TAR gets cheesy,GOT's Jaime loses his grip and Mad Men's secrets and lies

Homage was paid to a past challenge on The Amazing Race this week,as the remaining teams arrived in Switzerland and were tasked to carry a quartet of heavy cheeses down a steep hill.

Since they also had snow to deal with,a pair of small sleds were provided for each couple to use and that use was mandatory. Chuck and Wynona found that out the hard way,as they barely managed to get down the hill themselves and wound up rolling the chunks of cheddar ahead of them(also,for some strange reason,Chuck had loaded the sleds upside down).

They made it to the Pit Stop on time but had to wait out a 30 minute penalty before being checked in. Lucky for Team YouTube(Joey and Meghan)that they did,because that penalty saved their bacon. Chuck and Wynona went home instead and my best guess that their first meal back in the States won't be a cheeseburger:

 A lot happened on Games of Thrones last Sunday,as Arya parted ways with a friend,Dany struck a deal with a rude slaver for an army of The Unsullied and Tyrion had no choice but to take on new responsibilities.

 Our main focus this time,however,went to Jaime and Brienne,who were captured by Rob Stark's potential banner men. Jaime had warned Brienne that the men would be abusing her sexually by nightfall and not to fight back too much. She naturally resisted that notion and those men as the time came yet Jaime dropped his usual manner of disinterest in the pain of others to help her out.

Unfortunately for him, Jaime overplayed his hand by pushing the head man in charge for other favors that included sending home to his father and a more comfortable resting spot. If he had just left off with his fib about the wealth of Brienne's family(which saved her physical virtue for the moment),all might have been well. Sadly,that Lannister pride and vanity lead Jaime to face some very hard truths and to lose a hand,something that a famed swordsman would rather die than live with:

There were some interesting parallels between Don and Pete this week on Mad Men as both men are conducting extramarital affairs close to home,not to mention figuring out to please a couple of tricky clients.

 Don's entanglement with Sylvia,the doctor's wife only a couple of apartment floors away,has her more on edge than him. She and Megan shared a personal moment(where Megan told her about a recent miscarriage before telling Don)that gave her some serious qualms about continuing her fling. Don,however, seems contented with this outlet for his anxieties,no shock there,and pretty much talked Sylvia down from that ledge their relationship was about to go over.

Pete,as usual,came off as a sloppier version of Don as he used his NYC apartment to hook up with one of the suburban house wives in his neighborhood. That lady,alas,has a husband who viciously lashed out at her and Pete's wife Trudy gave her refuge from that domestic storm.

 To her credit,Trudy laid down the law the next day and told Pete in no uncertain terms that he had to stay away or she would make him sorry. A divorce would be better for them both,in my opinion,but neither one of them is ready to go that extra step just yet. What is it with Pete and his bad karma with women? While he did earn a lot of it,you would think that he'd learn a few lessons from the master on successfully scoring on the side.

Some of this bled over into work,as the creep from Jaguar who insisted on a night with Joan as a signing bonus stopped in to throw his weight around regarding the ad campaign. Don cleverly sunk that battleship subtly,which ticked Pete off but once again,he was too slow to catch up there. Hopefully both of them will be on the ball as Heinz ketchup is in their reach but may slip away to Peggy's new firm. Wise up,boys or more than one fortune may be lost here:

RANDOM NOTES:

 THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: New episodes start tonight as the gang still struggles to find the missing vampire cure and deal with Silas but that doesn't mean prom dresses won't be shopped for:

Amanda Grange writes a love letter to P&P with Dear Mr. Darcy

My latest selection for the Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge this year was Amanda Grange's Dear Mr. Darcy which, as the subtitle describes, is a retelling of Jane Austen's classic novel. The story is retold in epistolary form(aka letters) with both the regular batch of Austen characters and a few new ones added to the mix.

 The narrative point begins with the death of old Mr. Darcy,who leaves his only son instructions on how to carry out the family legacy,including advice on finding a suitable wife.

Darcy does his best to  pick up the reins of responsibility during this sad time,as well as providing comfort to his younger sister Georgiana. Some of Darcy's advisers are family such as Col. Fitzwilliam(who shares guardianship of Georgiana) and cousin Phillip,who offer solace and suggestions on many dilemmas,especially the never ending one that is George Wickam:

Meanwhile,we also meet the Bennet sisters,who are regretting the loss of the Sotherton family from their neighborhood(due to a necessary retrenchment to Bath) but are pleased to get acquainted with the new tenants of their friends' former home at Netherfield Park. While second eldest daughter Elizabeth shares her local news with her beloved Aunt Gardner,she gives more intimate details to her good friend Susan Sotherton,who hopes to find a well off gentleman to marry her way out of her family's troubles.

