Good day, all.
Even though I broke up with DWTS, I've kept up with the show and am watching it no-filler style. Last week, I was not sorry to see Aaron go (Mrs. High Lord can't stand him) and this week, I'm afraid that Kelly will be the one to get the boot.
Donny could be a surprise elimination, but I think he has enough family and friends to keep him around. While Kelly is the best story, she is clearly the weakest dancer of the group and deserves to be eliminated this week. That would leave us with a finale that includes the best dancer (Mya), the hottest contestant (Joanna) and the best performer (Donny).
The odds would then be on either Mya (highest scores) or Donny (most fans) to win, although Derek could slip Joanna by if they can split enough votes between the other two. Of course, that's wild speculation because Kelly could sneak into the finale and really F things up.
In other news, I'm really enjoying V. On one level, I wish things would move faster and get right to the part where the Visitors start eating people, but that also means that the anticipation that's building is good for viewers. I just hope it doesn't get cancelled between now and March, when it's supposed to resume.
Is it just me or has the Idol juggernaut been rather quiet of late? I don't watch Ellen, so I don't know if she's mentioned anything on air, but it seems to me that they're having a quiet off season. I did see that Kris has released his first CD; I haven't picked it up yet, so if anyone has it, let me know how it is.
Some buddies of mine and I just started a D&D (3rd Edition) game. It's nice to get back into the swing of things, but I'm taking some time to get used to the rules. Yes, I know they're on to 4th edition already, but I haven't got those books yet.
Three of my five fantasy football teams suck. Two are aiiiiight. I've got Joe Flacco and Ray Rice so I'm living and dying with the Ravens.
Check back later and I'll have some thoughts on the DWTS finale.
High Lord. Out.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
V: Then and Now
I don't know how many of you watched the "Five" pilot last night, or the re-runs of V, V: The Final Battle and V: The Series on the Sci-Fi Channel (I refuse to call it by that new name), but I enjoyed the pilot episode of V.
It was a nice set-up for what could be a long-running sci-fi show on network TV. At least it won't be killed early by Fox like Brimstone, Firefly, Millennium, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, et al. I think that without the success of shows in the sci-fi genre like Lost and Heroes, as well as arc-driven shows like 24 and Buffy, this new crop of shows including Flash Forward and V would never get made.
I also wonder how Battlestar Galactica would have fared if it had been given a bigger budget and been broadcast on NBC instead of Sci-Fi.
Anyway, back to V.
There were several plot lines that were nicely set in motion, but at heart, I wonder why the Visitors didn't simply conquer the planet. After all, they have demonstratably superior technology, so why not just take over. This was the basic failing of the 80s series: the aliens needed water and humans (both for food and as slaves to serve as soldiers).
Now, what do they really need?
Water is one of the most abundant compounds in the universe. Why come to earth to get it?
Humans as food? It's not practical to use a top-line predator as a food source. There is too much necessary to raise humans to maturity as opposed to using non-sentient domesticated animals like cows or chickens.
They need a rare element to power their ships? So just wipe out the population of the planet and mine all they need.
And why would they spend decades infiltrating human society. The time and resources necessary to pull all this off would be better spent by simply showing up, demanding the planet's unconditional surrender and then threatening to drop a fusion device into the sun causing it to go super-nova.
Until this basic premise is plausibly explained, the series will seem a little contrived. At least to me.
Still, there were many things to like. We saw that there are a few humans who are aware of the Visitor's reptilian origins, as well as some that are placed highly in the social structure of our planet.
However, this makes me wonder a couple of things:
First, if there are humans who know that certain "people" are aliens in disguise, why not expose them? Just show up one day with a Visitor, rip off his/her "skin" on TV and when they finally show up, we'd be ready.
Second, if there are Visitors who have been here for a while and they know their bretheran are coming, why not expose themselves so we'd be ready? Sure, we might make guinea pigs out of them, but 1) we'd know that there are other species out there, and 2) we'd know that they were coming to take over the planet. That way, we'd either be ready to fight back or have some sort of Torchwood like contingency that would destroy the planet rather than let it fall to an invading alien species.
Anyway, despite this nitpicking, I enjoyed the show last night, and will be tuning in.
Just show me more hot alien babes. And get Inara her hair back.
It was a nice set-up for what could be a long-running sci-fi show on network TV. At least it won't be killed early by Fox like Brimstone, Firefly, Millennium, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, et al. I think that without the success of shows in the sci-fi genre like Lost and Heroes, as well as arc-driven shows like 24 and Buffy, this new crop of shows including Flash Forward and V would never get made.
I also wonder how Battlestar Galactica would have fared if it had been given a bigger budget and been broadcast on NBC instead of Sci-Fi.
Anyway, back to V.
There were several plot lines that were nicely set in motion, but at heart, I wonder why the Visitors didn't simply conquer the planet. After all, they have demonstratably superior technology, so why not just take over. This was the basic failing of the 80s series: the aliens needed water and humans (both for food and as slaves to serve as soldiers).
