What follows is a recent email exchange in response to my Craigslist ad. This is typical of the mentality and writing skills of the local CL users. Comments in italics are my asides. As you'll see at the end, I felt it in my best interests to save this exchange for my own protection. And to share with you, gentle readers, whoever you may be.
Tue, Aug 3, 8:03 pm
Buyer: if still available and can be picked up wed eve after 5pm please call xxx-xxx-xxxx thanks
* Cool. I just love getting emails like this. Probably thumbed on a tiny phone keyboard. I'm not calling until I have a better sense of the kind of person I'm dealing with, and right now, first impression is not good. I sure don't want my number stored on a nutjob's phone.
Tue, Aug 3, 9:10 pm
Me: Yes, it's still available and can be picked up most any time.
Wed, Aug 4, 5:47 pm
Buyer: R u available thurs eve?
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
* Yup, as I thought...fancy phone in the hands of an idiot. Isn't that damn thing on your person at all times? Why a full day for the next contact? Wednesday came and went and now you want Thursday.
Wed, Aug 4, 6:26 pm
Me: Yes I can be.
Wed, Aug 4, 6:37 pm
Buyer: I am coming from xxxx, it would be after 4, does the [item] break down or do u have measurements. Thx
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
* Wow. A reply in just a few minutes.
Wed, Aug 4, 8:35 pm
Me: The measurements are in the ad. The [item] is 2 separate pieces, but that's as far as it breaks down.
* Most any other time I would have given the measurements as a convenience for the buyer. In this case, the immature texts didn't deserve a detailed reply.
Fri, Aug 6, 2:40 pm
Buyer: I'd like to try to arrange a time to view/pick up for sat, avail?
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
* 2 days until the next contact??? No, I don't consider this a serious inquiry, and no longer feel the need to be accommodating.
Fri, Aug 6, 3:49 pm
Me: No, sorry, Sat isn't good. Sunday or any day after that. Please make up your mind. You've changed it every day. I'm not giving out my address or phone until I have a firm commitment from you on when you are going to come and get it. Get back to me when you know for sure. I check my email several times a day. I would think the fact that you're sending from a Blackberry means you do, too. No reason I should have to wait 24 hrs to get a response from you.
* Yeah, I'm getting a little annoyed.
Fri, Aug 6, 3:52 pm
Buyer: Look you don't have to rude, I work crazy long hours and things change min to min, my patients are more important than a [item]! Besides you expect someone to travel 1+ hours to you and you refuse to meet! Get over your self!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
* Here we go. And looky there...caps and punctuation. Meeting wasn't mentioned in this exchange. This reminded me that this person had contacted me before and in the same manner.
Fri, Aug 6, 5:16 pm
Me: Hey I tried real hard not to be rude. I could've been a lot ruder. You're pretty damn rude yourself for assuming everyone should bow to your last minute decisions. I told you why I couldn't meet. It won't fit in my car. No problem if you don't want it. Hope you find what you're looking for elsewhere.
Fri, Aug 6, 5:36 pm
Buyer: Like I said my patients are more important, I wasn't rude, I didn't expect you to bow, but labor knows no bounds, you can shove the [item], if you contact me again I will file harassment!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
* Really. Now you're giving me grins, lady.
Fri, Aug 6, 6:19 pm
Me: Wow, you can write a complete sentence! Maybe if your other emails were written like an adult instead of like a texting kid, I might have given you the benefit of the doubt. Keep that in mind the next time you try to conduct business via your fancy little phone. Not really worried about a harassment charge. I have this entire exchange saved. You contacted me first, you went off on me first, and you've been wasting my time for several days.
Fri, Aug 6, 6:26 pm
Buyer: You contact me via your fancy phone too and was rude first, and texting is short and sweet dumb fuck!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
* Ah...there it is...the CL mentality.
I considered taking this further as I was enjoying getting her blood pressure up. I wanted to tell her that my not-so-fancy phone isn't text-friendly, and I was typing on a big fancy computer keyboard with all of my fingers. Among other things. I decided to let it go. I'm sure she felt very satisfied for having the last word (notice her "intelligent" very last word), and maybe I made her ragtime a little better.
Right after this exchange, I removed the item from that bigger city's list and moved it back to my own. I had posted farther due to a lack of sincere response in my area. The very day it went up again, it was flagged and deleted. Gee, I wonder who the flagger was?
Since then I've been amusing myself with the daily CL drama. Hate to admit it's one of my "must check" sites every time I go online. Ads go up, ads come down, and it's fun to see which and how fast. The occasional jab at the flaggers that you have to catch before it's deleted. I've yet to see a response from the flaggers themselves. Maybe they did post some. There have been a few pro-flagger posts that looked a lot like this buyer's last send. They mostly cower under their Almighty Flag. You don't need reality TV to see the dregs of society. It's all right there in your friendly neighborhood Craigslist.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Craigslist - an internet tyranny
tyranny - arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority.
tyrant - a sovereign or other ruler who uses power oppressively or unjustly.
Craigslist is one of the most popular free classifeds sites in the country, and maybe the world. Everyone knows it, many use it. It's also one of the most unfriendly free classifieds. It's poorly organized, the rules are vague, and the entire thing is governed by tyrants according to their agenda. It is a tyranny.
One of the reasons CL is so popular is its simplicity. No fancy site graphics or advanced webpage dynamics. Just simple HTML links. Anyone can use it with little internet knowledge. As evidenced by the poor communication and writing skills of many of the ad posters, it doesn't take much intelligence either.
You'll notice that I do not provide a link to Craigslist. Even though I sometimes use it, I won't endorse it in any way. But it doesn't matter. Anyone can find it with a simple google.
For the uninformed, the Craigslist Flag is the all-mighty weapon available for anyone to wield. You don't even have to be logged in to use it. Don't like that ad? You can flag it. For any reason at all. Enough flags, and the ad will be deleted. The ad poster isn't given an explaination for being flagged. They have to figure it out based on the rather vague Rules and Terms Of Use. Those same rules and TOU are interpreted by the flaggers however they choose, and it will be according to their personal agenda.
I've been a victim of CL flaggers on more than one occasion. In most of those cases, I had no idea why my ad was flagged. It was similiar to other ads that seemed to be allowed. Or were until the flaggers caught up with them. I couldn't find the reason in the rules.
So I logged in one day and went to the forums. You have to be logged in to use them. There's a flag forum where you are supposed to get help with your ad. Here's what I learned.
- There will be someone manning the forum at all times. Who are these "helpers"? My guess is they are flaggers who apparently have nothing better to do. I saw nothing that made me think they were actual CL employees. I base that assumption on the many rude replies. Flaggers are often rude, small-minded, and many are probably somewhat illiterate.
- You'll get short, curt, and often rude replies to your honest questions. Of course, you'll be referred to the Rules and TOU. Which doesn't tell you much. That's why you are asking the forum.
- When I asked why my ad was flagged, I was told (rudely) that I should have read the email that was sent. Didn't get one...ever. I was told to check spam folders. Did...not there. Oh, I take that back, I did get one, just one, in another email account. Not in the spam folder, BTW. What did it tell me? NOTHING! It's a form email that gives the link to TOU, etc. Right back where I started.
