Cadence Dreaming

Hey guys... I really need some advice...Sam is undergoing some MAJOR bullying at work such as co-workers (note: NOT the bosses) getting into his emails and printing personal emails out and some other really shitty stuff.

The problem is he works for a small stand alone company (2 bosses, 6 staff including him) and one of the bosses is kind of involved so there is nobody he can complain to at work. And he is on a traineeship so he is being paid by a host company while he is working for this particular group but they don't seem to be too interested in what's happening.

Does anyone know any independent agencies who act as watchdogs for this sort of thing? I've had a look on the industrial relations website but that appears to just be fact sheets.

And no, he can't quit, because then he won't be able to get back on centerlink straight away (I don't think?) and frankly we need him to be earning SOMETHING. So he basically has to stick it out until he gets fired :(

Heh... just saw an add for idol elimination show tonight, the voice-over was Jessica singing "Beautiful" - the odd thing about that is that "Beautiful" was her song LAST WEEK, the one she earned the touchdown for... this week she was actually pretty bad... wonder if Idol is trying to drum up some more votes for her tonight?

This is in order of best to worst, IMHO!

Lavina - best performance of the night for me. Beautiful voice, beautiful song, even her look was soft & pretty. Agree with Kyle about the jailhouse tats though - the tribal one is cultural, I understand that, but the music clef note looks hideous. She should touch it up, get some colour onto it or something.

Mutto - Second favourite performance of the night. I love how he engages the audience, he gets amongst it, which is great. I love the hair, glad it's back. But I was horrified to see that gum in his mouth!

Bobby - Okay, I wasn't OVERLY fussed with Bobby's performance, but he's back on track at least and for him, I reckon that was "up there". And he took a risk with his styling which I felt paid off for him, loved the eye makeup.

Damien - Elton with a Latin beat, awesome! Very risky but Damien pulled it off nicely and I loved seeing him move around the stage a bit, very funky! He looked good and it's good to see him displaying some confidence.

Chris - Right song for him, but I hated seeing him running all over the stage like a monkey on speed. He likes to "play up to" the band when he sings but it's hard when the band members are so far away from each other. And really it's the audience he should be concentrating on.

Ricky - I liked this song and thought Ricky did a good job of it, it suited his voice and personality. But for some reason Ricky's voice has a kind of "hard" quality to it that makes it hard to listen to.

Jessica - This is a good song but not the way she sang it. Stop the vocal gymnastics and just sing the song. It's a song about a homeless woman, for chrissakes, not maria carey's latest hit. Apart from that, it was a pity she couldn't make the high notes cos that would have bumped the performance up a couple of notches.

Dean - As much as I hate to admit it, the song suited his voice okay (except where he was a little breathless at the end) but the moves are way cheesy and he has NO expression in his eyes when he sings, he's totally flat.

Lisa - Once again, the song suited her voice and she actually pulled it off, vocally. But listen to the lyrics, kiddo. Does little Lisa actually expect us to believe she's some kind of laid-back, pot smoking playgirl? *headdesk*

Bottom three predictions: Dean, Lisa, Ricky
Predicted to go: Ricky

OMG!!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/26/AR2006092601534.html

"Man Plans to Feed Placenta to Goannas"

he Associated Press
Tuesday, September 26, 2006; 9:44 PM

BRISBANE, Australia -- An Australian man who says "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin shaped his love for reptiles said Tuesday he plans to feed the placenta from his newborn son to his pet goannas to bring the family closer to lizards.

Wil Kemp, a reptile keeper at Rockhampton Zoo in northeastern Queensland state, said his second son was born on Sept. 5, the day after Irwin was killed by a stingray attack while filming on the Great Barrier Reef.

Kemp and his fiance Kahila Pepper gave the boy the first and second names Tai and Irwin _ the former after the taipan snake and the latter after the television star and conservationist.

Kemp said the couple planned to feed the placenta to their three pet goannas, which live in pits in the family's backyard, after a homecoming gathering on Sunday.

"I think we'll just break some beers, chuck it in and do it," said Kemp, 21.

