DWTS Results

This will be short and sweet! New twist on the show is that the bottom two dancetestants compete by dancing for the judges. The two couples competing in the dance-off were Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan Roberts and Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff.

Belinda and Jonathan performed a salsa, and she did a little better on parts of it but not much praise from the judges who gave her 5/6/6 = 17, which is one less than last night.

Steve and Karina danced the quickstep. He just has so much fun doing this that it's fun to watch him. Frankly, I think he danced better than Belinda did. The crowd loved it! The judges said they enjoyed watching him, too, and that he's not a good dancer but has a great attitude. His scores were 6/5/6 = 17.

Well, the judges sort of copped out by giving them tied scores. Now it's up to the audience votes. While waiting for the announcement, Belinda stuck her tongue out at Karina and Steve which wasn't cool or funny but sort of fell flat. Instant karma got her for that, and she's the first eliminated. I wish karma could always work that fast! There have been many times that would have been so satisfying! But I digress! The Go-Go is Gone-Gone!

Erin Go Braugh!

Tan

Some of the dancetestants on DWTS hit the spray tan too much!

DWTS 8 - Week 2

Week Two and two more injuries! This week it's Steve-O and The Woz! Tom Bergeron said he was just glad when the stars could make it to the competition.

This week's dances are the quickstep or the salsa. Be sure to read Jim's recap here! Can you tell who he's voting for? :-) Check out Rookie's recap here. If it's not there, it will be soon.

Holly Madison & Dmitry Chaplin

Dance: Quickstep

Score: 6/6/6 = 18 Combined with last week's score: 18 + 18 = 36

Critique: While trying to get to know each other better, Holly asked 20 questions and discovered that she and Dmitry are opposites. Her mantra is, "Every day is a Holly day." Dmitry wasn't sure how clever that was but laughed anyway. The judges thought she didn't hold her own in the dance. She might have heard this before.

David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson

Dance: Salsa

Score: 6/5/6 = 17 Combined with last week: 19 + 17 = 36
Critique: Rehearsal was not a pretty picture! Their dance looked better than expected. He sort of stood there part of the time and really got into it and had some moves most of the performance. The judges said he could dance but that it isn't coming together yet. He was funny during the interview and said he has two words for the judges: Hope and Change. He hopes he improves and that the judges change their minds.

Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Dance: Quickstep

Score: 7/7/7 = 18 Combined score: 18 + 21 = 39
Critique: Denise thinks the posture for this dance is unnatural and that the person who invented this dance didn't like his partner very much. She should understand that concept. Maks tried to get her to relax and have fun with it. She managed to improve from last week, and the judges were complimentary. She followed along and had good foot and leg work. Hmmm. She's still a skankapotamus to me (and for the record I think Charlie Sheen is,too). But I like for Maks to stay on as long as possible.

Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan Roberts
Dance: Salsa

Score: 6/6/6 = 18 Combined Score: 17 + 18 = 35

Critique: Jonathan said this salsa would be more like what she did with the Go-Go's and incorporated some of those moves into their dance. Something was missing but it looked like she was having fun. The judges said she was lacking hip action and that her performance was better than last week.

Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower

Dance: Quickstep

Score: 7/6/7 = 20 Combined score: 14 + 20 = 34

Critique: He really improved. Ty said he got bucked off the Cha-Cha and that it was only a Cha because he forgot half of it. He said it would be redemption this week. He moved his feet and was sort of a stiff cowboy at times but did so much better!

Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas

Dance: Salsa

Score: 8/8/8 = 24 Combined Score: 23 + 24 = 47

Critique: Shawn was really worried about shaking her booty for the salsa. her footwork was good and her hip action was OK. She looked a little self-conscious but her Olympic training came through because she was focused and

Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff

Dance: Quickstep

Score: 6/5/6 = 17 Combined Score: 13 + 17 = 30

Critique: With all the rehearsal Steve has a hairline fracture in his foot. His doctor advised that he could continue dancing as long as he understood the danger of it. Steve said he was having the most fun he's ever had and wanted to keep on. The pink boa returned briefly! You can tell he's having a blast! They danced to a Buddy Holly song, and Len said he saw Buddy Holly and that he would probably look like Steve today if he'd lived. They like his enthusiasm and attitude but not his technique. Kathy Griffin was in the audience cheering him on after breaking up with him. Sorry, guys, I'm not a fan. I am of his, though.

Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough
Dance: Salsa
Score: 6/7/7 = 20 Combined Score: 20 + 20 = 40
Critique: They are cute together. He said the salsa went against every masculine bone in his body but said he would tackle it "Derek style" because Julianne asked him if he'd ever seen Derek move his hips. "Like a girl?" he asked. He's motivated to impress her since they're still early in their relationship, and he did pretty well. The judges said what I thought that Julianne did most of the work. They were disappointed because he has potential he didn't use. He said he had fun. The stars of Castle were in the audience. It's on ABC right after DWTS, so the network probably had them go.

Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska

Dance: Quickstep

Score: 7/6/7 = 20 Combined Score: 16 + 20 = 36

Critique: Well, the quickstep is difficult, and he improved from last week. He won't last as long as other NFL players have but is trying hard. The judges praised his performance, so maybe he will keep getting better. That happens sometimes.

Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer

Dance: Salsa
Score: 5/4/5 = 14 Combined Score: 17 + 14 = 31

Critique: Steve-O hurt his back during rehearsal and planned to dance Jackass-style since he got low scores last week. Because he landed on his mic-pack and exacerbated his injury, so they had to judge the dance based on watching the tape of their dress rehearsal. Lacey faced the judges alone because he is in the hospital. The judges said it wasn't a salsa and that the performance was lackluster, partly because of not having the adrenaline that comes with doing it live.


