Law Mom

I suspect that Kelli and Judy are finally realizing that waiting until the end to make cuts just prolongs the agony. Last season Judy seemed surprised to realize that the long process was causing the girls major stress. Hopefully they have taken that to heart this year and that explains why we already have four cuts. I would love to see the last five happen in the next few weeks and have the team announced a full month before the first game. Lauren's pedigree seems good on paper, but the skills don't automatically translate. Rangerettes can kick, but their drill style is kind of stiff. Showgirls, don't even get me started. While there are some excellent dancers in that group, many if not most of the girls can't dance at all and the choreography is designed for a group of girls with zero dance skills. Watch any video, it's all stomp stomp stomp, wave your poms around, hair flip, drop to your knees, wave your poms around, stomp stomp stomp. Ugh they suck so bad. The good dancers' skills are utterly wasted and that probably hurts them when they have to compete against dancers who have relevant experience.

Just finished binge watching and thought this was really worthwhile TV. I honestly can't think of a better portrayal of true friendship in recent years. Their chemistry was off the charts. I liked the fairy tale quality of the storytelling, which made the plot palatable in a way the actual Bible is not at all to me. Anathema and Newt were cute and the kids were likable. I found the various angels too interchangeable, the demons a little less so but still kind of one-note. I don't care about the horsemen. Didn't love the Shadwell character even though I am a huge Michael McKean fan. Any Derek Jacobi appearance is a win. The Queen soundtrack gets an A+. I was reminded of a plot in Buffy the Vampire Slayer in which Spike joined Buffy in saving the world because there's dog racing and Manchester United. I would watch the hell out of this.

Ugh my bad--Julianne went there.

I looked up Bailey because he's from my home town. For a teenager he has an impressive resume. The most interesting thing I learned is that he went to Las Vegas Academy, which is one of the best arts magnet high schools in the country. Fun fact for World of Dance watchers--both Ne-yo and Derek went there. Assuming he was a dance major, we should expect to see a b-boy who can dance other styles! EDIT: as noted below, it was Julianne Hough, not Derek Hough, who went to LVA. Sorry!

I remember Rachel W once getting into trouble for saying the dances were all kind of the same and pretty easy and watching this she wasn't lying. What a juvenile baby dance. My daughter did more interesting sidelines on her middle school dance team. I wish they would step it up. Apologies if the choreographer is reading this. I know you can you better.

The first comment on Travis's video is from Alex Wong. I LOVE him!

FYI, the Las Vegas housing market went up fast in mid 2018, but it has really stagnated in 2019. That's why the properties sold so fast last season but not so much recently. Also, it looks like the house on Apex is pending.

Yes, the team needs girls who some derisively call "blenders." Girls who can dance this style well and help the team look in sync. Girls with a variety of other skills, such as being supportive in the locker room and being professional at the highest level corporate appearances. Girls who are reliable and drama-free. Teams need Hufflepuffs as much as they need Gryffindors.

Yup, saw that live! I'm sad that was my last Nationals as a dance mom.

My daughter's high school, dance team, and dance studio had a ton of Mormon kids and many of our friends are Mormon and involved in dance. I started following the Cougarettes when I chaperoned my daughter's HS team at their dance camp in Provo in 2012. I watch every one of their videos and watch them in person at NDA Nationals every year in Daytona Beach. They are all amazing dancers. I also follow the Utah HS dance team competition scene, which is really fun, kind of crazy, and occasionally drama-filled.

Not really a novelty. BYU is one of the best college hip hop dance teams in the country. Hip hop is definitely part of the Utah Mormon culture.

Looking at Tiffany's IG, I think she is a good dancer but not quite there. A few years ago she would have been good enough but the level has risen a lot in the past 2-3 years. Her kicks are awesome for sure, but look how many Rangerettes got cut. Kicks are just not enough. Her figure is ridiculous--she would look amazing in the uniform. She's pretty and seems nice. If this is her dream I hope she gives it one more go and gains the skills she needs.

Because that's how her name is spelled?

