Police repression creates a climate of intimidation on the eve of the RNC

The Unconvention will be the place to be this week if you want to avoid the stench of corruption. That is, if the cops don't bust your door down with guns drawn, making jokes about The Terminator while they make you and lie down on the ground in front of your kids because you might be THINKING or TALKING about protesting.
There have been a series of raids: last night, this morning and apparently "snatch squads" are picking people up on the street. (Thanks to Jane Hamsher and the other FireDogLake bloggers for covering this story).
Glen Greenwald interviews a lawyer, Bruce Nestor, who lives in the neighborhood of one of the raids:

Glenn: I mean it clearly seems like it's clearly intending to intimidate. You break into a house with 25 officers with submachine guns drawn and put them all on the floor and handcuff them, it's clearly sending a message that they might want to think twice about participating.

Nestor: I do think....We're not in this country yet where we're having mass detentions of people like this, so it really is about sending a message. I think what it really is designed to do is to send a message to people who agree with some of the viewpoints of people organizing activity and to say - you know what? You can write an email, it's okay to write a letter, to vote, but don't go out in the street, don't organize public activity, because do you want us bursting into your house? Do you want to be associated with people who are getting arrested? It's designed to somehow say these aren't citizens engaged in the exercise of political freedom, but that they're kooks, they're freaks, they're dangerous, stay away from them, don't get involved.

Glenn: And there's been no evidence that any actual violence or illegality has been committed, this is all preventative right, it's all anticipatory?

Bruce: That's right.

A comprehensive news link round-up can be found over at Thinkery (Thanks!!)

Interviews with those forced to lie cuffed on the floor for two hours but not arrestedhere.
UPDATE: Here's background about Ramsey county Sherriff Bob Fletcher (Republican) who ordered the raids, and who is currently about to lose his job in an FBI corruption probe. Do we see a pattern here? (via Phoenixwoman at FireDogLake)

Thank you, John McCain! You just helped elect Barack Obama!

Jumped the Shark!
McCain, meet the shark you just jumped.

Q. What is jumping the shark?
A. It's a moment. A defining moment when you know that your favorite television program has reached its peak. That instant that you know from now on...it's all downhill. Some call it the climax. We call it "Jumping the Shark." From that moment on, the program will simply never be the same.

The term "jump the shark" was coined by site founder Jon Hein's college roommate of 4 years, Sean J. Connolly, in Ann Arbor, Michigan back in 1985. This web site, book, film, and all other material surrounding shark jumping, are hereby dedicated to "the Colonel."

The aforementioned expression refers to the telltale sign of the demise of Happy Days, our favorite example, when Fonzie actually "jumped the shark." The rest is history.

Jumping the shark applies not only to TV, but also music, film, even everyday life. "Did you see her boyfriend? She definitely jumped the shark." You get the idea.

Palin: "But as for that VP talk all the time, I'll tell ya, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me, what is it exactly that the VP does every day?"


Married to an BP oilman;

Advocate of teaching creationism in public schools

Subject of state investigation for her efforts to get her ex-brother-in-law fired and endorsed by corrupt Ted Stevens;

Broke the law by using Alaska's DNR website to advocate against the Clean Water Initiative in favor of polluting mining interests;

Opposes abortion even in cases of rape and incest;

Hates polar bears!

And it is insulting:

"it's a slap in the face of other Republican women like Kay Bailey Hutchison, bless her heart, who was forced to stumble through an interview on TV trying to make the case for Palin whom she has never met. There are certainly women in the Republican party who were "in line" for this before Palin. Did the Rovian type advisors to McCain just cynically think that throwing a young attractive inexperienced woman into the mix would satisfy women who long to see a woman president? Women, and Republican women, are not so stupid as to fall for that! It is reminiscent of the Republicans putting up Alan Keyes to run against Barack Obama for the Illinois Senate just because he was black. Voters saw through that pretty quickly."

And they won't like Palin just because she has breasts.

I have to agree with Pam Spaulding here:

"McCain Veep Meltdown: He's Unqualified to Serve".

