Season 14 of the Bachelor may not be as down home and wholesome as some of us die-hard fans may have been expecting! Are you ready for Rose Air? Now that filming has wrapped the question is who will be getting off the plane last…

(Artieda Gorre - Pictured below is believed to be a contestant on this season Bachelor with Jake Pavelka )

Arteida Gorre The Bachelor spoilers - see the latest updates at JakePavelka.net

Ok, guys first let me preface this. When sleuthing you inevitably can and will always get a few wrong but thats the reason for this post is….You tell me!

bachelor 14 screencaps.. can you name the contestants on the show? JakePavelka.net

We have 2 names we are certain of so far this year being Julie Schwarz and Ella Nolan and 4 others we are trying to confirm but this one we are sharing here we first heard over a week ago now and have just been sitting on it because if what we are told is right we think she may be part of the bigger story this season of the Bachelor.  That being said this was also an anonymous email. After analyzing more than a few pictures that came together in the email, side by side we have decided to share the pictures and let you decide! It could be the wrong gal but I don’t think so…since we missed this years pic for the bachelor we are trying to be extra careful. Take a good look and share your thoughts….

The ladies Jake the Bachelor is choosing from are... ( Except from JakePavelka.net )

We are 99.9% Arteida Gorre ; a PROFESSIONAL Model for hire from the Washington DC area is not just on this years bachelorettes but is also a VERY LATE finisher. 

According to an anonymous email received at the TV Social Network on November 17th 2009 Arteida was one of the ladies filming in either St. Marteen or St. Lucia with the ABC cast competing for the last rose from Jake Pavelka this years Bachelor!

Her location being close to the rumored bachelor filming location was confirmed by locating her Twitter account then some additional sleuthing which located her as a mayhem model listed as a model for hire. Additionally, according to her own comments she was required for a short time to remove her profile which corresponded with her return. Her tweets say she is confused and excited and headed to the area where filming is supposed to take place when the ABC filming crew is nowhere to be found in the U.S.. Her return from the rumored location of filming, if you can believe the dates, place her at the end of filming. (The dates are again based on some speculation about actual wrap dates for filming of the show.) However, the claims of the email are interesting so we are excited to see if it is in fact confirmed that she does appear as a contestant on the show.  Her last tweet from here twitter account states, “I need my own reality show”.

Arteida Gorre The Bachelor Season 14

Arteida Gorre is not camera shy and has many publily viewable pictures. We have shared a few here and there are more at the Jake Pavelka Fan Site www.JakePavelka.net . Naturally, if she is a contestant, she’s got much to gain by the exposure of her professional modeling work.  

While there is no reason to condemn a reality tv contestant who also happens to be an aspiring model but like last years professional model Greg, “Bilbro” it does raise red flags in establishing ones  overall intent. We don’t want to draw too much on what is speculation thus far but there is another claim of this anonymous email that, if true makes her (the brunette in the screencap) as playing central role to the story of this years Bachelor. If Arteida Gorre is confirmed to be on the show in coming weeks we’ll look for supporting information and share the rest of the information provided to us in this email.  

In the meantime, if you have any more names or information on the names we have so far for this season of the Bachelor make sure to join us at the TV Social Network and share it in the forums! Also check out the Ultimate Bachelor Fan Site at www.JakePavelka.net.   

Rose Air has landed but who will be getting off the plane last?

School House Rock covered almost everything you needed to know.  Not the least of which was Civics.  For the benefit of fellow GenX-ers in the US, who will delight in revisiting the past, I provide this link into what its at the Heart of Check Mate.  For those wonderful people living everyone else in this marvelous world, I believe you will find this both fun and enlightening.  For all my many British pals, don’t worry.  In Check Mate you are the most trusted of allies, the King of England supports the HAGAR Rebel Alliance and the oppressor over taxing comes from a completely different direction.  That said, Check Mate is partially based on the old adage, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”  Check Mate is also based on taking adages like that and turning them upside down, to see how they can be proved false.

School House Rock: No More Kings

I have come to a not-too-startling conclusion that perfection is overrated especially that oddity known as  the “perfect family”. Who are these people who get along swimmingly with one another and who pass the peas with the perfect smile on their faces? Who are these folks who never have a minor misunderstanding let alone a vein-popping, eardrum splitting argument?  You know who they are: freaks of nature.

