Proof that 8-Yr Olds Can Dance Better Than I Ever Can, Even in My Dreams

Seriously.  These kids better either be on the next season of ABDC or Red Bull BC One.  Unreal...(thanks to Jonathan Acuff for originally posting!)

Two Thoughts for a Wednesday (Ok, maybe Three)

Sorry, if you're looking for deep, soul-illuminating thoughts, you're out of luck with me tonight.  Just a few quick thoughts and observations that I've had that I feel like putting out there for the world.

1 - Looking for something to watch on TV now that Lost and The Bachelorette are over?  Try the Bachelor Pad for a Elimindate meets Real World meets The Bachelor/ette.  Thank goodness it hasn't crossed the lines into "Flavor of Love" or "Rock of Love" territory yet (two scummy VH1 reality shows).  The operative word there is "Yet".  The redeeming element of the show is Our Host Chris Harrison.  Chris Harrison is just always awesome.  We're bffs in my head - we've had a long relationship - we even finish each other's sentences from time to time! Total Bff status.

Or check out any of the great, fun shows on USA - White Collar, Covert Affairs, Burn Notice (Michael Westin, I love you), Psych (one of the funniest shows on TV, seriously), and Royal Pains.  All have good storylines, fun characters, and are great clever shows.

2 - When I'm housesitting one of the things that I find myself doing is watching music videos on MTV's Comcast music video channel (MTV Hits).  Right now they are showing all the videos that have something to do with the VMAs - either as prior winners or are nominated in some category at this year's upcoming VMAs.  Watching them is like a recent history lesson.  Did you know that Aerosmith won the VMA Video of the Year in 1998?? I know. You feel old don't you?  Did you also know that Steven Tyler (rumored to be one of the new judges on American Idol) is quite the androgynous-looking fellow?  Did you know that Limp Bizkit won the VMA Video of the Year in 2000 AND 2001? I know. Can you believe that Limp Bizkit used to be considered worthy of getting a VMA? Let alone two of them?? No wonder Emimen had such a feud with Fred Durst.  After watching those videos I couldn't believe they actually were that popular!

You know what I also wish? That we could fast forward Justin Bieber 7 years, to when he is 20 years old and has gone through his hook-up with a former Disney channel starlet, and decides to collaborate with The Neptunes to put out his first CD as a solo artist, and then a few years later decides to work with Timbaland and puts out another really awesome album....OH, WHOOPS.  I just realized I was talking about Justin "JT" Timberlake.  Where are you Justin "JT"?? Can you please put out another album and quick so that I don't have to be assaulted by the crap that Justin Bieber is putting out there?  There are only so many "Baby, Oh Baby"s I can take.

Although, as an avid ABDC (as in America's Best Dance Crew) fan, I couldn't help but notice that my girls Beat Freaks and the Season 5 champs Poreotix are in the music video "Somebody to Love"! Go gals and guys - live the dream (even if it means dancing in a Justin Bieber video, ugh - at least Usher is also in it).

I'm looking forward to the VMAs this year - one can only hope that another Kayne-Taylor moment will occur! (You know that's what the execs at MTV are hoping for.)

3 - While this has been a great year in many, many ways, it also has been hard.  My best friend said the other day that 2010 will go down as the year of hard - not bad, just hard.  And I completely agree.  Which is why I'm looking forward to getting away for a week in a little bit.  It'll be a good time to rest, recuperate, read, think, pray, and write.

Annnd with 2 minutes to go, I'm done! Happy Thursday (only 2 more business days then it's the weekend!)!

Thoughts for a Wednesday

I have too many thoughts these days to have one single coherent one, so here it goes:

1 - Spring is right around the corner and my whole being is shaking with joyful anticipation.  Truly, this is my favorite time of the year.  I may have been born a winter baby, but there is nothing like a warm day after a cold, blizzardy winter to lift the spirits to the heights of heaven.  Sandals, dresses, t-shirts, light cardigans, green, green, green, flowers, daffodils, spring cleaning - I love it!!  Too bad there is rain predicted the rest of the week, but oh well - spring is almost here!!

