We're back! Tonight we crown the king or queen of the ballroom and I think there are all sorts of surprises in store. ABC already messed me up by re-airing last night's show at 8. But it's finally time for the coveted mirror ball trophy to be presented to the champions of season 10. Disclaimer: I'm not afraid to fast forward through results shows - even if it is the grand finale. Let's go!
9:08 - This countdown montage is intense. Way to turn up the drama DWTS.
9:09 - The opening credits aka the reminder of all of the terrible celebrities we are going to see dance again tonight. You know who I'm talking about.
9:10 - Oh this is new. A group dance with all of the couples who got voted off. Oh but wait it's only the pros who are actually dancing. Shoot I am very okay with that though.
9:11 - Wow, Kate Gosselin just cannot get any more awkward can she? No wait. I hear that she is going to "fly" tonight or something so yes, yes I think she can.
9:12 - Why is Ochocinco not dancing? Oh he was injured actually playing football. Thanks Tom Bergeron. Meanwhile, they just showed about 40 former contestants in the audience. Worst bonus question ever for the fantasy league.
9:13 - Brooke Burke's dress is hideous. I mean really bad. Meanwhile isn't there some crew member that can tell the audience to simmer down?
9:14 - Nicole and Derek are up first and they are dancing their Argentine Tango. Nicole and Derek's was SICK. Seriously the best dance of the entire season.
9:16 - Loved it. How am I supposed to live without Bruno screaming words like rich and luscious at me once a week for the next three months?
9:20 - I'm still trying to furnish my new apartment and I think a mirror ball trophy is just what I need. Don't you think?
9:21 - Evan and Anna are also doing their Argentine Tango. I'm sensing a pattern.
9:25 - Evan! Crack a smile! You're getting good reviews!
9:27 - Oh wow what a shocker. Erin and Maks are also dancing the Argentine Tango. And wow they are really going at each other this week. That got a little old this season, not gonna lie. The least Erin could do was imitate his Russian accent so that I can give the fantasy league five more points.
9:31 - Attention fantasy league if any of you are actually reading this. They keep showing that row with Shawn Johnson and Apolo Ohno but I am only counting them ONCE as prior contestants shown in the audience.
9:33 - Oh my gosh here it is. The moment of truth. Erin and Maks in 3rd, Evan and Anna in 2nd, Nicole and Derek in 1st after the Argentine Tango round. "Soon we will reveal who is just one. dance. shy. of the trophy." Thanks Brooke for stumbling through that.
9:36 - So now we are going to factor in the judge's scores with the fans votes. Those will also be revealed. Tonight is all about the reveal.
9:38 - Oh good another montage of the season's best moments.
9:40 - Oh apparently it's only a montage of the first three weeks. AKA an intro to the worst of the season. I really missed watching Mark Ballas.
9:41. What. Just. Happened. I think Buzz Aldrin was just beamed down from the sky. I need to rewind this.
9:42 - My dad's text message to me just now: Buzz stinks.
9:43 - Okay I can't take it anymore. I have to pause to watch Glee so that my DVR can catch up and I can fast forward through all of these "incredible performances". We'll be back.
10:33 - Okay did you guys know that this show was 2 hours tonight??? I did not get that memo. I can't hang anymore. It's time to talk on the phone and go to bed. In the morning maybe I will try to finish. I'm sorry that the live blog is only half a live blog. But what the heck ABC. Do we really need two hours? Plus I forgot my computer battery at work and my laptop is at 33% right now so even my computer can't hang.
Congrats to the winner. I'm sure I'll read all about it in the AM.
5.25.2010
5.24.2010
Liiiiiiive... Kinda. This is Dancing with the Stars!
It's here! The finals of Dancing with the Stars! The two-night finale extravaganza (hey that's what Brooke called it, not me) begins right now. I should have done this a while ago because this season was awesome. My blog isn't exactly live so deal with it. Plus I DVR the show and then watch it so that's not even live either.
8:34 - The guy on the congas is really giving it his all tonight. I mean it is the finals after all. Go big or go home.
8:34 - Our three finalists are introduced. Maks kind of has no shirt on. It's going to be a great night. Everyone's so excited! It's the finals!
8:35 - Maks and Erin are up first. Apparently they are going to samba. Bruno is going to teach them how.
8:36 - Oh wow Bruno just said ass. Is he allowed to do that on ABC?
8:37 - They just wasted like 5 seconds where Erin was all outraged that Maks was trying to take his shirt off. Ummm that's about to get you fan votes sweetie. Do it for your team.
8:38 - That samba was better than the last time they did that dance.
8:39 - Bam. Bruno stands up to give his critique. If he gets out of his seat one more time while judging, everyone in the fantasy league gets five points.
8:42 - And we're back. Erin and Maks got a 29 out of 30. It's weird that this time it was Bruno that gave a 9 when everyone else gave 10s. Usually it's Len ruining the show.
8:43 - Do you think Erin Andrews tries to give Brooke Burke lessons on how to be a TV host off camera? It wouldn't be the worst idea...
8:45 - Evan's up next and he is doing the waltz because last time he had no connection to Anna.