Real families are messy. They have their challenges but are willing to stick together and stick it out for the greater good for when its all said and done, they truly love one another.

One such family that keeps it real (pardon the overused term) is the Lamas clan as seen on E!’s Leave It to Lamas (Sundays, 10:30 p.m. Season Finale, November 29). We have Shayne, noted for being the chosen one on the series The Bachelor, a bit ditzy sometimes but always lovable as she tries to be peacemaker while pursuing her own interests. Then there is her brother A.J, a charming, yet somewhat hapless sort, whose strained relationship with their father Lorenzo (yes, that Lorenzo) is at sometimes painful to watch. Finally, there is solid-as-a-rock, half sister Dakota, and loving, and at times kooky, menopausal mom, Michele Smith.

Oh, did I mention that Shayne, A.J. and Dakota live together?

They do and as you might suspect both tension and hilarity ensue. Like the time when AJ barges in on Shayne and her date. Awkward…Get your mind out of the gutter. They were just chatting but it was awkward nonetheless.

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with little sis Dakota, who seems much wiser, more grounded at 19 than I was at any age.  Although, I could never do it because I’m difficult to live with by my own admission, Dakota has been roomies with her older sis Shayne since she was 15 and living with a brother she says is no problem. For Dakota it’s about being young, having fun and enjoying life — despite the occasional fight or two.

Dakota Pike of E's 'Leave it to Lamas' (photo: Courtesy of E!)

So what is it like having Shayne as a big sister? “Fabulous,” says Dakota, “We’ve always been best friends, except when we were 9 and13 and fought over clothes and toys. As we started growing older, became more like best friends and there no limits with what we share with each other.”

As for Dakota and her brother, they both are “extremely close”. “A.J. has a way of making me laugh and lifting my spirit,” says Dakota.” There is no jealousy between Shayne, or I or A.J. or I”

When Dakota was younger, at times, she was the girly girl that played Barbies with Shayne. At other times, she would be the tomboy, hanging out with A.J. and his “super cute” friends.  To fit in, Dakota would mess up her hair a bit, wear baggy clothes, skateboard and hit a baseball or two. Then after finished hanging with the boys, she would have Shayne do her hair.

It’s because she loves her brother A.J. so much that disputes, hard feelings, between he and his father Lorenzo, who she says is an “amazing person”,  are upsetting. When she looks at A.J., she sees someone who his still young, still learning about life who needs a father to help him work through things.

Dakota, A.J. and Shayne from E!'s "Leave it to Lamas' (photo: Courtesy of E!)

Enough about A.J., Lorenzo and Shayne. What about Dakota?

Dakota has wanted to be a singer since around the age of 12 or 13.  It was on the set of a Jewel music video that she fell love with the craft.  When Dakota told her mother she wanted to sing, she got an “okay honey” but it never went beyond that. About a year ago, an older, more committed Dakota started singing and writing songs in earnest. Six to eight months ago, she began recording. “It’s been a learning experience.” says Dakota who calls her style”pop/rock”, “I’m my biggest critic. I always want to be better.”

Now as for being on a reality series, Dakota says it has been “fun, great” but not a lot has changed in her life. Yes, she is busier with promotions and other possible opportunities. “Doors open for you but the fact is you don’t always have the job,” says Dakota, who other interest lies in acting. “You’ve got to do the work to get it.”

To follow Dakota (@Dakotajpike) on Twitter, click here.

FUN FACTS

She Likes to Get Her Snack On: Dakota has what she calls a “midnight eating thing.” She wakes up about 4 or 5 a.m., goes to the kitchen, grabs something to eat like pizza, donuts, cookies, makes a huge mess in the process and then goes back to bed. Shayne, who calls her”Babycakes”, is usually none too pleased with the mess Dakota’s made.

Favorite singer: It’s Pink, who she calls “amazing”.  Dakota also loves Alicia Keys and Rhianna.

Favorite food: Dakota is s “addicted” to sushi. “It might be full of mercury. But it will be okay,” she chuckles.

A Song that Would Describe Her:  The Fray’s “You Found Me”.  “The song touched me..I was at a certain point in my life two years ago when I found spirituality. I definitely pray. It  gets me through things.”

Tiger Woods’ car accident and the White House party crashers have me thinking about the famous and those who wannabe.

