Because I Have To

Bruh pic.twitter.com/7eHt5kXrjJ
— Gideon Resnick (@GideonResnick) February 26, 2015

Which Runaway Llama Are You? http://t.co/7Bhj67JKpl
— BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) February 26, 2015

Benedict Cumberbatch is already in talks to play the white llama.
— Miss L (@ProResting) February 26, 2015

Lots of fun with llamas. On the other hand, I have nothing to say about the dress.

The Apocalypse Is Upon Us

According to Page Six at the NY Post, the Kardashian/Jenner tribe has signed a $100 million deal for four more years of, well, everything:  

The deal covers at least four more seasons of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” as well as spinoffs, which have included “Kourtney and Khloé Take the Hamptons.” E! executives also believe the family’s huge social media following will fuel future digital projects. Jenner had previously been rumored to be in talks about a Kardashian YouTube channel.

There will be further opportunities for the sisters under the new package. Khloé has been hosting red carpet coverage as well as post-Oscar and Grammy specials for E! Kim is also expected to produce her own future shows.

E! also has an eye on future vehicles for the youngest generation of the Kardashian clan. Kendall has quickly risen to become one of the world’s top fashion models. Kylie has had success in modeling and TV hosting, but wants to become an actor.

Apparently Bruce isn't part of the deal, although he may show up in his own series, if he is indeed transitioning to be a woman.  

Read the story here. 

The Invisible Primary

Good stuff from Jonathan Bernstein about the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that goes on in the year before voters actually get to begin voting. He's referring to an Iowa poll showing Wisconsin governor Scott Walker with a solid lead: 

I wouldn’t spend a lot of time studying the polls to find out how real Walker’s numbers are. We already know that most voters had barely heard of the Wisconsin governor a month or so ago, and that he’s attracted excellent coverage, especially in Republican-aligned media, over the last several weeks. 

The first thing to watch for real is whether he receives a flood of endorsements from politicians, interest-group leaders, campaign and governing professionals, and other important party actors.

And a second indication that Walker is gaining ground would be if some possible rivals drop out. In particular, watch four other Republican governors who have started out slowly or appear to be struggling: Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, John Kasich and Mike Pence. If one or more drop out in the next few weeks, it may be because uncommitted resources are drying up and because the people they are reaching out to are telling them 2016 isn't going to be their year.

The lack of such signs was key when Mitt Romney made a big splash about running. Even though he was polling well, he quickly gave up. Nor did the party immediately rally around Jeb Bush after he first expressed interest -- in contrast to the early acclamation his brother received in the 2000 cycle. Jeb has chosen to fight it out.  

Every politician has a personal calculation of what he or she is willing to risk on any particular campaign. Overall, however, if people are still jumping in, it means the race is wide open. If candidates are leaving, this probably indicates that most party factions have committed somewhere, even if they haven't said so publicly. 

 Walker appeared to be a formidable contender even before his surge, and he's in better shape now than he was a month ago. But until the party sends clear signs it is beginning to decide on its nominee, I’m leaving him where I’ve had him for a while: in a top tier with Bush and Florida Senator Marco Rubio. Nothing more.

Fascinating. Read the entire post here. 

Days to Election Day: 621

Who's The Most Popular Resident Of The White House?

.@StephenCurry30 poses w/ Bo & Sunny during his @WhiteHouse visit. More to come on his meeting with the #POTUS soon. pic.twitter.com/SsGS6h89Sy
— Laurence Scott (@LaurenceScott) February 25, 2015

It's Bo and Sunny, of course!

Bali Hai

One more thing: I love this picture from Jade's Twitter feed.



Update: I feel like I need to clarify what I wrote about Kaitlyn's departure after the fantasy suite dates. The buzz about her as the next Bachelorette has been building as the episodes air, but obviously, the fantasy suite dates and rose ceremony were filmed back in November. The producers may have been looking at her as a potential Bachelorette once Chris determined that she wouldn't be his final pick, and that may have influenced the decision to send her home at that point, but there was no way to know, at that time, what public reaction to her would be.

