The next season of HBO's "Entourage" is upon us, and I haven't been having much luck with my ill-advised search for local entourages. We ran an invitation in that print thingy we do. But I thought maybe a post might help generate some interest.

Here's the idea: Tell me about your entourage. Who's your Vinny Chase? Who's your Drama? Who's your Turtle? Your Eric? Do you have an Ari? If you have characters in your squad who correlate – even roughly – to any or all of those in the show, or if you just want to brag a bit about how you and your friends roll, drop me a line at bill.hutchens@thenewstribune.com. The invitation is open to men and women. Send photos - the type we can publish in family newspaper. I can't promise not to judge you. I can't even promise to try not to judge you. But, as Bart Simpson once said, "I'll try to try."

The legal stuff goes a little something like this: submissions become the property of The News Tribune and may be reprinted in any form.

If you need some entertainment during your lunch break, FOX is replaying an episode of COPS from Pierce County at 12:30 p.m. today.

The synopsis says: "In Pierce County, Wash., a multiple shooting involving a family. Also: a domestic dispute."

Look for your friends and relatives!

cwtv.com

Tyra Banks is so out-of-this-world ridiculous that it's impossible for me to not be hooked on America's Next Top Model. I can't help it. I love her antics and the absolutely insane "fashion shoots" they make the girls suffer through.

I've watched this train wreck since "Cycle 2" and we're now at "Cycle 10" and I hate myself for it. This cycle, however, my ANTM knowledge might pay off for the lot of us as we have a regional girl competing and she seems to be a strong contestant.

Her name is Aimee (there is no trace of a last name anywhere on the innerwebs), she's 18 and she's a "hostess" from Spanaway.

My second favorite moment so far this cycle was when Tyra realized there was an Aimee and an Amy on the show, so she forced Amy to change her name. She changed it to Amis (pronounced Amos).

I'm not making this up.

For the girls' first photo shoot, they were supposed to be high fashion bums. The judges' criticism of Aimee's shot was that she didn't look homeless enough. But she did look beautiful enough, so she's sailed on through the judging. This week is the infamous "makeover" week in which half of the girls lose all of their hair and cry about it. I can't wait!

Here's a 12-second sneak peek at Aimee. May she make Spanaway proud.

A few weeks before the famous UFO incident at Roswell, a similar close encounter was reported near Tacoma.

The show "UFO Hunters" takes an hourlong look at what happened in the sky above Maury Island back in '47.

The story involves giant doughnut-shaped spacecraft, mysterious rocks, men in black, a B-25 plane crash and even the notable Tacoman Fred Crisman (who was supposedly investigated in connection with the JFK assassination).

See our area on national TV at 8 tonight on the History Channel.

If you want to skip the overstated hype of the TV show, check out this detailed thesis of "The Maury Island Incident."

For the short version, read the Wikipedia entry.

Any of you ever seen a UFO? Been abducted? Probed?

Who knew that GritCity attracted such young readers? Eight-year-old Colton sent us a tip about this week’s episode of Nickelodeon's “iCarly.”

Turns out, an annoying guest character is from – you guessed it – Tacoma.

(I'll be sure to take this up with "iCarly" star Miranda Cosgrove at the next gathering of Cosgroves.)

Here are a few excerpts from the show:

Spencer: Where's Freddie and that girl?
Carly: Freddie went home.
Sam: And we finally got rid of Mandy.
Carly: Someone needs to take that chick to the whacky shack.
Spencer: She lives here in Seattle?
Sam: No, but way too close.
Carly: She's from Tacoma – she made her aunt drive her all the way here so she could be on the show.

=> Read more!

As Kelly already mentioned, Elyse Umemoto ended up in third place in tonight's Miss America pageant. That means a $20,000 scholarship, so nothing to sneeze at, but she deserved the win. I think. I don't really know.

I have to admit, I immediately started rooting for her from her first appearance on stage. While most of the other contestants introduced themselves by saying something totally inane or goofy, Elyse was able to say something totally inane and goofy and still seem adorable. I consider that a valuable talent.

The show itself was constantly reminding us that Miss America is wildly different this year by being hip and now and on TLC and having a DJ (yes, a DJ). Fortunately, there was a back-up host that made it a little less lame (Clinton Kelly from What Not to Wear). He welcomed the booted-off contestants with a plate full of carbohydrates and sat with them on stage while gossiping about the remaining girls in the pageant.

Ultimately, the crown went to Miss Michigan. I didn't really see the appeal, but I'm no pageant expert. I do, however, think this is a good opportunity for us to name our first enemy of GritCity: Michigan. Down with the mitten!

And now, Miss Washington's money shot from the competition:

Photo by Jae C. Hong / The Associated Press

You're welcome. Now, if you'll excuse me, Paige Davis has returned to Trading Spaces. I'm swamped tonight.

