More on MJ

I'm annoyed over all the celebs who didn't know Michael (or weren't directly influenced by his work) that are weighing in all over the media about his death. They are just trying to get in the spotlight. Who cares what Kim Kardashian thinks? What I'm interested in are the celebs that are really impacted. Here are some highlights:

Paul McCartney: "I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael. He was a massively talented boy man with a gentle soul. His music will be remembered forever and my memories of our time together will be happy ones."

Madonna: "I can't stop crying over the sad news. I have always admired Michael Jackson. The world has lost one of the greats, but his music will live on forever! My heart goes out to his three children and other members of his family. God bless."

Justin Timberlake: "I can't find the words right now to express how deeply sadden [sic] I am by Michael's passing. We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of not only Pop music, but of all music. He has been an inspiration to multiple generations and I will always cherish the moments I shared with him on stage and all of the things I learned about music from him and the time we spent together. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones."

Elizabeth Taylor's spokesman: "Dame Elizabeth Taylor is too devastated by the passing of her dear friend Michael Jackson to issue a statement at this time."

Lisa Marie Presley: "I am completely shocked and saddened by Michael's death. My heart goes out to his children and his family."

Brooke Shields: ""My heart is overcome with sadness for the devastating loss of my true friend Michael. He was an extraordinary friend, artist and contributor to the world. I join his family and his fans in celebrating his incredible life and mourning his untimely passing."

Here's a link to more comments made by close friends and acquaintances: http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/06/friends-and-colleagues-mourn-michael-jackson.html

And just for fun, here are some pics from some of his odd romances:



Okay, he and Liz Taylor were never really romantically linked, but they were really close.

Jude's Thursday Dish #36

Hey, if celebs can keep coming out of retirement, why can't I? (Read post below) Sure, I'm no Lance Armstrong, but don't we all deserve a chance to change our minds? I've had a REALLY tough time not having an audience for my Pop Culture obsession. John can only take so much of my rants and raves. So, without further delay, here's the 36th edition of Thursday Dish.

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1. WOW! MJ is dead. You know how you'll never forget where you were when you heard big news? I was walking in to a Internet cafe in Seoul when I saw on a big screen TV that Princess Di had died. I was in a writing class up at the U of U when the O.J. verdict was announced. A kid walked by in the hallway and looked into the classroom, looked at me and mouthed, "Not guilty." I think this will be up there with those moments. I had just dropped Katie off at a birthday party and I was listening to 101.9 The End. The D.J. said he had just seen on TMZ that Michael Jackson was dead. I was on Highland Drive stopping at the 7-11. CRAZY! In some ways, it was a total shock, but in others, it's not really a surprise. Too many iconic personalities have died too young.

I've been trying to suck up all the info I can. Once I rushed home, I hurried and got online. TMZ was the only place I could find that had the info, but the other entertainment websites were reporting he had a cardiac arrest. But on Eonline, they have this great little app called Celebri-Tweet and it shows the most popular, latest Tweets from Hollywood. A bunch of celebs kept Tweeting their reactions, especially Ashton Kutcher who kept updating who was confirming the info. Ryan Seacrest was updating before he went on air. Minutes later, it was popping up everywhere like CNN, MSNBC, etc. I can't believe how fast they can get the info up. I'm watching CNN right now and they are already interviewing the family spokesperson, etc. Reports started coming in around 4:20-ish, and no one has really be able to confirm his death until right now, 5:25 p.m. Still, news is SO competitive now. Everyone has to stay on the air and come up with something, even if it's not solid news quite yet. Ugh -- Al Sharpton is on the news now. I hate when other famous peeps use these moments to get on air. If you were really grieving, wouldn't you be in your own privacy? Not spouting off to the world?