Listen to women bloggers' response to HRC speech

DNC 2008 - Women of Color bloggers on HRC's speech:
"BlogHer's Maria Niles asks for reaction to Hillary Clinton's speech from Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend, Liza Sebater of Culture Kitchen, Shireen Mitchell of Women Wired In, and Cheryl Contee/Jill Tubman of Jack & Jill Politics"

Two great speeches they didn't show you on prime time TV

Looking at the DNC as theater or performance, it's clear that some public servants are better orators than others. Many of the speeches at the DNC have not been aired by by the big networks, but are worth a listen. Mark Warner's keynote was kind of a snooze, because he's not a great speaker. Everything Harry Reid said was true and urgent, but his delivery was so quiet, so monotonous, that it was hard to listen. But the Governor of Montana Brian Schwietzer, a progressive leader on environmental issues, delivered the kind of populist, call-and-response speech that got the delegates to cheer. It's what they call a stem-winder. He's got great diction, rhythm, clear sentences, expressive body language, and command of the timing to give the crowd an invitation to respond. He gives a great combination of one-liners followed by specifics about Obama's environmental and energy plan (he's an agronomist and an engineer who speaks fluent Arabic after living several years in the middle east, NOT an oilman).
"If you drilled in all of John McCain's backyards, even the ones he doesn't know he has....(woohoo!).... that single proposition is a dry well." "Barack Obama understands that the most important barrel of oil is the one that you don't use."
"The petrodictators will never own American wind and sunshine, and we should never again be beholden to their barrels of crude."

Listen to the crowd roar at the end of his speech!!!
Here he talks about a variety of energy alternatives.
Here's Dennis Kucinich, not mincing words (transcript here):

DNC day 2

Last night, my daughter and a friend went to their first stadium concert at the State Fair without a parent present in the venue (dropped off and picked up at the entrance).
OMG heavy-duty nostalgia, pride, a twinge of fear, excitement for her future. I imagine I'll feel the same way when she starts high school on Tuesday!

I enjoyed strolling around the Fair by myself, and ended up watching Hillary Clinton deliver her address to the DNC with a bunch of other folks, sitting on some bleachers in front of a couple of TV monitors set up by one of the local network affiliates. One of the monitors was displaying the colors wonky, so that everyone had a bright red face and green hands, and that really clashed with Hillary's bright orange pantsuit! It was fun to watch the event under the night sky, with a cool breeze and the sounds of the Fair in the background, eavesdropping on the snarky commentary by the kids behind me ("Wrap it up, Hill"). I did get a little thrill when she started down the homestretch with Harriet Tubman. I did not support Hillary's candidacy because she voted for the war, although I ached to support a compentent, credible woman who actually had a shot.

By the way, I have always thought Katie Couric was a shit since I first saw her make sneering remarks about feminists on the Today show during her first week, and last night's performance was loathesome. It reminded me that I owe some of my hard-won serentity, such that it is, to my decision to not watch network TV news unfiltered. Too much energy must be spent quelling the urge to yell things at the TV.

I now know of another lifelong Republican who plans to vote for DFL. This one was a surprise, so I think it is very significant. He will not be alone.

DNC day 1

Last night I insisted that my 13-year old daughter watch some of the DNC speeches with me. Earlier in the day, we had listened to McGovern while we were in the car, talking about how many changes we have seen in the conventions for black citizens. He talked about Fanny Lou Hamer, insisting that the Mississippi black delegates be seated. Gotta know the history!

As always, Crooks and Liars has the video if you didn't watch, and quite often the transcripts of the speeches as well.

How cute was Sasha Obama?

Yes, it's scripted, produced, a grand spectacle. And it also has its moments of sincere emotion and connection. Highlights for me: Seeing Obama's sister Maya for the first time. She has a beautiful voice and a calm centered demeanor, and she's a history teacher with a PhD! Michelle's big brother Craig Robinson spoke beautifully about his whole family. I had not known that their father had multiple sclerosis. What an heartbreaking disease that is.

The Kennedy family presence, with Ted traveling from his sickbed to be present at this moment, to pass the torch, will mean different things for different generations, but I was glad to be reminded what this man has managed to accomplish in his lifetime of work.

Former Iowa Senator Leach's speech, as a Republican who is voting for Barack, was riveting. It was an expression of convictions, and of the integrity of convictions. I've heard the same kind of talk from conservative and Republican friends and acquaintances. I don't listen to the pundits on this one; I think there are a lot of conservatives who feel the same way.

Jeff Chang reports back about our future leaders,

"This afternoon, the future was alive at the Congressional Black Caucus' Young Leaders forum. The panel had its star appeal. Kerry Washington and Will.I.Am both gave generational conversion stories that would be echoed in the closing lines of Michelle's speech—stories in which they "decided to stop doubting and to start dreaming."

Pam's House Blend blogger Autumn Sandeen interviews Shannon Minter and Mara Keisling about transgender inclusion in the Democratic Party's platform. Hard work is paying off!

Lolmomo

I <3 Leee! He made me my own LOLMOMO. I lahb it!

Following the bloggers at the DNC

A friend I was talking to yesterday said that the spectacle of the DNC in Chicago in '68 was what had turned the country. I don't know about that, but I do remember watching the cops viciously beat kids on TV at the 1984 Democractic convention in San Francisco (Mondale/Ferraro) and shrieking at the TV. Nobody seemed to give a shit any more.

