Take the 10 minutes and watch. What's 10 minutes out of your life?
Jim Valvano (1946-1993) died of cancer less than two months after giving this speech. In the 14 years since the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research was established, it has raised more than $60 million for cancer research.
The motto for the foundation is "Don't give up, don't ever give up".
NC State, coached by Jimmy V, beat Houston in the most improbable upset ever to win the 1983 NCAA Basketball Championship. They never gave up. And they created March Madness.
Well gang, I listened to The Mo Show tonight and found out a little more about Google page rank and why it's got some of my blogging pals in various states of outrage. If you missed the live show and you are also stressed over your page rank, please check out the archive on Blog Talk Radio.
Then I spent some time in chat with Mimi,Katherine, and Linda. And they showed me how to find out what my page rank is. I'm not really concerned with it because I don't do pay posts or anything, but I do appreciate learning how to find it.
So I didn't get very far with my rounds and I'll have to catch up with y'all over the next few days.
For now...it's time to take care of an outstanding tag.
Sandee at Comedy Plus tagged me for this over a month ago. I'm embarrassed that I've let it sit so long. But the truth is, I'm not really writing much these days and I don't know about my strengths anymore.
I don't know the origin of the meme, but here's how it works:
“So, here’s the challenge: make a list of five strengths that you possess as a writer/artist. It’s not really bragging, it’s an honest assessment (forced upon you by this darn meme). Please resist the urge to enumerate your weaknesses, or even mention them in contrast to each strong point you list. Tag four other writers or artists whom you’d like to see share their strengths.”
OK Sandee, let's see what I can come up with here. When I was writing effectively, I know there were some things I did well.
1. The first thing that came to mind was attention to detail. I love the details. I think it's important that a reader has a clear picture of the characters and the setting, and I think I provide that.
2. I think I'm adept at finding the right word. I have an extensive vocabulary and I like to use it. And I'm good at going back over my work and changing out words for better ones.
3. I understand how to use proper grammar and punctuation, but I also am not afraid to use unconventional sentence structure when it makes sense to do so. Sometimes it's right to end a sentence with a preposition. Really. Trust me on this.
4. I write dialog pretty well. I think that there is a rhythm to dialog and the reader should be able to hear it when they read silently through it. Dialog is the "voice" of the character and I've worked hard to learn how to give each of my characters a distinct "voice".
5. I think I write action sequences well. I'm able to visualize what I want to happen, find the right pacing, and then put the words down on paper.
Thanks to Sandee for the tag. Sorry again it took so long to do.
I'm supposed to tag four others, but I tend to break the rules on tagging. If this looks like it might interest you, then please feel free to steal it.
I'm still working on the tag from Anndi for the Course Meme, otherwise known as the meme about personal improvement that comes from The Blue Tea person. I was hoping to have that one ready for Friday, but I may need a little more time.
I'm walking a fine line here to stay out of Mimi's dungeon. She might run out of patience with me, so I'm working on my best head tilt and batting eye lashes.
Speaking of our dear Queen, please cruise by Bloggingham Palace today and wish Mimi a Happy Birthday! Look darlin...CAKE!
In comments, Katherine said "...basically I think you've been in love with Marie for twenty years...and you are not the only one..."
Who knew? I certainly did not expect to become so nostalgic that I would pretty much ignore superior dancing skill in favor of the entertainment value of a cheesy vaudeville performer who makes me smile.
By the way...my infatuation with Marie goes back thirty years!
I was actually a little distressed when I read Katherine's comment. I know that wasn't her intent...she was making an observation that should have been clear to anyone reading these reviews over the last several weeks.
But then Pam said, "Babe, people call this a dance competition. And it is. But there are no careers at stake here. There's no huge money prize going to someone who has been training at dance since they were three years old and looking for their big break in the business. It's a bunch of celebrities getting the chance to take dance class from master professionals. And then they dance for our entertainment every week. It's fun and if Marie makes you happy, then dial that number."
