Friday

TV-AM IDOL 2008-POST LATE THURS 2/28/08- after elimination

ELIMINATED ON THE NIGHT OF 2/28/08...

Jason Yeager, Alexandraia Lushington, Alaina Whitaker, Robbie Carrico

This Blog Post will be dated for Friday, 2/29/08, but it will be posted late Thursday night, immediately AFTER the American Idol 2008 elimination.

This week the competition starts with 20 contenders and will end with 16.

We'll have reviews of the Tuesday and Wednesday shows and who was eliminated IMMEDIATELY after the elimination show.

All with pics and videos you'll find nowhere else on the Internet.


Effective this week, the review, unique pics and videos you'll find nowhere else on the Internet, and would-be Idols eliminated will be posted on Thursday nights immediately AFTER the elimination show. The review posted will be of the prior contests earlier that same week and will include my guess as to who will be sent home.

Which might be an incorrect guess, mind you, as the review et al will have been written/compiled BEFORE the elimination round. Thus the contender eliminated will be posted on this Blog right after it is announced so click on in for the first result.




Pic of the Day
Mama moose and youngster in front yard




American Idol logo


The Week Started With 20 Contenders...2/28/08

One more time, the text below was written BEFORE the elimination round on 2/28/08. I will offer my guess as to who will be eliminated and I might be wrong as yon reader would be reading this missive after the result is known.

But I'll risk it because hey, it's why I get paid the big bucks for writing this Blog. Heh.

First let me comment that this past week ending with the elimination round on 2/28/08 was a terrible week for the females. In fact I can't name a single female in the final top 10 that gave a bang up performance. One female finalist, Amanda Overmyer, did such a bad job that she is one of my predictions as one who will be eliminated this week. Which is sad because Overmyer was at first a songstress with a deep throaty voice who I thought would have a great chance at winning this thing.

Several other females that had been on my radar as real contenders also performed poorly.

The theme of this week was songs of the seventies.

The fellows, on the other hand, almost ALL gave great performances.

Continuing on with the guys and Mark Johns the Australian begins by belting out "Go Your Own Way", a nice tune for his voice.

I thought Mark did a fine job but he was overshadowed by other fellows who blew it out of the ballpark.

Next up was Luke Menard who did a great Queen song. This is a fellow with a great falsetto and most of the judges really liked Luke's performance. Simon called his song "whiny and theatrical", a bit of a stretch.

The question is, can the American Idol really be a guy with a great falsetto and limited everything else?

Robbie Carrico


Robbie Carrico 2/28/08


I am glad to see that Robbie Carrico lost that head scarf. While it might be part and parcel of how Robbie sees himself, to the American public it’s a distraction, a vague reminder of a biker, outlaw lifestyle.

Carrico sang Foreigner’s “Hot Blooded” and my summary is that it could have been better. The judges phrased it as having no “wow”. I think Robbie’s got something and he’ll hang in there.

Montage Danny Noriega 2/28/08


Danny Noriega has a diva type of personality complete with a fine fashion sense and a great attitude. Noriega sang a Carpenters’ tune, “This Way Again, Baby”, which was immediately pronounced by the judges as a bad song choice.

I didn’t enjoy the song so much but I like Danny and hope he stays around for a while.

Also, as part of his personal background vignette, Danny provided us with a few pics of himself with a girl; Danny with a girl in the full boy/girl sense of the word.

Hey, Mr. Noriega, you trying to tell us something?

Jason Castro sang "I Want To Be Your Everything". First, Jason's pre-performance interview vignette was absolutely horrible. His performance was okay but with such a lack of charisma, I predict that Mr. Castro will be eliminated on this night.

David Hernandez performed a great rendition of “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and until now I’d given David short shrift. I don’t think he’s going to win this thing but he has my renewed respect and attention.

Jason Yeager seems like a nice young man with a small son that he adores. I don’t think Jason’s going to last long. In fact, I predict that 2/28/08 will be his last night on this series. If not this night, soon thereafter I fear.

Jason performed “Without Love” and my comment was that it was very ordinary. The judges ranged from assertions of a cruise ship performance to Paula’s mandatory “you did a good job”.

After Jason’s performance the Ryan Seacrest got into a long, and very boring, discussion with Jason over his choice of song and finally Simon displayed such impatience that Seacrest asked him what was wrong.

“It’s boring,” Simon said. “It’s worse than the Oscars. We need the Oscar music here.”

Simon was right as he often is his curmudgeon self. Jason’s song was boring enough. His long narrative on how he chose his song and other minutiae was worse than getting a tooth pulled.

Ryan needs to come up with some more interesting questions/topics if he needs to stretch the time a bit.

Okay, now last week I launched into an invective about Chikezie and his rather odd name. Said name would, as I mused, ultimately be to his advantage. Simon already called him “Jacuzzi” and that’s just one problem with the weird name.

