TV Show Review: Glee

Okay, I've been away for a while. Things got extremely busy with work and life in general. I guess I also became a bit uninterested with the idea of this blog but I am going to try to start back.

My favorite time of the year is Fall TV Season. I love when my old favorite shows return and I get to check out what's new.

Glee has definitely made my list of favorite new fall shows. The show actually debuted over the summer but they only showed one episode. Now the season has finally started and tonight was the 3rd episode. I believe that this show as a lot of potential.

Premise: The show is about a high-school glee club that is just starting. The club is full of the unpopular "outcast" students. The show details their journey to win a national championship.

Starring: Most of the characters are relatively unknown (to me). I won't even bother naming the people because I didn't recognize any of their names and I watch a lot of TV.

Highlights: The singing and dancing is wonderful. So far they have featured current hits along with popular classics. The writing is terrific, the ironic humor is hilarious and exactly what I would have expected from the creator of Nip/Tuck (another fav show of mine).

Lowlights: The show can sometimes be a bit corny but that isn't a deal breaker because it is the funny type of corny.

Bottomline: This is a GREAT show. If you like music and comedy then you will love this show.

American Idol

I've decided that I don't really care enough about American Idol to continue to review it. Not to mention I'm too busy to watch the shows real time so it seems kind of pointless to review it a few days after the fact. We're down to the end anyways so I'll just make my prediction here and we'll see what happens.

I predict that Danny will win. I would love if Allison won but I just don't think that is going to happen. Adam is the best but he is getting more and more theatrical and with his "outing" I don't think that he'll win the whole thing.

So in a few weeks I will find out if I'm right or not.

Music Review - Album: "In a Perfect World" by Keri Hilson

Keri Hilson – “In A Perfect World”

Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. Turning Me On (ft. Lil’ Wayne)
3. Get Your Money Up (ft. Keyshia Cole and Trina)
4. Return the Favor (ft. Timbaland)
5. Knock You Down (ft. Kanye West and Ne-Yo)
6. Slow Dance
7. Make Love
8. Intuition
9. How Does It Feel
10. Alienated
11. Tell Him The Truth
12. Change Me (ft. Akon)
13. Energy
14. Where Did He Go

Tamara's Take: C-, Not worth the money

Stand Out Tracks: Knock You Down
Songs on Repeat: Turnin Me On, Get Your Money Up, Alienated
Solid Tracks: Return The Favor, How Does It Feel, Tell Him The Truth, Energy, Where Did He Go
Skip It: Slow Dance, Make Love, Intuition (the beat is annoying), Change Me (I don’t like Akon’s voice)

I’m somewhat torn on this album. My first impression was completely negative; I don’t think that Keri has a particularly great voice and I think she is definitely a studio artist. I decided to give it another chance and I’m still not that impressed. I am really trying to hear what all the people I’ve heard praising the album must be hearing but I just don’t.

I can’t believe I’m even supporting “Get Your Money Up” because it is a very ghetto hoodrich song but I love Trina even though she fell off. The funny thing is that my favorite song on the track (Knock You Down) is only my favorite because of the guest artists, I could actually do without Keri’s part. I think it is a shame when the people you have featured on your album do a much better job than you do. Now I am a sucker for a sappy or sad love ballad but not by her, she doesn’t have the voice to pull it off. She needs to stick to the more Pop, catchy hook type songs.

I’m really surprised that there are several songs on here where I am just not feeling the production/beat AT ALL. I know that she has written for several other artists, I’m wondering if she gave her best material away…. I can understand why a lot of women/girls like the album though, I’m sure they can relate to the lyrics of the songs. This is not an album that I would just play straight through but I will add a select few of the songs to one of my various playlists.

American Idol - Top 7 Elimination Night

Ohhh kay so here we go.... Two people will be eliminated tonight. I predicted Lil Rounds and Anoop.

Performances:
Group performance - Are they lip syncing? WTF Danny?? Cut that mess out. Okay this whole thing was just too much for me. The dancing is a mess with Danny being the worst of the group. Adam is getting it a little to much. LOL.

Freda Payne - I love this song but wow. Where in the world did they find her? She has to be like 80 but she looks great for her age. I don't know if I should be impressed or if she should sit it down.
Thelma Houston - Oh hells naw @ that outfit. What is going on Idol? She still sounds good though.
KC and the Sunshine Band - WTF! This is just getting progressively worse. And womp to his old @ss having those young backup dancers.

David Archuletta: WOMP. Snore...blah....he doesn't even sound good to me but I was never really a big fan of his anyway.

Bottom 3:
-Lil': no surprise here, she'll probably be going home
-Anoop: He shouldn't have grown that mess on his face
-Allison: What the heck. I don't understand why she isn't getting to votes she deserves

Who Got the Boot:
-Lil': It is time for her to go. If she would have gotten better each week then I would call BS but she hasn't. I would like to say that I'll see her around but I doubt it. I don't see her being able to come out and sell an album unless she really switches up and defines her style.
-Anoop: Based on his performance last night I'm not that surprised. I never saw him winning the entire thing so it was only a matter of time before he would be leaving.



Tamara's Train of Thought:
-Paula has still got it!
-So now that Scott is gone they are really dancing? That's just wrong.
-Lil' is looking into dance? She probably should be, he has the body to be in rap videos.
-Why did they give Paula flowers? I'm confused.
-I still think these car commercials are stupid but I like that they are using this song instead of one from a popular artist. I do think they should have mentioned where that song came from though.
-Dang, they didn't even build up any suspense. Just booted her on out of there.
-Yeah you should have sang like that last night.
-Ha @ David trying to give the people in the bottom some advice on how it isn't over if you get booted off this soon,

American Idol - Top 7 Performance (Again)

I just realized that I didn't even post comments from the Top 7 elimination night, last week was a busy week for me. But as you all know...Matt was the pick to go home but the judges saved him. Big deal, marketing ploy, all it means is that two go home the next week.

Theme: 70's Disco Era

Lil': "I'm Every Woman" by Shaka Chan - I'm sorry, I was too distracted by her big round outfit to really evaluate the song. She still hasn't done anything to impress me but she definitely could have a career as a video ho vixen. I think the competition is getting to her because she just looks very unhappy. Lil's mom looked like she was about to straight jump on Simon.

Kris: "She Works Hard for the Money" by Donna Summer - I give him a major side eye when he said what song he was going to sing but I was pleasantly surprised when he started. I didn't even recognize the song until he got to the chorus which is a good thing in this case. He is really trying to step up his game. I really liked his version.

Danny: "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire - He is just really uncreative as compared to some of the other male contestants. I see he still insists on dancing....I can't deny that he can sing but he is no longer moving me.

Allison: "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer - I like how she switched up the stage, that's hot. I'm really feeling how she switched up the song to make it have more of a rock vibe. Aww, she looks so cute tonight. I greatly enjoyed her performance.

Adam: "If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne Elliman - I like how he is doing something a little more calm for once. He sounds great and does a good job and making you see and feel the emotion in his performance. He should go see a dermatologist though because his skin is kinda jacked up.

Matt: "Stayin' Alive" by Bee Gees - I'm not sure what his goal was for tonight but I don't think he reached it. He was miraculously saved last week so he needed to come out and blow us out of the water and IMO he didn't. I do like him but between all the other artists that are out that are similar to him he doesn't really stand out.

Anoop: "Dim All The Lights" by Donna Summer - What is that mess on your face? You had such a good week last week, what happened? I am not feeling this on so many levels. UGH.

Who Should Go: Lil should get out of here because she seems to be getting worse each week. Anoop should also go because he looked and sounded a hot mess.

Tamara's Train of Thought:
-"You're inner goddess" ? What are you talking about Ryan
-You gotta love Paula and her crazy comments
-My husband thinks Danny looks like George Michael, LOL
-Why are they always calling something "overindulgent"? I feel like they are misusing the word. Look up the word and see if it makes sense to you
-The other contestants should take some tips from Adam
-Is Paula about to cry? Puh-leeeeeze
-LMAO @ Matt's friend in the crowd

Movie Review - A Haunting in Connecticut

A Haunting in Connecticut – “Scary and captivating story”

Starring: Viginial Madsen (the mom), Kyle Gallner (Matt), Martin Donovan (the dad)

Plot: The story is centered around a teenager, Matt, that is being treated for cancer at a hospital located in a different town than his home. His parents decide it is best to find a house to rent in town which leads them to move into this particular house. They soon find out that the house was previously a funeral home. As the story progresses, stranger and stranger events begin occurring leading to an interesting ending.

