Dancing With the Stars 8 -- Week 4

Two new dances!! The Lindy Hop and the Argentine Tango are this season’s new dances, thrown in to add a little variety and maybe shake up the pros.

Thankfully, whoever picks the music did a much better job this week. The lindy hop songs had great upbeat, jitterbug style and the Argentine tangos actually sounded like tangos.

The new dances were so good that they helped distract me from some of the odder elements of the night, like Samantha’s lame attempts to joke about her imminent laryngitis. And Bruno being orange! Orange! Seriously, man, lay off the spray tan.

At least Samantha’s cold gave Tom a chance to quip, “Samantha’s voice is disappearing faster than my 401K.”

Now to the dances:

* David Allan Greer and Kym Johnson
Lindy Hop: 22

Great way to start the night! DAG and Kym were having fun and they couldn’t have been given a better song for the lindy hop. They were still a little off at times and I’m not sure David will improve much more. Carrie Ann’s “not the youngest cookie in the bunch” comment (youngest cookie?) made me realize that DAG looks like he’s barely aged at all since In Living Color.

* Lil’ Kim and Derek Hough
Argentine Tango: 27

There’s a reason Derek is my favorite choreographer. I get Len’s point about the type of sensuality he was looking for in an Argentine tango, but this dance was hot. Lil’ Kim completely won me over this week. Her dancing is getting good. Plus, she looked so pretty!

* Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough
Lindy Hop: 22

Fast music, tricks, wildly flailing arms and legs -- it’s all just fun to watch. It doesn’t hurt that Chuck and Julianne made such a cute all-American couple in their glittery waitress and soda jerk outfits. Somehow this didn’t wow me though. It was really, really good... but something was a tad off and I’m not sure what.

* Lawrence Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska
Argentine Tango: 19

Edyta’s nearly nude posturing strikes again. Yes, she has a lovely body. Yes, she knows how to move it and hold some impressive poses. But all her fancy moves and near-nakedness do not hide the fact that her partner has again become a walking pole for her to flip around. I think LT is capable of more than Edyta gave him in this dance.

Update: On a rewatch I realized that Edyta was actually surprisingly covered-up in this dance. I've gotten so used to her usual nearly nudeness that I didn't even notice. Oops. But, the dancing portion of my review stands still (much like LT).

* Ty Murray and Chelsie Hightower
Lindy Hop: 25

I did not see that coming! After watching the rehearsal footage, I expected some good lifts, but this dance was so far beyond my expectations! Chelsie’s choreography really highlighted Ty’s strengths and kept him from doing anything too intimidating out of hold. And I love seeing Ty gaining confidence in his dancing.

* Steve Wozniak and Karina Smirnoff
Argentine Tango: 12

Steve is such a teddy bear. Watching him tonight I had two thoughts: 1.) Steve could be a kid show host and he wouldn’t need to wear a purple dinosaur suit. And 2.) If I had co-founded Apple, would I have a 1,000 watt perma-smile too? (probably!)

* Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani
Lindy Hop: 29

I think Tony is loving his partner this season! (not one, but two face-to-crotch flip-throughs?!?) They nailed this routine, not just in the tricks but throughout the entire dance. But how did Melissa see to dance with those pink butterflies perched on her eyelashes?

* Holly Madison and Dmitry Chaplin
Argentine Tango: 16

I’ll go out on a limb and say Holly’s going home. They hit that one big trick, but for the most part it was a lackluster tango. Halfway through, I found myself wondering what’s so new about the newly designed Swiffer and if it’s worth buying yet another Swiffer starter pack to try it out.

* Steve-O and Lacey Schwimmer
Lindy Hop: 15

Eh. I know he’s had it rough over the past few weeks, but I thought Steve and Lacey would really take to the lindy hop. Maybe it’s because of his earlier injuries -- I do not want to see him push and get hurt again! -- but this dance felt so timid and much too forgettable.

* Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke
Argentine Tango: 30

The perfect 10 gets a perfect 30. I have a growing love for Cheryl and a deeper lust for Gilles. Her choreography is so effortless and right that it’s almost easy to overlook it. His, well, everything is so right that... hmmm. Let’s just say there’s no overlooking Gilles!

* Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas
Lindy Hop: 25

What’s with those outfits?!? Oh, Mark, birth control glasses, tube socks, and a headband! Okay, that said-- Great dance! Yeah, it was light on the dance and heavy on the tricks, but it’s hard to care when the tricks are that entertaining. (or maybe Gilles’ dance just turned me into a limp puddle of uncaring ooze -- yeah, he’s that hot)

Leaderboard:
30 -- Gilles and Cheryl
29 -- Melissa and Tony
27 -- Lil’ Kim and Derek
25 -- Shawn and Mark
25 -- Ty and Chelsie
22 -- David and Kym
22 -- Chuck and Julianne
19 -- Lawrence and Edyta
16 -- Holly and Dmitry
15 -- Steve-O and Lacey
12 -- Steve and Karina

There’s a double elimination this week. My prediction is that the dance off will be between Holly and one of the Steves. It will just depend on which Steve has a bigger fan base voting.