Original Post


How beautiful was Bali? And what a contrast to boring Iowa. Granted, they filmed in Iowa in November and it's probably more colorful in the middle of summer, but still. Wasn't it fun to see all the beautiful colors, the flowers, the animals, the ocean, etc.? I've written before that the other contestants almost certainly feel some disappointment that their travels only included New Mexico (not a foreign country,) South Dakota and Iowa. Even the final rose ceremony, which will be shown in two weeks, was filmed back in Iowa in the middle of November. Dreary!

To her apparent shock, Kaitlyn was sent home this week, leaving Whitney and Becca as the final two. Along with many other observers in Bachelor Nation, I've come to believe that Whitney is almost certainly the eventual winner of this thing and I'd go so far as to say that Chris probably didn't care one way or the other who was sent home after the Fantasy Suite dates and who is rejected at the final rose ceremony. My bet is producers opted to keep Becca because the whole "virgin" thing appears to add some drama to his final decision. There's also increasing buzz around Kaitlyn to be the next Bachelorette, and if that's the case, she needed to leave the show before the final episode. As Reality Steve frequently explains, the Bach'ette filming schedule, which starts just a day or two after the Finale airs, almost certainly precludes using the runner-up as the next Bach'ette. Even in the not-really-real world of dating on this show, it's not credible that the runner-up would be shown leaving heartbroken and in tears during the final episode then joyfully be introduced as The Bach'ette on the After The Final Rose show the same night. I'm still rooting for Britt, but her star seems to be fading.

I don't know very much about Bali and I'd been wondering how, exactly, you get there from Iowa. It's not an easy trip, as Chris Harrison explains. I also like the tidbit about how at this point in the show they all travel separately:

The travel from Iowa was no joke. We had to make our way to Los Angeles, and then we caught a short little flight over to Hong Kong. After a nice layover in Hong Kong we connected over to the Island of Bali. The trip was long and not so exotic, but once we arrived to the island it was all worthwhile. We were based out of the beautiful Mulia Resort right on the beach in Denpasar, Bali.

Just a little behind-the-scenes information for you: Once we get to hometowns the show is no longer about the women being together and going on group dates. At this point we just want Chris and the ladies to concentrate on each other and nothing else. To help this effort, everybody travels separately at different times, and the women don't see each other until the rose ceremony.

Have you ever wondered how to get cast on the show? Kevin Murray, a writer at the We Love Dates blog, came close to being cast for Desirée's season. He shared his journey through the casting process and hint, it's not for the faint of heart. Read it here. 

The new Dancing With The Stars cast was announced yesterday, except for a surprise name to be added later. Is it Bachelor Chris? Probably. They did the same thing with Sean Lowe two years ago, announcing his name after the final episode of The Bach aired. Apparently DWTS producers looked at Juan Pab last year too, but by the time the show was over he was so unpopular, and he and the network were so sick of each other, that he didn't get the job. 

And speaking of getting the job, is Kaitlyn really the next Bach'ette? It's looking that way, although producers want to gauge reaction to the Women Tell All show before making their final decision. They want someone who can generate good ratings (which apparently Andi didn't) and they're also hiring an employee. They need someone they can work with, who will be professional and cooperative and dependable (which apparently Juan Pablo wasn't.) As a potential dating partner for 25 men, I perceive Britt to be more attractive and appealing than Kaitlyn, but we'll see. 

That's all for now, rosebuds. I'm not usually very interested in the Women Tell All show but this year it should be a doozy. The Ashleys! Kelsey! Carly! Britt! In his Yahoo blog Chris Harrison promises the gang's all there. Meet me back here next week, same Bach time, same Bach channel! 

Another Baby Story

Issue Dated March 9, 2015


Another celebrity baby cover, ick. I'm so not into the baby stories but lots of people must be, and they must sell well, because People does them often. It was just two weeks ago that another blonde singer ("Christina Aguilera, New Baby, New Life") was shown smiling on the cover with her infant daughter. Sigh.

