New Television Season

It's that time of the year - new television season has started!  Mr. Y and I are very excited.  Here are some early impressions:

1) How I Met Your Mother.  This is the last season, and they started off with a bang.  I love the first week where they showed Ted and the Mother together a year after Robin's and Barney's wedding.  Cristin Milioti and Josh Radnor had the perfect chemistry, and you can see how these two belong together.  The creators have warned viewers that it will be rocky during the wedding weekend, and we still don't know what Ted is planning to do about the locket, but it's nice to know that there is a happy ending.

2) Castle.  My favorite part of the first two episodes is when Castle told Beckett that he didn't propose because he wanted to keep Kate in New York, but because he was committed to figuring it out.  It was a nice moment.  It is also fun to see Beckett out of her element a bit in Washington, D.C., since she was always so together in New York.  I hope that they will go back to New York soon, because I miss the interplay between Castle, Beckett, Esposito, Ryan, and Lanie.

3) Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  The only new show we are adding to our DVR list for now.  So far so good - the show has really shown us a lot of action, and the cast is entertaining enough.  My favorite is Ming-Na.  I can't believe she is 49 years old - she looks amazing and is totally believable as a kick-ass agent.  It's also great that they kept the humor from the movies in the show.

4) The Big Bang Theory.  I've said it before and I will say it again - how does Leonard put up with Sheldon?  He is such an annoying roommate, even if it can be funny sometimes.  Most of the time it's just annoying.  The best part of the first two episodes was when Howard and Raj started feeling each other's chests up after Howard accidentally obtained large doses of estrogen.  Bernadette's silent reaction was priceless.

5) New Girl.  I love how Jess's and Nick's relationship is not all smooth sailing, but they kept the sweetness and the romance.  Poor Winston is still stuck with the C-plot, but the story about him trying to kill his girlfriend's cat was hilarious, especially since he ended up being very attached to it.  I don't really like the subplot about Schmidt dating Cece and Elizabeth at the same time, but at least they didn't drag it out too long.

6) Glee.  As fun as the Beatles are, the death of Cory Monteith hangs heavily over the show.  I don't think I can properly judge this season until after the tribute episode.

Mariano Rivera's Last Game at Yankee Stadium

The greatest closer of all time, Mariano Rivera, pitched his last game at Yankee Stadium on September 26, 2013 in a game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

I am a Dodgers fan, but I cheer for the Yankees while living in New York because I can't cheer for fellow National League competitor the Mets.  Plus it gave me chills to go to the old Yankee stadium, which was steeped with so much tradition.  The new Yankee Stadium is nice, but doesn't have quite the same feeling as the old one.

Rivera entered the last game in the eighth inning with one out and runners on first and second.  The Yankees played longtime announcer Bob Sheppard's introduction of number 42 (Sheppard died in 2010), and the familiar "Enter the Sandman" by Metallica also accompanied Rivera's entrance.

Rivera retired four straight batters, and with two outs in the ninth inning, manager Joe Girardi sent long-time teammates Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte to the mound to relieve Rivera.  That was when the tears and cheers started.  A great ending to an amazing career.  

I had the pleasure of watching Rivera pitch several times, and it's great that he is able to do a farewell tour. Many clubs around the league have paid tribute to him.  It's too bad that the Yankees have been eliminated from the playoffs and they also lost his last game 4-0.  However, Rivera left with five World Series rings, 13 All-Star selections, the all-time save record at 652 saves, and numerous other accolades and awards.  He is also for sure going into the Hall of Fame.

Goodbye, Mo. Thank you for the memories.

2013 Emmys Review and Fashion

It's the 65th Annual Emmy Awards!  I enjoyed the show for the most part, especially NPH hosting.  It is nice that the Emmys are usually held far away from the other award shows, so I can appreciate it without being sick of award shows already.

There were a lot of surprise winners, such as The Voice dethroning The Amazing Race for Best Reality Competition, Jeff Daniels winning Best Leading Actor in a Drama Series for The Newsroom, Tony Hale winning Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for Veep, and Bobby Cannavale winning Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Boardwalk Empire.

Best Parts

- I actually like NPH's opening with the past hosts.  The best part was Kevin Spacey's speech and Tina Fey and Amy Poehler heckling NPH.

- Merritt Wever's very short speech.  She did not do it intentionally, but it really became the best speech ever.  Schmidt is dating an Emmy winner!

- Julia Louis-Dreyfus's speech with Tony Hale holding her purse and being her handler, just like in Veep.  Anna Chlumsky also got into the action by texting during the speech.

- The bit about NPH suffering from Excessive Hosting Disorder (EHD).  We love How I Met Your Mother, so it was fun to see the cast.

- Nathan Fillion in the "Number in the Middle of the Show"

- Oprah doing the introductions of Jimmy Kimmel writers.

- The dance portion choreographed by the nominees for Best Choreography.  We are big So You Think You Can Dance fans, so this is a treat.

Worst Parts

- Jon Hamm's beard

- Melissa Leo's outfit

- Boring musical tributes from Elton John and Carrie Underwood.

Best Dressed

- Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang.  She knows what works for her, and she looks amazing in this red, clingy dress.

- Christina Hendricks in Christian Siriano.  Christina is another actress famous for her assets, and sometimes she can look as if she's about to pop out at any moment.  But this dress is perfectly fitted and shows her curves without danger of over-exposure.

- Allison Williams in Ralph Lauren.  The color is beautiful and the dress is very simple and elegant.  She wears it with great hair and makeup, too.

- Tina Fey in Narciso Rodriguez.  Another gorgeous blue dress.  Tina looks sexier here than what she would normally wear.

- Kaley Cuoco in Vera Wang,  Kaley has had some weird choices for red carpets, but this one is a winner.

- Mindy Kaling in Georges Chakra.  I love the color and it hugs her curves nicely.

- Michelle Dockery in Prada.  I love the color blocking on this dress, and she looks very modern and fresh.

- Kerry Washington in Marchesa.  I think this is the best pastel of the night. It's very fashionable, but she makes it look so elegant.

- Alyson Hannigan in Marchesa. The eggplant color really complements her red hair, and the fit was beautiful without overwhelming her small frame.

- Cobie Smulders in J. Mendel.  Another lovely HIMYM leading lady.  She wears this dress so well and it's well-fitted.

- I just had to include Nathan Fillion and his date, Mikaela Hoover

Worst Dressed

- Emilia Clarke in Donna Karan Atelier.  This dress looks wrinkled and makes her head looks so much bigger than her body.  

- Claire Danes in Armani Prive.  The bottom of this dress is fine, but the top looks ill-fitted and she doesn't quite have the assets to fill it up.

- Jessica Pare in Oscar de La Renta.  The whole look is just messy, and the shoes are awful.

- Lena Dunham in Prada.  It's great that she doesn't do anything conventional, but I wish the skirt was a bit smaller and the pattern not as busy.

- Julianne Hough in Jenny Packham.  She looks like she's wearing a leotard with some sparkly covering, and the off-the-shoulders top looks horrible.

- Zosia Mamet in Honor.  The dress would be lovely without that weird black bustier.

- Amanda Peet in Erdem.  Another wrong move in a sheer dress.

- Robin Wright in Ralph Lauren.  She looks like she's going to a funeral.  Robin, you're not married to Sean Penn anymore - you are allowed to smile once in awhile.

Split Decision

- Linda Cardellini in Donna Karan Atelier.  The dress is a touch too busy, but it has great color and she wears it well.  I love the hair.

- Anna Faris in Monique Lhuillier.  The color is beautiful and the dress is a nice change from the pastels on the red carpet, but her makeup makes her look 10 years older.

- Connie Britton in Naeem Khan.  Connie always looks so pretty, but this dress is just on the wrong side of busy, and the velvet material doesn't help.

So You Think You Can Dance - Season Finale

Last night was the season finale of So You Think You Can Dance.

SPOILER ALERT!

The winners were Amy and Fik-Shun.  Although I was cheering for Jasmine and Aaron, Amy and Fik-Shun are deserving winners.  They have been consistent all season and have noticeably grown as dancers.  Plus they are so cute with each other.  I also got a feeling that Aaron and Jasmine will be just fine.

The judges, Cat, and the finalists picked favorite routines to re-do last night.  I was especially happy to see the Top 20 group routine set to "Puttin' On the Ritz" and choreographed by NappyTab, Christopher Scott's Top 10 guys routine with sand, Mark Kanemura's crazy and wonderful jazz routine with Jenna, Paul and Makenzie's Mandy Moore routine set to Lady Gaga's "Edge of Glory," and Jasmine and Comfort's NappyTab hip hop routine set to Beyonce's "Run the World (Girls)." I would have loved to see more routines instead of the fillers.  I especially could've lived without seeing Nigel and Mary dancing to "Let's Get In On" by Marvin Gaye.  The only saving grace of that routine was Adam Shankman's cameo at the end.