Think Boys II Men will sing Motownphilly tomorrow night?

A Matter of Perspective

When it comes right down to it, everything in life is a matter of perspective.

From the moment we wake up, on through the day, and into the dream filled night, our thoughts shape the world we perceive. Our senses take in millions of clues around us and sort them into an invisible framework that our minds use to form our thoughts.

But what is really behind those perceptions? Philosophers, psychologists, sociologists, and neurologists are among those who dedicate themselves toward finding the answers. Is it a matter of the mind, past experiences, environment, or chemicals in the brain?

Or is it a combination of them all?

Feelings of pleasure or distress come from chemicals in the brain. Evolution has given us a reward system that infuses our brains with dopamine when anything good happens, just as our amygdala activity increases in negative situations to bring feelings of anxiety. Advanced technology such as fMRIs allow researchers to actually watch different areas of the brain activate while a person responds to various stimuli.

Yet, our personal experiences -- particularly those during our formative years -- affect the way our brains will process events and release the chemicals that produce feelings of happiness, sadness, or anxiety. Also, our environments can sensitize, or desensitize, us to future events, further modifying our chemical responses.

So are we merely slaves to our chemical responses? Do the experiences of our formative years shade our feelings for the rest of our lives? If so, does the why behind our emotional responses matter at all?

While our chemical responses motivate our actions, evolution has also given humans the ability of metacognition. We have the ability to think about thinking. Metacognition allows people to analyze and understand both their thoughts and emotions.

This could lead to better understanding of our own emotions and of the actions of others. It could lead to self-awareness and greater compassion. Perhaps we could become more tolerant and less judgmental. If we learned to think about our thinking and appreciate our decisions, perhaps the world could be a better place.

Unfortunately, people are not taught to think about their own thinking. Despite our advanced technology, we live in a society that is largely ruled by superstition and faulty logic. People are given conflicting advice on how to deal with their own feelings.

Gender typing attempts to define the proper traits for the sexes, just as racial stereotypes try to further pigeon-hole people. We are not taught to see beyond those misconceptions to the underlying chemical reactions occurring in our brains.

We all search for happiness through external sources: love, money, friendship, job satisfaction, travel, adventure. Yet perhaps the real path to happiness lies at the end of a more internal journey. After all, a state of happiness is often a matter of perspective.

Short on Wit

It's been one of those days (weeks?) -- entirely too much going on and nothing to show for it at the end of the day.

There was finally time to get back on track today. No appointments, no kids home sick from school... but my brain has taken a holiday. I have nothing witty to say (or type), no energy to work out, and not enough motivation to clean the house.

Just looking at my pages of unfinished writing is an effort. My fingers rest on the keyboard. My brain feels mushy and the half-formed thoughts get lost somewhere between my mind and my wrists.

Without the energy to write, I become a reader. I surf the web, checking out the news and getting drawn into the comments. The comments on articles depress me. I shouldn't read them, but it's a compulsion.

Read anything online -- politics, entertainment, weather, science, etc. -- and you're likely to find the same things: hate, lunacy, and atrocious spelling.

why do some peeples writ like htat? lulz. are they lazy or ,stoopid? is it kewl? are they tooo buzy to take the extra 10 seconds to doit right?

AND DO THEY REALLY THINK SHOUTING WITH ALL CAPS WILL AUTOMATICALLY MAKE THEIR POINT THE MOST IMPORTANT?

While those types of comments are hard on the eyes, they are nothing compared to the illogical assertions that people make, such as the person who commented that the Woz should be voted off Dancing with the Stars, not because he lacks talent or entertainment value, but because he used to date Kathy Griffin and anyone who dated Kathy Griffen shouldn't be on DWTS.

Um, huh?

With my brain befuddled and my energy dipping, I think I'll put the laptop down and go back to playing the guitar. This may just be a day where my greatest accomplishments will be getting dressed and making myself breakfast and lunch.

DWTS Results -- Denise Richards Goes Home

It's the 3rd week of competition and the 2nd elimination of the season. Which means the 2nd dance off!

But first... some entertainment (?) that started with Hall and Oates performing Maneater while a leg-warmered, poodle-haired Karina was passed around the dance floor by three of the male pros. Yeah, not my favorite results show moment.

Although, it was better than seeing Corky and Cloris come back to slobber over each other in their rather creepy explanation of next week's new dances, the Lindy Hop and the Argentine Tango. (Why are they adding new dances?!?)

Finally, it got to the dance off...

This week was the shaky blonde show down. Which was kind of cool since I've been thinking that Holly and Denise are pretty evenly matched and haven't been able to decide which of them is actually better.

Both couples improved on their previous scores. Holly and Dmitry by 1 point, Denise and Maks by 4 points. But it was Denise who ended up going home.

I wasn't surprised by the results. I really hated Denise and Maks' samba -- the choreography, the music, the costumes. It was just bad.

The sad thing was that Denise did finally start to show some promise during the dance off. While it wasn't enough to save her, she did get to go out on a better performance than last night.

Dancing With the Stars 8 -- Week 3

The third week of competition and everyone is dancing -- though Steve and Steve are still dancing through the pain of injuries.