Well there you go! Permission!
But then I read that Maks said that he would stake his reputation, and so would any other pro, that “there’s no way Marie can win this show.” He goes on to say...
"People are going to vote for their favorite whether the favorite [can] barely move or their favorite is an amazing dancer,” Chmerkovskiy said. “I love what Marie is about, I love what she represents. She is an amazing woman, amazing family, amazing story and she keeps adding to that story but this is a dance show.”
What a whiny baby.
OK gang...encores. Pam and I picked the dances from Monday's performance finale that we thought were best for each pair.
For Mel and Maks, we thought their Cha Cha Cha was technically outstanding. As we said in our recap post, we think they are the best couple and that she is the best dancer of all the celebrities. Maks is a fantastic teacher and he usually brings out the best in his partner. We thought he let Mel down just a little bit as he out-danced her, but over the course of the season they were the best pair.
For Marie and Jonathan, we thought their Samba was entertaining and charming. That is what the two of them have been all season. She danced for her fans. She had some great moments with her Foxtrot, Quickstep, Viennese Waltz, and Paso Doble. I couldn't find a short clip of Monday's Samba, so scroll through to about 2:09 for the dance.
For Helio and Julianne, we thought they took some tremendous risks and did some really amazing lifts in their freestyle. Although none of the lifts was perfectly executed and the entire dance seemed a little disjointed, it still had all kinds of energy. Helio's strength all season has been his charm. It was in full force during this dance.
Alrighty then. Let's cue up that theme music and find out who gets the dazzling mirror ball trophy this season. Settle in now...it's two hours.
Here's the leader board after Monday's performances:
55 Mel 54 Helio 46 Marie
It's Celine Dion in the ballroom singing My Heart Will Go On, which could be the sappiest movie theme song of all time. Don't get me wrong...we like the song. But you must admit that you can actually get cavities just by listening to it.
Hey Matt! Cheryl had this gorgeous green backless number. And Vinny! Did you see the shoes???
The pros, as ever, beautiful dancing. In fact, let's have an encore with some of those pros shall we?
Yeah! Woooooooooooooooooooooo!!!
Ruh roh. It's time for the first elimination. The third place finishers are...Marie and Jonathan. So now Maks' reputation is intact. And this is the right thing. We enjoyed her so much this season. Here is her wonderful Paso Doble.
Josie and Alec return with their only dance before being eliminated.
Now we're having giggle fits to the silly videos of the three final couples.
And now it's the return of Albert and Anna.
Wayne and Cheryl return, but Wayne will be unable to dance due to a health issue. Matty, this is for you...two time winning pro Cheryl Burke.
Floyd and Karina also won't be dancing. He's preparing for his fight on Dec 8 so he needs to stay focused and healthy for that.
Mark and Kym perform their Foxtrot. We actually enjoyed this when they performed it the first time, and we liked it again this time.
Pam and I are doing a lot of smiling, remembering how much we enjoyed this season.
Sabrina and Mark perform the Cha Cha Cha from the first week. This dance blew us away and we really thought she would make the final. But, as we discovered with Marie, it takes a combination of dancing and fans to get all the way through. But they really were fantastic. The best dance they had together was on the results show last week, dancing to Avril Lavigne.
Oh oh oh oh!! It's Ms Jane and Tony with their Viennese Waltz! Hehehehehehehe. Tony really did lift her that time on the spin. Bite me Carrie Ann!
We're loving the recap videos. But Cameron and Edyta are back to do the ridiculous Superman Paso Doble. This was our least favorite dance of the season. Oh for Pete's sake! Cameron just took off his shirt and gave it to Samantha. Sheesh. Pam needs a moment because now Cam is sitting there with a tuxedo jacket and vest but no shirt.
The photo is from Google Images and I posted it because Pam told me to.
Let's just settle down now!