The top 20 also danced a new group routine choreographed by season two's Ivan Koumaev, and the top 10 and the all-stars danced a fun, beach-themed routine choreographed by NappyTab near the end. Both routines were fun and reminded me how talented these dancers are.

The good news is that SYTYCD has been renewed for the eleventh season, so we'll definitely be doing this again next year!

So You Think You Can Dance - Performance Finale

Last Tuesday was the performance finale, and boy, it was jam-packed. Each dancer danced five routines - a group number, one with an all star, a solo, and three with each of the other finalists.

As a result, some of the routines felt rushed and not quite finished, but there was no question that these four deserve to be in the finals.  Each of them bring something different to the table, and although I am rooting for Jasmine and Aaron to win, I wouldn't be upset if Amy and Fik-Shun win.

Most favorite routines

1) Jasmine and Comfort's hip hop from NappyTab.  It was a surprise that contemporary dancer Jasmine chose hip-hop instead for her one chance to pick a style, but it was a risk that paid off.  Jasmine was fierce in this routine and pulled off the attitude and the moves as well as Comfort.  I think it was smart for Jasmine to do something different that will set her apart from Amy.

I am also glad that the show did not emphasize Jasmine's relationship with Cyrus since the beginning of the show.  She deserved to be there on her own merits and not just because she was Cyrus's ex-girlfriend.  It amazed me how SYTYCD can be so sensitive and on the point about stuff like this while American Idol usually pummels you over the head with this kind of story, and yet they shared the same executive producer in Nigel Lythgoe.  Maybe it was Ken Warwick that was the problem on American Idol?

2) Aaron and Melinda's tap from Anthony Morigerato.  It was fun to see something different on the SYTYCD stage like this tap routine.  Both Aaron and Melinda danced well, and Anthony choreographed a great dance to a fun song.  Annie Barrett from EW.com said it best when she said that this routine "really drove home the concept of tap as a conversation between two dancers (and between the tappers and the music) instead of just the necessary maintenance of a beat."

3) Fik Shun and tWitch's hip hop from Luther Brown.  This routine looked like tWitch as the big brother teaching Fik-Shun the little brother.  It was fun, fast-paced, and very well-danced.

Least favorite routines

1) Amy and Fik-Shun's tango/paso doble from Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo.  I think it was a mistake to show even that brief moment of Miriam and Leonardo dancing, because nothing Amy and Fik-Shun would do would measure up to that.  Plus I still remember how amazing Leonardo was dancing with Hayley when he had to step in for the injured Curtis earlier in the season.  Amy and Fik-Shun tried, but the routine did not have the snap and the spark it needed.

2) Aaron and Jasmine's samba from Dmitry Chaplin.  This routine was just OK.  The dancers did not look fully comfortable dancing it, and it was their weakest routine of the night.

3) Fik-Shun and Aaron's Broadway from Tyce Diorio.  As far as a Tyce routine go, it wasn't bad.  But it was still overstuffed with too much props and movements.  I think Aaron outdanced Fik-Shun in this one.

So You Think You Can Dance - Top 6

This is the first week that the judges and choreographers don't have any say in who goes home.  I wanted Jasmine and Aaron to say, so as long as that happens I didn't care who left.

The group number was a fun, fast-paced jazz number from Sean Cheeseman.  It was nice to get another upbeat routine.  Jasmine and Aaron shined the most during this group dance.

Everyone also did solos this week.  The most entertaining ones were from Fik-Shun and Aaron, although no one did a bad solo.  In addition to dancing with the all-stars, the top 6 also paired with each other.

Most favorite routines

1) Amy and Alex's Bollywood from Nakul Dev Mahajan.  The producers are really stacking the deck in Amy's favor.  Travis Wall last week and Alex Wong this week?  Lucky girl.  This Bollywood number was fun and looks very difficult to execute.  Plus it showcases Alex's abs, which is not a bad thing at all.

2) Aaron and Melanie's Broadway from Spencer Liff.  Despite the one miscue that ended with Melanie on the floor, the routine was fun and danced well.  Aaron actually kept up with Melanie, which is very difficult to do.  And how sweet were his parents?  Actually, it was great to hear from all of the parents and how supportive and proud they were of their children.

3) Jasmine and Aaron's jazz from Sean Cheeseman.  I still cringed at the amazing stretch Jasmine did with her leg midway through the dance.  This is my favorite couple and this was a great dance.  It really played to their strengths.

Least favorite routines

1) Jasmine and Neil's contemporary from Tyce Diorio.  I love Jasmine and Neil, but I hated Tyce's routine about hurricanes, tsunamis, and natural disasters.  As typical of his big-statement pieces (like the breast cancer one), it's manipulative and annoying instead of being moving and touching.  The voice-over at the end just put it even more over the top.

2) Paul and Kathryn's jazz from Tyce Diorio.  It was boring and even Kathryn couldn't save it.  I know I'm biased against Tyce, but his two routines tonight were just bad.

As an aside - what is more disturbing: Joshua's tiger shirt or Dave Scott's ratty bucket hat?  I vote for the hat.

Eliminations

They didn't do the bottom twos this week.  Hayley and Paul were eliminated, which I think was the right call.  I'm just excited that Jasmine and Aaron made it to the finals, and I hope they win.  It will be an exciting finale.

Battle of the Year

Mr. Y and I were watching So You Think You Can Dance tonight, and saw a preview for Battle of of the Year.  As Mr. Y put it, it's like they took a typical martial arts or sports movie with all the cliches (underdogs triumphing, individuals learning how to become a team, down-on-his-luck coach getting a second chance, etc.), and applied it to the subject of dance.

The movie has a few familiar faces.  My first reaction was wondering what Josh Holloway is doing in this movie.  Definitely not an obvious choice for a dance movie.  Some of the dancers also looked familiar, like Chris Brown (yes, THAT Chris Brown), SYTYCD dancers Dominic Sandoval and Jonathan "Legacy" Perez, and a bunch of dancers from LXD (the Legion of Extraordinary Dancers) like Luis Rosado, Ivan "Flipz" Perez, and Caity Lotz.

Trailer below:

Cookie Monster Spoofs Icona Pop's "I Love It"

Icona Pop's "I Love It" has been ubiquitous for the past few months.  Here comes Sesame Street's spoof of the song featuring Cookie Monster, entitled "Me Want It (But Me Wait)."

So You Think You Can Dance - Top 8

Apologies for not blogging last week during top 10 week.  It was a crazy week.  I was excited to see the all-stars, but disappointed the judges eliminated Makenzie instead of Jenna.  Not a surprise that Nico was eliminated with Makenzie.

This was a great week for the show, because not only did the all-stars showed up to dance with the contestants, but they also choreographed the pieces.  These all-stars are very talented and the results made for a very good show.

Mia Michaels' group routine was definitely very Mia.  Tucker was a revelation here - his freaky, long-haired centerpiece stole the show.

The guest judge was Jenna Elfman, who at least had some experience as a professional dancer before she turned to acting.

Most favorite routines

1) Jenna and Mark Kanemura's jazz.  This was one of the weirdest and best routines I've ever seen on the show.  Mark is already freaky and has apparently been learning more freaky as one of the lead dancers for Lady Gaga.  This jazz should not work, but it did.  It was so strange that Mr. Y and I didn't even notice the song was a Korean pop song until we saw the routine for the second time.

2) Amy and Travis's contemporary.  Lucky Amy and lucky Travis.  This was the perfect combination of routine and dancer.  Amy really rose up to the occasion and did not appear cutesy at all.

3) Jasmine and Twitch's hip hop.  Jasmine did the difficult thing and matched Twitch in his physicality.  The routine was fun and cute and definitely worth watching again.

Least favorite routines

Again there was really only one routine I wasn't a huge fan of - Paul and Comfort's hip hop.  Comfort put together a great routine and danced it well.  The problem was that Paul couldn't quite keep up with her and the gap was obvious.  Paul might be in trouble this week.

Eliminations

This is the last week the judges and choreographers had any say on who is going home.  I'm surprised they waited this long to turn the votes over to America - usually it happens much earlier than this.

Hayley and Jenna were the bottom two girls, and Tucker and Fik-Shun were the bottom two boys.  I'm glad they finally got rid of Jenna, even though she danced her best routine this week.  She has been in the bottom so often only to be saved by the judges.  I was sad to see Tucker go because he is a great dancer, but there was no way the judges were going to get rid of their anointed favorite Fik-Shun.  There is no male contemporary dancer left in the competition.

Predictions on who will be in trouble this week:

Boys: Paul and Aaron
Girls: Hayley and Jasmine

So You Think You Can Dance - Top 12

Another show, another injury. This time it's poor Tucker who got an infection in his knee. What's up with all the guys being injured this season? Tucker was able to dance his solo, but since he could not participate in rehearsals he did not dance the rest of the show.

I love the big group number this week. Maybe the powers-that-be were as sick of the dark, intense group routines as I was. I think this was the first time the group ever did a Bollywood number, and they looked like they were having so much fun. It was of course choreographed by Nakul Dev Mahajan. I especially loved Alan and Amy's smiles throughout this number.

