Hilarious!

Here's a hilarious clip... merging two summer movie hits together!  If you've seen both of these movies, you will find it particularly funny.  Enjoy

I'm taking the blog on vacation!

So I'm going on vacation starting tonight.... and the blog is coming with me!  :-)  A group of friends and I are going to the hap-hap-happiest place on earth... Walt Disney World in Orlando!  I'm excited to give you recaps and post pics and maybe even video thanks to my new iPhone!  :-) 

Be on the lookout for some fun posts!!! 

Why I Hate "America's Got Talent"... (but still can't stop watching)

You know by now that I'm a sucker for reality TV.  I love the thought of having an afternoon with nothing to do but catch up on hours of DVR'ed unscripted goodness.

One show that I have watched on and off since its first season is "America's Got Talent".  Over the past several summers there have been MANY great, unique acts that have been featured on the show.  BUT.... I have just been catching up on this week's episodes and I felt the burning need to express how much I really HATE this show.  Well maybe not the whole show, but just certain aspects of it.  Let me break those aspects down for you:

1. GET RID OF THE STANDARD SINGERS!  We've got a very popular singing talent show already called American Idol... and although Idol is only for ages 15-29, I still feel that the singing performers have an unfair advantage over other groups.  Of the 4 acts that made it through on this weeks results show, 2 of them were singers (that don't do anything else besides sing).  Unless you are adding something unique to the singing performance, then I don't think they should be allowed to participate.  I mean, after all... what makes this show cool and unique is that it is a "catch-all" for so many other unique talents... and just regular singing takes away the opportunity of other people who this is their only venue to gain fame and have their shot on a reality TV show. 
2. IS THIS SHOW CALLED "AMERICA'S GOT TALENT"? OR "WHO WILL MAKE THE BEST VEGAS STAGE SHOW"???!!  I hate that the winning prize has become so focused on the Vegas stage show.  This is a talent show. Not a casting call for Vegas shows.  If the point of the show is to find the best, most unique talent in America, there are good chances that maybe that talent isn't appropriate for a Vegas audience.  I mean, are you really going to put through a dance group of five 8-12 year old girls to dance every night in Sin City?  But... if those girls are talented, they should be rewarded! 
3. STOP PICKING CONTESTANTS BECAUSE THEY ARE ATTRACTIVE!  So maybe the hand-whistling Granny isn't attractive... but it seems like some of the contestants this are banking on their looks more than their talent.  Let's be real... that 18 year old guy that made it through week one... Nathaniel Kenyon... there is NO WAY that voice would get him through on American Idol (and that says a lot considering Tim Young made it to the top 8 this past season).  I just think that with the cross-section of America that probably tries out for the show, we should pick people based on talent... and not a combination of looks and talent.  If the person's talent can stand alone without the looks, and they happen to be attractive, then cool.  Otherwise... let someone else have a chance. 

Any other people out there in the blogosphere watch this show?  Please tell me I'm not the only one that has these same feelings about the show....

With those things said... let me leave you with a video of my favorite act to ever be on America's Got Talent.  This act I think epitomizes what America's Got Talent SHOULD be all about.... uniqueness... originality.... entertaining... and a captivating talent.  Check out the Quick Change Artists:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axi58IkRkvk

First blog post from iPhone!

So far this birthday week has been covered in awesome sauce! First of all... after thinking I was going to have to wait three weeks to get my new iPhone... I got email notification that it was in on Monday! Needless to say... I've been attached to it ever since!

It has an awesome frontward facing camera... Which Rich and I have already tested out with Apple's "FaceTime" video chat. Very fun. Here's a pic from the camera:




I love this phone so much that I may just have to add a new recurring blog column about my favorite new apps. :-). We'll see. I'm posting this from a blogging app I just downloaded. If you are reading this, then it was a success!

Thanks Rich for the AWESOME birthday present!!! I LOVE it!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My Favorite 4 Minutes of Music This Week- July 23rd

For this weeks Favorite 4 Minutes, I'm sharing a group that I've been jamming to all week.  This song isn't a new, breaking song that is fresh on the charts... in fact, I don't think they have ever been on the charts here in the US.  They are a UK-based Danish pop that I am in love with: Alphabeat!

To me, Alphabeat is a little slice of Europop heaven.  There ain't no shame in my game... I will openly admit that I love Ace of Base and other poppy groups that came out of the Europe in the 90's.  To me, Alphabeat is a throwback to those days, with a new, current spin on it.  I was able to get my hands on their most recent CD "The Beat Is..." and I am in LOVE with it.  The lead singer, Stine, is so damn cute... and she is joined by a group of equally adorable guys.  They are just fun, fun, FUN!