Is everyone ok to continue? I mean really! Pull yourselves together. First it's Cheryl in a backless dress, then it's the shoes, now it's Cameron with no shirt.
Alright...let's move on.
Jennie and Derek are back performing their Mambo. Some have said she should have advanced to the finale instead of Marie. Maybe so. Jennie was certainly the most improved dancer this season.
Pam and I are hoping both Derek Hough and Mark Ballas Jr return next season. Both of them bring energy and outstanding youthful choreography to the ballroom.
Oh that's right! Dancing with the Stars has been nominated for a People's Choice Award.
Celine Dion is back now. I read today that she is very interested in dancing on the show. I was chatting with Julie earlier and she asked me what celebrities I'd like to see next season. I drew a blank, but then I thought of something. Pam and I will be going through some withdrawals from the show, so maybe we'll pose the question in a future post. Name the celebrities you'd like to see dance next season.
Vinny...I'm telling ya...the shoes. Did you see Celine's shoes??? Oh. My. THUMP!
Mel and Helio both get to perform their favorite dance of the season for judges' scores, and then we'll finally know who gets the dazzling mirror ball trophy. And this time they get to do lifts if they want and throw in all the tricks that will fit in 90 seconds.
First up, Mel and Maks dancing Mambo. Yeeeowsa! They chose to do the same dance as the did during competition, but they did it with more energy and fire and passion. It was hot and fast and outstanding, and they didn't bother mucking it up with any new tricks. Her technique has continued to improve all season. She is truly the best dancer of the celebrities, and with Maks they make the best team. Now the question is, did they get enough of the fans? Judges say 10's across for a total of 30. Of course it was perfect! And we really thought it was.
Now it's Helio and Julianne dancing Quickstep. We loved that dance the first time, and we loved it again. They decided not to change up with lifts or tricks either. Why mess with perfection? That was so much fun! The footwork was precise and fast and the choreography was so difficult. He is just so charming and he has learned so much. Plus he has learned how to entertain. Judges say 10's across for a total of 30. What? You didn't think the judges would rock the boat at this stage, did you????
Here is the final judges' leader board after 15 dances for our two finalists:
85 Mel 84 Helio
It might as well be tied.
Well gang. The moment of truth is upon us. Thank you for indulging me every Tuesday and Wednesday for the last couple of months. I would have done this even if nobody was reading. But I do appreciate everyone who has commented and shared the fun with me.
And now we get ready to finish off our final post for this season.
The dazzling mirror ball trophy goes to...Helio and Julianne!!
Oh bother. This happens every Monday. I can't quite finish Manic Monday rounds.
But you know why, right?
Yup! Cue that theme music! Live from Hollywood!
**does a hop jig, a soul twitch, a left leg swing with extra thigh action, and a series of sexy Mambo hip swivels**
Heheheheheheheheheheheheheeeee
Yes, I'm geeking out because this is the performance finale.
In past seasons, the judges have ranked the dancers in a tie so that the fans can choose their favorites. I suspect they will do that tonight with Mel and Helio. But what will they do about Marie?
The first round is judges' choice.
Mel and Maks dance Cha Cha Cha as the judges' choice. Pam just said, "Wow, Maks was fantastic but where was Mel?" By that I believe she means that Maks was kind of dancing for himself instead of making his partner look good. It was a very good dance full of content and difficult choreography. But it wasn't our favorite performance of theirs. Judges say 9,9,10 for a total of 28. We believe that Mel is the best dancer of the three finalists, and perhaps for the entire celebrity cast.
Marie and Jonathan dance Samba as the judges choice. Can I just say how fantastic she looks after so many weeks of dancing? Wow! They look like they are having a blast. And we smiled through the whole dance. She's cheesy and fun and entertaining and she makes it look like everyone should do this. Of course technically she wasn't great. We understand that and we don't care. We enjoy watching her dance with Jonathan. And she remembered to breathe this time! Judges say 8's across for a total of 24. They gave her credit for being the entertainer she is but won't give her the extra point to keep up with Mel or Helio because of technique. We get what they are doing.
