Trav's Thoughts

I missed my bloggoversary on 28 Oct. I have now been blogging for three years.

YAY ME!

Thanks for the reminder Julie!

Are you ready for Blog Blast for Peace? It's coming up fast...this Thursday in fact.

"If I have been of service, if I have glimpsed more of the nature and essence of ultimate good, if I am inspired to reach wider horizons of thought and action, if I am at peace with myself, it has been a successful day." Alex Noble

Check the top of my side bar to your right for all the information you need to participate in this year's Blog Blast for Peace. Please consider joining us. If you need help with your Globe, let me know in comments.

Help us spread the word about Blog Blast for Peace coming up on 5 November 2009, and you can grab the Worker Bee badge you see at the top of my sidebar to fly for yourself.

You know you want to join us. Come on. Do it.

I believe that words have power, so this matters.

You'll find a bit of frivolity if you scroll down. But this space is for Mimi, and for her daddy, who passed yesterday morning.

The Beyond and the Before

Far into the future is a moment we cannot see
Beyond is a vastness we cannot know
Before is the life we must live

Intertwined are the beyond and before
Like a sunset blends with horizon's wave
Different as night from day
Yet without the one is the other pointless

All that begins shall soon end
And in ending begin afresh

Mimi's Daddy (26 November 1933 - 27 October 27 2009)

The moon is full.
Run the bases, Sir.
Run the bases.

It's live from Hollywood!



Our encore is the competition Mambo marathon. If the video here doesn't play, check it out here.


Taylor Swift is in the ballroom before we get to anything else, with a song called Jump and Fall. I don't like it.

Now my timing is all thrown off! Let's see...oh right! This is where I remind you of our leader board from performance night.

36 Joanna and Derek
33 Aaron and Karina
33 Mya and Dmitry
32 Mark and Lacey
31 Donny and Kym
28 Kelly and Louis
24 Melissa and Mark
22 Michael and Anna
21 Louie and Chelsie

It's the big skeery double elimination this week, with a dance off. The couple with the lowest combined votes and judges' score will be eliminated. Then the next two lowest will dance off to say in the competition. The judges will decide between them. Yikes!

Here we go with some results. Joanna and Derek are safe. Mark and Lacey are safe. Donny and Kym are safe...Woooooooooo from me and Squeeeeeeeee from Pam. Aaron and Karina are safe.

Tiempo Libre performs. That was some pretty hot Mambo.

More results. Mya and Dmitry are safe. Kelly and Louis. Happy Birthday Kelly!

So the bottom three is Louie & Chelsie, Michael & Anna, and Melissa & Mark.

Taylor Swift returns. I don't like this song either. I'm certain it wasn't supposed to be flat and off key. But I do like that the pros did a little dancing. We saw Jonathan, Anna, Tony, Cheryl, Maks, and Edyta. Hmmmm...our pros got a bigger ovation than Ms Swift.

Results. Melissa and Mark are out.



So we have a dance off. Each pair has chosen their own music, costumes, and dance style.

Michael and Anna dance Samba. I'm surprised that they would select this style. He's not doing badly, but he still doesn't have the technique or structure to his footwork. There wasn't much content, but in the short amount of time, he brought the right flavor to it. It was a fun performance.

Louie and Chelsie dance Jive. I can't believe I didn't see him drop Chelsie on her backside last night. The problem with Louie is that he doesn't have any rhythm. It becomes very evident when he tries to perform one of these quick dances. He had the energy in the performance, but he couldn't overcome the expected footwork stumbles.

Judges had positive and negative comments for both pairs.

And the final result is...Michael and Anna are safe.

So that means Louie and Chelsie are out.



Next week we have the return of Team dances, plus individual dances...and another skeery double elimination.

Due to a slight problem from the construction, we weren't able to watch the first performance night for our Top 20. We got locked out for a couple of hours because the deadbolt on our front door broke. We didn't get into the condo until right before 8pm, so at least we were able to click on the DVR to record DWTS results.

But that meant we only caught the last 20 minutes or so of SYTYCD. Evidently, the kids paired up as usual and danced their routines. But rather than viewer votes to decide the bottom 3 couples who then dance solos, the judges selected two guys and two gals to dance solos to stay in the competition.

The four chosen were Pauline, Ariana, Brandon, and Russell. The two who went home were Ariana Debose and Brandon Dumlao. Brandon is the dancer selected to replace Billy Bell, who had to withdraw due to illness. I didn't have a chance to grab a photo of him.


I haven't decided whether I'm going to be able to handle reviews for this show right now. I'll let you know.



Remember, we're counting down the days to 5 November 2009 with Peace Quotes. We're just 7 days out.

"Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude towards us." John N Mitchell

Check the top of my side bar to your right for all the information you need to participate in this year's Blog Blast for Peace. Please consider joining us. If you need help with your Globe, let me know in comments.

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You know you want to join us. Come on. Do it.

I believe that words have power, so this matters.

It's live from Hollywood!