We have the chance to follow the stories on the ground in a new way, with all the smart, experienced citizen journalists and bloggers who will be keeping it real:

I'm going to be reading Jeff Chang, at Vibe/zentronics who can be counted on to put the details into a larger frame of analysis;
the fabulous Pam Spaulding and her team from Pam's House Blend are guaranteed to give us the scoop on GLBT issues at the convention as well as giving us a wholistic and humane frame for understanding;
and Nezua who will be updating on multiple fronts, including Kenneth Cole's Awearness blog whose coverage of the candidates throughout the year has been inspiring. He, Liza Sabater of Culture Kitchen, and Kai of zuky, collaborate at The Sanctuary, a pro-immigrant blog and safe space for folks to talk about immigration issues.

"Welcome, Rich White Oligarchs!"

I love Jon Stewart! Here's a billboard he has put up at the intersection of two freeways that delegates will be on as they leave the airport for their hotels in the Twin Cities: "Welcome, Rich White Oligarchs" (via fimoculous). east lake.net also posts a list of music shows that are rallying the anti-RNC crowd.

Slogging on until November.

The Republicans are about to descend on the Twin Cities in force, just when I have to go back to teaching. That means that I will give my students permission to "attend" the event (in protest or not) but I have to meet my classes.

VP nominee Joe Biden on the issues. Dig into the details. I can live with it. Yesterday we swung by the Northern Sun Alliance for a new "Iraq Distracts" bumper sticker, because the one I put on my car when the war started has become faded and illegible. It's great that we are getting close to the elections and all, but we aren't out of the woods yet.
Lately we have been listening to The Flobots, "Handlebars." As an antidote, try "American Prayer"

The Omnivore Hundred

By way of food bloggers Becks and Posh, here is a fun foodie meme. I think of it as a warm-up before attending the State Fair, although if this were fair food, it would be fried and on a stick.

As usual, I will rely on the blog My Pronto Pup for fair news and gorgeous photos of the Fair.

Here’s what you do

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison (lots of hunting in MN)
2. Nettle tea (must correct this oversight!)
3. Huevos rancheros (best ever at Bette's Diner in Berkeley)
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (in Nola)
6. Black pudding (also morcilla in Spain)
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper (only cooked)
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float (I hate root beer)
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (cigars are disgusting)
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (chapulines in Oaxaca)
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel (unagi, mmmmm)
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa (harissa, yes, but not rose harissa)
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake (tastes like chicken!)

Why Georgia, why now?

Cui bono? is that very useful Latin phrase "to whose benefit?" which has its origins in Roman legal discourse (Cicero cites it as one of Cassius's sayings) as a maxim used both to understand the motives and intentions of a crime. In political theory it also is invoked when we want to figure out the always complex and sometimes unintended results of political events. We don't have to reduce the answer to the one-size-fits-all conspiracy theory to see that too often, the answer seems to be "men with guns."

While China hosts the Olympics and consolidates its control over internal dissidence, as Naomi Klein details, The Guardian's Ian Traynor lays out the immediate consequences of Russia's defeat of Georgia's military (armed, trained, supported by U.S advisors and Halliburton) this past week. Some news has filtered its way through the inane chatter about medal counts, but, as usual, we (and by that, I mean the general public in the United States watching CNN on the aiport monitors while we wait to pick up our loved ones) have little to no clue as to what is really going on and why. Which stories should we believe? Who thought they would benefit, who really benefits, and why?

One view, (in it sometimes seems as if the entire world acts only in function of the U.S. presidential campaigns), is evident in this piece by Joe Lauria in HuffPo, highlighting the benefit of these events to the McCain campaign "Did McCain Help Bait Russia into Georgia?" because the revival of Cold War rhetoric is seen as an asset to the neocons. Lauria also reminds us that McCain's chief foreign policy advisor (and registered foreign agent for Georgia) is Randy Scheunemann, whom Lauria calls "the personfication of the military- industrialist racket" and one of the many players in a much larger geo-political game about oil, capitalism, and hegemony.

The tendency among many Americans is to consider any point of view that takes history into account a "conspiracy theory" and the mainstream press has tried hard to sneer at the explanation proposed by some of us during the runup to the war in Iraq, sometimes called "It's the oil, stupid", but this hasn't prevented many scholars, journalists and the ever-diligent Noam Chomsky from persisting in their pesky analysis of the larger historical contexts of these conflicts. William Engdahl's analysis of the geopolitical implications is illuminating, because it clearly shows how Georgia fits into the wider geopolitical strategies of Russia, the U.S. and the NATO countries (let's not forget them, in the post-Soviet scramble to maintain control over the rest of the world).