The couple came up with the idea after nurses told them they could take the placenta _ the organ that grows in the womb to be the interface for nutrients and blood between mother and fetus that comes out during childbirth home if they wished.

"everyone agrees this year's Australian Idol is the best ever."

I just heard that on the television and almost laughed. Sure, it might be true in terms of talent. Although who would know? The public has a short term memory when it comes to this sort of thing and only a few past Idols stick out in our minds.

But in my opinion the changes they've made to the format just aren't working for me. I reckon the themes they are choosing are stupid, the judges are crankier and loopier than ever, James Matheson looks like he's on drugs (although he's been perking up the last few shows). It's enough to make me go "WTF IS GOING ON HERE?"

Anyway... last night's show was so disappointing. I didn't think any of them delivered a standout performance. What was everyone doing sitting down?? Since when has "Number 1 hits" synonamous for schmaltzy ballads?

Klancie is trying too hard... I like the image change, although I'm unsure about the hair flicking. But I want something other than country next week!!

Lisa was better, which made me cry. Because Lisa performed better than some of the others who are usually better than her, she will stay and they will go - again.

Lavina - what was going on with that outfit? I felt sorry for her ass squeezed into those tight pants! But I liked the song & thought it was one of the best performances of the night.

Jessica - actually I expected her to do better, sing it in a higher key or put some more licks in there or something. I didn't feel the "touch down" moment that Mark did... but then again I'm glad I'm not feeling the same things Mark is! :P

Damien was boring!! Beautiful voice, boring performance.

Chris - Maaaaaate!!! Boring performance take 2!!! But he looked good, proving he's not just a scruffy rocker.

Mutto - Boring performance take 3!! I like Mutto, but if he can't pull his thumb out and go hard vocally, he might as well go home!

Ricky - Boring performance take 4!! Although his wasn't as bad, he kind of funked it up at the end which was cool.

Bobby - AWWWWW... *sniff* The problem with Bobby is that there's no middle ground - he's either really fantastic or he's really crap. Hopefully he gets a 2nd chance tonight.

Damien - go home now. Please save yourself further embarrassment!

It's too hard to pick the bottom three tonight, let alone who will go. So this is really nothing more than a wild guess. But I predict that we will see a much different bottom three than usual.

My predictions for Bottom 3: Chris, Mutto, Lavina
To Go: Mutto

Did I pick it, or what? Except for the substitution of Mutto for Dean - although they were paired up for the verdict.

My predictions aren't based on my preferences, but more along the lines of how I think the Australian public will vote. So even though I thought Reigan would go, I was personally disappointed that she did.

I'm also disappointed with next week's theme - 'No.1 hits' - c'mon!! Not another wide and varied genre!! They should at least restrict it by decade or something. Because now the Idols are just gonna pick a No.1 that fits their voice - whether that be rock or pop - and to me the best part of the competition comes when they're forced to squeeze into a narrower mould, like "disco" or "big band".

Idol observation #242 - Dean Geyer looks like Jared Leto. And sort of like Jake Gyllenhaal. Go the hot cowboy lerve!!

At first, I thought that there was only two weak performances and the rest were really great and there was no way I could choose the best one. But then after I got to thinking about it, I replayed the performances in my mind and have arranged them in this order:

Best:

* Damien - Damien takes on Tom York and holds his own! Last night was the first time he has really impressed me, his vocals were spot on but the look and the confidence and the "grunt" he exhibited really suited him! i think I was just sick of that whole passive thing but hopefully he will break out of that and start showing more personality.

* Bobby - I have a feeling Bobby is going to get up every week and do his thing, regardless of the theme, haha. "Werewolves in London" - never heard it, thought it was more a pop song than a rock song, but if he keeps singing like that he can sing anything he wants!!

* Lavina - wasn't fussed on the hoody, thought she looked like she was the one playing dress-ups. Also, I thought the song was a bit "young" for her, since it's a newer song & really big in the goth-rock scene and she has up till now presented herself as an older, more mature singer. But, she sang it REALLY well and I was really happy with her performance.

