So this season of Dancing with the Stars has started and I can't believe it, but after a few seasons of protesting, I am watching again. Truth is, I don't like the show, but I like some of the people on this season--Rocco mainly. Still, I don't know if I can stomach a whole season.

The judges get on my nerves. I hardly ever agree with them and Bruno is just plain annoying. Then we have possibly the worst co-host ever, Samantha Harris. She's awkward and her interviews suck.

Of course, the reason why I stopped watching before was simply that they were letting people vote before the show was done. I feel like we should see everyone first or you're just admitting that it's about popularity vs. good dancers. If it is just about popularity than they shouldn't throw in these people who play sports and all that jazz because I have no clue who they are.

Anyway, that's my rant for today. I don't know that I'll keep watching because now I've just gotten myself all worked up about it, and I know anyone reading it will just say stop watching then and so I might. Thanks for the advice.

I started out watching Prison Break with my whole family and now most have stopped watching, which in itself is a pet peeve I'm developing. My husband, especially, likes to start shows with me and we'll each be very excited and then a few episodes in, he's over it. There I am, still excited, but with no one to talk to about it.

Anyway, so they stopped watching and now I'm on my own with it, except I still have this blog to talk about, or in this case, gripe about it. No, I don't care that the whole show is totally unbelievable. I don't care that someone so smart as Michael couldn't think of a better way to get his brother out of jail than to go to jail himself. A jail that he helped design. I don't care that he breaks out of that and then another only to break in to somewhere else. I don't even care that they pulled a soap opera move and brought a character who's supposed to be dead back on the show.

What I'm starting to care about is the fact that he wanted to save his brother so bad, he's willing to watch everyone else around him die. I mean maybe he should have let his brother die. Instead, his dad's dead, half the men he worked with are dead, all the people who help them are all dead. At some point, this supposed genius is going to have to question his choice here.

I know, we have to bring down "the Company" and I'm right there on the edge of my seat with everyone else who still watches. I'm just saying, there's been a lot of death to save one man.

I finally read Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. I hesitated because I love the show so much I didn't want the book to give away or ruin anything for me. My nephew actually read it first and recommended it highly, this is after I got everyone in my family hooked on the show.

So, I read it and I wasn't impressed. Personally, I didn't like the way Lindsay wrote it. I found it hard to believe that he was not a teenager at the time because the writing seemed immature. Of course, I think the same thing about Stephen King and I'm sure his feelings aren't hurt. I'm just talking about personal taste. The book wasn't my thing but the show still reigns supreme.

I actually got my advance copy of the first episode already and I can see season 3 is going to be a good one. I'm not surprised at all. The only thing that kind of sucks is that I heard Michael C. Hall is dating the woman who plays his sister (pictured below). I'm not sure if that's true but it taints my view of them when they're together now.

Jeff Lindsay with Dexter (Michael C. Hall) and Jennifer Carpenter

I don't tend to like to discuss politics because generally people have their views and aren't about to change them. More likely than not, all you'll do is end up debating the issues. Recently, my sister has begun work signing up voters and although she and I are on the same side, we still end up fighting over where we stand.

Personally, I believe that there is a scale more than democrat vs. republican and on that scale I am a fairly conservative, but firm democrat. I grew up poor and it just wouldn't make sense for me to vote republican. Unlike a lot of "poor" or middle class people, I don't hate the rich for being so misinformed when it comes to our struggles. I do believe it is just that they have no idea what we go through. They take their trips to Africa or Cambodia and they see the starving and they think that's it, but there are people starving here as well. Of course, many have the view that we have more opportunity to do something about it here and that's true. Just know, that not all poor people are lazy, wanting something for nothing beggars. The crisis in America, when it comes to the poor, is that so many are good, hard-working people who live paycheck to paycheck and even with two incomes barely make it, living only one check away from homelessness.

Wow, thought I wasn't going to give a speech but this is what these topics bring out in people. That aside, why I decided to do this post was because I thought it was important to share these articles that my sister sent to me about women's suffrage:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/brftime3.html
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/tactics.pdf

They can be quite long and involved but the point is that women, men, the young and the old need to get out there and vote (for Obama...I'm kidding...but not really).

I will say one more thing, I have been talking to a lot of people who "like" McCain. I say yes, like McCain, love McCain, but that doesn't mean you have to vote for him. Just because someone is a good person, a brave and honorable person, doesn't mean they should be president. We have suffered for 8 years with a complete disgrace of a president and there is no way I'd vote for someone who has voted with Bush 90% of the time. Obama is a bit green and, honestly, I would have preferred Hilary; but Obama is also very likable and, I believe he'll make a great president as well. It's time for change in a big way.

I recently read an article in Woman's Day that had some great frugal tips and you all know how much I love those.

Lightly dampen a sock with fabric softener and throw it in the dryer instead of using expensive dryer sheets -OR- use 1/2 cup of vinegar in the final rinse.

Try lessening the amount of dish detergent because the magazine says using "too much can actually damage dishes".

Drop denture tablets in your toilet to keep it clean and use toothpaste to clean hard water stains in your bathroom.

Remove mud from carpets with a good amount of table salt. Leave it for an hour then vacuum. If that doesn't work, try 1/4 tsp dish liquid. Leave it for an hour then vacuum.

Just another notable that has nothing to do with cleaning your house so much as your teeth. Don't brush your teeth 30 to 60 mins. after eating. The enamel on your teeth is softened by the foods and it leaves your teeth vulnerable. Thought everyone should know.