Lil' Kim & Derek Hough
Dance: Quickstep
Score: 8/7/8 = 23 With last week: 21 + 23 = 44

Critique: She danced well and performed it. It looked fun and energetic. The judges said it was a vivacious and uplifting performance. Len criticized Derek for some aspects of his choreography (not enough body contact) and said she and Shawn need to learn from each other. She's been a surprise to me with her attitude and personality - very upbeat and enthusiastic!

Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani
Dance: Salsa

Score: 9/8/9 = 26 Both Scores: 23 + 29 = 49

Critique: Wow! Tony did a great job teaching her, and she really danced it! The judges raved! Her cheerleading back ground helps her connect with the crowd and perform. Len said he was gyrating in his chair. After giving her an 8, Tom wickedly asked him how much gyrating it takes to get a 9. I love Tom!

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke

Dance: Quickstep

Score: 9/9/9 = 27 Combination: 24 + 27 = 51

Critique: Oh great! Gilles separated his shoulder during the first week's performance and has pain in it. They danced to "Kryptonite" and he wore Clark Kent glasses and opened his shirt to show a Superman "G" at the end of the dance. He is so sexy, and I just love Cheryl! She's such a good choreographer and has another worthy partner. This was a riveting performance with chemistry and charm and hotness! The judges praised them! I don't know who the guy is that they kept showing in the audience. Usually they focus on a family member, co-star, or spouse. Anybody know?

So how is it stacking up so far? Who will be the first to go and who will hang in there?

Taxes

I read this today and thought it was interesting.

This is ridiculous. The media has been obsessing about President Obama's plan to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans—from 35% to 39.6%—even asking if that makes him a socialist.1

But do you know what tax rate the wealthiest Americans paid on the top portion of their earnings at the end of Ronald Reagan's first term? 50%.

Under Richard Nixon? 70%. Under Dwight Eisenhower? 91%!

Shocking, right?

And for all the whining about rolling back Bush's irresponsible tax cuts, the truth is that Obama's plan cuts taxes for 95% of working Americans. Further, it closes huge tax loopholes for oil companies, hedge funds and corporations that ship jobs overseas so that we can invest in the priorities that will get our economy back on track.2

We saw a great chart in The Washington Monthly3 that shows just how absurd Republican complaints about Obama's budget are.

(Click to embiggen)

Sources:

1. "A socialist? Obama calls back to insist no," The International Herald Tribune, March 8, 2009
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/08/america/barack.php

2. "Tax Cuts," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/washington/27web-tax.html

3. "Soaking the Rich (Redux)," The Washington Monthly, March 8, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51234&id=15744-6102883-_0wr6_x&t=3

Car Update

The service center owner called while ago and said it is what sounded like the idler control valve, I think. They will get the part in the morning. He said with parts and labor it will cost around $220. Could be worse. I'm just glad it didn't happen out on the interstate or somewhere else really inconvenient and that I have the money to afford to get it fixed. It's a '99 model and hasn't cost me much money in repairs. This is cheaper than a car payment, so I'll keep it until it starts to cost too much. That's what I do.

Southern Etiquette

If you can't be kind, be vague.

Sunday Adventure

Linda wants to move to this county and plans to buy a house. She had a list of places she's interested in, so I rode with her this afternoon to look at them before she decides which ones to see with the realtor. We walked around the houses and peeped in windows. It was fun. I just love looking at houses and would have kept my real estate license renewed if that's all there were to it. Unfortunately, it's like being on call all the time and then learning about financing.

We stopped by to see my mother for a little while since we were in the area and then went to Papa Boudreaux's Cajun Cafe for dinner. It was delicious and just as enjoyable as before. They hire inexperienced waitresses and don't train them sufficiently. The chef has the kitchen staff plate the entree too soon. Both times we barely ate two bites of salad and a little bread before (poof!), the entree speedily appeared before its time. A friend's son works there as a prep chef and told her about that and said the chef rushes them to do this. Next time, I think I'll ask the waitress to have them wait until I finish my salad to bring my entree.


Maybe I'll have better luck than when I told her I'm allergic to raw onions and wanted the scallions removed. She said there aren't that many of them, and they're just green onion tops. Huh? I told her I'd just pick them off, but she took the dish back to the kitchen for them to do it. When she brought my food back, the whole scallion was still on there, but the chopped tops were gone. I said there was still an onion on it but that it was OK because I'd just take it out. She said the cooks told her it wasn't an onion but a garnish. What? I calmly told her it was a garnish that was an onion. She apologized and said she asked them about it and wondered. Strange! Great food and weird service. I'll go back because I like the food but would like to do some training!


We left the restaurant which is in the Ramada Inn, got in our cars, and Linda drove off. I started my car and it quit. I started it again and revved the engine, and it stopped running again. Thank goodness I joined AAA around a month ago! I called them, and they said someone would be there in a little over an hour. I went back in the lobby and watched Celebrity Apprentice with the desk clerk. I know her parents (who own the hotel) and remember her when she was in high school. She's a realtor now, so we discussed some things I wanted to know for Linda. It was a nice change to have someone to discuss it with while the show was on, so the wait was sort of fun.

The wrecker got there just as Celebrity Apprentice ended. I rode with him in the tow truck as he towed my car to the service center. I will need to call them early in the morning. Tina is going to drive me to my massage appointment, and I'll cancel some other things I was going to do. Hope nothing is expensively wrong with my car.

The day's activities lasted longer than I'd planned, but it worked out.

Yikes!

This cracks me up every time I look at it!


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Vote

MSNBC has a poll to vote on how Obama has done so far. If you'd like to vote, here's the link.

Happy Pi Day

Today is Einstein's birthday. March 14, or 3-14. As some of you know 3.14 is pi. Thanks to Rachel Maddow for our moment of geek! This is so clever and so Rachel! I love it!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Facebook

If any of you are on Facebook, add me as a friend if you'd like to. Be sure to send a message telling me how we know each other. My name is Joy Durham. Thanks!