Can you say "competing oil pipelines"?

SFMike at the blog CivicCenter sends us to the TBR News for the back story of the conflict in Georgia, and how this territory is a staging ground for power struggles between Russia and the U.S and its allies for control of Central Asia, the broader arena in which Afghanistan and Iraq are only two of the theaters of bloody conflict.

Let's not forget that Cheney and Rice and the Bush-McCain neocons are busy carrying out their plans, formulated decade ago, in the continuing struggles begun over a century ago for control of oil and territory. European imperialism in this region is sometimes called The Great Game. Understanding the current nature of global capitalism and imperialism between rival powers entails historicizing these events . Cui bono? Who stands to benefit from these events? Not the people who have been hiding in their basements while men with guns bomb, kill and pillage.

Ren Fest '08

Before: Yes, it's way overpriced, but I attended my first RenFest in California when I was 11 or 12, by the juggling, the "gypsies," the folks shouting their wares, the dancing. It was like briefly inhabiting one of those historical novels I read voraciously--I was completely enchanted. In those days, it was a lot more rustic, but my daughter and her friends have had the same magical time here in Minnesota, although Ren Fest tips a little more to the theme park (it's not the oldest, but I think it is the biggest in the country.)
Today is the opening day, and the theme is The Silk Road, so there will be Middle Eastern dancing, music, and lots of folks with jingly costumes.

We may see the jousting, our local Morris Dancers (who also turn up at the May Day festival). There will be Middle Eastern dancing today, and the Grand March parade is great for seeing costume creativity. Mikael no longer performs in MN, but seems to have found other renfest engagement. I may have to make a stop at Ye Olde Express Teller because I'm sure I'll be flinging wads of cash about, but today's excursion will be a last fling with two very dear friends before they move down to Austin.

After: We all wore costumes. Wearing a skirt is much cooler thans pants when it's 85 degrees! Because it was the first day, there was not yet the cloud of dust that hangs over the fair later on in the season; everything was shiny and the flowers and trees were gorgeous under a perfect sky. We love the people watching, the imagination and pleasure people take in dressing up as their fantasy selves (say, sounds like the Star Trek Con! maybe some of these folks were there!). The Florentine ice oranges (a half orange with molded orange ice) are delicious, but they leave your tongue a little raw. We skipped Ye Olde bungee jumping, the elephant ride, and the jousting this year, in favor of the dancing, and really admiring some of the craft work. Really, it was about spending time with our friends. We'll miss them! But now we have an excuse to visit Austin.

5 things meme

Fresca has invited/tagged us (anyone who reads this) with the "5 Things" meme. I invite you to join in, in the comments or at your own place. Fresca's answers are more poetic and entertaining, but I had fun with this.


Here are the steps:
What was I doing 5 years ago?
Five things on my to-do list:
Five snacks I enjoy:
Five things I'd do if I were a billionaire:
What are five of your bad habits?
What are five places you have lived?
What are five jobs you've had?

What was I doing five years ago? Five years ago, when was that? Oh, yeah, ending a relationship with the last person I was in love with because he is an alcoholic. I still miss him.

Five things on my to-do list:
1. finish overdue report;
2. read grad student papers before the semester starts;
3. take stuff to Good Will;
4, make doctor's appointments for tetanus boosters (required by daughter's high school);
5. watch Ousmane Sembene's film Mooladaé so I can return it to the library because it is overdue.

Five snacks I enjoy:
1. Braeburn apple and cheese, especially a good cheddar
2. home-made guacamole and chips, but only when avocados are cheap
3. Snickers bar from the machine down the hall from my office
4. popcorn, consumed as a ritual in the movie theater (no butter)
5. yogurt-covered pretzels from the co-op bulk section

Five things I'd do if I were a billionaire (in addition to the usual fun and games)
1. Set up trust funds for all my family members' retirements and education;
2. Set up a foundation that would work closely with Latino kids and their families in my city from elementary school through post-secondary education with the goal of making sure they graduate high school and go to a college or post-secondary educational program of their choice, with guaranteed scholarships for students who meet certain goals;
3. Endow a chair at my university in Feminist Studies;
4. Set up endowments for the local organizations I already support with my monthly $$: Rainbow Families, KFAI community radio, IATP, Clean Water Action, etc.
5. Have fun!

Five bad habits:
Procrastination, not keeping in touch with people when we move, interrupting, skipping breakfast, not asking for help when I need it.

Five places I have lived: 1.El Paso, Texas, 2, Sagamihara, Japan, 3. Bordeaux, France, 4. Mill Valley, Californiia, 5. Tecamachalco, Mexico.