The two smaller group numbers were also good, although I prefer the guys over the girls. Perhaps because the guys went first, but theirs were much more interesting and impactful than the girls' routine.
The guest judge this week was Kenny Ortega. Finally someone with actual knowledge and experience.

Most favorite routines

I thought overall the routines were very good. The dancers have really stepped it up, and it should continue to get better when the all-stars join the show this week.

1) Jasmine and Aaron's hip hop by Tabitha and Napoleon. Now this is how you dance hip hop. They were both strong and believable, and they really drew strength from their movements. I still don't understand how Jasmine ended up in the bottom three last week.

2) Makenzie and Paul's contemporary from Mandy Moore. I love the rendition of Lady Gaga's "Edge of Glory" that was used for this routine, and Makenzie and Paul knocked it out of the park. I believe in their chemistry and it was fun to see their flirty banter.

3) Jenna and Alex Wong's paso doble from Jean-Marc Généreux. I am including this dance on this list because of Alex Freaking Wong and his abs, who replaced Tucker. Nice abs, Alex. He looked great, especially considering that he is not a ballroom dancer. I almost forgot Jenna was there.

Least favorite routine

There is really only one that I didn't like - Malece and Alan's jazz by Mandy Moore. Poor Malece. I think she knew she was a goner from the moment Jenna was saved by the judges and she had to go up against Amy. She tried really hard, but she and Alan just seemed off from the beginning and the dance did not do them any favors.

Eliminations

I was not expecting Amy to end up in the bottom three. She has been coasting along so well. The only girl left who has not been on the bottom is Hayley. As I mentioned above, the other two girls in trouble were Jenna and Malece. I also did not understand the decision to save Jenna - is it because they want to guarantee a ballroom girl in the top 10 and the tour? She has been in the bottom several times. We knew Malece was gone the moment Jenna was saved. Plus Amy danced a better solo.

I was right about the three boys in trouble: Tucker, Alan, and Nico. Nico was immediately saved, while Tucker and Alan danced solos. I thought Alan did a better solo, but the judges kept Tucker instead. Since Tucker wasn't able to dance, he immediately ends up in the bottom two this week.

Predictions on who will be in trouble tonight:

Boys: Tucker and Nico
Girls: Makenzie and Jenna

So You Think You Can Dance - Top 14

Sorry this post is very, very late. At least I got it in before tonight's new episode.

The group number was choreographed by Sonya Tayeh and Dmitry Chaplin. I like it OK, but definitely ready for something different with the group numbers instead of these dark, intense dances.

Anna Kendrick was the guest judge. She looked so tiny sitting in that judges' table.

Curtis Holland was injured and would not be performing. The minute I heard the news I knew that he would be out if he ended up in the bottom three.

Most favorite routines

1) Jasmine and Aaron's contemporary from Justin Giles. I am amazed at how well they can dance even with an apple as a prop. Jasmine and Aaron were so in sync as usual, and they really conveyed the story well. I couldn't believe it when Jasmine ended up in the bottom three.

2) Hayley and Leonardo's tango by Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo. Leonardo stepped in for the injured Curtis to dance this tango. Poor Curtis, but lucky Hayley. She looked amazing dancing this tango with Leonardo. It was hard to take my eyes off Leonardo, though. He was so perfect and spoke so much with so few movements.

3) Makenzie and Paul's jazz from Sonya Tayeh. As an aside, are Makenzie and Paul really dating or is this a showmance? I like this number because Makenzie and Paul really went for it. I don't understand why viewers kept putting Makenzie on the bottom - she's an amazing dancer who seems really goofy, too.

Least favorite routines

1) Jenna and Tucker's hip hop from Luther Brown. So many things wrong with this routine. Jenna and Tucker did not hit the moves hard enough, and they were not believable. Plus it was weird that this supposed club only had two people in it.

2) Malece and Alan's salsa from Jonathan Platero. Mr. Y and I did not remember Jonathan at all from season 5, but that was also the season with Jeanine, Evan, Kayla, Brandon, Ade, Phillip, Janette, and Melissa. Jonathan was unfortunately lost in the shuffle among the other more memorable contestants. I didn't think this couple had any chemistry, and I thought Malece struggled to keep up with Alan, who was right at home in his genre.

Eliminations
I was correct about the three guys in the bottom three, but did not expect the other two girls other than Alexis. How did Makenzie and Jasmine end up in the bottom three when they were amazing last week?

The judges saved Makenzie immediately, and Jasmine and Alexis had to do solos. Jasmine's solo was great, but Alexis's was just meh. It was not a surprise that Alexis was eliminated. Curtis was also eliminated, and unlike last week, they actually got the goodbye video packages.

Predictions on who will be in trouble tonight:

Boys: Tucker, Alan, Nico
Girls: Jenna, Makenzie, Malece

Little Boy Meets the Avengers

The photograph below was going around the internet for awhile of a little boy carrying a Captain America shield sitting on the shoulders of Tom Hiddleston in full Loki outfit from The Avengers. 

The boy's name is Edison, and his dad wrote an amazing story about how the photograph happened.  It's definitely worth a read.  A short summary: Edison and his mom, Jill, saw The Avengers filming in Central Park, and were able to meet and get pictures with many of the cast members, including his favorite, Captain America (played by Chris Evans).  Edison had been carrying around his Captain America shield ever since he saw the movie, and he was lucky enough to have had it with him that day. 

There is also a cute update.  Lisa Evans, Chris's mom, who was helpful in getting Edison a picture with Chris at Central Park, was also able to get Chris to sign Edison's shield as well as the picture and a new shield.  Now all three items are hanging proudly in Edison's bedroom.

I know my son, who's around the same age, would have freaked if he gets to meet his superheroes.  Lucky Edison!

So You Think You Can Dance - Top 16

Our feed did not have sound in the beginning until it switched to the non-HD feed, but it was about halfway through the group number.  Unfortunately that affected how we viewed the group number - seemed interesting, but the impact was lessened because of lack of music.  The group number was choreographed by Stacey Tookey and Peter Chu.  Jasmine deservedly got the spotlight. 

Carly Rae Jepsen was the guest judge.  Not sure why she was there, and she didn't really add anything to the judging.

Most favorite routines

1) Amy and Fik-Shun's jazz from Tyce Diorio.  I can't believe I actually like this routine best, since it involved Tyce and a hobo theme, but it was actually cute and Amy and Fik-Shun looked awesome dancing it.  I credit the fact that Tyce let them be creative, and they really got into character.  I would be surprised if this couple didn't end up in the finale. 

2) Jasmine and Aaron's quickstep from Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin.  Ah, the dreaded quickstep.  Fortunately for Jasmine and Aaron, this one was gorgeous and they danced it well.  Jasmine's legs are just amazing, and both of them looked so elegant and glam. 

3) Makenzie and Paul's hip hop from Dave Scott.  Much better than Dave Scott's other routine with Malece and Alan (see below under Least Favorite Routines).  I thought the rehearsal footage was hilarious when Dave Scott outed Paul was being intimidated by the beauty that is Makenzie.  I can totally see them as a couple.  Makenzie looked great and both of them danced this one well. 

Least favorite routines

1) Mariah and BluPrint's jazz from Brian Friedman.  I didn't get this dance at all.  Nothing about the music or the dance invoked the goddess-falling-in-love-with-a-mortal-theme, and Mariah and BluPrint looked out of sync from the beginning. 

2) Alexis and Nico's jive from Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin.  The routine itself was fine, but Alexis was way out of her depth.  Nico started off pretty well, but deteriorated over time. 

3) Malece and Alan's hip hop from Dave Scott.  Malece did better than Alan in this number, which is not saying much because Alan was terrible.  Neither one of them hit the moves that hard, and the busy costumes didn't help. 

Eliminations

I was correct about the three guys in the bottom three, but did not expect Makenzie to end up in the bottom three instead of Alexis.  The judges saved Jenna immediately, which was when Mr. Y and I knew that Mariah was gone.  Makenzie had been doing better than Mariah in the competition, and her solo was better, too.  It also was not a surprise that BluPrint was eliminated.  He wasn't able to come up with the charisma and facial expressions to match his movements.  I will miss Mariah especially, since I feel like she hasn't really shown her full potential and has been saddled with bad routines. 

Predictions on who will be in trouble this week:

Boys: Alan, Curtis, and Nico

Girls: Jenna, Alexis, and Malece

Royal Baby Named

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge named their baby boy George Alexander Louis.  He will officially be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge.

As expected, they went with very traditional names.  No Apple or Blue Ivy or North here. 

Prince of Cambridge

Unless you have been living under a rock, you would know that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had their baby boy yesterday.  The Prince of Cambridge, who is not yet named, was born at 4:24 p.m. local time at St. Mary's Hospital in London.  He was 8 pounds 6 ounces.  The Duchess of Cambridge reportedly had about 14 hours of labor before delivering naturally.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took their son home today.  They posed for photographers and answered questions on the same steps where Princess Diana and Prince Charles introduced William to the world 31 years ago. 

