"So You Think You Can Dance"-If You Like "Dancing With Celebs" You'll Love This One; American Inventor

Fox premiered its "So You Think You Can Dance" reality show and I was unenthusiastic. I enjoy ABC's "Dancing With Celebrities" but dance shows have a limited life. To my surprise, I am quite enjoying this series and now they're down to the top 20.

"American Inventor" also premiered and it's as hilarious as ever.

Review on both shows as they begin their 2007 run, with pics you'll see nowhere else on the Internet and my own nomination for the best invention of this past year.

Pic of the Day

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Quote of the Day Classic Quotes by Catherine the Great (1729-1796) czarina of Russia For to tempt and to be tempted are things very nearly allied... whenever feeling has anything to do in the matter, no sooner is it excited than we have already gone vastly farther than we are aware of. --------------- I praise loudly. I blame softly. --------------- I shall be an autocrat, that's my trade; and the good Lord will forgive me, that's his. ---------------

Web Site Worth the Visit -WHO ARE YOU AS TALL AS? I am the same height as Al Pacino and Audrey Hepburn. Even more intriguing, I am the same height as Abraham Lincoln! I thought he was a tall fellow? At any rate, it's a hoot so click in to check else who else is the same height as you. Above Blog Post HERE

TIDBITS Men Are Like... ...placemats they only show up when there's food on the table. ...mascara they usually run at the first sign of emotion. ...bike helmets they're good in emergencies but usually just look silly. ...government bonds they take so long to mature. ...copiers you need them in reproduction but that's about it. ...lava lamps fun to look at it but not all that bright. ...bank accounts without a lot of money they don't generate a lot of interest. ...high heels they're easy to walk on once you get the hang of it. ...curling irons they're always hot and always in your hair. ...mini skirts if your not careful they'll creep up your legs. ...handguns keep one around long enough and your gonna want to shoot it.

 


As It Would Turn Out-Britain Also Has Talent

We've been following the reality series "America's Got Talent" America's Got Talent Premiers 6/5/07 BLOG POST HERE, and came across this information.

For it seems the winner of -BRITAINS GOT TALENT has been announced. Well let's give the fellow credit.

So You Think You Can Dance-Top Twenty 2007

Official Web Site HERE

Fox is the king of reality, audience participation television. ABC ran away with a dancing reality series called "Dancing With Celebrities". But of course Fox must fire back with a dancing show of it's own.

This series premiered and on 6/13/07 the top twenty dancers were announced and the following night this twenty was reduced by two.

I tuned in with jaded mind, figuring that my stint with "Dancing With Celebrities" was enough dancing for me for one year.

The host is Cat Deely, a Brit with an engaging personality. The winner of this series will receive 1/4 of a million bucks. The judges are Dan Karaty, Mary Murphy and Nigel Luthgoe, don't ask me their qualifications to be judges at a dance contest.

On the night of 6/13/07 the top 20 were formed into dance couples and each couple performed a dance. The following night, the three couples who received the least audience votes would be announced and each dancer would then perform a solo dance. The judges would be determining the girl and fellow who would then be eliminated from the competition. Each team's dance routine was choreographed by what I assumed is a professional choreographer.





To my complete surprise, I enjoyed the dance performances way more than I did ABC's "Dancing With Celebrities". First, each member of the dance teams that perform on this series IS a professional or wannabe professional dancer. They are not Jerry Springer or some has-been sports figure who is willing to dance around with a professional dancer to earn money for charity. Every dancer in this series dreams of being a dancer and nothing else. Plus any money won will go directly to the one who danced the best per the judges and audience and not to some vague charity.

The worst of this night's dancing couples was better than the best dance team on "Dancing With Celebrities".

So I settled down to watch the dances. It began with Jaimie who is billed as something called a "contemporary dancer". She was partnered with Hok, a Korean fellow I believe. This dancing couple performed a Hip-Hop and I hated the dance. Still I did enjoy the dancers and admired how hard they worked to perform together.

Next up was Anya, who specializes in Latin dances and Danny, who is, I'm not making this up, a ballet dancer. This couple performed a Jive and I thought they were absolutely great.

Kameron had orange stars dyed into his hair-I don't know why- and he performed with Lacey, who wore only a slip to dance. I have no other notes on this team but they were not in the bottom three on the following night's elimination round so my total lack of impression means nothing

Sabra is a contender born in the Netherlands and she was paired with Dominic, a break dancer. This team performed a disco and this couple DID land in the bottom three the following night.

Ashlee is another "contemporary dancer"-a term I'm beginning to think is a catch-all term for a dancer who can't be classified. Her partner, Ricky, describes himself as a "mathematical" dancer. No matter how these two described themselves, as a couple they were in the bottom three on the following night and after each performed a solo dance routine with hopes of saving themselves, each was eliminated.