There's a topline tease about Bobbi Kristina Brown and I admit I'm curious about what's going to happen to that poor girl. Does she have any realistic chance of survival? It's turned into an ugly story with info about relatives feuding over money and access, possible foul play and the apparently really screwed up life BK was living before she ended up face-down in a bathtub. I know it's a complex situation, and everything I know about it comes from what's being said and written in the media, which is never the whole story, but still. For all the adults who are now fervently praying for Ms. Brown's recovery, all of whom claim to only want what's best for her, couldn't you have done more to help her before she ended up in intensive care? To me it looks like there's no good outcome here. Sad.

It Never Gets Old

I first posted this clip a year ago when the U.S. played Russia at the Sochi Olympics; today is the 35th anniversary of the game so I'm posting it again. Do you believe in miracles? Yes!

Nacho!

#MCM: Nacho Figueras. #Polo #RalphLauren #ManCrushMonday pic.twitter.com/oSbqDmLfmn
— Lee Radziwill (@LeeRadziwill) February 17, 2015

Because why not? A sexy throwback to one of my earliest posts on the blog. I joyfully re-tweeted this beautiful tweet from Lee Radziwill.

Things I Don't Care About

Or at least, not that much: The Oscars. I haven't seen any of the nominated films and I just haven't engaged very much with the whole bloated spectacle this time around. On the other hand, I'll probably watch the show Sunday night and I've even printed out a ballot so I can follow along with who wins what. (Full disclosure: I do that with The Bachelor too. Group date rose? Check. Sent home on one-on-one date? Check. Final rose tonight? Check, check, check...)

Some years I write post-Oscars posts and some years I just walk away. Stay tuned.

Blogging The Bach: And Then There Were Three

Is the rest of the Bachelor season going to be boring? Could be, with the possible exception of the Women Tell All episode, which, if all the usual suspects show up, could end up being pretty good television. (On the other hand, it's possible that everyone will cry, hug and starting singing Up With People, which would be very boring.) As the season has gone on, I've been looking forward to each episode, wondering what will happen to crazy Ashley S? What happens with Kelsey? With Britt? With Chris, when he finds out his Cinderella, aka Jade Elizabeth, got naked for the whole world to see? At the end of Monday night's episode, with all of these issues resolved, I realized I don't really care that much about the Fantasy Suites dates, or even who Chris ends up with, really. In Chris Harrison's latest TVGuide interview, he states that [Chris] "likes the small town, easy to get along with girls. If you notice, all the crazy drama and the over-the-top girls are gone," which translates to "it's boring from here on out."

Still, it's been an intense two days of all things Bachelor, particularly around Britt and her emotional exit and lots of Mean Girl gloating from the remaining five women. It was only five for a few more minutes however, as they went ahead with the rose ceremony and head mean girl Carly was sent home. By the way, did anyone notice how "sad" Carly looked when Chris announced that he had sent Britt home? Based on all the shade Carly threw Britt's way I would have expected her to react to that announcement with cheering and high fives, similar to the way she reacted when Kelsey was sent home. Chris wasn't in the room for that one, of course and I'm wondering. Is it possible Carly tempered her reaction in front of Chris? Is it possible she acted one way when she was alone with the women and another way when Chris was in the room? Is it possible that Carly was being fake???? 

Just something to think about. I'd still like to see Britt as the next Bachelorette, not least because I like what she wrote on Instagram after the episode aired: 

I'm not even going to address all of the things said about me except that I choose to forgive and love those people because I understand how intense of an environment we were all in, and viewers can plainly see that I tell Chris the truth every time. That speaks for itself and everything else will come and go. I also apologize for processing my emotions out loud when I should have waited for privacy. I ask for grace and forgiveness as well. Love you guys. Seriously!  

