Susan Boyle

The hottest, latest, most talked about performance is the inspirational voice and story of Susan Boyle. I have watched the (one of many) U tube videos. And every single time I get teary eyed.

To think that we have become a society that though we try to talk ourselves into believing that we do not judge a book by its cover, seeing is believing. Ms. Boyle takes the stage to the sound of smirks and chagrins, and if rolling eye balls made sound, the noise would have been deafening. Despite the talk, appearance still seems to be everything.

As a performer myself, I cannot imagine the nerves and anxiety that Susan must have felt. I feel nervous when performing to an audience that is filled with friendly faces let alone an audience that might jeer at me, hoping to see me fail, offering only humiliating taunts. The idea that this was her ONE shot.......nerves of steel, or at least the appearance of self confidence was alone amazing.

Hearing the tiny interviews with her before the performance would make the lyrics of the song more beautiful that night than I had remembered and then reading her story and appreciating her sacrifices and obstacles make her performance inspiring and poignant.

Here is my hope: Ms. Susan Boyle will get her reward for not only being a talented, gifted performer, but for being a selfless, courageous, humble person who appears gracious for all of her life’s lessons. An underdog who stopped at nothing, patient that her time would come and she would then be ready to fulfill her dreams and ambitions, never regretting her decisions or begrudging her callings in life.

May we as a society learn from seeing our appalling behavior and finally practice what we say we believe. I hope that we finally learn that it is far more important to love than to judge.

Thank you Susan Boyle, Go Susan Go!

Lisa

More Dancin'

Last night’s show was entertaining and yes- again I found myself smiling and watching for great steps and those flubs that only an armchair ballroom dance judge would recognize.

The judges awarded no perfect score and neither did I.

Steve O , God love him, had his best “dance” yet. He finally seemed to move on his own and not wait to see what his partner would do first and then follow a beat behind. However, that being said, I think Steve O will be in the bottom 2 tonight.

Ty, Ty, Ty. I had such high hopes for this cowboy. I wasn’t enthralled by the dance itself, I don’t care for the paso doble, but Ty looked like he did the first week. Blocky and stiff and rigid non musical movement. I hope he is not on the bottom rung tonight, but I wouldn’t be surprised.

I think that all of the women are safe for tonight. I think that they will be around for awhile. Now, I suppose that for dramatic effect one could end up being in the bottom 2 but if the results are truly figured the way they let on, the two lowest vote getters will be on the bottom. I don’t think it will be one of the ladies.

Let’s see...that leaves us with LT, David Allen, Chuck and Giles.

LT is a great sport and great athlete. I do enjoy watching him and his drive. I love the backstage and rehearsal scenes with him. He really tries and is driven to succeed and not be beaten, not so much by the other dancers, but beaten by the dance itself. He is a disciplined person always striving to better himself in whatever he does. I appreciate that and cross my fingers for him every time he takes the floor.

David Allen is hilarious! He makes me laugh out loud sometimes! He is smooth and for the most part light on his feet. Is he my favorite dancer? No. But I do enjoy watching him perform and he is another one that really tries and gives it his all. I admire him, and hope he is around a while longer.

Chuck. I won’t lie. Chuck bores me. He’s attractive and cute and all.....but boring. I have a hard time believing he’s giving it his all. I wonder if he admires Julianne, his partner at all? I mean- they are supposed to be dating and I get more chemistry between many other non dating partners than these two. I also get the feeling that he didn’t or maybe still doesn’t respect and admire her for her passion for the dance. Perhaps he does and I am talking out of my....elbow, but I just don’t get him.

Giles. Again- I won’t lie. He is very good. Very talented and a joy to watch. Cheryl is a wonderful choreographer and she and Giles have more chemistry in their little pinkies than most of the other dancers have in their whole bodies. I love watching this couple dance. To anything!

Okay- My predictions: Gilles Marini, Melissa Rycroft and Lil' Kim and Shawn Johnson will be around for awhile. I enjoy watching each one dance and I have a hard time believing I am the only one who wants to see them dance again next week and the week after that.

Cautiously on the line but safe: David Alan Grier and Chuck Wicks.

In trouble: Steve-O, LT and Ty Murray.

My call: I believe that Steve-O will be going home.

Lost Lost Lost

Okay- it’s no secret that I love Lost. I will now make it known that I do not Love the Lost’s Love Tangle. I have had quite enough of the Sawyer/Kate, Jack/Kate, Sawyer/Juliet, Jack/Juliet relations. So- with that said:

I did not think that “What happened, happened” was a great episode. What it did have is some nice moments and a couple of great exchanges. None by any of the above mentioned characters.

1. Hurley trying to figure out the whole theory of the time continuum theory was a hoot. I really like Hurley. He is the voice of the people! Just as I was leaning towards understanding Miles’ explanation, I thought but what if....and Hurley filled in the blanks and of course Miles had to concede.

2. Richard explaining that by taking Ben to save his life, he would also be taking his innocence was an exchange that we Lost Lovers have come to both dread and live for. The comment answers very little but reveals lots of possibilities, angles and theories. We are left wanting to know the rest of the story, how why, where, tell me now I can’t wait!

3. Locke welcoming Ben back to the land of the living! I was just thinking out loud at the break before this scene that I wanted them to get back to the present (?)Locke and Ben scene that we saw a few weeks ago. The one when Locke is taken to the hurt survivors of the plane crash and there lays his murderer. The smile that Locke gives Ben was awesome!

So- there you have it. Not sure that those 3 little highlights were worth watching the other 40 minutes of the show-but I did, and would again ( I mean who am I kidding!). I want them to forget about or at least not work so hard at the Love Lost but just concentrate on all the other issues that make folks tune in week after week. I don’t think people really care who ends up with whom- we care about what happens to whom, by whom, how and of course –when.

Lisa

Dancing With The Stars

I admit, I really enjoy Dancing With The Stars! It is one of the few shows that while I am watching, I realize that my face hurts because I’ve been smiling at the TV screen for 2 hours! It makes me smile! Very little on TV makes me smile anymore.

Now- I do not know anything about dancing but like to think that I know a good performer when I see one, and since I pay close attention to what the judges criticisms are, I’d like to think that I can see falters or flaylings when I see them. Stomping vs. gliding etc.

Len is my favorite judge as he is less dramatic than Bruno and less macho crazy than Carrie Ann (and Bruno). Len is no nonsense and tries to give constructive criticism. I like that.

This year so far my favorites are Giles, Shaun, Melissa and Ty.

I love the fact that you can see these folks working their tails off on something that they wouldn’t normally do. I like the improvement, the letting loose. Ty quickly became a favorite of mine the 2^nd week. He was so very stiff and movements seemed so foreign to him- but he came out and decided to step it up and I really enjoy watching him. Do I think he’ll “take it all”. No, but I will like watching him from week to week.

Woz left this week. And I think it was time. I love his spirit and optimism. I did think at times the judges were on the cruel side and I crossed my fingers hoping their remarks would end so that the show wouldn’t become another bashing contest. I want smiles, remember! I think folks like Woz and Jerry Springer and crew are the reason (partly) that this show is having huge success. These guys come out to try something they otherwise wouldn’t, and we end up rooting for them to go as far as they can!

So- next week I think it will be Steve-o’s turn to go. I wish him the best and I hope that with this venture he has proved to himself that he can make it sober. I think that LT will go out along side Steve-o, if it is a double elimination. If not, LT will go soon. But again he will have proven to himself and all the little league footballers that dancing can be cool- and if you want to do something- DO IT, and do it the best that you can.

See- Good stories- all of them! J

Lisa