The front runners haven't changed, but there is some jockeying for positions in the middle of the pack and some dancers -- particularly the men -- are stepping up their game!

Tonight is the Samba and Foxtrot night and the samba is a tough one for most couples...

* Denise Richards and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Samba: 16

What was with this song?!? Terrible for a samba. I know she’s trying, but I just didn’t like this dance. Denise is getting the steps, mostly, but it’s the nuances that aren’t there. Her facial expressions, her pancake hands... just not pleasant to watch.

* Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough
Foxtrot: 23

Such an improvement from last week! Julianne’s choreography really displayed Chuck well, especially in that first section when they came out of hold. Their synchronicity and chemistry was great, and they listened to -- and improved upon -- the judges criticisms from last week.

* Holly Madison and Dmitry Chaplin
Samba: 17

At least Holly’s samba had a better song. Watching this dance, I kept thinking that putting Holly and Denise in a blender could pour out one good dancer. Denise is better with the footwork; Holly is better with the nuance. Dmitry’s comments after the scores were rather sad, even if it did prompt one of Tom’s funniest sarcastic ad lib’s, “I’m sure Holly feels very reassured now.”

* Steve-O and Lacey Schwimmer
Foxtrot: 15

This may be where the dance off comes into play. Steve-O is so clearly in pain, but capable of better than this performance. It started out so well, but once he lost a step, he mentally couldn’t pick it back up. Hopefully, he didn’t re-injure himself at the end and will be able to nail it if he ends up in the dance off.

* Lawrence Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska
Samba: 20

Their best dance yet! Full of attitude and fun to watch. Lawrence doesn’t have the polish of some of the others and doesn’t quite make it look easy, but this was an easy dance to root for! He was in the groove! Both his facial expressions and body language said he was confident and having fun.

* Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas
Foxtrot: 27

Mark and Shawn glide around the dance floor so effortlessly. This foxtrot felt less theatrical than some of the others, but had an easy grace and elegance. It was beautiful to watch, though I still would like to see a little more emotional connection from Shawn. She just feels a hair disconnected to me.

* Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke
Samba: 27

Hot, hot, HOT! That’s what a samba should look like! Gilles could not be sexier. He has the dance technique, the entertainment value, and he dedicated the dance to his mother! And I agree with Carrie Ann, his strong performances let Cheryl really cut loose, too.

* David Allan Greer and Kym Johnson
Foxtrot: 24

I wasn’t sold on DAG until this performance. As Bruno said, a Fosse-esque performance -- and I love Fosse! Also, it seemed like David and Kym finally clicked as a couple. The chemistry was there and the previous awkwardness didn’t make an appearance.

* Steve Wozniak and Karina Smirnoff
Samba: 10

Oh, Steve. He’s so endearing and he’s trying so hard. I’d hate to see him go home, but realistically he is the poorest dancer. I actually did enjoy this dance... not in the same way I enjoy watching Gilles or Melissa or some of the others, but entertaining in its own way.

* Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani
Foxtrot: 27

I love this Harry Connick Jr. song and they danced it beautifully! Tony’s choreography had both the smoothness and flair that fit perfectly with the music. Melissa truly channels the music. They moved with grace and still hit those theatrical poses right in time. But, Bruno, if musicality is Melissa’s 7th sense, what’s her 6th?

* Lil’ Kim and Derek Hough
Samba: 25

The samba that inspired a booty-shaking ovation from the other contestants. It definitely had the party feel. My tiny nit-pick is in Lil’ Kim’s facial expressions. When she’s confident in her moves, she has those great “I know I’m hot!” expressions, but while traveling in hold she sometimes loses just a bit of her fierceness. I’d love to see her stop thinking and let loose throughout.

-- Side Note: What was Karina looking at while Lil’ Kim and Derek were talking to Samantha?!?

* Ty Murray and Chelsie Hightower
Foxtrot: 23

I smiled from the moment the rehearsal tape started all the way through the scoring. That slip up at the beginning took nothing away from their dance. Ty is so adorable and watching him improve and gain in both confidence and ability is truly uplifting. A great way to wrap up the night!

Leaderboard:
27 -- Gilles and Cheryl
27 -- Melissa and Tony
27 -- Shawn and Mark
25 -- Lil’ Kim and Derek
24 -- David and Kym
23 -- Chuck and Julianne
23 -- Ty and Chelsie
20 -- Lawrence and Edyta
17 -- Holly and Dmitry
16 -- Denise and Maks
15 -- Steve-O and Lacey
10 -- Steve and Karina

The night left us with a three-way tie for first place and the Woz trailing with a 10 out of 30 possible points. It will interesting to see who ends up in tonight’s dance off.

Appendicitis Scare

Last night, my Dancing with the Stars viewing (and blogging) was preempted by a trip to the Emergency Room with my 11 year old son. Fortunately, it turned out to be a non-emergency. Likely a stomach virus instead of appendicitis.

But, I did pick up a few tips for telling the difference...

My son's symptoms vs. appendicitis:

* Pain that centers around the navel, then radiates to the right -- he had this, but it was moving between the lower and upper right quadrants. The doc said appendicitis would stay persistently in the lower quadrant.