I first found out about Alphabeat when Perez Hilton posted a song by them on his blog... and he later had them perform at his showcase at SXSW this year.  It was their first US appearance... and I was SO wanting to be there.  I guess I'll have to wait for them to come back to the states and hopefully they will do a show in the LA area.

The song Perez posted months ago is the song that I am posting for you today... it's my favorite of their songs and makes me feel like dancing.  It's great while driving with the windows down in the summertime!

Check it out and if you like it, you should look up their other songs and videos on YouTube.  Enjoy "The Spell" by ALPHABEAT!  :-)

As I turn 30...

It's my birthday!  YAY! 

As I turn 30, I'd like to take this opportunity to focus not on myself... but on the woman who gave birth to me 30 years ago today: Connie Eickhoff! 

It's hard to be so far away from my mom on a day like today... not only because I am totally missing her famous Rice Krispy Ice Cream Dessert that I love and that she has made for me every year on my birthday :-) ... but because I know that she must be having some mixed feelings about today.  I mean, I can just hear here up at the Bluebird Cafe having breakfast saying "My baby turns thirty today!  Can you believe it?  THIRTY!".  Yes mom.  Your baby is 30. 

This is the amazing woman who told me it was OK to be me.  I was perfect just the way I am.  And if other people didn't think so... they could go f--- themselves!  (and she would tell them exactly where they could shove it!).  It was so OK to be me, in fact, that she would cut, sew, and hot glue gun any costume needed in order to get on stage and make a fool of myself at the Riverfest Lip Sync for the last 19 (soon to be 20) years.  She didn't care... she would be front row and be incredibly proud. 

This is the amazing woman who gave me the love and kindness I needed growing up so that I could become a loving and kind adult.  Today this was made apparent by all the love and kindness I've been shown on facebook by people all across the country.  I am lucky to have all these people in my life... and I wouldn't if it wasn't for my mother. 

This is the amazing woman who has been there to support me through all the difficult times.  I am grateful to know that my life has been easier than most, and that is due to the unwavering support she has given me.  Even the most difficult times were bearable because of her.  I do not take this for granted.  There are so many people out there without this support that I know I am truly blessed to have her in my life. 

This is the amazing woman who gave me my ability to be crafty and creative.  She never strayed me away from doing fun arts and crafts projects and always allowed me to express myself creatively.  For this, I thank her... because being creative is something I thrive on now, and something that makes me so happy.  For every holiday decoration that I display... for every lip sync background I paint... for every homemade gift or card I create... I thank her for giving me this talent and passion. 

This is the amazing woman showed me what true love is by being in a loving, committed relationship for 40 years.  She has proven that love can be strong if you are strong as an individual and do what it takes to make it work.  The lessons I learned in this area alone have helped to make me successful in my current relationship which is going on two years strong.  And trust me... I wouldn't be where I am today without her advice during the many phone calls I've made crying out for help.  He insight is invaluable. 

This is the amazing woman who gave birth to a big baby boy 30 years ago today.  I LOVE YOU Mom, and wish nothing more than to hug you on my birthday.  Thanks for all you've given to me in the last 10,950 days. 

Yes mom, your baby is 30.... but whether I'm turning 3 or 30 or 93... I'll always be your baby. 

Things I Love About California: Arclight Cinemas

After my last post about Inception, I'd like to follow it up with my latest installment of: "Things I Love About California."  This week, I love Arclight Cinemas.... or put more simply: movie theatres with reservable seats!

Now... I'm pretty sure this isn't just in California anymore... but considering the movie-going experience that I had growing up in Michigan, having this option out here is pretty amazing. 

For those of you still back in the Midwest that don't understand what I'm talking about... consider this:  You know how when you buy tickets on Ticketmaster for a concert and they tell you what the best available seats are and you can see where you are sitting before you buy the tickets? ?  Imagine being able to do that for a movie!!!

You can log in to the Arclight website, check the various movie times, and then look at a layout of the theatre to see if its packed.  Then you can click on whatever available seats you like best and buy your tickets online.  So if you're one of those people who always like to sit in the back... or in the front... you've got that option.  You can buy your tickets days in advance and make plans around that movie for the night.  Just print the tickets from home, and you are good to go.  It's pretty awesome.  Best part... is if you are going to see a movie on opening night or opening weekend, before you would have to show up at least an hour ahead of time to buy your tickets and then wait in line to get a good seat.  Not anymore.  You can show up 10 minutes before the movie (or 15 in order to make sure you can get snacks!) and get right in. 

