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The Bachelor Season 16: Water, Baseball Bats, and Life Lessons

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

It seemed like no matter what the drama during week five of The Bachelor, it was either centered around water or baseball bats. I was thinking back to when this show started airing and why I watched, why it appealed to me. I wanted to watch because I wanted to see optimistic people in search of love, the beginnings of love, what attracts one stranger to another. I think the show has lost some of what made me want to watch at first.

There are people on this season of The Bachelor who clearly have no problem making a spectacle of themselves. Drama is their middle name. There is nothing about them that is kind or empathetic. I lost respect for several people this week, most notably, the bachelor himself. I am hoping in coming weeks he will earn back my respect, or I will understand why he has made some of the choices he has made. One woman in particular remains nonredeemable in my eyes; she could pledge to work for world peace for the rest of her life, and I don't think I would believe her.

Some of you may be wondering, why do I care so much? Why do I care about who these people are or how they live their lives? The truth is, it's not that I care about them personally, I care about what they represent. The women on the show represent my gender, the people on the show represent my culture and our society. Their interactions say a lot about who is out there in the world today, they are potentially the people or the type of people you and I could interact with.

Nicki received the first one on one date in Vieques, and just at they started sight seeing around the city, it started raining. It rained so much that Ben and Nicki stopped at a store to buy some authentic Puerto Rican clothes. Once the rain let up, they began their tour again and came upon a church where a couple just happened to be getting married. Ben praised Nicki's attitude, personality, optimism, and her smile. The two discussed marriage and how hers failed, but how she remains hopeful about finding love again. The two later sat down for dinner and drinks at the hotel with a view of the beach, and it was then that Ben decided to give Nicki a rose.

The group date was a good old fashioned game of baseball complete with two teams competing for all the marbles, in this case more time with Ben. Lindzi was chosen by Ben as the MVP meaning she played on both teams and guaranteed time with Ben. Courtney and Blakeley were made teams captains, and the teams were as follows:

The devil incarnate, aka Courtney's team was: Casey S., Jamie, and Kacie B.; Blakeley's team was: Emily, Jennifer, and Rachel. This game got intense with the ladies battling back and forth, but in the end, Courtney's team won extra time with Ben. Props to Blakeley, she played hard, and was surprisingly quite athletic! Courtney rudely remarks, "who knew a stripper could play baseball," about Blakeley. Thankfully, the evening isn't a complete waste as Kacie B. receives the group date rose, and not Courtney. Hey Courtney.... winning! Although, the first losing moment of this episode came when Courtney brought up skinny dipping on her one on one time with Ben. She planted the evil seed, and believe me this is not the first we will hear about this.

Elyse receives the final one on one date of the week, and unfortunately they might as well be on a sinking ship because this date goes bad fast. Initially, things seem to be going well when they spend the day on a boat and frolicking in the water. We then cut to Courtney who says she is not worried about Elyse. Who asked her? Does anyone care about her opinion any way with the exception of poor convoluted Ben? It's at dinner that night that Ben realizes that he and Elyse are not going to have the connection that he has with some of the other ladies already, and he sends her home.

Elyse is devastated and cries on the beach asking Ben what she did wrong. Elyse, you did nothing wrong, Ben just isn't thinking with his brain! This is the point where I started losing some respect for Ben.

Courtney is back at the hotel pondering her next move as Ben's date with Elyse ends, several rude comments fall out of her mouth:

"Maybe Elyse drank too much and the Jersey shore came out".
"I wonder if Ben's ever skinny dipped with a model before".
Elyse going home is bittersweet, "bitter for her and sweet for me".

Meanwhile Ben arrives back at his room, only to find Courtney waiting for him outside with a bath robe on, and a bottle of wine with two glasses. Somehow they begin talking and making their way down to the beach, and the way it is edited things really seem to rapidly escalate because before I knew it they were removing all their clothes. Once they are in the water, Courtney is talking about how the other girls are going to hate her forever, but she isn't there for them. However, she doesn't say she is there for Ben either. It would be great to know what this girl is actually here for, obviously it isn't to promote herself as a model because she isn't particularly attractive. This is the point when I lost any shred of respect I may have had for Courtney.

The next day at the cocktail party, Ben says he feels "crappy about what happened with Courtney". He should feel bad. Meanwhile, Blakeley is pouring her heart out to Ben and tells him that she writes every day about him and something that she likes about him. She says he has made her realize that she deserves someone good. At this point, Ben should run out to the beach and stick his head in sand, but alas, he doesn't. Emily once again jeopardizes her time with Ben by once again trying to warn him about Courtney. He tells her in no uncertain terms to stay out of his relationship with
Courtney.

The party ends and at the end of the night he sends Jennifer home, so Elyse and Jennifer are eliminated week five. I was shocked about Jen's elimination, especially after their date on last week's show.

Nicki, Kacie B., Lindzi, Jamie, Rachel, Courtney, Casey S., Blakeley, and Emily are moving onto Panama City, Panama.

The Bachelor Season 16: Battle Park City

2012-01-24T09:12:00.000-08:00

Ben and the ladies travel to Park City, Utah for two one on one dates and a group date. The first one on one went to Rachel Truehart, and the date began with them taking off on a helicopter ride, they then canoed to a waiting picnic lunch. The date basically revolves around Ben wondering if there is more to Rachel than physical attraction; he says that the conversation with her does not come as easily. He doesn't have that conversation issue with some of the other girls. After lots of contemplation, Ben decides that it's okay if his relationship with Rachel moves slowly as long as he finds love in the end, so he gives her a rose.

This week's crazy over the top group date has the girls going horseback riding and fly fishing with Ben. Courtney continues to get on my nerves trying to turn the group date into a one on one date for her and Ben. Unfortunately, things look up for her when she catches the only fish much to Lindzi's surprise since she is so athletic. I can't even begin to tell everyone how many rude moments Courtney has on this date, she calls Kacie B. annoying, she calls the other ladies a bump on a log.

Later that night, Nicki gets some one on one time with Ben where she thanks him for bringing her on every group date so far, and that she has learned to live each day like it is her last. Ben is impressed and grateful for Nicki's response thus far.

Following his conversation with Nicki, Samantha sits to talk with Ben and complains that she has only been on group dates and she wants to know when she is getting a one on one date. She is pretty emotional about it overall. Ben accuses Samantha of not taking the process seriously and preaches about how he does. Just a question Ben, if Samantha is emotional and wants to be able to spend time with you to get to know you, how is she not taking things seriously? This is what I mean Ben when I say that you are drippy and vapid, maybe Samantha isn't right for you because she's too sincere. So after Ben says this to Samantha, he tells her that he thinks she should leave now, in the middle of the group date, so she does.

Samantha's departure creates quite a stir in the house and brings a barrage of rude comments from Courtney. She says, another one bites the dust.

Ben then spends some one on one time with Kacie B. reassuring her of their already established closeness. At this point, Kacie thinks that the group date rose is hers and she has nothing to worry about. Courtney then weasels her way into more one on one time with Ben where she expressed how "hard" this journey has been for her and how she is having such a "hard time" and needs "reassurance". Wow, Ben falls for this hook, line, and sinker, and gives Courtney the rose. He comments that he didn't think he was going to give this rose to Courtney, but he does.

Jennifer receives the final one on one date in Park City where she and Ben repel in a crater? Say what? Ben says he likes activities and challenges like this because they build trust in a relationship. Ben and Jennifer have a good time talking at dinner and Ben decides to give her a rose followed by a concert by country singer Clay Walker. Ben says he likes Jen because she brings out the good in him.

The cocktail party is pretty heated as things come to a head with Courtney and Emily. Emily decides that during her one on one time with Ben to tell him that there are some girls in the house who don't have the best of intentions. She says that these girls are different around him then they are when he isn't around. Emily tells Casey S. of her conversation which she then leaks to Courtney because she's secretly in love with her. Courtney calls Emily an idiot, says she wants to assault her, calls her nasty, and says that she should watch herself. Emily breaks down because she genuinely doesn't like the drama but doesn't believe that Courtney is there for the right reasons, which in this case, is Ben.

Rachel
Courtney
Jennifer
Lindzi
Jamie
Nicki
Kacie B.
Elyse
Blakeley
Casey S.
Emily

Monica is eliminated and Samantha was already sent home.

My Top Songs of 2011: Why Did I Choose Them, Part 2

2012-01-23T16:48:00.000-08:00

Wow, well I am annoyed, I saved half of this and somehow it erased and I had to start all over again.

Bruno Mars had a break out year when he collaborated with B.O.B. on Nothin on You, but he confirmed his credibility as an artist with Grenade. At the Grammy Awards last year, he showed a lot of seasoned pros how it's done with his performance of the very song that landed him atop many of the year end charts. The song is also up for some serious awards at this year's Grammys, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

Charts:
#1 US Billboard Hot 100
#11 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)
#3 US Adult Pop Songs (Billboard)
#1 US Pop Songs (Billboard)

Fave line from the song:

Black, black, black and blue
Beat me 'til I'm numb
Tell the devil I said "Hey" when you get back to where you're from
Mad woman, bad woman
That's just what you are
Yeah, you smile in my face then rip the brakes out my car

I was a fan of Drake before Best I Ever Had was officially released a single, his cool swagger, his quiet but strong personality, his confidence, it all told a story for me. Finally, there was a rap artist without all the drama, so different from the stereotype; Drake was born. There was so much hype before the release of his debut album Thank Me Later, and he lived up the type, much like label mate Nicki Minaj (more on her later). So, one can only imagine the hype for his follow up, Take Care. Drake did not disappoint once again and released the single Headlines. Headlines was simple in nature, a song about what else, Drake's fame! Drake was quick to say it is not the best single on the album, but it is the song of the moment, and it is a song with a clear message. Amen to that.

Charts:
#2 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)
#17 US Pop Songs (Billboard)
#1 US Rap Songs (Billboard)

Being that last year they made it official and are now husband and wife, it's only fitting that Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton just so happen to be back to back on my favorite songs list. I promise I didn't do it on purpose, I noticed it after I made my list and put all the songs into alphabetical order. Both had breakout years, she with the albums Revolution and Four and he with Red River Blue. Miranda Lambert has the personality of a spitfire. I admire her tenacity and toughness, she's the woman everyone wants to have as a friend and she's the woman every guy wants to be with. She's strong and last year was the year of her life, she won multiple awards at the CMA's and ACM's, and she looks to make it another banner year with the Grammy nominations she has lined up. Miranda talks about who she is in her hit Heart Like Mine, a song I hold close to my heart. Blake became a judge on the hit NBC reality series The Voice, and 2011 launched him to super stardom with the song Honey Bee. Honey Bee is a timeless song with lyrics that are fun, but also very real and honest. Much like his wife, Blake also took home loads of CMA's and ACM's this past year. I cannot even imagine what 2012 is going to bring for this country couple.

Charts:

Hers:
#1 US Country Songs (Billboard)
#44 US Billboard Hot 100

His:
#13 US Billboard Hot 100
#1 US Country Songs (Billboard)

Fave line from the song:

Hers:
I ain’t the kind you take home to mama
I ain’t the kind to wear no ring
Somehow I always get stronger
When I’m on my second drink

His:
If you’ll be my soft and sweet
I’ll be your strong and steady
You be my glass of wine
I’ll be your shot of whiskey
You be my sunny day
I’ll be your shade tree
You be my honeysuckle
I’ll be your honey bee

Honey Bee - Blake Shelton - Blake Shelton Videos

How To Love showed me a completely new and different side of Lil Wayne. The song has a powerful message, it's about loving yourself, making something of yourself; rumor has it that the idea for the video was all Wayne. The song was also a big crossover hit for Wayne making it onto the pop billboards as well.

Charts:
#5 US Billboard Hot 100
#2 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)
#9 US Pop Songs (Billboard)
#2 US Rap Songs (Billboard)

Fave line from the song:

See I just want you to know that you deserve the best
You're beautiful, you're beautiful

How long was it that we all waited for Dr. Dre to make a come back? I don't even remember now, but it was long enough, and it was well worth the wait. Not only was I Need a Doctor one of the best rap singles of the year, but it was genius to have Eminem and Skylar Grey as guests on the track. The video is exciting, explosive, and reflects on the career of a rap legend. It is my pick for Rap/ Sung Collaboration of the year at this year's Grammys (truth be told I want it to be a tie with this song, and DJ Khaled's I'm on One ;-)).

Charts:
#4 US Billboard Hot 100
#19 US Pop Songs (Billboard)
#24 US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles (Billboard)
#16 US Rap Songs (Billboard)

Fave line from the song:

You saved my life now maybe it's my turn to save yours
But I can never repay you what you did for me is way more
But I ain't giving up faith
And you ain't giving up on me

Britney Spears confirmed her return to the pop princess throne when she released her seventh studio album Femme Fatale. Femme Fatale was deemed a dance album, but critics also proclaimed it as an album that returned Spears to top form, she had returned to her roots, and what made her famous in the first place. No song made that statement more true than I Wanna Go, a fun upbeat dance song with an infectious hook. The video was pure delight, a hidden message from Britney to what she thinks about the media. Some critics even went as far as saying that it is her best single ever! She was snubbed at this year's Grammys which, I must admit, I am not happy about.

Charts:
#7 US Billboard Hot 100
#1 US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard)
#1 US Pop Songs (Billboard)

Fave line from the song:

Be A Little Inappropriate
Cause I Know That Everybody’s Thinkin' It
When The Lights Out

The first time I heard I'm On One, I was in my car, and I heard Drake's voice, and the beat was ridiculously infectious. I listened to the song all the way through and then heard Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne and the D.J. started talking about how the track was produced by D.J. Khaled. At that moment, I thought to myself, wow, this guy is gonna blow up, and I texted my friend who is a huge music fan and the rest is history. I blinked and it went all the way to number on the Billboard Rap charts. The song is just good, the verses are so lyrically solid, the song just makes you smile if you understand rap music because there is something about it that is so swag.

Charts:
#10 US Billboard Hot 100
#1 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)
#1 US Rap Songs (Billboard)
#35 US Pop Songs (Billboard)

Fave line from the song:

But get it while you here boy
Cause all that hype don’t feel the same next year boy
Yeah and I’ll be right here in my spot with a little more cash than I already got
Trippin off you cause you had your shot

and

All I care about is money and the city that I’m from
I’ma sip until I feel it, I’ma smoke it till it’s done

One of the most underrated singles of the year, It Girl sung and co written by Jason Derulo technically should have been bigger than his first single Whatcha Say. I am still holding onto hope that at some point this year, it will pick up more radio air play. The lyrics are sweet and the song is exactly the type that anyone could sing along to. Best of all is the message and what the song is about, Derulo says, this song is about him finding the girl of his dreams. I bet a lot of ladies are wishing it was them.

Charts:
#17 US Billboard Hot 100
#6 US Hot Dance Club Songs
#10 US Pop Songs

Fave line from the song:

You could be my it girl
Baby you're the sh*t girl
Lovin' you could be a crime
Crazy how we fit girl
This is it girl
Give me 25 to life
I just wanna rock all night long
And put you in the middle of my spotlight
You could be my it girl
You're my biggest hit girl

If there's one thing Bruno Mars knows how to do, it's write a song full of emotion; he accomplished that perfectly when he co wrote It Will Rain for Twilight's Soundtrack. The song is a sweeping heartfelt ballad that's just as dramatic as the movie it accompanies, but it also stands on it's own. It Will Rain has timeless lyrics and Mars's vocals are on point as always. Mars says that he began writing the song when he was on tour, but he never finished it, seeing the Twilight movie inspired him to finish the song. Ii cannot wait to see what's coming up for him; I've been most impressed so far.

Charts:
#3 US Billboard Hot 100

Fave line from the song:

Cause there'll be no sunlight
if I lose you, baby
There'll be no clear skies
if I lose you, baby
Just like the clouds,
my eyes will do the same if you walk away
Everyday, it will rain,
rain, rain

The Bachelor Season 16: Did Ben Leave His Heart in San Francisco?

2012-01-17T13:19:00.001-08:00

The episode begins with Ben having lunch with his sister in San Francisco as he tells her about some of the ladies. Ben thinks his sister and mom would like Lindzi, Kacie B., Courtney, Emily, and Jennifer; he calls Courtney "drama free" which could not be further from the truth, but Ben doesn't see how she is around the other ladies.

Ben's first one on one date this week went to Emily; this challenge was to climb the San Francisco Bay Bridge. This was a real challenge because Emily is terrified of heights and Ben doesn't like heights very much either. At the halfway point up the bridge, Emily isn't sure she can continue; Ben decides that the only way to offer some comfort to her in order to give her confidence to carry on is to plant a kiss on her. Ben, seriously, kissing is not the solution for everything.

They finally make it to the top, and Emily says the view from the top of the bridge is magical. Night falls, and they eat dinner with a view overlooking the bridge. Their conversation leads them to discover that they have a lot in common and come from similar beginnings; both have older parents who married later in life. He gives Emily a rose and follows it up with a fireworks display.

The group date featuring Blakeley, Jaclyn, Kacie B., Erica, Samantha, Monica, Rachel, Nicki, Casey S., Elyse, and Jamie, has the girls skiing in bikinis. Kacie B. falls a lot, but doesn't seem to be bothered by it, she continues to have fun.

Later that night, Rachel kind of forces herself on Ben, it seems like every week one of the ladies decides to do this. So of course, since Rachel kisses Ben, Ben later gives her the group date rose, much to the surprise of Kacie B. who thought her one on one time with Ben made her the worthy recipient.

Earlier that night, Kacie B. pulled Ben aside for some alone time and told him that she felt like she was losing her place. She says it's hard on her seeing him with all these other girls. Ben says Kacie is gonna be trouble, good trouble! They kiss several times, and even I think she has secured the group date rose.

Blakeley has a pity party, telling Ben that all the girls hate her and are spiteful and jealous.

Meanwhile back at the hotel, Brittney has decided that she doesn't deserve to go on the one on one date with Ben and decides to send herself home. She shows up at the end of the group date to speak with Ben and officially bow out.

Lindzi ends up getting the last one on one date in San Fran, and Ben makes this one worth the wait. He and Lindzi tour the city and go for ice cream at a famous spot. Ben then takes her to City Hall which is closed but amazingly he has the key. They talk inside only to be serenaded by Matt Nathanson, the two dance the night away and they kiss, but it is more natural. Some critics of the show have said that things seem forced between them, I don't agree. They leave City Hall and go to one of Ben's favorite speakeasies.

Lindzi talks to Ben about the one serious relationship she has been in and she says she was head over heels for the guy and he dumped her randomly via a text which read: "Babe, welcome to dumpsville, population: you". I don't even know this guy, and I want to beat him up. Ben gives Lindzi a rose and calls her the complete woman, she knows what she wants, she knows who she is, she's independent, interesting, beautiful, and easy to talk to. The night commences with Ben playing the piano for Lindzi and more dancing.

At the cocktail party, things are about to reach a whole new level of crazy when undertaker Shawntel from Brad's season shows up to see if she and Ben have a chance. But before Shawntel can arrive, the other girls do just fine at making things crazy all on their own.

Weird scene of the night: Ben telling Jennifer she is the best kisser in the house. So how many girls have you kissed exactly Benjamin?

Rude Courtney Comment #1: Courtney calls the other ladies immature and juvenile. She says, "let's trim the fat and get rid of girls". Oh but Courtney, it wasn't immature and juvenile of you to say to Ben, "you like me?" and "we could make cute babies".

Shawntel pleads her case, but at the end of the night, she is sent home.

Erica has a fainting spell and is also sent home, and Jaclyn falls apart after calling Shawntel "Brad's dumpster trash", and is also sent packing. In the words of Trista Sutter, wow Jaclyn your mother must be incredibly proud. So instead of two ladies going home, ultimately four ending up going home.

The girls who took the high road in my opinion tonight and are best for Ben are Kacie B., Jennifer, and Lindzi.

Now it's on to Park City, Utah.

We Only Have "One Life to Live"

2012-01-12T18:50:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow, January 13th, 2012, is a day I will always remember because it is the day I say goodbye to a show that has meant so much to me since I was a child. After 43 years, One Life to Live will air on ABC for the final time. I never believed I would ever have to say goodbye to One Life to Live in my lifetime, there is something about soaps, they've always seemed immortal to me. I thought my family members would grow up watching them for generations.

One Life to Live hasn't just been a TV show for me; it has been my safe place. The characters on that show are like my extended family. They are people I relate to who have been through things in life that I've been through. They have taught me lessons along the way that I won't forget. I have laughed with them, cried with them, smiled with them. I've rejoiced in their happiness and I have wept when they have been in pain.

I am sad that in the death of One Life to Live, there is the possibility that the whole soap genre will be killed all together. I think this new generation doesn't understand the impact that the soap has had on society, in fact, in many ways, I think if more of them had grown up watching soaps as I had, I don't believe we would have all the issues we have today.

I was the shy, quiet, smart, driven, unpopular girl in school growing up. Sometimes, I wish I had a friend like Starr, or Jessica, or Natalie, someone who understood me more. Kids were pretty mean to me in high school, the soaps became my escape. Then again, I was raised on the soaps, Days Of Our Lives, One Life to Live, General Hospital and long gone Loving and Port Charles. That was the 90's and early 2000's when the soaps were respected and appreciated for what they did for all of us. I remember in high school walking two blocks to my grandmother's house after school and getting there just in time to see One Life to Live and General Hospital. It was truly my pick me up.

ABC can do all the crazy things they want; if they want to, they can cancel all the various series on their network and replace all of them with reality shows. They can take all the shows we love away from us. They can leave hundreds and thousands of actors, writers, and crew unemployed and kick them out of their dressings rooms after decades. They can place gag orders on them and tell them that they may not speak badly of ABC and their decisions, despite how badly they were treated, especially in the end. They can refuse to sell the rights to these shows, even though we only know it is out of spite and because they know said shows will be successful elsewhere. But in the end there are always consequences for your actions, a lesson I learned, where else? On the soaps! We, at the very least I, will not watch ABC. Although they take away my show, my extended family, they will never take away the lessons I learned and the memories which I will hold in my heart forever.

I love One Life to Life, and may it rest in peace, but if the soaps have taught me anything, it's another lesson, never assume anyone or anything is truly dead unless you have evidence, and in the case of a person, even if you do have a body, it may not be whose body you thought it was. After all, we're all taught that in the end, hope is one of the only things you should always have. So hopefully, it's not goodbye, but maybe, just maybe, it's see you later.

*If anyone has a current cast photo, please link me to it by commenting below*

Vicki said it best

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The Bachelor Season 16: The Claw Are Out, The Gloves Are Off

2012-01-10T10:23:00.000-08:00

Last night on The Bachelor, I discovered that a good percentage of these women are emotionally damaged or crazy. Overall, I was once again displeased with Ben's choices, and the results; although, he did show that he does have a heart changing my opinion of him as a man overall. He does care, he just doesn't show it all the time, and he is completely confused about what he wants in a woman. How can the same man like Kacie B. and Blakeley, and Courtney? Ben, buddy, pull it together, I know you aren't this oblivious.

Ben chose the sweet Kacie B. for his first date in Sonoma; they tour Sonoma and have dinner together and Kacie B. does receive a rose. They then go to this big empty theater where they watch videos of themselves from their childhood. Ben hears his dad's voice for the first time in five years. He believes his dad would really like Kacie B. Kacie is really touched and says Ben's reaction to the video proved how genuine he is as a man. They share several kisses inside and outside of the theater.

Rude Courtney Comment #1: Courtney calls Kacie B. annoying because she gets the first date with Ben. Courtney, I think you were actually talking about yourself, not Kacie B.

Group Date: "Come play with me"--- 12 of the women, Nicki, Blakeley, Jenna, Monica, Jennifer, Jaclyn, Shawn, Samantha, Brittney, Rachel, Emily, and Jamie perform with Ben in a play written by some middle school kids in Sonoma. Blakeley's jugs are hanging out everywhere as she auditions in front of these kids. Her low cut romper was not the best thing for her to wear in front of some young kids. Ben kisses Jennifer in the pool at the wrap party. Blakeley throws herself at Ben in the pool and kisses him. Jennifer clearly did the best job out of all the girls and yet at the end of the night, Blakeley ended up getting the group date rose.

Rude Courtney Comment #2: Courtney says Lindzi didn't get the first impression rose, her horse did. Wow, Courtney, you're so cool, you get off making fun of other people. You must not feel so secure about yourself.

The girls back at the house are all suspicious of Courtney's behavior already. Kacie B. says she can already see that Courtney is not a good person.

Rude Courtney Comment #3: Courtney saying "winning, winning" (a la Charlie Sheen) because she gets the second date with Ben. Courtney, it was only kinda okay when Charlie Sheen coined this phrase, but it is completely not okay for you to use it.

Ben and Courtney go on a picnic in the woods with Ben's adorable dog. Ben calls Courtney the whole package, smart, witty, drop dead gorgeous, too good to be true. Ben you're one for four. Listen to your instincts, when someone is too good to be true, they usually are. She would be attractive, but her personality makes her full out ugly. The way she acts around Ben is completely different from the way she acts around the girls. My stand on this is that there is nothing wrong with any one of the women saying, I am here for Ben. However, I think it's a completely different issue when any woman in the house has to knock other women or be nasty and insult others. If you're there for Ben, you shouldn't have time to talk smack about the competition.

Rude Courtney Comment #4: Courtney saying at the cocktail party, "I'm just gonna sit back and let the other girls shoot themselves in the foot". Courtney, I wish you would shoot yourself in the foot, literally.

The cocktail party was full of drama. Blakeley kept stealing Ben when she already had a rose. The other girls got upset and started talking about her. Blakeley's feelings were hurt by all the comments and she went off to the luggage room to cry and cower in a corner behind some suitcases. Jenna took to one of the beds to cry about how she just wasn't feeling sharing a house with all these women and competing for Ben's attention.

At the end of the night Shawn and Jenna were sent packing.

The Top 16:
Kacie B.
Blakeley
Courtney
Jennifer
Emily
Elyse
Jaclyn
Erica
Rachel
Lindzi
Nicki
Casey S.
Samantha
Monica
Jamie
Brittney

My Top Songs of 2011: Why Did I Choose Them, Part 1

2012-01-09T17:56:00.000-08:00

All of the Lights, off Kanye West's fifth album “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”, has an undeniably infectious hook sung by a literal hit-maker named Rihanna and co written by another hit-maker, Kanye West. The song was released in January of last year, and yet became one of the anthems of 2011, even earning three Grammy nominations for Song of the Year, Best Rap Song, Best Rap/ Sung Collaboration. As you can probably hear, the song has a chorus of guest singers including: Alicia Keys, John Legend, Kid Cudi, The Dream, Drake, Fergie, Elton John, Ryan Leslie, Charlie Wilson, Tony Wilson, Elly Jackson, Alvin Fields, Ken Lewis, and of course, Rihanna.

Charts:
#2 on US Hot R&B/ Hip Hop Songs
#2 on US Rap Songs

Fave line from the song:

Turn up the lights in here baby
Extra bright, I want y'all to see this
Turn up the lights in here baby
You know what I need
Want you to see everything
Want you to see all of the lights

I didn't even know who the married duo Thompson Square was until Scotty McCreery sang Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not, that moment solidified for me that he should be the American Idol, and it turned Thompson Square's single into a bonafied country hit, so much so it climbed all the way to #1 on the US Country Song Billboards.

Charts:
#1 on the US Country Song Billboards

Fave line from the song:

Are you gonna kiss me or not?
Are we gonna do this or what?
I think you know I love you a lot
I think we've got a real good shot
Are you gonna kiss me or not?

Blackout by Breathe Carolina was a song I heard for the first time on the radio, I had no idea who sang it, and I went home and googled the lyrics to figure out who the song was by. I discovered the song was written and recorded by Breathe Carolina, an electronic rock duo from Denver, they were even deemed "buzzworthy" by MTV for the catchiness of the song.

Charts:
#20 US Pop Songs

Fave line from the song:

This won't stop until I say so

Call Your Girlfriend is one of the most underrated songs of the past year; Robyn continues to amaze me with her unusual musicality. She's smart and lyrically talented; she dares to be different consistently pushing the envelope in every performance and every video. It's hard to believe that at the age of 32, Robyn is one her seventh studio album Body Talk, it feels like yesterday that she was that teenager singing "Show Me Love". She's come a long way and once the rest of you discover her, you won't be able to get her hypnotic songs out of your head.

Charts:
#1 US Hot Dance Club Songs (nomination for best dance track at the Grammy's)

Fave line from the song:

Call your girlfriend
It's time you had the talk
Give your reasons
Say it's not her fault
But you just met somebody new
And now it's gonna be me and you

Cheers (Drink to That) by Rihanna made my list because it became a summer anthem of sorts-- a happy celebratory song that could be used for just about any party, the video was particularly interesting because it gave us a glimpse into Rihanna's real life. I liked what I saw; she seems so genuine, cheers to Rihanna.

Charts:
#7 US Billboard Hot 100
#11 US Pop Songs Billboard

Fave line from the song:

Cheers to the freakin' weekend
I drink to that, yeah yeah
Oh, let the Jameson sink in
I drink to that, yeah yeah
Don't let the bastards get ya down
Turn it around with another round
There's a party at the bar everybody put your glasses up and I drink to that
I drink to that.

Colder Weather was called "lyrically profound" by critics and hit number one on US Country Song Billboards. Laim Hemsworth appeared in the video about a guy who leaves his girlfriend temporarily in the winter. If that isn't a good plot line I don't know what is.