Our 9 remaining couples dance either Jitterbug or Waltz this week. My gram taught me how to Jitterbug when I was a kid. I can't do it anymore, but we always had fun with it! And of course, a true fairy tale Waltz is one of my favorite things.

Plus, the group will take the stage for a competition Mambo. This is new.

So, Jitterbug is FUN! Lots of kicks and spins and throws and lifts. This is Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer.


And Waltz...well, every Waltz should be romantic and elegant and tell a wondrous fairy tale. This is Karen and Marcus Hilton, the pair I always turn to when I need classy.


Now let's see how our pairs do.

Mya and Dmitry dance Jitterbug. Sometimes I enjoy the introductory steps before the couples actually start dancing. It can set the stage for the story. But this time I think they took a little too long to get into the dancing, although when they finally got into it they had the full flavor despite the tempo being a bit on the slow side. I would have liked to see her bounce a little more, but perhaps her sore hip held her back. She made up for it with the smile and expression on her face through the whole routine. They had all the classic Jitterbug movements and their synchronization was spot on. That word expectations reared up again...I think the judges hold Mya to a different standard than some of the other celebrities. Judges say 8,7,9 for a total of 24. Well, I thought it was worth 8's across and they got a 24 anyway.

Melissa and Mark dance Waltz. Shirley Ballas spent some time at rehearsal this week. Melissa's opening lines were very nice. But she wasn't nearly as graceful as I would have liked. The gown couldn't hide the fact that her legs are still her weakness. Still, she got all the steps in the right places and really didn't put a foot wrong. I did agree with Len that her musicality was pretty good. She's just not your basic tall statuesque dancer. For Melissa, I think the performance is generally better than the actual dancing. Still, she's charming and I like her. Judges say 7,7,6 for a total of 20. I think the 6 is too low.

Mark and Lacey dance Jitterbug. Mark has quite a bit of momentum coming off last week's excellent Paso. Plus, you can see by the Jitterbug clip I chose that this is a strong dance for Lacey. They had energy and bounce and flair. Mark was terrific with all the tricks. There might have been too many tricks. I wanted a bit more kicks and spins and dancing, and a little bit more controlled technique. And there was that bit of missed timing right toward the end. But that's picking nits because the dance was right on the edge as a Jitterbug should be. Judges say 9,9,8 for a total of 26. Yeah, they were on their way to at least one 10 without that little stumble.

Aaron and Karina dance Waltz. I think he's more relaxed in the ballroom styles, but in this dance he was so stiff and awkward. Plus he had his Tango serious face on when he needed a much softer, more romantic expression. Karina is a beautiful woman and he danced with her like she was a rock. I'm sorry, that was one of the worst Waltzes I've every seen. No romance, no grace, no warmth, no elegance. I don't know what dance the judges were watching. Maybe they've gotten tired of being harsh with him. What they saw as dignified and gentlemanly, I saw as awkward and disconnected. I didn't like the dance at all. Judges say 8,9,8 for a total of 25. I don't agree with that score.

Michael and Anna dance Waltz. Last week, Michael could get away with stomping and walking through the Paso. This week, he has to be graceful and dance. I dislike Michael Irvin, but I have to give the man props. He danced that very well, and you could see how much he enjoyed it. I can tell you from experience that dancing a Waltz well is a tremendous feeling because you make your Lady's face shine up into yours. That's romance. That's the fairy tale. That's charming. Michael and Anna had it. It wasn't technically good. He had issues with posture and frame. But the dance was enjoyable, it had a reasonable amount of elegance and grace, and I'll give him props all day for that. And I have to give a nod to Anna's choreography. Judges say 6,8,6 for a total of 20. You know what? I liked this Waltz better than Aaron's.

Kelly and Louis dance Jitterbug. Kelly must dance Jitterbug on a sore ankle. Her grin is so infectious. YES! The word for that performance is delightful! Her expressions were spot on through every movement. And Louis' choreography suited her perfectly because he protected her bad ankle but still brought enough energy to it. She had a little stumble coming out of the back flip and that threw off her timing through the end of the dance. Mostly that comes from her still worrying about making a mistake. But that's forgivable. For my money, she did very well. She brought energy and excitement to the performance. This was a terrific performance for her. Judges say 7,6,7 for a total of 20. I don't like that score.

Louie and Chelsie dance Jitterbug. Chelsie got Ty Murray to loosen up during Jitterbug last season. I don't think she was able to work the same miracle with Louie. There were some things he did fairly well, like the tricks and a few of the kicks. But there wasn't a lot of dancing in the dancing. The performance did have energy and enthusiasm, but he isn't precise and he has no technique at all. He does try and he has fun. That's not good enough for the competition, but it makes for a nice bit of entertainment. He's charming and charm does work in a guy's favor once in awhile. Judges say 7's across for a total of 21. I'm sorry, but that wasn't better than Kelly and Louis, even by one point.

