simplyme

Gleb was the lucky pro who got Lisa Vanderpump on his first go. She tried, but she was kind of stiff when she danced.

Sorry, Canada, but we're still pissed you exported Justin Bieber.

My friend mentioned buying a workbook for her niece (2nd grade, I think), that reinforces all sorts of skills like reading comprehension, spelling, etc... including cursive writing. She told me that and I said, "Cursive? What are you thinking? She'll be able to read our secret communiques!" It takes so little to amuse me. Probably why I watch Survivor...

I'm expecting the first ep to be a snoozer and the rest to possibly require booze and cheetos to get through.

I'm not convinced Nicole was ever fully aboard the Paul for F2 train. I'll say it again. Just because someone says something in the house doesn't make it true. Nicole often makes me want to slap the bejesus out of her (they all do), but she does have some strategy. I'm tempted to redo that Paul/Nicole tweet to emphasize exactly how many times Paul almost got himself voted out and his fight picking. Which would be the correct way to play BB then? Cuz Paul's social game sure isn't going to win this for him.

I think people forget that alliances turn on each other all the time. I don't think Nicole had any intention of going out at #6 or #7, but she wasn't stupid enough to say that. And often, alliances (even bro alliances) start getting down to the core members plus one or two and that's when they start cannibalizing each other, teaming up with outside votes to take out alliance members. Nicole was actually in a good place to be a swing vote when that occurred. Also, just because someone claims one thing to another house guest doesn't mean it's true, and not stating their reasons for doing something to themselves or someone else doesn't mean they don't have a plan. If I were in that house, I wouldn't be telling anyone my real thoughts even in a DR given the way production sometimes asks leading questions. As to suggestions like "vote your conscience," that usually means a popularity vote rather than a strategy vote. Forbidding people from telling who they are voting for would simply ramp up the bullying aspect. Can't say who you're voting for? Make it obvious how despicable and horrible someone is and shun the hell out of them. And then the targets will have difficulty pulling a blindside because, hey, can't talk about who you're voting for. I realize people don't like how BB has evolved, but some of it is simply because those strategies are effective. Casting a mix of people of varying ages and personalities, no vets, and changing the challenges instead of the same ones every year might make a huge difference. We should also probably consider that if you stuck a saint in a house with strangers and made them compete in a back-stabbing competition for 5,000 days (whatever, it feels that long), we wouldn't like them at the end either. Everyone turns into some sort of despicable creature under those circumstances.

Right. Gen Xers find technology scary. Maybe they only put that memo out on Instagram? (Admittedly, I don't use Instagram. Not because I find it scary or don't know how to, but several other forms of electronic communication to check per day are enough. I find the crap people post to Twitter and FB hits my "I Don't Give a Fig" limit as is.)

Or maybe your piss was too close to Bridgette's boiling skin?

Vic: Where's my buyback comp? WHERE? You can't just leave me here like this with these people!!!

Exactly. Corey really is the handsomest, smartest, most wonderful guy ever. Really. *eye tic*

That was the way the topic was introduced, yes, and it was really interesting in that light. Then there was a comment or two from a poster or two that, now knowing of his background, they wanted James to win. I responded to one of those with my opinion that a good childhood shouldn't be a negative if you like other things about a person's gameplay. (To the person who introduced the background information and was worried people thought he/she was suggesting it should be taken as a reason to support James: It was very clear to me that was not the case. You were providing background history after someone specifically asked about his family. Some posters had a change of perception of James after that, but the intent was clearly to provide information requested, which also happened to make James's trust issues make a lot more sense.) I don't know where the word "deserves" came from in this discussion as it wasn't in the first several posts involved, and the only person who "deserves" the win is the one who convinces the most people on the jury to vote for him or her in F2.* All viewers are entitled to their own opinion on who they want to win, and that's going to differ based on all sorts of reasons. Some people may take James's background into account in formulating their opinion. Some (like me) don't. And that's all okay. We can still group hug. *ETA: I just went back and reread my original post on the subject. It was poorly written and didn't distinguish whether I was referring to viewers or jury members. Although it wasn't my intent and I didn't use the term deserve, I can see people thinking I meant jury members. So, I'm saying mea culpa for any misunderstandings. Crap. Sorry! Does that clear things up some? :)

IMO, I think you should certainly empathize with James and wish him well, and this does certainly give me some insight into his trust issues. That said, I don't think people who had good childhoods should have that held against them if you think they played a better game. I'd add that most people want to be rewarded for an actual accomplishment rather than out of pity.

