ABC’s Dancing With the Stars. The Top Five
So we are down to the top five contenders for the 2006 Dancing With the Stars competition. They are:
George Hamilton
Lisa Rinna
Stacy Keibler
Drew Lachey
Jerry Rice
Last week (2/2/06), the featured dance was the Samba. Also featured was a group dance, the Salsa. Both of these dances are Latin American in origin and as might be expected, both are sexy and passionate dances.
Stacy Keibler was the big surprise of the evening. Stacy is, as her Bio indicates, a professional wrestler. Stacy and her partner performed a Samba that even to my untrained eyes was perfect in its execution. One judge called her routine “saucy and sexy”.More telling than any commentary, the judges awarded Stacy a perfect score of 30 points out of a possible 30. This was the first perfect score of the competition.
Next up was one of my own personal faves, most because he’s a movie star of my era. It was George Hamilton of the perpetual tan. George has consistently performed very well for an older fellow. For the Samba, not so good.
I thought Hamilton’s footwork was a bit awkward, less fluid than his previous performances. One thing I know for sure, George couldn’t hold a candle to Stacy Keibler that evening. The judges seemed to like Hamilton’s routine. I thought it one of his worst. George and his partner received 24 points out of a possible 30 for the Samba.
Lisa Rinna has been more well known for her luscious lips than any astounding dancing talent. At least by email and comments on previous posts. I took a look at Lisa’s Bio from ABC’s official web site on the series.
PROFESSION:
Actress/ CEO
PARTNER:
Louis van Amstel
BACKGROUND:
With her exotic looks, prodigious talent, infectious energy and savvy business acumen, Lisa Rinna has become one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. Lisa currently serves as host of the national television series Soap Talk, on SoapNet. In addition she is CEO of a wildly successful fashion venture, Belle Gray, which opened in 2003.
CAREER:
Lisa is known to many as "Billie Reed," the character she played on NBC's daytime hit Days of Our Lives throughout the 90's and in 2002. The actress previously portrayed the "love-hate-to- her" "Taylor McBride" on Fox's long-running primetime smash, Melrose Place.
She starred in two Lifetime Original movies, Sex, Lies and Obsession, opposite husband Harry Hamlin and in Another Woman's Husband.
Additional television credits include: the UPN's Veronica Mars, the ABC comedy series 8 Simple Rules, the NBC series The Hogan Family, and numerous Movie of the Week's.
In May 2003 Lisa embraced her life-long love of fashion and opened her own women's clothing boutique, Belle Gray.
PERSONAL:
Rinna is a native of Medford, Oregon and loves outdoor activities. A fitness fanatic, she also enjoys yoga, skiing and tennis.
Lisa resides in Los Angeles with her husband, actor Harry Hamlin, and their two young daughters, Delilah and Amelia.
Until now I’ve been unimpressed with Lisa’s performances. She scored mediocre at best. One judge complained that Rinna’s Samba was more like a disco dance. The other judges disagreed.
Lisa is in that magical top five so she’s doing something right.
Tia Carriere had a really cool hair style for her performance of the Samba. Beyond that, Tia couldn’t begin to match Stacy’s booty movements. One judge called Tia a “natural”. She and her partner received 22 points out of a possible 30, the lowest score of the evening. The following night, Carriere was eliminated by the scoring compilation of the judge’s scores and the audience phone-in votes. Tia indicated that she was growing weary of the constant practice so perhaps it is best.Another one of my faves, Jerry Rice, performed a mediocre Samba. At least as I judged and as compared to both his prior routines and to the Samba as performed by the other contenders. Jerry did wear a swashbuckling flowing shirt that added to the dance’s appeal. The judges commented that Jerry looked “self-conscious”. At which point I agreed that this was the difference between Jerry’s prior routines and the Samba. He was hesitant and like the judges said, entirely too self-conscious. Jerry received 23 points for his performance.
The favorite so far in this competition has been Drew Lachey. Who does have an almost inborn instinct and flair for the dance. An element that cannot be learned or practiced, this flair, and if it’s there, it shows with every dance performance. For his Samba, Lachey at one point had his partner literally tear off the sleeves of his shirt. Hey, I thought it was neat. The judges declared
it a “great performance”. Evidently Lachey’s performance was not the best of the night because Stacy still had that perfect score. Lachey scored a 27 for his Samba routine.
Later that evening, the six remaining contenders performed something called a “group Salsa”. There was lots of twirling going on during this routine. Combined with the dazzling outfits and the well-synced choreography, it was beguiling to watch.
The following Friday, 2/3/06, the elimination show was aired. Featuring Barry Manilow, a perfect choice for this series. Barry performed his kicky “Copa Cabana”, a spot on choice for those sexy Latin American dances. Later, Manilow sang “Unchained Melody” and even I wanted to grab a spare dog and dance to that dreamy song.
On this night the audience votes were in and if order of elimination is any clue, it would seem that the tanned George Hamilton and Tia Carriere were the bottom two dancers.
