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Steve Wozniak To Appear On Dancing With the Stars
Redpill82 writes "It has been confirmed that Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak will be a contestant on the new season of Dancing with the Stars starting on March 9. Did ABC determine that ratings were low with the technology community? I know I'll be interested in seeing how far Mr. Wozniak goes in the competition."
- he is famous engineer (I will never be famous)
- he is a talented engineer (I will never be talented)
- he built revolutionary products (I write Perl scripts)
- he's a member of the Segway Polo team (I have a folding bicycle)
- he gets to dance close with a hot woman on television (Mom, what's for breakfast?)
Rich And Stupid is not so bad as Working For Rich And Stupid.
After your breakdancing stint, our geek dancing ratings have plummeted!
This guy is way out there
The guy plays Segway polo, he has to be nimble on his feet. I suggest he stays away from those Hawaiian shirts, though.
My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
I wonder if it will involve the Segway... ...we know it won't involve Kathy Griffin...
I might know what I'm talkin' about, but then again, this is Slashdot...
Bill: You won't believe Steve is such a good dancer.
(Ballmer jumps on stage for monkey dance)
Bill: Oh, forgot to mention, I was talking about Wozniak.
hilarious
with hot chicks. But I have a sub 50k Slashdot UID!
Christ, I am such a loser.
Best Slashdot Co
Either really well or really badly. My hunch is that it won't be in between.
I assumed they would have gone with the Master of Dance: Balmer
Then again, they really might like their chairs there.
If so, please notify me when Carly Fiorina does a spread in Playboy.
Offhand I think they're hoping for a William Hung moment...
"Waste not one watt!" - CZ
Don't get me wrong, I have all respect and admiration for St. Woz. But this is a guy who converted his basement to a cave, complete with stalactites and stalagmites, and when hunkered down amidst them looked every bit a Neanderthal in t-shirt and jeans. He doesn't look much different now than he did in the picture in TIME the above came from. I hope they intend for his appearance to be comic relief because that's what I think it'll end up being.
"I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
That's just not right. I'm going to have to walk around all day with that image haunting me.
Couldn't you have just linked goatse?
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
a Stephen Hawking and Kenny Baker duo.
Perhaps the dance floor can open to reveal a pool full of sharks. Or maybe, Woz and Steve-O can dance in a Jackass-esgue showdown. (No really, Steve-O is one of the contestants.)
watched Dancing, this is enough to make me watch it up until they vote him off...
In the original UK show (that Dancing With The Stars is derived from) last year, "Strictly Come Dancing", they had a rather old and none-too-thin political correspondent called John Sergeant on the show. No idea why, but the reaction to it was a bit of a surprise.. more people tuned in, and people really got behind the guy even though his dancing wasn't too good.
He got through week after week just because of the overwhelming number of public votes. I guess people really love a cute (old) underdog. And.. so perhaps it'll go with Woz. People like to see regular joes (as much as Woz is a regular joe) rather than glossy celebs all the time. Perhaps Woz will resonate with America the way John did with us.
(John eventually quit the show because he thought he was taking the attention away from those who could actually dance well each week.)
if they keep lowering the bar like this, pretty soon everyone can call themselves stars. i think they should changed the title to
"dancing with some people who's names you think you know but aren't sure why."
I think they've missed their mark. Chances are that some people will tune in to see it, but I reckon more people will just catch the clips on YouTube etc, or torrent the episode and watch it in their own time. Of course, I have nothing to back this theory up.
I know I won't.
Please don't use "umm" or "err" or "erm".
"I know I'll be interested in seeing how far Mr. Wozniak goes in the competition"
maybe he'll get to second base! w00t! vicarious victory for nerds everywhere!
More music, fewer hits
he'll bribe the judges with $2 bills
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
There may not be time to develop it in the TV show format, but nerds are actually ideal ballroom dancing trainees. The MIT Ballroom Dance Team for example is one of the strongest and most successful.
