TV Talk: American Idol 2009....I'm back!!

Ok so I may have been gone for a while but I am back...and so is American Idol!!!

My attempt at a Live blog this evening will begin....

Ok, let me start off by saying I skipped over all the auditions and hollywood week for my blog but I did watch. Overall I was actually kind of disgusted with some of the final choices they made for the Top 36 for this season. It really seemed that they didn't go with quality as they have in the past and I wonder if that is because of this new way they are doing things that I am not even really sure I understand just yet anyway. I will say I think a big part of their problem is the addition of Kara the 4th judge. I hate her. I really tried to give her a chance but I think she screwed it up this year. She was so focused on people's "schtick" to get them through that I think her influence on Paula and Randy to spice it up is what put people through that didn't deserve and dropped people who could actually sing. In the past Simon was the voice of reason and the other two didn't fight it as much but I think he got out voted because from watching them tell the contestants I think he agreed with me on the ones that should not have gone through to the show.

Now, I am still not exactly how this whole Top 36 thing is suppossed to work but we will figure that out together.

First up...JackieTohn-Let me just say this...Ew! I said during Hollywood week that I think this girl could be my this year's "carly"-I didnt like her at Hollywood and I REALLY didn't like her tonight. And let's not even TALK about her outfit. I agreed with Simon 100% tonight-blah blah blah send her home please.

Next up is Ricky Braddy-Nice voice. Not really very memorable and that could hurt him but I did like his singing. I think Simon nailed it when he said he was a good singer but didn't show much personality b/c he seemed like a shy guy and that could make him easily overlooked.

And PLEASE someone tell Kara she does NOT have to put her mouth right up on the mic when she gives her feedback?? UGH....it is gonna be a long season with her on the panel-I just know it!!

*Sidebar*: What is with the parents talking after each performance?I don't care about the families right now....I will care later when I know who is really gonna stick around (I know it sounds heartless but at this stage I want to see the performances not the families-let their singing tell the story not outside influences) and WOW on putting ALL the performances on itunes-Cha-ching! Smart hooking up with itunes!!

#3-Alexis Grace-Enjoyed her performance. Nothing overly standing out to me but she did well I thought and it was a good song choice. She has evolved from the audition and I didn't love her but didn't hate her. I think she has definate potential so I will keep watching her...

#4 Brent Keith-Seems like a nice person, not bad to look at either so that doesn't hurt. His performance was ok. Not bad. Interesting song-has potential but doesn't stand out to me just yet. I think he could do country well but I want to see more of what he can do-not just a niche type song.

#5 Stevie Wright-This is the girl Ben liked at Hollywood. I think she had a rough have stuart-vocals started out a little rough but got better as she got more comfortable with her performance.She is only 17 so I imagine its a little intimidating on that stage:) She needs to breathe a little in the singing but she has potential. Good type of song choice in that shows she probably wants to be that young pop star type. Not sure if her performance will be memorable enough to carry her through though...

#6 Anoop Desai-Well he is the first one to give me chills so that says something. I liked this guy at the auditions and I didn't think I would but there is just something about him. He has a good voice and has shown he can do different types of music. He seems to really have fun and have heart and I like that he picks the songs because he liked it.I will give him a vote. I hope he is around a bit.

#7 Casey Carlson-Ok...she makes some funny faces when she sings and I could see her doing stage performances and stuff but I don't know if she has a strong enough voice to pull it out in this group. She is not horrid but not really the best song I think. I think she could do better but I think it wasn't her best and the song choice was what really hurt her.

*Ok-I REALLY hate Kara the judge. I think she was unneccesarily mean when she talked to the last girl. Simon can be mean but his criticism still comes off aa serious criticism not snarky mean stuff. I REALLY don't like her. Can you tell??

#8 Michael Sarver-I really liked this guy during the audtions and Hollywood week. He kind of reminds me of my cousin lol.His performance was not bad. I think he was a little nervous on the "performance" part. Its hard to be up in front of people and know what to do with yourself while you sing but I thought his vocals were not bad and as far as the guys in this group go he is in my top two with Anoop being the other. And he just has a quailty about him that makes him memorable and likable. I have hopes for him. And he isn't bad looking either so at least its not a bad face to keep around lol

#9 Ann Marie Boskovich-Not bad song choice if you ask me. I think she did a pretty good job and will be memorable. Definately one of the better women from this evening so far. Her and Alexis would be my top 2 females for the night. She has a good voice and definately has potential to do well.
(Even Randy is kind of an a** tonight. Him and Kara are like the downers-even Simon has not been as negative in a wishy washy fishy sort of way. And I REALLY hate Kara and the way she doesn't purses her lips when she talks) I thought the judges on a whole were a bit overly critical based on her performance-especially considering these are the same judges who put through that Norman guy!!!

