Idol Chatter: The Top 12 Guys

OK, let me start by saying it's nice to see Simon in a white shirt. The black sweaters were getting a bit played out.

Here's my synopsis.....

*Todrick -- "Since you've been Gone": Ballsy arrangement, but I 'm not sure it showed off his vocals as well as it could have. I completely agree with Simon that he didn't improve on the original at all.

*Aaron -- "Here Comes Goodbye": Not sure this song was a good idea. I think it sounded forced in the upper register. He's quite adorable though LOL.

*Jermaine -- "Get Here": I think this was a predictable song choice for him. It was pitchy a couple of times. And between the sharps and flats, his breath control sucked. He was definately trying way too hard with his vocal runs and such.

*Tim -- "Apologize": I think this was a terrible song choice for him. He just could not it the upper notes. His words kept dropping off. It was definately a mistake bringing this guy back. He was awful.

*Joe -- "You and I Both": He's got a nice vibe. This song suited him well. It was a bit too much vibrato, and not enough wow factor....but overall good.

*Tyler -- "American Woman": I agree wholly with Simon that he's a wannabe rockstar with a mediocre voice. Itwas not a great performance and completely lacked substance.

*Lee -- "Chasing Cars": I love what he did with the arrangement. He gave it some heart. He went flat a couple of times and was a bit nasally.....good but not fabulous. I disagree with Kara that he made it unrecognizable and unoriginal.

*John -- "God Bless the Child": That was a very Broadway performance. I agree with Simon that it had zero emotion to it. It left me sort of cold. His voice is gorgeous, but it was just a voice.....with no soul.

*Mike -- "This Love": This is why I love Big Mike. He makes it look so easy. He sounds great and he knows how to use his natural talent and not hid behind runs and acrobatics. I love him.

*Alex -- "Wonderful World": Is it just me or does he sound more like Rod Stewart than Jim Morrison? Anyway, I think his voice is too nasally and this song was boring. He looked very uncomfrotable moving on the stage. AMEN Simon! I haven't liked him since the beginning. He doesn't deserve to be here. I don't get what the judges see in him.

*Casey -- "Heaven": A little too much vibrato and poor breath control. But overall it was a pretty good performance. I really don't get the "eye candy" thing. I don't really think he's all that good looking.

*Andrew -- "Sugar, we're going down": I lvoe this song and he really changed it up from a rock anthem. He sort of unplugged it and stripped it down. Not sure I really liked the new arrangement, but I really like him and think his vocals can take him far if he picks the right songs.

So at the end of it all I think the guys that will be going home this week are John and Tim. Guess we'll find out in a couple of hours.

Idol Chatter: The Top 12 Girls

OK, I'm sorry that I'm just getting this posted 6 hours before the results show, but it's been a helluva couple of days of work, olympics and hubby being in the ER with possible gallbladder problems. So, I'm going to do up two seperate blogs today.....one for the girls and one for the guys. So lets get to it.

But let me start by commenting on the judges table. Ellen is noticeably shoved to the end of the group, as far from Simon as possible. I guess the two of them really aren't coing to come out of this as BFF's. But good for Ellen for doggin on Simon. Her "video proof" as hilarious.

Now, if I were a contestant on American Idol this year, I think this is the song I would have sang. Think it would have got me through another week?

*Paige -- "All Right Now": I don't know but her lower register sounded awful. I think this was the wrong song choice. There were too many vocal acrobatics and not enough talent shining through. I completely disagree with Simon saying that she's the best singer in the competition.

*Ashley -- "Happy": Before she even sings, let me just say that this chick is stunningly beautiful. I think the song started WAY too low for her . I really didn't much care for the performance at all. Yeah, clumsy, like Simon said.

*Janell -- "What about Love": She has just too sweet of a voice to pull this song off. To sing Stevie Nicks you really need some "meat" to your voice. It was a terrible song choice for her.....it sounded completely amateur.

*Lilly -- "Fixin' a Hole": That song definately suits her vocal type. She nailed this number, but it will be interesting to see how her voice works with other genres.