Now, what do they really need?
Water is one of the most abundant compounds in the universe. Why come to earth to get it?
Humans as food? It's not practical to use a top-line predator as a food source. There is too much necessary to raise humans to maturity as opposed to using non-sentient domesticated animals like cows or chickens.
They need a rare element to power their ships? So just wipe out the population of the planet and mine all they need.
And why would they spend decades infiltrating human society. The time and resources necessary to pull all this off would be better spent by simply showing up, demanding the planet's unconditional surrender and then threatening to drop a fusion device into the sun causing it to go super-nova.
Until this basic premise is plausibly explained, the series will seem a little contrived. At least to me.
Still, there were many things to like. We saw that there are a few humans who are aware of the Visitor's reptilian origins, as well as some that are placed highly in the social structure of our planet.
However, this makes me wonder a couple of things:
First, if there are humans who know that certain "people" are aliens in disguise, why not expose them? Just show up one day with a Visitor, rip off his/her "skin" on TV and when they finally show up, we'd be ready.
Second, if there are Visitors who have been here for a while and they know their bretheran are coming, why not expose themselves so we'd be ready? Sure, we might make guinea pigs out of them, but 1) we'd know that there are other species out there, and 2) we'd know that they were coming to take over the planet. That way, we'd either be ready to fight back or have some sort of Torchwood like contingency that would destroy the planet rather than let it fall to an invading alien species.
Anyway, despite this nitpicking, I enjoyed the show last night, and will be tuning in.
Just show me more hot alien babes. And get Inara her hair back.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
I never thought it would come to this
Dear Dancing With the Stars,
In a million years, I never imagined that I would be writing this . . .
I think we need to break up. Or at least take some time apart.
We've been together for these last 8½ "seasons" and I just can't take it anymore. I'm not replacing you with another show; infidelity has never been the issue. In fact, I've watched you and DVR'd shows like The Big Bang Theory and American Idol and watched you instead.
I just feel like I'm growing into a different person and you're not.
You've always been good to me. Before, I never thought of ballroom dancing as "sport" but you've made me appreciate the athleticism and energy that dancing requires, not to mention the committment that is necessary. It's just you have some glaring defects that you can't/won't fix.
First, let me say that there are many things I like: Tom Bergeron is the best reality TV show host in the world. Strong pro dancers like Cheryl, Mark, Julianne, and Derek bring out the best in people. Have I mentioned the eye candy factor?
Yet despite this, I can't go on watching you. Samantha Harris annoys me. Maybe if she'd just stand there and jump up and down instead of talking, I'd enjoy her more. Please replace her permanently with Drew Lachey.
I coped well with you rigging season 1 for Kelly Monaco to win (even though she would have won anyway), but I can't handle the way Grumpy Len bashes Mya and Dmitry for no reason, while praising others for doing the exact same thing. His expertise is an asset, but his being a jerk turns me off and doesn't make me want to listen to what he has to say.
We stuck together through schedule and timeslot changes, a revolving door of dancers and endless filler, some of which is very, very funny, and some of which is just plain awful.
I guess my problem is that while you are superior to other contest shows (including American Idol), you're not the best dance show on TV (that would be the one on Fox). I like that Bruno, Carrie Ann and Len actually do some judging that influences the results of the show. I like that the voting system discourages powervoting.
But I can't understand why you don't try and keep up with the times. Introduce some new dances: contemporary, lyrical, hip hop. You do a good job of getting some reasonably relevant C-list celebs, but you handicap your best pro dancers with crappy celeb dancers. Lots of people tune in to watch Cheryl and Anna T. and Kym and Maks, but when you pair them with the likes of Wayne Newton, Tom Delay, Steve Guttenberg, Chuck Liddell, Mark Cuban, Jerry Springer, Denise Richards, Debi Mazar, Willa Ford et al. But why would people tune in to watch their favourite pros get eliminated early?
Will you change for me? Probably not. There are millions of viewers out there who seem content with you just the way you are. Have you tried new things? Sure you have: new dances like the jitterbug, Argentinean Tango, etc. and a couple of gimmicks like the "dance off" sometimes work and sometimes don't, but I appreciate that you've tried some little things. I just don't know that they're enough.
I'm not saying I won't tune in. I think you knew this was coming when I stopped live-blogging at the beginning of this "season". I'm not saying I won't come back, but for right now, I think it's better that we took some time to re-evaluate where we are.
I'm sorry.
-Dave
In a million years, I never imagined that I would be writing this . . .
I think we need to break up. Or at least take some time apart.
We've been together for these last 8½ "seasons" and I just can't take it anymore. I'm not replacing you with another show; infidelity has never been the issue. In fact, I've watched you and DVR'd shows like The Big Bang Theory and American Idol and watched you instead.
