Ombailamos

bonus link: how to choose your next SF/Fantasy book

http://www.box.net/shared/static/a6omcl2la0ivlxsn3o8m.jpg

I find this hilarious, and also accurate, which just tells you I read a lot and am a nerd. Which you already knew.

I have not read all of the books on this list by any means. But I have read A LOT of science fiction & fantasy. In fact, I just re-read "Who Goes There?" the classic novella by John Campbell, upon which various movies called variations of "The Thing" have been based. Trust me ... the story is better. I can't imagine that the latest film version will do justice to the suspense of the original. There is a lot to be said for not over-describing.

This brilliant little chart leads you, by meandering paths, down the various byways that are genre fiction. From any endpoint on this chart you could meander right back out again into mystery or romance. I love books. But you already knew that, too.

DWTS 13: bring on the lifts!

Here's a radical proposal. It is ... to quit pretending Dancing with the Stars bears any resemblance to a "real" ballroom competition, and give people what they want. Which is ... tricks! Flips! LIFTS!

In support of this shocking proposition, I offer the following list of ways in which the program's presentation of ballroom dancing is inconsistent with actual competition.

• Performers dance solo. In the "real" ballroom world, this only happens in a category called "solo" and the performers are only nominally judged against each other. They pay a hefty entrance fee to present a show dance, usually the only one of its kind (hence, not really competition), collect a showy trophy, buy an expensive video, and go home. In real competitive events, multiple couples are on the floor at the same time.
• Performers dance to preselected music. Again, in the "real" ballroom world, this only happens in the "solo" events. In a competitive heat, none of the dancers know what music is going to come up. DWTS nods to this in their "instant" dances, but even in those, they give the couples a little advance notice and time to adjust their choreography.
• Performers dance a mix of American & International ballroom dances. On DWTS, they do American style foxtrot, slow waltz, and Viennese waltz, with International style quickstep and tango. Except even in the quickstep and tango, the partners are allowed to separate at the beginning and end of their routines - and this is most assuredly NOT allowed in competition International style.
• Performers dance a mix of American & International latin dances. On DWTS, the rumbas and cha-chas incorporate both American & International style figures and styling. The jives incorporate East Coast, West Coast, Lindy, and Jive figures and styling. Paso Doble and Samba are only competition dances in International style. And the Sambas tend to collapse into salsa with about half of the competitors. ... They tried American-style Bolero and Mambo a couple of times and bombed, possibly because the professional dancers on the show are almost all International style dancers. I distinctly remember the Mambo episode in which only one couple consistently broke on the 2 beat and yet no-one else got penalized for what would be a fatal error in a real competition.
• Performers do club dances, as well as ballroom and latin. There may be salsa or Argentine Tango events at some ballroom competitions, but they aren't going to get you any closer to the title. They don't count toward a championship at all. They are just for fun. To be a salsa or Argentine Tango champion, you have to go through a whole separate competition circuit. In which, yes, lifts are allowed.
• Performers eventually clinch their win with a "freestyle" dance. In which most do as little ballroom dancing as possible. Some real ballroom competitions feature a show dance event, but it is never part of the championship, and the dancers must still produce a dance that is recognizably within one of the ballroom or latin styles.
• Performers can pull out a backflip in a quickstep without being instantly disqualified or marked down. That would never, never pass in a real competition. Pirouettes, sure. Flying scissors or tours jetées, absolutely. Maybe even a cartwheel or walkover. But a professional who put in gymnastics for himself in a pro-am event, in a transparent attempt to draw attention away from his less-proficient partner, would end up losing her a few places. In a pro-am competition, the professional's job is to present his or her partner in the best possible light. Not to jump around going "look at meeee!"

So you get the point. The show's presentation is nothing like real competition. So who cares if there are lifts? Who cares if the dancers separate during quicksteps or tangos? Who cares if there is an "excessive" amount of Lindy Hop in a Jive?

Not me. If I want to watch real ballroom competition, I know where to go.

And it ain't ABC.

In my unsolicited and completely extraneous opinion, the show would be better if they cut the restrictions and instead made one simple rule: 60 seconds of the 90 seconds of choreography must be school figures from the dance style. That would take care of it, don't you think?

link of the week: art appreciation

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/326175577.html

I cannot tell you how many times I've wanted to do what's described here. I love this so much.