2 - I am obsessed right now with all things fashion.  From Bravo tv shows like "Shear Genius" and "Kell on Earth", to the old standby "Project Runway", to picking up InStyle, Vogue, Elle, and Lucky spring fashion magazines, to finding and discovering this whole world of fashion blogging (which you can find many links to on my blog list), I am in love with all things fashion right now!  I can't help it!  I keep getting inspired and loving everything that I come across.  But I need to start regulating my love to just looking at pictures and getting inspired with all that I already have.

3 - So in watching the Oscars the other night, I noticed to my utter surprise, joy, and amazement, that one of the main dancers during the Best Score montage, was none other than B-Boy Cloud...who I was THREE FEET AWAY FROM AT RED BULL BC ONE!!

4 - Only 9 episodes left of Lost - in some ways I am utterly relieved and in others I am going to be completely devastated when this is all over.  I wonder if I will ever watch network television again.

5 - I am in love with yoga.  It has opened a door to me that I rarely have - that of quiet meditation and yet challenge all at the same time.  It is so awesome and clears my head in a way that I have never experienced with other forms of exercise.  I have learned so much and highly recommend it to everyone :).

6 - This season of ABDC is severely lacking.  In fact the past two seasons of ABDC have been real lackluster.  Maybe all of America's talent was captured in Seasons 1-3 with the likes of Jabbawockeez, Fanny Pak, Kaba Modern, SuperCrew, Beat Freaks, Quest Crew, Strikers All Stars & BreakSk8te.  The only crew that comes close to being as exciting as these past ones is Saltare.  And I miss Shane Sparks.

There are other things floating around, but that is all for now - I can't focus my thoughts enough to have more coherent thoughts other than those! Buona Sera!

On a Lighter Note...

For those of you who read this blog and don't want to read some thoughts on TV shows - please skip this post.

For all the others, keep reading :).

The Bachelorette - Hallelujah and Amen. The Bachelorette is back on!! I enjoy these installments of the The Bachelor franchise so much more than the actual "The Bachelor" series because watching a bunch of guys compete over a girl, who they probably wouldn't even care about if they weren't all thrown together in this scenario, is absolutely hilarious. Though there were no gems like last year's "Lone Wolf", there was just the same amount of hilarity to be had by all. My favorite part of the night had to be watching one of the bachelors try to teach Jillian, the latest Bachelorette, how to break-dance (which, again for regular readers, know that breakers are near and dear to my heart). THEN, as if that wasn't enough, another one of the bachelors had to go and challenge the guy to a DANCE-OFF!! Yes my friends, there was a BREAK-DANCING DANCE-OFF on The Bachelorette. It was the perfect convergence of two loves of my life. Mr. Break-dance master is clearly my favorite and here's hoping that he stinks around for a while. AND if the montage is any indication, there is lots of drama to look forward too! Yay!!

Lost - Are there really words to describe how empty my life now feels with the end of season 5? Probably. But I can't think of them right now. Suffice to say, I wish they made a special hibernation chamber or a deep-9 months effective sleeping pill so that I could just let life fast-forward and pass me by until January 2010 when season 6 debuts and I can find out why in the world they blanked the screen to white! *sigh* At least soul-crushing winter will be alleviated by its return :).

The Hills - I'm ashamed to even write those words here on this blog, but alas, I do tune in to this show - though lately I've been questioning my sanity for doing so. It all has to do with LC - she's the only reason I tune in - the show is going to stink when she is gone. But the only reason I mention it is because LC's last two episodes EVER are upcoming. What will I do when I can't watch the unrealistic, scripted lives of C-list MTV-made celebrities?

America's Best Dance Crew - I probably plug this show every time that I get a chance, but the season 1 re-runs were on this weekend and my DVR recorded it again and I got to bask in the awesome-ness of Jabbawockeez, Kaba Modern, and BreakSk8 again and marvel at how Status Quo got to the finals. Seriously, the "Thriller" episode is probably one of the best episodes of all three seasons. Watching Kaba Modern re-interpret the "Thriller" video is a must-see. I just love this show.