8:46 - Ooooh Anna's shirt looks like a piano and they are dancing to the song Piano Man. I see what you did there Evan and Anna.
8:49 - I hope no Twilight fans are reading this but the trailer for Eclipse looks awful. Seriously terrible.
8:50 - Evan and Anna get a 28 out of 30. Ouch. Evan seriously has no inflection in his voice whatsoever. It's very strange. Also I think Brooke Burke is wearing a Bump It.
8:51 - Emmit Smith sighting. That's former DWTS contestant sighting #1 for those counting at home.
8:53 - Nicole and Derek are dancing the rumba now.
8:54 - Wow, that end pose was pretty cool. I bet the judges rave about this.
8:55 - Okay so apparently the pose at the end was a lift and Carrie Ann is all worked about that. Derek says no the music was over. Carrie Ann says the music was still going so it's a lift. Drama on the dance floor.
8:56 - Congratulations to the fantasy league. Everyone gets five points. I knew Bruno wouldn't be able to contain himself with these two.
8:56 - Nicole and Derek get a 28 out of 30. Which means Erin and Maks are in first right now. I don't think people saw that coming.
8:58 - Freestyle time!
9:43 - Ooops. Definitely just talked on the phone to my sister for an hour. Now we're back. Erin and Maks are going to do a contemporary, lyrical freestyle. I don't know about this.
9:44 - Something tells me someone at ABC is cringing that this dance revolves around them rolling around in a bed.
9:46 - That flip was sick. Wow I actually really liked this dance.
9:47 - Len likes it but doesn't love it. Bruno is standing again so he must love it. Carrie Ann LOVED the choice.
9:48 - "That wasn't the bed we rehearsed on," said Maks. I bet it wasn't Maks. I bet it wasn't.
9:49 - Woah an eight in the finals from Len? On the freestyle? No bueno. Erin and Maks get a 26 for their freestyle. Next up Evan and Anna.
9:50 - Wow Evan just laid it down. And his voice didn't even rise or fall.
9:52 - Is Evan really going to try some kind of hip hop routine? Oh boy.
9:53 - Okay I've been wondering this all season, when did they start incorporating props and set designs into the dances?
9:54 - Not bad. It actually looked like Evan was having a blast. He was really into it and that was pretty fun to watch.
9:55 - Uh oh. They hate it. Carrie Ann said it was odd. Len says it certainly wasn't what he wanted to see. OH! But congrats to the fantasy league because Tom Bergeron just plugged the Bachelorette! Five more points!
9:56 - Evan and Anna get a 24 out of 30. Nicole and Derek's dance is highly anticipated so let's see if they can deliver.
10:00 - Oh no! That was SICK until they messed up that last lift! Oh that's a bummer!
10:01 - "That's the freestyle we've all been waiting for" says Carrie Ann. Yes fact. But way to bring down the house by pointing out the fall Carrie Ann. Bruno is on his feet again. I should have made the question will he stand five times or more, shoot.
10:03 - 27 out of 30. Probably because they fell at the end. Oh well.
So Erin and Maks and Nicole and Derek are tied with 55 while Evan and Anna are behind them with 52 points. Tomorrow night should be interesting. I was pulling for Evan and Anna but I'm not feeling very confident about them. I guess we'll see what happens. Stay tuned for part two of the finals and of the live blog!
8:34 - The guy on the congas is really giving it his all tonight. I mean it is the finals after all. Go big or go home.
8:34 - Our three finalists are introduced. Maks kind of has no shirt on. It's going to be a great night. Everyone's so excited! It's the finals!
8:35 - Maks and Erin are up first. Apparently they are going to samba. Bruno is going to teach them how.
8:36 - Oh wow Bruno just said ass. Is he allowed to do that on ABC?
8:37 - They just wasted like 5 seconds where Erin was all outraged that Maks was trying to take his shirt off. Ummm that's about to get you fan votes sweetie. Do it for your team.
8:38 - That samba was better than the last time they did that dance.
8:39 - Bam. Bruno stands up to give his critique. If he gets out of his seat one more time while judging, everyone in the fantasy league gets five points.
8:42 - And we're back. Erin and Maks got a 29 out of 30. It's weird that this time it was Bruno that gave a 9 when everyone else gave 10s. Usually it's Len ruining the show.
8:43 - Do you think Erin Andrews tries to give Brooke Burke lessons on how to be a TV host off camera? It wouldn't be the worst idea...
8:45 - Evan's up next and he is doing the waltz because last time he had no connection to Anna.
8:46 - Ooooh Anna's shirt looks like a piano and they are dancing to the song Piano Man. I see what you did there Evan and Anna.
8:49 - I hope no Twilight fans are reading this but the trailer for Eclipse looks awful. Seriously terrible.
8:50 - Evan and Anna get a 28 out of 30. Ouch. Evan seriously has no inflection in his voice whatsoever. It's very strange. Also I think Brooke Burke is wearing a Bump It.
8:51 - Emmit Smith sighting. That's former DWTS contestant sighting #1 for those counting at home.
