Because I can't just cover the guys, and then leave you hanging! However, I honestly kind of have less opinions about the ladies, so this should be shorter. ;)
My biggest problem is that they chose the Salsa for the ladies' first Latin dance, which I think was a huge mistake. Salsa is not even a traditional style for the show, or for most of the professionals. Except for the super-talented ones, very few Salsas on the show have gotten good scores. And I am just not a big fan of how Salsa dancing is done on this show.
Joanna Krupa - Umm, yeah. She was fantastic. If I had to bet on who will win, all of my money would be on her. Like I said, most of the stars don't do well with Salsa, and she smoked it, so I am thinking she is really good. Also, Derek is incredible. I love his choreography.
Mya - I LOVED her Viennese Waltz. Probably my favorite one out of all that I have seen on the show. Len needs to loosen up sometimes. Anyway, I thought she was very graceful and beautiful. She'll do well!
Kelly Osbourne - I was really, really impressed! It's so hard to believe that she has no dance experience, because her footwork and lines looked fantastic! Also I just thought she was adorable and charming, and I am really excited about watching her this season. I think she will do very well with the viewer votes.
Natalie Coughlin - She was really good for being an athlete whose discipline is so different from dancing. Her athleticism and drive will get her good scores, but I don't think she has enough of the performance component to really stand out.
Melissa Joan Hart - Honestly, I was kind of disappointed. I think everyone was expecting a lot from her because she is probably the most famous person on this season. Because of that, and Mark's popularity, they'll probably go far on viewer votes. But I was not impressed.
Debi Mazar - I'm sorry, but this woman is annoying. She talks WAAAAAYYY too much. And she's not a great dancer. She and Maks are really amusing in training, at least.
Kathy Ireland - It seems like she is a very wonderful person, but she will not make it many more shows. She really cannot dance.
Macy Gray - So glad she got eliminated the first week. I've always liked her music, but wow... All I can say is that she is just very odd, and I did not enjoy watching her dance or find her entertaining at all.
And there you have it: my opinion on the season premiere. I don't really plan to comment on here every week, but I was just so excited about this season that I wanted to share! My predictions for the top 5: Joanna, Aaron, Donny, Kelly, and Mya. Other than that, I really can't say how the season will go! I'm excited about getting to watch this week's show tonight!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
My Thoughts on the New Season
No, not fall, although I have plenty of thoughts about that too.
I'm talking about about my third (fourth?) favorite television show, Dancing With the Stars. I watched the first night of the season premiere tonight on good ol' ABC.com (which had some serious issues tonight, but that's nothing new). There are so many things about this show that I just love. The costumes. The music (which is absolutely fantastic). The way that the professional dancers can create art and tell a story with their bodies. The chance it gives the stars to try something new, to step outside their comfort zone. How they have every reason to believe they will fail (and a lot do), but some of them fly.
See, there is a lot of depth there, you know, beneath the sequins and the spray tans.
So, just in case you care about the show as much as I do, here are my thoughts on the guys of this season:
Aaron Carter - Dude is fine, there is no denying that. And he is a pop star, so of course he can dance. I was a little put off by how obsessed he was with Karina's looks, but then, they can edit it to make him seem anyway they want, so I can't really judge him on it. As far as his dancing, I definitely think he was at the top of the guys. Can't wait to see more (although Karina kind of drives me crazy!)
Donny Osmond - He is charming, and he can entertain! Plus I LOVE Kym. She is definitely my favorite female pro, especially with Julianne gone this season. I think he will go far this season.
The Chairman - Don't feel like looking up his real name, plus I <3 Iron Chef America. He surprised me! He and Lacey are a good team, and I think he is a contender this season.
Louie Vito - Dude did well for a snowboarder, but he is just so short. I mean, he's like five inches taller than me, but for ballroom dancing... it just doesn't work. But he is so smiley and sweet, I think he will do pretty well with the viewer votes.
Chuck Liddell - All I can say is I really hope they do a dance to "Beauty and the Beast," because that is absolutely what they reminded me of, right down to his goofy (I'm trying so hard not to look scary) grin. He represents the point of this show!
Football Guy - Also can't remember his name, and I am too lazy right now to look him up. I was not too impressed by him at all, but I agree with the judges that it might be because Anna's choreography was pretty lacking. It's her first season, though, so I guess we can't be too critical.
Ashley Hamilton - He was just boring. And he kept making fun of his dad's tan, but he is WAY too tan himself. Also, Dude is TALL!!! Oh my gosh, he made Football Guy look short(ish!). I don't think he will make it very far, which is a shame, because Edyta is fantastic.
Tom DeLay - Oh dear. Gotta give the guy props for doing this, but really? A mix of magic and tragic, as Bruno said. Puh-lease do not let him be another Cloris Leachman. Also, you can totally tell whether Cheryl likes her partner or not... and I don't think she likes him. Probably because she has no shot at that mirror ball trophy with him. Ouch.