I'm already friends on there with Charlie, Chris, Hope, Vicki, Jim, and Dan. Many former students are in touch, as are Charlie's, and I've really enjoyed connecting with them. No matter what some of you say, I like FB. It's great reconnecting and keeping up with family, friends, and others. I also have some fun Scrabble games going on with my son, daughter-in-law, Charlie, Hope, and Chris.

True Blood

I know some of you don't have HBO, but I wondered if those who do have seen True Blood. I'm watching it now since I missed it the first time it was on. I also missed it on On Demand. Two of the episodes have been on so far, and it's also out on DVD now.

It's based on the Southern Vampire Series of novels by Charlaine Harris, which I plan to read. Alan Ball writes the TV series, so you know it's quirky. He also wrote Six Feet Under and American Beauty. This is not your Mormon's vampire like those Twilight novels, and I haven't read the Ann Rice vampire series. These vampires are out of the coffin and want equal rights. A synthetic blood developed by the Japanese replaces their drinking human blood. It's dark humor.

Here's the description and review on Amazon.

Alan Ball’s True Blood series works well for television, as it has enough sensationalism to tantalize and enough story girth to make the viewer care about the characters. That one can finally invest emotion into monsters, including an undead Civil War victim, a transformer who can shapeshift into various animals, and a female mind reader, speaks volumes about America’s willingness to accept fantasy. Of course, television has always produced good fantasy shows (I Dream of Genie), but True Blood’s Southern Goth brand of fun horror is more macabre and more perverse, not to mention gorier, than most shows of its kind to date. Adapted from Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels, True Blood thrills because of its equal blend in each episode of erotica, humor, tragedy, mystery, and fantasy.

Set in a rural, swampy Louisiana parish, the show centers around Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and her clan, sweet grandmother Adele (Lois Smith) and air-headed brother Jason (Ryan Kwanten). Illicit love is spawned early on, when Sookie saves vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) from having his blood stolen in the parking lot of Merlotte’s diner, owned by Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) who completes what will form a complex love triangle. As tensions between Sookie’s suitors loosen or tighten, many side plots, such as her African-American best friend Tara’s (Rutina Wesley) struggle with an alcoholic, Bible-thumping mother and her brother’s dangerous crush on drug-addicted hippie, Amy Burley (Lizzy Caplan), keep one wondering who will succeed in this podunk place. The main tension throughout, however, is a race war waged between vampires and humans. As murders of “fang bangers” occur (human girls who let vampires bite them) and dumb policeman Andy Bellefleur (Chris Bauer) fails to find clues, one sees the metaphorical implications of vampirism and feels deeper resonance with what can be a downright trashy show. Gossip galore, especially about what kinds of babies interbreeding will produce, is rampant. One of the funniest characters is Tara’s flamboyant cousin, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis), who deals drugs, works as a fry cook, and services the local white politicians, while making sure he’s always up in everyone’s business.

What makes True Blood smarter than pure soap opera is the parallels it draws between its monster mash and actual, familiar societal problems. Sookie and her friends watch the news, where Evangelicals bash vampires and prohibit mixed marriage, and everyone is addicted to V, a.k.a vampire blood, that effects like psychedelic heroin. Even its gore reflects a mix of serious and silly, as vampires explode into red, sticky goop. Though it may not be attempting to qualify for the best vampire footage ever shot, True Blood is as addictive as that substance the town’s youth obsesses over, which is a metaphor in itself. --Trinie Dalton

Anna Paquin (Sookie)

Stephen Moyer (Bill)

Imaginary Friends

Did any of you have imaginary friends as a child? I didn't, but one of my cousins did and so did my son. His had a first and last name, blonde hair and blue eyes, and alternated from being six years old to a sixteen year old cheerleader. Creative, I thought.

For Those of You with Your Own Papis

Let's see, Bob (Carlos), Dan (Luis), Mark in DE (Joe), Jeff (Brad), and who else?

For Me

The Human Body

Did any of you get this email that's going around the 'net now?

It takes your food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach.

One human hair can support 3 kg (6.6 lb).

The average man's penis is three times the length of his thumb.

A woman's heart beats faster than a man's.

There are about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.

Your body uses 300 muscles to balance itself when you are standing still.

Women reading this will be finished now.

Men are still busy checking their thumbs.

whine

I'm not feeling better. All I want to do is sleep. Now my throat feels as if it's closing, and my head is stuffed with damp, gray cotton. Woe is me!

Whatever, Martha!

David told us about Whatever, Martha! on the Fine Living Network (FLN Tuesdays at 10:00 Eastern) and I watched it tonight. It's hilarious in a sort of uncomfortable way that's hard to explain. Martha Stewart's daughter Alexis and her friend Jennifer dish about Martha's shows from the archives in a similar way to Mystery Science Theater. Remember that? David mentioned that comparison, and it brought back funny memories. Martha is executive producer, so that says something. This is a show on Sirius Radio, which I don't have, so some of you might know about it.

Alexis and Jennifer write blogs. Here's the link if you want to check them out. And here's a promo for the show.

How?

How do those women older than I am manage to have skin that looks so much younger? Charo's neck didn't even look crepey on RuPaul's Drag Race last night. I googled and there are disputes about her age. She says she was born in 1951 which was upheld by a court even though it was reported as 1941. That would have made her 15 when she married 66 year old Xavier Cugat! Wow! She said her parents falsified records so she could marry him.

Even so, at 58 her neck and skin look good. And so do Sophia Loren's at 74! You can get work done just about anywhere, but the neck not so much. Sally Field and Joan Baez are around my age, and their faces and necks show that they haven't had anything done. I think it is better for actors not to since they need to have facial expressions and show emotion. They generally play real people and need to look authentic. Judi Dench and Helen Mirren are proof that women can look good as they age naturally. The women and men who overdo the injections and surgery tend to look like that lion woman after a while. It's scary and creepy! Doing something that improves their natural appearance and makes them look rested is OK, but many of them don't know when to stop and all end up looking alike.