8:53 - Nicole and Derek are dancing the rumba now.
8:54 - Wow, that end pose was pretty cool. I bet the judges rave about this.
8:55 - Okay so apparently the pose at the end was a lift and Carrie Ann is all worked about that. Derek says no the music was over. Carrie Ann says the music was still going so it's a lift. Drama on the dance floor.
8:56 - Congratulations to the fantasy league. Everyone gets five points. I knew Bruno wouldn't be able to contain himself with these two.
8:56 - Nicole and Derek get a 28 out of 30. Which means Erin and Maks are in first right now. I don't think people saw that coming.
8:58 - Freestyle time!
9:43 - Ooops. Definitely just talked on the phone to my sister for an hour. Now we're back. Erin and Maks are going to do a contemporary, lyrical freestyle. I don't know about this.
9:44 - Something tells me someone at ABC is cringing that this dance revolves around them rolling around in a bed.
9:46 - That flip was sick. Wow I actually really liked this dance.
9:47 - Len likes it but doesn't love it. Bruno is standing again so he must love it. Carrie Ann LOVED the choice.
9:48 - "That wasn't the bed we rehearsed on," said Maks. I bet it wasn't Maks. I bet it wasn't.
9:49 - Woah an eight in the finals from Len? On the freestyle? No bueno. Erin and Maks get a 26 for their freestyle. Next up Evan and Anna.
9:50 - Wow Evan just laid it down. And his voice didn't even rise or fall.
9:52 - Is Evan really going to try some kind of hip hop routine? Oh boy.
9:53 - Okay I've been wondering this all season, when did they start incorporating props and set designs into the dances?
9:54 - Not bad. It actually looked like Evan was having a blast. He was really into it and that was pretty fun to watch.
9:55 - Uh oh. They hate it. Carrie Ann said it was odd. Len says it certainly wasn't what he wanted to see. OH! But congrats to the fantasy league because Tom Bergeron just plugged the Bachelorette! Five more points!
9:56 - Evan and Anna get a 24 out of 30. Nicole and Derek's dance is highly anticipated so let's see if they can deliver.
10:00 - Oh no! That was SICK until they messed up that last lift! Oh that's a bummer!
10:01 - "That's the freestyle we've all been waiting for" says Carrie Ann. Yes fact. But way to bring down the house by pointing out the fall Carrie Ann. Bruno is on his feet again. I should have made the question will he stand five times or more, shoot.
10:03 - 27 out of 30. Probably because they fell at the end. Oh well.
So Erin and Maks and Nicole and Derek are tied with 55 while Evan and Anna are behind them with 52 points. Tomorrow night should be interesting. I was pulling for Evan and Anna but I'm not feeling very confident about them. I guess we'll see what happens. Stay tuned for part two of the finals and of the live blog!
Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Author: Stieg Larsson
Number of Pages: 644
Genre: Fiction, mystery, crime thriller
Where did I get it: Target
Summary from the back of the book:
Harriet Vanger, scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families, disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.
So this book has gotten some pretty incredible reviews and I'm definitely glad I read it. I just don't know if I am quite on the Stieg Larsson train. The book was very enjoyable - suspenseful and mysterious with very engaging characters. The ending is excellent and will stick with you. But it still had its downfalls to me. Too much detail in some areas, not enough detail in others. The book opens with the main character, Mikael Blomkvist, being convicted of libel for writing a story with false information about a major financier in Sweden. I still have no idea what the finance plotline has to do with the rest of the story. The bulk of the story - Blomkvist's search for Harriet Vanger - is really good so I don't understand why the other stuff is necessary. It also takes a little bit of time for everything to come together. You know that Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander, the girl who becomes his partner in solving the case of Harriet Vanger, will meet at some point but it feels like it takes forever for that point to happen in the story. 644 pages is a lot...
My favorite character was Lisbeth Salander. She is one bad chick, let me tell you. She's described as being 4-11 and all of about 90 pounds, but she will take you out and you'll never even see it coming. She's a very complicated character and I found myself really pulling for her. Larsson doesn't go into a lot of detail about her past, but from what's told, you can tell she's been through some rough stuff and you can see a lot of internal struggle. I wanted her to succeed. I wanted her to win. She was awesome.
There are two more books in this series and I will probably read them, especially if Target has them on sale for 5 bucks like this one was. But I'll get around to them. There are other books I'm more interested in trying right now so at some point I'll finish out the trilogy. But overall, I liked this book.
Overall rating: 4/5
Coming Up Next: One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell
When a Queen of Society dies, a vicious scramble for her penthouse apartment at prestigious One Fifth Avenue ensues, and it's attorney Annalisa and her hedge-funder husband, Paul Rice, who land the palatial pad, roiling the building's rivalries. There's Billy Litchfield, an art dealer who slobbers over the wealthy; strivers Mindy and James Gooch, and their tech-savvy 13-year-old Sam, the most hilariously bitter (and strangely successful) family in the building; gossip columnist Enid Merle and her screenwriter nephew, Philip Oakland, who struggle to uphold traditions and their souls; actress Schiffer Diamond, who lands a hit TV series, and her old love; and Lola Fabrikant, a cunning Atlanta gold digger whose greatest ambition is to become Carrie Bradshaw. Here are bloggers and bullies, misfits and misanthropes, dear hearts and black-hearts, dogfights and catty squalls spun into a darkly humorous chick-lit saga.
