Sunday, March 30, 2008

American Idol Update

I was flipping through the Sunday paper, and I noticed that this Tuesday April 1st, Josh Gracin is releasing his sophomore CD, "We Weren't Crazy" (once titled "All About Y'All"). This information prompted me to see what some of the other former Idol contestants are up to. By the way, Josh's album can be ordered on www.amazon.com , and he will be touring from April thru August to promote the album.

Christina Christian will be playing the young Celia Cruz in a documentary "Celia the Queen"; the trailer is powerful and everyone should check it out at http://www.celiathequeen.com ; imdb lists a 2008 release date, but I am not able to find out more information than that.

Bo Bice and Bucky Covington will be appearing on American Idol this Wednesday April 2nd, 2008; they will be showing everyone what life has been like after Idol.

Four former American Idol contestants are nominated for awards at this years CMT Music Awards which will air April 14th at 8 p.m. (fans can also watch online at www.cmt.com).

Kellie Pickler leads the Idol pack with three nominations. Kelly Clarkson is nominated for two awards as is Carrie Underwood. Bucky Covington is nominated for one award. You can see which categories they are nominated for and vote yourself at http://www.cmt.com/cmt-music-awards/nominees.jhtml ---- don't forget to check out the other nominees.

Idol Gives Back returns April 9th and the following former Idol contestants will appear Fantasia, Elliott Yamin, Chris Daughtry, and Carrie Underwood; more announcement will follow.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Confessions of a Retail Worker..........

The drama unfolded yesterday, around 4:15-4:30 to be exact; it was after I arrived back from my late lunch with a friend. v.t. is no newbie when it comes to underhanded behavior, but this incident topped them all. I think it happened because she thinks that she is so great and so positively popular (yeah right!) that everyone at my job at a high end retailer would know who she was.
The difference in this case can be explained by simply saying the number "two".
Our high end retail store is in a mall in the Boston metro west area where our store is separated into two buildings which happen to make up the two anchor stores in the small mall. One store includes mens and home furnishings (we are known as "Cinderella") and store two includes womens and childrens (they are known as the "evil step-sister").
We have been instructed, as sales associates, that inter-departmental selling is the "hot" new trend for retail workers; however, most of us in the mens and home store aren't biting. We just do not agree, most people feel it disrespects the title of selling specialist. When people from the "evil step-sister" store come over to the "Cinderella" store they don't know what they're doing in terms of selling our merchandise. We have high standards for how we keep our selling floor, and they come over by themselves or with their clients and they make a big mess and never clean up.
But now I am just ranting and that isn't what I meant to do; I meant to tell a story.
So back to v.t., she came over to our department Friday afternoon without so much as a word or a phone call. She brought her client, but at the time the people in my department were under the impression that both ladies were customers because v.t. ("the underhanded one") was not wearing so much as a name tag to identify herself as an employee.
Yes, she was wearing black, which is our dress code, but many customers wear black. In addition, some of our employees are our best customers. The fact that she was wearing black is immaterial and certainly does not justify what she did.
v.t. and "her client" (not really--- at least not in this case) were approached by four sales associates on four separate occasions, most of them are friends of mine. My friend, P.G. landed what he thought was a very good sale; I know he was with them for a long time because I saw him with them. He had convinced them or so he thought to buy some nice stuff and he took a few trips back and forth to the stock room to put the sale together.
It was not until v.t., the customer, and P.G. came over to my department that I figured out exactly what v.t. was doing. I spotted her after I started helping them thinking that I was helping my co-worker with the sale; all it took was me looking her in the eye to figure out who she was.
v.t. acted like she was friends with the customer, maybe more than friends even and she was on her cell phone various times throughout the hour and a half she spent there while my friend P.G. laid all the groundwork for her estimated $7,000 sale.
I excused myself from v.t. and the customer and asked my friend if I could speak with him; it was then that I revealed to him that he had spent all this time with these people and wasn't going to get the sale. He decided to pursue it hoping that v.t. would step aside or at least give him a part of the sale for all the work he had done. After all, he had lost potential sales with all the time he spent with v.t. and her customer.
Isn't that what one would expect? v.t. would at least split the sale? Heavens no! v.t. is way too underhanded and snake like for that. She got behind the register and started ringing up the sale without ever telling P.G. that she was a sales associate from the other store and had wasted his time. The she had the nerve when it was all over to ask him for a cart to put her sale in. She could have at least gone to the back stock room to get it herself since she will be benefitting with the hefty commission check she gets monthly no doubt.
The story doesn't end there because miss v. has a secret, and it goes no further than that, but I did chat with my boss about what happened, and I am certain that her actions will have consequences.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

