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The Reverse Psychology of Len Goodman

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Len Goodman, you are one crafty old chap! I have been blind to your shenanigans on how you manipulate the vote as the Head Judge on the Dancing with the Stars. Very devious, very simple, but very effective.

For those of you who don’t know Len Goodman, he’s the Head Judge of DWTS and the traditionalist ballroom dancer amongst the other judges, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli. But don’t be fooled by his age. He is like Jedi Master Yoda who you don’t want to face in combat/competition or else get whooped on.

Like Yoda’s strong mind tricks, Len Goodman is a master of reverse psychology and easily gets fans to vote for the dancers he thinks should be in the DWTS finals. All Len has to do is provide negative comments to his favorite dancers, rile up the fans, and watch as the people defend the chastised dancers with their votes, ensuring their passage to the next round. Don’t like the fact that Lance Bass wasn’t wearing shoes? Lance and Lacey’s ticket to Week 8. Give Brooke Burke an 8 when Carrie and Bruno give her 10’s? Brooke and Derek Hough are guaranteed to move on. Comment about Warren’s footwork, but he still moves on.

The dancers in danger are the ones who Len has some good words for. Guys like Maurice Greene who pleasantly surprised Len in Week 8 but then was dismissed, and Cody Linley who Len talks about improving throughout the season. These words of encouragement are lukewarm fodder for the fans that don’t do much to generate public votes.

So sneaky! I love it!

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Maurice Greene Out at 8

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On the 8th week of Dancing with the Stars, Olympic sprinter Maurice Greene was eliminated after repeated scores of 8. I think someone didn’t explain the rules of the competition very well to Maurice. Maurice, unlike track meets, it’s better to get the high numbers for your performances. It’s not like running 60 meters in a mere 6.39 seconds.

With Maurice’s departure goes former DWTS champion Cheryl Burke who’s been fighting controversy over her weight gain. Cheryl, you look just fine!

One of my favorites for Week 8 is Warren Sapp’s Spy Hunter-ish tango. Once I heard the music, I had a feeling the dance would be good.

My next favorite is Cody Linley’s foxtrot, well the intro segment to his foxtrot with Edyta. You see, Cody was bummed being in the bottom two in Week 7, so his teenage friends came by the studio to cheer him up… and bask in the radiance of his new temporary partner. Around the 48 second mark, watch his friends ogle Edyta then all volunteer to cop a feel dance with Edyta.

Only four couples remain – a Super Bowl champion, a teeny bopper, a gay pop star, and a TV host/model. Who’ll bring home the mirrorball trophy?

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Go Digital, Save the Petrels!

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“What’s gonna work? Teamwork!” is the motto of the Wonder Pets, Linny, Tuck, and Ming-Ming, and they need our help! To save the Hawaiian petrel bird, the Wonder Pets need you to go digital. As in digital television.


The Hawaiian petrel nesting season starts in February, but the plan is to destroy analog television towers in the same timeframe, making it tough for the endangered petrels to get it on. Instead the Wonder Pets have convinced the State of Hawaii (wonder if they personally know Mufi?) to switch to digital television on January 15, one month before the mandatory national conversion. After the early switch, the analog towers will be destroyed, well before the petrels start nesting, giving them a chance at survival.

So all you analog television viewers, you need to go digital before January 15 to save the petrels. This is serious!

“We’re not too big, and we’re not too tough, but together, we got the right stuff! Go Wonder Pets!”

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What You Learn from the Radio: Moose Knuckle

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The things you learn from listening to the radio, or more specifically, the I-94 Wake Up Crew. Today’s lesson was about “moose knuckle.” I had never heard that term before, but in context of the discussion, I kinda had an idea of what they were talking about.

If you don’t know what moose knuckle is, you can read its definition on Urban Dictionary. You can even get suggestions on how to avoid moose knuckle from this eHow article.

If you need a visual, flickr and its many contributors are there for you. Witness the moose knuckle.

Twin Tumblebuses

There are actually two Tumblebuses! I passed both of them on the road one day. Always thought the Tumblebus was a sole vehicle operation.

Boxee Has Moxie

I finally got my invite to try out the entertainment center software called Boxee and boy, does it have some moxie! You install Boxee on a Mac or AppleTV and get access to movies, television shows, music, pictures, and content from online sites like YouTube, Hulu, and more.

It sounds pretty basic, and in some ways it is, but Boxee gives users a more powerful interface to content. Boxee is very much like Apple’s Front Row but with way more options. And even in its alpha stage of development, performance of Boxee just screams. Apple’s tiny Remote Control is also compatible with Boxee for easy navigation of its menu system.

I’ll have to try out Boxee’s additional features, but I already like what I see!

Update: Just some points to clarify. You need an Intel-based Mac to run Boxee, and it runs as a regular old app. Boxee doesn’t hog your Mac and make it a dedicated entertainment center. Boxee also has some social networking where you can follow friends and their Boxee activity (what they recently watched, etc.)

If you want a Boxee invite, let me know.

Hidden Stars in X-Men’s The Last Stand

The X-Men movie series has a lot of celebrities playing the lead roles. Mega stars like Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Kelsey Grammar, Rebecca Romjin, and more have all been mutants. Only now, have I just noticed how many hidden stars there are in X-Men’s The Last Stand (read my somber review).

Who else has the mutant X gene? I never paid attention to Anna Paquin (Rogue) before until I started watching her as Sookie Stackhouse in True Blood. Eric Dane (Multiple Man) now plays the popular Dr. Mark Sloan aka McSteamy on Grey’s Anatomy. Ken Leung (Kid Omega) is the wise guy, spirit seeing visitor on the LOST island. Juno’s leading teen mother, Ellen Page, is the phasing Kitty Pride.

Go check out the credit list for X-Men: The Last Stand and see if you recognize other hidden stars.

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My Digital Plan: SDV Tuning Adapter Pre-Order

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After a successful CableCard install from Oceanic Cable, I just got a letter explaining Oceanic’s upcoming shift to SDV (Switched Digital Video). The letter is actually pretty good, clearly explaining the benefits of SDV and why the current CableCards will not work once the SDV change is made.

To compensate for the SDV change, Oceanic (and Time Warner Cable) is expected to offer Tuning Adapters later this year (which is coming up quick). “It is currently contemplated that the Tuning Adapter will be provided at no additional charge.”

To be eligible for a Tuning Adapter, the letter ways to visit www.timewarnercable.com/tuningadapter or call 643-2337. The web link doesn’t do much and is the same one I used previously. I called the phone number which took me to Oceanic’s Customer Support. The night crew didn’t know a thing about this offer, but I got a call back today asking me to fax or send in my letter to reserve my spot for a Tuning Adapter.

I scanned a copy of my letter and sent it to csrsupport@twcable.com. Let’s see what happens next (and when it happens)…

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