I just feel like I'm growing into a different person and you're not.
You've always been good to me. Before, I never thought of ballroom dancing as "sport" but you've made me appreciate the athleticism and energy that dancing requires, not to mention the committment that is necessary. It's just you have some glaring defects that you can't/won't fix.
First, let me say that there are many things I like: Tom Bergeron is the best reality TV show host in the world. Strong pro dancers like Cheryl, Mark, Julianne, and Derek bring out the best in people. Have I mentioned the eye candy factor?
Yet despite this, I can't go on watching you. Samantha Harris annoys me. Maybe if she'd just stand there and jump up and down instead of talking, I'd enjoy her more. Please replace her permanently with Drew Lachey.
I coped well with you rigging season 1 for Kelly Monaco to win (even though she would have won anyway), but I can't handle the way Grumpy Len bashes Mya and Dmitry for no reason, while praising others for doing the exact same thing. His expertise is an asset, but his being a jerk turns me off and doesn't make me want to listen to what he has to say.
We stuck together through schedule and timeslot changes, a revolving door of dancers and endless filler, some of which is very, very funny, and some of which is just plain awful.
I guess my problem is that while you are superior to other contest shows (including American Idol), you're not the best dance show on TV (that would be the one on Fox). I like that Bruno, Carrie Ann and Len actually do some judging that influences the results of the show. I like that the voting system discourages powervoting.
But I can't understand why you don't try and keep up with the times. Introduce some new dances: contemporary, lyrical, hip hop. You do a good job of getting some reasonably relevant C-list celebs, but you handicap your best pro dancers with crappy celeb dancers. Lots of people tune in to watch Cheryl and Anna T. and Kym and Maks, but when you pair them with the likes of Wayne Newton, Tom Delay, Steve Guttenberg, Chuck Liddell, Mark Cuban, Jerry Springer, Denise Richards, Debi Mazar, Willa Ford et al. But why would people tune in to watch their favourite pros get eliminated early?
Will you change for me? Probably not. There are millions of viewers out there who seem content with you just the way you are. Have you tried new things? Sure you have: new dances like the jitterbug, Argentinean Tango, etc. and a couple of gimmicks like the "dance off" sometimes work and sometimes don't, but I appreciate that you've tried some little things. I just don't know that they're enough.
I'm not saying I won't tune in. I think you knew this was coming when I stopped live-blogging at the beginning of this "season". I'm not saying I won't come back, but for right now, I think it's better that we took some time to re-evaluate where we are.
I'm sorry.
-Dave
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The Halloween Blog
Well, not really. But Halloween is coming up on Saturday along with the end of Daylight Savings Time, which means that for those of you who will be out late Saturday night, you get an extra hour before the bars close.
Each year, we've seen a steadily-decreasing number of kids in costume coming to our house. Of course, we're buying the same amount of candy and someone has to eat it . . .
Here are a few thoughts for this week:
Next week: Michael Irvin gets canned. Derek Hough coaxes more out of Joanna than anyone else could. Donny and Future Mrs. High Lord 2.0 continue to shine. Len is still a jerk.
Each year, we've seen a steadily-decreasing number of kids in costume coming to our house. Of course, we're buying the same amount of candy and someone has to eat it . . .
Here are a few thoughts for this week:
- I cannot fathom why Len doesn't like Mya and Dmitry. His comments are non-sensical. This week, he said he didn't like their intro. Yet he doesn't rip anyone else for the same thing. He's also gotten on Dmitry's choreography, but doesn't take it out on anyone else. What's up with Grumpy Len. I'd really like to see him gone from the show. He just seems too old.
- This week's bottom 3 was Melissa, Louie and Michael. Melissa was (deservedly) whacked immediately, then Louis and Michael had their (pointless) dance-off. Did I hear that next week is another double elimination? If that's the case, why did they expand the field to 16 celebs?
I'd rather have a season of single-eliminations than an expanded field with some two-fers thrown in. As it is, we're seeing too many people who have not shot at winning, only to hang on to false hopes for too long. Does anyone think Michael, Melissa or Louie ever had a legitimate shot at winning? The survivor of that troika was going to get eliminated next week anyway. - At this point there are two legitimate contenders: Donny and Mya. Aaron, Mark and Joanna have an outside shot at the finale, but they've been too uneven to win. Kelly and Michael are hanging by threads and are only still around because of fan voting.
If I were a betting man (which I'm not), this is the order I think people will be voted off:
Michael
Kelly
Mark
Aaron
Joanna
Mya
Donny (winner)
The further this thing goes on, the more important fan voting becomes and I think that's where Donny has a leg up on everyone else, even if others are better dancers. As long as Len is handicapping Mya by two points per show, she and Donny will be about even as far as judges's scores go and since the fan votes break all ties, he'll come out with the "much-coveted" Mirror Ball Trophy. If Len would get his head out of his bum, Mya would be the runaway favourite to win. - Was it just me or was the sound off for the whole show last night? They sounded like they were on speakerphone for the entire show. We even tried switching between the regular and HD channels, plus I went downstairs to watch for a few minutes on another TV and the sound was all jacked-up.