Tia, alas, didn’t make it through.
For the first time, my predictions:
5th-Lisa Rinna
4th-George Hamilton
3rd-Stacy Keibler
2nd-Jerry Rice
1st-Drew Lachey
Subject to change as my mind dictates, of course.
The first review of this series posted on 1/10/06. The second review posted on1/15/06.
The most recent post, George Hamilton and his “packet”, is a must-read.
More TV Reviews HERE
On Breakfast
9 Great Breakfast Ideas - On The Go by Kelly Vance, TheSoko.com You´ve heard it for years - breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It´s a meal that has gotten a lot of press over the last few years and it´s touted as one of the main strategies for weight loss success. Few people skip lunch or dinner, but breakfast is optional for many. The fact is that skipping breakfast is problematic and here´s why - your metabolism slows when you´re sleeping. When you wake up, your body requires a jumpstart and breakfast is it. Eating shortly after waking is critical as it lets the body know you´re ready to be active again and all systems should be ready to go. Dieticians recommend eating breakfast within 2 hours of waking. However, when it´s a busy work morning and you´re strapped to get everybody dressed and where they need to be (including you), it´s easy to walk out that door without having a meal. Mornings are usually rushed in most households and trying to carve out time to sit down and eat can be a challenge. Also, many people are often not hungry in the morning and they don´t have the physical cues to drive them to eat. Regular breakfast-skippers are usually ravenous by lunch (and rightly so!). Consequently, they end up overeating. The body can only use so much food at a time for energy and it will store the rest. This is yet another reason why breakfast is so important. Small but frequent meals are the best approach to staying alert throughout your day.  Planning is Key Like so many things related to health and exercise, planning is key. If you don´t have ingredients or items on hand to have for breakfast, walking out the door without eating is going to be that much easier. Here are a few suggestions to get you started. Peanut Butter / Tortilla Spread a tablespoon of natural peanut butter on a whole-wheat tortilla. Add a banana and roll up. You´ve got a healthy breakfast that´s easy to eat on the go. Drink it Have a breakfast smoothie or shake. You can add skim milk to a packet of instant breakfast and toss it in a blender with some frozen fruit and/or yogurt. If you´re pressed for time, you can throw it in a travel mug and drink it on the way to work. Just make sure you´ve erased your milk mustache before you get to your desk. Oatmeal If you want to stick with a classic, oatmeal is still a tasty and heart-healthy favorite. If you have the time, prepare cooked oats at home (you can also prepare a large quantity over the weekend to have on hand during the week). Some folks keep packets of instant oatmeal in their desks at work. All you need is water and a microwave to prepare. Get a little creative with your oatmeal - add dried or fresh fruit, nuts or wheat germ to add a little texture and flavor. Cereal For a really traditional idea, cereal is always an option but choose a healthy, whole grain cereal. Cocoa puffed rice is definitely tasty but it´s not going to keep you full for very long. Look for cereals with less than 12 grams of sugar per serving. Toast Don´t forget the old stand-by - toast! Use whole grain breads and bagels and top with natural peanut butter or reduced fat cream cheese. Eggs Unless you have cholesterol issues, eggs have been dubbed healthy again. It takes approximately 5 minutes to scramble up a few eggs. You can add veggies, cheese, and salsa for a little southwestern flair. To make portability easier, you can stuff a pita or a tortilla with your egg scramble. Dairy Products Yogurt is another easy breakfast. You can make it a little more interesting by adding some trail mix or shredded coconut. Or try cottage cheese mixed with fruit. Leftovers Think outside the box - leftovers can make wonderful breakfasts, if you can stand the smell of microwaved pizza at 7 am. Beans are also another option that will keep you full until lunchtime. Healthy Snacks In a pinch, you can eat granola bars, trail mix, or meal-replacement bars. It´s certainly better than eating nothing for breakfast! ________________________ eat it up It can be a challenge to plan ahead or make time for breakfast, but it´s important to start your day off with a satisfying and nourishing meal. Your body and mind will thank you. |
AWFUL Hot Chocolate
I have been looking for a hot chocolate recipe for quite some time. Came across the following. It looked easy so I gave it a try.
Simply awful. The aftertaste of the sweetened condensed milk detracts from any chocolate taste.
Of course taste is personal. Consider yourself warned.
Come in from the cold this winter and warm up with this yummy hot chocolate. It is extra rich and creamy with the addition of EAGLE BRAND®. Smiles all around when you serve up this classic treat! Servings: Makes about 2 quarts Serving Size: not available Nutrition: not available Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 0 Total Time: 0 Ingredients 1 (14-ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk) 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt 6 1/2 cups hot water Mini marshmallows (optional) Instructions In large saucepan, combine EAGLE BRAND®, cocoa, vanilla and salt; mix well. Over medium heat, slowly stir in water; heat through, stirring occasionally. Top with marshmallows (optional). |
MORE COOKING/HOME ARTS HERE
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