She was also on Jimmy Kimmel, which makes me think ABC is still looking seriously at her for the next Bachelorette. 



And what about Jade? The big reveal wasn't as dramatic as I expected it to be. Jade told Carly before she told Chris but based on what was shown none of the other women knew as they were filming, which means there was no drama about it in the house and Jade was able to tell Chris about it privately. It could have been edited and shown as a big drawn-out scandalous thing, and it's nice that it wasn't. On the other hand, really, ABC/producers? Not only making Jade show Chris the video, but also showing us, the viewers, the video? Granted, the black box was back, but still the whole thing was just tacky and it's no surprise that Jade didn't get a rose. I'd also be willing to bet that Jade has some real-life regrets about doing the pictures in the first place. Not even so much because they probably influenced Chris's decision to let her go but because they really will follow her around for the rest of her life. Potential husbands, future colleagues and customers, even her future children will all be able to see her in all her adventurous naked glory. As she gets older I have a feeling that's not going to be a good thing. 

Now, finally, the three remaining women get to go someplace glamorous and interesting. (In other words, they can stop pretending to care about Deadwood, South Dakota and Des Moines.) Bali, here we come for the infamous Fantasy Suite dates. Milk it for all its worth, ladies, because unfortunately it's back to Iowa for the final rose ceremony. 

We're in the home stretch, Rosebuds, and after the big two-day "event" we're back to the regular schedule, so meet me back here Monday night, same Bach time, same Bach channel. 

The Top Dog

Friday night update: Miss P enjoys the traditional media tour of every Westminster Dog Show winner.

Meeting the kids at a Ronald McDonald house


Visiting AOL


A delicious steak lunch at Sardis


Saying Hi to the horse before a carriage ride through the city.


Original Post:


Congratulations and lots of tail wagging to Miss P, the wonderful beagle who won the Westminster Dog Show last night, apparently in a bit of an upset. Could she be any cuter?

Duggars Again? Really?

Issue dated March, 2, 2015


Why, People, why? Isn't there anything else going on in pop culture? Do issues with Duggars on the cover really sell that well? I've been expecting a Fifty Shades of Grey cover and now it only gets a topline tease, bumped by Duggars. Ick.

Hot As Hell & Sweet And Classic As A Bottle Of Coke

The title of this post is from Ashley I's blog and she's referring to Prince Farming, of course, as part of an interesting look back at her time on The Bach: 

All jokes aside, my Bachelor experience may have ended in tears (I mean, how else?), but it was amazing. (Dollar in “amazing jar.”) Does this qualify my Bachelor story as “tragic, but amazing”? I made best friends and went on “amazing adventures.” Let’s be real, if it weren’t for Chris Soules, I would have probably died never having driven a tractor, rafted down the Rio Grande, or camped. (I especially would have never camped.) The dude is hot as hell and sweet and classic as a bottle of Coke. I was so into him, I basically devoured him at any chance. However charming Prince Farming is, he turned out not to be my Aladdin.

Read the entire post here. 

You Would Cry Too If It Happened To You

The new Bachelor theme song? Possibly. It's such a great song and I'm sad to read that Lesley Gore died of cancer today at the age of 68. 

Listen and rock on! 

Blogging The Bach: Iowa Stubborn

Welcome Rosebuds!  We're in the middle of the two-night Bachelor "event" and as always as we get closer to the end of the season, we're seeing trauma and drama, tears, and even a bit of a temper tantrum. Thoughts:

Prince Farming has lots of fans, apparently. I read that ratings are so good this time around that ABC wanted more, more, more of The Bachelor, which is why we got an extra hour last night, titled "Chris Tells All." He really didn't and it was pretty boring, except for the interview with Andi. There was some real emotion there and I admit I'm wondering why she and Josh broke up. At the end of her season they appeared to be a better match than some of the other couples we've seen in the past, (Ben and Courtney? Jake and Vienna?) plus they both live in Atlanta so no one had to pack up and move. There are rumors that Andi might be the Bachelorette again, although Chris Harrison shot that thought down in one of his interviews. On the other hand, I could see Josh as the next Bachelor, if no good candidate emerges from this summer's Bachelorette show.