Tamara’s Take: A-

I really enjoyed this movie. I love scary movies although I have been disappointed by a lot of them recently. This one definitely has some parts in it that make you jump and isn’t just a bunch of gore like the Saw franchise. I thought the story was actually a good one too and not something completely ridiculous. That could be because this movie is based on a true story. I find these types of movies the scariest because perhaps it could really happen. Although, not to me because I wouldn’t be moving into any old @ss house in the first place.

The main character, Kyle Gallner (Matt), is a good actor. I have seen him in several other things and I always think he does a good job. He does have a tendency to play the role of the sad, depressed, loner type kid so I wonder if he is really a versatile actor. He is young so I guess we will see in the future if he’s still acting.

If you are a fan of scary movies you will enjoy this movie.

American Idol - Top 7 Performances

My DVR didn't record American Idol last night :( So I'm watching the videos that are posted on the American Idol website. This is probably going to result in my opinions being out of order but oh well. Stupid DVR! So I didn't get to hear the judges opinions or see any of the opening videos.

Theme: Idols at the Movies

Contestants:

Adam: "Born To Be Wild" - Wow he sounds and performs like he is already a professional. This is a song that I have always liked. I'm glad he didn't change it up TOO much, he definitely added his own twist to it which was great. That ending was crazy!

Allison: "I Don't Want To Miss A Think" - I love her voice but I still feel like she struggles with the pronunciation of some words. She blew that out of the water. If she gets voted off then these people are crazy.

Anoop: "Everything I Do" - I heard via twitter that he did good and I agree. Perhaps he should stick with the slower, love ballads instead of trying to do the more "hip" stuff. This is my favorite Anoop performance so far. I see he's not trying to be in that bottom 2 again.

Danny: "Endless Love" - A harp? LOL. To me this is a Luther song and I just can't really hear anyone else singing it. He started off weak but it got better towards the end. Why doesn't he have on his glasses? I thought those were his signature. I just noticed how much yelling he does, not as much as Adam but still. He's moving down in my rankings.

Kris: "Falling Slowly" - I don't know this song and I'm not really feeling this performance. Nope, don't like it. I don't really care if he sticks around or not, I've enjoyed some of his performances but he hasn't really been consistent in my opinion.

Lil: "The Rose" - OK, she has the long weave in today. I kind of want to see her do a more upbeat song. She has a great voice but I not a winning combination. This performance just didn't really do anything for me.

Matt: "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman" - Nope, don't know this song either. He tends to be over the top with his vocals. There were some nice parts to this song but nothing special.

Who's Going Home:
- I really have no idea. If I have to guess I'll say Lil but seeing as I've guessed wrong every single time, who knows.

Tamara's Train of Thought:
-I don't have much to say this week since I didn't actually get to watch the show. I do wonder why they picked THESE songs. I would love the chance to see what songs they actually had to choose from.

American Idol - Top 8 Elimination Night

Group Performance:
-The sang a song from 2002..."Can't Get You Outta My Head". This is one of the better performances set up wise. They still haven't convinced me as to why anyone would actually want to see them in concert. The ending was cute but overall I was bored by that.

Other Performances:
-Flo-Rida: I don't even know what you're saying. This is an extremely inappropriate song and those dancers are not family friendly. That backup singer looks stank and sounds horrible. Whose idea was it to let him get up here and perform? WHAT THE F*CK!

-Kelly Pickler: I have a problem with how she made people from NC seem like a bunch of country bumpkins. I see she's still sexing it up. I don't like this song as much as I liked the Red High Heel song. I think there also might be something wrong with the mic because I swear I can't understand what she's saying during the verse.

Bottom Three:
-Anoop: I'm not surprised. I don't really think he's going to be around too much longer.
-Scott: AND DESERVED! He needs to go because he is just the worst.
-Lil: That's what happens when you do a copy cat performance.

Who Got the Boot:
-Scott: He needed to go...he was the worst singer of the group and he seemed to be getting worse each week instead of better.

Tamara's Train of Thought:
- I guess I wasn't really paying attention because I have no idea who this old guy is.
- Do they actually show these Ford commercials after the show ends? I wouldn't know because I don't watch commercials anyway.
- Shouldn't the mayor be doing something more important besides coming to see an American Idol results show?
- The judges aren't saving anyone. I will be surprised if anyone gets saved this season.
-That was messed up, he didn't have to play with Anoop's emotions like that

American Idol - Top 8 Performance Night

Theme: Songs from the year the contestants were born

Contestants:
-Danny: "Stand by Me" by Ben E. King - I kinda like this version. Not as much as the other version but he sounds good. I'm glad he did a lesser known version of the song so it didn't sound like a straight copy cat performance.

-Kris: "All She Wants To Do is Dance" by Don Henley - I don't think I know this song. I'm still not a fan of how he sings out of the side of his mouth. What is with him singing surrounded by fans? Didn't he do this a time before? He sounds straight but it is just kinda boring to me.

-Lil: "What's Love Got To Do With It" by Tina Turner - Tina is a hard act to follow and it didn't help that it came off as a karaoke version of the song. I mean did she watch the video and attempt to copy Tina's mannerisms? I need her to be more creative...this was not at all impressive to me, I expect more from her. She looks great though.

-Anoop: "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper - Ok...I'm not sure about this song choice. I understand that he knows what kind of artist he wants to be and I can respect that but I just don't really see it. He sounds great and I would like for him to stick around but there is just something about him that I don't think the majority of people like.

-Scott: "The Search Is Over" by Survivor - So he finally got out from behind the piano. I didn't know he played the guitar....this is a lot more interesting than any of his other performances have been but I still think he is the worst singer in the current bunch. Ohh nooo! That high pitched part was a MESS.

-Allison: "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt - She does look a lot older than 16. That was wonderful. I absolutely love her voice. I thought her performance was way better than Danny's. She just needs to work on her pronunciation.

-Matt: "Part Time Lover" by Stevie Wonder - He did his thing tonight. I don't know if I support those dance moves he attempted and he also does a bit much with his voice sometimes. Overall it was a great performance with some really outstanding parts to it.

-Adam: "Mad World" by Tears for Fears - They just need to go ahead and give him the title of American Idol. Enough Said.

Who Should Go:
-Based on talent...Scott should be out of there but knowing how the public votes it will probably be Lil.

Tamara's Train of Thought:
-Dammit Scott...put on some shades!!! I'm just going to drop it, for real, it just isn't going to happen.
-Wait, Scott isn't the oldest? He sure looks like he's the oldest.
-I think the judges kiss Danny's butt entirely too much.
-Isn't it kind of ironic that Scott sang about something being right before his eyes?
-There is so much I could say about Adam's video but I won't.
-Wow! I can't believe Simon actually gave someone (Adam) a standing ovation. That is huge.

Music Review - Album: "All I Ever Wanted" by Kelly Clarkson

Tamara’s Take: Heavy Rotation

This is Kelly’s fourth album and it is a lot better than the last album. She has said that this album is a mixture of several different styles; I agree. It is a wonderful, crazy mix of styles that creates something beautiful. I can listen to this album straight through which is always a positive. There are a few songs that I’m not crazy about but none that are terrible.