#10 Stephen Fowler - Not bad.Not overly exciting but not as horrible as the judges make it sound. Don't know that he will be memorable enough to get enough votes.

#11 Tatiana Del Toro - (ok someone has got to talk to her about that pink lipstick!)Hated her in auditions. Hated her in Hollywood...and who the heck does she think she is to sing a Whitney Houston song???? I will say she is not bad and her voice is definately not the worst that was up there tonight by any means. I still not a fan but I do feel her singing showed her ability a lot better than in the past that we have seen her. And WTH Kara doesn't criticize her for singing Whitney but she gave the other girl a hard time about singing the Police?? Oh I really hate hate hate Kara. She is so arrogant. I agree with Simon it was better than I expected (but I think someone slipped her a valum tonight). She was not the worst but not my fave either.

#12 Danny Gokey - Liked this guy since the audtions. I Was disappointed his buddy didn't make it because I thought he was better than some of the others they let through (Norman!!!) but I was really glad that Danny made it through so we can see his chops. Danny rocked it if you ask me. Simon doesn't look as impressed but he never does lol. I sort of agree with him though that he is really good but I can see where he doesn't buy into the hype although someone PLEASE tell Kara to stop screaming into the mic!!!! Danny has my vote.


Ok-so there is my first reaction to this seasons 1st real show...let's see where it goes!!!

I am disgusted and everyone else should be too!

I am a fan of Black Friday and the "deals" it often offers. I am not one who generally goes out at 5am to get a deal but I appreciate the stores that have them for those who do. To me it is the day that not only helps the retailers but it officially starts the holiday season. But what I read today DOES NOT reflect the holiday season and I am completely sick to my stomach over it.

A 34-yr old temporary Wal-Mart employee in Long Island was trampled to death today because a bunch of eager shoppers rushed the store when the doors opened.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/28/black.friday.violence/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

You can also see some video report of it here: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/28/black.friday.violence/index.html?eref=rss_topstories#cnnSTCVideo

Has society really gotten that low that people will push and shove and TRAMPLE people to save a few dollars? And most likely, whatever is they are rushing to buy is not something they need to survive. Nor is it something that will ruin their life if they don't get. But people seemed to have lost sight of courtesey, respect, patience and manners. This guy was working and opening the door to let people in and they trampled him. I'm sorry but the people who rushed into the store like this, was it really worth an innocent man's life?

I can't even really put into words how much this bothers me. I think there need to be some serious laws put in place somewhere to be sure this never happens again. It shouldn't have happened in the first place. I think in part it is Wal-Mart's responsibilty because they obviously didn't have enough security in place but if the crowds were more than they were prepared for, they should have done something. And even more so, the people who knocked this man over, and then the people who continued to rush into the store while there was someone on the ground! This is something you see on TV, not something that should ever be real.

I think everyone who went into that store this morning should be held responsible for this man's death. That may sounds extreme but everyone who passed through that door rushing to some item and had no respect or regard for those around them contributed to this man's death, even if its indirectly. Its incredible to me that even when the police arrived and were trying to aid the guy who had been trampled, they too were being pushed and jostled so shoppers could get into the store. Its disgusting.

I don't know what the authorities did this morning but in my opinion Wal-Mart should not have sold anything to anyone and kept everyone there until the police decided what to do. It was a riot and should have been handled as one. I hope the police are able to use the video cameras and sales reciepts to locate everyone who was there and question them. You can't tell me someone didn't take cell phone pics or videos either. Check Youtube. I am sure there is stuff on there.

I can't even wrap my thoughts around this anymore.

Barack Obama has won! (and I feel like I have too!)

I am so happy to say that Barack Obama will be our next president. Not only did he win, he won significantly and there is no chance of a question like there was in 2000. I don't think our country could have tolerated that so I am not only thankful for an Obama win, but a solid one at that!

