Paula, Nicole and Steve have left the X-Factor building

Figured this was inevitable. Once the dust had settled so to speak after the first edition of "X-Factor", the show is now missing two judges and one as the Brits call them, presenter.

Can't say that I'm sorry that MC Steve Jones is gone. In my view he was arrogant, somewhat rude and insensitive when chatting with the contestants after a performance, particularly if it wasn't one of their best efforts. He seemed to thrive on asking stupid, inane and on occasion, hurtful questions that definitely had a negative impact on the singer. Perhaps his personna goes over well in the UK but it obviously hit a negative nerve with North American viewers. Count me in as one of them.

In as far as Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger are concerned - they were so alike in their critiques of the singers that it was difficult to know where one left off and the other started. In retrospect, perhaps it would have been better had Simon Cowell left things as they were with Paula remembered as a departing American Idol judge.

Although Nicole Scherzinger is a good singer and entertainer, she shouldn't give up her day job as the expression goes. Very wishy-washy with her critiques, when she actually ciritiqued the singers.

The writing was on the wall for both female judges when they didn't support Cowell's singer/protoge, Rachel Crow, who ended up having to leave the show. Not wise not to back the boss, ladies!

In any case, it will be interesting to see who their replacements will be. According to all the media sites, rumor has it that Mariah Carey is being considered as a replacement judge. She can sing for sure but not sure if she will be a good addition to the mix. Depends on who the second choice will be. Maybe Simon should consider trying to get Ryan Seacrest. Just saying...

Still more stories to make you wonder and utter "huh?"

Fresh from the last blog focusing on "interesting" pieces that make you shake your head in wonderment and ask yourself, "why?", some more of these stories found around the Net to elicit a similar response.

PACKING IN THE VEGGIES

Most of us frequent salad bars to for a dose of food variety - you know - a pick of this...a bit of that. Then there are others who use salad bars to accomplish engineering feats. A scientist, no less, with obviously a lot of spare time on his hands, has devised and created a way to pick and pile food into a three foot tower. This begs the question at least in my mind, why?

Based on his experience the food builder, one Shen Hongrui, a Chinese engineer, has offered advice to diners as to how to create their own food towers to be brought back to the table and presumably eaten. This once again begs the question: why?

In order to comply with the "one bowl, one visit" rule of his local Pizza Hut in Beijing, he created a set of instructions that would maximize the diner's variety needs. Salad building requires a formula and the engineer suggests that a chick pea and potato base be used as the bottom base, followed by carrot sticks acting as a scaffold of sorts, toss in or on some cucumber slices or blocks of fruit to act as walls and favorte food choice(s) sit on the top of the tower.

The tower building known as "salad bar hacking"  has become so popular that Pizza Huts in China have stepped in and removed all the salad bars in their restaurants. Not surprising. No information available focusing on falling towers that weren't structurally sound.
Here's a photo of a food tower: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2084033/The-leaning-tower--Pizza-Huts-salad-bar-Diner-devises-3ft-pile-round-rules-local-restaurant.html

DEAD MAN RUNS UP WATER BILL

Sometimes you just can't win for losing, even when you die. The family of a man who died is asking the town council in Port Colborne, Ontario, to re-adjust their water bill. Actually, not their water bill but the bill of Allister McPherson, who passed on while leaving his water tap running. His daughter, Cara Zandvliet, turned to the municiaplity to ask for some type of relief from a $600 water bill charged to her late father.

Thinking further on the dilemma, strikes me that the dead man didn't leave the water running on purpose. I mean, he didn't mean to die or anything. If he had a choice and if it was possible, most likely he would have turned off the tap before dying but these things happen without any warning. But I digress.

Seems that the water remained on for three weeks before the discover of MacPherson by family members. According to the daughter, a normal water bill would cost $200 for a three-month period, but MacPherson was charged close to $600 for two months. Futhermore, she believes that her father shouldn't be charged for water from the bathroom faucet because the water wasn't used.

No follow up decision as to whether she will have to pay in the end. Obviously, every drop of water counts, even when you're dead.

Here's a photo of Ms Zandvliet holding up the water bill:  http://www.wellandtribune.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3435886&

SOMETIMES IT JUST DON'T PAY TO GET SICK DEPT.

When people check into a hospital for a medical procedure, they expect to receive a bill. There are bills - and then there are bills. Patient, Alexis Rodriguez, an unemployed doorman, was hospitalized at the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center last Spring for pneumonia. He was on the verge of becaming sick again after receiving a bill for - wait for it - $44.8 million dollars for his hospital stay. Seems that the company that sends out the bills made an error placing the invoice number in a space designated for the amount. For its part, the billing company is telling those patients affected to ignore the miltimillion dollar bills. I bet.