Very few manage fame better than the world’s number-one golfer.  Woods is a control freak.  Right now, the only thing we know he lost control of was his car.  But by doing so, he lost control of his tightly-scripted public persona.  A rare misstep that his “people,” are dealing with.

Free advice to Tiger:  take the “I’m only human after all” approach.   You’re welcome.

And then there are people like the Salahis.  As Alessandra Stanley points out in the New York Times, reality television is making some people do seriously stupid stuff.  Just to be famous.  The Salahis crashed a better party than the Gosselins or the Heenes.  Naturally, they already have a date on Larry King.

Free advice to the Secret Service:  next time, take the “Shoot on sight” approach.  You’re welcome.

Just posted Part 1 of Episode 1 on the website and in the Youtube site. So in January, just as the year began, one of our actresses decided to leave NY to try LA and we went home with her to say goodbye to her parents, visit a friend, etc. It was touching to meet and talk to her parents. We also checked out an acting class that Seregon was taking. This was the beginning of one year of coverage of the 11 actresses. Will post more info and thoughts after you check out Part 1. Please post any questions, comments that you have. Thanks

As EnlightenMe so kindly and eloquently suggested, take your brave self to Moon’s blog and explain how you haven’t harmed the Gosselin children and how the “jelus haturz” have hurt those innocent children. There are many people there who feel the same way I do about TLC and Kate Gosselin. I’m hardly alone with my disgust at TLC and the treatment of the Gosselin children and their father. If you are real lucky she will make you “Attention Whore of the Day.” This is a special honor so please, bring your “hatred, jealousy, and ‘logic’ ” to her site and her readers because I really don’t have the time or the desire to argue with you. Of course, being a coward you won’t want to spar with the minds at Musings. I am one person and, as I’ve said many many times, I’m bored with you. Since you have this need to “give advice to the haters who’ve ruined this wonderful family” — I think you would be much more satisfied dealing with a larger entity than wee ‘ol TVSnark.

There was too much ugliness on that last thread so I deleted it. I don’t need you or anybody telling me I’m NOT a child advocate. I could never ever help a child as long as I live and I STILL am more of a child advocate than anybody who supports exploitation, buys the pictures Kate shills, or gets their enjoyment by watching little kids in various forms of undress, emotional distress or being blatenly abused.

The exploitation by TLC and the Gosselin parents couldn’t have existed and sustained itself for 5 torturous seasons if FANS LIKE SHAWN didn’t’ continually ooh and ahh over children that aren’t theirs. Now they are so upset that they might not get to watch the G8 grow up. Too fucking BAD. THEY ARE NOT YOUR KIDS to watch grow up and they NEVER gave THEIR permission to be used like circus monkeys. Maybe you should google “Dionne Sisters” and see how that exploitation experiment turned out. The surviving sister actually wrote a letter to the Mulchaly (spelling??) family BEGGING them not to exploit their children. But what do they know. They only lived it.

So, Kate fans, go to one of the other exploitation shows and drool over those kids. The G8 are no longer yours to “love.”
YOU MAKE ME SICK.

———————————————————————-

My 2 week vacation has 2 days left.

Foreground, from left: President Barack Obama, spotlight chaser, jackass.

In general, prosecuting people who just want to be on reality TV shows sounds like a great idea. As heinous as the shows are getting, there’s got to be something wrong with them anyway. (“I am totally in the running for ‘VD Cruise 10!’ Wait until I tell my kids!”)

But, as a couple of “Real Housewives” wannabes recently showed us, the idea of being a reality TV star has become so alluring that it’s worth breaking federal laws.

Tareq and Michaele Salahi sneaked into Barack Obama’s first state dinner, held Tuesday night. OK, sneaked isn’t the right word. They lied their way into the event. Thus far, exactly what deception they told the Marines stationed at the gate hasn’t been revealed, but it’s clear they were not on the guest list.

Although the Salahis weren’t seated at the actual dinner, they made their rounds mingling with invited guests – evidenced by Michaele’s Facebook album – and, as a White House photo shows, they even met Barack Obama. The couple may have gone through rigorous security, but Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan said the Salahis still could have posed a threat had they had a more sinister motive than garnering publicity to worm their way onto “Real Housewives of D.C.” (It’s debatable if there actually is a more sinister motive.)

Today, Secret Service spokesman Jim Mackin indicated federal prosecution is a possibility.