Joanna and Derek dance Waltz. Derek's choreography always impresses me in Waltz. He did another wonderful job, except for a couple of spots in the middle that just looked awkward and ugly. Joanna seemed to bring her rubber legsses back this week. If you just watched Joanna and Derek from the waist up, the dance was elegant and lovely. But there were quite a few problems from the waist down. She had a few footwork bobbles, but nothing really as glaring as the trip from last week. And would someone please put a seatbelt on Bruno?!?!? Sit down man! Overall, I don't think the dance was as good as it could have been. Judges say 8,9,9 for a total of 26. I think that score is too high.

Donny and Kym dance Jitterbug. Now we have the FINALLY squee. LOL! Give the girl a break...she waited more than 90 minutes. Yikes. They had a little trouble with the steps in the beginning. But then they pulled it together. The dance was full of classic Jitterbug steps. It was fun and fast and full of energy. They never stopped moving and danced it right on the edge like a good Jitterbug should be danced. Pam didn't squee at the end...she gave it a WOOOOO! It wasn't a perfect dance, but the performance rolled right on through the footwork, timing, and synchronization issues. Oh...Pam knows it wasn't perfect but she liked it anyway. Judges say 8's across for a total of 24. The score gets a BOOO.

Now the competition Mambo is for judges' ranking points. The time is four minutes, and the couples must keep dancing until they get tapped on the shoulder. So it's a marathon with the ranking points awarded as the pairs are eliminated, with first out getting 2 points and so on up to 10 points for the last pair standing.

I think the female celebrities may have an edge in this competition because the male pros can lead them through movements that may not be choreographed in advance. The male celebrities need to learn enough movement to last the full 4 minutes.

Here we go. I can't really see them all so i'll just tell you the order they finish. I can tell you that they are each dancing in a spotlight rather than moving around the floor, until there are just a few couples left. First out is Michael and Anna (2), then Louie and Chelsie (3), then Melissa and Mark (4), then Kelly and Louis (5), then Mark and Lacey (6), then Donny and Kym (7, and Pam says boooo), then Aaron and Karina (8). And just as I thought, two female celebrities are left. Mya and Dmitry (9) finish second and Joanna and Derek (10) finish first.

That is a great competition! I liked that a lot.

Here's our leader board after the single dances and the marathon:

36 Joanna and Derek
33 Aaron and Karina
33 Mya and Dmitry
32 Mark and Lacey
31 Donny and Kym
28 Kelly and Louis
24 Melissa and Mark
22 Michael and Anna
21 Louie and Chelsie

You know Pam's votes went to Donny. I split this time between Donny and Kelly. I think this is the last week for me to split. I'm going to have to commit.

Oh no! It's the dreaded double elimination tonight with a dance off. Tune in for results!

There was a special last night to introduce the Top 20. I had to record it and didn't get a chance to watch yet. And for Pete's sake! The first competition show is on tonight opposite the DWTS results.

Sheesh!

I may have to withold reviews until Top 10. We'll see how things go.

Remember, we're counting down the days to 5 November 2009 with Peace Quotes. We're just 8 days out.

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." Leo Buscaglia

Check the top of my side bar to your right for all the information you need to participate in this year's Blog Blast for Peace. Please consider joining us. If you need help with your Globe, let me know in comments.

Help us spread the word about Blog Blast for Peace coming up on 5 November 2009, and you can grab the Worker Bee badge you see at the top of my sidebar to fly for yourself.

You know you want to join us. Come on. Do it.

I believe that words have power, so this matters.

Take This Tune is a feature hosted by my pal Jamie at Duward Discussion. Jamie puts up a video prompt complete with lyrics to the song, and the task is to write something inspired by the title of the song or something in the lyrics.

This week's prompt refers to Hank Williams. Jamie reminds us of songs written about encounters with the ghost of Mr Williams. For those of you who don't know, Hank Williams is one of the most influential song writers in American music. He didn't just have an impact on country music. Rather his influence can be found across all genres.

It is his untimely death at the age of 29 that inspires my post today. Mr Williams suffered from chronic pain for nearly his entire life, possibly due to an undiagnosed case of spina bifida occulta. This likely led to his abuse of alcohol and drugs. He died on 1 January 1953 in the back of a chauffeur driven Cadillac, officially from heart failure. However the curcumstances of his death have always been mysterious.



Whenever an artist dies young, one of the first things that I think is whatever they've given us of their talent is all we'll ever have of it. To name just a handful of talented artists who died too young:

James Dean left us with three iconic performances. He was 24 when he died.

Janis Joplin was a pioneer for women in rock music. She was 27 when she died.

Jimi Hendrix inflenced the way rock music was made and recorded. He was 27 when he died.

John Belushi had exquisite comedic timing and was a mimic of the first order. He was 33 when he died.

Buddy Holly was a pioneer in fusing a pop music sound with country music beats and cadences. He was 22 when he died.

Freddie Prinze was a pioneer Latino comedian and actor. He was 22 when he died.

