The Apprentice Twins

So many shows, so little time. Even though I got to watch a lot of shows this weekend, there are still some left that I haven’t watched. And before you go on thinking that all I do is watch TV, I did plenty of other things this weekend. I saw Nathan twice; I cleaned, went to church, went looking for a chest, and hung out with my friends…so I do have a life. SO THERE.

But I did watch some excellent TV this weekend. Let start off with The Apprentice Martha Stewart and the Trump Apprentice.

First of all, Mark Burnett is pushing Apprentice Burnout if he is going to continue with this marathon. They were already pushing it airing 2 seasons in one year…and now two different Apprentices back to back? We are bordering on overdoing it.

Now I have read reviews that say Martha was better. She is a trained TV professional. She is better at being on camera. While, that may be true, the show itself needs some work.

The main problem with the Martha show is that the Apprentice is tailor-made for Donald Trump. Everything from the editing to the music to the way the door closed all represented the over-dramatic, powerful persona of Donald Trump. It seems like all they did to the Martha show was take the Trumpster’s show and put a different name on it.

The show could be good….really good. You have Martha Stewart, comeback kid, the golden boy Mark Burnett, and a proven formula. But really the problem all comes down to style.

The style of the Apprentice really fits Trump, not Martha. Martha, despite what the media, movies, and former employee might say, has a nice, sweet, homemaker persona. And that is what she portrays on the show. But the show itself still acts like it is working the bite of the Trumpster.

All of the great, dramatic pauses and shots that make the Apprentice what it is fall flat on Martha. Her “The losing team will come back to the conference room and so one will…be asked to leave” is not nearly as affective as “Somebody will be fired.” And even though the “you just don’t fit in” is a great back handed insult, it doesn’t have as much dramatic bite as “you’re fired.”

For the Martha Apprentice to work, the producers are going to have to reexamine who Martha Stewart is. What she wants to portray. The shows are like twins that wear the same clothes, but are actually as different as night and day. Tailor the show to her. She did just get out of jail, but she deserves better than to be treated like a Trump clone.

Exercise Crap

Exercise is never fun. It is work, hard work. Walking and running are two of the worst for me because it is doing the same motion over and over again. Running to nowhere. Unless you have a great playlist on your IPOD, it is very boring and hard. And I can't do sports or pilates or anything like that. I have no coordination and no balance. What is a girl to do?

Awhile back I found an exercise that was hard, but it was so much fun. It is kickboxing. I took it in school for a PE credit and fell in love with it. It was such a good workout, but it was simple, fun moves done to great music. It is like dancing, but simpler. I took it back up earlier this year at the YMCA and fell in love with it again. I had a great teacher with the same attitude towards working out as I did. If you have to do it, make it fun and get into the music. Don’t think about how much you want to die. Her moves were simple, but not too repetitive, and the music was great. And she didn’t talk too much. Trying to talk while working out is too boy band-ish. That is only one thing I hate about most aerobics instructors. They count how many more you have. They try to correct what you are doing. They say things like “Only One More” and “Feel the burn.” I already feel the burn, I don’t want to be reminded of it every 5minutes. I am trying to forget about it so I can get through this without thinking.

And I really hate it when they say something like “make sure your knees aren’t over your feet.” WHA??? I have to stop exercising just to figure what she is talking about and make sure I am not doing it. Even when they look right at me and try to correct what I am doing I still have no idea what they are saying or what I am doing. Just let me dance around and have fun!

And where was it written that exercise had to be complicated. You can get just as good of a workout doing simple steps. Exercises don’t have to have 4 or 5 different steps to them! I can do them slow, but then when we start to get fast, I completely lose it and am basically just flailing my arms around and I look like an idiot. Simple, but varied steps are much easier to follow.