But back to the neck, how does that happen? OK, perhaps I've answered my own question. Check out these photos. I think all of them look just fine and much better than they would if they'd had lots of work done. Of all of them, Charo probably has had the most. I'm not sure several of them had any and hope they didn't. What do you think?

Season 8 DWTS - Week 1

Dancing with the Stars already had to replace two celebrity dancers before the season even began! There have been injuries the last couple of years, but this is new. Singer Jewel suffered injuries to her legs and had to quit, spoiling the first husband-wife competition. Jewel's husband, former rodeo star Ty Murray, will continue in the competition. Access Hollywood co-anchor Nancy O'Dell announced she had to leave because of an injury and will have knee surgery. Both were in the audience. Jewel said she'd be back to sing for her husband since she couldn't dance. I hoped that Misty May-Treanor might be back. Maybe she will sometime.

No elimination until next week when both scores will determine who goes. So here they are except Jewel and Nancy are still in this picture and Lil' Kim isn't.


Lil' Kim

Claim to fame: Grammy Award-winning rapper

Partner: Derek Hough

Dance: Cha-cha-cha

Score: 7/7/7 = 21

She said she watched DWTS for the first time in prison and didn't miss a week. She dedicated her first dance to all her girls in the Federal Detention Center. Good to get that right out there, I guess! They danced a cha-cha-cha. Her legs are stiff, but I think she did well and had some good moves. The judges all said she has potential.

Belinda Carlisle

Claim to fame: Former lead singer for the Go-Go's who now has a solo career and recently became a spokeswoman for the weight-loss program NutriSystem.

Partner: Jonathan Roberts

Dance: Waltz

Score: 6/6/5 = 17

Jonathan is one of the best teachers on here and brings out the best in his partners. Jim is a HUGE fan of Belinda's and of DWTS, so here he has both at once. For his sake, I hope she does well. She worried me in rehearsal and reminded me too much of Priscilla Presley when she danced except Belinda's face moves and has expression. Bruno compared her heavy dancing to Cloris Leachman - oops! The others said she was elegant and needs to relax.

Lawrence Taylor

Claim to fame: Former NFL linebacker

Partner: Edyta Sliwinska

Dance: Cha-cha

Score: 6/5/5 = 16

Other former NFL players Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Jason Taylor, Warren Sapp have been great, but L.T. is older and he probably punished his body more than any of them. He made a huge comeback after battling drug and alcohol addictions, and there are a lot of football fans in the world. He doesn't have Warren's and Emmitt's moves and isn't light on his feet like they are. He's sort of clunky. Maybe Edyta can loosen him up because he said he was scared to death he'd make a fool of himself. The judges want him to perform.

Steve-O

Claim to fame: Actor from Jackass and Wildboyz.

Partner: Lacey Schwimmer

Dance: Waltz

Score: 6/5/6 = 17

Apparently DWTS is part of his rehab. It might be a good match of personalities in some ways since Lacey thinks of herself as a rebel. Well, he tried and took a chance. He has such a goofy look on his face all the time, but that's just him. His partner in crime Johnny Knoxville was in the audience cheering him on. The judges said he was better than they expected him to be. Quote from him: "I wanted to put my foot in the waltz's butt." OK.

Gilles Marini

Claim to fame: Actor, best known for playing Dante in Sex and the City: The Movie. He was the hot, naked guy in the shower next door to Samantha.

Partner: Cheryl Burke (has won twice already)

Dance: Cha-cha-cha

Score: 8/8/8 = 24

Oh wow! Sexy, hot, and oh yes!!! I think he can dance pretty well, too. I just love Cheryl and am glad to see them dancing together. She looks great as usual. Oh, I hope he stays on the whole time!!!!! The judges liked him, too. I know who I'll be voting for!


Chuck Wicks

Claim to fame: After appearing on the short-lived reality show Nashville, Wicks went on to get a recording contract and release an album, Starting Now.

Partner: Julianne Hough She has a knack for making everyone look good and a few look great. I thought she wasn't going to be on again and am glad she is.

Dance: Waltz

Score: 6/7/7 = 20

Hmmm, they're a couple! How about that? Guess that's why she's on again. Julianne is a gifted choreographer, and he didn't want to disappoint her. They look really good together, and he danced a little stiffly but did well. She was proud of him. Oh yes, stickler Carrie Ann noticed a slight lift when her foot came off the floor.

Holly Madison

Claim to Fame: Playboy Playmate and starred in The Girls Next Door.

Partner: Dmitry Chaplin was on So You Think You Can Dance

Dance: Cha-cha-cha

Score: 6/6/6 = 18

She had only a week to prepare and was nervous about having to wing it. Who wouldn't be! It's brave of her to jump in and try it. Dmitry said he felt as if he were cheating on Jewel with another partner. She did better than many who have been on the show. Some of what she did looked like walking, but with such a short time to prepare, she did pretty well. I wish Jewel could have stayed. The judges said it wasn't that good but had potential.

Ty Murray

Claim to fame: Former rodeo cowboy

Partner: Chelsie Hightower, a newbie whose expertise is in Latin dance and was on So You Think You Can Dance.

Dance: Cha-cha-cha

Score: 5/4/5 = 14

Let's hope Ty Murray will forever erase the images we have of Billy Ray Cyrus clunking around the dance floor in his cowboy boots. He said he was approaching it like he does bull riding by not knowing what to expect and being ready for anything. Hey! He did OK! Good sport and sort of clunky but not as bad as Billy Ray. The judges weren't thrilled. Ooo, Len gave him a 4!