Here is to change!! Anyway you look at it, things will be different now and I am happy to finally have an answer to the question who is our next president. I feel that now we can move forward and not be in the limbo that has been the last two years.

I feel with the turn out and the total electoral college numbers that this election truly speaks to the country and to the world that the American People have spoken, and this is what we want.

You will never please everyone, and I understand that. I have been on the other side for the last 8 years but I am confident that our country can move together for the better and that good things are ahead.

Thanks to everyone who voted, no matter who you voted for it was and always is important!!


(and I hope this means I will never have to see "Joe the Plumber" on my tv again.)

Pumpkin Farm 2008 (sorry its a little late!)

I owe a lot of updates. For some reason I thought I posted pics from the Pumpkin Farm trip with my cousin and her kids but I don't seem to have done so, so....

On Monday Oct 13 I got together with my cousin and her two kids went on our annual Pumpkin Farm Day Trip. For the last 3 years we had gone to the same place that was open on Columbus Day. Well, imagine our surprise when we (and plenty of others) showed up to find that placed closed that day! Ultimately we used access to the internet on my cousin's blackberry (and the recommendation of another person who was also surprised to find the place closed that day) to locate a pumpkin farm that turned out to be better (and cheaper!) and will now be the location we head to for our annual trip. But I know all you really want to see is some photos so here goes!!
Before I post all the pics from the day, I wanted to show hoe much the kids have grown since last year! I made the same 4x6 photo card as I did last year but with the updated photo. Here are the two side by side:

2007

2008


Here is a picture of the kids at the original place. They had the pumpkins out and so we took the opportunity to take some photos of them with the pumpkins and then some of our annual group shot!




Monkey see, monkey do!!




And the secret to getting photos to pose for photos with smiles are their faces...Munchkins!


on the hayride...


So cute!!


with a pumpkin


More monkey see, monkey do




Little Helper...


At the weigh in station...









Running in the maze...


After the pumpkin farm we went to lunch. While at lunch we also celebrated both kids birthdays that were a few weeks before our trip. They both definately enjoyed it (and the desserts that came with it!)












So that about sums up our trip to the pumpkin farm 2008!!!

I married a Politics Junkie...

...and I didn't realize how bad his addiction was!

Let me start by saying that he is not a "band-wagon" junkie, its just that the importance of this election has escalated his need for a fix from 1-2 hours a day to 24 hours a day!

As excited for Tuesday as I am so that we can finally have a decision, I am even more excited to be able to watch regular TV again:)

You may have noticed I have not had any "TV Talk" blogs lately. Well, you can absolutely blame it on my political junkie husband who has taken over the TV. Thank goodness for Tivo! I don't know how I (and he) would have survived this election without it. I have been reduced to catching up on the weekends the best I can for my regular programing. My soaps...I haven't seen that in a few weeks because I can thankfully read about it in my magazine, unlike the other network shows that have been airing. The World Series and the Debates have helped prevent me from missing some episodes because they were moved to accommodate those airings (yeah Phillies!).

I must be honest that I have enjoyed some of the political programing, most specifically Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow. If I had not made up my mind on who I was going to vote for, these shows would not have been as good to watch. They are most definitely biased. But I do think that if it wasn't for Rachel Maddow, I might have had to cut the TV off a long time ago!

If you have already made up your mind, you should check those two shows out. They are very biased for Obama but their sarcasm really puts things in perspective. They speak real news, and don't spin, but they don't spend a lot of time objectively going after Obama either. You won't hear talking points from Obama campaign, you will hear criticism of McCain. And their favorite target of all time...the is the big red target painted on the back of the moose hunter from Alaska. And its my favorite target too!

One of the things that has made watching shows like the Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow show bearable has been Sarah Palin. She provides such great material for how bad she is. When I hear they are able to talk about another one of her flub ups....it brings a smile to my face!

Ben and I are different types of viewers. He is not the scream at the tv kind, I am. And with the addition of Sarah Palin to the mix I have only gotten more vocal while watching than I would have been without her. While Ben is the junkie in the family, he is a lot more objective than me. He disagrees with her politics and policies (and is afraid of her being president) and he doesn't agree with McCain either, however I would say the best way to describe my feelings on Sarah is that I hate the bejeezes out of her and her voice is like nails on a chalkboard! Ben puts it nicely and says while he would probably not vote for her because of her views and polices, if she had more experience she would be a more realistic candidate. Me, I just hate her.