Good:

* Chris - I like Chris, he's a top bloke, I enjoy listening to him and would go see him at the local RSL. But on reflection, I can't remember what song he sang, or how it sounded. Nothing about his performance stuck in my mind. So yes, he was good. But great? Nah. But in his defense, he has always just sang the same genre the whole way through, cos either he's been able to pick what he wanted to sing, or as in the case of Sunday night, the theme totally suited him. So in my opinion, he still has yet to "show us what he's made of".

* Jessica - I would have ranked her higher if it weren't for the missed note at the end. This song was great, the look was great, and she seemed very mature and very empowered on stage, it was good to see! Up til now I was kind of like, "meh, she's just one of the judges' young pets." But now I see something in her, and I am looking forward to more.

* Mutto - I liked it. But the falsetto let him down. Fair enough though if he had a sore throat, because the thing is that falsetto is a "head voice" and if your throat is sore it's hard to switch from a chest voice to a head voice easily. I did think he was a bit of a dag with his performance, but that's just him, and I do kind of like his dagginess but i think it will cost him votes.

Ordinary:

* Reigan - The song was awesome, Reigan wasn't. Her vocals were too low. Rock like that is like surfing a huge wave, you just have to hold on and let it do its thing and and try to come out on top. And I think Reigan went under a bit. If the music weren't so loud, or she was able to sing a bit louder and stronger, and if she had picked a song that people knew, I think she would have done better.

* Ricky - great personality and funky look, but his moves and his manner is always so stiff and also the way he distorts his voice when he sings makes it sound like what he's doing is difficult, and I don't like to hear that. Also, the crazy eyes thing... he looked like a Maori warrior, i thought he was about to stick his tongue out or throw a spear or something!

* Klancie - looked a million bucks but she did a country song, and this was Rock week. I know she's got a country voice, with the yodelling and the twang, but she didn't *have* to pick country songs. Why couldn't she do a rock song, what's wrong with Bonnie Tyler or Melissa Etheridge? I shudder to think what she will sing when they do the Beatles, heh.

Bad:

Lisa - she did better this time, vocals were good, and she engaged the audience a bit more this time, but she's still just walking around the stage like a lost little girl... there's not even any rythym in her steps.

Dean was the worst though, his vocals were simply not good enough, his moves left him breathless, and it was all just a bit "lead-singer-of-a-Youth-Alive-band"-ish, which could certainly work for him because he could record albums and make money & use his talents for God at the same time.

My Predictions...

* Bottom 3: Dean, Reigan, Ricky
* To go: Reigan

I just bought the funniest badge off ebay... it says:

___________

C:\DOS

C:\DOS
run

run
DOS
run
___________


*sigh*

I am such a geek!

Oh, and according to my post about the 4-day difference between the birthdays and death-days of Steve Irwin and Peter Brock, my guess is if we are going to see a third death then Ron Howard and Jon Bon Jovi better be on their toes on Tuesday.

Because theoretically the death would take place on Tuesday the 12th (the first deaths were the 4th and the 8th) and would have to be someone born March 1 or 2nd depending, as an anonymous commenter pointed out, on whether or not a leap year is involved.

So... go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_1 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_2 and start placing your bets. :(

The Good:

Bobby Flynn - THAT'S what I wanted to see - power and sustain behind his notes. To me, he is an artist... Mark may not have given him a "Touchdown" but it was clear he'd earned one. My only criticism would be the "maraca hands" - it's a crooner thing, but he seems to do it out of time and it's kind of annoying, lol.

Mutto - Great energy, loved the song, thankfully he's gotten rid of the beanie. Those photos of him as a kid were funny! I love how he doesn't "play up" his christianity. It's never mentioned that his band is a Christian band. He didn't explain the "Whosoever" written on his hand. He doesn't thank "his Lord & saviour" a la Geyer. But he doesn't try to hide it, it's in his performances, Which I respect.

Reigan - I love the new look, and she chose a song that was good for her. I didn't have anything against her performance and thought she was one of the best of the evening. But she is going to have to grow on me, right now I don't really care whether she stays in the competition.

Chris - c'mon as if it wouldn't have been awesome. But I think this guy's cruising. I think he could definitely go harder. And I would like to see him get a bit more edgier, a bit more "Alt rock" than with this "Pub rock" that he does.

