With our NJ/NYC trip quickly approaching, I was thinking tuning into the Tonys maybe was not such a good thing. With just two quick nights in Manhattan, we only had time for one Broadway show. It was a struggle ot pick that one show... so throughout the telecast, I was wondering if we made a mistake... should it have been Spring Awakening or Grey Gardens or Frost/Nixon?!?
Thankfully, any iota of doubt flew out the window when Fantasia took the stage to sing I'm Here, the big number from The Color Purple. In promoting her 6-month stint in the lead role of Celie, I have seen Fantasia perform this number a few times already... and she has yet to leave me without a chill up my spine or a lump in my throat.
Here's a YouTube of Fantasia bringing down the house at the Tony Awards:
Now she better not call in sick or anything on our night... or else you are going to have to very grumpy guys!
... Or what I really should have called this post... Apolo Anton Ohno Shirtless or Apolo Anton Ohno Naked (here, google google...)
But first (I have to start prepping for the Chenbot's return), next week is the finale of Dancing With The Stars. Talent-wise, it has been a very good season and I agreed with Len's assessment that the best teams made it through to the semis... and for the most part, I wouldn't mind if any of the remaining teams took home the crystal-ball trophy.
You'll see that I did it again... I predicted the final 4 based only on the very first episode... go ahead, take a look... I'll wait. That or else I am just making the case that we are wasting 6-8 weeks of our lives between the season premiere and the finale! Nah, it's not a waste of time... and besides, Todd wouldn't have had the joy of listening to me echo Tom Bergeron's "Liiiiiiiiiiiiiiive!" each and every episode.
One thing I do hope I am wrong about is Apolo finishing fourth... as he has become my personal favorite for the "title." He has the right mix of competitiveness, charm and fun... he has grown the most as a dancer... and last night sealed it...
Apolo and Julianne's Cha Cha Cha to "Push It" capsulizes everything I love about this show... it was sexy, it made me smile, and most of all... over the top cornball (ballroom dancing to Salt 'n Pepa with a full orchestra?!?!)... if it existed, it would deserves a spot in the Whine & CheeseHall of Fame (hmmm... is that a light bulb over my head?!!)... and besides, I am totally behind anything Len dubs "raunchy" or Carrie Ann Inaaaabah says she "felt a little dirty watching." Here it is on YouTube:
A close second favorite is Laila... who has been consistently excellent and as much of a surprise as Apolo... and most thankfully for being good enough to have us drool over Maks for the entire season (it almost made up for not having Mario around... almost!). I love Joey too... but I just feel he came in with a bit of a dance advantage... I know, ballroom dancing is different from boy-band dancing, but all the former boy-banders have done pretty well on DwtS. When I said "for the most part" above, the one team I would not be thrilled with winning is Ian. While quite good, he is not in the same league as the other three ... and he gets my "taking it waaaay too seriously"/"thinks he's better than he is" trophy... or as it has become better well known, the Lisa Rinna DwtS Annual Whackjob Award.
Go Apolo! Hopefully, I haven't put the jinx on by writing about this today.
Oh, those promised shirtless and semi-naked pix!
These are the best ones I stumbled upon... with the speed skating, most of that strength and muscle is in that lower body, but that Cosmo cover is looking pretty darn good... not too sure about the Gap Red campaign shot... interesting, but smacks a bit too close to underage p0rn (do not want google hits for that!)... but don't worry, he turns 25 next week.
WARNING: This post contains HIGH GROSS OUT material
My apologies in advance... but this blog is about my life... and that's the good and bad... and, in this case, the pretty darn ugly.
You'll never guess what I was doing out in the backyard 6:20 this morning... but alas, I get ahead of myself!
Yesterday, we had our first semi-emergency (ultimately false alarm) with Rocky. Before doggie breakfast yesterday morning, Todd caught him mid-"accident" (yes, he's still not quite housebroken). So we're feeling all proud, we get him outside... things seem fine... Todd leaves for work, I feed the dogs (including our guest visitor, Lucy)... but when I let the dogs out post-breakfast, I notice a little pile of throw-up on the patio. Not terribly unusual... Rocky eats anything... and again, I am mildly happy that it was outside.