The Top 10 Dazzle on American Idol Season 7



The Top 10 sang songs from the year they were born.......................

01 Ramiele Malubay sang "Alone" made famous by Heart (1987). Ramiele was sick tonight so does that excuse her? I did not think it was the right song for her to sing; the song was too big for her despite her big voice. Carrie Underwood did this song signficantly better than Ramiele did in American Idol Season 4. Simon thought this was better than last week, I question whether or not that is true.
Score: 3.5

02 Jason Castro sang "Fragile" made famous by Sting (1987). I love Jason's voice; it's so gentle, so you listen to every single word and hang on each syllable. He has really amazing voice control. I disagree with Simon, I do not think it was clumsy or too laid back for that matter. Jason is a creative spirit who stays true to who he is.
Score: 4.7

03 Syesha Mercado sang "If I Were Your Woman" made famous by Stephanie Mills (1987). I completely agreed with what Randy said, this is the best I have ever heard Syesha sound. The performance was heartfelt and sincere and Syesha communicated the song to the audience emotionally. I could not be more pleased that Syesha is back in the competition to win it.
Score: 5
04 Chikezie Eze sang "If Only For One Night" made famous by Luther Vandross (1985). I liked this, but I didn't love it. I agree with Simon and Randy, he should have changed the song to make it sound more current. Chikezie's personality was absent from this performance and so it came across as boring.
Score: 3.9

05 Brooke White sang "Every Breath You Take" made famous by the Police (1983). First off, big improvement over last week! I liked that she realized that she made a mistake and started over. I liked that she utilized the piano and starting the song that way was a smart idea. I disagree with Simon, I enjoyed the fact that the song picked up tempo at the out chorus.
Score: 4.5

06 Michael Johns sang "We Will Rock You" and "We are the Champions" made famous by Queen (1978). Simon said it all when he said, "This is the first time with you (Michael) that I thought star potential". Michael could not have picked better songs; they just fit him perfectly and he used the songs to display his vocal skills. The competition has certainly begun.
I loved Ace Young from Season 5 but Michael did a better job, watch Ace's version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxIX9drMaJI
Score: 5

07 Carly Smithson sang "Total Eclipse of the Heart" made famous by Bonnie Tyler (1983). I actually liked this performance from Carly. It wasn't the best of the night by any means, but I think it was sincere enough. It was the first time I actually came away from one of her performances feeling positive.
Score: 4.25

08 David Archuleta sang "You're the Voice" made famous by John Farnham (1990). The song choice was really strange; I did not get it at all. He sounded good, but I have to agree with Simon; it sounded like an amusement park performance complete with animated creatures in the background.
Score: 3.9

09 Kristy Lee Cook sang "God Bless the U.S.A." made famous by Lee Greenwood (1984). I do have to say I think this was an odd song choice nevertheless it was a good choice for Kristy. Simon called it clever and her best performance to date, and I have to say I agree. She may actually stay in the competition another week due to her own merits.
Score: 4.1

10 David Cook sang "Billie Jean" made famous by Michael Jackson (1982). This is one of the most brilliant performances that has ever taken place on the American Idol stage. David is brave, and he takes risks that turn into creative masterpieces. He is my favorite in the competition right now, and has been for a while. Score: 5

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Top 11 Tackle The Beatles Again on American Idol Season 7

It's The Beatles Again!