You can name dozens more. And whether they died accidentally, or from health issues, or from self-inflicted causes, what we have of their work is all they'll ever give us. That's a sad thing. But the work they gave us when they were here is a thing to be celebrated.

I often wonder if a talent solely belongs to the artist, or if that talent belongs to the community. Is a person with talent selfish if they don't share it with the world? Are we selfish to demand that a person share his talent with us?

Of course, it's the talent that we want to experience and enjoy. We only want to be transported by it. Is that callous or cruel of us, to want to enjoy the talent but not be quite so concerned about the person who owns it? Sometimes that talent is so big that all the peripheral stuff that latches onto the talent can consume the vessel. We hear of the death of that artist and we have that moment of disbelief that leads us to a human grief...is the grief for the loss of the artist or the talent, or both?

I don't know. But I know that it makes me angry when an artist leaves too soon. Or, what I think is too soon. I donate money to a foundation if the death is from a disease. I blame the artist if the death is from an overdose or other self-inflicted cause. I want justice if the death is from murder. And I'm at a loss if the death is accidental.

So perhaps we all have a responsibility to nurture and protect talent...to respect it in ourselves if we have it, to carefully share it with those who might enjoy it, and to ease our demands on it when we view it in others. And to guard ourselves against the selfish motives that could become harmful to an artist and rob us of the fruits of the talent.

After all, what you just heard or saw or felt could be all there is.

Remember, we're counting down the days to 5 November 2009 with Peace Quotes. We're just 9 days out.

"People spend a lifetime searching for happiness; looking for peace. They chase idle dreams, addictions, religions, even other people, hoping to fill the emptiness that plagues them. The irony is the only place they ever needed to search was within." Ramona L Anderson

Check the top of my side bar to your right for all the information you need to participate in this year's Blog Blast for Peace. Please consider joining us. If you need help with your Globe, let me know in comments.

Help us spread the word about Blog Blast for Peace coming up on 5 November 2009, and you can grab the Worker Bee badge you see at the top of my sidebar to fly for yourself.

You know you want to join us. Come on. Do it.

I believe that words have power, so this matters.

Before we begin, I just have to say that pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and cookies ROCK!!!

This is the first week of games after the release of the BCS standings this past Monday. You'll find the BCS Top 12 results below. Why have I reduced my reporting of weekly results from Top 25 to Top 12? Because the BCS bowl games seed from the BCS Top 12.

And of course we all know that the only bowl games that mean anything are the BCS bowls, right?

Pppppppfffffffffttttttttttt!

The only bowl game that seems to mean anything these days is the so called BCS Championship game, which will be played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena CA on 7 Jan 2010. I don't consider this to be a real championship game, that's why I say "so-called championship".

Sure the talking heads might make you think that the teams playing in the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and Orange Bowl are in meaningful games. And they are, in terms of the money the universities get for being chosen to participate. But come on. They aren't playing for anything but pride of victory in a post season game, and they all wanted to be selected to play in the BCS championship game.

None of them is playing to advance to the championship game because NCAA football doesn't think a playoff system is feasible. You may read that as the NCAA elite hasn't figured out how to make more money off a playoff system than it does with its current bowl system. Don't let them fool you into thinking it's about the tradition of those bowl games.

So college football fans will watch the games, because that's what we do. And I'll watch the final BCS game too, because I like college football and that's what I do. But you can't make me call the winner of that last BCS game the NCAA champion.

I'm stubborn like that.

Well, Notre Dame was a bit sluggish today. Still, they managed to do enough to avoid a 7th straight loss to rival Boston College.

The issue was in doubt until late because the ND defense couldn't really stop BC and the offense couldn't get the ball in the endzone with any degree of consistency despite 352 yards of offense. The Irish gave up 349 yards to BC, but the Eagles turned the ball over 5 times and the Irish didn't turn it over at all. That was really the key.

Freshman QB Dave Shinskie (he's 25 years old, playing college football after 7 years as a minor league baseball player) threw for 279 yards and a TD on 17 of 35 for BC, but he had those 3 critical interceptions. Sophomore RB Montel Harris was held to 38 yards on 22 carries after rushing for 264 yards last week against NC State.

Junior QB Jimmy Clausen threw for 246 yards and 2 TDs on 26 of 39. Junior RB Armando Allen rushed for 98 yards on 21 carries. Junior WR Golden Tate caught 11 passes for 128 yards and 2 TDs. Yeah, it's still a young offense and that should bode well for next season. But I'm getting a bit tired of waiting for the potential in the next season. Seems that's what it comes down to these days for Irish fans.

Notre Dame hosts Washington State next week.

My neighbor is a UW grad. She was so excited this morning to be going to the game. I wish it had been a better result. #11 Oregon reminded the Huskies that they still have some work to do to get back among the top teams in the Pac-10.

Freshman RB LaMichael James rushed for 151 yards and 2 TDs on 15 carries for the Ducks. Junior QB Jeremiah Masoli only threw for 168 yards, but he accounted for another 65 yards on the ground and a total of 3 TDs, one by pass and two by run.