Another awesome thing about Arclight: you can't get into the movie once the movie begins... so you better be on time!  Its nice because it cuts down on people coming in late and crawling over you in the dark to find a seat.  Although this rule did bite us in the butt once when were late and had to forfeit our tickets... we learned our lesson and haven't done it since. 

OK... OK... so things aren't perfect with Arclight.  Of course the tickets are more expensive... but for the headache that it relieves, its pretty quick to get over the ticket price.  At most "regular" theatres out here in California, you are going to spend $12 to see a movie anyway... so whats the different to spend an extra $3.  For me, the convenience is worth it. 

Inception... pretty much = badass.

Sorry its been a few days since an update.  I feel like I've got so much to say!  First, I'll start with a post about the movie "Inception".  Its a flick I've been waiting for a while to see.  The previews were done pretty well... and definitely sold me on going opening weekend. 

Let's break it down in parts:

Visually: The movie is beautiful.  From the costumes to the set design to the special effects.  A visually pleasing movie that I am certain will get at least a few technical nominations at the Oscars this year.  What you see in the preview?  Yeah... you get that and a whole lot more.

Sound:  You know how the previews give you this sense of urgency and suspense with that low-toned, almost vuvuzela sound?  Well, take that and add 100% more urgency and suspense.  The music and sound effects are done really well.  The soundtrack (and its use) is pretty fantastic.

Acting:  Of course we know Leo is a pro... and I wouldn't have expected any less from him.  But... can I just say that there were some other stellar performances in this movie?  First of all: Marion Cotillard.  Best Supporting Actress nomination if you ask me.  She wasn't in the movie much, but when she was, I was fixated on her.  Between her flawless classic beauty and her captivating performance, I was ready to hand her an award myself.  And can I just say that Joseph Gordon Levitt has come a LONG way since "Angels In The Outfield".  I thought he was awesome.  Those two were the standouts for me, but they were among a stellar cast.  Oh... and can I just add that I need to check out some more flicks with this Tom Hardy guy (plays Eames in the movie)???  Between his cute smile and accent I was smitten!  :-)

Plot:  I mean... what can you really say about the screenwriting and plot about this movie???  Sure it stars Leo and all... but really, the storyline is the star of the movie.  Some movies rest on big name actors... some rest on stunning visual effects... but with Inception, you could take that all away and you still have a complex and intriguing story. 

All in all... as I'm sure you've gathered... I reccommend seeing Inception if you haven't yet.  If you are one of those people that tends to rent movies... I would say this is one you definitely want to take the time and money to see in the actual theatre.

Well.... that was fast.

BIG BROTHER SPOILER ALERT:  If you have Big Brother 12 tivo'ed or dvr'ed from last night and haven't watched yet... then read no further!  :-)

(I always appreciate a warning, because I hate when my reality TV gets spoiled!)

So Thursday night was the first (of I'm sure many to come) dramatic night of the Big Brother 12 season.  Not only did we find out who the Saboteur was, but we had our first eviction and live HOH competition.  Here are some of my thoughts:

• First of all, I'm totally bummed that Annie was the Saboteur and now she's out the game!  I guess that big twist backfired on you, huh CBS?  Once I found out that it was actually Annie, I was happy with her as the choice, and wished that she would have stayed a bit longer.  I do give her credit for trying her best to stay... and the point she made about Brendon and Rachel was a good one (which made itself even more apparent LATER...).  For it being the first eviction of the season, that was a pretty good speech that Annie gave!  Usually the first few weeks of pre-eviction speeches are filled with nothing but marshmallows and cotton candy.  She went right for the meaty-ness... and I liked it. 
• I really thought that Britney was the Saboteur... but now that she's not, I really hope she stays for a while.  She is too damn funny!  I love the comments that she makes in the diary room.  To put this in SAT verbal format: Britney is to season 12 as Kevin was to season 11. 
• Kristen.... she was another one that I felt could possibly be the saboteur... but it turns out she's just completely invisible in this entire game so far!  They haven't featured her at all.  In fact, on Thursday's episode I think the first time we even saw her face was when Julie called her into the diary room to vote.  At first, I thought this may be her "stealthness" as the saboteur.... but now I'm thinking:  Is she really just that boring? 
• The HOH competition:  Can I tell you how much I LOVED that during the second question that ALL three remaining "Brigade" members were eliminated.  All at the same time.  It was like poetry.  Complete awesomeness.  The Brigade is such a dumb alliance name... and they are stupid to think they are going to make it to the final four. 
• I LOVE that Rachel won the HOH competition.  Not that I particularly love Rachel.... but I just love drama in the BB house... and you know when someone goes from being on the block to being HOH that there will be some vengence and drama.  I can't wait to see what happens. 

