xranter's quickies

9.10

2010-04-01T21:14:00.001-07:00

I haven't been making updates for American Idol 9 since the first episode -- I got busy and my enthusiasm for the show wavered (there's just something missing, and I can't put my finger on it). Ellen Degeneres is the new 4th Judge, and Kara Dioguardi is the new Paula Abdul (on the AI Panel).

On to the Top 10 finalists, R&B/Soul Night, with Usher as mentor:

1. Siobhan Magnus - I like Siobhan, she's different. She has her own style -- in sound and in fashion. She has a great voice, but I dislike the screaming. She needs to show a different side of her talent that doesn't involve screaming. She sang "Through the Fire" but got lost, and the judges (Simon!) disliked the performance. I'm happy that she declared that she was not defeated on Judgment Night (I like girls with spirit).

2. Casey James - Who doesn't adore Casey? Great rock voice, cute. He sang "Hold On I'm Coming" and it was great, he had swagger. I want him to last as long as he could, for the eye candy. :P

3. Michael Lynche - Big Mike has a big voice and a back story, plus he shows different sides of him in performances. He sang "I Am Ready for Love", and it was really, really good.

4. Didi Benami - I like Didi's vibe, but I was not able to connect with her "What Becomes of The Broken-Hearted".

5. Tim Urban - I like Tim's attitude of taking the Judges' criticisms in stride. He's not the strongest vocalist in the group and he was only in the Top 24 because someone was disqualified and he was the replacement. He is votefortheworst.com's candidate. His rendition of "Sweet Love" was a bit tacky, but hey, at least he tried.

6. Andrew Garcia - I liked his previous rendition of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up", but has since struggled in the competition. His "Forever" was good though. Hopefully he will deliver in his next performance.

7. Katie Stevens - Great voice, but has the problem of picking "older" songs. Her "Chain of Fools" was good, but I did not feel it.

8. Lee DeWyze - Great rock voice, and is consistent, but seems not be believe he could win. His "Treat Her Like A Lady" earned him a compliment from Simon that it was the performance "that may have changed [Lee's] life forever".

9. Crystal Bowersox - Crystal is the front runner and she really is a musician with an incredible voice. And she sang "Midnight Train to Georgia" which I love. Great performance as always, she could win this.

10. Aaron Kelly - This 16-year-old high school student has a great voice. At the start of the competition I thought he was afraid of the stage -- he has become more confident since then. He performed "Ain't No Sunshine" -- it was not better than Kris Allen's in Season 8, but good nonetheless.

Katie Stevens, Tim Urban and Did Benami were in the bottom three. Didi got eliminated in another victory for votefortheworst.com.

I am hoping for a great Lennon/McCartney Night.

Event

2010-03-13T22:59:00.001-08:00

Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao owned the night. He successfully defended his WBO Welterweight crown (which he took from Miguel Cotto) against Ghana's Joshua "Grand Master" Clottey in a dominating fashion. The fight, dubbed as "The Event" and was held on Jerry Jones' Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, drew a crowd of over 50,000 boxing fans.

But Pacman was not able to knock Clottey down, whose fight plan, it seemed, was to just turtle around for 12 rounds and wait for a lucky punch. Clottey had both his hands covering his head the whole night, with occasional spurts of jabs. At one point, Pacman even got a two-handed punch on Clottey. Pacman was the busier fighter of the night, throwing about 100 punches per round, and Clottey throwing just a third overall.

The final score was 120-108, 119-109, 119-109 -- which I think was unfair to Pacquiao, because I thought that there was never a round that Clottey won in that fight, given the fact that Clottey did not even "fight" in the true sense of the word.

Anyway, Pacman won again: his 12th straight victory since he lost to Erick Morales in 2005. And this gives the focus again to the possible Manny Pacquiao - Floyd Mayweather mega fight, which was shelved when negotiations broke down over dope accusations and blood testing. Mayweather will fight Shane Mosley on May 1.

9

2010-01-15T23:18:00.000-08:00

American Idol Season 9 is off to a good start, despite my disappointment that Paula Abdul would not be joining Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi in the Judges' table.

Victoria Beckham joined the panel as a guest judge in the Boston Auditions and Mary J Blige joined in the Atlanta Auditions -- they were ok, but I still miss Paula.

Notable performances from Boston:

Maddy Curtis, 16, "Hallelujah": Soulful
Luke Shaffer, 24, "Fall For You": It was so... sweet (sigh!)
Ashley Rodriguez, 21, "If I Aint Got You": She nailed it hard!
Tyler Grady, 19, "Let's Get it On": I loved the singing -- it was so unassuming
Cancer survivor Justin Williams, "Feeling Good": Cool and controlled
Leah Laurenti, 21, "Blue Skies": Talent!

From Hot-lanta:

Church Singer Jermain Sellers, 26, "What If God Was One Of Us": Like a glass of chilled Champagne -- that good
Holly Harden, 20, (who came wearing a guitar dress), "You Ain't Woman Enough To Take My Man": Surprisingly good, despite the silly outfit
Mallorie Hayley, 20, "Piece of My Heart": I can't stop singing the song -- LSS!
Police Officer Brian Walker, 25, "Superstar" - I was blown away!

Special mention: 62 year old General Larry Platt's performance of his original composition, "Pants of the Ground" -- this had me cracked up and rapping, "Pants on the ground, Pants on the ground, Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground!" (He didn't get a ticket though, he's a little over the age limit of 28.)

:)

Firepower

2009-11-14T00:51:00.000-08:00

Pound-for-Pound King Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao will face Miguel Angel Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Nevada later tonight for the WBO Welterweight Championship, dubbed as "Firepower". Pacman is aiming to win a championship belt in his seventh weight class. Both pugilists fight for honor and glory for their respective countries, Pacquiao for the Philippines and Cotto for Puerto Rico.

The winner will take the glory and a better leverage in the negotiations for a possible fight against the most bankable, namely "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather (for both) and Juan Manuel Marquez (for Pacquiao).

Rumors have it that Pacquiao is assured a $13 million purse, while Cotto is assured to take only half of that.

I am picking Pacman for the winner, because of his speed and power and talent, but I am certainly not discounting Cotto's power and skill either. Fight night will make us see who has superior firepower.

Body

2009-10-09T22:54:00.000-07:00

ESPN The Magazine's "The Body Issue" is a celebration of the athletic form -- the nude (or semi-nude) athletic form. Athletes featured in their nude (or semi-nude) glory include Boxing Pound-for-Pound King Manny Pacquiao, Hurdler Lolo Jones, Surfer Claire Bevilacqua, Jockey Alex Solis and pregnant Softball Player Jessica Mendoza, among others.

MMA Fighter Gina Carano graces one of six covers available for this issue. The other five covers are those of Tennis Pro Serena Williams, NBA Player Dwight Howard, Footballer Adrian Peterson, NASCAR Driver Carl Edwards and Triathlete Sarah Reinertsen.

ESPN seems to be toeing into Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition territory with this issue. Anyway, I like ESPN's better, it's more classy, IMHO. And Gina Carano is featured in her fighting form -- just beautiful.

Check out this ESPN page for more.

Non-violence

2009-10-02T21:52:00.000-07:00

October 2 is International Day of Non-Violence -- established by the UN to promote the philosophy of non-violence as a tool for social change. This date was chosen to honor Mahatma Gandhi whose birthday falls on the second of October.

Fancy word of the day: Satyagraha.

Windmill

2009-09-26T23:23:00.000-07:00

Here is an inspiring story I found at TED, about a man who applied Science to combat poverty and despair. The man is William Kamkwamba from Malawi, author of the book "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind", who created a windmill out of scrap metal to harness the wind for water and electricity.

This is his story.

One

2009-09-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

September 22 is OneWebDay -- a global celebration of OUR online life. Conceived by Susan Crawford, onewebday is like the "Earth Day" for the web. The objective is to raise awareness about the Internet to create a global community that takes responsibility for its future.

To participate, check out onewebday.org.

The Internet has made a lot of great things possible -- TED among them.

Here's an argument by Jonathan Zittrain about the positive things brought about by the OUR Internet.

Snorer

2009-09-19T23:39:00.000-07:00

The fight billed as "Number One/Numero Uno" between "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather Jr against Juan Manuel Marquez was a snorer. With the exception of the second round knockdown scored by Mayweather, the whole fight was a monotonous show.

Mayweather weighed in at the 147 pound limit, and took a fine of $600,000.00 as penalty for weighing heavier than the fight weight of 144 pounds. Mayweather maintained his perfect record, advancing to 40-0.

Marquez seemed slower in this fight. He was clearly out-punched by Mayweather, who took the fight by unanimous decision.

There just wasn't enough action to my taste. Marquez's fights against Manny Pacquiao were a LOT more exciting than this fight.

Check this out to see what I mean:

After this loss, I'm not sure if Pacquiao-Marquez III is even possible.

I hope to see an exciting fight in the Manny Pacquiao - Miguel Cotto card this November.

:)

Time

2009-09-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

Time is precious and not to be squandered.

Fury

2009-09-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

"Son of a Legend" Julio Cezar Chavez Jr, won the main event fight of Latin Fury 11, against Jason LeHoullier in a first round technical knock-out, retaining his WBC Latino Light Middleweight title. Junior now has a 40-0-1 (30 KO) professional record.

Z Gorres won via a 6th round TKO over Cruz Carbajal -- with Carbajal suffering an arm injury.

Donnie Nietes scored a controversial split decision win over Manuel Vargas, defending his WBO Strawweight title.

Fernando Montiel lost his WBO bantamweight title to Alejandro Valdez via TKO in the third round, in a major upset. (Initially, the stoppage was erroneously called as a Technical Draw due to a headbutt.)

In other news, WBO Light Flyweight champion Ivan Calderon successfully defended his title against Rodel Mayol by split decision after a headbutt in Round Seven.

Watch this clip of Junior's latest fight from youtube:

Junior is seriously hot, I think he should be in the movies.

Underdog

2009-09-13T04:47:00.000-07:00

I wasn't expecting much from the main event of the "American Metal and Irons' Fight Night at the Tank". After all, it was scheduled to be held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, where just a few weeks ago Gina "Conviction" Carano had her first ever career loss against Cris "Cyborg" Santos -- and I didn't want to have my heart broken again. Now I'm happy to report that the fighter I'm rooting for this time, Ana "The Hurricane" Julaton won against the veteran Kelsey "The Road Warrior" Jeffries and took home the vacant IBA Super Bantamweight title.

Ana came to the fight as the underdog with a 4-1-1, 1 KO record in her professional career, against Jeffries' impressive 41-9-1, 4 KOs. Jeffries has had seven world titles to her name. Ana pulled this major upset via a majority decision.

I believe that this win is a gain for women's boxing. Ana is good-looking and articulate, traits that would serve her well in promoting her sport.

Check her out.

Showdown

2009-09-13T00:19:00.000-07:00

By this time next week, we'd know the outcome of the Mayweather-Marquez fight, billed as "Number One/Numero Uno", a welterweight showdown scheduled on Sept 19th.

The numbers: 32-year-old "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather Jr, with a pristine record of 39-0 (25 KO's) will fight the veteran 36-year-old "Dinamita" Juan Manuel Marquez, 50-4-1 (37 KO's).

This is Mayweather's first fight after his 2-year retirement. He was the #1 Pound-for-Pound fighter in the world when he retired -- a title now claimed by Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao. Current rankings place Marquez at #2.

This fight has been re-scheduled from July 18th -- due to sluggish ticket sales rather than the fake rib injury Mayweather reportedly suffered. So now the fight will be on the weekend of the Mexican Independence Day, to woo the support of Marquez's fellow Mexicans.

Beyond the numbers: Mayweather is looking to regain the #1 Pound-for-Pound title, and defeating Marquez will build the fans' excitement -- and its logical consequence: a huge payday -- over a possible Pacquiao vs Mayweather fight (which might happen if Pacquiao wins over Miguel Angel Cotto for the WBO Welterweight title in November). Marquez, on the other hand, is getting on in years (and surely retirement is inevitable): him beating Mayweather will cement his legacy, and earn him a shot for a bigger payday on Pacquiao vs Marquez III.

Personally, I want Marquez to win this fight, mainly because Mayweather is a bully, and no one wants a bully to win. The last time I checked, Mayweather is the favorite: -430 against +280. Still I'm hoping for an upset, and if not that, an exciting fight with Marquez pressing the action. This fight should be good.

Michael "The Great" Katsidis will face Vicente Escobedo for the Interim WBO lightweight title in the Mayweather-Marquez undercard.

Watch HBO's Mayweather-Marquez fight hype on youtube:

Mob

2009-09-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

This is just too cool not to mention here: More than 20,000 of Oprah's fans staged a flash mob dance in Oprah's 24th season premier kickoff party to the tune of Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling". Kudos to the organizers.

Watch the dance on youtube:

Knockout

2009-09-07T20:02:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to share this piece of news: Gina Carano, the face of Women's MMA, will star in an action thriller called "Knockout". The movie will be helmed by Steven Soderbergh, of Ocean's Eleven trilogy fame. According to Variety, this movie will be a spy-action film along the lines of James Bond and La Femme Nikita. Production will start this January 2010. Since James Bond and Gina Carano are two of my most favorite topics, my excitement for the project is huge. :D

This isn't Gina's first appearance in mainstream media: she's in American Gladiators as Crush. She starred in the docu-film "Ring Girls" and she was a mentor the reality fight show "Fight Girls". She, along with Kimbo Slice, is also in the movie "Blood and Bone" with Michael Jai White -- although that small role might not win her any nomination, except maybe for "Most Gorgeous Bad-Ass in a Movie". I think that this starring role in an action movie is a matter of course for Gina, because of her movie-star good looks PLUS legit skills in the cage (she's currently 7-1 in MMA).

She's certainly not the first MMA fighter to moonlight in Hollywood: Randy Couture is cast in Sylvester Stallone's new movie "The Expendables". Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will be in the remake of "A Team". Cung Le plays Marshall Law in the live action Tekken movie. (Somehow, I'm reluctant to include the movie "Never Surrender" here, even if Georges St Pierre has a role in it.)

Anyway, I'm happy for Gina, and I'm hopeful that this will turn out great.

Here's Gina's fight scene in Blood and Bone from youtube:

:)

Rights

2009-09-03T05:52:00.000-07:00

This is a reminder that we all have human rights, declared in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, lest we forget.

1. We are all born free and equal.

2. No discrimination.

3. The right to life.

4. No slavery.

5. No torture.

6. You have rights no matter where you go.

7. We are all equal before the law.

8. Your human rights are protected by law.

9. No unfair detainment.

10. The right to trial.

11. Innocent until proven guilty.

12. The right to privacy.

13. Freedom to move.

14. The right to asylum.

15. The right to a nationality.

16. Marriage and family.

17. Your own things.

18. Freedom of thought.

19. Freedom of expression.

20. The right to assembly.

21. The right to democracy.

22. The right to social security.

23. Workers' rights.

24. The right to play.

25. A bed and some food.

26. The right to education.

27. Culture and copyright.

28. A free and fair world.

29. Our responsibilities.

30. Nobody can take away these rights and freedoms from us.

Contest

2009-09-02T05:19:00.000-07:00

I suppose the following should make their way here, even if they're quite late:

UFC 102: Couture vs Nogueira last weekend: Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira won by unanimous decision over Randy Couture in the "Fight of the Night". Minotauro was the more aggressive fighter, though I was impressed with Randy for keeping his composure over the rough rounds -- not bad for an old guy. This is a tough time for Xtreme Couture team though (NOT financially, I should say): Forrest Griffin, Gina Carano and Randy Couture lost their last fights -- hopefully this learning process should produce better fighters and better fights.

Brandon Vera won by UD over Krzysztof Soszynski -- it had moments of brilliance by Vera, but it was boring overall.

Jake Rosholt won by arm triangle choke submission over Chris Leben and was awarded "Submission of the Night".

Nate Marquardt KO'ed Demian Maia just 21 seconds into the first round. I have to be honest, I didn't see this one, I surfed over the other channels before the fight and lingered over a segment of the Miss Universe re-run. When I switched back, Marquardt was already challenging Anderson Silva for the (UFC Middleweight) belt. Knock-out of the Night, by the way.

Thiago Silva KO'ed Keith Jardine mid first round, Silva's first win after his first ever career loss to Lyoto Machida.

In other news, Brian Viloria successfully defended his IBF Light Flyweight title against Jesus Iribe by UD -- I only saw parts of the replay, but decided to watch Miss Universe instead.

And I guess I should also put this here: Miss Venezuela Stefania Fernandez was crowned Miss Universe 2009 -- Venezuela's second win in a row.

I got this video from youtube:

What's the difference between an MMA fight and a beauty contest? In an MMA fight, fighters face each other one-on-one, in a beauty contest, it's one-against-all.

Hope

2009-09-01T00:51:00.000-07:00

It's nice to read stories of hope and courage in these times. Check this and this. And this.
Hope spring eternal... :)

Grace

2009-08-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

This is grace. This is true strength. This is inspiring. Oh happy day, Gina Carano has finally released a statement -- and this is why there is just no one just like her.

Gina's statement in her blog in yardbarker.com:

For the people who have supported me this far

I wanted to take time to collect my thoughts and speak from the heart rather than spew out some cliché anecdote about a tough loss. I know I am a better fighter than the way I performed that night and was heartbroken to not give more to those who have been inspired. However, I find some relief in knowing that this has never been only about me, and now more than ever I feel freedom to learn and grow at my own pace. I make it a point to constantly remind myself throughout this journey who I am, what I am doing, and why. Life is the most amazing gift and I want to live it for the right reasons. To my family, coaches, management... thank you from the bottom of my heart for believing in me, loving and encouraging me. Also a special thanks to the fans who support me from their computers at home, watch me on television and scream for me in the stadiums. Because of you, barriers have been broken down and you have inspired me to believe in a larger dream. Congratulations to Cris Cyborg and the women of MMA who have a great platform to shine. I am more excited than ever for female fighters and this amazing sport which has transformed my life. God Bless.

Gina

I just wish all sports superstars have her grace and strength, humility and self-possession.

Here's a video of her walk-in song, "Not For Nothing" by Lifeline.

Cove

2009-08-27T02:43:00.001-07:00

To help, visit:
www.takepart.com/thecove/
savejapandolphins.org

Proposal

2009-08-20T04:22:00.000-07:00

The net is abuzz with this piece of news from Riverdale: after 67 years, Archie Andrews proposed to Veronica Lodge, not Betty Cooper -- and she accepted. Sixty seven years. Wow. That is quite a long time to hold out for a guy, I hope both girls did something for the meantime, like get a degree, save the environment, save the economy, cheer Gina Carano up -- oh wait, no they didn't. Most people seem to root for Team Betty against Team Ronnie -- the classic good-girl-vs-bad-girl archetype -- so unsurprisingly, armchair advice for Betty is abundant. Even Stephen Colbert has his share -- so funny!

There's still hope for Betty though, the issue is the first of six. So let's wait and see. :)

Punches

2009-08-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

I suppose it's now time to talk about last weekend's other highlights, even if I'm still nursing some pain over Gina Carano's setback.

Gegard "The Dreamcatcher" Mousasi KO'ed the Champion, Renato "Babalu" Sobral in the first minute of the first round, winning the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship crown.

Nonito Donaire of the Philippines fought Panama's Rafael Concepcion for the interim World Boxing Association super-flyweight title. Donaire won via unanimous decision against a heavier opponent -- Concepcion weighed in at 119 ½ pounds against Donaire's 115.

Steven Luevano succeeded in defending his WBO Featherweight title against Bernabe Concepcion of the Philippines, when the latter was disqualified after giving Luevano a one-two punch after the seventh round ending bell rang -- the combination punch dropped Luevano for a few minutes. A rematch in December is reportedly planned.

Whatever. Not that I disrespect any of these fighters, but what I want is Gina's statement that she's doing well. Hopefully, this will be soon.

Aftermath

2009-08-15T21:17:00.001-07:00

My heart is broken. Gina Carano lost to Cris Cyborg tonight. It was a great fight, and both fighters vied for control throughout. The fight was stopped right at the end of the first round, with Cyborg taking Gina down and mounting her for a ground and pound. To Gina's credit, Cyborg did not have it easy, she defended her ground in multiple take-down and submission attempts. In the end, Cyborg had it.

Gina is still a star, and she will have another shot at the title.

As my friend says, all things are beneficial, and maybe the aftermath of this fight will make us see a better Gina "Conviction" Carano.

Fighter

2009-08-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

Gina Carano doesn't really need a lot of introductions, you probably know her already. She's one of the Most Influential Women of 2008, according to Yahoo. She is #16 in Maxim's 2009 Hot 100. She also starred in the docu-film "Ring Girls", and served as a mentor in the reality series "Fight Girls". She is known as "Crush" in American Gladiators, and "Natasha" in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. In the MMA world, Gina "Conviction" Carano is a pro fighter with a record of 7-0, plus a Muay Thai record of 12-1-1, and is dubbed as "The Face of Women's MMA".

Tonight, she will face her toughest opponent yet, in the main event of "Strikeforce: Carano vs Cyborg", for the first ever Women's Featherweight (145-Pound) Championship title. This event will be aired live on Showtime.

Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos will be on the opposite corner. Cris Cyborg is one of the fiercest fighters in Women's MMA -- dubbed the toughest woman south of the equator. This Brazilian trains at Chute Boxe Academy, with a 7-1 record to her credit. She is a knock-out artist, winning five of her fights via TKO.

Much has been said about this fight, and while the betting odds favor Cyborg (-200 against +160 last I checked), I wouldn't count Carano out. To do so would be disrespectful -- in her 7-0 record, she has 3 KO's and 1 submission to her credit. People seem to underestimate her talent, skills and strength because of her looks -- indeed, she is the "G" in "Gorgeous". She has the face that one would expect to find in magazine spreads -- yes, she's been on Rolling Stone and Maxim, and there's a feature about her in The New York Times. But if one goes inside a cage with her thinking she's just another beautiful face, one does so at one's peril. If Gina Carano does what she sets out to do inside the cage with Cris Cyborg, I think she'd win that belt.

Tonight's fight is a breakthrough event headlined by female fighters: this has never happened before in MMA history. Kudos to both fighters for continually toeing the line -- one kick at a time.

The fight is a few hours away, I am excited and anxious and ecstatic.

Anyway, here's a little something to watch:

Gina Carano's charm transcends her sport. Check out this Pepsi commercial, with Bruce Lee, no less!

Fillers

2009-08-09T22:14:00.000-07:00

In the news this week:

Paula Abdul quit American Idol. When I first heard it, I thought it was just a negotiation ploy, even after Paula twittered it. My friends thought I was in denial -- which I was -- until it was leaked that Katy Perry and Victoria Beckham will appear as guest judges on AI. OK, I'm all for changes and positivity, but I think AI is going to suck without Paula. Well, at least Paula seems to have other offers.

Bill Clinton brought back home two Asian-American girls -- the ones who were imprisoned in North Korea. (Hey, give the guy some credit, will you?)

Anderson Silva knocked-out Forrest Griffin in the first round of the Light Heavyweight co-main-event bout in UFC 101. I'm not really sure what happened, I had expected a long fight, given both guys' credentials. But Silva knocked Griffin down three times, and on the third time, I thought that Silva bitch-slapped Griffin while backpedaling, and Griffin kissed the canvas, stunned.

In another inconsequential news, my friend's car got towed on our Friday Night get-together.

This is obviously a filler entry, I'm actually waiting in ecstasy and agony for the Carano-vs-Cyborg Championship fight, this Saturday, August 15th, on Showtime. (Obviously, I'm one of Gina "Conviction" Carano's legion of fans, and I'm hoping for the best possible scenario for Gina.) ;)

Dance

2009-07-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

Someone sent me this link to "'So You Think You Can Dance': A Tribute to Breast Cancer Fighters", posted in Yahoo! TV blog. The dance routine featured is one of the best I've seen in my life, and I understand why the judges in 'Dance' were quite emotional during this performance. Kudos to the choreographer, Tyce Diorio, and the dancers, Ade and Melissa.

:)

Privacy

2009-07-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

I'm super pissed off that someone violated Erin Andrew's privacy by videotaping her in the nude (while changing) though a peephole in her hotel room. And of course the video found itself posted all over the internet, with a lot of sites linking to the video -- though some reportedly lead to viruses.

I'm also upset at Fox News for airing stills of the video (with red ribbons to cover parts of EA's body). I mean, come on, was it really necessary to show the world those pictures, while expressing disapproval over the whole thing? (Hopefully EA will receive a huge indemnity from Fox.)

EA is indeed hot, but I'd rather appreciate her nude body with her permission. (No, I did NOT watch the video, just because I would not want anyone in my immediate circle to be abused this way.)

Hopefully though, through this incident, laws will be updated to protect people from this form of violation. And hopefully, netizens will learn to respect other people's privacy.

Sailing

2009-07-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

Thank God, finally, there's some good news around:

Zac Sunderland, 17, from Southern California, completed his solo voyage around the world, which started about a year ago aboard his sailboat, Intrepid. He is the youngest ever to achieve such a feat.

This kid is certainly sailing high, I wonder what he'll do next.

:)

Fallen

2009-07-15T04:15:00.000-07:00

I finally got to watch Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen on its last weekend. My early bird friends had mixed reviews of the movie, and I thought it best to just escape a possible stampede by Transformers fanatics.

My verdict: the story-telling was a bit off, compared to the last one. And the climax and denouement were not as good as the previous one's, either.
Redeeming factors: I got over the whole transforming routine the last time, so the humanoid robot played by Isabel Lucas was quite refreshing. (I thought they're toeing the Terminator line -- but who cares, she's hot!) And who can escape the presence of Megan Fox, who hogged the spotlight throughout, especially in that scene with the big bike. This movie just solidifies her status of being THE commercial model of things mechanical.

It's not hard to guess that the movie raked in mega millions, given that La Fox toured the world to promote it. Plus the ultra-hot dresses she wore on those premieres surely got the movie maximum exposure (among other things). ;)

It's Harry Potter time, by the way. Still, I'm thinking of watching at the last minute to escape the screaming kids (and adults).

Art

2009-07-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

What is art?

art [ahrt]
–noun

1. the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.
2. the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria; works of art collectively, as paintings, sculptures, or drawings: a museum of art; an art collection.
3. a field, genre, or category of art: Dance is an art.
4. the fine arts collectively, often excluding architecture: art and architecture.
5. any field using the skills or techniques of art: advertising art; industrial art.
6. (in printed matter) illustrative or decorative material: Is there any art with the copy for this story?
7. the principles or methods governing any craft or branch of learning: the art of baking; the art of selling.
8. the craft or trade using these principles or methods.
9. skill in conducting any human activity: a master at the art of conversation.
10. a branch of learning or university study, esp. one of the fine arts or the humanities, as music, philosophy, or literature.

-- From dictionary.com

Surely this is art:

Icons

2009-06-26T12:04:00.000-07:00

News this week could certainly have been better. I hope we can all take positive lessons from them.

Farrah Fawcett is an inspiration for people who are suffering a dreaded disease, and it's a positive lesson to all of us to take courage in the face of great trial.

The world has never before witnessed a phenomenon like MJ. Michael Jackson has passed on, and despite other things said about him, we cannot deny his influence in our music and culture. The King of Pop will surely live on. One of the good things I'll remember about him: "Heal the world, make it a better place for you and for me and the entire human race ... There are people dying, but if you care enough for the living, make it a better place for you and for me...".

And I share this benediction I read from an article somewhere: "May we all find the love and happiness we want without hurting others."

Peace, for all of us. :)

Veggie Revolution

2009-06-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

I was just browsing through Yahoo!'s photo gallery when I found this.

Lydia Guevara, granddaughter of revolutionary Che Guevara, posed semi-nude to promote a new kind of revolution: vegetarianism. This is part of the vegetarianism campaign by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Reason: save the animals by not eating them.

I have to say the beret looks cool -- everything else: hot!

On youtube:

Headbutt

2009-06-15T21:36:00.000-07:00

I had expected the Miguel Cotto-Joshua Clottey fight for the WBO Welterweight belt last June 13 to be really entertaining. Prior to this fight, I heard rumors that should Cotto win it, he will fight Manny Pacquiao. I had even expected Cotto to dominate throughout the fight, if nothing else but to state his case as to his "worthiness" of a big payday that would surely come with the fight against the Pound-for-Pound king.

The fight was interesting, alright, but not because of Cotto, but of Clottey, who I never heard of until this fight. I thought JADA singing an R&B version of "Star Spangled Banner" was more interesting than the whole fight!

Apart from a late knock-down by Cotto on the first round, I was not really impressed by the way he won the fight: I thought he was fighting too cautiously. Not that I blame him, his head was bleeding due to a third round accidental headbutt. (An earlier championship fight between Ivan Calderon and Rodel Mayol for the WBO Light Flyweight title was stopped due to an accidental headbutt, resulting in a draw: boring!) While I give Cotto credit for finishing a fight even with a disadvantage, I was not impressed with how he navigated his way through. And I didn't like the way he wrestled Clottey in the 5th round, resulting on the latter's knee injury. Yet Clottey was able to rally and state his case, and was in contention until the end of the fight. Cotto won by split decision: not very convincing, in my book.

According to reports, Cotto will fight Pacquiao in November. Based on the other night's performance, I'm not quite sure I should be excited to see this fight.

Matvey Korobov won his 6th fight in the Middleweight division since he started his professional career 8 months ago. To the credit of his opponent, Loren Mayers, though, it was Korobov's first fight that the opponent remained standing at the end of the fight.

Here's a sneak peek.

:)

Legend of the Seeker

2009-06-04T22:25:00.000-07:00

I'm obsessed with a new series.

Sometime ago, one of my friends introduced me to a new series called "Legend of the Seeker". At first I thought it is just another "Lord of the Rings"-wannabe series. The story is generic enough: the Seeker (a hero who rises up in times of need, aka the good guy) who wields the Sword of Truth, in the person of Richard Cypher, a woods guide, must defeat the tyrant Darken Rahl who wants to (like everyone else) rule the world. To aid him in his quest are Kahlan Amnell, a Confessor and Richard's love interest, and Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, a wizard and Richard's mentor. It has the elements of a good fantasy series: action, adventure, magic, love, good-vs-evil. After only one episode, and with me being a sucker for fantasy/adventure series, I devoured this one, hook, line and sinker.

It doesn't hurt at all that the lead actors, aside from having good acting skills, are easy to the eyes (especially sizzling Bridget Regan, who plays the kick-ass Confessor Kahlan Amnell, and Craig Horner, who takes the role of Richard). (If you watch this video, you'll share my sentiments.) Even the villains are hot: Darken Rahl (played by Craig Parker: yes, the hot guy who played Haldir of Lorien in LOTR) has minions called the Mord'Sith, gorgeous women in red leather who are actually trained killers and torturers. And the episodes are not repetitive (unlike what they did to Smallville), each one is helpful to the plot and to the main protagonists' character development. The series is available at hulu, by the way.

Anyway, the season ender was the other week, and having suffered a withdrawal, I started to read the books in which the series is based on: the "Sword of Truth" series by Terry Goodkind. I have to admit that I'm actually losing sleep over these books, and quite frankly, I'm happy to do so. The story is fast-paced and action-packed and engaging (though I would have appreciated it more if the author used JK Rowling's kind of story-telling). I actually fell in love with Richard's and Kahlan's characters. I now think that I am under the Confessor's power: I can't stop, and I'm loving it!

Indy

2009-05-26T23:55:00.000-07:00

Hot Helio Castroneves (Car #3, Team Penske) won in the recently concluded 2009 Indianapolis 500. Yes, he's the one who also won Dancing with the Stars with Julianne Hough in 2007. Hotter Danica Patrick (Car #7, Andretti Green Racing) meanwhile finished third. Yes, she's the one in the GoDaddy commercials, and the same one in Sports Illustrated. And yes, she also finished first in the 2008 Indy Japan 300. This girl scorches more than tracks.

Watch.

eScala

2009-05-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

Before AI ended, I was searching youtube for episodes of other singing/talent shows (Britain's Got Talent, Nouvelle Star, etc). I had seen great stuff come out from BGT and NS, and wanted more. I found ... eScala. They are a Classical String Quartet who auditioned and reached the final in BGT 2008. I was quite impressed with their sound, the music they make is incredible. And, they are easy to the eyes too. Their album is due out today.

Here's a look at their semi-final performance in BGT, playing "Live and Let Die". (My favorite, I love James Bond.)

Watch.

AI 8 Finale

2009-05-20T23:07:00.000-07:00

The end of American Idol Season 8 had come, and it came with a BANG! I enjoyed the show, way better than last year's.

Here's a rundown of the highlights:

The judges' intro was funny, packed with Idol-isms: Dawg Randy Jackson's "for me, for you", Kara DioGuardi's "sweeties" and "honeys", Paula Abdul's nosebleed words, and Simon Cowell's series of "What?"'s.

The Top 13 performed "So What", and I thought it was going to crash. Surprisingly, it was cool.

American Idol 7 David Cook reminded me again why he is MY Idol, when he sang "Permanent". The song's lyrics were so poignant, I cried unabashedly. DC said the song will be available on iTunes, and the proceeds will go to a charity that funds research to find a cure for cancer.

Lil Rounds performed with Queen Latifah.

Anoop "Dog" Desai and Alexis Grace, the two people I missed the most from Idol, sang "I'm Yours" and introduced Jason Mraz.

Kris Allen did a duet with Keith Urban, singing "Kiss a Girl". Loved it!

Top 13 Girls sang "Glamorous" and intro'ed Fergie, and then the Black Eyed Peas (who's got a new album coming out). (Was it just me, or did anyone else thought the backup dancers' get-up was THE thing?)

Allison Iraheta sang a duet of "Time After Time" with Cyndi Lauper, with Cyndi playing a stringed instrument. I thought it was really neat.

Danny Gokey sang "Hello" (I thought DC's version was loads better), then Lionel Richie came out to sing a duet with Danny.

Adam Lambert joined Kiss and performed a medley, it was rockin' hot!

Carlos Santana took the stage, with Matt Giraud and the rest of the Top 13 guys singing.

A videoclip of DC giving the finalists the keys for each of their new Ford Fusion Hybrids was shown.

Michael Sarver and Megan Joy sang "Pretty Flowers(?)", with Steve Martin playing a banjo. It was ... hmmm....

Top 13 guys sang "Do You Think I'm Sexy" (I thought it was so-so) and intro'ed Rod Stewart.

Then Kris and Adam took the stage with Queen to sing "We are the Champions". It was Adam's thing, really, but Kris also gave a good one. I appreciated Adam's restraint to make the duet fly. Tres cool, Adam and Kris.

While overall the show was good, there was also the "Golden Idol Awards", which was basically a mockery of the losers this season. The "Award", was given in between the performances, and I thought it was rather mean to the "nominees" who weren't Nick Mitchell aka Norman Gentle, Bikini Girl and Tatiana del Toro. Nick got an "Idol" for "Outstanding Male" and did a reprise of "I'm Not Telling You". Katrina Darell, aka Bikini Girl, (I actually cringed when she came out) sporting a bikini (what else?!) and two new things she got by surgery, won "Best Attitude" and sang "Vision of Love", only to be upstaged by Kara DioGuardi who sang circles around her. Then Kara did something for charity. (I LOVE charity!) Then after the fog in my head lifted, I thought, "Uh-uh, if Bikini Girl is here, what are the chances that Tatiana del Torro would be here too?". It turned out, Tatiana also won an "Idol" for "Outstanding Female", only to be told by Ryan to remain in her seat because time was running out. She then pulled a Tatiana stunt and sang anyway, with the Idol security "trying" to remove her from the stage. The "Award" skit was bad, but I thank God that I got eyes to SEE what Kara has to offer ;-). (This is one of the reasons I cannot hate her, she's too HOT.)

Anyway, on to the results. Nearly 100 Million votes were cast for the finale (ohhh, if I had a dollar). Adam looked ... expectant, and Kris looked resigned. Then Ryan Seacrest announced that Kris Allen IS the new American Idol! Kris had a look of disbelief written all over his face. When Ryan asked how it felt to the Idol, Kris can only mutter, "Adam deserved this". Randy, Kara and Paula did a Standing O, but Simon, who had all but crowned Adam, remained seated, looking stunned. The others in the Top 13 looked surprised, and the crowd seemed less enthusiastic.

Kris sang "No Boundaries" again, better than the previous night.

My thoughts? I'm happy that Kris won, though I would have been just as happy if Adam took the crown. Kris needs that boost, I think. Adam is already a star and he had certainly achieved what he set out to do. And I got to see a good show. In the end, I thought everything turned out well.

8-2 Showdown

2009-05-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

If we let Ryan Seacrest tell it, American Idol 8's face-off between Kris Allen and Adam Lambert is "acoustic vs glam rocker, Conway vs California, guy next door vs guyliner". As for me, it's a duel between talented musicians who rose above other talented musicians this season.

For the first round, the contestants were given the choice to sing one of the songs they performed earlier in the season.
Adam, "Mad World" - I thought the performance had more impact than his first, it was subdued and emotional (and I liked the coat, but not the smoke). The judges were profuse in their praise, except Simon Cowell, who thought it was too threatrical.
Kris, "Ain't no Sunshine" - It was beautifully done, way, way better than his first. I could not look away, for fear I might miss something. Kara DioGuardi had it right, Kris has the ability to make his audience feel that he's singing to each one. This is the very thing that I like about Kris, I always feel as though it's about ME. Paula Abdul went a little overboard with "You awaken the spirit in all of us". Simon gave Round 1 to Kris.

For Round 2, the finalists sang songs selected by Simon Fuller, Pop Idol's creator.
Adam, "A Change is Gonna Come" - I had expected the high notes and they came in droves. It WAS an Adam performance. Lavish praises were thrown his way by the judges.
Kris, "What's Going On" - If Adam's performance was so Adam, Kris' was so ... Kris. It was good, actually, possibly better than the judges made it seem, but then again, they're on a crusade for Adam. Adam won Round 2, according to Simon.

For the final song, they sang a new song "No Boundaries", co-written by Kara DioGuardi.
I thought Kris did better with the song than Adam (though I thought Kris sounded like he was "chasing" the song halfway through). The song is supposed to inspire, and Adam's version didn't do anything for me, while Kris' did, a little.

The judges' (or actually, the producers') bias for Adam was too evident, but it's not surprising: the judges are there to basically sway America to vote for the producers' pick. Randy Jackson thought that the song fit Kris' voice than Adam's, though he could have said that Kris' version was spot on. Kara thanked Adam for his rendition, but refused to judge Kris' rendition. Simon told Kris he deserved to be where he's standing on the stage -- Simon's way of saying "Kris, Top 2". The judges were careful not to over-praise Adam to avoid a backfire, yet they muted their praise for Kris. The pimping would really not have bothered me if they tried to be a little bit more subtle.

I actually thought Kris did better overall, but only slightly, as Adam also exerted great effort with great results. I was happy with the performances, and will not begrudge either finalist of the crown.

Now, America will decide.

Pre-final

2009-05-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

This time last year, the net was abuzz with predictions, and I was in jitters on the outcome of the final 2 of American Idol.

David Cook sang "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", "Dream Big", and "The World I Know" against David Archuleta's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", "In This Moment" and "Imagine", the one song that propelled him to the front of the Idol pack early in the competition. I thought both gave really great performances, and that America would have a hard time deciding. I was dismayed therefore that Simon Cowell thought that Archie won via "knockout", and of course I disagreed, DC was brilliant.

The next night, Simon apologized to DC for being "disrespectful" in his comments, and later that night the rest of the world found out that DC won over Archie with over 12 Million votes. Looking back, I thought Simon over-praised Archie to get America to vote for DC, thereby making DC a majority Idol. It was a really brilliant play by Simon. (I wonder how many times everyday Simon congratulates himself for making America his b*tch.)

Anyway, fast-forward a year later, and here we are, on the day of the Final 2 showdown between Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. While I admit that I don't feel as excited as last year, I'm looking forward to seeing what the finalists have in store. Both finalists, like DC, are able to "repackage" songs brilliantly, and on more than one occasion, I thought that a performance by Adam or Kris was reminiscent of DC's the year before. I love they way that they own their songs.

So who do I like to win? This year, I don't have a preferrence.

Adam Lambert - I initially didn't like Adam's theatrical performances. I thought they were shrieky and over the top. Then I started to look forward to whatever show he puts on every week. And while I still don't like the shrieking, I am entertained by his showmanship. I am convinced he has the vocals to sing anything. And yes, he's got style, he's got swagger. He is the heavy favorite to win, and Simon Cowell had already predicted that Adam will be crowned this year's Idol. My issue with Adam is that I think he sings to showcase his vocals, not necessarily to entertain ME (though I am entertained, nonetheless). For the finale, I just want him to sing, sans the shrieking.

Kris Allen - I actually didn't notice Kris during the early rounds. Later on, I thought he has too laid back to win AI. Then he sang breakout songs like "To Make You Feel My Love", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Falling Slowly", "She Works Hard for the Money" and then suddenly I thought: "DC". Unsurprisingly, he is this season's underdog. What I like about Kris is that he is able to transform songs, and the songs become his. He's not quite the showguy that Adam is, but he's great to actually listen to.

Both guys come from different ends of the spectrum, Kris being the married Christian worship leader from Arkansas, and Adam being the flamboyant singer/actor from California. It's refreshing to know that Kris and Adam, though from different backgrounds, are friends. Given the issues that seem to divide America today, I think people can learn from them.

Adam has "Glambert" legions, and Kris has his Arkansan troops. Simon and the judges had already crowned their Idol. But at this point, I'm not as interested in the voting as with the singing showdown. I'm crossing my fingers that they'll bring IT.

Eurovision 2009

2009-05-17T21:26:00.000-07:00

Alexander Rybak, representing Norway, won the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, singing "Fairytale". The song, inspired by Norwegian Folk music, was written and composed by Rybak himself (according to wikipedia).

I saw the final performance on youtube, and I thought the violin-playing was cool. I also loved the singer's swagger.

Watch.

8-3

2009-05-17T21:01:00.001-07:00

On the American Idol 8 Top 3 Performance Night, the finalists sang 2 songs each: one chosen by the judges, and one by the finalist.

Kris Allen, "Apologize" - The song was chosen by Kara DioGuardi and Randy Jackson. I loved his well-paced version. Kara criticized his interpretation, Simon criticized Kara for her opinion and then everyone in the Judges' table argued until the break.

Adam Lambert, "One" - Simon Cowell chose the song. The rendition was so ... Adam. I liked U2's version better.

Danny Gokey, "Dance Little Sister" - Paula Abdul chose this one for Danny. I thought it was a good enough performance, though I couldn't stand the judges' pimping.

Kris Allen, "Heartless" - I was surprised by this choice. Kris was alone with his guitar, and at that moment I had a feeling he was bringing a knife in a gunfight. Surprisingly, it worked! Simon later said that he had written Kris out of the competition, but had changed his mind after the performance.

Adam Lambert, "Cryin'" - One could see why Adam likes the music of Aerosmith and Steven Tyler. Adam's take was well, over-the-top as per usual, with glory notes all over the place. Even if I didn't love the shrieking, I liked the performance.

Danny Gokey, "You Are So Beautiful" - The vocals were good, but like some of his performances, this one didn't do anything for me. I thought to myself I was being unfair, I should have liked the rendition, but something was missing, and I could not put my finger on it. Simon said it was "a vocal masterclass". I was getting really annoyed by Simon's (and everyone else's) pimping of Danny.

On Results Night, Ben Stiller and his gang did a spoof of the "This is American Idol" line by Ryan Seacrest (to promote their movie, "Night at the Museum 2"). The spoof featured the American Idol Desk, which will be going to the Smithsonian Institute. (Tres cool!)

Alicia Keys, World Ambassador for Keep a Child Alive, came and brought a Rwandan child named Noah, who rocked the house with his "I'm the World's Greatest". This was part of a campaign to raise funds for people in Africa infected with HIV/AIDS.
Jordin Sparks performed her new single "Battlefield". Katy Perry also sang something, wearing a cape with Adam's name written on it.

Ryan announced first that Kris Allen will be in the finals. And what were Danny's chances to be in the finals against Adam? I'm not going to lie, I was ecstatic to hear that Danny was eliminated -- no, don't get me wrong, I do not wish him ill or anything, I was just happy that Kris was in.

Danny performed an encore of "You Are So Beautiful", and I knew then what was missing the night before: sincerity. Kara looked sad, and Paula was fighting back tears. His last song seemed so real, so heartfelt, and the emotion was so palpable. His other performances did not seem sincere, he seemed to try to be the artist he's not, and it showed. This one was the only other performance that I actually could "feel", and I was happy I got to see it.

So the finale will be between Kris and Adam. I can't wait to hear what they'll bring to the stage next week.

8-4

2009-05-10T23:13:00.000-07:00

I was on a short vacation for most of the Top 4 week, and did not get to catch a glimpse of Idol until Sunday, when I watched part of the Results Night rerun.

I was disappointed that Allison got the boot, though it might have been a good omen that Chris Daughtry (yes, THE Chris Daughtry), who got eliminated prematurely on AI Top 4 and who IS a LOT more popular than the winner (Taylor Hicks) with 5 million sales to his name, was the last guest performer on Results Night. Allison sang the final song through her tears and still she sounded wonderful.

Having no idea on whether the elimination was warranted, I turned to youtube for answers.

Adam Lambert, "Whole Lotta Love" - Adam, the show off, was screaming again, but he was in the zone. So, what can I say?

Allison Iraheta, "Cry Baby" - It was a good performance. I thought that for her to be ousted after that meant that the others had better performances.

Kris Allen and Danny Gokey, "Renegade" - I liked how they sounded, though Kris' voice was drowned out a bit.

Kris Allen, "Come Together" - I was actually worried about Kris, this being not his genre, but I was pleasantly surprised that he pulled this off quite nicely.

Danny Gokey, "Dream On" - It started out well, then he screeched. It was atrocious. I actually covered my ears (for real!) until the song ended. His worst ever! (Do I have to even mention that Michael John's version on AI 7 Top 8 was so good that Gokey was way in over his head for choosing this?)

Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta, "Slow Ride" - I loved it. Both singers did not have to sing for dominance, instead, they just sang like they were having fun.

That Gokey got by with that performance may mean that America is really tone deaf, or that his legions worked overtime to vote for him. 64 million overall votes for Top 4 is rather ridiculous. It's votefortheworst.com's fault (though I have to agree, Gokey was really the worst that night).

I am, at this time, still quite disheartened by the injustice of Allison's ouster. I really hope that Allison's star will shine much like Daughtry's.

The Top 3 will go back to their respective hometowns for a hero's welcome.

I really miss Alexis Grace.

Michael Johns, "Dream On".

Quickie

2009-05-04T21:17:00.000-07:00

It was an intense six minutes. Then he slept.

I'm talking about "The Battle of the East and West". Pacquiao and Hatton went at it immediately, quickly exchanging hard greetings then proceeded to negotiate aggresively on the matter of who the rightful #1 Pound-for-Pound fighter in the world really is [*Yes, I <3 Star Wars*].

The Hitman pursued Pacman on the first half of the first round, and both fighters enthusiastically exchanged blows. Then a right straight from Pacman hit The Hitman on the chin just as the latter lunged for a huge left hook, sending The Hitman straight to the canvas. The Hitman rose to his feet before Referee Kenny Bayless completed the count. Then both fighters went at it again, Hatton intent on returning the favor, Pacquiao seemingly wanting to end the fight. Then a left from the Pacman landed on The Hitman's jaw, sending him again to the canvas. The Hitman stood up again and continued to give big shots until the bell rang.

The second round saw the same intensity from both fighters. Hatton did not seem to mind kissing the canvas twice in the first round. He gave Pacquiao a good argument, and both fighterts left no room for the viewers to blink. At the end of the second round, a left hook from Pacquiao hit Hatton's chin, and Hatton was out cold.

Hatton's fans comprising of almost 80% of the viewes in the arena were silenced.

Winners:

Manny Pacquiao: Honor to his country, a $12M + 52% PPV purse
Freddie Roach: Best Trainer in the World (plus "I Told You So" rights to his critics)
Bob Arum (Top Rank Inc head honcho): Money!
Hatton: Valor, plus reportedly an $8M purse
Those who made a bet for Pacquiao (including ME!): Bragging rights plus dough
The Philippines: Zero crime rate on some parts of the country
The boxing fans who watched the fight: Witnessed probably the greatest fighter in the world in action

Losers:

Floyd Mayweather Sr: Still insisting he is the Best Trainer in the World
Those who made a bet for Hatton

Trivia:

25,000 Brits came to Las Vegas during the weekend.

Hatton looked tense before the fight, as did his (hot!) fiancee Jennifer Dooley. Pacquiao was smiling, and his pretty wife Jinky looked relaxed.

Filipino-American WWE Star Battista was one of Manny Pacquiao's pre-fight entourage.

Sir Tom Jones sang "God Save The Queen", Martin Nievera sang "Lupang Hinirang", the national anthem of the Philippines, and Jasmine Villegas sang the "Star-Spangled Banner".

Hatton, the Champion, was introduced first. He said that he considered himself the challenger for the Pound-for-Pound title. He was the betting underdog (2:1 in favor of Pacquiao).

Pacquiao landed 73 punches (of 127 thrown), Hatton landed only 18 (of 78).

Hatton was taken to a hospital after the fight for a checkup.

Oscar de la Hoya (in a Ricky Hatton mask), Jack Nicholson, Mariah Carey, Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Jay-Z were among the celebrities in attendance.

Before this much-hyped fight, fans of both sides had been exchanging taunts. On fight night, Hatton's fans were chanting the "Winter Wonderland"-tuned "There's only one Ricky Hatton." (Am I the only one, or does any one else find this chant rather silly? Why Winter Wonderland, of all songs?) Pacquiao's fans were singing "Ricky Hatton's falling down, falling down, falling down." to the tune of "London Bridge".

Hatton got a nosebleed when Pacquiao landed a blow on his face. Pacquiao got a nosebleed when he was interviewed in English. (Joke!)

Thoughts:

Manny Pacquiao has certainly raised the bar in boxing. Boxing fans will now expect newcomers to be fast, strong, precise and entertaining. This fight has cemented Pacman's status as one of the greatest fighters in boxing history. Bob Arum had said after the fight that Manny Pacquiao could be the greatest fighter who EVER lived. Exaggerating? Probably not. Pacman trains hard and has improved immensely since his last loss (to Erik Morales) eleven fights ago, he gets busy during any fight, plus he's got a good tactician in Freddie Roach. Such a combination is tough to beat. Personally, I like Pacman because his feet remain on the ground. He doesn't take credit for everything: he gives credit to God, his trainer and his team. This I think makes the masses love him.

I hope Hatton would not retire after this. Someone with a heart such as his should not go down with head bowed. Hopefully, he will improve his game so he could get "back on the horse".

And hopefully, the July 18 fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Juan Manuel Marquez would be just as exciting as this fight (but hopefully longer!)

Coming Soon: The Battle of the East and West

2009-05-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

I am expecting an entertaining fight.

Manny Pacquiao, the Pound-for-Pound King from the Philippines, will challenge Ricky Hatton, the current Champion from England, for the IBO and The Ring Magazine Light Welterweight Championship titles. This fight, dubbed as "The Battle of the East and West" will be held on May 2, 2009 at the MGM Grand Las Vegas.

Tale of the Tape:

Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao

Age: 30
Stance: Southpaw
Win-Loss-Draw: 48 (36 KO) - 3 - 2
Height: 169cm
Reach: 170cm
Details: The #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the world; won in his last nine fights, the last one against Oscar "Golden Boy" de la Hoya by TKO

Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton

Age: 30
Stance: Orthodox
Win-Loss-Draw: 45 (32 KO) - 1 - 0
Height: 169cm
Reach: 170cm
Details: IBO and The Ring Magazine Light Welterweight Champion; lost only once against the previous #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter Floyd Mayweather; won against Paul Malignaggi by TKO in his last fight

Having been a fan of Pacquiao and having followed his career for a while now, I think this one will be a challenging and exciting fight. Both fighters have strength and speed, and have won over tough opponents. Both fighters respect each other. Still, I'm favoring Pacquiao because, if nothing else, he entertains as he fights. And this I think makes him deserving of the purse advantage he has on Hatton (reportedly a 52%-48% pay-per-view purse split).

Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, had predicted that Pacman will knock Hatton out in the third round, after The Hitman bragged that he will floor Pacman in the sixth. Floyd Mayweather Sr, Hatton's trainer, had been rapping (I kid you not!) insults against Roach. It seems that there is bad blood between the trainers. A "Best Trainer" trophy will be given to the trainer of this fight's winner.

Pacquiao is more than a pugilist and a celebrity, he's a hero in the Philippines. Winning this fight will unify (for a while) and give honor to his crisis-embattled country (plus it will give bragging rights for his countrymen). Hatton, who had received an MBE for winning the IBO World Light Welterweight belt and for supporting local charities, is himself a celebrity in his country. Winning this fight will perhaps make him a lasting star in the boxing world, and if not, at least he would be able to command bigger purses in his future fights.

I am hoping though that the fight itself will be more entertaining than the hype surrounding it, unlike Pacquiao's previous overly-hyped fight against Oscar de la Hoya, with Pacman dominating the seemingly old Golden Boy. [For the record, I got mad love for Oscar, but I was so disappointed I wasted my time watching the "Dream Match" on TV.]

Here's a thought: how about a 4-way tournament between Pacquiao, Hatton, Floyd Mayweather, and Juan Manuel Marquez for the #1 Pound-for-Pound Title? Pacquiao has not won convincingly over Marquez, Mayweather held the the title before he retired and has never lost to anyone in the squared circle, and Hatton has beef on Mayweather for his only loss. There are rumors that Mayweather will come out of retirement in September to face Marquez. A bout between the winner of Pacquiao-Hatton against the winner of Mayweather-Marquez (if ever!) would be interesting.

8-5

2009-04-30T05:22:00.000-07:00

Rat Pack Night -- American Idol finalists sang standard songs from the Rat Pack.

Kris Allen - "Just the Way You Look Tonight"
I love the way Kris sang this song. He didn't have to show off really big vocals to tell a story. I got the same feel from him when he sang "Falling Slowly".
Randy Jackson said it was his best performance yet. Kara DioGuardi called Kris the show's darkhorse. Paula Abdul complimented his looks. Simon said the performance was "wet", and that he does not see Kris as the winner. Whatever. Simon's issue seem to be rooted on the idea that Kris is not "bringing it", like he's not in it to win. That, or he actually wants Kris' fans to bring it.

Allison Iraheta - "Someone to Watch Over Me"
Her version was really good, with her signature rock vibe to it, but it was her story-telling that got to me. For a teenager, she is able to access some deep emotion and communicate it through her song. I like the way that Allison has improved over the course of the competition.
Kara to Allison: "If that doesn't get you to the finals, I don't know what will." Simon asked Allison if she thought she could win the competition, and she answered in the affirmative, saying that everyone has a shot at it. Simon wasn't convinced though. I'm hoping Allison's fans were convinced though.

Matt Giraud - "My Funny Valentine"
It was a good one for Matt, and it think it showed off his versatility.
Randy didn't feel it but Simon thought it was an authentic performance. I thought Simon wanted to get rid of Matt.

Danny Gokey - "Come Rain or Come Shine"
I didn't like the first half (thought it was so-so), but I was impressed with the vocals at the other half. I don't know what to do with this guy: he's got good vocals, but that's about it. Like, if he does something Gladiator-ish and shouts "Are you entertained?", my answer would be "Errr, no."
Kara thought he had swagger. Paula thought Danny would be in the finals.

Adam Lambert - "Feeling Good"
I was expecting a show from Adam like he does every week, and he didn't disappoint: stand-out get-up, check, over-the-top vocals, check, grand staircase entrance, check, eerie pink light, check. Adam wants to WIN.
Randy thought it was theatrical (and with good reason), and Simon retorted that it's like complaining that cows moo. I thought Kara just summarized the sentiments of all of Adam's fans: He's over-the-top, sleazy, and still people love him. Paula likened him to Michael Phelps in the Olympics.

Though I was disappointed that the finalists only sang one song each (in the past seasons, they would have sang two by this time), I was impressed with the performances they gave. I think everyone got the point that at this stage of the competition, they need to raise the bar, because complacency could cost them the crown. If only Anoop were still in the competition, for just this one week more. And while I'm at it, I still miss Alexis Grace.

Results Night:

On Rat Pack Night, the competition was not only between the finalists, but the fans behind them. The Worsters at votefortheworst.com had cast their lot behind Matt, just because it would be hilarious if he ousted one of the others. For all their efforts, it was Matt who said goodbye on Results Night, unsurprisingly. The surprising thing was, Adam was in the Bottom Two, and Kris was in the Bottom Three. I don't even believe Adam got one of the lowest votes. When Ryan Seacrest announced it, I thought it was just one of AI's ploys to make the show interesting to make up for Matt's predictable ouster. I'm glad Allison was safe this week, she deserved the safe spot.

The guest performances were just so-so, and I thought Jamie Foxx's number was in contrast to the week's theme. No matter, I thought Jamie Foxx was the coolest mentor this season so far. He was able to communicate to the finalist what Rat Pack was all about -- with great results.

It had been "leaked" that Adam and Kris are the top most downloaded finalists on iTunes. No surprise here, Kris is pleasant to listen to. This is probably a prelude to Danny being voted off at 8-4. I'm really hoping for an Adam-Allison-Kris Top Three.

Next week's theme is Rock-and-Roll with Slash as the mentor [I'm already humming his Godfather Theme]. This I think would favor Adam and Allison, and I'm hoping Kris will shine like he did on Disco Night, enough to get through.

After the great performances on Rat Pack Night, I'm expecting great things from the finalists for the remaining weeks of AI 8.

8-7 v2

2009-04-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

Disco Night. I thought this was a tough nut to crack, though I have to say I was impressed with a few performances.

Lil Rounds, "I'm Every Woman" - Lil looked beautiful in her outfit, and I thought the performance not as bad as the judges made it out to be. The judges ganged up on her, like they SO want her to leave. I'm not sure if it's right to commend Lil for talking back to the judges again at this point though, she'd done it before and if I give her 10 for tenacity, I could also give her only 5 for grace.

Kris Allen, "She Works Hard for the Money" - Kris was back with the guitar, and I loved his rendition. I was thinking: David Cook, "Always Be My Baby". The judges also gave him good reviews, with Paula Abdul saying that though "he shopped in the Ladies' Department", he found the right fit.

Danny Gokey, "September" - I thought it was a bad song choice, and I wasn't feeling his performance -- he was growling again. Randy Jackson, Kara Dioguardi, and Paula said he had good vocals (though I have to point out that they didn't say it was a good performance). I thought only Simon Cowell was being honest (though I think he's only honest when it serves him, but that's beside the point): Danny's performance was "awkward and clumsy".

Allison Iraheta, "Hot Stuff" - I thought it was a good song for her style. I quite enjoyed her performance. Plus the judges were still in "We Love Allison" mode.

Adam Lambert, "If I Can't Have You" - I had another flashback: David Cook, "Billie Jean". His rendition was really good. I find myself humming the song every now and then, even if I still don't love Adam's shrieking in his every other performance.

Matt Giraud, "Stayin' Alive" - His was a real disco rendition of a disco song. I didn't quite like it, but probably I would have if I was in a room full of people with a bit of alcohol muddling my brain. But I agree with Kara and Randy, he can really sing. Simon said he sounded desperate.

Anoop Desai, "Dim All The Lights" - I was hoping that it wasn't a metaphor of his Idol run. The performance showcased his smooth vocals, but the up-tempo part was not quite enjoyable (I liked the smooth and slow start better). Kara said something about it being radio-worthy, and I agree, but to my utter disappointment, it wasn't stage-worthy. Simon said it was Anoop's "worst performance by a mile". (I think Simon has beef with Anoop, and I think this is partly because Anoop could mess up his pre-ordained picks.)

Results Night:

The finalists performed a dance number choreographed by Paula, and though she said that they worked hard for that number, she didn't say it was a good performance. Go figure.

Without much ado, Ryan Seacrest called Lil first and delivered the news: she was going home. Lil was resigned to the fact, and accepted the verdict with grace. She even sang better than the previous night. At this point, I went to the kitchen to get something (healthy) to drink. Then I heard an awful noise, I thought it was a bad commercial or something. But no, it was the first guest performer from the Disco Era, singing something I didn't recognize. The second one was better, and I could at least sing along with it (Vonzell Solomon and Ramiele Malubay had good renditions of the same song). The third guest was a guy: he sounded out of breath, but he had hot backup dancers. Hurray for the backup dancers.

Anoop was in the Bottom Three, and his disappointment was clear. Allison was also in the Bottom Three, I wonder why. (Matt should have been there.) I liked the way Allison handled the news. She danced and joked with Anoop when she got into the "Stools of Doom". Then David Archuleta performed a song, and plugged his tour with Demi Lovato. Archie then gave his advice to Anoop and Allison, saying that it's not over, and that there are a lot of opportunities after AI.

Eventually, it was Anoop who got the boot. His disappointment was painted all over his face, but such a classy guy that he is, he performed his swan song a lot better than he did the night before. I've been a fan of Anoop ever since I found out about his UNC Clef Hanger videos, and I'm disappointed at his ouster. I'll definitely miss his smooth vocals. I'm hoping that he will have a career in music after this.

Next week's theme will be "Rat Pack", and I'm a bit disappointed because I think this is right up Anoop's alley. As of this time, votefortheworst.com has not decided on whose bandwagon to jump on, now that Lil has been sent home.

Watch the UNC Clef Hangers performance of "Sexy Love".

A Fairy Tale

2009-04-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

This is a fairy tale (which I saw thanks to youtube.com).

On April 11, 2009, plump 47-year-old Susan Boyle, from Blackburn, West Lothian in Scotland, went up the stage of Britain's Got Talent, in front of judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan. When asked what her dream was, she answered that she wanted to be a professional singer as successful as Elaine Paige. From the looks on everyone's faces in the audience, everyone believed that she was deluded and expected to hear something horrible. Instead, everyone was shocked (and in awe!) to witness the birth of an unlikely star.

Watch.

I think the best thing about this is that, once again, life has shown us that talent knows no boundaries, and it's never too late to reach for one's dreams.

Good luck, Susan Boyle, and thank you!

8-7

2009-04-18T05:53:00.000-07:00

I had great expectations of American Idol 8 Top 7 -- Quentin Tarantino would be mentoring on Movie Night. I wasn't disappointed, the good ones gave good performances. The annoying thing was that only 2 judges were allowed to comment on Performance Night, either Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul or Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi, as the show went overtime on the previous episode. Yeah, whatever.

Allison Iraheta - "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" - She started the song softly, then gradually shifted to rock. Her rendition of this difficult song was really good. It was a good night for Allison.
Paula compared Allison to Adam saying that she possesses "the same special sauce that he does". Simon went on to say that she is the girls' only hope: it was Simon's first pimping on Allison -- he is apparently jumping into the Allison bandwagon, shifting from Lil's.

Anoop Desai - "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" - Before he started, it was kind of worried it would be cheesy. I was pleasantly surprised that it came out really well: it was familiar yet exceptional, another smooth performance by Anoop. Randy said Anoop was rockin' the house. Kara said that he has found his zone: imbuing pop with soul. I was thinking: David Cook, "Hello", although, I'm not so sure about his timing: is it too late in the competition for him to shine? At this point, I think that if Anoop is not one of the best performers of the night, he will be eliminated. There is no refuge in the "Average Zone" for him -- America is so ready to drop him, though I think it's more because his skin is not white than anything else.

Adam Lambert - "Born to be Wild" - Adam was the showguy that night -- he really worked the stage. On the downside, he's shrieking again. I swear this guy is part Banshee. The performance was enjoyable, but I don't think more of this shrieking will serve him in the long run. Simon was right: it was a performance some people will love and some despise. Paula said something a little bit over the top: "You dare to dance to the top of greatness."

Matt Giraud - "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman" - He was back in the piano, but the one-on-one performance during the rehearsal with Quentin was better than the actual stage performance. I agreed with Randy on this one -- he really fell down on many places.

Danny Gokey - "Endless Love" - The performance was so-so: nothing different from what I see from him every week. I loved the accompanying harp-playing more. Paula and Simon were pimping him as usual, that I'm starting to think this guy actually owns Fremantle Media.

Kris Allen - "Falling Slowly" - I liked it! It was great that he covered the soundtrack from "Once", though I would have liked it better if he played the guitar while singing.
Randy thought it was pitchy, and Kara said that it was one of the best performances he had so far. Kara had it right.

Lil Rounds - "The Rose" - For such an emotional song, the performance didn't give me anything, like there was something missing. Paula said it was a beautiful song -- though I have to point out that she didn't say it was a beautiful rendition. Simon was frustrated, and actually said something shocking to Lil: "I don't think you are the artist we thought you were 7-8 weeks ago." Ouch! Lil responded that she put R&B, soul, and gospel feel into it. The exchange was a bit awkward, and given the lackluster performance, I thought Lil got herself a reservation for a Bottom Three seat. Support from the Worsters at votefortheworst.com would really be needed to save her from elimination.

Results Night:

Anoop was again in the Bottom Three, as were Lil and Matt. I suppose that this isn't really surprising: Adam has legions of followers, the Judges are pimping Allison, Danny has a strong fanbase, though his performance was just average, and Kris did really well. Anoop also did well, but I now have to think his fanbase is not quite as strong. Lil and Matt had weak performances. The one who garnered the least number of votes was Matt.

I actually enjoyed Matt's performance better on Results Night though Simon thought the opposite. The big shocker (in a good way) was that, the Judges exercised the "Judges' Save" on Matt. The Save can only be used once before Top 5. I think it was wisely given to Matt, although Simon told Matt that he's not going to win the show (to the protests of Kara and Paula and even Randy). I hope Matt will wow us next time, just because Simon was asking for it.

Next week will be Disco Night, and two finalists will be eliminated. I think Disco Night will be like Motown Night: the strong ones will shine, and the weaker ones will fall.

8-8

2009-04-09T05:29:00.000-07:00

After last week's so-so performances, the American Idol finalists came back with a vengeance. This week's theme is "Songs from the Year The Contestants were Born", and the performance night came with cute baby pictures. Awwww.

Danny Gokey - "Stand By Me" - I liked the first part of the performance, it was tender and emotional, but didn't like it when he upped the tempo and started growling. The judges sang his praises as per usual -- actually Randy Jackson said he didn't like the arrangement, but loved his vocals. Whatever. The only one time that I liked a performance by him was when he sang "Hero". After that, blah.

Kris Allen - "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" - The judges weren't quite impressed with his jazzy take, though it wasn't as bad as they made it out to be. On Simon Cowell's comment -- the usual put-down: boring, forgettable, indulgent -- a fan from the audience shouted "You're hot!" to Kris, to which Simon replied, "So am I, but it's not about that.". After that, Ryan Seacrest referred to Simon as "Hottie". (LOL :P)

Lil Rounds - "What's Love Got To Do With It" - It was a bad impresonation of Tina Turner, from her get-up to the way she delivered it. I was thinking: doesn't she have anyone to tell her it was a bad idea to impersonate Tina? Paula Abdul put it accurately: it was a karaoke rendition. The other judges thumbed down the performance, that I should be surprised if she isn't in the Bottom Three this week.

Anoop Desai - "True Colors" - Anoop Dog rendered a soul-R&B take to the song, and it came out great -- he owned it. The judges praised his performance, as did I. (As an aside, there's some smear campaign going on against Anoop Dog. Despite America's efforts to be color-blind, some people are still racists.)

Scott MacIntyre - "The Search Is Over" - His game plan was quite excellent: good song arrangement, breaking out from his shell by making the song upbeat, bringing in an electric guitar. I completely agreed with Kara DioGuardi's assessment: there were good moments, and off moments, especially on the high notes. If only he had better vocal capability, it would have been wonderful. I felt as though I was robbed of the pleasure of seeing a great performance. If only. Scott is likeable and witty, but this performance proved to me that better performers were eliminated from the show ahead of him. (Remember Alexis Grace?)

Allison Iraheta - "I Can't Make You Love Me" - This is the first time that I felt a connection with Allison during a performance. It was soulful and tender, and she was owning! The judges loved it, and Simon told her she just needs to be more likeable, to which she replied "No one likes me?". Allison, after that great performance, I can say I like you.

Matt Giraud - "Part Time Lover" - He started slow and tender, and then shifted to upbeat and dancey that made Paula stand up and dance. The judges lavished praises on his performance: way better than last week. As for me, I liked the first and last part, but didn't quite like the middle.

Adam Lambert - "Mad World" - Adam closed the night with his tender and emo rendition: it came out so beautifully. And I was so thankful that he did not shriek this time, instead, I was treated to a somewhat otherworldly falsetto at the end of the song. I was just happy that Adam had not assaulted my ears again. Still not a fan, though, but I kind of have to admit that he's doing what David Cook did last season: own the songs he performed. As the show was running late, only Simon was slated to give a comment: a Standing O (actually Paula did a standing ovation ahead of Simon).

Results:

I was surprised that Anoop was in the Bottom Three this week with Lil and Scott: it was not deserved at all. Though I think this is because the judges praised him and criticized Kris: people responded by voting for Kris more and Anoop less. Anyway, at least America was right about Lil and Scott.

I didn't like the way Ryan Seacrest "played" Anoop when he sent Lil back to safety. It was just plain mean. In the end, it was Scott who got cut, despite being the poster boy for votefortheworst.com for a day. The judges were so NOT going to save him, even though Simon indicated they were divided on the matter. I think he was letting Scott go gently, not for Scott's sake but for America's. Anyway I think it was really time for Scott to go. He's a really talented musician, but the others have better vocals than him. It kind of bugged me that the judges seemed to patronize him because he's blind, I think he deserves credit for his talent rather than for his disability. Anyway, I wish him well and I hope he'll find his niche. Paula got it right: he's been an inspiration to the world.

As an aside, I want to know who helms AI this season. Ryan seems to keep saying that the show is running out of time. Is it because of the fourth judge (I don't think so!), or just plain bad time management? Anyway, I think AI is becoming bland this season. There's something off about it, though I haven't to put my finger on it yet.

On Kara (just because I want to give her some love): I like her because she doesn't seem to dissemble, and I often agree with what she says. I'm glad that she seems to take the "booos" the audience responds to her comments in stride. I like that she speaks concisely and straight to the point, instead of saying nothing by saying a lot.

I hope this week's Performance Night is a precedent of better performances in the coming weeks.

8-9

2009-04-03T03:03:00.000-07:00

This had been a boring week for AI. The theme was "Popular (And Boring) Itunes Downloads", and honestly, the Performance Night left me cold.

Megan Joy performed "Turn Your Lights Down Low", which proved to be her downfall, as she was eliminated on the Results Night. The elimination had been a long time coming, as she got lambasted week after week for her song choices. But boy, did she go out with a bang! She flapped her arms and cawed like a bird (as a tribute to votefortheworst.com, I suspect), and even told Simon Cowell she didn't care what he thought about her performance. Simon retorted that they wouldn't be considering to use the "Save" on her (Thanks Simon for the good grace of not subjecting us viewers to a farce again). Megan did better with the song than she did the previous night. It was the most fun elimination that I've seen on Idol. Good luck, Gorgeous Rockin' Robin!

Anoop Desai sang Usher's "Caught Up": good vocals as usual, but the performance didn't quite catch me. He was in the Bottom Three this week, as was Allison Iraheta (again!) who sang No Doubt's "Don't Speak" (I loved the tender first half, the second half was just ok). It was a good performance overall, but the judges didn't leave much comment on it, as much as they did on her outfit.

A recap on the rest of the performances:

Scott McIntyre: He sounded good this time, and the song "Just the Way You are" by Billy Joel fit his range well. It was one of the better performances that night.

Danny Gokey: What's the deal with this guy? The judges seemed to like his "What Hurts the Most" which was actually a far cry from Rascal Flatt's version.

Matt Giraud: I actually liked his performance of "You Found Me" -- the end part, that is. The judges didn't.

Lil Rounds: She's wasting her big voice. Her "I Surrender" (by Celine Dion) didn't do anything for me -- she sounded out of breath.

Adam Lambert: The shrieking is back. He sang "Play that Funky Music" -- high points for daring and uniqueness, but that was (and I say this in a Simon Cowell voice) an indulgent nonsense. Why that song, why? I mean, ok, aside from showcasing his vocal range (which we already have an idea about), it clearly could not enhance his standing the way "Billie Jean" or "Hello" or "Always be my Baby" did for David Cook.

Kris Allen: His "Ain't no Sunshine" was the best of the night. It was a cool, cool performance amidst so-so ones. I'm beginning to like this guy.

I didn't quite "get" Lady Gaga's performance during the Results Night -- it was just noise for me. The highlight of the night was when DC took the stage and gave a reminder why he is the reigning Idol with his "Come Back to Me". His album went Platinum, yay! I'm happy for him.

As of this time, votefortheworst.com has not decided who to support now that Megan has left the show.

8-10

2009-03-30T09:38:00.000-07:00

I'm now starting to like Michael Sarver, now that he's left American Idol. He was eliminated after singing "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" on Motown Week: no surprise there really, as ALL of the judges (yes, even Paula Abdul) slammed his performance. What I like about him was the class he showed when he was booted out. He seemed to enjoy his final "sing-for-your-life" performance, though he probably had known the judges won't save him. He had always been likeable from the start, and I wish him well.

What I did NOT like was the judges' (fake!) "deliberations" which took a little longer after the "sing-for-your-life" performance. Simon Cowell had already said that Sarver was not going to win the show, and seeing as they did not save Alexis Grace the week before, there really was no point in wasting the "Judges' Save" on Sarver. The huddling was really a farce, as they had already influenced America against Sarver. Simon (and the producers) should have known better.

I liked Kris Allen's unassuming "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", Anoop Desai's smooth "Oh Baby Baby", Allison Iraheta's rockin' "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and (surprise, surprise!) Adam Lambert's emo "The Tracks of My Tears". For the record, I'm not one of Adam's legions, but I can appreciate his artistry and his ability to reinvent himself. He actually cleaned up his appearance and he kept the shrieking, I mean the falsetto, to a tolerable (even nice) level. Lil Round's "Heatwave" was a bit of a let-down: I thought that the theme was right up her alley, and though, in fairness, her vocals were up to the task, she just didn't shine.

I had expected Scott MacIntyre, who sang an uninspiring "You Can't Hurry Love", and Megan Joy, who murdered (and not in a good way) "For Once In My Life", to be in the bottom three. I was right about Scott but not about Megan (votefortheworst.com had won again). Instead of Megan, it was (surprisingly!) Matt Giraud who got one of the fewest votes. I think that Matt is one of the true artists in the show this season, and his version of "Let's Get It On" was good. It was a shame he was in the bottom three.

I hope America would get it right next time.

Oh, and I have to say this: Joss Stone and Smokey Robinson's "You're the One for Me" duet was hot. And I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing David Cook's performance this week.

8-11

2009-03-21T06:29:00.000-07:00

It was a bad call by America and the Idol judges (and if the rumors are to be believed, the producers).

I'm referring to the untimely elimination of Alexis Grace from American Idol season 8's Top 11 (who America did not remember to vote, and the judges did not save, because, according to rumors, of a ploy by the producers to have everyone believe that the show is not rigged). What was cruel was that the judges indicated that they MIGHT save Alexis, if her last performance would convince them, and they huddled when she started singing until about a third of her song. Afterwards, Simon Cowell coldly said it was not good enough. (Rather like an emperor giving a fallen gladiator a thumb-down. Callous!)

I wouldn't have said anything if her elimination was deserved, but it wasn't. She sang Dolly Parton's "Jolene" on Grand Ole Opry Night, and while it didn't wow the judges, it had certainly been a good solid performance. The annoying thing is that, she is one of the better singers this season, and her elimination at this point means that she won't be in the Idol Tour after the show's finale.

I was really looking forward to seeing her performances, and had thought she'd go far into the show. She probably wouldn't have won Idol, had she not been eliminated last Wednesday, as the judges already have all but crowned one of their favorites, given the way they've been raining accolades on Danny Gokey, Lil Rounds and Adam Lambert. Honestly, I'm not a fan of those three, but admittedly, they have talent, in differing degrees. They also have marketable back-stories, which I have an inkling the producers are really keen on exploiting.

True to her name, Alexis accepted her elimination with grace, saying: "Everything happens for a reason". And hopefully things will turn out well for her.

As for me, at least I got to hear Anoop "Dog" Desai's beautiful rendition of "Always on my Mind". I now have something to look forward to in next week's episode. Plus I did hear a rumor that DC's (yep THE David Cook) performance of his own "Come Back to Me" will be aired on AI soon. Yay!

The Dream Match

2008-12-08T06:35:00.000-08:00

It was a boring dream.
It was a better, faster, smarter Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao who faced The Golden Boy Oscar dela Hoya in the Mandalay Bay Hotel the other night, but the same cannot be said of dela Hoya. In fact, it was NOT The Golden Boy who fought: it was someone old and slow in the guise of Oscar dela Hoya. The match ended in Pacman's win via submission after the 8th round. It was so disappointing: dela Hoya gave away his glory too easily. The price must have been right. (That, or the real dela Hoya was kidnapped by aliens and an inferior clone showed up.)
A positive note though: as per usual in Pacman's fights, there was zero crime rate in some parts of the Philippines.

Happy Ranting

2008-12-06T03:38:00.000-08:00

I wish myself a glorious season of ranting. And raving. And jabbering.