- According to this forum "moderator", my ad was in the wrong category. Ok, I'll buy that. Sort of. In this case, it was a pet accessory. I put it in the Pets category. That's logical, right? I saw other similiar items in that category. He/she said it belonged under General sales. This is where more CL unfriendliness comes in. Who looks under General for pet stuff? There is a huge list of categories for just about everything you can think of. General is for things that don't fit anywhere else. Why isn't there a category for pet supplies? Wouldn't that make sense? It's not like it's an uncommon thing. Far from it. Most other classifieds think it merits its own category. Why not CL? It would certainly cut down the misplaced ads and the "need" to flag.
An added note to the above. Posts requesting items in the related category are also flagged/deleted. Why? Because they are supposed to go under Wanted. Again, who would look there? Remember, we're dealing with a largely uneducated group of users here. They see the word Pets and go there for anything pet related. What they find is extreme tyranny.
- I was told it takes "several dozen" flags to get an ad deleted. Really? And only one flag per person. REALLY? So there are 36+ (my definition of "several dozen") people sitting there at any time just waiting to flag whatever they don't like. I find that hard to believe. Just today I went into the forum again, just to look around, and found one post that says one flag will do it. In the next line, it says two. So which is it? Do just one or two people hold this power (tyrant) or does it really take a host of flaggers?
Flaggers. I wonder if they are proud of that label? I'm sure they think of themselves as diligent upholders of the "law". What they really are...little tyrants with nothing else to fill their days. Here's what I've learned about flaggers.
- They wield absolute power (again, the definition of tyrant). If they don't like the way your ad is worded...flag. If you try to fix it to suit them...not good enough, you've already been flagged and will continue to be flagged. If you piss them off...flagged. Any flagger having a bad day can go and flag any and everything to make themselves feel better and more powerful.
- They flag based on their own agenda. Most flagging occurs in the Pets category. I've yet to figure out just what Pets is for. They say so a pet can find a new adoptive home. Yet, many such ads are flagged. According to the rules and TOU, a "rehome fee" is allowed, but the flaggers decide whether it is acceptable, and for most of them only free is acceptable.
- Flaggers will respond to your ad just to feel you out. If they don't like your response, the ad is immediately flagged/deleted. Again, I find it hard to believe it takes many flags to do this. I've only got one response and then my ad was gone.
- Flaggers are regional. Some areas don't suffer from the ever-present tyrants, others are apparently made up of small-minded people with way too much time on their hands.
One of the more interesting categories is Rants & Raves. This is under Personals where there are practically no rules. It's R-rated and pretty much anything goes. Here you can see the mentality of regional users. In my area, they are extremely crass, mostly uneducated, bigoted, and barely literate. I've looked at other areas (larger cities, for instance) and the intellectual level seems to be higher.
Oddly, I've been flagged here as well. I've ranted about CL itself, and apparently that's prohibited. I'm not even using foul language (well, maybe a few 4-letter words). The flaggers are alive and well even here, but they don't seem to mind the obscene and often bigoted comments made by others. Tell me again it takes a bunch of flags to delete a post. I don't think so.
So enough from me about that. If you are fed up with the Craigslist Tyranny, I highly recommend eBay Classifieds. It's user-friendly, intelligently organized, and you can sell whatever you want as long as it's not illegal. It worked for me. Help take down the tyranny by supporting other avenues.
tyrant - a sovereign or other ruler who uses power oppressively or unjustly.
Craigslist is one of the most popular free classifeds sites in the country, and maybe the world. Everyone knows it, many use it. It's also one of the most unfriendly free classifieds. It's poorly organized, the rules are vague, and the entire thing is governed by tyrants according to their agenda. It is a tyranny.
One of the reasons CL is so popular is its simplicity. No fancy site graphics or advanced webpage dynamics. Just simple HTML links. Anyone can use it with little internet knowledge. As evidenced by the poor communication and writing skills of many of the ad posters, it doesn't take much intelligence either.
You'll notice that I do not provide a link to Craigslist. Even though I sometimes use it, I won't endorse it in any way. But it doesn't matter. Anyone can find it with a simple google.
For the uninformed, the Craigslist Flag is the all-mighty weapon available for anyone to wield. You don't even have to be logged in to use it. Don't like that ad? You can flag it. For any reason at all. Enough flags, and the ad will be deleted. The ad poster isn't given an explaination for being flagged. They have to figure it out based on the rather vague Rules and Terms Of Use. Those same rules and TOU are interpreted by the flaggers however they choose, and it will be according to their personal agenda.
I've been a victim of CL flaggers on more than one occasion. In most of those cases, I had no idea why my ad was flagged. It was similiar to other ads that seemed to be allowed. Or were until the flaggers caught up with them. I couldn't find the reason in the rules.
So I logged in one day and went to the forums. You have to be logged in to use them. There's a flag forum where you are supposed to get help with your ad. Here's what I learned.
- There will be someone manning the forum at all times. Who are these "helpers"? My guess is they are flaggers who apparently have nothing better to do. I saw nothing that made me think they were actual CL employees. I base that assumption on the many rude replies. Flaggers are often rude, small-minded, and many are probably somewhat illiterate.
- You'll get short, curt, and often rude replies to your honest questions. Of course, you'll be referred to the Rules and TOU. Which doesn't tell you much. That's why you are asking the forum.
- When I asked why my ad was flagged, I was told (rudely) that I should have read the email that was sent. Didn't get one...ever. I was told to check spam folders. Did...not there. Oh, I take that back, I did get one, just one, in another email account. Not in the spam folder, BTW. What did it tell me? NOTHING! It's a form email that gives the link to TOU, etc. Right back where I started.
- According to this forum "moderator", my ad was in the wrong category. Ok, I'll buy that. Sort of. In this case, it was a pet accessory. I put it in the Pets category. That's logical, right? I saw other similiar items in that category. He/she said it belonged under General sales. This is where more CL unfriendliness comes in. Who looks under General for pet stuff? There is a huge list of categories for just about everything you can think of. General is for things that don't fit anywhere else. Why isn't there a category for pet supplies? Wouldn't that make sense? It's not like it's an uncommon thing. Far from it. Most other classifieds think it merits its own category. Why not CL? It would certainly cut down the misplaced ads and the "need" to flag.
An added note to the above. Posts requesting items in the related category are also flagged/deleted. Why? Because they are supposed to go under Wanted. Again, who would look there? Remember, we're dealing with a largely uneducated group of users here. They see the word Pets and go there for anything pet related. What they find is extreme tyranny.
- I was told it takes "several dozen" flags to get an ad deleted. Really? And only one flag per person. REALLY? So there are 36+ (my definition of "several dozen") people sitting there at any time just waiting to flag whatever they don't like. I find that hard to believe. Just today I went into the forum again, just to look around, and found one post that says one flag will do it. In the next line, it says two. So which is it? Do just one or two people hold this power (tyrant) or does it really take a host of flaggers?
Flaggers. I wonder if they are proud of that label? I'm sure they think of themselves as diligent upholders of the "law". What they really are...little tyrants with nothing else to fill their days. Here's what I've learned about flaggers.
- They wield absolute power (again, the definition of tyrant). If they don't like the way your ad is worded...flag. If you try to fix it to suit them...not good enough, you've already been flagged and will continue to be flagged. If you piss them off...flagged. Any flagger having a bad day can go and flag any and everything to make themselves feel better and more powerful.