*Katelyn -- "Oh, Darlin": I LOVED this. She was fabulous! The range was perfect for her voice. Her outfit was a bit much, but I think she was great. I agree with Kara that the makeover really isn't doing it for me.

*Hayley -- "I Wanna Hold Your Hand": I don't really like the Bohemian arrangement she's done. Her voice was all over the place and her timing was wacky. It was the worst of the night so far. I think Ellen is an idiot. I'm glad Simon told her the truth.

*Lacey -- "Landslide": What in the Hell was that?!? She sounded like a really bad Cyndi Lauper wannabe. She wasn't in time with the music for more than half the song. It was really bizarre to me. Terrible job; terrible song choice.

*Michelle -- "Fallin'": zzzzzzzzz........Boring! There were too many predictable runs and she didn't power it like that song is meant to be done. Definately no "wow factor" in what could have easily been made into a "wow" performance. It was too comfortable and safe.

*Didi -- "The Way I Am" Fabulous song choice for her vocal style. It could have been a bit faster though. It was bordering on boring because it was too slow. And she ended flat on her final note.

*Siobhan -- "Wicked Game": This song arrangement was sooo depressing. I wanted to slit my wrists. I think she tried to go for the "haunting melody" style, but it came off sounding really dark. Too bad, because she really does have a nice voice.

*Crystal -- "Hand in my Pocket": It was an interesting "unplugged" style version of this song. I was kind of on the fence with the performance. She had moments of brilliance, but nothing that was going to make me grab the phone and vote for her.

*Katie -- "Feelin' Good": I loved her. She has great stage presence, and chose a great song for her range. I agree it was a bit old for her, but I still liked it. I didn't hear any pitch problems though.....I think the judges may have been too hard on her.

So there you have it. I'm gonna go watch the guys show now. But my final prediction is that Hayley and Lacey will be the two going home. (My favorites tonight were Katey and Katelyn.

Not feeling Gleeful

Alright peeps......you all know that I love me some American Idol. In fact, each season, I dedicate a little section of my blog to the wonder that is Idol. But this year, it is a tad bittersweet.

See......before Idol started this season, FOX network introduced a show that is almost like heaven to a musical, high school showchoir singing, wannabe Broadway star like me. I'm talking of course about Glee. (If you haven't bothered watching, consider this a stern tongue lashing)

However, the FOX powers that be decided that too much music on their network at one time was not a good plan. So they have decided to put Glee on hiatus until April when Idol is over.

So, since I'm a wee bit Glee deprived at the moment, let me fill you all in on my favorite cast member from the show.

This is Matthew Morrison.

Matthew Morrison plays Will Schuester, a Spanish teacher with a passion for... singing in glee clubs? Okay, as much of a music lover as I am.....I was quite excited about this. Glee is a great show. Quirky and strange and absolutely endearing.

Now, maybe it's just me (I doubt it), but I love a boy who loves to sing and dance.

(Especially a STRAIGHT BOY. Sorry gays, but every once in awhile a girl needs a serenade from someone who doesn't picture Neil Patrick Harris when they're belting out a romantic ballad/show tune.)

I didn't even know that I was wishing for this particular needle-in-a-haystack when, all of a sudden, like a Tony-Award-toting apparition, he appeared.

And then he sang me a song.

(Note: I'm using the pronoun "me" very loosely.)

(click on the picture here to listen to this guy's awesome voice)

That, my friends, is a man. A man who obviously knows his way around the ladies.

A man who knows the important things: Wine me, dine me, take me to the theatre, impress me with your knowledge of art and culture, and when we dance, I want to feel weightless in your arms while you hold me close and sing softly in my ear. Make me feel like you only have eyes for me.

(You can't learn that on the football field.)

I feel like it can go either way for the dramatically-inclined teenage boy. He is either a hero or a zero. He can be worshipped or shunned. Different cities, different cultures, it all depends.
So thank God for the boys who realized that where there is dancing and singing, there are GIRLS. LOTS OF THEM.

I salute you.
***

(P.S. Matthew Morrison, you are officially invited over to my house to sing for me anytime. In a platonic non-stalkerish sort of way. Mostly.)