For the Huskies, junior QB Jake Locker threw for 268 yards and a TD on 23 of 45. But he also threw a couple of interceptions. Freshman RB Chris Polk ran for 101 yards and a TD on 18 carries.

Washington travels to UCLA on 7 Nov. Oregon hosts #7 USC next week. The Ducks are the only undefeated team in the Pac-10 standings. They can't win the conference by beating USC, but they could put themselves in the driver's seat.




Here are the results for the BCS Top 12:

1 Florida (7-0,5-0) beat Mississippi State 29-19. Although Tim Tebow threw 2 interceptions that were returned for TDs, he combined with Chris Rainey to rush for 178 yards and 2 TDs. Dustin Doe returned an interception for a TD.
2 Alabama (8-0,5-0) beat Tennessee 12-10. Alabama blocked Tennessee's game winning field goal attempt as time ran out.
3 Texas (7-0,4-0) beat Missouri 41-7. Colt McCoy threw for 269 yards and 3 TDs on 26 of 31.
4 Boise State was leading Hawaii 17-0 in the 2nd quarter when I shut down.
5 Cincinnati (7-0,3-0) beat Louisville 41-10. Zach Collaros threw for 253 yards and 3 TDs on 15 of 17.
6 Iowa (8-0,4-0) beat Michigan State 15-13. Ricky Stanzi threw 7 yards to Marvin McNutt for the game winning TD as time ran out.
7 USC (6-1,3-1) beat Oregon State 42-36. Allen Bradford rushed for 147 yards and 2 TDs on 15 carries. For OSU, Sean Canfield threw for 329 yards and 3 TDs on 30 of 43 and Jacquizz Rodgers rushed for 113 yards and a TD on 20 carries.
8 TCU (7-0,3-0) beat #16 BYU 38-7. Andy Dalton threw for 241 yards and 3 TDs on 13 of 24.
9 LSU (6-1,4-1) beat Auburn 31-10. Jordan Jefferson threw for 242 yards and 2 TDs on 21 of 31.
10 Miami (5-2,2-2) lost 40-37 in OT to Clemson. Kyle Parker threw for 326 yards and 3 TDs on 25 of 37.
11 Oregon (6-1,4-0) beat Washington 43-19.
12 Georgia Tech (7-1,5-1) beat Virginia 34-9. Jonathan Dwyer rushed for 125 yards on 25 carries. Anthony allen rushed for 103 yards and 2 TDs on 11 carries.

It rained in New York yesterday and game 6 of the ALCS was postponed until this evening. The Yankees lead the best of 7 series 3 games to 2.

Joe Saunders is scheduled to pitch for the Angels, while Andy Pettittie will start for the Yankees. Saunders went 7 innings in game 2, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, striking out 5 while waking only 1. He gave up 1 home run. Pettitte went 6.1 innings in game 3, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits, striking out 2 and walking 1. He gave up 2 home runs.

Remember, we're counting down the days to 5 November 2009 with Peace Quotes.

"Speak softly with authority while breathing in peace and breathing out love." Sometimes Saintly Nick

Check the top of my side bar to your right for all the information you need to participate in this year's Blog Blast for Peace. Please consider joining us. If you need help with your Globe, let me know in comments.

Help us spread the word about Blog Blast for Peace coming up on 5 November 2009, and I'll get a fellow Worker Bee to send you a copy of this badge to fly in your sidebar.

You know you want to join us. Come on. Do it.

I believe that words have power, so this matters.

I think USA Network has a real winner with this new show White Collar. It premiered last night and I really liked it.

Tim DeKay as FBI agent Peter Burke and Matt Bomer as Neal Caffrey

I like the chemistry between the two lead actors. It's very comfortable. If you like above standard buddy shows, you might like this. It airs Friday at 10pm.

Remember, we're counting down the days to 5 November 2009 with Peace Quotes.

"Snowflakes, leaves, humans, plants, raindrops, stars, molecules, microscopic entities all come in communities. The singular cannot in reality exist." Paula Gunn Allen

Check the top of my side bar to your right for all the information you need to participate in this year's Blog Blast for Peace. Please consider joining us. If you need help with your Globe, let me know in comments.

Help us spread the word about Blog Blast for Peace coming up on 5 November 2009, and I'll get a fellow Worker Bee to send you a copy of this badge to fly in your sidebar.

You know you want to join us. Come on. Do it.

I believe that words have power, so this matters.

From thousands to 152 to 38 and, by the end of the hour, to 20.

Welcome to the next phase of

Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Adam Shankman, Debbie Allen, Mia Michaels, and Tyce Diorio will make the announcements.

In the order they were announced, our Top 20 dancers are...

