6 month old Bo, a Portuguese water dog (gift from Senator Kennedy)
The fam checks out the new puppy- V cute!!!
Bo jogs along w/ Pres Obama
“The First Dog” moved into the White House today. Malia and Sasha looked VERY happy (and adorable) to have Bo w/ them- finally! Like most kids, they’d wanted a puppy for a LONG time.
American Idol thoughts:
Below are my FAVE contestants:
13 y.o. Anoop in trad Indian clothes
Anoop: the soulful college man
Anoop did well today BUT I didn’t like the song he chose. And his hair is a BIT too short IMHO. His close college pals were in the audience today.
Adam: the confidant chameleon
This pic is nice...
Did you know that Adam was featured in the Sunday Styles section of the most recent NYT? The song he chose tonight, Born to be Wild, suited him PERFECTLY. My dad said, “Oh, he’s already famous. He doesn’t need to win the competition.” I liked the dancing and personality, as well as the vocals. Wow, I wish I could be confidant like Adam!
Lil: the sweet single mom
Lil continues to add class and elegance to this season. I’m sure she’ll get a record deal even if she DOESN’T win!
Allison: the SoCal teen rocker
I missed Allison’s performance b/c I was microwaving dinner, BUT it seems like she did well. She’s VERY young to be out in the world and famous, BUT seems like a level-headed girl who could handle such things.
The 10th Dr. Who is theatrically trained actor David Tennant; he is joined in Season 3 by young medical doc Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman- an unusually pretty actress of Iranian/Ghanian descent). I saw 3 eps from Season 3 on Sci Fi this afternoon: The Family of Blood (Part I & II) and Blink. I heard this show was good before on a few websites while browsing around. Now, I don’t know about the old Dr. Who series, but have heard a little from my parents. This newer series (begun in 2005) seems VERY interesting!
The red poppies commemorate WWII (in the UK).
The special effects a good (I think those are done in Canada), as well as the acting (David Tennant has VERY expressive eyes and wide range). If you liked Quantum Leap or any of the Star Trek shows, this may be worth a look.
National Treasure
In the beginning of the film, Sean Bean (Ian) is pals w/ Ben (Nic Cage).
Ian wonders why a little kid is scrutinizing an old letter- hmmm...
I watched this movie just to see Sean. The scar near his brow from when Harrison Ford accidentally hit him in "Patriot Games."
Ian going after Ben's friends (in Philly.)
Ian talks w/ one of his underlings.
Here is a little self-satisfied smile- Ian makes a deal w/ Ben
Sean's voice is SO much cooler than Nic's!
My recent iTunes downloads:
It’s America; If You’re Going Through Hell – Rodney Atkins (back in spotlight after QUITE some yrs)
Would You Go With Me? – Josh Turner (gorgeous baritone voice that will remind you of Randy Travis!)
Josh Turner- a (traditional) country hottie
I Don’t Wanna Lose Your Love; Another You – John Rich (of Big & Rich; his sound is youthful, smooth, and close to pop)
Holy Water – Big & Rich (One of their MOST popular songs!)
Scott was so polite and sweet on Idol- a good role model for teens and young adults. He didn’t let his visual limitations limit how hard he worked. IMHO Scott was great on piano, BUT his vocals need more work. I think he improved week by week. When it got down to Anoop and Scott, I knew that Scott would be the one w/ less votes. (It was about 30,000 less.)
Scott sings and plays the piano- what a guy!
Paula looked QUITE sad when it was time for Scott to go. His family was on pins and needles until the end of the show, BUT you could see the pride on their faces. How can anyone NOT cheer for this guy!? He was poised and mature, unlike MANY past contestants on Idol. And like him, I have slightly messy/wavy hair and come from AZ (Tucson). I wish him all the best; Scott showed class in a tough situation!
Kellie Pickler looking GLAM!
It was COOL to see Kellie Pickler (from small town North Carolina) looking so cute and confidant on AI last night. I downloaded her song “Best Days of Your Life” today (along with a few others from AI). She’s touring w/ Taylor Swift- country’s biggest star right now!
What I’m watching:
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
Tony in Saudi Arabia
This Travel Channel show can be fun AND informative. Recently, Tony (a chef for MANY yrs/native NYer) went to a big city near the sea- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with Dahnya (a woman filmmaker raised in North Dakota and Saudi Arabia). He’s NOT afriad to try foods that MOST Americans consider “weird,” such as camel. This lady was young, bubbly, and willing to try WILD foods along w/ Tony. Saudis are NOT what we imagine them to be, Tony learned. They can be VERY welcoming to visitors, as hospitality is a HUGE part of the culture.