  One of the amusing highlights of these letters are the opportunities granted to other supporting characters such as seriously silly Mary Bennet. Her correspondence to Lucy Sotherton,a fellow "Learned Woman", that chronicles her devotion to creating numerous books of extracts as well as being oblivious to the attentions of a local clerk,are some of my personal favorite passages in DMD.

 Of course,the main plot threads are linked to Darcy and Elizabeth,whose journey from mutual loathing to true love is well carried out here. Both the sassy interactions and the dramatic moments of tension between these two are properly put on display:

 Amanda Grange has written several other Austen themed books,such as Mr. Darcy,Vampyre(which I happen to be reading in e-book form),as well as other fictional fare but Dear Mr. Darcy is quite the delightful introduction to her lively style of storytelling.

The ease in which she blends in new characters with their own story lines into the already well known plot points of the established P&P players marks her as a solid writer in her own stead. A true bonus is how Grange makes this story sing with notes of freshness and the engaging entertainment of each letter,even when the sad news about Lydia takes center stage:

   So,if you haven't yet discovered the literary delights of Amanda Grange,Dear Mr. Darcy is a highly recommended place to start in my opinion. I do have some extra credit P&P reading to do,one of those being P.D. James' Death Comes to Pemberley and I am saving a pair of red hot sequels for summer but for now,this engaging revisit to Pride and Prejudice is a satisfying set of letters to analyze:

GOT's Sansa speaks up,Chopped All-Stars and Mad Men enters their sixth season doorway

The latest episode of Game of Thrones caught up with a few more supporting players as Bran made a new friend,Arya's secret identity was exposed by The Hound, Jamie and Brienne are still on the move and Theon is undergoing some enhanced interrogation.

But the biggest scene went to Sansa,who was asked for the lowdown on Joffrey by his new intended bride Margery and her grandmother Lady Olenna(who is to this story what the Dowager Countess Violet is to Downton Abbey). At first,Sansa was cautiously polite in her remarks but kindly seeming attentions from the Tyrells caused her to loosen her tongue and tell the truth about him.

Margery and Lady Olenna weren't totally shocked at this and for the moment,the results of that openness for Sansa are yet to be seen. However,it is safe to say that Margery appears to be far more savvy in dealing with difficult men than Sansa but is willing to be generous to those who help her,knowingly or unknowingly there:

Next week,more intrigue abounds as Jon Snow is in danger of losing his place amongst Mance Ryder's wildings and Brienne is in danger of losing her head from Jamie's new captors. No one's scalp is safe for long with this crew but let's hope for the best in Brienne's case:

 Chopped began it's annual All-Stars competition this week,with a set of well known chefs going head to head against each other and the mystery baskets to raise money for their respective charities.

 First up,it was Food Network folks vs. Cooking Channel regulars. Representing FN was Sunny Anderson and Jeff "The Sandwich King" Mauro and for CC,it was Gabriele Corcos(who shares his show Extra Virgin with his wife Debi Mazur)and Nadia G of Bitchin' Kitchen.

 The first round for appetizers had banana bread,mango juice,vegetable terrine and galanghal(which is a spicy cousin of ginger) to work with. Nadia managed to make some tasty croquette balls but one of them bounced right off the plate just as time was up,leaving one of the judges without anything to taste:

Needless to say,that dropped Nadia out of the running. The ultimate winner was Sunny Anderson,who will be going to the finale to try and win 50 grand for her charity of choice. One of her challengers will be from the four pack of "Mega Chefs" up next,that will include Elizabeth Falkner and Top Chef's Richard Blaise. Should be quite the savory showdown indeed!:

Mad Men began their sixth season with many of the main players examining where they are right now,as Peggy is smoothing out her rough edges at her new job,Roger is wondering what his mother's death really means to him and Don is unsure of what his place is in the life he's currently leading.

Yes,Don is back in cheating mode but his whole outlook on the world is becoming more bleaker than he expected or can see(the idea for his latest ad campaign is more darker than he intended to everyone but him,it seems). He appears to be looking for some sort of escape hatch from his present state of reality and if he does find it,hopefully it won't be as permanent as Lane's was last year.