(P.P.S If there happens to be a big scowly man sitting in the corner, please pay no attention. He's harmless, promise. Mostly.)

(P.P.P.S. However, it might be a good icebreaker if you sing a few Phil Collins songs to start off with. That's hubby's favorite singer)

Idol Chatter --- The Last Cuts and the Top 24

OK.....here are my thoughts on the final day of Hollywood Week:

*Angela Martin -- I'm not a big fan of hers, but I really liked her rendition of "American Boy"

*I LOVED "Brick House" -- this guy is one of my favs

*Jermaine -- I didn't really care for his "Man in the Mirror" and then to slam the band was a real bonehead move. Too bad, because I usually really like him.

*Siobhan -- I thought she rocked "Livin' for the City"

*Crystal -- "If it Makes you Happy" was not her best work

*Alex -- now, I really don't care for this kid but he did a great rendition of Jason Mraz "I'm Yours"

*Big Mike -- did the same song as Alex, with a bit of a soul vibe, which I loved

*Todrick -- also did the same song with an R&B feel.......and it was great too.

I LOVED ALL THREE VERSIONS OF THIS SONG!!!!!

*Thaddeus -- I thought his "Man in the Mirror" was the best of the night

*Charity did a fantastic job

*Mary -- "Hot & Cold" wasn't super to me. I think she is probably in trouble.

*Hope -- she sang Daughtry's "Home" and I thought it was absolutely horrid.

*Aaron -- I was so sad that he forgot the words to "Angel". I really like his voice, and he seems like such a sweet kid.

*Ashley -- her rendition of "Battlefield" was fantastic. (I have to try singing that one)

*Janell -- sang "Love Story". She forgot her words, and I don't really think her voice did the song any justice. It really didn't suit her.

So when it came time to the dividing of rooms, I knew that room one would make it. I was sad to see that the singing cop was in room two. I really liked him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~THE FINAL CUT~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

*Big Mike -- definately deserved to go through.

*Didi -- I really could have gone either way with her, but she'll probably be pretty good

*Katelyn -- I think the judges got this one wrong. I dont' think she should have made it.

*Shelby -- I'm sad she didn't make it. I would have taken her over Katelyn

*Casey -- this guy grew on me throughout Hollywood week. I'm glad he made it.

*Aaron -- YAY! I didn't think they'd take him after he forgot his lyrics. I'm really glad they gave him another chance.

*Lee -- I think I could have gone either way with this guy too. He was kind of forgettable.

*Todrick -- sooooo happy this guy made it. Love, love LOVE him.

*Jessica -- she should have just left with grace. What she did was tacky.

*Janell -- I'm glad she made it. She has a really unique sound.

*Tyler -- I was a little suprised that he made it. He has great stage presence, but not a super strong voice.

*Lacy -- she's another one with an interesting voice, but I wasn't completely sold on her.

*Ashley -- I don't remember her audition. How did she make it?

*Alex -- this is another mistake, in my opinion. I don't think he's that good.

*Joe -- another one who's audition I don't remember.

*Crystal -- I like her voice, but I hope that they bleach her distractingly yellow teeth.

*Katie -- I love this girl. She is so sweet. I'm glad she made it.

*Angela Martin -- I'm kinda glad she didn't make it. I really don't care for her voice.

*Lilly -- I love her jazz style voice, but that hair color needs to go

*Paige -- I don't remember her

*Siobhan -- I liked her...glad she made it.

*Michelle -- I don't remember her either

*Jermaine -- I'm still kind of on the fence with him. He's had some good stuff, but I haven't been impressed with everything.

*John -- Glad he made it. Even though he struggled a big in Hollywood, I like his sound.

*Hayley --I think they made the wrong choice putting her through. I think she's going to get really annoying really quickly.

*Thaddeus -- I'm kinda sad for him. He was great!

*Andrew -- LOVE this guy. I think he'll be great.

*Somewhere in there I forgot to mention Tim. I don't remember him. But he made it too.

So there you have it folks.......I really think it's going to be an interesting season. There are good singers on both sides, but I think the men may have a slight edge this year. What do you think?

Little White Lies

Anyone who says that they do not lie to their spouse/significant other is completely full of crap.