MJ was such a huge part of my growing up. I remember when we got MTV and my older brother, Brad, and I just devoured the "Thriller" video. My friend, Laurie, had a poster of him with his little bow tie. We thought he was so hot. I was a huge fan for a long time. Unfortunately, his personal problems and his bizarre behavior sometimes overshadowed what an amazingly talented person he was. He did so much great humanitarian work and in so many ways, he was a good man. He was obviously terribly uncomfortable with his life and very troubled. It didn't help that he became the butt of a lot of jokes. The late night shows were the worst offenders. Even when I was watching the last week of Jay Leno's run on "The Tonight Show", he was making tasteless jokes about him. I'm not justifying any actions he may or may not have done. But, I hope he'll be remembered for his talent and his strengths. Everyone deserves to be memorialized for the good they did.

R.I.P., Michael.

2. On another sad note, Farrah Fawcett died today. I watched a little bit of her documentary and it was really sad. I think Farrah is a good example of how a "has been" becomes more endearing to the public once they become ill. I'm thinking Christopher Reeve or even, Michael J. Fox. Not saying that people didn't love them before, but their popularity had definitely cooled off until they had very public battles with illness. Unfortunately, she was almost completely off the radar before she got cancer. But, her influence has grown and she was actually able to really bring some positive exposure -- and a famous face -- to cancer. It's a bit of a shame that her death will be overshadowed by MJ's, but what can you say? He was the King of Pop.

3. I am SOOO excited for the TV show "Glee." It aired after one of the final "American Idol" episodes, but I didn't see it. I've been hearing so much good buzz about it that I finally watched it online at fox.com. GO WATCH THAT PILOT! It seriously gave me GLEE! The music, the comedy... Jane Lynch is CLASSIC. Even the first line of the pilot is worth watching. It's coming on air in the fall for a full season and I can't wait. Here's a quick peek:

Quick Lunch Rush on the last 2 months of Pop Culture going on's...

-- Happy Kris Allen won "American Idol" but HATE that there were so many out there going off about him that Glambert was robbed and personally attacking Kris Allen. They had great respect for each other and it was all good. Loved all the interviews on EW's Idolatry: http://www.ew.com/ew/package/0,,20007164_20174011,00.html. Matt Giraud is really funny and cool in real life. Danny Gokey is NOT. And Adam being gay? In other news, the sky is blue.

-- Bawled like a baby during the "Lost" finale. Totally in mourning one of my favorite characters. Will have to post a post-LOSTapolooza to even skim the surface.

-- Loved "The Office" finale. How cute was Jim's reaction? Not so worried they "Jumped the Shark" with Michael quitting. The 3 getting back to Dunder-Mifflin was completely unbelievable, but with everyone back, it feels like home.

-- Surprisingly, I REALLY liked "Star Trek" and I didn't think I would. Much more "Star Wars" vibe with more character development. And Chris Pine is HOOOTTTT!

-- "Up" was amazing.

-- "Night at the Museum" was actually really funny. Hank Azaria stole the show.

-- Watching "Mad Men" season 1 and I'm conflicted. It's really good and I can't stop watching, but it also makes me really uncomfortable. The chauvinism especially. It's totally worth watching, but it's definitely not feel-good entertainment.

-- I HATE Jon and Kate! HATE, HATE, HATE! I'm so sick of all this coverage on their divorce. I wanted to throw up last night when I was watching Showbiz Tonight on CNN and the 3 people (the host and 2 guests) were saying "Oh, don't we all know what that feels like? Waking up to someone and realizing you don't want to be in bed with them anymore? You've moved in different directions and you just don't want to be married." KILL ME NOW! If you feel that way, suck it up. Go into counseling, work on your marriage, at least try! Jon and Kate need to go off the air and work on their family instead of just giving up after a few months of a rough patch.

-- Two other people I'm totally sick off: Speidi. I have to give E! props. They did an online voting to see if they should ban Speidi until they do something actually newsworthy. I tried to watch that "I'm a Celebrity" show and couldn't stomach it. Between that and the Al Roker thing, I've had it. There 15 minutes is way over and people need to move on!

-- That whole Letterman/Palin drama was so overblown.

-- I like Conan. I think people should give him a chance.