Ballykissangel
BallyK (quirky/small town Ireland)
Series 1 of this Irish drama is being rerun on Maryland Public TV. I NEVER get tired of this show, especially Seasons 1 & 2! My mom LOVES it, too.
Little Mosque on the Prairie
Season 1 (2 DVD set)
This is a comedy show you can watch w/ your family from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Season 1 DVD set is available online; Seasons 2 & 3 will be out this September.
The Tudors
King Henry VIII & Lady Jane Seymour
I just watched some interviews, clips, and the first ep of Season 3 of this Showtime drama on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB). The cast is pretty to look at, as well as pretty good actors (Jonathan Rhys Meyers is VERY intense!), BUT the dialogue is not as sophisticated as I expected. It’s NOT completely historically accurate, either; events occur faster than in real life. But the show is engaging…
Henry (Rhys Meyers) & Cromwell (Frain)
I especially look forward to seeing more of James Frain (who plays the intelligent/scheming Thomas Cromwell). I like this actor’s ability to fit into many different roles; he also has an interesting face.
Sir Thomas More (Northam): an idealist in the court who died for his beliefs
If you look back at Seasons 1 & 2, you’ll see MORE fine actors: Sam Neill, Jeremy Northam, and Maria Doyle Kennedy.
Queen Catherine (Doyle Kennedy)- originally from Spain; she was supplanted by younger lady-in-waiting, Anne Boleyn
Trader Joe's Thai Noodles w/ Peanut Sauce; I added chicken, mushrooms, green bell pepper, and peanuts. I was surprised b/c Dad LIKED it!
I (FINALLY) got rechargeable batterries for my camera! The regular ones wear out V fast. So I can take pics more often- YAY!
Today (TUES) was unseasonably cold!
It was windy (but NOT as much as MON)!
I tilted the camera to one side here.
Early evening sky (Alexandria, VA)
Thoughts of the day:
American Idolwas pretty good today, BUT not everyone did their best! I was impressed by Adam, Alison, and Anoop the most. Anoop (who I was worried for) did QUITE well tonight; he was near perfect in my mind! He has a LOT of soul. Kris is VERY cute, but he doesn’t leave much of an impression. I felt a LITTLE bad for Scott b/c he tried to do something different, and it totally backfired. Lil was good (as usual), BUT too much like Tina Turner; she seems very soulful and mature for her age. Lil already has the chops to be a good stage presence, as do Matt and Adam. Matt is a good performer (as I noted before), BUT I don’t think he has as much raw talent as Lil, Alison, etc. Alison is TRULY gifted; she reminds me of Mariah Carey, Pink, and Kelly Clarkson. I liked her outfit tonight, too! Adam is on top right now b/c he is talented, confidant, AND unique. (It was COOL when Simon gave him a standing ovation).
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit tonight was all new! Too bad Olivia wasn’t on; Mariska wasn’t feeling well for a time. Delroy Lindo (who has crucial roles in Malcolm X and The Cider House Rules) did a TERRIFIC job as the cranky veteran detective who came in to help w/ the case. You can’t tell when this guy is acting! (I found out that he’s actually a Jamaican Brit.) I think they should bring in his character again. Eliott related to him as a cop and as a father.
Stephanie March on "SVU"
I’m REALLY glad that Stephanie March is back, even though she’s still under “Special Guest Star.” She’s just as pretty and in shape as before; I LOVE her glasses! I wonder how long Alex will stick around…
A wedding pic of Flay & March
BUT the big question- how can this actress be married to (celeb chef) Bobby Flay and stay so Manhattan high society slim!?
I saw this in the Sunday Opinion section of the New York Timeson March 29, 2009. The author, a sociology prof at Columbia, Sudhir Venkatesh focused on the reasons why Americans are not rising up in large numbers to protest (like in UK or France).
G20 protest
The title of Venkatesh’s article is “Feeling Too Down to Rise Up.” He wondered: “If Americans are so angry, where are the protests? The riots?” Now, I don’t think it’s cool to set fire to bridges (like in France) b/c you don’t have a job. It’s not productive to have (some) rowdy/disrespectful protestors who are drinking alcohol during protests (like in London this past week).
Here is an excerpt from that article:
As our shame grows, we shutter ourselves inside. Afraid of acknowledging our anger and unable to join those similarly suffering, we grow distant. Worse, we judge quickly and harshly the actions of others…
To restore our social bonds, each one of us must overcome our isolating feelings of embarrassment and humiliation and understand that this is a shared plight.
Can you relate to this? Do you think (peaceful) protest is needed to enact change? How do you keep a good attitude in a recession?
Knightleyemma 