- Taylor Swift is too skinny for her own good.
- This week, I got victimised by Joe Flacco and Ray Rice. I have some combination of them in three leagues and in those leagues, I lost because those guys had a bye week.
- I've been watching some of my BSG DVDs and the show still holds up. It was criminal that it never got nominated for any Emmys or Golden Globes.
- I'm addicted to dried pineapple right now. Each week, I eat about two pounds of the stuff while sitting at my desk. I guess it's better than eating two pounds of chocolate, right?
- My office could really use a nacho bar and slushie machine in the break room.
- For the last week or so, my granddaughter has had a stomach bug that's caused her to puke late at night and spend all day passing gas and explosive poo. That is why I don't have kids.
Next week: Michael Irvin gets canned. Derek Hough coaxes more out of Joanna than anyone else could. Donny and Future Mrs. High Lord 2.0 continue to shine. Len is still a jerk.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
October updates
Yeah, I know I've been a bad blogger, but I'm on the verge of breaking up with DWTS because the season is just too darned long. If they'd cut the field back to ten dancers, I might come back full-on, but for now, I feel like we're moving apart from one another.
With 16 couples, there are just too many people to keep track of. Then when they pair some of the better pros with sub-par celebs (Cheryl/Tom and Maks/Debi), it seems like they just don't want me to tune in any more. It would help if they'd bring back the Future Mrs. High Lord instead of making me crown Kym Johnson as Future Mrs. High Lord 2.0.
In DWTS and some other news, here are some random thoughts:
With 16 couples, there are just too many people to keep track of. Then when they pair some of the better pros with sub-par celebs (Cheryl/Tom and Maks/Debi), it seems like they just don't want me to tune in any more. It would help if they'd bring back the Future Mrs. High Lord instead of making me crown Kym Johnson as Future Mrs. High Lord 2.0.
In DWTS and some other news, here are some random thoughts:
- DTWS is on at the same time as two of my other favourite shows: Monday Night Football (which has actually had some good games on) and The Big Bang Theory, which CBS moved to the 9:30 slot.
I think this is a plot by the Eye; thinking that I'll watch their other lame shows by putting my favourite show on last. It used to be that I'd watch BBT then watch DTWS on the DVR after a half hour delay. Now I'm watching BBT on the DVR on Tuesdays. Take that, CBS! - Speaking of BBT, I'm not sure I like the Penny/Leonard hook-up. The unrequited love/sexual tension angle is gone, just like it was gone when Ross and Rachel hooked up at the end of season 2. Sheldon is still funny as hell. So was Wil Wheaton's guest appearance last night. My only complaint is that Sheldon (and his photographic memory) would have known if Wil's grandmother was still alive.
- Even though Natalie is gone, I'm not sure she really had a chance to win. Yes, there are worse dancers still left (Louie, Michael) as well as some who are less consistent (Aaron, Melissa). Yet the fact of the matter is that the people who really had a chance to win at the beginning of the season (Donny, Mya) while the people who have an outside chance (Mark, Joanna) are still there, plus a hanger-on (Kelly).
- Speaking of Mya, does anyone know why Len doesn't like her? Or does he not like Dmitry?
- This past week, I was victimised by Tom Brady and/or Randy Moss in three fantasy leagues. My teams suck.
- We really need to get rid of Samantha Harris. Bring back Drew Lachey! Please!!!!
- Have I mentioned that Mrs. High Lord's new TV is fan-freaking-tastic.
- Is there any team more dominant in any sport than Hendrick Motorsports's #48 team? (The answer is "no", by the way) They're about to win their fourth consecutive championship and everyone around them has basically given up.
- My Jaguars needed overtime to get by the lowely St. Louis Rams.
- I hate the cold.
- The only thing missing from my new mancave is a fridge and posters of beer girls on the walls.
- I'm really looking forward to "V" on ABC. I wonder how long it take ABC to move the series to Friday and kill it.
- I need a new computer. I've burned up two in the last six months and I'd like a new box for when the Star Wars MMO is released sometime next year. Right now, the one I built for myself runs about $1,400 with no operating system. I guess I'll be going back to Baltimore on TDY to make some money.
- The people who hit the panic button in Tallahassee need to calm down. Yes, Bobby Bowden isn't bringing in the kind of success you got used to in the 90s. but don't forget that when he arrived, the Noles were 3-27 in the three previous seasons and there was talk of dismantling the program. He's earned the right to retire whenever he wants, dadgummit.
Monday, October 05, 2009
The Placeholder Post
Howdy, everyone. Well, all five of you who read the blog when it's not Idol season.
