Best Picture Nominees... in Legos

I love this guy's creativity!  Wish I had the resources to be this creative and get featured on CNN!

American Idol 10: My thoughts so far...

So my foray into the blogosphere intially started with my American Idol blog called "4 the Love of Idol".  I started it because I loved the show and wanted a way to talk to my friends and family about it even if we were miles apart.  Although it was something that I was passionate about, last season burned me out... as I felt I was attempting to blog about a season that was less than stellar.  None of the contestants really made me want to buy thier CD's or concert tickets... and all in all, it was kind of a let down for me after loving American Idol for the previous 8 seasons (well... except that weird season 5 Taylor Hicks debacle...).

Add to this frustration the fact that Simon Cowell was leaving Idol, and I was completely underwhelmed about blogging this year.  Going into the season, I told myself I wasn't going to waste my time on it.  If Simon was leaving, they might as well just cancel Idol.  He makes the show.

Now that we are four weeks into season 10 of Idol... I have three words to sum up my initial feelings:

I. Was. Wrong.

Dead wrong. Idol is completely capable of existing without Simon.  In fact... I have no fear in saying that I even think Idol is BETTER this year.  Dare I say, better than EVER?  I will definitely stick my neck out and say, thus far, this is my favorite season of Idol ever.

Now I know some of you may disagree with me.... but hear me out.  I'll give you my reasons why I feel that this revamp of Idol was the best thing they could do to revive the series from its dead-on-arrival ninth season:

• Steven Tyler is captivating.  Steven has this unique way of being funny and heartfelt all wrapped into one.  Did anyone expect Steven to be as lovable and sympathetic as he is?  I know I didn't.  Plus... the guy has got jokes!  He makes me laugh at least once an episode.  I love his energy and enthusiasm for the contestants.  I love that he will randomly break into song with a contestant.  At first I thought this was a disasterous decision by the Idol team to add him to the panel, but now we are seeing what the execs must have seen all along.  He can captivate an audience and bring a fresh approach to the judging panel.
• Jennifer Lopez is endearing.  JLO was another person that I totally had a false perception of.  I thought she was going to come in and be all diva-ish, when in actuality she is quite the opposite.  She is relatable, approachable, and loving.  And the most important thing about all of those qualities is that she can be all of them at once, without being clingy, annoying and self centered.  Which brings me to my third reason:
• The panel doesn't include a Paula or a Kara.  For the first time in Idol history, there isn't a whiny, overly weepy, fake female on the panel!  So yes, Jennifer does cry, but it is completely sincere.  Paula and Kara just brought this ingenuine feeling to the panel.  They were emotional, and tried to make it seem that they genuinely cared for the contestants, but I just didn't really feel it.  With Jennifer, I feel it.  Without Paula or Kara on the panel, it has improved the show tremendously.
• Randy has more substance.  With Randy stepping up as the senior member of the panel, I feel like he is contributing more than he has in past seasons.  He's not all "dawg"ed out this season, and I appreciate it.  He's giving the contestants more constructive feedback instead of just telling them he "wasn't feelin' it". 

But let's face it.  All these previous points would be moot if it wasn't for the contestants that actually come and try out.  Even after 10 years of this show, I feel that they found a fantastic pool of talent.  There are great singers... but also great personalities.  Some of my favorites so far include:

Ashton Jones: A mix of Rhianna and Beyonce.  She definitely has the look and the chops to back it up.  Plus, she seems so darn sweet and likable.
Julie Zorrilla:  This girl is gorgeous, and she has a beautiful delicate voice.  It was nice to hear her play the keyobard as well.  I've enjoyed her fashion so far!  I think she's current.
Karen Rodriguez: Hadn't really stood out to me until her Beatles performance last night, and then she stood out.  Good stage presence, and a likable personality.
Naima Adedapo: When you're casting for unique contestants, this is a hit on the bullseye.  Naima has a memorable look, and her gritty, passionate vocals are also hard to forget.
Robbie Rosen: Robbie sure nose how to impress the judges!  (Mean-spirited pun intended).  Joking aside, he's stood out for his soulfulness everytime he's performed.  I smell a top 10 finalist!  (OK, really... I'll stop now.)
Scotty McCreery: So Scotty's got a bit of controversy surrounding him, but at the end of the day this kid will sell country records.  No doubt about it.  He's got a look that will make little country girls shriek, and that memorable deep voice is hard to ignore.
Stefano Langone: OK... so this may be a little bit of 14 year old girl coming out in me, but how can you resist Stefano's smile and big beautiful brown eyes?  He's definitely the "dreamiest" of the guys remaining.  He's got a lot of charisma, almost to the point of being too much... but if he can harness it, I could see him making it at least to the tour.