There are others that maybe I should mention, but those are the only ones that captured my attention thus far this week. Oh Bachelorette - thank you. Thank you for such a night of awesome hilarity.

What's On?

This is the question that I find myself asking most evenings when I finally make it out of the office and walk into my apartment, after facing the difficult task of figuring out what I am going to eat. There really isn't any good television right now - nothing that is a not-to-be missed show, with the exception of three shows:



Lost - This one should just go without saying. This is one of the best shows I have ever seen. I love every episode (for the most part) and it always keeps me interested. There are so many twists and nuances to each episode. The characters are amazing and the development of them is phenomenal. It just simply is a fantastic story/mystery that has me wrapped around it's finger. I will be very sad when the last episode airs this season. (Thank goodness summer baseball starts like two weeks later.)



Deadliest Catch - My favorite reality show right now. It probably should be called a docu-reality show. Every episode has me on the edge of my seat, because the conditions that these men work in and come through, are unreal. Last night a ship fishing for cod, away from the crab fleet that the show follows, went down in the Bering Sea, and the cameras followed the Coast Guard as they combed through seas that were experiencing hurricane conditions. This ship was 900 miles away from the nearest Coast Guard station and it took them 7 hours to get to its location. Watching them comb the sea was gut-wrenching because there was very little chance for survivors. And as they found an empty life-raft, my heart just sank further. The episode ended with them finding a man who, though he was in a survival suit, had succumbed to the treachery and conditions of the Bering Sea. This is the reality that the crab-men fish in, and to see the shots of the Bering Sea wash over their boats, and still watch them setting crab pots, with hurricane winds and seas was absolutely unreal. On a much, much lighter note, Crosby on the Wizard should be on the Bachelor - very hot. (Though, the last fisherman the Bachelor had, Byron, turned out to be a kind of a nut job - or at least the girl he picked is - so maybe not.)


My Boys - If you've never seen this sweet comedy, you should check it out. Such a sweet, fun comedy! Besides, the main character on the show, PJ, is a girl that is sort of after my own heart. The show has kind of grown from what it started as, but it has grown in a good way. Jim Gaffigan is absolutely hilarious on this show - I probably laughed for 5 minutes at his part last night. So glad that TBS continues to support this series.

Other shows that I am looking forward to recording this summer - Burn Notice and hopefully a new season of ABDC (fingers crossed!!). Check out Burn Notice on USA if you haven't had a chance. Jeffrey Donovan is awesome, as is the rest of the supporting cast.

Everything else you should just follow through the recaps on EW.com. The people who write for EW.com are hilarious and you don't need to watch any episodes, unless you want to laugh in agreement with their assessments!

This Week's Thoughts for a Wednesday

1 - It is crazy how fast time flies. I cannot believe that it is already March 11th, full on into the second week of March. On the other hand, I am infinitely happy that it is March and that spring is right around the corner - oh how I cannot wait for springtime!! Green trees, green leaves, green grass, green, green, green - The color just refreshes and rejuvenates me!

2 - Well, ABDC finally concluded last week, and I am heartbroken. I don't know how I am going to get through Thursday now that I don't have it to look forward to once I finally get home from work. My prediction did turn out to be correct, and it was Beat Freaks and Quest Crew in the finale. It wasn't a really hard prediction to make, as they were above and beyond the other crews in my opinion, although this season of ABDC was really the best that I have seen. I will always have a soft spot for JabbaWockeez and Super Crew (throw the "S" to the chest!), but the crews on this season were phenomenal by virtue of both their abililty and creativity. I won't give away who won, but honestly, I think it should have been a draw - they are both THAT talented. *Sigh* Now, please excuse me while I go cry until the next season premieres.

3 - Lost is still the best written show on TV, but I am ticked that I have to wait another week till a new episode! What the hay ABC?? Didn't you start the whole season late so that we didn't have to wait??! Not fair...