BETTY WHITE - STILL HOT AT 90 YEARS YOUNG

Actor/comedienne, Betty White, has turned 90 years young. Given her fantastic comedic talent and that she is working in yet another hit TV series, she is an inspiration to everyone that age is a mere number. Loved her in "Golden Girls" and she was the inspiration in the creation of one my characters in my play, "Gin: an Allergory for Playing the Game of Life." Hope she pulls out all the stops in celebrating her life.

Meanwhile, here's the birthday girl in her video, "I'm So Hot."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RDPeadBxBw

Do we care? X-Factor joins American Idol vs The Voice...and so it goes

The fall TV line up is just beginning and already the comparison commentary has begun. This week "X-Factor", the singing competition highly promoted by Simon Cowell with good reason - it's his baby - made its debut. The American version of the successful Brit show that instroduced the world to Susan Boyle, boasted a live audience that reacted to the various singers.

As one of the original judges on American Idol since it first began in 2002, he announced his departure in 2010 to create the U.S. version of  "X-Factor." As one of the AI judges and along with Paula Abdul, the two threw verbal jabs at each other and in the end, Abdul ended up joining Cowell on his new project. Nothing like on view hostility, feigned or real, to get tongues wagging and viewers attention.

Have to admit that given all the pre-show attention and TV promos, I joined all the other viewers to see if the new addition justified a weekly committment to another talent show. Basically, that's what it all comes down to: the oldie-but-always-relevant talent parade. Years ago in the days of early TV when color TV was still in the dream stage, Ted Mack hosted "Ted Mack's Amateur Hour", the embryo of today's musical reality shows. It lacked the polish and finish of today's versions but the hopefuls did their thing hoping for stardom. The gimmick was that Mack spun a wheel with the names of the talent lineup to determine their order of appearance. Later the show was joined by the very weirdish, "The Gong Show." Obviously, TV viewers enjoy the idea of watching amateur talent put themselves at the mercy of judges critiques and the at-home voting machine.

As the French say, the more things change, the more they're the same and it will be interesting to see if X-Factor lives up to its hype. If initial ratings are an indication, American Idol has the numbers but it's still the early stages. To its credit, X-Factor doesn't have an age barrier, which is the reason the world is better for having Susan Boyle. In as far as originality is concerned, the show is basically same-old, same-old, IMHO, but some real talent was introduced.

At least the plethora of shows is giving singers, both good and bad, accross the country the opportunity to be heard. Let's be honest: it's an entertaining aspect of the programs. Always interesting to see how off-key some of the contestants can be. At least I restrict my singing to the shower.

Now you know: Madonna loathes hydrangeas

Really, I like Madonna. She's a great entertainer who gives her all whenever she performs. Having written that I was sort-of upset with her anti-floral comment made recently, following a bouquet of hydrangeas given to her by a fan. One would assume that a celebrity of Madonna's stature would be gracious and smile, thank the fan and then do whatever she wants with the flowers away from public view.

Right? Wrong!

Instead, upon receiving the flowers from the fan at the beginning of a press conference before her show and unaware that the microphone was on, the material girl commented:  "I absolutely loathe hydrangeas."

Okay Madonna - tell us what you really think!

She apparantly used the word "loathe." Not "I'm not too nuts about" or "they're not my favorite flower" or even go out on a limb and make a positive comment like, "what a nice gesture!" which would have been the  thing to do or say. She actually loathes them!  I mean, she could have just as easily said something to the effect, "Hydrangeas - I'm allergic," in the way of an excuse and then handed them over to one of her assistants or something, thereby eliminating hurt feelings. Am I right?

For the record she also added another little zinger aimed at the fan:  "He (the fan/hydrangea giver) obviously doesn’t know that."

Well Madonna and with all due respect, we humble human beings aren't made aware of all s*t*a*r*s* likes and dislikes that relate to flowers. True hydrangeas have large flower heads but therein lays their beauty - at least in the eyes of some of we flower lovers. She could have smiled, thanked the person who gave them to her and ordered somebody from her entourage to give them to a hospital to brighten a patient's room, don't you think? Can you imagine how delighted that patient would be if a bouquet of flowers arrived in their hospital room with a note attached signed, "Your friend, Madonna"?

Later, according to an article, Madonna's press rep told CNN that she is “entitled to like any flower she wants and she didn’t want to hurt the feelings of the hydrangeas of the world ... No disrespect to the hydrangeas lovers of the world but she prefers different types of flowers."

Once again this leaves one (me) to wonder what type of flowers are acceptable in her eyes? Anybody know? Anybody care?

These days a celebrity has to be careful of what she/he says with YouTube ready to capture the moment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-45U8RYhOH0

Now you know. No hydrangeas for Madonna.