Yes I am aware that this is straight up chick-lit and I'm already two chapters deep and I think I'm going to hate this one. But oh well - it'll be good for sitting outside on my fabulous new balcony furniture. I'm also just about done with an audio book. I got John Grisham's Playin for Pizza for when I drive to work in the morning and it's turning out to be a good audio book. A review is pending...
5.23.2010
Good Luck Megan Fox
Last week it was announced that Megan Fox was not going to be part of Transformers 3. At first, the story came out and said that she was fired, most likely for coming at director Michael Bay, but then she came out and said that no she was not fired but chose to leave the franchise to concentrate on other opportunities.
Either way, good luck with that Megan Fox.
I saw bits and pieces of the first Transformers and never saw the second one but I can pretty much tell you that explosions, robots and pretty girls doesn't exactly mean a movie full of substance and emotion. But it did serve its purpose as a typical summer blockbuster. Our good friend Wikipedia tells us that the first one, released in 2007, brought in over 700 million dollars and was the highest grossing non-sequel movie that year. Transformers Dos brought in even more than that - over 800 mil to be exact.
But then Megan Fox decided to get a little too big for her britches. She started appearing in every magazine and all over the web with ridiculous messages about how she didn't want to be compared to Angelina Jolie and how Transformers director Michael Bay was "worse than Hitler". She also slammed the actual movie franchise itself, basically saying that it didn't allow her to do any real acting. Well duh.
So now, regardless of whose decision it actually was, Fox has the chance to go and make what I'm sure will be very poignant and moving cinematic masterpieces. Her first project? A film by the name of Jonah Hex which is described on Wikipedia as "an upcoming American superhero Western film based on the DC Comics character of the same name". She plays a prostitute who carries a gun.
So it looks like Megan Fox has decided to trade in explosions and pretty girls for... explosions and pretty girls. Wait. I'm confused. Where is the artistic challenge that apparently was so lacking in Transformers? Meanwhile, raise your hand if you saw "Jennifer's Body". Yeah neither did most of America.
I don't know. I just don't get it. Maybe because I'm not an "artist" I don't understand her hangup with being so anti-action films. Transformers put you on the map. You topped literally every guy magazine's Hottest Girl list. You were the It girl. Why bite the hand that feeds you?
And if it all has to do with the fact that the director is a huge jerk, here's a news flash for you: he's a director in Hollywood. Don't know much about the business, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that directors are jerks a lot of the time to get what they want out of you so they can make an awesome movie. Jerks happen. Get used to it.
At the end of the day, I think this ends up being a big mistake on her part. I think she'll continue to make movies but I don't think they'll bring in the success that Transformers brought her. Just my two cents though.
Of course the Megan Fox replacement rumor mill immediately started buzzing with Heidi Montag from The Hills emerging as the most notable "celeb" to express her interest in the part. Heidi put some note on her Twitter asking Michael Bay to cast her in the new Transformers. I've made this joke/asked this question twice already, but I'll say it again: If Heidi can't even go jogging recreationally because her fake boobs are too big for any kind of exercise, how is she supposed to play a major role in an action movie? A stunt double is an option of course but then that means that Heidi would only be on screen during scenes where she'd actually have to say lines. Yikes. I don't think anyone wants that.
All sorts of names have been brought forward, but it sounds like "Prince of Persia" star Gemma Arterton is the frontrunner to fill the role vacated by Fox. Other names include models Bar Rafaeli (she dates Leonardo DiCaprio), Brooklyn Decker (she's married to Andy Roddick) and Miranda Kerr (I think she dates Orlando Bloom).
Should be semi-interesting to see how this all pans out but at the end of the day, it will be most interesting to see the direction that Megan Fox's career begins to take now. This franchise puts you on the map and people in Hollywood tend to remember who said what in this business. If her reputation begins to proceed her (precede her?), that probably won't end well for her. Best of luck Ms. Fox. I think you're going to need it.
Either way, good luck with that Megan Fox.
I saw bits and pieces of the first Transformers and never saw the second one but I can pretty much tell you that explosions, robots and pretty girls doesn't exactly mean a movie full of substance and emotion. But it did serve its purpose as a typical summer blockbuster. Our good friend Wikipedia tells us that the first one, released in 2007, brought in over 700 million dollars and was the highest grossing non-sequel movie that year. Transformers Dos brought in even more than that - over 800 mil to be exact.
But then Megan Fox decided to get a little too big for her britches. She started appearing in every magazine and all over the web with ridiculous messages about how she didn't want to be compared to Angelina Jolie and how Transformers director Michael Bay was "worse than Hitler". She also slammed the actual movie franchise itself, basically saying that it didn't allow her to do any real acting. Well duh.