The Bad:

Lisa - Oh.MY.god. That is all I am going to say about the train wreck that was her song. Actually no, I'll say more. Her singing style annoys me. She's a Missy Higgins clone - I wish people would learn to sing properly instead of thinking it's cool to mispronounce things. Because I think all it does it make her voice sound flat. She looked awkward without her guitar. And I couldn't understand what she was doing with the Crowded House song - was she out of tempo, or out of tune, or was that on purpose? I couldn't tell - it just sounded messy to me.

Joseph - Send him home, please! He is nowhere near the caliber of the other guys. He is awkward on stage without his guitar. And he picks grandpa songs, which are way too mature for him.

Jessica - Boring. She's finally moving into the 21st century but I'm not sure the 'slow jams' thing is going to work for her either. Girl, you can move - so get some damned funk into your step and start entertaining me!

Damien - Nice guy, but too middle of the road. I respect that he was trying to stay true to the song, and I loved the different levels of the song cos I have been dying to hear some 'grunt' from him. But he needs to find a look or a style - FAST - though because this 'irish tenor' thing won't carry him through the comp.

The Annoying:

Ricky - WHY does this guy think he's Usher?? He is digging himself into an Idol grave here because that whole "urban/dance" sound (like Kanye West, Ne'yo, Usher, etc) is kind of a 'niche' sound which I don't think he has the 100% vocal ability for - and it may isolate him from the rest of the public who just don't get into that kind of music.

Dean - I am so over this guy. Sure he's great, but I don't like him personally. I think he is a bit cocky. And I don't drool over his looks the way half the forums seem to. His hair is annoying, it's all floppy and stuff... *sigh*

Lavinia - She was good. I liked her hat, it was a jazz thing and didn't make her look "Fat" or "hard" at all. But I don't support her anymore since I found out about her background. She was in a NZ group called Ma-Vi-Elle, they cut a few singles which had chart success and then she moved to Oz to do Lion King. So obviously she is good and she knows it. So why does she pull the "this is my chance to shine" crap? I know that f it was against the rules, Lavina wouldn't be in the competition, but the question is - shouldn't she let someone else have a bite at the cherry? It's not any different from Beyonce quitting Destiny's Child and trying out for American Idol, in my opinion.

Klancie - My honest opinion is that she's a sweet girl with a half decent set of pipes. But I'm having trouble accepting that she's the best country had to offer. I've heard a helluva lot of female country singers who sing way better than Klancie. Plus, for some reason, her double chin annoys me, and I hate myself for being shallow. Oh well, it will be interesting to see how she does with the other challenges.

And on the heels of the disappointing voting procedures this season, comes the latest money making scam from the "Idol Machine". It appears that now you can waste 50c by sending in what you think of the judges... ummmm... yeah right. Let's face it, the chance that your message will get read out on tv, let alone even read, is pretty slim. I'll stick to the forums, thanks. At least they're still free.

Two people - two high-profile australians - have died this week, as small mercies would have it, both doing the thing they love. What is going on?? :(

Funnily enough I am upset but I have no idea why I am affected? I didn't know these guys. I know next to nothing about their personal lives, and only vague details about their careers.

I dunno... i refuse to analyse it further! I just wanted to say...


R.I.P. Steve Irwin (February 22, 1962 – September 4, 2006)

R.I.P. Peter Brock (February 26, 1945 - September 8, 2006)


And Australia - you better start bloody looking after your citizens a bit better!! Heh.


Edit: I just realized that their birthdays (apart from the year) are four days apart... their deaths - are four days apart... ooooookay. I am kinda weirded out by that. :/

Okay... the post that mysteriously got deleted last night is up again... and the voting thing has been cleared up, although not to my satisfaction. Apparently, although there's been no official word from Idol on this - don't they watch the forums? Don't they know how upset people are?? - there were a few things pointed out by the forum members:

Firstly - multiple votes from the same phone *can* be considered suspicious or manipulative and the votes can be disqualified. This means if you repeatedly phone in or sms 10 votes in a row for the same person, you run the risk of having your votes NOT COUNT.