Well Chikezie must have read my commentary because he went into a long explanation about his name, what it means, how he tried to “anglicize” his native name.

To add to the fun bit of self-deprecation, Chikezie sang a song which included his name and it was great. A snippet of this tune and Chikezie’s great performance is in the video remix for males below.

The last time Chikezie sang I thought he was heading out of there. This week he did so well I think he’ll be around for at least another week.

Which is nice because Chikezie has the best and brightest smile of all of this year’s contenders.

David Cook sang “All Night Long” and this week he had a guitar.

I know very little about guitars and I understand that under “American Idol”’s new rules the contenders can play an instrument. But in Cook’s case, on this song, the guitar did nothing but distract.

The judges commented on how clever it was to throw the guitar picks into the crowd just like a real rock star.

Paula and Randy liked Cook’s performance but Simon, as usual, had more acid commentary.

I’d written in my last review that the contenders should not ever admit to having done a lousy job. Such acknowledgement only cements the notion in the audience’s mind, a notion they might not have had except, hey, if the contestant agrees than it must be true!

However, David responded to the negative criticism with some comment about “charisma” and a dismissal of the judge’s suggestion.

To the Guys and Ladies finalists of American Idol 2008…I did NOT say to be dismissive of the judge’s criticism.

So okay, if you finalists are going to read this Blog and follow my instructions so well, let me fine tune my advice to you all as regards criticism from the judges.

“I’LL MULL IT OVER”.

There. Say that.

Let Simon launch into a rancor-laced invective about your choice of clothes, the style of your hair, the song you just sang from hell. Smile sweetly, allow him to finish his point, and say…:

“I’ll MULL IT OVER”
“I’ll THINK ABOUT IT”
“I’LL GIVE IT SERIOUS THOUGHT”

What could be less condescending that this? You acknowledge the judge’s thoughts, a judge who knows a thing or two I might add, you promise to think about it such is the seriousness of their feedback. No one will ever know if you give it one more second of thought after the show. Simon won’t call you in the middle of the night to ask if you’re done mulling his criticisms. You’ll sound respectful and serious. Remember, the audience voting for you is not a rock audience high from a few beers and a toke or two. The audience includes many fine middle-aged ladies like myself and disrespect to an elder, such as it is, will be viewed unfavorably.

I didn’t say to be ARROGANT for God’s sake and this applies especially to David Cook. Your attitude might backfire on you.

David Archuleta 2/28/08


I pronounced David Archuleta the male Jordin Sparks in my last Blog post and he continues to astound me with his God-given, natural talent that made him born to sing.

David sang a song I intensely dislike…John Lennon’s “Imagine”.

David, you belted it out of the park. I actually got chills. I especially appreciated the thought you put into your song, how you chose to skip the first verse to go on to the third as you consider that the more serious one.

He’s got a sweet boyish demeanor, a healthy toothy smile, a genuine sincerity and…David, those judges know, and your opponents know, that YOU are the one to beat this year.

On to the top ten females for “American Idol” 2008, like I said, on the night of 2/27/08, not a single one wowed me. Many of them were really, really bad.

Carly Smithson, the tattooed one, sang “Crazy On You”. I am just so surprised that this big-voiced woman chose this song and not one that would give what the judges also said was lacking with Carly’s performance, a big song “moment”.

Carly, your boobs jiggled nicely and I think your tattoos are really pretty. I’d kill my daughter or granddaughter should they show up with their arms all covered in ink like that but on you, in this business, they looked terrific.

Montage Carly Smithson and Epperson's


Syesha Mercado tried something different. She sang “Me and MISTER Jones” and I suppose she was trying to be cleaver. Simon, like me, said he was put off right from the beginning. And that long note in the middle, woopie do. Sometimes those obvious attempts to elicit cheers by holding a high note long and loud are just…well, LAME comes to mind.

I think Syesha will remain in this thing, however. This is one talented singer.

Brooke White played a guitar during her performance of “You’re So Vain” and Brooke looked very natural strumming that guitar and singing. Brooke remains the prettiest of all the females in this contest and I was quite surprised by the pleasant huskiness in her voice.

Brooke is pretty and polite. In fact Brooke took the time to thank the band and backup singers, something no other contender did. She might not have the greatest voice of all the top 10 females but she shines so much on sweetness and looks that she could end up in that top five.

Ramiele Malubay sang “Set Me Free” and while Ramiele is a pretty little thing with a great big voice, she did herself no justice with this tune. In fact, my own husband and expert on songs of the 70’s couldn’t even name the tune Malubay sang, just that it was some kind of “disco” tune. The judges didn’t like it either.

Kristi Cook performed “You’re No Good” and she gave a passable performance. The judges commented that Kristi needs a genre and Kristi promised us a country version of herself should she get to come back.