Many people think of dancing as pure personal expression, but dancing that works for two bodies in close coordination is actually a fairly complicated technical problem, and those who can conquer that eventually come to use that basic competence as launching platform for personal expression at an entirely different level.
I like to joke that the ISTD Ballroom Technique manual is about the same size and format as the assembly langauge programmer's manual for a classic microprocessor... only instead of flags and clock cycles, you have footwork and number of beats.
The mantra in UK TV at the moment is interactivity; "phone this number", "press the red button now", "our website is...". The amusing thing is that, like the interactive web, execs only support it when it brings in business or is "on message".
:)
The public, who know all along that the show is an excuse for a bit of fun, got increasingly annoyed with the show (the judges) taking it all too seriously and just kept voting for him.
That and his dance partner had an amazing rack - it's why I kept voting
-- For evil to triumph it is enough that good men do nothing.
(Yes, I've been playing with the infinite improbability engine... thus my fiance!)
Anyway, I've now seen a few seasons of DwtS. MOST of the time, it's a pretty enjoyable show even with the cheese factor being set to "Gouda". However, last season (the 7th) was regarded as weak by most of the viewers, as most of the stars were "C list" at BEST.
Compare the names on the lists, and DwtS w/ Woz just looks a lot more watchable...
Season 7:
Jeffrey Ross (Stand Up Comedian)
Ted McGinley (Actor)
Kim Kardashian (Reality TV Star)
Misty May-Treanor (Olympic Beach Volleyball Champion)
Rocco DiSpirito (Celebrity Chef)
Toni Braxton (Grammy Award Winning Singer)
Cloris Leachman (Oscar Award Winning Actress)
Susan Lucci (All My Children TV Star)
Maurice Greene (Olympic Sprinter)
Cody Linley (Hannah Montana Star)
Lance Bass (Former 'N Sync Star)
Warren Sapp (Super Bowl Champion NFL Football player)
Brooke Burke (Model and TV Host)
Season 8:
Belinda Carlisle (Singer in The Go-Go's)
David Alan Grier (Actor and Comedian)
Jewel (Singer-Songwriter)
Shawn Johnson (2008 Olympic Gymnast)
Lil' Kim (Grammy Award Winning Rapper)
Gilles Marini (Actor)
Ty Murray (Rodeo Athlete)
Nancy O'Dell (Access Hollywood Co-Anchor)
Steve-O (Jackass and Wildboyz Performer)
Denise Richards (Actress)
Lawrence Taylor (Retired NFL Linebacker)
Chuck Wicks (Country Singer)
Steve Wozniak (Apple Co-Founder and Philanthropist)
46. The Hobo smiles, his eyes glaze over, and he burps. "Beware the man who has lived longer than the Wasteland."
How much does a sub 1k Slashdot UID cost on a free market ?
Maybe I can buy myself a good UID and the girls will go crazy on me.
Steve, was pleasantly surprised upon hearing of the following dance routines in the competition: The Segway Waltz. The SaMBa. The IPod Shuffle. His next reality tv stop: So you think you can polo.
Old geek + dancing = Fa1L
Maybe I can buy myself a good UID and the girls will go crazy on me.
I believe you might have come up with the worst strategy for getting girls, ever.
Abaddon: An Xbox 360 Indie game
Either way, it's gonna be ugly.
Gotta watch it.
I may hate the show, but I wish him well. Ever since I met him at an ATI mixer, I have to admit the guy is pretty groovy. He's classic early Silicon Valley, and has a great (if not a little overbearing) sense of humor - just like every other geek I grew up with. Here's hoping he wins and makes geek the new pink. Kick some arse Steve!
Woz needs to lose weight, so that he may live longer.
I would like to see Woz around for many more decades, helping innovate at high tech companies (like he's doing at Fusion-IO).
He's the genuine article. Live long and prosper Woz!