William stated that his son had "a good pair of lungs on him," and that he was "a big boy - he's quite heavy."  He also stated that his son had his mother's looks, to which Kate replied, "No, no, no."  William also joked that the baby "has way more than me, thank God."  Kate added that the whole experience was very emotional.  She said, "It's a moment that any parent having just given birth will know what this feeling feels like."  She also revealed that William has changed his first diaper. 

Congratulations to the new parents!

2013 Emmy Nominations

The 2013 Emmy nominations came out today, and American Horror Story: Asylum scored the most nominations with 17, with Game of Thrones closely behind with 16.   30 Rock scored 13 nominations, Modern Family has 12, and The Big Bang Theory has eight.  Netflix's House of Cards became the first online series to score Emmy nods, including stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. 

1) I'm most upset about the following snubs: Simon Helberg for The Big Bang Theory and Jake Johnson for New Girl.  Both actors have done wonderful work this year, and have made what could have been very cartoonish characters seem vulnerable, funny, and grown-up. 

2) It's also a travesty that Phil Keoghan wasn't nominated again for the Amazing Race, even though the series was nominated.  I like Anthony Bourdain, but The Taste wasn't very good, and the Emmys must be somehow contractually required to include Betty White every year.

3) Yay for Carrie Prestron being nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her work on The Good Wife.  Can't wait to see Michael Emerson and Preston on the red carpet - they are so cute together.

4) Only Jane Lynch and Dot-Marie Jones were nominated for Glee.  It is difficult to break through the ranks of the Modern Family crew in the supporting categories, all of them are again nominated except for Eric Stonestreet. 

5) Michelle Fairley, Nikolaj Coster Waldau, Charles Dance, and Gwendoline Christie also deserved nominations for Game of Thrones.  At least more than just Peter Dinklage is nominated this year.  Emilia Clarke and Diana Rigg also scored nods in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, respectively, and the show is up for Outstanding Drama Series

6) No Taran Killam from Saturday Night Live?  He did a better job than Bill Hader.  Hopefully with Hader gone Taran will get his just due next year. 

7) It's great that Morena Baccarin and Mandy Patinkin got nods for Homeland, in addition to Claire Danes and Damian Lewis.

8) I don't watch Nashville, but anything that gets Connie Britton a nomination is fantastic. 

9) No love for The Office in its final season, except for a writing nod for Greg Daniels. 

10) Love the nominations for So You Think You Can Dance and Cat Deeley. 

Best reaction to getting an Emmy nomination so far comes from Don Cheadle, who released the following statement about his nomination in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy category for House of Lies: "Given all the hilarious film work I've done, from Traffic to Crash to Flight, it's nice to finally be recognized as the comic genius I am. Thank you, Academy members.”

Edited to add Emilia Clarke's statement about her nomination (in Dothraki!): “Yer chomoe anhaan. Jin ha Khalaan, shekh ma shieraki anni.” This translates to: “You do honor to me. This is for the Khal — my sun and stars.”

R.I.P. Cory Monteith

In a shocking news, Glee star Cory Monteith was found dead in his hotel room in Vancouver on Saturday.  He was 31 years old.  The Vancouver police released a statement saying that they had ruled out foul play, and will be conducting an autopsy today (Monday).  They also stated that Monteith had returned to his hotel room alone early Saturday morning, and his body was discovered by hotel staff when he failed to check out on Saturday. 

I have been a big fan of Glee since the beginning, and it was great to see Monteith grow as an actor, dancer, and singer as his character, Finn Hudson, also grew.  He was never the best actor, dancer, or singer, but he always came across as emotionally real and accessible.  The consensus around Hollywood is that he is also a very nice guy in real life.  Monteith just recently left rehab for a second time, and he had talked candidly about his struggles with drugs in the past, which led to him going into rehab the first time when he was 19 years old.  He seemed to be doing well recently, being out and about with his girlfriend and Glee co-star Lea Michele, and looking happy and healthy.  What a blow to his family, friends, co-workers, and fans. 

In honor of Monteith, here are my top five favorite Glee musical numbers featuring Monteith by himself or as the lead:

1) "Don't Stop Believin" by Journey, from the episode "Pilot."  The original that started it all.  Finn was the one who rallied the rag-tag Glee club members together to sing this song, and the result was pure gold.

2) "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson, from the episode "Hold on to Sixteen."  Finn and the other boys look and sound amazing on this cover, and won Regionals despite Rachel's suspension after stuffing the ballot box in favor of Kurt for school president.

3) "I'll Stand by You" by the Pretenders, from the episode "Ballad."  One of the early Finn solos, and Monteith knocked it out of the park with his emotional performance after he found out that Quinn was expecting who he thought was his baby.

4) "We've Got Tonight" by Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton, from the episode "I Do."  This duet between Finn and Rachel showed their amazing chemistry, especially since the co-stars were already dating in real life by this point.

5) "Faithfully" by Journey, from the episode "Journey."  Another great duet between Rachel and Finn, and the start of the Finchel phenomenon.  Glee producers had mentioned that they thought of Finchel as being the end game, so now it would be interesting to see how they would deal with Monteith's passing. 

So You Think You Can Dance - Top 18

The powers-that-be heard the protests, and decided to move the eliminations to the end of the show.  I think this was a good move and made the show much better instead of the downer it was last week.

The group number was choreographed by Sonya Tayeh and Christopher Scott, and it was an interesting mix of the two.  A nice change from their usual styles.

Paula Abdul and Erin Andrews were the guest judges.  Paula was her usual nonsensical self, although she makes more sense here than she did on American Idol.  I wouldn't want her as a permanent judge, but she is fine as a guest judge. 

Most favorite routines

1) Makenzie and Paul's contemporary from Lindsay Nelko.  Lindsay is a new choreographer, and I hope she comes back.  I like this piece, especially the music (Idina Menzel singing "No Day But Today" from Rent).  Makenzie looks ethereal and effortless, and Paul smartly played it subtle instead of over-the-top.

2) Jasmine Harper and Aaron's Broadway from Spencer Liff.  Another strong routine from my favorite couple.  Their facial expressions were perfect and they had great movements.

3) Amy and Fik-Shun's paso doble from Jean-Marc Genereaux.  Considering that this was far from either one of their genres, they did a great job.  Amy and Fik-Shun is definitely the pimped-out couple this season, and I would be surprised if they get eliminated before the top 10.

Least favorite routines

1) Jenna and Tucker's hip hop from Keone and Mari Madrid.  Another new set of choreographers.  I like the premise and the choreography wasn't bad, but Jenna's striped pants was very distracting and did not scream femme fatale at all.  As Mr. Y put it, she looked like she was auditioning for the Yankees.  I was also not feeling the chemistry between these two.

2) Alexis and Nico's jazz by Spencer Liff.  Again I felt like this couple was really lacking in chemistry, and the routine just fell flat to me. 

3) Hayley and Curtis's samba from Jean-Marc Generaux.  They looked good in the outfits, and that's about as nice as I can say about this samba. 

Eliminations

I was correct about the three guys in the bottom three, but only got one of the girls right, Alexis.  Since Jade had to leave the competition due to injury, BluPrint and Curtis were saved.  Alexis was joined in the bottom three by Jasmine Mason and Jenna.  I thought Alexis should have left, because Jasmine Mason had been a lot stronger during the performance shows. 

Predictions on who will be in trouble this week:

Boys: BluPrint, Curtis, Alan
Girls: Jenna, Alexis, Mariah

So You Think You Can Dance - Top 20

Last night was the first elimination show, and I really hate this new format of eliminating the dancers first before they had to dance with their partners.  It sucked the joy right out of the show.  It didn't help that Cat actually looked very odd for once - I did not like the outfit. 

The group routine was disjointed and overly fussy, so of course it was a Tyce number.  Both Mr. Y and I called it about 5 seconds into the routine.

Eliminations

The bottom three guys were Carlos, Jade, and Alan.  The bottom three girls were Mariah (no!!!), Brittany, and Makenzie.  The judges immediately saved Makenzie and Alan, which meant Mariah, Brittany, Jade, and Carlos had to dance for their lives.  I was right about two of the girls, and only one of the guys. 

The solos were OK - Jade had the best one.  I didn't like Nigel chastising them for not dancing hard enough.  I didn't think the problem was that they weren't dancing hard enough, but that their emotions were all over the place.  As much as the judges like to talk about these dancers being professionals, they are still young and being throw into a national stage like this must be tough.  Plus they had to do this in the beginning of the show!  No wonder they looked scared to death.

After the solos the judges didn't even deliberate before Nigel announced that Brittany and Carlos were leaving.  I am happy Mariah is staying. 