18.2 In the absence of block, manipulative, unrepresentative or disproportionate voting patterns one valid SMS or telephone call to the appropriate 1902 number will count as one vote, however Network TEN and Grundy reserve the right in their sole discretion to disqualify or discount,

(a) any votes however cast, or disqualify any individuals from voting, that tamper with, or attempt to tamper the voting process, or

(b) Any votes however cast or disqualify any individuals from voting, who corrupt or affect (or attempt to corrupt or affect) the administration security, fairness or integrity or proper conduct of a vote or the voting process, or

(c) Any votes that Grundy considers to be manipulative, unrepresentative, disproportionate, obscene or offensive

Voters acknowledge that Grundy’s (&/or TENS) decision in this matter is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Voters acknowledge that any votes that are discounted, invalidated or disqualified in accordance the provisions of 18.1 or 18.2 will still be charged at the advertised rate.

It's annoying but I can see why they do that - probably primarily to stop someone who isn't good enough getting put through to the next round just because their family & friends have raised $5,000 to put towards voting.

So... if you are going to submit MULTIPLE votes, do it from several phones - i.e your home phone, your mobile, and other people's mobiles/phones. Get non-Idol-fan friends to vote for you (cos they don't care about the comp, they'll vote for whoever you want, hehe). I don't know whether you can space it out or not - like if you do one vote per night from the same phone, I don't know whether that will count.

Also - if Grundy disqualifies your votes, YOU WILL NOT GET YOUR MONEY BACK. And, you have NO AVENUE TO COMPLAIN. Sounds like they covered everything pretty well. :(

Secondly - this is a quote from someone on the boards:

"they announced (and many here haven't realised this) that Nathaniel and Chris M were the highest two vote winners. And so the peoples choice went to Chris M. Nathaniel was quite gracious about losing.

Some here believe that the votes for the other contestants didn't count, and it was just the last two that got counted. From what I saw in the show, that is not the case - its just that they were so far ahead of the rest that they couldn't be overtaken. (Statistically, the first 5000 votes would usually be enough to show who would win and the margins)."

So probably that what happened, after all the apparently legal voting "manipulation" took place, that the "real" or unique votes showed Nathaniel and Chris as the highest and so the judges picked three contestants out of the trailing six. But even then, the remaining six would have to have been trailing massively in order for the judges to assume the contestant didn't have a chance as people's choice. And the judges shouldn't have picked before the voting lines closed... they may have already 'known' the results but ethically they should have waited.

So...

IN
Ricky Muscat
Mutto
Klancie
Chris Murphy

OUT
Brendan Boney
Chris Graffitti
Amanda
Nathaniel

I am really glad both Mutto and Chris Murphy are in. I figured Klancie would get in over Amanda, and I had an inkling Nathaniel and Brendan wouldn't make the cut. The only real disappointment is not having Chris G. in the competition, but Ricky is an acceptable substitute! :D

I do want to say a little bit about the voting. There are tons of people on the forums who are really angry, I mean livid, over the whole thing and one or two threatening to go to the ACCC.

The thing is, it's not fair for the public to spend literally thousands to put their favourites through, sometimes not just voting for 1 person, but 2 or 3 people, when the judges had their say over THREE OUT OF FOUR of the contestants. Unfair, and a misuse of public trust if you ask me. It should have been half and half.

Sure Idol is a big money making machine, and they didn't technically do anything wrong, but why should people spend money to vote through someone the judges had already picked? And I didn't get to watch the show tonight as I am at an internet cafe, but apparently the judges picked Ricky & let Brendan go before the voting lines had even closed.

Something sure smells rotten here. And it's not me (for a change)!

Edit: And now the forums are down... let's see if all the posts are there in their entirety when they come back up.

... one post entitled "I want a refund" and outlining the exact thing I said above has now "disappeared" even though it had 21 replies & no swearing or anything... 'The post you requested cannot be found or no longer exists. The administrator or moderator may have deleted the post.'