Track Listing
1. My Life Would Suck Without You
2. I Do Not Hook Up
3. Cry
4. Don’t Let Me Stop You
5. All I Ever Wanted
6. Already Gone
7. If I Can’t Have You
8. Save You
9. Whyyouwannabringmedown
10. Long Shot
11. Impossible
12. Ready
13. I Want You
14. If No One Will Listen

Stand Out Tracks:
I Do Not Hook Up – (“I can’t cook no but I can clean..up the mess she left”)
Whyyouwannabringmedown – (“So watch your evil attitude when you got me spending my time pleasing you”)
Long Shot – (“My heartbeat beats me senselessly, why’s everything gotta be so intense with me”)

Songs On Repeat:
My Life Would Suck Without You, Don’t Let Me Stop You, If I Can’t Have You, Impossible, I Want You

Solid Tracks:
Cry, All I Ever Wanted, Already Gone, Save You, Ready

Skip It:
If No One Will Listen

American Idol - Top 9 Elimination Night

ONCE again I think that Megan is going home but seeing as she wasn't even in the bottom 3 last week we'll see....

Bottom Three:
-Megan: Of course, I would have been pissed had she not been in the bottom 3 because her performance last night was completely terrible.
-Allison: WTF! I don't understand what is wrong with these voters. She is one of the best on the show, I don't know how she keeps getting put in the bottom 3. She better not go home.
-Anoop: Maybe he shouldn't try to be an R&B singer....

Who Got the Boot:
-Megan: It was inevitable because she just wasn't singing to her strengths. It was kinda messed up how Simon just told her point blank that there was no chance she was going to be saved.

Performances:
-David Cook: looks and sounds good. I think he deserved to win last year, he was the most consistent and original throughout the entire season. In that respect Adam reminds me of David.

-Lady Gaga: She is quite strange looking. Her piano is crazy (in a good way) looking...translucent with bubbles, cute. She is putting on a whole production, most people just come out and sing. I don't really know how I feel about this whole thing...that zipper on her eye is scary, this whole performance was scary.

Tamara's Train of Thought:
-Another corny Ford commercial....UGH....stop it
-I'm surprised they are doing this Journey song, it is such a karaoke song but they actually sound good doing it.
-I find it slightly amusing that they stuck Scott over on the piano, that's one way to get around teaching him the dances.
-Did they show the contestants at home last season?
-I don't think that the people being made fun of thought it was all that funny even though they played along nicely.
-No matter how they try to change up this elimination ceremony it is still long, drawn-out and boring every time. I'm not sure why I still watch this part.
-If I was in the group with Danny or Adam then I'd be relieved.
-Ryan really got Matt this time with the bottom 3 fake-out.
-OK I officially think that Megan is crazy the way she cawed over to the bottom 3 seat.
-Allison better had been the 1st one to get to sit down, she shouldn't have been in the bottom 3 anyway.

American Idol - Top 9 Performance Night

Theme: Any Song that is a Popular Download

Contestants:
Anoop: “Caught Up” by Usher – Interesting choice of a song but not extremely surprising. I’m not feeling this or those faces he is making. Definitely not as good as last week for me. And once again he isn’t adding anything to the song. It is just a mediocre cover of the song.

Megan: “Turn Your Lights Down Low” by Bob Marley – OK, I had hung on to my hope that she would actually be the singer I thought she was but I’m done after she just ruined one of my favorite songs. SIGH. Oh well. I hope her fans stick by her or she will be outta here very soon.

Danny: “What Hurts The Most” by Rascal Flatts – I love this song. I think that he sounds good but I still want to see him to do something DIFFERENT. Something that will actually excite and amaze me. Right now he is just a good singer but nothing super special.

Allison: “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt – She is officially my favorite now. I’m not sure about that outfit but it suits her. She did this song a lot better than I thought she would. I hope she comes out with a sort of Rock/Pop album when she finally gets to release one. I’m still not convinced that she will win but she SHOULD be in the top 3.

Scott: “Just The Way You Are” by Billy Joel – SNORE. I’m not going to say anything other than I want him to go.

Matt: “You Found Me” by The Fray – I like how he changed the set up. I don’t know about this song choice for him though. He is killing that piano though. This is a toss-up, I don’t think he should have been in the bottom three last week and he really shouldn’t be this week either but we’ll see. I thought that was a great performance….apparently the judges didn’t agree.

Lil: “I Surrender” by Celine Dion – Really? She looks nice tonight. I think this is a better fit from her. You know they wanna see her type sing these big “powerful” songs. Dang the judges still didn’t like her song choice.

Adam: “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry – I love how he switches up songs instead of just doing them exactly like the originals. This was WAAAAAY over the top but for some reason I still really enjoyed it. He is starting to grow on me.

Kris: “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers – This is one of my favorite songs it just touches my heart every time I hear it and this was no exception. He did a great job of switching up the song and adding his own thing to it. He is really trying to compete…I had counted him out but that was clearly a mistake.

Who’s Going Home?
-Megan SHOULD go home…I really wish it would be Scott but with these voters you never really know.

Tamara’s Train of Thought:
-I hope Scott does something upbeat because his other songs have been pretty wack.
-So Anoop is a brother? HAHAHA!
-I don’t know why people are booing the truth. Megan sounded terrible. Point blank period.
-Megan is starting to sound a little cocky which has turned me off from her even more.
-I’m starting to think that the judges are hyping Danny up a little too much.
-“It was like 2 snails competing with a race horse” – Simon
-Stop saying swagger Randy! Thanks!
-I still think Paula is on something because she seems to be talking crazy every night.
-Has there ever been a week where Scott wasn’t on the piano?
-LMAO @ that semi body roll thing that Adam was doing. He is the only real PERFORMER on this show.
-Simon correcting Kara about it being Studio 54 and not 57 was great.

American Idol - Top 10 Elimination Night

I still think that Megan is going home but we shall see.....

Bottom Three:
-Matt: I am a little surprised but not extremely. He just doesn't have "it" and unless he finds that which I don't think he will, he will be going home soon.

-Michael: I don't think he was the worst from last night but the judges were very harsh on him and looking back at the clips it was somewhat of a corny performance. I think he deserves to stick around a little bit longer but there is no way he is going to win so does it really matter if he goes home tonight or not?

-Scott: I was surprised by this because I thought that surely it would have been Meagan. I want him to go home because he has bored me to tears every week. I should be so lucky.

Who Got the Boot:
Michael - I kinda thought that the judges might save him but I guess they probably feel the same way as I do. He's not terrible but he won't win the whole thing so there really isn't a need to keep him around. Bye Bye...you won't be missed, in fact I'll probably forget all about you by next week.

Tamara's Train of Thought:
-Does anyone really care about this little thing going on between Simon and Paula? I don't even though I do think they have gotten it on before.

-I KNEW they were going to do a medley instead of just one song. Who actually goes to these American Idol tours? I wish someone my age would ask me if I wanted to go see that mess. Are they going to be able to do any intricate choreography this year?

-Somebody needs to go ahead and let Adam and Allison put out albums right now.

-I'm still not a fan of these lame car commercials. UGH!

-Ruben has a new single? I see he still hasn't lost any weight....This might get some play on the 35+ demographic but that's about it, the kiddies probably won't feel this.

-As if we didn't already know that Adam was going to be safe.

-I don't really find it amusing when they play with their emotions by making them think they are in the bottom 3.

-I love Joss Stone....when is she coming out with a new album? Soon I hope. I'm going to have to put her on the playlist for tomorrow's work day.

-Smokey is looking kinda scary, perhaps because his skin looks like it has been pulled tight as hell. He can still sing though.

-I'm pretty sure Megan already knows that it is her that is going to be in the bottom 3. At least it better be.

-Oh shoot! I guess I underestimated the power of Megan's fans. You know what...I'm glad because even though I THOUGHT Megan would be the one go home, I would much rather Scott go home.

-Is that a big pimple on Matt's forehead?

-Awww..hell to the naw....he's safe already??? BOOO they got my hopes up and had me thinking that I might get my wish for Scott to go home.

-I really think that it is time to let that hairstyle go Stevie....please...why won't someone tell you that it doesn't look good?? It doesn't matter if you can't see it, WE CAN.

-OK Paula! She loves to get up and dance.

-Since Scott is still on the show I hope he takes a tip from Stevie and decides to get a nice pair of shades. He should also take note that THIS is how you sit at the piano and perform the hell out of a song. But he doesn't even come close to the wonderful talent that Stevie is so it doesn't even matter.

-Even though I don't think Michael has a chance in hell at winning the entire thing, I don't think he should go home. Maybe one of the judges will save him.