* Pain when you press the belly that hurts more when you let go -- before the ER he said it hurt more when I stopped pressing, but his pain was never all that bad, he rated it 4 out of 10.

* Low grade fever -- I'm not sure, but I think they said he would have had a higher fever with appendicitis, though not always.

* Pain that aches and gurgles -- When listening with a stethoscope, his tummy was gurgling a lot. She said that's more a sign of virus and appendicitis is usually quiet.

* No appetite, but not really nauseous -- She said the majority of kids with appendicitis would be throwing up at that point (6-8 hours into the pain). There are always exceptions, but his not throwing up was a good sign.

* Weak and wobbly when walking, but not in pain -- Even though he was a little unsteady on his feet, he could walk and even jump up and down without the pain getting worse. Appendicitis generally hurts more with jarring movements.

The doctor tested for strep throat -- which was negative -- because she said strep can cause the lymph nodes in the stomach to become inflamed. His pain seemed to be more around those lymph nodes than near the appendix.

She did say that appendicitis can be difficult to diagnose in the very early stages and his symptoms could still be early stage, but they weren't enough to warrant all the additional appendicitis testing.

So, she sent us home with a list of symptoms to watch for that would mean an immediate return visit -- increased pain, higher fever, throwing up, etc. -- and recommended we follow up with our regular doctor this afternoon.

As of this morning, he's looking much better! Still pale and tired, but the tummy pain is gone. :-)

21 Things I Want in a Lover

Earlier today I was listening to Under Rug Swept and thinking about 21 Things I Want in a Lover.

The song is a laundry list of -- wait for it -- 21 things Alanis wants in a lover. Okay, the subject sounds a little direct, but the song has a simple beauty. --Not to mention driving power chords over a rockin guitar riff.

We're not talking just the blonde vs. brunette type qualities, but things like, guys who don't pout when you beat them in a game or girls who don't eat pizza with a fork. Well, not those specifically...

As the lyrics explain:

These are 21 things that I want in a lover
Not necessarily needs but qualities that I prefer
I figure I can describe it since I have a choice in the matter
These are 21 things I choose to choose in a lover

And, yep, there are actually 21 things listed throughout the song. Here they are, cut out from the rest:

1. Do you derive joy when someone else succeeds?
2. Do you not play dirty when engaged in competition?
3. Do you have a big intellectual capacity but know that it alone does not equate wisdom?
4. Do you see everything as an illusion?
5. But enjoy it even though you are not of it?
6. Are you both masculine and feminine?
7. Politically aware?
8. And don't believe in capital punishment?
9. Do you derive joy from diving in and seeing that loving someone can actually feel like freedom?
10. Are you funny?
11. A la self-deprecating?
12. Like adventure?
13. And have many formed opinions?
14. Are you uninhibited in bed?
15. More than three times a week?
16. Up for being experimental?
17. Are you athletic?
18. Are you thriving in a job that helps your brother?
19. Are you not addicted?
20. Curious
21. Communicative

In interviews, Alanis has said that the list is part in fun, part in earnest, and certainly not a complete list. But if she had to pick 21 things to look for, I think she hit on some great ones. There are at least 15 of them that would make the cut for my own list!

DWTS Results -- Goodbye Belinda Carlisle

The votes have been cast, the dance off completed, and Belinda Carlisle has become the first star to be eliminated from season 8 of Dancing With the Stars.

This is the first season of DWTS to have the bottom two couples compete in a dance off to find out who will stay and who will return to life without sequins and spray tans.

Here's how it works:

* The original judges' scores for the dance are thrown out.
* They perform the dance again and the judges' new score is added to the viewers' votes.
* The couple with the lowest combined score is eliminated.

The online debate over the dance-off has been such a hot topic, that there's barely been a mention of the bizarre new uber-sparkly judges paddles that made a brief appearance before a quick reversion to our trusty old red and gold models. (What was that all about?!?!)

Personally, I think the dance off will be important some nights and pointless others. This first week didn't matter much, since the dances weren't worthy of a second viewing. But, later in the show I think fans will embrace the dance off -- especially if a favorite couple has an off night, then redeems themselves enough to survive another week.

Tonight, Belinda and Jonathan and Steve (Woz) and Karina ended up in the bottom two -- which wasn't much of a surprise. Having two dances to choose from, Belinda and Jonathon picked their Salsa, while Steve and Karina trotted out their quick step.

The judges gave Steve the same score of 17, but Belinda made some errors that cost her a point, going from an 18 to a 17. I think the trouble was in her approach. Monday night, her goal was to let loose and have fun. In the dance off, she was going for improved technique. The trouble is, her technique needed too much work and focusing on her hip action made her forget part of the dance and all of the fun.

I liked Belinda back in the day, but I was glad to see her go home. DWTS scores are part technique and part entertainment. Neither Belinda or Steve are great dancers, but I had more fun watching Steve's performance - both times.

Dancing With the Stars 8 -- Week 2

Injury may have claimed another contestant. Steve-O was taken to the hospital just two hours before showtime and is waiting to find out if he will be able to continue.