Likewise, I am happy that Rocky is going outside... but then I notice he's going and going and going. I will try to be as euphemistic as possible throughout this post, so let's just say he was having "stomach issues." Even when he was "done," he still was straining and doing that doggie crab walk... again, no real worries... I figure it'll pass (literally and figuratively).
Innocently (in retrospect, stupidly), I let everyone back inside the house... and let's just say there are more "spurts" all throughout the house... and of increasing quantity and declining quality... so it's back outside... and then I notice some blood, not a lot... but it still sets off the bells and whistles to call into and get an appointment at the vet.
Long story, shorter... and as hinted at above, nothing serious. The suspicion is easing something bad... grass, tree branch, "stuff," or some combo of that... the blood was from straining... $84 later for a vet exam, his "stuff" tested, and some tummy medication ... we were back home by 11:30a... oh, I should add he's acting totally normal otherwise... chasing dogs and cats, running and jumping, etc.
He showed signs of improvement even late yesterday and things have looked pretty good today... but it was time (again!) to address the extraneously eating... obviously there's not we can do about the grass...
Lately I have been trying my very best to be diligent about cleaning up "stuff" in the yard... but it is impossible to keep it spotless... and it kind of had a negative effect... only making Rocky more attentive about it while it was there!
The vet recommended we "spike" it.... so I get out a spray bottle, fill it with vinegar and off I go... this works initially, but ultimately does not prove to be enough of a deterrence... go figure.
So at 6:20 this morning... I kick it up a notch... vinegar misting AND a generous sprinkle of black pepper... and with three dogs at the present time, this not only takes awhile but also serves as a not terribly pleasant wake-up call...
Rocky seems sufficiently averse to the new combo... he gets close to it, sniffs it, and jumps back quickly ... he even circled and jumped around it like it needed to be attacked... quite funny!
(insert image of unhatched chickens being counted)
Sure enough a little time passes and Rocky's curiosity got the best of him and he managed to scoop it up...
Just great! We've ended up with the canine version of Mikey.
I will fully admit to having my reservations going into last night's show... the mentors were the increasingly craggly but still luscious Jon Bon Jovi (btw, he's 45 year old) and some other guy from the band. No problem there, but when I heard it was all Bon Jovi songs and not a generic "rock" week, I was a bit worried. But last night's show kicked ass!
3 of the performances I will happily cough up the 99 cents for full-length mp3s for the iPod... the two guys that I really can't stand, had vocals that I really couldn't quibble with... and shockingly enough it was one of the emerging front-runners that was the disappointment of the evening.
Before moving on, the little video thank you for the White House... did the First Lady look not so good last night? Bad lighting, make-up, not being able to sleep at night? Or W talking about "parvarti"... wasn't that the chick from Survivor? Oooooh, poverty... nevermind.
So... returning from their recent appearance in "what heaven would look like if it existed"... once again, we have our Top 6 and my rankings this week.
#1 - Blake ("You Give Love A Bad Name") - I was waiting for this moment... it happened when Fantasia crooned out "Summertime" or Bo Bice did that acapella version "In A Dream"... Blake had the Idol moment of the season... unleashing an orgasmic fury of beat-boxing wonder... ok, that's something Paula would say and certainly a sentence I never imagined myself writing. My personal gay, pop-culture, entertainment writer Idol, EW's Michael Slezak, couldn't have said it better... "The 'you give love-lllll-love-love-lll-love a bad, bad name'' breakdown had me clapping like baby-seal Paula... this was the performance that — whether or not it secured Blake a spot in the final two — pretty much guaranteed him a record deal." What did you think of the new (or should I say old/"real") hair color? A bit too mousy for me...but not bad.
#2 - Melinda ("Have A Nice Day") - We all know by now that Melinda can pretty much do no wrong... but she almost landed as my #3 just for continuing to be consistently excellent. She obviously wasn't comfortable being a rocker chick (the whole tentative "rock on" fingers had us rolling), but she was totally committed to it while on the stage... particularly growling that opening line like a tigress. Rock on, Melinda... rock on, indeed!
