Our Minnesota TV station WCCO has a nice article about local Survivor: Fiji Islands contestant Gary Stritesky.

Reporter Jason DeRusha explains, “Yeah he’s a liar,” according to Janelle Kletzin. “He said he was going to Australia to help his daughter with her new house, and then he told me that he had his background being checked for a seniors’ Meals on Wheels thing he was doing. But it was ‘Survivor’ that called me to check on him.”

Of the tens of thousands of “Survivor” wannabes, one thing set this 55-year-old Minnesota guy apart: his audition tape. Gary’s daughter helped him make it — she showed her dad as a survivor in the arctic northland, with a weird sense of humor.

Click below to see the full interview, and the video. The Midwest does Fiji!

Here is the video: Survivor Gary Video

Here is the article: http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_039193635.html

Tonight on the opening episode of Survivor 14 Fiji Islands we introduced several firsts in Survivor history. We began with 19, rather than 20, Survivors. This seems like a minor consideration - until the architect realized she was the odd one out. What a snake!

Here’s how the opening moves played out. The 19 Survivors were dropped off at sea, in a double hull canoe, given no information whatever, but pointed towards shore. They arrived at camp to find… no Jeff Probst! They went exploring.

Jeff flew by, did his wing walking bit. Well, not really, but he did stand outside the aircraft and sent off a crate on a parachute. Some Survivors swam, and some canoed, to recover the crate. This crate was too small to carry much in the way of supplies… about the right size for a bottle of wine.

Two husky guys, one on each end, smashed the crate a couple of times against a boulder. It wouldn’t break open. They lifted the boulder - one at each side of the rock - and crashed it onto the crate. No damage. (What a great Saturn product placement this could have been!)

Tiny old Yao Man - age 54 but he looks far older - tapped it twice and out sprung the treasure. If Yao Man survives the first week or three, he’ll be one to watch. Besides the brains and common sense, he grew up in Borneo with similar climate and vegetation to Fiji. He knows how to provide food, and probably knows a lot more about being comfortable in this climate and terrain.

The crate contained instructions, a map, and a series of blueprints. They were to build a house, outhouse, kitchen, and so on. It rained that night, and they sure wished they had the roof up. That roof was up first thing in the morning! It’s a good thing that crate carried nothing breakable.

Sylvia Kwan, age 52, is an (more…)

What an interesting approach!

Click here to watch the movie: SpeedBandits.dk

This movie was made by the Danish Road Safety Council and aims to draw attention to speed signs and speed limits in Denmark. Despite a decrease in speed violations, 7 out of 10 Danes still exceed the speed limit on a regular basis. Respecting the speed limits is the simplest way to save lives.

What do you think? Are the roads safer now in Denmark? Enquiring minds want to know!

Survivor Fiji begins tonight! Yesterday I watched the Survivor Fiji Preview on the TV Guide Channel. It didn’t have a whole lot to say, but we did get to see the production crew’s encampment, and the Tribal Council area. Just getting to Tribal Council will be more challenging than ever before. More than 200 steps up the side of a mountain!

We’ll see a lot of the cannibalism theme. Fiji Islanders were cannibals as recently as a century ago. The Tribal Council torch-snuffer is a device used for plucking eyeballs out for eating. I expect we’ll see the same device used in a challenge somewhere.

I’m rooting for the oldest - he’s from Minnesota - and the youngest, Michelle. WCCO Channel 4 Minneapolis is running a story tonight about our Minnesotan on Survivor.

Tonight at 8, 7 Central!

Well, for the time being, I’m rooting for Michelle Yi, the student from Cincinnati! We made a random drawing at the office. Wouldn’t have been my first choice, but who knows… she could be a winner!

Here’s what we know about her:

Michelle Yi
Age: 23 (born Dec. 2, 1983)
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Occupation: Student
Fun Fact: She’s not a big fan of cardio workouts, but does it anyway because she believes it builds character and prevents heart disease.

“Survivor: Fiji,” the 14th installment of the Emmy Award-winning reality series, will premiere Thursday, Feb. 8, on CBS with 19 new castaways competing for the $1 million prize. They will begin the series as one tribe with plenty of supplies. On day three, they will be split into two tribes.

The tribe that wins the first immunity challenge will return to the camp of plenty, while the losing tribe must move to a new island with only a pot, a machete and a water source.

Alex Angarita
Age: 28 (born April 20, 1978)
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif. (originally from Colombia, South America)
Occupation: Attorney
Fun Fact: He recently spent a week climbing Mount Whitney.

Kenward “Boo” Bernis
Age: 34 (born June 21, 1972)
Hometown: Lafayette, La.
Occupation: Construction worker
Fun Fact: He used to work as a crawfish farmer.

Yau-Man Chan
Age: 54 (born Aug. 26, 1952)
Hometown: Martinez, Calif. (born in Hong Kong, raised in Borneo, Malaysia)
Occupation: Computer engineer
Fun Fact: Among the family pets are two rabbits named Ruby and Cupid.

Earl Cole
Age: 35 (born April 9, 1971)
Hometown: Santa Monica, Calif. (originally from Kansas City, Kan.)
Occupation: Advertising executive
Fun Fact: He is also a composer who plays piano, saxophone, guitar, violin and the drums (a little).

Jessica deBen
Age: 27 (born April 25, 1979)
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif. (originally from New Orleans, La.)
Occupation: Fashion stylist
Fun Fact: She describes herself as ambitious, warm and unbreakable.

Erica Durousseau
Age: 27 (born Dec. 11, 1979)
Hometown: Lake Charles, La.
Occupation: Non-profit fundraiser
Fun Fact: Her favorite sports are football and soccer.

Cassandra Franklin
Age: 42 (born April 19, 1964)
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Occupation: Civil engineer manager
Fun Fact: She describes herself as fun, warm and giving.