-WTF!!! MY DVR JUST CUT OFF!!!!! I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. ARRRRGGGGG...going to check Twitter.....

American Idol - Top 10 Performance

Theme: Motown - I would say this is my favorite theme, let's hope they don't mess it up.

Contestants:

Matt Giraud - "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye: He is going to have to get out from behind that piano...oh he just did, LOL. I don't think Marvin would like this....he does not sound good to me at all. He's just not sexy enough for this song.

Kris Allen- "How Sweet It Is" by Marvin Gaye : I still don't like the way he sings out of the side of his mouth. This isn't terrible but it isn't anything special either. He needs to put that guitar down because he isn't doing anything special with it.

Scott MacIntyre- "Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes: Oh hell to the naw....he is jacking up one of my favorite Supreme songs. This was terrible and he needs to go home.

Megan Joy - "For Once In My Life" by Stevie Wonder:I still love the sound of her voice but this isn't good. Just might be the nail in the coffin.

Anoop Desai - "Ohh Baby Baby" by Smokey Robinson: He sounds a lot better than I was expected. I just need him to step up his wardrobe and he might have a shot. His voice doesn't match his look which is really throwing me but he is singing the hell out of this song.

Michael Sarver - "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" by The Temptations: He needs to get his walk together. It could have been worse.....he actually sounded really good at parts and he has been one of the most energetic performers tonight. Apparently the judges didn't like it at all.

Lil' Rounds - "Heatwave" by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas: I want to be her fan but I just am not. As compared to the other black women that have been on Idol she comes up short. It got better towards the end and I like the emotion. She definitely is far from the worst of the night. Why did she pick this song when it has been done by past contestants on this show that did it better?

Adam Lambert - "Tears of a Clown" by Smokey Robinson: OK I see the style. I think he is extremely EXTRA but it almost isn't fair for him to be on here because he pretty much blows everyone else out of the water every single week. He is the ONLY one that consistently switches the songs up and puts his own style on it.

Danny Gokey - "Get Ready" by The Temptations: He is good at choosing the right songs. People like stuff that moves them. He has a great voice I just think if he really starts to put his own twist on songs then he can take it to the next level.

Allison Iraheta- "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" by The Temptations: Now this is MY favorite of the night. She actually gave me chills...I would buy her album. She tore that DOWN.

Who is Going Home and Why:
-Megan....if the public has any taste in music then they will send her home. As much as I like her and would rather see Scott go, Megan was terrible this week and therefore should start packing her bags.

Simon's Quotes:
-"Right now you look like you are standing at the bus stop"
-"There was a line in the song...how much more can you take...."
-"Whoever is advising you should be fired"

Tamara's Train of Thought:
-"It sounds like a white guy doing Marvin Gaye" - my husband
-I never really am hearing what the judges hear I guess....
-Smokey is being too nice
-I thought that was just mediocre I don't understand all this praise
-LMAO @ Simon saying "Swagger"....won't that word just DIE
-I don't know what Paula expects Scott to do...dance?
-"You shoulda just did some Ray Charles" - my husband
-I don't know what that crayon stunt was all about
-Did Megan change her last name??
-When Randy says you're bad then it's a wrap
-The number of her fans has just drastically decreased
-Anoop has done the best so far tonight.
-What the hell was that Ryan?? Stop it.
-At least he is keeping his head up...I didn't think it was that bad...
-You just can't touch the scene from the Temptations movie when Eddie Ruffin comes and grabs the mic and sings "I know you wanna leave me"...that is one of the all time best movie scenes EVER!
-You better make them proud.
-I hope that Lil is around next week to show us what she really has.
-I think Adam just passed Anoop in the best of the night but I still like Anoop better
-WHO told Danny he could dance??? Stop it now.
-I guess they are going over so now they have to rush, the judges shouldn't waste so much time talking that bull.
-Why is Paula already standing up?
-You can't teach that....very true.
-What in the world is going on between Paula and Simon
-Okay, Allison was the best of the night.
-Stop kissing @ss Barry...I wonder if that is his girlfriend or daughter beside him....

New Show Alert: Harper's Island

OK. I am so hype about this new show that is premiering on CBS on April 9th. This seems to be different from pretty much any show that is currently on TV which excites me.

Cast: I actually don't recognize any of the people in the cast list but that's okay. I like that they are using relatively unknown people.

Plot: The main plot of the story is that this is a murder mystery. A group of friends and family go to a secluded island off the coast of Seattle to celebrate a wedding. This island was the scene of a famous murder 7 years prior to the group's visit. Unfortunately for the wedding party there is a murderer among them who beings to murder them one by one.

The idea of playing along and trying to figure out who the murder is before the end of the season is going to be fun. I think I'll do a weekly feature of the show on my blog....

Are you going to watch?

American Idol - Top 11 Elimination Night

Ok this will be short since I didn't actually WATCH the show. I had to find out who got kicked off from one of my Twitter friends. It's funny when people say "do you tweet", that just sounds inappropriate, LOL.

I digress....

Alexis Grace got kicked off! I'm not THAT surprised because she didn't actually do that great last night but DANG. I was really hoping it would be Scott because currently he is my least favorite contestant. I would have thought that Megan would have gotten kicked off before Alexis even though I do like Megan more. I've only had a few minutes to process this information however here is why I think Alexis may have gotten the boot. Actually....no I'm not because I can't really think of a reason why she got put off over some of the other contestants.

I won't complain about it too much though because at least it was her and not one of my favs.

We'll see what happens next week...

American Idol - Top 11 Performance

Since no one was saved last week there will be only 11 performances tonight.



Theme: The Grand Ole Opry (Country Music)

-Randy Travis is "mentoring" the contestants



Contestant Performances:

-I will bold who I think is going home.



Michael Sarver: "Ain't Going Down Til the Sun Comes Up" by Garth Brooks - I thought he ended it well but I did not like the song in general because it just seemed like he was talk/singing the whole time. I didn't show his "vocal range" as the judges would say. The crowd likes him so I don't think he did too much damage with this one.



Allison Iraheta: "Blame It On Your Heart" by Patty Loveless - I hadn't heard this song before but she just made me want to find it on itunes. She sounded great and I like how she kind of softened up her look for this performance so she didn't look out of place singing a country song. I'm really starting to like her, she might become my favorite if she keeps it up.



Kris Allen: "To Make You Feel My Love" by Garth Brooks - I didn't actually know this song until recently but I like the song, not his version so much. He does that weird thing where he sings out of the side of his mouth which really bugs me. I think he appealed to some young girls that see him as a "heartthrob" so he'll be around next week. Wow, Simon liked it so that is a great thing for him.

Lil Rounds: "Independence Day" by Martina McBride - Out of all the country songs you could chose, this one?? Really?? I'm very confused by this song choice. Of course she sounds good but I'm not feeling this song. I hope it works out for her though because I'd hate to see her go home. I thought the end was a lot better than the beginning. It is always best to end strong.

Adam Lambert: "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash - I don't like this version of the GREAT Johnny Cash's song. He has just turned it into something very strange. This is very Emo and completely over the top. I would be quite okay with him going home but I can't deny that he is a very good singer and performer so he probably will stay. I take that back, please get him out of here. I don't care what the judges think about him.

Scott MacIntyre: "Wild Angels" by Martina McBride - Boring....I'm so over him. I just don't connect with him as an artist. Yes, he has a good voice but he just doesn't have that "star quality" in my opinion.

Alexis Grace: "Jolene" by Dolly Parton - What is with her doing these cheating man songs? I really like her and this song. She sounded great and I enjoyed her version of it. Apparently there were some pitch problems but I didn't hear them. I thought the song was fitting and I hope the audience keeps her around.

Danny Gokey: "Jesus, Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood - A crowd handclap? LOL. I like this song but he did nothing with it. Come on Danny, you can give us more than just singing a song pretty much the same way the original artist did. I still love his voice and he was my second favorite of the night so far. I still think he could have done more with country week than he did.

Anoop Desai: "You Were Always On My Mind" by Willie Nelson - What does he have on? I need wardrobe to not let him out there with a hoodie on. This is alot better than last week. If he slide by with that terrible performance last week then he should sail right into next week with no problems. That wonky eye is still troubling me.