I think she will be back.

Montage Amanda Overmyer and Alaina Whitaker 2/28/08


Okay, I think Amanda’s going to get the boot this week although I’ll be happy if she doesn’t.

Amanda was pushing the envelope anyway with her Goth looks and throaty warble. While I thought this might be the year for Amanda’s song style, this tune-“Wayward Son” by Kansas was so wrong it almost hurt.

First, the low parts were really bad. Amanda can handle the low parts but…no, it just didn’t happen.

Simon lambasted Amanda for her outfit, wild hair, not to mention the song choice and dreadful performance. Even Paula told Amanda that she looked much sweeter and prettier on her personal pre-performance vignette. Meaning, as only the cautious Paula can phrase it, that Amanda looked horrible right then.

Well Amanda’s look is part of her on-stage persona and hey, I got it. But there’s millions of other American viewers out there and most of them are not as smart as me. While I don’t think Amanda should have given up her special “look” completely, she did go a bit overboard.

If Amanda Overmyer’s outfit scared the eyeballs, Alaina Whitaker’s bored them to sleep. At least that’s how fashion icon Simon Cowell saw Alaina’s pretty blue dress.

Alaina sang “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and I thought it was a good choice for her and she sang it well.

In a pre-performance personal vignette Alaina informed us that she can’t stand to have her different foods touching on her dinner plate. All I can say Alaina is different foods are different for a damn reason and your peas do NOT belong touching your mashed potatoes. Just so you know that I, for one, admire your obsession…eh…sensibilities.

As for your fashion choices, well I think you could put a little more oomph in your outfits. Remember those other female singers are out there showing leg, bouncing boobs and strutting their stuff. A high school prom dress just ain’t going to cut it.

Alexandria Lushington is the second female I think will be sent home. Alexandria’s voice is entirely too small for this contest. Although I thought her song “The Biggest Part of Me” was performed nicely and, well I’d call it pretty.

I like that Alexandria didn’t admit she chose a bad song or gave a bad performance as Simon complained. She didn’t.

But this is not Alexandria’s year to win this thing.

Kady Malloy wins the prize for the WORST beginning to a song EVER on any “American Idol” show. Kady sang “I’m a Magic Man” if I got the title right.

Song beginnings are, by their nature, usually soft and low. Kady’s was too damn soft and too damn low.

I’m not convinced Kady will be around much longer and she could get the boot tonight.

Asia’h Epperson is one female contender to look out for. I think so now and have thought so since the beginning.

Also, what’s the deal with that camera span to Asia’h’s “friend”. I mean, no one else ever got a special close up for a …friend? Nah. This is NOT a friend of Asia’s, like a friend she shares recipes with and tales of romantic heartbreak. I think this is Asia’s…”friend”.

Not that there’s anything wrong with this.

Asia sang a great big song “All By Myself”. Only Asia didn’t have a big enough voice to pull it off. Almost. Almost.

But nope, didn’t do it. A snippet of Asia’s performance is in the female performer’s video remix below. Oh, and someone tell Asia that she should hold up the fingers of her “number”. Asia was number ten…how easy was this? And yet she didn’t smile for her potential voters or playfully hold up the fingers of her number. I think that was a really bad mistake.

So that’s it beyond the video remixes below. Click in because I added my own fine commentary to be pondered as the performer…performs.

My guesses are that Amanda Overmyer, Alexandria Lushington will be sent home from the females. Jason Castro AND Jason Yeager will be sent packing from the top ten males.

Remix of Notable Guy Moments Below
=====================================


Remix of Notable Girl Moments Below
====================================

"American Idol" 2008 Contenders
==============================

CLICK HERE FOR Pics of Top 24 American Idol 2008 Finalists

Top 24 "American Idol" 2008
Brooke White-
Carly Smithson-
David Cook-
Amanda Overmyer-
David Archuleta-
Kristy Lee Cook-
Danny Noriega-
Jason Castro-
Luke Menard-
Alexandra Lushington-
Ramiele Malubay-
Michael Johns-
Syesha Mercado-
Robbie Carrico-
Garrett Haley-Sent Home 2/21/08
Kady Malloy-
Chikezie Eze-
Amy Davis-Sent Home 2/21/08
Alaina Whitaker-
Jason Yeager-
Asia'H Epperson-
David Hernandez-
Colton Berry-Sent Home 2/21/08
Joanne Borgella-Sent Home 2/21/08


Prior Links to Posts for "American Idol" 2008
======================

Premiere Show 2008-Philly and Dallas
San Diego and Charleston
Miami and Omaha Tryouts AI2008
Atlanta and Various Tryouts -the last AI2008
TOP 24 American Idol 2008
From 24 at the top-Four Go Home
Twenty Down to 16
Elimination Thursday 2/28/08

=============

Thursday

True Crime update 2/28/08

Several new True Crimes this post, including a mother who killed her three children.
“Terrible things happen to good people, it doesn't mean somebody is to blame” is a comment by the fine union representing the Social Service Workers who didn’t meet with this mother even though three calls were phoned in warning that this mother threatened to kill the children.

