Here's an Atlanta story on Wes.

Excellent find, poisoned pen! Thanks for posting.

Johnathan Reese, from Columbia, has a pretty good chance of making the Jets. He said that if he didn't, he's going to quit pro football and put his history degree to work.

And here's what Kwame said from the People article:

Thanks for all the great links, y'all. And thanks, DesiChick, for the "KwameKwote"! Hee! Wonder who *coughAssoramacough* he was talking about regarding "the cameras don't lie" comment!?!

Just goes to show that integrity does win out in the end. Go Kwame! IMHO, everything he said/did during and after the show proves what a great guy he is. I'm very happy for his success (and secretly glad he came in second so he wasn't stuck under DT's shadow after TA!)

But, JulesP, the big question is--is it less or more annoying than people calling themselves feisty?

BTW, if we look at the LETTERS in the intersection of personality, brains, and sass, we can spell out an unflattering noun. You have to use one of the two more than once. Just a semantic observation.

I agree, BassetHound. I read it as he gave up playing college football to help out his brother. Not like he gave up an NFL career, but it was a sacrifice, and donating bone marrow is no small thing.

ITA, Jules & Zak! How much time have you spent in front of the mirror with a hairbrush for a microphone practicing your famewhore interviews if you can come up with "I'm an intersection of....."!?! WTF!....nobody REALLY talks like that!

IMHO, ppl who call THEMSELVES "sassy", "feisty" and the ilk are really just WISHING that other ppl thought this about them. It's just a little too "pageant contestant" for me....blech!

Ivy Leaguers in the NFL = not the topic. Thanks.

Or else they're trying to use a more acceptable euphamism to camouflage their unacceptably childish and/or rude behavior, as in:

sassy = smart-alecky, fresh, and disrespectful to coworkers (and bosses?)

feisty = lacking tact and the self-control (and possibly lacking enough intelligence) to handle situations in a diplomatic manner, lets emotions control actions, is reactive rather than responsive.

P.S. It's OK for an older person like George to act "feisty" (that is, impatient) towards potential subordinates because he's paid his dues and lived long enough to know horse manure from a subordinate when he sees/smells it, and doesn't want to waste his time with it --- or with someone who's trying to play him for a fool!

Wow! A two-page spread in TV Guide (just came in the mail).

Awesome job!! You've really hit the big time now.

Congrats, Miss Alli. It must be nice to get paid for something you love to do. Money, Money, Money, Moooooney. TWoP... To paraphrase Tom Lehrer, I guess ideals don't take the place of meals.

I do get paid at TWoP, you know. We don't discuss the details, but I'm not a volunteer.

I'm glad to know that you are paid for your work at TWoP.

DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE WOULD 'ABSOLUTELY' SUPPORT CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER FOR PRESIDENT.

Trump's Apprentice 2 Scoops. TV Guide Online.

At least Trump knows that the law would have to be changed in order for Arnold to even run for President. There's a number of people out there that don't even know that much.

TD's ex has a new gig. NY Post. If you're inclined to look around you'll find this at news sites all over the place.

TV chef puts Trump's 'Apprentices' to work. CBC News. PHOTOS. Will any Canadians be taping this? *eyelash flutter*

Kwame gets an award. Hardbeatnews.com. 3rd paragraph.

All business for Apprentice winner. Toronto Star.

Bill's book is excerpted on MSNBC.

I found the official website for The Tony Danza Show. Nary a mention or photo of Ereka V. anywhere. I'm not sure if THIS is her official site or not, but it does mention The Tony Danza Show. As far as I can tell, there's only the one page.

I sort of feel bad for Tony Danza. ABC is just NOT getting behind his show in terms or marketing, which is always a sign that they know it isn't going to last very long. It's going up against Ellen in the major markets, which is probably one reason why they know it's going to fail.

Ereka's site looks completely revamped....for what reason I don't know. It's just a HUGE picture of her (bad picture,too.) She doesn't link anywhere to a resume or even to the Tony Danza Show...which is odd because you'd think she'd link to the TonyDanza Show website so people could read about her. Or at least have bought a personalized domain e-mail address by now.