Charts:
#1 US Country Songs Billboard

Jason Aldean had arguably the biggest year of his career when his album My Kinda Party was released in 2010. Dirt Road Anthem was one of the songs that came off that album which solidified his standing as one of the current stars of country music. Interestingly enough, the song is considered "country rap", Ludacris even performed the song with Aldean on the CMT Awards; there's a combo I never expected.

Charts:
#1 US Country Songs Billboard
#7 US Billboard Hot 100

Fave line from the song:

I'm chillin' on a dirt road.
Laid back swervin' like I'm George Jones.
Smoke rollin' out the window,
An' ice cold beer sittin' in the console.

Jason Derulo recently cancelled his upcoming tour after he landed on his neck doing some "acrobatic" dance moves. Besides Derulo being an extremely talented singer/ songwriter, he is also one of the best dancers to come out of music in a long time. It seems Derulo wants to bring back the days of Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Paula Abdul who were not merely singers, but performers. They had the whole package and so does Derulo. Don't Wanna Go Home off Derlo's sophomore album "Future History", is based on the song "Day-O", and Derulo says the song is all about feeling good and forgetting about your problems.

Charts:
#14 US Billboard Hot 100
#4 US Hot Dance Club Songs
#10 US Pop Songs

Fave line from the song:

Ayo me say day oh
Daylight come and we don't wanna go home
Yeah so we losing control
Turn the lights low cause we about to get blown

Don't You Wanna Stay is one of those dream duets. A dream duet is a duet that takes place between two artists who compliment each other so well you think they've been singing together their whole lives. This is what happened when Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson got together on Don't You Wanna Stay which ended up not only being a country hit but a crossover hit as well. It is nominated for Best Country/ Duo Performance at the Grammy's.

Charts:
#1 US Country Songs Billboard
#3 US Adult Contemporary Billboard
#9 US Adult Pop Song Billboard

Fave line from the song:

Don't you wanna stay here a little while?
Don't you wanna hold each other tight?
Don't you wanna fall asleep with me tonight?
Don't you wanna stay here a little while?
We can make forever feel this way
Don't you wanna stay?

I will be the first to admit that for the past couple of years I have hated a lot on Lady Gaga. I felt like she was purposely being weird to get attention, and in some ways, I still feel like she pushes it too much. However, on Thanksgiving night, when Lady Gaga aired her special, I related to her in a way that I never had before. It was during her interview with Barbara Walters in which she talked about her childhood, growing up, her grandparent's deep love for one another, and how she never gave up on her dreams. The Edge of Glory is actually a song about the death of Gaga's beloved grandfather, and it is touching, emotional, and includes a sax interlude by Clarence Clemens of Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band who died shortly after recording this part in this single.

Charts:
#1 US Hot Dance Club Songs
#2 US Adult Pop Songs
#3 US Billboard Hot 100
#3 US Pop Songs
#7 US Adult Contemporary

Fave line from the song:

I'm on the edge of glory
And I'm hanging on a moment with you
I'm on the edge with you

My Top Songs of 2011

2012-01-07T18:19:00.000-08:00

For the past few years I have been creating a list of my favorite and most memorable songs of the past year. I am a bit late this year in creating that list, or rather, in sharing it with you. As I mentioned before, this past year was a real struggle for me, and music was there for me always. Music gave me great joy, it made me smile, it comforted me when I was sad or contemplating my next step.

Overall, this was the year of the Ladies, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, and Adele all appear on this list more than once.

Some newcomers had breakout years, Hot Chelle Rae, Breathe Carolina, The Band Perry, J. Cole, and LMFAO; they burst onto the scene and proved to be contenders.

Here's the list, and check back as I tell you why I chose the songs I chose (they're in alphabetical order):

All of the Lights-- Kanye West featuring Rihanna
Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not-- Thompson Square
Blackout-- Breathe Carolina
Call Your Girlfriend-- Robyn
Cheers (Drink to That)-- Rihanna
Colder Weather-- Zac Brown Band
Dirt Road Anthem-- Jason Aldean
Don't Wanna Go Home-- Jason Derulo
Don't You Wanna Stay-- Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson
The Edge of Glory-- Lady Gaga
Grenade-- Bruno Mars
Headlines-- Drake
Heart Like Mine-- Miranda Lambert
Honey Bee-- Blake Shelton
How to Love-- Lil Wayne
I Need a Doctor-- Eminem, Dr. Dre, and Skyler Grey
I Wanna Go-- Britney Spears
I'm On One-- DJ Khaled, Drake, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne
It Girl-- Jason Derulo
It Will Rain-- Bruno Mars
Just a Kiss-- Lady Antebellum
Love on Top-- Beyonce
Made in America-- Toby Keith
Marry the Night-- Lady Gaga
Moment for Life-- Nicki Minaj and Drake
Moves Like Jagger-- Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera
Mr. Know it All-- Kelly Clarkson
On the Floor-- Jeniffer Lopez featuring Pitbull
Party Rock Anthem-- LMFAO
Rolling in the Deep-- Adele
She Ain't You-- Chris Brown
Someone Like You-- Adele
Super Bass-- Nicki Minaj
Til the World Ends-- Britney Spears
Tonight Tonight-- Hot Chelle Rae
We Found Love-- Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
Without You-- David Guetta featuring Usher
Work Out-- J. Cole
You Da One-- Rihanna
You Lie-- The Band Perry

I would love to hear your thoughts.... what were your favorite songs of the year, who impressed you?

The Bachelor Season 16: Is Bachelor Ben's Season a Bust?

2012-01-04T21:12:00.000-08:00

I think most of us are guilty of it. We watch The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, and we find ourselves feeling angry, disgusted, outraged, etc., and then we make a vow to not watch next season. The next season roles around, and there we are tuning in for yet another premiere. We watch intently as 25 bachelors or bachelorettes make their plea, and either endear themselves to the public or make a fool of themselves.

I watched Ashley Hebert's season of The Bachelorette, and not only did I agree with her choosing J.P., but he was one of my top choices from the start. The runner up was Ben Flajnik, the wavy-haired, wine maker from Sonoma who proposed to Ashley only to be sent packing. He was rumored to have a fling with Jennifer Love Hewitt, a rumor that she denies. It was no surprise when Ben was announced as Season 16's Bachelor.

This past Monday was the season premiere, and I watched, but overall, I was disappointed. I was disappointed that a good number of the ladies lacked intelligence and depth. Those who should have stepped up didn't, and some who did were overly aggressive, almost to the point of desperation. Ben didn't come across as sincere to me; he had superficial conversations with most of the ladies. He didn't look like he cared when handing out roses, his jokes were lame, and by the end of the night I was already thinking about watching Kacie B. as the Bachelorette this summer. Before you ask, no, I don't know that it's going to be her, I just want it to be her because I found her to be one of the most sincere women in the group.

Some of the girls made an impression on me for the right reasons and some of them did not.

Rachel was the first girl out of the limos, and she seemed pretty cool. I like her demeanor and she has that great all American girl look. Although, it seems like Ben prefers brunettes. Is this evidence of his deep love for himself?

I like Jenna, the blogger from NYC, she's that wannabe cool girl who isn't quite there yet. There's a part of me that feels for her because Monica is not very nice at all, at least she isn't being portrayed that way. Monica is very argumentative, and it's almost like she takes joy in making other women feel bad. She must be pretty insecure about herself, and she must yearn for female companionship which explains why she seems to be in love with Blakely. Blakely is a pretty girl but she's no stunner, and she in fact comes across as a little trashy. She's a bartender and ex Hooters girl.

Courtney (a.k.a. "I'm a model"), is really into herself, she is one of the most ego centric women I have ever seen come through The Bachelor/ Bachelorette series. I found it really obnoxious how she kept touching her hair and twirling it around her fingers, it's as if she was fishing for a compliment. When you think Courtney, think Vienna from Jake's season, except this girl is much worse, and she is lucky is she doesn't alienate herself from all the other women living in the house.

Emily is smart, witty, funny, and pretty. She's the total package; she's the type of woman any man could bring home to his parents and they would be happy. I loved everything from her introduction to when she wrote a rap song which she rapped to Ben.

Jamie has a strong spirit, I can tell. This girl is rumored to have been to hell and back, raising her siblings and growing up with no parents.

Bringing her grandmother along as a way to show how important family is to her was a great move on Brittney's part but she will need to step up her game if she wants to be in it for the long haul. She lacks that aggression that Ben looks for.

There's something about Nicki that was really sweet and genuine, I think she is going to go pretty far on the show.

Ben not picking Dianna as one of his 18 was the biggest surprise of the night to me, this girl was stunning and poised.

Anna Snowball (yes that really is her last name) made a dumb move walking out of the limo and past Ben into the house without saying a word. Guess what? She went home.

Shawn showed her athletic side playing some soccer outside with Ben during the cocktail party. I just love her fun personality.

Kacie B. from Tennessee is my favorite of the whole bunch, this woman is a hhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifead turner and her beauty is on the inside and the outside. She is just so genuine, and my definite pick for The Bachelorette. Ben is too pig headed to pick someone as good as her.

Finally, Lindzi C. made the most original entrance of the night riding in on horse back and looking gorgeous doing it. How beautiful was her dress! Ben giving her the first impression rose was one of the only intelligent things he did all night.

Check out the official website here and follow along this season: http://abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelor

Sometimes Life Happens

2012-01-01T19:36:00.001-08:00

You may be wondering why I haven't been here for several weeks, well sometimes, life happens.

2011 was probably the most difficult and most challenging year of my life. The saddest year of my life remains to be 2004, the year that I lost my grandmother; she was the most important and most influential person in my life. I see so much of her in me, in the way I live my life, in the way I continue to be outspoken and opinionated about my beliefs. My grandmother believed in me more than anyone else in my life ever has; she felt the sky was the limit for me and there was nothing that I couldn't accomplish in life. Therefore, I have learned to live my life that way, believing that no matter how big the dream, it is within my grasp.

2011 was filled with life lesson after life lesson for me. Here are just a few pearls of wisdom I picked up last year:

You can't trust everyone, know who your friends really are! Acquaintances come and go; friends are forever. True friends should be countable on one or two hands, and they are the people who there for you when you're at your best or at you're worst. They are there to talk when you're upset, they're beside you when you're jobless, and you think of them as more than just friends. They are the special ones, and you think of them the same way you think of family. In fact, they're even more special in a way because you chose one another.

Stay positive no matter how hard things seem or really are. Positive energy has this way of spreading, it's infectious, it's like a snowball rolling downhill. The positivity builds and picks up speed once it starts rolling. In the days that seem the darkest, maintaining positivity may be what gets you to the next day.

Believe that good things eventually do happen to good people. A very wise person told you me that when you pray to God to help you, he grants your wish, but you may not have an easy road to get to where you ultimately want to be. God tests us in life, but he never gives us something that he doesn't believe we can handle, which leads me to my next lesson.....everything happens for a reason. You have to take the good and bad in life, not everything can be wonderful all the time. Pick your battles and realize that being stressed out is not always the healthiest option.

A few years ago, I believed that I could "save" people. I believed that when they had problems or issues I could "fix" them. And then I figured out that people have to want to change themselves, they have to want to better themselves. They have to recognize problems or issues in their lives and label them as such in order to begin fixing them. All the wishing, hoping, saving, and fixing in the world cannot make someone who they aren't. My mother always used to say to me, a tiger never changes its stripes. I don't believe that though. I believe anyone is capable of change, but they must want to. Who or what initiates that change within said person can vary, certain experiences can change a person forever. I know people who have changed as a result of specific events they've been through. I will even cite myself as an example of that; I have been through certain things this past year. The experiences have made me more grateful. I appreciate simple things more than I ever used to. The people I care about are more important to me than ever. I have learned not to take anything for granted.

Sometimes being rich has nothing to do with money and everything to do with your spirit because who you are as a person can make you richer than any person with tons of money. Measure your good fortune in how you live your life.

The most relevant lesson I learned this past year is to never ever stop believing in yourself and those who love you. Always be strong, and do your best to live and cherish each day as best you can.

No Holds Barred Drama on The X Factor

2011-12-13T17:25:00.000-08:00

After last week's performance show, I was pretty sure who was going home. Despite the fact the Chris Rene turned in a sincere performance with his original song titled, "Where Do We Go From Here", I was sure that he was going home. His collective performances were just not strong enough in comparison with the remaining contestants: Rachel Crow, Melanie Amaro, Josh Krajcik, and Marcus Canty. I felt Melanie and Marcus both turned in two strong performances, Josh's second performance was powerful, and Rachel was her usual charming self despite a questionable song choice for her second song. She chose Music & Me continuing last week's Michael Jackson theme.

Then came elimination day, and Chris Rene was the first person announced to be safe for next week's semi-finals. There went my theory, and there left me wondering, who is the American public voting for and why? Josh Krajcik was announced as safe next, and then a nervous Melanie Amaro found out that she too would be coming back next week.

Once again, Marcus Canty was in the bottom two, for the third week in a row. My question is, what is this boy doing wrong? In my eyes, he has been working harder than everyone else, and putting more emotion into his performances than anyone else. You cannot ask for more than that. Also sitting in the bottom two was the sweet and panicked Rachel Crow, who at the age of 13 is the youngest contestant in this competition. Marcus is used to being in this spot now, and he has always delivered on his "save me" song. This week would be no exception, Marcus sang "I'm Going Down" by Mary J. Blige, and he really controlled his voice well in this performance. Rachel sang "I'd Rather Be Blind", and I must admit she really knocked this performance out. However, if I was judging it based on the previous night's performances, Marcus was the stronger contestant.

When it came down to the judges votes, L.A. stayed loyal to his guy Marcus, Simon stayed true to Rachel, Paula picked Rachel to stay, and the vote came down to Nicole who said she loved both of these contestants and couldn't possibly choose which one to send home. She confirmed that she wanted to go to a deadlock, and Rachel was sent home. She collapsed onto the stage crying and calling for her mother, Nicole began crying, and Marcus Canty leaned down to try and console Rachel.

Following this decision, there was so much backlash, people hated Nicole blaming her for Rachel being sent home. Marcus Canty received lots of nasty posts on his twitter and Facebook, prompting the Maryland native to seriously consider dropping out of the competition. I want to say how disgusted I am with how people acted following these results. First of all, these were the results of the people who voted, so how can people be mad at Nicole for how they decided to vote? How can people be mad at Marcus Canty? Just like Rachel, he is a contestant who got on that stage week after week and competed like a warrior for your votes! Just like everyone else left in this competition, he deserves to be there, he earned his spot. It is immature for people to act like this when these contestants are working so hard and enduring so much.

On a side note, is it just a rumor, or is Chris Rene using again, there was some controversy last week when a post on Twitter sent chills up the spines of twitterers everywhere. Was it true? I have no clue. I am not going to post it here, if anyone is interested you can look it up for yourselves. M.J.'s Big Blog has a story on it.

Until next time. ;-)

We're Down to Five on The X Factor

2011-12-06T12:17:00.000-08:00

So, which two acts went home after last week's Michael Jackson tribute? I must admit I was rather surprised, but at the end of last week's results show, Astro and Drew were sent packing. What happened? Who knows.

What I loved about the performance night is that several members of the Jackson Family were in attendance. It is always difficult to sing Michael Jackson songs, and it was surprising that some of his more known hits did not make their way into the show. No one sang Human Nature, You Are Not Alone, or Beat It. In fact, some of the song selections were rather obscure.

Josh Krajcik, one of the most talented voices in this competition sang Dirty Diana. He has a great voice, but this was the wrong song for him, I didn't like the arrangement, and Josh seemed uncomfortable. Luckily, the past weeks have redeemed him this week.

Astro took on Michael's Black and White, and while I certainly appreciate Astro's creativity it would have been great had he sang Michael's lyrics, I think it would have been more powerful. Even though Astro was voted off, I predict he will have a presence on the rap scene, but will he compete with Jay Z, Kanye, Drake, or Wayne remains unproven to me.

Drew sang Billie Jean and while her vocals were on point, the other judges questioned whether or not Drew should have sang another slowed down song. She was also sitting in a chair, some argued that this made the performance more powerful because she would have to harness her emotions more, while some said it took away from what the performance could have been which was rousing. It turned out to be the wrong move for Drew as she was sent home after her save me performance against Marcus Canty.

Simon picked the song Can You Feel It for Rachel Crow which confused me a bit. Why was she singing this? It's not like there weren't any better Michael Jackson songs to choose from. I can see not wanting to choose something like ABC, but this was kind of a disaster, I am a bit surprised Rachel wasn't eliminated.

Marcus performed an over the top version of PYT. I didn't like the way they rearranged the background music for the song. It took a lot of the natural soul out of the song, there was the beat to Usher's D.J.'s Got Us Falling in Love in the background. I understand that maybe L.A. was trying to modernize this version, but this didn't work. Marcus has a classic R&B voice and therefore that's how the song should have been sung. The way he sang his save me song is the way he should always sing. He shouldn't leave any doubt of his passion for music, anything he does have should be left on the stage.

Chris Rene sang I'll Be There; this was not good. In short, I want to say that I love Chris, I admire what he has overcome, but I think he should have gone home.

Melanie Amaro blew me away with her rendition of Earth Song. There was lots of power behind it, and Melanie remains my favorite to win this competition. Nicole even went as far as saying that it was her favorite performance of the entire competition so far.

Paula's groups are no more on The X Factor

2011-12-01T14:29:00.000-08:00

Last week was all about being "thankful", who would no longer be thankful once the results show took place? It was anyone's guess. This was surprisingly a week where I believe everyone turned in a strong performance on an individual level. Many contestants turned in a performance that was their personal best thus far in the competition.

It was also a double elimination week which was unfair because everyone was just starting to get in their zones.

Touching:

How crazy was it hearing Rachel Crow's story, apparently her biological mom was a crack addict and therefore when Rachel was born she had an addiction to the drug. Rachel did a good job with her performance, but it wasn't the right song choice. Simon? What is going on?

I loved Marcus Canty singing "A Song for Mama" by Boyz II Men for his mom. I felt it was the most real emotion he has shown since he started on the show. Simon agreed saying he felt that this most connected he felt to him. Apparently viewers didn't feel that way saying Marcus was under pitch and his voice cracked. Sometimes it's more about the emotion and less about having perfect vocals. Viewers take note.

LeRoy Bell performed a sincere, stripped down version of "Angel" by Sara McLachlan in memory of his mom who passed away. Mr. Bell, your mom would be so extremely proud of you. Simon even congratulated LeRoy on a fantastic tribute to his mom. I couldn't agree more.

Last, but certainly not least, to perform on the night of giving thanks was Josh Krajcik. He absolutely stunned me with his rendition of "Wild Horses" by The Rolling Stones which he dedicated to his daughter. I literally found myself getting goosebumps in addition to tears coming to my eyes. Josh received the ultimate praise from each judge; he was without a doubt: breathtaking and powerful.

Ridiculous:

Who knew that Melanie Amaro was from The Virgin Islands and that she had that crazy sexy Rihanna accent? Is there anything that we won't like about this girl? I really don't think so. She is probably the most consistent performer in this group in terms of her voice. She never misses, even when she had laryngitis.

It was so ridiculous that Astro came up with this completely original song, and his attitude was totally 180 from last week. If he continues acting like this and continues being unique and pushing himself, he may just make it into the top three or four. I loved that his song sampled "Show Me What You Got" by Jay Z, great beat and background for his song to be built around.

This performance was amazing, but what was ridiculous was L.A.'s comments about Drew's performance. Drew sang the very poignant "Skyscraper" by young rising star Demi Lovato. L.A. tried to argue that this song was too old for the teenage Drew, well that doesn't really make sense because Lovato appeals directly to Drew's age group. Actually, I thought his comments was so strange that I need to quote M.J. from M.J.'s Big Blog: LA Reid decided to actually “critique” a performance, and what he had to say had me feeling second hand embarrassment for him. It’s hard to believe that a record executive has no idea that “Skyscraper” was recorded by a teenager for fellow teenagers. Drew, completely out of character, began arguing with LA about the song. By this time, the show was completely off the rails.LA: He tells Drew he thinks she’s a great singer but that her mentor is giving her songs for people who are 40. WHAT? Is it possible that LA has no idea that an actual teenager–Demi Lovato–recorded the song? Teenagers LOVE this song. I’m feeling second hand embarrassment for LA. Drew talks back to him, uncharacteristically angry. She’s probably as taken aback by his stupidity as everyone else.

Not So Good:

Chris Rene's rendition of "Let It Be" had a good reason behind it, but at the end of this week on competition, his vocals were all over the place. I had the impression that after this, he may be in trouble in terms of votes.

Lakoda Rayne had the right song with "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift, but their harmonies were painful at times. I am confident that in a couple of years, these ladies will be the new Dixie Chicks.

The Results:

And in the end, Lakoda Rayne was eliminated with the least number of votes, knocking Paula Abdul out of the competition as a mentor. LeRoy Bell and Marcus Canty
faced off to sing for their lives. Although the judges agreed that Leroy gave the better performance that night, Marcus was better overall. L.A. voted to send Leroy Home, Nicole voted to send Marcus home, Paula voted to send Marcus home, and the vote came down to Simon who chose to send LeRoy home bringing this decision to a deadlock. The person with the actual number of votes would be sent home and it was LeRoy.

Lakoda Rayne Moves On, While Astro Just Loses It on The X Factor

2011-11-22T17:02:00.000-08:00

Last week was "ROCK" week on The X Factor which meant that each contestant had to sing a rock song, not necessarily sing it in a rock style. L.A. Reid, I just wanted to clear that up for you since you seemed to question how everyone chose to sing their rock song with the exception of your boys, two of whom rapped.

LeRoy Bell sang "Why Don't You Stay" by Bob Seger-- He was up first last week, which I initially thought would be the kiss of death; however, it actually turned out to be good for him. This was one of his strongest performances ever; I think it was because it sat in that comfy zone of his voice. It utilized that Michael Bolton like rasp that I just find to be irresistible. With the exception of Nicole, the judges thought that LeRoy needed to find more connection with the audience, and "be" more like a star.

Rachel Crowe sang "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones-- While all the judges seemed to think this was a great performance and gave Rachel a standing ovation, I think it has been the weakest of all her performances thus far. I appreciate Rachel's effort always, but this was not the right song for her.

Chris Rene sang "No Woman No Cry" by Bob Marley-- It wasn't my favorite but I hated the fact that the judges debated whether or not this was a rock song because it was one of the best rock songs ever written. I wish Chris would try to be a little more consistent in staying true to his hip hop roots.

Stacy Francis sang "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" by Meatloaf-- For me, this was the weakest performance of the night which is why I think Stacy ultimately went home. After her first audition, everything started to feel overdone.

Melanie Amaro sang "Everybody Hurts" by REM-- I felt like this was a brilliant choice of song for Melanie. It showed a vulnerable side of her but a part of her remains guarded. I hope that in the coming weeks, she lets her guard down as Paula noted and that she opens herself to her fans.

Josh Krajcik sang "The Pretenders" by The Foo Fighters-- Josh has a unique voice, so much so that it will carry him far beyond this competition. He's so special, so low key, yet when he hits the stage it's unparalleled. I liked several performances on this night, but this was the only true rock performance.

Astro rapped to "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy, Faith Evans, and 112-- I have to say that it's impressive for this 14 year old kid come on every week, and to be doing an original rap with samples of popular singles. He has loads of creativity, but he struggled personally and emotionally when he was in the bottom two with Stacy Francis. Simon exchanged words with Astro after he felt it was unnecessary to come out and sing for his survival. Simon told him that he didn't like his attitude and that he was being disrespectful to his mom and the show.

Lakoda Rayne sang "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac-- It would have been great if they would have come out a little bit stronger than the breadth of this performance but these girls come out and improve every week. If they continue growing like this, they may stay in this competition longer than expected. This was a bit mediocre with harmonies that could have been stronger.

Drew sang "With or Without You" by U2-- Drew always turns in a stunning performance and this particular one was no exception. I do agree with the comment that several judges gave which was that it would be great if Drew could sing an uptempo song just to show some versatility.

Marcus Canty sang "Piece of My Heart" by Janis Joplin-- Marcus is the ultimate performer in this competition, it's clear that he belongs on a stage. However, I don't think that this was the right song for him, and I didn't like how they sexed up the song. Simon recognized it and said it was him pretending to be someone else.

Poor Paula, She's down to her final group on The X Factor

2011-11-15T21:06:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's the fact that groups are just harder to embrace than a solo singer, but Paula Abdul is down to one group left to mentor on The X Factor. At least one thing is for certain, if Lakoda Rayne falls into the bottom two, she will not be the only judge with an act in jeopardy. Last week, The Stereo Hogzz were eliminated in a suspenseful results show in which Abdul initially refused to vote, saying she did not want to be responsible for sending another one of her acts home, she said it was just too hard.

I believe with the proper management, both groups that have been voted off so far, InTENsity and The Stereo Hoggz could flourish and have successful careers.

Last week was songs from the movies, which proved to be a difficult category for some who just couldn't find their groove.

My vote for the weakest performance of the night went to Stacy Francis who failed to impress me with her Whitney Houston impression. Francis sang "Queen of the Night" from The Bodyguard, and it had nothing to do with her song selection, I actually like that song. I just felt that her performance was weak at best.

My favorite performances of the night came from the oldest performer and the two youngest performers, Leroy Bell, Astro, and Rachel Crowe respectively. Bell performed "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 and his voice just really sat well in that song. It was clearly his best performance since he started. Astro sang a mixed version of Eminem's inspirational "Lose Yourself"; he changed some of the lyrics to his own; Eminem must be a real Astro fan! Rachel Crowe sang a soulful and touching rendition of Etta Jame's "I'd Rather Go Blind". She just really pulled this off, and I think this makes her a contender once again. Truthfully, after almost a week, I can say those are the three performances that stuck out for me.

Will the other contestants step up and level themselves up to these three standouts?
Will Lakoda Rayne be eliminated leaving Paula with no one?
Will Stacy Francis finally get voted off as she should have last week?
Which judges will have contestants in the bottom two?

The X Factor Continues a Steady Course, But When Will it Dazzle Us?

2011-11-07T12:37:00.000-08:00

The Top 12 performed this past week on The X Factor and once again I was left wanting more. Am I expecting too much from this show? Did I want it to be better than American Idol, and now I'm left disappointed?

Of course, there were some solid performances, but the majority left me wanting more. These contestants are without a doubt talented, but no one blew me away.

Ugly:

I love Rachel Crowe but I didn't love this performance. Although Rachel has more charisma than money can buy, the cheesiness of the song choice negated all that.

Lakoda Rayne's rendition of "Landslide" reminded me of girl's night out at a karaoke bar. I didn't think the harmonies worked in this, despite different thoughts by some of the judges. The outfits, which did look like prom dresses, were too mature for such young women.

I am not being a hater, but I have heard many other singers sing this song better than Stacy. She needs to keep her eye on the prize, and not act like she has won already. There is plenty more work to be done as far as I'm concerned.

Good:

For a singer who is one of the best natural talents in the competition, Nicole has really made it difficult for LeRoy Bell to do well. The only reason he hasn't been eliminated is really a testament to his voice and how well loved he is by the public. Nicole, if you're listening, please, a decent song for the man this week.

Astro needs to watch his back or he may find himself being the first boy to be eliminated from this competition. "Hip Hop Hooray" was just not the right jam for him to be taking on.

InTENsity was not the worst this round, but yet, they found themselves eliminated on Thursday night after their performance of "Kids In America" and Party Rock" fell short for America. I believe these kids actually did work hard, and I think they could do well in a setting like The Disney Company.

Better:

Stereo Hoggz are probably the strongest group left, "Rhythm Nation" was the best group performance this week, but they need to step it up or they will find themselves in the bottom two again!

Chris Rene was the most improved contestant from last week. His rendition of Superstar was solid considering that this is such a difficult song to pull off. What didn't work was the "fire" background, and I agreed with Simon saying, L.A. really sent you to hell Chris. He will have to continue to work hard because Marcus Canty is building a real fan base.

As cheesy as the song choice was, Melanie Amaro is destined for stardom. She displayed great poise and maturity for someone who hasn't had musical experience.

Best:

Josh Krajcik's version of "Jar of Hearts" was a big risk that paid off big time; it was soul stirring and Josh is so good that when he sings a song well, no one can beat him.

Probably the most interesting song choice of the week, Drew took on "Just a Dream" by Nelly. This girl is a natural born star, and I think she may be the surprise winner of this competition. She just reminds me of that singer with the great voice, and the very free spirit. Simon said, “I’m seeing a star emerge in front of me…she’s my mentor now. I shouldn’t be telling you what to do. You are doing an incredible job.”

Marcus Canty, as many say, could just be a dark horse in this competition. He is, as I said last week, the complete package who can sing, dance, and act. His vocals on "Every Little Step" were spot on, and I applaud L.A. for choosing this song for Marcus. He does have a natural charm about him that makes fans relate to him.

Corny Song Choices: Nicole choosing "I'm Already There" for LeRoy Bell, woah, way cheesy!.... Simon changing Rachel Crowe's lyrics from "I'm Walkin' on Sunshine" to "You're My Sunshine". I don't really understand what the lyric change was supposed to do.... "Landslide" was a real landslide by Lakoda Rayne who would have done better with a more contemporary country song. Paula, quit trying to turn each girl into a season, no one gets it.... "Desperado" for Melanie Amaro was a desperate attempt to make her look non Celine or Whitney when the soul part of her voice should be what's played up.... "Up to The Mountain" for Stacy Francis was just a tad too gimmicky, there are so many other people who have sang this better than her.