Another reason I love Kathy Griffin

For those of you that don't follow Kathy Griffin closely, you may not know that she used her comedic genius last summer by bringing a very special date with her to the Teen Choice Awards.  Who better to accompany her to this teen awards show than the most famous teen baby-daddy, Levi Johnston (Sarah Palin's daughter's baby-daddy).  Personally, I thought this was hilarious!  Since that event, she's hung out with Levi on several occasions, and last week she even had an episode of her show "My Life on the D List" filmed in Wasila, Alaska with Levi.  I'm not sure how much she pays him to get him to go along with whatever she says... but Levi is pretty well trained to say things like "what Kathy and I have is real" and "I'm in love with Kathy".  It's hilarious.  This extra publicity even attracted Playgirl magazine to do a photo shoot with Levi (thus the copy of the magazine in the video below). 

Well... you can imagine Kathy's surprise when Levi is back in the news this week.  This time, its because he is back with Bristol Palin... and news reports are that they are engaged! 

Kathy posted a video depicting her response to this tragic news.  Be sure to watch until the end...  :-)

Things I Love about California: Agua Frescas

So I had this idea for a new "column" here on my blog: Things I Love about California.  It's been almost two years since I've moved out here, and it still surprises me to this day about how different life is here compared to my first 28 years of life in Michigan (and that one year in between that I lived in Nashville, TN... shout out to my friends there!).  To chronicle these new things... I'll be talking about them periodically (or as they present themselves) right here on my blog.

For the first installment, I'd like to share my love for: Aguas Frescas

Aguas Frescas is the spanish term for "fresh waters"... and boy are they refreshing especially on a hot day here in Southern Cali.  This delicious drink is most likely found where mexican food is served... and it comes in a variety of flavors.  Many of the flavors are fruit based and include chunks of fresh fruit in them.  My personal favorite is pineapple... but they come in lots of other flavors like mango, watermelon, canteloupe, guava, lime, strawberry lemonade and more.  There are also non fruit-based flavors like horchata and hibiscus. 

Just think: cold water, fruit, ice and sugar all mixed into one!  Can it get any better?  I mean... why is this a regional thing?  I don't understand why Michigan can't get some fruity-watery love!  I'm sure its because its a traditional drink from the Mexican culture... and well... let's face it, California is a lot more diverse than Michigan.  Still.... I think if I ever moved back to Michigan, one of the things I would miss most is Aguas Frescas.

One funny story to share that will describe my love for this drink:  I was at a fair with a group of friends, and its almost guaranteed that there will be Aguas Frescas at carnivals/fairs here in the LA area.  We luckily found a tent and got the largest one I could get.  Another friend asked to try it... and the first thing he said was: "it just tastes like watered-down fruit".  To which I promptly replied, "NO!  This is fruited-up water!".  You don't want to argue with me about Aguas Frescas.  :-)

My Favorite 4 Minutes of Music This Week- July 13th

Summer is a time for a good, poppy, windows-down, speakers-blaring, wind-in-your-hair kinda jam... and there is one song that I think fits this bill, and I can't stop listening to it.  That's why its my favorite 4 minutes of music this week: Dance Forever by Allstar Weekend. 

I first heard this song simply by seeing it in the iTunes top 100 downloads and listening to the 30 second sample.  It sounded fun so I downloaded the whole track.  Since then, its been on my "Current Hits" playlist on my iPod... and I seem to always go to this song first.  It's got the same vibe as Metro Station... and the lead singer totally has a Fall Out Boy vocal thing going on.  I'm not sure if its the pop/rocky guitar and keyboards, or the simple easy to sing along with lyrics... but its infectious... and I've got the virus.

I decided before I posted this I may want to look the band up and get a bit more information about them.  They all went to high school together in San Diego... and got thier start in early 2009.  Not surprisingly, this band was part of a talent competition on Radio Disney (I'm a sucker for teeny-bopper pop folks... no shocker here).  They didn't win... but they did get signed by Hollywood Records following the competition.  Also... not to play the race card here (but I'm gonna...) its nice to see a diverse group of guys in this band! 

I've already put my shields up for the amount of crap that is going to get hurled at me for being almost 30 and enjoying a band that is liked by girls who are literally half my age.  But no shame in my game!  I love this song... so turn it up and enjoy!