Liliana Gomez
Age: 25 (born April 5, 1981)
Hometown: Oxnard, Calif.
Occupation: Loan officer
Fun Fact: She loves music and singing, and she wants to pursue a career as an entertainer.

Andria “Dre” Herd
Age: 25 (born Dec. 15, 1981)
Hometown: Wilmington, N.C.
Occupation: Cheerleading coach
Fun Fact: In high school, he began playing sports and quickly became an athletic superstar, excelling in cheerleading.
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SURVIVOR WEDNESDAYS RETURNS TO VERSUS WITH THE PREMIERE OF SURVIVOR: GUATEMALA JANUARY 31 AT 8 P.M. ET STAMFORD, Conn. (January 19, 2007)

VERSUS, the exclusive home of Survivor in syndication, takes viewers back to day one of the 39-day adventure in Guatemala, the stage set for the eleventh season of the reality series. Facing a multitude of extreme factors, including elaborate challenges, harsh and ever-changing living conditions, wildlife predators and their own conniving tribe mates, 18 men and women battle it out for the $1 million prize and their chance to be crowned the sole Survivor.

The following is the programming schedule for Survivor: Guatemala on VERSUS (subject to change):

January 31

8 p.m. ET Episode 1: Big Trek, Big Trouble, Big Surprise

The new castaways are stranded in the unforgiving jungles of Guatemala, left to live inside the Mayan ruins in the eleventh installment of Survivor. Upon the Survivors arrival to the ancient ruins, host Jeff Probst shocks the players by announcing that Bobby Jon Drinkard and Stephenie LaGrossa from Survivor: Palau were returning to the game for a second chance at the $1 million prize. Jeff then immediately sets the new teams loose to complete an 11-mile trek through the jungle, with the better campsite and flint at stake.

9 p.m. ET Episode 2: Man Down

After the emotional Tribal Council in which they voted out Jim Lynch, the battered Nakum tribe struggles back to camp. Things soon look up for Nakum, however as they narrowly beat Yaxha in the reward challenge for fishing gear. Despite the win, tension exists at the Nakum camp when Judd questions Blake’s tendency to lounge around all day. Meanwhile members of the Yaxha tribe are reduced to eating ants, grasshoppers and tiny minnows. Later at the brutal version of tug-of-war immunity challenge Danni recognizes Gary as an ex-NFL, Dallas Cowboys quarterback.

10 p.m. ET Episode 3: The Brave May Not Live Long, but the Cautious Don’t Live at All

Rejuvenated and spared by her Yaxha tribe mates at Tribal Council, Lydia vows to keep working hard. Later, tensions arise at Nakum when Bobby Jon and Judd begin to get annoyed at Margaret’s assumed leadership position. Later the 114 degree heat takes its toll on everyone at the Immunity Challenge - an ancient Mayan game of court ball. Yaxha’s losing streak continues as they head to yet another Tribal Council.

February 7

8 p.m. ET Episode 4: To Betray or Not to Betray

In a twisted “reward” challenge individual players receive rewards and later Jeff mixes up the tribes. Thus, switching up alliances and making certain Survivors more vulnerable than before. Gary faces tough questions regarding his status as an ex-NFL player, but continues to hide his identity. Although most Survivors are drawn on former tribal lines, Judd fits in better with Stephenie and Jamie, and quietly makes a pact with them to turn on his old tribe mates. When Nakum loses the Immunity Challenge Judd is forced to either act on his new alliance or stay loyal to his original tribe mates.

9 p.m. ET Episode 5: Crocs, Cowboys and City Slickers

At Nakum camp, Judd shows little regret about switching alliances to Margaret’s chagrin. The prize at the reward challenge is particularly valuable as it will allow the winners to actually swim and escape the brutal heat in a croc-proof deck. Later the Yaxha tribe begins to grow weary of Blake’s fantastical stories and arrogant attitude. A fifth Survivor is sent home.

10 p.m. ET Episode 6: Big Ball, Big Mouth, Big Trouble

At the challenge, Jeff announces that two contestants will be going home, and that the reward challenge will determine which tribe receives a full meal of hamburgers, root beer and beer and a chance to compete for individual immunity. During the challenge there is an intense argument between Bobby Jon and Jamie and later at an explosive Tribal Council the rivalry between Judd and Margaret comes to a head and two Survivors are voted out of the game.

February 14
7 p.m. ET Episode 7: Surprise Enemy Visit

The physical nature of the game takes its toll on Yaxha when they cope with bangs and bruises from the reward challenge. In this episode, the teams play for a sweet reward, chocolate and a zip line tour through the jungle. Later for Danni’s birthday, Yaxha invites Nakum over to their camp for a pool party, but Jamie gets rather paranoid about his tribe mates making friends with the others. Heading into Tribal Council loyalties and alliances are tested as the question of who is more deserving weighs heavily on the losing tribe. After the eighth Survivor is sent home, the Survivors are shocked when Jeff gives them new tribe buffs for the first ever night-time merge.

8 p.m. ET Episode 8: The Hidden Immunity Doll

Tensions flare in the Mayan temples when Yaxha and Nakum merge. The balance of power is immediately clear when the abrasive Jamie announces that the former members Yaxha can sleep outside. The following morning, the former Yaxha tribe members immediately get to work while the powerful former Nakum members sit back and relax. Rafe is left questioning the actions of his former Nakum tribe. Later, the players are shocked to discover that somewhere in the jungle is a hidden immunity doll that could secure one of the players safety until the final four. At the Immunity Challenge, Jamie gets into it again with Bobby Jon, making it abrasively clear that the former Nakum tribe will vote of the Yaxha members one by one.

9 p.m. ET Episode 9: Secrets and Lies and an Idol Surprise

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