Most favorite routines

1) Jasmine Mason and Alan's tango from Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo.  Alan was an amazing partner in this routine.  His looks and posture really fit the dance.  Jasmine started off a bit tentative, but once the music picked up she really got into it. 

2) Jasmine Harper and Aaron's lyrical hip hop from NappyTab.  This couple again proved they were one of the ones to beat.  Their chemistry was off the charts, and the routine was so athletic.  Probably the only couple in the competition who could have pulled off such a sexually-charged, mature piece. 

3) Mariah and Carlos's contemporary from Stacey Tookey.  Mariah and Carlos really stepped it up emotionally in this dance, most likely because Carlos was already eliminated.  It worked in Mariah's favor that she looked like she was on the verge of tears the entire time, which was her actual emotion.  Much better than the jive last week.  We'll see if Mariah can do better with BluPrint next week. 

Least favorite routines

1) Brittany and BluPrint's Broadway from Spencer Liff.  I love the song ("It's Oh So Quiet" by Bjork from the Ice Princess Original Soundtrack), but the routine was a mess.  Brittany looked like she was trying too hard, and Blu Print looked like he wasn't trying hard enough.  It didn't help that Brittany was already eliminated, so I couldn't help feeling sorry for her throughout the entire dance.

2) Hayley and Curtis's jazz from Ray Leeper.  Hayley looked super hot in the outfit, but the whole thing felt very cheesy and blah.  I didn't feel their chemistry as much as I did last week. 

3) Malece and Jade's Bollywood from Nakul Dev Mahajan.  Jade was behind from the beginning and was not hitting his moves.  Malece was OK, but was nothing special in this dance. 

Predictions on who will be in trouble next week:

Boys: BluPrint, Jade, Curtis
Girls: Hayley, Malece, Alexis

So You Think You Can Dance - Season 10

I have been very late in posting about So You Think You Can Dance, so I am combining my favorite dancers with my impression of the first performance show in one post.

This year the group is very eclectic, although as usual most of them are contemporary dancers.  Just like last year, there will be one male winner and one female winner this season. 

My Top 3 Women:

1) Mariah Spears - krump.  Mariah is the krumper who looks like the sweet girl next door.  I liked her last year and was disappointed when she didn't make it to the top 20, so I was excited when she made it this year.  She did not get featured at all during the auditions and Vegas week, and she got saddled with a horrible routine last week (more below), so I hope she will last longer. 

2) Jasmine Harper - contemporary.  She is also known as Cyrus's ex.  Jasmine and Cyrus broke up after he went on the show last season.  She didn't bad-mouth him, but it didn't sound like a good breakup.  She is very talented and has a compelling presence when she's dancing, and she's very good at connecting emotionally with the dances. 
3) Hayley Erbert - contemporary.  I was a bit turned off by Hayley during her initial audition when she talked about how her dancing just came across as sexy, but she ends up winning me over with her goofy personality.  She also has that "it" factor where you can't take your eyes away from her when she's dancing.  

My Top 3 Men:

1) Aaron Turner - tap.  Aaron was a last minute addition to the top 20 after hip hop dancer Emilio suffered an injury before the live show.  Mr. Y and I thought Aaron should have made it in anyway.  He is a great dancer, and actually comes across as a man among the boys.
2) Tucker Knox - contemporary.  Tucker's story about how he fought back from a terrible car accident is inspiring without being cloying, and he is an effortless dancer.  I wish he had kept the curls, though, instead of the really short hair he's sporting now. 
3) Curtis Holland - tap.  I like his low-key approach and personality off stage, while coming alive on stage.  He may not have the skills to go all the way, but it will be a pleasure to watch him grow week by week. 

Last week was the first performance show where viewers get to vote.  The night started with one of the amazing group routines I have ever seen - set to "Puttin' on the Ritz"by Herb Alpert feat. Lani Hall. and choreographed by NappyTab.  It really looked like it was one long shot, and I like the cameos by Nigel, Mary, Travis Wall, Christopher Scott, and NappyTab.  I think Tabitha made a much better animator than Nigel.  Their son London made an appearance in the audience at the live show with his parents, and he is so adorable!

Favorite routines:

1) Amy and Fik-Shun's contemporary from Sonya Tayeh.  This dance had everything - great music ("Elsa" by The Valerie Project", great choreography, great characters, and amazing dancing.  Fik-Shun lived up to the hype he was getting during the auditions/Vegas rounds and actually looked like a contemporary dancer.  Amy's dancing was so precise that every movement mattered, even the pauses.

2) Jasmine Harper and Aaron's jazz from Sonya Tayeh.  Sonya really hit it out of the park with her two numbers.  Both were very different, but very compelling in their own way.  Jasmine is the star here - her legs seemed to go on forever.  Aaron had unfortunate pants on, but he overcame that and was a true partner who kept up with Jasmine. 

3) Hayley and Curtis's hip hop from Christopher Scott.  I was surprised at the great chemistry between these two, especially so early in the season.  They were also hitting the moves hard and really getting into the story.  Definitely a couple to watch. 

Least favorite routines:

1) Alexis and Nico's hip hop from Christopher Scott.  I did not like this dance at all.  The two of them did not click and they looked out of place.  The sunglasses didn't help because we couldn't connect with them just with the movements. 

2) Mariah and Carlos's jive from Jason Gilkison.  I feel so bad for Mariah and Carlos.  Not only were they stuck with this dud, they also went first.  I pray that the viewers or the judges will give them another dance.  They just looked lost and frantic among the fast movements. 

3) Makenzie and Paul's viennese waltz by Jason Gilkison.  Jason really struck out with his two pieces tonight.  This one was just boring.  The most interesting thing on stage was that umbrella.  Plus they made Makenzie look dowdy and awful in that dress, hairstyle, and makeup, which I did not think was possible. 

Predictions on who will be in trouble tonight:

Boys: Paul, Carlos, Nico
Girls: Makenzie, Mariah, Alexis

Anthony Brodeur Drafted by the New Jersey Devils

This is a great story.  Martin Brodeur's son, Anthony Brodeur, was drafted in the seventh round of the NHL draft by the New Jersey Devils.  The proud dad and Devils legend got to announce the pick, and the big grin on his face was awesome, as well as the proud look he had when his son came to the table and put on the Devils jersey and hat. 

Anthony is 18 years old and is also a goalie like his dad.  He just finished his senior year at Shattuck-St. Mary's Prep in Minnesota, and will be playing for the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League next season.

When asked about the moment, Anthony stated, "This is so surreal.  There's no other way to explain it. I've grown up watching the Devils, cheering on the Devils, cheering on my dad. So being in this jersey right now, in this arena, is awesome."

The seventh round is a far cry from the first round where Martin Brodeur was drafted by the Devils in 1990, but with pedigree like that, here's hoping another Brodeur will be a star in the NHL. 

Princess Madeleine of Sweden Married American Financier Chris O'Neill

Princess Madeleine of Sweden, the third child of King Carl XVI Gustav and Queen Silvia, married American financier Chris O'Neill in a lavish royal wedding this past Saturday, June 8th. 

The wedding ceremony took place at Stockholm's Royal Chapel, and then the newlyweds took a carriage ride to the harbour where they boarded a boat to take them across the water to Drottningholm Palace, where a dinner and dance reception were held for 350 guests.  The guests included many members of the European royal family, such as Prince Edward and Countess of Wessex from Great Britain, Prince Frederik and Princess Mary from Denmark, Princes Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit from Norway, and Princess Charlene from Monaco. 

Princess Madeleine wore a beautiful gown custom designed by Valentino Garavani.  The gown was "pleated silk organza with appliquéd ivory-hued Chantilly lace. The upper section of the bodice was lace with a deep-cut back. Narrow vertical pleats opened up from the accentuated waist, above the wide skirt, which ends with a four-metre-long train."  She also wore a stunning silk organza veil "edged with tulle scatted with point d'esprit dots and small Chantilly lace orange blossom."  Her tiara was also decorated with sprigs of orange blossoms. 

The groom Chris O'Neill is an American financier and  a partner with the hedge fund Noster Capital.  He was born in London and is the son of the late investment banker Paul O'Neill and Eva O'Neill.  His mother Eva is a German socialite and philanthropist who is friendly with royalty, such as Prince Charles.  Chris was educated in a boarding school in Switzerland before coming to the United States to attend Boston University and Columbia Business School.  Chris and Madeleine met in New York through mutual friends.


The bride's sister, Crown Princess Victoria, looked beautiful in "a greige rosé dress made from hand-dyed silk organza with layers of tulle in three shades, silk threads, Lurex threads, pearls and Swarovski crystals in amethyst and pale grey opal" designed by Elie Saab.  The most adorable guest is Victoria's daughter and Madeleine's niece, Princess Estelle, who wore a cute white dress and even had her own miniature chair at the wedding ceremony.  I am just impressed a child that young behaved so well through the whole ceremony.

Hello! Magazine has a great spread of photographs from the best moments of the wedding, as well as the official wedding photographs. 