- They flag based on their own agenda. Most flagging occurs in the Pets category. I've yet to figure out just what Pets is for. They say so a pet can find a new adoptive home. Yet, many such ads are flagged. According to the rules and TOU, a "rehome fee" is allowed, but the flaggers decide whether it is acceptable, and for most of them only free is acceptable.
- Flaggers will respond to your ad just to feel you out. If they don't like your response, the ad is immediately flagged/deleted. Again, I find it hard to believe it takes many flags to do this. I've only got one response and then my ad was gone.
- Flaggers are regional. Some areas don't suffer from the ever-present tyrants, others are apparently made up of small-minded people with way too much time on their hands.
One of the more interesting categories is Rants & Raves. This is under Personals where there are practically no rules. It's R-rated and pretty much anything goes. Here you can see the mentality of regional users. In my area, they are extremely crass, mostly uneducated, bigoted, and barely literate. I've looked at other areas (larger cities, for instance) and the intellectual level seems to be higher.
Oddly, I've been flagged here as well. I've ranted about CL itself, and apparently that's prohibited. I'm not even using foul language (well, maybe a few 4-letter words). The flaggers are alive and well even here, but they don't seem to mind the obscene and often bigoted comments made by others. Tell me again it takes a bunch of flags to delete a post. I don't think so.
So enough from me about that. If you are fed up with the Craigslist Tyranny, I highly recommend eBay Classifieds. It's user-friendly, intelligently organized, and you can sell whatever you want as long as it's not illegal. It worked for me. Help take down the tyranny by supporting other avenues.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
SYTYCD - week 2
Don't think I like the new format. There were only 11 contestants (more about that in a minute), and they were partnered with a past contestant (the All-Stars) by random draw. It's hard to just keep your eyes on the dancer without watching the All-Star. Since this is partner dancing, both dancers have to contribute and play off each other. In the previous format, both dancers were judged, and the chemistry between them counted for a lot. Then if their partner was voted off, they got the other one left without a partner. It was interesting to see how the new partnership went. Sometimes, a dancer was changing partners all the time. That's actually a good thing. If they get work, they will have to be able to adjust this way. I guess in that respect, the new format does force them to adjust immediately. They won't have the same partner every week.
About the 11. A strange thing happened here. The original plan was to have just 10 contestants - 5 boys, 5 girls. The judges couldn't decide between the final 2 boys and changed the game by keeping them both. Seems to me that to be fair, they should have kept another girl as well.
So what do I think about the dancers this season? There are several very young people. By that I mean, they look and act young. A tiny little girl was voted off 1st week. Another this week. There are 4 boys that are just that...young boys. Everyone loves them, they are so cute, you can't not love them. But there are more mature dancers that I think should go farther.
I think it will be a male that wins this season. The girls are dropping like flies. My pick is Alex. He's an interesting case. Amazing, outstanding dancer! He had to drop out last season after he aced auditions because of his commitment to a dance company. They released him this season so he could take his shot at the big time. He's so technically perfect, he's having a hard time giving of himself. At least that's what the judges say they want more of from him. Their continued criticism of his lack of personality could cost him.
One of the things about the new format is all about the All-Stars. When the contestant pulls their name out of the hat, they get the dance style of the All-Star, as well as the chorographer(s) in that style. So if Twitch is drawn (how great to see him again!), the dance will be hip hop. There are some styles that don't really fit anywhere. Bollywood (one of my favs) I think they just use an All-Star at random, or maybe one that has danced the style before.
What else? Oh yeah, America's Got Talent. I haven't seen a lot of really Vega-worthy acts. Supposedly, this is about earning a headline gig in Vegas, and I think of what I'd want to see in a Vegas show. Flashy, unique, and maybe funny come to mind. There was the light show group. That was pretty damn cool. Actually, that's the only one that comes to my mind right now.
Some of the worst things were voted through to Vegas tryouts. That incredibly clownish old woman playing a portable piano badly, and singing worsely. How dare anyone murder Patsy Cline like that! Good god, doesn't she look at herself in the mirror after putting on her clown face. I get the feeling she thinks she looks good. That face would knock a sleeper out of bed as a nightmare.
About the 11. A strange thing happened here. The original plan was to have just 10 contestants - 5 boys, 5 girls. The judges couldn't decide between the final 2 boys and changed the game by keeping them both. Seems to me that to be fair, they should have kept another girl as well.
So what do I think about the dancers this season? There are several very young people. By that I mean, they look and act young. A tiny little girl was voted off 1st week. Another this week. There are 4 boys that are just that...young boys. Everyone loves them, they are so cute, you can't not love them. But there are more mature dancers that I think should go farther.
I think it will be a male that wins this season. The girls are dropping like flies. My pick is Alex. He's an interesting case. Amazing, outstanding dancer! He had to drop out last season after he aced auditions because of his commitment to a dance company. They released him this season so he could take his shot at the big time. He's so technically perfect, he's having a hard time giving of himself. At least that's what the judges say they want more of from him. Their continued criticism of his lack of personality could cost him.
One of the things about the new format is all about the All-Stars. When the contestant pulls their name out of the hat, they get the dance style of the All-Star, as well as the chorographer(s) in that style. So if Twitch is drawn (how great to see him again!), the dance will be hip hop. There are some styles that don't really fit anywhere. Bollywood (one of my favs) I think they just use an All-Star at random, or maybe one that has danced the style before.
What else? Oh yeah, America's Got Talent. I haven't seen a lot of really Vega-worthy acts. Supposedly, this is about earning a headline gig in Vegas, and I think of what I'd want to see in a Vegas show. Flashy, unique, and maybe funny come to mind. There was the light show group. That was pretty damn cool. Actually, that's the only one that comes to my mind right now.
Some of the worst things were voted through to Vegas tryouts. That incredibly clownish old woman playing a portable piano badly, and singing worsely. How dare anyone murder Patsy Cline like that! Good god, doesn't she look at herself in the mirror after putting on her clown face. I get the feeling she thinks she looks good. That face would knock a sleeper out of bed as a nightmare.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Social Networking
Facebook, Twitter, and the like seem to taken over the internet and peoples' lives. Yeah, their lives. Some people actually live for Facebook. Cell phones are now equipped with Facebook apps so that Facebookers won't miss a single second. God forbid they do.
Yes, I have a FB account. It was a way to reconnect with old friends and family, and I can see its value in that respect. But is it an effective communication tool? Is it really social networking? Not from what I've seen. I've acquired a rather large collection of "friends", and the news feeds tell me what they are up to. What are they up to? Silly FB games, mostly. My FB page is cluttered with this shit that I don't care about. It's interesting that once a player became bored with the game, I don't hear any more from them. I tried a few games at first but became bored even faster than my friends.
Oh there's a few that post some personal status reports now and then. Some obscure thought they had, or song lyric they heard. Maybe what happened to them that day, or what they plan to do. Or they try to generate some comments and/or sympathy with a vague reference to nothing. "Vaguebooking" is a new word created for that last activity.