Megan Corkrey: "Walking After Midnight" by Patsy Cline - I really like her despite what anyone has to say. I just love the tone of her voice and the things she does with it. I would buy her album (as long as the writing was good) just based on how I feel about her sound. I think she looks great and did a good job with the song.

Matt Giraud: "So Small" by Carrie Underwood - Sometimes I like him and sometimes I don't. I think he did his thing on the piano, way better than Scott. I just still don't know if he has what it takes to make it all the way to the top of this contest





Simon's Quotes:
-"On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 1.2"
-"Lil' which is short for Little"
-"It came off as if you were one of those girls at a wedding that was forced to sing a song that someone requested."



Tamara's Train of Thought:
-Wow, Paula can barely talk nowadays. Has it gotten THAT bad??
-Randy T. gave Allison some props which is pretty big.
-Randy T. is starting to look pretty old even though he has clearly had some work done. His face is crazy tight.
-Why does Simon always try to play Paula? He is wrong for that.
-Wow, why did I just realize that Adele covered "To Make You Feel My Love", her version is better than what Kris did (although I think he kinda bit her version).
-It means so much when Simon says something nice because he doesn't throw out compliments left and right like the other judges do.
-Shut up RANDY, I can't stand him and the way he calls everyone "Dog". UGH
-I am not feeling that lipstick Lil but that dress is very cute.
-Simon is crazy! He doesn't even care that he was jacking up Lil's name.
-LOL @ Randy T's comments about Adam, he clearly is not a fan.
-"I don't see men wearing nail polish that often" - HA.
-Wow, I really don't know who is going home tonight. I know who I WANT to go home but I doubt that they will.....
-I'm going to say that Scott will go home but we shall see.

Weekend Home Movies

I spent this rainy weekend in the house and on the couch. I wasn't feeling good and I didn't want to venture out into the bad weather so I thought I'd find something to do around the house. What I ended up doing is watching a bunch of movies on HBO/Showtime on Demand. Here's what I watched and what I thought.

Bee Movie (2007): "Cute for kids, somewhat entertaining for adults"
Starring - Jerry Seinfeld and Renee Zellweger
Plot - Barry the Bee is distressed over the idea of doing the same job over and over for the rest of his life. He decides to venture outside the hive where he meets a sweet woman who he develops a crush on. While out of the hive he learns that humans eat honey and goes on a crusade to stop them.
Tamara's Take - C- I'm not that into animated movies but some of the Pixar ones are pretty good. At least this movie is kid appropriate which is different from some of the other movies. I do wonder why they have Chris Rock playing the mosquito and was irritated by his character. The most interesting part of the movie to me was when the showed the inside of the hive. Other than that it was just kinda blah.

Evan Almighty (2007): "Stick to sitcoms please"
Starring - Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman and Wanda Sykes
Plot - Evan (Steve Carell) is called by God to build an ark. Yeah, that's pretty much it.
Tamara's Take - C- I'm going to be completely honest, I didn't see the very end of the movie because I fell asleep, it was that bad. I love Steve Carell on the Office and his role in Bruce Almighty was great but this was pretty terrible. There are definitely some laughs but overall it is just stupid. Are times that hard Morgan that you have to settle for this? Wanda Sykes was the best part of the movie and she didn't get nearly enough air time. Somebody needs to give her a better movie role. And why does she always play the sassy assistant?? Well I guess because it is a role she is good at.

The Brave One (2007): "Touching while making you think"
Starring - Jodi Foster and Terrance Howard
Tagline - "How many wrongs to make it right?"
Plot - A woman struggles to recover from a brutal attack by setting out on a mission for revenge.
Tamara's Take - B+ I thought this movie was pretty good. I would have given it higher marks but I don't really like Terrance Howard, I think he is pretty much the same character in every movie. This movie really made me think about what I would do in her situation, probably not the same things as this woman but how do you really know what you would do? I like movies that make me connect with the characters and this one did that. I even shed a few tears. I wouldn't really recommend this movie if you are already in a bad mood though, it is somewhat depressing.

Mr. Brooks (2007): "Nothing special"
Starring - Kevin Costner and Demi Moore
Tagline - The man who has everything has everything to hide.
Plot - A psychological thriller about a man who is sometimes controlled by his murder-and-mayhem-loving alter ego.
Tamara's Take - B- I love a good thriller movie but I can't really say that this is one. It was fairly interesting and there were some nice twists and turns but overall it wasn't anything special. I wasn't super surprised by anything that happened in the movie but it did keep my interest.


Bottom Line: I don't highly recommend any of these movies. If you had to see just one then I'd go with "The Brave One". The others I would skip unless you were just extremely bored and nothing else was on TV.

American Idol - Top 13 Elimination Night

Tonight two people will be eliminated. I wonder if it will be the ones I predicted or not... So the judges can save a contestant?? This is somewhat strange but we shall see how it goes.

Group Performance: Medley of Jackson 5 Songs
This sounded better then the other group performances. Why in the hell did they let make Danny get up there and do that little dance which made him look extremely stupid. Who taught the blind guy the choreography and why is his dancing a lot better then a bunch of the other contestants?

Bottom Group:
-Jasmine: no surprise here, she will probably go home since her performance really wasn't that good.
-Megan: I'm not surprised since pretty much everyone I talked to about her performance said they didn't like it. I still think it was a great performance, I don't care what anyone else says!
-Anoop: Yeah...you sucked so you deserve to be in the bottom, you should go home based off that last performance.
-Jorge: I guess Puerto Rico didn't call in like they should have.

Who's Outta Here:
-Jasmine: And rightfully so, just didn't shine like she could have.
-Jorge: After listening to him sing that song again, he should have gone home. Although I still think Anoop did worse, he just has more staying power than Jorge.
*So I got one right.....

Tamara's Train of Thought:
-33 million votes....I wasn't one of them, LOL.
-This is the first time they've shown where the contestants live (at least not that I know of)
-These Ford commercials are terrible and always super corny, this is no exception.
-I'm not surprised that Allison and Michael are safe.
-I don't think that the judges should save Jasmine, she might need a few more years to work on her voice and then she'll be ready for the big time.
-I'm sooo happy Kanye cut that rodent off his head. He looks so much better with a fade.
-I will never be convinced that skinny jeans can be gangsta...NEVER!
-I knew Scott would be safe, even though I don't really like him.
-Awww, Anoop knew he was going to the center of the stage.
-I love Kelly Clarkson! Her outfit is cute.
-I wish more artists could really sing....that's why I like Idol
-I'm mad at the face Kara was making during Kelly's performance.
-I really didn't think that Anoop would make it through this episode.

American Idol - Top 13 Performance

Tonight is the Top 13 Performance. I am both excited and apprehensive about tonight due to the theme that has been chosen.

Theme: Michael Jackson Songs

Contestant Performances:
Lil Rounds: "The Way You Make Me Feel" - I'm not too sure about that outfit and I'm not feeling her singing this song. She has a great voice of course but I can't help but compare it to MJ and it has nothing on that. The judges like her so hopefully she'll stick around, I do really like her.

Scott MacIntyre: "Keep the Faith" - At least the let him have the piano, he does better there, doesn't look as awkward. He does have a nice voice but not someone I'd necessarily want to listen to on my ipod. Oh, I was unfamiliar with this song but it seemed fitting for him.

Danny Gokey: "P.Y.T." - *swoons* I love me some Danny, he did his THING on this song. Paula was really feeling it. He needs to work on his dancing though cause he looked kinda crazy.

Michael Sarver: "You Are Not Alone" - I just don't really like him that much. He has a strong voice that sounds nice but there was nothing special about his performance. He didn't even really change the song up that much. I think he'll stay though because he's cute to the girls will vote for him.

Jasmine Murray:"I'll Be There" - Why doe she keep doing this?? She might be outta here. I think that she can sing, actually I love her voice, but she is singing songs that are too old for her. She needs to "stay in her lane" and take the judges' advice about going for the young, Rihanna demographic. Oh, and I prefer the Mariah version of this song

Kris Allen: "Remember the Time" -Hmmm, this song and playing a guitar. He looks kinda odd but I guess he has that cute guy thing going on. There is something about his voice that I like but then there is also something about it that I don't really like. I'm just indifferent about him.