Sara is a female dancer and she danced with Jesus, a so-called "lyrical dancer". This duo performed a dance routine described as "vagabond cabaret". I must say this team performed a very enjoyable routine that matched the title of the choreography.

Jessi and Pasha from Russia performed a ballroom dance which worked out well at Pasha is a ballroom dancer.

Next Faina, described as a ballroom dancer, and Cedric, a break dancer who looks to be impossibly double-jointed, performed a hip-hop routine. Faina and Cedric were also one of the bottom three couples as revealed on the following night but each were saved by their solo dance routines.

Let me state right now that Neil is definitely the cutest guy in this year's top ten fellows, as least in my opinion. Neil has a twin brother who does not dance. Neil danced with Lauren and this couple performed something called a "salsa" dance.

Shauna has a mother who is a ballerina and Jimmy teaches kids to dance. This duo did a Broadway routine that was quite entertaining to watch.

So the top 18 of the 2007 series of "So You Think You Can Dance" are, as of this writing:
Shauna
Jimmy
Lauren
Neil
Faina
Cedric
Jessi
Pasha
Sara
Jesus
Jaimie
Hok
Anya
Danny
Kameron
Lacey
Sabra
Dominic

"American Inventor" 2007

I like this show because at times of sheer insanity, I like to consider myself an inventor of sorts.

I watched the premiere of this series on 6/6/07 when the show was in Los Angeles looking for inventors. The four judges who decide what inventor, and invention, will go through, include :George Foreman, Sarah, Pat Croce, Peter Jones.

According to the show's web site:
The competition is open to individuals or teams of inventors, and all ages are welcome.

The judges will finally narrow the field down to the six finalists who will each be given $50,000 seed money, and time to develop their ideas.
Our contestants will be given guidance from experts, but in the end, it is up to them to decide how to take their product to the next level.
America’s votes will help select the winning inventor, who will receive $1,000,000.
ABC's Site for "American Inventor"



Okay, before we continue on to my usual informative and interesting narrative, allow me a moment to describe the best invention I've chanced across this past year and why myself, just an average American woman running a home and all that involves, loves this amazing addition to make life easier.

Yes it's one of those things advertised on TV. Or it was. The package as advertised were lights of various sizes and functions. With use of a magnet which somehow made a complete electrical circuit when drawers were slid in or out, these "brite lights" could be affixed via a velcro stick to various drawers and boom, when the drawer was opened, light was magically provided.

Included with this package were some things that were much better and more useful: they were round "dome" like lights, about the diameter of a half-dollar. A sticky piece of velcro held the "light dome" to it's base. Another piece of velcro could be applied to the base allowing the entire package to be affixed anywhere as needed. The dome light could be removed from the base and used much like a flashlight, then "stuck" back to the base to remain readily available until needed again.

I've set this thing up everywhere and it's great. For instance, my bathroom closet does not have a light. So I stuck the base of this thing right on the bathroom door. Open the door, pull the dome light away from the base holding it, press down and boom, all the light you need and able to be moved all about where light is needed. When done, stick the dome back into the base and it will be there next time as needed.

Not that the magnet light set up isn't nice for drawers and such, it's just I've found this notion much more flexible for my needs.

Another place I've used this setup is by my EZ chair where I sit to watch TV. I like to watch TV with the lights out but there are times we need light. Yes I have a lamp near this area but it's so much better with one of these lights affixed DIRECTLY TO THE CHAIR. Then I can pull it off the velcro base when needed and easily press it back later.

So okay, moving on....what kinds of inventions did Los Angeles citizens consider worth a million bucks?

We had a Barf bag for dogs that get car sick, a suit that would allow the wearer escape from a fire, an "auto bib" that would cling to clothes to protect us while we eat and drive, an umbrella with speakers, a flag equipped with artificial wind that it may wave in the breeze, something called an "eyelash spatula", a "sober key" that would prevent your car from starting should you breathe drunk into the device and a Christmas tree that would prevent fires on these symbols of Christmas joy.

The Christmas tree, and autobib were passed to the next level by the judges. Some sort of silly stuffed toy device was presented. This thing had been featured on last year's show and the inventor came back, insisting that this stuffed animal would assure the user in a soft voice that "everything will be all right". The judges agreed to pass this thing on to the next level but I think the idea is dumb as all get out.

So there we have it. I will be monitoring this series on a perhaps haphazard basis but know this, I am a sucker for new and neat things and have some ideas of things that need inventing. So when I review the show, tune in if for nothing else but mine own wise banter.

More TV Reviews HERE
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