:(

My Wildcard predictions turned out to be pretty accurate - Chris Murphy, Brendan Boney, Klancie, Amanda, Mutto, Ricky Muscat... I didn't expect Nathaniel or Chris Graffitti, I'm happy about Chris but don't see anything special about Nathaniel. I wish they'd added one of the other girls instead of him, like Jess or Raechel.

And sadly nobody from the top 100 got another chance - although I found out Korey Livy has recorded an album and performs at Tamworth and other places in Australia. I'm not totally into country but I wouldn't mind having one of his albums.

Anyway - the wildcards came, they sang, but did they conquer? Here's my predictions:

Klancie vs. Amanda - winner: Klancie. Not my pick but I think she's less threatening. She's kind of soft & girly even for a jillaroo, and Amanda is ballsy and in your face and I don't think that will win her a place in the finals but I hope she does go through. Also I don't think Amanda is "putting on an act" as Mark accused her of - let's face it, if a guy went and did what she does he would be "rocking out" but since Amanda's a chick she gets accused of being over the top. Grrr...

Ricky Vs. Nathaniel - winner: Ricky. They are vying for "sexy Idol" or something, I swear (*rolls eyes*). And to be fair I think Nathaniel does well with his songs, picks the right ones for his voice, etc. but I think he plays it safe - also I think he's cocky and not someone I could warm up to at all. Whereas Ricky is the cheeky boy next door and people also like Ricky because he told off Jorge Bec in the Sydney rounds. Classic! :P

Brendan & Chris - Hard to pick but I'd say Chris has a strong chance over Brendan. They are both in the "RnB/Soul" pocket - although I think Brendan is a bit too much like Guy Sebastian was so that is his only drawback, that he's not unique enough - whereas Chris and his goofy dancing is definitely unique. I prefer Chris but would be happy with both or either of them.

Mutto & Chris - I honestly can't pick, but I think Chris is stronger performer than Mutto and that may tip the scales for him. Mutto, even though he is a seasoned performer too, I think he is not as confident as he ought to be, and he's letting the judges influence him too much (like with the beanie, and trying to be 'open and vulnerable' in his performance last night). Whereas Chris just comes out and does his thing and that is obvious. Personally I'd prefer Mutto though.

I didn't get to buy any credit for my phone today and am not near a phone so I can't ring in my votes. If I could, I'd vote for Amanda, Mutto, and Chris Graffiti. But let's see who Australia picks, hey?

OMG I AM SO HAPPY - FLYNN IS IN!! *Squee*

But Joseph - as harsh as it is to say - didn't deserve his spot in the Top 24. He has a lovely voice and is really great at writing songs (he wrote the song he sang in his solo performance), but there were better performances on Tuesday and guys like Mutto and Ricky deserved a shot more than Joseph, IMHO.

Okay enough of that... Run down of last night's show.

Raechel - liked it, like her, but thought she was too "Triple J". And from what they showed of her background, like being in the "family band", she is probably from an alternative type of family, which may "weird" some of the mainstream voters out a bit.

Lavina - She can really sing!! Why the f*** is she on Idol and not already signed to a label? I don't understand what Mark was saying about the emotion, I thought she put a lot into it - but anytime you do a cover of a famous song it is hard not to fall into "cookie-cutter" mode (which was part of Chris Murphy's problem with 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love'). And since when is she a "bigger girl"? Seriously - she can't be more than a size 14 - but I suppose i'm looking at it from a size-22 perspective :D

Rebecca - I have to agree with the budgie comment, I expected more from her. She is a pretty girl, has that "all natural" Aussie girl flavour. And since they are making a big deal of her being a dancer, I thought she would pick a more modern song she could move to, but her song choice was a bit "Naff" and her performance a bit stiff.

Jess Griffin - I thought she looked great, and I don't think she totally sucked. She was a little breathless and wasn't nailing her melody, but what really stuffed her up was her attitude - you could almost see her go, "Damn! I've stuffed this up!" and she tried to keep going but her negativity did her in. But she is the bomb and her dyke mum is the cutest :D

Lisa Mitchell - I like her vocals, except I think her phrasing was a bit off (singers shouldn't take a breath in the middle of a word... "di-ee-i *breath* monds...", etc.) but that was probably nerves. I do think she needs to work on her performance... the "girl on a stool" thing won't keep her going the whole way through the competition. And she was a bit shy about looking at the camera too.