I don't know about you but I'm already getting my dialing finger ready. I don't care how he dances. I just want to see a great guy like that on television. At least I find him a role model that probably won't be busted for steroids or insider trading.
the fleet-footed Woz will be introducing "the Wozzie" to a dance crazed nation.
Mod Me Up. You'll make a grown man cry.
I wonder which star will be chosen to dance with the Woz.
So, what's mine worth? :-)
Not that I would sell it...it's worth far more as geek cred than in script from any country!
ttyl
CAN-CON 2019 - Ottawa's only book oriented Science Fiction Convention! October 18-20, Sheraton Hotel, Ottawa, Canada h
... NO, cause it is dark down there and we all know what happens in the dark!
"It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue."
Or at least that is what our parents always told us if we wandered into their bedroom in the middle of the night.
I only look human.
My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
I'll grant that John Sergeant ain't svelte, but the last time I saw the Woz on the tube, he was HUGE. I'm almost seriously surprised his ticker and/or pancreas hasn't thrown in the towel by now. Unless he's been on a serious weight reduction regimen, watching him dance is going to look like a live action remake of Fantasia.
Luke, help me take this mask off
Give it up for Steve Waltzniak!
How long before there is a "vote for Woz" iPhone app that automatically casts the maximum number of allowed votes for Woz via: SMS, call-in, and web access?
No, I'm sure there are far worse... For example, the GP's strategy does not involve potential for massive public embarassment and/or personal injury.
When I was about 14, I watched my folks get out on the dance floor. It was the coolest thing (after the initial WtF?!?!? moment wore off.) I made a commitment to myself to learn to dance. School got in the way, but after college I went to a local club and took group lessons. They're inexpensive compared to private lessons, and you get the social benefit of peers who are at the same level of proficiency as you. After the lesson, ask someone from the class to practice what you just learned. (Note: you'll need several hours of practice to reinforce what you learned in the 1-hour group lesson.) Go from there. No one will bust on you for trying to learn, as long as you're polite.
... I'm a competitive dancer now. I've traveled all over the US for competitions. I also met my wife through dancing. Learning to dance was life-altering for me, and in a very good way.
Fast forward 10+ years
As a final note, if you're a guy, your job while dancing is to make *her* look good.
You know that god kills a kitten each time you open up that mag, don't you?
You can vote on the abc website for a short period right after each show. Cast all your votes for Woz. Slashdot could provide a friendly reminder... ;)
If we can consistently get him 70% of the total vote, he'll be in good shape. :) GEEK-POWER!
"Tonight on Dancing with the Stars... Wtfpwned--Woz wins 84% of the popular vote!"
As a final note, if you're a guy, your job while dancing is to make *her* look good.
Nope. Your job is to make an interesting story out of the music and have a good dialogue with your partner about it.
If she needs you to look good, something is very, very wrong with her balance.
Read up about balance in the judging guidelines. First and foremost, both partners must be balanced on their own. Then, the couple must be able to interact with each other in a balanced manner, and use this to express themselves better.
But if she (sorry, to talk derisively about your wife) clings to you, and is not standing on her own feet, then fix that problem first.
First thing we do when we get a new routine is go through it alone a couple of times until we both can do our parts, and have a clear picture of what we want to do. Then we get together and adjust things/join the two stories together.
I spent 3 years trying to make somebody look good, trying to give her support exactly when she (thought she) needed it.
Then I started dancing with an ex-ballet-girl who knew more about balance than me and the teacher combined. She dropped me after half a year (can't blame her, she really learned much faster), but I learned more than in the 3 years before.
A brief except of his next autobiography has just fallen through a rift in time, and landed on my desk. I wanted the lottery numbers, but when you have lemons...
Well, from the Dancing with the Stars section:
"I had what I called a Grey Box, because it accessed the grey goo between the judges and the viewers ears, and made them score me highly and vote for me. I built them out of Dr Pepper cans, Apple ][ Disk controllers and surplus MRI machines. I decided to sell a few for pocket change, and had a really scary meeting with some Upright Italian-American Businessmen at a diner a short drive out of town. They wanted to know all kinds of stuff, like how well they worked on judges and politicians and DAs, and I sold them a few with full plans and a factory in Guatemala just to get out of there. But the really cool thing is that I won the entire competition doing nothing but variations of the Chicken Dance, all because of the Grey Box."
