I was browsing around for some electronics this morning when I came across The Source zumba page. I had heard a little bit about the game before, but never really checked into it until this morning. From The Source, I went to look up some videos of how Zumba for Wii works, and I have to tell you, it looks pretty cool! I am not much of a dancer and would never try to pull these moves in a zumba class, but in the privacy of my own home? Sure, why not! This seems like a super-fun way to get into shape!!

Can you believe that the new television season will start in just a few weeks? I’m very excited about this, as I’m getting tired of summer reruns and reality shows.

Anyway, Ausiello over at TV Line has a very handy printable TV premiere calendar that tracks all the major network and cable shows. I’ve got mine printed out and taped to my DVR already. I can’t wait until Sept. 19, which is when Castle, the first of my regular series, comes back on!!!

So the Emmy nominations were released today, and I was happy to see shows like Modern Family and The Good Wife get tons of recognition. Every adult actor on Modern Family was nominated for an award (including Ed O’Neill this time), as were FIVE actors from The Good Wife. Wow!

I’m thinking of doing something that I haven’t done in years: have an Emmy watching party with my friends. We used to do this all the time with both the Emmys and Oscars, but gave up a few years ago when none of the shows we followed were ever nominated. Since that has changed this year, maybe it’s time to have a party.

If I do have a party, it will be a big one. I plan on ordering a personalized banner for the occasion and possibly even having it catered (by which I mean ordering a large quantity of food from the local Italian beef or Chinese place!). The banner will be a nice, unexpected touch, and it’s only $21.99 for a totally personalized message. It’s durable, too, which means I’ll be able to use it again if I have another shindig next year.

Anyway, I’ll have to make some calls and see if my friends are interested in doing this. Can’t wait for the awards (and for the new TV season!).

For the first time since last August, I have absolutely no sports to watch on TV this weekend. There’s no college football, no pro football, and no hockey right now, so I’m just trawling through my DVD collection looking for something to help me pass the time.

Luckily, I have a few go-to movies that always draw me right in, no matter how many times I’ve seen them. Forrest Gump is one of them. I just love everything about this film, from Forrest’s characterization as an utterly decent human being to his love story with Jenny and the way he lives his life to the fullest. I love the football scenes, the running across America bit, and the ping pong tips, too. As long as the film is, I hardly ever make use of the “Skip” button on my controller when I’m watching. As far as personal favorites go, Forrest Gump ranks very, very high on my list!

Are you interested in short films? To be honest, I’ve never really watched any shorts before, not even those that win Oscars. But this weekend I took a look at something called Smoke, a 2008 effort by Polish filmmaker Grzegorz Cisiecki. It’s described as “the story of [a] person who became the captive of surrealistic madness” and is surprisingly engrossing. I say “surprisingly” because the surrealistic nature of the scenes (and complete lack of dialogue) make it impossible to determine with certainty exactly what is going on. But the beautiful photography and alluring scenes kept me watching throughout the entire 7-minute running time. If you like David Lynch’s work, you’ll probably enjoy Smoke as well. Check it out right here!

I have to admit that I enjoy a good caper film every once in a while. I love it when the main characters orchestrate a big, elaborate crime in order to make off with millions of dollars in gold, loose diamonds, or cash. Some of the caper films I’ve enjoyed in the past are: Ocean’s Eleven, The Italian Job, The Thomas Crown Affair, and Mad Money.

What are some other ones? I’m bored and need to fill my DVD queue with some fun movies!

The Game of the Week this week over at the USA Network’s Character Arcade is Spider Solitaire. I’d never heard of this version of Solitaire before, but since I want a chance to win the Wii Bundle in this week’s free sweepstakes, I decided to give the game a whirl. It wasn’t pretty.

The object of Spider Solitaire is to arrange the cards in order from high to low (King to Ace) by moving them around on the piles or dealing from the deck. The main difference between Spider Solitaire and regular Solitaire is that the cards don’t have to be the same suit in order for you to arrange them together. So you can put a 6 of diamonds on top of a 7 of spades or whatever. Take a look:

It seems like that would make the game easier, but for some reason, I had a tough time with this. I couldn’t get very far in the game, and didn’t score more than 5,000 points at any time — which is kind of pathetic considering the fact that you START the game with 5,000 points! LOL… I guess I shouldn’t feel too bad though. It looks like the high scores for this one are all in the 5,700 range, so it’s hard for everybody.

I’m going to keep trying this one because I want to clear the board at least once before moving on. Then again, that blackjack game is looking pretty enticing as well!

Why is there still baseball preempting my favorite television shows in November?? Isn’t the season supposed to end in October? I really hate that the games are still going on, so here’s hoping the New York Yankees will win Game 6 and end the series for the year. Or put the games on ESPN or another basic cable network, that way I won’t have to miss out on two weeks of House and possibly another episode of Bones if the World Series goes to Game 7.

I’m a baseball fan, but I don’t like either of the two teams that are vying for the championship. So I’m not going to bother watching, except maybe from the 7th inning on — and only if I can get a feed on my Sony VAIO. I’ll be too busy with other stuff to sit in front of the TV, but if I can bring the game up on my laptop and watch it while cleaning or whatever, I might tune in.

At any rate, let’s just hope it ends tonight!

(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Having completed two degrees online and being in the process of getting a third, I am a firm believer in this method of education. I earned my Associate’s degree this way, then went on to complete my Bachelor’s, and am now getting my Master’s — all without setting foot on campus at any school. And each online degree I’ve received has served as a stepping stone to bigger and better things, so I recommend this route to any adult looking to improve their career prospects.

One of the better online programs I’ve heard about is from Western Governors University. WGU is a fully accredited degree-granting institution that has an excellent track record when it comes to serving nontraditional students. All WGU programs are accelerated, meaning you can complete an online business degree or get your teaching license in less time than it would take for an on-campus student, and the tuition is far more affordable than at comparable schools. Plus, financial aid may be available to qualified students, so that could lower your costs even more.

These days, competition for jobs is tougher than ever before. You need the right qualifications to get your foot in the door, which is where Western Governors University can help. Check out the school’s website for more information on whichever degree program you’re interested in, and start building a better future today!

My brother is one of those guys who just doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life. He’s never had a career really, just a series of dead-end jobs that he held merely to pay the bills. But he was laid off recently, and doesn’t even have one of those to go to anymore. I think this is the perfect time for him to think about going back to school and getting a degree.

I was trying to think of a recession-proof job, one that wouldn’t be eliminated just because the economy turns sour, and I came up with fire service professional. These are people like fire chiefs, fire marshals, parks and wildlife fire prevention managers, risk management analysts, and fire and emergency response managers, people who work to prevent fires or lay out rescue plans in the event of a major blaze. These are all very challenging and rewarding jobs in a growing field, which is just what my brother needs.

Of course, he’ll also need the proper training first, which is why I’m going to tell him to check out the online Bachelor of arts in fire service administration offered by Lewis University. Lewis is just about 35 minutes away from my brother’s place, but there’s a heck of a lot of traffic between here and there, so taking the online program would make things much easier. He wouldn’t have to worry about the commute or keeping the gas tank filled, and would just be able to concentrate on his classes. The fact that Lewis University is a well known, respected institution with a rich history means that a degree earned from the school will give my brother an edge over other job candidates and put him on the road towards a fulfilling career.

I really think an online Bachelor’s degree in Fire Service Administration would be perfect for my brother. I’m going to forward him this information about Lewis University right now. I hope he follows through on it!