Never cared. ;)

Or they could cut out some of the crap at the beginning and actually make the judges be concise with their comments. There's time for four judges to comment if no one is crying, raving, or talking about God knows what. Granted, they might have to mute microphones if they went over time, but they'd learn. (I assume they wouldn't be allowed to shock them with electricity if they went over, although some of Bruno's monologues make me want to see that.)

Laurie participates in a sport capable of doing serious damage to her body. At 16, she's already had a fractured wrist, dislocated knee cap, torn patella ligament, and bruised MCL. (Maybe she and Calvin Johnson can talk injuries sometime.) In addition, Olympics-level gymnasts deal with incredible stress and some actually have their growth stunted by several factors (delayed puberty and associated effects, incredible compression forces in gymnastics, etc.). When data is compared to other sports in various ways (catastrophic injury rates, practice injury rates, etc.), women's gymnastics tends to be one of the most dangerous sports out there. At this point in her career, during a dance show, we the public are really going to worry about who her guardian is, how well she knows them, and her education? IMO, if she seems happy, leave her alone unless she says otherwise. Laurie and her family made their own choices and it's not up to me how she is raised. (That probably came out a little harsher than intended.) Val could simply have meant that he is working with Laurie all the time and trying to be a role model, not that he is her legal guardian. I have trouble seeing DWTS wanting to put themselves in that position. It's quite possible he feels responsible for her without being her legal guardian. I think most people in a mentor/student relationship with a 16-year-old would to some extent. :)

IMO, everyone is allowed to not care for someone. If they'd simply worn t-shirts and booed at an appropriate place, well, whatever. It's rude and annoying, and the more you do it the more sympathy you raise for him, even from people like me who also don't particular like him. (Even limiting it to that might have gotten him a few extra votes.) But attacking someone is illegal for a good reason. You don't do it. Disagreeing with someone or disliking someone does not give you the right to attack them or anyone else, ffs. Just vent to your friends that you think he's a jagoff and move on with your lives rather than giving yourself a criminal record. WTF.

Right there with you. I watch a lot of sports, but I usually have a book, crossword puzzle, or my cross-stitch there with me because there's so much filler. (My parents play games on their computers or read.) The Olympics was always bad, but this year was mostly unwatchable. We just gave up. Honestly, Mary Carillo's local and human interest segments are the only non-competition bits I want to see at the Olympics, but I never catch them. So screw you, NBC, for only bothering to show a few people, mostly Americans, competing, and spending waaaaay too much time talking to people and about people and what we'd be seeing later. And this, to me, is one of the things that definitely prevents ANW from being a sport. Although marketing plays a part in sports decisions, in most sports if you are talented enough and put in the work, you will go farther than the person who is mediocre but has a tragic story. That gets old, and producing is what really matters. I would say that they don't just cast for sob stories but for "interesting characters." Jessie and Jake certainly count as interesting characters. Jessie is female, a stuntwoman, and wears costumes. Jake has a lot of personality and does some showboating. I do think they've always tended a bit towards that, hence one of the reasons so many ninjas have nicknames. That said, I still love this show. I think they went a little too tough with the courses this year, but we'll see how ninjas (and the courses) adjust next year.