DWTS 13: bad judges! bad!

Here is what Kim at TelevisionWithoutPity had to say about the final dance of last night's performance show:

"JR and Karina are the final couple to dance. Like Chynna, JR is going in with big expectations due to his high scores last week. He also thinks he doesn't have as many fans as some of the others. You know, after the first week, I bet he does. I know a lot of people were inspired by his backstory, and then he also danced great. And thank God, right? Because you'd hate to think he was moving forward because people felt sorry for him. From what little we've seen, I think he would hate that. But he's really good.

You guys, I just watched the whole jive routine and typed nothing. I just sat here with my mouth open. It was AMAZING. I mean, there were a few tiny glitches that just let me know he's not a pro, but for week two? Unbelievable. Sharp kicks and flicks. Tough choreography. It looked like a jive. Seriously, that should get 9s and 10s. Judges? Bruno says it was the most satisfying performance of the night, and he's ecstatic. Carrie Ann yells at them for the lifts and Karina just shrugs. She knew they would get docked a point. Len complains that it was a Lindy Hop instead of a jive. Karina looks a little confused about that, and I wish someone would explain the difference. Also, it bothers me that JR is docked for things that are totally Karina's fault. I'm not worried -- people will vote for them. Scores: Carrie Ann 7, Len 7 and Bruno 8. Wow, I thought it deserved better. Ricki's dance was not better than that. Not even close."

I have to add to this a bit of a rant. Not only was J.R.'s jive the best dance of the night - and well deserving of at least three points higher than Ricki's even after (okay, that's righteous) docking a point for the lift, IT WAS JIVE. There was a little Lindy Hop in there at the beginning, but the rest was JIVE. I am starting to think Len doesn't watch competitions anymore.

Here are the major differences between Lindy Hop and Jive.

• Lindy Hop, despite its name, has no "hop." Jive is full of bounce. Jive is fast, but Lindy Hop is even faster, and the faster any dance style is, the less rise and fall there is. Hence Quickstep and Viennese Waltz have a lot less rise and fall than slow Foxtrot or slow Waltz.
• Lindy Hop does not have "kicks and flicks." It has bits of Charleston, which is done down low. Jive, on the other hand, is most distinguished from all other forms of swing by the multiple variations of relatively high kicks which involve first tucking the abs to draw up the knee, then quickly shooting a pointed foot forward, back, or to the side. You may have noticed, J.R.'s jive was wall-to-wall kicks.
• Lindy Hop is low; Jive is high. The posture of the dancers in Lindy Hop is with shoulders forward to the partner, butt sticking out, and there is a lot of upper-body activity. In Jive, as in all Latin dances, the partners have a very straight posture, with the still top "floating" above the active bottom.* Ballroom dancing of all styles relies on the dance frame. There was nothing crouchy about J.R.'s jive.

Oh this stuff is just so ANNOYING! When you are a geek like me, anyway. Otherwise, about last night? A lot of mediocre movement, frankly. I don't usually vote for contestants on TV shows, but I may have to get on the line for J.R. He's far and away the best overall performer over these first two weeks. And I completely understand why Karina chose to take an almost-certain deduction in order to show the world what he can do.

She undoubtedly knew that at least one of her competitors (cough*Mark*cough) would break the rules in a way unlikely to result in a deduction and probably hopes that this audience is more likely to be sympathetic to rules broken to showcase an excellent amateur contestant, than to rules broken to showcase the professional. Who continually forgets that this show is not about HIM. Lord, I am tired of that kid.

Final point of rant. I understand that the judges are trying to establish the contestants in a pack (hence the very narrow range of scores from 17-23, when it should have been more like 13-26) to stimulate voting. HOWEVER. It does no service to the contestants when their efforts are not treated objectively and with respect.

If I were competing? I would rather get the honest score, and try to make up the difference - if necessary - through campaigning for votes, than to look at my score, know I danced like crap, and look at the better dancer next to me who got the same score or less. That makes my score utterly meaningless, in which case why have "judges" at all?