Helio and Julianne dance Jive as the judges' choice. This just isn't his dance. He did the technical steps but we thought it was awkward. It didn't seem smooth. We enjoyed it and it was an improvement over the first time they did Jive. It was fun and it had a lot of energy, but we don't think it was great. He's always charming and the fans will be behind that dance. Judges say 8,8,9 for a total of 25.
I have to say that we were most entertained, again, by Marie. Helio and Mel are better dancers, but they weren't so technically better than Marie was entertaining.
Did that make any sense????
Next up, the no rules, lifts allowed, freestyle round.
Mel and Maks. Regrettably we don't care for the hip hop style. They definitely danced well, but we didn't like it. We didn't find it entertaining. We think Maks should have choreographed something that showed her off better instead of letting her Spice Girls back up dancers add stuff to it. Judges say 9's across for a total of 27. We still think she is the best dancer. For the first time though, we think Maks didn't do well for her.
Marie and Jonathan. Entertaining to the last! They knew the judges wouldn't give them any credit for technical stuff so they just went for fun. The judges hated it. Whatever. She entertained us and we like her. They didn't dance for the judges, they danced for the fans. And nobody can say those lifts weren't difficult. They had plenty of content and they did ballroom stuff. They just played it for laughs and fun rather than any serious dancing. Judges say 8,7,7 for a total of 22. Sure it might be the right score from a technical perspective, but once again we don't care.
Helio and Julianne. They did a lot of really difficult tricks and lifts but the actual dance steps were very basic. Helio did a great job of flinging Julianne around in the air. Those were really tough. And the dance was high energy. Len thought it was the best freestyle of the night, but he didn't say why. Judges say 9,10,10 for a total of 29. We don't know why. We appreciated how difficult the lifts and tricks were, but we weren't really entertained by the dance.
Here's the final leader board:
55 Mel - technically excellent 54 Helio - high energy and excitement 46 Marie - best entertainer
We didn't think that the dancing was terribly impressive tonight. And we don't think any of the celebrities were dancing for the judges. They were dancing for their fans. You could tell that from the freestyle routines, which weren't designed for the judges to enjoy.
Mel and Maks danced for a Spice Girls audience. Marie and Jonathan went for vaudeville. Helio and Julianne went for charm and high energy.
Pam and I aren't using our votes based on tonight's dances. We're looking at the body of work. And if you are a fan, then we hope you used your votes for the celebrity you enjoyed most this season. Or for the celebrity you thought danced the best this season. Or for the celebrity who you didn't know before but ultimately came to enjoy this season.
Do I tell you who we voted for?
Pam voted for Helio. She enjoyed him the most all season.
Me? You guessed. I voted for Marie because she entertained me all season long and because she gave me some serious nostalgia.
Welcome to another Manic Monday with Morgen. Don't forget to cruise by MM HQ at It's A Blog Eat Blog World. Today's theme is Rank.
When you see one star on the lapel of an officer, he is a Brigadier General.
If you see two stars, he is a Major General.
Three stars designates a Lieutenant General.
So what do you call an officer with four stars? You call him Sir.
In the Marine Corps, the Commandant of the Corps is a four star General. He is the highest ranking Marine and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The 34th and current Commandant is General James T. Conway. He was awarded his 4th star in November 2006.
"Marine Corps Ranks are more than just who salutes whom. Marine rank is a badge of leadership. Responsibility for personnel, equipment, and mission grows with each increase in rank."
I pulled that quote from this website that explains more about the various enlisted, warrant officer, and officer ranks and pay grades in the Marine Corps.
That was a frustrating opening drive of the second half. The Raiders started off running the ball well. But then they had some bad penalties with false starts that stalled the drive and they had to punt. Luckily the Chiefs have some similar problems and have to punt the ball right back.