Allison Iraheta: "Give In to Me" - What is with these young girls singing these old songs. I like her look and her style but she doesn't sound THAT great to me. I like her voice but I don't know if it is going to work for her in this competition. I hope it does though because she is very talented, at least she's young so if it doesn't work here someone should still sign her.

Anoop Desai: "Beat It" - He is funny to me. LOL at his dancing. I really like his voice but the performance was just so-so. He seemed to falter a some parts. I think he may have forgotten some of the words or either he was out of breath, I couldn't really tell. I think he might be going home after this performance.

Jorge Nunez: "Never Can Say Goodbye" - There is no doubt that he can sing and he sounded good as usual. I didn't think there was anything special about this performance though, it was a bit boring to me.

Megan Corkrey: "Rockin' Robin" - I think she looks very cute and I'm loving her voice. I hadn't really been a fan of hers but I like the old school feel her voice has to it. This is one of my favorite performances of the night. Coulda done without that bird noise at the end though....kinda weird.

Adam Lambert: "Black and White" - I'm not really surprised that he would chose this song, it seems fitting for him. I haven't like him since auditions and I still don't. I think he too dramatic and should stick with Broadway. He does sound pretty good though so we shall see. Apparently Paula is in love with him.

Matt Giraud: "Human Nature" - He really won me over last week and I enjoyed this performance as well. I think he sounds great and I really hope he sticks around for a while. I still think he is similar to Justin Timberlake/Robin Thicke so I don't know how much room there is for him in the market but I'd like to see him there.

Alexis Middleton: "Dirty Diana" - OK, now this is my FAVORITE MJ song and I don't really think anyone else can even hum it, let alone sing it. That being said, I thought that she did a wonderful job and I actually really enjoyed her performance. It was one of the more interesting performances of the night. She looked great too.

Simon's Quotes:
"And I hate what you're wearing"
"It's a little bit, little girl trying to be a grown-up"
"It was sort of like a meat and potatoes good"
"Very over the top and probably not as good as you thought it was"

Who is Going Home??:
There are 2 people that are going home tomorrow. I think they will be Anoop and Jasmine. I don't want Anoop to go but his performance tonight was kinda bad. I'm actually pretty terrible at determining who is going to go home so I'll probably be completely wrong as usual.

Tamara's Train of Thought:
-I'm still not sure why they chose this theme, it just seems like a bad idea to me. These people don't even DESERVE to sing a Michael Jackson song, UGH!
-It doesn't eve seem fair to make them sing MJ songs.
-Why is Lil always trying to change up the lyrics around.
-What the hell does Paula have on???
-I think to successfully do a MJ song you have to completely change it up like David Cook did last season, otherwise we can't help but compare it to the original.
-WOW, did you notice how Paula said "that's all it takes" when Simon said he just needs five minutes, LMAO!
-Clearly this guy isn't going to put on any shades, I guess I'll just accept it.
-Why does everyone get mad when Simon tells the truth??
-What does being "safe" really mean when it comes to a performance?
-Paula: "Take it all in" - hahaha, That's what HE said!
-The dancing WAS terrible, thank you for admitting that.
-I think that Jasmine wears too much make-up for a 17 year old girl
-Paula talks in circles, she confuses me.
-Why would you help out the other contestants? I guess that makes you a good person, LOL.
-OK Paula, you've gotten in trouble messing around with a contestant before....
-HA! @ Simon saying to keep the wife hidden.
-LOL @ there being like 15 people at that store to see her sing
-Oh shizzznit, if Paula says something negative then that is very bad for you.
-Adam's performance just wasn't that amazing to me, did I miss something?
-Randy said pretty much the same thing I did...does this mean I could be a judge?

Rockin the Red Pump!

In honor of today a group of female bloggers are "Rockin the Red Pump"

Here are some interesting statistics:

HIV/AIDS & Women in the United States
------------------------------------------------
*There are approximately 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. & almost 280,000 are women

*Among those who are HIV positive, 35% of women were tested for HIV late in their illness (diagnosed with AIDS within one year of testing positive)

*HIV is the 5th leading cause of death in women in the United States, ages 25-44

*High-risk heterosexual contact is the source of 80% of these newly diagnosed infections in women

HIV/AIDS & Minority Women
-----------------------------------
HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects minority women in the United States. According to the 2005 census, Black and Latina women represent 24% of all US women combined, but account for 82% of the estimated total of AIDS diagnoses for women in 2005.

HIV is:

*the leading cause of death for black women (including African American women) aged 25–34 years.

*The rate of AIDS diagnosis for black women was approximately 23 times the rate for white women and 4 times the rate for Latina women

*In 2006, teen girls represented 39% of AIDS cases reported among 13–19 year-olds. Black teens represented 69% of cases reported among 13–19 year-olds; Latino teens represented 19%

These statistics were pulled from The Center for Disease Control's website and the Kaiser Family Foundation's Fact Sheets (which cited the CDC). Get more information about the effect of the epidemic from these sites.

For more information on National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Day, and to find out events going on in your area, go to http://www.womenshealth.gov/NWGHAAD/events/.

Movie Review - The Watchmen

The Watchmen - Released March 6th, 2009: "Not Your Typical Superhero Movie"

Starring:
Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan (yeah, I didn't know who any of these people were either)

Tagline: "Justice is coming to all of us. No matter what we do."

Plot:
The movie is set in 1985 during the tension with the Soviet Union. A decade prior to this a group of masked heroes were forced into retirement. When one of them is murdered the rest band together to investigate his murder which leads them to discover things they had not planned on uncovering. They must work together to not only save themselves, but the world. (I can't say anymore without possibly spoiling parts of the movie.)

Tamara's Take: B+
First let me say this, I understand why a large amount of people were disappointed by the movie. The trailer is very misleading and would have you believe that this movie is an action-packed superhero movie when it in fact is not. I am the first to admit that I am usually very annoyed when I am expected one thing and I end up getting another. This time I wasn't bothered by it at all.

I thought the movie was great. The action scenes were amazing, the choreography of the fight scenes was flawless and kept me intrigued. I am often bored by fight scenes. There WAS a lot of talking in the movie and the movie could have been about 30 minutes shorter but that still didn't make it a bad movie. This movie contained a large amount of imagery and small connections all throughout the movie. I LOVE stuff like this. I want to be challenged intellectually, I want to be surprised by the ending of the movie. This movie is not for those that want to just sit and watch some fighting and explosions. This movie is for someone that wants to use their brain, sadly not many people do.

The one issue I did have with the movie was Dr. Manhattan. Now I know he wasn't a regular human being and he could manipulate time and space but that DOES NOT excuse him from covering up his man parts. It was completely unnecessary for him to be strutting around with his blue thang swangin in the wind. What value did that add to the movie? NONE and it was quite disturbing.

Bottom line: If you like superheroes and also like movies that discuss social issues then check it out, otherwise don't.

Music Review - Album: "It's Not Me, It's You" by Lily Allen

“It’s Not Me, It’s You” – by Lily Allen
Released February 9, 2009

Track Listing:
1. Everyone’s At It
2. The Fear
3. Not Fair
4. 22
5. I Could Say
6. Back to the Start
7. Never Gonna Happen
8. F*ck You
9. Who’d Have Known
10. Chinese
11. Him
12. He Wasn’t There

Artist Background:
Lily Rose Beatrice Allen born May 2nd, 1985 is an English singer-songwriter. Her first album “Alright, Still” was released December 2006. “It’s Not Me, It’s You” is her second album. Her most popular single from her first album was “Smile” and it did fairly well on the charts.

Tamara’s Take: Limited Airplay

Lily Allen has said in several press releases that she wanted to take this album in a “new direction” and that she did. This album in notably less angry, less party oriented, more grown-up and more political/socially conscious. Sadly, I don’t think that I like this new artist she has become as much as I liked who she was on her first album. I am happy for that she has grown as a person, I just don’t think that I want to listen to that person as much.