Bryan Voltaggio on Top Chef Masters

Bryan Voltaggio, who finished second to his brother Michael on Top Chef season 5 in Las Vegas, will be the first former Top Chef contestant to appear on Top Chef Masters.  Washington Post has an interesting interview with him about the show, which will premiere on July 24th on Bravo. 

Bryan is competing against some pretty big heavyweights in season 5 of Top Chef Masters, and his charity is Share Our Strength.

David Burke (David Burke Townhouse, NYC);
Douglas Keane (formerly of Cyrus, Healdsburg, CA);
Sue Zemanick (Gautreau's, New Orleans);
Richard Sandoval (Richard Sandoval Restaurants);
Bryan Voltaggio (Volt, Frederick, MD);
Franklin Becker (The Little Beet, NYC);
Lynn Crawford (Ruby Watchco, Toronto, Canada);
Odette Fada (formerly of San Domenico, NYC);
Neal Fraser (formerly of Grace, Los Angeles);
Jennifer Jasinski (Bistro Vendôme, Denver, CO);
Jenn Louis (Lincoln Restaurant, Portland, OR);
Herbert Wilson (Sushi Samba, Las Vegas); and
Sang Yoon (Father's Office, Los Angeles).

I really liked Brian when he was on Top Chef, and I still think that was still the best season of Top Chef so far.  I hope he does well on Top Chef Masters.  The other one I'll be rooting for is Sang Yoon from Father's Office. 

Grant Hill and Jason Kidd Retiring from the NBA

Grant Hill and Jason Kidd, who shared Rookie of the Year honors in the 1994-1995 season, both announced their retirement within days of each other after 19 years in the NBA as members of the Los Angeles Clippers and the New York Knicks, respectively. 

I remember both of them when they first entered the league, Kidd with the Dallas Mavericks and Hill with the Detroit Pistons.  Kidd is likely to go into the Hall of Fame as one of the best point guards to play the game.  He averaged 12.6 points, 8.7 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 1,391 regular-season games, and won an NBA championship with the Mavericks.  He also won two gold medals in the Olympics.

Hill probably won't make it into the Hall of Fame.  Although he was an amazing player when he first entered the league, a series of injuries have derailed his career.  He still left with an average of 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.2 steals in 33.9 minutes per game, after playing in a total of 1,026 games (972 starts).  Hill never won an NBA championship, but he was part of the 1992 championship team at Duke and won a gold medal in the 1996 Olympics.  Hill was the one who passed the ball to Christian Laettner, who then turned and made a jump shot that sent Duke to the 1992 Final Four and to every NCAA tournament highlight reel since then.  Hill is also known as one of the classiest guys in the league, and it's impressive how much he has fought back from injuries again and again. 

"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" Turns 30

I have a soft spot for Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."  My best girlfriends and I sang that song a lot in college, especially during girl-bonding sessions. 

The song turns 30 this year, and the Kinky Boots cast surprised Lauper with an awesome music video (Lauper wrote the score for the musical).  The video features the Kinky Boots cast as well as some famous guests, such as Kelly Ripa, Whoopi Goldberg, Katie Couric, Hoda Kotb, Kathie Lee Gifford, and Holland Taylor.  Cast members of other Broadway shows also participated, such as Laura Osnes from Cinderella and Lilla Crawford from Annie.

Game of Thrones - SPOILER ALERT

SPOILER ALERT

This post will speculate about the last two episodes of Game of Thrones, so stop reading if you don't want to know what will possibly happen.

There are only two episodes left of Game of Thrones.  This season has seen many major things happen, but nothing will compare to the last two episodes when two key deaths will most likely occur.

First up is the episode called "The Rains of Castamere"  Normally this title refers to the song written about Tywin Lannister's victory over the House Reyne of Castamere.  In this case, however, it is likely referring to the Red Wedding, where Robb meets his untimely end.  It has been hinted, and sometimes even stated openly by Catelyn, that Robb's decision to marry Talisa instead of Rosalyn Frey will have disastrous consequences.  Robb tried to mitigate that decision by offering his uncle, Edmure, as the substitute groom, but as the book readers know, the Freys do not take kindly to take decision and Robb will pay dearly.

Now the question is whether Talisa will survive.  She doesn't exist as a character in the book, where Robb is married to Jeyne Westerling.  Jeyne stayed behind at Riverrun while Robb went to negotiate with the Freys, so she survived the Red Wedding.  However, in the show Talisa reveals herself to be pregnant in the episode "Second Sons."  George R. R. Martin himself penned this episode, and it's a guessing game as to whether he threw this tidbit in just to confuse fans, or if this will actually matter. 

The last episode is called "Mhysa."  Mhysa means "mother", and it is what the Yunkai people called Dany when she enters the city.  However, this episode will also most likely feature Joffrey's death.  In the book, he was poisoned during the feast after his wedding to Margaery Tyrell.  No one will particularly mourn Joffrey, who has become one of the most hated characters on television (poor Jack Gleeson, the actor who plays Joffrey, who seems to be a very nice guy in real life).  The worst consequence of Joffrey's death is the fall of Tyrion, who would be blamed for the death, but it was actually arranged by Littlefinger and Olenna Tyrell.   If Joffrey doesn't die in this episode, then he will most likely die in the beginning of season 4. 

Celebrity Sightings

I have seen quite a few celebrities in the streets of New York the past two days.

Yesterday I saw Tony Shalhoub exiting a limo and entering Carnegie Hall for the CBS upfronts.  The upfronts are where the networks present their fall schedule and shows to the advertisers and press, and they usually bring in the big stars.  Tony Shalhoub is starring in one of CBS's new comedies with Jerry O'Connell, "We Are Men."  This is CBS's official description of the show:

WE ARE MEN is a single-camera comedy about four single guys living in a short-term apartment complex who unexpectedly find camaraderie over their many missteps in love. Carter (Chris Smith), the youngest and most recent addition to the group, moved in after being ditched at the altar mid-ceremony, and is now eager to re-enter the dating scene and get on with his life with some guidance from his “band of brothers”: Frank Russo (Golden Globe and multiple Emmy Award winner Tony Shalhoub), a successful middle-aged clothing manufacturer and four-time divorcée who still fancies himself a ladies man; Gil Bartis (Kal Penn), a small business owner who was caught having the world’s worst affair; and Stuart Strickland (Jerry O’Connell), a speedo-wearing OB/GYN who’s hiding his assets until his second divorce is settled.
Jill (Rebecca Breeds) is Frank’s charming and attractive daughter, who stands as the one positive remnant from his failed relationships. Armed with a hot tub, pool-side barbeque and plenty of questionable advice, these losers in the marriage department take Carter under their wing to impart their own brand of wisdom about the opposite sex.

Emmy Award winner Rob Greenberg, Eric Tannenbaum and Kim Tannenbaum are executive producers for CBS Television Studios. Rob Greenberg directed the pilot.

I also saw Emma Stone and Edward Norton in Times Square filming the new movie Birdman, directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu.  The movie also stars Michael Keaton, Naomi Watts and Zach Galifianakis.  Stone and Norton were talking by a crafts table in front of a Broadway theatre that had fake billboards up.  I was looking at the billboards first and was thinking that the guy looked a lot like Michael Keaton, but with a different name, and then saw Norton and Stone.  Then I realize they were filming a movie and the billboards were fake.  The dark comedy is about a former actor (Keaton) who once played a superhero and stages a Broadway play based on a short story by Raymond Carver to become famous again.  His plan was threatened to be derailed by his egotistical lead actor (Norton).  Stone plays Keaton's daughter/assistant who is just out of rehab, Watts is Norton's co-star in the play, and Galifianakis plays the producer.

Lastly, I saw Matthew Morrison walking with his girlfriend, Renee Puente.  I actually noticed her first, because even in just shorts and a casual shirt she walked like a model.  Matthew was talking on the phone about his cooking skills.  It was a funny, random conversation to overhear. 

The Mother Revealed on How I Met Your Mother

On last night's season finale of How I Met Your Mother, the titular mother is finally revealed in the train station buying a ticket for Farhampton and carrying a yellow umbrella.  I love the song introducing her - the Shins' "Simple Song."  The actress playing the Mother is Cristin Milioti.  She was the star of the Broadway show Once, based on the movie of the same name, and was nominated for a Tony.  Here is a clip of her singing Falling Slowly with co-star Steve Kazee.  She also guest-starred on the Sopranos, Nurse Jackie, and 30 Rock.  She will be seen soon as Leonardo DiCaprio's wife on The Wolf of Wall Street. 

I think she's perfect for the role.  She looks exactly like the kind of girl that Ted would fall for - cute, quirky, and has the indie-hipster look.  She and Josh Radnor also look like they could be the parents of Lyndsy Fonseca and David Henrie, and I can see Cristin fitting in nicely with the gang.  I appreciate that the producers didn't go for stunt casting - I think that would have been too distracting and too hard to keep a secret.  It's nice in this day and age that they can still keep something back until they want to reveal it.  