NBC doesn't mention her in their "Where are they now? section, either. Odd.

Ereka is such a pretty girl, why would she use such an unflattering (and not professionally show by looks of it) photo like that?

ETA: I just read in a recent Star magazine (hey! I was getting my hair cut!) that Ereka had to plead to the producers to let her out of her non-compete type clause to be on the Danza talk show. Burnett would not release her so she went over his head, according to Vetrini. That would explain why the NBC site doesn't list her AND why Danza's site doesn't mention her. There's probably some legalities to clear up OR the Danza show had to agree not to promote her inclusion in the show since it's being aired by a competeing network. That would also explain why Omaorsa has only been on NBC/Viacom related shows like Passions and her upcoming UPN show "Girlfriends" stint. Could also be why Herbal Essences deal fell through. I think Herbal Essence is a P & G product, which is connected closely with CBS.

Okay, Tashanir....that's just mean!! (Ha! just kidding!)

Don't even SUGGEST that Assy lost the Herbal Essence thing for any other reason than our scathing & prolific e-mail campaign!!! That's what happened & that's what I want to believe. I'm so proud of us TWoPers...I wish I could put that little gem on my resume'!

Hate to say it, but I think it's the truth. The one thing that these people are tight lipped about is the non-disclosure and non-compete agreements they signed when they did they show. So I think Burnett & Co. juet let everyone believe that Omaorsa got scrapped from the commercial because of her rep. Whic always seemed odd to me because Omaorsa in a commercial for anything would have tongues waggign which would mean broader brand identity for any product. And it's not like she killed anyone, so I could totally see-from a business perspective-why they'd want her to be in their ads.


Also...I just read this week's US Magazine. In the TV snippets section in the back, it mentiones that Trump unfolds a "new boardroom twist." Anyone know what this is?

Hmmm...no Apprentice Speculation spread so I'll have to type this here.

I think the new "boardroom twist" is either making the Project Manager do the firing or firing 2 people at a time-the PM and one other person. Meaning the PM automatically gets fired if their team loses. Which would explain why they increased the Number of candidates this season.

The only thing I can think of is the discussion in a couple of articles I've seen and also on entertainment tabloid shows is that they're going to supersize some of the episodes due to extraordinary boardroom footage. I'd swear that it was mentioned that one boardroom session lasted 5 hours. *gulp*

You know..... I was looking at the apprentice site on nbc.com, and they have pictures of the suite and boardroom. there's a snazzy new HDTV plasma in the boardroom - maybe trump will show the people video of what they did when they try to lie about what happened?

That rocks!!!!! I wonder if it was decided to do that after Amy lied last year about not knowing who came up with the crappy car drawing during the Casion task.

Ooh, I bet that's it. Trump's said in interviews I've seen that he's keeping a much closer eye on the footage of the tasks and contestants this time in order to get a truer picture of their work ethic and general behavior. Excellent deducing, uberkaz!

Based on last night's Extra preview......

I also think for the first episode, the the teams select a PM for their team...and then Trumps makes the selected PM's switch teams. The guy witht eh shaved head made some refernece to "making an executive decision" in the clip and he was the only male on al all female team. So i think they are originally split up men vs. women, told to choose a PM and then Trump has the PM's switch teams.

More goodies. Some better than others.

10 tips for reality-show contestants. MSNBC. PHOTO of TD, one of the blonde women from TA2 (not sure which one yet), and the back of the head of one of the men.

From an article on the Telegraph.co.UK website about Hurricane Frances.

Troy's a commercial pitchman. MSNBC. Scroll down not quite halfway for relevant paragraph.

The last paragraph offers a bit of O news. I am so trippin' over this one. The Journal News I fear she really may be aiming for a serious political career. Gah. Run away, Obama. RUN! She's poison.

The return of The Donald. The Globe and Mail. An article not really worthy of mention until I got here: Oopsie! Writer, Andrew Ryan, got that bit wrong. As previously reported in this thread and others, Amy only auditioned for the Danza gig, but Ereka beat her out for the job.