The album is far from terrible because she is a good singer. I like her voice and the musical arrangements. The album is just too full of propaganda with songs about war, pollution, homosexuality, etc. There was some of this on her first album but nowhere near as much as there is on this album. There are a few songs I might put on my regular playlist but this isn’t an album I would just let play through.

Standout Tracks:
*It’s Not Fair – (There's just one thing that's getting in the way. When we go up to bed you're just no good)
*Never Gonna Happen – (Now I know you feel betrayed, but it's been a week since I got laid.)

Songs on Repeat:
The Fear, F*ck You, Who’d Have Known

Solid Songs:
I Could Say, Chinese,He Wasn’t There

Skip It:
Everyone’s At It, 22, Back to the Start, Him

American Idol - Wildcard Episode

I don't remember them doing this last season. Maybe I just didn't watch it. Okay so the judges get to decide this part. I would say I trust their judgement but we have one good judge and three idiots.

Contestants:
-Jesse: "Tell Me Something Good" - I really like her style. It is different from the other women on the show.
-Matt: "Who's Loving You" - I love this song and all of its versions. I think he sounded great and he looked a lot better tonight too.
-Megan: "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" - I like her but I don't know how I feel about this performance.
-Von: "?" - I'm not feeling the swoop thing going on with his hair. I just don't really like him but he does have an alright voice.
-Jasmine: "Refection" - So you just up and do the opposite of what the judges tell you to do. You don't deserve to make it simply for doing something like that. Geez and I really liked you. You still have a great voice though!
-Ricky: "Superstitious" - Waaaaaay better than when the Jonas Brothers did it.
-Tatiana: "Saving All My Love" - Didn't she already do this song? I just really don't want her to go through even though I have to admit that she didn't sound half bad this time....UGH, I hate that I actually kinda liked her performance.
-Anoop:"My Prerogative" - LOL @ him doing this Bobby Brown song. He did his thing though.

Those Still In The Running:
-Jasmine: I wanted her to make it through but I am a bit shocked because I don't think she was one of the best of the night.
-Megan: I think she has a good voice but I just don't think she should have made it through.
-Matt: He was great tonight so I'm looking forward to hearing more from him.
-Anoop: Whooo hooo, NC better rep!

Tamara's Train of Thought:
-I think these choices are really determined by the producer to get ratings.
-Those back-up singers are fly, LOL
-I guess my hope that the word "swagger" would be left in 08 was just crushed
-People need to stay in their lanes...you might THINK you have a big voice but that doesn't mean that you do
-Did Tatiana's accent change?? She is the worst. Maybe she thought since Jorge got through that it would help her out.
-LOL @ Paula calling Tatiana out about her manufactured accent that magically appeared out of nowhere
-"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!"
-OK, so I'm even more convinced that Anoop grew up around black people.
-Randy you are sooooo corny, please stop it.
-That was nice of Paula to say those things to Tatiana. I could so see her having her own reality show. VH1 would probably give her one, I mean they did give Ray-J one.
-Umm soo they are going to have a top 13? I don't know how I feel about this.

American Idol - 3rd Group of 12 Elimination

I have a feeling this is about to be some BS......

Group Performance:
-HORRIBLE! LOL @ how they changed the words of the song from "bitch" to "girl". Ummm that changes the whole point of that lyric. That choreography was terrible. Katy Perry can't even really sing. It kills me when they do songs by people who are manufactured artists anyway. That chair dancing is just the worst. BOO to this whole mess. They need to go back to just letting the top 12 do group performances.

Still in the Running:
-Lil Rounds: Hells yeah!! OK, I really wanted her to make it and I'm super happy she did. I was going to be pissed if she didn't! She is the best woman in the competition.

-Scott: Hmmmm....so maybe he DID get some sympathy votes because he surely was not the best guy and he wasn't even one of the top 3 in my book.

-Jorge: Great. I'm glad that he made it because if he didn't then that woulda been some bullish. He is one of the best men in the competition.

Wildcard Performances Picks:
-Von Smith: I'm not surprised but I still don't like him.
-Jasmine Murry: I really like her so I hope she makes it into the top 12.
-Ricky Brady: I can agree with this one.
-Megan: Honestly don't even remember her.
-Tatiana: GTFOH- I knew it was coming. I guess she went off her meds because she's back to acting crazy.
-Matt: I liked him but I still don't think he'll make it to the top 12, I'd be okay with it if he did.
-Jesse: I really liked her so I'm glad she's getting a second chance.
-Anoop: pull up your pants please! NC is representing. Did you know he wrote a 60 page thesis on BBQ?? HAHA, funny


Tamara's Train of Thought:
-Ryan gets on my nerves.
-I don't know if I'll watch this show next season, it is just starting to get really bad
-I know I've said this before but they really drag this mess out.
-At least Nate took off that headband.
-Most of these guys look pretty suss.
-It is still funny how they really get into it after they know that they've made it.
-Stand up and look to the left and the right, pretty much all of you are going home.
-I'm not surprised that Arianna went home, she did suck it up in her performance.
-That jacked up dancing did Alex in.
-Shut the heck up Randy!
-Whew....Nate didn't make it through yet. I really hope he doesn't make it as one of the wild cards.
-2 out of 3, not too bad.
-LOL @ Ryen calling Simon Darth Vader
-HA! People were laughing at her in the crowd

American Idol - 3rd Group of 12 Performances

Same rules as last time.....OH yeah, I didn't blog about the 2nd round...so sue me! I just didn't really feel like it. It's not like anyone reads this anyway other than my wonderful friend Tiffany.

Simon's Quotes:
"You're like a little hamster trying to be a tiger."
"The awful Olivia Newton headband"

Contestants:

Von Smith: "You're All I Need To Get By" by Marvin Gaye - Umm hells naw. I never liked this guy anyway. He is murdering a classic and needs to sit it down. And he is still being extra which is exactly what Simon told him not to do. STAY

Taylor Vaifanua: "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys - At least she's cute. There were some parts that were pretty but she sounded pretty flat for most of the song.

Alex Wagner: "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" by Elton John- He has a pretty good voice, too bad he isn't very attractive and he made it even worse with all of that awkward dancing. GOODBYE

Arianna Afsar: "The Winner Takes It All" by ABBA - Don't know this song and this version doesn't make me want to hear it either. She is cute but she has a weak voice and I just feel like it is lacking. She did okay with the big notes but if you can't perform the entire song then it doesn't really matter. Even her parents didn't look impressed. GOODBYE

Ju'Not Joyner: "Hey There Delilah" by The Plain White Ts - He should be eliminated because of his name...ughhh...people need to stop giving their kids these "exotic" names. I think I just don't really like him. He doesn't sound BAD but just not impressive enough to be someone I would consider an American Idol. Whaaaa??? You got a shot in your butt? TMI GOODBYE

Kristen McNamara: "Give Me One Reason" by Tracy Chapman - What the hell does she have on? She looks completely different everytime I see her. She has been my favorite woman so far tonight but that isn't saying much at all. GOODBYE

Nathaniel Marshall: "I Would Do Anything for Love" by Meatloaf - Why would you do any song by Meatloaf?? Are you trying to make yourself an even bigger joke? This guy just bothers me. I hate those tacky ass headbands he insists on wearing. You look foolish!!! STOP IT. Arrrggg. If he stays around I might have to stop watching for real. GOODBYE

Felicia Barton: "No One" by Alicia Keys - Very attractive girl but I don't think this was the right song for her. I don't know what is up with people trying to sing Alicia Keys songs, it just isn't going over too great. She just ended up sounding a hot mess. The judges liked it..hmmm...well I am tone death. GOODBYE

Scott MacIntyre: "Madonlin Rain" by Bruce Hornsby - Put on some shades! He has a nice voice but I just can't get down with him. I think the stylist need to do something different with his hair. It probably doesn't help that I think this song was wack. I wonder if he get sympathy votes. GOODBYE

Kendall Beard: "This One's for the Girls" by Martina McBride - She sounds alright but nowhere near as good as the original. I think she looks nice though and that can get you pretty far in this competition. GOODBYE

