Quote of the Day

Would you rather be right or free? ~Byron Katie

Guess which one I chose? 

New American Idol Judges?

So, if you know me personally, you probably know my boyfriend Giovanni Amato is a singer – and you probably know he tried out for American Idol. For those of you who don't already know the story, its kinda sad… Not to rehash it here, but he made it past several rounds and we really thought he had a chance to take it all of the way. But, turns out the show is just that, a show – and a reality show at that. So, although it may appear to be a process of elimination to ultimately get only the very best talent on the show – it is far from that. In a nutshell, they already had someone a lot like him for the show, so they didn't need him. It clearly had nothing to do with his talent and abilities, but moreover his personality and looks (which, BTW, are just as qualified as his voice – but that's a whole other blog post – love ya baby). Sure, you'd expect some amount of politics in any reality TV show casting, but it was really unfortunately to have to personally go through that and it really left a lot of us with a bad taste in our mouth and a certain loss in the enchantment we once had for the show.


That said, many family and friends have already stopped watching the show. We thought about skipping it this last year, but we are both singers and reality TV addicts (love Hell's Kitchen, So You Think You Can Dance, The Next Food Network Star, Design Star, etc) so, we found ourselves watching it again…. And, we love Ellen DeGeneres and I think she added a realness and, of course, humor, to the show… that's why I was SHOCKED to see this pop up on my MSN news yesterday:


Kara DioGuardi Reportedly Fired From 'Idol'

Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez said to be replacements
 

Kara DioGuardi has been fired from "American Idol" — and is set to be replaced by Aerosmith rocker Steven Tyler, according to a new report.


The revolving door of judges on the TV talent show is spinning once again — DioGuardi is said to have been booted from the judging panel as part of the producers' ongoing cast shake-up.

TMZ.com reports that TV bosses have finalized deals to recruit both Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, who will join Randy Jackson for a three-judge format on the upcoming 10th season, due to premiere in January.


The news follows Ellen DeGeneres' shock announcement on Thursday that she is stepping down from her judging role after just one series on the show, replacing Paula Abdul.


Simon Cowell, who has been with the show since its 2002 inception, quit to concentrate on launching a new series, "The X Factor."
 
So, Kara is fired, Ellen is quitting and we already knew, but Simon is gone!


WHOA!


Now it's said that it'll be Randy and Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez! Wow… I kinda like the new line up. What do you think?

Incredible Video

This kind of movement and dance is so amazing to me! Imagine how much strength and practice it would take to be able to do this:



I respect anyone who has the dedication to show how incredible and beautiful the human body can be! Brilliant!

Word of the Day: Eminent

Some of my favorite definitions:

EMINENT defined:

• standing out so as to be readily perceived or noted
• exhibiting eminence especially in standing above others in some quality or position
• high in station, rank, or repute; prominent; distinguished: eminent statesmen
• conspicuous, signal, or noteworthy: eminent fairness.

Synonyms:

celebrated, renowned, illustrious, outstanding, famous, noted; notable.

Live Your Best Life

I got an e-mail from O today. Thought I`d share:

All of Oprah's favorite experts came out for O Magazine's 10th anniversary celebration in New York City. Here are the top 10 best things they learned, from experts Martha Beck, Peter Walsh, Dr. Oz, Donna Brazile, Suze Orman, Elizabeth Gilbert, Nate Berkus and Oprah herself:


 
1. "I really believe when you give to other people, you give to yourself." — Oprah

2. "When you do the thing you fear, the thing loses its power to scare." — Martha Beck

3. "Mistakes will be made. Failure will occur. You pick yourself up and carry on." — Elizabeth Gilbert

4. "It is people who give you a raise or get you a job. It is people who control money." — Suze Orman

5. "Your attitude will determine your altitude in life. Let go of any baggage you can." — Donna Brazile

6. "You have to be the expert on your own body. Everything is a clue." — Dr. Oz

7. "Design is not about the money or keeping up with anyone else. It's about the story behind [your choices]." — Nate Berkus

8. "Clutter is not just the stuff on your floor—it's anything that stands between you and the life you want to be living." — Peter Walsh

9. "I think the best accessory you can wear is confidence." — Adam Glassman

10. "When your to-do list has you coming undone, you have to step back and come back to center. Without a connection to something that is real, you will lose your way." — Oprah

Prop 101 – Arizona Vote Please

I got this in my e-mail today, thought I`d encourage voters to make an educated decision and VOTE! Our school programs are already being cut. Ashton is going into Jr. High next year here is Gilbert AZ and the electives are pretty limited. Things I loved and felt made school more interesting and fun (like Drama) are already cut! If they don`t get help, what is next to go? I`m not telling you which way to vote, but just TO VOTE!

   

I`m voting YES! to Prop 101 because I want my kids to have the kind of public education they deserve.

   

Here`s the e-mail: 

Dear GPS Parent,

The Governor and the Legislature have proposed a temporary sales-tax increase of one cent to go directly to schools, health and human services, and to public safety.  Many of you have asked about the impact of Prop 100 on Gilbert Public Schools.  The following links will provide you with current information on the GPS budget and the impact of Prop 100.

http://www.gilbert.k12.az.us/superintendent/prop100faq.php

http://www.gilbert.k12.az.us/superintendent/prop100impact.php

    

I encourage you to exercise your civic duty, study both sides of the issue, and then vote your conscience on May 18.  Early ballots may be requested of the Maricopa County recorder by visiting their site: https://recorder.maricopa.gov/earlyvoteballotnet/evbrequest.aspx

Thank you for your continued support of Gilbert Public Schools. 

    

Dave Allison, Ed.D.

Superintendent, Gilbert Public Schools

   

P.S. If you never get out to vote, get an early ballot here and fill it out at home and mail it in! It`s EASY! Just do it!!

Dr. Oz Reminds Me to Live for the Now

It`s no secret I love Oprah. I don`t always get a chance to catch the show (in fact I never watch it anymore), but I do subscribe to the O newsletter and daily inspiration. Today the O newsletter told me there are '10 Things Dr. Oz Knows for Sure', so I checked it out. I like #3 and thought I`d share with you:


3. We regret the actions we don't take more than the ones we do.

A few years ago, I appeared on Oprah with Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon professor dying of pancreatic cancer. He told me that he had recently taken his family on a trip to Discovery Cove to swim with dolphins. It was something that he'd always wanted to do, but it wasn't until he was dying that he made it happen. The next day, I booked the same trip with my family. If there's something on your wish list for life, make plans today to do it.


 
Just a little reminder: live in the now, live for the NOW! We all hear and even say, live each day like it were your last, but how many of us actually take action on that? I don`t know about you, but I have a huge list of things I want to see, try, do, visit, learn, love, enjoy…. So, why wait? I`m doing it… NOW!