Bottom two who sang for survival were TheStereo Hoggz and InTENsity; InTENsity was eliminated.

My Favorite Things: November 2011 Edition

2011-11-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

I cannot get Jason Derulo out of my head, he has produced hit after hit since his debut at the end of 2009: Whatcha Say, In My Head, Ridin' Solo, Don't Wanna Go Home, What If, and It Girl (which I cannot help but hit the replay button for). At just 22 years of age, Derulo has written hits for major artists like Danity Kane, Cassie, Sean Kingston, Pitbull, and Lil Wayne just to name a few. He has established himself as a triple threat dancing, singing, and acting. I think he's the more talented, more mature version of someone like say, Chris Brown. Derulo has class, drive, and he wants to make a good cross section of music that everyone can listen to, and frankly, he has succeeded.

He really embodies the title of his new album, Future History!

I'm in love with the new Oval Paperweights from Felix Doolittle; these would be a perfect holiday gift for just about anyone. The $35 price is more than reasonable, especially considering that it's high quality. In fact, I almost guarantee that your only issue will be deciding which image most inspires you. I am currently deciding between Blue Bird, Jolly Tortoise, Mountain Lion, and Raven of Truth.

The CMA's! Country music's biggest night is live on Wednesday November 9th at 8pm on ABC with hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley once again doing the honors. Check out the nominees, make your predictions, and maybe I will even share mine.

2011 CMA AWARDS NOMINEES

Entertainer of the Year

Jason Aldean
Brad Paisley
Blake Shelton
Taylor Swift
Keith Urban

Female Vocalist of the Year

Sara Evans
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist of the Year

Jason Aldean
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Blake Shelton
Keith Urban

New Artist

The Band Perry
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Thompson Square
Chris Young

Vocal Group

Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band

Vocal Duo

The Civil Wars
Montgomery Gentry
Steel Magnolia
Sugarland
Thompson Square

Album of the Year
(Award goes to artist and producer)

'All About Tonight'
Blake Shelton
Produced by Scott Hendricks

'My Kinda Party'
Jason Aldean
Produced by Michael Knox

'Speak Now'
Taylor Swift
Produced by Nathan Chapman and Taylor Swift

'This Is Country Music'
Brad Paisley
Produced by Frank Rogers

'You Get What You Give'
Zac Brown Band
Produced by Keith Stegall and Zac Brown

Single of the Year
(Award goes to artist and producer)

'A Little Bit Stronger'
Sara Evans
Produced by Tony Brown

'Colder Weather'
Zac Brown Band
Produced by Keith Stegall and Zac Brown

'Don't You Wanna Stay'
Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson
Produced by Michael Knox

'Honey Bee'
Blake Shelton
Produced by Scott Hendricks

'If I Die Young'
The Band Perry
Produced by Paul Worley

Song of the Year
(Award goes to songwriters)

'Colder Weather'
Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, Levi Lowrey, and Coy Bowles

'Dirt Road Anthem'
Brantley Gilbert and Colt Ford

'If I Die Young'
Kimberly Perry

'Mean'
Taylor Swift

'You and Tequila'
Matraca Berg and Deana Carter

Musical Event of the Year

'As She's Walking Away'
Zac Brown Band featuring Alan Jackson

'Coal Miner's Daughter'
Loretta Lynn, Sheryl Crow, and Miranda Lambert

'Don't You Wanna Stay'
Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson

'Old Alabama'
Brad Paisley featuring Alabama

'You and Tequila'
Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter

Music Video
(Award goes to artist and director)

'Honey Bee'
Blake Shelton
Directed by Trey Fanjoy

'If I Die Young'
The Band Perry
Directed by David McClister

'Mean'
Taylor Swift
Directed by Declan Whitebloom

'Old Alabama'
Brad Paisley featuring Alabama
Directed by Jim Shea

'You and Tequila'
Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter
Directed by Shaun Silva

Musician

Sam Bush - Mandolin
Jerry Douglas - Dobro
Paul Franklin - Steel Guitar
Dann Huff - Guitar
Mac McAnally - Guitar

Ladies, I discovered a fun, new clothing website, and I love their unusual selection of clothing and accessories. Based out of Brighton, the site started when the owner was looking for something special to wear for a social event, and couldn't find anything unique. She describes herself as independent, fun, fearless, and creative, and that really comes across as I browse through her site. If one or more of those words describe you as well, head over to Lace Affair!

Avocado Tree Baking Co. is a new venture of mine, and I am certain you've never had some of the things being created by our chef. On the "to die for" list: Rum Cake, Tres Leches Cupcakes, Mocha Cupcakes, Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes, and a Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting! Yum!

If you live in the Boston area please feel free to email us and place an order. Thanksgiving is just three weeks away and we're doing two seasonal cupcakes for the month of November:

The Vermonter-- our maple walnut cupcake made with real Vermont maple syrup and topped with walnuts $3.00
&
Sweet Potato Pie with Candied Pecans-- a.k.a the Thanksgiving special, our sweet potato cupcake with marshmallow frosting and topped with candied pecans $3.00

Avocado Tree Baking Co. is a boutique bakery with lots of heart; we use the finest ingredients in all of our baked goods. We look forward to bringing you cakes and cupcakes that you cannot and will not find or taste anywhere else. We look forward to serving you and although our Grand Opening is not until November 3rd, we hope you will place your orders now. Please email us at avocadotreebakingco@gmail.com for more information.

Menu:

CAKES

Choose a cake:
Chocolate-- please indicate if you would like us to add nuts to this cake $20.00
Yellow-- $20.00
Choose a frosting:
Chocolate Buttercream
Cream Cheese
Vanilla Buttercream
(color and additional flavors for your Buttercream frosting available upon request)

Bundt Cakes:
Angel-- Our angel cake is light and soft, dusted on top with confectioners’ sugar $10.00
Lemon-- Our lovely lemon bundt cake is moist and dense, dusted on top with confectioners’ sugar $10.00
Rum-- Our special rum cake, the recipe is such a secret that only we know it $15.00

Special Cakes:
Bislon-- An Italian teacake (round with a hole in the middle), so unusually delicious, we guarantee you’ve never had anything like it $20.00
Carrot-- Our moist carrot cake with some secret ingredients and our cream cheese frosting $21.00
Heart Shaped-- A vanilla sandwich cake with fresh cream and raspberries in the center, perfect for any special occasion or just because $20.00

Special Order Cakes:

Is this cake for a special occasion? Do you need something written on the cake? Please let us know. There is no additional cost for writing something on your cake. Do you need a theme cake? Theme cakes are special order and we are more than happy to hear your requests.

Please know that theme cakes do have additional costs and Avocado Tree Baking Co. reserves the right to refuse any special order.

CUPCAKES (n.b. prices below are per cupcake, please see specs. on ordering below)

Our 7 Core Cupcakes
The Bostonian-- Boston Cream Pie, our vanilla cupcake filled with vanilla cream and topped with chocolate ganache $2.50
The Dutchman-- Red Velvet, our Dutch cocoa cupcake topped with cream cheese frosting $2.50
The Evil One-- Devil’s Food, a chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate buttercream $2.50
The Latino-- Tres Leches, our cupcake based on the famous Latin dessert $3.00
Mocha-- Coffee lovers take note, our mocha cupcake comes packed with a shot of espresso and topped with mocha frosting $3.00
The Natural-- Vanilla cupcake with vanilla or chocolate buttercream $2.50
The Pick Me Up-- Tiramisu, our cupcake based on the famous Italian dessert $2.50

Our 2 Seasonal Cupcakes
Every month we will offer two seasonal cupcakes, please call or email us for information on them. We promise you will not be disappointed.

Our cupcakes aim to satisfy! ;-)
The way for us to assure that statement is to tell you that the early bird gets the worm.
Because we are a small private catering company just beginning, we can only make a maximum of 60 cupcakes in one day! We recommend placing your orders in advance.
Here are some specifics:
We require a minimum order of 4 cupcakes per flavor per person.
All orders of 24 (or 2 dozen) or more must be made five business days in advance due to the freshness and quality standards of our product.
The sooner you place your order the more likely we can guarantee your request.

Here is one of our special order cakes:

The X Factor: Some of the Judges Need Mentoring Lessons

2011-10-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

It took me several days to digest this past Tuesday's episode of The X Factor. I like this show, but even I agree that 150 minutes of it in one sitting may be too much. I found the judge's to be aggressively mean to judge Simon Cowell, calling him out, unjustifiably, on many decisions he made about his five contestants. First of all judges, out of all of you, Simon did the most impressive job mentoring his contestants.

In order of most impressive mentoring, here is my ranking of the judges:

1. Simon Cowell --- The Girls, I found it difficult to pick who the two eliminated should be because these girls all shined. I saw why Simon saw potential in them, even if I didn't originally like them. I found myself liking Simone Battle for the first time, and even routing for her after she was voted off; I see shades of Beyonce and Amerie. Melanie Amaro clearly emerged as a favorite to win the entire competition with Drew right on her heels. Drew reminds me of Taylor Swift in a way, there is something about her personality, she sings with such abandon and sincerity. Rachel Crowe, as the youngest contestant, needs to continue to grow and remember to act her age. Tiah really grew on me and she clearly did work on her vocals, I could actually see her doing some acting in the future. If Simon believes in her as much as he portrayed, maybe he will even help her get her career started.
2. Paula Abdul --- The Groups, The groups grew on me although I still believe that 4 Shore and The Anser should have been here. I was satisfied with at least two of the groups Paula kept, Lakoda Rayne and The Stereo Hogzz. Both groups have a lot more potential than they showed, however, you can tell Abdul clearly worked hard with these groups. The Stereo Hogzz need to develop the other singers in the group; the lead singer is excellent but you cannot just rely on your lead. Lakoda Rayne will hopefully continue to grow with every passing week that they are together as a group; It's already amazing that they have done as well as they have, considering that they were just recently put together by the judges.
3. Nicole Scherzinger --- The Over 30's, Nicole is a hard worker and I believe her when she says she spent tons of time mentoring these people, but Nicole, your song choices overall, were not very good. Stacy Francis and Dexter Haygood(poor guy) in particular were not good choices. The reason that LeRoy Bell and Josh Krajcik shone so brightly is a testament to their talent, and not necessarily the songs they sang.
I would have given Dexter a Rolling Stones song to sing, some Michael Bolton or Tevin Campbell for LeRoy, and Stacy could have sang some Whitney Houston from the Preacher's Wife soundtrack.
4. L.A. Reid --- The Boys, Overall, I am sorry but this was disappointing. I did not like any of the song choices, I thought they were awful. They did not showcase the abilities of these young male talents. I was most impressed with Marcus Canty who made the best of a not so good situation. I think I was so impressed because he has the biggest personality, and he's a triple threat. We could potentially see him singing, dancing, and acting for years to come, if he is managed by the right people. Poor, poor Phillip Lomax, I feel horribly that he was given that dreadful, "I'm a Believer" song. Chris Rene was extremely pitchy, and the song did not showcase his sweet vocals. Astro also could have benefited from a better song choice considering his concise rap skills.
I would have given Marcus some Usher or New Edition to slay, some Justin Timberlake for Chris Rene, a little bit of Michael Buble for Phillip, and maybe some Bow Wow or J. Cole for Astro. L.A., please take note, and don't embarrass these talents again, you're supposed to be the expert.

I hope that this coming week's episode is more impressive than this one was. Fingers crossed! I look forward to seeing the top 12.

The X Factor reveals the 16 finalists..... or is it 17?

2011-10-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

I watched last night in horror as Simon sent Melanie Amaro home to Florida. He told her he was genuinely sorry, but that she did not made his final four. I thought to myself, how could he let the best natural singer in this competition walk away?

He wasn't the only judge in my opinion who made mistakes last night, L.A. Reid shouldn't have let Tim Cifers go, there is a niche for someone like him. I'm not sure who I would have traded for Tim, but I think he should have been able to have America judge him.

Paula let two amazing groups go, clear favorites, The Anser and 4 Shore, in favor of keeping two groups who had been together for maybe two weeks, Lacoda Rayne and InTENsity. 4 Shore, were clearly the best technical singers in the group category.

Nicole, I believe, was faced with the hardest job of all, because for the over 30s, this is the last stop for most of them.

In a shocking turn of events, Simon realized at the end of the day that he had made a mistake sending Melanie home, and that he would never forgive himself if he didn't seek her out to apologize and ask her to return to the competition. Melanie seemed genuinely surprised to see Simon standing in her family's living room. Simon apologized saying he had let the young singer down and that he wouldn't do it again.

So here are the final 17

Simon's Girls
Simon Battle
Drew Ryniewicz
Tiah Tolliver
Rachel Crowe
Melanie Amaro

L.A.'s Boys
Brian "Astro" Bradley
Phillip Lomax
Chris Rene
Marcus Canty

Nicole's Over 30's
Josh Krajcik
Dexter Haygood
LeRoy Bell
Stacy Francis

Paula's Groups
Brewer Boys
Lakoda Rayne
InTENsity
The Stereo Hogzz

My favorite part of the show was the very end when the 17 finalists were announced. They all looked so glamorous dressed up and beautified for the cameras. Check out some of their photos

M.J. also has a great photo galley as well as social media links on her blog, be sure to check it out--- http://www.mjsbigblog.com/x-factor-top-17-photo-gallery.htm

Celebrating Boyz II Men

2011-10-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

They are what legends are made of, compared often to The Temptations, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and mentioned in the company of Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Mariah Carey; Boyz II Men are the epitome of soul. The best selling R&B group of all time, Boyz II Men will release their first album containing new material in nine years on October 24th. The album is entitled Twenty, it contains twenty tracks and celebrates the 20th anniversary of when they released their first album, Cooleyhighharmony. The album will contain rerecorded tracks of their previous hits as well as new music which anyone who is a Boyz II Men fan is beyond excited to hear.

Boyz II Men is Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris (no relation), and Shawn Stockman. Michael "Bass" McCrary, an original member of the group retired in 2003 as a result of his ongoing battle with scoliosis. They all grew up in the city of Philadelphia, and all were raised by their mothers with the involvement of their fathers being inconsistent. Many of them talk about losing friends to the streets, some being killed, some going to jail. Going to the High School of Creative and Performing Arts in Philadelphia was a Godsend. It saved their lives, and it turned them into music stars.

Many artists who have followed Boyz II Men have been inspired by them, they've sung their songs and been influenced by their stories. They met in high school and although they started singing together, they weren't all friends at first, but music was the common bond, and ultimately, it's what brought them together. How exactly did they get their record deal? They snuck backstage at a Bell Biv DeVoe concert, bumped into Michael Bivins and sang for him. He told them he was going to try to do whatever he could to get them a record deal.

Their big break came when they recorded End of the Road written by Babyface, L.A. Reid, and Daryl Simmons for the Boomerang soundtrack. That song became one of the biggest selling singles of all time and Boyz II Men's first number one single in 1992. The song remained at number one for 13 weeks breaking a record previously held by Elvis Presley.

Boyz II Men later broke their own record with One Sweet Day, a duet they did with close friend Mariah Carey. One Sweet Day still holds the record for the most consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 weeks!

With singles off their II album, I'll Make Love to You and On Bended Knee both reaching the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, Boyz II Men became the third artist (the other two are The Beatles and Elvis) to replace themselves at the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100. Because of this, Boyz II Men are the only artists that have stayed at the number one spot cumulatively 50 times, just fourth behind Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Mariah Carey. They also hold the numbers one, three and four spots for 3 of the longest running singles in music history with One Sweet Day, I'll Make Love To You and End of the Road. These achievements were enough to earn Boyz II Men recognition as Billboard Magazine's most successful musical group of the 1990s.

In a business where artists come and go, Boyz II Men have continually proven to fans and critics that they are here to stay. Those who are not Boyz II Men fans may look at what I have written here as a shameless plug, and maybe it is. However, what I will say is that for all those out there who aspire to sing, look at Boyz II Men and be truly proud that music is something you want to be a part of. These men are more than just musicians but they are role models to anyone who has a dream. Dreams come true. Dreams are not free; there are many sacrifices that go along with them. Being in the music business for 20 years and still being relevant is what makes them so special. Years from now, Boyz II Men will be remembered and not just for the music, but for who they are as people. So I just want them to know that as a longtime fan, I congratulate them on 20 years and here's to 20 more. They are proof that nice guys really can finish first.

This is a preview of what you will be able to find on Twenty; go pick it up on October 24th.

My Boyz II Men Playlist:

1991
Motownphilly
It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday
Uhh Ahh

1992
End of the Road

1993
In the Still of the Nite
Let it Snow
You're Not Alone

1994
I'll Make Love to You
On Bended Knee

1995
One Sweet Day w/ Mariah Carey
Vibin'
Water Runs Dry
Yesterday
Hey Lover w/ LL Cool J
Brokenhearted Brandy and Wanya Morris

1997
4 Seasons of Loneliness
A Song for Mama
Can You Stand the Rain

2000
Pass You By

2002
The Color of Love

32 Reasons Why You Need to Watch the X Factor this Week

2011-10-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

Here are the 32 acts that have made the X Factor worth watching so far, but within two weeks, half of them will be cut, and the top 16 will perform live on stage. They'll be one step closer to a five million dollar recording contract with Sony music. Check out who's who if you missed the show so far, refresh your memory, or hit the replay button and watch all your favorites again.

THE EIGHT BOYS WHOM L.A. REID WILL MENTOR:

Skyelor Anderson
Hometown: Memphis, TN
Currently Resides: Southaven, MS
Age: 16

Skyelor blew me away with his maturity. His talent is real talent because on his first audition when the music stopped, he kept going, and in key too! He's also unique because he isn't the stereotype for the kind of music he is interested in performing. I loved Paula's comment, and I agree 100%, I think he has some things to work on, but I believe in him because he is so passionate about what he wants.

Brian Bradley
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Currently Resides: Brooklyn, NY
Age: 15

I think Brian is crazy talented, and I do believe that someday this kid could be big, if he doesn't allow that big, fat, ole, ego of his to get in the way. I did not like the attitude that he gave, especially in the next round when he didn't want to dance like the other contestants, because "m.c.'s don't dance". Confidence is good, but cockiness is downright unappealing. Brian could stand to take some lessons from Skyelor (Brian, hope you're reading). Also, you may not want to tread on Jay-Z and Kanye when they are two people who could help you. ;-) Just a few tips, if you make it past this round that is. Major props though son for coming out with your own original song.

Marcus Canty
Hometown: Bowie, MD
Currently Resides: Bowie, MD
Age: 20

Marcus Canty has a personality bigger than anyone else in this category, arguably this competition. He is rainbows, sunshine, kittens, and all that good stuff. He just makes you smile with his positive energy, and I believe the sky is the limit for this young man. ALthough Marcus has dreams, he is humble on the stage, and leaves everything he has there. L.A. compares him to Bobby Brown and Simon compares him to his idol, Usher. I definitely see Marcus as a threat in this competition.

Tim Cifers
Hometown: Granville County, NC
Currently Resides: Willow Spring, NC
Age: 30

Wow, where did Tim Cifers come from? This guy, as Simon said following his bootcamp performance, is a star. He completely stands out, and his voice is solid. He shows a lot of potential, promise, and passion when he sings. I think country music and music in general would totally embrace someone like him.

Brennin Hunt
Hometown: Harrah, OK
Currently Resides: Nashville, TN
Age: 26

Brennin is a little bit full of himself, he does need to eat some humble pie, but that being said, he is talented. I will also say that unlike Brian, he did not take his cockiness onto the stage, and I think that just comes with maturity. I appreciate that he wrote his own song, it's always a big risk to do something like that. His voice is special without doubt, and again, this is someone who could potentially be big in the country music market.

Phillip Lomax
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Currently Resides: Seattle, WA
Age: 22

Phillip's persona is a throwback to another time when The Rat Pack ruled the world. Out of all eight guys in this group, he probably has the most work to do in terms of his voice. He has to work on really listening to the judges because he gets so excited that he forgets that this is a competition. What sets him apart is his stage presence.

Chris Rene
Hometown: Santa Cruz, CA
Currently Resides: Santa Cruz, CA
Age: 28

Chris Rene has been to hell and back so this competition should be no sweat. Chris has a gift that people in the music business spend their lives searching for. He's a bright light and I am so happy and excited that he found this show at this time, and more importantly, thank goodness that the judges said yes. I cannot wait to see the next chapters in his life unfold, truly one to watch. I think Chris is someone who would truly be grateful for his success.

Nick Voss
Hometown: Hialeah, FL
Currently Resides: Hialeah, FL
Age: 22

Nick Voss is unusual, I have yet to see a performer like him. He is like a combination of all the male singers/ performers that I like. Nick's passion, as Simon pointed out, is undeniable. I think he needs to focus on showing us his real voice, pure and uncorrupted by anything else.

My picks on the top 4 for the live shows: Marcus, Tim, Chris, and Nick .... can I switch Nick for Brian?

THE EIGHT GIRLS WHOM SIMON COWELL WILL MENTOR:

Melanie Amaro
Hometown: Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Currently Resides: Coral Springs, FL
Age: 19

Her voice is stunning, she sang "Listen" by Beyonce and unassumingly blew away all the judges with not just her voice but her heart. I felt every single note that Melanie sang. Regardless of a win, she will be a huge star, and I will go out on a limb and say I predict a top five finish for her in this competition.

Simone Battle
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Currently Resides: Los Angeles, CA
Age: 22

She needs to get real good, real quick, or she is going to be out of this competition. It is not good enough to believe in yourself and say how good you are, but not back it up. Her performances of When I Grow Up and Bulletproof were really just sub-par, to be honest I have no idea how she got through. Rumor has it, she makes it to the live rounds (me: rolling eyes).

Rachel Crow
Hometown: Longmont, CO
Currently Resides: Burbank, CA
Age: 13

The best things come in small packages, and if that's true, then Rachel Crow is pretty great. This young girl can compete with the most seasoned singers on the X Factor stage. She is humble beyond belief, but she believes in herself and her own talent with every fiber of her being. If Rachel doesn't win, I don't care, I'm still buying the album that she will definitely record.

Caitlin Koch
Hometown: Orchard Park, NY
Currently Resides: Orchard Park, NY
Age: 21

Caitlin is special because she's a little off beat. She has this creativity and originality that some other contestants in this competition try to possess but to no avail (Simone Battle, cough cough, ahem.... ahem). I like people who are talented, but don't really realize just how good they are. I wish her only the best in this competition because being consistently original is hard work.

Jazzlyn Little
Hometown: Cape Coral, FL
Currently Resides: Cape Coral, FL
Age: 16

Jazzlyn is someone who is chock full of potential but needs to have more self belief. She is too afraid of disappointing the judges, the audience, her family, and herself. There isn't enough time to think about those things; she clearly has a special gift, and she needs to step up or these other girls are going to walk all over her. She sang I'm Going Down for her first audition, that is a tough song to sing, and she sang it like a pro.

Drew Ryniewicz
Hometown: Chino Valley, AZ
Currently Resides: Chino Valley, AZ
Age: 14

Drew was a surprise to me because I thought she was just a girl who wanted to become famous in an effort to meet Justin Bieber. Little did I know that she would upstage him by singing his own song better than him. Drew took this song and completely stripped it down and made is pure and made it her own. I agree with Simon saying that people her age would buy her version of that song. I am 15 years older and I would buy her version of that song before I buy Justin Bieber's. I hope she continues growing in this competition.

Tiah Tolliver
Hometown: Chula Vista, CA
Currently Resides: Bremerton, WA
Age: 20

Tiah caused some major drama when she first auditioned because Simon was the only judge behind her. While he quickly convinced L.A. to put her through, Paula and Nicole were much more difficult to convince. It was actually the most drama I saw between the judges all season. As for Tiah, I do see some natural talent and some personality, it's just that she does need to work on her voice, and staying on key.

Tora Woloshin
Hometown: Tucson, AZ
Currently Resides: Tucson, AZ
Age: 22

She has a cool, funky, fearless, sassy vibe with a strong soulful voice. Beyond all that, Tora is just different, and I love it. She completely embraces what this competition is supposed to be about. Tora, which I am told means "tiger", is a for sure contender in this category and in the entire competition. Her tone is strong and unique and if she is consistent, she'll go far.

My picks on the top 4 for the live shows: Melanie, Tora, Rachel, and Tiah or Jazzlyn

THE EIGHT OVER 30s WHOM NICOLE SCHERZINGER WILL MENTOR:

LeRoy Bell
Hometown: Tacoma, WA
Currently Resides: Edmonds, WA
Age: 60

LeRoy Bell, the man who looks like he is 30 but instead is 60, has a strong voice, and like several of the men in this over 30s category sounds a little like Michael Bolton. I love his tone, and I definitely want to know what water he is drinking so I can get some.

Tiger Budbill
Hometown: Seattle/White Center, WA
Currently Resides: Bothell, WA
Age: 42

Tiger is definitely a fighter, and I can tell when I watch him perform and when I listen to him that he really does want to be a performer. I question whether or not he is strong enough with his other peers in this category, but I know he won't give up.

Christa Collins
Hometown: Burlington, IA
Currently Resides: Los Angeles, CA
Age: 32

Christa is one of the contestants that I don't know much about, the video above is the only one I could find of her. She has a rock vibe to her voice.

Stacy Francis
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Currently Resides: Los Angeles, CA
Age: 42

Stacy is a little bit rough around the edges and is clearly one of those singers who could benefit from formal training but she has a lot of potential, so if you're smart you will not count this single mother out. Stacy is a fighter who has a strong spirit, lots of heart, and a stunning voice. She's that singer that needs to be tamed and polished up and once that happens she is going to sparkle.

Elaine Gibbs
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Currently Resides: Los Angeles, CA
Age: 53

Elaine has a Gladys Knight/ Aretha Franklin kind of voice, and because she is a wedding singer, she has experience that money cannot buy.

Dexter Haygood
Hometown: Memphis, TN
Currently Resides: Chicago, IL
Age: 49

Dexter Haygood made me cry on his first audition and not just because he sang, "This is a Man's World", but because this is someone who has had the same dream for most of his life and not given up on it. I know there are tons of people out there who say, it's not about how heartfelt the story is, it's whether or not they can carry a tune. Well, what if they can do both? Dexter stirs my spirit when he sings, I feel like I am back in the times of Motown, he is not a revival act, he is the real thing, an original. Dexter will go far in this competition, and not just because he's good, but because he deserves it.

James Kenney
Hometown: Portland, OR
Currently Resides: West Hollywood, CA
Age: 34

James is another contestant I am not that familiar with, but I do look forward to getting to know him in the next round. He is also one of the rock voices in the competition.

Josh Krajcik
Hometown: Wooster, OH
Currently Resides: Columbus, OH
Age: 30

John impressed me from the very first audition. I love the rasp in his voice, I love how honest he is as a performer. I looked at him, and I didn't expect that voice to come out of him, but it did, and then the performance became so real and so comfortable. The amazing thing about someone like Josh is that he is one of those people who could win the whole competition and not change who he is. He is that humble.

My picks on the top 4 for the live shows: Leroy, Stacy, Dexter, and Josh

THE EIGHT GROUPS THAT PAULA ABDUL WILL MENTOR:

2squar’d
Liza Forero Age: 27 Hometown: Edison, NJ Resides: Miami, FL
Deveraux Lavinia Age: 27 Hometown: Miami, FL
Abighail Mary Age: 28 Hometown: Miami, FL Resides: Pembroke Pines, FL
Aimee Santos Age: 25 Hometown: Quebec, Canada Resides: Miramar, FL

These four ladies from Florida take me back to the times of classic R&B groups like En Vogue. Their costumes and look could use some polish, but the sound and the talent is all there.

4Shore
Allynn Walker Bey Age: 23 Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
Jessie Nunn III Age: 21 Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
Daijreous Poole Age: 21 Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
Brandon Showell Age: 21 Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA

"4 Shore" this group is going to go far in this competition. They are risk takers, they sang End of the Road for the first audition, a song that was written by L.A. Reid himself and sung by Boyz II Men the most successful R&B group ever! That takes guts. Their harmonies were fierce and on point, I felt much like Nicole did; I felt like I was at a concert listening to a favorite group sing my favorite song. I cannot wait to see the stops these young men pull out in the next round.

The Anser
Gray Aydelott Age: 22 Hometown: Kaysville, UT Resides: Orem, UT
Jarrett Burns Age: 27 Hometown: Orem, UT
PJ Schwartz Age: 21 Hometown: Bountiful, UT

Another guy group that totally has it together, I loved the Anser. I love it when a group like this comes out to audition, knows what they are going to do, sticks to a plan, and executes it perfectly. These guys have a great sound, and I could see them doing pop, rock, and even a little bit of R&B, so Paula can mold them to where they are best suited. The Anser is going to go far in this competition.

Brewer Boys
Justin Brewer Age: 17 Hometown: Temecula, CA
Nathan Brewer Age: 14 Hometown: Temecula, CA

Unfortunately, X Fsctor did not upload a video for these two brothers, but I was able to pull up some bootleg videos to hear them sing. I think they sound good, but they aren't right for this competition.

Illusion/Confusion
Lazaro Chavez Age: 26 Hometown: Hialeah, FL
Ahmed Jaime Age: 26 Hometown: Miami, FL
Richard Mason Age: 26 Hometown: Hialeah, FL

Illusion/ Confusion is another group I did not hear sing individually, I will be interested in hearing their sound. They do appear in the video above. Feel free to take a look but know that Rachel Crow and 4 Shore steal the show.