Both are paranoid about being used and their image, and each needs lots of reassuring from their partner. So... obviously the best thing to do is date someone else with some of the same issues. :P What could possibly go wrong, right? Yes, that was sarcasm. IMO, I don't think either one of them needs a partner who is insecure and likes spending time in front of cameras. I wish them both well, but I don't see a long-term romantic relationship working for them. But hey, it's not me, so in the end those crazy kids can go for it and defy my expectations if they want. (Just please do it off my tv screen.)

I got the idea that Sasuke sometimes adjusted certain obstacles from other posters here, and there are multiple comments elsewhere that say the same thing. Obviously, I cannot say whether you are right or they are. One example taken from http://sasukemaniac.proboards.com/thread/5065/make-female-ninja-warrior-japan: "There are some people who believe that making the obstacles adjustable to accommodate women/shorter people/older competitors is somehow unfair and ruins the spirit of the competition, completely unaware Sasuke has always done that (for women and competitors over a certain age, anyway) since including particular obstacles. Although all ANW has done has been pushing the trampolines closer to the edge." I think @Winston9-DT3 answered the Simone Biles comparison pretty well. I mean, some gymnasts are built like Biles, others more like Amy Chow, and some like Mexico's Alexa Moreno. I have pointed out that certain obstacles are more difficult for people below (or above) certain heights, not the course as a whole. I also commented on people who weigh less having to haul less weight through the upper-body obstacles. Since you pointed out the jumping spider: It is not just about successfully sticking the landing, but also navigating the rest of the obstacle. People below a certain height not only have to have perfect technique to stick the landing, but they also have very little leverage and ability to move quickly through the obstacle and time matters in Stage 1. Also, a person being ABLE to do it in practice does not mean that the difficulty for them is at the same level for someone else doing the same obstacle. A person who is 6'0" has a margin for error on the jumping spider. A person who is 5'0" has essentially none. To me this is not the same as saying "The jumping spider only favors tall contestants." It's noting that people with different wing/legspans have different margins of error, but there may not be a huge difference in those margins between someone who is, say, 5'5" and someone who is 6'0". All that said, I'm not in favor of adjusting obstacles in ANW. I just enjoy analyzing them. It's never going to be possible to equalize the difficulty of all obstacles for all body types, and part of the joy is seeing people do amazing things. But let's not pretend, no matter who we like or dislike, that every obstacle requires the same skill level and physical effort from every contestant. :)

No kidding. As another geek, there's no way James really fits that category in the way the word is used now. I don't see him being techno-savvy or into gaming, music, or anything else that would make me think "geek." @wings707 were you using the term in the way it would have been used in the 50s through 80s? Like there were popular, good-looking kids and there were geeks? Also... I wandered off to a place without even cell reception for over 24 hours and come back and they're *still* talking about James and Natalie. Aaargh. She's gone, house guests! Move on! I dunno. Maybe Paul wants to keep the conversation going and away from anything to clue Victor in that he's probably the target? Or maybe they just have nothing else to talk about. Jesus. Maybe I'll start watching my grass grow too.

Jana Kramer

Sorry this is OT. Yeah. Five NFL teams were sued by some of their cheerleaders or former cheerleaders over pay and sexual harassment. http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/local/2015/06/03/buffalo-jills-lawsuit-inspires-bill/28447747/ This article doesn't mention too many details of the Jills' suit, but they were pretty heinous (including a "jiggle test.") You couldn't pay me enough to do Nat's job.

Were they dressed as sugarplum fairies? That said, it's also consistent with Nicole's strategy that she divulged in her one DR to keep pointing out she's the only woman (oh, excuse me, girl sounds less threatening) left and to make herself sound like a weak opponent to increase her odds of reaching F2. Hell, with others (Vic) imploding their own game through their bragging, she may have to resort to limping around the house soon.

Oh, hey! I've seen those. Interesting to know that was her. Thanks!

Huh. Thanks. Pretty much all we have around here are country stations and oldies stations, and I hadn't heard her on the country ones so I was curious. Granted, the country stations are pretty limited in the selection they play. (I'm so sick of bro country.)