 Betty is also going through a bit of reflection,as she takes an interest in a talented friend of her daughter's who feels frustrated about not being able to go further with her musical skills.

 When the girl takes off to find what's she's looking for in Greenwich Village,Betty goes after her and shows a more maternal side than even she knew was in her before.

 Granted,Betty has enough issues for a lifetime subscription to Psychology Today(those creepy jealous remarks she made to her current husband prior to getting to know the girl in question,for one) but it seems as if she may be ready to turn a crucial corner emotionally,perhaps much sooner than Don is at this junction. Time will tell on that,I suppose:

RANDOM NOTES:

VEGAS: If you've become a fan of this show and have been wondering when it will return,fear not. Vegas is now on Fridays at 9:00,instead of their previous Thursday at ten spot. All of the episodes are new and I sincerely hope we get a second season because this series has a good amount of sizzle and steak to feed your need for historical crime drama:

Having a devil of a time with Bad Movie Month

One of the regular features of this blog is Bad Movie Month,which takes place in August and for the uninitiated,on every Friday of that month we highlight those cinematic experiences that you so wish to unsee.

 For 2013,our theme is The Devil Made Me Do It and I'm sorry to report that in pulling together this list of Beelzebub box office bombs,I realized that I actually paid to see every single one of them during their original theatrical run. Perhaps Satan did have a hand in my choices there but since I have to watch them yet again in order to provide fresh blog fodder this summer,my pop culture punishment will be complete.

First in our sin basket is 1999's End of Days that has Arnold Schwarzenegger as a former NYC cop trying to prevent Satan(who possesses the body of Gabriel Bryne,a man I wouldn't mind possessing but I digress...) from impregnating his chosen bride with the Antichrist on New Year's Eve. Funny how Arnold doesn't seem to be the type of guy that would stop a fella from getting a little illicit congress there but then again,that was before he decided to run for political office which has it's own soul selling policies:

 

 Next up is Spawn,a disappointing adaptation from 1997 of Todd McFarlane's ground breaking comic book series that has a former military man getting another chance at life by joining the service of the devil upon his death. Why ex-law enforcement officers/soldiers get picked on by the Prince of Darkness so much is a good question for discussion-why not people who cut in line,for example?

What makes this Hollywood version even more regrettable is that an animated series based on Spawn was airing on HBO around the same time and that show had more of a realistic dark edge than the movie,which turned just about everyone onscreen into cartoonish cliches:

 On the lighter side,we have the 2000 remake of the British comedy classic Bedazzled,with Brendan Fraser playing the Dudley Moore role of hapless romantic who bargains for seven wishes from the Devil(played by Elizabeth Hurley,quite a change of pace from Peter Cook in the original).

Having the Devil be a woman is the only creative notion in this less than sharp satire that descends into a hell wrought of sitcom level jokes. We're not talking Everybody Loves Raymond or How I Met Your Mother style of standard humor either,more like According to Jim or Rules of Engagement as in "this thing is still on the air?!":

You can't have a discussion of devil movies without an evil kid or two and Bless The Child fills that bill nicely. Kim Basinger stars in this 2000 clunker as a nurse whose abandoned niece is suddenly reclaimed by her former junkie sister whose new man in her life happens to run a cult dedicated to bringing forth hell on earth.

Since the girl in question happens to have psychic powers,her satanic stepdaddy is hoping that she'll be the one who lets the Big Bad in, a family dilemma that not even Dr. Phil would want to touch with a ten foot pole. Too bad Basinger didn't use a similar device to get away from this script but perhaps she's a glutton for punishment(insert Alec Baldwin joke here):

Speaking of bad kids, the movie that my sister Stephanie chose for her birthday salute(known as Sister's Choice) also has a wicked offspring on board.

2004's Godsend features Greg Kinnear and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as parents so desperate to revive their deceased son that they let suspicious mad doctor Robert De Niro clone their boy who,of course,comes back wrong.

This movie is so bad,folks,that I actually forgot that I had seen it at all! Guess the mind has to do something to protect itself from too much bad data,I guess. My sis remembers it all too well,as something "we've done" together and for her sake,I'll risk the mental reboot:

Back to our Lucifer list,last and possibly least is 1993's Needful Things,based on one of Stephen King's far from truly frightening horror novels. As much as I love Big Steve, even he wouldn't try to sell you on this stinker.