“As this moves closer to a criminal investigation there’s less that we can say,” Mackin told the Associated Press. “I don’t want to jeopardize what could be a criminal investigation. We’re not leaving any option off the table at this point.”

A word of advice for the feds: do it. And do it swiftly. The list of acceptable excuses for breaking federal laws is very short, and “I was trying to get on a reality TV show about wealthy, self-centered women who think they’re better than everyone but still have raging insecurities about everything that their Type-A-plus personalities can’t overcome” is not on it. And if it were, it might be worded differently.

This wouldn’t be a very difficult case, either. Knowingly and willfully falsifying statements on matters within the federal government’s jurisdiction is a federal crime. The Salahis claim they were invited, but it’s safe to assume they knew they weren’t because an invitation with a return address of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. never came in the mail. Participating in a reality TV show is – at least for now – entirely optional, and the reports saying the couple was trying to be cast are a clear indication their false statements were made willingly. And if a White House state dinner isn’t a matter within the federal government’s jurisdiction, then what is besides health care, private banking and insurance, the auto industry, consumer debt, and the Bowl Championship Series?

The Salahis’ lawyer, Peter Gardner, left the comment, “My clients were cleared by the White House, to be there,” on their Facebook page, but he’s got a pretty tough claim to support if nobody in the administration is admitting they were on a guest list at any point in time. Obviously, this is an embarrassing breach for Obama’s security team, but the Salahis are so wrapped up in their own absurd notions of celebrity and self-importance that they constitute and innocuous mistake. The Secret Service can learn and hopefully improve. Failing to prosecute the Salahis, however, would just show Americans that it really is OK to do whatever it takes to be famous.

Tareq and Michaele Salahi with V.P. Joe Biden

I promise I’m not making this one up.  According to ABC News, Michaele and Tareq Salahi crashed Tuesdays (Nov 24th) state dinner at the White House in honor of India. It seems that the Secret Service failed to follow check point procedures by allowing the Salahi’s who were dressed and acted like they belonged enter even though they were not on the guest list.  The Salahis posed for pictures with Joe Biden, Robin Roberts, Rahm Emmanuel and other celebrities.  Oh, and they did all of this while being trailed by a TV film crew. It seems that a crew from Bravo, the network that has the Real Housewives series, was capturing the Salahis excursion on tape.

I am puzzled at how this couple was so easily able to crash a party at the White House. This is a serious breach of protocol and serious safety issue.  Something needs to be done to prevent future incidents.

The audacity  of the Salahis is also baffling. Apparently, they told friends, a TV, and even posted it on Facebook that they were going to the dinner for India. No one questioned whether they were invited.  One friend of the Salahis said the the couple enjoyed parties and did not really care who’s party it was or if they were invited. They seemed to have a sense of entitlement and believed that anyone should and would welcome their presence.  They even posted pictures of the event on Facebook. Apparently this is how they got caught.

Obviously this stunt was to help them get attention and land a spot on a TV show. Well, they did get a lot of attention. It seems that the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies are very interested in them now. They are facing possible criminal charges of at least trespassing.

I’m writing this on the day after Thanksgiving, on a day when I have adopted the lifestyle of my cats and barely moved. My fiancée and I are recovering from a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner at her sister’s house in South Philadelphia with her immediate family, a few friends and my Aunt Rose.

Since our engagement, a reality show on TLC, Say Yes to the Dress, has become a staple on our television, through no choice of my own. In all fairness, she has put up with a healthy diet of sports, so what’s fair is fair. At least we agree on Cake Boss.

Bridezilla

I don’t know which surprises me more: The jaw-dropping price tags attached to just about every single item associated with weddings, or the piles of money brides-to-be and their families are willing to shell out for things that will be used once. Example: a veil, which is barely one square yard of fabric that will be worn for less than one hour, costs $600. Are you serious?

My proposed reality show is an answer to Say Yes to the Dress, but it’s only directed at the spoiled-brat-type brides found on another reality TV disaster, WE tv’s Bridezillas.

In my reality show, the worst, bitchy, spoiled, high-maintenance, demanding brides-to-be will shop at a high-end bridal salon modeled after the establishment behind Say Yes to the Dress, Kleinfeld Bridal. Rather than trying to establish some base of reason, their family and friends, along with the staff of the store, will cater to their every whim and let them think they’re getting everything they want.

