Second Chance for AI Contestants

Last night in American Idol, the judges gave some contestants who were voted off a second chance. One of those who were brought back is Anoop Desai. :o) I'm glad he is given a second chance and I hope that he makes it through this time. I didn't vote last time but I'll make sure to vote for him next week. He was overwhelmed when he heard Simon Cowell say his name. His reaction is a complete opposite of Tatiana. Yes, she's baaack! Uhm, why? I think it's because she makes for good TV. She's what we call OA in the Philippines. OA for over-acting. Don't you think so too? All that screaming and hyperventilating and what else. I wonder how long she's going to stay. Maybe she'll be this year's Sanjaya, people will vote for her just because.

The Bachelor...Oh No, Not Again!

I knew it! While watching the finale of The Bachelor, where Jason just dumped Molly, I had the feeling that he made a huge mistake. There is something about Melissa that just rubs me the wrong way. Well, I'm watching the After the Final Rose show right now and classy, she is not. I have to give props to Jason, he could've just pretended that everything is perfect just like what the previous bachelors did but he didn't. He said that after spending the last six weeks with Melissa, he realized that he made the wrong decision. He thought that he loved her more than Molly but this was not the case. Well, he probably saw Melissa's real personality. (Note to Melissa: He's just not into you, sorry.) Jason said that he just couldn't stop thinking about Molly. (Uh, hello,can I say L-O-V-E?) *sigh* Truth be told, I only watch the beginning and the last couple of episodes of this show. I got tired of all the drama between the girls, etc. Anyway, I really hope that Jason finds the perfect woman for him (*cough*, Molly) and break this Bachelor jinx. The show is still going on so I have no idea if Molly will take him back. Being the hopeless romantic, I hope they have a happy ending.

** Well, I'm happy to add that she took him back. You can tell from the way Jason acted that he is really in love with this woman. *sigh again*. Time will tell.

Why Can't She Break It Off?

I was flabbergasted when I heard that Rihanna has reconciled with her abusive/batterer boyfriend Chris Brown. What is she thinking? Well, obviously, she's not thinking! Why did she go back to this guy who just weeks before left her battered and bruised. Did you see THE photo? My goodness. What's even unbelievable is the statement from Rihanna's father. He said that he supports her in whatever decision she makes. Uh, hello! Aren't parents supposed to guide and give advice to their sons and daughters especially at times where they seem to have lost their minds? This is just mind boggling for me. I was disappointed with her decision because I thought that she's going to set an example to her fans that abuse is NOT OKAY.

Top Chef Finale

Bravo TV's Top Chef is one of my fave reality show and last night was the season finale. The last three chefs that remained where Carla, Hosea and Stefan. Among these three chefs, Stefan has won the most challenges. He is good although he has a rough personality. Sometimes I think he's so full of himself and other times I think that he just knows he is good that it comes off as obnoxious. Carla is my favorite contestant this season. She first started slow but gained steam on the second half of the season. I love her interviews, it shows her wonderful personality, very friendly and down to earth. She has this big, brown eyes that lights up like a led light bulb when she's excited. I'm sure it would be fun when you spend a day with her. Hosea meanwhile, is your low-key, shy kind of guy. A complete opposite of Stefan.
All season long, I feel like Hosea is competing against Stefan first, the rest of the chefs second. Hosea feels that Stefan is the one to beat since he keeps on winning the challenges. He was right though since at the finale it all came down between him and Stefan. With Carla, I was disappointed that she went along with the suggestion of her sous chef, former Top Chef contestant Kacey. This was her downfall in my opinion. Carla should've stuck with her original menu and not go along with Kacey's suggestions since the first dish wasn't cooked properly and the souffle didn't turn out good. Because of this, Carla was out of the running for the title.
It all came down to the men's last dish; they have to cook a three-course meal and Stefan made a so-so dessert while Hosea, knowing that desserts is not his strong suit, opted to make another entree which wowed the judges. If they had to judge the chefs according to their accomplishments the whole season, then Stefan would've surely won. On this show though, they're judged by the last meal they made and Hosea won hands down. He received $100,000 and according to him, he will put up his own business.