"She did love these children very much, until these recent events," was the comment by the killer mom’s attorney.

Three innocents are dead and watch as they all scramble to excuse the behavior or EVERYBODY involved.

Also, Bobby Cutts gets his sentence, a male prisoner is turning back into a …male? He loved Obama and he got stabbed for his devotion, an update on the Lane Bryant murderer and a rogue Gynecologist mutilated hundreds of women.


Quote of the Day
Quote...people are like slinkies



 Posted by Hello


Forget the Dead Innocents, We Must Defend Our Own Fine Selves!

Latrice Brewer's kids she killed


"She did love these children very much, until these recent events."

“Terrible things happen to good people, it doesn't mean somebody is to blame."

The first quote above includes the wise words of a legal aid attorney of Leatrice Brewer who drowned her three children on Sunday, 2/24/08. But of course this murdering mom loved her children! That is until she murdered them.

The second quote above includes the words of the President of the Civil Service Employees Association. This union represents the Social services supervisor who was suspended as a result of the failure to respond to three phone calls regarding Brewers’ threats on the children’s lives. Because, goodness, this is just bad stuff folks, like bad weather. Nobody’s at fault or anything!

From Newsday.com:
New Cassel mother pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that she killed her three children.

In a brief arraignment in a hospital room at Nassau University Medical Center, a Legal Aid attorney entered a plea of not guilty for Leatrice Brewer, 27. Brewer, who is in custody in the hospital's intensive care unit, lay prone throughout the brief proceeding, her hands cuffed to the bed and a blanket pulled up to her neck. A pool reporter described her demeanor as somber, and said she appeared to have been crying. She was hooked up to various monitors, and to an IV.

One child had been stabbed repeatedly before the murdering mom finally drowned the child and the other two children right behind. Leatrice Brewer was no stranger to the local New York social service department. She’d been reported many times prior to these horrific deaths but nothing was deemed amiss by the fine, union-represented public bureaucrat employees who checked out the complaints.

May Jesus hold these innocents in His loving arms and may the people who didn’t do their jobs suffer the consequence no matter what union represents them.

Rogue “Gynecologist” Sought for Abuse of Many Women

This story’s a bit confusing as it is occurring in Australia and the many agencies and such involved sound foreign to an American reader.

From Foxnews.com:
Australian police have launched an investigation into the rogue doctor, known as the Butcher of Bega, who is accused of mutilating and sexually abusing hundreds of women.

As ex-doctor Graeme Reeves, of Castle Hill, New South Wales, went into hiding Monday, The Daily Telegraph can reveal that other doctors accused of serious misconduct, including removing the wrong breast from a cancer victim, continue to practice.

Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione's office confirmed allegations made against Graeme Reeves by hundreds of women across the state was likely to be referred to the state crime command.

It seems that there are many doctors involved in this investigation, the most horrendous being a fellow who removed a patient’s clitoris and most of her external genitalia, alleging she wouldn’t need it since her husband was dead.

According to the story linked above, there is an agency where rogue doctors can be reported for the error of their ways. Except the female mutilator only had his license to work at a hospital removed.

It was only after filing a CRIMINAL complaint that these, eh…CRIMINALS, began to be rounded up.

Shot Dead Because of a Snowball

From USA Today:
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A teenager was fatally shot by a neighbor who became enraged after he was hit by a snowball, police said.
Teven Rutledge was having a snowball fight with a friend on Sunday, his 16th birthday, in the city's Feltonville neighborhood. They hit a neighbor, who came back with a gun and shot the boy in the head, according to police.

Rutledge was taken to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 11:30 a.m. Monday, according to police.

The article links notes that it’s unclear whether the dead kid meant to hit his murderer or not with the snowball.

DOES IT MATTER? As if, hey, if the kid was aiming at the man with his evil snowball then it’s okay to get a gun and shoot him in the head?

And we have more wise quotes. This from the Chief Inspector of this crime:"It's horrendous to shoot somebody over a snowball."

Is this an understatement or what?

Lane Bryant Killer’s Voice Released in 911 tape

Somebody’s hiding this guy. For with all the publicity released about this guy, out in Chicago-land somewhere, this fine fellow has a girlfriend giving him cover, or else a mother who is so very proud of her boy.


Tinley Park police, hoping someone might recognize the gunman's voice, on Monday made public a second portion of a 911 recording from the Lane Bryant store where five women were slain.

"The audio was carefully edited to delete the voices of the victims and isolate the voice of the killer," police Cmdr. Rick Bruno said in a statement. "This release is made in hopes that the voice of the murderer will be recognized, and that the person who knows the killer will contact the Tinley Park Police Department."