Shawn Johnson

Claim to fame: Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics

Partner: Mark Ballas

Dance: Waltz

Score: 8/8/7 = 23

The Olympians usually do very well. At 17, she's the youngest competitor they've had on the show. I thought Cody was younger (16) last season but maybe not. How old was he? 18? Shawn is upholding the tradition and was graceful and elegant. The judges were pleased. She'll probably make it to the finals.

Steve Wozniak

Claim to fame: Apple co-founder and philanthropist

Partner: Karina Smirnoff, known for her the drama she creates on the dance floor and off; and for her rumored romances with two previous partners, both named Mario. Now she's engaged to Maks.

Dance: Cha-cha-cha

Score: 5/4/4 = 13

The Woz is a squillionaire geek and 58. He's the oldest and most out-of-shape but had some moves and went for it. Great sport who had fun! Bruno said he was like watching a Telletubbie going mad at a gay pride parade. Whatever, Bruno! I thought he had a great attitude and did better than many have on there. From what I've read, he's an extremely nice guy. I never understood what he saw in Kathy Griffin who seems to be his antithesis. He should be with my friend Tina.

David Alan Grier

Claim to fame: Actor and comedian who made his mark in In Living Color, current host of Chocolate News on Comedy Central. I've never watched that.

Partner: Kym Johnson

Dance: Waltz

Score: 6/7/6 = 19

Kym didn't know how to react to him when they first met and just glared at him. He thinks it's because she doesn't know he's a comedian. Aha! He did well and danced smoothly and gracefully and didn't follow the tradition of comedians who have bombed out. Well done! The judges had compliments and gave him pointers. Compared with others tonight, I thought he did better than those 6's.

Denise Richards

Claim to fame: Actress, bimbo ex-wife of male bimbo Charlie Sheen, and star of her own reality show, Denise Richards: It's Complicated, which is an ironic title since she is anything but!

Partner: Bad boy and hottie Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Dance: Cha-cha-cha

Score: 6/6/6 = 18

Maks got irritated with her during rehearsal. She kept saying, "Sorry" and he told her to quit apologizing and learn how to do the steps. She cried. He doesn't seem to like her very much, which makes me like him more. Denice said she likes the bad boys, so I guess she thought she'd steal this one away, too. Karina will cut a bitch, I told you that! She was stiff and awkward. Oh please! The judges gave her higher scores than she deserved because she is blonde and pretty in a vacuous kind of way. If we can judge anything by her dancing, I'll bet she's one of those women who thinks just lying there in all her superficial beauty is reward enough while her grateful partner does all the work. So I'll go on and say that she was a dead dance.

Melissa Rycroft

Claim to Fame: Rejected fiancee on The Bachelor and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. I don't watch The Bachelor because I have some taste and a few standards. Why would anyone think a man who drags his child on a show like that and then makes out with all those women on national TV would be a good catch? From what I saw about him on The View, he seems like a sleazeball.

Partner: Tony Dovolani

Dance: Waltz

Score: 8/7/8 = 23

She's had 48 hours to prepare for her performance! She's dancing smoothly and gracefully. The judges said they could tell she'd studied ballet. They gave her pointers and compliments. There were several references to the sleazeball bachelor. Tony said he took all the ballet moves he could use and put a waltz around them. She will go farther than many.

Not a strong field the way some seasons have been. Yes, it's the first week, so we'll have to see who improves and what they do next week. I think we can predict some who will leave early and some who will probably stick around. What did you think? Who will be the first to go? Who will

For David (only Arbeez)

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For Doggy

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For Melissa

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Anger

We've been talking about anger, and I've been thinking more about it. Sure, it is one thing to become outraged at injustice, livid about mistreatment of animals, children, and others dependent on us, and incensed when egregious crimes are committed. It's another to let it destroy us. We can't live that way. So what do we do? How do we use those feelings for good? I spent too much time with moral superiority and righteous indignation toward a couple of family members when I was going with a black guy. I made my point but am not sure it changed any minds. If we are as sick as our secrets, I'm trying to get rid of mine. Then I had it big time when my daughter found me because it dredged up all those emotions I'd buried for so long. I was angry with society for making me give away my baby because it made other people uncomfortable that I wasn't married. So much pain and might-have-beens with that experience, but it was 1963 and philosophically still the 50's, and I lived in a very small town. No, I have no nostalgia for that era.

But back to anger. How do we reconcile atrocities with healthy emotional living? Well, it isn't easy but it's vital. We have to do it if we are to accomplish anything worthwhile with the experiences that caused that outrage in the first place. Many have done this and look what happened! Thank goodness there are people with a world view and who recognize that there are ethical laws that rise above and elevate the human condition. Lawrence Kohlberg classified the stages of moral development, and those people are at Stage 6. I'll post about that separately.

What are your thoughts about forgiveness? To me, it's more about us than them. It's about finding a way to deal with resentment, hate, and outrage that won't harm us and will let us live with mental and emotional health. Maybe we can live just fine not forgiving someone while not hating them. What do you think?

Two Articles on Moral Development

Stages of Moral Development
by Lawrence Kohlberg (1971)

I. Preconventional Level

At this level, the child is responsive to cultural rules and labels of good and bad, right or wrong, but he interprets the labels in terms of either the physical or hedonistic consequences of action (punishment, reward, exchange of favors) or the physical power of those who enunciate the rules and labels. The level is divided into the following three stages:

Stage 0: Egocentric judgement. The child makes judgements of good on the basis of what he likes and wants or what helps him, and bad on the basis of what he does not like or what hurts him. He has no concept of rules or of obligations to obey or conform independent of his wish.

Stage 1: The punishment and obedience orientation. The physical consequences of action determine its goodness or badness regardless of the human meaning or value of these consequences. Avoidance of punishment and unquestioning deference to power are values in their own right, not in terms of respect for an underlying moral order supported by punishment and authority (the latter is stage 4).