After 19 seasons, it's no surprise that producers are tweaking the format, but I'm going on record: please stop with the "to be continued" cliffhangers. I want to see a rose ceremony at the end of each episode! This show does enough "teasing" as it is. In his Yahoo blog post, Chris Harrison promises that we'll see 2 rose ceremonies tonight - the one from the end of last night's episode, and the one after the hometown dates. Yay!

The show's being less careful about previews this time around. As Reality Steve points out (yes I do read him sometimes) last night's previews showed Becca and Jade on hometown dates, Kaitlyn got the group date rose, so we know she gets a hometown date, and in his new TVGuide interview, posted late last night, Chris Harrison refers to Whitney's hometown date. That gives us the final four - Jade, Kaitlyn, Becca and Whitney, which means that both Carly and Britt will go home at the beginning of tonight's episode. Presumably that what causes all the crying from Britt that we've seen in various previews. (Read the Chris Harrison interview here.)

We've seen lots of crying so far, of course and did you notice that they've all got that "wiping under their eyes with a finger" move down pat? Wipe the tears, don't smear the mascara. Thanks, Ashley I!

Carly can be charming and hilarious, but also pretty mean. Any true student of Bachelors past would know that it almost never works out well to trash another woman to the Bachelor and I thought Carly took a little too much pleasure in Britt's meltdown last night. Note that for all her drama, we've never heard Britt say anything negative about any of the other women. Will Carly and Britt both be eliminated in a regular rose ceremony? Does Britt decide to leave on her own? Will there be any fireworks between them? We'll know soon.

Megan was on Good Morning, America this morning, live in the studio, (and Ashley I was on last week) which is a throwback to how things were back in the early years of the show: the rejected woman showed up on GMA the next morning. They got away from doing that for a while but with so much interest in this season, and the ratings to match, ABC is doubling down on publicity for the show, and I hope they continue. I like seeing the women when the insanity has faded and they're back to being their normal selves. For what it's worth, Megan says Becca is the best match for Chris.

That's it for now, Rosebuds, the Monday night episode is only about 90 minutes away. TTYS!

A Dog's Life

"Any man who does not like dogs and want them about does not deserve to be in the White House," attributed to Calvin Coolidge.

Happy President's Day!

For more about presidential dogs, click here.

Fifty Shades Of Blogging

No, I'm not talking about the new movie, I'm just having a little fun with the title of this post. Actually I'm celebrating six years of blogging. It was February 14, 2009 when I created this blog by writing my first post, and six years later I still love my little blog. Here's that first post:

Okay, here goes. I've been thinking about blogging for quite a while, and today I'm actually going to start doing it. As I begin, I've been pondering what kind of blog I want to create - should I be completely anonymous, with deeply personal musings that I wouldn't want anyone who actually knows me to read? Or should I write it with a specific audience in mind, more like a personal conversation? I've decided to stick with writing for an audience that knows me. If I ever want to go into private stream-of-consciousness mode and write things I wouldn't want my grandmother to read, I'll start another blog (and never tell any of you about it.)

For a while this blog will definitely be a "work in progress," as I learn all the tools and tricks of blogging, but hang in there with me. This is going to be fun!

At times I've been a little on again/off again about blogging, for a variety of reasons, but as long as there are Kardashians in the world, as long as there are Bachelors and Bachelorettes, as long as there are royals and politicians, the Olympics and Sarah Palin, I'll always make my way back to the blog.

Here's to the next six years!

Do We Know Who's Running in 2016?