Nathan Trasoras, 18, contemporary dancer from Downey CA

Kathryn McCormick, 18, contemporary dancer from Burbank CA

Channing Cooke, 18, contemporary dancer from Haverhill Mass

Ariana Debose, 18, contemporary dancer from Raleigh NC

Ellenore Scott, 19, contemporary dancer from NY

Billy Bell, 19, contemporary dancer from Palm Beach FL

Russell Ferguson, 20, krumper from Boston Mass

Kevin Hunte, 23, hip hop from New York NY

Bianca Revels, 20, tap dancer from Detroit MI

Phillip Attmore, 25, tap dancer from Los Angeles CA

Peter Sabasino, 22, tap dancer from Philadelphia, PA

Victor Smalley, 20, contemporary dancer from Miami FL

Jakob Karr, 19, contemporary dancer from Orlando FL

Mollee Gray, 18, jazz dancer from Upland CA

Pauline Mata, 18, contemporary dancer from West Covina CA

Noelle Marsh, 18, contemporary dancer from Sanford NC

Jonathan "Legacy" Perez, 28, B-Boy from Los Angeles CA

Ryan DiLello, 28, ballroom dancer from Springville UT

Karen Hauer, 27, American rhythm dancer from Fort Lee NJ

Ashleigh DiLello, 26, ballroom dancer from Springville UT

Count 'em up...THREE TAPPERS!!!! I wish one of them was Ryan, but I'm so happy for these three dancers.

Bit of tough news though...Mia Michaels announced that she has resigned as a choreographer and judge for Season 6. I'll miss the innovative and emotional pieces she created for the show, but I wish her luck and I look forward to perhaps seeing more new choreographers.

I'll round up photos of the kids as soon as they are availabe. Tune in next week when the search for America's favorite dancer begins!

Congratulations to my Dodgers. Although the Phillies eliminated them tonight 4 games to 1, they still had a great season. They won the NL West. But, they just weren't quite good enough to dethrone the defending champs.

I'm disappointed, but there's always next year.

Remember, we're counting down the days to 5 November 2009 with Peace Quotes.

"We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." Viktor Frankl

Check the top of my side bar to your right for all the information you need to participate in this year's Blog Blast for Peace. Please consider joining us. If you need help with your Globe, let me know in comments.

Help us spread the word about Blog Blast for Peace coming up on 5 November 2009, and I'll get a fellow Worker Bee to send you a copy of this badge to fly in your sidebar.

You know you want to join us. Come on. Do it.

I believe that words have power, so this matters.

Cue that theme music. It's live from Hollywood!



There were some excellent performances last night. Here are my selections for another look.

Mya and Dmitry danced what I thought was a nearly flawless Argentine Tango, but what the judges criticized as too technical. Click here to enjoy the dance.

Mark finally got everything working in a Paso Doble that Lacey expertly choreographed to emphasize his strenghts. Click here to enjoy the dance.

Kelly and Louis presented a hard rocker version of Paso Doble, stomping their way to a fierce performance to Ozzy Osbourne's Crazy Train. Kelly injured her ankle during the dance. Click here to enjoy the dance.

Dance of the night goes to Donny and Kym for their elegant, sophisticated, and surprisingly passionate Aregntine Tango. Click here to enjoy the dance.

And one more, if you have time. Click here to enjoy the group Hustle. Sorry I could only find the long clip.

Here's a reminder of how our 10 couples landed on the leader board after Monday's performances:

29 Donny and Kym
27 Mya and Dmitry
26 Mark and Lacey
24 Kelly and Louis
24 Joanna and Maks
24 Aaron and Karina
23 Melissa and Mark
22 Natalie and Alec
22 Louie and Chelsie
21 Michael and Anna

The judges select the Argentine Tango from Donny and Kym as the encore. Yikes! Did you hear the squeee? That might have been the loudest one yet.

Norah Jones is in the ballroom, performing It's Gonna Be. I like this song. It's got a bluesy jazz kind of vibe. And her dancers had a little bit of Fosse-ish choreography going on. Nice.

Results! Mark and Lacey are safe. Donny and Kym are safe...yes yes, there was yet another squee. Mya and Dmitry are safe. Kelly and Louis are safe. Michael and Anna are safe.

Norah Jones returns to perform Come Away with Me, accompanied by Anna and Jonathan. That was simply a stunningly beautiful Waltz. And you know I'm a sucker for a fairy tale Waltz. Now can I get an awwwwww? That song was Anna and Jonathan's wedding song. So then the question becomes, why don't I have any Norah Jones in my catalog?



Answer...it's a mystery, but I shall correct that deficiency soon.

Oh, more results. Louie and Chelsie are safe.

Macy's Stars of Dance features our pros in a tribute to the influence of Michael Jackson on music and dance. Throughout all seasons, there have been routines to 17 MJ songs. We're also getting a little retrospective during the show of some of the favorite routines. And the dancing? Brilliant!

Now let's get our final results. Melissa and Mark are safe. Joanna and Derek are safe.

Which means that Aaron & Karina and Natalie & Alec are in the botton two.

Aaron and Karina are safe.

That means Natalie and Alec are out. Dang.