Stage 2: The instrumental relativist orientation. Right action consists of what instrumentally satisfies one's own needs and occasionally the needs of others. Human relations are viewed in terms such as those of the market place. Elements of fairness, reciprocity, and equal sharing are present, but they are always interpreted in a physical, pragmatic way. Reciprocity is a matter of "you scratch my back and I'll scratch your", not loyalty, gratitude, or justice.

II. Conventional Level

At this level, the individual perceives the maintenance of the expectations of his family, group, or nation as valuable in its own right, regardless of immediate and obvious consequences. The attitude is not only one of conformity to personal expectations and social order, but of loyalty to it, of actively maintaining, supporting, and justifying the order and identifying with the persons or group involved in it. The level consists of the following two stages:

Stage 3: The interpersonal concordance or "good boy-nice girl" orientation. Good behavior is what pleases or helps others and is approved by them. There is much conformity to stereotypical images of what is majority or "natural" behavior. Behavior is frequently judged by intention -- "he means well" becomes important for the first time. One earns approval by being "nice".

Stage 4: The "law and order" orientation. The individual is oriented toward authority, fixed rules, and the maintenance of the social order. Right behavior consists in doing one's duty, showing respect for authority, and maintaining the given social order for its own sake.

III. Post-Conventional, Autonomous, or Principled Level.

The individual makes a clear effort to define moral values and principles that have validity and application apart from the authority of the groups of persons holding them and apart from the individual's own identification with the group. The level has the two following stages:

Stage 5: The social-contract legalistic orientation (generally with utilitarian overtones). Right action tends to be defined in terms of general individual rights and standards that have been critically examined and agreed upon by the whole society. There is a clear awareness of the relativism of personal values and opinions and a corresponding emphasis upon procedural rules for reaching consensus. Aside from what is constitutionally and democratically agreed upon, right action is a matter of personal values and opinions. The result is an emphasis upon the "legal point of view", but with an additional emphasis upon the possibility of changing the law in terms of rational considerations of social utility (rather than freezing it in terms of stage 4 "law and order"). Outside the legal realm, free agreement, and contract, is the binding element of obligation. The "official" morality of the American government and Constitution is at this stage.

Stage 6: The universal ethical-principle orientation. Right is defined by the decision of conscience in accord with self-chosen ethical principles that appeal to logical comprehensiveness, universality, and consistency. These principles are abstract and ethical (the Golden Rule, the categorical imperative); they are not concrete moral rules like the Ten Commandments. At heart, these are universal principles of justice, of the reciprocity and equality of the human rights, and of respect for the dignity of human beings as individual persons.

Values and Morals Clarification
Mark Dombeck, Ph.D. and Jolyn Wells-Moran, Ph.D.

It is important to develop a good understanding of your values, because of how influential your values are in determining and motivating your behavior. If you don't understand your values, you won't understand how to orient yourself in a direction that is likely to be satisfying. Your behavior, your actions will be more oriented towards putting out fires (satisfying your immediate needs), and less oriented towards developing your long term potential. You won't have a plan. You will instead, just be reactive. Because if you don't understand what they are you don't know what motivates you. Or what could motivate you - towards becoming a better person.

People's values define what they want personally, but morals define what the society around those people want for them. Certain behaviors are considered to be desirable by a given society, while others are considered to be undesirable. For the most part, however, morals are not written in stone, or proclaimed by God above, but instead reflect local sensibilities. Different societies have different ideas about what is acceptable and not acceptable. There are only a relative few behaviors (usually including murder, and various forms of abuse, including incest and adult-child sexual contact of any sort) that are pretty much universally despised by stable societies.

People are not born understanding their society's morals. Instead, these understandings develop and mature over time. Psychologist Lawrence Kolhberg's famous work has provided us with a developmental mapping of how moral understanding tends to progress through childhood and early adulthood.

• According to Kohlberg, infants have little or no moral sense, because they are not born with an understanding of the nature of human relationships. As children reach elementary school age, they enter into the first major stage of moral understanding, known as the "pre-conventional" stage. Pre-conventional children are essentially selfish in orientation. They do not think about what behaviors will serve the greater good, but rather think in terms of what will most benefit themselves. They respond primarily to power, and think of morality as a matter of following rules so as to avoid punishment.


• As children grow into adulthood, they typically enter into the stage of "conventional" moral understanding. Some children will be developmentally delayed in this regard and become adults who have the moral understanding of children; we call them sociopaths, narcissists, and anti-social personalities. The majority of people that do make it to the conventional moral understanding start thinking in terms of duty; a duty to do what is necessary to promote the greater good. They orient towards behaviors that are most likely to gain other people's respect and admiration. Part of conventional morality is the duty to behave lawfully. Some people take this duty further and understand it as a duty to conform to what other influential people around them want.


• Most adults never actually achieve the final stage of morality, known as post-conventional morality, mostly because in order to get there, people have to throw off their sense of duty to what others around them want, and reinvest their moral sense in higher principles, such as (but not limited to) "honesty", "reciprocity," and "social welfare." Such people become willing to take unpopular stances and make unpopular decisions simply because those decisions represent the right thing to do. For example, a post-conventional CEO might decide to offer full medical coverage for all employees because it is the right thing to do (to use the company to raise up all participants), even though to do so would anger shareholders who might see this as a drain on profits. It is very difficult to achieve a post-conventional morality in what is largely a conventional world. The CEO in our example would probably not last long, unfortunately.

Craig & Tutu

Archbishop Desmond Tutu was on Craig Ferguson's show last week and spoke eloquently about evil and anger among other things. You can see the entire show on the Late Late Show website.

I embedded a couple of segments here. It's a very good interview. Craig did quite well with it. There's a part on there about telling our stories that means so much and is inspiring. We are telling our stories on our blogs and building communities.

Freedom through Forgiveness


About his reaction to President Obama.