There's a commercial on tv for one of the cell phone companies that says it all. A serious guy is giving a "news report" with a fancy phone in his hand. He reads, "This just in from Facebook...the search is on for cute boots." It's hilarious that the company running the ad is poking fun at itself, the apps it offers, and the people who will buy this product.
What I see is that other more effective forms of communication are being used less. Especially forums and groups. I see less activity on forums, and that's sad. Forums are a great reference tool. Members post their questions, get answers, and it's arranged so that someone else can easily access the info they need. On FB, it's just a hodgepodge with no organization. How is that better communication? I've even seen forum posts that reference FB. "If you saw my FB, you'd know...". Only "friends" would know, you know. Why mention it at all if you aren't going to talk about it?
Another thing I see is that FB can cause strife. Someone makes a comment, usually vague or in regards to something no one knows jack about, and someone else assumes it was directed at them, and gets pissed. Then it's a dominoes stack as it reverberates down the line. If your FB and others are set up so that "friends of friends" can see what's going on, you don't have to be a friend to get the feed, you'll get it because one of your friends did.
What do I use FB for? Not much. It's just too public for my taste. I don't really like when someone posts on my wall because then I feel obligated to reply. I prefer to do that more privately. Like I said, it was a way to connect with family and old friends, but that's as far as it went. Even a lot of those people are using it less and less. Haven't heard a peep out of many of them for quite a while. Oh wait, maybe they blocked me because of all the crap that comes through from my other "friends" that they don't want cluttering up their FB page.
Yes, I have a FB account. It was a way to reconnect with old friends and family, and I can see its value in that respect. But is it an effective communication tool? Is it really social networking? Not from what I've seen. I've acquired a rather large collection of "friends", and the news feeds tell me what they are up to. What are they up to? Silly FB games, mostly. My FB page is cluttered with this shit that I don't care about. It's interesting that once a player became bored with the game, I don't hear any more from them. I tried a few games at first but became bored even faster than my friends.
Oh there's a few that post some personal status reports now and then. Some obscure thought they had, or song lyric they heard. Maybe what happened to them that day, or what they plan to do. Or they try to generate some comments and/or sympathy with a vague reference to nothing. "Vaguebooking" is a new word created for that last activity.
There's a commercial on tv for one of the cell phone companies that says it all. A serious guy is giving a "news report" with a fancy phone in his hand. He reads, "This just in from Facebook...the search is on for cute boots." It's hilarious that the company running the ad is poking fun at itself, the apps it offers, and the people who will buy this product.
What I see is that other more effective forms of communication are being used less. Especially forums and groups. I see less activity on forums, and that's sad. Forums are a great reference tool. Members post their questions, get answers, and it's arranged so that someone else can easily access the info they need. On FB, it's just a hodgepodge with no organization. How is that better communication? I've even seen forum posts that reference FB. "If you saw my FB, you'd know...". Only "friends" would know, you know. Why mention it at all if you aren't going to talk about it?
Another thing I see is that FB can cause strife. Someone makes a comment, usually vague or in regards to something no one knows jack about, and someone else assumes it was directed at them, and gets pissed. Then it's a dominoes stack as it reverberates down the line. If your FB and others are set up so that "friends of friends" can see what's going on, you don't have to be a friend to get the feed, you'll get it because one of your friends did.
What do I use FB for? Not much. It's just too public for my taste. I don't really like when someone posts on my wall because then I feel obligated to reply. I prefer to do that more privately. Like I said, it was a way to connect with family and old friends, but that's as far as it went. Even a lot of those people are using it less and less. Haven't heard a peep out of many of them for quite a while. Oh wait, maybe they blocked me because of all the crap that comes through from my other "friends" that they don't want cluttering up their FB page.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Dis & Dat on TV
So You Think You Can Dance has begun. Just finished up the auditions and Vegas Week will decide the 10 contestants. Not sure how I feel about this new format.
Past seasons' favorites will be paired up with the 10. That will be pretty cool, but it sounds like a shorter season. I liked the old format where dancers who lost their partner to eliminations were paired with another who lost their partner. This new way, no one gets a 2nd chance. They are saved or eliminated on their own merit (and their semi-pro partner's ability to show them off) instead of 1 girl and 1 guy. Like I said, probably a shorter season.
About the auditions. There is so much fluff and filler that we don't get to see more auditions. That's why we watch the auditions, you know! We wanna see the good, bad, and ugly. The goofs who think they can dance are hilarious! I love the snits and tantrums. The flaming gay boys are the worst divas! They think they are all that, but they are just all that silly. They add comic relief. Focusing on a sob story makes no sense if the audition didn't make the grade. I could see it if the audition made it to the final contestants, but most of them don't. Show more auditions in that space!
And another thing. There hasn't been enough variety. Mostly we've seen contemporary dancers and for the most part, they all look the same. Not many B-boys or other styles have been shown and I like to see unique. Have we just run out of talent in those areas?
Speaking of talent, America's Got Talent has also started. Sure am glad these 2 shows aren't in the same time slots. Not that I think AGT compares to SYTYCD. It's more like The Gong Show vs. American Idol. At least my DVR can handle 2 time slots at a time.
This is another show filled with unnecessary filler. I don't frackin care about the sad sob stories! Show me the goofy auditions. IF they make it to the contest, then you can fill in the back stories. But even then I don't give a rat's ass.
So far, I've only seen one audition that impressed me. Another humble guitar strumming singer like that chicken farmer last season, but much better looking. Now he has talent!
Howie Mandel replaced The Hoff as a judge. I like that. It seems there is less tension between the judges now. Maybe just the transition as Howie settles in, but he has such a quick wit I'll enjoy him. He's up there with George Carlin as one of my favorite comedians.
Just watched the season finale of Flash Forward. They're killing me! I literally stomped my feet and swore out loud at the end! Questions were not answered. Well ok, some were, but more were raised. I guess that was the plan for a cliffhanger ending. It's gonna be a long long wait to season 2. They better not cancel it on me!
Some of my other must-watch tv is coming back, as well as some interesting new ones. I'll say it again...thank the techno-gods for DVR. It's the only way to watch tv!
By now you are probably thinking, "What, is this blog just about tv?" Well, for now I don't have anything else to rant or rave about so yeah I'm talking tv. I'm sure something else will occur to me eventually.
Past seasons' favorites will be paired up with the 10. That will be pretty cool, but it sounds like a shorter season. I liked the old format where dancers who lost their partner to eliminations were paired with another who lost their partner. This new way, no one gets a 2nd chance. They are saved or eliminated on their own merit (and their semi-pro partner's ability to show them off) instead of 1 girl and 1 guy. Like I said, probably a shorter season.
About the auditions. There is so much fluff and filler that we don't get to see more auditions. That's why we watch the auditions, you know! We wanna see the good, bad, and ugly. The goofs who think they can dance are hilarious! I love the snits and tantrums. The flaming gay boys are the worst divas! They think they are all that, but they are just all that silly. They add comic relief. Focusing on a sob story makes no sense if the audition didn't make the grade. I could see it if the audition made it to the final contestants, but most of them don't. Show more auditions in that space!
And another thing. There hasn't been enough variety. Mostly we've seen contemporary dancers and for the most part, they all look the same. Not many B-boys or other styles have been shown and I like to see unique. Have we just run out of talent in those areas?
