage palace, there was a lot of things that were quite recognizable... from the very gaudy interior design, to the massage room set-up an chairs, to the bucket/plastic bag set-up (which you can kind of see in the picture to the left).

I will say immediately that ours was not nearly as painful as what was going on in this episode.  I think they were told to go easy on us and to give some indication if it was too rough... something I don't think the Racers had the option of requesting with their full-on service.  We were also given tea at the start, but it wasn't awful tasting as Kisha suggest (again, could have been something totally different).

Now, I will say it was uncomfortable... very uncomfortable at times!  Our massage lasted over an hour... so more than 10 minutes on the feet... but also some rhythmic slapping of our feet, calves and thighs (again, personally not terribly pleasant)... and a neck/head massage (which Todd painfully describes in the comment section!).  Thankfully I was the only one (there were 6 of us in one room) NOT to get upper body treatment as I was in a seat/chair that couldn't be moved or for someone to squeeze behind... that said, it was tad awkward to be sitting there watching everyone else get it done!

Now, we pretty much thought we were in the minority... most folks in our group really seemed to enjoy it (a couple even fell asleep towards that end... granted it was after our long flight over/on our first full day in Beijing)... and even my friend James, who lives in Beijing, voluntarily gets this done on a regular basis (!!!)... plus these huge facilities (I wasn't joking when I said "palaces") suggest there is very high demand for this... so we had just made peace that we just didn't "get" it.

All this said, we (well, particularly myself!) are not a huge fan of any kind of massage... again, one of those quirky people who don't like to be touched... feet or otherwise... so that was personal roadblock #1... but also that this was the replacement/"oops, sorry!" activity for not going to the Opening Ceremonies (that was promised for 5 months in advance)... well that didn't provide any improvement over getting a foot massage either.

It was really a big thrill to see TAR last night and see folks not enjoy it as much as we did... haha!  Heck, even James stumbled upon a "non-relaxing" one not too long ago! (Update: James clarifies in the comments that it was not a foot massage... my bad!)  So at least we're not crazy... while not a highlight of the trip, it is still one of those things that we will always remember about our trip to Beijing! 

Express Lane: Issue 63

'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' Author Inks Six-Figure Deal - Not sure I can get through the Jane Austen classic again - even with zombies! But it sound like Graham-Smith's rumored next book "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" will be more up my alley! (4/10/09)

Earth Hour 2009 - The Big Picture - Best TBP Ever! It's interactive, click on (most of) the pix and watch the lights fade off (or back on) for Earth Hour! (3/30/09)

Signs of Spring - The Big Picture - After the last TBP photo set I posted re: the recession, this one of hope and renewal is a lot more inspiring... and pretty too! (3/23/09)

CBS Renews "Men," "Big Bang" - Could care less about the Charlie Sheen sitcom, but thrilled that Sheldon & Leonard & Company got a TWO-YEAR pick-up! (3/18/09)

Scenes From The Recession - The Big Picture - Not the most uplifting or inspiring set of pictures, but always interesting ... and a couple shots of the real estate bust right here in Phoenix metro area. (3/18/09)

Stacy Keach Recuperating After Stroke - Was supposed to see Keach in the stage production of "Frost/Nixon" (playing the latter), but I think chances of returning to to the show by early April are pretty slim. (3/18/09)

Holi: The Festival of Colors - The Big Picture - That wild and crazy throw paint and powder at each other Hindu festival that I only learned about thanks to 'The Amazing Race' (3/13/09)

The Philiminator Strips Down

No surprise that screen caps of The Amazing Race host Phil Koeghan are making the rounds this morning on the Internet. 

I think the show has really stepped up the challenges this season, which is saying a lot since it's on the 14th installment!  Anyhow, last night one team member had to strip to the underwear and run 1.4 miles... in Siberia!!  While I was a bit disappointed that Victor had his sister complete the run, that was all forgotten after Phil provided quite the exclamation point upon finishing his explanation of the road block...

I am sure we weren't the only TiVo/DVR owners to hit the 3-second "did I just see that?"/double-take rewind button.  After winning however many Emmys (4 or 5??) for Best Reality Show, I think Phil is definitely wondering what happened to his nomination for Best Reality Show Host in its (quite painful) debut this past year.  I think Phil says touche to last year's nominees like Ryan Seacrest, Tom Bergeron, or even the first winner Jeff Probst (though he has dropped trou as well - click the link, then the pic)! 

I also have to say (and I am sure I am not alone), that I was surprised how fit Phil is... not that he's gonna get any modeling contracts... but heck, he's my age (41 going on 42)...  I would be quite happy to have my abs look like that after gaining the 30 (lbs) at 40. 

The Amazing Race 14: Teams Revealed

It's a W&C tradition, he's your look at the new teams for The Amazing Race!