Five jobs I have had: barista, grocery store cashier, hotel maid in Paris, nanny, Kingpin donut store worker.

My Amtrak adventure

I just got back from spending a few days with friends who live in New Buffalo, Michigan, about an hour's drive (or two hour's drive, if you're unlucky!) from Chicago.
I decided to go on Amtrak, taking the Empire Builder from the Twin Cities Midway station to Chicago's Union Station, where my friends would meet me. The train was scheduled to depart at about 7:30 AM, but when I got there, a bus was idling outside; it turned out that the train had been delayed in Montana (fire? derailment? rumors abounded) so we were offered the choice of waiting another four hours, or taking the bus if we had a connection in Chicago. I opted for the bus because I knew my friends were going to have to drive in to meet me, and I didn't want to leave them hanging; if the train was 4 hours late now, how much later would it be in 4 hours? Nuh-uh.

I had a thoroughly marvelous time with them (subject of another post).

On our drive back to Chicago on Sunday so I could catch the train, we got stuck in traffic and there were a few tense moments at the end when we were watching the minutes tick by as we inched our way along the freeway, exiting by the station, but not exactly sure how to get there with all the one way streets. We ended up ditching the car and sprinting a block to the station, then to the track inside the station, where I boarded with exactly one minute to spare before the train started to move. And when I say "sprint," I really mean a pathetic jog. I have previously dashed across O'Hare, Schipol, and through various European train stations carrying the same red canvas bag, but this time I had no oomph.

All's well that ends well, and the train trip itself was fun. I have traveled by train a lot in Europe but much less in the U.S, and I really enjoyed the leg of the trip along the Mississippi as night was falling.
Leo was ecstatic to see me back, and tomorrow my lovely child and her lovely dad are returning to town! yay!

Happy Birthday, Blas!

Y para recordarte tu tierra: dos jotas

"He de subir al Moncayo"

Jota a San Lorenzo

And now it's all over, except for the tour!

A brief link round-up, after the finale of SYTYCD. I missed Wed's show due to travel, but enjoyed the finale with dancer friends who indulged my summer TV obsession. Josh won--Yay! Katee got a nice consolation prize (last minute award of $50,000) probably in recognition that she's really been the best dancer. Twitch got lots of love and Courtney won the respect of the fans for her terrific growth over the season. Really, we all would have been happy if they hadn't tried to dance these poor four finalists to death, but there were some fun extra bits: the pop-off between Phillip Chbeeb and Robert Muraine: Muraine was deemed most entertaining by the judges, but other fans agreed with me that we loved Chbeeb's great movement. Debbie Allen did a spot-on impression of Li'l C. Can we have them both back next season along with Adam and Mandy? thanks.

A little bit after the fact, but here are links to iVans vlog, with footage of SYTYCD dancers, past and present. Thanks very much to Editor-in-Chief David Benaym for sending them on!
iVAN episode 6 - FINALE RE-UNION

Nate Levy posted several fun posts leading up to his open thread for the finale and his great recaps. Thanks for giving us a space to hang out during the show!

Tonya Plank's detailed commentary on the dancing in the finale commentary is up at HuffPo.

Dance critic Rachel Howard's review of the final week's dancing is posted at Voice of Dance.

Matt from Ranting Details posts his favorite routine from the finale, No Air danced by Josh and Katee. I have loved his hilarious recaps, and I love the rest of his writing as well.


Scott Patrick Wagner shares my love for Sonya's routine for Mark and Courtney in his final recap up at Multiple Personality. Like me, he thought Wade's "Homage to the Rabbits" was excellent stuff. Can we have more Wade next season? Since I recently watched the director's cut of Donnie Darko, that's where it went for me.

While we are waiting for Leee! to post (I hope) his final musings on the final week, we can review his awesome LOLs and wicked wit from the Top 6.

Dance idols: Nureyev and Nijinsky

Nureyev was a great ballet dancer and a pop icon. I never saw him perform live, but when I was young, I saw him in films and on television (including a hilarious bit on the Carol Burnett Show in "Le spectre de la rose" that I cannot find).
He was a dance star before he left the Soviet Union in 1961 at the age of 23,, but when he defected, he became a world celebrity. You can catch of glimpse of why in this trailer for a BBC documentary Nureyev, The Russian Years:

His biography by Julie Kavanaugh presented much new information about his life before his defection, including the man who was his lover and filmed him before he left (and whose family suffered as a result).

This is a lovely Nureyev tribute video (with music by Jeff Buckley). You can see that his technique is not always polished, but his power and charisma are undeniable.