Trivia

"It is difficult to produce a television documentary that is both incisive and probing when every twelve minutes one is interrupted by twelve dancing rabbits singing about toilet paper."—Rod Serling

Einstein Quote

If I give you a pfennig, you will be one pfennig richer and I'll be one pfennig poorer. But if I give you an idea, you will have a new idea, but I shall still have it, too.

Manly = Redneck?

Well, this article explains a lot!! What can I say?

NASCAR, barbecue make Nashville "manliest" city

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Who knew? Apparently having too many home furnishing stores like Ikea in your city is a sign of being "unmanly."

At least that's the conclusion of a study released Thursday that ranks "America's Manliest Cities" on criteria such as the number of professional major league sports teams, popularity of tools and hardware, and frequency of monster truck rallies.

Nashville came out on top in the study conducted by Sperling's BestPlaces. Mars Snackfood US and its Combos snack food brand commissioned the study. The ranking is part of the Combos launch of its Ultimate Man Zone Sweepstakes, which awards prize packages to upgrade men's tailgating, grilling, home theater or gaming "zones."

New York City finished last out of 50 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas.

Cities lost ranking points for "emasculating" characteristics like the abundance of home furnishing stores, high minivan sales and subscription rates to beauty magazines.

Nashville grabbed the top spot in the ranking thanks to its high number of NASCAR enthusiasts, popularity of hunting and fishing, and concentration of barbecue restaurants.

Rounding out the top five were: Charlotte, N.C.; Oklahoma City; Cincinnati; and Denver.

Tennessee placed a second city on the list with Memphis coming in 11th.

Despite high ratings in the bowling category, New York City came in 50th because it apparently lacked in areas such as fishing, home improvement and drag racing.

I just thought this was funny ...

Possible Helpful Information

I hadn't really planned to blog about this but thought it might possibly help someone, so here it is. A year ago I had my regular mammogram. I'd gotten by without having one for several years and wanted to continue that pattern; however, my oncologist figured out he couldn't trust me and told me I wasn't leaving his office without an appointment for one and made sure the receptionist made me one. This was a couple of years ago or so. Like most women, I hate the breast vice and have fantasies of the man who invented it having his 'nads in the machine. There would be some changes then! But I digress.

No big deal with the mammograms until last year when the radiologist, I used to go to the Episcopal Church with, kept having the technician take more of them in various squeezes and positions. Then I had an ultrasound which is no big deal except for the cold gel they put on your breastal area. Stan, the radiologist, came in and told me they didn't find anything on the ultrasound and wanted me to come back in six months to check all this again. Dr. Spigel, my oncologist, called me and said he was almost positive there was nothing to worry about and that it didn't look like anything serious. I told him I hoped so and that had better be true (in a voice with false bravado).

Six months later I got the same news I'd had before. Spot that showed up on the mammogram but they couldn't even find anything on the ultrasound. The part that made it worse is that Stan came in himself to do the ultrasound again, which is not the way we usually have conversations about each other's families and whatever.

I know I'm making this too long and that instead of building suspense, I'm wearing you out with tedium but am almost to Thursday! Same thing again! Spot and more mashing flat on the border of my pain threshold. What they do is move the breast vice down, down, down and tell you when it's the minimum so you can tell them how much more you can take. I wimp out at minimum. I would not hold up under torture. The technician used several exchangeable top masher things that apparently have various purposes and after the sixth time when she was positioning me, she said, "Oh, I feel something. There's a skin tag." For those of you who don't know, they are little benign mole-like things that stick out on your skin. You can google it and find out more if you feel compelled. She put a tiny band-aid thing with something on it to keep it from making an image.

I told her I decided that's what they'd been seeing and that I'd love her forever if it were. Soon she came back and said Stan wanted another shot that required being twisted into another position. Whoopee! Finally, Stan came in the room and exclaimed, "Good news! We've been chasing a phantom!" I told him I was glad because I would be really angry if I had breast cancer. I think there should be a rule if you have cancer, you can't ever get it again or another kind either. So far, so good! Lymphoma was more than enough.

If any of you have skin tags, be sure to let the technicians know when you have a mammogram. Then you won't have to go through all this!

Was this too gross? TMI? If so, I apologize!!

Hello?

I'm winding down the busy week, but not until tomorrow evening (I hope). I'll catch up with all of you soon and post something when I can. How are all of you doing? How is Saturday, Pseudonymph?

Einstein Quote

I never think of the future. It comes soon enough.

Trivia

Elvis Costello worked as a computer operator, at an Elizabeth Arden cosmetics factory.

Square Root Day

Today is 3/3/09, which is mathematically interesting. Look away, David! You'll get a headache! Frogponder will explain it if it's too late.

Woe and Confess

After looking at Miss Ginger's organized shelves, drooling over photos of Doggy's food, checking out Jeff's meals, and noticing so many neat, well-decorated, gorgeous homes, I must confess that I am Oscar Madison. Remember when I said the only thing about me that's domestic is that I was born in this country? It's becoming more and more apparent, sadly. Do I need a Felix Unger?

Aunt Polly

Mother, Butch, Janelle, and I went to the funeral home this evening. It's too bad that it takes s0mething like this to get together with relatives we haven't seen for a while. The last time some of us saw each other was at weddings. Mother and I went to the hospital to see Aunt Polly when she was there for surgery, but that was too long ago. She was my father's younger sister. I loved her and will miss her.

Aunt Polly went to Peabody College and majored in English. It runs in the family - my son and I both majored in it, too. Their older brother was an English and drama professor in Henderson State College in Arkansas. I loved him so much! Uncle Jim made life so interesting when he was around. He could tell quite a story and make it even more dramatic than it probably happened. He was probably gay, but no one talked about it back then. If he were, I wish he could have lived his life authentically and without prejudice.