Some moments are just... magic :-)

So last night I had the chance to see the Steve Miller Band at the Greek Theatre here in LA.  The tickets were cheap, it was a beautiful Sunday evening... why not go see a a band responsible for some of the biggest iconic rock hits, right?  Of course!

Well... going into the show, I never thought I'd be writing a blog about it from the sentimental angle... but sometimes moments just pop up when you least expect them and give you a great memory.

In my head, I remember Steve Miller Band for songs like "The Joker", "Keep On Rockin' Me", and "Jungle Love"... and it was awesome to hear all of those songs live.  The crowd was made up of mostly 45+ aged adults... but it was cool to also see that some of those parents brought along thier kids to enjoy the tunes with.  Surprisingly, Steve's voice still sounded great after all the years of performing live... and the musicians in the band were just awesome.  All in all.... a great show.

BUT... three quarters of the way through the show... a starting riff to a song began, and I had a complete and total flashback.  For some reason on this night, I completely forgot that Steve Miller Band was also responsible for the song "Abracadabra".  Just hearing the first few bars of the song immediately brought me back to memories of my family.  I remember being very young (I think like 2 or 3) and this was my FAVORITE song on the planet.  My parents would play it and I would sing along... but my version sounded more like "abba abba cadabba... I wanna reach out and grabbya"... and I would reach out and grab the person I was singing to...  :-)   I remembered my dad retelling this story of me on many accounts through my teen years and college years.  It was a story that always made him laugh and smile.

As I stood at the concert, singing along again with tears streaming down my face, as I am just days away from turning 30... it was almost as if I could see my dad looking down on me, laughing and smiling again. 

This one's for you dad:

Sue Sylvester in wax!

It was announced that a new statue will be added to Madame Tussaud's Hollywood Wax Museum... and it will be none other than Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester from Glee! Holy Gleeballs! This is amazing!

My first LIP DUB VIDEO!

I am very proud to present a project that I had the pleasure of working on at my current job.  For a staff development activity, we decided to create a lip dub video.  For those of you that are unfamiliar with lip dubs, basically it is a video recorded in one continuous shot moving through a building or area while performers lip sync to a song.  If you've never watched one...here are some YouTube links to a few of my favorites (that are much more elaborate than the one I directed):

Probably the most famous one: "I Gotta Feeling"
"We Are Golden"
"Don't Stop Believin'"
The backwards lip dub:  "You Make My Dreams Come True"

So I'm a little obsessed with these lip dubs and have always wanted to be a part of one... so I was so happy when my supervisor agreed to let me plan one for our staff.  Here is the one that I directed (and I make an appearance in!).  I'm super proud of how it turned out... and I hope you enjoy:

Starting my Christmas List early!

Check out this story!  Who ever has this idea is my new best friend... :-)

Betty White turns another page as calendar girl

Betty White is catapulting to true "it girl" status with her own calendar.

It's true. The 88-year-old actress is posing for her own 2011 calendar. Some of the photos are archival, others are Betty with animals, and more than one month features Betty posing with shirtless, beefcake-type men.

The 2011 Betty White Calendar costs $12.99 and will go on sale in September.

Royalties will go to the Morris Animal Foundation, where White serves as a trustee.

In May, White became the oldest person to host "Saturday Night Live." She's co-starring in the new TV Land original sitcom "Hot in Cleveland," which airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

Go See: Despicable Me

So about a week ago I was given the opportunity to go to the world premiere of Despicable Me here in Los Angeles.  It was a movie that I have wanted to see for a while and was so happy to see an advanced screening. 

They've been promo'ing the crap out of this movie.  I can't even remember the first time I saw one of the little yellow minions on my TV to promote this movie... but it was a while ago.  I really just hope that all the early promotion hasn't worn off and that people still go see it.

So... from my perspective, definitely check it out.  If you've got kids, bring them.  If you don't have kids, find someone else's kids and bring them.  :-)  I think the lesson that kids can take from this movie is one that would stick with them for a while.

The movie is funny.  Steve Carell does an excellent job as main guy Gru.  He's got the voice down so much that you don't even know its Steve Carell.  Quite the opposite, Russell Brand as the voice of the old scientist guy makes me bust up laughing every time he's on the screen because you can totally tell that it is Russell Brand.  It's so funny.  Besides these characters, you will fall in love with the yellow minions and with the youngest of the three girls.  They take cuteness to the next level.