Nureyev danced roles choreographed or debuted by an earlier "god of dance," Nijinsky, such as "L'apres-midi d'un faune." If there still exists any actual film footage of Nijinsky, then it is as yet undiscovered. Rumor is that Cocteau had shot some footage, but Diaghilev wanted to preserve the mystique. Nureyev was to have played him in a film, but the project never came to fruition. Instead, a film with Alan Bates as Sergei Diaghilev )impresario and Nijinsky's lover) a very young Jeremy Irons as Mikhail Fokine, and ABT star George de la Peña was made by director Herb Ross.

SYTYCD spoilers now up at TWoP

If you want spoilers from Monday's taping, go to the Spoilers thread at TWoP here and go to page 418. AprilMarie and and ABTJess218 stayed up until 3AM to leave great descriptions of the routines, costumes, and the entire show. I hope they get a good night's sleep after their hard work!
Mandy Moore is the guest judge, so we'll get to see her dance in her seat again.
Nigel and Mary Murphy dance, for real. But not with each other.

Thanks so much, gerritv, for sending word!

Poll up over to the right: who will you vote for to win? (Not who do you think will win, but who do you WANT to win?)

No spoilers yet

It's after midnight and TWoP is dark. Either the board is having problems or our usual spoiler reporters are still eating dinner after standing since noon to attend the show.

Fan tribute to Katee and Josh, set to a Clay Aiken song.

Twitch shows why he's in the top four (hey, we dance to this in high school!)

And this is where Courtney started to climb the charts. I miss Gev.

Waiting for the SYTYCD spoilers...

Usually at this time, the spoilers start to pop up. But the big news today has been that Twitch and Josh both were hospitalized on Saturday for dehydration, and later released.

Fox announced that 2 of the top 4 dancers had been hospitalized for dehydration on Saturday, but didn't say who (as it is against the law to release medical information without permission). Then an unaffiliated source later spilled the beans that it was the two guys, Twitch and Josh:

"Boss and Allen were treated for dehydration and released, the source adds. Fox had no comment."

Although I have seen no direct source for this, a reliable commenter at TWoP says they were rehearsing a Russian character dance, so they were probably being tortured with those Russian deep knee bend traveling steps that burn up your quads.

Cue rant: These poor dancers have been driven into the ground by the demands of this show: a group dance, two new routines, solos every week for the last few weeks, and more! lifts! for the guys. I hope that all of the final four got a rest and ate a lot this weekend. I hope the show has a massage therapist on staff. I wonder if they have a meal table the way football players do?

Apparently dancers from seasons past will be performing during the last show, along with the Jonas Brothers (gag me). I hope the judges showcase other dancers in the top 20 or at least the top 10 for their "favorite dances" and give the top 4 a break.

Time for a LOL break.


There is a great So You Think You Can LOL thread over at Idol forums.

Thank you to Mademoiselle Lyss for creating SO UR DOIN IT WRONG, a blog where you can see more SYTYCD Lols.

Leee! over at Television! You Black Emperor is the undisputed master of LOLCat Deelys, so I'm expecting something with Cat wearing Twitch's grill any day now. No pressure or anything.
UPDATE:
Yay! Leee once again shows us how it's done.

Fan girl dance critic

In the comments to Rachel Howard's recap of the SYTYCD Top 6 Eliminations show, I posted a rather banal comment about my opinion of the elimination of Mark (wah! sad!). But then I received some interesting email that were replies to my comment at Voice of Dance (which should really get rid of their lousy comment structure, because the resulting dialogue is completely out of order and thus hardly intelligible). Professor of Dance and writer Mindy Aloff, whose name I recognized from having read her reviews in The Nation and other publications, asked what readers of Rachel's article, viewers of the show, thought of the choreography. I think it's worth reposting her question, because she brings up a number of issues that folks have been discussing, in a variety of venues in the dance world, and in the fan boards.

"Would be interested to find even one reader's assessment of the choreography--especially since the show, itself, which I like, takes a lot of care to emphasize the subject. Does anyone (apart from Rachel) care? Would it make a difference to anyone if these were gymnasts rather than dancers? What, in your view, makes the dancing, well, dancing? And what do you all think about the fact that, say, in the rehearsal segment for the Viennese waltz, we actually heard a Viennese waltz (by Johann Strauss, Jr) but in performance the Viennese waltz choreography had to be performed to pop music. Why do you think the producers made that change? Aren't you all dancers and dance fans? Don't you have views on stuff like this?"

My reply, and her response as well as the responses of others are a little hard to follow because the site has a lame comment feature, but I want to know what people think of her question and all the questions that come with it.