Then, just when the princess thinks she’s completely gotten her way, the star of the show emerges. I have two people in mind: Chris Rock, or Damon Wayans in character as Homey D. Clown from classic 1990s Fox comedy-sketch series In Living Color. The star then proceeds to berate the princess, while the audience (myself in particular) cackles themselves into a frenzy.

Example: “$15,000 for a DRESS? Does it have WHEELS? Are you out your MIND? And you gonna spend $600 on a veil to cover yo grill when that could feed an entire grade at the school down the block? What in the HELL is wrong with you? What part of BUDGET don’t you understand? You must be OUT yo GOD-DAMNED MIND!”

The name of my reality pilot (drum roll please …): Say No to the Ho. I have to go now. Pitching this to the cable networks will take time.

News of Ricky Whittle’s arrest this morning in Liverpool has seen his odds to win Strictly Come Dancing 7 immediately lengthen to 2-1.

Whittle, who was odds-on to win only hours ago has now slipped behind Ali Bastian (8-5) in the pecking order, with bettors on the BBC hit show keeping a close eye on developments as they break.

As per usual, punters have been sharp to react and Ricky’s path to ballroom glory, which was looking pretty clear, now appears to be in some jeopardy.

Current odds on Betfair: 8-5 Ali Bastian, 2-1 Ricky Whittle, 7-1 Chris Hollins, 9-1 Natalie Cassidy, 16-1 Laila Rouass

While the story of Michaele and Tareq Salahi’s gate crashing the White House might seem amusing to some ….it has not been to the Secret Service…as I mentioned when the story broke…some Secret Service people are going get burned….and as I suggested…the couple themselves are going to be speaking to investigators, who will forward their finding to their bosses, who will decide how to proceed with this incident……

Stay tuned…there IS going to be more to come……

Update: Here is a piece from the Washington Post on the attention (reality show ) angle…….

by: Randi M.

Why oh why anyone would anyone give these two a show?? It’s going around the net that Bobby Brown and Kevin Federline became pals while being on Celebrity Fit Club together. And Bobby told a TMZ cameraman that he and Kev were talking about doing a show together. No word on what the show would be about, but I am sure it will be entertaining.

Click image for source.

Here we go again!  Reality TV wannabes Richard & Mayumi Heene’s   ‘Balloon Boy’ hoax captivated the public in October.  Now we have White House gate crashers, Tareq and Michelle Salahi,  schmoozing with celebs at the Obama administration’s first White House state dinner.

With a BRAVO  TV film crew trailing behind, they managed to get admitted to the affair after passing through security.

Oops!  Someone at the gate is going to have a LOT of egg on their face!  As for the Salahis, they’re sure to be in hot water because lying to the agents at the gate is a federal crime.  OOPS again!

With the country’s fascination of reality TV – is THIS what we’ve become?  Is this how to get your 15 minutes of fame? Pull a stunt…, any stunt and for the moment – get away with it.  Then you’re on the front page of every newspaper and gossip rag. You find yourself on the most wanted list of talk shows, late night TV and radio.  Gee, if you’re lucky, you might even get a book deal or a movie offer! Ah…, but WILL you get that coveted reality show?  Looks like the two most recent attempts backfired.

The Heene’s have already been to court;  Myumi, not an American citizen, came close to getting deported.  Richard has admitted his guilt and both will go to court next month. The Salahis probably will be investigated by the Secret Service and will find themselves in more trouble than they bargained for.

In an article from CNN, it seems that the Salahis are bumbling their way through the court system in Virginia with several lawsuits pending.  Bankruptcy rears it’s ugly head, too.  They’ve been sued by customers of the winery who allege that after reserving the Oasis Winery, which the Salahis own, for a wedding, thousands of dollars were charged to the client’s charge card.  It got messy; the Salahis threatened to cancel the wedding. The customer paid up so that the wedding would go ahead but later sued them for the unapproved charges.

They’re in debt for tons of money, too.  It’s obvious that these two are living a running scam.  Their Facebook pages list events they were at, probably uninvited, like the White House state dinner. If they’d kept their mouths shut, they might have gotten away with it, but of COURSE, the allure to say “LOOK WHAT WE DID!” is too much.

So that’s it, folks.  Wanna get famous?  Get caught doing something you shouldn’t involving high profile people and you’re sure to have your 15 minutes.  This is a sad testament to our society.