So now, regardless of whose decision it actually was, Fox has the chance to go and make what I'm sure will be very poignant and moving cinematic masterpieces. Her first project? A film by the name of Jonah Hex which is described on Wikipedia as "an upcoming American superhero Western film based on the DC Comics character of the same name". She plays a prostitute who carries a gun.
So it looks like Megan Fox has decided to trade in explosions and pretty girls for... explosions and pretty girls. Wait. I'm confused. Where is the artistic challenge that apparently was so lacking in Transformers? Meanwhile, raise your hand if you saw "Jennifer's Body". Yeah neither did most of America.
I don't know. I just don't get it. Maybe because I'm not an "artist" I don't understand her hangup with being so anti-action films. Transformers put you on the map. You topped literally every guy magazine's Hottest Girl list. You were the It girl. Why bite the hand that feeds you?
And if it all has to do with the fact that the director is a huge jerk, here's a news flash for you: he's a director in Hollywood. Don't know much about the business, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that directors are jerks a lot of the time to get what they want out of you so they can make an awesome movie. Jerks happen. Get used to it.
At the end of the day, I think this ends up being a big mistake on her part. I think she'll continue to make movies but I don't think they'll bring in the success that Transformers brought her. Just my two cents though.
Of course the Megan Fox replacement rumor mill immediately started buzzing with Heidi Montag from The Hills emerging as the most notable "celeb" to express her interest in the part. Heidi put some note on her Twitter asking Michael Bay to cast her in the new Transformers. I've made this joke/asked this question twice already, but I'll say it again: If Heidi can't even go jogging recreationally because her fake boobs are too big for any kind of exercise, how is she supposed to play a major role in an action movie? A stunt double is an option of course but then that means that Heidi would only be on screen during scenes where she'd actually have to say lines. Yikes. I don't think anyone wants that.
All sorts of names have been brought forward, but it sounds like "Prince of Persia" star Gemma Arterton is the frontrunner to fill the role vacated by Fox. Other names include models Bar Rafaeli (she dates Leonardo DiCaprio), Brooklyn Decker (she's married to Andy Roddick) and Miranda Kerr (I think she dates Orlando Bloom).
Should be semi-interesting to see how this all pans out but at the end of the day, it will be most interesting to see the direction that Megan Fox's career begins to take now. This franchise puts you on the map and people in Hollywood tend to remember who said what in this business. If her reputation begins to proceed her (precede her?), that probably won't end well for her. Best of luck Ms. Fox. I think you're going to need it.
5.21.2010
Sweetest Blogging Tool Ever
Check me out!
I've been trying to widen my blog template for a while now, mainly because it was driving me crazy that when I posted a video, it would get cut off. Not that big of a deal in the long run, I understand, but I hated it.
So at first I attempted to edit the CSS/HTML within the blog template myself. Very difficult. And I was a lead editor. So I bailed on that attempt.
Then I found a website that had free downloadable templates. They were cool looking and it was easy enough to download the template, then reupload into blogger. But then you still had to try and figure out how to edit CSS/HTML for certain areas and some of the sidebar links I had implemented couldn't be used with these independent templates. Bail attempt numero dos.
That's when I found The Blogger Template Designer.
Ladies and gentlemen, this thing is sick. I kind of stumbled through Blogger Help and found an article about it, but no link anywhere to actually go use it. So I Googled it and found this blog called Blogger In Draft which discusses all of the new features that Blogger is making. Check it out.
The Blogger Template Designer was launched in March apparently and it is super easy to use and has all kinds of different combinations of backgrounds, color schemes, and layouts to really customize how you want your blog to look. Plus it also has a very easy tool to widen all the different areas of your blog. Jackpot.
The directions to access it are HERE. The only thing I noticed is that it's not the layout tab that you click on, as it says in the directions, but the Design tab.
Just wanted to share that information with all of you guys! Let me know what you think of the new blog... I'm sure I'll be playing around with it a lot more...
Enjoy!
I've been trying to widen my blog template for a while now, mainly because it was driving me crazy that when I posted a video, it would get cut off. Not that big of a deal in the long run, I understand, but I hated it.
So at first I attempted to edit the CSS/HTML within the blog template myself. Very difficult. And I was a lead editor. So I bailed on that attempt.
Then I found a website that had free downloadable templates. They were cool looking and it was easy enough to download the template, then reupload into blogger. But then you still had to try and figure out how to edit CSS/HTML for certain areas and some of the sidebar links I had implemented couldn't be used with these independent templates. Bail attempt numero dos.
That's when I found The Blogger Template Designer.
Ladies and gentlemen, this thing is sick. I kind of stumbled through Blogger Help and found an article about it, but no link anywhere to actually go use it. So I Googled it and found this blog called Blogger In Draft which discusses all of the new features that Blogger is making. Check it out.
The Blogger Template Designer was launched in March apparently and it is super easy to use and has all kinds of different combinations of backgrounds, color schemes, and layouts to really customize how you want your blog to look. Plus it also has a very easy tool to widen all the different areas of your blog. Jackpot.
The directions to access it are HERE. The only thing I noticed is that it's not the layout tab that you click on, as it says in the directions, but the Design tab.