Are we just suckers for a pretty face, a scripted showmance, a pop ballad? are we manipulated by the judges' vague and tendentious commentary that does little to educate us about what to look for in the performance or the choreography? Does it all boil down to "I may not know much about dance, but I know what I like"? What is the difference between saying "I lurve Mark" and "Mark is the best dancer on the show" (or Will, or Katee, etc). America's best dancer vs. America's favorite? Did "Ameriker get it right/wrong?" How do the "experts" talk to the "fans"? (and of course these are not at all mutually exclusive categories!) Does the fact that Nigel is plugging American Idol by having the Viennese Waltz danced to a David Cook song instead of Strauss mean that serious lovers of dance feel cheated? Does the NappyTabs "lyrical hip hop" live up to the desire of some fans of hip hop to have something closer to their experience visible on the show? What are we missing when we don't have judges or experts educating viewers about what it is they see when they look at dance?

I really want to read Aloff's book Dance Anecdotes now, because she has collected STORIES about dance. I'm fascinated by how we respond to dance, how we talk about it, the role of the professional critic, the expert, the judge and also the response of the amateur, the dance lover, or the viewers rendered temporarily insane by their intense crushes on the performers.

One thing that bothers me is the sneering remarks about "fifteen year-old girls who just have crushes on the dancers" that I've read in more than one forum. I was one of those fifteen year-old girls whose love of dance first manifested itself in a violent crush on a dancer I saw perform with the American Ballet Theater back in 1970(?) or so, Ivan Nagy. He wasn't yet a principal, I believe, but he was no longer in the corps de ballet. All I saw was a performance that captivated me, and a photo in the program, but I was madly in love.

I was my mother's ballet buddy. She would get season tickets to performances at the San Francisco Opera House for whatever dance performances were going on--The San Francisco Ballet Company, American Ballet Theater, the Joffrey Ballet--and I got to come along. I wasn't a dancer myself (I kept injuring my ankles and knees) but I was madly in love with dance. And with the dancers. I would develop an intense obsession with some dancer during the performance and crush on the photo in the program at home. I was completely enamored of Ivan Nagy of the ABT before he went on to dance principal roles, and later transferred my affections to Fernando Bujones after I saw him dance in Don Quixote with Natalia Makarova. My Nureyev crush set in when I saw the 1972 documentary film I Am A Dancer , and it was as much about the revelation of artistry as it was about his charisma. It was a fixation on the beauty, the eroticism, the passion of dance and what I fantasized to be the life of the artist. Sure, the fantasy was probably fueled by hormones, but it was also a manifestation of my yearning for beauty, for passionate expression far beyond what I had (yet) experienced in my daily life. I went on to cultivate my passion for dance by viewing, reading, participating, study. But it was the fangirl crush that got me started, just the way Will Wingfield saw Dirty Dancing and said "I want to do that!"
I have many different relationships to dance and dance talk now, beyond the girly crush, but I still find myself smitten with the "coup de foudre", the lightning bolt crush.

So, still in the throes, I leave you with this:

What Cat said.

A story we must all hear, a story too many already know

Sunday's must read: "Held Suspect" by TerranceDC at Pam's House Blend. He eloquently recounts his own experience, as well as that of family and friends, as a black man in the U.S. who must always be aware of the very real possibility of police violence if he is stopped for driving while black, walking while black, being black in America. I have several friends and acquaintances who have lived through some version of this experience as darker-skinned Latinos or Latin Americans living in the U.S. as well. One of the definitions of white privilege is that those of us who are white have the luxury of being ignorant of these realities, without risk. All black parents must confront that moment when they have to teach their children to survive in a racist society.

SYTYCD update

No, I'm not going to be able to do the job that Ted did, but here are some links to recaps and posts I've found through the BSYTYCD site. If it's a little Mark-centric, hey! No secret he is my fave.



Great news! Natalie's Top 6 Music Recap has found a home at Television! You Black Emperor. I wonder if Leee! will have a chance to weigh in or if Comic-Con flattened him? Doesn't this picture NEED to be a LOLCat?

My home town paper the SF Chronicle's dance critic Rachel Howard recaps the performance show at Voice of Dance: So You Think You Can Dance: Difficult Decisions and the Eliminations episode. I always appreciate her separate scores for choreography and performance, and her expert reviews.

Tonya Plank (aka Swan Lake Samba Girl) recaps at HuffPo on the Final Six eliminations show. I appreciate Tonyas ballroom/classical dance background, and her positive approach to reviewing dance performances.

A super, fierce heart-felt tribute to Mark Kanemura at the blog The Fat Lady Sings, by former theater performer, acting and dance coach who sees Mark as a force of nature.

Dancer/writer/photographer Matt at Ranting Details has some wicked and telling thoughts about the performance episode, but won't be able to blog next week. Wah!

