Okay, am I the only one who thought Mya was going to go all the way in the Dancing with the Stars finale? She was the only consistently GOOD dancer who always managed to score phenomenally. Yet somehow, Donny Osmond managed to snag this year’s trophy from her.

Let’s forget that Mya is a trained dancer and singer (which is sorta cheating in my book) for a second. I do think she should have won purely on talent alone, but Dancing with the Stars is NOT about talent – it’s about popularity. Yes I know these are B-list and C-list stars we are talking about, but that is still a factor. Donny Osmond, star of the 70′s and some would say 80′s has been on and off television for decades with his sister Marie (who finished 3rd on Dancing with the Stars 2 years ago) is obviously the more popular star.

Mya has had a string of hits since the late 90′s early 00′s, but hasn’t really had a hit album since 2003. Her last album Liberation and Sugar & Spice was released in Japan. So becoming a Dancing with the Stars Alum was definitely a good move for her.  If she’s smart, she will drop a single in the next couple of weeks or so to capitalize on this latest wave of fame (hint, hint).

Don’t get me wrong, I am happy for Donny Osmond. He seems to be a very cool and genuinely nice guy. And TV is definitely lacking that wholesome appeal, so kudos to Dancing with the Stars. Honorable mention to miss Kelly Osborne who I couldn’t stand until this show.  The foul-mouthed , bad tempered daughter of legendary rocker Ozzie really came into her own this season. She was pleasant, polite, sweet and oddly endearing. Not to mention she danced really well.

I’m so amazed by the turnout this season, that I may just tune in for March’s next batch of Dancing with the Stars candidates. A suggestion for the show… John and Kate Gosselin. If ABC can pull that off, they will have the most highly rated show for the 2009-2010 season! Fat chance right? LOL

Seriously??? What’s really “hood”?

Imagine going  to a local restaurant/bar to unwind after a hard day at work. You don’t expect much -  just your meal on time, utensils and a decent attitude. That isn’t too much to ask for right? Well at one restaurant in Pennsylvania you are asking for too much. And if you don’t pay the tip… you get ARRESTED??!!

That’s what happened to Pope and John Wagner who were hauled away by police and charged with theft for not paying the mandatory 18 % tip – totaling $16 after eating at  —— (Yeah, I am not in the business of putting names of business out there. We all have to make a living).

Pope claims that her group  had to wait an hour for their order and get napkins and silverware for the table herself.  “At this point I became very annoyed because I had already gone up to the bar myself to have my soda refilled because the waitress never came back,” Pope said.  After the $73 bill came, the group paid for food, drinks, and tax but refused to pay the tip. After explaining the bad service to the bartender in charge, Pope claimed he took their money and called police. The couple was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car.

Can you really be arrested for not tipping you server? Ummm… Maybe

Since the tip was part of the actual bill, it is considered refusing to pay for service  which is illegal. I might add that the owner claims he offered to comp the dinner, an action that the Popes deny. My two cents on this? If they really offered to comp the dinner, I don’t see them turning right around and calling the police on them for not tipping. Hmmm I don’t know just common sense.

To Tip or Not to Tip… That is the Question

This story really got me thinking and I realize that I am annoyed. Are they serious? Why the heck would anyone pay for bad service?? I mean if I wasn’t doing the job you hired me for… I would be fired or at the very least reprimanded – as with most jobs in this country.

So I decided to do a little research on tipping etiquette:

Tipping when you’ve had bad service:
If you get bad service, talk to the manager. The manager cannot correct the situation if he doesn’t know about it. Skipping the tip will not accomplish anything. Well in this case you accomplish getting a criminal record.

Tipping when you’re the one paying:
If you are buying the meal and someone offers to get the tip, tell them they can buy next time, and you pay the whole thing.

Tipping for double time:
If you hold a table for 2 serving periods, make sure that you tip double. In other words, if you spend enough time at a table that a waiter could have typically gotten 2 parties seated and served, then compensate him for his time by tipping him twice.

Say it ain’t so! After more than 20 years on television, my hero Oprah Winfrey is shutting down the Oprah Winfrey Show. She made the official announcement today, that she will be ending her run in September of 2011. Why the madness? Because it’s time. 25 (which is how many seasons the show will have been on by September 2011) is a good number and she wants to roll out while the gettings good.

I have to admit, I have mixed emotions about this. On one hand Oprah is one of the most influential women on the planet. She’s done a lot of good with her money and the program – a talk show that still managed to maintain its integrity and remain above the shock tactics and mud slinging that other daytime talk shows have resorted to. On the other hand, 25 years is a long time, and maybe she’s just tired. I personally respect her for going out on her own terms. Just like Ray Romano and Jerry Seinfeld did. So go ahead girl!

I don’t know about you but I am DYING to find out who will be her last guest… And I have to fly out to Chicago at some point to catch a show! You know she’ll be giving kick-ass gifts out to the audience.