Thumbs up for Donny

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I never watched Dancing With the Stars until this season, and I didn’t start watching even then until the semi-finals. But I had to see if Donny Osmond could win it — especially with singer Mya in the competition. She is quite the fine dancer, and everyone “knew” she was going to walk away with it.

Imagine my surprise when I stayed up until 11 last night to watch the final announcement — and they gave the trophy to Donny. How cool is that?

I can only imagine the ensuing controversy. It’s begun already in the blogs I’ve read this morning. I have several thoughts about it:

1. It’s not completely about dance ability. Sure, it’s mostly about it, but dance is also theater. It’s entertainment, at least where DWTS is concerned. And while Mya (never heard her stuff, but I assume she is good) was very entertaining to watch and incredibly accurate, Donny was consummately entertaining to watch. He’s been in show business since he was, oh, five years old? That would be 1962. He’s got the “entertaining people” thing down to less than a second thought.

2. Fan base counts. Let’s face it, who has the better-known name, especially when you consider the demographics of the viewership? Their call-in votes were 50% of the decision, as I understand it.

3. Don’t go all Joe Namath and expect to be right. Guaranteeing a win for Mya — which was done every day by countless entertainment bloggers — is dangerous business. I think the producers look for that kind of trend and do everything they can to thwart it, because, as we all know, it’s all about ratings. Maybe viewers were thinking the same thing, and wanted to shake things up a bit by not voting for the odds-on favorite. I mean, why watch if everyone already knows the outcome? That won’t sell commercial time.

4. He’s Donny Osmond. For people my age and older, that means something. A *huge* something. Preteen girls in 1971 loved him; boys wanted to be him. He and his brothers were the whitebread America answer to the Jackson Five. Then they got their own show, added Marie, and became a national treasure. Sweet family with big white teeth, doing cute, hokey production numbers. I loved it. Still do.

So home run for Donny — the poster boy for “Over Fifty But Can Still Keep Up with the Kids.” Good job.

Fink out for the last day of school until Tuesday. Yay!

Photo credit: TV Guide

All things fiesta

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I love giving dinner parties. We do it a lot at our house. I must say, though, I’ve never given a formal dinner party, complete with dresses and suits and appropriate decor and every fork in place. Must do that sometime.

Well this week is going to involve a huge dinner party, and the shopping needs to be done tonight after school. Meeting BFF Kay for coffee, then to the market. (Have I corrected my thesis yet? No. But 1 December is a lonnnnng way off, yes?)

When Mavis comes over to bake pies with Johanna and me tomorrow, I will play my two favorite Christmas albums (JT and Sinatra) and we will all be in the holiday spirit.

Speaking of JT…his 1992 New Moon Shine album is one of  two (besides the Fabs) that I listen to on a regular basis, without fail. It is always in my truck, on my iPod, and on my hard drive. I recommend it highly. Not a single bow-wow on the whole project. Amazing. The other, of course, is Stephen Bishop’s Careless. As close to perfection as I’ve ever heard. Ah, wistful memories…

Have yourself a good Tuesday. Think about how great your life is; be thankful.

RF, waxing wise

Say thankya

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I appreciate this week a lot.

  1. It’s short, schoolwise
  2. I get to see family (Johanna flies in from Austin this morning, yay!)
  3. Mavis, the daughters and I get to tear it up in the kitchen
  4. I get out my Sinatra and James Taylor Christmas CDs
  5. I can watch the Lions lose instead of the Browns
  6. I get to start wrapping all the gifts that will arrive over the next couple of days
  7. My v-jazz group has a gig on Sunday; should be some fun
  8. The thesis gets its finishing touches, then off it goes for the final time, never to be thought about again in my lifetime
  9. I get more time with Jake and Justin
  10. No 5 a.m. alarm going off (except the one in my head, which I can choose to ignore)

Now that’s a dandy week, say thankya. What’s your vacation look like? (RD and Greg, I know your answers: every week is vacation…)

Here’s to the start of a fantastic — hopefully short for all of us — work week.

FO

RNF XXIX

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Random Neuron Firings

Just about everyone is tired of jawing about the potentially criminal circumstances surrounding Michael Jackson’s death. Ready for some closure, I’d think — especially for his family.

But I read an article this morning on where Dr. Conrad Murray got the propofol that ultimately killed the singer, and once again I marveled at how anyone could actually receive that drug and function with any normalcy afterwards. FYI to those who have never had surgery: it takes you a LONG time to wake up after propofol. And when you first come to, the feeling is like no other.  One doesn’t just wake up, throw off the blanket and say, “Welp, time to start the day!” Rather, you feel like somebody laid a school bus on top of you. You can barely move or think; you struggle to form words. Sometimes you get sick to your stomach; other times, you just fade back into unconsciousness for another hour or so, and nothing that anybody might do would shake you awake. Propofol decides; not you.

So again, I have to wonder: why on earth would Jackson choose to use that drug to go to sleep? You don’t sleep with propofol…you black out. I think there’s a big diff.

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Oasis of the Seas - the world's largest cruise ship

I just…I can’t…I mean…never. No way, no how. *shudder*

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Since Facebook added a status function, Twitter’s pretty much passé, although as a running headline service, I’d say it’s better.

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I am 99% finished with Christmas shopping for my family. No joke. Ozzum.

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Prof sent my thesis back — only minor corrections to make. The finish line is ever closer…

Have a fab weekend, fiends. I’m off.

Image credit: Reuters