Well, I just "wasted" another hour online, but hey... it was fun! Happy to be back!!!!

That's it for this week!

Okay, I have no will power

That didn't take long. Screw being well-rounded! I JUST talked to my cousin Amy literally an hour and a half ago about how nice it is not being tied to my blog and all the time I've been wasting on it -- and blog stalking everyone else. But truth be told, I really miss it. And if anything is going to bring me back out of retirement, it's the King of Pop dying. How can I NOT blog about that?! So, I'm officially back. Stay tuned for the resurrection of Jude's Thursday Dish.

Goodbye, Sweet Blog

Well, it's time.  As much fun as blogging has been, it's time for it to retire.  The main reason, my life is WAY too insane.  But the other reason, I wrote about in my upcoming May editor letter. Here is a sneak peek of the rough draft.  NOTE: I am by NO means judging anyone, this is just my opinion for myself.  Thanks to my "fans" -- and if you want to catch up or get my Dish opinions, call me or let's do lunch! :)

Editor Letter – May 09

For the Love of Blog
By Judy Hut

My daughter thinks my hobby is the computer. That’s what she told her teacher in an interview about me. When I asked her why she said that, she simply answered, “You eat, sleep and work on the computer.” Ouch. I always thought I was much more well-rounded, but she may be right.

Since I work from home, my laptop is never far from me. I try to get most of my work done during work hours, but I sometimes work on the evenings and weekends. I wish I could say all my computer time is work-related, but it’s not. I Google, I.M., email, shop online, text, download music and Facebook. I try to keep up on my blog and when I’m not doing mine, I’ll blog-stalk others. My only hold-out is Twitter. I really don’t need one more thing to add to the list.

My daughter’s observation got me thinking. Is a mom on her computer all day my generation’s version of the stereotypical mother who watches soaps and eats Bon Bons? Even though my tube of choice is a computer and not the TV, does all the time I spend still make me a couch potato? And the most importantly, am I wasting my time?

Oh, I can justify my computer use to make myself feel better. First, I’m a writer. The Internet is another outlet for me to express myself, right? Blogging is my online journal. It’s better than snail mail to send messages and pictures to my distant family and friends. Second, it’s my way to connect. I don’t have a lot of time to meet friends for lunch or spend hours on the phone. Instead, connecting online is a fast, convenient way to keep up my social life. I started hearing more about what my nieces and nephews are doing once I signed up for Facebook.

Are these really justifications or just excuses? There is so much attention put on how much time kids spend on the computer, but maybe it’s time for mom to evaluate the way she spends her free time too. Techno-savvy moms are complemented for keeping up with the changing times, but there’s a growing problem of moms getting addicted to the Internet and withdrawing from the real world. Some mothers may feel like they are above such things and that Internet addiction is reserved for teens or the socially challenged. Yet, more and more reports are showing that women are suffering from the same addiction.

Ironically, I Googled “are you addicted to the Internet?” and found several online quizzes, some serious and some not, to see if I was truly an Internet Addict. It came no surprise to me that (by their consensus) I am. The question I thought was most poignant was “do you have more friends in real life or online?” By my current 239 friend count on Facebook, the answer is probably online. If their definition of friend is people I keep in touch with frequently, then it is DEFINITELY online. I definitely don’t get together with that many people regularly. I’ve always been very social, but in my 30’s, a lot of friendships have fallen by the wayside thanks to my ever-growing family commitments. That’s understandable, but the more I think about it, I definitely don’t want my social circle to be limited to the World Wide Web.

It’s time for me to cut back. I could never go cold turkey. Nor would I want to. I’m going to start by -- dare I write this, giving up my blog. I don’t want to find out how my friends are doing solely online. Reading up on their lives via RSS feed shouldn’t be a substitute. I am missing out on real face-to-face interaction and relationships. I’m going to make a more concerted effort to make plans with my friends, reconnect in person with those from my past and attend more neighborhood and church functions to meet new people. I’m taking baby steps until I fully realize that life I envision for myself and then, hopefully, I will be well-rounded after all.