But in happier news, it was Quick Step night!

Okay, it was actually quick step and salsa night, but the quick step is one of my favorite dances and there were some great ones tonight! Especially in the cases of Ty Murray and Lawrence Taylor, who were both in need of a comeback after last week’s performances.

So, how did our couples do?

* Holly Madison and Dmitry Chaplin
Cha Cha Cha: 18 + Quick Step: 18 = 36 Total

A thin body doesn’t always equal an athletic one. I’m afraid stepping in more than 3 weeks late has left Holly at a disadvantage. But she is putting in the effort. If she stays around long enough to tighten up her core and build her stamina, I think she will improve.

* David Allan Greer and Kym Johnson
Waltz: 19 + Salsa: 17 = 36 Total

“All sizzle and no sausage.” Len summed it up nicely. David’s timing was a bit off throughout and I think he would have been better off perfecting some easier techniques than going for the showy moves. Still, the judges’ scores were a little low. I expected a 19 or 20.

* Denise Richards and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Cha Cha Cha: 18 + Quick Step: 21 = 39 Total

Denise improved enough to make me stop comparing her to Kim Kardashian. Her body is starting to carry off the dancing more confidently and I hope her facial expressions will follow suit. Those tense and timid faces show up often enough to be distracting and what’s with that open mouthed smile?

* Belinda Carlisle and Jonathan Roberts
Waltz: 17 + Salsa: 18 = 35 Total

Belinda harnessed the power of both sequins and fringe, but her salsa was a mess. Those beginning and ending positions were awkward, and so was the rest of the dance. I like to think they had fun dancing it, but it wasn’t fun to watch.

* Ty Murray and Chelsie Hightower
Cha Cha Cha: 14 + Quick Step: 20 = 34 Total

This proves that there should always be two dances before the first elimination! Ty more than redeemed himself with this quick step and it was a joy to watch. The run that came to a sliding stop was fabulous. Plus, Ty is adorable in white tie and tails.

* Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas
Waltz: 23 + Salsa: 24 = 47 Total

Shawn really is just too cute! It’s easy to see she has a lot of power in her compact body and a lot of charisma to match. There was that one wild moment of hip-rocking motion, but I’d like to see her loosen up her hips a bit more throughout.

* Steve Wozniak and Karina Smirnoff
Cha Cha Cha: 13 + Quick Step: 17 = 30 Total

The geek-look was inevitable, but at least they pulled it off with a great costume! Well, except for that pink boa that is stalking him. For a big man with a hurt foot, his moves were quick and it was fun to watch. But I’m afraid the Woz is headed for tomorrow’s dance off.

* Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough
Waltz: 20 + Salsa: 20 = 40 Total

Wow, was it hard to see past Julianne’s neon car-wash fringe pants! Chuck had some great hip action, when he was moving. I usually love Julianne’s choreography, but this salsa had Chuck swaying his hips in place too much while she performed around him. I’m with the judges -- give him more content!

* Lawrence Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska
Cha Cha Cha: 16 + Quick Step: 20 = 36 Total

Another quick step comeback! Edyta’s choreography was fabulous this week! Plus, I loved her skirt in that fan kick. This dance was such an improvement over last week’s cha cha cha. A classic, beautifully executed quick step.

* Steve-O and Lacey Schwimmer
Waltz: 17 + Salsa: 14 = 31 Total

Steve-O’s last minute injury meant that he and Lacey would be judged on their dress rehearsal video. Clearly, they weren’t dancing all out during the rehearsal. I might have enjoyed this dance live, but I found myself trying to remember what dance it was supposed to be. It just wasn’t a salsa.

* Lil’ Kim and Derek Hough
Cha Cha Cha: 21 + Quick Step: 23 = 44 Total

While Len’s critique was a tad harsh, it was for good reason. It could have been such a great dance and they have so much potential, but her poor posture was distracting from the choreography. Lil’ Kim obviously has dancing talent, she just has to get that unnatural ballroom arch going!

* Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani
Waltz: 23 + Salsa: 26 = 49 Total

Finally, some hip action! It’s great to see Tony partnered with such a talented celeb. I can’t remember ever seeing him really let go like that! That salsa was flat out sexy and has me already anticipating their take on the samba.

* Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke
Cha Cha Cha: 24 + Quick Step: 27 = 51 Total

It’s one thing for a guy to be sexy when he’s dancing half-naked, but Gilles was even steamier in his full Clark Kent getup! He has the look, the moves, the musicality -- the whole package. (Insert obvious Sex in the City joke here.) I think there just might be a mirror ball trophy in Gilles future.

Leaderboard:
51 -- Gilles and Cheryl
49 -- Melissa and Tony
47 -- Shawn and Mark
44 -- Lil’ Kim and Derek
40 -- Chuck and Julianne
39 -- Denise and Maks
36 -- Holly and Dmitry
36 -- David and Kym
36 -- Lawrence and Edyta
35 -- Belinda and Jonathan
34 -- Ty and Chelsie
31 -- Steve-O and Lacey
30 -- Steve and Karina

Tomorrow night, after the new dance off elimination, we’ll find out which couple will be the first to say goodbye.