(Seriously.)

I lie to Hubs on a daily basis. Not about anything important, of course.

(Usually.)

There's a lot of "Sure, that sounds great!" and "No, I'm not mad" and "It's fine, I'll do it myself"'s, but every once in awhile things get a little interesting and I'm forced to use a very small part of my brain in order to come up with some half-baked scheme that doesn't even sound true in my head.

I'm not exactly sure WHY I do it, because I put very little effort into it, and as a result, he always catches me. Or, nearly always.

HUBS: (coming into the bathroom while I'm in the shower) Hey! Are you using my razor?

ME: No!

HUBS: It's in your hand.

ME: Umm...I ran out of mine.

HUBS: (pulling a brand new pack out of the cupboard) Oh, really?

ME: Damn it.
***

I'm not sure exactly what possesses me to fib about things that are so inconsequential. I guess I just feel like it's easier than getting into the nitty gritty details of why I did or did not do whatever I'm lying about.

ME: *yawning* Just leave the dishes. I'll dry them in the morning.

HUBS: (skeptically) Right.

ME: I will! First thing.

HUBS: No you won't.

ME: It really makes me upset that you have so little faith in me.

**day passes, Hubs comes home from work**

HUBS: So. The dishes?

ME: Damn it.
***

I would like to point out, for the record, that Hubs is also guilty of the occasional omission of truth. And his are far less convincing. Mainly because he can't keep a straight face even when he's not lying.

ME: Hey, can you get (some inane item) out of the garage for me?

HUBS: *silence* *crickets*

ME: Hello?

HUBS: I'm sorry, what? I didn't hear you.

ME: *frown* Yes you did.

HUBS: No, really. I didn't. Did you say something?

ME: *even bigger frown*

HUBS: What did you say about going to the garage?

ME: I thought you didn't hear me.

HUBS: Uhm.
***

Obviously, I don't condone lying to your spouse when it comes to IMPORTANT topics, like fidelity, debt, or favorite American Idol contestants, but I will readily admit that I find it very useful to implement the "little white lie" into daily life, especially when dealing with unfortunate flatulence incidents or the occasional forgotten chore.

In fact, I don't even like to call it "lying." I prefer to say "smoothing the marital plane." As in "Are you kidding me? I LOVE watching 'How It's Made' with you! I don't find it mind numbing or useless AT ALL!"

Best. Wife. Ever.

Idol Chatter: Hollywood Week

Please don't kill me for not posting these sooner. I've been very busy, stressed, tired, crazy, ect.....

Before we start, can I just say that Ellen's weird outfit threw me off before the show even got going. What is with the rolled up jeans and boots. Odd.

So let's start with the highlights from the individual performances:

*Katy (singing For Once In My Life) -- It was okay, but I don't think it was a very memorable audition. Suprised kinda....to see her go on.

*Skiboskii -- I was stunned to see that they even allowed this guy to continue due to his legal issues. His audition was too nasally. I mean, yes the guy can sing. I just didn't think this was a great performance from him. Glad to see him gone.

*Andrew (sang Paula Abdul's song) -- I LOVED his rendition of this song. He's got some serious talent. WOW!!

*Vanessa (hilbilly from Tennessee) -- She totally blew it. She was way too nervous. Poor girl; she picked entirely the wrong song.

*I was sad to see Amadeo and Meagan Wright have to go. Sometimes nerves suck.

*I really liked Janelle's version of "American Boy"

*I thought Hayley Vaughn was too screamy. I didnt' like it at all. Can't believe she made it through.

*Mary Powers sang Pink's "Sober" phenomenally. I love this rocker chick.

*Jay Stone -- his beat boxing sucked.....BAD

*Lilly (sang Ella Fitzgerald) -- She's great in this particular genre, but I don't know how she'll hold up with different music styles

*Big Mike -- I've been a fan since his first audition. I love his voice and his style. Great singer.

*Tim -- I was bored with his version of David Cook. He was flat and, well, just boring.

*Justin -- so good looking, but such a bad song choice for him. Sucks to be the only one in your group going home

*Maddie (with the Down's brothers) -- her song was waaaay too slow. I love her voice, but this performance was all kinds of wrong. I was sad to see it, because I really did like her.