The article linked above still refers to this as a botched robbery attempt. I think it was more heinous than that. For the perp tied up the victims with duct tape and covered their heads with clothing. He also “fondled” one of the victims.

It was the store manager who managed to call 911 and it is her desperate and dying voice heard on the tape.

Somebody’s hiding this guy. Such a fine, fine man.

New pic Lane Bryant killer


Homeowner Shoots and Kills Burglar

I wish that online newspapers would prominently display the STATE represented in the articles they post online. I suppose they assume that readers will know the state in which they live but that concept also assumes that the only ones reading online newspaper articles are those living in that particular state.

At any rate, I think the following happened in Arkansas as I deduce.

From Todaysthv.com:
Yell County authorities say a homeowner shot and killed one of two men who broke in to his home Wednesday night.

The sheriff says 44 year old Mike Jensen of Dardanelle carried an assault rifle as he made his way down the hallway after kicking in the door with another man.

The homeowner shot and killed Jensen with a shotgun and the other man fled in a vehicle.

Being a burglar is a dangerous business.

And still the liberals want to take away our guns that criminals like this fine dead one will likely keep their ill-gotten gun and not be shot dead by homeowners who take exception to mid of night strangers entering their homes.

Bobby Cutts Might Get Out of Jail Someday

First, let me congratulate the jurors who served on this case. Serving on a jury is a tough, tough job, and if us fools out here in la-la land who carry this country on our backs whilst raising the citizens and soldiers of tomorrow serve in our system with great import, it is on a jury.

I would never want the political elite who lack common sense to serve on juries and for sure I’d never want a job title of “professional juror” to ever become the norm.

From WRAL.com:
CANTON, Ohio — A former police officer sobbed and apologized for killing his pregnant lover and their unborn child as he appealed Monday to the jury that convicted him to spare his life.

"I accept responsibility," Bobby Cutts Jr., 30, said from the witness stand. Cutts was convicted February 15 of aggravated murder in the death of the nearly full-term fetus and of murder in the death of Jessie Davis, 26.


Bobby cutts please for his life


In fact Greta of Fox news interviewed one such juror and the viewer could hear the anguish in the fellow’s voice. For sure my own fine self might rant and rail that the accused should be locked up with the key thrown away, I think the task of determining the guilt of a fellow citizen, such determination that might take away that same citizen’s personal freedom, to be a daunting and serious one. The Cutts’ jury had to listen to Cutts’ bizarre assertion that he somehow managed to kill his pregnant lover, pregnant with their SECOND child not that the fine, fertile Mr. Cutts didn’t know where babies come from or anything-by somehow killing her with his elbow!

The jury, filled with common sense, didn’t believe that nonsense for a minute. The jury then had to determine if Bobby Cutts would get the death penalty. He did not.

Because for sure Bobby Cutts didn’t kill his son the night of Jessie Davis’ murder and he could have. Although he did leave the child all alone, he could have murdered that baby that the child’s words “Mommy’s in the rug,” would never have been heard. In fact, it didn’t appear that Cutts pre-planned Davis’ death, at least from the testimony I heard/read.

Bobby Cutts is NOT a candidate for the death penalty, a sentence that should only be given rarely and then only under a very specific set of circumstances. Scott Peterson comes to mind.

Now Here’s a Boo-Hoo…He/She Is Being Denied Her Sex Change Medicine in Prison.

Only in San Francisco would such a story make the front page news.

From SFGATE.com:
A killer who sued to have a sex change claims her body is becoming more masculine again because she's being denied treatment in prison as she awaits a ruling in her bid for the surgery. Michelle Kosilek, formerly known as Robert, said that for months she has not been allowed to have court-approved hair-removal treatment or access to a specialist to discuss her testosterone levels.

According to the article linked, the horrors “Michelle” is enduring include breasts that are shrinking, male genitals regaining their previous size and “purpose”, a beard growing on his/her face and hair on his/her head that is thinning.

In short, Kosilek’s body is becoming…a male? Like how he was BORN?

A fine liberal California judge ruled that this KILLER (don’t forget this guy murdered his wife) has a right to a sex change while in prison, including hormone treatments, hair removal and psychotherapy.

Note how the newspaper article continually refers to this guy as a “she”.

Heh.

Democrats Now Stabbing Each Other

Well Rush Limbaugh has been promoting the notion of keeping the Democrats in a state of disarray.

Joseph Ortiz stabbed OBama supporting BIL


From The Smoking Gun:
FEBRUARY 25--Meet Jose Antonio Ortiz. The Pennsylvania man allegedly stabbed his brother-in-law in the stomach after the pair quarreled about their respective support of Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. According to cops, Ortiz, 28, stabbed Sean Shurelds last Thursday night in the kitchen of an Upper Providence Township home.