Let me pause here and give props to McCain though for his appearance on SNL. I really did think he was entertaining. And while I do not plan to vote for him, and I yell at what he says on TV a LOT lately, I found it refreshing that he could get into it on Saturday Night Live. It was a MUCH better performance than Sarah Palin's who I thought just looked stiff and out of place. I thought it was more of a joke that she thought it would be good for her to be on SNL. She didn't even do anything. McCain embraced the opportunity and took his chances.

Now, back to the mud-slinging! Here is how I am looking at the race....

McCain-Palin:
Its much simpler to just say what I do like about these two, or rather what I like about McCain. He can be funny. That is about it. I think he lost this election when he picked a chick from Alaska that he met once and he really had no idea what he was getting himself into. Someone on one of those TV shows I have seen in the last few weeks said it best..."even at McDonald's you have more than one interview". What was this man thinking?? On a whole I don't agree with more of their social issues than anything else. I think McCain deserves respect for his time in the service and as a POW. I don't think that it automatically makes him the best guy to be president.

Now to the crazy lady who likes to pimp out her kids and jinxes hockey teams like Flyers by dropping the puck and insulting Pittsburgh fans when she is in Western PA by making comments about the Philadelphia Phillies. Don't get me wrong...she can make these kind of actions all she wants because it just re-affirms to me what a wacko she is and why I would never vote for anything she is associated with. I think she is delusional. I think she is out for her and has been the entire time. I am not even convinced she really thought she would win with McCain but she DID think it would get her into the mix that she has been so out of since she has been holed away in Alaska. Whether she likes to admit it or not, if she isn't part of the "boys club in DC" she is a no name that would have only ever been in Alaska, charging the taxpayers to travel with her personal hockey team, I mean family. She is way to far right in her social issues for me. Abstinence only education...let's see how well that worked out? And pro-choice is NOT pro-abortion and I am so tired of hearing people say it is. If you talk to most people who are pro-choice, they would never have an abortion but they also don't think the government should be the ones to decide what a woman does to her body. With the potential for the next president to pick at least 2 Supreme Court Justices, I want her as far away from that choice as possible. She has a high approval rating in Alaska, because she gave residents a raise from $2000 to $3100 a person, not adult-all people (which explains why she has so many kids!) to live in Alaska. She gets the money to do this by taxing the oil companies (and so Alaska benefited by the high profits of the oil companies while the rest of us paid high prices for gas). Her family alone makes almost $22,000 a year JUST TO LIVE THERE! I know people who work 30 hours a week and make less than that. You wonder if that is what she is referring to when she talks about her own "small business" aka popping out babies. I should point out, that this tax scheme is awfully similar to what Obama wants to do that she keeps calling "socialist". And the "drill baby drill" thing is a grant chant but all they are saying is that the oil companies can drill off our shores. It is not saying they have to sell it to us and China is willing to pay a lot more than we are. Where do you think their business will be going? That is a point that seems to be overlooked anytime she says "drill baby drill".

Oh and this whole Mayor of Wasilla thing...the town is so small it doesn't have4 its own police, fire or social service departments. What did she do? Open the new stores in town? And I have to say that as far as her ability to "clean house" when she got to be governor...what does she think she will get to do as Vice President? Does she think she gets to go in and get rid of all those senators who she doesn't like since they are the ones that actually pass the bills and such. Of course is it quite possible she does think this since she doesn't seem to have a true idea of what the role of the VP is within the Senate anyway. She seems to think the VP runs the joint and she can just get in there and get them to pass policy she wants.

And let's talk about her "foreign policy experience". So, by her logic that she has all this experience because she is only 58 miles from Russia...that means that the Governor of NY is an EXPERT since they share a border with Canada. I bet she will say Buffalo's mayor is an expert too since they are so close to Buffalo and probably have actual relations with them unlike Alaska and Russia!! Oh and by that logic I am a border expert because I go to Taco Bell and I am a foreign relations expert because we have a Chinese food restaurant on the corner!

And how about them clothes? There is no "hockey mom" in America that would ever consider spending that amount of money on clothes, to be donated or not! And what is with her having only Palin signs at a rally in Florida? Did she forget that she is running as the VP with McCain...she is not the only one on the ticket? Or was she just putting those signs out there now for people to use in 2012 when she tries on her own??