I can't wait for the ninth and final season of the show. 

Game of Thrones' Bronn as a Pop Singer

On Game of Thrones, Jerome Flynn plays the badass sellsword Bronn.  He is a mercenary hired by Tyrion who was knighted after the Battle of Blackwater, naming himself Ser Bronn of Blackwater.

It turns out that Jerome Flynn has a not-so-badass past as one half of Robson & Jerome, a British boy band in the 1990s.  Check out the picture and the story here. 

Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw is a bright spot in an otherwise terrible start to the Dodgers season.  This Grantland article spotlighted the pitch that got him noticed during spring training, complete with a Vin Scully call.  My favorite part is the Kershaw Bet: "The first person to go over to Kershaw and ask him their hand-picked goofy question during one of those between-innings scenes would win the entire pot."

The 2013 Met Gala

As usual, the red carpet at the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of the Arts did not disappoint its reputation as fashion's Oscars.  There are some wild and interesting looks on display.

My top five favorites:

1) Anne Hathaway went to her favorite, Valentino, for this creation, and she looked incredible.  I also love the punked-up blonde hairdo. 

2) Beyonce did not disappoint with her Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci outfit.  I like the matching printed boots. 

3) Emma Watson looked amazing in her Prabal Gurung dress.  The overall effect is sexy, but understated.

4) Blake Lively wore a gorgeous Gucci dress with fantastic earrings.  This is how you bring drama without going overboard.

5) Only Sarah Jessica Parker can pull off this Giles Deacon dress and the custom Philip Treacy hat.


My bottom five:

1) Katy Perry donned Dolce and Gabbana, and I actually think the dress itself might have been OK, but the crown and the earrings caused the outfit to go overboard. 

2) Allison Williams's Joseph Altuzarra dress is wrong from top to bottom - the mix of different textures and shapes ended up being too busy.

3) Kim Kardashian wore a flowered bedspread custom-made by Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci.  I get cross-eyed just looking at that dress for more than a second.

4) Christina Ricci wore a McAndrew Tartan corset gown from the Vivienne Westwood Couture collection.  I think the dress would work better if it just sticks to one length.

5) Madonna in Givenchy - just no.

Plants vs. Zombies 2

I got addicted to the original Plants vs. Zombies thanks to Mr. Y, and I was very excited when it was revealed that the sequel will be released in July 2013.  There is something very soothing about shooting peas and using other vegetations as weapons to defeat zombies.
Check out the trailer here.

Historical Figures As They Would Look Today

The British TV Channel Yesterday commissioned digital artists to create portraits of what historical figures would look like today.  The figures include William Shakespeare and Henry VIII.  The results are pretty interesting.

The TV channel did this project to promote their new series "the Secret Life Of... which delves deep into the lives of historical figures and dishes the dirt on their hitherto unexplored secret lives."

Team Umizoomi and Gordon Ramsay

My son has recently started watching Team Umizoomi on Nick Jr., and loves the show.  It's all about math, and the main characters are Milli, Geo, and Bot. 

In this cute clip, Team Umizoomi visits the famously angry chef Gordon Ramsay and helps him in his kitchen.  Who knew Ramsay has a soft side? 

Michael Buble Sings in New York Subway Station

I apologize for the long absence.  A bunch of illnesses and craziness at work have combined to make it difficult to post.

This is pretty cool - Michael Buble singing in the Lincoln Center subway station in New York City, accompanied by a cappella group Naturally 7.   He sang the song "Who's Lovin' You" from his new album, To Be Loved.

I wish I had been there to see it.  I've seen and heard a lot of talented musicians in the subway stations and subway trains, and it's always a nice moment as long as they don't get aggressive about asking for money.

Natalie Dormer Cast as Irene Adler in Elementary

British actress Natalie Dormer has been cast as Irene Adler in Elementary, the updated Sherlock Holmes show set in New York.  She will appear in three episodes

It would be nice to see Dormer in contemporary clothes.  Her most famous roles are as Anne Boleyn in The Tudors and Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones.

Elementary's executive producer stated that Dormer would show up in flashbacks, but my personal theory is that she is still alive and Moriarty faked her death.  In the episode titled "M", it was revealed that her body was never found.  I wonder if Vinnie Jones, who played Sebastian Moran, Moriarty's assassin in "M," would show up again in the same episodes as Dormer. 

Michigan Basketball Coach and His Connection to Saving Private Ryan

Michigan is going the the Final Four for the first time since the Fab Five played in the national championship game 20 years ago.  A lot of their success can be attributed to their coach, John Beilein, currently in his sixth season.

Yahoo! Sports' Dan Wetzel wrote an incredible story about John Beilein's family, who inspired the book "Band of Brothers" that became the movie "Saving Private Ryan."  Beilein's mother, Josephine, was the cousin of the Niland brothers, and all of them grew up close to each other in the working class town of Tonawanda, New York. 

Four of the Niland brothers went to fight in World War II.  One of them, Ed, was a pilot, and his plane went down in the Pacific Theater a few weeks before D-Day and he was presumed dead.  Two other brothers, Bobby and Preston, were sent to storm the beach on D-Day and were killed in action.  The military had decided that it was not right for one mother to lose all her sons in combat, so the last brother, Fritz, was found and sent home.  Fritz had also been at Normandy, but had been dropped behind enemy lines as part of the gliders along with his cousin Tommy, Josephine's brother.  He was the real-life inspiration for the character of Private James Ryan, Matt Damon's character in the movie.  Fritz later became an oral surgeon and lived until 1983, and Tommy also survived and lived a pretty long life.  Ed Niland was later found in a Japanese POW camp in Burman and was sent back to Tonawanda and lived until he was 72 years old. 

Castle's 100th Episode

Castle aired its 100th episode last night, and it was a great one.  Mr. Y and I have always enjoyed Castle because it can be both funny and serious, and it has a great cast. 

Last night's episode was a tribute to the Hitchcock movie Rear Window.  Castle was stuck at the apartment after hurting his knee skiing, so he had to cancel his birthday plans to go to Bora Bora with Beckett.  He got bored and decided to spy on his neighbors across the way using binoculars his daughter Alexis gave him.  He was convinced he saw a murder, and spent his time trying to convince Beckett and to gather evidence.  In the meantime Beckett and her team were working to solve the murder of a female IRS agent seen on security video being bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat.  The twist ending was that the whole murder Castle saw was an elaborate set-up by Beckett to relieve him of his boredom.  Everyone was involved, including Castle's mom Martha as the director and her acting students as the main characters.  Even Captain Gates got into the action pretending to dress Castle and Beckett down after they were caught breaking into a storage space supposedly owned by the murderer.  Castle's reaction was that it was the greatest birthday gift he had ever gotten.  I didn't figure this out until near the end when Beckett went to talk to the alleged murderer after Castle was convinced he was stashing the body in the refrigerator, and the alleged murderer grabbed a knife just as the lights went out. 

It was an episode that had everything - great Beckett-Castle moments, solid supporting turns by the other characters, and little funny touches.  Castle creator Andrew Marlowe made a cameo along with his wife and co-writer Terri Miller as the writers Castle first spied upon.  Ryan and Esposito did the Charlie's Angels poses, and the dress Beckett wore at the end was an homage to Grace Kelly's dress in Rear Window. 

Opening Day

It's opening day for baseball!  It's the time when every fan can still have hope that their team will win the World Series.

I'm a Dodgers fan, and they play against their big rivals the San Francisco Giants later today at Dodger Stadium.  I would love for the Dodgers to hand the Giants their first loss of the season, and with Clayton Kershaw on the mound, there is a good chance this will happen. 

I'm cautiously optimistic about the Dodgers this season.  They have a team loaded with talent after the new owners were willing to spend money, but things did not quite gel last season after all the acquisitions.  There is still a question whether the Dodgers have enough chemistry and leadership to win it all, especially since their toughest competitor and the defending World Series Champion is in their own division, the Giants. 

They do have as their starters two former Cy Young winners in Kershaw and new Dodger Zack Greinke, plus Korean sensation Hyun-Jin Ryu and Josh Beckett.  A bunch of other pitchers are vying for the fifth slot.  Their lineup is pretty solid, even with shortstop Hanley Ramirez starting the season on the disabled list.  Carl Crawford is looking to prove that he is still a good player after an awful two years, and Matt Kemp should come back strong from his shoulder surgery.  Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier provide nice power in the middle of the lineup, and let's hope Luis Cruz will continue to improve.  Mark Ellis provides the veteran dependability, and A.J. Ellis is a very patient hitter as well as a great catcher. 

The best part about Dodgers games is still Vin Scully.  The 85-year-old announcer has slowed down in recent years and is now only calling home games and select road games in California and Arizona, but there is nothing like watching Dodger baseball with Scully calling the game. 

Anthony Adams Retirement

Anthony Adams is a defensive tackle in the NFL, first with the San Francisco 49ers and then with the Chicago Bears.