DWTS starts here in about six minutes and I've decided that I'm going to skip the live-blogging for the next couple of weeks. Until the cast is whittled down to a manageable size, I'm going to record the show on the DVR and then watch it no-filler the next day.
I just can't handle investing my time and energy in a bunch of celebs who have no chance at winning just so ABC can rake in some more advertising dollars.
Plus I want to watch the Packers/Vikings game on MNF and The Big Bang Theory at 9:30.
So check back with me tomorrow night and I'll have some thoughts on DWTS, my five fantasy football teams and the Battlestar Galactica "complete series" boxed set I just got.
DWTS starts here in about six minutes and I've decided that I'm going to skip the live-blogging for the next couple of weeks. Until the cast is whittled down to a manageable size, I'm going to record the show on the DVR and then watch it no-filler the next day.
I just can't handle investing my time and energy in a bunch of celebs who have no chance at winning just so ABC can rake in some more advertising dollars.
Plus I want to watch the Packers/Vikings game on MNF and The Big Bang Theory at 9:30.
So check back with me tomorrow night and I'll have some thoughts on DWTS, my five fantasy football teams and the Battlestar Galactica "complete series" boxed set I just got.
Monday, September 28, 2009
DWTS: Do it yourself edition
Last weekend, Mrs. High Lord and I took a road trip to Cincinnati. We cashed in some of the Marriott points I've been racking up going on travel and paid a visit to Ikea, the Cincinnati Premium Outlets and Jungle Jim's. Since my youngest stepson moved out, we've now got a bonus room in what used to be the basement.
Much to the consternation of the kids, we're keeping the big TV and replacing it with a new LCD flatscreen. Mrs. High Lord calls it "her TV". The old TV is going downstairs where we're going to hook up the Wii and stereo receiver. We got a stand for the new TV, plus a futon for the basement and some early Christmas gifts for people. It was a good trip; now I just need to teach some more centralised training so I can pay for it . . .
Now back to the dancing.
Last week, we were introduced to the sixteen couples, and to no one's surprise, Ashley Hamilton and Macy Gray got whacked. Why are we being subjected to so many dancers? Do we really want to see a bunch of people who have no chance at winning plod through week after week? (The answer is "no", by the way).
How many more celebs will injure themselves over the next three months? I'm betting on at least four injuries that feature someone being treated by paramedics and/or getting carted away in an ambulance.
On the DVR, I saw that Leonard and Penny ended up in bed. This, of course, is a major mistake. "Friends" was never the same after Ross and Rachel did it (the first time) and BBT just lost a major source of jokes as well as the odd sexual tension that made the first two seasons tick.
The show starts and Grumpy Len is gone!!!! Woo-hoo!!!!!!! I'm feeling better about tonight's show already.
First up are Joanna (who?) and former champ Derek. If anyone get get a model to win, it's Derek . . . no, wait, he already did that. Their jive is filled with big hair and skin (not a complaint). As always, he doesn't ask Joanna to do too much. They have some good chemistry and despite a couple of missteps, they will stick near the top of the leaderboard.
The Judges's Scores: 6-7-7
The High Lord's Score: 7½
Going second are Natalie and Alec. They draw the quickstep. Hopefully, having two fast dances tonight will keep the show moving. God knows they need to get everyone in quickly. She's doing the counting thing. Technically they were okay, but she's still very nervous and it shows. I think they'll definitely hang around for a few more rounds. Natalie has a lot of potential and she's solidly in the middle of the pack, which lots of room to improve.
The Judges's Scores: 7-7-7
The High Lord's Score: 7
Baz is much better in the middle seat than Grumpy Len. Can we replace Len with Baz and Samantha with Drew? Is that really too much to ask?
My fan faves this season are Chuck and Anna. He strikes me as this year's Ty. I appreciate that he is way out of his comfort zone and is trying really hard. Does he have a lot of talent? No; in fact, he's probably got just a shade more natural dancing ability than me. Is he going to win? No, but given that he has lots of room to improve, he could go far (like Ty). They're doing the tango (dance #3 for the night). This reminds me of Warren and Kym's Matrix-inspired Paso from a couple of years ago. It suits him very well and Anna has gone back to her Jerry Rice playbook and choreographed well for him. They have a some timing problems, but overall, it was pretty good.
The Judges's Scores: 6-7-6
The High Lord's Score: 7½
Sabrina and former two-time champion Mark are also doing the jive. She's not as cute as Shawn, but if anyone can coax every ounce of potential out of her, it's Mark. Are the polka-dots there only to distract us? He's doing more dancing than she is. I put her solidly at the top of the bottom third of the field. It wasn't as good as Carrie Ann said. Bruno hit the nail on the head.