#3 - LaKisha ("This Ain't A Love Song") - Even though I knew Melinda and Blake were still to come, I was thinking LaKisha had maybe earned my top spot this week. What a nice comeback for LaKisha who has been looking so defeated these past couple of weeks. A sassy and smackdown performance that was clearly her best since that opening week of "And I Am Telling You"... and she also earned some points in the pre-performance piece when she told Ryan "I want to show the camera my slim side" (I think we all knew she probably could not sit down in those jeans).
#4 - Chris R ("Wanted Dead of Alive") - It was a toss-up for me between Chris and Phil for the #4 spot... but I kinda liked Chris this week and the main reason... he decided to not sing nasally this week, I guess it is a type of singing that you can turn on and off! A risky choice since last year's Chris Daughtry memorably sang it last year, but Chris did good... I liked the rougher edge, less whine.
#5 - Phil ("Blaze of Glory") - This song worried me... I knew it had big notes and if you recall, big notes + Phil + Me = ick. So I was prepared to hate it, but he actually sounded good throughout the entire song. What continues to the bug the sh&t out of me is his posturing to the camera, which is just so unnatural and, for me creepy. So vocals should probably put him ahead of Chris, but the visuals
#6 - Jordin ("Livin' On A Prayer") - If the singer ends up apologizing for the performance or claiming its a bad week, you know it can't be good. Unfortunately for Jordin, five other people managed not to have the same problem... but thanks to a combined vote, and her stellar "You'll Never Walk Alone" vocal last week, she probably can toss one away without too much worry. Oh, she also lands in the my bottom spot for telling Bon Jovi... "My mom grew up listening to you".... thanks for the age reminder, oy!
Elimination Prediction: It probably doesn't matter, especially with the combined weeks vote but here's the link to Dial Idol (click "Predictions" on the upper right bar)... Jordin and Blake escape Bottom 3 status for this week.
You probably need no reminder that no one was voted off last week... and while I would have loved to have seen the vote based on this week's performances only that ain't gonna happen
Last week, I predicted LaKisha, Chris, and Phil would be in the bottom three... Chris and Phil if there was only mention of a bottom two... and I guess I will stick with that. I still worry about LaKisha and, particularly after last night's strong showing, would hate to see her go. Last week, I said Phil would go... and while it would be quite prophetic if he left tonight in a "Blaze of Glory"... I am switching my ouster pick to Chris.
UPDATE #2 (OUT OF ORDER): What was I thinking? I guess when I was writing this entry up Ryan's brainwashing that two people were going home didn't stick... but anyhow, I'll still take credit for saying that Chris and Phil would be the bottom two... and thus leaving the competition.
UDPATE: Hey...it's You Tube worthy... so here you go, Blake Lewis "You Give Love A Bad Name"
Ok, apologies for the startling post title... but if you are an Amazing Race aficionado you will likely recall that line from TAR5, but more on that in just a bit...
I am a bit better today but in this little tug 'o war taking place in my head, the sinuses are still holding an advantage. I sense I'm turning a corner... though at Day 3, I darn well should be!
So since I am still not 100% (plus work hasn't been totally agreeable - another bad part of working from home is that it is difficult to take/justify a "sick" day), I figured a 'lil cop-out for today's entry and post a video...
The Amazing Race All-Stars start this Sunday! We are definitely looking forward to seeing some of our favorite teams back in action. The title of the premiere episode is "I Told You Less Martinis and More Cardio." Any guesses who utters that line? I figure it has to be one of the gay teams... my gut tells me it's Danny & Oswald, though I'd put a side-bet on Team Guido, Joe & Bill.
One of the most entertaining TAR teams is back - Charla and Mirna. They are cousins, one a tough as nails "little person," the other a bit of a high-maintenance whiner in love with Philimator.
The below video highlights some of their greatest moments from the first time around... Charla carrying the beef, the gals asking a suspected prostitute for directions to the "discoteca," Marshall/Lance's drive-by "Bitch!" to Mirna, Charla imitating an airplane, and Charla playing hockey... and such memorable quotes as:
"Gracias! Gracias! Evita Peron!" "You might have to stick your hand in the cow's ass" "I just got electrocuted"
That last one that I have had search hits for years as Charla touches an electrified fence (with about 2:15 left in the approximately 6 minute video). Classic!