Is this what we want to teach our children?

Without question, Kelly Clarkson has always been my favourite Idol winner and arguably the most successful (closely followed and/or surpassed by Carrie Underwood).

But I just saw the latest musical release from Jordin Sparks, being featured in the single “Art of Love” by Aussie singer Guy Sebastian.  I’ve never heard of him, but homeboy has got a voice!  Jordin Sparks is always at her best in collabs w/ other R&B singers, I think.  And this song may not be as successful as “No Air” with Chris Brown, but I think it’s a much better track.

This song gave me the chills.  Love love love Jordin’s powerhouse voice.

The noughties has been a decade of many things, but for Fingertips’ Ian Shine it has predominantly been a decade of lists, lists and more lists…

As the noughties draw to a close, people inevitably try to wrap up the decade in a convenient package, slap a label on it and sell it off as a profitable Christmas book that no one will read.

Summarising 3653 days of news, culture and everything else in processed chunks of bland generalisations is a prospect that many people, mostly journalists, find irresistible.

They make such generalisations at the end of every year, but with the closing of a decade they think have a licence to freak out.

There are endless Top Tens and Top 100s all over the internet and in newspapers that no one in their right mind would either read or pay any serious attention to.

Just do a Google search for “noughties” and any other word, and you will be met with a list of some kind about the decade that almost was.

Even “noughties crap” brings up the highly enlightening Sexiest Women of the Noughties (So Far) on Hecklerspray, with its title which implies a woman may still be born this decade who could oust Jessica Alba from her top spot, despite being only one month old.

Hecklerspray’s list does have some hint of originality about it however, as it contains only 24 entries, rather than a round number.

The Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph and the rest would never dare produce a list that wasn’t made up of ten, 50, or 100 entries, a fact which shows not only how eager they are to fill column inches with this easy-to-produce nonsense, but how generic they are.

It’s not as if there aren’t already more than enough awards ceremonies every year that are desperate to tell us what is the best and what we should be spending our money on.

Take books for example. There are, to name but a few, The Man Booker Prize, The Costa Book Awards, The Guardian First Book Award, The Orwell Prize, and what must be the most eminent of the lot, The Galaxy British Book Awards.

The Times’ recent list, The 100 Best Books of the Decade, is little but an amalgam of the winners and shortlisted books from the last ten years of the aforementioned prizes, from 2008’s Booker winner, Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger at number 80, to 2003’s Whitbread (now known as Costa) winner, Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, at 25.

What exactly constitutes being “the best” in the eyes of The Times is left open to conjecture. Is it breaking down narrative walls in fiction? Providing insights into unknown areas? Selling the most copies?

No one at The Times seems to know or care, but just to be safe they’ve thrown in some populist numbers – Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code at ten – some political stuff – Naomi Klein’s No Logo at 50 and even some historical stuff  – Peter Ackroyd’s London: the Biography at 45.

There really is something for everyone here, and that is why it is so dire. It’s nothing but bookcase facism that tells you what should be on your shelves for everyone to see next time you have a dinner party.

To make a generalisation of my own, if anything the noughties was the decade that spawned the culture of what could be called “Bestism”.

Reality TV gave us Big Brother, The X-Factor, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and Strictly Come Dancing, all of which are based on the premise of finding out who is “the best” and dimissing everyone else.

The newspapers’ noughties lists are lodged deeply in this vein. What they are saying is that if you don’t own or aren’t familiar with the contents, you’re not suitable to mix it with the rest of us and should be voted off the social, intellectual and hipness circuits.

Or to turn out a phrase that somewhat epitomises noughties exclusionism, “you are the weakest link, goodbye.”

For all the latest news and views on television, music, books and more tune in to Fingertips.net

It’s been a while since I’ve checked in on So You Think You Can Dance, and a lot has happened since then. We’ve had injured dancers (RIP Billy Bell), eliminations on performance nights thanks to the World Series, and some semi-interesting dances. No dancer has really reached out and grabbed my attention like previous seasons, but the top 10 will definitely show who the true front runners are, and who will be heading home soon.