InTENsity
Nick Dean Age: 15 Hometown: Rochester, NY
Francesca Duncan Age: 17 Hometown: Orange Co., NY Resides: Brockport, NY
John Lindahl Age: 14 Hometown: Travuco Canyon, CA
Emily Michalak Age: 13 Hometown: Pine Brook, NJ
Arin Ray Age: 16 Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Lauren Ashley Redmond Age: 17 Hometown: Houston, TX Resides: DeSoto, TX
Ellona Santiago Age: 15 Hometown: San Lorenzo, CA
Ma’at Bingham Shango Age: 12 Hometown: Houston, TX
Austin Percario Age: 15 Hometown: Warren, NJ
Emily Wilson Age: 15 Hometown: Warren, NJ

The group above was made up at Bootcamp by the judges of individual contestants who were going to be sent home. Rumor has it that they do make it through to the round of 16, so it will be interesting hearing them together for the first time and seeing if something like this can actually work. Watch for Nick Dean and Ellona Santiago to step up as lead vocalists, that is, if I had my way.

Lakoda Rayne
Cari Fletcher Age: 17 Hometown: Wall Township, NJ
Dani Knights Age: 22 Hometown: Santa Clarita, CA
Paige Ogle Age: 18 Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Hayley Orrantia Age: 17 Hometown: Highland Village, TX

This is another group made up by the judges. What happened? Did not enough groups audition or were individual performers that good that they deserved a second chance. You can see three of the four girls above. It seems like they would be a good country group, maybe they could be like The Dixie Chicks. You can see Hayley Orrantia one video up from this one.

Stereo Hogzz
Kregg Gibson Age: 25 Hometown: Houston, TX
Jonathan Glenn Age: 25 Hometown: Houston, TX
George Jenkins III Age: 25 Hometown: Houston, TX
Justin Williams Age: 25 Hometown: Houston, TX
Leeland Stephenson Age: 24 Hometown: Houston, TX

I like Stereo Hoggz; I like how they take pride in each performance from the singing down to the dancing. Simon pointed something out though that needs to be noted; they lack consistency. Their first audition was passable, but it wasn't great; singing an original song is not something every contestant should do. Their performance at Bootcamp was great; it was like seeing a completely different group, so I have chosen to show you that performance. You can look up the other one if you so choose.

My picks on the top 4 for the live shows: 4 Shore, The Anser, The Stereo Hoggz, and Lakoda Rayne or 2 Squar'd

My Favorite Things: October 2011 Edition

2011-10-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

I have found so much to talk about that I now have a running list, so if anyone who reads my blog would like to suggest an item for "My Favorite Things" please comment on my Facebook page and we'll talk. Just about nothing is off limits and your favorite thing which may become one of "My Favorite Things" may be featured in an upcoming entry.

*Number one this month goes to the cast and crew of One Life to Live who have signed on to do the online version which should begin airing online in January of 2012.

Here is the list so far (actors are in alphabetical order by last name):

Melissa Archer --- Natalie Buchanan Banks
Kassie DePaiva --- Blair Kramer
Michael Easton --- Detective John McBain
Ted King --- Tomas Delgado
Kelley Missal --- Daniella Manning
Sean Ringgold --- Sean Evans
Erika Slezak --- Victoria Lord Davidson
Andrew Trischitta --- Jack Manning
Jerry VerDorn --- Clint Buchanan

Head writer Ron Carlivati has also agreed to a deal to continue as the head writer for the online version of the show. It's really nice to see One Life to Live and Prospect Park sticking it to ABC. I have to say, there are very few shows that I watch on ABC now; three prime time series to be exact: Revenge, Desperate Housewives, and Pan Am. I have barely watched Dancing with the Stars this Season, and I know you all want to know, why am I not watching Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy, and Private Practice? Modern Family.... I never really got into it, I know I should, everyone talks about how wonderful it is, maybe I will rent the DVD set of the first season and see how I feel. Grey's Anatomy to me has weakened over the years; it is not the strong series it was when it first started. I'm not saying I don't like Shonda Rhimes, I actually like her very much. As for Private Practice, I don't have many excuses, I am a huge Taye Diggs fan, maybe there is just something else I want to watch more in that time slot.

I have gone completely off topic, back to One Life to Live. I am so proud and so inspired by each person from the cast and crew that signs on to do the online version. It confirms that the daytime television that we all know and love will not go down without a fight.

*Number two is Posie, Rosy Little Things, Felt Ornament Craft Kits (homemade), by Alicia Paulson-- Besides Alicia having her own blog, Rosy Little Things, she also takes the time to make all these wonderful arts and crafts related items and kits. She is truly good at everything. When I stumbled upon, almost by accident, these adorable felt ornament craft kits that you can make at home yourself, I knew I needed to show them. I know what you're thinking, Miss V., it's October, but how can you not be in the holiday spirit already. The weather is getting colder, they're serving pumpkin spice coffee at Dunkin', and retailers already have their holiday merchandise out. Also, there are a limited number available and they do take a little bit of time to make so if you want one, you should order it as soon as possible; I figure that is as good a reason as any to feature these beauties.

This years collection is called Sweet Home, but you should look at some of the collections from the other years as well.....

Last year's Snow Day

2009's Walk in the Woods

and finally, 2008's Ice Skating Afternoon

The kits retail for $30 each and these are keepsakes, sweet ornaments, that you will have and pass down in your family for many years to come. Choose your favorite, or choose them all, and most importantly, have fun!

*Number three is the Rifle Paper Co,'s Fall Holiday Collection-- Halloween and Thanksgiving, unlike the December holidays, literally are just around the corner. Anna Bond continues to surprise even her biggest competition in the stationery world with overwhelmingly endearing cards, papers, notebooks, and gifts. This fall's collection is unlike that of the many year's past. Bond takes it to a new level, and I couldn't be more giddy. Take a look....

*Number four is Lady Antebellum's new album Own the Night-- It's no lie that I have been a Lady A fan since Need You Now literally took over the radio waves and my heart. I should have been a fan from their debut album, one before that, which featured the country hit, I Run to You, an uplifting single about people just trying to be good to one another. Own the Night is full of passion from the title track to the new hit ballad Just A Kiss. I dare you to take a listen, even if you aren't a country music fan; I do guarantee that no matter what, you will be hooked.

*Number five is Bridesmaids on DVD-- It's the movie I regret not seeing this summer, and I think one of my birthday gifts to myself will be buying myself a copy of this on DVD. I have not heard one complaint or negative word about this laugh out loud ladies comedy. With a rounded out cast that includes Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, newly crowned Emmy winner Melissa McCarthy, Wendy Mclendon Covey, and Ellie Kemper, the movie centers around the maid of a honor (Wiig) planning the wedding of her best friend (Rudolph).

*Bonus is Andy Rooney's final regular segment on 60 Minutes. For 33 years, he entertained us with his sometimes crotchety ways, but we loved him regardless. He had the guts to say exactly what was on his mind, it was often what was on our minds too, and for that I am relieved. Relieved, because Journalists like Andy Rooney are the same reason I decided to study Journalism in the first place. I wish there were more Journalists like Andy Rooney, they don't care whether or not what they say makes them popular or not. They care not about pushing their own motives, but rather, about telling the truth. I am so grateful that I lived in this time, I am so happy that my life has been filled with Andy's amazing rhetoric. And Andy, I do promise I won't ever bother you while you are eating your dinner, but I will tell you, you were a conversation piece during many of mine.

His final piece is a must watch if I do say so myself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKvRPh5QXUg

Miss V's Kitchen

2011-10-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

Last week, I put a question on my Facebook page for my blog about what all of my readers wanted me to write about next, and food was the winner. You asked, and now I have delivered. I've been thinking about Fall for the past few weeks, it is now beginning to feel undeniably like Fall in New England. Something about this season makes me feel like getting into the kitchen and cooking something. There's a certain warmth to the kitchen, it's a gathering place for family and friends, complete with delicious food and drinks, well thought conversations and laughter.

Being raised in a predominantly Italian family, I, more than most people, understand the importance of the use of a food as a means of not just evoking the smiles of those gathered around the table, but really, as a means of bringing people together. I have always said the best meals are the ones that are home cooked or taste home cooked.

So besides Fall coming in full force, it's also time to think about the upcoming holidays (i.e. Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas). I have often thought of making my own jams, jellies, preserves, relishes, chutneys, pickles, sauces, etc., but I have never actually done it. Making my own canned/ jarred goods is on my to do list before the year is up. Please make sure that if you do decide to make your own of any of the above list that you consult the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

I also love this website because there are illustrations that show you how the canning process works: Canning Fun!

Now to some recipes you may want to try:

I love the recipes on the Diabetic Lifestyle Page, especially for those who cannot or do not want to have a lot of sugar in their diets.

If you like Southern Food, there is a whole listing of recipes here that will surely make your mouth water.

The All Recipes website will give you a daily canning recipe of some sort so you'll never be without something to make, and guess what? The recipes are brought to you by Ball who makes those great jar and lids that you can use for canning, and they're submitted by other canners from all over the country!

Happy canning everyone! If you have a recipe that you'd like to share please go to my Miss V's Voice Facebook Page and post it, I may share it on my blog. Most importantly, can with a family member or friend, it's great fun, or so it appears to be. ;-)

Favorite Fall 2011 Celebrity Clothing Line

2011-09-28T20:18:00.001-07:00

Favorite Fall 2011 Celebrity Clothing Collection by victoria10682 featuring bootcut jeans

Maxi dress
$60 - kohls.com

Embellished top
$41 - kohls.com

Bootcut jeans
$54 - kohls.com

Thigh boots
$90 - kohls.com

Drop earrings
$17 - kohls.com

Jennifer Lopez Clothing Line & Collection | Kohl's
kohls.com

Jennifer Lopez Emma Vintage Hobo
$80 - kohls.com

A lot of celebrities have clothing lines from Hilary Duff to Gwen Stefani to Jessica Simpson to Justin Timberlake. I decided though, at the end of the day that Jennifer Lopez has turned into a multi-talented mogul. What can't this woman do, she is smart, sexy, she sings, dances, acts, and she's one of the major reasons American Idol was so good last year. Lopez has also had a unique and flawless sense of style that has consistently made her one of the best dressed celebrity women in the business.

This fall she has unveiled her clothing line for Kohl's, her ex-husband Marc Anthony is also sporting his own Men's Clothing Line doe Kohl's. What I love about Lopez's line is that she has truly captured herself in each piece, and the clothing and accessories is all affordable, you won't break the bank, but you'll look good. Now, I want to say that normally I am not a Kohl's person at all, I think I have been into a Kohn's maybe two times in my existence. I decided in the set above that I wanted to show several styles and outfits. I particularly love the outfit that Jennifer is wearing. You can find the full line at Kohl's online

More Fall Fashion Trends for 2011

2011-09-19T21:23:00.001-07:00

This particular set is comprised of several fall fashion trends... As you can see the skinny jean is still in style. Some people think that anyone can wear skinny jeans but I disagree. I have a problem getting into skinny jeans and I usually tend to go for a flare or boot cut. I love the trend of gray denim this year, I think it's fabulous and I cannot wait to find myself a pair of non skinny gray jeans this year.

The flare is back and better than ever this season, and most brands are offering a flare jean. This is the influence of the 70's style which is prevalent throughout the fall fashion trends this year.

Animal prints are the craze this year particularly in shirts, sweaters, and dresses. I will include a separate set of some fave animal print clothing and accessories. I love this sweater below, it's from the Mad Men Collection at Banana Republic. I can see Cristina Hendricks from Mad Men in that sweater right now.

Stripes are also back in a big way, especially in shirts and sweaters. I love this one below from Hollister, it's light weight and you can wear a layering tee under it. I am also a huge fan of the dolman sweater from loft with several striped combinations.

The look in the center is entirely from loft. I love the grid sweater, it's slightly cropped so you can see the neon pink belt which really gives the outfit some pop. The gray jeans give it a retro yet modern look.

Lastly, the big trend in nail polish this year is simply blue. Blue nail polish, especially in dark shades of blue is the new black. Black was the trend a few years ago and now it's blue. Dior and Chanel have both come out with new shades of blue specifically for the fall season. Chanel actually came out with a blue trio for Fashion's Night Out. They're available for a limited time, at least through the end of the month, http://www.chanel.com/en_US/fragrance-beauty/Makeup-Nails-89313

More Fall Fashion Trends by victoria10682 featuring animal print tops

Banana Republic animal print top
$90 - bananarepublic.com

LOFT print cardigan
$55 - loft.com

Brooks striped sweater
$18 - hollisterco.com

All Saints super skinny jeans
$120 - allsaints.com

LOFT skinny jeans
$70 - loft.com

Old Navy wide leg jeans
$40 - oldnavy.gap.com

LOFT skinny belt
$25 - loft.com

Dior Vernis 'Blue Denim' Nail Lacquer (Nordstrom Exclusive) Blue Denim...
$22 - nordstrom.com

High School Whatever

2011-09-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

Before I start writing this, I want to note that I am not writing any of this because I am hung up on something that happened many years ago. It is completely because I hope that it teaches people something, particularly our younger people in society. Life in and of itself is hard enough that we need to care more about one another. When we have the opportunity to reach out to people, to make them feel good about themselves, to give them comfort, to make them feel like they are a part of something, that they are someone, etc. we need to take the opportunity.

This past weekend, I found out that two people that I graduated from high school with are engaged to be married; I suppose that makes them high school sweethearts. I remember both of them, I was in classes with both of them. I never hated them, hate is such a strong word, and I think it's reserved for people who have really wronged you, and I think it's reserved for people you really know. I didn't know them, and all evidence supported the theory that they didn't want to know me. They didn't want to know anyone outside of their little group.

I went to Catholic School from kindergarten to 8th grade, and my education during those nine years is something I am immensely proud of. I believe it shaped me to be the person that I am today. When I graduated from 8th grade and it was time to go to high school, my parents didn't have the money to send me to a private high school and instead I attended Wellesley High School, nothing to be ashamed of, it's one of the best high schools in the state. The only problem was that I did not know anyone going to Wellesley High School; I was always shy growing up, very awkward, private; I found it difficult to talk to people and even more difficult to make friends. I don't know what to attribute the social awkwardness that I had to. I think I had so many friendships that I thought were real and actually weren't that I became overly guarded.

I think the thing that bothered me most about high school is how overrated it was. This year will be my tenth year reunion. I see no reason to go. I knew all of maybe ten people in my class of over 200. I am probably better off, but then again, I may never know. High school was overrated in the sense that it was fun for the so called popular kids who were so self involved that they didn't see past the crowd they associated with. If they weren't self involved, they were scared; I understand being scared and I understand insecurity which directly results in being scared and I understand it first hand. I spent many years being insecure.

I admire people who believe in something and believe it with their whole heart. I admire people who have the courage and the guts to take a stand.

You know what would have been really nice in high school? It would have been nice if the popular kids had made an effort to reach out to those who knew no one, to those who were socially awkward. The high school sweethearts, they had all the things that kids in high school want, respectable grades, each other, a clique, but most of all, they were accepted.

It seems that at the end of the day, acceptance is the thing most people are seeking, not just in high school, but in life. Of all the people I attended high school with I can honestly say that I only keep in contact with about four people. I decided a couple of years after high school was over that since so many people didn't care to get to know me, why should I feel so bad, so guilty about not knowing them? Those feelings come because I am a good person, and I care about people other than myself. How I feel is nothing personal, I just happen to feel like maybe those who were more socially fortunate than I should have come down from high atop their pedestal and tried to make high school a better place for everyone. I am not by any means saying it was their responsibility, but it would have been the right thing to do. And not only would they have been doing something nice for others, but it would have made them feel good about themselves.

The sad part of all of this is that most of the people who are popular in high school don't even know how much their actions hurt those around them. It's as if consequences and possessing a conscience does not apply to them. Since I have graduated from high school, the bullying has worsened, the ignoring of others to the point that they don't even feel like they're there has worsened, and the suicide rate of high schoolers has increased. All of those facts are scary.

I'm afraid that the only hope I hold onto is that if these high school sweethearts decide to have children that they will teach their children to be better and kinder to others than they were in high school.

As I have moved forward into my adult life, I have experienced both sides of the coin. There are places I worked where I was well known and well liked, and I made every effort to reach out to new people who I worked with and in influencing others to do the same. I have also worked in places where I knew no one and was just trying to do my job to the best of my ability and go home at the end of the day. I know what it's like, and I know how much easier it is to be that person who is well known and well liked. I say all of this, not to make anyone feel bad, but more to open the eyes of those who had trouble seeing this issue that majorly effects all of us.

Here are some lessons I took away from high school:

Be confident in who you are as a person and be proud of who you are.

You should not care what those who don't care about you think about you.

Real friendship lasts a lifetime.

Treat others the way that you would want to be treated.

Never believe everything that you hear.

Hard work truly does pay off.

Follow your dreams because dreams can come true if you work for it.

If someone hurts you, use it as a learning experience.

No matter how many times you fall down, keep getting back up.

Trust is something that someone has to earn, it is not just given.

Be the change that you want to see in the world.

Remember that it can all start with you, you control your destiny.

Fall Fashion Trends: LRD (Little Red Dress)

2011-09-16T16:06:00.001-07:00

This season, one of the major fall style trends is pops of color, especially jewel tones. The hot little red dress is without exception one of the items you must have in your closet. Dress it up with heels, dress it down with boots, or make it work casual with flats. Take a look at these hot little numbers.... it's not just the lbd (little black dress) anymore.

The Hot Little Red Dress by victoria10682 featuring cocktail shoes

Banana republic dress
$98 - bananarepublic.gap.com

Alice Olivia stretchy dress
$330 - net-a-porter.com

Forever21 knee high dress
$20 - forever21.com

Loft
$80 - loft.com

MICHAEL Michael Kors cocktail shoes
£185 - harrods.com

H&M zips shoes
£25 - hm.com

Pour La Victoire platform shoes
$79 - bloomingdales.com

My Favorite Things: September 2011 Edition

2011-09-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long since I have written about some of the things that have captured my heart, mind, and attention.

It was May 16th to be exact, you can check out my last batch of favorite things right here: http://missvsvoice.blogspot.com/2011/05/favorite-things.html

Here are several favorite things that I am not just enamored with, but raising my glass to--

Silver Soleil is a handcrafted artisan jewelry etsy boutique that I discovered when I was trying to find some new likes for my Facebook page for Miss V's Voice. I am so pleased that I have discovered them because their jewelry is the type that I was so used to seeing when I attended art fairs. Everything has that authentic handmade look; the piece that really took my breath away was the Tree of Life Necklace. The necklace is comprised of brown turquoise and picture jasper with a pendant made of silver and copper. My friend at StyleRush says that mixing metals is all the craze this fall season. Each necklace is made to order for an extra special touch.

August = too early for Samuel Adams Octoberfest
September = perfect for Samuel Adams Octoberfest

The weather starts to get cooler, and the days are shorter, and we all need something to be excited about, and Sam Adams Octoberfest is just fine as far as I'm concerned. First brewed by Boston Beer Company in 1989, Octoberfest is a blending of five roasts of malt, "to create a delicious harmony of sweet flavors including caramel and toffee. The malt is complimented by the elegant bitterness imparted by the Bavarian Noble hops," say the beer gods at BBC.

The cast, crew, production team, and writers on Days of Our Lives are on a mission to bring daytime television back to what it used to be. Gone from the show are the silly plots and story-lines that didn't draw the viewers in, gone from the show are characters that were underdeveloped and as a result not cared about by the longtime fans of the show. Back are characters and couples that were household names, John and Marlena, Carrie and Austin, and Doug and Julie. Back are the story-lines that are more realistic and back is the whole idea of love on daytime TV. The world is scary, the economy is down, unemployment is up, and times are tough, and people want to escape with the TV shows they watch. Loyal Days viewers love to see the couples they have been routing for be happy together, Sami and Rafe, Bo and Hope, Jennifer and Daniel, just to name a few. Monday September 26th is said to be the relaunch of Days of Our Lives and I for one wouldn't miss it for the world.

Another edition of my favorite things wouldn't be complete without my new favorite fashion piece courtesy of StyleRush Fashions. If you have not been to the website to check out all that is new for fall, be sure you do. The young owner of the company has a real eye for fashion. It was hard for me to settle on choosing one thing to showcase this time, but I pick the adorable yet sexy Leopard Studs. For only $14, you can't beat the price and they are the perfect way to accessorize and add pop to that new or old fall outfit that you love. Aren't the colors great?

Rihanna debuted her Cheers (Drink to That) music video on August 26th so it's only fitting that it be a part of the September edition of "My Favorite Things" because most people probably didn't know about it until September anyway (this is just an excuse because I love this video so much). What I love about the video is that it's an inside look to Rihanna's life on tour as well as personal videos of her living out loud. The video is her in her real life and it's a celebration which should be what life it all about. It has turned into one of those videos that I cannot help but hit the replay button and listen again and again when it's over. Please take a look below and let me know how many times you hit replay. ;-) Cheers!

The day I will always remember

2011-09-10T22:14:00.001-07:00

There are days you remember for always and there are days you hope to forget, and sometimes certain days fall into both categories. September 11th of 2001 is a day I will always remember, and sometimes when I find myself thinking about it too hard, I hope in my mind I will forget, but my heart won't let me. Maybe it's better that I don't though, and maybe it's better that we don't. As Americans, there was nothing more terrifying than being attacked on U.S. soil. It was a reminder that we should never take anything in life for granted. It was a wake up call, a cruel one, but a wake up call nonetheless, that anything in life can happen and nothing in life is promised to anyone.

There are good people in our world and there are bad people. It's a fact, and it will always be that way. A lot of good people died on 9/11, people with families, people who were just going to work with the belief that when their day ended, they would return home. Many did not on that day.

Ten years ago, just a week before 9/11 I had started attending college at Northeastern University and I was a Journalism major. There was no tougher time to be a Journalism major than when 9/11 happened. There was no greater challenge, and it is something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. For a whole semester at school, it was all we talked about in Journalism classes, and it took a toll on you. I think it took a toll on everyone. I would go home and I would cry because we would watch media coverage over and over again. As Americans, not as Journalism students, we watched other Americans die.

On September 11th, 2001 I was at work and it was a Tuesday. It seemed like every other morning and I was going about my work when the radio program I was listening to interrupted the regular programming to say that a place had flown into the World Trade Center. At first, many of us thought nothing, we thought it was an accident.

I was recently listening to an interview with Matt Lauer from The Today Show in which he said the two scariest moments that day were: number one, when the second plane crashed into the second tower. He said he was sitting next to Katie Couric and they both looked at one another and mouthed the word: "terrorist". He said the second moment was when the first tower just started to crumble, it completely collapsed as if it was a sand castle. He said that at that moment, he knew the other tower would fall. Two buildings that were so symbolic of America and who we were as a nation just fell. The amazing part is when you think about the logistics of it all, these two buildings were supposed to be so strong, and we as a nation were supposed to be so strong.

9/11 tested our strength, it forced us to look at who we were as a people. Maybe thinking that we were this invincible super power was wrong. Thinking about our country now, we are so divided on so many things, and we shouldn't be, we don't have to be. At the end of the day, I think the majority of people have the same goals in regards to America, they want what is best for this nation. There is something to be said for presenting a united front, standing together, and falling together if and when it happens.

So often, we say, it will never happen again, it will never happen to us, and the truth is, there is this fear in the back of my mind that it could happen again. How would we deal with that? Death and in particular, the taking of a human life seems so unthinkable and yet it happens everyday, not on as large a scale or stage as 9/11 but it happens, and somehow we forget.

It was strange how in the weeks following 9/11 American society made almost this silent pact that we were going to be kinder people, nicer, more giving; we weren't going to complain so much, we were going to act more grateful. For a while, people were; I noticed how nice the customers were that came into the retail store that I worked at during that time. I don't know exactly when it was, but slowly things started to go back to how they were before 9/11. Customers were their rude selves again and people complained about standing in a long line at the local coffee shop.

I know that terrorists took lives on 9/11 and I know that was horrible and I know everyone who is a true American believes that. I know all the troops who are fighting for what this country was built on every day believe it. They make the ultimate sacrifice. Keeping that all in mind, we need to remember that just because they took lives, it does not mean we should allow them to take control of us and how we feel. Freedom of the mind is a gift we should all be grateful for, and it should be cherished. When we forget what they did, when we become so desensitized as a people that we don't care how we treat others on a daily basis, then the terrorists in a way have not only taken something else from us, but they are on their way to winning.

The reason we cannot allow them to win is simple, and it has nothing to do with being an American. The reason is because their message is built on hate, and in life, hate may sometimes win the battle but it will never win the war. Courage, honor, love, respect-- they are all so much greater than hate, and if we can teach someone that in our lives, we've succeeded, and if even for a moment I start to forget; I think about 9/11.

The Emmy Awards 2011: all my picks

2011-09-09T12:37:00.000-07:00

The Emmy's will be broadcast on September 18th this year, so I thought now with the Award show about a week away I would give you my picks on who I think should win an Emmy award this year.

Drama

Outstanding Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire
 Dexter
 Friday Night Lights
 Game of Thrones
 The Good Wife
 Mad Men

My pick: Friday Night Lights-- Never has one TV series been so raw, so realistic, and tugged at my heart strings more than Friday Night Lights. The drama, so acclaimed by critics, yet so overlooked by the public, finished its fifth and final season this past summer on NBC. The series has never been nominated in this category, and so I hold onto hope that this year it will receive the attention it always deserved, after all, "clear eyes and full hearts can't lose".

Lead Actor, Drama
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
John Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
Timothy Olyphant, Justified

My pick: Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights-- The man who was the heart and soul of Friday Night Lights for five years has done some great acting throughout his career, this past summer's breakout hit Super 8 was evidence of that, but this man deserves an Emmy and so much more for his role as Coach Eric Taylor. He managed to bring new dimension to his character every time I thought he didn't have any more to give. I was constantly left feeling so proud of who he was as a man.

Lead Actress, Drama
Kathy Bates, Harry's Law
Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
Julianna Marguiles, The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

My pick: Julianna Margulies, Mariska Hargitay, or Connie Britton-- Can I pick more than one? Julianna Margulies had an amazing year as a woman who found out that her husband didn't just cheat but one of the women he cheated with was her best friend. She also dealt with the growing feelings between her and her partner at the firm. Mariska Hargitay gave several Emmy worthy performances this past year which was her last with Christopher Meloni. She was particularly good in the episode in which Jennifer Love Hewitt guest starred as a rape victim. Connie Britton's last season as Tammy Taylor was perhaps her best, she played the tail end of the season as a tired, scorned, football coach's wife who desperately yearns for her own career. I love when she looks her husband dead in the eyes and says, "I've spent 18 years being a coach's wife".

Supporting Actor, Drama
John Slattery, Mad Men
Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age
Walton Goggins, Justified
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife

My pick: Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age-- I remember when Andre Braugher won an Emmy Award in 1998 for his role as Detective Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street. The show never enjoyed high ratings, but it was the little show that could, critics loved it, and so did the viewers who loyally tuned in every week. Giving Braugher that Emmy proved that awards had nothing to do with ratings and everything to do with heart. Men of a Certain Age was cancelled this past July due to low ratings on the TNT network, but once again, Braugher played a role (Owen Thoreau Jr.) that was critically acclaimed as much or maybe more than the series was.

Supporting Actress, Drama
Kelly McDonald, Boardwalk Empire
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Michelle Forbes, The Killing
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Margo Martindale, Justified
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife

My pick: Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife-- Archie Panjabi's character Kalinda on The Good Wife had a tough year that may just translate to another Emmy for Panjabi. Alicia discovered that Kalinda had an affair with her husband Peter before they knew one another. The fallout was fierce, and the acting, even better.

Outstanding Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
The Office
Parks & Recreation
30 Rock

My pick: Modern Family-- Modern Family is a family comedy, yet despite that, there are also jokes that are so sophisticated. It's kind of like The Simpsons minus the animation. I expect the delightfully intelligent series to repeat this year, and it is deserved.

Lead Actress, Comedy
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope
Amy Poehler, Parks & Recreation

My pick: Laura Linney, The Big C-- Not Tina Fey who has experienced enough love along with 30 Rock from the awards circuit to last a lifetime. Frankly, I am beginning to wonder whether or not she may be a little bit overrated. This year my pick is Laura Linney who continues to dazzle Emmy voters, this time in The Big C.

Lead Actor, Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Louis CK, Louie
Steve Carell, The Office
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

My pick: Matt LeBlanc, Episodes-- I know that everyone wants to just give this Emmy away to Alec Baldwin, but why not spread the love? Wouldn't it be wonderful if this was the year for Matt LeBlanc? I often wondered why LeBlanc was never acknowledged with an Emmy win for his role as the fun loving Joey Tribbiani on Friends. He was nominated three times but never won; in Episodes, LeBlanc plays a fictional version of himself, and partnering once again with David Crane who produced Friends gives him a good chance of winning his first Emmy.

Supporting Actress, Comedy
Jane Lynch, Glee
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

My pick: Betty White, Hot in Cleveland-- Betty White is like good wine, she just gets better with age. The Hot In Cleveland star was only supposed to appear in the show's pilot but her role was so well received that they made her a regular. The actress has won many awards in her career dating all the way back to an Emmy win in 1952 in Life with Elizabeth. There's something about winning an Emmy at age 89 that wouldn't just make White hot in Cleveland, but hot everywhere, white hot.

Supporting Actor, Comedy
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Chris Colfer, Glee
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Ed O'Neill, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Ty Burrell, Modern Family

My pick: Chris Colfer, Glee-- I feel like it's only once in a while that a character comes along in a series that is just so endearing and everything about that character is so genuine and so true. I think the last one may have been America Ferrera on Ugly Betty as Betty Suarez; anyhow, Colfer has those qualities with his character Kurt Hummel. We want to love him, we want to route for him always, and when he succeeds we find ourselves being happy for him. It's such a special quality to have as an actor, and because so few have it, they should, without hesitation, be rewarded.