Just wanted to share that information with all of you guys! Let me know what you think of the new blog... I'm sure I'll be playing around with it a lot more...
Enjoy!
Video of the Day 5/21/10 - 21 More Days Edition
Nike will air this three-minute full-length World Cup ad during Saturday's Champions League final game but check it out here. So so sick. Shoutout to Ashley for IMing me the link and to my bro for having it on his facebook.
5.13.2010
Video of the Day 5/13/10 - Now That's Bolton Edition
Shoutout to Carey for this gem this morning! It got a couple of chuckles out of me so hopefully you all enjoy it too.
5.12.2010
Then What's the Point?
So have we already started to see the fall of Jersey Shore?
Already reports are brewing that the entire cast will be replaced for the third season... and we haven't started season two yet.
The current cast apparently requested giant pay raises after the first season basically blew up. MTV, did you not see this coming?
The essence of the show is that these are real people off the streets of Jersey... well sort of... that all end up in a house together and just let the cameras roll. You can't get much more real than that. So sure enough the show takes off and these people start to become huge stars. Pauly D was DJing at a club by my house in downtown Sacramento not too many months ago. They're starting to be in high demand for appearances and pictures of them are everywhere. They're starting to dress more and more ridiculously and not a day goes by where you don't see some new story about one of them. They've taken over The Hills, The Real World and most of the other shows that MTV had prided itself on. They're it right now.
So of course, if you take a bunch of randoms off the street and turn them into mega-celebs, what do you think is going to happen MTV? They're going to want to be treated like mega-celebs. Now they need their own lawyers for when they get into their bar fights and their own publicists to spin the stories of their nights out. But most of all, they're going to want to get paid.
So what's MTV's solution? Let's just find a new cast who will play by the rules and get paid however much we want them to get paid. Right? Wrong.
Then what exactly is the point of the Jersey Shore? Like I said before, the reason it's so popular is because you just don't know what you're going to get with these people. This is them, plain and simple. The Situation really is that into his abs and Snookie/Snickers/Snookers/Snooks really does do back handsprings on the dance floor with her underwear showing. And this is why the show is so famous.
So the first move that MTV is making is that the cast will film from South Beach. This already sounds off some warning bells to me as I don't feel like the crew will be able to get away with as much as they can on the Joisey Shore bitches. Is this when MTV will start to try and script things out a la The Hills?
Now it looks like after South Beach, this is it for Ronnie, Sammie, Snookums, JWoww, The Situation, Pauly D and ::sigh:: Vinny. Time for MTV to bring in some new talent, some new guidos and guidettes to fist pump their way to fame. But will it be the same?
I doubt it. Lauren decided to leave The Hills and they didn't even last two seasons after her. They tried to fill it in with the new cast's "issues" and it's not working out so well for them. So unfortunately Jersey Shore, I can picture this same exact thing happening to you.
So just keep it going MTV. Don't mess with a good thing because trust me, as the queen of terrible television, you have a really good thing going here.
5.11.2010
Review: The Borgia Bride
The Borgia Bride
Author: Jeanne Kalogridis
Number of Pages: 528
Genre: Historical fiction
My summary:
Sancha of Aragon basically has no idea what she is marrying into when she marries the harmless, and somewhat hopeless, Jofre Borgia but quickly learns when she and her new husband are summoned to Rome and are placed squarely in the middle of the Borgia rule. Between Pope Alexander, his sons Juan and Cesare and his scheming, vengeful daughter Lucrezia, Sancha feels completely out of place. As horrific events begin to unfold and the "Borgia terror" begins to take its hold over all of 15th-century Italy, it becomes Sancha's sole responsibility to reclaim peace for her country and for herself.
A great recommendation from Jess. I'm really starting to get into historical fiction thanks to books like these. It was the perfect combination of deceit, lies, revenge, a little bit of sex, and a couple of very happy moments thrown in. Sancha is a great character and the way Kalogridis describes her intense spectrum of emotions and her thoughts and fears at never knowing if she was going to live to see another day keeps you glued to every page.
Apparently Kalogridis has written another book but as it has the word "vampires" in the title, I'm not sure if I will be checking it out but I do very highly recommend this one.
Overall Rating: 5/5
Coming Up Next: The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo by Stieg Larsson
Harriet Vanger, scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families, disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.
Reviews of the Cinematic Kind
Later on tonight will be a review of the literary kind...
So I realized that I joined Netflix and I post the movies that I have checked out but I never actually say what I think about any of the movies that I Netflix. That seems like something I should do. But instead of doing this full-length in-depth review of each one, I saw a different website (okay it's a book blog I read sometimes - don't judge me) where they just wrote like one or two lines about the movie. Perrrfect.
So here's a trip down memory lane first of all the movies I've watched on Netflix thus far. And for review purposes we will be using the system perfected by my dad and me at every movie we see in the theater:
Confessions of a Shopaholic: The title should say it all. Isla Fisher (aka Borat's wife/baby's momma) is a really cute actress though and ere go, this movie was... well... cute. One thumb sideways.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Long at parts, but definitely an interesting plotline. The make up was excellent and the woman who played Brad Pitt's mother was incredible. Well-deserving of the Oscar I believe she won. Recommended, but get ready for a long one. One thumb sideways.