Now that I've named these people, I hope that all of them make it tonight when they announce the remaining finalists! 

There are two names I didn't include in that group because I wanted to make special note of them:
Jacee Badeaux: This kid is ratings gold!  They have already made such a strong storyline for him with the whole kicked-out-of-my-group thing... plus I mean, how can you not just give the kid credit for having natural talent with not a single ounce of arrogance?  It's commendable.  All I know is if he makes it to voting rounds, he won't be going home anytime soon.  American already loves him.
Lauren Alaina: I always hate to make early predictions, but at this point if anyone has the ability to win season 10, I'd put my money on Lauren.  She has the it factor for sure.  She's cute, and dang can she sing!  The thing about Idol in recent seasons is that the contestants who are pimped early (Adam Lambert, Lil Rounds, Crystal Bowersox, Andrew Garcia, etc) end up making it far, but never quite winning.  Lauren's just gotta lay low for a bit, and make sure to not come with a full arsenal during the first few weeks.  America likes to see progression and improvement.


So there you go... my thoughts on Idol so far this season.  After the official top 24 list is revealed, I'll probably have more to say.  Although I will not be officially blogging on "4 the Love..." this year, I will make updates here on my personal blog about the show from time to time, so I encourage to you to check in or subscribe if you are a passionate Idol follower. 

Happy Idol'ing!

Red Carpet Premiere: "I Am Number FOUR"

I love L.A.

Have I told you that lately?

Oh... and I love Shanyn Day for tipping me off to a tweet she saw about tickets to the premiere of "I Am Number Four".  Thanks to her, Rich and I got tickets to see the red carpet premiere in Westwood.  I mean... if there was ever a movie for Rich and I to see at a premiere, its this one.  With my love of the number four, and Rich's love for sci-fi action movies it was a perfect match. 

Before I get to the actual movie, I will share two important lessons I learned Wednesday:

1.  Movie premiere tickets are not quite like TV taping tickets. Since moving to L.A. I've had the opportunity to go to several TV show tapings, and they always overbook them... so you need to show up hours in advance to ensure that you are going to get in.  When we got the tickets for this premiere and it had a lot of the same verbiage ("arrive early," "first come first serve," "purposely overbooked"... etc.) I thought we were going to have to show up several hours in advance of the 4:30 call time in order to get in.  Not true.  Rich and I arranged to leave work early and got there at 2pm to stand in line.  There as no need.  We could have shown up at 4:00pm or even probably 6:00pm and still gotten in.  The movie didn't start until 7:30, so we basically did a LOT of standing.  Which leads me to lesson number two:

2. Having a partner that you truly love is such a blessing.  With all the frustrations that could have possible turned into negativity in this situation, Rich and I stayed in good spirits and had a great time together.  There are so many other details I could go into regarding the odd way DreamWorks handled this premiere (example:  the first people in line who showed up earliest ended up with the worst seats in a completely separate theatre than the stars of the movie...).  But no matter what the frustration was, Rich and I took it with a "what happens, happens" attitude and took it for what it was worth.  After all, we are lucky enough to see a FREE, advance screening of a movie we were both excited about... and in the meantime we got to see some of the stars of the movie on the red carpet.  Pretty cool!  And... can I just say that if you have someone in your life that you can stand in line with for 5.5 hours and you are still smiling afterwards, you've got a pretty good thing going.  This experience solidified that for me.


OK... so enough lovey-dovey schmooshy stuff... lets get on to the movie:

If I had to wrap it up in a quick sentence or two, I would say this:  If you have any doubts or questions in the first half of the movie... just wait it out because the last 20-30 minutes are pretty awesome. 

More extensively, I'd say this:  This movie really has a little bit of everything.  It's got some love story... some action.... some sci-fi.... and honestly I jumped at this movie more than I jump at most horror/thriller films, so it even had that.  I think most people would watch the movie and walk away enjoying it.