So now I am in process of trying to find a new kickboxing class. I have two options. I can either find another class or do it on my own. I have done a little research to see what other places have kickboxing and I have found a few so I need to go try a few out. And then I could come up with my own routine. When I was in my class at school, we had to make up our own routine for our final, so that is doable. I can get videos and music and everything, but I just don’t have the space…hmmmm…

But my best find has been this thing called Yoga Booty Ballet. It is the newest Hollywood thing, and it involves dancing, ballet and yoga. It seems so much fun. I saw it on E! It doesn’t look too complicated, but I did just watch the extremely fit Haylie Duff do it on a 2-minute segment. But the whole dance thing so up my ally.

Well, I don’t know what I can do. I guess I just need to start plowing through options.
And I didn’t get to watch a whole lot of TV last night. Just the normal stuff. I really want to watch my shows! I guess I will have the weekend!

Going Hollywood and other entertainment related stuff

Gosh, I haven’t updated my blog all week. I have been very busy this week. We are having Rehab Week here and it is like the affair to end all affairs. HUGE! And this is not only our 15th Anniversary, but our theme is also Going Hollywood! So you know everything is bigger and more glamorous. And seeing as this is my first big event here, this theme is perfect for me. Not only do I know absolutely everything there is to know about celebrities, movies, and Hollywood, but I also am an actress so acting all Hollywood and drama is perfect for me. It has made it very easy and natural for me to interact with not only the other employees but the patients as well. I know all of the Hollywood language and I can act like a celebrity as well. And it has helped me come up with great ideas. I came up with our Runaway Bride theme and everyone loves it. I am great at coming up with Hollywood anything. It has made this week very busy, but very fun. It is kind of like…finally, we are on my turf now! This is sooo ME!

And the entire place has really gotten into it. Almost everyone participated. And the costumes yesterday were great. I have never seen so many people go all out. The Ghostbusters even had dry ice to look like a ghost was in their proton pack! And we even had Ms. Marylyn Monroe sing Happy Anniversary to Mr. Main! Classic!

And don’t even get me started on decorations! Charlie and the Chocolate Factory even had a real chocolate fountain with strawberries! And they were good. I have the chocolate still on my mouth to prove it!

And tomorrow is movie trivia day. I am sooo there!

On the TV front, I have been watching Threshold, the new “Lost” on CBS. And though it really looks like it will be a good show, I am just not sure it is for me. It is kind of like Medium, great show, but just not the kind of thing I go for. I even kind of think Lost is like that. I love Lost, but it is not my favorite show. There are too many other good shows that I LOVE that I watch (Gilmore Girls, the OC, Everwood, etc) to have to force myself to watch a show just because it is critically good. So I am still watching the two-hour pilot and it really feels like watching a really long drawn out movie. A good movie, but since it is a series, they are drawing it out. I may give it another week just to see. Like I said before, I am not going to watch shows just because they are critically good. I have to like them too!

Tonight I hopefully will have some good uninterrupted TV time so I am going to try and watch Reunion or Lost or Martha Stewart Apprentice. Or all three…

Kitchen Confidential, How I Met Your Mother and other ramblings

Ok, so I am going to start something new for my blog. I am going to try writing it in Word and then copying it into my actual blog. Why? Two reasons actually. One is because the other day I had written a very long, insightful entry on TV and the OC and all of that. And then it messed up and I lost it all…v. v. frustrating. Who knows whenever will ever get that magic back? I have lost it. Another reason is because I recently I got in trouble for being on the Internet too long. 24 hours in one week! Looking back at my schedule I realize that I wasn’t even in my office that much last week! Imagine! I guess I just left it up while I was out of the office because I was working on something. And it is very time consuming to log back into the Internet every single time I have to look up a reporter’s name or get back to what I was researching. Sure, I play around…as everyone does. But when I only have 10 minutes here and there or I am having major writer’s block, I need to play around. Everyone does it.

Ok, off that for now. I watched two of the most promising comedies last night…and they are on at the same time! “How I Met Your Mother” and “Kitchen Confidential” have similar feelings to them and similar actors. Both shows feature actors from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Freaks and Geeks.” Two shows with very loyal followers. So what are these loyal fans to do? Well, thank goodness I have 4 Tivo’s at my house, so I can watch both. But still, why should we have to choose?