Here's a clip from Yahoo of one of my favorite moments.  It's not spoiling too much because most of you have probably already seen this in the trailers... but still, I wanted to get you pumped up to go see it.  And then come back and comment on my blog!  :-)

"I Lost My Dignity On A Slippery Wiener"

Being a hardcore reality TV fan... I have been anxiously awaiting the premiere of summer's guiltiest of guilty pleasures: BIG BROTHER!  Last night was finally the first episode of the 12th season.  TWELVE!  It's hard to believe that for that many summers (oh... and that one weird winter season...) Big Brother has been bringing scandal, backstabbing and hilarity to our TV screens.

I have to admit... when I first saw the cast announced on CBS.com and had a chance to peruse their bios, I was very underwhelmed.  The cast was very... ummm... vanilla?!  The entire cast are all caucasians except for one African-American girl who is so white she makes some of the other girls look black.  I was worried that this season would be just like vanilla ice cream is... lacking flavor.

I was also worried about this season's twist: "the Saboteur".  One contestant isn't in the house to win the game and the actual prize money... instead they are there to complete missions and sabotage the other players in hopes of making it past the first five weeks of eliminations.  At that point, the Saboteur will win $50,000.  I was worried because in my head this sounded like another fantastic show from reality TV history: The Mole. 

After watching last night's first episode... I admit that I am 100% sucked back in again.  The cast didn't seem as boring and vanilla as I originally expected... and the Saboteur thing was actually presented in a way that it was much different than the Mole.  I think it will actually be a great twist.  The videos of the Saboteur that are all jumbled with the contrived deep voice are a little scary at times.  I'm sure if I was living in the house I would probably have nightmares of that image/sound combination.

So... as a loyal BB fan, I was doing my best to attempt to figure out who the Saboteur is (it will actually be revealed on next Thursday's episode).  Here are my pics for "Most Likely to be the Saboteur":

My first prediction is blonde Britney.  I think she's a good choice because people may not expect her to be the Saboteur and as Big Brother's signature trademark says: Expect the Unexpected.  I think there is a lot more to this girl that meets the eye.  And following in the footsteps of previous blonde vixens in the house like Janelle and Jordan, I think that Britney knows the game well and would be able to play the part of the Saboteur.  When she fell off the hot dog and hurt her knee last night, I really thought she was faking it... but watching it back a couple times it really did look like it was hurt, so that part confuses me.  BUT... if she really was playing up that injury to sabotage her team... it backfired because they ended up winning anyway!  I do have to say... Saboteur or not, I hope Britney stays around for a while... because with lines like "I lost my dignity on a slippery wiener" and "the gays are my people"... I can't help but love her and want to see more. 

My second prediction is Kristen.  Something about this girl shouts SABOTEUR to me.  I think she's smart... I think shes got good history of the Big Brother game... and she's got that take-no-prisoners, no-bullshit attitude that would be perfect for a saboteur.  Also... notice how she was the first one across in the hot dog game, winning $10,000.  If I was in the house as the Saboteur and knew that my end goal prize was $50,000, I would be jumping at the chance to get as much more money along the way as possible.  Also... did you hear after the lights came back on that Kristen was VERY vocal with trying to ensure everyone knew she was sitting right next to Hayden on the couch.  Very suspicious.

My last prediction for the Saboteur is Ragan.  The reason I pick him is because he seems like such a character and able to act really well... then combine that with the fact that he is already from Los Angeles... and it makes me think that maybe someone affiliated with the casting might have already known Ragan and been like "I have this GREAT guy to play the Saboteur!".  He seems sweet enough, but yet very cunning.  I feel like people would underestimate him, and not consider him as the Saboteur.  Plus... he has already lied to them about what he does and what his background is... she we know he's already working on putting up a front.  We'll see!

I could go on about so many of the other cast mates (ummm crazy Enzo... hot Brendon)... but I leave those comments for a future post.  We'll keep this one based on Saboteur speculation.  Who do you think it may be?

Emmy Nominations Announced!

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the nominees for this year's Emmy Awards this morning... and boy am I excited!  Some very fun nominees included in this group.  Here are some of my personal favorites, and who I will be rooting for this year:

 OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES

My two favorite non-reality shows on television!  Its actually a tough choice to pick which one that I would rather have win.  Glee is so entertaining each week... but Modern Family makes me laugh harder than any show on television.  Honestly, a win by either would make me full of glee!

 OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Lea Michele is pretty much brilliant as Rachel Berry on Glee.  Not only does she bring the pipes, but she brings the laughs.  The real winner should be the casting agent that picked Lea up for this role because it is pitch-perfect. 