Fall TV Schedule for 2011

2011-09-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

Part 4 in a series of 4

Thursday

8pm time slot

Winners: The toughest 8pm time slot of the week with excellent programming on every network. I want to check out the new Charlie's Angels on ABC and see if it is worth all the hype. The Vampire Diaries on The CW is a definite personal guilty pleasure. Let's not forget about The X Factor results show on Fox as well.

Charlie's Angels may be a huge hit or it may be a big bust but no matter what I need to see for myself. The cast itself is so intriguing that it seems impohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifssible to not watch:
Annie Ilonzeh as Kate Prince, a former Miami cop
Minka Kelly as Eve French, a street racer
Rachael Taylor as Abigail "Abby" Sampson, a thief
Ramon Rodriguez as John Bosley

We all know the story of Charlie's Angels, the plot: Everyone deserves a second chance--even a thief, a street racer and a cop who got in a little too deep. After all, the three women who solve cases for their elusive boss, Charlie Townsend, are no saints. They are angels... Charlie's Angels.
Premieres: Sept. 22nd

My favorite guilty pleasure, The Vampire Diaries ended last season with Stefan selling his soul to Klaus. Stefan became one scary vampire quickly, killing all beautiful women in his path. As for Elena and Damon; they shared a hot kiss when Damon was on his death bed. Of course he didn't die because of the deal Stefan made with Klaus who instructed Katherine to bring them the antidote. Jeremy and Bonnie were a happy couple, until Jeremy woke up in the middle of the night to find his old loves Vicki and Anna "alive" and "well" in his house. Caroline had romance issues as she dealt with Tyler returning and her continuing feelings for Matt.

*SPOILER ALERT* Here is the official synopsis released by The CW of episode 1 from Season 3: IT’S MY PARTY — On the morning of Elena’s (Nina Dobrev) 18th birthday, Caroline (Candice Accola) is busy planning a party, but Elena is focused on searching for any clues that might help her discover where Stefan (Paul Wesley) is. Damon (Ian Somerhalder) is also searching for Stefan, while trying to protect Elena and keep her from doing anything that would draw Klaus’ (Joseph Morgan) attention. Meanwhile, Klaus and Stefan are busy trailing a werewolf named Ray Sutton (guest star David Gallagher, “Super 8”). Now working at the Mystic Grill along with Matt (Zach Roerig), Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) is struggling to understand why he keeps seeing the ghosts of Vicki (guest star Kayla Ewell) and Anna (guest star Malese Jow) since he was brought back to life by Bonnie’s (Kat Graham) magic. Meanwhile, Alaric (Matt Davis) does his best to watch over Elena and Jeremy, while dealing with his grief over Jenna’s death. Finally, Caroline and Tyler (Michael Trevino) face a new and unexpected challenge. John Behring directed the episode written by Kevin Williamson & Julie Plec.
Premieres: Sept. 15th

9pm time slot

Winners: Person of Interest on CBS, the network brags that it is the most anticipated series of this fall season. Will it live up to the hype; I sure hope so.

Losers: The Secret Circle on The CW, there's really only room for one successful of its kind on the same network and that show is The Vampire Diaries. Bones on Fox is up against some stiff competition and that may be the final nail in the coffin a series that may have outstayed its welcome.

Undecided: Grey's Anatomy on ABC, this year is a real turning point because several of the show's stars have hinted that this may be their last season. This includes Sandra Oh and McDreamy itself, Patrick Dempsey. Will the show be the same without them? And as a result, is it worth watching anymore. The Office on NBC has a similar issue now that Steve Carell is gone, will the show be the same? I have to say, for all those fans of The Office, I am leaning towards no. I have never been a fan of show, so I can say unprejudiced that it's going to be different, but if anyone can pull it off effectively, it's James Spader who livened up The Practice for a year before it produced a spin off, Boston Legal which he starred in for four years.

Person of Interest on CBS has an interesting cast with a good plot, and it's a crime thriller. Crime thrillers do not have a very successful past on television, but I am hoping this is the one that breaks all stereotypes. It stars Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson, and Taraji P. Henson. Caviezel is Reese a former CIA Agent who is presumed dead, and he teams up with Finch played by Michael Emerson, a mysterious billionaire to prevent crimes by using vigilante justice. They get the attention of two detectives Carter (Henson) and Fusco (played by Kevin Chapman).

Here is a preview:

Premieres: Sept. 22nd

10pm time slot

Winners: Prime Suspect on NBC; can NBC regain it's number one spot on Thursday night which it held for so long with a little show called ER. The star of Prime Suspect, Maria Bello was on ER for a few seasons as Dr. DelAmico (just a few fun facts ;-))

Based on the critically acclaimed British television series of the same name, Prime Suspect on NBC is produced by Peter Berg of Friday Night Light's fame and Alexandra Cunningham (Desperate Housewives). It stars Maria Bello as a no nonsense NYPD Homicide Detective Jane Timoney who's curt and reckless nature does not make her well liked among her colleagues. At the end of the day though, she is a determined detective and her brilliance truly shines through. I also have to say that the entire time the preview was on, I did not breathe; this show is especially wonderful for women but the message is anything you can do, I can do. Watch below:

Premieres: Sept. 22nd

Friday

8pm time slot

Losers: Sorry everyone, 8pm on a Friday night is a bust this season, make Friday your date night or out to dinner night or movie night and come home at 9 or 10. ;-)

9pm time slot

Winners: CSI: NY on CBS is back from the brink of cancellation to try and regain magic.

It hasn't even been ordered up for a full season, only 18 episodes, that's strange, and yet CSI: NY is fighting all the way. At the end of last season, Mac Taylor played by Gary Sinise contemplated ending his career. Will he return, or has his time in the lab finally come to a close? True to it's creation, the series will deal with the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in which Mac's wife died.

10pm time slot

Winners: Blue Bloods on CBS stunned viewers and critics alike when it won the 10pm Friday time slot, but it didn't just win the night, it consistently finished in the top 30 shows of the week in ratings. I am thrilled that Blue Bloods is back!

At the end of last season on Blue Bloods, The Reagans finally discovered who was responsible for killing their brother and son Joe. The Blue Templar Organization was brought down and the person directly responsible for killing him shot himself in the head rather than surrender and be carted off to prison. This season Carrie Underwood and Tony Bennett will make a cameo appearance performing at a fundraiser, Jamie will be involved in a series long story line centered around the mob, plus a new mayor for the city will stir things up.
Premieres: Sept. 23rd

Saturday

Use this day to catch up on all the shows you missed, CBS and NBC will be running encores to some of their shows.

Back to Monday for a second, I missed a new comedy that I had planned to highlight all along. Both stars of the show are relatively newcomers to television and many critics are calling it the best new comedy of the new season. Two Broke Girls on CBS stars Beth Behrs as Caroline Channing and Kat Dennings as Max Black and they waitress together at a diner and become fast friends with the hopes of opening their own business, but first they need to make some money. Caroline is a trust fund baby with bad luck and Max is a witty, street smart woman working two jobs to make ends meet. What do they have in common? Besides that they're two broke girls, they're also waiting and hoping for their big break.
Premieres: Sept. 19th at 9:30

Fall TV Schedule for 2011

2011-09-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

Part 3 in a series of 4

Tuesday

8pm time slot--

Winners: The Biggest Loser on NBC continues to gain fans, 90210 on The CW sends the gang to college this year, Glee on FOX has some more songs to sing this season, and NCIS on CBS continues to be a ratings winner.

Undecided: Last Man Standing on ABC; Tim Allen had a major hit with Home Improvement, is it possible for him to be that successful again? Time and ratings will tell, but I don't know if I am willing to take the chance initially.
Premieres: Oct. 11th

Losers: Man Up! on ABC; love Teri Polo and love Henry Simmons but this comedy is anemic at best. I will be surprised if it lasts an entire season.
Premieres: Oct. 18th

The Biggest Loser serves up a new season with Alison Sweeney returning as host and Bob Harper as a trainer. This season also adds two new trainers in the eye catching Anna Kournikova and trainer to the stars Dolvett Quince. The Biggest Loser never lacks inspiration which also means it won't lack viewers.
Premieres: Sept. 20th

90210 left off with Annie inheriting a fortune but losing Liam to his adventure on the sea, Ivy and Raj got married as his health worsened, Naomi found out she was pregnant and told an MIT bound Max, and Adrianna was left out from the group completely after she did what to her supposed bestie, Silver.
Some spoilers for Season 4: Annie becomes a professional escort! Naomi quickly discovers that if she wants the same status she had in high school she'll need to step it up because in college she's a nobody. Liam returns from his adventure and wants to commit to Annie. Liam will also own his own bar. Navid and Silver will live together when his family decides to move to Switzerland. Dixon forgoes school and takes a chance in the music business. Adrianna will be doing everything she can to make up for what she did, but she finds it's not all that easy.
Kellie Pickler and Brandy Norwood will guest star this season.
Premieres: Sept. 13th

Glee returns, and so does Rachel's mom played by Idina Menzel (word is she'll be around for at least eight episodes). Ryan Murphy has already said that several of the "Gleesters" will graduate this year including Finn, Rachel, Kurt, and Santana. Will this be their last year on the show? I sure hope not; I'd rather be slushied.
Premieres: Sept. 20th

In true NCIS fashion, it's always full of action and drama, here's a recap of season eight:

Jamie Lee Curtis will guest start in two episodes and Scott Wolf will come on board as a recurring character for season nine. NCIS will also celebrate its 200th episode in early 2012. Look for Breena and Palmer to have a spring wedding, and Tony's father and Gibbs' father will come back. A two part November sweeps celebration will take Gibbs overseas.
Premieres: Sept. 20th

9pm time slot--

Winners: Ringer on The CW, Sarah Michelle Gellar is back everyone!

Losers: Zooey Deschanel tries her luck as the New Girl on FOX, but there's not much that is new about this comedy. It's totally been there done that, a newly single young woman moves in with three single guys. For some reason, doesn't it sound like something you've heard before?
Premieres: Sept. 20th

There are a lot of issues I am willing to overlook with newcomer Ringer given the star. Sarah Michelle Gellar began as Erica Kane's daughter on All My Children and shot to stsrdom in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This season she is back as a complicated woman woman named Bridget, who after witnessing a murder goes on the run. She run to her estranged twin sister in New York City named Siobhan. Her life, in comparison to Bridget's seem so together, but things are not always as they seem.
Premieres: Sept. 13th

10pm time slot

Winners: Unforgettable on CBS hopes that people have not forgotten Poppy Montgomery (Without A Trace) and critical darling Parenthood on NBC returns for its third season.

I am always excited when a new crime/ mystery drama comes along, Unforgettable stars a now red headed Poppy Montgomery as Carrie Wells, a woman blessed and cursed with being able to remember event moment in her life, except for her sister's murder.
Premieres: Sept. 20th

I kept my fingers crossed that Parenthood would return and grace us with a third season, and it will. At the end of last season, Amber almost died after getting in a car accident due to her careless behavior after news that she did not get into the college she wanted to go to, Crosby sold his boat and bought a house in the hopes of getting Jasmine back, Haddie and Alex took things in their relationship to the next level on prom night, Kristina surprised a jobless Adam with news that she was pregnant, and Sarah became a playwright. With all these loose ends to tie up, I can't wait for this season to start.
Premieres: Sept. 13th

Wednesday

8pm time slot

Winners: Two reality shows square off to see who will be the sole survivor with the x-factor; that's right Survivor on CBS and The X-Factor on Fox. I also want to throw in a comedy on NBC, the previews make me laugh, Up All Night.

Loser: with two top notch reality shows, one that is not very good isn't going to survive, the season, sorry H8r, airing on The CW.

Survivor: South Pacific continues last season's idea of Redemption Island and Hidden Immunity Idols. Here are 16 of the 18 contestants competing for one million dollars!

Two former Survivor's Ozzy and Coach return to see if this time, they can be the sole survivor. I love how the video below details who they are as players.

Videos Courtesy of CBS.com and Survivor
Premieres: Sept. 14th

The X-Factor on Fox is a new reality show brought to us by none other than Simon Cowell of American Idol fame. Simon has brought along three judges to sit on his panel including Paula Abdul, L.A. Reid, and Nicole Scherzinger. The winner of the competition receives a $5 million recording contract with Sony Records. So a lot of people are wondering, why is Simon doing this show? He had success with American Idol. What makes The X-Factor different than American Idol or any other reality show out there for that matter? Well I think Simon did a great job answering all those questions in this short video. I cannot wait to see who wins this competition and who has The X Factor.

Premieres: Sept. 21st

Up All Night on NBC has an all star comedy cast: Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph, and Nick Cannon. Applegate plays Reagan, a career woman, wife, and new mom. The shows details her life with her stay at home husband (Arnett) and trying to get back into the swing of the things with her boss (Rudolph) at work. With all the misses (Jesse and Samantha Who?, both of which survived only two seasons), Christina is definitely due for a hit and with this show having a witty cast, a sharp writing team and production crew behind it, they just might pull it off.
Premieres: Sept. 14th

9pm time slot

Winners: An all star edition of America's Next Top Model and veteran Criminal Minds brings back some familiar faces.

Cycle seventeen of America's Next Top Model brings back models from previous cycle's of the show, Tyra went through tons of photos and brought back fan favorites for another shot at being on top.

The lovely ladies competing are:

SHANNON
Age: 27
Hometown: Franklin, Ohio
Current Location: Plainfield, Indiana
Age you were the first time you were on ANTM: 18 (Cycle 1)
Premieres: Sept. 14th

BRITTANY
Age: 29
Hometown: Tallahassee, Florida
Current Location: Los Angeles, California
Age you were the first time you were on ANTM: 22 (Cycle 4)

LISA
Age: 30
Hometown: Hollywood, California
Current Location: Hollywood, California
Age you were the first time you were on ANTM: 24 (Cycle 5)

CAMILLE
Age: 33
Hometown: Bronx, New York
Current Location: New Rochelle, New York
Age you were the first time you were on ANTM: 26 (Cycle 2)

BRE
Age: 26
Hometown: Harlem, New York
Current Location: Los Angeles, California
Age you were the first time you were on ANTM: 19 (Cycle 5)

BIANCA
Age: 22
Hometown: Queens, New York
Current Location: New York City, New York
Age you were the first time you were on ANTM: 18 (Cycle 9)

DOMINIQUE
Age: 27
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Current Location: Columbus, Ohio
Age you were the first time you were on ANTM: 23 (Cycle 10)

ISIS
Age: 25
Hometown: Prince George's County, Maryland
Current Location: New York City, New York
Age you were the first time you were on ANTM: 22 (Cycle 11)

SHEENA
Age: 24
Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii
Current Location: Harlem, New York
Age you were the first time you were on ANTM: 21 (Cycle 11)

ALLISON
Age: 23
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Current Location: Brooklyn, New York
Age you were the first time you were on ANTM: 20 (Cycle 12)

LAURA
Age: 22
Hometown: Stanford, Kentucky
Current Location: Los Angeles, California
Age you were the first time you were on ANTM: 19 (Cycle 13)

ANGELEA
Age: 25
Hometown: Buffalo, New York
Current Location: Queens, New York
Age you were the first time you were on ANTM: 22 (Cycle 14)

KAYLA
Age: 20
Hometown: Rockford, Illinois
Current Location: Chicago, Illinois
Age you were the first time you were on ANTM: 19 (Cycle 15)

ALEXANDRIA
Age: 22
Hometown: Newport Beach, California
Current Location: Culver City, California
Age you were the first time you were on ANTM: 21 (Cycle 16)

Premieres: Sept. 14th

Criminal Minds returns for a seventh season and so does Paget Brewster and A.J. Cook who departed for the majority of the sixth season. Rachel Nichols contract was not renewed for this season; the rest of the cast will return as expected, some with renegotiated contracts. Beyond securing the cast, I have no idea what they are up to this season with their story lines. It will be twisted and meaningful I'm sure.
Premieres: Sept. 21st

10pm time slot

Winners: The guilty pleasure newcomer Revenge on ABC and Law & Order: SVU on NBC sans Stabler played by the wonderful and I predict,missed, Christopher Meloni.

Losers: CSI on CBS, once the number one show on television the show has declined especially when William Peterson and Gary Dourdan left the cast. Laurence Fishburne only stayed for one season, erasing any momentum he may have built for the show. Marg Helgenberger has already stated that this will be her last season, and Ted Danson is coming on board. No offense, nothing against Teddy, but this just doesn't seem like the right role for him.
Premieres: Sept. 21st

I will be completely honest with all my readers and admit that out of all the new drama and comedy series coming to television this year, the one I refuse to miss is Revenge. Emily Van Camp was intelligently cast in the lead role as Emily Thorne who is out for revenge against those who wronged her childhood and her family. ABC has meticulously run promos over the whole summer during the soap operas, The Bachelorette and Bachelor Pad, and any drama series. For those who haven't seen that dramatic promo, here it is for your viewing pleasure; I dare you to tell me you're not hooked after this:

Premieres: Sept. 21sthttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Detective Elliott Stabler will not be returning to Law & Order: SVU for season 13 after contract negotiations fell through; I have no idea how NBC let that happen. Mariska Hargitay will be back as Detective Olivia Benson and will be promoted at some point during the season but will be seen just as much. The rest of the cast returns as well with Danny Pino (Cold Case) and Kelli Giddish (Chase) as new additions to the cast, playing Detective Nick Amaro and Detective Amanda Rollins respectively. Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh will play themselves on a basketball centered episode this season along with actor Mehcad Brooks, and the show is in talks with Andre Braugher to have him play a lawyer on the show who gets close to Olivia. Brothers & Sisters' Ron Rifkin will guest-star in the season premiere as the defense attorney of Franco Nero's Dominic Strauss-Kahn-esque rape suspect.

SVU seldom offers insight to how their season will play out, so when I saw this video on their website, I knew I had to share. I feel surprisingly more at ease after watching this, it's almost like the actors reassured me that they understand how the fans of SVU feel, and they want to bring us captivating, thought provoking episodes.

Premieres: Sept. 21st

Fall TV Schedule for 2011

2011-08-31T15:49:00.000-07:00

Part 2 in a series of 4

Sunday

8pm time slot--

Winners: The Amazing Race on CBS and The Simpsons and Allen Gregory on FOX, and Sunday Night Football on NBC is always a popular choice for the sports fans.

The Amazing Race is always so fun to watch; pick your favorite team and watch them race around the world. This year's teams include past Survivor contestants who also happen to be dating, Ethan Zohn and Jenna Morasca, Former Las Vegas Showgirls Kaylani and Lisa, former Olympic snowboarders Andy Finch and Tommy Czeschin, Zac Sunderland who was the first person under 18 to sail solo around the world and his father Laurence, and retired NFL player Marcus Pollard with his wife Amani.

Some stops rumored this season include: Denmark, Indonesia, Thailand, Malawi, Belgium, and Taiwan!
Premieres: Sept. 25th

The Simpsons returns for its 23rd season continuing its run as the longest running comedy series on television. Homer is kidnapped in the season opener, and executive producer Al Jean promises plenty more adventures like Maggie going missing, and Homer becoming a hairdresser. This season's guest voices/ stars include: Halle Berry, Paul Rudd, Ricky Gervais, Rachel Weisz, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Alyson Hannigan and Joe Mantegna; basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; lifestyle guru Martha Stewart; and pop sensation Katy Perry, who appears in a live-action sequence alongside Simpsons puppets. Premieres:
Sept. 25th

Allen Gregory is a new half hour animated comedy co-created by Jonah Hill from Superbad, Andrew Mogel, and Jarrad Paul. The title character Allen Gregory is the story of a seven year old boy who acts like a grown up. This is the first time in a long time I have been this excited about a new animated series; I watched some clips and I found myself laughing out loud. If you're interested check out the website for more information on Allen Gregory.
Premieres: Oct. 30th

Losers: Once Upon a Time on ABC, good idea in theory but I don't think this translates well as a series on TV. I don't see this series getting past season 1 or in this case, probably the first chapter.

Inspired by fairy tales, Once Upon A Time takes place in Storybrooke, Maine where fairy tale characters look like normal people and don't remember their true identities or anything about their true lives.
Premieres: Oct. 23rd

9pm time slot--

Winners: The final season of Desperate Housewives on ABC and The Good Wife on CBS really started to heat up and get interesting in it's second season. The third season trailers prove that it has not lost momentum.

I must admit, after the first four seasons of Desperate Housewives, I became desperate to find something better on television to watch. There was something about it that wasn't entertaining anymore. I think it started to change during season five where everything had flashed forward five years. When I heard that this season was the last, I was excited, not because it was ending, but because I hoped that somehow that magic that they had seasons one through four would come back in season eight; I am keeping my fingers crossed! Series creator Marc Cherry promises a classy ending, but with housewives that hot, who wants classy? Premieres: Sept. 25th

I missed the entire second season of The Good Wife, one of my biggest regrets ever from this previous season of TV. I began seeing clips everywhere from last season, and I thought to myself, why didn't I watch. This season I have absolutely no excuse. Here is a recap of season two to catch you up or refresh your memory:

Premieres: Sept. 25th

10pm time slot--

Winners: the newbie, Pan Am on ABC and an oldie but goodie, CSI: Miami on CBS.

In 1963, Pan Am was the biggest name in the airline industry. In the 60's, only people who had money could afford the modern luxury of air travel. For women who became airline stewardesses, it meant a free way of seeing the world that they would be unexposed to otherwise. They became seen by men as the most desirable women to be with. The pilots were like rock stars; there was nothing a Pan Am Pilot couldn't do. I love that being someone who didn't experience the 60's this is a look at those times http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giffor me, and for those who did, it brings back that warm, exciting nostalgia that only the 60's can deliver. The show has a good cast led by movie star Christina Ricci as stewardess Maggie. Please check out the website above if you want a more in depth description.
Premieres: Sept. 25th

Entering it's tenth season, CSI: Miami proves that old habits die hard. With a cast that's worth its weight in gold, this CSI franchise is without question the strongest of the bunch. What's in store this season? Horatio has a long time nemesis played by Carlos Bernard from 24, and he becomes a real pain in the butt. Expect to see more romance with Calleigh and Eric, especially since Emily Proctor is no longer pregnant. Later in the season, Calleigh talks adoption! Also, a season long mystery will kick off, it involves a psycho doctor and an ambulance van used as a private torture chamber. Yikes!
Premieres: Sept. 25th

Monday

8pm time slot--

Winners: Two reality shows will square off, it's Dancing with the Stars on ABC versus The Sing Off on NBC. Don't ask, I have no idea which one I am going to choose.

Losers: Terra Nova on FOX; it has all the hype, but I don't see it being a ratings success. I don't know if I want to watch another "Lost"-like show. The series has the biggest budget of any series ever on TV, understandable since its backed by director Steven Speilberg, but you know what they say sometimes: the bigger the budget, the bigger the bust.
Premieres: Sept. 26th

Undecided: Gossip Girl on The CW; everything was wonderful until they went to college, and then the show kind of went downhill. Well, except for when Serena & Nate and Blair & Chuck were together, but then in true Gossip Girl fashion, they once again showed us that nothing lasts forever. Will all the cast changes revitalize the show or will it become as passe as a leisure suit?

Dancing with the Stars announced its cast which left some people puzzled, other were happy, and then there were those who vowed not to watch. I say no matter what, it will still be entertaining, and you can always watch for your favorite pro dancer. However, there are several new pro dancers this year too.

Take a look at this season's pairings:

•Ron Artest dancing with Peta Murgatroyd

•David Arquette dancing with Kym Johnson

•Chaz Bono dancing with Lacey Schwimmer

•Elisabetta Canalis dancing with Val Chmerkovskiy

•Kristen Cavallari dancing with Mark Ballas

•Nancy Grace dancing with Tristan McManus

•Rob Kardashian dancing with Cheryl Burke

•Carson Kressley dancing with Anna Trebunskaya

•Ricki Lake dancing with Derek Hough

•J.R. Martinez dancing with Karina Smirnoff

•Chynna Phillips dancing with Tony Dovolani

•Hope Solo dancing with Maksim Chmerkovskiy

My predictions for the top 3 in no order: David and Kym, Ricki and Derek, and Hope and Maksim

Dark Horse: J.R. and Karina

For bios and more details, check out the Dancing with the Stars website.
Premieres: Sept. 19th

The Sing Off on NBC has been one of those genuine surprises on television. How refreshing is it to see a-capella singing groups use their talents to entertain people. Due to the success of the past two seasons, the third season has been expanded; there are 16 groups competing this year. There is one new judge because Nicole Scherzinger left to judge The X-Factor. Sara Bareilles joins the panel which already includes Ben Folds and Shawn Stockman along with Nick Lachey hosting. Check out The Sing Off website for details about this season's contestants.
Premieres: Sept. 19th

This season on Gossip Girl:
Kaylee DeFer joins the cast as Charlie, a possible new partner for Nate that is since he has already been through every other female character.
Jenny and Vanessa are gone; thank goodness!
Blair and Chuck might get back together as is the possibility for Serena and Dan.
In the meantime, Blair has her wedding to plan to a prince!
Serena is much more focused this year, and her future is looking more clear than ever.
Someone is pregnant, and hopefully we will find out who.
That's all for now, you know you love, xoxo ..... Gossip Girl, I mean Miss V. ;-)
Premieres: Sept. 26th

9pm time slot--

Winners: The newcomer, Hart of Dixie on The CW; Rachel Bilson is all grown up and the trailers for the series look great.

Undecided: a Charlie Sheen-less Two and a Half Men on CBS; this could be a great success and it could be a great disaster. It all rests on Ashton Kutcher and how well he works with an already comfortable cast.

The premise of Hart of Dixie is endearing: It's about city girl Zoe Hart who has just become a doctor and her ego being crushed when she discovers she did not get the fellowship at the New York City hospital she wanted. She then accepts an offer from a stranger in Bluebell, Alabama. He too is a doctor, and wants Zoe to join him at his practice. The kind doctor dies shortly thereafter leaving Dr. Hart his half of the medical practice. From there on out, the series centers around some people who don't exactly embody "Southern Hospitality" and how they treat the young Dr. Hart and those who actually become her allies. For a more detailed synopsis and bios of the cast, check out the Hart of Dixie website. This show has a lot of "hart", I definitely see it returning next year.
Premieres: Sept. 26th

This season of Two and a Half Men kicks off without one of the two men, following last year's debacle, Charlie Sheen is not returning to the show. To prove there are no hard feelings (just kidding), the season begins at Charlie's funeral with all of his ex girlfriends in attendance. Charlie's house is put on the market and Kutcher's character is the buyer and I've heard that somehow he convinces Alan and Jake to stay. Also look for Courtney Thorne Smith to return as Alan's love interest. How everything else unfolds this season is a mystery to me, but I may just be so curious that I have no choice but to watch.
Premieres: Sept. 19th

10pm time slot--

Winners: Hawaii Five-0 on CBS returns as the most watched new drama of last season and the most DVR'd series ever, and The Playboy Club on NBC is a new drama about what else, but Playboy Bunnies.

McGarrett, Danno, and the gang return for the sophomore season of Hawaii Five-0 along with some new cast members. Before you ask, Chin Ho Kelly and Kono are returning, but joining is Masi Oka (Heroes) as Dr. Max Bergman and Terry O'Quinn (LOST) as McGarrett's former SEAL training officer Lt. Commander Joe White. I know that the season opener finds McGarrett and Kono in jail, but not for long because White comes to help get them out.
Premieres: Sept. 19th

The Playboy Club almost didn't make it to TV and several cities don't want to run the show on their NBC prime time schedule. The cast, for all those keeping track, may be one of the most attractive on television, is led by Eddie Cibrian and Amber Heard and rounded out by Naturi Naughton, Jenna Dewan, and Laura Benanti and several others. The show centers around, what else, but The Playboy Club of the 1960's in downtown Chicago where drinks were cheap, the mob were frequent guests, music played, and Bunnies entertained. However, what a lot of people don't know is what happened behind the scenes, proof that all that glitters is not gold, and that these Bunnies had big dreams!
Premieres: Sept. 19th

All the Buzz: What to Watch on TV for Fall 2011

2011-08-31T14:45:00.001-07:00

Part 1 in a series of 4

From detectives to doctors, Pan Am Stewardesses to Playboy Bunnies, and our old favorites to the newbies we've been waiting for, this season's Fall TV schedule has a lot to offer. Every year around this time, I sit down at my computer and pull up the Fall TV schedule, and I check off the shows I want to watch, "x" out the shows I have no interest in or never have, and I question mark the shows I need to find out about. There's no concrete way of knowing about a new show until you watch it, or watch a preview, or read something about the show that gives you a synopsis of what it's all about.

For the first time in a long time, a few comedies have garnered my interest; this doesn't happen often. I am also finding that there are several dramedies: dramas that contain comedic elements sprinkled intelligently throughout the show. There is a new reality show with some familiar faces that hopes to top all reality shows (you know it's the X-Factor). There are some old faces that we haven't seen in a while trying to do what came so naturally before, like Tim Allen (new show: Last Man Standing, old show: Home Improvement). There are also some shows that have brand new faces to TV like the comedy Two Broke Girls.