Wow! Jerry Porter just made a great catch on the sideline. And now the Raiders are really driving, mixing up the run and the pass and controlling the bonehead mistakes that cripple an offense. Woooooooooooooooooo!! Touchdown!!
The Seahawks are also driving out of halftime. Too bad they mishandled a play, had a penalty, and couldn't pick up a first down. So they settle for a field goal and still trail the Rams by 9.
Dammit. The Raiders hit the KC QB late out of bounds and then couldn't stop the running game again. So the Chiefs got a TD to re-take the lead.
Well there's finally some big Woooooooooooooooooo coming from the bedroom. Stop it now! You get your mind out of the gutter this instant! The Seahawks got a big interception and followed it up with a huge run deep into SL territory. And the Seahawks get the TD pass from Hasselbeck.
The Raiders are finally getting some pass protection and Daunte Culpepper is taking advantage with two long pass plays to get the Raiders into the red zone. And Woooooooooooooooooooooo!! RB Justin Fargas gets the 14 yard TD run!
More Woooooooooooo from the bedroom as the Seahawks get a 5 yard TD run to take the lead over SL.
YEAH!!!! The Raider defense stops KC on 4th down and keeps the lead! Rather than try a field goal, the Chiefs go for it on 4th down and the Raiders hold with 4:22 left in the game. And then Justin Fargus gets two big runs for back to back first downs and runs almost a minute off the clock.
Wooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!! Victory dance for me!!!!! The Raiders get the first down and now they can run out the clock for the win. Oakland gets its first win against the Chiefs after 9 straight losses, and wins a conference game for the first time after 17 straight conference losses. Yeeeee-haw babies!!!
And we get the double victory dance today as the Rams fumble on 4th and goal from the 1 yard line, so the Seahawks hold on for the win.
I don't hold out much hope that the 49ers will win today and give us the triple victory dance. But they have to play the game anyway so we'll wait and see.
For those of you who keep track of such things, Pam won the coin toss for ownership of the 42" Plasma today...and then gave it up! So she's snuggled under the warm covers with Mr Tucker watching her Seahawks. Just so you know, we have a great 56" tv in the bedroom. It's not high definition, but it's got fantastic color and a great picture.
Wooooooooooo!! The Raiders pick off KC on the second play of the game!! They only get a field goal out of it, but that's a good start on the road.
There is much wailing and gnashing of teeth coming from the bedroom. So I switched over to FOX real quick, and the Seahawks have given up a safety and now a TD to the Rams and are losing 9-0.
Plus, the Raiders have just given up a TD and trail 7-3. **sigh**
And now there are screams of joy from the bedroom as Seattle just ran back a kick off for a TD! Such is the life of a Seahawks fan...one minute swearing and throwing things at the tv, the next doing the victory dance. Mr Tucker has now joined me on the sofa because I'm not yelling...yet.
Yikes! Seattle just fumbled a punt. And the Rams get another TD out of it.
Oakland has only managed a couple of field goals, but they are hanging with the Chiefs. But the problem is that they can't stop the run. KC is chewing them up on the ground.
My Raiders have been competitive through the first half, and that's all I can really expect. But Pam's Seahawks have been anything but competitive. She says they talk a good game during the week, but they don't bring any of the things they talk about to Sunday.
And that's how we leave our morning observations. Both our teams are losing, but I feel a lot better about my team than she does. So I guess we'll have some lunch and see what happens in the second half.
Before we get to the NFL stuff, I have just a few notes on yesterday's college action.
What a great game between Washington State and Washington! Momentum swung back and forth all evening. Cougar QB Alex Brink threw a TD pass with under a minute to play to put WSU ahead 42-35. Husky QB Jake Locker had a couple throws into the end zone to try and tie, but threw an interception on the final play.