The Judges's Scores: 7-6-6
The High Lord's Score: 6½
My fantasy football teams officially suck. I guess I'm due. I think I'm 2-3 going into tonight's game. The one league I'm dominating is my work league. Even so, I was struggling going into the late game yesterday when Peyton Manning caught fire and brought in close to 50 points. If only I could spread a little bit of that magic around to my other four fantasy football teams.
Getting paired with the newest DWTS pro, Michael needs to step it up to finish close to where the other football players were in the past. Anna is trying, but like a lot of first-year pros, she got a dud for a partner. His quickstep is serviceable, but his footwork is clumsy and heavy. His posture isn't bad, but the counting thing is holding him back. I'd like to see them stick around only because she's so hawt.
The Judges's Scores: 7-7-6
The High Lord's Score: 6½
The first crying spat of the year is had by Debi who doesn't respond well to Maks's yelling. Hey, Harold Wheeler, Gordon Sumner just took out a hit on you. Their tango is a big aiiiiiiight for me. Not great, not awful. I'll just say it was meh. The judges are certainly low-balling the scores tonight, which is good.
The Judges's Scores: 7-7-7
The High Lord's Score: 7
Do I really have to sit through another hour of this? These two hour performance shows are way too long. Have I mentioned that there are too many couples this season?
Louie and Chelsie are perhaps the shortest couple to be on the show. They're doing the jive. I don't know what to make of him, but I know I hate the music for the jive. It's not as energetic as Melissa & Mark's, but it's not bad either. I guess I'm just underwhelmed by the dancing tonight. No one has jumped out and wowed me.
The Judges's Scores: 6-7-6
The High Lord's Score: 7
If next week's show seems to drag on this long, I'm going to wait until there are only six couples left to even think about live-blogging. I'm just happy Len's off this week. I can only hope that Tom wasn't joking when he said Len would be gone next week, too.
The leaders among the guys last week were Aaron and Karina. I'm not sure what it is, but he annoys me. Their quickstep starts with a Muppetts gimmick, which makes me laugh. The actual dancing is actually pretty good. I think we're about to see our first 8 paddle of the night, even if the pair has their share of problems (some timing issues, a couple of missed marks, etc.). It wasn't as good as the judges said, but it was still the best of the night.
The Judges's Scores: 9-9-9
The High Lord's Score: 7½
Kelly and Louis made Ozzy and Sharon cry; let's see if she can do it again. They draw the tango. Plus they're in a bad spot, following the night's #1 performer. I think she'll definitely stick around for another couple of weeks, which will give her time to improve into the top half of the field. Kelly has her moments; in parts she looks confident. In others, she's clearly scared witless and is counting way too much. The stumble at the end won't help her.
The Judge's Scores: 6-7-6
The High Lord's Score: 7
The recipient of last week's elimination scare, Kathy and Tony get the quickstep. I hope he's been taking choreography lessons from Julianne. They seem to be moving at two-thirds speed. I thought it was short on content and missing something. If Simon were on this show, he'd call them forgettable. I'm yawning.
The Judges's Scores: The Satan Score
The High Lord's Score: 6½
Is it good or bad when the lowest score of the night so far is 18?
With another quickstep, Mark and Lacey dance rings around Cathy and Tony. They're more athletic than the other couples and their routines show it off. I think he could be very good if he sticks around for a few weeks. His technique is good, but he needs to lighten up a little.
The Judges's Scores: 7-7-7
The High Lord's Score: 7½
The big Fuddy-Duddy didn't like Mya and Dmitry's Viennese Waltz, even if it was one of the best dances of the night. It's a good thing he's not here tonight. I liked it. She's definitely got a lot of natural talent plus she does a good job of selling the performance. If they gave Aaron 9s, they have to do the same for her. What are the odds that Harold Wheeler selects "Lady Marmalade" for her at some point this year?
The Judges's Scores: 9-9-9
The High Lord's Score: 8
If I were a Division I-A team ranked in the Top 10, I'd be really nervous right about now. How long do you think it will be before LSU, Texas, Florida and Alabama get assassinated by an unranked conference rival?
With two couples left, Tom and Cheryl get the 11th spot. I thought TPTB at ABC owe Cheryl big for sticking her with Wayne a few years back, but apparently, they didn't get the memo. Unless the virulent right-wing conspiracy works overtime to keep him around, I think he'll be gone within the next three weeks. His tango is stiff and slow, but it's not the worst of the night. At least until he almost drops Cheryl at the end.
The Judges's Scores: Satan again! Don't tell the Fundy Christians!
The High Lord's Score: 6½
Drawing the Pimp Spot are Donny and The Future Mrs. High Lord 2.0. I think he's the frontrunner to win. There are a couple of people with potential (Aaron and Mya come to mind), but as of right now, he's the whole package: natural talent, dance background, and the best performer of the bunch. Of course, we've seen people plateau early and not win (Stacy Keibler). Let's hope Kym's choreography doesn't kill him like Tony, Maks and Edyta have done to some other celebs. They're doing the jive. If Mrs. High Lord ever leaves me, yeah, I'd hit that. And I'm not talking about Donny. The one downside of Mrs. High Lord's new TV is that I can see individual beads of sweat on Donny's brow. I like that he sells the dance more than any of the other celebs. His technique is not ballroom-perfect, but the jive doesn't have to be. I thought it was the best of the week.