My aunt met Uncle Sam when he was at Vanderbilt. He went there to medical school, too, and became the first pediatrician in Clarksville. Their daughter Betty is seven months older than I am, and I have so many memories of visiting her and our being at our grandparents together. Then there are family holidays with the traditions that go with them. Now Betty and I are grandparents. Where does the time go?

Aunt Polly was beautiful, gracious, and elegant. She had class and a great sense of humor. The last time I talked with her was to ask questions for the Heritage Book that was published for Dickson County. I took notes and wrote it for the book. She was meticulous about her appearance and was always well-groomed and well-dressed. I can visualize her now laughing and discussing art, books, family, and life.

Betty and her husband Jimmy have four children - Jim, Sam, Courtney, and Bill. All of them are in the family construction business except Sam who is a diagnostic radiologist. They are all married and have children. It was really good to see them and get reacquainted. I fully intend to keep in touch with them and hope we all do.

Jim and I had some humorous exchanges about my blog. I told him he wouldn't agree with anything on it. He smiled and asked, "Are you a liberal?" I told him, "Oh, yes!" He says he's going to read it and leave a comment. I hope he does. I like him and Sam a lot. I'll get email addresses tomorrow and see if I can be in touch with Sam, too. He's great - so kind and thoughtful. I chatted with Courtney and really enjoyed it but didn't get a chance to talk with Bill that much. So, Jim, Sam, and Courtney, if you get here, please let me know! :-) They have a close, loving family. Jimmy said none of them gave them any trouble and were good kids. Same with Brian. He's always been that way, too.

Now I need to go look for pictures to take of my children and grandchildren since most of them are on the computer. I really need to print some out sometime. Butch and Janelle had theirs, but bad grandmother me had nothing! I must get something together!

DQ

Do you think Dairy Queen ice cream has any milk in it or is all chemicals like Coffee-Mate?

Trivia from Cliffie

The wingspan of a Boeing 747 jet is longer than the length of the Wright Brothers’ first flight.

Harvey Milk Day?

Sean Penn is putting his word behind his performance of slain activist Harvey Milk and will appear at a conference to help pass a bill that was vetoed last year, Variety reports:

Penn will appear at a news conference today in San Francisco with state Sen. Mark Leno, who’s announcing plans to reintroduce a bill designating May 22 Milk’s birthday a “day of significance” encouraging schools to conduct commemorative exercises on Milk’s life and contributions.

“Given California’s fiscal crisis, the bill was written to have no cost to the state, and state workers and school employees would not get the day off from work,” Leno said.

Activist Cleve Jones, a key character in Milk and a consultant to the film, is also scheduled to appear at the news conference, as are Assembly member Tom Ammiano, Geoff Kors of Equality California and Milk’s nephew Stuart Milk.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the same bill last year, introduced by Leno as an Assembly member. The governor said at the time that Milk should be honored in San Francisco but not statewide.

Budget

Keith Olbermann on the budget.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Cute Snow Beagles

Southern parts of Tennessee got quite a bit of snow, but we just got a dusting of it here. It's cold today in the 30's but is expected to be in the low 70's this weekend. How's your weather now?

These are my cousin Sally's beagles trying to make their way through the snow they had in Murfreesboro.

Bushed Kitty

Good photoshopping! LOL

Busy Week Ahead

I hope to catch up on your blogs and will do my best to read them and hope I don't blogjack your comments. (Thanks for that term, Miss Ginger). There are several appointments this week to juggle, and my aunt died last night after a long battle with liver cancer. She was my father's sister and 87 and beautiful in a classic Grace Kelly way only brunette. Her daughter and I are the same age, and she has four children and ten grandchildren. We'll go to Clarksville to the funeral home tomorrow for visitation and the funeral Wednesday. That's the Baptist Republican side of the family. Mother's side has the Methodist Democrats.

Daddy went with Mother to the Methodist Church, so I was spared the intolerance and fundamentalism that Mother had no intention of being around, much less have her children subjected to. What she told me was that she wouldn't have made a very good Baptist. I'll blog about my little country church sometime. It was a positive experience that provided me with a foundation for how to treat people. I grew up hearing heated political debates mostly between Daddy and my aunt Mae (Mother's sister) who was like a second mother. My parents probably always cancelled each other's votes. Mother didn't argue but just quietly did what she's always wanted to do. In fact, Daddy told me once that I didn't constantly have to defend myself and advised, "You need to be more like your mother, smile quietly, and then do what you damned well please." I told him I guess I was more like him. Then we laughed. He and I locked horns sometimes, had wonderful conversations, and always knew where we stood with each other. I like that.

Penguins

Well, this is definitely interesting. We all learned how much life sucks for the Emperors in March of the Penguins, but who knew this?

The female Adelie penguin, desperate to obtain the stones she uses to build her nest, visits the nest of a bachelor Adelie, goes through the entire courtship routine, and mates with him. But once the two have had sex, the female collects the stones she came for as a sort of payment, and waddles back home to her actual mate, who’s been keeping the nest nice and warm for her return! She then stays with him for the rest of her life. Sometimes, especially cunning females engage in the courtship ritual, minus the mating part, grab the rocks, and dash home. Luckily, the males of this species, unlike humans, do not seem to bear a grudge.

Didcha Know?

In 1875, the director of the U.S. Patent Office sent in his resignation and advised that his department be closed.There was nothing left to invent, he claimed.

Cliffie Time

Blogland really does feel like Cheers to me. We all have our special places around the bar or at tables and enjoy the banter and sense of community. Some are regulars and some visit periodically. I look forward to spending time with you, and it means so much to me that you are here. Hugs!!

Anybody ready for a game of pool? When is quiz night? I'm already playing Scrabble with a couple of you on Facebook (Charlie and Chris). Get out the cards and board games!

Now for the trivia ...

During World War II, in May 1942, U.S. ice cream manufacturers were restricted by law to produce only 20 different flavors of ice cream. But to this date, no explanation for the law has ever been offered.