 

Jude's Thursday Dish

We are in the process of remodeling our bathroom and our living arrangements are split between our house and John's mom's home while we work on it.  Her house is empty and in the process of being ready to put on the market, therefore; I don't have Internet up there!  Of course, we did bring up a TV and hook it up to the cable, so I'm not completely in the dark.  But, I'm feeling very discombobulated and I don't like it one bit!  Very grateful though for the use of her house and VERY excited for the new bathroom!  Anyway, on to Dish!

1. MEL AND MIKE from The Amazing Race!  Amelia, I think I was in denial and that's why I didn't write about them last week.  But, I'm ready to eulogize my favorite couple. I'm TOTALLY bummed these guys got Philiminated.  I love those two. Not just because Mike wrote "School of Rock" AND was a writer on one of the best, cut-too-short-dead-before-its-time series "Freaks and Geeks" (he acted in that too), but he just seems really cool.  And Mel is this dad that I think I'd totally get along with.  I read an interview with the two and Mel said that Mike is a Vegan and along the way, there wasn't anything for him to eat, so sometimes he'd go 2 whole days without eating.   I'm not really feeling the love for any other team.  I haven't been crazy about Victor and Tammy, but in that same interview, Mike said they are actually really cool, were having fun and the producers were depicting them as being sneaky and uber-competitive.  He actually said Margie and Luke are cool, but a lot more like that than they portrayed them.   I guess Luke was unhappy all the time and would "yell" at his mom a lot.  He'd play mind games with the other contestants when he knew information and wouldn't share with them.  Mike even said he was worse than the cheerleaders, which is pretty interesting because I don't like them at all, especially the rude one who is the epitome of an Ugly American Tourist yelling at everyone.  Anyway, it was sad to see them go over a stupid taxi driver getting lost. It always comes down to transportation, I swear.  On a side note, Mike is working on producing and acting in another one of Jared Hess' movies ("Napoleon Dynamite" and "Nacho Libre" fame).

2. Amy Poehler's "Parks and Recreation" starts tonight!  Set your DVRs.  And give it 5 episodes at least.  I hear it takes a while to warm up to it, but that's how "The Office" was for their first season.

3. Still needing "Twilight" the movie.  Anyone willing to let me borrow their copy?

4. For all of us who got the DVR shaft and didn't get to see Adam Glambert (or Flambert -- depends on if you think he's Glamorous or Flamboyant) and his whole performance.  Here you go... (and Em, SO SORRY I spoiled last night's results for you!).  It's not great quality, but it's better than nothing. I couldn't find a copy to embed, but here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz-pNrj_MHY

5. Quick Lunch Rush of Entertainment News Bits I Couldn't Care Less About...

Is it just me or does Samantha look like LiLo's brother?  Or the male version of Lindsay?  Maybe that's all she really wanted...was to date herself.

So what if Britney Spears walked off stage during a concert? Does that really need to be all over the TV and radio?

I am SO sick of all seeing plastic surgery stories. Except I do have to say this picture is pretty bad. That's Daryl Hannah and not the Tiger Lady (or Ron Pearlman). Why can't people just grow old gracefully?

Stay tuned tomorrow for a belated LOSTapooloza!

That's it for this week!

Kate the Great is 8 (and this is late!)

I'm such the poet.  Well, my Baby Girl turned 8 on Friday.   I can't believe she's that grown-up!  There's a lot of change for her since she's officially a "tween".  No more car seat, getting baptized, starting Activity Days, she'll start fasting, starting piano lessons and soccer.  We could've started the latter before she was 8 and all, but we finally got a keyboard and found the opportunity for her to play soccer.  Anyway, she's thrilled by it all.  

Here's some pictures from her 8th birthday party at Boondock's and her first soccer game.  She loves when I post about her, so here you are, Katie Bug.  

Happy Birthday and I LOVE YOU!