 The plot line here has Max Von Sydow as a sinister shop keeper who demands a special price for his goods and services and he's about the only one in this whole mess who appears to be having a good time. However,his presence is not enough to make up for the overwrought story telling and gruesome goings-on that grow tiresome rather than terrifying:

 This summer should get a lot hotter around here with this pack of hell hound horrible flicks indeed. I hope that you all join in the fearsome fun and share your thoughts about these silly Satanic mess-terpieces. Misery does love company after all. Tune in this August and when it comes to quality movies,just ignore them for the hell of it for awhile:

Are we in the midst of a Stephen King Renaissance?

Stephen King's media presence has been pretty steady over the past couple of decades and rightfully so,but it has gone through a number of ups and downs as time moves on. This year,however, a strong revival of interest in both his past and present work seems to be growing.

 One of the key elements for this recent revival is the film remake of his first hit horror novel,Carrie,which was meant to be released last month yet now has a fall date scheduled.

 You could say that the studio thought it play better during the Halloween season but something tells me that due to it's pivotal prom scene,someone might have had second thoughts about putting this out during the spring(I could be wrong there). Of course,the real qualm that folks would have with this reboot is to wonder if it was even necessary for reasons other than money.

In my opinion,the original movie still resonates with audiences and even with such good casting as Chloe Grace Moretz in the title role(plus,Julianne Moore as her demented mom) and a screenplay that promises to be more faithful to the source material(which I doubt,since this version is set in present time),fans might best served by renting the 70's Carrie instead:

 What is in theaters right now is the documentary Room 237,that has a number of obsessed fans sharing their theories about the hidden messages within Stanley Kubrick's cinematic interpretation of Stephen King's The Shining.

 Granted, it can be said that this film is more about Kubrick than King(which is one of the reasons that some fans have trouble with this movie in the first place) but it does invoke King's story telling power nonetheless. Despite the creative quirks and liberties taken with the original novel,the true terror of The Shining must be credited to King and like it or not,the Kubrick version does have it's fair share of chills and thrills.

This new sparkle upon the legacy of The Shining should be most helpful when the long awaited follow-up to that book comes out this September. Doctor Sleep  shows us an adult version of the troubled psychic son from the original,Danny Torrance who has become a caretaker to the ailing elderly.

 His unique powers of perception are still intact and must be brought to the fore front in order to protect a young girl with similar abilities from being  fed upon by immortal creatures known as the True Knot. How solid this story is will be determined soon enough but for now,it's good to see King take the reins in regards to bringing his former characters back to life:

We won't have to wait for autumn,however,for more Stephen King goodness as starting this June,CBS will be airing an adaptation of Under The Dome,one of his more recent sci-fi outings. The main premise of the plot is that a small town is mysteriously cut off from the outside world via a rounded off force field,causing more than one kind of chaos for the people trapped beneath it's boundaries.

 A few naysayers have insisted that "the Simpsons did it first!" but the concept for this book came from a draft of an unfinished King piece from 1982 entitled The Cannibals(which had several pages posted at the official Stephen King website). This could be an interesting drama to watch unfold,especially during those long days of summer time viewing and I for one intend to check it out:

 As a King fan myself, I will be first to admit that not everything he's put out is top notch but like the little girl with the curl on her forehead,when he's good,he's very,very good indeed. Looking back at his past body of work as well as anticipating more to come is a great blessing for any fan to have for their favorite pop culture contributor and important for those new to his sinister section of fiction to better understand the really rare nature of his success:

Saving an aisle seat for Roger Ebert

It was a sad day for movie lovers yesterday,as news of the passing of famed film critic Roger Ebert made it's way across the media landscape. His battles with cancer were well known and only the day before he had announced a "leave of presence" due to his declining health.

However,his perseverance in keeping up with the steady stream of films released every week,despite his physical condition, is a testament to his cinematic devotion. Ebert's movie mania was and is an inspiration that others over the years chose to follow whether behind the camera or in the audience,including this little blogger girl.

My first introduction to Roger Ebert was through his review show Sneak Previews,where he was teamed up with friendly rival in the Chicago newspaper arts section,Gene Siskel. The series was first aired on PBS stations around the country and many folks were delighted to find such spirited discussion(especially when they disagreed about a movie) about current films that was accessible as well as entertaining:

  Soon enough,syndicated stations gave them a wider audience by creating At The Movies,which gave the fellas more room to work with on the reviewing front.