And there you have it; My thoughts on the guys of season nine. Let me know if you agree, disagree, or think I am a dork for actually devoting a whole blog post (and presumably several more) to a show about B, C, and D list celebrities in a ballroom dance competition.
I can't help it. I love it!
I'm talking about about my third (fourth?) favorite television show, Dancing With the Stars. I watched the first night of the season premiere tonight on good ol' ABC.com (which had some serious issues tonight, but that's nothing new). There are so many things about this show that I just love. The costumes. The music (which is absolutely fantastic). The way that the professional dancers can create art and tell a story with their bodies. The chance it gives the stars to try something new, to step outside their comfort zone. How they have every reason to believe they will fail (and a lot do), but some of them fly.
See, there is a lot of depth there, you know, beneath the sequins and the spray tans.
So, just in case you care about the show as much as I do, here are my thoughts on the guys of this season:
Aaron Carter - Dude is fine, there is no denying that. And he is a pop star, so of course he can dance. I was a little put off by how obsessed he was with Karina's looks, but then, they can edit it to make him seem anyway they want, so I can't really judge him on it. As far as his dancing, I definitely think he was at the top of the guys. Can't wait to see more (although Karina kind of drives me crazy!)
Donny Osmond - He is charming, and he can entertain! Plus I LOVE Kym. She is definitely my favorite female pro, especially with Julianne gone this season. I think he will go far this season.
The Chairman - Don't feel like looking up his real name, plus I <3 Iron Chef America. He surprised me! He and Lacey are a good team, and I think he is a contender this season.
Louie Vito - Dude did well for a snowboarder, but he is just so short. I mean, he's like five inches taller than me, but for ballroom dancing... it just doesn't work. But he is so smiley and sweet, I think he will do pretty well with the viewer votes.
Chuck Liddell - All I can say is I really hope they do a dance to "Beauty and the Beast," because that is absolutely what they reminded me of, right down to his goofy (I'm trying so hard not to look scary) grin. He represents the point of this show!
Football Guy - Also can't remember his name, and I am too lazy right now to look him up. I was not too impressed by him at all, but I agree with the judges that it might be because Anna's choreography was pretty lacking. It's her first season, though, so I guess we can't be too critical.
Ashley Hamilton - He was just boring. And he kept making fun of his dad's tan, but he is WAY too tan himself. Also, Dude is TALL!!! Oh my gosh, he made Football Guy look short(ish!). I don't think he will make it very far, which is a shame, because Edyta is fantastic.
Tom DeLay - Oh dear. Gotta give the guy props for doing this, but really? A mix of magic and tragic, as Bruno said. Puh-lease do not let him be another Cloris Leachman. Also, you can totally tell whether Cheryl likes her partner or not... and I don't think she likes him. Probably because she has no shot at that mirror ball trophy with him. Ouch.
And there you have it; My thoughts on the guys of season nine. Let me know if you agree, disagree, or think I am a dork for actually devoting a whole blog post (and presumably several more) to a show about B, C, and D list celebrities in a ballroom dance competition.
I can't help it. I love it!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Home to my Own Land
Ever since I looked up Jeremiah 29:11-14 for my last post, I haven't been able to get verse 14 out of my head. I've read that passage a LOT, but that part has never really stood out to me before. But combined with what I have been reading in Joshua lately, God has really been using that verse to help me understand things about my life and comfort and strengthen me.
I've been savoring this all week, so I just wanted to share what it says and means to me. Here's the whole passage again:
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you," says the Lord. "I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land." Jeremiah 29:11-14 (verse 14 in italics).
While I am in no way equating my time at OSU with the exile of the Israelites in this passage, I do feel like it is a kind of exile from my "own land." College is great, it is an excellent time of learning and exploration and preparation. But it is not permanent, and you never really feel settled, because things are constantly changing. While I love Stillwater, OSU, and my community here, it just plain doesn't feel like my home. And now that I am married and out of my parents house (for now, haha!), I have not really felt like I have a home. While Isaac and I are a family, and we have a great apartment (which you know you want to rent next semester!), it's not really home home, it's just a temporary home.
In some ways, I have never had a real home, the way a lot of people experience it. I grew up in about 12 different houses in 10 different places, so I don't have that connection to an actual physical home the way most people seem to. I feel like I can really identify with the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, although please, God, I don't want to wait until I am 40 to have a home!
Now I feel like the Israelites in Joshua, on the border of my Promised Land, ready to do what it takes to get my own land. I've been reading Joshua for the past few weeks, and what really spoke to me is Joshua 12, which lists all of the kings that they had to defeat in order to take the Promised Land. There were 31, and the chapter lists them by name. This doesn't seem like such a big deal, until you consider that every name was a battle the Israelites had to fight. These battles took time, energy, and resources. Yes, God was on their side and they were victorious, but even though that simple list of names looks pretty easy, I bet defeating all those kings was no small task.