I am completely neutral on Victoria. In my opinion, she is good but not necessarily top 36 good. I believe her connections will push her from a ranking of 40-something up to 30-something and that will help her make the team. That’s how life works. She will be a perfectly fine DCC. Was there too much Victoria on the show last season? Arguably. Was there too much Victoria discussion on the boards? Hell yes. Her name gets inserted into every conversation on every topic. “A looks sad.” “She’s probably sad because VK will make the team.” “B looks soft.” “Not as soft as VK.” “C got cut from training camp.” “TK bribed Kelli to make space for VK.” Ugh, it’s like having to scroll through 897 requests for PMs every day. We need a No VK Talk thread like the GoT No Book Talk thread.

Actually, women of color are greatly underrepresented on college teams, and since these are major feeders for the DCC, that's part of the problem.

I'm almost relieved that Malena didn't have a good audition. I don't want her brought into TC just to be cut and frankly she's not in the top third of rookie candidates to make it to TC at all.

Up until today I figured if my daughter had tried out she'd make it to finals and probably get cut before training camp, but now I think she would have had a very solid shot at TC. I don't know, maybe the rookie candidates did better than the vets but she definitely would have held her own. I'm kind of shocked at how mediocre a lot of people were today. I'm bummed.

Keep in mind that all of the stuff about VK getting a spot is made up. There are no guarantees, nor were there ever. There is just a lot of opinion stated as fact. We did see favoritism and this will probably continue, but don't fall for lies.

I just binge watched the entire series and have some thoughts. Overall, I think this is a great show that offers some really original content and perspectives. However, it is seriously flawed in preventable ways. The number one issue I have, and this is definitely an Amy thing, is that the characters always seem to talk at one another instead of with one another, and half the time no one else in the room cares. When a character stands up and says “I have an important announcement,” and no one else stops what they are doing, I have a problem with that. When A says something to B and B responds with a totally different topic, I hate that. When Abe followed Rose to Paris, he never once asked her about her feelings or what he can do to change (yes, he eventually figured it out, but they never talked). No one actually communicates on this show. It’s almost a deal breaker for me. I don’t know if Joel is end game or not, but it was clear from the beginning he would be sticking around. We get his parents, his dad’s factory, his family home, his workplace, etc. That’s main character treatment. As a victim of infidelity myself, I have a hard time forgiving him. How can anyone expect him to remain faithful if they get back together? Another parallel to my life is that he is upset that she is talking about her life in public. Well, that’s too fucking bad. My ex tried to tell me I shouldn’t tell anyone—even my mother—that he cheated. I was to tell her our 30 year marriage “didn’t work out.” Because he didn’t want to look bad. Nope. Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time. Getting cheated on and being walked out on is HER story, and she is entitled to do whatever she wants with it. In contrast, Sophie’s story was not hers to tell. So it’s an act. So what? People buy tickets to see her do a schtick and they get what they pay for. Who cares if she tells the same jokes over and over? Who cares if she’s rich in real life? If someone gives you advice you disagree with, you are free to ignore it. Midge made such an effort to hide her career from her family and friends and told 19 different lies so her neighbors wouldn’t find out she was separated, but other people’s personal lives, yeah go ahead and out them. That kind of hypocrisy made me hate her a little. As for Sophie herself, I can understand her frustration. Yale Drama wasn’t training vaudevillians, it was training Shakespeareans. If I were her manager, I would send her on auditions under a fake name. After all, no one knows what she looks like. I could see Susie doing this for her. Susie is the most interesting and complex character on this show to me. She is a good person, despite the bravado, and much smarter that anyone gives her credit for. I just pray that the writers back off the man jokes. We get it, she dresses masculine. That confuses 1950s people. Now stop. Oh and it took me a full season to stop seeing Rosie O’Donnell every time she was on screen. It was weird to me that Benjamin obviously hated the Catskills. He was kind of a dick when he was there but was so nice the second he left. They never addressed why, but of course that would require a character on this show to actually care about another character on this show enough to ask. The show is gorgeous to look at. I know everyone loves the outfits. As for me, I am an avid glass collector and I love spotting MCM patterns such as Early American Prescut, Fire King jadeite, Blendo, and Pink Daisy Pyrex. I rewatch scenes just for the glass! Let’s see, that else. Oh yeah, Luke Kirby? Hot hot hot. Dear lord. Also, it’s pronounced Moy-sha. Not Moysh. This bugs me to no end. And finally, I wish they had cast real Jewish actors. How hard would that have been? Imagine the outcry if they cast a white woman to play the lead in a show about a Latina comedian, and then cast more white people to play her parents. Are there no Jewish comedians who can act? That’s not to take away from Rachel, Tony, and Marin. But it’s a little offensive. Fun fact: my parents met at a bungalow colony in “the country” where they went every summer. Rereading the above, I realize it sounds a bit whiney. But don’t get me wrong—I am hooked on this show. Can’t wait for next season!