(500) Days of Summer: Great movie. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so good in this and the soundtrack is awesome to boot. Recommended to me by Justin and now it's very highly recommended to all of you! One humb way up
Sunshine Cleaning: Amy Adams and Emily Blunt (the not-so-nice assistant in Devil Wears Prada) have great chemistry in this movie about two sisters who try to make some money by starting up their own cleaning business... except what they clean is crime scenes. A little gory at times if you don't like blood (i.e. me) but it's a very good movie. The relationship between the grandfather and the little boy is also very endearing. Thumb way up
Burn After Reading: A really weird movie. You have to pay complete attention to this the whole time to follow along so make sure you are. But Brad Pitt's character is absolutely hysterical. His character plus a few surprise twists salvaged this one a bit. One thumb sideways, slightly up
The Other Boleyn Girl: Not as good as the book. I couldn't keep track of the characters, namely which Boleyn sister was which. Not good. One thumb down.
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist: Just okay. Michael Cera plays the same whiny character in every movie but he still has his funny moments. The girl was pretty good and in the end, they got to be all cute and music nerdy together (oops hope that wasn't a spoiler). One thumb sideways
Bride Wars: Pretty predictable and the pranks got a little out of hand after a while but the end had an interesting twist that I didn't really see coming so that kind of made up for it. One thumb sideways
Monsters vs. Aliens: Cute kids flick. I love the Pixar movies, but this one wasn't as good as some of the others I've seen. Good casting though for all the voices. One thumb sideways, slightly up
Revolutionary Road: Didn't watch it. I read a book review on yes a book blog and it talked about how depressing the movie was. Then Kathleen confirmed that so I figure I'll read the book then re-get it if you're even allowed to do that.
The Invention of Lying: Didn't finish it. The beginning started out to be really funny then it just sort of faded out and got kind of repetitive. I fell asleep midway through and Cody didn't seem too terribly interested in finishing it so I gave it three stars and sent it back. Still it had its moments. Thumb sideways, slightly down
That's all! I just finished "Julie and Julia" and have "Yes Man" to watch probably this weekend. I also started the first season of "Friday Night Lights" which is surprisingly good so as more reviews come through, more reviews will be posted!
So I realized that I joined Netflix and I post the movies that I have checked out but I never actually say what I think about any of the movies that I Netflix. That seems like something I should do. But instead of doing this full-length in-depth review of each one, I saw a different website (okay it's a book blog I read sometimes - don't judge me) where they just wrote like one or two lines about the movie. Perrrfect.
So here's a trip down memory lane first of all the movies I've watched on Netflix thus far. And for review purposes we will be using the system perfected by my dad and me at every movie we see in the theater:
Confessions of a Shopaholic: The title should say it all. Isla Fisher (aka Borat's wife/baby's momma) is a really cute actress though and ere go, this movie was... well... cute. One thumb sideways.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Long at parts, but definitely an interesting plotline. The make up was excellent and the woman who played Brad Pitt's mother was incredible. Well-deserving of the Oscar I believe she won. Recommended, but get ready for a long one. One thumb sideways.
(500) Days of Summer: Great movie. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so good in this and the soundtrack is awesome to boot. Recommended to me by Justin and now it's very highly recommended to all of you! One humb way up
Sunshine Cleaning: Amy Adams and Emily Blunt (the not-so-nice assistant in Devil Wears Prada) have great chemistry in this movie about two sisters who try to make some money by starting up their own cleaning business... except what they clean is crime scenes. A little gory at times if you don't like blood (i.e. me) but it's a very good movie. The relationship between the grandfather and the little boy is also very endearing. Thumb way up
Burn After Reading: A really weird movie. You have to pay complete attention to this the whole time to follow along so make sure you are. But Brad Pitt's character is absolutely hysterical. His character plus a few surprise twists salvaged this one a bit. One thumb sideways, slightly up
The Other Boleyn Girl: Not as good as the book. I couldn't keep track of the characters, namely which Boleyn sister was which. Not good. One thumb down.
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist: Just okay. Michael Cera plays the same whiny character in every movie but he still has his funny moments. The girl was pretty good and in the end, they got to be all cute and music nerdy together (oops hope that wasn't a spoiler). One thumb sideways
Bride Wars: Pretty predictable and the pranks got a little out of hand after a while but the end had an interesting twist that I didn't really see coming so that kind of made up for it. One thumb sideways
Monsters vs. Aliens: Cute kids flick. I love the Pixar movies, but this one wasn't as good as some of the others I've seen. Good casting though for all the voices. One thumb sideways, slightly up
Revolutionary Road: Didn't watch it. I read a book review on yes a book blog and it talked about how depressing the movie was. Then Kathleen confirmed that so I figure I'll read the book then re-get it if you're even allowed to do that.