Friday afternoon update: Here's the new list from The Fix: 

 1. Jeb Bush 
 2. Scott Walker
 3. Marco Rubio
 4. Rand Paul
 5. Chris Christie
 6. Tie: Ted Cruz and John Kasich
 8. Bobby Jindal
 9. Mike Huckabee
10. Mike Pence

Read the story here

Original Post: 
The list ebbs and flows. Chris Cillizza at The Fix will have a new list out later today; here's what Jonathan Bernstein wrote yesterday afternoon: 

I don’t think [Ohio governor John] Kasich is a leading candidate; I still have Jeb Bush, Scott Walker and Marco Rubio (in some order) as my top tier of strong contenders. But each of the three has significant vulnerabilities, and they are all untested at this level.

After that, I can’t see anyone standing out as significantly stronger than Kasich, at least so far. Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana hasn't gained traction yet. Rick Perry (who, remember, is still under indictment) may never recover from his 2012 run.

Indiana Governor Mike Pence looks great on paper, but has lately come to share some of Kasich’s weaknesses, and, notwithstanding today’s George Will column, appears to be less committed to a presidential race than his Ohio neighbor.

Mike Huckabee still hasn’t shown he can raise money and may have the active opposition of everyone besides Christian conservatives. Rick Santorum is probably nothing more than a cut-rate Huck.

Chris Christie? As David Letterman would say, I wouldn’t give his troubles to a monkey on a rock.

That’s it for the viable candidates.

Read Bernstein's entire post here. 

Days until Election Day: 633

Did You Go To College?

Question: What do the following presidents have in common?

George Washington
Andrew Jackson
Martin Van Buren
William Henry Harrison
Zachary Taylor
Millard Fillmore
Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Johnson
Grover Cleveland
William McKinley
Harry Truman

Answer: They didn't have college degrees. 

Why is this news? Because of Scott Walker, current governor of Wisconsin and potential 2016 presidential candidate, who attended but did not graduate from Marquette University. Does it matter? Is being president a job that requires a college degree? At this point the answer is "who knows?" If Walker decides to run we're sure to hear more about it. 

For now, the Washington Post has an interesting story, you can read it here. 

Christina Aguilera

Issue dated February 23, 2015


Really, People? No Fifty Shades of Grey? Celebrity baby covers must sell well because People does them all the time but I just don't get it. I really, really don't care about Christina Aguilera's baby.

Guessing?

I'm taking a break from "official' guessing game posts for a while but old habits die hard and I've been pondering what might be on the cover of People this week. My best guess is a Fifty Shades of Grey story, although Brian Williams is also a possibility, as is Kayla Mueller, the young American woman killed by ISIS. Bruce Jenner and Bobbi Kristina Brown are still in the news this week but they were on last week's cover. Now that I'm on a roll, thinking about this, the Grammys are another possibility, and it could be time for another Bach-themed cover. Ashley I. v. Kelsey, maybe? We'll know soon.

One more: Jon Stewart announced he's leaving The Daily Show, although that just happened last night, probably past the mag's deadline. Hold that thought for next week.

Blogging The Bach: Badness In The Badlands

Tuesday afternoon update: Here's Ashley on Jimmy Kimmel.



Original Post:


Lots of crazy last night on The Bach. Thoughts: 

The show started with the rose ceremony from the previous week and McKenzie and Samantha were sent home. In a previous post I had said that McKenzie was too young for Chris, that there was almost a father/daughter vibe to their date, and it turns out I was right. From Chris' blog at People.com:

I never really knew how old any of the girls were. Let's face it: It's not polite to ask a woman's age. But the week before in L.A., Mackenzie had shown me part of her diary from when she was younger, and the problem was, the dates she was in middle school were the same dates I was in college. I still didn't feel polite asking her age and decided I would give myself a little more time to get to know her because of how much I liked her early on. Unfortunately, our connection did not grow, and that combined with our age difference was enough for me to say good-bye.

(Side note to Chris: from one blogger to another, watch the clichés. Using "let's face it" twice in one post is never a good idea.)  