They now have video profiles of the candidates at the official TA2 site.

NO BIZ LIKE SHOW BIZ.

Brief blurbs on the first 3 episodes of season 2.

A few new photos from episode 1 here.

Can't wait!!

'Apprentice' brings clarity to workplace. TwinCities.com

The Telegraph UK's take on 'Trump University.' Very funny photo of TD.

Trump to major companies: 'You're hired'

Keeping season 2 out of bored room. Crain's NY Business

Bill Rancic will be on "The View", Monday, September 6. Check your local listings for time.

From the Chicago Sun-Times --
SEPT. 15: "The Apprentice" contestant Amy Henry signs What It Takes: Speak Up, Step Up, Move Up, 7 p.m., Borders, 830 N. Michigan in Chicago.

Donald Trump told her “You’re Fired!”, but Amy Henry doesn’t seem to be too worried! PR Web


That link was already posted on page 214 of this thread HERE.

Sorry, goobaletta. I read these threads religiously but must have missed that link somehow. Didn't mean to step on anyone's toes.

Not too bad for a holiday Monday. You folks who are not working, have a great day off!

Bill's scheduled to be on The Today Show this morning. More than likely during the 8 o'clock hour if they follow their usual pattern.

TD is going to be on The Today Show Thursday morning.
Clearly I dropped the ball when I missed this nugget from Elisa Lipsky-Karasz' column in the NY Post yesterday:
In conjunction with the debut of Apprentice 2, visitors to Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort will have the chance to face off against Donald Trump in "Survive the Boardroom" sweepstakes.

Products Slide Into More TV Shows, With Help From New Middlemen. NY Times Free registration. Mentions TA2 and names a few of its product tie-ins. Heh. Including Crest!

'Benefactor,' 'Billionaire' join mogul slugfest. Chicago Sun-Times. Some fun TD quotes.

Actress held the Donald at bay. The title of the article makes it sound lurid, but it's not really. Damn. Charlotte Observer. Free registration may be required. Useless trivia related to this article: This piece is even running in a paper in Alaska today. TD's hot everywhere! Useless trivia related to this article, part deux: My family, prior to the joy of my birth, lived in Salisbury, NC for a time. For all I know my mama may know this actress lady!

How did I miss this before? Gah. Anyhow, from the Chicago Sun-Times: SEPT. 13: Bill Rancic, "Apprentice" winner, signs You're Hired!, 12:30 p.m., Borders, 150 N. State in Chicago. Also, don't forget Bill's on The View this morning. Those women are yoooge TA fans. Heh. As much as they drooled over Bill and Kwame after the end of the show last spring, I'm betting Bill will at least get pawed a little.

Also from the Chicago Sun-Times: Amy Henry of "The Apprentice" will be on hand Sept. 14 at the Escada Chicago boutique on Boul Mich to promote her new book, What It Takes: Speak Up, Step Up, Move Up -- A Modern Woman's Guide to Success in Business. The WomenNetwork event coincides with the launch of Escada's new business collection, which Henry, natch, is wearing for her upcoming book tour. Bill Rancic, who beat out Henry on the hit reality series' first season, is expected to make an appearance at the Escada fete.


As usual, check back for updates. I'll add anything new to the top of the post if no one's posted any responses.

No worries, Circling Shark. ;-) I was feeling testy yesterday.

Bill's interview with The View ladies was interesting. They certainly don't mince words. They were very polite but didn't gush over him as they did last time when he and Kwame appeared. Speaking of which, Joy Behar asked him how he felt about Kwame's 3.8 billion dollar real estate deal and if he regretted not coming in second place. Bill was sorta speechless and laughed it off, but didn't comment. Then Star Jones asked him if he was really doing any work or just promotional stuff for the show. Bill hemed and hawed over that one and said that he was more of an "apprentice" as in just observing others and "learning". Elizabeth Hasselbeck asked him how the senior employees who have been working for Trump for 20+ years felt about Bill's sudden presence. Bill admitted that it was very "sensitive" and he was careful. Joy made a joke about the employees sticking pins in their voodoo dolls. Bill's contract is up, but the building is not scheduled for completion until 2005. Bill is not sure about renewing his contract. Meredith Viera asked him about Jen Scheft and why that didn't work. He replied that they went out a few times but that she was scheduled to do The Bachelorett so there was no point. Oh, and apparently Bill fills in for George when he's on vacation. Bill admitted that he "over-compensated" because he was worried the candidates would think he was "soft". Hmm... sounds like this year was more PR stint than anything else...