The Judges's Scores: 8-9-8
The High Lord's Score: 8½
My top three are: Aaron, Donny, Mya
My bottom three are: Kathy, Michael, Tom
My pick to go home is either Kathy or Michael. The order doesn't matter because the other one will get canned next week.
Now I'm going to watch BBT on the DVR. I'll be going no-filler for the results tomorrow. If I get Mrs. High Lord's new TV hung on the new TV stand, that is.
High Lord. Out.
Much to the consternation of the kids, we're keeping the big TV and replacing it with a new LCD flatscreen. Mrs. High Lord calls it "her TV". The old TV is going downstairs where we're going to hook up the Wii and stereo receiver. We got a stand for the new TV, plus a futon for the basement and some early Christmas gifts for people. It was a good trip; now I just need to teach some more centralised training so I can pay for it . . .
Now back to the dancing.
Last week, we were introduced to the sixteen couples, and to no one's surprise, Ashley Hamilton and Macy Gray got whacked. Why are we being subjected to so many dancers? Do we really want to see a bunch of people who have no chance at winning plod through week after week? (The answer is "no", by the way).
How many more celebs will injure themselves over the next three months? I'm betting on at least four injuries that feature someone being treated by paramedics and/or getting carted away in an ambulance.
On the DVR, I saw that Leonard and Penny ended up in bed. This, of course, is a major mistake. "Friends" was never the same after Ross and Rachel did it (the first time) and BBT just lost a major source of jokes as well as the odd sexual tension that made the first two seasons tick.
The show starts and Grumpy Len is gone!!!! Woo-hoo!!!!!!! I'm feeling better about tonight's show already.
First up are Joanna (who?) and former champ Derek. If anyone get get a model to win, it's Derek . . . no, wait, he already did that. Their jive is filled with big hair and skin (not a complaint). As always, he doesn't ask Joanna to do too much. They have some good chemistry and despite a couple of missteps, they will stick near the top of the leaderboard.
The Judges's Scores: 6-7-7
The High Lord's Score: 7½
Going second are Natalie and Alec. They draw the quickstep. Hopefully, having two fast dances tonight will keep the show moving. God knows they need to get everyone in quickly. She's doing the counting thing. Technically they were okay, but she's still very nervous and it shows. I think they'll definitely hang around for a few more rounds. Natalie has a lot of potential and she's solidly in the middle of the pack, which lots of room to improve.
The Judges's Scores: 7-7-7
The High Lord's Score: 7
Baz is much better in the middle seat than Grumpy Len. Can we replace Len with Baz and Samantha with Drew? Is that really too much to ask?
My fan faves this season are Chuck and Anna. He strikes me as this year's Ty. I appreciate that he is way out of his comfort zone and is trying really hard. Does he have a lot of talent? No; in fact, he's probably got just a shade more natural dancing ability than me. Is he going to win? No, but given that he has lots of room to improve, he could go far (like Ty). They're doing the tango (dance #3 for the night). This reminds me of Warren and Kym's Matrix-inspired Paso from a couple of years ago. It suits him very well and Anna has gone back to her Jerry Rice playbook and choreographed well for him. They have a some timing problems, but overall, it was pretty good.
The Judges's Scores: 6-7-6
The High Lord's Score: 7½
Sabrina and former two-time champion Mark are also doing the jive. She's not as cute as Shawn, but if anyone can coax every ounce of potential out of her, it's Mark. Are the polka-dots there only to distract us? He's doing more dancing than she is. I put her solidly at the top of the bottom third of the field. It wasn't as good as Carrie Ann said. Bruno hit the nail on the head.
The Judges's Scores: 7-6-6
The High Lord's Score: 6½
My fantasy football teams officially suck. I guess I'm due. I think I'm 2-3 going into tonight's game. The one league I'm dominating is my work league. Even so, I was struggling going into the late game yesterday when Peyton Manning caught fire and brought in close to 50 points. If only I could spread a little bit of that magic around to my other four fantasy football teams.
Getting paired with the newest DWTS pro, Michael needs to step it up to finish close to where the other football players were in the past. Anna is trying, but like a lot of first-year pros, she got a dud for a partner. His quickstep is serviceable, but his footwork is clumsy and heavy. His posture isn't bad, but the counting thing is holding him back. I'd like to see them stick around only because she's so hawt.
The Judges's Scores: 7-7-6
The High Lord's Score: 6½
The first crying spat of the year is had by Debi who doesn't respond well to Maks's yelling. Hey, Harold Wheeler, Gordon Sumner just took out a hit on you. Their tango is a big aiiiiiiight for me. Not great, not awful. I'll just say it was meh. The judges are certainly low-balling the scores tonight, which is good.