Speaking of talent, America's Got Talent has also started. Sure am glad these 2 shows aren't in the same time slots. Not that I think AGT compares to SYTYCD. It's more like The Gong Show vs. American Idol. At least my DVR can handle 2 time slots at a time.
This is another show filled with unnecessary filler. I don't frackin care about the sad sob stories! Show me the goofy auditions. IF they make it to the contest, then you can fill in the back stories. But even then I don't give a rat's ass.
So far, I've only seen one audition that impressed me. Another humble guitar strumming singer like that chicken farmer last season, but much better looking. Now he has talent!
Howie Mandel replaced The Hoff as a judge. I like that. It seems there is less tension between the judges now. Maybe just the transition as Howie settles in, but he has such a quick wit I'll enjoy him. He's up there with George Carlin as one of my favorite comedians.
Just watched the season finale of Flash Forward. They're killing me! I literally stomped my feet and swore out loud at the end! Questions were not answered. Well ok, some were, but more were raised. I guess that was the plan for a cliffhanger ending. It's gonna be a long long wait to season 2. They better not cancel it on me!
Some of my other must-watch tv is coming back, as well as some interesting new ones. I'll say it again...thank the techno-gods for DVR. It's the only way to watch tv!
By now you are probably thinking, "What, is this blog just about tv?" Well, for now I don't have anything else to rant or rave about so yeah I'm talking tv. I'm sure something else will occur to me eventually.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
DWTS - Season 10 Finale
Aaaah. Nicole & Derek! All is well with the world.
This is the first season (I can remember) that the final 3 all deserved to be there. Nicole rocked all the way. Evan slipped a bit, and Erin rose steadily. I admit, I didn't see her in the final 3 at first, but I'm glad she was.
I thought it was very cool that they all chose the Argentine Tango for their final dance. Wonderful to see this dance done well, and in 3 completely different routines.
But WTF was up with some of the fluff that filled the 2 hours?
Why oh why was Kate Goslin given such an important spot??? She danced as horribly as ever, in fact, worse, but they made a big production out of her spot. She got special interview time, in which she plugged her reality shows, of course. Ridiculous and ugly waste of time!
Buzz Aldren's spot was pretty cool with the "beam me down, Scotty" thing, but his attempt at a Paso Doble was out of this world sad.
Pam Anderson didn't get enough air time. If Kate got to do her thing (whatever that is), why couldn't Pam do hers. I'm sure it would've been something to see.
And a really big WTF for the Jake/Vienna thing! I don't understand why this particular spouse-to-be (maybe) who wasn't a contestant rated dance floor time.
The other real contestants only got a minute of exposure for their encore dances.
What I'd like to have seen more of instead of that drek was more of the audience celebrities. Many were there from previous seasons but there wasn't enough air time left to more than flash past their faces, and then not even all of them rated face time I'm sure. If it wasn't for Nicole's mention of Gladys Knight at the end, we might not even have known who that was.
I enjoyed the college dance team contest, but I would've preferred the junior ballroom contest as in past seasons.
For the most part, a pretty good season, and I'm so glad America has finally recognized that this is a dance contest, and good dancers should win.
Next week, my favorite dance show - So You Think You Can Dance. Can't wait! America's Got Talent also begins. Not my favorite, but I watch for the circus.
This is the first season (I can remember) that the final 3 all deserved to be there. Nicole rocked all the way. Evan slipped a bit, and Erin rose steadily. I admit, I didn't see her in the final 3 at first, but I'm glad she was.
I thought it was very cool that they all chose the Argentine Tango for their final dance. Wonderful to see this dance done well, and in 3 completely different routines.
But WTF was up with some of the fluff that filled the 2 hours?
Why oh why was Kate Goslin given such an important spot??? She danced as horribly as ever, in fact, worse, but they made a big production out of her spot. She got special interview time, in which she plugged her reality shows, of course. Ridiculous and ugly waste of time!
Buzz Aldren's spot was pretty cool with the "beam me down, Scotty" thing, but his attempt at a Paso Doble was out of this world sad.
Pam Anderson didn't get enough air time. If Kate got to do her thing (whatever that is), why couldn't Pam do hers. I'm sure it would've been something to see.
And a really big WTF for the Jake/Vienna thing! I don't understand why this particular spouse-to-be (maybe) who wasn't a contestant rated dance floor time.
The other real contestants only got a minute of exposure for their encore dances.
What I'd like to have seen more of instead of that drek was more of the audience celebrities. Many were there from previous seasons but there wasn't enough air time left to more than flash past their faces, and then not even all of them rated face time I'm sure. If it wasn't for Nicole's mention of Gladys Knight at the end, we might not even have known who that was.
I enjoyed the college dance team contest, but I would've preferred the junior ballroom contest as in past seasons.
For the most part, a pretty good season, and I'm so glad America has finally recognized that this is a dance contest, and good dancers should win.
Next week, my favorite dance show - So You Think You Can Dance. Can't wait! America's Got Talent also begins. Not my favorite, but I watch for the circus.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Random musings
DWTS - week whatever it is:
Coming down to the finale with 4 standing.
Nicole and Derek danced an outstanding Paso Doble! I mean show-stopping, perfect score, encore, outstanding! As you know (if you've been reading along) this is one of my favorite dances and I love to see it done well. It was done so well!
The other 3 stars...soso. Judges thought so, too. Go, Team Nicole!
My very favorite dance show is coming back soon. So You Think You Can Dance. Yay! The teasers say we'll see our favorite past finalists paired with contestants. That will be very cool!
So what else is on my mind?
The subject of regional stereotypes came up. In particular, the south. Being northern-bred and raised, I was among the masses who bashed the south a little. But only a little. I worked with many southerners who migrated north for jobs and I was used to the drawl and other quirks. I was even married to a southerner for a while. Yeah that didn't last too long. In that case, north and south didn't mix.
Having traveled around the south some, I've noticed differences in southern accents, tastes, and culture. Some of the differences might be due to the how the ethnic population is concentrated.
For instance, in South Carolina, barbeque (shredded pork on a bun with red sauce) seems to be a staple of the state's diet. There's a BBQ joint on nearly every corner. There's also a larger population of African-Americans than in the other southern states I've frequented.
In the north, the BBQ sandwich isn't that common even though blacks make up a good portion of the people. BBQ refers to cooking outside or sauce, not a sandwich.
In Tennessee, African-Americans aren't common, but Latinos are. So we have more Mexican restaurants and very few BBQ joints.
The thing in Tennessee that makes me feel a bit out of place more than anything is religion. At least in my county. There's a church or a sign for a church on every corner. This has to be one of the churchiest states in the country! I overhear church talk...meetings, groups, god bless, etc, everywhere I go. Even my bank manager writes a sermon in the little newsletter that goes out with bank statements. Church seems to be the main industry. Maybe this is why the state is so poor. My earlier blog about the lack of economic contribution from the church could explain this. Religion also plays a big part in the politics of the state. Yet again, church and state are not separate.
Of course, this means Sundays are pretty dead around here. Oh sure the big chains are open, and weekend flea markets are big business. But I can't even get local news on tv on Sunday. One Sunday in one of my first years here, I headed for the big flea market and a little shopping in town. The entire world was dead! Closed. Nada. No traffic. Not even Walmart or McDonalds could be found open. WTF! Then I remembered it was Easter Sunday. Really??? I had never seen that before. Christmas maybe, but not Easter.