GWTW: The Greatest Love Story of All Time?

"The Greatest Love Story of All Time..." is printed on the inside cover page of Gone With the Wind, but is Margaret Mitchell's civil war saga really a love story?

People tend to distill a great book down to its central relationship and then bill it as a great love story. That doesn’t just apply to Scarlett and Rhett. I have a hard time finding the love in a lot of the world's most adored "love stories". Lust and longing? Yes. Passion? Of course. But love?

Gone With the Wind can be described in one sentence: A story about the structure of society and the importance of balancing personal desires with finding one’s own place in that society.

Despite my childhood crush on Rhett Butler, I cannot think of Gone With the Wind as a simple love story. The relationships between the main characters explore the larger picture of what is happening as a society is destroyed and rebuilt.

The book begins by painting a picture of the Old South and its intricate pre-war society. It isn’t long before the Civil War strips back that way of life. Those who do survive have had to set aside many of the proprieties. Scarlett takes this to the extreme. She scorns all of society’s conventions and becomes financially successful, but an outcast. It’s only at the end of the novel when she begins to examine her priorities and realize what she threw away.

True, the relationship between Rhett and Scarlett is woven throughout the story. Rhett, a social outcast before the war, is immediately taken with Scarlett, who is already comfortable with bending societal rules to get her way. Throughout the story, Rhett encourages Scarlett to abandon society and follow her own dreams.

Meanwhile, Scarlett, despite flouting convention in order to adapt to the new post-war social order, cannot let go of her childhood crush on Ashley Wilkes. Though she doesn’t realize it, he has come to symbolize the old way of life that has been destroyed. He, and Tara, are the dreams Scarlett fights to preserve. Although through her struggle to preserve them, Scarlett loses sight of who she herself had been before the war.

The same blinders that give Scarlett the strength to persevere, also keep her from seeing the potential for happiness in a life with Rhett. In his desire to free Scarlett from the shackles of society, he encourages in her the same selfishness and shallowness that builds a wall between them. He cannot admit that he loves her, for fear of her using it against him, and she cannot see his feelings (or her own) through the guarded nature of their relationship.

If there is any true love in this book, it comes in the form of Melanie Wilkes. Adored by all who know her, Melanie lives her life by society’s rules, but can stand against them when they threaten her personal beliefs. Unlike Scarlett with her self-serving rebellions, Melanie understands the importance of both respecting the fabric of society and struggling against its more outdated or misguided notions.

Melanie wants to see the world as a beautiful place filled with beautiful people. She seeks out the good in everyone she meets, forgives those who are truly repentant, and is fiercely loyal to those who are dear to her. She alone exhibits what I would consider actual love.

Cramer & Stewart: Serious News Vs. Comedy News

After watching Jon Stewart's uncut, uncensored interview with Jim Cramer, I was surprised to find many people in the Daily Show Forums complaining. Of course there were quite a few who were proud of the interview as well, but there were more complaints than I expected.

People complained that Jon was too hard on Cramer, that it was bullying to use Cramer's own videotaped words against him, or that this serious interview wasn't as much fun to watch as the usual Daily Show fare.

Seeing those comments gave me the too familiar feeling of wondering if those viewers had watched the same interview that I had just watched. Many times Jon said that his ire wasn't aimed solely at Cramer. Jon's original show that sparked this "war" was directed at CNBC, not at Cramer.

Yes, it was a serious interview, but the country is in a serious mess. The so called "serious news" often condescends to viewers. As Cramer said himself, he thinks it is necessary to dumb down information for those watching his show and keep them interested with silly sight gags. For his part, Jon Stewart asserted that he would prefer to be telling jokes on his show, but he can't stand by while the "serious news" isn't giving us the real story.

By having Cramer on the show, Jon was giving him a chance to respond. He had clips on hand and used them to refute Cramer's excuses with his own prior words. That is not bullying. It is asking for accountability.

There are serious problems in our economy. This interview wasn't about finger pointing or laying the blame on one scapegoat. It was about discussing the problems with the stock market. It was about showing how insiders have used investors' long-term retirement money to fund their own short-term transactions, and why that is unethical. More specifically, it was about the news media's role in this situation.

Just as I was proud of Jon Stewart for asking Mike Huckabee the hard questions about his gay marriage stance, I was happy to watch Jon interview Jim Cramer.


Daily Show: Jim Cramer Interview Pt. 1

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 1

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

Daily Show: Jim Cramer Interview Pt. 2

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 2

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

Daily Show: Jim Cramer Interview Pt. 3

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 3

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

The Golden Rule

The world is full of hypocrites. I'm not talking about the occasional hypocrite -- everyone has a hypocritical moment now and then, usually when emotions are high or there's an open bar.

I'm talking about the people who are hypocritical in their most casual day to day interactions. Serial hypocrites. Most serial hypocrites are unaware of their own hypocrisies. They don't spend a lot of time thinking about what they say or how they act, or how the things they say and the things they do may not quite match up.