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

If there was a category for Outstanding Lead Hot Teacher You Wish You Had In High School, then Matthew Morrison would be a Schu in (pardon the bad pun).  As Mr. Schu, he really is the driving force behind this show and it would be awesome to have him recognized for his talent (and ability to shake the booty). 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

The cast of Modern Family decided that, to be fair, they would enter themselves all in the "supporting" categories.  I do agree with this decision... as they truly are an emsemble cast... but it really makes these supporting awards in the comedy category difficult.  Although I like both Julie Bown and Sophia Vergara from Modern Family, this category is trumped by Jane Lynche as the all-powerful Sue Sylvester.  I mean... she sang "Vogue" and "Physical".  Can that be topped?

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES 

Like I said with the actresses, the actor category is filled with Modern Family castmates.  Three to be exact, which is pretty impressive.  I was quite shocked and pleased to see that Chris Colfer from Glee was nominated for his portrayal of Kurt.  Although I think he's a great character, I believe that Kurt's part of the show is almost more drama than comedy... his story is more heart-felt than gut-busting.  But... for being a young actor who was virtually unknown before Glee, major props for the nomination!  I'm so happy that both Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet were nominated for their portrayals of Mitchell and Cam from Modern Family.  When you consider Jesse, Eric and Chris together, there are three male gay characters that make up the six nomiantions in this category.  That is awesome!  And although I like to support my "family"... my favorite in this category is Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy.  He brings so much awkward humor to the Phil character that you can't help but laugh.  Ty has got the whole thing down... from the comedic timing to the physicality of his glances at the camera.  Plus... he gave me one of my favorite quotes from the past year: "WTF... Why the face?".  :-)

 

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES 

 YAY!!!  Can I just say how incredibly AWESOME it is that Betty White was nominated for her hosting duties on Saturday Night Live???  Easily the most talked about SNL episode since Tina Fey's Sarah Palin impressions, Betty really did a kick ass job.  And she's flippin' 89 years old people!  BUT... then the Emmy's had to make life difficult by throwing in Kristen Chenoweth for her performances as April Rhodes on Glee.  I can honestly say that the two episodes she was in were probably my two favorite of the whole season.  She is perfection.  The humor with the voice make her a simply perfect guest star for a show like Glee.  Honestly, this may be the toughest award for me to call because we know the Academy loves Kristen, as they awarded her for her work on Pushing Daisies even after the show was cancelled.  But Betty White is a national treasure.  Everyone loves Betty White (but not as much as I do!).  Tough, tough choice. 

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

This is another tough category.  Glee grabs another two nominations with Mike O'Malley (as Kurt's dad) and last year's Emmy host Neil Patrick Harris (as Bryan Ryan).  I LOVE that Mike O'Malley is recognized with this nomination because his role is one of the most touching of the whole season... but its more touching than comedic.  Plus... does anyone else remember Mike as the host of that Nickelodeon game show "Get the Picture"?  Awesome to see how far he's come.  NPH was indeed comedic with his take on Bryan Ryan.... I mean the "Dream On" number with him and Mr. Schu is incredible.  But... my gut tells me to go with Fred Willard for his portrayal of Phil's dad on Modern Family.  Fred was the PERFECT casting choice for Phil's dad... and having his guest appearance really brought Phil's character fll circle.  It gave us some insight into why Phil is like he is.  I laughed heartily at Fred's guest appearance on the show and I would love to see him get recognized. 

OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A REALITY COMPETITION SERIES

It's no surprise that I loves me some reality TV.  And I really do like many of the shows and hosts also nominated in this category (Ryan for Idol... Heidi for Project Runway...), but for me it comes down to a mono-a-mono matchup between Jeff Probst from Survivor and Phil Keoghan from the Amazing Race.  In the two years that this award has been in existence, Jeff has been the sole survivor... but The Amazing Race is the perrennial favorite Reality Compeition Series (I think its won like 6 or 7 years in a row now!).  The last two seasons of The Amazing Race have spotlighted Phil more... so I could see him pulling out a win.  We'll see what happens once the tribe has spoken!

 OUTSTANDING REALITY COMPETITION SERIES

Now... in the race for this year's Reality Competition Series... there was a clear snub of Survivor!  Especially considering the Heroes Vs. Villians season that just finished.  That was EASILY in the top 3 seasons of Survivor ever... and we are on 20 seasons now!  Yet... Project Runway, which has a pretty tattered and torn season (especially since changing networks to Lifetime) got a nomination.  I'm really confused over that.  Can I just say... I wish one of these years that "The Biggest Loser" would get a Reality Competition Series nod.  That show changes lives not only in the contestants but the people that watch the show.  It deserves some recognition, and has never been nominated.  Nonetheless, the rest of the nominees in the category include American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Amazing Race and Top Chef.  I smell an Amazing Race win yet again. 