I won't be posting any more today up until late tomorrow night at the earliest as I have to go into town for an appointment and will be away overnight with no computer. *mild anxiety attack* That which is below ought to keep you going for a while. Many things to ease you into your Tuesday.

***
The Donald is going to be on The Tonight Show w/Jay Leno tonight.

'APPRENTICE' RE-OPENS FOR BUSINESS. NY Post GAH! Mistress Carolyn's last name is spelled 'Ketcher' throughout this Linda Stasi article. Boo hiss! A few awesome spoilers.

Burnett, Trump Fire Up Second 'Apprentice' Zap2it

'Apprentice' set to fire away. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Good piece with enough snark to make it worthy of note.

Friend confident Frisco 'Apprentice' competitor can hold his own. The Dallas Morning News. Sorta dishy article about TA2 candidate Rob Flanagan.

B-School alum to star in NBC's 'The Apprentice'. The Emory Wheel. Feature in re: TA2's Kevin Allen.

Dish about Raj. Philadelphia Inquirer. Free registration. Scroll down to 4th item in column.

This cat didn't even make TA2 and yet he's still getting free PR for his attempt. Greensboro News-Record. Some of y'all may remember him from the TA2 audition discussions. There was at least one article about him IIRC.

The cold hard reality of an actor's life. Globe & Mail. Gets a bit snarky when mentioning TA.

THIS ARTICLE is long and rather entailed, but if you read all the way to the last page you'll find a mention of Bill and TA and a possible spoilery clue as to a potential future task. Washington Post

'Last woman standing' makes hay from Apprentice. National Post, Canada. About Amy and her book.

In re Bill on The View: That's pretty much the impression I got, Zycron. Well, that and in combination on being TD's eyes and ears about the Chicago project. Not much responsibility other than keeping TD informed, though many might say that could turn out to be a pretty decent gig. And heaven knows he seems to be networking.

Heidi, Katrina & Ereka were in Extra last night giving their reviews of the new contestants. Heidi said that Pamela "made her sick" and "bored her." Katrina and Ereka both waxed poetic about how the new batch of contestants had no idea what they're getting into."

Of course, Ereka was rooting for Raj as they went to the same college, BC. And she also gushed over how "hot" all the gusy were.

Speaking of Ereka.....very odd that there has been NO mention of her Danza talk show stint. Not even the entertainment news magazines like ET and Extra have mentioned it. Why do I get the feeling that she rushed to the press to make the announcement before the deal was final? There's literally been NOTHING said abotu it. Even if she had a non-compete clause, they'd still be able to advertise her. They just couldn't use the whole |"...from The Apprentice" hoo-ha.

There was a mention of Ereka co-hosting with Tony Danza in Entertainment Weekly this past week. He did that "10 Stupid Questions" thing on EW's back page.

Holy media blitz! Things are being posted online so fast and furiously that it's blowing my mind. I'll post them as I find them if they're any good. Keep checking. Scroll to the end of the post for new items.

Don't forget The Donald is going to be on the Today show this morning. More than likely in the 8 o'clock hour. And he'll be doing the online chat immediately thereafter. ***ETA: Mountain and Pacific time people -- they had TD on in the last 15 minutes of the 7 o'clock hour. Dirtbags that they are. Funniest moment? TD brought in today's copy of the Washington Post which has a nice article about him with a yoooge photo.