AI is Back

No, not Artificial Intelligence, it's American Idol. The season starts tonight at 8 pm. I used to be an avid watcher during the first two seasons. Now, I only watch the beginning and the end. I skip the middle part. I don't know, is it just me or is it getting boring? I used to religiously vote every week for my favorite contestant and I even used the redial feature a lot of times. I guess I got tired of the whole thing. I got bored while watching it that sometimes I'll surf the internet looking for tv mount for the set in the kitchen. Anyway, I think that a lot of people feel the same way since viewership was down last season. Is that why they have this new judge? Do you think she'll bring something fresh to the show? I also read somewhere that there wouldn't be much AI wannabe-rejects this season. I think this is a good idea since I feel bad for those people who humiliate themselves on TV. Although I believe a lot of people like this part. Unless they have something new and exciting this season, I'll only watch the beginning, to see the Idol wannabes and the end, to see who get to be THE American Idol. I hope there's another Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood in this bunch.

If Cheryl Burke is Fat, Then I'm a Whale

When I heard what other people are saying about Cheryl Burke, I was flabbergasted. They said that Cheryl Burke is fat. What? These people clearly have a skewed view of the female body.

Why do they consider her fat? Ok, she said so herself that she gained some weight (I think she said 5 lbs. but I'm not sure). But look at her, she is not fat. She has the body of a healthy woman, curves and all. I remember when they said that Tyra Banks was fat, same with Jennifer Love Hewitt. No wonder a lot of girls and women are dealing with food disorders, they feel pressured to be thin like the runway models and actresses. I hope that this way of thinking will stop. I know it may be impossible but one can only hope.

He's Gay, So What?

I liked Clay Aiken. This was years ago when he was on American Idol. There were rumors back then that he is Gay. It didn't bother me at all. So what if he is Gay? I like his voice and it's none of my business what his sexual orientation is. I was a little (ok maybe more than a little) disappointed when he flat out denied it. When Diane Sawyer asked him about it, he told her that she was rude for asking him that question. Now he is admitting that he is Gay. This is after years of denial. Why did he try to hide it? He probably didn't want to alienate the 'Claymates', his fans. If they really like him and care for him, then they should be able to accept him for what he is.

You go Charice!

Did you see her on Oprah the other day? Boy, was I teary-eyed the whole time. I had to get some tissues especially when Celine Dion appeared on screen and Charice was speechless. I am very happy for her and her mom. She has a powerful voice and seem to be such a nice girl, very outgoing. I felt bad when she mentioned that some people told her she wouldn't make it because she wasn't attractive enough. Well, I'd like to see what they have to say now that Charice is on top of the world.

Are You a Fan of British Singer Dido?

If you are, then you'd be happy to know that she is finally releasing her third album titled 'Safe Trip Home' on Nov. 4. For those of you who are not familiar with the name, you might know one of her popular songs "Thank You" and the theme song from the TV series 'Roswell' titled "Here with Me".

She is giving away one of the album''s tracks, "Look No Further" for free. You can download it at her website http://www.didomusic.com/

I have one of her songs as the hold music in my cellphone. I like her voice and her music, it's soothing.

Mulder...A Sex Addict?

Known as Mulder to X-Files follower, David Duchovny checked into a rehabilitation center for sex addiction. I used to watch X-Files religiously during the first couple of seasons. I like his movie 'Return to Me' with Minnie Driver. I'm fond of Duchovny, he seemed like a nice guy and I like the fact that he is a 'family man'. I'm surprised to read this about him, aren't you?

It's All About the Twins

These are the most expensive baby photos ever, $14,000,000! The money is going to various charities just like the previous deals with their other kids. It is a nice cover photo, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie both look very happy and content. Shiloh is already a head-turner!

Other celebrities who sold their baby's photos keep the money for themselves (or their kids), there were no charities that profited. Should we name names? J.Lo, Christina Aguilera, Jamie Lynn Spears (is she even considered a celeb?), Jessica Alba and even Matthew McConaughey. Doesn't that make them look greedy?

Is Country Music Your Thing?

Dh and I have varied musical tastes ranging from contemporary jazz to alternative rock. Country Music is not a big part of it although I like some songs of Faith Hill and Garth Brooks. If I have to choose a country song as a favorite, then Faith Hill's song 'Breathe' is the one I'd choose. If you are a country music fan and are looking for Country Music Lyrics then Countrymusicperformers.com is the website for you. They have an extensive list of all things pertaining to country music and artists plus more.

Cool Rick Ross Ringtones

My dh's nephew is turning thirteen in a couple of weeks. Like many teens his age, he has his own cellphone. His sister who is fifteen also has her own. No wonder my 9 year old wanted to have one for herself too, but that's another story. Anyway, Corey's music choice is Rap and Hip Hop and he has a couple of Rick Ross Ringtones. He's asking for the album and the new ringtone from this artist for his birthday. He likes "Rick Ross The Boss Ringtone". He also plans to download the MP3 into his video IPod and listen to it when they go on their summer vacation next month. I'm glad that it will be easy for me to get his gift, with teens nowadays, you never know what they like.