Miss Washington Elyse Umemoto smiled her way to second runner-up tonight at the Miss America pageant.

I think that means third place.

I was at work and missed the Tacoma resident and PLU grad's appearance. Laura, I hope you were able to put down your beer and your Guitar Hero long enough to tune in and take notes.

Being the sort of girl who wore nothing but Osh Kosh overalls for the first five years of life, I'm woefully ill-equipped to write about a beauty pageant, but here's a picture of Elyse, left, and Miss Texas laughing at some other contestants doing push-ups.

I guess things have gotten a lot tougher in the pageant world since I was a kid.

First, please forgive me for not posting last week. I was sick and would have probably spewed too much cynicism and nasal drippings for anyone's liking.

Now that we've gotten the ugly out of the way, let's talk about the pretty.

Namely, Miss America.

Not sure if you've seen the commercials recently, but Miss America has been marketing itself this year as the original reality/talent competition. Before there was American Idol, there was Miss America, etc etc.

Work it! Photo by Sara Gettys, Yakima Herald-Republic

Sure, their sparkly commercials piqued my interest, but I wasn't actually planning on watching until I learned that a Tacoma resident, and PLU grad, will be in the competition.

Her name is Elyse Umemoto and she's enjoyed the titles of Miss Pierce County AND Miss Seattle AND Miss Washington. Figure that one out. But the best part - just look at all the history she could be making! From the Yakima Herald-Republic's story:

As the reigning Miss Washington, Umemoto will compete Saturday at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas for the title of Miss America. If she wins, she could make pageant history.

Umemoto could be the first Miss Washington – and first former Miss Pierce County – to become Miss America. She also could be the first American Indian to wear the crown. And the first Hispanic. As well as the second Asian.

How many demographics can one person possibly fill?! Unbelievable. She should win some type of award for that alone.

The competition will air on TLC Saturday night (I bet the networks are kicking themselves for passing on this broadcast now that there aren't any writers). If you don't watch, the terrorists... well, you know.

According to an Associated Press story, at least one local made their way to American Idol auditions for a chance at making it on the show next season.

"I just want to be able to say I gave it my best shot," said Tabatha Politis, 20, whose co-workers at a veterinary hospital in Tacoma, Wash., chipped in to send her to California because she got in a car accident on the way to audition last year and missed her chance in Seattle.

Would love to hear how it went if anyone's privy to the info. Good luck, Tabatha!

It's a long way from her start at the Olive Garden in Olympia, but 28-year-old Tacoma native Lia Bardeen wields a mean knife on Bravo's reality show "Top Chef."

A new episode airs at 10 tonight (Channel 74 on Click!, 66 on Comcast). It's preceded by a marathon of this season's episodes, starting at 6 p.m.

Hey, at least she gives us someone to cheer for.

The Foss High grad, an executive sous chef at Manhattan's Jean-Georges, won last week's challenge with "Olive Oil Poached Key West Pink Shrimp with Avocado, Cucumber, Lime and Grilled Pepper Salad."

Hmmm, I don't remember seeing that on the menu at Olive Garden. Does it come with a breadstick?

It's not every day someone who lives in Northeast Tacoma is on the "Colbert Report."

So how do you think that went? How did we come off?

I learned that we're the nation's No. 1 producer of rhubarb ("Which is like being the nation's No. 2 producer of rhubarb," Colbert says, "in that no one cares either way.")

Although now it makes a lot more sense why the Tacoma Rainiers' mascot is named Rhubarb.

And it was fun to hear an endorsement for Pick-Quick on national television. Now that he mentions it, I think I'll go to lunch there today.

But where did he get that Dick's Drive In comparison? Probably from the Wikipedia entry on Fife, which claims that "Pick-Quick's area rival is Dicks Drive In."

Bah. Like Seattle's tiny Dick's could measure up our Pierce County giants: Frisko Freeze, Little Holland, 12th Street Diner and Pick-Quick.

But Colbert did seem to be enjoying his hamburgers during his intro:

Wow. Wow. That is good. This is so frustrating. I can't decide whether the burgers are better from Dick's Drive In or the Pick- Quick. And I'm already past deadline on my new book coming out this fall, "The Colbert Guide To The Top Restaurants in Fife, Washington." I really should have picked a town with more than 5,000 people before I promised my publisher 300 pages.

If you missed it, look for the replays today at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Comedy Central.

Update: Watch the interview here.

According to the Innerwebs and my perked up ears during a news meeting, District 9's Rep. Adam Smith will be on tonight's episode of the Colbert Report.

Smith and District 9 will be featured during Colbert's "Better Know A District" segment. A press release cites "a lapse in judgment on the part of Smith’s communications director" as the reason for agreeing to participate in the segment. Let's hope Smith's press folks have a few more zingers like that in store for Colbert's show.

Somebody tell me what happens. I'm in between moves and cable-less right now.

Update: Here's the official preview from Les Blumenthal.