 

*This is a complex technical point that may not seem to make sense, because if you see a proper Jive you see all kinds of arm stylings and body shapes and you'll think "that's not still!". The point here is that the essential connection between the partners is still. It may change shape, angle, or height, but from ribs through shoulders the partners will always maintain a stillness. The stillness is what enables the action in the legs. It's like locking your core before a push-up. If the core isn't locked, the bottom sags.

Showcase happened! and it was great!

Yesterday's USA Dance Showcase was truly great. And I say that as the Director, but also as a participant. This event could not have run so well without the contributions of those listed below.

• Thanks to all the 66 brilliant amateur and professional performers (see the listing at www.usadancela.org!) .
• Thanks to our sponsors: DanceVision and Worldtone and L.A. Dance Experience and the Holiday Ball!
• Thanks to Joy Rushing, who opened each act with a couple of lovely songs to settle the room down and get people ready for The Show.
• Thanks to Christina Hutson, who provided the closed-circuit monitor backstage so our dancers wouldn't freak out about the status of the program.
• Thanks to Jerry and James and Herb, who were there early for setup and to manage the backdrop installation.
• Thanks again to Jerry for running the camera!
• Thanks to Mr. P, who helped ready the dressing rooms and tweak the main-floor arrangements.
• Thanks again to James for his stellar work as DJ!
• Thanks to Kent, for his excellent work as MC!
• Thanks to Livia, who helped Jerry, Kent, and James keep the show running right on time.
• Thanks again to Herb, who brought water, moved furniture, helped with the transition, was there till closing, and ran the raffle and silent auction so we could raise even more money for the operating fund.
• Thanks to Marilyn, who helped set up the tables and sell raffle tickets.
• Thanks to Laura, who in addition to performing (twice!) also helped sell raffle tickets.
• Thanks to Priscila and Debbie and Yasmin and Leslie, who helped with checking-in, selling admissions, managing questions, and generally keeping track of our attendees.
• Thanks to Nancy and Edna and Julie and Charles for managing the transition to the evening dance.
• Thanks to Dave for bringing the Outreach poster and more water for the evening dance.
• Thanks to Party Unlimited, for furnishing our backdrop and the crew to get it set up and taken down quickly and safely.

Nearly all the professionals involved made a point of saying "Thank you for doing this." I think it's an important part of our mission at USA Dance and look forward to an even better event next year. September 23, 2012. Mark your calendars!

link of the week: nerd fitness

http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/09/12/live-like-james-bond/

Oh, that Steve.  Smart, educated, hardworking, adventurous, AND a good writer.  Though admittedly he needed a little editing this time around.  With that story to tell, I probably would have been a little flighty on the reviewing myself. 

The point of this one - why I thought it was worth linking: it's about finding the WHY.  Why do I want to be fit, strong, slim, agile?  In my case it ought to be tiresomely obvious: because I'm a dancer. 

In the Nerd Fitness world, it's about finding your inner superhero.  There aren't any superheroes, as far as I know, who are dancers. But I don't care.  To me, being a championship-level competitor in middle age is pretty effin' fantastic.  No matter what your sport is. 

Okay, maybe not curling, or poker.  But you get my drift.

 

"get off my lawn!"

This is the old Anna's hummingbird who has been staking out my patio for three years. In the photo he is perched on my jasmine plant, equidistant between the two sets of feeder tubes in my ficus trees, where he is perfectly positioned to repel all invaders.

I decided to start calling him Torino because Mr. P was watching the recent Clint Eastwood movie and this bird is just like that character. He is Not to be Trifled With.

there it is!

Voila! The famous paella (or not-paella) pan, nestled together with our risotto pan, in a gleaming display of kitchen porn. Polished just for you.

The not-paella pan is about 13.5 inches across and has accommodated everything from curries to pork tenderloin to cabbage to French toast to ... paella!

Both these lovely objects were wedding gifts. I hope they last forever, because they sure are great to cook with. Back in my ignorant-of-la-cuisine days, I would have never thought I could live without my Presto electric skillet, but I really don't even miss it. (Mind you, it is still a perfectly legitimate kitchen option, and definitely more economical than these coppery beauties.)