'APPRENTICE' STAR SEEKS $1 MIL AN EPISODE. NY Post

The Midas Touch, With Spin on It. NY Times Free registration. Hurry, because this was in the Sept. 8th edition and I don't know how long it will stay free. Starts snarky and stays that way. Long article.

'The Apprentice' Returns for More Firings. Associated Press via NY Times.

NBC Stakes Its Future on Success of the Past. NY Times TA dish is good and kinda spoilery. Recommended read.

He's the Top - His Casino Business May Be Down, But Donald Trump Is on a Roll. Washington Post.

Stakes hire for Donald's new crew NY Daily News. Review of tonight's show, so spoiler avoiders don't go there.

At first I was going to snark on DT for this quote, and that, oh, the Donald has zero charisma, blah de blah.

Then I realized, he does have some charisma, weird though it may be. What else would make me shell out $30 for the horrid DVD of Season 1? Well, I do loves me some George & Carolyn, but it really was DT that put me over the edge on that purchase. Huh.

The Donald was on Regis and Kelly this morning and I happened to catch the part where he said this season there were three Omarosas. Good Lord, three of them? One was more than enough. He also said the best firings of last season would land in the middle range with this bunch.

And remember, the show starts at 8:30 tonight.

Vermicious Knid, you beat me to it. (I'm so glad! It means I'm not alone out here. I was beginning to wonder.) Besides the Omarosa comment the thing that blew my mind was Kelly leaping into Donald's arms and wrapping her legs around his waist. Then when she sat down she said, "I think Donald and I just got engaged!" It was funny and ew simultaneously.

Will 'Apprentice' trump the hype? Sun-Sentinel.

The Apprentice: Who's the New Omarosa? People For subscribers. A recap would be appreciated for those of us without. *eyelash flutter*

Yahoo! and Mark Burnett Productions Announce Multi-Program Alliance; ``The Apprentice'' Says `You're Hired' To Internet's Leading Entertainment Destination Business Wire

Even 'Apprentice' losers are cashing in. Houston Chronicle

Amy Henry Shares Secrets of Success Learned as an 'Apprentice' PR Newswire

It's gonna be great watching Carolyn put her in her place. I loves me some Keptcher. Didn't Pamela learn last year that you DON'T.CROSS.CAROLYN???

The other great quote? From Andy, the 23 year old wunderkind who said he wanted to "hit Pamela in the back of the head with a shovel."

WEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let the games begin!

Geez, isn't he the guy that does all the charitable work? And he wants to hit her with a shovel? He'll probably have to get in line!

The Hair was looking pretty... large... this morning on the Today show. I was impressed. It seems as though The Hair is a much better speaker when he's not trying to read cue cards.

And there was a little clip of Bill and even though I was never on the Boyfriend Bill train, the man is looking pretty hot.

I thought it was interesting the way The Hair mentioned that the companies the apprentices would be working with were so much bigger this time around. It's all getting so yooooge!

piglet023, this quote's just for you:From --Trump pumps up coif, ego, tension in 2d 'Apprentice' Boston Globe

The Donald fires up new 'Apprentice' Chicago Tribune Opening sentence:
NIU's 'Apprentice' class helps students trump competition Daily Herald

Boardroom brawl: New `Apprentice' contestants take their gloves off Boston Herald Snarky goodness.

"...she's baaaaack" Washington Post From the Reliable Source column. Scroll down to first item in the Squibs section.

Celebs in town for CBC event. The Hill Scroll down.

You don't need to be on 'The Apprentice' to find yourself in a tight spot Cincinnati Enquirer

Hill alum to appear on Trump reality show Pottstown Mercury More about Raj. Not much new, but a little.

Bill's speaking in Buffalo Sept. 17 U of Buffalo Reporter

Bill Rancic: The art of his deal. Chicago Tribune

Bill's signing books Sunday at Wal-Mart Pioneer Press Scroll down.

Here's the text of the people.com article mentioned earlier:

The Apprentice: Who's the New Omarosa?

With the second season of NBC's The Apprentice kicking off Thursday night, the question is: Now that Omarosa's gone, who can we hate?