Basically its about this teenage guy who is actually an alien.  He's from another planet, but when he was a kid he was sent to Earth with a "protector" along with eight other children who are believed to have special powers and will be able to come back to thier home planet and save it later on from mass destruction of these other aliens from an opposing planet (the Mogs).   Ok... ok.... so after that first long sentence, you are probably thinking "Matt Eickhoff actually watched this movie??!?".  Yes.  I did.  Sci-Fi usually isn't my thing, but the story is intriguing so I really liked it.  Long story short, the Mogs are attempting to kill each of the 9 kids before they grow old enough to mature thier powers and come back to thier home planet (Lorien) and defend it.  The catch is that the kids all have a symbol and an order to them... and they can only be killed in that order.  John, the main character, is number FOUR, and at the beginning of the movie, number three is killed.  So now he's next on the list.  The movie is basically his attempt to avoid being killed by the Mogs in hopes to stay alive and still defend Lorien.

BUT.... of course.... what would a movie be without a little love story to mess things up.  :-)  Sarah, played by Glee's Dianna Agron, plays this ex-popular girl who now is kinda the loner-artsy type.  John falls for Sarah and it makes things very complicated.  I was actually really excited to see Dianna in this movie because I really do love her on Glee.  She was OK in the movie... but I actually don't know if the casting was quite right for the character.  She's almost too pretty... and fits the popular girl role too well to be believed as the "now-loner" of the school.  But still, it was enjoyable to watch her on screen (and see her in real life as she walked down the red carpet).

So.... I do have to admit, the movie did have a tad bit of a Twilight-ish feel to it... simply in the way that there is a human girl who loves a non-human and the non-humans struggle to over choosing love or life.  The dialog is pretty simple, and the story is straightforward... also in the way Twilight is.  But!  There are two things that take this movie way beyond Twilight in my opinion:  First... the action.  Again, not much of an action movie kinda guy... but the way they pulled together the effects of the characters special powers, along with the battles with the Mogs, I actually thought the action and effects were quite well done and pretty believeable for an "alien-battle-on-Earth" scenario.  The second reason I think its better than Twilight is two words: Alex Pettyfer.  Whoo!  This guy is smokin'!  I mean... he's way better eye candy than Jacob and Edward combined!  That was enough to keep me awake through the whole thing (which of those of you who have seen movies with me, you know that is sometimes a struggle). 

To wrap up, I would say definitely go see I Am Number Four.  Is it going to win Oscars?  No.  But its a fun, action packed movie that is definitely worth the admission price. 


Here are some other pictures from the day:

Rich and I standing by the Red Carpet when we arrived in the afternoon

We got to see them literally "roll out the red carpet" :-)

This is what the red carpet looked like at night all lit up

We got to meet Max Adler who plays Karofsky on Glee!  YAY!

And we got to meet Ariel Winter, Alex on Modern Family! :-)

Unfortunately, this was the best picture I could get of Dianna Agron.  She practically ran past us!

And this was the closest we got to Alex Pettyfer... Still cool to see him live in person!

And finally.... this is Rich and I after the movie.  A girl at the concession stand gave us a free poster :-)

Awesome miniature golf shot!

I saw this video on huffpost.com this morning and had to share.  I love me some miniature golf, and this shot is pretty awesome!  Not to mention thier reactions afterwards... I know I would be freaking out just the same!  :-)

My Favorite 4 Minutes of Video This Week 1/21/2011

So I'm not sure if I'm just extra emotional this morning or what... but I just watched this video and I literally had tears streaming down my face during it!  Sheesh... not the way to start off a Friday... but DAMN this video is good!

I'm not expecting everyone to cry while watching it... but my girl Pink just connects with me in a way no other artist does.  This video is so emotional and real... it hit straight to my heart.  And then... afterwards I read a post on her website regarding the video.  What she wrote kicks just as much ass as this video.  I've included her post here so you can read it after the video too. 

Damn.  I love me some Pink.

P!nk - New Music - More Music Videos

A Personal Note From P!nk:


I'm sure my newest video for "F**kin’ Perfect" will be much like some of my other videos, which basically means I expect it will ruffle some feathers.

My favorite books, art pieces, films, and music, always have something jarring about them. I want art to make me think.

In order to do that, it may piss me off, or make me uncomfortable. That promotes awareness and change, or at least some discussion.

That is my intention.

You can't move mountains by whispering at them.

Cutting, and suicide, two very different symptoms of the same problem, are gaining on us. (the problem being; alienation and depression. the symptoms; cutting and suicide). I personally don't know a single person who doesn't know at least two of these victims personally. A lot of us have seen certain starlets showing off their latest scars on a red carpet somewhere, usually right before they head back to their favorite rehab.

Its a problem, and its something we should talk about.

We can choose to ignore the problem, and therefore ignore this video, but that won't make it go away.

I don't support or encourage suicide or cutting.