I could go on and on about Sarah Palin but I have already spent too much energy on her.

On to bigger and better things....Obama-Biden!

I will start with Biden. I liked him in the primaries but didn't really think he had a chance of getting top ticket. He strikes me as someone who has strong family values (how many people do you know who take a train round trip from DE to DC daily so that they can be close to their family?) I respect that he has not pimped out his personal struggles as part of the campaign and I really had a lot of respect for him when he responded to Palin's comment during the VP debate where he clearly stated that he too knew what it was like to struggle and to be a single parent. He has a long career in the senate, working with many different presidents through the years. I think he will be a good support to Obama. I get the feeling they really would work together in the White House and not be fighting each other (like I think McCain-Palin would because I am not convinced they have ever actually agreed on anything!) When I watch Biden speak, I feel like he is educated, experienced and truly cares.

Obama...I was not sure about him at first. During the primaries I didn't even really like him all that much but I must admit I was also not paying that much attention either. But when I did start paying attention I found that I liked what he had to say. He has some very interesting ideas and while most of them probably won't happen quite the way he has planned, I truly believe that he believes what he says and he wants to do right by the country. I don't have to agree with everything he stands for and I understand that if he is President, he is still not the only one who makes things happen. But I believe he cares. I believe when he says he wants to help middle class America. I think he believes it because he has lived it. Little things I like about him are not something I would base a vote on but I do like that he does not pimp his kids out along the campaign trail. And today, I saw a clip of him on TV walking with his little girls and they looked happy and like normal children should look. Not dressed up to look like stepford kids to keep up an image of what a candidate's children "should" be when really, all they should be is children. They shouldn't be used as props in a campaign (unlike a moose hunter we all know). When I saw the Obama 30-min "infomercial" it evoked emotion I didn't expect. It was much better than I expected. And it didn't seem like a half hour either. I was almost disappointed when it ended because I really felt like he was truly speaking to the American People and the biggest difference I get when I watch McCain vs Obama is that where I think McCain says what he needs to say, I believe that Obama believes what he says.

And that is my political rant for the day. This will all come to a breaking point on Tuesday when the election officially ends and we find out our winner. I truly hope that not only does Obama win, but that he wins significantly so that we are not plagued with a repeat of the 2000 election or any question as to who was elected by the people to be our president. No matter what happens, the campaigning will end and the reality will set in. (And I will get to watch my regular TV shows again too!)

Don't forget to vote on Tuesday. It DOES count! (And tell all your friends to vote too!) Take them with you so the wait is more fun!

Halloween: Trick or Treat 2008

I know I am still behind on some event updates from this month but I wanted to get some current stuff up while I could!

Halloween is one of my FAVE holidays. I love the trick or treaters and decorating for the holiday. Every year Ben and I set up a table by the garage, put up the decorations and wait for the kiddies to come get their candy! And we give out the full size candy bars too. And since we have been doing it this way for a few years, we actually have some people who come back because they remember our table (and our candy bars!) We even had a few families ask if they could take a pic of our set up or their kids with our set up. It was kind of cool. We were out for almost 4 hours this year. Next year we want to try and do a little more decorating and stuff since it will be on a saturday and be more of an all day thing than just after school:) We live on a good street because its a circle with duplexes on both sides of the street and very little traffic so besides all the kids that live on our street, a lot of other families come to this street. I love seeing all the costumes too. Especially the cute little kids all dressed up. They were all adorable!

Here are some photos from our set up and us sitting outside!










My friend Marian came over with the Seeing Eye dog she is raising in full costume! Adorable!


And here is me at work as "Hermione" from Harry Potter (bushy hair and all with Time turner and wand!!)


Hope everyone else had a Happy Halloween too!!!

My "prize pack" from the radio station....

I just had to share my joy in recieving the "prize pack" that the radio station sent me as part of my prize from the Top Chef thing. I assumed it was a bunch of radio station stickers and other related promotional material.

Well, you can imagine my surprise (and delite!) when my package arrived and instead of WPLJ stuff it was all TOP CHEF STUFF!!!!

I recieved a Top Chef 2009 calander, the Top Chef cookbook (wahoo!), Top Chef T-shirt, and a Top Chef Apron!!! I am SO ready for season 5 to start in a few weeks!









It made my day!!