The Judges's Scores: 7-7-7
The High Lord's Score: 7
Do I really have to sit through another hour of this? These two hour performance shows are way too long. Have I mentioned that there are too many couples this season?
Louie and Chelsie are perhaps the shortest couple to be on the show. They're doing the jive. I don't know what to make of him, but I know I hate the music for the jive. It's not as energetic as Melissa & Mark's, but it's not bad either. I guess I'm just underwhelmed by the dancing tonight. No one has jumped out and wowed me.
The Judges's Scores: 6-7-6
The High Lord's Score: 7
If next week's show seems to drag on this long, I'm going to wait until there are only six couples left to even think about live-blogging. I'm just happy Len's off this week. I can only hope that Tom wasn't joking when he said Len would be gone next week, too.
The leaders among the guys last week were Aaron and Karina. I'm not sure what it is, but he annoys me. Their quickstep starts with a Muppetts gimmick, which makes me laugh. The actual dancing is actually pretty good. I think we're about to see our first 8 paddle of the night, even if the pair has their share of problems (some timing issues, a couple of missed marks, etc.). It wasn't as good as the judges said, but it was still the best of the night.
The Judges's Scores: 9-9-9
The High Lord's Score: 7½
Kelly and Louis made Ozzy and Sharon cry; let's see if she can do it again. They draw the tango. Plus they're in a bad spot, following the night's #1 performer. I think she'll definitely stick around for another couple of weeks, which will give her time to improve into the top half of the field. Kelly has her moments; in parts she looks confident. In others, she's clearly scared witless and is counting way too much. The stumble at the end won't help her.
The Judge's Scores: 6-7-6
The High Lord's Score: 7
The recipient of last week's elimination scare, Kathy and Tony get the quickstep. I hope he's been taking choreography lessons from Julianne. They seem to be moving at two-thirds speed. I thought it was short on content and missing something. If Simon were on this show, he'd call them forgettable. I'm yawning.
The Judges's Scores: The Satan Score
The High Lord's Score: 6½
Is it good or bad when the lowest score of the night so far is 18?
With another quickstep, Mark and Lacey dance rings around Cathy and Tony. They're more athletic than the other couples and their routines show it off. I think he could be very good if he sticks around for a few weeks. His technique is good, but he needs to lighten up a little.
The Judges's Scores: 7-7-7
The High Lord's Score: 7½
The big Fuddy-Duddy didn't like Mya and Dmitry's Viennese Waltz, even if it was one of the best dances of the night. It's a good thing he's not here tonight. I liked it. She's definitely got a lot of natural talent plus she does a good job of selling the performance. If they gave Aaron 9s, they have to do the same for her. What are the odds that Harold Wheeler selects "Lady Marmalade" for her at some point this year?
The Judges's Scores: 9-9-9
The High Lord's Score: 8
If I were a Division I-A team ranked in the Top 10, I'd be really nervous right about now. How long do you think it will be before LSU, Texas, Florida and Alabama get assassinated by an unranked conference rival?
With two couples left, Tom and Cheryl get the 11th spot. I thought TPTB at ABC owe Cheryl big for sticking her with Wayne a few years back, but apparently, they didn't get the memo. Unless the virulent right-wing conspiracy works overtime to keep him around, I think he'll be gone within the next three weeks. His tango is stiff and slow, but it's not the worst of the night. At least until he almost drops Cheryl at the end.
The Judges's Scores: Satan again! Don't tell the Fundy Christians!
The High Lord's Score: 6½
Drawing the Pimp Spot are Donny and The Future Mrs. High Lord 2.0. I think he's the frontrunner to win. There are a couple of people with potential (Aaron and Mya come to mind), but as of right now, he's the whole package: natural talent, dance background, and the best performer of the bunch. Of course, we've seen people plateau early and not win (Stacy Keibler). Let's hope Kym's choreography doesn't kill him like Tony, Maks and Edyta have done to some other celebs. They're doing the jive. If Mrs. High Lord ever leaves me, yeah, I'd hit that. And I'm not talking about Donny. The one downside of Mrs. High Lord's new TV is that I can see individual beads of sweat on Donny's brow. I like that he sells the dance more than any of the other celebs. His technique is not ballroom-perfect, but the jive doesn't have to be. I thought it was the best of the week.
The Judges's Scores: 8-9-8
The High Lord's Score: 8½
My top three are: Aaron, Donny, Mya
My bottom three are: Kathy, Michael, Tom
My pick to go home is either Kathy or Michael. The order doesn't matter because the other one will get canned next week.
Now I'm going to watch BBT on the DVR. I'll be going no-filler for the results tomorrow. If I get Mrs. High Lord's new TV hung on the new TV stand, that is.
High Lord. Out.
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