I support the kids out there that feel so desperate/numb/powerless, that feel unseen and unheard, and can't see another way.. I want them to know I'm aware. I have been there. I see them.

Sometimes that's all it takes.

Making this video was a very emotional experience for me, as was writing this song. I have a life inside of me, and I want her or him to know that I will accept him or her with open and loving and welcoming arms. And though I will prepare this little munchkin for a sometimes cruel world, I will also equip this kid to see all the beauty in it as well. There are good people in this world that are open-minded, and loving. There are those that accept us with all of our flaws. I do that with my fans/friends, and I will do that with my child, whoever they decide to be.



If you or someone you know needs help, please visit TWLOHA



She is gonna be one AMAZING mother!  :-)

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

So thanks to my daily ritual of checking out PerezHilton.com for my latest celebrity gossip, I came across a video of a young woman named Meghan Tonjes.  She's a singer songwriter from MICHIGAN (woo hoo!) who's recent video features an acoustic mash-up of Britney's "Hold It Against Me" and Bruno Mars's "Grenade".  This video gives me chills, it is THAT good!  Her musicality and way she blends the two songs is perfection.  She has great tone... and certainly knows how to play up to the vulnerability of her voice.  Since seeing this on Perez, I've checked out other links on her YouTube page and listed to other great covers (check out her cover of "Firework") in addition to some original tunes as well. 

So... I knew I was definitely in love with her when I read her bio on YouTube and she ends it by saying "I feel as if the meaning of life can be found during any Meijer trip"!  Any Michigander knows just how awesome this quote is... and especially me because I LOVE me some Meijer (and miss it so much now that I'm in California...*tear*). 

Check Meghan out and support her music!  I think she's a great talent and hope that someday well see her doing big things!

I want a Kindle!

Happy New Year everyone!

Last night I was hanging out with my family at my brother's house and I happened to see and pick up my sister-in-law's Kindle.  I've heard about these... and have thought they were cool, in theory... but I don't read very often, so I've always thought it would just be a waste of money.

BUT... after actually having one in the palms of my hands... I was absolutely amazed!  The screen is something I've never seen before.  I've heard that it looks "like a real book page" but didn't think it was possible.  IT IS!  The technology behind it is amazing.  It is so easy on the eyes, I feel like I could read for hours on something like that and my eyes would never hurt.  I have the Kindle app for my iphone, and I've downloaded a few books... but after a while its hard on your eyes because of the small screen, and the fact that the brightness hurts my eyes.

So what do you think?  Anyone have experience with a Kindle that can tell me if its worth it?  And the more important question is... can it turn a non-reader into someone who may pick up a book once in a while? 

My Favorite 4 Minutes of Music: Week of December 16th

Sorry that it has been a while since I've blogged.  Once again life has gotten the best of me lately... but the last few days I've connected to a song that has inspired me to pull up the blog again and write about it.

So, I'm pretty comfortable being me.  I wouldn't say that I wish too often to be someone else.  But... if there has ever been a song that has made me wish I was a super sexy, scantily-clad, take-no-prisoners, boot-wearing, hair-flailing, shot-pouring female bartender, a`la Coyote Ugly, then it is this song:

"Paris (Ooh La La)" by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. 

I have to admit, I hadn't even heard of this band until the recent VH1 Divas special where they performed for the troops.  I only turned in because I love Kathy Griffin (who was hosting), but the show also opened my eyes to this group.  They hadn't even finished performing the song and I had already taken out my iPhone to download the song.  Since then, I've had the opportunity to listen to it several times and it always makes me want to lip sync and dance... like Coyote Ugly dance.  Even tonight, alone in my car, I got caught at a stop light dancing to this song.  Hahaha.  It happens people! 

Hope you enjoy!

Today I become an official resident of Los Angeles!!!

This week I celebrated my two year anniversary of living in California... But according to my standards I was still not an official resident. Let me explain:

Ever since I moved here I have said the following: "I won't be an official resident of California until I see Zac Efron or Lauren Conrad live in person". It might sound silly... But I've said this plenty of times.

Right now... I am in Laguna Beach (where LC's fame began) waiting in line for a book signing with Ms. Conrad!!! I'm so totally stoked. I'll get to meet her in just about an hour! I'm posting a pic of the book and my ticket now... And I'll be sure to post a pic of me with her once I get inside!!!