Lydia - great voice, funky look. Song choice was a bit karaoke, would have liked to hear something more modern and a bit more "soul" but that's personal choice. She did this thing at the beginning of the song which I hate, where she inhales really loudly before singing (which unfortunately the mic then amplifies) but then again, Paulini did that and she made it to the top 5 in the first series.

Possible finalists: Lisa and Lavina are my obvious choice although Jess Griffin will get the sympathy vote.

My Wildcard picks so far: Chris Murphy, Brendan Boney, Korey Ivey, Paul Dunn, that blonde chick Mel, Klancie, Amanda, Mutto, Ricky Muscat... I REALLY hope they don't pick solely from the top 24 - I'd like to see some of the top 100 come back for another chance. Also I think Jess & Raechel have a good chance of getting wildcard if they don't get picked tonight.

Oh and - despite my earlier post - I have been persuaded to go out tonight. So I will miss the announcement on who made it through from last night, and who is getting picked for the wildcard show. But never fear! I have my mother (another Idol fan) on speed dial. :D

Tonight's show:

Jessica got in, which I was not surprised about, but I was surprised that Reigan made it based on the strength of her performance (cos we haven't seen that much of anyone yet to base it on personality) and I didn't think she was "cute" enough to get the shallow vote. I don't think she's a dog or anything, I just think her outfit was way bizarre.

So my picks for Wildcard now include... Klancie because the judges seem to be really into her, and I like her a lot too. Also Lyndelle or Amanda but probably not both, in which case it will probably be Amanda as the judges seem to get behind her a bit more - I don't know why because she has a good voice but it isn't the greatest, and she's a bit rough looking and yet the judges are trying to make her out to be this sexy vixen.

My opinions on tonight's show:

Ricky - Strong contender, but I'm just not that into him. He's good, but, well, meh. Mind you though I was the same way with Anthony Callea until about 2/3 into the competition.

James - Great rock voice but way too intense, frankly the dude scares me - he always looks so angry and intense when he's singing and when he's not singing he's completely wooden and shows no emotion at all. If he does get in, I'd definitely be interested in seeing "the softer side".

Chris - Ganket was right, his moves were goofy - but who cares? He can sing, he doesn't have to move... any true fan of JPL knows that!! :)

Bobby Flynn - not "the best" voice perhaps... I know he's doing the high, breathy, "trippy crooner" thing that Holden mentioned, but I feel his voice cracks a bit too much, I'd like to see him shore up his notes a bit more. Still, he will learn that through the vocal workshops and can only get better, I truly hope he gets a chance.

Joseph - Too shy. Poor breath control. Thought too much about his performance. And wtf were the judges on about, saying "oh you're such a sex symbol"? Maybe they were trying to boost his confidence but it felt like they were patronising him. Plus, obviously those comments were embarrassing him.

"Mutto" - Excellent performance, perfect timing. He came straight onto stage and knelt in front of the camera on cue - good use of the stage, he worked the crowd well too, obviously he is used to it though from his gigs. Actually my only criticism is that I thought he could have gone harder with his vocals. But despite having a "rock" image, he is vocally more of an R&B singer so maybe he can't really growl and go hard.

In short...

Ricky vs. Chris - Chris Rocks!
James vs. Mutto - Mutto brings it home!!
Bobby vs. the kid - Bobby all the way, baby!!!

Avatar kindly lent me his phone so I could vote tonight. I voted for Bobby but then had problems with voting for Mutto because I'm not sure they are using his nickname or his real name so I sms'd "Guy" and hopefully that will do.

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Edit: Two things... One, I DO have to sms "Mutto" so I will use the house phone to get in some votes for him. Two, I just realized where I have seen him before! He's the lead singer for a band called "Soulframe" (http://www.myspace.com/soulframe) and I'm pretty sure I saw Soulframe perform at Black Stump one year.

I have had to defend my obsession THREE times today already! Who would have thought it would cause this much ruckus? (Actually it hasn't, I just wanted to use the word "ruckus").