Frankly I would stab the candidate if I were to risk jail and incarceration for such an act.

But that’s just me.
=================
FOCUS ON Natalee Holloway
=================
In May of 2005, Natalee Holloway, a recent graduate just barely of age, joined some of her school mates on a much-anticipated graduation trip to the island paradise of Aruba.

Came the time to fly back home, Natalee was nowhere to be found.

The last time Natalee was seen she was leaving with three locals, one Deepak Kalpoe and his brother Satish. Also along was Joran Vandersloot, a local kid known to frequent Aruba's night spots trolling for pretty American girls.

For two and a half year the Aruban and Dutch investigators fooled around with this case, "arresting" many suspects, including those three Aruban brats, then letting them go.

Suddenly, in November of 2007 Joran and the Kalpoe brothers are arrested. An announcement by Aruban authorities came with news of the arrests that "new and incriminating" evidence had been found.

Will justice ever come for Natalee Holloway?

Below a list of links of stories on this Blog since Natalee first went missing.

First post about Natalee's disappearance from an Internet newsgroup
Paulus Vandersloot Arrested
Last three boys seen with Natalee Holloway arrested
Suspect Boys Seen Dumping Large trash bag in landfill
Alabama Governor Calls for Boycott of Aruba
Aruban investigators call Beth Holloway Twitty biggest impediment to investigation
Theory of Aruban authorities on what happened to Natalee
New "arrests" made on Holloway case
Natalee's parents file lawsuit against Vandersloots
John Ramsey and Natalee Holloway's Mom
Three Suspects Re-Arrested -November 07
Joran Released from Jail
AGAIN, Joran allegedly confesses on video

Wednesday

TV-The 2008 Oscars, a Review, Commentary, Fashion Update, Sarcasm; Celebrity Apprentice Update

Couple of TV updates.

Of course we'll have commentary and sarcasm on the Oscars, some fashion critiques and a few well-deserved verbal slaps. Again, all with video and pics you'll find nowhere else on the Internet.

And the "Celebrity Apprentice" 2008 plows along.

Both teams did a fine job creating a QVC segment but someone still had to go.

The most beloved of all was sent home.


TIDBITS

I am sure you know how this goes....this pretty much sums up my days....
I have read this before but it still is so true.....

Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D.
Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.
This is how it manifests:
I decide to water my garden.

As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.

As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that Ibrought up from the mail box earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first.
But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left.

Coke and Quote for tidbits about getting old


My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke I'd been drinking.

I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over.

The Coke is getting warm, and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need water.

I put the Coke on the counter and discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote.

Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote,
but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:
the car isn't washed
the bills aren't paid
there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter
the flowers don't have enough water.

There is still only 1 check in my check book,

I can't find the remote,
I can't find my glasses,
& I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all damn day, and I'm really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail....



 Posted by Hello


”Celebrity Apprentice” 2/21/08

I had a wonderful pic montage of this episode of Donald Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice” 2008 complete with pics of the QVC products each team would hype and happening pics of the respective project managers. But when I pulled up this mighty fine pic absolutely nothing was in the confines of the pic’s virtual borders.

I don’t know what I did but I’m not about to go at it all over again. There’s plenty of pics in the Oscar post below so let’s delve into what happened the night the Hydra team, now consisting of Piers Morgan, Carol Alt and Lenox Lewis went up against the Empresario team, now consisting of Omarosa, Stephen Baldwin, Tito Ortez and Trace Adkins, competed by selling stuff.

Marilu Henner got fired in this episode. It was the right choice but it was sad. Marilu had become a cherished member of whatever team she was on, she was personable, she worked hard, she was liked by everyone.

The Hydra team chose to promote the sale of a ladder/hand truck combination on a QVC show. Marilu was the project manager for this task as she supposedly has a history with QVC sales. Her teammate Carol Alt was also experienced with QVC sales.

The Empresario team chose to sell a cordless vacuum type of thing that could be recharged via charger and used without bother of cords all over the place. Stephen Baldwin was project manager for this task and thank the Lord that during this episode we didn’t have to suffer through another visit by Stephen’s insufferable brother, one Alec Baldwin who I despise.

The winning team would be the one who sold the most of their chosen item.

Marilu was the chosen salesperson for the ladder/handtruck item, a right handy thing that I kind of liked, being a shopper and all that. Trace Adkins, oddly, was the salesperson chosen for the Empresario team and hey, the tall fellow did okay selling a vacuum cleaner of all things and I had no idea he had five daughters. God Bless him.

More rechargeable, cordless vacuums were sold than the ladder/handtruck combo. Besides the actual product, the major difference between the two team’s sales techniques was that one team used what is called “EZ Pay” and the other did not.

But of course!