This is a real shame because there are still weaker dancers left in the competition. But as I said last night, and as I've said before, you just never know how the viewers are going to vote. And personality often counts as much as or even a bit more than dance ability.

Tune in next week when one of the dances will be Jitterbug!



Remember, we're counting down the days to 5 November 2009 with Peace Quotes.

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these." George Washington Carver

Check the top of my side bar to your right for all the information you need to participate in this year's Blog Blast for Peace. Please consider joining us. If you need help with your Globe, let me know in comments.

Help us spread the word about Blog Blast for Peace coming up on 5 November 2009, and I'll get a fellow Worker Bee to send you a copy of this badge to fly in your sidebar.

You know you want to join us. Come on. Do it.

I believe that words have power, so this matters.

It's live from Hollywood!

I have been dubbed Dancing Bee by Anndi, a long time blog pal and a fellow Worker Bee for Peace.

Yeah...you know that's gonna stick. Heheheheheheeee!

But did you know that there really is such a thing as a dancing bee? I didn't, so I looked it up. A honey bee will do a waggle dance to communicate to other hive mates which way they should fly in search of food. Seriously! You can check it out here.

That waggle looks a lot like sexy Mambo hip swivels.

Hang on...where was I? Oh right! We're live from Hollywood!

This week our remaining pairs dance either Paso Doble or Argentine Tango, and tackle the always fun group dance.

Paso Doble is a dance that generally features the man. He represents the bull fighter, and the lady represents alternatively the cape and the bull. Paso is characterized by heel lead forward steps, less hip movement than other Latin style dances, and steps that stomp into the floor to emphasize beats in the music. The flavor of the dance is dramatic and aggressive. This is Melinda Torokgyorgy and Maurizio Vescova.


Argentine Tango can be danced in either a closed embrace, which is traditional, or an open embrace, leaving room for embellishments. There is no basic step in Argentine Tango as it relies more on improvisation than patterns. It is basically characterized by intricate footwork and relies on the dancers' ability to make an audience see and feel the music. This is Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo.


Let's see how our 10 remaining couples do.

Natalie and Alec dance Paso Doble. And here we go with the unfortunate music selections. Forgive me, but I have a hard time understanding Paso when it isn't danced to Latin music. I did not like the dance, and it had everything to do with the music. It appeared to be classic Paso choreography. Natalie was dramatic and clean, and there was some power to the movement. But American Woman just ruined the vibe for me. All I really saw was a bunch of steps. The judges also complained that it didn't have the Spanish bull fighting flavor. Well, how could it when it didn't have any Latin music? Judges say 7,8,7 for a total of 22. I don't know if that's too low or too generous. I really hate it when the music gets in the way.

Aaron and Karina dance Argentine Tango. What it comes down to is, can Aaron bring the maturity to this dance that it requires? His face looked blank to me, rather than passionate. He didn't appear to be dancing very much. Rather it was fondle Karina, bury face in Karina's hair, then stand and fling Karina, then step step step, then stop and fling Karina a little more, then step step step, then big dip finish. I didn't get any heat from it. I will give him good marks for controlling his movement and settling things down. The one thing he didn't do was over-perform. He did provide a strong lead for Karina. I just didn't think he danced enough. Judges say 8's across for a total of 24. I don't know that it was that good.

Michael and Anna dance Paso Doble. I'm not telling what Irvin did during rehearsal to train himself to the Paso walk. This was a much better musical selection, describing and enhancing the Spanish bull fighting feel that Paso represents. I have to give him credit for character and drama. He had that flavor and his particular style was suited to this dance. He stomped quite well. He's still not dancing all that much, but he could get away with walking in the Paso. Although he's not a dancer, he pulled of a decent performance. He actually used his size to emphasize the power of Paso. It's definitely his best dance of the season. Judges say 7's across for a total of 21. I'll agree with that.

Mya and Dmitry dance Argentine Tango. I expect a lot from this dance, particularly with Dmitry's track record for Latin choreography. That's what I'm talking about when I say I need to feel the heat. This dance had passion and drama, tempered by romance. It was sensual without crossing any raunch boundry. The footwork was intricate and her lines were exqusite. This dance is flirting with perfection yet again. And they were finally able to please Mr Cranky Pants. I'm really impressed by her precision and sophistication. She's classy and elegant. Judges say 9's across for a total of 27. The main criticism from the judges was "distance without explanation". They thought there wasn't enough of an emotional connection between Mya and Dmitry, and that evidently kept the dance from perfect scores.

Mark and Lacey dance Paso Doble. This dance would seem tailor made for Mark with his martial arts background. And he's got it. Posture, attitude, character...it's all there. I'd like to see him lead a bit more with his hips. But he's making up for that with frame and the way he's controlling the dance. I'll tell you what. Normally Lacey pulls my focus. But this week, I watched Mark. This is an amazing improvement for him and he can be very pleased with that performance. Props to Lacey's choreography as well. He never had that moment of doubt that has caused him to make a mistake in prior performances. Well done. Judges say 9,9,8 for a total of 26. That last 8 could have gone to 9.

