Top Chef: The rice cooker shouldn't affect the timing that much. I can see some times when it would take that long, particularly if you're dealing with a variety that needs soaked beforehand (half an hour) and steamed off afterwards (half an hour), but nonetheless they had plenty of time. Particularly since they were going to be reheating the items, there wasn't any reason not to cook it well in advance. Although I don't think rice holds up well in the microwave either, but that's probably more that it doesn't do well in refrigeration, so not really their issue.

Heh. I have strong opinions about rice. Whodathunk? Also? I'm totally taking my rice cooker with me this summer. What? It's ten weeks! Like I'm not going to be eating rice for ten weeks! And you know damn sure they aren't going to be serving any as camp food, and certainly not good sticky Japanese rice, which I'm stocking up on while I have access to the Japanese grocery over the summer.

SIUaD: I know none of you are watching this, but I just had to say Oscar is back! Hee. I always felt like the competition was stacked oddly in its genres such that technical dancers were heavily weighted against. So Oscar and Tovah didn't make it through and much less skilled dancers like Michael and Janelle (sp?) did. So I was glad that the reset challenge was something that would work for dancers both with technical skill and with great passion. Oh, and what was up with Mochi's meltdown? Pressure getting to her I guess. And of course Miguel's partner left him in the lurch again! Whatev.

I watch every week!

I cannot believe Oscar is back. Ugh.

I'm totally watching Step It Up and Dance. I don't always catch it live, but because it's on Bravo, I get the chance to catch it on one of it's 50 million repeats.

I was upset that no one got eliminated last night when we could have so clearly rid ourselves of Janelle. And I didn't think Cody was bad last night at all. Did he lack a little sabor? Well, maybe, but technically I still felt that he was better than Miguel and the other one who is so milquetoast that his name is totally escaping me right now. I think it's gotta be either Cody or Mochi for the win.

Step it Up: Nick is the milquetoast. I kinda like him, but I know why he's been getting pinged for lack of passion and it's not his facial expressions like he thinks.

I agree about the no elimination. I think the elimination with replacement is all the better for the bitter tears of defeat! Did they need to extend the season or something? Anyway, totally agree that Janelle should have gone.

Ongoing comments...why is the judges panel so hung up on masculinity? Surely in dance you can be effeminate and not have anybody give you guff!

And I love that they totally have the judges panel right in front of the contestants! They get to hear all the comments, good or bad, and it's up to them what they do with it. On the one hand it's so passive aggressive because they're standing there being talked about, but on the other hand it's so much better than a stew room when they're just mystified why they did well or poorly.

I really do not enjoy the permanent judges panel on this show (although I have liked most of the guest judges). Their decisions have been completely random from week to week and often rest on things that have nothing to do with the talent of the dancers on stage (or else Tovah would still be in it).

The masculine dancing thing seems to be a particular fascination/hang up of reality show dance contests. (See also SYTYCD, esp. Nigel, Dan and Shane) I do think Miguel is often not very believable when he is doing partner work, but that's because he's not a very good dancer, not because he's too feminine.

When does SYTYCD start? I think my TiVO will catch it regardless, but I want to make sure....

next week, I believe.

MTV is doing a marathon of SYTYCD (last season) on the 17th.

May 22nd. It seems so far away.

But the MTV marathon is such good news! I wish they'd do S2 again. And little old lonely S1. So forlorn, but it was a really good season. Mmmmmm, Blake.

So rewatching SYTYCD is interesting. I realize that if I just completely tune Lauren out, Neil becomes much more tolerable. Their first week Club Salsa is still ridiculously awful, but he really did turn it out in the Dave Scott hip hop. I also remember how I wasn't completely won over by Danny until, ironically, the week he and Anya did Dan's hip hop routine. I thought the week one Jive he was still waaaay too ballet. (He was killing me with the gran plie and all the turn out!) Even in the Waltz (which was gorgeous for the most part) I remember hating that back turn that Mary was raving about because of the awkwardness of the head roll. (It looked like he was trying to pop Anya's head off) And now the judges are about to break my heart and send Chuy home. It is too much.

Sigh. I heart this show sooooo much.