Jude's Thursday Dish (as if I write anything else lately)

I survived the last couple weeks of my life and for that, I'm very grateful.  The first week of April is always insane at the Hut house with my birthday on the 1st and Katie's on the 3rd.  With the celebrations, Katie's party, etc. and then we go into Conference Weekend that holds more get-togethers, it's non-stop.  And tomorrow, I've got the Highland Park Elementary Arts Night that I'm on the Silent Auction committee.  I think by Monday, I'm going to crawl into bed for a mental health day!  Enough of all that, on to Dish!

1. I'm saying it.  "The Office" has officially Jumped the Shark.  Michael quitting?  Pam leaving with him?  SPOILER ALERT: The new bleached blond Ryan we saw in the commercial is working as a manager at a bowling alley and he leaves to go work with Michael.  And rumors are going around that another Dunder Mifflin-ite is going to defect over to Michael's new company.  This is when producers need to stick with their creative integrity and go out on a high note.  Yes, the show is awesome and has turned into a cash cow/audience fav for NBC.  But don't let it go on and on.  Take a cue book from HBO or the BBC.  Let your shows end before they wear out their welcome.  I'd much rather it leave with fond memories than exhaust me on the way out like a bad break-up!

To remind me of funnier days, "My horn can pierce the sky!"

2.  Speaking of a show exhausting itself, does anyone still watch E/R?  Did anyone see the George Clooney return?  I was going to tune in, but forgot.  If you saw it, tell me how it was.  I guess tonight is the last episode and there's a show before it reminiscing on the series.  I may DVR it, but I lost interest in that show when Carter and Luka started going to Africa.

3. For my birthday yesterday, I decided to relax and watch a movie I ordered On Demand.  "Twilight" -- which I still hadn't seen.  I was into it, but unfortunately, Katie called from school saying she was sick and I had to go pick her up.  I didn't want to finish watching it with her around.  On Demand shows last 24 hours, so this morning, I went to finish the movie and it was gone out of my Saved Programs.  I think I barely missed the 24 hour mark.  I'm so annoyed.  And I'm not paying another $4.99 to watch the 2nd half.  Anyone near me have it and can I borrow it, so I can finish and review? :)

4. Since I have no time to go SEE movies, my latest past time is watching trailers online.  I guess I'm fantasizing for the day I have a chance to actually GO to the theater and by looking at trailers, it makes me think I might slow down enough to catch that film when it hits the theaters. That, and for rated R movies, I guess this is as close as I'll get until it comes out on ClearPlay.  So, I guess this spot was on during the Super Bowl, but we were having a family birthday party and the game was on in the background, so I didn't see it.  This is probably old news for most of you, but I actually laughed out loud at this clip when I found it online.  Especially seeing Tobias playing Cain.   My favorite part: "What do I continue to do?"

4. And on to LOSTapooloza! If you haven't seen it, GO AWAY!

Last night's episode was solid. Maybe not as flashy or as "big reveal" as others, but definitely a good show. I'm digging the new Jack, even though Kate isn't, I guess. I loved how he stood up to her and said, "You didn't like the old me." I was also pleased to see Sawyer not just go to mush over Kate and he's staying true to his new woman. That might end, but for now, it's very realistic that he'd be loyal to Juliet since they've been together so long. It was interesting to see Juliet confront Jack (in the shower, naked! Hello? Neither seemed affected at all that he walked out all bare-nekkid.) Was she anguished that Jack came back or was she upset that he brought KATE back? I thought it was interesting how everybody wanted to save young Benry. Sure, I get the whole thing about him being a child and it doesn't matter who he becomes, but hey... Producers, read 1st Nephi. It's better than ONE man perish than a whole nation dwindle in unbelief! Ha ha! Why did Kate care so much about Benry living? I thought for sure that Benry TOOK Aaron and she would want him to live because she knew that was the only way in the future she would find him. I was actually VERY surprised that Kate gave Aaron back to his grandma and she's going back to the Island to find Clair. (Is Claire alive or dead or resurrected?) John thought it was totally out of character, but I think it's her turning point and her only true way to redeem herself. She's FINALLY taking steps to be a better person. It was a great performance and truly heartwrenching. Kate wanted to save Benry because of her growth as a woman and as a mom. She is turning into a real heroine. I totally bought it.