There is also a "part two" but that's easy enough to find on your own after viewing this one...
UPDATE: Whoops! It wasn't easy to find when you embed it on your own site... so here's the link to Part 2.
Work is being kind of a bitch today. I don't think I have a coherent post in me and even I did I fear it wold be too grumpy even for a blog called Whine & Cheese.
The fall back? Eye candy, of course. Admittedly, I am feeling a bit defensive since I have to restore the integrity of my blog. On a recent post where I offered up my favorite Deal or No Deal ladies, I had a comment from Scott (not my two "usual" Scotts!) saying all the lovely gals on my page made him wonder what team I really played for. Spit-take and my other half thanks you for the chuckle. So nevertheless I feel the need to get back on track... no need to be throwin' around that "s
I watch NBC's Las Vegas for at least one reason: to sit doe-eyed in front of my television screen and watch Josh Duhamel. Well, on last week's episode ("Wagers of Sin"), there was one scene that was more "deer in the headlights!"
Now on Vegas, it's usually the ladies that are teasing away. I am still waiting for the episode where one of Nikki Cox's boobs does pop out... but this time Josh was providing the humps.
Anyhow in this very hard-hitting episode, Danny McCoy (Josh) has to go "undercover" to catch a room-key stealing ring... so naturally he does this out by the Montecito swimming pool. Initially, he is in some conservative board shorts, but strips 'em off to this:
In the immortal words of Wayne & Garth... sccchwwing!
(Oh, these photos have been all over blog-land... so I am going to be a bad boy and not give credit... and to tell you the truth, I kind of forgot where I saw 'em first!).
Of course, if a static image is not enough.. the scene is on YouTube (of course!):
If you are around my age, you are probably a big fan of the movie Grease.
Heck, years later in college we would have drunken spirited sing-alongs to Summer Lovin', Hopelessly Devoted To You, Look at Me I'm Sandra Dee... (hmmm... maybe that's why none of my friends were "surprised" when I came out...)... and of course, You're The One That I Want.
Well, that last song is now giving its name to yet another reality, talent, singing competition coming to your television and TiVO box... as America votes in the next Danny and Sandy for a Broadway revival of Grease.
Needless to say, I am all over this one!
So, while I wouldn't be doing a special blog entry just to promote another reality show (okay, I probably would)... this promo commercial was just too much fun not to share (and especially since a lot of us don't watch commercials anymore!)....
I haven't heard about judges (I assume there will be judges... and three of them!)... but c'mon they HAVE to get Olivia Newton John?!
Are you going to be watching?
UPDATE: Well, the official NBC website is now online... unfortunately no Olivia... the trio of judges will be Jim Jacobs, David Ian, and Kathleen Marshall.
As recently mentioned, I am quite happy that we started watching the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. While it is a "traditional" sitcom, a group of friends dealing with life and love, somehow it avoids seeming like something that I have seen a hundred times over.
A couple of episodes ago, we learned of Robin's skeleton in the closet... that she was Robin Sparkles ... a teeny-bopper pop princess who toured the malls of Canada in the early 90s (we're told that it took the 80s a little while to get up to our neighbor to the North).
The video of Ms. Sparkles' greatest hit is pure genius! A delightfully devilish mix of Debbie Gibson and Tiffany (and let's throw Canada's own Alanis Morissette... since she had a sugary pop singing past as well)...
It's got the clothes, the hair, the cheesy dance moves, the breathy voice-overs, the break out into a rap, groovy special effects... and even Canadian accents.
So without further ado... Robin Sparkles' "Let's Go To The Mall"... try it! You won't be saww-ry!
Stumbled across this You Tube Season 3 The Office teaser video featuring my sweethearts, Jim & Pam... it looks like it is officially from NBC... so good quality and "official."
Call me a wuss... but the video put a lump in my throat and gave me goosebumps...
... and officially makes me feel I am far too involved/invested about this fictional couple.
