Dancing with the Stars Winner Shawn Johnson

I am thinking with Shawn Johnson winning the Dancing with the Stars finale they might need to stop allowing gold medal winners from competing. I think anyone who has done a physical activity at that level that involves both art and skill like in Gymnastics and Figure Skating will likley win. Kristi Yamaguchi won and now Shawn Johnson won. This is getting too predictable. They need a beginners division and an advanced division of people who have some sport background but not in ballroom. And not in dance specifically. Otheriwse this will always be no contest. And eventually very boring to watch.

Spring Weather – April, May, June

Today is the first day of spring and it has been over 40 degrees and sunny all day in Chicago. This has been a minor miracle considering that from November 1, 2007 through February 29, 2008 this winter has been awful. We have had snow every week during that time and sometimes snow fell 2 or 3 times a week. We didn’t know what to do with all of it, how to clear it all or how to keep the ice from piling up all over everything. We got through it somehow and it is safe to go to the grocery store again and carry things up my back stairs that are outside now that they are finally not covered in ice. (a typical 3 floor walkup building in Chicagoland)

I just wanted to say happy spring and welcome to warmer weather in Chicago. I will not miss this winter, nor wish this much snow on anyone. I hope that we don’t get such an extreme summer also since heat is just as difficult in some ways. Although, this global warming thing is getting weirder by the year. Anyway, go get some spring clothes out of storage and take a walk outside and enjoy the spring weather.

Jeremy Clarkson Chews pipe and burns mouth Season 10 Ep 2

Ok, so this week’s TopGear was funnier than last week’s season premier show. The Audi R8 was nice, but alas I won’t be in the market for a super-car for at least several lifetimes, so it was just car porn. This week the funniest moments in no particular order were:

1. James Smoking the pipe as if he was at home.

2. Jeremy burning his mouth on his Porsche pipe.

3. Jeremy scraping the underside of a viaduct with the fishing poles sticking out of his truck.

4. The foam on fire in all 3 amphibious vehicles on their way to Dover.

5. Jeremy trying to push James’ Triumph Herald off the dock when they arrive.

We were cackling so loud at this show that the relatives and guests visiting my parent’s house had to come in and watch the end with us. We had 11 people in front of the TV watching these 3 guys mucking about in the English Channel. Most of them had never seen it before, and are going to go look it up on BBC America now.  You just can’t deny the lovability of this show.  All my brother’s friends are obsessed and their girlfriends are obsessed and my dad’s coworkers are obsessed too. I have one or two coworkers that are into it, but not in this office. Chicagoans are somewhat hard to impress. TG would only show up here if they would be doin g some tour of America’s fattiest food or something.

Anyway, I leave you with the best comment from last week’s show while driving through the Swiss Alps: ” The Hills are Alive with the sound of Horsepower” Sing along with us…

TopGear is Back! Season 10 starts of with a bang

I was probably not the only american poised at my computer eagerly waiting for my friends on the other side of the pond to send me the first show of the new TopGear season this afternoon. It aired in the UK at 8pm their time and about an hour after the show ended I got to see it too. Thanks to the friends that make this possible!! And technology of course. I am sure the people who create the show are a bit pissed that I have friends that send it to me, but they just don’t understand our enthusiasm for the show in the US and no amount of money paid for access to it will bring it here at the same time as the UK.

What they don’t know is that we are such fanatical fans that we want to film our own version of TG but we don’t personally have the money for fancy cameras and editing equipment. We think that would be the best job in the WORLD. I think you have to also know that this show has already put me into a tizzy finding a region free dvd player to watch the dvds that were released and it has become a big social event here with sharing the shows. I drive it over to someone’s house and we all text eachother to get over to watch TopGear together like we did tonight. Then the DVD goes to work and to a friend that is part of a car club here and they watch it next. It’s just too good not to share. I have personally probably introduced like 25 people to the shows that are now loyal fans. And the BBC thinks that Americans don’t like the show?? We love it, and agree with being made fun of when they do that.

Anyway all logistics aside, the 1st episode of the 10th season tonight was good, although we got to see more of James May than many of us had ever thought we would, considering his fear of being shown running on TV a few years ago. The cars are great, and so is the excursion but we got the biggest laugh of the night when they pointed out that James had fallen comfortably into the new furniture like it was his own. We also think James and Richard seriously both need a haircut. But then again, maybe that’s why they both got the uglier chairs to sit in. They also need a new digital cool wall to replace the old charred one. I also suggest some Buick seats to replace the ones lost in the fire. Buicks have the most comfortable seats ever. Don’t they sell Buicks in the UK or Europe? Ok, I guess not, let me know if you guys want some though, and I’ll have some sent. Until next week, we will be driving with the sport option turned on. Happy Motoring.

New TV Season Premier Week

I will be trying to review the shows I can catch this week on the blog here. I am interested to see what can hold my cynical attention span and what won’t. I am also curious how many people will be watching them online this year. Most all the free networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) have said they will make shows either viewable or downloadable from online. What I wonder is if people will use this as their primary way to see shows or if it will be the backup when something better was on last night and they didn’t buy a tivo to record everything. I have a feeling that people use online viewing in a few ways. One, as a primary way to see things on networks they don’t recieve for some reason. Second, as a secondary viewing for shows that didn’t make the cut in real time last nigh but people will be talking about them so you still have to know what happens. Third, as a time waster either at work or at home, a way to justify procrastinating on those things in life that you really should be doing.

So as for what this means to the networks? Keep selling ads on these TV shows online, because it increases your reach and crossover with different audeinces, and increases the number of eyeballs each advertiser gets. So hopefully it increases convience for the viewers and money for the networks at the same time.