Although this isn't officially on my Life To- Do List, it still feels like I'm checking something off that I've been looking forward to for a while! I love it!!!!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Pacific Coast Hwy,Laguna Beach,United States

Very touching video

This is a lengthy video... but one of the most touching I've seen surrounding the gay suicides lately.  As homophobic as Texas is... let alone an official government meeting in Texas, I applaud this courageous councilman for his message: 

Pink Honored at the HRC Benefit

As I mentioned in a previous post, Pink was honored by the Human Rights Campaign with their "Ally for Equality" award.  I am ecstatic for her and so happy she is being recognized for her contributions to the the LGBT community. 

Here's a clip of her acceptance speech at the Benefit this weekend.  She claims that she isn't a public speaker, but she sure does have a way at crafting words skillfully and presenting them with her I-Don't-Give-A-F attitude... and I LOVE it. 

(The beginning is her introduction by Bette Midler.  You can listen, or just fast forward to the 5-minute mark for Pink's actual speech)

Fantastic Apps: Nike+ GPS!

So starting this morning, Rich and I decided to wake up at 5:00am and go to the gym before work.  We both want to get healthier, and with 10/10/10 yesterday, it seemed like it was a good time to start.  Hopefully I'll start to see 10lbs fall off... and another 10.... and another 10.  :-)

Just this weekend I downloaded the new Nike+ GPS app.  For those of you unfamiliar, you can get these special Nike running shoes that you put a little sensor in the sole of them... then it hooks up to your iPod and tracks your time and distance as you walk, jog, run.  You can choose any playlist on your ipod and listen to your favorite tunes while you workout.  If you run outside, it can track where you run using the GPS function on your phone!  It's pretty sweet technology.  I already had the Nike shoes for it (thanks to a Christmas present from Rich last year), and just a few weeks ago I purchased a new sensor for the shoes... so its seemed like a logical purchase to upgrade to the new app and try it out.  Rich and I got up to work out this morning, and even though I was on the treadmill, and it couldn't track where I was going with the GPS, I still decided to give it a whirl...

...and it was SO awesome!

So with the new app, you can update your facebook directly through the app to let people know that you started a workout.  Then... for each person who "likes" or comments on your status, it gets sent directly to your phone and you literally hear like 10-15 seconds of cheering!  It's so cool that your friends and family can cheer you on.  Luckily for me, living in California, when I work out at 5:30am... its really 8:30am in Michigan, and I've got lots of dear friends back home who (were awake! and) commented on my status.  It was such fantastic motivation!!!!  Between those cheers and the Glee sountrack blaring in my ears, I was so pumped to be at the gym and work out... even at 5am!

So... I have to share... this might seem like nothing to some of you, but to me, it was a big deal.  During this workout, I ran constantly for 10 minutes for the first time that I can EVER remember!  Usually when I'm on the treadmill, I'll do 2 minutes of running, 2 minutes of walking, running, walking, and so on.  I'm a big guy, and thats all I can really do.  But this morning... I said to myself, "I'm gonna run for 4 minutes today".  I got to 4 minutes and I felt like I could go for more... so I stopped looking at the time and just watched the TV's in the gym (thankfully, that early in the morning they were playing TBS reruns of Saved By The Bell!  lol)...  Next thing I looked down and I was at 7 and a half minutes of running... so at that point I said, "you can make it to 10 minutes!"... a couple Nike+ Facebook cheers later, and I made it all the way to 10 minutes.  I haven't been that proud of myself in a very long time. 

So to Bonnie, Brian, Sue, Aaron, Lisa, Cassie, and my Sister... THANK YOU for cheering me on this morning... even from thousands of miles away!  It really helped me!

It Gets Worse

So.... I don't want to make light of the situation regarding all the teen suicides lately... but I found this video and I thought it was very witty.  It is a reply to all the "It Gets Better" videos circulating the internet these days... and although this guy is clearly joking, I think the point is made very well.  Enjoy!


IT GETS WORSE
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My Favorite 4 Minutes of Music This Week- October 8th

So it should come to no surprise for people close to me that Pink is my #1 favorite musical artist.  It's hard for this talented woman to release a song that I don't like.... but recently she just released a song that I LOVE!  It's going to be a new single that will a part of her Greatest Hits album (which even though I already own ALL of her songs, I will HAVE to get it!)

According to Twitter she's been filming the video for the last few days, and she's including a wedding ceremony of a gay couple in the video!  I think that's awesome.  She's always been an advocate for the gay community, and I think its great that she is showcasing the issue of gay marriage in her video.  Just a few days ago she was presented the "Ally for Equality" award at the Human Rights Campaign annual dinner and fundraiser.  She rocks!

Enjoy this song... its got a great party beat and is fun to rock out to in the car with the windows down!