What else? How about music?
I'm a rock & roller. At least I can find decent rock stations here. It would probably kill me if the only music was country and gospel. One of my guilty pleasures for short attention span tv is music videos. If I can't find anything to watch but want to watch something, I'll tune into MTV, etc. VH1 Classics is my favorite for classic rock videos, but I like current pop videos on MTV, Fuse, etc, as well. Love the graphic artwork. One of the unlikely (for a rocker) musicians I like to watch is Lady Gaga. She's a freak show and I can't stop looking! Brittany Spears is another wreck I'll slow down for. Anything unusual, especially if it involves dance, gets my attention.
BTW, I can remember when MTV was all there was, and videos was all it did. 24/7 music videos. I even remember the first video, "Video Killed The Radio Star". Sure is a shame that much of the day is taken up with stupid reality shows. I do enjoy the occasional musician biographies and chronicles, but when I tune in, music is what I want to see and hear.
One last musing brought to mind by that last paragraph.
Reality shows. What a waste! People watch them, so the stations keep producing them, and since there's no stars or script or anything, the producers make them for next to nothing. I find it so appalling that viewers support this shit. People desperate to be famous or infamous will do anything to appear on these shows. Apparently an awful lot of small-minded people get off on these public displays of human desperation. Those of us who have a brain are hard put to find quality prime time tv. Thank the techno gods for DVR and DVDs.
All for now.
Coming down to the finale with 4 standing.
Nicole and Derek danced an outstanding Paso Doble! I mean show-stopping, perfect score, encore, outstanding! As you know (if you've been reading along) this is one of my favorite dances and I love to see it done well. It was done so well!
The other 3 stars...soso. Judges thought so, too. Go, Team Nicole!
My very favorite dance show is coming back soon. So You Think You Can Dance. Yay! The teasers say we'll see our favorite past finalists paired with contestants. That will be very cool!
So what else is on my mind?
The subject of regional stereotypes came up. In particular, the south. Being northern-bred and raised, I was among the masses who bashed the south a little. But only a little. I worked with many southerners who migrated north for jobs and I was used to the drawl and other quirks. I was even married to a southerner for a while. Yeah that didn't last too long. In that case, north and south didn't mix.
Having traveled around the south some, I've noticed differences in southern accents, tastes, and culture. Some of the differences might be due to the how the ethnic population is concentrated.
For instance, in South Carolina, barbeque (shredded pork on a bun with red sauce) seems to be a staple of the state's diet. There's a BBQ joint on nearly every corner. There's also a larger population of African-Americans than in the other southern states I've frequented.
In the north, the BBQ sandwich isn't that common even though blacks make up a good portion of the people. BBQ refers to cooking outside or sauce, not a sandwich.
In Tennessee, African-Americans aren't common, but Latinos are. So we have more Mexican restaurants and very few BBQ joints.
The thing in Tennessee that makes me feel a bit out of place more than anything is religion. At least in my county. There's a church or a sign for a church on every corner. This has to be one of the churchiest states in the country! I overhear church talk...meetings, groups, god bless, etc, everywhere I go. Even my bank manager writes a sermon in the little newsletter that goes out with bank statements. Church seems to be the main industry. Maybe this is why the state is so poor. My earlier blog about the lack of economic contribution from the church could explain this. Religion also plays a big part in the politics of the state. Yet again, church and state are not separate.
Of course, this means Sundays are pretty dead around here. Oh sure the big chains are open, and weekend flea markets are big business. But I can't even get local news on tv on Sunday. One Sunday in one of my first years here, I headed for the big flea market and a little shopping in town. The entire world was dead! Closed. Nada. No traffic. Not even Walmart or McDonalds could be found open. WTF! Then I remembered it was Easter Sunday. Really??? I had never seen that before. Christmas maybe, but not Easter.
What else? How about music?
I'm a rock & roller. At least I can find decent rock stations here. It would probably kill me if the only music was country and gospel. One of my guilty pleasures for short attention span tv is music videos. If I can't find anything to watch but want to watch something, I'll tune into MTV, etc. VH1 Classics is my favorite for classic rock videos, but I like current pop videos on MTV, Fuse, etc, as well. Love the graphic artwork. One of the unlikely (for a rocker) musicians I like to watch is Lady Gaga. She's a freak show and I can't stop looking! Brittany Spears is another wreck I'll slow down for. Anything unusual, especially if it involves dance, gets my attention.
BTW, I can remember when MTV was all there was, and videos was all it did. 24/7 music videos. I even remember the first video, "Video Killed The Radio Star". Sure is a shame that much of the day is taken up with stupid reality shows. I do enjoy the occasional musician biographies and chronicles, but when I tune in, music is what I want to see and hear.
One last musing brought to mind by that last paragraph.
Reality shows. What a waste! People watch them, so the stations keep producing them, and since there's no stars or script or anything, the producers make them for next to nothing. I find it so appalling that viewers support this shit. People desperate to be famous or infamous will do anything to appear on these shows. Apparently an awful lot of small-minded people get off on these public displays of human desperation. Those of us who have a brain are hard put to find quality prime time tv. Thank the techno gods for DVR and DVDs.
All for now.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
DWTS 5th week
Actually, I can't remember what week it is. There are now 5 left standing.
Alas, Pam was booted. Too bad. I was really impressed. She was gracious, cute, and subdued. It wasn't all about her figure, and the costumes even played that down (as best they could). She was amazing when portraying characters. She channeled Marilyn Monroe and Dolly Parton perfectly. I was a bit disappointed by her Argentine Tango (as a brunette, no less). She could've killed with that dance but it came off too soft.
I meant to blog when Kate was gone but didn't get a round tuit. So a belated YAY! Jake was also gone last week. Poor little bachelor cried and his tv fiancee looked crushed.
My picks are still Nicole and Evan, and I think they'll be the last two standing. I hope Derek comes up with a kickass free-style to clinch the deal for Nicole. Evan is really good, but his skating style shows too much for most of the dances.
I would have preferred Niecy left before Pam. She's not a terrible dancer, but Pam was better.
Surprisingly, Chad (football guy) has grown into a decent dancer. I don't think he'll win (god I hope not!), but he's not that hard to watch now.
Erin hasn't improved much. She was good, but she's still just good.
I see either Niecy or Erin leaving next week.
What else I'm watching:
"Flash Forward" I love love love this show! I stack a few episodes up on the DVR and watch several in one sitting. I want more more more!
"Merlin" I thought it was cancelled after its run last year, but they've picked it up again. SyFy ran the 1st season back to back so I DVR'd it to watch again.
"The Vampire Diaries" I have mixed feeling about this show. Elena is annoying. Stephan is not good-looking. But I've fallen in love with Damian. He's such a bad boy with a spot of good in his undead heart. I could watch his facial expressions all day!
"V" Not my fav but I'm watching to see where it goes. I never saw the original series so I don't know the story other than what I've seen so far.
