Thing of the Week

Hope you had a very nice week, everyone. Can't believe that tomorrow is September 1st. Crazy to believe that it's September already. At least that means that the temperature will hopefully be dropping over the next few weeks and I'll get to wear some of the 500 hoodies I have in my closet.

When seasons change it's often a time when people think about updating or changing their look, which brings me to the Thing of the Week:

the iVillage Makeover-o-Matic

It's a really easy and fun tool to use on the iVillage website (ya, it's shameless promotion, I don't care!) and Carolyn and I spent hours last night messing around with all of the options.

Here's how it works... When you go to the website you can either upload a photo of yourself, or choose from one of the stock models they already feature.
You go through and change hair style and color, eyes, makeup, glasses and hats (which are all ridiculous, btw) and then you can view your before and after.

So I wanted to try out the Makeover-o-Matic on a real photo, but I didn't want to use myself (I might be lying) so I decided to give my Mom a little makeover. Sometimes I think the tool is not only good for showing you what to do, but also for what you should definitely never do... ever.

Let me know if you try it out with any success! I would love to see the results.

Fall Reality Rundown

I'm making two posts today... lucky you! My roommate showed me this website last night and I just had to share. Obviously I am obsessed with television, and reality TV in particular. This summer has been pretty bland in the TV department so I am very excited for the new Fall shows to premiere, and consequently losing all my friends and becoming a recluse.

Heidi Klum's blog reported that the Bravo show Project Runway would be returning in the second week of November, but that post was removed after the channel said they hadn't chosen an official date just yet. MSNBC.com has an "Ask the Reality TV Expert" section on their site which features the calendar for when each show will premiere in the next few months. Let me share that list with you:

FALL SHOWS
Sept. 4: "The Contender," 10 p.m., ESPN

Sept. 6: "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" season premiere, 8 p.m., Fox
"Don't Forget the Lyrics" season premiere, 9 p.m., Fox
"Tim Gunn's Guide to Style" premiere, 10 p.m., Bravo

Sept. 11: "Biggest Loser" season premiere, 8 p.m., NBC

Sept. 14: "Nashville," 9 p.m., Fox

Sept. 18: "Beauty and the Geek" season premiere, 8 p.m., CW

Sept. 19: "Kid Nation" series premiere, 8 p.m. CBS
"America's Next Top Model" season premiere, 8 p.m., CW
"Kitchen Nightmares," 9 p.m., Fox

Sept. 20: "Survivor China" season premiere, 8 p.m., CBS

Sept. 24: "Dancing With the Stars" season premiere, 8 p.m., ABC
"The Bachelor" season premiere, 10 p.m., ABC

Sept. 25: "Singing Bee" season premiere, 8:30 p.m., NBC

Sept. 26: "Ultimate Fighter" season premiere, 10 p.m., Spike

Sept. 28: "Deal or No Deal" season premiere, 8 p.m., NBC

Oct. 7: "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" season premiere, 8 p.m., ABC

Oct. 13: "Search for the Next Elvira" series premiere, 9 p.m., Fox Reality

Oct. 19: "Search for the Next Great American Band," 8 p.m., Fox

I'll say that I am most excited for Beauty & The Geek and Top Model, although my favorite show, The Amazing Race, won't be coming back until '08. I won't lie... the Search for the Next Elvira kinda scares me. Maybe that's the point.

Which reality show are you most excited about?

Black20 News

Happy Thursday! It's time for your weekly dose of Black20 News with Jessie Cantrell. This week Jessie features some cool sites on the web, including the new seven wonders of the world, some awkward comic strips, and one of my fave websites PassiveAggressiveNotes.com Enjoy!

Ask Gam!

I'm not gonna lie... I'm kinda phoning in the blog today. Very busy at work (shocking!) I found this really funny video that I had to share. It's basically Black20's version of Jay Leno's the Fruitcake lady, rest her soul, but it's still pretty funny. Check it out.

I Hope the Costumes Get Updated...

In "bringing shows back from the dead" news, NBC has announced that it will soon begin production on a new, updated version of American Gladiators! Yes, you read correctly! Hot on the heels of another update, The Bionic Woman, the peacock network is currently casting for Gladiator's mid-season premiere!

Here's an excerpt from the article at Variety.com:

"We've been circling around this property for a long time now," said Craig Plestis, exec VP of alternative programming, development and specials at NBC Entertainment. "It's truly what's not in the TV landscape right now. While everyone's zigging, I'm attracted to doing a zag."

Net wouldn't confirm the episodic order, but at least six segs are believed to be in the works. NBC could opt to launch the show as a one-week strip -- similar to how it bowed "Deal or No Deal" -- or as a weekly skein.

Airing in syndication from 1989-96, "American Gladiators" focused on physically fit amateur athletes who competed against the show's regulars (action stars, stunt professionals and pro athletes) in various physical strength and endurance competitions.

The show hit it big by showcasing David vs. Goliath-style battles in events such as the Joust, the Wall, the Eliminator and Hang Tough. Coincidentally, the original "Gladiators" shot its first several seasons at Universal Studios.

Apparently the new version of the show will be designed more closely to the UK version of Gladiators. Viewers will get more background informations and story lines about the contestants and the gladiators themselves, which will hopefully hook audiences from episode to episode. Check out the Wikipedia entry for everything you forgot about American Gladiators.

I'm definitely excited to see Gladiators return to TV. My brother and I used to recreate Assault in our basement with our Nerf guns (remember Nerf guns?!!!) We would build barriers with pillows and the couches and try shoot down at each other from the landing on the stairs. I think all those guns are still in a trunk in the basement... Drew, check that out and mail them to me if that's the case. Yes, all of them.