It’s a bit like charging $3.99 for an item instead of $4.00. Sure there’s only a penny difference and the oddball change is a bit of a pain. But people SEE the THREE or the FOUR and the item priced a penny lower has the edge.

So too, a price that flashes across the screen as “three easy payments of $19.99 each” will be viewed more favorably by the consumer as opposed to “$29.99 each”.

The Hydra team, even though it had two members with prior QVC experience, knew nothing about the EZ payment choice while Empresario used the EZ payment feature and hey, they won the competition.

So Stephen Baldwin’s family charity, a notion that I inherently distrust although they do need a “Alec Baldwin learns how to be a decent father” charity, won $20K while Marilu Henner got sent home from the Hydra team.

“Celebrity Apprentice” 2008 Contenders
======================
Carol Alt-model/actress
Jennie Finch-olympic medalist softballsent home 1/24/08
Gene Simmons from Kiss-sent home 1/17/08
Lennox Lewis-boxer
Marilu Henner-actress-sent home 2/21/08
Nadia Comaneci-olympic star gymnast-sent home 1/10/08
Nely Galen-Latina TV producer-sent home 2/7/08
Omaroasa-former apprentice
Piers Morgan-Americas Got Talent
Stephen Baldwin-actor of Baldwin family
Tiffany Fallon-playmate of year-SENT HOME PREMIERE NIGHT 1/3/08
Tito Ortez
Trace Adkins-country star
Vincent Pastore-star of sopranos-sent home for Croc challenge 1/28/08

Prior Links to Posts for “Celebrity Apprentice” 2008
======================
Premiere Show
The Dog Challenge; Nadia Gets Fired
The Kodak Challenge…KISS Him Goodbye
Hydra Loses the Broadway Challenge; Finch Sent Home
Vinnie Pastore Goes Home
Nely Galen Sent Home
The Omarosa/Piers Morgan Feud Begins in Ernest
Beloved Marilu Henner Fired!

The Oscars 2008

Yes we’ve got gossip, opinions, sarcasm, brickbats and other fine prosaic tools later on re the 2008 80th Broadcast of the Academy Awards but first:

Things I Learned From the Movies
  • The ventilation system of any building is the perfect hiding place. No-one will ever think of looking for you in there and you can travel to any other part of the building you want without difficulty.

  • Should you wish to pass yourself off as a German officer, it will not be necessary to speak the language. A German accent will do.

  • A man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating but will wince when a woman tries to clean his wounds.

  • Kitchens don't have light switches. When entering a kitchen at night, you should open the fridge door and use that light instead.

  • Cars that crash will almost always burst into flames.

  • Wearing a vest or stripping to the waist can make a man invulnerable to bullets.

  • If you find yourself caught up in a misunderstanding that could be cleared up quickly with a simple explanation, for goodness sake, keep your mouth shut.

  • A cough is usually the sign of a terminal illness.

  • All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large red readouts so you know exactly when they're going to go off.

  • One man shooting at 20 men has a better chance of killing them than 20 men firing at 1 man.

  • It does not matter if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts -- your enemies will patiently attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors.

  • Most laptop computers are powerful enough to override the communication systems of any invading alien civilization.

    Things you learn from the movies graphic


  • Most people keep a scrapbook of newspaper clippings - especially if any of their family or friends have died in a strange boating accident.

  • When paying for a taxi, don't look at your wallet as you take out a bill -- just grab one at random and hand it over. It will always be the exact fare.

  • All computer disks will work in all computers, regardless of software.

  • When they are alone, all foreigners prefer to speak English to each other.

  • When driving a car it is normal to look not at the road but at the person sitting beside you or in the back seat for the entire journey.

  • It is always possible to park directly outside the building you are visiting.

  • An electric fence, powerful enough to kill a dinosaur will cause no lasting damage to an eight year old child.

  • Having a job of any kind will make fathers forget their son's eighth birthday.

  • Honest and hard working policemen are traditionally gunned down three days before their retirement.

    Well hey, I thought it was cuter than all get out.

    Anyway, first things first about this year’s Oscar celebration. Let it be known that myself, although wise as the high blue sky, rarely watches a movie of any kind, much less the oddball ones that always seem to get the nod to receive an Oscar. Thanks to a granddaughter now old enough to sit through a movie and my cessation of smoking, I DO, on occasion, see a movie, one of which did receive an Oscar nomination. More on this later.

    So just like most everybody else across the fruited plains who bothers watching this show, I know nothing about the movies nominated and I mostly watch because it seems the American thing to do.

    Let the record show that I have zero, nada, zilch envy of any of those poor folk who have to primp and display themselves and their clothing in much the same manner as a fine dog breed in the Westminster show ring. I really believe those actor people really think those of us out here in la-la land adore them, love them, desire their clothes, want to live their exciting lives of pretending to be someone we’re not.