In another fantastic game, Tennessee beat Kentucky 52-50 after 4 overtimes. So now UT will play LSU in the SEC Championship game. Funny how people were calling for Coach Fulmer's head earlier in the season. He's got an SEC Championship in his grasp now.
The pain for Irish fans finally came to an end today with Notre Dame's win at Stanford. The Irish finished the season with two wins in a row. It's something positive to take into spring practice next year. I've heard that the Irish incoming freshman class is rated in the top 3 in the country. We'll have to wait and see how that works out. For now, I join all Irish fans in wishing the best of futures for Tom Zbikowski, Trevor Laws, Maurice Crum, and the rest of the seniors.
The BCS is a mess. I mean that in a good way. Here are the results for this weekend:
1 LSU lost to Arkansas 2 Kansas lost to 4 Missouri 3 West Virginia beat 20 Connecticut 4 Missouri beat 2 Kansas 5 Ohio State - idle 6 Arizona State lost to 11 USC 7 Georgia beat Georgia Tech 8 Virginia Tech beat 16 Virginia 9 Oregon lost to UCLA 10 Oklahoma beat Oklahoma State
Kansas gamely charged back against Missouri, but they just ran out of time and couldn't overcome the large deficit the Tigers built off turnovers and penalties. So now there is one unbeaten team left and it's Hawaii at 11-0. The Rainbow Warriors host Washington next Saturday. You know, you can only play the teams that will play you. Hawaii is in the WAC, so that's who they have to play. And if they can't get any other top level programs to play them in non-conference games, then they play who they can. And if they beat everyone in front of them, why should they be shut out of the money? I'm just saying.
Three outstanding teams took care of business on Thanksgiving Day. Green Bay beat Detroit, Dallas destroyed the Jets, and the Colts finally got organized and shut down Atlanta. Indy starts getting some of its wounded players back next weekend. The experience the back up players have gotten over the last month may serve them well. I'd like to see a full strength Indianapolis take on New England again...but there's still a long way to go.
It's no secret that Raider fans hate to lose. We've had to endure a lot of it recently and we're getting grumpy. But if there's one team over any other that we hate to lose to most, it's Kansas City. It's probably going to happen again too. My Raiders have been competitive recently, but just can't seem to get over the hump. We'll have to flip a coin for the 42" Plasma because the Raider game is on CBS opposite Pam's Seahawks on FOX. What? I'm a gentleman, and I would gladly give Pam anything she asked for, but we're talking about football here.
Speaking of Pam's Seahawks, they played well last week and should have no trouble with St Louis. Seattle's trouble comes when they step out of the NFC West and play real football teams with good players. I'm being harsh, but I haven't been impressed with this team all season. They are average, and very lucky to be playing in one of the worst divisions in football. They'll win the NFC West because none of the other teams are any good either.
SF actually beat Arizona way back at the beginning of the season. Since then, the 49ers have gotten progressively worse while the Cardinals have gotten a little better. Arizona actually has an opportunity to challenge Seattle for the NFC West. It isn't likely, but it is possible. Neither team has a difficult schedule down the stretch, and they face each other in Seattle on Dec 9.
I got back into double digits with picks last week:
So now I'm 103-57 on the season, 64%. I need another big week and I'm already off to a 3-0 start from the Thanksgiving games. I've gone pretty standard this week, staying away from upsets as much as possible and going with what I think is the better team. Well, I couldn't pick Kansas City over Oakland...you can scroll back up for a reminder as to why I won't do that.
Packers over Lions Cowboys over Jets Colts over Falcons Seahawks over Rams Giants over Vikings Browns over Texans Bucs over Redskins Titans over Bengals Saints over Panthers Jaguars over Bills Raiders over Chiefs Cardinals over 49ers Bears over Broncos Chargers over Ravens Patriots over Eagles Steelers over Dolphins
I might have some observations throughout the day. Don't forget to check out Turnbaby Talks on Blog Talk Radio at 8pm.