He posted a hilarious retirement video that is worth watching.  Hope someone snaps this guy up as a commentator. 

Hogwarts Out of Legos

Harry Potter superfan Alice Finch built a 170-square-foot replica of Hogwarts Castle out of 400,000 pieces of Legos.  As she stated in the interview with The Brothers Brick, the central staircase alone needed 10,000 bricks.  Alice spent twelve months over an 18-month period building, and the end result is mind-boggling.  It is designed to be architecturally correct and completely playable, and it breaks into sections that pack into 40 large flat boxes or shelves.

At the 2012 BrickCon, Alice's Hogwarts took home both the People's Choice and the Best in Show awards, which is apparently a rare combination.

Check out the entire Flickr album with 79 pictures.  The level of details is just amazing.  My favorites are Dumbledore's office, complete with a cabinet of memories and a pensieve, and the Great Hall feast welcoming Beauxbaton students just like in Goblet of Fire.

American Idol Top 10

Tonight is the performance show for American Idol's Season 12 Top 10.  The theme is Music of American Idols, and as Ryan helpfully explained, the contestants got to choose from songs sang by the winners during their American Idol runs, or songs they have released in their post-show careers.

I thought the performances really showed the divide between the girls and the boys.  Even the worst girl, Janelle Arthur, was better than all of the boys.

Curtis Finch Jr. - Fantasia's "I Believe".  I thought Curtis's lower register was wobbly and his red paisley jacket was awful.  The performance was typical Curtis, and I don't mean that in a good way.

Janelle Arthur - Montgomery Gentry's "Gone".  Props to Janelle for picking an uptempo song, and I thought this was her best performance since Hollywood Week.

Devin Velez - Carrie Underwood's "Temporary Home".  This one was just boring, and like Randy, Mariah, and Keith, I expected more out of Devin.  Hopefully this won't get him sent home this week, because he is my favorite boy contestant.

Angie Miller - Celine Dion's "I Surrender".  Angie did a great job, but I didn't feel that it was as good as the way the judges praised it.  I definitely heard some strain in the higher notes.

Paul Jolley - Lonestar's "Amazed".  His best performance so far, but still bland.  He did look and sound less desperate to be liked, which is a good thing.

Candice Glover - Shirley Bassey's "I (Who Have Nothing)".  Perfection.  I think it was even better than Jordin's version.

Lazaro Arbos - Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway."  Oh, Lazaro.  This was the worst performance tonight, but he might have enough fans to pull him through.  He really needs better song selection.

Kree Harrison - Roy Orbison's "Crying."  Kree put her own spin on the song, and she sounded fabulous as usual.

Burnell Taylor - Ruben Studdard's "Flying Without Wings."  It was just OK for me.  Burnell was lucky he performed second to last, because if this was earlier in the show, he may be going home tomorrow.

Amber Holcomb - Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This."  Amber closed the show with another strong performance, although not as good as Candice or Kree.  She sounded a little rushed in parts, but that may be just nerves.

Predictions for Bottom Three: Lazaro, Devin, Curtis
Prediction for Elimination: Devin

Jim Henson Memorial

One of the genuises of Jim Henson was how he made the Muppets and other puppets seem so real.  Many people have spoken about how they forget that these characters were not real, and talked to them like normal people. 

Jim Henson went to University of Maryland at College Park, and there is a Jim Henson Memorial Statue in front of the student union on campus that was a gift from the class of 1998.  The statue depics Henson and Kermit sitting on a bench together talking animatedly, and Kermit touching Henson's hand fondly.  The statue is surrounded by the Henson Memorial Garden, designed by landscape architect Philip Cho as a gift from the classes of 1994 and 1999. 

The cool story about the statue is how the sculptor, Jay Hall Carpenter, won the commission.  When the commission was announced, Jim's widow Jane Henson stated, "His grasp of Jim’s work and spirit makes him the ideal artist to create this statue of Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog." 

Carpenter explained that he differed from the traditional pose of Kermit sitting on Henson's shoulders.  He stated, "My idea was a little different. Jim always presented Kermit as a separate entity so I wanted to do that as well.  The way I see it, they're talking about their next big project, and, so they're in this animated discussion, and in the middle of it, Kermit reaches over and touches Jim, as a little gesture of solidarity." 
Carpeted hoped the statue "will capture the personality of both Jim Henson and his created partner Kermit.  Their whimsy and humor will be conveyed through the depiction of their light-hearted interaction." 

I think he succeeded, and it's a great tribute to a great man. 

Catching Fire - Katniss's Dress

New posters were released of the second movie in the Hunger Games trilogy - Catching Fire, featuring portraits of the different characters.  The costumes are pretty eye-catching, especially Katniss's and Peeta's wedding outfits.  Katniss's wedding dress, which many thought was designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, was actually designed by 28-year-old Tex Tex Saverio, an Indonesian designer who had previously dressed Lady Gaga in the May 2011 issue of Harper's Bazaar and Kim Kardashian in the March 2013 issue of Elle.

Catching Fire's costume designer, Trish Summerville, told the Hollywood Reporter that she and Saverio worked together over Skype to design the dress, which was based in this amazing creation from Saverio's fashion line.  The bodice of the dress has an organza corset under a metal cage covered with Swarovski crystals, with metal pieces rising up that represent fire and flame.  The skirt is made from organza and chiffon.  There are laser-cut feathers on the shoulders and waist that hint at Katniss's eventual transformation into the Mockingjay.

Wall Street Journal's Scene Asia blog did an article on Saverio after the Lady Gaga picture where he talked about being humbled by the comparison to Alexander McQueen, and how he created his clothes to fit the more conservative society in Asia while still delivering flare and drama.  He lives in North Jakarta with his ethnic Chinese parents, with his design studio adjacent to them home and his studio on the ground floor.

Looking forward to seeing more from this very talented designer.

Sports Illustrated and Game of Thrones

Sports Illustrated uses Game of Thrones as the theme of its latest Power Issue, which features an illustration of Roger Goodell sitting on the Iron Throne as the cover.  SI named Roger Goodell the most powerful person in sports this year.  SI also did a sports map based on the Game of Thrones landscape, including Selig's Landing (King's Landing), Stern's End (Storm's End), Vale of Anschutz (Vale of Arryn), and the NHL as wildlings to the North in the Land of Always Hockey (the Land of Always Winter).  The last part will be controversial to Mr. Y. 

SI also did a podcast with Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin.  My favorite part of the excerpt was Martin comparing the two teams I hate, the Dallas Cowboys and the New England Patriots, to the evil Lannisters, and the revelation that Martin called Patriots coach Bill Belichick "Evil Little Bill" on his blog, as well as Martin speculating that Belichick might be worse than a Lannister - perhaps a Grejoy. 

Hawaii Five-O, Train, and the 2013 Pro Bowl

Hawaii Five-O's latest episode, "Paʻani" ("The Game") was shot during the actual Pro Bowl occurring in Honolulu, Hawaii, and guest-starred Arian Foster, the star running back from the Houston Texans.  In addition, Pat Monahan from the band Train showed up to play the CEO of a technology company who had one of its employees killed during a team building military-style exercise. 

It turned out that Train was the halftime performer at the Pro Bowl, and they also shot a video for their new single, Mermaid, that incorporated the Pro Bowl and featured cameos from Hawaii Five-O and the NFL. 

American Idol - Top 20

Now that American Idol has chosen its top 20, it's time for the viewers to vote.  Here are my favorites, in no particular order:

Girls

1) Kree Harrison.  She didn't get much air time during the auditions, but really made up for it with great singing during Hollywood and Vegas weeks.  I like the low-key vibe that she gives out, plus she is primed for one of those major TV makeovers.

2) Candice Glover.  I thought it was a shame that she didn't make it last year, but she came back even better this year.  One of the strongest voices this year, but she has to start picking more daring songs instead of the typical Aretha/Whitney/Mariah R&B ouvre.

3) Angie Miller.  It's amazing how well she sings considering that she is partially deaf, and I liked the original song she sang in Hollywood.  She needs help in the clothes department, though. 

4) Breanna Steer.  She hasn't had a lot of air time, but her version of Jazmine Sullivan's "Bust Your Windows" during Vegas week was great and a nice change from all the ballads. 


Guys

A lot of the guys that I like have been eliminated already, and I do suspect that the producers are really attempting to stack the deck in the girls' favor.  The judges have eliminated guys who have great voices, but who the producers fear will cruise on their looks and charms for weeks, like Johnny Keyser and Jimmy Smith.  Nevertheless, I did like two of the top 10:

1) Devin Velez.  He has guts and a great voice, without the attitude (*cough*Curtis Finch, Jr.*cough*).  Let's hope he doesn't fall into the Karen Rodriguez trap and only becomes memorable for singing in both English and Spanish.

2) Nick Boddington.  His Vegas cover of James Morrison's "Say Something Now" was surprisingly weak, but he has shown enough flashes of brilliance that I hope he sticks around and gets stronger.