*Casey -- I thought he was great. I wasn't impressed with his original audition, but he definately brought his game face to Hollywood

*Didi --I think it was really ballsy to sing a Kara DiaGuardi song. I loved it; thought she was fabulous.

*Crystal (chick who got the tattoo) -- She did Aretha Franklin proud. I LOVED it. All of it! Fantastic.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

OK.....moving on to GROUP DAY

*Faith (You Must Not Know 'Bout Me) -- I thought these guys were great. They all deserved to make it through.

*Team Awesome (Get Ready) --I only liked the two black guys. I really didn't think that Tim should have made it. I'm really happy for Big Mike though. P.S. Does anyone else think of the movie "The Blindside" when someone calls him Big Mike??

*Neopolitan --I thought the chick with the pink hair sucked. She shouldn't have made it.

*Destiny's Wild -- These guys were absolutely fabulous until the very last note.....then they all sang a different note, and each of those notes were flat. I think the only one who really should have made it through was Todrick.

*The Mighty Rangers --I only liked Tori from this group. I thought that Maddie sucked today. I don't know why they put her through.

(OK, side note.....I CANNOT believe that someone would quit after making it through the first day of Hollywood week. What a crazy girl.)

*Team Phoenix -- The only one who should have made it was Jermaine. Jeff was okay, but a bit shouty.

(Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape" was a death sentence today. People should NEVER attempt to sing that song unless they have seriously MAD vocal skills.)

*The group of Jermaine, Janell and Casey was fan freaking tastic. Loved it!!

*Three Men and a Baby were PHENOMENAL

*Dreamers -- Margo and Alex were awful. There is no way Alex should have made it through. I think that Hope is good, but she needs to break away from her fear a bit. Mary, she's was a bit of a diva, but she still has great vocals.

So, it's shaping up to be quite an interesting season. Right now my money is on a male winner. We'll see how things shake loose. Tell me what you think.

Erin, a story in pictures

Totally stealing this idea from like, a zillion people.

Go to http://www.photobucket.com/

Type in your answer to each question in the search box.

Copy the html and paste for the answer.


Here goes nothin'.


1. What is your relationship status?

2. Who is your celebrity crush? (I have few -- these are probably my fav. 2)





















3. Who is your favorite band? (Notice: this says BAND, not artist) Anyone who knows me, knows I can't answer this question with a single answer.....and this is a VERY small sampling of some of my favorite bands.

4. What is your favorite movie?

5. What kind of pet do you have?

6. Where do you live?

7. Where do you work?

8. Who do you look like? (Now, I'm not sure I agree with either of these.....but I've been told by several people that I look like both of these celebrities)

9. What do you drive?

10. What's your favorite TV show? (OK, well here's my top 3)

11. Describe yourself

12. What's your favorite candy bar?

13. What is your name?

Sunday with the Stars

Rue McClanahan, who played Blanche on the Golden Girls, is currently in the hospital after suffering a stroke. Betty White sent her flowers with a personal note.

"I hope you die so I can be the last Golden Girl!"

Oh, that Betty White is such a character.

The Los Angeles Police Department and District Attorney's office are currently arguing over whether or not to press charges against Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray. If charged, Dr. Murray plans to surrender to police with a plea of not guilty. Yes, Michael Jackson had to know he was killing himself, but his doctor should be held accountable for his actions. He certainly shouldn't be allowed to practice medicine ever again.

The LAPD are currently searching for the individual who stole and crashed Charlie Sheen's car early Friday morning. Charlie received a call from OnStar alerting him to the crash. He told a reporter it was nice to have the police come to his house without having to leave with them. Charlie, I think it's a little too soon to be joking about pulling a knife on your wife.

Brittany Murphy's autopsy results were released to the public on Thursday. The primary causes of death were pneumonia and severe anemia. She also had several legal drugs in her system which could have pushed her body to the brink. The coroner believes she would have lived had she seen a doctor.

Evangeline Lilly may retire from acting when Lost ends this season.