Still loving that Hurley's thoughts and questions about the time travel mirror the audiences. John and I even discussed the whole "Back to the Future" theory, so when Hurley voiced that, it was like a shout-out to all the Geeks like us out there. And when he asked Miles why didn't Benry remember Sayid shooting him as a kid, classic. Like we haven't all been wondering that.

One point of mythology clarification came up. Charles Widmore was part of the Richard Alpert Others and not the Dharma Others. The Ellie they referred to had to be Eloise Hawking. Were they an item? Maybe Penny and Faraday are 1/2 siblings? Or maybe Eloise IS Penny's mom? Those 2 were obviously in charge, but it's odd to me that Eloise will help Big Benry go back to the Island and Charles Widmore is totally on the outs. They must've had some falling out. That makes me wonder how does Benry grow up with the Richard Alpert peeps and overtake Charles? But how does that fit in with Benry going back to the Dharma peeps and killing his dad and everybody else?

Coming Up: Benry says he's back at the Island to atone for his sins. Whatever. If he is, he's only doing that to get back into the good graces of Jacob. In the preview for next week, you can see that he's talking with a young Rousseau in the temple. So, Locke, Benry, Sun, Frank and the survivors of the plane crash must have landed in 1985-ish. Will we ever get back to 2008 -2009? There are rampant rumors online about who the 2 deaths are going to be this season. One is floating around that Sawyer is going to die in the season finale. I will have a REALLY hard time watching next season if that happens. There's been confirmation that it's not Kate or Penny (thank heaven!!!), but other than that, everyone else is wide open. I'm thinking it's got to be Sayid. How is he can stay on the Island with the Dharma peeps all after him for shooting young Benry? Plus, his story arc seems to be running out.

That's it for this week!

Jude's Thursday Dish

So, here's some cold Dish for you. Yesterday, our largest issue of the year went to press. I worked twice my hours last month working on it. Everything around me is in shambles, but hey... it's going to be a great issue! So if you see it, pick it up, so I feel like all my hard work went to something (other than just paying our bills).

Since I'm SICK of being on the computer and I need to get back to my life, here's just some quick LUNCH RUSH bits to tide us over.

- Michael Sarver on "American Idol' should be counting his lucky stars he got that far and got to go on tour.  Alexis Grace SO deserved that spot over him.  But Matt Giraud in the bottom two?  Maybe if he didn't look so pissed off all the time, people would vote for him.  He definitely has the talent, just not sure about the personality.  And I have to say.  I'm still TOTALLY digging Adam Lambert.

- So, Madonna is adopting another child from Malawi.  I mean, it's really great, but I have to go off on this tangent that I know I've blogged about before.  Don't you just love how celebs can just drop the big dough and pick up a baby as easy as you or I would get groceries?  But if you're poor and regular folk, you have to go through all the ropes and pay more than you can afford just to open up your home to a child who needs a family.

- Have you seen the new "Where the Wild Things Are" trailer?  When I heard they were doing this movie, I wrote it off, but this trailer looks very cool:

- And finally, quick LOSTapolooza.  Go AWAY if you haven't seen it.  Another STELLAR episode.  I love that the writers appreciate what the fans are thinking and will have the character's say our thoughts.  Like when Hurley was talking about Juliet and Sawyer hooking-up, something to the effect of "Didn't we all see that coming?"  Loved all the turmoil with who I would say is the show's most tragic character, Sayid.  They still had me guessing.  At first, I definitely thought Sayid was there to kill Young Harry Potter -- I mean, Ben -- but when they showed that scene with him an Old Benry that he was trying to change, it really seemed like Sayid thought he was there to reform Young Ben.  I actually tihnk it might be the same as when Benry killed Locke.  He really intended on saving Locke from hanging himself, but then he snapped.  I choose to believe that Sayid was really going to try and help Young Ben, but when he saw Jin's gun and the opportunity came up, he couldn't help but shoot Young Ben because that's really who he is - and he knew he'd be saving GENERATIONS by killing him off.