Not only that, but it actually took SEVEN years for Israel to accomplish everything contained in that one chapter. The chapter is pretty short, so it's easy to just skim without really taking that in. Seven years after they first saw their homeland before they actually got to settle in it. Seven years of hard battles. That's pretty intense.
So let me tie all this back to the Jeremiah verses. I'm feeling a lot like those Israelites right about now. I've been working for over three years towards my future home here at OSU, and I have a feeling I've got another three years or so ahead of me before I actually get to settle into my Promised Land. But the promise of Jeremiah 29:14 is going to give me the strength to keep persevering through the battles ahead of me. I will find God, he will gather me up from the places he has sent me and carry me through the battles, home to my own land.
And that is one sweet promise! Praise the Lord!
I've been savoring this all week, so I just wanted to share what it says and means to me. Here's the whole passage again:
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you," says the Lord. "I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land." Jeremiah 29:11-14 (verse 14 in italics).
While I am in no way equating my time at OSU with the exile of the Israelites in this passage, I do feel like it is a kind of exile from my "own land." College is great, it is an excellent time of learning and exploration and preparation. But it is not permanent, and you never really feel settled, because things are constantly changing. While I love Stillwater, OSU, and my community here, it just plain doesn't feel like my home. And now that I am married and out of my parents house (for now, haha!), I have not really felt like I have a home. While Isaac and I are a family, and we have a great apartment (which you know you want to rent next semester!), it's not really home home, it's just a temporary home.
In some ways, I have never had a real home, the way a lot of people experience it. I grew up in about 12 different houses in 10 different places, so I don't have that connection to an actual physical home the way most people seem to. I feel like I can really identify with the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, although please, God, I don't want to wait until I am 40 to have a home!
Now I feel like the Israelites in Joshua, on the border of my Promised Land, ready to do what it takes to get my own land. I've been reading Joshua for the past few weeks, and what really spoke to me is Joshua 12, which lists all of the kings that they had to defeat in order to take the Promised Land. There were 31, and the chapter lists them by name. This doesn't seem like such a big deal, until you consider that every name was a battle the Israelites had to fight. These battles took time, energy, and resources. Yes, God was on their side and they were victorious, but even though that simple list of names looks pretty easy, I bet defeating all those kings was no small task.
Not only that, but it actually took SEVEN years for Israel to accomplish everything contained in that one chapter. The chapter is pretty short, so it's easy to just skim without really taking that in. Seven years after they first saw their homeland before they actually got to settle in it. Seven years of hard battles. That's pretty intense.
So let me tie all this back to the Jeremiah verses. I'm feeling a lot like those Israelites right about now. I've been working for over three years towards my future home here at OSU, and I have a feeling I've got another three years or so ahead of me before I actually get to settle into my Promised Land. But the promise of Jeremiah 29:14 is going to give me the strength to keep persevering through the battles ahead of me. I will find God, he will gather me up from the places he has sent me and carry me through the battles, home to my own land.
And that is one sweet promise! Praise the Lord!
Friday, September 4, 2009
A Peace That Passes Understanding
I feel like I am in exactly the same place I was four years ago. Senior year is a time of huge decisions and changes. My senior year of highschool was wonderful and scary and heartbreaking and life changing. I struggled with so many things, grew so much, backslid so much, and basically watched God completely turn my life, dreams, and desires upside down. It was really hard, but looking back four years later, I do not regret how things turned out one bit. I do regret that I didn't trust God enough to give him every part of my life and dreams. I am so thankful that he shaped my life to His plan regardless of whether I was surrendering wholeheartedly or not.
This time I AM giving it all to him, my future and my dreams and my plans. I am not setting my heart so completely on what I assume to be God's plan for me, but just on Him, period. And since I have decided to do this, I have felt such a peace about graduating and what the future holds. And God has been working in my life! I can already see his hand moving, and it is so reassuring to completely trust in a God who loves me and has called me to an amazing life.
I've been reminding myself over and over again of some verses that have been with me throughout my life. They are my theme verses, if you will. They are such sweet promises, and I love using them as weapons to combat the doubt and fear that I often face.
"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Romans 8:28
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you," says the Lord . "I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land." Jeremiah 29:11-14
I am especially digging that last part of the Jeremiah passage. I am ready for a home and my own land. :D
This time I AM giving it all to him, my future and my dreams and my plans. I am not setting my heart so completely on what I assume to be God's plan for me, but just on Him, period. And since I have decided to do this, I have felt such a peace about graduating and what the future holds. And God has been working in my life! I can already see his hand moving, and it is so reassuring to completely trust in a God who loves me and has called me to an amazing life.
I've been reminding myself over and over again of some verses that have been with me throughout my life. They are my theme verses, if you will. They are such sweet promises, and I love using them as weapons to combat the doubt and fear that I often face.
"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Romans 8:28
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you," says the Lord . "I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land." Jeremiah 29:11-14
I am especially digging that last part of the Jeremiah passage. I am ready for a home and my own land. :D
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