Donny and Kym dance Argentine Tango. The nervous squee is back. Pam isn't sure what to expect from Donny in the Latin styles. I thought his footwork was very clean and crisp. This was very well danced. Much better than I expected. It was elegant, passionate, controlled...outstanding. It had maturity. Pam's little nervous squee became an excited squee. Donny really did find and display all the little details that make a Tango work. Kym's choreography was subtle when it needed to be, then escalated to fiery as a counter balance. This dance allowed Donny to combine technique with performance. He nailed this dance. Judges say 10,9,10 for a total of 29. Pam got caught between squeees and grrrrrs! We don't know why Len didn't throw a 10. But the squeees will win out. That was fantastic.

Louie and Chelsie dance Argentine Tango. We're wondering just a bit about Louie and his training for the Olympics coming up in just over three months. Is his mind beginning to wander a bit? I think he can get away with the standing and walking in this dance. But I did want to see him participate in the intricate footwork. He handled the lifts very well, but this was still Chelsie dancing around him and Louie not really doing all that much. I'll give him some credit for portraying the character of the dance and for being a good prop for Chelsie. He was able to set some of the emotion to his performance, and although he didn't really dance all that much, the story worked. Judges say 7,8,7 for a total of 22. That might be a little high, but then again he didn't really make any glaring mistakes.

Melissa and Mark dance Argentine Tango. Unfortunately Mark is ill. But Anna Trebunskaya came in to help Melissa with the character of this dance from the woman's point of view. It seemed to help with performance, but Melissa's legs don't look strong this week. The dance did have the right passion, but there was something missing for me and I can't quite put my finger on it. I think she made a few mistakes. The choreography was very difficult and intricate. Perhaps that was it. Or perhaps it wasn't sensual enough. I don't know. The judges were equally split on it, so maybe it wasn't just me. Judges say 8,8,7 for a total of 23. I honestly don't know if that's right. I still like her though.

Kelly and Louis dance Paso Doble. We're dancing Paso to Ozzy. It's Crazy Train y'all. And there's a skull in the ballroom. Oh man. That actually worked. She was a little unsure in some of the turns. But in hold, she had it. In her words, she was fierce and so was the dance. The footwork across the floor was outstanding. She definitely did her daddy's song proud. That was a hard rock Paso. Just a couple of times she lost that excellent attitude, but those times are becoming fewer. Louis always makes difficult routines and gets her to rise to it. What I find endearing about her is that little bit of nervousness that she gets, and how she works to overcome it. Judges say 8's across for a total of 24. I think that's a good score.

Joanna and Maks, stepping in for a very ill Derek, dance Argentine Tango. The first thing I look at when Joanna dances is her legsses. They were strong this week. This dance suited her very well. She does have some talent for ballroom. Ooops. Just when I was starting to enjoy it, there was a stumble. I'm not sure what happened. I think she missed a step and cause Maks to lose his balance. The dance was really going well up until that point. It really was quite remarkable. Maks' choreography was difficult, but very well suited to Joanna. And she was focused this week. Judges say 8's across for a total of 24. That proves that they were on the way to a big score.

And now we have our group Hustle, choreographed by Corky Ballas. The judges don't get to vote on this. I'll warn you that I really can't describe these group dances very well because everyone gets all jumbled together and it's hard to watch so many dancers. These always have the potential for disaster, but usually turn out to be fun. This time there was very little group choreography. Everybody got some good time for solo work, so I could see how they all danced. That was really terrific! Everybody did great! Well done!

Here's our leader board:

29 Donny and Kym
27 Mya and Dmitry
26 Mark and Lacey
24 Kelly and Louis
24 Joanna and Maks
24 Aaron and Karina
23 Melissa and Mark
22 Natalie and Alec
22 Louie and Chelsie
21 Michael and Anna

Pam is happy and I do have to agree with her that Donny had the best night. Everybody actually did fairly well. Of course Pam's votes went solely to Donny. And tonight, some of mine did too. I split between Donny and Kelly.

Here's the thing. I think that Mya is the best dancer of all the celebrities. But at this point, the personalities are starting to attract my votes. And for me, the best personalities are Donny and Kelly. It helps that they are both dancing very well.

Tune in for results tonight. Members of the Jackson family will be in the ballroom, performing with our pros in a tribute to Michael Jackson.

Remember, we're counting down the days to 5 November 2009 with Peace Quotes.

"There can be no vulnerability without risk; there can be no community without vulnerability; there can be no peace, and ultimately no life, without community." M. Scott Peck

Check the top of my side bar to your right for all the information you need to participate in this year's Blog Blast for Peace. Please consider joining us. If you need help with your Globe, let me know in comments.

Help us spread the word about Blog Blast for Peace coming up on 5 November 2009, and I'll get a fellow Worker Bee to send you a copy of this badge to fly in your sidebar.

You know you want to join us. Come on. Do it.

I believe that words have power, so this matters.