Young Ben is obviously not dead.  The Island will save him.  But I think it's interesting when Old Benry said to Sayid back in the episode where he was bandaging up his shoulder, "Remember what you did the last time you followed your heart?"  Does Old Benry remember Sayid shooting him when he was 12?  They MUST address all that.  In the future, do these people remember meeting all of these peeps in the 70's?

That's it for this week!

Jude's Thursday Dish

I'm trying to get to this first thing this morning, because I have a full day ahead.  So, on to Dish!

1. SO sad about Natasha Richardson!  John and I said the same thing last night that now Liam Neeson reminds us of his sad widower character in "Love Actually".  I'm not really familiar with a lot of her work except of course, one of my favorite Disney remakes: "The Parent Trap" which she was great in.  I was reading up on her last night and she had a fabulous career as a stage actress too.  Anyway, it just makes me sad that she was so young and her boys are only 12 and 13-ish.

2. I don't know what to make of "American Idol".  It's driving me crazy.  It's feeling like a relative you can't stand, but you can't get rid of.  Of course I'll keep watching.  One thing that drives me crazy, the contestants are so SASSY this season.  Did the producers tell them to talk back more and defend their performances? Either way, it's SO annoying.  Just take your criticism and shut up.  When Ryan asks you your opinion, then answer.  And the judges.  UGH! Simon and Paula.  Get a room already!  Anyway, as much as I liked Alexis Grace's voice, she came off as kind of b----y.  She always acted like she was above everything and I got SO sick of Kara telling her to "dirty" it up.  She did the right thing on Tuesday and I agree with Paula (who surprisingly seems to be the only spot-on judge this season) that she needed to show her vulnerability.  But, her personality didn't pull her through and let's face it, we all know this show has turned into a big personality contest.  So, we've got our top 10 and I have to say, I'm digging Adam Lambert. His performance WAS weird, but he reminds me of all the artists I loved in the 80's.  And whether the judges liked it or not, he was really smart to just turn his country song into his unique style.  I think it's weird there are 7 guys and 3 girls left.  Michael or Scott should go next. I don't like Lil as much as everyone else, but Katie would kill me.  She LOVES Lil.  Danny Gokey has a great voice, but I have a hard time watching him after this (I love EW's Idolatry -- you should add it to your favs): http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid3887239001/bclid3343000001/bctid15404465001

3. I adore "The Office" as much as anyone.  But I have to say, since I've been watching since mid-season 1, it's been getting a little old.  Last Thursday was a HUGE breath of fresh air.  That episode was classic.  I especially loved this part:

4. On Saturday night, we doubled with our friends, Marcy and Brandon.  After dinner, we went to the dollar movie (which is now $1.75 on weekends, guess I can't really call it that).  Our two choices were "Marley and Me" and "Valkyrie".  What a dilemma.  I HATE Tom Cruise, but I didn't want to see a dog die (thanks to my drama) even more.  So, we went to "Valkyrie" (shout out to Melinda and Bruce who were there too!).  It took a few minutes to get past 1.) putting all of Tom Cruise's shenanigans behind me and 2.) why did everyone speak in whatever accent they wanted to?  But, then I was able to delve into the movie.  It was a good film, but I have to say, I was SO bored.  There was just no suspense for me.  Obviously, they didn't assassinate Hitler. Obviously, people who failed at assassinating Hitler would be tried for treason and killed.  If that's a spoiler for you, then sorry... you need a history lesson!  I know there should have been suspense in HOW they got to that point and I guess there was, but for some reason (probably I was tired) it just didn't grab me.  Everyone else seemed to really enjoy it though, so I think I'm in the minority.  A probable good $1 movie show or rental if you're into that kind of thing.