01 Amanda Overmyer sang "Back in the U.S.S.R." from The White Album (1968). Amanda is great, and I love her stage presence, but I have to agree with Simon. It was very predictable, and if she does not change things up every once and a while she is going to become quite boring. Amanda isn't a one trick pony, so she shouldn't sell herself that way as a musician.
Score: 3.2

02 Kristy Lee Cook sang "You Got to Hide Your Love Away" from Help! (1965). I found the arrangement of the song to be really odd. Kristy's vocals were better than last week, but this was a safe, good performance, not a great one by any means. She does not have that stage presence that you see with someone like Amanda.
Score: 2.8

03 David Archuleta (pictured below) sang "The Long and Winding Road" from Let it Be (1970). Wow, when you've got it, you've got it, and David Archuleta has something very special. The arrangement was beautiful, and he showed great poise coming back after last weeks tough (lyric forgetting) performance. Simon called it brilliant and a "masterclass" in selling the song and singing it.
Score: 5

04 Michael Johns sang "A Day in the Life" from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). Although I do like this song, I do not think it was the right one for Michael to sing. He is an amazing performer, and unfortunately this was a disappointing performance. I have to agree with Simon; it was a mess. The song along with the arrangement was all over the place, and he was trying to do way too much in a minute and a half performance.
Score: 3

05 Brooke White sang "Here Comes the Sun" from Abbey Road (1969). Brooke has this great likeability quaility about her; you just cannot help but smile when she performs. I have to admit, I did not like the idea of her choosing this song. As Brooke said, this dip felt almost inevitable after last weeks "Let it Be". I am confident though that Brooke will rebound next week.
Score: 3.9

06 David Cook sang "Day Tripper" from sessions recorded during Rubber Soul (1965). David sounds like he could be playing rock concerts right now. I disagree wholeheartedly with Simon's comments about him being too smug; I don't think that is true. It was not one of his best performances, but David is one of the most consistant contestants on the show this season.
Score: 4.4

07 Carly Smithson sang "Blackbird" from The White Album (1968). I thought the song was a safe choice for her, maybe too safe. I enjoyed her singing in the lower register of her voice; the tone was well controlled.
Score: 4.5

08 Jason Castro sang "Michelle" from Rubber Soul (1965). I just smile every time Jason comes onstage. I disagreed with the judges totally in that I thought it was a solid performance. Simon is right, Jason is charming and not obnoxious and that is part of his appeal. He continues to impress me.
Score: 4.5

09 Syesha Mercado (pictured on the right) sang "Yesterday" from Help! (1965). I think I was looking for a little more since this is such a special song. However, as Paula said, Syesha displayed a certain vulnerability that was important. It was a personal best for her, and an overall strong performance for the night.
Score: 4.75

10 Chikezie Eze sang "I've Just Seen a Face" from Help! (1965). I like Chikezie's spirit in this song, and I like the bluegrass feel that Randy mentioned. There was a lot of emotion behind those vocals; Chikezie continues to have an impressive energy onstage.
Score: 4

11 Ramiele Malubay sang "I Shoulda Known Better" from A Hard Day's Night (1964). Simon is right, Ramiele does have a great personality and she is so fun, but I feel like her magic has been absent from this competition for a few weeks now. She needs to regain that and use her vocal abilities more so that her performances aren't just chalked up to lackluster.
Score: 4

Photos are from http://www.americanidol.com/

America’s Next Top Model………. Where Are They Now?


Cycle 1---

Winner Adrianne Curry was the first winner of America's Next Top Model, and so much has happened since her win in 2003. She married Christopher Knight who played Peter Brady (Brady Bunch) in 2006, and has appeared twice in nude Playboy pictorials, February 2006 and January 2008. Controversially, she is the only past Top Model winner to be shunned by the show. This came after Curry claimed that she did not receive all the prizes she was supposed to receive upon winning, and she criticized host Tyra Banks. Curry also stated that Banks is fake and that on camera she is nice, and when the cameras are off she acts like Naomi Campbell.