Ashley Hancock (OKC Thundergirl) Brianna Shea (Kilgore Rangerettes) Cassiday Kay (Kilgore Rangerettes) Emily Shymkiw (Kilgore Rangerettes) Gracie Blanchard (Arkansas Pom Squad) Kristen Dodd (U of New Mexico Dance Team) Lisa Mills (Arkansas Pom Squad) Meredith Madden (Dance major, U of South Carolina) Raven Elise Anzaldua (UTA Dance Team) Sheridan Donevant (TCU Showgirls) Tiffany Taliaferro (Houston Texans)

We have a winner!

Yes, and the Unsullied were tortured since birth to be mindless killing machines who just follow orders. When given their freedom, they all chose to fight for Dany because really, what else would they do, upload their resumes to indeed and get a job in retail? But GW had already made plans to leave Westeros after the war because he found fear love. Presumably the rest, having no one to follow, would get as far away from Dragontown and Zombieland as they can. BTW, this also explains why GW didn't execute Tyrion or Jon. He was not ordered to. He would never take in upon himself to do that--it would go against everything he knows. Kill soldiers after they surrender? Yes, on Queen D's orders. Murder slave babies? Yes, because orders.

People keep saying that Dany’s extermination of innocent people and soldiers who had surrendered happened after the war had ended and that this is what makes her evil or a tyrant. I say it makes her mad because in her mind the battle had not ended at all. These people were still the enemy because they allowed themselves to be ruled by Cersei. They should have deposed her, you see. The fact they just let themselves live under Cersei’s thumb makes them complicit in her oppression, and therefore they are just as bad as the oppressor--and deserve to die. It’s a victim-blaming mentality and completely irrational to a normal person, but it makes sense in Dany’s delusional mind. I believe that had she returned to Essos, when she came across a slave town, she would just eliminate it. No masters, no slaves, no slave mentality. Just goodness.

Maybe Drogon burned the Iron Throne and not Jon because he thought chair killed Dany. After all, it was made of knives and there was a knife in her chest, so logical conclusion. Regarding Tyrion’s crying over Cersei and Jaime, sometimes we mourn not the people themselves, but the possibilities lost. I can imagine that he always had some hope, no matter how unrealistic, that he would be fully loved and accepted, and now that’s gone. Bran was perfect choice for king because he appears so non-threatening. I think the people needed someone they would not fear, and that is why the title of Bran the Broken is so smart. I predicted the SC meeting. They needed to show us a “life goes on” scene. I agree that a report about survivors might have been nice, because even though months had passed by the end I still don’t have a grasp on how many died. I did like that Tyrion will be the de facto ruler because this is really where he shines. Not as the Hand for a conqueror, but as a nuts and bolts, rational decision-making type of Hand. I’m not at all worried about Bronn. He himself pointed out that all the great houses started with people like him. He doesn’t want to embezzle money—he wants to start a legacy. He will be the hardest working person on the SC. He will pay attention and learn. Three generations from now, no one will care if great grandpappy Bronn was a cutthroat. It will be a cute story they laugh about at the Highgarden dinner table. I took “Duty is the death of love” as a hint to Jon about what to no, not an attempt at making up a proverb. The Iron Islands is really better off as part of the Six Kingdoms, with their lack of resources. I loved that Sansa’s dress had weirwood tree leaves. It was so perfectly Northern. Screw that Nazi Grey Worm and the two SS armies who were only following orders. Does Cersei’s corpse’s appearance for all of three seconds count toward Emmy qualifications for Lena Headey? I know this goes back a bit, but I see the Jaime-Brienne relationship as Jaime honestly trying to make a go of it, but only then coming to realize that no one can replace Cersei. Had he not slept with Brienne, I’m not sure he would have gone back. Satisfying moments: Sansa crowned QITN, Arya sailing West, Ghost reunion, glimpse of Tormund'sw red hair, Jon and the wildlings walking North, the stabbing, the dragon wings scene, Robyn Longbottom, “Sit down, Uncle.”

One Throne to rule them all!