Must Love Kids

Have I told you that I'm a reality-show junkie? I like to watch reality shows like The Amazing Race, Little People - Big World, Top Chef and Project Runway and other shows like that. Today, I saw a promo for another reality show on TLC (The Learning Channel). It is called 'Must Love Kids', it is a dating reality show unlike any others. The people involved are not your run-of-the-mill model types but real people like us. The women all have children and are looking for the 'right person'. I think I will like this show unlike the other dating shows out there which I detest. You won't see any overly sexy outfits here or a hunk showing off his six-pack (although I don't mind seeing that!). I will definitely watch this show and I hope that it will live up to my expectation. How about you, do you like to watch any reality show?

The New American Idol

Meet our (Mira and I - LOL) American Idol, David Cook. He didn't have the best song choices for the finals but the voters showed their support for him big time. He apparently won by over 12 million votes! I remember Mira telling me at YM that David C. didn't perform as well as David Archuleta. We were worried that David C. will lose but he didn't! David A. is also a very good singer but I'm more into David C. I was so happy when I heard Ryan Seacrest say David C.'s name. I was even teary-eyed when I saw him crying after he won. I just hope that he will have a great career just like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. :)

And The American Idol is...David!

I watch American Idol only at the start of the season and at the end of the season. What happens in-between, I can either watch or skip. I knew then that both Davids will be in the last four. Both are very good singers and have mass appeal. So who would I want to be The American Idol? Well, it's David, of course! ;)

What Was She Thinking?

"I think I want to bring my plant and butterflies." That's probably why she wore this outrageous and ugly hat. It was made by a famous milliner in the UK so it must be expensive. In my opinion, expensive does not necessarily mean beautiful. There's a saying "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder." I don't think it applies to this hat though since from the news reports in TV and print media, all of the comments have been negative. Obviously Sarah Jessica Parker wanted to be the center of attention and out do her Sex and the City co-stars. Well, she definitely got the world's attention and snickers.

Reality TV News

Okay, I admit, I'm a reality TV show junkie. I like watching Reality Shows like Project Runway, The Amazing Race, Top Chef, The Bachelor errr strike that last one out. I only watched one season, the one with Andrew Firestone and after that one fizzled out, I'm done with it. If ever I missed an episode of say, Top Chef, I go to a website with Reality TV News. This is where I read about the episode that I missed and other 'insider news' about my favorite reality show. If you like to watch American Idol, they also have news about it, why? Because AI is a reality show. So for news about reality TV, go to www.realitybug.com

A Very Sad News

I felt sad when I read that Patrick Swayze has Pancreatic Cancer. His publicist released a statement that Patrick might only have a few weeks to live. Usually, patients who are diagnosed with this kind of cancer have only a couple of months to live. I hope he is the exception.

He was diagnosed with the cancer a month ago. His doctor said that he is responding very well to treatment and he is considerably optimistic. The average life expectancy for a newly diagnosed patient is six to nine months, with only 4 percent of victims surviving more than five years.

I first saw Patrick Swayze in the mini-series 'North and South'. I loved him in the movie "Ghost', it's one of the few movies that leaves me teary-eyed no matter how many times I've seen it. He is a great dancer, have you seen 'Dirty Dancing'? He seems to be such a great guy, I have never read any bad story about him. I hope that he will get through this just fine.

This Years American Idol Controversy?

I've been watching American Idol since it started here in the US. This years' semi-finalists are a talented lot, more so from the previous years. I've had my favorites early on and one (I have a few faves) of them is the gal with the Irish accent, Carly Smithson. She has a very good voice and very pretty, she reminds me of Demi Moore only with short hair. I think it's her eyes, very similar to Demi.

Anyway, she was picked to be one of the 24 semi-finalists. Imagine my surprise last week when I read about her in a Yahoo blog. It seems that Carly already had 3 albums under her belt, it was released in 2001 and did not do very well. She was single then so she was using her maiden name Carly Hennessy.

Now, I'm not quite familiar with the 'rules' of AI but I do think it's unfair to the others who are starting from scratch. If I was one of those who were rejected before reaching the semi-finals, I would definitely feel cheated.

You can read the blog here.