4 - The World Baseball Classic is going on right now and it is frickin' awesome (spring AND baseball?? I'm in heaven)! The USA actually made it the next round, but what is MORE surprising is that the Dominican Republic team was eliminated!! By the NETHERLANDS!? Say what!?!? Amazing and awesome. Who says baseball is not a world sport, especially when Japan had 4,000 people show up to watch their practice (PRACTICE) session?

5 - I really am super-ready for summer baseball season to begin. Watching the WBC and all this beautiful weather has me antsy to be outside, watching a good game, interacting with all my baseball peeps, and watching my little happy campers run amok at the games.

6 - Speaking of it being March, March Madness is almost here! So excited - it's one of my favorite times of the year. I watched a little bit of the Horizon League Championship game last night (gotta watch those 13 seeds!) and watching the passion and intensity of play in that game was so cool - there's just nothing like it. So I'm sharpening my pencil in anticipation and hope that my picks will catapult me to the top of my office pool!! (Bright-side of downsizing - I now have a better chance of winning the office pool! Before I get laid off too!)

7 - Bachelorgate last week was RI-DI-CU-LOUS. I mean COME ON people, this IS the Bachelor! The After the Final Rose show is usually just a farce - I'm just glad that it was as entertaining as it really was! I feel sorry that Melissa was dumped on national TV, but she did sign up for a reality dating show in the first place! I just think it has been hilarious watching the fallout from it all - so much so that ABC is now milking it to the max and putting Melissa on Dancing With the Stars (which ironically, for all my love of dance shows, I really don't like).

8 - I have a lot of thoughts for this Wednesday, don't I?

9 - After watching the Red Bull BC One, I have decided that if I believed in reincarnation, I would want to come back to earth as a B-Boy. Being 27, I think I have missed out on this dream, but man oh man, how I wish I knew about it back when I was a kid (dang sheltered CT childhood). I don't think I would have been any good at it, but who knows? Maybe I would have actually developed a sense of rhythm or something? Anyway, those guys are all so cool and I just wish I had a smidgen of their talent, but alas, just like ABDC, I am relegated to just uber-appreciating their amazing skill and creativity. Maybe I can somehow become their best friend? Or figure out how to just get in the audience of one of those shows, because those people looked so cool.

10 - I feel like I should say something about the economy, work, world events, Obama, the stimulus bill, etc, but honestly, I just find the whole lot so depressing that I don't want to think about it or write about it today.

So, sorry for no deep thoughts or anything today. I'm sure those will come at some point, but honestly, it's hard to have time for any of those these days. It's just so much easier to be entertained by entertainment. Besides, once we officially get out of winter and well into spring/summer (since spring really only lasts a day in Virginia and then it's hello humidity), I'll be able to think more clearly. Winter is so tough for me to get through - I need to become like my sister and just perpetuate an endless summer for the rest of my life. Thank goodness for spring, green, and blue sunny skies right around the corner!!

Thoughts for a Wednesday

Well, it's time for this week's edition of "Thoughts for a Wednesday" since I only seem to post on Wednesdays lately. And so with no further ado, hear some things I've run across/been kicking around in my head.

1 - Money can bring out the worst in people. The new facts that have come to light about the whole salmonella/peanut butter scandal are absolutely disgusting. When the bottom line becomes more important than doing the right thing, like protecting our food supply from easily preventable diseases, then a price should be paid by those that perpetrated this crime. In a way, this is just as much a form of terrorism as seizing airplanes and crashing them into buildings.

Then you have the whole $50 billion Ponzi scheme perpetrated by Bernie Madoff. Now it seems that his wife withdrew $15 million of real cash right before he turned himself in. It is unbelievable what some people can get away with. And don't even get me started with the members of Congress - whoops, I mean the elected members of the Tax Dodgers club. It kills me that half of my hard-earned paycheck goes to someplace in DC, while these people get away without paying their due.