Maybe I can buy myself a good UID and the girls will go crazy on me.
I believe you might have come up with the worst strategy for getting girls, ever.
No, the worst strategy is showing a girl how to use yggdrasil linux
How much would you pay? Should I put it on eBay?
My Freakin Blog
You must be new here. /. users don't have GF and don't know how to get them. (yeah you can include me too)
No sig for now.
As a final note, if you're a guy, your job while dancing is to make *her* look good.
Nope. Your job is to make an interesting story out of the music and have a good dialogue with your partner about it.
That's an AND not an OR! Making an interesting story, and having a dialogue ARE making her look good.
If she needs you to look good, something is very, very wrong with her balance.
Read up about balance in the judging guidelines. First and foremost, both partners must be balanced on their own. Then, the couple must be able to interact with each other in a balanced manner, and use this to express themselves better.
Dude, there is so much more to "making her look good" than keeping her balanced. You have to engage her, engage the audience to focus on her, craft the moves to frame her doing what you're leading her to do, and make sure she has fun so that she *does* look good. Her balance is her own problem. Not unbalancing her is one of yours.
Well, this is an interesting place to have a discussion on dancing, but could you please refrain from calling me "dude"? That is kind of rude.
Anyway, most of the time I hear that "you have to" and "make her" and so on it's a mediocre but ambitious girl/lady that needs an excuse (or a guy that pushes and pulls around like mad because he does not know anything else).
There are far too many "her's" in your sentence. Dancing (and a relationship btw.) is about two people, and if one of them is almost not there because he frantically tries to make the other one "look good", something's awry.
What I always like with somebody I don't know is leaving her out in the rain - just literally walk away and see what she comes up with on her own to surprise me (and trying to think somethign up on my own).
If it's all about "her', you get something like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f631anLeVcY
Watch the video, and please tell me if you looked at him at all? In my opinion, he could just as well not be there at all! He adds nothing to the couple, except support and background (although he can do better).
Take another one for a change:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwSpZ4q1eEw
Different style, and (there) much better balanced couple. Both are equals, and if I would record my eye movement, I would probably find that I spent just as much time on him than on here (and that despite that she's hot!)
With one of the best dancers of our age (Franco Formica), this was smetimes alomost painfully obvious - when he had one of his fits of creativity, usually his partners were left gaping (together with the rest of the audience).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhW8tTjae0k
That is not a case of him making her look bad, but of her not beng up to the task (which is understandable, yet makes me sad for grand moments left undanced).
Anyway. If you want to, continue focusing on her and her alone, and live as a satellite or in the best case a moon to the sun.
Or grow a pair, and become a double star system that sends gravitational waves through the audience!
Uhm ... not to be pedantic, but I made that last comment about "make her look good" in the context of someone just learning to dance. Most beginners are so focused on the mechanics of dance that they can completely forget that they're dancing *with* someone.
This doesn't deserve a flamebait moderation. He made a legitimate point. Woz produced a good design, but it's not like he was the only engineer working on a home PC concept at the time (and Commodore actually even made it AFFORDABLE).
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Would you trade for a date with my sister? I swear she's HOT!
This comment is my opinion and does not represent an official position of Donald Trump or others I do not work for
I see what you're saying, and don't disagree. However, I think you missed the point of the previous poster. When he says:
As a final note, if you're a guy, your job while dancing is to make *her* look good.
...I think he is referring to the fact that there are many guys who try to get all fancy, show off, and try to look good, and completely forget about their partner. Completely. I can't count the number of times I've seen a girl kind of just standing there while her partner tries to look fancy/good.
(For the record, I'm a swing/blues dancer.)
Thank you. That was exactly my point.