  Ebert and Siskel did more than just highlight the new releases,which they rated with a "thumbs up/down" system,they also did special shows about classic movies and why they worked,features on promising new directors such as Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino and trends in Hollywood that either pleased or irked them for good reason(I still agree with them about colorization):

After the death of Gene Siskel in the late 1990s, Ebert continued with his TV review show and had a rotating number of co-hosts before settling upon fellow Chicagoan Richard Roeper. While his partnership with Roeper wasn't as engaging as his prior connection with Siskel,it was still good to hear what Ebert thought about the newest releases at the multiplex that week:

In addition to watching his film views on TV, I also read many of his books about the subject and not just his yearly guides either. From humorous looks at movie cliches(Roger Ebert's Little Movie Glossary) and agonized takes on the worst in film(I Hated,Hated,Hated This Movie),plus tributes to the best in cinema(The Great Movies),Roger Ebert truly covered the waterfront here.

His most recent book was a memoir entitled Life Itself,which was well received by critics. It's no surprise that he was such a talented writer,given that he won a Pulitzer Prize for his work in 1975,the first in his field to do so. Ebert had the knack for making talk about art house films seem as casually clever as appreciation of more mainstream fare.

 He also enjoyed a good genre flick as well with some experience in that department from writing the screenplays for  a couple of Russ Meyer B-movies,including Beyond the Valley of the Dolls(which is worth seeing if you're a sucker for camp) and Beneath the Valley of the Ultra Vixens.

 Ebert also used his considerable clout to shine a light on independent and overlooked films(even holding a festival for them) and encouraging younger fans to check out their cinematic elders who paved the way for them:

Roger Ebert's departure from this life is of even more sadness to his family and friends,particularly his devoted wife Chaz and all of my sympathies and best wishes go out to her and those others who had such an amazing man in their lives.

Yes,he was a human being with flaws just like everyone else but not many of us use our time on earth to pursue what they most passionately love like he did. Roger Ebert did much to contribute to the appreciation of film along side such greats as Pauline Kael,Andrew Sarris and his former partner on the cinematic beat Gene Siskel.

 He and Gene helped to pave the way for present and future critics both in print and online who take liberties with the standard quo and challenge all of us to want better from this medium of motion pictures than visual gimmicks and tired remakes. That didn't mean turning your nose up at popcorn fare or overpraising the artistic content of films that had little to truly offer in that arena. It meant that movies could only be as good or bad as we made them to be and that it was up to us to encourage the best in film.

I practically grew up with Siskel and Ebert as movie mentors(as I'm sure countless others did)and seeing Roger take his leave of the aisle seat for good is a sweet sorrow indeed. However,I have no doubt that he'll be getting a much finer view of the cinema in his new theater in the hereafter:

A TAR team's triple play,Games of Thrones' memorable father-son moment and the winner of Worst Cooks is.....

  A team that is doing better than expected on The Amazing Race this season are the hockey playing brothers,Bates and Anthony. At the start of the latest leg(which was still in Botswna),they had won twice in a row and their luck increased by being the first ones to tackle the Fast Forward made available upon the first clue.

The FF required the guys to water ski in crocodile infested waters,a pretty daunting task to take up.Despite some hesitation(which was understandable),Team Hockey sailed through this challenge and took a third victory lap for their troubles. The fellas are going strong here and since they seem like good guys,rooting for them to win is not hard here. It's a shame that Pam and Winnie are no longer in the running,they were having a good streak as well. At least they did their best and have a good attitude about the whole thing:

The finale of Worst Cooks in America had Rasheeda for Chef Anne and Alina for Bobby Flay to prove to the panel of three judges which professional taught their recruit the best.

 With the first course,Rasheeda's egg filled ravioli gave her side an early lead over Alina's lobster dish that was overwhelmed by garlic. However, Alina's entree and dessert made strong strides over Rasheeda's and much to everyone's surprise,she earned a win for Bobby as well as herself.

Chef Anne was a good sport about her 3-0 winner's streak coming to an end but no doubt,she'll be all fired up for a rematch next year. Congrats to both Rasheeda and Alina for improving their cooking skills,a gift that will keep on giving:

Season three of Games of Thrones began with catching up on who's been doing what since we last saw them,as Jon Snow meet up with Mance Rayder,the brewing warfare between Cersei and her son's new intended bride Margery and Dany stocking up on soldiers for her army.

 The scene that struck me the most in this episode was Tyrion's talk with his father,who has now taken over as Hand of the King. Tyrion did have the right to feel neglected,as neither his sister or Tywin made any effort to visit him during his recovery from the wounds he received at the Battle of Blackwater,not to mention wanting to claim Casterly Rock as his birthright.