"Smallville" This season is a little hard to watch. There's the season's bad guy Zod played by an actor (don't know his name) I've seen in the same type of roles elsewhere. His spitting sneer is getting a little old. I'm fascinated by Chloe's dark side, and her affair with Green Arrow is an unexpected pleasure. The Lois angle? Meh. Lois is annoying but I guess that was the character from the beginning in all the Superman mythologies. BTW, when is Clark going to learn to fly?
"The Soup" Why is this show only a half hour??? Joel McHale is so cute and funny, and I'm sure he could fill an hour. I also watch "The Dish" which is similar but I wish they'd keep her comments shorter. An awful lot of time is wasted on those stupid skits and ramble-ons she does after each clip. You could fit a couple more clips in that time.
"Glee" How can you not love the song & dance routines?
"Grey's Anatomy", "Private Practice", "Supernatural" (currently catching up the previous seasons)", "Happy Town".
Returning soon:
"Warehouse 13" I thought it was cancelled but it's coming back. Cool!
"Leverage" Another show I really liked. It's just plain fun!
All for now.
Alas, Pam was booted. Too bad. I was really impressed. She was gracious, cute, and subdued. It wasn't all about her figure, and the costumes even played that down (as best they could). She was amazing when portraying characters. She channeled Marilyn Monroe and Dolly Parton perfectly. I was a bit disappointed by her Argentine Tango (as a brunette, no less). She could've killed with that dance but it came off too soft.
I meant to blog when Kate was gone but didn't get a round tuit. So a belated YAY! Jake was also gone last week. Poor little bachelor cried and his tv fiancee looked crushed.
My picks are still Nicole and Evan, and I think they'll be the last two standing. I hope Derek comes up with a kickass free-style to clinch the deal for Nicole. Evan is really good, but his skating style shows too much for most of the dances.
I would have preferred Niecy left before Pam. She's not a terrible dancer, but Pam was better.
Surprisingly, Chad (football guy) has grown into a decent dancer. I don't think he'll win (god I hope not!), but he's not that hard to watch now.
Erin hasn't improved much. She was good, but she's still just good.
I see either Niecy or Erin leaving next week.
What else I'm watching:
"Flash Forward" I love love love this show! I stack a few episodes up on the DVR and watch several in one sitting. I want more more more!
"Merlin" I thought it was cancelled after its run last year, but they've picked it up again. SyFy ran the 1st season back to back so I DVR'd it to watch again.
"The Vampire Diaries" I have mixed feeling about this show. Elena is annoying. Stephan is not good-looking. But I've fallen in love with Damian. He's such a bad boy with a spot of good in his undead heart. I could watch his facial expressions all day!
"V" Not my fav but I'm watching to see where it goes. I never saw the original series so I don't know the story other than what I've seen so far.
"Smallville" This season is a little hard to watch. There's the season's bad guy Zod played by an actor (don't know his name) I've seen in the same type of roles elsewhere. His spitting sneer is getting a little old. I'm fascinated by Chloe's dark side, and her affair with Green Arrow is an unexpected pleasure. The Lois angle? Meh. Lois is annoying but I guess that was the character from the beginning in all the Superman mythologies. BTW, when is Clark going to learn to fly?
"The Soup" Why is this show only a half hour??? Joel McHale is so cute and funny, and I'm sure he could fill an hour. I also watch "The Dish" which is similar but I wish they'd keep her comments shorter. An awful lot of time is wasted on those stupid skits and ramble-ons she does after each clip. You could fit a couple more clips in that time.
"Glee" How can you not love the song & dance routines?
"Grey's Anatomy", "Private Practice", "Supernatural" (currently catching up the previous seasons)", "Happy Town".
Returning soon:
"Warehouse 13" I thought it was cancelled but it's coming back. Cool!
"Leverage" Another show I really liked. It's just plain fun!
All for now.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
DWTS - 2nd week
Oh boy, here we go. This is going to be another crappy season. We'll be suffering through some seriously bad dancing. What the hell is wrong with America?!
Nicole the Pussycat Doll is my pick. She can dance! She's not a diva! Derek is her partner! No-brainer! Of course, we know voters are idiots so that won't matter.
Erin the broadcaster is right behind her for the best female. I can't believe Bruno hasn't mentioned her legs. They go on and on, and he's mad for long legs. I don't really expect her to be around for long. She's not famous enough.
Evan the skater is so far the best male. He just needs to get control of his talent and skills.
No other male is impressing me at this point.
Shannen the actress was kicked off. Too bad. She had potential. She definitely wasn't the worst dancer.
Pamela the sex kitten was in the bottom two. WTF??? I guess this proves most of the voters are women. They would hate her. Ok, she's over the top but she doesn't apologize for herself, her choices, or her actions. Girl just wants to have fun and she does. In my humble opinion, that's class. Oh and BTW, she's a pretty good dancer. Hey, Pam, dial down the sex a bit. Give women a reason to like you.
Niecy the comedian. Not funny. She's not a terrible dancer, but not great either. I'm already tired of her weak attempts at comedy relief.
So we have to suffer through more dancing from the worst dancers.
Kate the mom. That's her only claim to fame. She has a pile of kids, put them on TV, and her marital breakup was big news. How stupid. She is a really really bad dancer, and a whiney bitch with no personality. To make her patient partner Tony want to quit proves how insufferable she will be. I did not want to see any more from her. But there she is thanks to all the bleeding-heart housewives out there with texting phones in their hands.
Buzz the astronaut. Ok, I get that he's a hero, but he's too old for this. It's so painful to watch. I give him credit for having personality. Something the other mediocre dancers lack. *Off-topic: Did his wife use the same plastic surgeon as Joan Rivers? They have the same "Joker" face. Creepy.
Chad the football guy. Ugh. Does he ever smile? He's still there only because he's a black sports star. They always hang around too long.
Yeah, it's looking like a pisspoor season for those of us who tune in to see good dancing.
One more note. I was glad to see the end of Samantha Harris as co-host, but Brook Burke is no better. I guess it was the writers' fault after all. Same dull interviewing style. Drew Lachey's short stint as co-host was so much better. He could ad-lib. Oh wait, maybe that's it. He was competition for Tom's ad-libbing.
Nicole the Pussycat Doll is my pick. She can dance! She's not a diva! Derek is her partner! No-brainer! Of course, we know voters are idiots so that won't matter.
Erin the broadcaster is right behind her for the best female. I can't believe Bruno hasn't mentioned her legs. They go on and on, and he's mad for long legs. I don't really expect her to be around for long. She's not famous enough.
Evan the skater is so far the best male. He just needs to get control of his talent and skills.
No other male is impressing me at this point.
Shannen the actress was kicked off. Too bad. She had potential. She definitely wasn't the worst dancer.
Pamela the sex kitten was in the bottom two. WTF??? I guess this proves most of the voters are women. They would hate her. Ok, she's over the top but she doesn't apologize for herself, her choices, or her actions. Girl just wants to have fun and she does. In my humble opinion, that's class. Oh and BTW, she's a pretty good dancer. Hey, Pam, dial down the sex a bit. Give women a reason to like you.
Niecy the comedian. Not funny. She's not a terrible dancer, but not great either. I'm already tired of her weak attempts at comedy relief.
So we have to suffer through more dancing from the worst dancers.
