Official trailer for The Walking Dead

via blastr.com

Nice premiere date - October 31st!

Posted via email from bigepaz is eileen

Catching up

I've been really absent on this blog for many reasons. All those reasons are pretty boring and mundane to detail, so for the time being I'm just going to do my best to start up again.

I've got so many new projects it's scary. Today my multi-tasking has finally caught up to me and I'm just plain beat. The biggest thing I can share is a new podcast I'm working on with my friend Lynn Fu. Of all my passions to broadcast to the world, I bet you didn't see this coming, because I sure as heck didn't.

The podcast is all about Vampires. I'm one of the millions of women who fell hook, line and sinker for the Twilight Saga. At the same time, I've been a big fan of True Blood on HBO. Lynn and I got really enthusiastic chatting about both stories and (with a little prodding from our friends) we rounded up the gusto to produce our own little podcast. You can find that podcast here: biteclubshow.

Truthfully, it's scary to put my opinions out there and sounding both fanatical and crazy about Vampires probably sounds weird to you. Still, the fun of this project outweighs any apprehension I initially had. Most of all, it's really exciting to produce something that isn't tied into work!

I have to say that if it wasn't for Lynn, I wouldn't have done this podcast -- remember my plans for a chocolate blog and podcast? Yeah stalled, but not dead. Sometimes you just need that extra push to get things up and running. Did I mention it's A LOT of fun? :)

Well, that's me catching up and here's me doing the same audio style. It's using an application called AudioBoo. I'm still unsure how I'll continue to use AudioBoo, but so far it's really easy to use, and the free iPhone app is very handy. Have a listen. I think the audio quality is excellent :)

Until next time.

E

The Idol Times - Grand Ole Opry week

Sorry to bore those of you who could care less about this show, but once a week I really need some ear candy. I thought I could keep up with my predictions, but obviously I've done a horrible job since the first week. So here's a short review of each contestant and prediction:

It's Grand 'Ole Opry week which is not one of my favorites, but it tends to bring out the best and worst of singers. How funny was Randy Travis with Adam?

Danny - there's a lot of hate for this guy in the blog world (from those that actually watch the show) and I just don't get it. Check Dial Idol and guess who’s number 1? Yup it's Danny. Wasn’t his best night, but if you don’t like him, too bad. He’s not going anywhere and that’s the way it should be. When he got to the chorus, it was amazing (and I don't even like the song he sang).

ANOOP! So happy to see he’s back. I thought he was the best of the night. Loved, Loved, loved him! Way to just do it.

Matt - Woo hoo! Man I love this guy. I thought his performance was really nice.

Lil - bad song. I too wish that she had done I Will Always Love You. I still love her though.

Adam - Meh. Not my thing. I love the original version and I while I love the fact that he is unique, some of those falsetto notes were horrid. I don’t care if he’s over the top, I just care if he sings well. Tonight was not it.

Megan - great song choice for her. But honestly, sick or not sick, I CANNOT STAND HER PHRASING. Blech.

Alison - Great performance, but will people remember her?

Michael Sarver - the only one who really sang country tonight. I don’t like that song, but he served the genre well.

Chris Allen - this is the first time I really enjoyed his vocals. Great job!

Alexis - ugh. Poor thing. I did not like this interpretation. Did Brooke do this last year? I seem to remember liking Jolene last year and on paper you'd think this was a great choice for Alexis. What happened? I like her and I hope she doesn’t go anywhere.

Scott - I didn’t like his song choice. He’s an awesome pianist, but I just haven’t connected with him. He's kind of boring to me, but I want him to make the tour.

Going home: Alexis or Allison - although I'm thinking this could be the week the judges use the "save" option.

My personal faves: Danny, Anoop and Matt (in no particular order)

Oh how I love Flight of the Conchords and Karaoke!

Posted via email from bigepaz is eileen

The Beast is back and why I watch It

You love it, or you hate it. But let's face it. the Beast is back! Randy, Paula, Simon, Ryan and new judge Kara. I'm talking of course, American Idol.

Me? I love it. I love a good competition, especially a good karaoke competition. Most of all, it's another avenue for me to devour music.

I believe this show is my greatest guilty pleasure and I feel like I'm admitting a drug addiction. I've watched every year since Miss Kelly Clarkson took the crown. I vote by text for my favorite singers. I read fan blogs. I know, I am an insane freak.

What can I say, I'm one of those suckers who sings in the car, sometimes in the shower, sometimes in one of my rooms with headphones cranked up on high. I'm not any good, but music moves me to burst out in song once in a while.

Seriously, who doesn't at one point in their life want to be a musician? My idol growing up was Olivia Newton-John. You have no idea how many times I've watched Xanadu. I wanted to be in an all-girl band like the Go'Go's or the Bangles. I secretly wanted hair like Suzanne Hoffs, but wanted to rock out on the guitar like Jane Wiedlin. Yeah, that was a fantasy of mine, but the kids on this show might actually *be* the next Olivia Newton-John or rock out in a band like the Go-Go's

When I go to Karaoke, I scream with glee when I hear someone interpret "Call Me" with the same tone as Deborah Harry. I drop my jaw when I hear someone sound like Robert Plant. And yes, I have been known to grab the mic myself to sing with subtle applause shortly after my song ends.

I'm sensing you are starting to understand why I love this show.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

This year we were introduced to the newest judge, songwriter Kara DioGuardi. She's penned tunes for Idols like Kelly Clarkson, David Cook, and Carrie Underwood. In my opinion, she's a welcome addition to a show that seems to have run its course. Her challenge to "Bikini Girl" is probably the water cooler talk of the day. Listen closely. Oh yeah, she did call that girl a bitch.

Feel free to hate on the industry that manufactures pop stars and chews them out as soon as they no longer sell copies of J-14 or Seventeen. Plus, the show is cheesy. Come on, Neil Diamond and Andrew Lloyd Webber theme nights? Honestly, it funny to watch the kids on the show struggle and admit they have never heard a Beatles song, till they were forced to sing one. Still, more power to you if you can walk away and not watch a single episode.

Seriously, there are a lot of things wrong about the show. I don't disagree that there are phony moments, and the title is rather smug. For some, it perpetuates celebrity worship when there are firefighters, doctors, and teachers that deserve more attention.

So why bother?

Still, within the beast of the show are real stories, and real people, just trying to make something of themselves, doing something that they love - singing and playing music. Sometimes I envy that, although I would never want to subject you to my version of "Eye of the Tiger" -- even though that happened on New Years Eve as I sang lead while playing Rock Band.

Yeah, there's the "Bikini Girl" looking for attention, but then there's a family man, trying to change his life and stop working on a dangerous an oil rig.

Yeah, there are enough tone deaf singers that could shatter the Sistine Chapel while auditioning. Still, there's always that one singer who sings from the heart. Watch at the end when Seacrest tries to give him a high-five. Classic.

And yeah, even I'm tired of the same "Paula vs. Simon" and is "Paula drinking again" shtick, but there's always the singers who break out from their own comfort zone. Do I believe she didn't tell her bandmates about auditioning? Hmmm, I'm not so sure, but I still think she's got a good voice.

(I would have embedded videos, but Fox is super anal about content on YouTube. Lame.)

I'm about to break out the sap here, but those are the stories and singers I watch out for. They may not win American Idol, and maybe they are better off not winning. But they are the people that I root for, people that I want to see succeed. That's why I bother watching this beast of a show. And dammit, it's entertaining!