Food for Thought.

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This is a good thing to know just in case I get stranded somewhere with a group of people and no food. 

T.V. Review: America’s Best Dance Crew.

With the final episode over, we (or at least, those who tuned in) all know that Jabba Wockees is America’s Best Dance Crew. And, this time the American viewing public got it right! Every week this crew brought it with gravity-defying stunts, sick isolations, and  stellar showmanship and they only faced elimination one time during the whole season. In addition to the coveted title, the crew also received a cash prize and a hell of a lot of exposure.

So, now that it’s all over, how do I rate the new dance show? Despite a corny host and one unfit, but very vocal judge (rhymes with “Hazy Blaise”), the show is actually pretty good. I particularly liked how they chose crews from the four regions of the US: West, East, South and Midwest. Although each crew was hip-hop or ”street” based, the style differences between them, flavored by their region, came through and made the show interesting. Because of that and the challenges offered, variety was never an issue. Each group flexed their creative muscles and came up with awesome routines. My favorite challenges where those that involved remixing other dance forms like musical theater and old school hip-hop. 

Final comment: It’s definitely right up there with my favorite dance show, So You Think You Can Dance. In fact, the second season of America’s Dance Crew will be it’s direct competitior this summer, so don’t forget to tune in!

Rating:

Book Review – “Private Eyes” by Jonathan Kellerman.

So, I just finished another book. Took me a awhile, but this one was time well spent. Private Eyes by Jonathan Kellerman is a tour de force of mystery, cliffhangers, and descriptive language that draws you in and never lets go.

Brief synopsis: Alex Delaware is a therapist cum detective who stumbles into a mystery involving the disappearance of the very wealthy mother of one of his patients. What makes the disappearance strange is the fact that the mother, Gina Dickenson is a diagnosed agoraphobic who hasn’t left her house for years. As the story progresses, Kellerman skillfully reveals secrets about the cause of Gina’s agoraphobia, about the people surrounding her (her daughter included), and ultimately who dunnit.

A good mystery writer in my opinion knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat, or in this case, on the edge of the next page. Kellerman does this masterfully by describing details so vividly that the reader is instantly able to get there in his/her head. Reading one of his books is as absorbing as watching TV. Here’s an example of what I mean. In this passage, Alex Delaware visits the Dickenson house for the first time:

“Around was a vast space crammed with treasures–an entry hall big enough for croquet, and at it’s rear a sinous green marble staircase. Beyond the stairs , cavernos room after cavernous room… Cathedral and coffered ceilings, mirror-sheen paneling, tapestries, stained-glass skylights, kaleidoscopic Oriental and Aubusson rugs over floors of inlaid marble and hand-painted tile and French walnut parquet. So much sheen and opulence that my senses overloaded and I felt myself loosing equilibrium.”

Just reading that again, makes my head swim just like Alex’s and I am instantly there, standing in that foyer, anticipating the events that will unfold. Brilliant! This dedication to detail coupled with a tried-and-true cliffhanger at the end of each chapter makes for one hell of a read. If my time was truly mine, I would of read this one in one sitting.

The only complaint that I have about the book is that it sometimes dove too deep into the science of psychology; so deep that I found myself screaming, “Get back to the story!” While it’s intriguing to have main characters suffering from agoraphobia and obsessive compulsive disorder, the ad nauseum explanation of those disorders is not, especially when it doesn’t contribute to plot development. This posturing could just be Kellerman flexing his expertise as a clinical psychologist which is okay for academic writing. Fiction however, is more about entertainment and for that purpose, it’s better to give the quick and dirty and move on.

All in all, Private Eyes is a fairly enjoyable read and if you’re into psychological thrillers and intricate mysteries, I highly suggest you pick it up.

Free At Last!

 

So, another quarter is over ladies and gentlemen. My panel went fairly well. I was told that I’m almost there and that with a few more quarters (in addition to the eight I had planned on), I’ll have a book that is worthy of a good job. That of course means more money, and money in any form (borrowed, given, earned, imaginary or real) always worries me. Why oh why was I not born a trust fund baby? I’m not saying life would be easier, but hey, I wouldn’t mind giving it shot.

Now that I’m officially on “Spring Break,” it’s time to rest, relax and recharge… kinda. There are a few projects that need to be completed in the next two weeks, so I’ll try not have too many “Homer-esque,” but I’m not making any promises.

Stressed is Desserts Spelled Backwards.

My quarter officially ends on Tuesday, March 18th at approximately 11:35am!