Kate the mom. That's her only claim to fame. She has a pile of kids, put them on TV, and her marital breakup was big news. How stupid. She is a really really bad dancer, and a whiney bitch with no personality. To make her patient partner Tony want to quit proves how insufferable she will be. I did not want to see any more from her. But there she is thanks to all the bleeding-heart housewives out there with texting phones in their hands.
Buzz the astronaut. Ok, I get that he's a hero, but he's too old for this. It's so painful to watch. I give him credit for having personality. Something the other mediocre dancers lack. *Off-topic: Did his wife use the same plastic surgeon as Joan Rivers? They have the same "Joker" face. Creepy.
Chad the football guy. Ugh. Does he ever smile? He's still there only because he's a black sports star. They always hang around too long.
Yeah, it's looking like a pisspoor season for those of us who tune in to see good dancing.
One more note. I was glad to see the end of Samantha Harris as co-host, but Brook Burke is no better. I guess it was the writers' fault after all. Same dull interviewing style. Drew Lachey's short stint as co-host was so much better. He could ad-lib. Oh wait, maybe that's it. He was competition for Tom's ad-libbing.
Friday, March 12, 2010
DWTS
Hey there. Long time no write. Haven't had a rant or anything in a while but now I do.
Dancing With The Stars. Ok, by now you know I love dancing shows. This used to be one of my favs but it is getting rather old. Samo samo ya know. I fear its day has come. They are scraping the bottom of the barrel for sure.
The new dancing cast was announced. Oh yeah real exciting. Well, there are a few interesting possiblities.
Nicole Scherzinger - The Pussycat Dolls front woman. I see her going all the way, she already can dance sexy and she has a personality.
Evan Lysacek - Olympic figure skater. Skaters have proven to have the natural talent and grace to pick up the ballroom dances.
Pamela Anderson - well you know who she is. She'll probably hang around for a while due to her fan base, but I just can't see her as a ballroom dancer. Pole dancer maybe. She and Nicole should draw in the male viewers.
Niecy Nash - Reno 911. I'm not a fan of this show, not my taste in humor, but she might have what it takes.
So what's left?
Kate Gosselin. Oh pulease! Why is this person even famous? It will kill me if her sympathizers keep her around. But that's the way it goes with this show. A better dancer will be voted off.
Shannen Doherty. She's admitted to live stage fright and I'm sure it will show.
Jake Pavelka. A Bachelor. So? I think those "matchmaker" shows are the most stupid waste of air time ever devoted to people desperate to be on tv. And no, I don't watch them. Although...there was that one Bachelor reject who came very close to winning by virtue of her talent for [gasp] dancing.
Buzz Aldrin. The token old person. No one will ever live up to George Hamilton in that catagory.
Some female sportscaster. Pretty, maybe she'll be able to dance, but will anyone care.
Some soap star. They've proven to have a little talent. Except for Susan Lucci.
Some football star. Pffft.
I am so glad to see the end of Samantha Harris as co-host. I love DVR, I could FFWD past her insipid backstage interviews.
BTW, I should mention I don't vote on any of these shows. I just sit back and rag at the stupidity of the ones that do. Hey it costs to vote. Valuable minutes on the cell bill or valuable time on slow dialup.
In other TV talk.
Some of the shows I got into are finally picking up again. After I've completely forgotten what was going on way back before the Xmas season. Sure would be nice if they'd rerun the earlier episodes so we can catch up again by the time the new shows air.
So what, you might wonder, was I watching?
Flash Forward. This is one I'll probably add to my DVD library. Fascinating storyline and characters. Can't wait to see where it goes.
V. Yeah, I'm hooked but it's not library-worthy.
Smallville. Actually on hiatus for I don't know how long. I love how they are bringing the Superman mythology together. My favorite episodes are the ones that tease at the Justice League to come. I also love Clark's dark look in the long leather duster. To this day, I can't get over his resemblance to Christopher Reeves, the most iconic Superman.
Some were cancelled and I'll miss them.
Dollhouse. An awful lot of questions weren't answered.
Warehouse 13. Now this show had a lot of stories to tell!
Sanctuary. I have mixed feeling about this one. It started out really cool with interesting "abnormals" but then sort of fizzled by focusing on the caretakers too much. Some of the more interesting characters were killed off. Come on, give us more of the mythology the show was based on.
All for now.
Dancing With The Stars. Ok, by now you know I love dancing shows. This used to be one of my favs but it is getting rather old. Samo samo ya know. I fear its day has come. They are scraping the bottom of the barrel for sure.
The new dancing cast was announced. Oh yeah real exciting. Well, there are a few interesting possiblities.
Nicole Scherzinger - The Pussycat Dolls front woman. I see her going all the way, she already can dance sexy and she has a personality.
Evan Lysacek - Olympic figure skater. Skaters have proven to have the natural talent and grace to pick up the ballroom dances.
Pamela Anderson - well you know who she is. She'll probably hang around for a while due to her fan base, but I just can't see her as a ballroom dancer. Pole dancer maybe. She and Nicole should draw in the male viewers.
Niecy Nash - Reno 911. I'm not a fan of this show, not my taste in humor, but she might have what it takes.
So what's left?
Kate Gosselin. Oh pulease! Why is this person even famous? It will kill me if her sympathizers keep her around. But that's the way it goes with this show. A better dancer will be voted off.
Shannen Doherty. She's admitted to live stage fright and I'm sure it will show.
Jake Pavelka. A Bachelor. So? I think those "matchmaker" shows are the most stupid waste of air time ever devoted to people desperate to be on tv. And no, I don't watch them. Although...there was that one Bachelor reject who came very close to winning by virtue of her talent for [gasp] dancing.
Buzz Aldrin. The token old person. No one will ever live up to George Hamilton in that catagory.
Some female sportscaster. Pretty, maybe she'll be able to dance, but will anyone care.
Some soap star. They've proven to have a little talent. Except for Susan Lucci.
Some football star. Pffft.
I am so glad to see the end of Samantha Harris as co-host. I love DVR, I could FFWD past her insipid backstage interviews.
BTW, I should mention I don't vote on any of these shows. I just sit back and rag at the stupidity of the ones that do. Hey it costs to vote. Valuable minutes on the cell bill or valuable time on slow dialup.
In other TV talk.
Some of the shows I got into are finally picking up again. After I've completely forgotten what was going on way back before the Xmas season. Sure would be nice if they'd rerun the earlier episodes so we can catch up again by the time the new shows air.
So what, you might wonder, was I watching?
Flash Forward. This is one I'll probably add to my DVD library. Fascinating storyline and characters. Can't wait to see where it goes.
V. Yeah, I'm hooked but it's not library-worthy.
Smallville. Actually on hiatus for I don't know how long. I love how they are bringing the Superman mythology together. My favorite episodes are the ones that tease at the Justice League to come. I also love Clark's dark look in the long leather duster. To this day, I can't get over his resemblance to Christopher Reeves, the most iconic Superman.
Some were cancelled and I'll miss them.
Dollhouse. An awful lot of questions weren't answered.
Warehouse 13. Now this show had a lot of stories to tell!
Sanctuary. I have mixed feeling about this one. It started out really cool with interesting "abnormals" but then sort of fizzled by focusing on the caretakers too much. Some of the more interesting characters were killed off. Come on, give us more of the mythology the show was based on.
All for now.
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