This year could be a difficult one for you to plan your TV schedule until critics and the public, including you, have decided on which new shows are worth your time watching. It has already been announced that this will be the last season of ABC's successful dramedy Desperate Housewives which will close the curtains following this, the eighth season. What other shows will take their final bow? At this point, that's anyone's guess.

I like something that a few of the networks are doing this year more than ever before, which is, they are using Saturday night as a night to encore shows that aired during the course of the week. I think this is a smart way of allowing the viewer to see something they could not initially see because maybe they weren't home or they were watching another show on another network.

So here is how this is going to work, this post is going to be the first in a series of posts about the upcoming Fall TV Season. I will note this at the top of the post, for example this is part 1 of 4. This should be fun! To give you a look at what I'm working with, this is the schedule: http://www.tvguide.com/special/fall-preview/fall-schedule.aspx.

I hope you will offer your comments if you agree or disagree with my schedule and my predictions along the way. Please feel free to comment right on my blog or to join me on my Facebook page: Miss V's Voice!

Happy Fall TV Season!

Beyonce's Surprise Announcement at the VMA's, oh, and The Winners!

2011-08-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

Beyonce was glowing in an orangey-red Lanvin Fall dress with great jewelry to compliment it. With Jay-Z and Kanye West going on tour together for "Watch the Throne", will Queen Bey tour with "4" or will that time come after she gives birth?

My favorite moment at last night's VMAs came with Beyonce's public announcement that she was indeed with child. I was so happy for her, and to see the joy shared by so many of her peers was a wonderful vision. Beyonce looked radiant and rocked the stage as she always does, this time singing her new single "Love on Top" penned by Knowles herself, The Dream, and Shea Taylor. The hint came at the beginning of her performance when Beyonce told everyone to "feel the love that's growing inside of me". At the end of the performance she unbuttoned her sparkly pink jacket and she rubbed her growing belly. Goal oriented as she is, Beyonce had told reporters many times that she hoped to have a child by 30, the talented 29 year old will turn 30 on Sept. 4th.

MTV news reported that backstage Beyonce said, "I'm free!" to one of the well-wishers, indicating that she and Jay are thrilled to not have to keep such a big secret any longer. "We're all free!" she said to the group. Beyonce and a possible baby has been speculated several times by the media. She even told Cynthia McFadden earlier this year that she felt when the time really did come that she was pregnant no one would care because it had been falsely reported so many times. Beyonce is so classy though and she truly found the perfect way to make the announcement to everyone. Congratulations to Beyonce and Jay-Z!

Get More: 2011 VMA, Music, Beyoncé

The Winners for the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards:

Video Of the Year: Katy Perry, "Fireworks"

Video with a Message: Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"

Best New Artist Video: Tyler the Creator, "Yonkers"

Best Pop Video: Britney Spears, "Til the World Ends"

Best Rock Video: Foo Fighters, "Walk"

Best Hip Hop Video: Nicki Minaj, "Super Bass"

Best Famale Video: Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"

Best Male Video: Justin Bieber, "U Smile"

Best Collaboration Video: Katy Perry featuring Kanye West, "ET"

Best Art Direction in a Video: Adele, "Rolling in the Deep"

Best Choreography in a Video: Beyonce, "Run the World (Girls)"

Best Cinematography in a Video: Adele, "Rolling in the Deep"

Best Direction in a Video: Beastie Boys, "Make Some Noise"

Best Editing in a Video: Adele, "Rolling in the Deep"

Best Special Effects in a Video: Katy Perry featuring Kanye West, "ET"

This year was the year of the ladies at the VMA's with women winning 11 out of the 15 categories! Six women won these 11 awards: Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Adele, Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj, and Beyonce, each one has released a successful album this year or last year. It makes me extra proud because each one of them is so talented and has worked so hard for their success. Congratulations to all the nominees and all the winners! Thanks for making 2011 an unforgettable year in music.

Did the Right Person Win So You Think You Can Dance Season 8?

2011-08-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

It's been several weeks since the finale of So You Think You Can Dance aired and Season 8 came to a close. Looking back over my notes for the season, I felt the need to wrap things up nicely for those of you who enjoyed hearing about all my favorite routines over the course of the season.

Marko, Melanie, Sasha, and Tadd danced in the finale this year, arguably the strongest four dancers to ever dance in a finale. Each one of these dancers is a triple threat in their own right, and I am almost certain that we will see them dancing in videos, going on tour with entertainers, and acting on Broadway.

The Final 4: 8.10.11

My favorite routines from the finale:

Tadd and Season 4 Winner Joshua Allen danced a hip hop routine choreographed by Lil C, music was Hustle Hard by Ace Hood-- Mary said you did enough to produce a hard hitting hip hop number. Guest judge Kenny Ortega thought the pairing was perfect and they played off each other perfectly. Guest judge Katie Holmes said I completely bought it, you guys were amazing. Lil C, I loved it.
This was definitely my favorite hard hitting hip hop of the season. Tadd definitely proved that although he didn't win the season, he deserved to be here.

Melanie and Season 7's Robert Roldan danced a contemporary routine choreographed by Stacey Tookey, music was Sacrifice by Sinead O'Conner-- Kenny said I would push myself to the front of the line to work with you my darling. Katie said, Melanie, thank you for all your work, you and Robert were magical. Mary said you just have this captivating capability.
It's been hard to not like Melanie this season, she really loves and has a passion for dance. I suppose you could say the same of other dancers in the competition as well. Hearing after the finale was over that Melanie and Marko practiced more than any other couple over the course of the season made me respect Melanie even more. Knowing that every time she came out and danced that she wanted to dance her best for everyone watching her made me see that dance carries meaning with her.

Melanie and Tadd danced a jazz routine choreographed Ray Leeper, music was Show Me What You're Working With by Sister Monica-- Nigel said, Melanie you were stunning and Tadd, you totally redeemed yourself. Kenny told Melanie that she brings theater to everything she does and her chemistry with Tadd was exceptional. Katie said it was so fun to watch and the characters were great. Mary said, Tadd, redemption is the best medicine, and Melanie, you strut like no one else.
This routine was like a cherry on top of a sundae, such a delight to watch.

4th Tadd
3rd Marko
2nd Sasha
WINNER Melanie

I want to congratulate all the dancers on an amazing season. I don't personally know a lot about dance: I don't even dance myself, but every year, I learn more watching the show. Dancing to me is a true expression of one's inner emotions, and requires great athleticism, grace, and physical stamina. I cannot imagine being as unbelievably talented as these dancers are. They are truly blessed with a gift.

So did the right person win So You Think You Can Dance? Weigh in below and comment...
I would have been happy with any of the final four winning, calling me diplomatic if you wish.

The Runaway Shopping Cart

2011-08-27T17:25:00.000-07:00

I love those new shopping carts at Target. They have a modern look to them, almost like they came out of The Jetsons or something. The rounded corners are particularly appealing, they aren't as easy to get hurt on. They're particularly easy to push, smoother than most shopping carts.

Kudos also to those half shopping carts that they are beginning to have at supermarkets. I've seen them at Roche Bros., Whole Foods, and now even Stop & Shop. It's good because when you take a full cart you almost feel like you have to fill it up. For some reason it doesn't seem right to push a cart around with one or two items in it, unless of course they are big, heavy items and then it's perfectly acceptable. The full cart is almost the stores way of guilting you into buying things that you really don't need. I have better will power than the majority of people, I'm usually good at only buying what I need, but a half cart helps to ease the guilt.

Although I love shopping carts, I cannot tell you about anything more annoying than coming out of a store, walking to my car, and finding a shopping cart within a 20 foot radius of my car, unless of course I have parked next to a shopping cart return portal. I can honestly tell you that at times I have parked as far from the store that I am going into as possible because no one else parks there which typically means there will be no chance of a shopping cart damaging my car.

I've been thinking about this lately though, and it really isn't the shopping cart damaging my car, it's my fellow human being. Is it me, or have people developed a more lax attitude in the past 10 years? I never remember finding so many carts traveling aimlessly around parking lots and finding their way into people's cars like magnets as I have lately. I am not going to discriminate and tell you that I see more at certain stores, or in certain towns or cities. I will tell you that I do notice patterns, yes, I do keep track of this in my head. I think of it as my own personal sociology experiment. I may even start keeping a log of some sort.

Last January, I was in a three car collision that was not my fault and the rear bumper of my car was destroyed. I brought my car to the collision shop where they gave my car a brand new bumper. I have never had anything new for my car; I bought it used. I got my car back sometime towards the end of February, and was out with a friend at a shopping center near their home less than one month later. I came out to my car to find a cart had been left near my car, and it was touching the rear bumper. Sure enough, when I removed the cart there were several deep black scratches on my tan car. Clearly, I was a victim of someone who couldn't bother to bring their cart back, and as a result it damaged my car. I can almost guarantee that if the person who damaged my car had their car damaged, they would be even more up in arms and angry than I was at the time.

I think what it comes down to at the end of the day is values. People in general have little to no respect for another person's property. I don't know whether it has do with the change in times, how people are raised now, or maybe I am just around more rude people than I am used to being around. I was raised to believe in the golden rule, not the rule that says, "whoever has the gold makes the rules", but the rule that says, "treat other people the way you would wanted to be treated." Even if you want to make the argument that you don't care about your car getting scratched by a shopping cart, it doesn't mean the someone else wants it to happen to their car. Some people take great pride in their cars. I know people who wash and vacuum their cars every week whether it needs it or not.

Secondly, Call me crazy, but people in the medical and health fields keep talking about the problem we have with obesity and depression in this country, wouldn't we be helping that problem if we walked and little bit more, hence, bringing our carts back to shopping cart return portals or God forbid, the storefront itself?

Personally, I use the time returning my shopping cart to de-stress. You would be amazed what a difference that three minutes makes in helping me to clear my mind and unplug from a stressful day. We are all in such a hurry all the time, but just where is it exactly that we're racing to? Is it to the end of our lives? Are we racing to life as the lax, valueless people we've become? "Life is a journey, not a race," that's an old proverb I like to keep handy. So next time you think about not returning your shopping cart think about where it is exactly that you're racing to, and think about shopping carts racing into cars, maybe even yours.

Aaliyah Remembered

2011-08-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

She was a star: angelic, inspirational, a triple threat, poised, a workaholic, the princess of R&B, confident, sweet, and supportive. Ten years ago today, that all ended when Aaliyah's plane crashed in the Bahamas killing all nine people on board. The 22 year old had just finished filming the music video for "Rock the Boat". The pilot was unlicensed and autopsy results revealed that he had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. Now her fans from all over the world look to the sky, that's how high her star would have been.

Aaliyah Dana Haughton was destined for stardom at the age of ten. Born in the Bronx and raised in Detroit, she was performing on stages with Gladys Knight at the age of 11 and by the age of 12, the natural born entertainer had a record deal. Her uncle, an entertainment lawyer with his own record label (Blackground Records), introduced her to R. Kelly. Kelly became her mentor and produced her first album "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number". What followed the success of her album, released in 1994 when she was only 15, were allegations that Kelly had illegally married the teenager. In 1995, Aaliyah's parents had the marriage annulled.

Two years later in 1996, her second album, "One in a Million" was released under the production of Timbaland and Missy Elliott who went on to be close friends of Aaliyah. It was during that time that she graduated from Detroit High School for the Performing Arts with a 4.0 gpa. "One In Million", meanwhile, enjoyed worldwide success garnering attention for the drama major from all different channels. She recorded a song for the movie "Anastasia" and become the youngest person to perform at the Academy Awards in 1998. Tommy Hilfiger gave her an endorsement deal for modeling his line,and she began an acting career in which she was and would have been very successful.

Aaliyah's final album, "Aaliyah", was released in 2001 the same year she earned her first major acting role in the film "Romeo Must Die". "Queen of the Damned" was released posthumously, and the triple threat had been tapped for roles in "The Matrix" sequels, the lead role in "Honey" (Jessica Alba took over the role), and the lead role in a remake of the 70s musical "Sparkle" (which was to be produced by Whitney Houston). Sources say that ten years later talks about the project have begun again. She had so much to live for, so many projects unfinished, so much life not lived; reports even say Aaliyah was engaged to record executive Damon Dash at the time of her death.

The legacy she has left behind is beautiful in and of itself but what is even more beautiful is who she was. Aaliyah had a soul that reached out and wrapped its arms around people. It's clear; people still listen to her music today. Those in the music industry look to her even now for inspiration. Missy Elliott is quoted as saying, "I’m constantly talking about her. I still watch her videos and listen to her music. She’s a major part in our lives and in music". Brandy remembers Aaliyah as being a ground breaker for young women in R&B music, a supportive presence, and a friend. Brandy said of her friend, "She didn't let anybody tell her what she needed to do or how to do it. It seemed like everything she was doing was coming from her. She moved in silence. She wasn't boastful. She was humble and unique. She wasn't afraid to express her individuality". Drake even wrote a letter to the late Aaliyah, addressing her by her middle name, on the ninth anniversary of her death. The letter moved me because it's amazing to think about how someone can love someone so much without even meeting them. Her aura, her passion for life was so strong that those touched by her couldn't help but feel it even though she wasn't with them.

I cannot help but to post the letter below:

Dear Dana,

I’ve never lost a parent, a friend, or a lover but I will never forget this day for the rest of my life. I remember getting the news that you had passed and it connected with my heart like a clean shot from Muhammad Ali. I was crushed. Not only was I one of your biggest fans but I was truly in love with you. I loved the way you carried yourself, the way you dressed, the confidence with which you addressed passion and relationships in your music. I said to myself that even if we never met, I wanted a woman in my life just like you. I am pained that we will never get to connect now that music ended up being my career path. But you should know, we all listen to you everyday and we remain inspired and moved by all that you’ve given the world. I hope I make the right life choices so I can end up in heaven where I know you rest your head. I’ll continue to make music in your honor until the day we finally meet. Dinner’s on me!

Love you always and forever,

Drake

source: http://rapradar.com/2010/08/25/rr-guest-blog-drakes-letter-to-aaliyah/

Maybe the reason I love how she lived her life is because she lived it with fearlessness and contentment; I am beginning to believe that it's the best way to live.
In the MTV documentary series, "Diary", Aaliyah says, "I am truly blessed to wake up every morning and do something that I love. There's nothing better than that,"

Like musicians and music critics, I too believe Aaliyah would be a great influence in the music world if she were alive today. She was a trailblazer, unafraid of marching to her own beat, a risk taker, she dared to bring new musical concepts to the forefront, and she pushed not only herself but those in her field to take it to the next level. I will remember her as the quiet tomboy with the airy voice who blossomed into a beautiful woman with a beautiful spirit that just won't burn out.

http://www.aaliyah.com/

From Day to Night Casual Fall Fashion 2011

2011-08-17T22:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, I absolutely understand that unless I am rich I will probably never own a piece of Alexander McQueen anything. However, being that this is my fashion dream, I centered this fashion set around an Alexander McQueen cardigan. A black cardigan is one of the most basic pieces in my wardrobe or in any wardrobe for that matter, and this would be my choice for the ultimate black cardigan. As you can see in this fashion set there are lots of options and the various outfits can really take you from day to night. You can mix and match, but everything comes back to that one special piece. For those who can afford to splurge, know that it would be $1,495 well spent.

Fall Fashion 2011 .... From Day to Night by victoria10682 featuring v neck tank tops

Alexander McQueen wool cardigan
$1,495 - net-a-porter.com

Oasis sleeveless shirt
£45 - oasis-stores.com

Sonia by Sonia Rykiel leopard print shirt
$105 - farfetch.com

Tube top
$17 - tillys.com

VPL v neck tank top
$195 - barneys.com

J brand jeans
$190 - net-a-porter.com

All Saints super skinny jeans
$120 - allsaints.com

H&M leather boots
£25 - hm.com

Forever21 platform heels
$23 - forever21.com

MICHAEL Michael Kors michael kors wallet
$130 - net-a-porter.com

Gold bag
$50 - stylerushfashions.com

Juicy Couture drop earrings
$52 - juicycouture.com

Lucky Brand peacock feather earrings
$35 - zappos.com

Just Female Acces gold necklace
€18 - welikefashion.com

Fall Fashion 2011

2011-08-15T17:16:00.001-07:00

I discovered Polyvore.com today! I am a little bit obsessed. A friend of mine, and well known to you if you read my blog, is participating in Fashion's Night Out in Boston on September 8th, with her online boutique, StyleRush, http://www.facebook.com/StyleRushFashion. Anyway, I decided to try my hand at designing my own fashion set. Take a look and let me know how you think it turned out. I may post some more if I am able to make more.

The Fall Look for FNO by victoria10682 featuring camel jewelry

Roberto cavalli dress
$1,195 - marissacollections.com

Donna Karan wool jacket
$3,495 - donnakaran.com

Loeffler Randall stiletto heels
$795 - loefflerrandall.com

Clutch
$35 - causeofmyjoy.com

Camel jewelry
$18 - stylerushfashions.com

Gold tone jewelry
$12 - jcpenney.com

SEPHORA COLLECTION Baked Moonshadow Trio Glamoflage 03
$17 - sephora.com

In Praise of Country Music

2011-08-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

Country music has had a real breakthrough year; 2011 has been a year when it has all happened.

Shania Twain, who is considered country music royalty, made a comeback, not with an album, but to the public eye after a long hiatus as a result of her divorce from Mutt Lange. Twain says the divorce was so tough that it caused her to lose a voice that so many find unforgettable. It seems though that she's moved forward and made strides just like country music has; she married in January and announced in June that in December of 2012 she will headline her own Las Vegas show at Caesar's Palace for two years.

Lots of country couples tied the knot, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton, Kellie Pickler and Kyle Jacobs, and LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian.

Country trio, Lady Antebellum walked away from this year's Grammy Awards with Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Need You Now" as well as three other Grammy's within country categories. This was five Grammy's for a group that most people in the country had never heard of five years ago!

This year on American Idol two young promising country singers finished in first and second place, Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina, both will release debut albums this October. They have, by all accounts, been welcomed by the country music community. This is a community that is close knit and takes pride in each and every member.

Maybe it's the state of our country, but country music has become a real comfort to so many people. Every song has a story. When listening to a country music album or radio station, you will, without a doubt, experience a range of emotions. There are songs about a loved one who left Earth too soon and songs about drinking beer and margaritas in Mexico on vacation.

Brad Paisley, the reigning Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year, even titled his new album "This is Country Music". The song "This is Country Music" details exactly what the genre is, stereotypes and all. Here are the lyrics so you can see and read exactly what I mean:

You're not supposed to say the word "cancer" in a song.
And tellin' folks Jesus is the answer can rub 'em wrong.
It ain't hip to sing about tractors, trucks, little towns, and mama, yeah that might be true.
But this is country music and we do

Do you like to drink a cold one on the weekend and get a little loud
Do you wanna say I'm sorry or I love you but you don't know how?
Do you wish somebody had the nerve to tell that stupid boss of yours
to shove it next time he yells at you?
Well this is country music and we do

So turn it on, turn it up, and sing a long
This is real; this is your life in a song
Yeah this is country music.

Are you haunted by the echo of your mother on the phone
Crying as she tells you that your brother is not coming home?
And if there's anyone that still has pride and the memory of those
that died defending the old red, white, and blue,
This is country music and we do

So turn it on, turn it up, and sing a long
This is real; this is your life in a song
Just like a road that takes you home
Yeah this is right where you belong
This is country music
This is country music
He Stopped Loving Her Today
Hello Darling
God Bless the USA
Amarillo by the Morning
Stand by your Man
Mama Drive
Take Me Home
I Walk the Line
Country Boy Can Survive

Here are a few songs that I have been hitting the repeat button on all year:

Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not-- Thompson Square

Dirt Road Anthem-- Jason Aldean

Don't You Wanna Stay-- Jason Aldean feat. Kelly Clarkson

Felt Good On My Lips-- Tim McGraw

Heart Like Mine-- Miranda Lambert

Honey Bee-- Blake Shelton

I Won't Let Go-- Rascal Flatts

Just A Kiss-- Lady Antebellum

A Little Bit Stronger-- Sara Evans

Live A Little-- Kenny Chesney

Long Hot Summer-- Keith Urban

Made in America-- Toby Keith

Mean-- Taylor Swift

My Kinda Party-- Jason Aldean

Old Alabama-- Brad Paisley with Alabama

Put You In A Song-- Keith Urban

Remind Me-- Brad Paisley feat. Carrie Underwood

Somewhere With You-- Kenny Chesney

Sparks Fly-- Taylor Swift

This-- Darius Rucker

This Is Country Music-- Brad Paisley

Tomorrow-- Chris Young

Turn On The Radio-- Reba

Voices-- Chris Young

Who Are You When I'm Not Looking-- Blake Shelton

Without You-- Keith Urban

You Lie-- The Band Perry

You can see a complete list of great country hits from 2011 right here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_in_country_music

We Should All Be Grateful

2011-08-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend 30 Americans were killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan; 22 of them were NAVY Seals, the best of the best. Although, I believe all 30 were the best of the best. In times like these, events like these, so many things run through my mind. Short stories about war like the book The Things They Carried, books like Dear America and Hiroshima. In addition to books, movies in recent years have made war seem so real, it comes to life on screen for those of us who are lucky enough never to live it: Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, Black Hawk Down, Jarhead, Three Kings, The Thin Red Line, Pearl Harbor, Good Morning Vietnam, and I am sure the list could continue but you get the idea.

There is nothing glorious about war. There have been times where the government has tried to trivialize it, justify it, and because it is so brave and courageous they make it seem glorious. No matter how you feel about our government, it should not effect the way you feel about our military. We are free every day because of them. They sacrifice their lives so our lives are safe.

More than the books, the movies, and the government, when I think of war, I think of dinner tables across America where a chair at the table is empty. And of course, for most, that chair will be filled again by that very person off at war, but for some, sadly it will remain empty. War is broken hearts, death, atrocity, killing, gunfire, the desert, and dog tags. War is all the care packages we send to people we know and love and people who we don't know but we love anyway. War is letters that we write with words we meant to say in person but never got the chance to. We hope to have the chance to say them in person.

I am always reminded of a story that a friend's husband told me about when he was at war in Iraq and came back. He said he was at Dunkin' Donuts getting coffee and the line was rather long and someone in the line started complaining about having to wait in line. He told me that in that moment, all he could think about is how happy he was to be waiting in line at Dunkin' Donuts, that being in Iraq, away from his family, at war was so horrible that waiting in line was no big deal. Wow, I wish he had told that person who was complaining that. It puts things in perspective doesn't it?

Sometimes, people in our society don't stop to think about their actions and how it effects others. They're so caught up in their own issues that often they don't see past themselves to see all the sacrifices that people around them make so that they may live as they do. People are paid minimum wage at Dunkin' Donuts so we can go in and buy a coffee for $2. People go to war so we can live free.

The 30 men and women who died embody the American spirit; they are what this country is all about. I have friends who are in the war now, they too are the American spirit, our American spirit.

It's times like these that I look to reexamine my own life. I urge everyone else out there to do the same, it's not a chore, but rather an opportunity.

What are we living for? Is it to hurt other people? Or help other people?

How are we living our lives? Can you look at your life honestly and be proud of the way that you live it? There are a lot of people who sleep soundly at night knowing that they hurt other people. They don't care because they have no conscience. Perhaps they experienced great amounts of pain in their life, pain so great that it desensitized them from feeling for others. Whatever the reason, not having a conscience, not caring, is not something to be proud of.

Look at yourself honestly in the mirror, cry if you need to, if you have the heart to. Are you jealous? Unkind? Mean? Gossipy? Do you judge to the point that it hurts others? Do you live with hate in your heart? Do you use others (be it your children or an enemy) for your own benefit? Do you not care about the consequences of your actions and what it imposes upon others? Let go of all of those things. I can honestly say I've looked at myself critically, and in the past year, there are so many things I've experienced, so many things I've worked on, and so many things I've fixed. It feels good to live life in such an honest way. It feels good to be grateful for life.

I ask these questions because I know people who live with the jealousy, unkindness, and hate in their hearts. I say this not to expose them because I would have to use names to do that. I say it because a part of me hopes that they will read this and just know who they are. A part of me hopes that they want to live better lives. Believing in God and going to church does not make you a good person. Living your life in a way that is giving and being proud of the life you live is what makes you a good person.

I know one woman in particular who lives with a lot of hate. She uses people, she's jealous though won't admit it, and she forces people to act and be how she thinks they should be. Her ideas of what is right and wrong are so scrambled up. What upsets me is how much it hurts some people that I care about. I find myself thinking how stressful it must be to be her. I mean she must really be exhausted at night, and for what? For a false sense of pride? For the joy of hurting others and keeping them down because she is down too? I don't know why, and I don't know how to answer. I wish I did know why, maybe there would be some way of helping her.

It's a shame that people die at war every day and yet those living among us squander second chances. We should all be grateful.

Just Because I Had to Share It...

2011-08-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

On last week's So You Think You Can Dance results show, magic was created once again, Thanks to Travis Wall, Lauren Froderman, and Kent Boyd.....

So You Think You Can Dance Season 8 Becomes Unforgettable

2011-08-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

The Top 8 7.27.11

Here are some more of my favorite routines...

The 8 finalists with an all star

Caitylnn and Ivan (Season 2) danced a lyrical hip hop choreographed by Marty Kudelek, music was Let Me Love You by Mario-- Mark said you are drop dead gorgeous, you did a really good job tonight and hung in there with Ivan. Nigel said get down into the dance more but you played the part well. Guest judge Lady Gaga called Caitlynn sexy and urged her to move all the way through every move like Ivan does.
This was magic for me, I loved the coolness of Ivan and the connection he had with Caitlynn. The style of the routine was very old school but it didn't feel aged to me.

Jordan and Ade (Season 5) danced a jazz routine choreographed by Tyce Diorio, music was Nutbush City Limits by Tina Turner-- Nigel said it was fun, well done darling. Gaga said your legs are fabulous. Guest judge Rob Marshall said you're what I love and you do it all with such abandon. Mary told Jordan she flourishes in strong female roles.
Jordan has been one of my favorite dancers since day one when I saw her audition. This performance confirmed my love for Jordan.

Melanie and Neil (Season 3) danced a contemporary routine choreographed by Mandy Moore, music was Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler-- Lady Gaga said I would have you on my tour tomorrow. Rob said it's exquisite to watch you.
I wanna go on tour with Melanie! She seems so fun and talented.

Jess and Lauren G. (Season 3) danced a hip hip choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon, music was Take a Bow by Rhianna-- Mary said Jess gave an honest performance and has improved every week. Gaga said I have so much respect for you, you out-shined the props and the choreography. Rob said simple, pure, and beautiful Jess; you have used this competition to grow.
Jess is truly extraordinary; I predict a great Broadway career ahead.

Tadd and Lauren F. (Season 7) danced a jazz routine choreographed by Mandy Moore, music was Another One Bites the Dust by Queen-- Nigel said this is a great style for you, very Michael Jackson-esque. Gaga loved the styling and loves how he isn't in any one box, he can always change himself as a dancer. Rob said the mark of a real pro is someone who keeps going; you are very special. Mary said you're cool and you swag like no one else. "You're gonna land in the finale Tadd, I know it".
Everything down to Tadd's facial expressions in this routine were perfection.

Marko and Allison (Season 2) danced a contemporary routine choreographed by Sonya Tayeh, music was I Know It's Over by Jeff Buckley-- A crying Lady Gaga said I am so proud of you, I know you really love to dance. Whether you're number one, three, or ten, who cares cause you've got it. Rob said Allison is a true artist, incredible partnership. Mary said you're so honest and so sincere; you're my favorite dancer.
Nigel said this moment transcends dance.
Nigel, I could not agree more. Marko and Allison dance with so much maturity.

Marko and Ricky danced a hip hop choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon, music was Bad Boy for Life by Diddy feat. Black Rob and Mark Curry-- Mary loved it; "right and tight".Nigel said you guys cleaned up tonight. Rob admired their range and called it astonishing.

The Top 6 8.3.11

Sasha and Kent (Season 7) danced a contemporary routine choreographed by Tyce Diorio, music was Fool Of Me by Me’Shell Ndegeocello-- Guest judge Christina Applegate said she has so much courage and thank you for sharing your life and experiences with us. Mary said it was intoxicating and Tyce has built such a body of work on this show and yet Sasha you are still a superstar to me. Nigel called her brilliant. Lil felt she was speaking to him the whole time. “I love the way you dance, I would have given anything to work with you this season. You are phenomenal.”
I was just blown away by this performance, the partnership was so passionate.

Caitlynn and Pasha (Season 3) danced a samba choreographed by Dmitry Chaplin, music was Drop It Low (District 78 Remix by Kat DeLuna-- Christina said wow, and your body, whatever. Mary said your bodies were just melting together. Nigel called Caitlynn a sexy dancer. Lil C said swan dive into sexy, don't cannonball.
This was mui caliente, and I would love for both of them to give us all dancing lessons.

Dancing in the finale will be Marko, Melanie, Sasha, and Tadd.

Who is your pick?

This season of So You Think You Can Dance is sizzling!

2011-07-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Top 12 7.13.2011

My Fave routines--

Jordan and Tadd danced a contemporary routine choreographed by Travis Wall-- Sonya called it true artistry that makes you want to cry.

Melanie and Marko danced a tango choreographed by Louis Van Amstel that made Sonya lose her breath because there was so much conviction and discipline.

Clarice and Jess danced a lyrical hip hop routine choreographed by Chris Scott-- I loved this music for this one and the whole concept (Just the Way You Are by Boyce Avenue). Mary loved the pulse of this piece. Guest judge Jesse Tyler Ferguson asked Clarice if she had a boyfriend because he wants to marry her. He called Clarice a light and said Jess is tremendous.

