I’m hooked on North Shore and not in a I’ll-Watch-Boston-Public-’Cause-There’s-Nothing-Else-On-Monday-Nights sort of way. It’s got that fun nighttime soap opera feel while at the same time, being an unexpected (or rather, unintentional) comedy. The best part is that now, three episodes in, I can actually remember most everyone’s name. We have Jason, who is in love with Nicole but still manages to hook up with hot chicks every episode. We have Nicole, who seems to be shedding her New York celebutante lifestyle for the more laid-back North Shore scene. We have MJ, the “sassy blonde” who is dating some guy…can’t remember his name but he is of the “repelling Punchbowl” fame from an earlier blog. Frankie, the hot bartender with the dreadlocks…and the blonde lifeguard guy. Oh wait, let’s not forget Richard Wright! I don’t remember his name on the show but James Remar will forever be Richard Wright to me. I vote that since they’re not doing a Sex and the City movie that somehow they get Kim Cattrall in for a cameo…okay, I can dream, can’t I? And last, but certainly not least, we have Tessa/Hailey…I’ll just call her Tailey, who is just as much of a troublemaker on Oahu as she is in Orange County.

For folks who are actually watching this show, did anyone else half-expect one of the table dancers at Nicole’s Blowout Birthday Bash to be a frizzed-out Tailey? Speaking of the bash, wasn’t that the lamest thing you’ve ever seen? Just because gay people are at the party, and someone is throwing up, and a blonde chick is snorting coke, that does not make it a raging bash. Jason, my man, you don’t throw a great party. But, the great part is it looks like the ice has finally been broken amongst the “help” at the Grand Waimea…negotiations have been favorable between the bargaining unit and management, so to speak.

I watched the previews for next week’s episode and it looks like the North Shore filming my husband and I saw while we were on the North Shore ourselves earlier this month will appear next week! Hot Blonde Lifeguard is sitting in his lifeguard chair on the beach (duh), at night. They filmed that just a few short hundred feet away from where we were staying and we saw a lot of the filming from the beach. It was funny because to get those cool nighttime lighting effects, they basically have to light up the entire sky with lamps and spotlights and what-not. The locals were not happy and kept telling the guys to turn the lights off!

Moving along to For Love or Money…wait, Rachel is still around? When I saw her in the first episode I wrote her off as a gold-digging “For Money” girl and haven’t paid much attention to her since…and now she’s in the final two? What’s up with that? I was upset that he didn’t keep Rebekah and boot Rachel for, the lamest reason ever, “I’m keeping someone I spent more time with.” Oy. Well, all I care about is PJ who I targeted at the beginnning to be there for the love and not the money. I laugh now when I hear the term “here for the right reason.” What exactly is the right reason? Is it always love? What if the guy is a total jerk, does money become the right reason?

And finally, can I just say how irritated I am that I found out by accident…today…that they moved Joe Schmo 2 from Tuesdays at 9 to Mondays at…10:05 p.m. (all times CDT). Last night was episode three so now I have to start searching around the schedule to find it so I can either tape it or watch it.

I flipped through Who Wants to Break Up With My Dad on the way to the news and saw Dad making out with some woman (girl?) whilst his daughters watched via closed circuit camera…ewww. The things they were saying, “Look how he looks at her. He really cares about her. They’re like soulmates.” GAG! Dad’s just getting some action! I can’t help but wonder, what does this guy’s ex-wife think? Published reports say she’s thrilled with it but come on, I wouldn’t want to see my ex macking down with women barely older than my daughters. Let me just say it again…ewww.

MSNBC - Real World should face reality of own decline

You know, for the longest time I’ve thought that The Real World was sliding but just chalked it up to me getting older but reading this article reminded me that there was a time…ten years ago…when people on this show had brains and were interested in more than their next drink or hookup.

Of course, San Francisco was amazing but I also loved Boston, Miami and even Seattle to a certain extent. For me, the show took a dive in New Orleans and…well, I don’t even know what city came after that…Chicago?

What used to be such a great show just had to keep pushing the envelope until it fell off the table.

CNN.com - Dogs attacked with fireworks - Jun 29, 2004

I really wish we could lock up people who do things like this and never let them out. They don’t deserve to walk around and enjoy freedom when they intentionally hurt helpless creatures like puppies. It would be great if they found the person responsible, but you know they probably won’t. Too bad.