The Invention of Lying: Didn't finish it. The beginning started out to be really funny then it just sort of faded out and got kind of repetitive. I fell asleep midway through and Cody didn't seem too terribly interested in finishing it so I gave it three stars and sent it back. Still it had its moments. Thumb sideways, slightly down
That's all! I just finished "Julie and Julia" and have "Yes Man" to watch probably this weekend. I also started the first season of "Friday Night Lights" which is surprisingly good so as more reviews come through, more reviews will be posted!
Awards Time!
So I've been laid up with strep since Saturday and I'm finally starting to feel like a human again. I don't have a real explanation for the days and days of not blogging before Saturday but hopefully these next few posts make up for it.
First, let's ease back into the swing of things with some awards.
The Oh Thank God Award
And the winner is: the baby that Mariah Carey is NOT having
Accepting this award is Nick Cannon - shocking
Hey, look. My wife, Mariah... you know, Mariah Carey... yeah she's my wife. Well she's the most beautiful, the most talented and the most incredible person. Ever. On this planet. She's Mariah! It's not the right time for us to have kids. I mean my beautiful wife Mariah is only 40 and she's still making records and movies and a lot more money than I'm making right now. So who am I to stop her from making all that money so I can continue to live this awesome life. I love my wife. I'm Nick Cannon... and I'm hilaaaarious.
The Why I Really Need to Become a Pop Star Award
And the winner is: Celine Dion's backyard water park
Accepting this award is Celine Dion
Prendre ce Oprah. Je suis hors.
Translating her acceptance speech is her translator:
Take that Oprah. I'm out.
The Why Doesn't This Shit Ever Happen to Me Award
And the winner is: this random chick who is getting married and so somehow gets Oprah to have Justin Timberlake to come teach her golf
Accepting this award is me... yes me Amanda.
This is going to sound terrible but this woman is not dying, she's not terminally ill and hasn't really had any other life-altering situation hit her besides these two things: 1 - she's been in love with JT since she was 12 and 2 - she's about to get married. That is it. I don't get it. I mean have you heard me talk about Michael Owen? I've loved him since I was in the eighth grade. it's real and it's deep so listen up Oprah. I know he's a washed up EPL star but I'm sure we can still arrange something in light of my recent budding indoor soccer career. I also have some pretty mild obsessions going with a lot of other celebrities so if you need me to get you a list Oprah, that can be done too. Thanks.
The OMG! Not. Award
And the winner is: the "news" that preseason tickets for the next Twilight movie will go on sale soon
Accepting this award is Kristin Stewart who plays Bella in Twilight
Uh... yeah I guess it's cool. I mean sure. It's whatever really. I don't pay attention to it really even if it's made me a millionaire over night. I don't really get it but yeah it's cool I guess. I mean it's the physical manifestation of these tickets that is really awesome.
(Seriously, this is how she talks.)
First, let's ease back into the swing of things with some awards.
The Oh Thank God Award
And the winner is: the baby that Mariah Carey is NOT having
Accepting this award is Nick Cannon - shocking
Hey, look. My wife, Mariah... you know, Mariah Carey... yeah she's my wife. Well she's the most beautiful, the most talented and the most incredible person. Ever. On this planet. She's Mariah! It's not the right time for us to have kids. I mean my beautiful wife Mariah is only 40 and she's still making records and movies and a lot more money than I'm making right now. So who am I to stop her from making all that money so I can continue to live this awesome life. I love my wife. I'm Nick Cannon... and I'm hilaaaarious.
The Why I Really Need to Become a Pop Star Award
And the winner is: Celine Dion's backyard water park
Accepting this award is Celine Dion
Prendre ce Oprah. Je suis hors.
Translating her acceptance speech is her translator:
Take that Oprah. I'm out.
The Why Doesn't This Shit Ever Happen to Me Award
And the winner is: this random chick who is getting married and so somehow gets Oprah to have Justin Timberlake to come teach her golf
Accepting this award is me... yes me Amanda.
This is going to sound terrible but this woman is not dying, she's not terminally ill and hasn't really had any other life-altering situation hit her besides these two things: 1 - she's been in love with JT since she was 12 and 2 - she's about to get married. That is it. I don't get it. I mean have you heard me talk about Michael Owen? I've loved him since I was in the eighth grade. it's real and it's deep so listen up Oprah. I know he's a washed up EPL star but I'm sure we can still arrange something in light of my recent budding indoor soccer career. I also have some pretty mild obsessions going with a lot of other celebrities so if you need me to get you a list Oprah, that can be done too. Thanks.
The OMG! Not. Award
And the winner is: the "news" that preseason tickets for the next Twilight movie will go on sale soon
Accepting this award is Kristin Stewart who plays Bella in Twilight
Uh... yeah I guess it's cool. I mean sure. It's whatever really. I don't pay attention to it really even if it's made me a millionaire over night. I don't really get it but yeah it's cool I guess. I mean it's the physical manifestation of these tickets that is really awesome.
(Seriously, this is how she talks.)
5.03.2010
Video of the Day 5/3/10 - I Love the World Cup Edition
This one is pretty much for the ladies. Enjoy.
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