Jorge Nunez: "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" by Elton John - The accent is completely throwing me which isn't really fair to him but it is. Still he is the best person so far tonight. He can SANG, those others are just singing. Plus he has that sexy latin thing going on. STAY

Lil Rounds: "Be Without You" by Mary J. Blige - I have loved all of her stuff thus far and this was no exception. I think she did take a risk trying to do MJB who is hard to match. Even though I don't really think MJB is THAT great of a singer and I enjoyed Lil's version. I really hope they keep her around but we know how these things often go. STAY

Tamara's Train of Thought:
-I don't even want to watch this anymore because it is just becoming painful.
-I've just decided that the judges are pretty much full of shit and I don't know what they are listening to.
-Simon is a FOOL!!!
-Where are all the good singers? Have they decided not to participate any longer?
-I'm still convinced that Paula is on something
-LOL @ Simon not even remembering who one of the contestants is

Product Review: Mighty Mendit

I have come to the conclusion that when I am old as dirt become an old lady I will be one of those crazy little old ladies that has a large collection of crap useful gadgets I've ordered off of late night infomercials. Those stupid infomercials ALWAYS make me want to buy whatever they are trying to swindle me into buying. Right now the only thing that stops me from buying them now is my lack of money good sense, which I will probably lose when I get older.

This leads me to my most recent product review. Mighty Mendit. I'm sure you've seen the infomercial with that same guy that is in most of them screaming and being extra animated while he tells you how wonderful the product is. I had some pants that I needed to fix the hem in and I'm no seamstress so I decided to see if this stuff would do.

Tamara's Take: Great of Hems, Not for Parachutes

I purchased my bottle from Target out of their "As Seen on TV" section. It only cost $10 for a good sized bottle. If you have some fallen hems or torn seams to repair then this stuff is great. I fixed the hem in 3 pairs of pants. (I'm short, all of my pants are hemmed) It costs at least $10 to get one pair of pants hemmed at the tailor and it NEVER FAILS, I will get my stiletto heel stuck in the hem and tear it. This was a quick and easy way to fix the hem and much better than my previous method of using safety pins. Now my plan for future pant purchases is to have my cousin cut them to the correct length and then I'll use this stuff to hem them. Money saved! Hey, I got bills to pay it's a recession.

This stuff lasted through being washed and dried and ironed (the label says to avoid putting direct heat on it but I tried it anyway and it was fine). That being said, I wouldn't go around trying to fix parachutes or other things that your life depends on them staying together. That would just be foolish.

Music Review - Album: "19" by Adele

Track Listing:

1. "Daydreamer"
2. "Best for Last"
3. "Chasing Pavements"
4. "Cold Shoulder"
5. "Crazy for You"
6. "Melt My Heart to Stone"
7. "First Love"
8. "Right as Rain"
9. "Make You Feel My Love"
10."My Same"
11."Tired"
12."Hometown Glory"

Tamara's Take: Heavy Rotation

Adele is a fairly new singer from Enfield, North London. 19 is her first of what I hope is many more albums.

Since the Grammy's it seems that people want to jump on the Adele bandwagon. I think this is a good thing since she is an awesome singer. I have had her album since it first came out. I stumbled upon her song "Chasing Pavements" on youtube and fell in love with it immediately! I love her voice and the lyrics of the song. You all know how big I am on lyrics and this album has some great lyrics. You can feel the sadness in her voice which allows you to connect with her and really enjoy the music. This is a sad cd, most of the songs are sad which for me is great because I love sad songs. If you're looking for some "pick-me up" music then you probably want to listen to something else.

Stand Out Tracks:

*Best for Last - (Wait, do you see my heart on my sleeve?)

*Chasing Pavements - (If i tell the world,I'll never say enough, Cause it was not said to you)

*Cold Shoulder - (These days when I see you, You make it look like see-through)

*Melt My Heart To Stone - (And I hear your words that I made up, You say my name like there could be an us)

*First Love - (This love has dried up and stayed behind, and if I stay I’ll be a lie)

*Tired - (and for what and for what and for what, when i don't get nothing back, boy I'm tired)

Songs on Repeat: Crazy for You, Right as Rain, Make You Feel My Love, My Same

Solid Tracks: Daydreamer, Hometown Glory

Skip It: I wouldn't skip any songs on this album!

Movie Review - Friday the 13th (2009)

Friday the 13th (2009) - "Been There, Done That"



Starring: Nobody you'd really know. Pretty much a bunch of B and C and D list actors which is somewhat expected.



Synopsis: If you've seen any of the Friday the 13th movies then you should already know what to expect. A bunch of kids go out in the woods. There is lots of debauchery (sex, drugs, etc.) and then the killing starts. There was definitely plenty of killing going on this movie, just like there was in all of the previous movies of this series. That pretty much sums up the movie, but then again doesn't that sum up any standard horror film?



I learned by doing some research that this movie is supposed to be a remake of the first four movies in the franchise. I didn't know this until after I saw the movie but it was pretty apparent during the movie. They took key parts from each of those movies but put a more current spin on them. The movie was based in current times which made sense. You have to look at this movie as a new starting point instead of trying to fit it in with the previous versions. There were things I liked and dislike about this movie.

Likes: They showed how Jason got the mask. They stuck to the standard scary movie rules (slutty girls die first). They gave a little background on why Jason was doing the killing (but I kinda already knew that).

Dislikes: Jason ran! WTF?? Jason doesn't run, he just walks around and then appears behind someone and kills them. Also they had this thing with tunnels that I thought was strange.

Tamara's Take: Wait for the TV release

Unless you are just a really big horror movie/Jason fan then I'd recommend skipping this movie. I enjoyed it because I am both and it was actually a lot better than I expected it to be. I am still somewhat confused as to why they remade the movie in the first place (since it really added nothing new to the franchise) but that tends to be the trend nowadays. It seems like the movie industry is becoming more and more uncreative with all these remakes. When it brings in money I guess that's all that counts!

Music Review - Album: "Youth Novels" by Lykke Li

Youth Novels by Lykke Li

1. "Melodies & Desires"
2. "Dance Dance Dance"
3. "I'm Good, I'm Gone"
4. "Let It Fall"
5. "My Love"
6. "Little Bit"
7. "Hanging High"
8. "This Trumpet in My Head"
9. "Complaint Department"
10. "Breaking It Up"
11. "Time Flies"
12. "Window Blues"

Tamara’s Take: Heavy Rotation

Lykke Li is a 22 year old Swedish indie singer. Her music has been described as a mix of soul, electro and pop. This is her first album and it was released in the US on May 6, 2008.

I first heard her song “I’m Good, I’m Gone” which was featured on an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. I never followed through on finding out about the complete album until very recently. Now that I’ve had a chance to listen to the complete album I have fallen in love with it! I have been on a European kick lately and this fits right into that. The lyrics are amazing. I know I’ve said this before but I’m really big on lyrics – this is one of the main reasons I have been disappointed by a lot of R&B and Rap lately because the lyrics have been terrible. The beats and production are different from anything I’ve ever heard (in a good way). She comes off a little weird (at least to me) but I think it just adds to the whole package which is wonderful.

This is one of the best albums I’ve heard in a while. It isn’t new but if you haven’t heard it yet then I highly recommend that you check it out. *I thought I’d post my favorite line from each of the “Stand Out Tracks”, let me know what you think about that.* Also, check out some videos below!

Stand Out Tracks:
· “I’m Good, I’m Gone”(Well, say it now 'cause when I’m gone, You'll be callin' but I won't be at the phone)
· “Little Bit”( And for you I keep my legs apart, And forget about my tainted heart)
· “Complaint Department” (If you wanna complain, I'm not the complaint department)
· “Breaking It Up” (And I call you baby I will and I do, Persuade you in though I know that we're through)
· “Window Blues” (Don't lose your selfish ways for me)

Songs On Repeat: “Dance, Dance, Dance”, “Let It Fall”,

Solid Tracks: “Melodies & Desires”, “My Love”, “Hanging High”, “This Trumpet in My Head”, “Time Flies”

Skip It: *There are actually no songs on this album that I would skip.