BeckyLooo over at If a TV Falls in the Woods is too busy being wildly successful at having her TV script filmed, and having been invited to play a major organizing role in the Obama campaign to blog Sytycd; congratulations to her!

VH1 Best Week Ever recaps the results show and they are not fans of Lady Gaga.

Ducky Does TV asks fans if they have been blowing hot and cold on the show this season as he has. His witty extended recap of the results show is on After Elton.

And at Give Me My Remote, there were some tears.

Smug Doug is not wild about the top four.

Pond Culture's take is always slantwise, but often quite astute.

LA Times Show Tracker attends each show and talks about what happened off camera.

BuddyTV does the usual phone interviews with Mark and Chelsie

Probably going to be a Mark Kanemura fansite, a collaboration between The Fat Lady Sings and The Markers (IDF fans), because people want to know where he's going next. May I say how much I adore the*WUB*, the gifs, sigs, montages, avis, and sweetness on the Mark Kanemura fanthread? (I wish I had some bouncing emoticons to put here.)

I won't be doing this every day, but the season's almost over, and I'll keep you posted when the next iVan blog goes up, or if you want to pass on any tidbits you come across, feel free to send them along.

Update on BSYTYCD from Movmnt Magazine

This summer, the show time open thread over at Blogging So You Think You Can Dance (or BSYTYCD) was a place where I felt comfortable joking, expressing my feelings, sharing my pleasure (or displeasure) about the show and my crazy fixation on it, since many of my friends and family just aren't that into it. The blog's host, whom I knew only as Ted, and his co-hosts Sue B. and Natalie, did a wonderful job, and folks who participated in the comments often warmly thanked them at the end of the show's broadcast for providing links, updates, recaps, song lists, and a civil space in which to watch together.

When Ted announced abruptly this week that he was putting the blog on hiatus, I hoped it was only because he was busy with work, (or had a life, unlike me!) and not because of some personal distress or problems. Blogging can become time-consuming. As all the comment sections had been closed, I wasn't quite sure how to get in touch, but enough of us found each other by clicking around on the blogroll, that by Thursday's show we had a group chatting again at the blog Levy on TV, thanks to Nate.

I just received this comment in my earlier post about the hiatus. As several of BSYTYCD's commenters had wondered what was up, I thought would I bump this message from movmnt magazine's Editor-in-chief, David Benaym up to a post. Here's the whole message, which is also on the site. Thanks, David, for sharing this news.

For two years, a blog has made a difference covering Fox’s TV hit show, So You Think You Can Dance. Created by Ted Austin, bsytycd.com brought together accuracy, newsworthy links and stories, always with the right amount of criticism or humor without indecency or any kind of voyeurism towards the contestants, their private lives or rumors. The only focus has always been on their performances and talent. The site gathered information and opinions without censorship, followed by a respectful blog audience inspired by Ted’s spirit to respect one another.

That is until a certain part of this’ season’s audience of SYTYCD and by extension, BSYTCD.COM, showed some disrespect towards some of the contestants and used inappropriate language to express whatever anger they might have felt.

Everyone at movmnt would like to thank Ted for leading the blog community to a respectful and accurate coverage of the show. Just two weeks before the season’s finale BSYTCD is going on hiatus. Ted expressed in a last post that he “tried to make it to the end of the season, but just have too much going on.”

Movmnt will do his best to perpetuate your legacy, Ted; hoping that all the good that happened for the past two years via your blog initiative will be remembered and carried-on by your faithful reader base.

The loss of Blogging So You Think You Can Dance definitely marks the end of an era.

Step into the light,

David Benaym - Editor in Chief, Movmnt Magazine

Originally posted on www.movmnt.com/bsytycd_00933.html

I don't have any more information on this, but I am sad that Ted seems to have experienced incivility and hassle monitoring the comments. There's more than enough of that going on at other sites, as we all know. It's also a reminder to me to remember, when I hit that send button, that careless words can hurt. My rule of thumb for this blog, and for my comments, is that if I were not happy seeing my words on the front page of the local newspaper with my name attached to them, then they don't belong online. (I actually went back through my Disqus comments to see if I had been guilty of having used inappropriate language. I confess I did say "Nigel STFU' in one comment, but I don't think that is quite the level of incivility this message suggests. ) All I can say is that Ted did a great job of shielding us from this, as I never saw any of it on the site. What a shame, and a good reminder about how we are all renegotiating human interactions through this technological interface in ways we do not yet always understand very well.

If Nate continues to be gracious enough to host an open thread next week for the last two shows, I hope we will all feel free to express our opinions AND live up to the standards BSYTYC set during its run. Once again, many thanks to Ted, Sue B. and Natalie!