So, in short:

+ Do NOT call me if Australian Idol is on air. Well, you can call me, but be prepared for me to say, "Hey, can I call you back in xx minutes?"

+ Do NOT expect me to go out on a night Australian Idol is on air, unless you - a) own a tv, and b) are prepared to watch the show.

I may, on occasion, be persuaded to miss an episode here or there... especially when all my favorites have been booted off, lol :D

Okay, so I have watched every Idol episode this season, and I have to say, I reckon their "top 24" wasn't the tops. I mean, I am a BIG fan already of some people in the top 24 - people like Bobby Flynn and Chris Murphy, for instance - but they've knocked out a few of my favorites early on. I really dug Korey Ivey, the country guy in the black hat, and I think they made a mistake not putting the "Paul Dunn" in the competition - that guy had attitude, and fair enough they've got a few R&B voices but it's not the same type of R&B as what Paul would have done. And that other guy, the - "Look here, buddy, I expect a little bit of respect from you!" one.

And I think they made some mistakes with who they did let in, like that young bloke who hadn't even finished his HSC, Jeremy or whatever. I think he is too immature for the competition, but unfortunately he won't get another shot next year for the simple reason that if you are chosen for top 24 one year, that's it, that's your shot and you can't come back. If I'd been a judge on the show, I would have not put him through to the top 24 and told him to try again next year.

From Sunday's show, I was disappointed Chris didn't make it in, but to be honest I think Chris was "cruising" and could have put a bit more into his performance. Just because you are a veteran rocker doesn't guarantee success on the show. I am happy that Dean got in as I reckon he was the best performer of the night, but his accent really annoys me. I am not too fussed on the Irish guy, sure he has a lovely voice but he's a one trick pony and will have trouble with the "theme" nights (i.e. Disco??).

I was disappointed in Monday's show, I think the girls' performances are just a bit dismal compared to the boys. I think Klancie is beautiful and has a strong chance of going through tonight, as well as Jessica Mauboy (although as much as I hate to admit Mark Holden is right, I'm sick of her singing Whitney). If Australia wants a 'rock voice' they've got a choice between Lyndelle and Amanda - Amanda's got a better voice but Lyndelle is cuter. I don't think Atlanta or Reigan did well enough last night but who knows?

Coming up, I am looking forward to hearing Bobby Flynn, Mutto, Emily Williams' sister and that little girl with the guitar, Lisa I think her name is.

My wild card predictions so far... Chris Murphy, Brendan Boney (he is awesome but he really f***ed up on song choice last night which is what stuffed him up), Korey Ivey, Paul Dunn, and that blonde chick Melanie (?) that lost out to Klancie Keough for the final female spot in the top 24. Will add more to my wildcard predictions as this week progresses.

OMG I am so nervous I'm actually nauseous. I HATE dentists. And yet, I am going to one in less than half an hour. Necessity has driven me to it... the pain has finally broke me... once more, into the breach my friends! And if I don't come back, say it was the Toothfairy that got me. :(

I'm going through one of those "getting my life in order" periods. On my To-Do list:

+ Post Office box for Sam and me, which will make it easier to keep track of our mail, especially if we move. Will probably get one at Parramatta as that's a central location for us, and it will cost about $120 for the year.

+ Joint Bank account. Have actually done this online and the account has been set up, but not activated yet. The forms were posted out and were meant to be returned within 10 days but it's been two weeks now since we haven't had a chance to go to the bank yet. But I'm assuming we will just have to go in there in person to get it activated.

+ Get Sam put on as Secondary card holder on at least one of my cards. Probably the Westpac one since it's got a lower credit limit, hehe :D

+ Check Medibank Private to see if I can add Sam onto my cover or if we can get some kind of "couples' cover" if they have products like that... *surfs to the website to have a look*

+ Roll all my Super into one fund - seriously, it's ridiculous, I have like 7 super funds... comes from temping all those years where you couldn't choose your own super account. Might check out Virgin Super... dunno if there would be any benefits but I have a Virgin Mastercard and they have always been really good with customer service.

ahhh... the joys of adulthood... *sigh*