Melanie and Marko danced a contemporary routine choreographed by Dee Caspary-- This number was simply beautiful and easily one of the most well choreographed numbers this season. It was also the culmination of Melanie and Marko's work together; this partnership was absolutely stunning every week.

Ryan and Alexander were eliminated

The Top 10 7.20.2011

This week was the beginning of the contestants dancing with All Stars

Marko and Chelsie danced a samba choreographed by Jason Gilkison, The music was Cinema Italiano by Kate Hudson-- Guest judge Neil Patrick Harris called it amazing and said what a dirty way to start the show. He said, Marko, you dance with such precision, you're definitely the guy to beat.
I feel like, is there any dance that Marko cannot master; it seems like he can do everything.

Jordan and Brandon danced a contemporary routine choreographed by Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden, The music was Who You Are by Jessie J-- Mary said Jordan was fantastic and fearless. Nigel said she does not have a lot of weaknesses and therefore they were able to choreograph her how they wanted her. Neil said you're beautiful and so inspiring.
I found this dance just effortless.

Tadd and Comfort danced a hip hop routine choreographed by Chuck Maldonado, The music was Look at Me Now by Chris Brown, feat. Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne-- Nigel said the routine was fast and Tadd out-danced his all star. Mary said he has something special and swagger.
There were lots of great tricks in this number that flowed well and were perfectly executed.

Caitlynn and Pasha danced an Argentine tango choreographed by Leonardo & Miriam, The music was Malajunta by Orquesta Color Tango-- Mary said this number was a real treat on the eyes. The passion was more real than any number. You were a real and complete woman tonight, Mary said. Nigel said you were far sexier in this than in anything you've done before. Neil said you were gorgeous, you matched Pasha and you two were truly in sync.
This is honestly one of my favorite routines all season, it was so beautifully danced, and even someone like me who knows little about the technicalities of dancing knows that.

Sasha and Twitch danced a hip hop routine choreographed by Chris Scott, The music was Misty by Dorothy Moore-- The judges all thought it was a hot number. Nigel was at a loss for words and called it a memorable routine and said she had beautiful chemistry with her partner. Neil said this was spectacular and said Chris Scott was amazing. He added that Sasha and Twitch should danced every number together. Mary called it a sexy ass number and called Sasha an all star.
I echo everything the judges said; this was special.

Melanie and Pasha danced a Viennese Waltz choreographed by Jason Gilkison, The music was Everybody Hurts by Tina Arena-- Mary said it's like your feet never touched the floor; I don't know how you do it. Neil called it effortlessly perfect. She said you look like you're from the past but you dance like you're from the future. You're beautiful in every way inside and outside. You're easily my favorite dancer on the show.
It is very clear that every time Melanie takes the floor, something special happens.

Ricky and Allison danced a jazz routine choreographed by Tyce Diorio, The music was Precious Dream by Tori Amos-- Nigel thought it was very creative and that Ricky kept up with Allison. Neil said Tyce, bold move, and Ricky you were fierce.
Ricky really stepped up; Allison has always been really gifted and Ricky matched her.

Ashley Hebert: The Bachelorette Season 7 Episodes 8 and 9

2011-07-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

I decided to combine the home town dates with the fantasy suite dates in Fiji. Here's what went down....

Episode 8 Home Town Dates

Home town date that most resembled the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding: Constantine's! Ashley said he was one of the guys that really stuck with her out of the limo. Now that she has gotten to know him she sees so much good in him, he's so honest. She felt comfortable at his restaurant and told his mom that she would be more than happy to relocate to Georgia if it's what makes Constantine happy. Ashley says the thing she loves about Constantine is that she loves hard and she loves for real. I especially loved the part where his entire family showed up and they all started dancing a la My Big Fat Greek Wedding with Constantine's father Dmitri throwing money at them.

Most picturesque home town date: Ames! Ames's sister Serena immediately noticed a spark in Ames that she has never seen before. Ashley revealed that she likes how introspective and independent he is; he's a man. Serena says Ames is a very loyal person and he cares about the people he loves. Ames's mom sees many similarities with her son and Ashley. By far the most picturesque moment takes places when Ames and Ashley have a picnic under a magnolia tree.

Home town date with the deepest conversation: Ben's. Ashley says everything about Ben screams sexiness to her but she wonders if his family will like her as much as he does. He confesses that he hasn't brought many women home to meet his family, and that she shouldn't be worried because he is confident in what they have built together. Ben's sister Julia says that Ben is in touch with his emotions and feels that he knows what he wants.

Home town date with the most flashbacks: J.P. He takes Ashley to a roller skating rink and she says she feels like they are back in seventh grade again. It is clear that they are so comfortable with one another, and J.P. tells her he feels 100% certain of their relationship. Ashley tells J.P.'s mother that she is smitten with him. His mom can tell that J.P. is not just taken by how beautiful she is on the outside but also how beautiful she is on the inside.

Ames is eliminated in the end.

Episode 9 Fiji

Ryan comes back asking Ashley for another chance and more time together.

Ben: They spend the day on the water on a yacht and they comment on how easy they feel their relationship is. Then they go snorkeling together; it's so clear to me throughout this date that Ben is in love with Ashley. He later confesses he is but does not tell her. Could this mistake prove to be a costly one for Sonoma's most gorgeous bachelor? Ashley says she had a sense of comfort today with Ben that she didn't have before and they take advantage of the fantasy suite by taking a dip in the suite's outdoor pool. Ben then carries her back to their suite.

Constantine: This date was a disaster from almost the beginning. Ashley says Constantine is always guarded and very careful with what he says. She looks at him but can never tell what he is thinking. Ashley thinks maybe he needs time, but they are running out of time. He ultimately leaves before they ever get to the fantasy suite. He says he wouldn't be able to propose to her and he can't say he's in love with her and he promised he wouldn't go further if that wasn't the case.

Ashley told Ryan that she couldn't be with him because they lacked a passion that she found with two other guys.

J.P.: Ashley says J.P. has been her rock throughout this whole process. They fly on a seaplane and go to a private island together where Ashley confesses that Ryan came back and Constantine left. J.P. says he is definitely in love with Ashley, and yet, he too decides not to tell her!

Who will Ashley choose?
Ben or J.P.?

Ashley Hebert: The Bachelorette Season 7 Episode 7

2011-07-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

I have to say that for the most part, this was a rather boring Bachelorette episode. Ashley had three one on one dates with Constantine, Ben, and Ryan.

Here are some highlights from those dates--

Constantine: Ashley and Constantine took a steam engine to Tai Pei. They write their love wishes on lanterns which then float up and away into the sky. Awww, how sweet, I wonder what they wished for. Overall, I like Constantine but I don't think he is quite ready to commit.

Ben: This date starts out with them riding together on a motorcycle. The surprise is that Ben and Ashley stay out all night much to J.P.'s chagrin.

Ryan: The shocker comes during this date in which Ashley sends Ryan home before the date even ends! She gave him the first impression rose; she said you're the perfect guy Ryan, you're my perfect guy. I just don't think we have that romantic connection. Ryan is understandably shocked and says he is looking for never ending love as he walks off. Ashley wonders if she made the right decision.

The group date consists of Lucas, Ames, J.P., and each of them taking wedding photos with Ashley. Lucas is wearing traditional Taiwanese wedding clothing. He says he definitely wants Ashley to come back to Texas and meet his family.

Ames wore some modern/ retro clothing. I hope that makes sense, it had somewhat of a Bohemian look to it. Ames says he has stopped rationalizing his relationship with Ashley; he thinks it just feels right. Ashley agrees that she has never met anyone like Ames.

J.P., despite being very down this week, lucks out with a traditional black tuxedo. Ashley is allowed to give out one rose on this date and gives it to J.P. saying, I want to meet your family so bad.

At the end of the night, in somewhat of a surprise, Ashley sends Lucas, who she felt was very comforting and protective, packing. :-(

What will happen this week?

Ashley Hebert: The Bachelorette Season 7 Episode 6

2011-07-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

This is the episode where Bentley comes back, as if we haven't heard enough about this guy, now we have to see him again.

This is also the episode where, gasp, Mickey McLean leaves pulling himself out of the running for Ashley's heart.

Some fun stuff from her meeting with Bentley:
She asked Bentley why he left her with a "dot, dot, dot," if he didn't really want her.
She says "mission a-f*****g-complished" to: were you trying to get me to want you even though you knew you weren't going to stay?
She asks him why he came, "was it for the free vaca(tion)?"
I love when she leaves and he tries to say goodbye to her and she says nothing and just walks out the door and doesn't look back.

Cutest one on one date: Lucas's! Their date was in Kowloon, Hong Kong which is famous for its lights. They watch street performers and Ashley has this unbelievable glow to her, presumably because she is now free from Bentley and she feels free to pursue the other men. Lucas and Ashley dine on a yacht and he makes a toast to, "a woman I thought I'd never meet, and a life I hope to have." He says the hardest thing he has gone through is his divorce but he truly believes that everything in life happens for a reason. Ashley ends her date by talking about how she feels very comforted by Lucas; he is one of those men that makes her feel like a woman. I love how Lucas asked for permission to kiss her, how super sexy was that?

The group date is a dragon boat race, the guys are put into groups of two and have to recruit people to help them race against one another. Ben and Constantine, Ryan and Blake, and Ames and Mickey square off and Ames and Mickey end up winning. They recruited their team by finding people who actually do dragon boat race, so they had the strongest team.

Best one on one date: J.P. and Ashley-- Ashley asks J.P. what was the last thing that made him cry. J.P. answers: his ex. He said he had to wait for his heart to catch up with his brain because although being with her was not a good idea his heart was not ready to let go. Ashley sees him as a determined, committed, and loyal family man. Ashley decides to confess to J.P. that she saw Bentley two days ago in Hong Kong. Ashley says she needed closure from Bentley in order to move forward with the other guys and give 100%. J.P. says he is happy that Ashley felt comfortable enough to tell him and talk with him about it. He feels he is more attached emotionally to Ashley than he has ever been to anyone. He is crazy about Ashley and doesn't want the night to end and she doesn't either.
Dare I say that I think that these two are the perfect match. J.P. is so understanding of Ashley and her need to have to closure.

Best fiasco: The various responses of the men after Ashley tells them that she saw Bentley.
Constantine says it seems what Ashley told them about moving on with her life is contradictory.
Lucas questioned why she didn't find closure earlier?
J.P. said she is being selfless and honest. She didn't need to tell us anything, she could have just gone on, and if she wanted Bentley back then he would have been here.
Blake said I don't wanna play second fiddle to anyone.
Mickey asked to be sent home and walked off. He said Ashley has a good heart but he isn't the one for her.
Ashley then broke down in tears giving the remaining guys a heartfelt speech about how she didn't want to hurt anyone and cares about all of them so much.

Mickey left and Blake is eliminated.

So You Think You Can Dance Season 8 . . . . . So Far

2011-07-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

I have been mesmerized by So You Think You Can Dance this season. Just when I believed I could not be more impressed after last season's class of amazing dancers, we get yet another amazing group, a good mix of energetic young, and better with age.

Last week was tough for me with the elimination of two of my favorite dancers--- 31 year old hip hop dancer, Robert "Whoo" Taylor Jr. and his partner contemporary dancer 19 year old Miranda Maleski. I was personally shocked that these two ended up in the bottom three, Robert has a wonderful personality and Miranda is such a beautiful soul.
This week two more stunning dancers, Chris Koehl and Ashley Rich were eliminated. Although they were not the weakest dancers, they were arguably the two weakest that ended up in the bottom three. I am sad to see them go though because they did have good chemistry together.

I have so enjoyed this season that I decided to highlight some of my favorite dances so far.

Week 1 (June 15, 2011)

Jordan and Tadd-- Afro Jazz choreographed by Sean Cheesman, music: Riding the Waves Afro Sound Celt System-- Nigel said if that's African Jazz, I love it. Jordan, you were in your element; you're an outstanding dancer and you didn't let yourself down. Tadd, you're a hip hop dancer, if you keep picking up different styles like that, you're gonna be around for a long time.
This dance was so fun to watch because they made it look so easy but, yet you could tell that this dance had lots of intricacies to it.

Melanie and Marko-- Contemporary choreographed by Travis Wall, music: Turn to Stone by Ingrid Michaelson-- Mary called it amazing, perfect performance, great chemistry, and amazing artistry. Megan Mullally said it was one of those special performances. Nigel echoed the chemistry and called Melanie the "queen of the beasts".
I love this partnership and look forward to seeing so many more of their dances.

No one was eliminated at the end of this week.

Week 2 (June 22, 2011)

Caitlynn and Mitchell-- Contemporary choreographed by Stacey Tookey, music: Turning Tables by Adele-- Mary said it was amazing and called the chemistry great. Debbie Reynold called it beautiful and Nigel really felt their souls in the dance.
For some reason, this dance really got to me, I loved the story and I fully believed the two people telling it.

Miranda and Robert-- Hip-Hop choreographed by Nappy Tabs, music: Break Ya Neck by Busta Rhymes-- Mary liked it and felt Robert did an amazing job with the choreography. She said Miranda took it to another level. Debbie called the dance mesmerizing. Nigel called Miranda the best contemporary dancer to do hip hop, and he said Robert put his dance where his mouth is.
This really stood out for me as one of the best dances so far, and I am sure it will hold up as one of the best throughout the season. I am so sorry that Miranda and Robert have been eliminated.

Jordan and Tadd-- Viennese Waltz choreographed by Jean Marc Genereux, music: Fade Into Me by David Cook-- Nigel said it was just beautiful and called Jordan's flow sensational. He said, Tadd, you're a b-boy and you came up trumps. Mary called Tadd the biggest surprise of the season, and that she's proud of him. Mary said Jordan was just beautiful.
I have to say this dance is usually the kiss of death in this competition, but this was so lovely. This is another partnership that I really love.

Melanie and Marko-- Jazz choreographed by Mandy Moore, music: Sing with a Swing DKS-- Mary said they're so good and Debbie called them the musical stars of today. Nigel called them a perfect combination.
I think this is one of those couples that is incredible to watch every week.

Sasha and Alexander-- Hip-Hop choreographed by Nappy Tabs, music: Coming Home by Diddy Dirty Money featuring Skylar Grey-- Debbie Reynolds said you danced beautifully and told us a story. Mary said she felt Sasha's anguish. Nigel said you showed the passion that will come from military family reunions.
This was a very touching piece, but Sasha and Alexander need to keep pushing of they may find themselves eliminated sooner rather than later.

Ashley and Chris-- Broadway choreographed by Spencer Liff, music: Please Mr. Jailer by Rachel Sweet-- Nigel loved the creativity of the routine and said Chris was fantastic. He said, Ashley, I hope the next time that they put me in jail, you come to visit me sweetheart. Chris agreed. Mary put them on the hot tamale train and said it was sensational.
It makes me sad to think about this routine because it was so great, and after I saw it, I thought, this couple is going to be around for a long time. This was so much potential in this routine.

Eliminated: Wadi & Missy and Nick & Iveta

Week 3 (June 29, 2011)

Melanie and Marko-- Lyrical Hip-Hop choreographed by Nappy Tabs, music: I Got You by Leona Lweis-- Lil C called this duo a power couple. Nigel said this was a brilliant concept and you guys are the couple to beat. Mary said you guys knock out special performances every week. Marko, you had raw emotion, and Melanie, you were just in the pocket on every move. Guest judge Kristin Chenoweth said you are the epitome of the language I speak.
This was just a super beautiful routine that I could even see being up for an Emmy.

Ryan and Ricky-- Contemporary choreographed by Sonya Tayeh, music: With Every Heartbeat (Remix) by Robyn-- Kristin called it beautiful. Lil C said you guys have seven hours to do this, this is phenomenal; buckness! Nigel said Ricky I couldn't take my eyes off you, incredible. Ryan, you delivered tonight, I'm glad we kept you. Mary appreciated the difficulty of this routine.

Jordan and Tadd-- Hip-Hop choreographed by Nappy Tabs, music: Memories by David Guetta-- Lil C loved the concept, loved the execution: greatness. Nigel said he loved it and it was great fun. Mary said you guys have great stage presence. Kristin said that routine was like dessert and I loved every bite.

Eliminated: Miranda and Robert

Week 4 (July 6, 2011)

Melanie and Marko-- Jazz choreographed by Ray Leeper, music: Americano by Lady Gaga-- Travis commended Marko's strength and called Melanie his favorite dancer this year. Guest judge Carmen Electra said they are such a passionate couple. Mary echoed Carmen's sentiment.
Once again, this couple does not fail to reinvent themselves and rise above the occasion.

Clarice and Jess-- Contemporary choreographed by Justin Giles, music: Light Through the Branches by Celeste Lear-- Travis said the chemistry was honest and he felt them come alive. He said it was his favorite routine of theirs this season. Mary said their partnership has become stronger every week.
I agree with the judge's this couple has become stronger every week, and I was really impressed with their performance, it's like I saw them for the first time.

Caitlynn and Mitchell-- Contemporary choreographed by Mandy Moore, music: To Love You More by Celine Dion-- Travis called Caitlynn the surprise of the season, and said Mitchell was unbelievable. Mary and Nigel both called it the performance of the night. The judge's were all on their feet.
This routine gave me goosebumps, I was just so touched by their ability and raw emotion.

Eliminated: Ashley and Chris

Ashley Hebert: The Bachelorette Season 7 Episode 5

2011-06-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

This episode was rather scary at points but I don't imagine it being as scary as tonight's episode where the vile Bentley makes his return prompting some of the bachelors to wonder why they are even there fighting for Ashley. She just seems to want to put all her time into Bentley. Although, let's be fair, the guy completely lied about not only his reason for leaving, but he lied about his feelings for Ashley and his relationship with the other bachelors was fake to say the least.

Anyway, plenty more about tonight's episode later; this is about last week's episode.

A little bit awkward? I like Ben F. a lot (wine guy); however, for some reason their chemistry is a little but awkward. I am talking in particular about when they are at the Thai temple. Later on at dinner, Ben talks about how a year ago he wasn't emotionally available as a result of his father's death several years before. He says he is more accepting now because he is less selfish. He says his agenda in a relationship is doing things for the person he is with and growing together as a couple. Ashley gives him a rose, and comments on the passion between them and how she can see herself with him.

Worst premise for a date: The group date where the guys literally fight each other for Ashley. Poor Ames ended up in a hospital with a concussion. Blake received the group date rose and presented himself as a front runner.

Sweetest moment of the night: All the guys being so concerned about Ames. I found that really sweet; their camaraderie was not only impressive but nice to see in a day and age where everything is about competition.

Worst 2 on 1 date: William and Ben C. Ashley, my dear, I have to hand it to you on one thing, you got rid of two guys on the show that in my opinion were dead weight. William is a liar and doesn't think about anything before he says it. Hasn't he inserted his foot in his mouth enough this season? William, Ashley wants a man, not a 30 year old boy! Ben C. was someone I really liked at the beginning of this but he had no life and no enthusiasm on this date whatsoever. When Ashley accused of him of not really wanting to be there, he didn't even try and fight that opinion or challenge it. It begs the question: did he really want to be there? Ashley sent both guys packing.

Kindest words of the night: J.P. admitted to Ashley that it stung when she came to the house to pick up Ben F. for their one on one. He said what gets his through it is thinking about any time he will get to have with her. Ashley spoiled this by telling the camera she couldn't help but think about Bentley. :-(

Smartest words of the night: Host Chris Harrison telling Ashley that she is not being fair to the guys or herself by thinking about Bentley. He promised her that the process will not work if she is only in it half way.

Nick is eliminated at the rose ceremony.

Eight bachelors remain: Ben F., Blake, Constantine, Lucas, J.P., Ames, Mickey, Ryan

I Love the Blues

2011-06-26T20:05:00.001-07:00

When it comes to fashion trends, the late summer and early fall is all about the blues. Although, I'll be honest, many are already sporting blues now, and why not? With all the pretty shades of blue, how could you not find an element for your wardrobe that you love in a color that can be peaceful, vibrant, and regal.

Wowza! Hit the beach or the pool in the Maya Twist Bandeau Top and Double String Bottoms from Victoria's Secret. The bikini comes in many different colors including three different shades of blue: Pacific Blue, Blue Legend, and Scuba Blue.

I absolutely fell in love with this bright navy blue and black dress from LOFT. The dress has a sexy print but a sophisticated look. It's perfect for a night out and can be paired with heels, flats, or sandals. It is much more attractive in person than in a picture, and the great thing is that it's machine washable, an important feature. Wearing it with a belt will give it a more finished and dressed up look while also accentuating the waist and hips.

Last week I was at my salon getting a pedicure and I wanted to do something different than I usually do. I decided to be daring and go with this blue-purple shade of Essie nail polish from their Brazilian collection. I do not regret it, the color actually looks great and gives pop to almost every outfit that I wear. I highly recommend buying a bottle of Smooth Sailing.

I love this daring teal embellished shoulder cardigan from Style Rush. Be sure to check out the Facebook page where there is a better photo of the detail on the shoulders. This cardigan is very 80s, but I assure you, the 80s will be making a comeback in some capacity this fall. This piece is an absolute steal at $22!

Turquoise has long been a favorite of mine whether it be in clothing, shoes, or accessories; it has a very vintage feel to it and I love the authenticity it brings to any outfit. The real surprise has been that Lucky brand, long famous for its graphic tees also makes some great shoes. These Nama Stone Sandals are no exception. Lucky Brand shoes are available on the Lucky Brand website and at select Macy's stores and www.macys.com.

Ashley Hebert: The Bachelorette Season 7 Episode 4

2011-06-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

Best Advice: Constantine and Ashley ran into a sage Thai man on their one on one date who told them in love you must forgive and forget and love is not about winning. Amen.

Most intelligent bachelor in the group and Best one on one date: Ames! He has impressed me so much. I know Ames is not much in the looks department but he makes up for it with thought provoking questions, intelligence, charm, and just being a good person. Their one on one date was so beautiful; they went sea kayaking which took them through a cave. Ames equated navigating the sea like navigating a relationship, their are twists and turns around every corner, but so beautiful. Ashley is intrigued by Ames's personality and says there is so much good in him. Good thing you got rid of Bentley so you could get to know Ames, Ashley! Good move!

The group date took place at an orphanage for children in Thailand who lost their families in the Tsunami. The guys and Ashley work on painting and some landscaping. Ben F. paints a mural for the kids; nice touch Ben, very cute! Ashley feels Ben F. is getting more and more confident and comfortable.
J.P. talks to Ashley later in the date, and tells her that the day at the orphanage has forever changed him. They are outside by the beach in the pouring rain and he is holding an umbrella over her as they talk about the day and their last one on one date. He says he doesn't care that he saw Ashley at her lowest point.

Most movie moment: J.P. kissing Ashley under the umbrella as they sit on the beach. He said is doesn't get more romantic than that and they have definite chemistry. Ashley says J.P. is one sexy man.

Constantine and Ames got roses on their one on one dates and Ben F. got the rose on the group date.

West is eliminated because Ashley doesn't know if he is ready to move on following the death of his wife.

Ashley Hebert: The Bachelorette Season 7 So Far...

2011-06-13T16:20:00.000-07:00

Ashley Hebert's season of the Bachelorette has been nothing less than eventful. It's also been a season of several firsts, surprising since it's been airing for a while now. So far, three episodes have aired and there has already been tons of scandal, and an "it" that I refuse to refer to as a guy.

I am going to create some superlatives about the guys, and some of the events that have transpired so far this season.

Episode 1

Best entrance for the first meeting: a tie between Ben C. and Ben F. Ben C. spoke French and intrigued Ashley, good move for a first meeting. Ben F. brought two glasses and a bottle of wine from his own vineyard, if that's not sweet and impressive, I don't know what it is.

Too cocky for his own good first meeting: Bentley, oh please, need I explain, we'll get into this later.

Most awkward first meeting: Jeff. The mask was a good idea in theory but a bad idea ultimately.

Best first impression but possibly becoming too annoying for his own good: Ryan P. -- Ryan seemed like the whole package and even got the first impression rose, but the guys are beginning to tire of his constant attempts to hog Ashley's time. We all know how that turns out (Vienna ring a bell? And I do want to say that I do actually like Vienna).

Most laughable moment from episode one: Tim who is an alcohol distributor got completely drunk to the point that he was unable to even have a conversation with Ashley, fell asleep, couldn't stand up, and was kicked off before the rose ceremony.

*Eliminated after the first episode: Anthony, Chris M., Frank, Jon, Michael, Rob, and Tim

Episode 2

Best Matthew McConaughy feel kinda guy: Nick. I don't know what it is but Nick reminds me of Matthew McConaughy. I loved the seen in the second episode where he teaches Ashley to line dance. I propose Nick for the next Bachelor.

Best One on One Date from episode two: Mickey. Visit to a giant wine cellar that isn't a cellar and dinner in a Penthouse in Las Vegas with an amazing view of the city. Mickey reveals he is an only child but has step siblings. His mom passed away six years ago but he tries to live his life in a way that would make her proud. Then they go outside where they have an impromptu beach party where Colbie Caillet sings. The dancing and the kiss between Ashley and Mickey is definitely hot. Can I just say if Mickey doesn't win he has an amazing chance of being the next Bachelor, Nick is really a long shot (we could see him on The Bachelor Pad?).

Most surprising moment from episode two: tie William and West. William revealed that like Ashley's father is father is an alcoholic except that William's father actually died from the disease. West revealed that his wife died.

Biggest Ass on the show: Bentley!

Worst line from episode 2: Bentley. "I'd rather swim in piss than plan a wedding with Ashley."

*Eliminated after the second episode: Matt, Stephen, and Ryan M.

Episode 3

Best moment that should have been good but wasn't: Jeff taking off the mask. They built it up and it turned out to be such a bomb that Jeff was eliminated at the end of the episode.

Biggest Ass (again)!: Bentley, I'm gonna make Ashley cry; I hope my hair looks good. You jerk! Bentley, what woman in America do you know who is going to actually be stupid enough to date you after this. Even Emily, who you said you really came here for doesn't like you or buy your story.

Best insert foot in mouth moment episode three: William. Some of the guys went on a group date where they had to roast Ashley. He made a joke saying they came here for Emily or Chantal and wound up with Ashley. Wow, William. I hope you are ready to do some major kissing up my friend. A front runner just moved to the back of the pack, right William?

Best One on One Date from episode three: J.P. Ashley, if you don't fall in love with J.P., I most certainly think I am going to. What is not to like about this tall, dark, handsome, and shy NYC cutie? I especially loved the part where they decided to change into pajamas and sit near the fire. Ashley kissed J.P. and commented, there is something about J.P.'s kisses, let's just say J.P. over Bentley in the kiss department. Ashley, I am so relieved to hear you say that because I could tell that Bentley kisses like a wuss just by looking at him. Plus, in the words of Jimmy Kimmel, who names their child after an obnoxious car? Thank you. And J.P. thank you.

*Eliminated after the third episode: Jeff and Chris D.

1+1=2

2011-05-31T20:33:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to stop thinking about Beyonce's performance of her single 1+1 last week at the American Idol finale among other things. Wow, Scotty, one of my top picks from the very beginning winning the whole thing was certainly an exciting moment for me, as was his performance with Tim McGraw. I loved Carrie Underwood performing with Lauren Alaina; Carrie, once in Lauren's spot is now Lauren's idol. I loved Jennifer Lopez and her husband Marc Anthony performing together; Aguanile should somehow be a hit right here in the United States. I have little to no idea what the song means but it sounds so good, and if that songs makes Jennifer move like that, imagine what it could do for the rest of us.

After what I learned tonight about Beyonce's new song, you could say it was a night of 1+1=2, because there were many wonderful duets. Apparently B's new track is produced by The Dream who I love not only as a producer but as an artist. His voice is so smooth and I would like to make the argument that these two should record this single as a duet because their voices together will no doubt sound amazing. Listen to both versions here: 1+1 and let me know what you think. Incidentally, Beyonce's new album 4 will be in stores later this month; it's one of the only albums on my list this summer. (I confess that last week I bought Brad Paisley's This Is Country Music, I love it, and more about it in an upcoming post).

American Idol Season 10: The Top 3 Who Will Make it to the Finals?

2011-05-18T18:49:00.000-07:00

Following the stunning departure of James Durbin last week I didn't have the energy to blog. Somehow as James said, I had a feeling it was him even though I didn't want it to be. Scotty has led arguably from start to finish. Lauren Alaina is everyone's little sister. Haley, well, she peaked at the right time.

So here we are, down to three:

Contestant's Choice Round 1:

01 Scotty sang Amazed by Lonestar-- Beyonce loved Scotty calling him an innocent, sweet, cutie pie.
Notable Judge's Comment: Steven said you keep getting better and better Scotty, you really took that song up a notch.

Scotty really impressed me with his vocal range in that song.
My score: 10

02 Lauren sang Wild One by Faith Hill-- Beyonce called Lauren incredible.
Notable Judge's Comment: Jennifer said you attacked it, it was very good.

I didn't love that the song was not particularly recognizable; however I loved Lauren's energy and emotion in the song. At this stage of the game, song choice plays a part.
My score: 9

03 Haley sang What Is and What Should Never Be by Led Zepplin-- Beyonce called Haley fearless and full of conviction.
Notable Judge's Comment: n.b. Haley fell on stage during this performance in front of the judge's table. Steven said, did you fall for me? It's not about how many times you fall, it's about how you get up. That was superb.

