Best Idol EVAR Question Mark

Let's talk about the American Idol Top 24 of 2008. I would like to talk about my current favorites for the girls. (For the guys, there's only one I really like and he's an Aussie. There's also another one, but it's too early to tell.) First off, with the exception of that one guy, the girls really have a strong bunch this year. They're all pretty much, well, pretty. That's nice, but can they sang? Most can sing and that's good enough for me.

My first favorite is Brooke White. Ever since I found out she has never seen a rated R movie, I thought 'wow, how interesting'. That in itself should not be the basis of me liking her, but there's something that gravitates me to her. It's probably because she's made of sunshine. Very pretty sunshine. However, I really like her auditions. She can sing really well, but I was not wowed by her first top 24 performance this week. She was still attractive and she sung it well enough, but it does not keep her safe from elimination. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

There's also Ramiele Malubay. I don't think I have to explain why? I'm going to anyway: she's Filipino and she's short. Why do I care that she's short? Well, I'm short and I think I've developed a complex about my height. No, actually I now I have. So it's nice to know there are decent-sized people out there. The fact that she's Filipino makes me proud, but there have been other Pinoys in AI before. It's just that Malubay is way better than any of them. I can actually root for her and not feel ashamed that I'm doing it for her ethnicity, because she can sing too. I'm just hoping that she does not get voted off before she can show her chops.

Nice tidbit: Apparantly, my neighbor's friend's son is Malubay's boyfriend. Gossip that I shouldn't be spreading? Hearsay you say? Maybe. But that sorta makes me famous. And Jealous. More jealous, though. I guess Malubay is just going to have to break his heart when I win her over with my pure awesomeness.

Make up your mind! Brooke or Ramiele! Easy. (Pikachu, I choose you!) Alaina Whitaker, I choose you, but you're only 16 so I choose Kady Malloy instead. I was pleasantly surprised by her performance her vocal ability. I thought she would be your typical good-looking-but-average singer. Turns out her performance was more than above average. Judges didn't like it one bit, but who cares. Malloy did have a killer Britney Spears impersonation, my friends. (Is there anyone else?)

And to round out the really strong (and did I mention pretty?) top 12 girls is Carly Smithson. She did some damage control by telling us that she was signed by a record label when she was younger, but they became defunct before anything good could come from it. What does she have going for her? I believe she has the strongest voice of any of the girls. Plus she's 24 years-old, which makes me happy because if there's another complex I have aside from my height, it's my age. Let's just say, Smithson and I could almost be in the same grade. Almost. Back to her performance. I thought it was strong and almost at the level of 'blowing-houses-down', but I will save those descriptions for future performances when the competition gets real hot.

What have we learned? The girls are pretty and they can sing. I'm gonna call the American Idol producers and ask if they could vote two more guys tomorrow night instead of two girls.

Phat Phantom Beatz (with a Z)

Maybe I was just really sleepy, but I could not fall asleep in my own bed last night.  When I laid down to sleep, I heard this muffled thumping beat.  It wasn't loud enough to wake up my brothers, but it was loud enough to annoy me.  The weird part was I only heard it when I was in my bed.  When I got up to search for the sound it stopped!  I know what a vibrating phone sounds like and it was not that.  Even that would have been better sleep music (like a trapped robot mouse trying to escape a desk drawer).  Nor was it someone blasting "awesome" beats out of their pimped-out auto.  I opened the window to give the owners a piece of my mind, but I didn't hear it.  

Eventually I gave up.  I cursed my bed and took my sheets to the basement.  I ended up sleeping on the uncomfortable couch-- not the nice leather one in the living room (the room has funny shadows).  On the way down I almost fell down the stairs and I'm pretty sure I saw a ghost.  Note to self:  sleep early next time to avoid poltergeists.

It was 4 am when I woke up to go back to my own bed to avoid my aunt from waking up and seeing me on the couch.  I think I dreamed that I was back at work again.  The funny thing is I felt peaceful knowing I was employed, even though I left that hell hole that had been stressing me out ever since.  Maybe being unemployed has made me develop calluses towards teaching.  Hopefully I'll be back on my feet sometime before living at home isn't cute anymore.  Maybe then I can escape these phantom beats.

And dream about not working.

Quick: Lost Heroes Push Daisies

Oh Em Gee.  How good is this 4th (shortened) season of Lost?!  Just finished watching the third episode when it aired tonight.  All I have to say is, I feel bad for people who have not seen Lost from beginning all the way up to now.  I don't think I've spoken much about Lost on Lips Like Asukal, but this third episode of the 4th season has pumped me up.  The first two were great, but wow, the flash forwards elevate this show to another level.