"Acting is something I appreciate, and I think it’s been an amazing experience, but I’m not passionate about acting the way you probably should be to call yourself an actor."

Well, ok then.

The Upside of Altruism

Somebody, somewhere, once said that a truly altruistic act can be committed only by an immortal being. The cynic in me finds this absolutely true. And here's why.

Have you ever given money to the poor? Volunteered to read to the elderly? Helped out in a child's classroom? Waved someone ahead of you in line? Given your loved one the last cookie/pizza slice/piece of gum? Sure you have, unless you're a total jackass. Nice things to do, right? Selfless, even? Wrong.

Altruism is a complete fallacy, because doing nice things for other people, even if you get no monetary or tangible reward, makes you feel good. And that's not altruism. That's human nature.

The worst part about the whole altruism sham is that it's one of those things people need to tell themselves in order to sleep at night. "Oh, I'm not such a bad person! I did all these wonderful things for other people today!"

Yeah. Uhm, you can still be a bad person with a tendency towards generosity. If you sleep with your friend's spouse, but you put a quarter in the Salvation Army bucket, I don't think you can call it even. Sorry.

And if you're doing nice things out of guilt over other actions, once again, it's not altruism. It's covering your ass in case God is watching.

I think the closest form of altruism exists between parent and child, but even that is stretching it, because taking good care of your kid is, frankly, the least you can do for bringing them into this world and also: something you do so you don't feel like a jerk for being a bad parent.

Don't blame yourself. There's nothing you can do about the lack of true altruism in the world. And really, who cares? Do nice things, feel good, everyone's happy. Or do bad things, then do nice things to cover up. Either way.

But just don't try and call it altruism. Because unless you're some weirdo that feels like crap when they help people, there IS something in it for you.

Idol Chatter -- Denver Auditions

Ah, Denver. I love that city. I think I would move back there in a heartbeat if given the chance.

So, Posh is back this week, is she. I think her and Simon must be BFFs or something. Anyway, she irritates me. She made more comments about peoples fashion and the way they look then she did about their musical talent.

So, on to the contestants:

*Mark (the guy who thinks he looks like Jack Black; more like Jack Osbourne if you ask me) -- Wow! He was actually quite good. I'm looking forward to hearing more from him.

*Mario (the weird laughing guy) -- Hmm.....well, he's not horrible. But his personality annoyed me. I don't know. Not overly impressive.

*Kimberly (the mom) -- her voice is kind of annoying. I didn't really like her much. Meh. Her voice was too cartoony.

*Danelle (the chick with the HUGE earrings) -- I didn't like her voice either. She was too screamy. I don't know.....I guess the judges are really lowering their standards.

*Casey -- nice voice, but completely boring to listen to. I completely agree with Simon about this one.

*Tori --not too bad, but didn't have me jumping out of my chair. She sure looked rough and old; sorta haggard for only being 16

*Austin (stuck up football star). Ugh. I dated a guy like this in college for 5 minutes. Completely annoying. The guy is nothing but a wannabe. His voice and his attitude were both lame.

*Kenny (the "male Mary J. Blige") -- listening to him made me wanna stick my head in the oven. He was awful. If I were Mary J. I would sue him.

*Helium Girl -- she should go work for Disney as "Snow White". That's what she sounded like to me. I didn't really care for her singing voice either. I was kind of suprised that the judges put her through.

Hayley (the black country singer) -- I actually really liked her. She should be interesting to watch.

So there you have it folks. Over all I was really disappointed with the talent in Denver....even though the judges put through 26 people. What do you think? Were you impressed with the Colorado voices?

The Right to Bear Arms?

*Sigh* So, what started off as a pretty good day has turned to crap in a matter of minutes. This afternoon my 9 year old was brought home in the back of a police car. He had apparently taken a pellet gun to school. A very real looking pellet gun.

A girl on the playground noticed it and alerted the principal and the schools resource officer. They in turn brought him home and have placed him on a 4 day suspension.

I've always maintained that he has been my most difficult child, but I never thought I would have to worry about him brandishing weapons.

Suffice it to say, I don't have a lot to say. I'm upset, frustrated, angry, embarrassed and just want to beat my head against a wall.