And now LOSTapooloza!

As always, if you haven't watched the show last night, go away!

I love this new Sawyer.  I loved the old Sawyer too, but this new, take charge, Winston Churchill inspired Sawyer is awesome!  It's SO not going to last, but I'll enjoy it while I can.  So before I got to overthinking who that baby was (that's what LOST has done to me, makes me overthink every show now even when there's nothing to look for - conspiracies in "American Idol" anyone?), my first thought was the baby was Ethan.  Juliet's face when she found out was classic.  It mixed sadness (for her friend) and shock (knowing what Ethan's fate would be).  

The show itself was just wryly funny.  Here are castaways dropping in all over and poor LaFleur trying to figure out what to do with them.  I loved Jin's instant reaction to hearing that Sun was there and trying to find the plane.  And there was this part that unless you're a LOST Fangirl like me, you wouldn't have known about.  I recognized that weird glasses guy's name (the one that was paranoid and getting into Jin's face about the Swan) and did a little research.  This is what I found out thanks to Eonline. Way back in the day, we learned that before Desmond shared "the hatch" with Inman (Inman that's soldier guy that was with Sayid then later we saw with Desmond), Inman shared the hatch with Radzinsky.  Who's Radzinsky?  For a long time, all we knew about Radzinsky was that he eventually shot himself in the head and became that smear on the ceiling of the Swan.  But in last night's ep back to 1977, we learned that Radzinsky designed the Swan station hatch in the first place.  We'll obviously get more on that guy in the future.

How trippy was that Sun, Frank and Christian scene?  Totally confused.  And before that, LOVED how Sun is a new bad a-- and took out Ben.  I was hoping she was the one that did it.  And speaking of Ben, it was a great reveal to Sayid to see the young, pubsecent Ben (man, that kid is creepy).  I think that's what the preview is alluding to when Sayid says: "I know why I'm here" or whatever.  He thinks he's back to kill young Ben.  I think he'll wreck havoc on the village,  blowing things up, and that's what will lead Sawyer to get pissed, head butt him, and leave him on his own.  It will ruin Sawyer's security and that's all he wants.

More coming up: spoilers say that there are 2 deaths this season.  I have no idea who they are and I don't want to know.  But it's still driving me crazy and I can't help but speculate.  One is major-ish and the other is major.  Major-ish think Miles, Faraday, Frank, Penny.  Major - well, everyone else is major.  I really doubt it's Locke, Jack, Sawyer, Kate or Ben.  But, I'm worried for Sayid, Hurley, Jin, Sun and Juliet.  Any thoughts on who you think it would be?

That's it for this week!

 

Winter, are we through?

Middle of March and I've been ready for spring since February 15th.  The snow on my lawn has FINALLY melted.  My house faces north, so it takes forever for my lawn to de-thaw. The sunshine is more than welcome for my S.A.D. soul.  So to usher in what I hope is the end of the snow and even though spring doesn't officially start until Wednesday, I wanted to post some pictures of our winter and be done with it!

Disclaimer: Yes, there are no pictures of me... on purpose. Not until I lose some of this winter fat and all the fat from seasons prior!

Katie had two 2nd grade programs.  This was the "Friendship Program" with the kids doing the "Friendship Rap".

Our 2nd annual "Snow Day" trip up to Heber.  We go to John's stepdad's cabin in Heber, sleep-over and the next day, we ride the tractor and pull the homemade sled around the backyard. Here's John driving with my nephew, James.  Katie and Ethan love to hang on the back of the sled and play "Indiana Jones" while they're dragged around the yard.  Lots of fun, but the snow clothes get filthy!

Katie had a field trip at the Hogle Zoo.  It was with the school's art teacher.  They got to go around sketching animals.  That's why I LOVE her school.

Yeah for our Discovery Gateway membership.  The perfect remedy for cold winter days.  Here's Katie and my nephew, Ethan.  We went several times and it never gets old for the kids.