I must confess I loved Haley's fight in this song, and singing Led Zepplin is no easy feat. Would I say she was better than Scotty this round? No. I think she was different.
My Score: 10

This round goes to: (tie) Scotty and Haley

Jimmy's Choice Round 2:

01 Scotty sang Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not by Thompson Square--
Notable Judge's Comment: Randy said Jimmy picked a good song for you. It was a good chorus, right in your range, and you were approaching Garth Brooks territory.

I feel like Scotty improves and grows with each performance and Steven mentioned his delivery of the chorus in this song. It was amazing. I loved how he sang the chorus, he was feeling this song and perfectly in the zone.
My Score: 10

02 Lauren sang If I Die Young by The Band Perry--
Notable Judge's Comment: All the judges basically talked about the same things, Lauren's beautiful tone and the honesty that she gave with her performance.

Lauren's emotions were so close to the surface in this performance. I think she related to the song and connected to it in a way that was so special.
My Score: 9.75

03 Haley sang Rhianon by Fleetwood Mac
Notable Judge's Comment: Jennifer said I liked it but I thought you would take it a bit further than you did.

I like Haley and I liked this performance but a part of me resents that she waited this long to peak when Scotty has being gradually growing all season.
My Score: 9

This round goes to: Scotty

Judge's Choice Round 3:

01 Scotty sang She Believes in Me by Kenny Rogers--
Notable Judge's Comment: Jennifer said you really know how to hit a big chorus, good job baby, we're so proud of you.

I don't think this was the best song for Scotty, not sure what the judges were thinking here, but he is a definite pro and he made it work.
My Score: 9.9

02 Lauren sang I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack--
Notable Judge's Comment: Jennifer said you gave me goosies and that's how I know it's real.

Lauren's voice was amazing in this performance; I wish she always sang like this.
My Score: 10

03 Haley sang You Oughta Know by Alanis Morrisette--
Notable Judge's Comment: Randy said Haley you are in it to win it.

I must admit I did love this performance and I thought it was the most real of Haley's performances tonight, although not better than her first performance tonight.
My Score: 9.9

This round goes to: Lauren

Favorite Things

2011-05-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

I haven't written about some of my favorite things in a while, and I decided that since I had a running list of new "favorite things" in my mind it was time to empty the mental list and begin building a new one.

Friday Night Lights (television series)-- I could not resist any longer, I had to run out this past weekend and buy The Fifth and Final season of Friday Night Lights. My addiction has grown and now that the show is over I have no idea what I will do this fall when there are no spoilers online. I long to hear about all my favorite people from Dillon, Texas. Coach Taylor gets me every week, one of my favorite lines from television remains, "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose". In fact, I highly recommend buying all five seasons on DVD and reliving the series forever. Everything about Friday Night Lights was special, the characters, the script, the feel of Texas which bled through the screen to my soul. I felt every hit on the football field, every broken heart, and every tear shed by a character on Friday Night Light's was shed by me and then some. If that doesn't get you, I don't know what will. Oh, I know, maybe this clip will--- http://www.hulu.com/watch/149489/friday-night-lights-join-the-fight
or maybe this one--- http://www.nbc.com/friday-night-lights/video/out-of-my-house/1225837/ and don't forget this--- http://www.nbc.com/friday-night-lights/video/making-amends/1231378?auto=true

Cover Girl NatureLuxe Foundation-- I have been searching for many years now for a light liquid foundation and I found my foundation dream when I tried Cover Girl NatureLuxe Foundation. At a reasonable price of under $10, this foundation is awesome because it is light and you don't have to use a lot to accomplish a finished look. It's available at all major drug stores, and with Taylor Swift as the spokesperson and face of NatureLuxe, why wouldn't you want to give it a try?
http://www.covergirl.com/beauty-products/face-makeup/foundation-makeup/natureluxe-foundation I use alabaster!

Style Rush Black Heart Earrings-- Style Rush, according to a good friend of mine who is the founder and CEO says, it is, "Your one stop shop for fabulous fashion finds at unbeatable prices". And wow is she ever right! I especially am enjoying the black heart earrings this season, and at only $10 don't just buy yourself a pair but buy one for your best friend as well. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150158351640741&set=a.10150103870310741.279427.249340055740&type=1&theater Order right on the Style Rush Facebook page and she will send you all the info. http://www.facebook.com/pages/StyleRush/249340055740 This two year old company is heaven sent and my go-to for accessories and cute tops that I cannot find anywhere else unless I am willing to drop a small fortune. I recommend: everything!

One Life to Live (soap series)-- I know, I know. It's canceled and everyone is saying nothing can save it, but I will continue to have hope right up until the very last day (presumably sometime in January of 2012) because One Life to Live promotes a message of hope and what better way to honor it than to feel the same way. The message throughout is that we have "one life to live" and that love is indeed the answer. This probably means nothing to those who have never watched the show, but I urge you to turn on your TV if you are ever home in the middle of the day with nothing to do. I guarantee you, the show will draw you in with it's eccentric cast of characters. I have been watching it since I was a child, and I can honestly say January 2012 will be a sad one if the lights go out for good in the fictional town of Llanview, Pennsylvania. http://abc.go.com/shows/one-life-to-live

The Incredible (only at Victoria's Secret)-- The most comfortable bra, bar none, that I have ever worn in my life. Yes, it is pricey. Yes, do wait for a coupon. Yes, do sign up to receive mailings if you haven't already. It's incredible, it will make you feel incredible, and I cannot tell you enough, run out, try one on at VS and be amazed! http://www.victoriassecret.com/bras/incredible-by-victorias-secret

Ralph Lauren Lawton Sheets-- I was an old Fieldcrest Charisma fan. I refuse to part with those sheets, no matter how old they get. I have tried so many different sheets over the years and unfortunately I have been disappointed almost every time. A good friend recommended Ralph Lauren's Lawton Sheets to me and I could not be happier. They wrinkle much less than other sheets on the market today, they are cool and light and crisp, and the price is right if you want a better than good quality sheet. http://www.ralphlauren.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2781014

American Idol Season 10: The Top 5 Take Us from Now to Then

2011-05-04T16:39:00.001-07:00

Sheryl Crowe dropped by to coach the Idols this week. The mission: song from today and songs from back then (well, the 60s).

Today

01 James Durbin sang Closer to the Edge by 30 Seconds to Mars--
Most Memorable Comment(s): Randy saying you are in it to win it.
I have to be honest. I love 30 Seconds to Mars; they are an awesome contemporary rock group and they're putting rock back on the map. I did not like James singing that song. I usually understand what he is saying but I could not quite make out the words. It was a little bit disappointing to me.
Score: 9

02 Jacob Lusk sang No Air by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown--
Most Memorable Comment(s):
Jennifer said you need to find who you are and go for it. Randy said I don't think that's the right direction for you. Most of it was sung sharp. I don't see you as Chris Brown or Jordin Sparks; I see you as more of Luther Vandross. Steven said don't try to do other people; go out there, and find the perfect song for you.
I completely agree with Randy. Jacob chose the wrong song, and I understand him wanting to do contemporary but this wasn't right for him.
Score: 9

03 Lauren Alaina sang Flat on the Floor by Carrie Underwood--
Most Memorable Comment(s):
Randy liked her song choice. Steven said I think you're it. Jennifer said continue rising to the top like that.
I like Lauren, but again the song choice was lacking for me. I think a ballad Carrie Underwood song would have been a better choice. We have seen Lauren sing lots of uptempo songs across the course of the season, and I would liked to see something different. This to me did not show versatility.
Score: 9

04 Scotty McCreery sang Gone by Montgomery Gentry--
Most Memorable Comment(s):
Steven said you've been a Puritan but I saw you dance with the devil tonight. Jennifer said I loved it, I was so excited to see you having so much fun on that stage. Randy said I felt like we were sitting at the Scotty concert; I didn't know you could rock out like that.
I personally cannot wait to be at a Scotty McCreery concert and I think I want front row tickets. This kid can sing and perform; he is the whole package and almost a shoe in for the finale.
Score: 10

05 Haley Reinhart sang You and I (previously unreleased) by Lady Gaga--
Most Memorable Comment(s):
Jennifer said I'm not sure this was such a good idea. I think you should have chosen something that everyone knows now. Randy said I don't know that that song did you any favors. Steven said it's always beautiful when you can sing a song you don't know and make it work.
There were some parts of this where Haley showed brilliance and there were other parts that weren't so good. I tend to agree with Jen and Randy on this.
Score: 9

The 60s

01 James Durbin sang Without You by Harry Nilsson--
Most Memorable Comment(s):
Randy said this is the mark of a true performer and it was emotionally perfect. Steven said when a song and your emotions meet, that's crazy beautiful. Jennifer said you aren't just a rocker, you have the heart and soul to back it up. You're a true artist and you're amazing.
I could tell that this song and its message meant something to James. I think what Jennifer said was perfectly put.
Score: 10

02 Jacob Lusk sang Love Hurts by Nazareth--
Most Memorable Comment(s):
Steven said I am a sucker for passion and the delivery was beautiful. Jennifer said you brought it to a beautiful place at the end even after your small bobble in the middle. Randy said you redeemed yourself after the first performance.
I think this was leaps and bounds better than his first performance. Although the song is a rock song, Jacob put a gospel spin on it, and the end was amazing.
Score: 9.9

03 Lauren Alaina sang Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers--
Most Memorable Comment(s):
Jennifer said it was beautiful and there was nothing to judge and Steven echoed the sentiment. Randy said you sing like a bird.
Wow, her performance of that song took my breath away. She really impressed me singing that song.
Score: 10

04 Scotty McCreery sang You Were Always on My Mind by Elvis Presley--
Most Memorable Comment(s):
Jennifer called him a well rounded artist, so beautiful, so comfortable in your own skin, a true performer. Randy said I told you before, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I love it dude. Steven called it a beautiful rendition of the song.
I don't know what else to say other than what I have said before. I think Scotty is awesome and I actually like what Sheryl Crowe said, she wants him to move to Nashville and somehow she wants to be involved in his career.
Score: 10

05 Haley Reinhart sang The House of the Rising Song by The Animals--
Most Memorable Comment(s):
Randy called it the performance of the night. Jeniffer said that song has never been sung like that before; great job. Steven echoed the sentiments.
I too, as someone who did not care for Haley much in the beginning, felt like that was an absolutely amazing performance. She took a risk coming out and singing acapella like that and it paid off.
Score: 10

I favor Jennifer's sentiment at the end, I would not want to be the sole decider of who gets voted off tomorrow night.

American Idol Season 10: The Top 6 Cover Carole King

2011-04-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry this post is so late, it's not that I wasn't inspired last night.

Jacob was up first and he sang, Oh No Not My Baby--
Pluses: Jacob told brought it back to his comfort zone which is Gospel music. I think it was one of his best performances of the entire season.
Minuses: He went sharp in a few areas and he was in the bottom three last week.
Notable Judge's Comment: Steven said, "we all knew you could sing but when you strut like that, that's the magic."
Score: 9

Lauren sang Where You Lead--
Pluses: This is a young woman with talent and charisma, she is top three bound for sure. Jennifer said she was pushing and that she is so proud of her. She responds well to judges' criticism because Randy said she came out with a vengeance, and he urged her to do this for herself, and continue to go hard.
Minuses: Will Lauren stop being so sweet and start competing, her song was a little bit too safe.
Score: 9

* Hayley and Casey sang I Feel the Earth Move-- This was a great duet; their voices work so well together.

Scotty sang You've Got a Friend--
Pluses: This was a truly flawless performance that showed that Scotty is not just a country singer but a singer. It came across very sincere and I have never heard Scotty sound better. This guy could go all the way.
Minuses: Were there any?
Score: 10

James sang Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow--
Pluses: Jennifer called it a magical performance and noted James's consistency. This guy has never faltered throughout the whole competition. Randy said you're not just a rock singer but a great singer. You might just win this whole thing.
Minuses: I have nothing to say.
Score: 10

* Scotty and Lauren sang Up On the Roof-- These two singing together can do no wrong.

Casey Abrams sang Hi-De-Ho--
Pluses: In true Casey form it was unique.
Minuses: Was this performance enough to keep him out of the bottom three? At this point I am not sure.
Score: 9

Haley Reinhart sang Beautiful--
Pluses: Haley has finally found who she is as a singer. She is bluesy and did you ever notice how she has those high cheek bones, a-la Mariah Carey?
Minuses: Did the lovely Haley take too long to find herself in a competition that has 6 people left? I sure hope not.
Score: 9.5

* Jacob and James sang Something Tells Me-- I found this a little bit of an odd pairing, but I was pleasantly surprised with the performance and vocals.

American Idol Season 10: The Top 7 Sing Songs from the 21st Century

2011-04-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

The show opened with all the Idol contestants who have been voted off so far singing, what else, "So What" by Pink. So what is that we want most of you to come back. ;-) Tonight is all about songs from the 21st century, and what better than a song by Pink, a major artist of "now".

01. Scotty McCreery sang "Swingin'" by Leann Rimes-- Steven said he likes Scotty's voice and said that was Scotty's equivalent of the Rolling Stones. Jennifer loves Scotty's storytelling quality but expected more from him. Randy echoed Jennifer and felt it was too safe a performance for this week. I agree that maybe it was not Scotty's best performance or the best choice; however, judges if you don't think the song was good, suggest what you think he should have sung. Lay it all out and be specific and constructive. Scotty has a following though, expect lots of votes for him, even though this was "safe".
Score: 9

02. James Durbin sang "Uprising" by Muse-- Jennifer said that was the highest we've ever heard you sing; amazing! Randy said I am gonna go out on a limb and say that's the best performance of the night. You are unbelievable up there; that's a great song from one of my favorite bands, Muse. Steven said, stay out of my closet, you'd be surprised how expensive it is to look this cheap. That was a crazy good performance! James keeps growing, not only as a singer but as an artist with a vision.
Score: 10

03. Hayley Reinhart sang "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele-- Randy said you chose a perfect direction for you, great performance, well done. He said when you hit some of the falsetto notes you went sharp. Steven said, you know what I'm gonna say, yea baby. Jennifer said that's a tough song to do right now because everyone is so familiar with it, and you brought a little bit of Hayley to it, and that's where it shined. I agree most with Randy, it was one of her better performances, but the parts where she went sharp sounded almost forced, so she needs to be careful.
Score: 9.5

04 Jacob Lusk sang "Dance With My Father" by Luther Vandross-- Steven said you are so good and your father is up there listening and that's a beautiful thing. Jennifer said it was an emotionally beautiful performance. Randy agreed with what Jennifer said and added that vocally it was good but urged him to go for it and not hold back, and to bring back the church boy. I agree, Jacob needed to take this over the top vocally, and it fell short of that. He should have sang the bridge of the song which was not included in this version. I want to hear the Jacob that sang God Bless the Child
Score: 9

05 Casey Abrams sang "Harder to Breathe" by Maroon 5-- Jennifer said I loved the performance and you took a pop rock song and took it all the way rock. Randy said I enjoyed that; continue to take chances. I love it; I can't wait to see what you do every week. Steven said you are already a cult hero. I have to say I agree with Randy, I love how Casey is so outside the box from everyone else; it's really impressive. He is just so far beyond his years.
Score: 9.9

06 Stefano Langone sang "Closer" by Neyo-- Randy said you turned me around, you took your time on the verses, and worked out the dance steps. Steven said, good job, you did it. Jennifer said really good job baby, you brought it, you had the swagger, turned it up. It felt like a concert and you really brought yourself to it. I think Stefano was smokin' tonight, he grows every single week, and that means so much in a competition like this.
Score: 10

07. Lauren Alaina sang "Born to Fly" by Sara Evans-- Steven said you're so good naturally but sing something by Allison Krauss, Faith Hill, or Shania Twain. Jennifer and Randy said you can sing anything, you sang back and forth with Steven when we first met you. Jennifer said you're amazing and Randy said, challenge yourself. I think the best is yet to come from Lauren and she has to believe in herself cause it's like she isn't sure of how good she actually is.
Score: 9.9

Power Rankings: Truly, your guess is as good as mine! These people are all amazing.

American Idol Season 10: The Top 8 Take Us to the Movies

2011-04-13T17:01:00.000-07:00

Well I have finally began picking up the pieces following last week's devastatingly shocking results show. For those who haven't been tuned in this past week, Pia Toscano, my personal favorite female in the competition this season and one of my favorite females ever, was voted off last results show. It was proof to me that anything can happen and will; Ryan pointed out how much uncertainty is present. That also goes for balance; there are six men left in this competition and two women. Who would have thought? Certainly not me. I thought that this was the year of the lady as weeks went on. I thought there would be more of a balance right to the finish. I thought Pia would finish in the top three, this completely threw my thoughts about Season 10 into a spin.

Without further adieu....

01 Paul McDonald sang Old Time Rock And Roll by Bob Seger from the movie Risky Business-- Jennifer felt he went further this week and comes out a little more polished every week. Randy said this could be the first song at your concert; I loved it. I love who you are definitely an artist. This week, I am just going to say I agree with the judges remarks; I think they are spot on and hopefully the performances will dictate who goes home this week. Paul is a natural born performer with a gift, no doubt he will go far.
Score: 9

02 Lauren Alaina sang The Climb by Miley Cyrus from the movie Hannah Montana: The Movie-- Jennifer said you sang that so beautifully. Randy said the Lauren we originally saw is roaring back. You sang that song like it was for you; that was amazing. Steven said you move me beyond tears. I loved Lauren's performance; I thought this was the perfect song choice for her and I loved the country spin she put on the song.
Score: 9.7

03 Stefano Langone sang End of the Road by Boyz II Men from the movie Boomerang-- Randy said you slayed it, your best performance to date on that stage, Stefano is in it to win it. Steven said you know how to milk a song and this is just the beginning for you. Jennifer said she recalls a conversation she had with Stefano when she told him what it takes to be a performer and she said in that moment she knew he understood and tonight he proved it on the stage. You did it. That is one of my favorite songs ever and I loved the way that Stefano sang it. There was a lot of emotion behind it, he really left it up on the stage, and I hope he's here for a while.
Score: 10

04 Scotty McCreery sang I Cross My Heart by George Strait from the movie Pure Country-- Steven said I love your voice and I think America has fallen in love with your voice. Jennifer said wow, it wouldn't have been my choice for you, but you sang that beautifully. Randy said, if it ain't broke, don't even consider fixing it. I love you returning to your roots, I loved that song for you. A star is born on that stage; I am a huge ginormous fan; that was hot! Scotty is an absolute star and he makes me so happy every time he steps on the stage. I know he has a career no matter what, and he has a good shot at winning this.
Score: 10

05 Casey Abrams sang Nature Boy by Nat King Cole from the movie Nature Boy-- Jennifer said I hope that people get that, we need artists like you. Randy said I don't think we've ever had anyone like you on the show before. He called it brilliant and genius and said he could be jamming on a stage with Herbie Hancock. Steven called Casey an artist in the truest sense of the word. I think I can meet the judges halfway on this. I do think Casey is special and I love that he's an artist and he has a jazz style. I do have to say that I feel since the finals have gone on he has lost a little bit of his edge. I do think he is a crazy talented musician and artist though.
Score: 9

06 Hayley Reinhart sang Call Me by Blondie from the movie American Gigolo-- Randy said I didn't love the beginning because it didn't show what you have in this stage of the competition. The beginning sounded a little bit karaoke. Steven said, I loved when you hit the chorus. Jennifer said I agree more with Randy and I want you think more about song selection and how important that is. She said, Hayley, you're a contender and you deserve to be here. I agree most with Jennifer, I don't want Hayley to go home because I think at this stage she has fought tooth and nail to be here. She doesn't deserve to go home.
Score: 9.5

07 Jacob Lusk sang Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel from the movie The Pursuit of Happiness-- Steven called his voice angelic Jennifer said you're such a gifted vocalist and it comes from such a special place; you give me the chills. Randy called his song choice perfect and said when Jacob sings he believes every word. The song honestly brought tears to my eyes. Jacob said when he was singing that song he thought about all the tough times he's been through and how his family, friends, and a higher power helped him through it. This young man is so gifted and so inspiring.
Score: 10

08 James Durbin sang Heavy Metal by Sammy Hagar from the movie Heavy Metal-- Jennifer said that felt so real to me; good job baby! Randy said this in unbelievable man; Durbin rocks! Steven said that was great man; glad you got that out. I thought that was amazing and I hope I get to go see James Durbin in concert in a couple of years.
Score: 10

I have to say that I love all these performers (Pia included), each of them brings something new, special, and different to the table and I wish all of them could be rewarded with a record contract. There is nothing that has brought me more pleasure than sitting down every week and watching each of them perform this season. I truly think that each of them is an artist with great talent.

Pia can belt out a ballad like no one's business

James is a rocker through and through

Jacob takes us to church every week with his gospel voice

Hayley has that smoldering bluesy voice

Casey is just a throwback to jazz

Scotty is a pure country superstar

Stefano is a crooner and he makes the ladies cry

Lauren is our young country lady

Paul is just such a natural soft rock performer

Good Luck to America cause whoever gets sent home; I will be sad.

American Idol Season 10: The Top 9 Rock n' Roll is Here to Stay!

2011-04-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

Steven Tyler opened the show with a little tour of the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. All the ladies will be dress in clothes from Gwen Stefani's clothing line, L.A.M.B. Will.i.am mentored along with Jimmy Iovine this week.

01 Jacob Lusk sang Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson-- Steven called it beautiful and well done. Jennifer said when you sing you prove that when you believe in yourself and do what's right, it works. Randy said that was hot, there were Jacob moments all over this performance. I loved the richness of Jacob's voice in this performance; this was a definite Jacob performance for me. It was my personal favorite of his since he began his journey in the finals. I feel Michael would have been happy with this, and as Randy said, good for him for having the courage to change his song and sing something that meant something to him.
Score: 9.9

02 Haley Reinhart sang Piece of my Heart by Janis Joplin-- Jennifer said, Haley, you're showing that you're a contender. Randy said that was the Haley we first saw and fell in love with. Steven loved the whole performance and said she nailed the sound that Janis Joplin created. You know, last year I loved Crystal Bowersox and she had a song similar to Haley's albeit Crystal had a less gravelly voice, but Haley just does not blow me away. I liked her voice in this but there didn't seem to be much feeling or emotion behind it. It's like she was not as connected to the song as she should have been. Haley, I welcome your voice back, but the rest of you needs to come with it.
Score: 8

03 Casey Abrams sang Have You Ever Seen the Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival-- Randy said you made CCR proud; I liked you bringing the bass into it. Steven said you're not just a singer, you're a musician; I don't know anyone who can play the stand up bass. Jennifer said, that's where you belong on stage with your bass, and I'm paying top dollar to sit in the first row. I liked this performance but I didn't love it, it was a little lackluster for me. There wasn't a lot that was special about it, yes Casey is musical but I think there needs to be more.
Score: 8

04 Lauren Alaina sang Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin-- Steven said I loved your voice, I think you're great. Jennifer said, you're amazing. Randy said you picked one of the toughest songs, and you did a good job, so props to you on that. This was a good performance and Lauren was in the pocket; however, something Randy said is true. There have been contestants in past seasons that have completely blown me away with that song, namely Kelly Clarkson. For me, the minute Kelly sang that song and performed it the way she did, she clinched the competition for me. I still remember the high note.
Score: 9

05 James Durbin sang While My Guitar Gently Weeps by George Harrison-- Jennifer said it was great to see this other side of you, this vulnerability. Randy said I loved seeing the emotional side of James Durbin. You have to take chance to be an artist, and you did; good job dog. Steven said that was a really proud moment for you, thanks for sharing that man. It was amazing to see James perform that song and to hear him perform it like that. I am so used to seeing this energetic guy, and to see that was beautiful.
Score: 10

06 Scotty McCreery sang That's All Right Mama by Elvis Presley-- Randy said Scotty is in it to win it and proved he is no one trick pony. Steven said I hope that kind of music comes back because you do it so well. Jennifer said I love how you had fun up there; loved the whole thing. I feel that this was another amazing performance by Scotty and I feel the whole country music world is going to embrace this kid because he is so talented.
Score: 10

07 Pia Toscano sang River Deep Mountain High by Tina Turner-- Steven said you killed it, a million guys in a million bars are thinking of you tonight. Jennifer said, check, vocally, you proved to everyone you can sing an uptempo song. You're amazing, spectacular, keep studying and work on performance. Randy said you delivered on the uptempo, find your vibe because you're in it to win it. Wow, this was seamless as always. Pia's vocals always impress the hell out of me! She definitely has a natural ability to sing, similar to Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera. Go Pia!
Score: 10

08 Stefano Langone sang When a Man Loves a Woman by Percy Sledge-- Jennifer said it was beautiful and it had another layer of emotion to it. It sounded like you were actually singing to someone or about someone for the first time. I knew you had it in you. Randy said it was a little bit jerky. Steven said he liked the range in his voice and complimented him on the emotion behind the song. This started out a little rough, and I am surprised that the judges didn't say anything because it sounded like he was on top of the note. However, what I will say is Stefano brought it home, and this performance had something none of his other performances have had: emotion.
Score: 9.5

09 Paul McDonald sang Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash-- Randy said Paul, three words: I love it. Steven echoed the sentiment. Jennifer said I loved it, it was right in your lane and the perfect way to end the show. What I really loved about it besides Paul's originality was the rawness and the authenticity he brought to the performance. Paul is the true definition of an artist to me.
Score: 9.9

Power Rankings:
1. James Durbin
1. Scotty McCreery
1. Pia Toscano
4. Jacob Lusk
4. Paul McDonald
6. Stefano Langone
7. Lauren Alaina
9. Hayley Reinhart
9. Casey Abrams

American Idol Season 10: The Top 11 (Again!) Interpret Elton John

2011-03-31T08:12:00.001-07:00

The show opened in true dramatic form as always because now that the "Judge's Save" has been used, there are no more second chances.

01 Scotty McCreery sang Country Comfort-- Steven said you didn't it again for me. Jennifer said you have amazing instincts about performing, you're right on, never doubt yourself. Randy said it's like you are already a seasoned performer, and I am at your show. Scotty is brave because he takes songs that have a really different sound and he makes them his own.
Score: 9

02 Naima Adedapo sang I'm Still Standing-- Jennifer said I don't know if that song should have been flipped, but I love how you performed. Randy said it came off kind of corny and that's not who you are. Steven said good for you for picking a song that actually fits you. I actually think she took a risk and it paid off. I agree with Steven; I liked what she brought to the song.
Score: 9

03 Paul McDonald sang Rocket Man-- Randy said I think you're holding back; I want you to push more. Jennifer echoed the sentiment. Steven said I loved your voice and the day you start hitting every note I am not going to like you anymore. I can name five singers out there right now that don't hit every note, and that's my cup of tea. I like you; I like your character. I don't think this was Paul's best performance by a long shot, but he does deserve to be here.
Score: 7

04 Pia Toscano sang Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me-- Steven said ballads are who you are. Jennifer said I feel you trying to push through that barrier on the performance side of things. Randy made it clear that Pia can sing, he just wants her to show more of what she has to offer by singing different types of songs. To me, Pia is one of the most consistent people in this competition and she definitely makes the right song choices to showcase her vocal skills.
Score: 9

05 Stefano Langone sang Tiny Dancer-- Jennifer said I felt you moved the crowd today; you made a connection. Randy said I liked that you made a connection with the audience, you moved around the stage, and you hit the money notes every time. Steven said, you nailed it, you connected with the audience; it was really good. Stefano has proven that he can take feedback and criticism and turn it around into a positive performance. This is something that real stars do and he doesn't deserve to be in that bottom three this week.
Score: 9.5

06 Lauren Alaina sang Candle in the Wind-- Randy called it one of the best Lauren Alaina performances and said she is a pro who can do anything if she believes in herself. He said it was very hot. Steven said we knew what you were about the first night we met you and that was perfect. Jennifer said that was amazing, you sounded gorgeous, that was "it" baby; best of the night. Lauren's performance was really unforgettable tonight, she proved that she has star quality.
Score: 10

07 James Durbin sang Saturday Night's All Right-- Steven said you brought the heat, you go where other people don't go, you have a great rock voice. Jennifer and Randy both said that it was a great performance. He got everyone involved to the point that they forgot it was a competition.
Score: 10

08 Thia Megia sang Daniel-- Randy said there were some pitch issues here and there and it may have been a little bit too safe. Jennifer and Steven both agreed that she picked the right song for her voice. I think Thia has been spared one too many times, and I don't think any of her performances have been strong enough to warrant her going any further. She is a really sweet girl though.
Score: 7

09 Casey Abrams sang Your Song-- Randy said saving you was one of the greatest saves we've had on this show. Your performance was tender, well done. Steven said, you sing different every time and that's what a great artist does. Jennifer said I didn't lose an ounce of sleep saving you; your performance tonight was sweet. I still don't think this was Casey's best but it is leaps in the right direction. The Casey I loved before is definitely back.
Score: 9.5

10 Jacob Lusk sang Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word-- Steven loved the whole performance. Jennifer loved the arrangement of the song, and the final note; she called it very Jacob. Randy said pick one spot in the song where you go all the way because the first half of the performance was great. I have a lot of friends who think Casey is a lock to win this thing, but I told them to be weary of certain people, and one of them is Jacob and this performance has proven that.
Score: 10

11 Haley Reinhart sang Benny and the Jets-- Jennifer said it all came together for you tonight, amazing. Randy called it the best performance of the night. Steven said, you sing sexy. I agree this was by far Haley's performance but I don't know if it redeems her or saves her from a string of not so good performances.
Score: 10 (for tonight)

I have no clue who should be going home tonight. I just hope the public got it right.