Props to Sayid's character though.  He has to be one of my favorites, and I'm glad they focused on him this episode.  Of course most of the characters in Lost are complex, but having an Iraqi of the former Republican guard deal with getting off the island (via flash backs) adds to his stern nature.  Don't Eff with Sayid.  But then you get to the cliff hanger and, not to spoil anything, but you have to wonder how evil (or Not) is the guy that Sayid works for.

Hooray for the writers coming back.  Supposedly, they're going to pop out 5 more episodes to make the total season four episodes reach a mini-season of 13 episodes.  Whatever.  It's not the 16 episodes originally plan, but hopefully the things that get cut out are just fillers.

In Heroes news, volume 3, which was supposed to be the second half of this season, will be returning this fall instead of this spring.  Surprisingly, I am not upset about it.  I'm still pretty bummed by volume 2.  I feel like they should just kill off annoying cry babies like Claire.

Pushing Daisies won't be back this Spring, but at least it's been picked up for this Fall.  I guess fans can consider this season like mini-pies that Chuck, I believe, mentioned on the show.  I don't know what's sweeter, the show, pies, or Charlotte.  The DVD set, which will be smaller than a full season, should at least come with a free pie.

Ciao for now.

Writer's Guild of America, Deactivate!

Just some thoughts on the impending end of the writers strike:  okay, can we get on with our real lives?  I am 100% in support of unions, but I usually associate them with workers of the middle to working class.  I am pretty sure these writers aren't struggling.  The worst thing that can happen to them is writer's block.  It's actually a little unfair that the writers guild of america gets all this publicity when real unions like the united federation of teachers (workers who matter?) do not get as much support.  Sure I'm a little biased (as a former and future teacher), but in general, I just hope other unions will get the same support as the writers did.  That's just in case I go on strike in the future for a little more cash-- I will have the future of America's youth in my hands.  So pay up.

Go, unions!

As for the writers, well, why do I have to wait for a new Pushing Daisies?  And it's not fair that Lost's story will have to be adjusted.  Couldn't have the studios just waited for next season so that we could have a full season, instead of this 8 episode tease?  The show doesn't even have any reveals anymore.  I can't keep track of all these questions.  Though Pushing Daisies did have a nice cliffhanger, which will have to suffice.

By the way, I heard Kristen Bell will be filming a romantic comedy (ugh) soon.  I guess I'm going to have to suck it up and let the world see me watch one of "those" movies in public. (What can I say that I haven't already said about my VM obsession?  Just don't tell everyone that I'm still in the middle of season 2. ;))

Juno Review

I am so glad I did not see Juno weeks ago when it was the "in" thing to do. It's not because I try hard to go against the grain (trust me, I am more pop and straight edge than most guys). It's mainly because I refused to watch a movie that potentially looked great but was being marketed as a Michael Cera film. Folks, if you think Juno is a Superbad, then you will be extremely disappointed, and rightfully so. Juno is not one of those movies. But since I have been in an extended vacation (i.e. resigned months ago from work), I have begun consuming large amounts of movie mush (that, and also I eat too much ;)).

So I just saw Juno sans the hype (I was bored this Friday night) and I was nicely blown away. I won't herald it as being one of my top favorite movies ever, but it is definitely highly recommended. I must repeat: I am glad that this movie was not like Superbad (though I did love Superbad). Juno is a very character driven movie-- a nice change of pace from your popcorn movies (gotta switch'em up every now and then). I could not predict what was going to happen next because it played slow in the beginning, but I was still very interested in the characters.

I did laugh outloud a couple of times (5 or 6 times?) and I smile alot too. But I was really impressed that Juno got a little serious towards the end (take that, stupid marketing ploys). Hallelujah, the story became juicy. There was some tension all thanks to the great roles of Jason Bateman and Jennifer Gardner. First off, yay for Arrested Development alumni! But I have to say that Bateman and Gardner really stole a part of the movie. I really did feel weird from the relationship that developed between Bateman and Ellen Page (Juno). I am convinced that Bateman can act in a drama. Cool bonus. Also, I never really liked anyting Garner was in. Maybe I just haven't watched enough of her movies, but she played a great weird baby-loving mother-to-be. Really great casting all around. J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney were solid too.

There was actually some meaning in this movie and tugged on some heart strings. (Again, glad that Juno was not the comedy that it was marketed as.)

Enjoy Juno.




Big ups to Cera and Bateman. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that AD movie rumor.