Adrianne’s Portfolio includes--- Playboy, US Weekly, Maxim, Stuff, Marie Claire, Spanish Marie Claire, and Von Dutch.

Basics--- d.o.b. August 6, 1982; height 5ft. 10in.; weight 135lbs.; represented by Wilhelmina Modeling Agency.

(Photo of Adrianne Curry from America's Next Top Model Cycle 1)
*Runner-Up Shannon Stewart is signed with Elite Model Management and Bleu Model Management. Shannon has modeled for Elle Girl, Teen Vogue, and Ford Fusion just to name a few.
Basics--- d.o.b. June 6, 1984; height 5ft. 11in.
Notables:
*Katie Cleary (now 26) is a model from Deal or No Deal
*Elyse Sewell is now based in Hong Kong.
Elyse's Portfolio--- Harper's Bazaar, Chanel, Stuff, Motorola, and Sony.
Basics--- d.o.b. June 10, 1982; height 5ft. 10in.; weight 114lbs.; represented by Wilhelmina Modeling Agency.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

The Top 12 are Stunning on American Idol (Season 7)

Tonight was The Lennon and McCartney Songbook on American Idol. The Top 12 offered a stunning set of performances, here are the highlights and the lowlights...............

01 Syesha Mercado sang "Got to Get You into My Life" (Revolver, 1966) Earth, Wind, and Fire did a version of this song. I was really confused when she started the song, but she definitely picked it up mid-way through. Her voice really helped her to shine, and Simon was right; she was more original than last week.
Score: 4.4

02 Chikezie Eze sang "She's a Woman" (I Feel Fine, 1964) I really wanted to like it, and I did. I loved, loved the arrangement, and I loved him. He is an underdog in this competition, he took a risk, and it paid off ten fold. The performance was super entertaining from start to finish.
Score: 4.5

03 Ramiele Malubay sang "In My Life" (Rubber Soul, 1965) I liked her vocals but this was by far too safe a performance for this far into the competition. I thought it was too boring; there were so many places that she could have gone with this song, so many melodic changes that could have been made. I agree with Simon when he said it was forgetable and it bored him to tears. The arrangement and the song did not do her justice in the least.
Scorel 2.5

04 Jason Castro sang "If I Fell" (A Hard Day's Night, 1964) I love Jason, and I have really loved and respected him as an artist from the start. He gave a performance that was not only sincere and genuine, but that made an emotional connection with the audience which is quite rare. Paula said you can feel Jason's heart when he sings, and that could not be more true.
Score: 5

05 Carly Smithson sang "Come Together" (Abbey Road, 1969) I thought the song was out of tune at different spots including the very first note. I thought it was ok; I didn't think it was as good as the judges thought it was. I do agree that Carly was visibily more confident, and she did give a strong performance. I did not think she should have been compared to Kelly Clarkson.
Score: 3.9

06 David Cook sang "Eleanor Rigby" (Revolver, 1966) I thought the arrangement was positively HOT! David totally rocked out; there was definitely a Chris Daughtry vibe to the performance. David was, as Simon said, brilliant, and if this remains a talent competition, he could win this thing. He continues to show improvement every week.
Score: 5

07 Brooke White sang "Let it Be" (Let it Be, 1970) The performance was simple and understated. Brooke is so underrated, and yet she is probably the most consistent female contestant this season. The song choice was perfect for her, and Brooke delivered another genuinely heartfelt performance.
Score: 5

08 David Hernandez sang "I Saw Her Standing There" (Please Please Me, 1963) Let's keep this simple and painless; I love David and I love his voice. To be honest, the performance was over done. He tried to do too much and it just about came across as desperate.
Score: 3

09 Amanda Overmyer sang "You Can't Do That" (A Hard Day's Night, 1964) Amanda took this song and turned it into a Southern soul song. She has really turned things around for herself, and I am actually believeing that I am an Amanda fan now.
Score: 4.9