However,Tywin made it quite clear that no matter what his youngest son did or deserved,he would never be given anything more that what his father was willing to grant for appearance's sake. You couldn't help but feel bad for Tyrion,who had briefly hoped that his mental merits would be appreciated for once:

Perhaps Tyrion should have known better than to trust in winning his father's approval at this juncture but then again, is it so much to ask to be acknowledged for saving King's Landing,particularly when Joffrey was less than useful(and Cersei ready to throw in the towel permanently as well) there?

Next time,we'll be seeing what's happening with Arya who's on the lam still,along with her younger brothers off on their own and Sansa will be dealing with a Q&A session with Margery's grandmother(played by Diana Rigg). Some might feel that this season got off to a slow start but patience is a virtue that does pay off on this series,so keep calm and tuned in:

RANDOM NOTES:

MAD MEN: The sixth season premiere this upcoming Sunday is a two hour deal,so plan your TV schedule accordingly,folks. How bumpy this ride will be for Don Draper and friends is still uncertain but it will be one that you don't want to miss,that's for sure:

An amusing set of Austen April Fools

Happy April Fool's Day,folks and for all of my fellow Jane Austen fans out there,I have a seriously silly treat in store for you today. I thought it would be in the true spirit of Our Dear Jane to highlight some of our favorite foolish characters from her works,those men and women who cannot help but to provide the much needed comedy relief for our leading ladies and gentlemen.

Not all of these supremely silly people are welcome guests,to be sure,yet their company is not entirely without some entertaining merit as well as unintentional mirth:

MR.COLLINS: No discussion on this subject would be complete without this obnoxious clerical cousin from Pride & Prejudice,as he would no doubt be flattering himself to hear.

Mr. Collins and his smarmy air of allegedly humble but always pompous manner is only truly appreciated by Lady Catherine,who loves to be useful and as an object worthy of his fumbling fawning ways, she serves his purpose in life quite adequately. To the rest of the world,including his much put upon wife Charlotte,Mr. Collins is a dubious dish best taken in small doses:

MRS. ELTON: Some might consider another resident of Highbury to be worthy of this category but as it was pointed out to Emma,doing so to Miss Bates is far too cruel a cut. No,instead it is the bride of the presumptuous parson who deserves such an honor,what with her pushy ways and references to her "caro spouso" there.

Her dogged determination to be seen as the sought after source of social engagement despite her newcomer status is rather irksome,not to mention her patronizing airs towards "poor" Jane Fairfax, a punishment that even Miss Woodhouse would wish upon her unknowing rival. Of course,the real punishment is all Mr. Elton's,for not taking the suggestion of a far more agreeable wife from the previous object of his(financial)affections.

MR. PALMER: At first glance,it would appear that Mrs. Palmer is decidedly the less sensible member of this power couple but as anyone with sense can see, Mr. Palmer makes every situation with her worse by his publicly marked disapproval.

 His disdain for his lady's high spirits and tendency to chatter away at the most inconvenient and awkward moments does put Mr. Palmer's sullen moods in balance,so to speak. Not to mention that they prove his mother-in-law's jolly conclusions to be correct as at that time of period,marriage was a no deposit,no return state of affairs:

MRS. ALLEN: This good natured yet giddy guardian of Catherine Morland's has the knack of helping her young charge make friends in Bath,only not all of them are the kind worth having.

However,one can rely on her keen fashion sense which is more reliable.While it is true that those skills are best employed by Mrs. Allen when in town at the finer shops for the best bargains,she does have a bit of sense regarding Mr. Tilney's acquaintance with Catherine.

 And she is proven right in the end. Trusting a man who knows his muslin( and who can pick out the proper fabric for his sister's gowns as well) is the right method for finding a man to trust with your heart. Wisdom can crop up in oddest places,so it would seem.

I hope you all enjoy the April Fool's pranks of the day and take a little time to delight in the amusements that Jane Austen has provided us all with these many years. As she might say,do not be too harsh upon our less sensible friends and relations,for they have tender feelings too. However,it is not so harmful to take a little delight in vexing them every now and then,as Mr. and Mrs. Bennet give daily proof of to their loved ones:

The Great Australian Bake Off has one tough cookie of a judge in Kerry Vincent

As some of you may know,a good friend of this blog is Kerry Vincent,one of my favorite culinary judges best known for her firm yet fair assessments on shows such as Food Network Challenge and Last Cake Standing.