 OUTSTANDING REALITY SERIES

Now also... another one of my favorite shows is "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List".  She is just so funny and her show is genius.  Kathy recieved yet another nomination for this show in the Outstanding Reality Show category. BUT... the surprise here is that two other previous winners and favorites in this category were not nominated!  Both "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "Intervention" (last year's winner) were snubbed.  Hopefully this means that Kathy is primed and ready to move up to the Emmy A-List and grab another trophy!  And if not... suck it Emmy's! 

In other Emmy news... critic favorite Friday Night Lights got nominations in both the Lead Actor and Lead Actress Drama category.  I haven't watched the show since the first season, but it has never really been recognized over the years with the exception of a small fan base and several critics who say what a great show it is.  Cool that even this late in its run that it could pull nominations in thos two big categories.  ALSO... the "oooooh... BURN!" moment of the Emmy noms was the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien being nominated for Outstanding Varient, Music or Comedy Series.  Not with Jay Leno... but with Conan.  Mind you, the Tonight Show with any host has been nominated in this category for the last bazillions years.  But still... for Jay, that's gotta sting a bit. 

So there's my take.  Any of your faves that you want to share?

My Favorite 4 Minutes of Music This Week- July 6th

So with my love of music, I've decided that I want to start a recurring set of posts called "My Favorite 4 Minutes of Music This Week".  It will be my opportunity to share with you what I'm currently listening to... whether that is a new tune, or maybe a throwback.

For this week, I'd like to feature the new song King of Anything by Sara Bareilles. 

Now... I'm usually not one of those people who boast about music artists with lines like "I knew them before anyone else did!"  In fact, one of my favorite tshirts from threadless.com is this ------>

I like this shirt because it makes fun of all those uber chic hipsters that think they are so ahead of the music curve. But I do have to admit... that with Sara Bareilles, I obtained her first hit Love Song when it was the "Free Download of the Week" on iTunes.  After listening, I immediately bought the whole album.  Then about 6 months later, Love Song hit radio airwaves and then other people started to love this artist that I already loved so dearly.  I saw her open for Maroon 5 and actually got to meet her and get her autograph at the show.  She was so sweet and nice, which made me like her even more.

Now Sara is back with a brand new album, and King of Anything is the lead-off single.  All it took was one listen and I am hooked on Sara again.  This song has the perfect combination of staying true to herself as an artist (and what we know of her), but bringing just a little bit more to the table.  It starts with a simple piano melody and her vocals... and as the song builds she adds percussion and brass instruments (and some infectious hand claps).  By the second stanza the song really has a great pop rhythm and beat going that even makes me want to dance a bit.  It just makes me happy! 

The lyrics of the song are great too!  She's telling a great story about a guy who seems to think he's all that and a bag a chips.  But Sara is realizing that she doesn't have to listen to everything he says... and really, who is he to seem any better than anyone else?  I particularly love the line "All my life, I've tried to make everybody happy... while I just hurt and hide.  Waiting for someone to tell me that it's my turn to decide".  I think a lot of people can relate to this!  Whether its a boss, a parent, or a significant other... everyone probably has a "King of Anything" in their lives... and really... we just need to be confident in ourselves and overcome that person! 

The video is cute too.  Creative... and we get to see her have a little bit of fun.  I think people may have a preconceived notion that she is such a serious artist... so its nice to see her dancing around and having fun in the video. 

So check it out!  I was pleasantly happy to find that the song is in the top 30 of iTunes downloads right now.  I hope that it gets some radio airplay and that she can have a great first single leading into her new album.  Personally I can't wait. 

Here's the video.  Enjoy!

"....and we're back!"

So let's try this again... 

If you read the last post on this blog, you'll notice that I had high hopes of starting a blog once I moved out to California.  Well its been almost two years later, and we can see how well that worked out. 

But... when you are inspired, you gotta run with it.  One of my most favoritest people on this planet, Ms. Candice Fortman,  has started a blog (check her out at Confessions of a Candegirl) and reading her first posts tonight made me want to get back in the game.  Sure I do my American Idol blog... but I kinda want something more comprehensive...

Something where I can share a favorite new song or artist I've found.
Something where I can vent about my frustration with a reality TV elimination.
Something where I can get on my soap box and rant about a celebrity gossip topic.
Something where I can write a review about a new board game. 
Something where I can post links to YouTube videos that make me laugh. 
Something where I can recap a super cool event or activity that I've done in my life. 
Something where I can have a creative outlet!  Lord knows... I need it. 

Because let's face it... Twitter's 140 characters are sometimes not enough.