The biggest serial hypocrites are often those who tout the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule comes from the Bible, but Christians aren't the only ones to claim to follow it, or some form of it. The Golden Rule simply says that you should treat others the way you want to be treated.

Treat others the way you want to be treated. That's a great idea. You can see why a lot of people would jump on board. Not everyone, of course. There are always those who hear the Golden Rule and say, "Nah, other people don't deserve to be treated the way I want to be treated." They want to be treated better than other people. It's easy to scorn those people, in theory, but they often earn our grudging respect. They're selfish, but honest.

There are a lot more people who claim to follow the Golden Rule, but never stop to think about what that means in daily life. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Such a simple idea, in theory.

If you claim to follow the Golden Rule, here are a few behaviors that don't fit your claim. If you regularly do any of them, you might be a serial hypocrite.

1. Make snide comments and pass them off as jokes. Sarcasm and satire have their place, but veiling criticism behind a snide comment isn't funny. If someone says they like cheesecake and you reply, "Oh I can see that! ha ha" -- it's not funny.

1-a. Tell someone they are "too sensitive" or that they "can't take a joke". This goes with the first point, but can also stand alone. If someone tells you that something you said offended them, apologize, sincerely. Whether you intended to or not, you offended them.

2. Steal. Anything, any time. A lot of people who claim to follow the Golden Rule also claim to believe thou shalt not steal. They just don't extend that to include things like "borrowing without asking", burning copies of CDs to share with friends, or using "creative accounting" on their income taxes. If you're trying to get something for nothing, there's a good chance you're stealing. Someone, somewhere, always ends up paying for whatever it is you got for free.

3. Question another person's lifestyle with the intent of converting him or her. Someone you know is different than you. You bike 42 miles a day and his idea of exercise is walking up the escalator. You think it tastes great, she thinks it's less filling. Friendly debates and group interventions aside, learn to live and let live. Other people are capable of forming their own belief systems and, even if they are different than your own, you do not have the right to judge them.

4. Make more work for other people. Yes, the grocery store employs someone to gather the shopping carts from the parking lot, but if they also have a cart corral, use it. Don't leave your cart wedged between two cars or on the grassy median. And don't haphazardly shove your cart into the corral, either. You know how shopping carts nest together. Take 20 extra seconds to do it properly.

I could toss out examples all day, but I think you see where I'm going with all this. The economy is tanking, the country is at war, the environment is choking, health care is in crisis, and reality TV is here to stay. There are a lot of opinions about what started it all, but I think it goes back to the littlest decisions each person makes in his or her daily life.

If more people believed in -- and actually followed -- the Golden Rule, the world could be a very different place.

Dancing with the Stars - Season 8

It’s that time of year -- or one of those times of the year -- Dancing with the Stars is back!

I became a DWTS fan in Season 5 and wish I hadn’t waited so long to start watching. This season, I decided to add blogging to my DWTS routine.

It’s great to see the red room filled with a new batch of contestants. I never choose favorites until I see everyone dance for the first time. I try to keep an open mind until each couple has had a chance at both ballroom and latin dances, but even after just one dance, I’m already finding some stand-outs.

The drama started early this year with two stars injured before week one. Couples begin practicing four weeks before the first show. Both singer Jewel and Access Hollywood host Nancy O’Dell were replaced by reality stars Holly Madison (Girls Next Door) and Melissa Rycroft (The Bachelor) respectively.

Stepping in at the last minute means that Holly had one week instead of four to learn her routine, and Melissa learned her dance in only two days!

Now, the overview:

* Lil’ Kim and Derek Hough
Cha Cha Cha: 21

“Nasty, but Tasty!” It’s Monday night and Bruno’s saucy comments are back. On my first viewing, I thought Lil’ Kim and Derek were a little bit hip hop and not quite enough cha cha cha. On the second watch, it could have been the song giving that impression. Sometimes the song choices are a bit odd and, for me, Nasty Boys just felt a little off for a cha cha cha.

* Belinda Carlisle and Jonathan Roberts
Waltz: 17

The dance began with elegance, but quickly lost all it’s nuance. I know it’s their first dance, but it felt lumbering and stiff. That spin with the 90 degree leg extension was ugly. I was yelling, “point your toe!” at the TV. She may improve, but I don’t think Belinda will be around very long.

* Lawrence Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska
Cha Cha Cha: 16

There might be some potential here. It’s hard to tell because Edyta’s choreography seems to always have her doing some splashy, flashy moves or dramatic extensions that distract from her partner’s shortcomings. Still, I liked his attitude, so he should be fun to watch for awhile.

* Steve-O and Lacey Schwimmer
Waltz: 17

I actually liked this, I think. Not for the dancing technique, but for the entertainment. There was something quirky and endearing about it. I think Carrie Ann summed it up when she said she was “oddly mesmerized by the beauty, but the weirdness, and the awkward... and... but wow.”

* Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke
Cha Cha Cha: 24

And we have a contender! At the risk of sounding like an airhead celebutante, that was hot. Gilles definitely has the moves, the rhythm, and the attitude. He needs some fine-tuning, but I think Cheryl may have a third shot at that trophy.

* Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough
Waltz: 20

It’s the first dance and he’s a little rough, but Chuck has a lot of grace and charisma. The judges were right about his needing refinement, but that shouldn’t be too hard. I’m more interested in seeing how he handles the latin dances.

* Holly Madison and Dmitry Chaplin
Cha Cha Cha: 18

It’s so hard to judge this when they only had one week to prepare. I think Holly has some potential, but it will take another week or two to see if her wobbles were due to coming in at the last minute. She’s three weeks behind in building up her strength and cardio endurance, so the big question is how fast her body can catch up with her charisma.

* Ty Murray and Chelsie Hightower
Cha Cha Cha: 14

There’s not much to say on this one. Unless we see a big change in next week’s dance, I’m afraid Ty may be going home. I like that everyone has two dances before the first cut this year and it will be nice to see him try again. Especially since Ty seems like such a sweet guy.

* Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas
Waltz: 23

She may be young, but Shawn carried herself with surprising elegance and confidence. She certainly has a lot of talent and so much girl-next-door cuteness. Although, her youth could be a challenge. In the waltz, Mark had a sweet, older brother vibe going. He’ll have to be careful to not come off as creepy though when they get to the sexier dances.

* Steve Wozniak and Karina Smirnoff
Cha Cha Cha: 13

Well, The Woz had the most entertaining judges’ comments of the night. I loved when Bruno said it was “like watching a Teletubby going mad on a gay pride parade” and Tom came back with, “let’s see him get an appointment at a Genius Bar any time soon!” He won’t be in the finals, but I’m looking forward to seeing his next dance.

-- Quick side note: Karina’s expression when Woz was explaining how dancing is both “left brain” and “analog” cracked me up. And, Steve, I totally get what you meant and agree!

* David Allan Greer and Kym Johnson
Waltz: 19

I’m always a bit on the fence about David Allan Greer, but his dancing has promise. I just felt that something was missing, some sort of lack of commitment. After hearing the judges comments about his facial expressions, I think that might have been it. He had the moves, but not the emotional connection to the dance.

* Denise Richards and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Cha Cha Cha: 18

I just didn’t like this dance. Denise was nervous and awkward. She reminds me of Kim Kardashian last season. She’s pretty and she’s trying, but she’s just not a natural dancer. I tend to root for the underdog, so I’d like to see her improve, but I’m not holding my breath.

* Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani
Waltz: 23

Two days! There will be those who scream that Melissa’s previous ballet experience is unfair, but ballet is not ballroom. As Len mentioned there are habits she will have to break when they start judging more on technique and content. Tony did a wonderful job of translating her existing strengths into a waltz on such short notice.

At this very early point in the competition, my pick for the top three -- in no particular order -- are Gilles and Cheryl, Shawn and Mark, and Melissa and Tony. I’m also keeping my eye on the Houghs and their partners. Both Julianne and Derek have proven to be great teachers and they are each paired with stars who have a lot of potential.

Leaderboard:
24 -- Gilles and Cheryl
23 -- Melissa and Tony
23 -- Shawn and Mark
21 -- Lil’ Kim and Derek
20 -- Chuck and Julianne
19 -- David and Kym
18 -- Holly and Dmitry
18 -- Denise and Maks
17 -- Belinda and Jonathan
17 -- Steve-O and Lacey
16 -- Lawrence and Edyta
14 -- Ty and Chelsie
13 -- Steve and Karina

My Bathroom Remodel

Yes, it's finished and I'm finally posting pictures of our new master bathroom!

To those who waited through the 2+ month project, I'm sorry it's taken so long to get these pictures online!

I was hoping to pick some wall art to add above the tub before taking pictures, but I haven't had much time for shopping and haven't decided on the right piece yet.

It was a lot of work to pick out every little piece and pull the whole thing together, but we had an amazing contractor and are so happy with the results!!

There are several before and after pictures posted here.

Each picture has some additional information added below. The entire bathroom was gutted and rebuilt, so we found out just how many things there are to buy when remodeling!

I hope you enjoy browsing the pictures!

Castle Premieres Monday

With Dollhouse on Fridays and Castle premiering on Monday, it looks like there will be two great dramas to bookend my weekends.

Like Dollhouse, Castle stars another of my favorite former Buffy actors. Nathan Fillion plays Richard Castle, a best-selling author of the macabre who is brought in to help the police when a killer begins copying murders from his books. He decides to base his next main character on police detective, Kate Beckett (played by Stana Katic), and pulls some strings to get permission to continue to consult on her cases.

The chemistry between Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic is amazing and Richard Castle seems to be the perfect role for Nathan Fillion.

Watch an overview of the show:



The show has a superb cast. I have loved Nathan Fillion since his days as Malcom Reynolds on the too-short-lived Firefly series and adore him as Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog. Others may know him better from Desperate Housewives or the movie, Waitress.

See more of his bio and the rest of cast, including Stana Katic (24, Quantum of Solace) and Susan Sullivan (Dharma and Greg, My Best Friend's Wedding) at Castle's website.

Also, to whet your appetite before Monday night, ABC is showing the entire first act (13 minutes) of the premiere episode online:



I'm setting my DVR!