2 - Last night I saw the premiere of "T.I.'s Road to Redemption: 45 Days to Go" on MTV. Wow. If you judge from a premiere of a show, this is one chilling, amazing docu-reality show. For those who don't know, T.I. is a rapper who was convicted last year by the federal government of possessing firearms, which he was not allowed to have since he was a convicted felon at the time. You might know him from his current hit song with Rihanna, "Live Your Life". This show is as much about him explaining where he has come from and why he did what he did and the 1000 hours of community service that he must perform, as it is about his mission to go to 7 strangers and help them turn their lives away from "the streets" to a more stable and full life. Last night's episode focused on this kid that he knew named Lil' Pee Wee who was a hustler. Talk about intensity. I don't want to give too much away because I want people to see it for themselves. But let me just say that it opened my eyes and broke my heart to actually see the reality of this way of life that I am sheltered from in my little small town. Much like my trip to Nicaragua back in 2004 threw real third world poverty in my face, this showed me a side of American life that was hard to see.

T.I.'s Road to Redemption - MTV Shows

3 - I maintain that The Dark Knight was robbed. There is no way that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button should have 13 nominations, except maybe in the makeup category. And if you need any further proof, check out this video that my friend Rebekah pointed out to me.

4 - I feel really sad about the whole Chris Brown/Rihanna situation. They seemed like such a cute couple, two really good, cool, and immensely talented people. It makes you wonder what in the world happened that it would make Chris Brown do what it seems that he did? It makes me wonder if he will be able to bounce back from this. I sort of hope so, because it again just makes me so sad to see such a talent go to waste because of a really, really, really stupid decision. But what he is being accused of is pretty serious stuff. I guess we will just have to wait and see, but again, what a real, real shame.

5 - Lost is on tonight!!!! Hallelujah and holler-ation - cannot flippin' wait. This must be the real reason why I have subconsciously only been posting on Wednesdays, just so that I can continue to promote the best television show on TV. Also, no lie, Rebekah and I literally spent probably 3 of our 4 hour drive to Wilmington/Carolina Beach this past weekend theorizing about all the different loose ends and mysteries of the show. If you want a semi-spoiler of where this show will be going this season, check out this latest story on www.ew.com, the best site to find whacked out theories and recaps of my favorite show.

6 - My love affair with ABDC still continues. I literally could and do watch the reruns of this show over and over and over again and I am continuously amazed by these kids' talent. I wish I had some sense of rhythm like they do. But alas, my role seems to be relegated to just appreciating their off-the-charts talent. I believe that the final two is going to come down to Beat Freaks and Qwest crew - they are both just ridiculously awesome.

America's Best Dance Crew (Season 3) - MTV Shows

More Thoughts for a Wednesday

1 - Lost is the best mystery show on television. The acting, the stories, it's all amazing. One hour to go! Cannot flippin' wait.

2 - America's Best Dance Crew might be my all-time favorite TV show. I could watch the re-runs forever. The crews are just amazing, the dancing is out of this world, Mario Lopez is hilarious (and has had to have some plastic surgery) and actually a good reality TV host, JC Chavez has found a great second career, Lil' Mama is hilarious, and Shane Sparks is the shiznit. If you don't know, you don't know.

3 - Shoveling snow is not fun. Shoveling ice is less fun than shoveling snow. Yesterday and today's shoveling was like pushing on the end of a rope - an exercise in futility. The only redeeming quality that winter holds for me is the fact that my birthday is in February but even that is not much of a redeeming quality anymore. At least this is the last week of January!

4 - Cardinals v. Steelers - couldn't ask for a better Super Bowl. Kurt Warner or Troy the American Samoan with the long last name and hair for MVP! And while there ultimately will be a "winner", I truly believe that this is one of those games in which both teams are already a winner just for making it to the Super Bowl.

5 - The Dark Knight was robbed! I totally believe that it was a MUCH better movie than The Curious Case of the Benjamin Button. CCBB was a good movie, but there were plot holes all throughout the movie and how it could beat an amazingly acted, directed, and written movie like The Dark Knight shows how truly out of touch the Hollywood elite are with the public. At the very least, hopefully they will award Heath Ledger a posthumous Oscar for his amazing performance.

America's Best Dance Crew (Season 3) - MTV Shows