That depends on who's pointing the finger. Stacie J., a fashion model turned Subway restaurant owner, has The New York Times' vote among the ambitious 18 candidates jockeying for a $250,000-a-year job with Donald Trump.

New York's Daily News divides its loyalty to loathe among four players: "arrogant" Bradford, "garish" Maria and the "Machiavellian" Andy and Pamela.

The Associated Press has its questions about the seemingly benign Raj, a real estate developer from Philadelphia "who affects a dandyish sartorial style likened by a rival to Rodney Dangerfield's in Caddyshack," while the New York Post suggests that viewers may hate all the contestants.

The show reportedly makes no mention of Trump's financially shaky empire; his New Jersey casinos plan to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a move that the 58-year-old, self-proclaimed tycoon has shrugged off as a minor bump.

Still, even with one season under his belt, the carefully coifed Donald apparently isn't any better at reading cue cards, the Daily News reports.

Trump executive George H. Ross and Carolyn Ketcher are also back onboard, as is last year's winner, Bill Rancic – and, as several critics have pointed out, some shameless product placement, thanks to Levi's, Crest, Mars and Mattel.

*blows kisses to sallydo*

I guess Kwame's TIVOing tonight. Business Wire. Third paragraph.

Kwame's speaking at the Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, Washington on October 20th.

Amazing. At least now there's a name for it which we can use in front of the Queen and in other linguistically prohibitive situations.

I am curious about whether, by the term "Omarosa," DT meant simply a "brash, rude, pushy braggart," or the more specific "brash, rude, pushy liar who does not show competence on the job and tries to blame everyone else for his/her incompetence."

Speaking of Omarosa - I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this - but I went to the NBC site to catch up on the bios of the few candidates I recognized and NBC has Omorosa doing commentary! I was too traumatized to read her comments because I feared catching the crazy.

Oh dear heavens! I saw that she didn't have a "what's she doing now" segment and was hoping it meant that NBC had relegated her to the obscurity she so richly deserves. Commentary? Okay, I think it's time to never visit the website again.

Shall we take up a collection to send Omarosa on a nice vacation to Jamaica -- tomorrow?

After an excellent night's sleep, I offer the following to begin your day. Please, put down your coffee first.

The Donald Speaks. NY Post Liz Smith's column. WARNING!! Big scary Omarosa photo.

Aaaaagh! Thanks for the article, goobaletta -- and for the warning. God, she's scary.

You're more than welcome, Bubbacat. Having had no warning myself, I felt it necessary to alert folks. (Anyone else think that's the dead puppy dress in that photo?)

Here are some more goodies. Surprisingly lean so far, though admittedly I've only just begun.

Trump bored room. Calgary Sun A bitchy review.

Men get trounced. Chicago Tribune Free registration. Okay, it's just a review, but check out the left side of your screen. No. Really. Look! There's an array of TA articles listed and even a link that will take you to PHOTOs of Baby Boyfriend Bill.

'The Apprentice' return anchored by Orville Redenbacher WCNC.com You may need free registration. Pretty funny. Tries too hard at times.

AMY'S ADVICE: TRY BRAGGING STRATEGICALLY Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Free registration.

Firing up the viewers.Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Free registration. A review.

'The Apprentice' Is Learning About the Trump Style NY Times Free registration. PHOTO. All about Bill.

Apprentice Sidekick Calls Ridgefield Home WNBC All about Carolyn. Nothing new for longtime readers.

Tempur-Pedic Mattresses Star on the Apprentice 2 PR Newswire More sponsor folderol.

Rob was on The Today Show this morning (no last names being used this time -- for reasons "we won't get into right now," according to Matt Lauer -- huh?), and came across as far more Type A than we were shown on air. When they picked that godawful Crustacean Nation toy? He was off interviewing the Mattel CMO and interviewing potential focus group kids and their parents. Which to me doesn't sound like "hanging back." A good marketing man to the last, and even though it wasn't his team's choice, he closed out with: "The Metamorphor -- available January 2005 at ToysRUs.com!"