10 Michael Johns sang "Across the Universe" (Let it Be, 1970) It was good, but to be honest, I was expecting more. Michael definitely made a connection with the audience and it was a solid performance. I have to agree with Simon though in that it's frustrating to see someone like Michael that I like so much and is capable of so much better than what he gave tonight and to just be sub-par.
Score: 4

11 Kristy Lee Cook sang "Eight Days a Week" (Beatle's For Sale, 1964) Vocally it was really weak, and I did not understand what she was trying to convey with this performance. It was like being at a ghastly country fair, Simon said, and honestly, that's about right.
Score: 2

12 David Archuleta sang "We Can Work it Out" (Day Tripper, 1965) He has been perfection thus far, and no one is perfect. David Archuleta had an off night; he tried to do the Stevie Wonder performance and it really didn't work. It was a bit of a mess. David is a strong contestant though, he wil bounce back.
Score: 3.8

Overall, tonight goes to the guys; their performances were stronger.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

American Idol Season 7 The Top 12 are Chosen

Well, when I was thinking about who was going to be voted off on American Idol this week I never imagined that Asia'h Epperson would not be in the top 12.

I did predict that the other 3 would voted out.

The bottom two guys:

Luke Menard
Danny Noriega

The bottom two ladies:

Kady Malloy
Asia'h Epperson

The Top 12 perform on March 11 at 8 p.m. eastern time on FOX

Quest for the perfect match (one in a series of possibly hundreds of rants)

So I have been thinking a lot lately about my social life, or rather lack thereof (I spend more nights at home than I care to admit). I have been going over not only my dating history, but that of so many of my female friends, why is it that when it comes to guys ...... women have many of the same experiences? We hear the same lame excuses, and whenever you fess up and tell a guy how you feel, things never go as planned.

I was thinking recently about one of my first relationships; I was young, naive, and I did not know how to deal with guys. Sometimes I think guys should come with an instruction book (And guys good luck arguing that you need one for us; we're about as self explanatory as humans can get). Moving on with the story, there was one particular situation in which a guy that I was dating was sleeping with an ex girlfriend behind my back, and later I come to find out, other women as well. I was with a female friend on a Friday or Saturday night, and I had previously shared with her that I was having communication problems with my boyfriend. She told me that she thought he was cheating but I didn't believe her. She suggested a great way to see if a guy is cheating on you is to show up at his house one night unexpectedly; so we dressed up like we were headed to the clubs and decided we would stop by his apartment.

As we drove down his street and parked the car, I grew more and more nervous. How could I do this I thought, shouldn't I trust him? And then I answered, I should, but I don't, because too many things have happened to make me doubt him.

We went around the back entrance to the apartment because the roommate who happened to be female had her room at the front entrance. My friend ran up ahead of me and peered into the window, and what she saw changed my thoughts concerning guys forever. She saw him with his ex/ roommate, together, cheating. I paniced, I did not know what I should do. I called him, and this is roughly how the conversation went.

Me: "Baby, what's up? You'll never guess where I am."

Him: "At your house?"

Me: "No, I am out with (my friend), and we're on your street."

Him: "You're on my street? Why?"

Me: "Cause silly, what's wrong? I can't come and visit my boyfriend? We should be there in like two minutes, we're parking."

Him: "You can't come over!"

Me: "What?"

Him: "Well, I mean you can, but not right now, I need a half hour."

Me: "Why a half hour?"

Him: "Because the place is a mess and I am totally not ready for guests."

Me: "You're a guy, you have 10 minutes and then I am coming. I don't care that the place is a mess, I am your girlfriend, I should be able to come over whenever, and you should want me there."

Long story short he agreed to us coming over, and after I hung up, I cried for a few minutes. I quickly collected myself, and the night resumed with an awkward meeting between myself, my friend, the female we saw through the window, and my "boyfriend" at the time. The night ended with the four of us spending a few hours together at a club. I honestly can say I could not wait for the night to be over.

Next situation----

Why is it that if a guy doesn't want to go out with you, he lies about his excuse for not going. If he didn't want to go out with you, why wouldn't he just say I don't want to go out with you tonight or tomorrow or ever or whatever the case may be?