Before I get to my thoughts on the top 10 dancers, I need to take a moment to address the atrocity that is Victor Smalley’s elimination last night. His solo was so much stronger than Nathan’s last night, and I’m perplexed as to how Victor went home while the judges’ personal punching bag will live on to annoy for another week. Victor was never a standout to me, but I felt the grounds of his elimination were unfair, and for once, I actually agreed with Nigel Lythgoe. Scary. Also, I’ve been in love with Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” since the first time I heard it on the radio, and I knew it was just a matter of time before it would make an appearance on SYTYCD. Imagine my disgust when terror queen Laurieann Gibson choreographed a clunky, forgettable routine for sparkle twins Mollee and Nathan. So disappointing. I wish we could put the song back into the rotation for, say, a Nap/Tab routine for Jakob and Kathryn. Someone make this happen, please!

On to the top 10…

I expressed my dislike of Ashleigh at the start of the top 20, and while I was able to quash my annoyance so far, I feel like her gig is up soon after leaving her partnership with Jakob. Her obnoxious facial expressions have been kept to a minimum, but after each routine, I couldn’t help but notice she never did much dancing. A lot of hair whipping and posing, sure, but nothing incredibly substantial. The judges have fallen over themselves to praise her, constantly raving over how much she’s grown. I have to challenge them on that…I think people who have been voting for Jakob and Ashleigh are only voting for one half of the partnership. Also, expect Ashleigh to “randomly” draw her husband as a partner in the upcoming weeks.

Male ballroom dancers usually light up the stage on SYTYCD (see: Dmitry, Pasha, Artem and Ivan), but Ryan has left me unimpressed so far. He’s a good dancer, but he’s really nothing special. I think his overt masculinity was nicely balanced out by Ellenore’s quirky grace. He has no discernible personality outside of working out, doing extreme sports, and obsessively waxing his eyebrows. He’ll go pretty far in the top 10, but I don’t think he’ll crack the top four.

Russell was an early favorite of mine, but there hasn’t been much to keep him on my favorites list since the top 20 started. So far, it’s been a lackluster foxtrot, an awkward hip-hop, a pretty good Afro-jazz, another lackluster foxtrot, a clunky samba and an overpraised contemporary piece. That track record doesn’t exactly scream top four to me. I do love Russell’s personality, and when he performs in his own style, I remember why I loved him so much in the Vegas round. He really needs to step it up and be more consistent if he wants to make it far.

Mollee, Mollee, Mollee. SYTYCD’s resident Cindy Brady (thank you to Entertainment Weekly for making that comparison) annoys me more and more each week, a feat I didn’t think possible. Despite having been in the bottom a few times and delivering solos that were nothing but glorified gymnastics routines, Mollee is still in the competition. She is a pretty decent dancer, but we haven’t really seen her in a genre that she’s completely owned. She can’t do sexy, she can’t do hip-hop, and everything else has been just so-so. I’m waiting for her to blossom into the woman the judges repeatedly claim her to be, because right now, she really does look like a graduate of “Dolly Dinkle’s regional hip-hop class 101.” (Help…I’m agreeing with Grandpa Nigel again!)

Jakob has been the shining star of season six thus far. His technical ability seems to be endless, and he comes across as very personable in his interview packages (not to mention he’s BFFs with season five winner Jeanine…can they please do a duet on the finale episode? How awesome would that be?) I think Jakob will excel even more once he’s ditched his cheese ball, coattail riding partner. I beg you to show me a genre this guy can’t do, therefore making him a lock for the top four.

I’m pretty lukewarm about Noelle, considering she’s had the same middling lineup of dances as Russell. She’s definitely got great lines and technique, as shown in her contemporary piece this week, but her attempt at sexiness in the samba was kind of hard to watch. I think my biggest problem with Noelle is that she reeks of dance school competitions. The cheesy grins and some of her posturing are so reminiscent of my own dance school experience, and I don’t think that kind of dancing will get her very far into the top 10.

There is nothing I love more than a relative unknown at the start of the top 20 turning into an absolute dynamo by the top 10. This is how Jeanine evolved last season, and I think Kathryn is following the same trajectory. She’s gone from unknown crying girl to talented tamer of emotional b-boys. From a cave woman in a Dave Scott hip hop to a fiery vixen in a Tony Meredith paso doble, Kathryn has handled whatever she’s been given with her extensive talent. I absolutely adored her partnership with Legacy, and while I’m sad to see them break up, I’m anxious to see how she’ll grow with other partners.