 Some call her the Simon Cowell of cakes but I prefer to refer to her as  Professor McGonagall(due to her striking resemblance to Maggie Smith,in my opinion).

 It's been awhile since Kerry has been on TV,the last time I recall seeing her was on HGTV's The White Room Challenge where she judged a living space created with chefs in mind. However, she will be back on the air this weekend but,alas not in the States. Kerry will be sharing her sugary charms back in her homeland of Australia as one of the judges of The Great Australian Bake-Off:

  This pastry showdown is part of an international series of cooking competition shows that started with The Great British Bake Off in 2010.

A group of ten home chefs go through a set of timed events in order to win the honor of being the top baker in the land,as well as winning a kitchen makeover and a luxury vacation. With the British Bake-Off being in it's third season,hopes are high that the Australian version will be just as sweetly successful:

The US version of this series will be debuting in late May under the title The American Baking Competition(don't know why they didn't go with the obvious Great American Bake-Off,unless that name was already taken).

 Sadly,Kerry will not be on that show,which has Jeff Foxworthy as the host with Marcela Valladolid and Paul Hollywood as the judges. Marcela has a FN show,Mexican Made Easy and Paul is one of the original judges on The Great British Bake-Off,so some continuity there but it would be nice if Kerry could join in the mix at some point. Adding her insights seems easy as apple pie to me:

Kerry will be sharing her judging duties on The Great Australian Bake-Off with Dan Lepard,another Aussie whose work is well known abroad with several cook books and the culinary correspondent for such UK newspapers as The Guardian and the Observer.

 Between the two of them,this show should be quite the slice of  competitive cake indeed. My only regret is that I won't be able to see Kerry in action here,but I wouldn't begrudge her fellow country men and women from benefiting from her vast array of knowledge and style.

 The Great Australian Bake-Off will be starting for overseas viewers next month and I wish the competitors the very best of luck. Good to see Kerry back on TV doing one of the things she does best in the baking world and next time,may she be stateside:

TAR teams feel the pinch,Worst Cooks show off their skills and Katherine returns to The Vampire Diaries

The latest leg of The Amazing Race took the teams to Botswana,where they had to work with a group of Kalahari Bush men to complete both the Roadblock and Detour challenges.

 The Roadblock had one person learn how to dig up a scorpion and place it in a jar. Most of the contenders were pretty squeamish about this one,particularly Joey from Team YouTube,who gave the locals quite a bit of laughs with over his over the top antics about the whole thing:

The Detour was a choice between building a snare and starting a fire,with most folks switching to the snare after failing to catch a spark. Max and Katie seemed to struggle the hardest with the fire,mainly due to being disgusted with the materials they had to work with.

If the two of them had spent a little less time with their gross-out feelings(manure happens to be an excellent source of fuel,btw) and more on the game,they might not have come in last place for this leg. Hope you get over those delicate sensibilities soon,folks-things are only going to get messier from here on out:

It was down to the Final Four on Worst Cooks in America, with Rasheeda and Susan for Chef Anne's team and Chet and Alina representing Bobby Flay. For their last Skill Drill,the teams had to instruct their teachers on how to prepare an entree.

 They had to communicate over microphones and figure out what was in the dish by looking over an actual completed serving. The team who helped their mentor create the closest version of the original would win:

It was a tight finish,but the victory went to Chef Anne's recruits. Then,family and friends of the chef contenders came out for the last Main Dish challenge. Each team had to prepare a meal(Chef Anne assigned pasta,Bobby gave his crew chicken) for their loved ones as a blind tasting test.

Rasheeda's twin sister and Susan's son were able to guess which dish their kinfolk made but Bobby's bunch reversed sides on this one. Alina wound up winning this round(I think the extra butter she used for her chicken cutlet paid off) and Rasheeda will be joining for the finale this upcoming Sunday:

 If I had to bet on the outcome,my money would be on Rasheeda. She's put in some serious effort in improving her culinary skills,plus Chef Anne has not been a three time winner for nothing here. On the other hand, Bobby Flay is no slouch in the kitchen but Alina's tendency to go free range with her cooking methods may sink that ship for him. Either way,it'll be worth watching:

Katherine will be returning to Mystic Falls on The Vampire Diaries tonight,with Elijah also back in town,most likely in his case to stop Silas from releasing all kinds of hell on earth.Katherine's motives are far more self centered,as she seems willing to negotiate some sort of trade for the elusive cure.