Alright, I cheated by mentioning Paris and Nicole because I blew it last night and forgot to PVR The Simple Life when I went out to dinner but using their names sounded better than referencing Last Comic Standing finalists whose names most people wouldn’t recognize.

With that…on with the Schmo! LCS last night was GREAT! I love Kathleen Madigan but I’ve seen her at the Improv so to me, that doesn’t mean she’s a struggling amateur or anything. Love Ant and I think Tammy Pescatelli is hilarious…I also like Gary Goldman. Can I tell you how happy I was to see Bonnie get the boot last night? She’s so annoying and there’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance and she hopped over that line on a regular basis. If you’re not watching this show on Tuesdays, you should be!

Eternal thanks to my friend Jennie for turning me on to Joe Schmo…it’s also on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Spike TV…that’s right…the anti-Lifetime network. It’s up against Queer Eye but that’s not a problem with the Dish Network PVR 500! I love Joe Schmo. It takes all of the hilarious twists, turns, methodologies and goofiness of the myriad of other reality dating shows and makes complete fun of them. The premise is this…we have one woman and one man who think they’re on a reality show called “Last Chance For Love” but the trick is…everyone else involved is an actor…from the bachelor/bachelorette (Piper and Austin…LOL!) to the other “contestants” to the pompous “host” with a British accent…think Chris Harrison meets Paul the Butler with a little Jeff Probst arrogance thrown in for fun. Again, like Last Comic Standing, if you’re a fan of reality television you should be watching this. And…thanks Jennie for pointing out that Ambrosia is a total send-up of Omarosa!

Saw “The Terminal” this weekend…eh. It was just…”eh.” Now, I try really hard not to read reviews before I go to a movie but last Thursday, CNN.com gave “The Terminal” an ‘eh’ review. However, the Dallas Morning News gave it an A- so I split the difference and went to see it.

The first half was GREAT…it was reminiscent of Tom Hanks in “Castaway” watching him try to get along in a completely strange world only without Wilson the Volleyball Friend. Once Spielberg had him interacting with other Airport Employees With Hearts of Gold though, things took a turn for the ludicrous. The proverbial cherry on the sundae was Catherine Zeta-Jones’ character…what was up with that? The storyline served no purpose but to put in the requisite romantic plotline.

It wasn’t awful but wasn’t great, either… 2 1/2 out of 4 stars.

On a better note, watched most of the first season of Survivor on DVD this weekend and remembered why I liked Kelly Wigglesworth so much!

Wow! Three full hours of knock-em-dead television! Not tonight, though! LOL! Last night I began my evening with an hour of the North Shore which, much like The O.C. did last summer, has sucked me in and made me want to watch. Ironically, the relationship between Brooke Burns and the guy who plays Jason (can’t remember his name) is the most boring plotline of all! I much prefer watching MJ stress about the new man on the Shore (and really, who “repels Punchbowl”?) and seeing the Love Boat-esque “guest stars” each week. Last week it was a teenage girl who gets no attention from her mom, this week it’s a teenage boy who gets no attention from girls. Seth Cohen Alert! What I find so funny is that it’s always Brooke Burns who comes to the rescue and saves everyone. I gotta tell you…I like Amanda Righetti. I like her as Haley on The O.C. and I like her as Tessa on North Shore. I read another recap this morning that said how great it would be if she really WERE Haley who had just hopped on over to the islands…it would be very Law & Order/Homicide!

Moving along…For Love or Money 3. I really think Preston’s in it for love - good for him! I like PJ and I like Rebekah…I wish Nicole would just go away. She’s not there for love and watching her get all worked up not knowing she’s only got a dollar (I would have loved her to find out the value of her check and watch it plummet by half to fifty cents) is just painful.

Who Wants To Marry My Dad…didn’t watch it. Actually, that’s not true…I watched about ten minutes total over the course of the whole hour. When the couple from last season broke up about fifteen minutes after the finale I didn’t hold much hope for the show and I’m glad to see it didn’t disappoint! My favorite part though - the lie detector a’la Meet My Folks, complete with “suspicious” background music. Scary daughters, too much makeup on everyone…we have local news here at 9 p.m. so I’ll probably just stick with that from now on.