There was a one-on-one date with Becca and a group date with six women, but the big drama last night, as expected, came from the two-on-one date with Chris, Ashley and Kelsey. It would be very easy to snark on about both Ashley (the eyelashes!) and Kelsey (the pretension!) and heaven knows Twitter lit up with glee, but I'm having some serious thoughts this morning. 

Ashley first. I'll start by saying I wish we could live in a world where women are not judged by their appearance. We are so not there yet and Ashley's being ridiculed up and down the internet for her looks, and in particular for her eyelashes. She sets herself up for some of it, because saying "I'm real" while wearing those eyelash extensions is truly an invitation to mock. There's also the Kardashian Konnection (sorry, couldn't resist.) Ashley is very open about the fact that Kim K is her role model and in some circles that's a pretty good way to get yourself laughed at. 

It turns out, however, that Ashley is not a bimbo. In what may have been the best moment of the show she turned to Kelsey and said "You think I'm not as smart as you because I don't use big words? ... You and I both have our masters... and if you think I'm not intelligent enough to see through you you're friggin' hilarious." As I was watching I found myself thinking, Wait, what? Did Ashley just say she has a masters degree? Yes she does and there's a lesson here for all of us about assuming we know everything about someone based on the way they dress or how much make-up they use. Check this out: 

Now to Kelsey, who was clearly set up and edited as the villain of this season. To be fair, she provided a lot of ammunition, frequently coming across as pretentious and manipulative. Some of that was editing, of course, but she gave the producers a lot to work with. As I wrote in my previous post, however, I also felt some sympathy for her as I watched the show last night. She knows what took place during filming but I'm pretty sure she didn't know until she saw the actual show last night exactly how happy the other women were when they realized she'd been sent home. That had to hurt. 

I'm also going to return to my theme of "This was set up by the producers." At this point in the show, Chris almost certainly knew that he wasn't feeling it with Ashley or with Kelsey. He could have sent one home on the date, which is what usually happens with a 2-on-1, and sent the other one home at the rose ceremony but my guess is producers decided it would be more dramatic to send both home from the date, and it certainly worked. In other words, this date was orchestrated from the beginning knowing that both women would be sent home, leading up to the dramatic moment when Chris is whisked away in the helicopter and both women are left abandoned in the middle of nowhere. Most dramatic two-on-one date ever? Possibly. (Ashley was on Jimmy Kimmel later last night and he asked how she got off the mountain. Her answer: in a van, happily not with Kelsey.)  

Finally, the call of nature. No, not the burros and the Badlands. I was texting with a friend during the show and we were both wondering the same thing: What happens when someone needs to use the facilities? Are there any facilities? In addition to the weird bed they plopped down in the Badlands, we assumed ABC brought along some porta-potties but it was hard to tell. 

So. On to next week. What's with Britt? What's making her cry? (Is she the next Bachelorette? For the record, I'm still Team Britt.) Will Becca the other virgin follow Chris into the Fantasy Suite? And Jade confesses her racy past. The pictures really are out there - just google "Jade Elizabeth." 

Meet me back here next week, Rosebuds, for more fun and games with The Bachelor, but note: it's not the same Bach time. The mayhem starts on Sunday. 

The Dreaded Two-On-One

Confession:  Yes, Kelsey was obnoxious but even so, I'm feeling some sympathy for her tonight. It can't be easy to watch the other women erupt in cheers and hugs when they find out you've been sent home. #Let'sBeKindPeople

Kim K At The Grammys: Yes Or No?

This is how Kim Kardashian, aka Mrs. Kanye West, chose to present herself at the Grammys last night. What do you think: hit or miss? I like her short haircut but for me the dress is a "What is she thinking?" It's just not flattering, but I'm even more struck by Kim's expression. She doesn't look like she's having a very good time. Granted there's stress in Kardashian-land, with the ongoing coverage of Bruce Jenner's is-he-or-isn't-he transitioning to a woman, plus the horrible car wreck Saturday afternoon. In a previous post I wondered if Kim ever just gets sick of it all. This picture makes me think maybe she does.