Now that we seem to have corrected my uploading issues I hope to feature more photos around here. Feel free to submit requests. :-)

"marinating in estrogen and creativity"

This summer I have engaged in two highly successful play dates with some adult female friends. One of them contributed the title phrase to describe the event.

Given that we are adults, what do I mean by "play date?"  I don't mean an afternoon at the golf course or beach or tennis courts, although those would be perfectly legitimate.

I mean a block of time for like-minded individuals to get together and do nothing but engage in the activity or interest that they share in common.  In our case, it's crafty crap. 

There are A LOT of people out there with creative talents whose work is done in the corners, in spare moments, surreptitiously, when we're alone.  And while the solo performance of this work can be quite satisfying - meditative, in fact - I have come to realize that working alone all the time reduces my level of creativity.

Having two or three other clever, talented, crafty women in the room gives me an interested sounding board.  I can lay out a piece of beadwork and without a word, from their reactions, assess and adjust the project.  If someone says "oooooh!" when I lay something out, that's a very satisfying reaction.  No matter how much I like something myself, if I'm alone, I don't get that. 

And if someone says "ermmmm," that's also very satisfying because I am not making this stuff for me.  I want it out in the world to make someone else happy, so if the first reaction is "ermmmm," I want to change something. 

When I'm working alone, I'll often lay something out and then leave it alone for a week before I do anything else, because I know perfectly well that my own first assessment is suspect.  When I get instant feedback, I don't need to wait a week.  I can jump right on it.

And I also enjoy being able to experience the work others are doing, while they are doing it.  I don't knit or crochet and have no intention of learning, but I love handmade goods of all kinds and I get a kick out of watching them come together.

We've managed to pull together two play dates in two months.  I would be really happy to continue a once-a-month schedule.  Because that is enough time to finish something I've started at one event and get something else rolling for the next.  But not so much time that I procrastinate or lose my momentum.  I want something ready for show and tell!

reading roundup: July-August, 2011

• 69. Different Seasons by Stephen King.
• 70. Failure is Not an Option by Gene Kranz.
• 71. Kitty's Big Trouble by Carrie Vaughn.
• 72. A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh.
• 73. A Secret Affair by Mary Balogh.
• 74. The Spiral Path by Mary Jo Putney.
• 75. Irresistible by Mary Balogh. 
• 76. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
• 77. Endurance by Alfred Lansing. 
• 78. How to Wash a Cat by Rebecca M. Hale.
• 79. Gamble by Felix Francis.

• 80. Stardust by Joseph Kanon.
• 81. Vengeance in Death by J.D. Robb. 
• 82. Innocent in Death by J.D. Robb. 
• 83. Fearless by Rafael Yglesias. 
• 84. Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon.
• 85. Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly. 
• 86. Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb. 
• 87. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. 
• 88. A Deceptive Clarity by Aaron Elkins. 
• 89. The Giant Rat of Sumatra, or Pirates Galore by Sid Fleischman.
• 90. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun. 
• 91. Now and Then by Robert B. Parker.

Highlight of July: "Endurance." What a cracking good yarn! And all, incredibly, true. In case you haven't heard of it, it's the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton's ill-fated 1915 attempt to cross Antarctica by land. He never even got to the continent, of course; his ship was seized and destroyed by the pack ice. 22 months later, after unending struggle, privation, misery, and what we would now call heroism, his entire crew of 28 was safely returned home. A quote:

"Unlike the land, where courage and the simple will to endure can often see a man through, the struggle against the sea is an act of physical combat, and there is no escape. It is a battle against a tireless enemy in which man never actually wins; the most that he can hope for is not to be defeated."

Highlight of August: "The Secret Garden." How is it possible I never read this before? I blame the cover art. I've seen it in bookstores all my life and always been turned off by that pastel-green wrapper with the sketch of three little kids. My preference as a young reader was always for stories about animals and/or stories of adventure. I moved into murder mysteries very young! But this ... well, it's great. Maybe I was just now ready for it. In any case, I got it for my Kindle and really loved it. A quote:

"The Robin was tremendously busy. He was very much pleased to see gardening begun on his own estate. ... Where gardening is done all sorts of delightful things to eat are turned up with the soil. Now here was this new kind of creature who ... had had the sense to come into his garden and begin at once."