    Well hey, let’s not disabuse them of that notion, what you say? I like to sit and wonder what such a shallow and vapid life must be like and frankly I’d rather be on THIS side of the TV than on that red carpet.

    They amuse me is what I’m saying here and hey, if they get to ride around in limos and wear designer gowns for their efforts, this is fine with me.

    Now, what the hell is with the ponytails?

    Not that this isn’t just a fine hairstyle that I myself have worn most of my life but mostly, let’s be honest here, ponytails as a hairstyle is mostly for children, no?

    Obviously not in that all night from Jennifer Garner to Mylie Cyrus, everybody had their hair pulled back into a ponytail and hey, it hardly seems fair. Hair should have to take hours to sculpt, craft, curl and rearrange to a dashing confection of a hair-helmet to impress the masses. Well yeah, we had some of that too.

    Some other random thoughts on the 2008 Oscar proceedings and then onto the pic montages and finally to a video remix of the Oscar nominated songs for the 2008 Academy Awards.

    George Clooney. In all of this planet earth is there any individual more full of himself than this guy?

    Not that there’s anything wrong with that and hey, the guy’s handsome, rich and can have any female with but a flick of a finger. He acts, he directs, he produces, he has fun, all day, every day, 24/7.

    I’d really hate to be George Clooney but I do enjoy watching him shine so much he blinds even himself.

    Steve Carell’s routine was not funny at all. In fact, I forget what it was about already and only have my rather cryptic notes. My notes note that maybe the writers should have stayed on strike if this is the best they could come up with. At any rate, Steve Carell will always be the forty year old virgin in my mind and hey, it’s the price you pay for being an actor.

    I most enjoy the Academy Awards when they do those flashback montages. This is likely, as I surmise, one of this annual show’s most popular features. They should never stop offering this most enjoyable part of this award show as we’ve all been young, we’ve all seen movies, we all have bittersweet memories those vignettes bring to the fore.

    Ratatouille got an Oscar nomination for sound affects! This is the ONLY movie I saw of all the ones nominated and then I only saw it because it was animated and that granddaughter thing. But hey, I got excited just like a silly fool those Hollywood types think we all are, insert wink here.

    I absolutely LOVE that McDonald’s commercial with the little kid eating Chicken Nuggets in time to happening rap music. Yes this commercial might have been around before the Oscars of 2008 but it’s the first time I saw it and a snippet is included in the video remix below that yon readers might enjoy it too. I don’t suppose McDonalds would get mad at me for giving them free ad time to two or three readers as visit this Blog every day.

    So what’s with all the foreign stuff? Is America’s most precious and revered award show now part of a “globalization” and diversity movement that’s all the rage? Because all night I saw lots of foreign actors, actresses, film snippets and in general a passel of foreign stuff that only annoyed me. But hey, I didn’t change the channel but keep it up and soon I will. One actor accepted his Oscar and launched into a long Spanish narrative that left me falling asleep. The Oscar folks should wait until the illegal immigrants take over this country completely before chasing us all off with a boring award show in a completely different language.

    Finally, Tilda Swinton… What’s up with that?

    On to the fine pic montages and a video remix of the best song nominees for Oscar 2008 including a snippet of the cute McDonald commercial.

    Montage of pics from Oscar 2008


    Montage of pics 2 from Oscars 2008


    Montage of pics from Oscar 2008


    Montage of Pics from Oscars 2008



    =============
    FOCUS ON MOVIES
    ========================

    "Brokeback Mountain" was heavily hyped as a homosexual film. Which it was. I found the relationship with one of the film's protagonists and his daughter to be more revealing about the character than any same-sex relationship depicted.

    Tom Cruise's love is featured in "First Daughter", a film about, well, a first daughter. Only totally not believable.

    "Chicken Little" is an animated film about, well something about a sky falling. Kaitlyn Mae watched this movie six times in one weekend. Read why this movie appeals to children so.

    This post features reviews of BOTH "Poseidon" movies. The best one chosen might surprise.

    He was born a rat but he wanted to be a chef. Here's a review of a charming animated film that will capture the imagination of both your children and ...YOU! Ratatouille

    The bees were mad that humans were harvesting and profiting from sales of their honey and they weren't going to take it anymore. It's a cartoon the kids will love but there's a message in the movie that transcends all eras since the Garden of Eden.The Bee Movie

    It was almost forty years ago that a record exploded upon the Pop culture that was sung by, ahem, CHIPMUNKS! Indeed my 4 year old granddaughter could not know that her grandmother listened to the feature song in this movie which brings the tale of the three hapless chipmunks to life as but a young girl her own self.

    To Kaitlyn Mae, this was a movie about cute little chipmunks who became singing sensations. The tale involves evil record producers, kind but confused songwriters, and a bit of a love story.

    Alvin is still as bad as ever.Alvin and the Chipmunks
    ===============