Back Row (from left to right):
Amanda/Kris (Age 23/24): Dating

Mel/Mike (68/38): Father/Son, Mel is gay (but stayed married to Mike's mom until both of their kids were in college), Mike's writing credits include "Nacho Libre" and "School of Rock"

LaKisha/Jennifer (28/24): Sisters, both former Divison 1 college athletes

Preston/Jennifer (28/26): Dating

Margie/Luke (50/22):  Mother/Son, Luke is the first ever deaf TAR contestant

Brad/Victoria (52/47): Married

Front Row (from left to right):
Cara/Jaime (26/29): Former NFL cheerleaders (ugh)

Mark/Michael (48/51): Brothers/Stunt men... and both are 4'9" !!

Christie/Jodi (37/40): Flight attendants

Linda/Steve (52/43): Married

Tammy/Victor (26/35): Siblings/Lawyers

The new season kicks off Sunday, February 15th from Long Beach, California!

Express Lane: Issue 57

Stevie Wonder In Talks To Join 'Dancing' - After moderate success with a deaf and an amputee "star," the first rumored contestant for the next season of DWTS is a doozy! (12/12/08)

Griffin on Clay: "He Was Not Very Nice" - The Gay-ken's diss of Kathy backstage at the Rosie Live show probably just got him back into her act in a big way! (12/4/08)

Grease Revival Will End Broadway Run in January 2009 - Yikes! According to my quick count, this will be the 10th Broadway show that will close up shop after the New Year. (12/4/08)

Olympian Kerri Walsh Expecting First Child - Those gold medal volleyball gals sure get the job done... Misty started dancing the minute she got home and now Kerri thinks she got knocked up even before she left Beijing. (12/4/08)

ABC Sets 'Dancing with the Stars' Return - With Brooke's win barely a memory, news that DWTS's 8th (!!) season will return in early March - no "stars" mentioned or, to my knowledge, even rumored as of yet. (12/3/08)

Amazing Race, Survivor Return February - After just one show per season of late (or so it seems), the Philiminator returns for his 14th trip around the world in mid-February. (12/3/08)

TAR13 Dallas is dating Starr, missed the finale because of lost passport, which was returned - I guess that pretty much says it all, except that Dallas also notes a mic change from the TAR production crew was partly to blame and bad editing that made it look like he just didn't run after the cab. (12/2/08)

TAR13 Final 3

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving weekend. It seems like it has been such a long time since I did anything productive, that it is going to be a struggle to get going again!

I have been pretty mum about The Amazing Race this season.  I stopped doing my weekly updates a couple of seasons ago when I started expressing a bit of fatigue with the show... it is still one of my favorites in the reality genre for sure, mostly for the travel aspect of the show.  Much like Survivor (which I have stopped watching), it seems like we've seen all these folks before...

That said, I still have opinions and figured I would chime in with my thoughts about the teams headed into next week's finale.  But first a farewell to the always painful 4th Place Philimination... mother-son team Toni and Dallas.  Last night's episode was pretty much Todd's absolute, keeps him up late at night nightmare... losing one's passport in a foreign country (and $$$ too!).  While Dallas was a natural for the Race (filling the "dumb jock" slot quite nicely), I was impressed with Toni's ability to keep up with him.  Oh, of course there was the nude self-pic of Dallas that floated around the Web and rumors that he bats for my team (allegedly!) didn't exactly hurt either. (Update:  Or not, apparently the flirtations on the show were genuine as he has been dating Starr!)

This season (as sometimes happens), I am not so much rooting for one team... but rooting against a couple of others...  

Thus, pretty much by default I am "rooting" for the brother-sister team of Nick and Starr (above left)... who have pretty much dominated the Race for much of this season.  While they have been sneaky, they haven't been the incarnation of evil to make you hate (or love to hate) them.  Again, not hurting is the whole gaydar whoop-whooping with the Clark Kent-ish Nick... and this time I feel a bit more confident in my assertion as he does make his living via musical theater (plus Starr was an equally fabulous Dallas Cowboy cheerleader).   Granted it would be a bit of a yawner if these overwhelming favorites win, but they are certainly deserving.

While not the worst couples in TAR history (Colin & Christi, Freddy & Kendra, and of course the mother of all terror couples... Jonathan & Victoria), Ken and Tina (above middle) certainly made this season into one big couples therapy session... and while the cheating, ex-NFL-er Ken was the immediate bad guy in this globe-trotting relationship rescue attempt, we've all seen that Tina is not exactly a prize herself.  Even going into this last leg, if Tina is looking for Ken to "show her something" than I think she may already have her answer... and once she's figured that out, perhaps she can realize that every time she does something nice for someone (anyone!), they don't automatically "owe her"... geez, she must be a horror at gift giving/receiving around the holidays!

Finally, we have the WTF!?! finalists... Andrew and Dan, who have to be the most incompetent team to make it into the final 3... well, maybe since Zach dragged Flo's ass across the finish line in TAR3.  And I can even muster up any enthusiasm for them either being the "underdogs" or that they're my fellow Arizona State alumni.  If I was in this Race and was eliminated, I think I would be kicking myself to see that these guys made it to the end, which okay... I guess does deserve some credit even if it was by scratching, clawing, and hanging by a thread.