I was unnecessarily harsh on Legacy before the top 20, thinking him irritating and overhyped. I am definitely eating my words now. What I used to think was insincere is now an emotional dancer learning a lot on a once in a lifetime journey. His lack of technique is sometimes very evident, but the fact that he was able to pull of a haunting contemporary piece, an attention-grabbing paso doble and an emotional Viennese waltz speaks to his ability to learn quickly. Kathryn has definitely taught him a lot, and I fear that Legacy may falter without her helpful partnership, but his sincerity and eagerness will hopefully carry him far.

I can’t really recall why I thought Ellenore was annoying during the Vegas round. Sure, she’s quirky and definitely unique, but I’ve enjoyed watching her dance. She is so versatile and so good at what she does. I don’t think I even watched Ryan during their Broadway piece this week because Ellenore was just so phenomenal. The idea of a potential partnership between her and Jakob has me anxious for Tuesday nights.

Oh, Nathan. How quickly you’ve gone from young upstart to judges’ punching bag. As soon as I found out he was paired with Susie Sunshine, I knew things couldn’t be good for him. I knew Nathan had talent, but there was something about his partnership that brought out the irritating brat in him. The judges latched on to this, with both Nigel and Adam Shankman taking turns handing him slices of humble pie. I think he would have been so much better off with someone else as a partner, because he’s now been so strongly associated with giggles, skipping and annoyance. It will be interesting to see how Nathan internalizes Adam’s advice to watch what he says, as well as how he fares with a less obnoxious partner.

Bravo’s new fashion reality TV show “Launch My Line” partners successful professionals with established fashion designers to do just as the title says:  create a fashion line. 

A graduate of the Harvard Executive Business School, Marilyn Crawford, who lives in Las Vegas, has established herself as the ultimate expert and spokesperson in business and entertainment.  Crawford is the CEO of Windsor PTM, a global strategic marketing company. She is also Chairman of 2810, a private business membership club. 

When she was three years old she got the fashion bug–  a woman who lived down the street from her made clothes that Crawford designed with the help of her father. 

Fast forward, now Crawford figures if she could catch a fashion guru’s eye, she shouldn’t have a hard time launching a fashion line.  She envisions a clothing collection designed for the “average-sized woman,” which Crawford describes as 12-14.  She says her line would be a cross between Miranda and Samantha from the TV show “Sex and the City,” and, like those two characters, make a loud statement. 

Meanwhile, not to let grass grow under her feet, Crawford continues to travel extensively around the globe for her business and entertainment clients which include: Coca-Cola, Sony Universal, Master Charge, CNN, Volvo, Larry King, Russell Simmons and Sean “P. Diddy” Combs. 

Crawford has been named “Woman of the Year” from Arts Horizon and TD/Commerce Banks, and has received The International Women’s Exchange Compass Award, The Humanitarian of the Year Award and Ebony’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award. 

“Launch My Line” premieres Wed., Dec. 2 at 11 p.m. (PT) on Bravo.

A couple of aspiring reality-TV stars from Northern Virginia appear to have crashed the White Houses state dinner Tuesday night, penetrating layers of security with no invitation to mingle with the likes of Vice President Biden and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

Source:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34157390/ns/politics-washington_post/

Having watched “I’m a Celebrity”(grudgingly with my OH) I can’t help but wonder how we’d cope in a world without appliances. Sometimes I don’t think we realise how easy life is with food fresh from the fridge or freezer, washing cleaned and dried with minimum effort, and an oven and hob to cook on.

As a child I longed to live in “exciting” earlier times, discovering new frontiers, camping out and living from the earth. Now it seriously bothers me if I forget my electric toothbrush. Or visit a hotel without a proper power shower. I just don’t feel clean. If I was in the jungle, having been doused in gunge and forced to eat live insects, I would be dreaming of a boil wash and a microwave meal. Range cookers and induction hobs would be my heaven.

Therefore I have deduced living in the jungle must be difficult, especially for our pampered celebrities, so in a way I applaud them for going in there. (I also think a lot of other things about them but I shall keep my opinions to myself). And so I come to that age old question – if you were stranded on a desert island what would you take with you? You can only pick one thing (and its cheating to take the entire kitchen ).

So I choose my washer condenser dryer and I would be clean and dry throughout my stay. As for the power source, they must have somewhere to plug in the cameras!

So what would you choose as your one addition to your stay in the jungle and why? I’m itching (excuse the creepy crawly pun) to find out.