Rebekah has made no bones about wanting to become human again,while Elena in her newly emotionless state is happy to let anyone else but her take the cure. Regardless of who gets it,the main thing is that Silas doesn't want it until the pesky section of the other side is wiped out and that is not good for anybody mortal or immortal.

Rebekah's desire for regaining the mortal life she never got to fully enjoy makes her even more vulnerable to manipulation,in my opinion,despite her snide shows of strength to others. If I were Silas,I would be focusing on recruiting her as an assistant than Klaus(who doesn't like to be threatened) in this end game but we shall soon see how all of that turns out:

RANDOM NOTES:

GAME OF THRONES: The season three premiere is coming to us sooner than winter is to Westeros and enemies are lining up on all sides to keep the power struggles going. If you thought last year was tough,just wait until the real showdowns begin:

Helene Wecker is quite the literary matchmaker for The Golem and the Jinni

Helene Wecker's debut novel,The Golem and the Jinni,has two creatures of  different mythical lore making their unlikely meeting in a city well known for unusual encounters,New York. The year is 1899 and a golem,who was made in the form of a woman for an European immigrate to be his bride in America,arrives alone as her would-be husband dies aboard ship.

Due to her golem powers,she is able to sense the needs and desires of everyone around her but without being bound to a master,making her way in this world seems impossible. One man,Rabbi Meyer, out of the many in this strange new city is able to see what she truly is and offers her guidance.

The Golem is given the name Chava and finds a job in a local bakery,where her limitless energy has a suitable outlet. Rabbi Meyer's assistance is beneficial to her as well as him,yet he has lingering doubts about how long she can control her true nature.

Since Chava was given curiosity and intelligence as part of her persona,her restless spirit is even more challenged by the need to conform to the standards expected of her as both a human and a widow living on her own. Finding tasks to fill up the long hours of the night(she has no need for sleep),Chava does her best to maintain a stable life yet begins to dread the night and wonders if she should continue onward with her existence:

 

Meanwhile, Arbeely, a tinsmith in the section of the city called Little Syria,is incredibly surprised one day as he starts to repair a copper flask and releases a jinni from his long term captivity.

The Jinni has no recollection of how he was imprisoned,only recalling being bound to human form by a wizard via an iron manacle that he can't remove. He takes the name Ahmad and goes to work for Arbeely,using what magic he has left to not only increase the productivity of the tinsmith's shop but to fashion items out of gold and silver with only his two amazingly heated hands.

Ahmad fills his restless nights by exploring the city and while he enjoys discovering the wonders of this new land,part of him longs to be truly free from all of the confines imposed on him by the human world:

 Chava and Ahmad run into each other by chance,one fateful evening,realizing that neither one of them is mortal yet not understanding what the other being is. They soon strike up a friendship,with Ahmad showing Chava the sights of the city that he has enjoyed alone and which are becoming fresh and new to him through the eyes of his companion.

Chava is happy to have someone else to confine in,as well as getting to explore more of the city with an escort that will draw any suspicious notice of her away from unwanted observers. The two of them tend to debate the boundaries set before them as supernatural beings ,plus the moral restrictions of the mortal world that humans(particularly in Ahmad's view) seem determined to be ruled by:

Their relationship is complex enough without outside interference,yet forces begin to array against them. The central figure that threatens their safety is Chava's creator,an unscrupulous mystic whose obsession with achieving immortality drives him to America to see what has become of his most unique golem.

Despite the differences that encourage them to part company for a time,Chava and Ahmad wind up having to find a way to protect each other(as well as those around them)from the mutual threat facing them both,even at the cost of what they cherish most,the chance for true freedom.

Helene Wecker spins a golden tapestry of story telling within these pages,blending historical fiction with fantasy fare(plus a touch of philosophy) with incredible ease. Weaving together two diverse cultures in such a suitable setting as New York,with both the human and supernatural characters equally as engaging,she casts a literary spell that kept me up until the wee small hours of the morning to complete this marvelous book.

I highly doubt that I will be the only reader enchanted by this innovative novel that expands the borders of  these well worn genres and breaks new ground for others to follow. Granted,this book is not out until late April and we have yet a ways to go with new books this year,however I feel in my bones that The Golem and the Jinni will be high on many lists of Best Books of 2013.

 The release date for TGATJ is April 23,which happens to be a couple of days before my birthday and I could get no better early present than this captivating look at the nature of humanity and the bonds of true friendship through a pair of most unlikely soul mates. If you're looking for a literary treat this spring, this is the one to put in your book basket: