Ricky Martin announces he is gay
Puerto Rican pop star Ricky Martin has announced he is gay, ending years of speculation over his sexuality.
March 31, 2010
Garcia, Dewyze win back ‘American Idol’ judges (AP)
AP – In this image released by Fox, Paige Miles acknowledges the audience after her elimination on the singing …
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1 hr 57 mins ago
LOS ANGELES – Andrew Garcia and Lee Dewyze are back in the “American Idol” judges’ good graces.
After a string of lackluster performances, 24-year-old musician Garcia of Moreno, Calif., finally wowed the panel with a stripped-down rendition of Chris Brown’s “Forever,” while 23-year-old paint sales clerk Dewyze of Mount Prospect, Ill., treated the Fox singing competition Tuesday to a rock ‘n’ roll take on the Cornelius Brothers’ “Treat Her Like a Lady.”
Simon Cowell told Dewyze: “I want you tonight to go home, watch the show back and understand this is the night your life may have changed forever.”
The sour British judge was also generous — in a totally different way — to a giggling Tim Urban.
After weeks of scathing critiques, Cowell practically surrendered on the night of R&B classics to the seemingly unstoppable shaggy-haired 20-year-old college student from Duncanville, Texas, after his uninspired rendition of Anita Baker’s “Sweet Love.”
“He’s laughing because I don’t think it makes any difference whatsoever what we say,” testified Cowell.
Crystal Bowersox, the earthy 24-year-old musician from Toledo, Ohio, traded her guitar and bare feet for a piano and high heels on Gladys Knight and the Pips’ “Midnight Train to Georgia.” Kara DioGuardi praised her because she “took that risk,” while Ellen DeGeneres deemed it a “wonderful, wonderful idea.” Cowell cautioned Bowersox to stay true to herself.
“I wouldn’t ever do anything that wasn’t comfortable for me,” replied Bowersox.
Several singers weren’t standouts but continued to please the panel nonetheless. Among them: 16-year-old Aaron Kelly with Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” 17-year-old Katie Stevens with Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools,” 26-year-old Michael Lynche with India Arie’s “Ready for Love” and 27-year-old Casey James with Sam and Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Comin.’”
“This was another hot night for you,” Randy Jackson told James.
The reception wasn’t as toasty, unlike previous weeks, for 20-year-old glass blower Siobhan Magnus of Marstons Mills, Mass. DeGeneres and DioGuardi panned Magnus for being nervous during Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire.” Cowell, meanwhile, asserted that Magnus’ signature method of wailing was waning on him.
“I am getting bored of the screaming at the end,” he said.
Didi Benami, the 23-year-old waitress of Los Angeles, was bashed for Jimmy Ruffin’s “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.” Jackson said it “flatlined” while DioGuardi put it bluntly: “It’s overdone, girl.”
Unless the judges decide to save a singer, another finalist will be eliminated Wednesday based on viewer votes, leaving nine singers in the competition.
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( a year ago i wrote) 829. the man pecs to man breasts transition
it’s started.
i can’t deny it any more.
although keaton does, the mirror tells no lies.
i am in man pec to man breast transition and it hurts.
hurts deep my friends.
currently i’m in that no man’s land of chest chunks.
no longer chiseled pecs, which i did proudly bare once upon a time thank you very much!
yet not quite man breasts—those gelatinous lumps or whatever description is the complete opposite of perky steel.
i can’t deny it any more.
although keaton does, the mirror tells no lies.
i am in man pec to man breast transition and it hurts.
hurts deep my friends.
currently i’m in that no man’s land of chest chunks.
no longer chiseled pecs, which i did proudly bare once upon a time thank you very much!
yet not quite man breasts—those gelatinous lumps or whatever description is the complete opposite of perky steel.
they are in transition and all those push-ups and bench-presses i do simply slow down the inevitable, full and complete deterioration.
they do not stop it.
they do not reverse it.
they only delay it.
so sad.
my chest chunks are well within the gravitational pull now.
not much i can do but release an occasional whimper or flip all the mirrors around or both.
alas, just another not so subtle attack on a new front in the deconstruction of bob.
[update 03/30/10: keaton has taken to discard her old bras in my underwear drawer. in most state jurisdictions i'm aware of that is tantamount to cruel and unusual punishment. and if she doesn't watch her p's and q's, she's gonna find her nicely preserved buttocks on the wrong side of a big fat lawsuit. that's what i'm talking about.]
apparatus which measures how loud stuff is. in decibels.
The Dork Lord and I enjoy a pretty quiet home life. Okay, yes, other than when he’s watching stuff blow up or getting all worked up at televised sporting events or that new multi-player Mario for the Wii (which probably seems a whole lot more frequent than it actually is, but nonetheless). Other than that, we’re pretty tranquil. So when the long-empty two-bedroom apartment across the hall welcomed its new inhabitants yesterday, I had that briefest of uneasy moments, wondering just who they would be and praying to whomever was listening that they wouldn’t be Dudes Who Play WOW and Other Loud, Silly Games.
So I spied with my little eye through the cloudy peephole in our door until they revealed themselves. And they were not gamers. Phew. They were a family with multiple young children. In a two bedroom apartment. With walls that touch ours. Ree ree ree!
Gamers and little ones. What is, groups of people who make a lot of noise doing almost nothing, Alex?
I already know how this is going to go, because Sarah is currently living out this magical dream in London. The tykes that share her bedroom wall have kazoos. I probably don’t have to tell you how awesomely I’d take to that bit of musical exploration. In fact, it’s through Sarah’s twitter feed (sorry, she’s got it all privatized or I’d link) that I’ve been able to participate in the joy of having wee young neighbors without actually having wee young neighbors. What I’m saying is, I didn’t need any of my own. All set.
Stuff I Don’t Need that I’d be Okay with Getting Anyway Because I’m Adaptable
More black shoes
A piece of chocolate cake
a la mode
Presents
Is it redundant if I list Oreos after we’ve already covered cake? No? Okay, then, Oreos.
See how nowhere on that list is three small children living in a two bedroom apartment adjacent to the place where I get precious, precious sleep and routinely participate in activities the sound effects of which are not appropriate for small ears? Yes, well. Got it anyway. And seeing as we have a lease renewal sitting on our kitchen counter the next two weeks are going to be used for research. Which reminds me, I need to google “apparatus which measures how loud stuff is. In decibels. Or whatever,” because if those new little fellas are louder than the disappointment of missing the Really Big Coin on Level 2, I won’t make it.