Why is it when you as a woman finally give a man what you think he wants, he backs off and acts all weird? At first he liked you, but you didn't feel the same way, and then you decide that maybe you might feel the same way. Why is it at that point, he decides to question things, second guess himself, confuse the woman?

When a guy is confused why does he try to confuse you also? Ladies I don't think we'll ever know the answer, but we can learn from our experiences.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

The Top 8 Girls Attempt to Impress on American Idol (Season 7)

01 Asia'h Epperson sang "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" made famous by Whitney Houston. Asia'h totally worked this song from beginning to end. The performance was hot, she sang well, moved well, and her bubbling personality showed that she has loads of confidence.
Score: 5

02 Kady Malloy sang "Who Wants to Live Forever" made famous by Queen. I did not like this song choice for her at all. It was better than last week, but that really isn't saying much. She did better, but did she do enough to stay in the competition? I don't think so.
Score: 3.25

03 Amanda Overmyer sang "I Hate Myself For Loving You" made famous by Joan Jett. Amanda really surprised me this week; I didn't want the performance to be over. Simon said, "if I am being honest, it was fantastic". The song was so perfect for her that it makes me believe that Amanda should be in this Top 12.
Score: 4.75

04 Carly Smithson sang "I Drove All Night" made famous by Roy Orbison, Cyndi Lauper, and Celine Dion. This was a better performance than last week, but I agree with Simon in that once again she chose a song that didn't fully showcase her vocal abilities. It would be really upsetting if she just missed the Top 12 because she didn't quite prove herself.
Score: 4.4

05 Kristy Lee Cook sang "Faithfully" made famous by Journey. I like the country vibe that Kristy gave to this song. I disagree with Simon saying that she is forgetable; I actually see her as one of the more memorable ladies in this competition.
Score: 4

06 Ramiele Malubay sang "Against All Odds" made famous by Phil Collins. I wanted to be more impressed with this performance than I was; I was waiting for Ramiele to think less and just go for it. She can hit those big notes without any question; I do think she has done enough to make the Top 12 though. Just for the record, I did not realize how many previous Idol contestants have sang this song: Scott Savol --- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_Cqsa6nXf4, Jessica Sierra --- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlAh64sUB0o&feature=related, and Katharine McPhee --- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Il-ZDaAY4&feature=related .
Score: 4.5

07 Brooke White sang "Love is a Battlefield" made famous by Pat Benatar. I love that the song was unplugged, and that's why it worked for Brooke. She took the song in a completely different direction from the way that it is typically performed. She took a great risk and it turned out in her favor. As a side note, Carrie Underwood performed this song, and it is one of my favorite Idol performances ever! Check it out please ---- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrOo_eH5FM4
Score: 5

08 Syesha Mercado sang "Saving All My Love for You" made famous by Whitney Houston. Syesha got "good" as a comment from every judge; I guess that means she passes. She is a solid singer, probably the most consistent of all the females. She is capable of singing just about anything, even the phone book.
Score: 5 (cause she hit the high notes!)

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

The Top 8 Guys Are Great on American Idol

The Guys Performed 80's songs tonight, what a surprise! The real surprise was just how great and how original these guys all were. Every single one of them brought something fresh to the table, granted some were better than others.

01 Luke Menard sang "Wham! Wake Me Up Before You Go-go" made famous by George Michael. This was a real good choice for Luke's vocal range; he has that really high falsetto so this worked perfectly. Luke is a member of an acapella group called Chapter 6, and anytime you sing acapella it makes you really musical. Luke might be able to pull a major upset and stay in the competition.
Score: 4

02 David Archuleta sang "Another Day in Paradise" made famous by Phil Collins. David really doesn't have a lot to worry about; it would be the shock of all shocks if he didn't make it into the Top 12. He is a talent for sure, but tonight did not by any means belong to him; other guys pulled out amazing performances.
Score: 4.2

03 Danny Noriega sang "Tainted Love" made famous by Soft Cell. Danny was unfortunately tentative on the vocals tonight, and it wasn't a good night for that to happen. The vocal arrangement was HOT! The performance wasn't as good as it could have been because Danny's vocals faultered.
Score: 3

04 David Hernandez sang "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" made famous by Meatloaf and Celine Dion. Randy said it was a great song choice for David, and I agree; David has that big voice, and this song worked perfectly for him. Paula said he has one of the best voices in the competition, and I agree; out of the top 24 I would say he is definitely in the top 5. I hope he stays in this competition and continues improving.
Score: 4.5

05 Michael Johns sang "Don't You (Forget About Me)" made famous by Simple Minds. (nb. A lot of people remember this from the movie, "The Breakfast Club"). This song and this performance was totally Michael's vibe. I can totally see him recording this, and his performance made the song current; he is once again defining himself and his originality is really appealing. Simon believes Michael is going to go very well in this competition, and I could not agree more.
Score 4.9

06 David Cook sang "Hello" made famous by Lionel Ritchie. I love how David took this Lionel Ritchie pop song, and turned it into a rock song. The arrangement was awesome, and he was it so current and so mainstream that it could be a hit recording today. Simon told David it was brave and unpredictable and he loved it. I loved it too.
Score: 5

07 Jason Castro sang "Hallelujah" made famous by Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and k.d. lang.
The way Jason sang this song showed the ease of his vocal abilities. First of all, the song has a high degree of difficulty, and anyone in the music business knows this song from the great Jeff Buckley who died in 1997. Simon called the performance brilliant, and I think that is the best word to describe it. Jason is another singer who needs to be in this competition because he has loads of originality, and he isn't afraid to be who he is.
Here is Jeff's version--- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AratTMGrHaQ it's pretty amazing.
Score: 5

08 Chikezie Eze sang "All the Woman that I Need" made famous by Whitney Houston ("All the Man that I Need"), Luther Vandross. I thought this performance was so cool. Chikezie reached notes that I didn't think he could reach. Simon said it was cabaret, believe me, there was nothing cabaret about this performance. I loved it tons, and I just kept thinking about Whitney singing it, and it was nice to have a guy singing this song because the song has a lot of soul and heart to it. If you have any desire to check out Whitney's performance like I did ---- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXIWOg6rYHY you won't be sorry.
Score: 4.75

Why is my job like the "Dilbert" comics?

I was reading over my collection of "Dilbert" comics again recently, funny how the comic on top of the stack reminded me of recent incidents at my workplace. The basis of this particular comic strip is that Dilbert's boss asks Dilbert to help a co-worker with his project. Dilbert asks, if his co-worker succeeds who will get credit for the project. Answer: your coworker will get credit, it's his projects. Consequently, if it fails, it will be your fault for not helping him enough. Dilbert also decides that if he spends too much time helping his co-worker his own project will fail.

At the same time that I was reading this comic, I was thinking about my boss and his set of demands for me. I feel like my responsibilities are never ending, not only I am responsible for sales, opening credit cards, selling merchandise in advance of sales, but I am also responsible, almost always, for training new employees, merchandising, and helping co-workers whenever they have problems. Can you believe that not only do I have to solve my own customer problems but I have to help my-workers solve theres and just because I happen to be good at it.

Usually my boss asks my to do something, for example calling customers for upcoming sales ("monumental waste of time" I think and my co-workers say). So I will begin calling, and then things will happen that stop me. I will have customers in the store that I need to help, or a co-worker will have a customer problem and ask me for help. Once you get involved in solving a customer problem you have to see it through to the end; some take minutes to solve and others take a couple of hours.

Then, just when I finally get back to calling customers, my boss will show up ask me why I am not done calling about 10-12 pages worth of customers which works out to be about 100-120 people. I will explain to him that I got caught up in other things, I will be specific about it, and then when review time rolls around I will get a mediocre review even though I absolutely went above and beyond my job description. My boss will admit that it is true, and wish me better luck next time on my review and a successful three months ahead until I get my next review. I am already thinking about reviews next week, I wonder how mediocre this one will be?