So here is the rundown. After watching the first episode of each show, both shows are good. I tend to like HIMYM a little better because it is kind of a better show. But KC has Bradley Cooper and he is the only the hottest guy on the planet.

HIMYM is so cute. Neil Patrick Harris is the best one on there. His character could be very annoying, but the way he plays him it just makes him seem sad and funny. He is very refreshing. You don’t see characters like this very often and the way he plays him makes him that much better. I did actually laugh out loud at him. This is the first sitcom I have laughed since Friends ended. And then there is Alyson Hannigan. You can’t not love her…she is just too adorable and sweet. And she is a school teacher! How perfect is that! Jason Segal is great as well and the two leads are sweet in that good romantic comedy sort of way. I like the olive theory. V. V. cute!

KC for the most part is cheesy and stereotypical. Stupid jokes about severed fingers being in the food and the typical dumb blonde jokes. But then there are moments of greatness. And they all feature Bradley Cooper (obviously). The scene with the fish was very surprising. It caught me off guard. I love Bradley Cooper. Hopefully, the show will process and Bradley Cooper won’t stop being his charming, unassuming self.
So it is odd. Going into the shows, I thought I would really like KC better. HIMYM looked very cheesy and sitcom-y, but it turns out just the opposite.

Stupid Blogger

I haven't written in awhile because I am having a fight with blooger. I wrote up this very good insightful post about tv and the oc and why the oc was never going to be the same again and then, it locked up. and I lost EVERYTHING! And it is not like you can copy and paste your work like you can on other things. I don't even understand that. It was a very long post too. You would have been impressed. Possibly even moved. I could try writing it again, but you know how those things go. You can never capture the magic that you had when you are writting it the first time. The ideas just aren't as fresh anymore.

On to new things.

Gilmore Girls premiered last night. I haven't watched it yet and probably won't get time to until Sunday because I am so busy! And you know how it is with me. I have wait until I am completely relaxed and can fully appriciate the wonderful show.

I did see Lauren Graham on Ellen and she was great. She is sooo Lorelai and Stars Hollow. She is Lorelai even off screen...without the script, her speak doesn't sound as smooth and she sounds more out of breath from talking so fast, but it is definately our Lorelai. Either the show is rubbing off on her or she is rubbing off on Lorelai. But she talked about going to a Sound of Music singalong at the Hollywood Bowl. Does that not sound like something Stars Hollow would put on? I can't wait to watch that episode!

I did watch Prison Break. And it is good. I can see how people like it. but it is not my type of show. I hate that because it is so popular, but if I don't like it then what is the use in watching it. I have to stop letting critics tell me what to watch. I never have in the past so why should I start now. Sure, they were right about Veronica Mars and Lost and those are both really good shows. But no one said anything about Grey's Antamony and I loved it and so did everyone else. Even though some shows are supoosedly great, doesn't mean that I will like them. I don't watch 24 and everyone likes it. It is just not my show. So I am going to watch whatever I want to! Thank you.

Another thing

Another thing that makes me happy...I am having a very good hair day!

And someone liked my dress. And I don't even like this dress all that much. It is a T-shirt dress, but not my favorite one. I have another T-shirt dress I like better, but I think it is dirty. I just put this dress on because I needed to look nice in case the media came (which of course they did) and I wanted to be comfortable as well. Everyone else is wearing jeans since it is "theme and jeans" day (cute, slightly annoying name), but really...it is still 90 degrees outside. Why would you want to wear jeans??? How about a shorts day?

Ok, so it is finally calmed down...I hope. I always say that and then something else happens. But the interview went good. It was crazy, but it ended up ok. One of the reporters told the patient that he looked like John Mayer. He kind of did. Not as much as his dad looked like Harold Abbott. But we were all standing around talking and John Mayer was telling us about he and friends were watching the OC last night. Knowing I am going to watch the OC tonight I asked him how it was. It said it was very dramatic, but he likes it. He says it is not really a soap opera so he can fill cool about watching it. Then Dr. Abbott asked "so what the does the OC stand for? Resisting the the attempt to say "Welcome to the OC, beiotch," I told him it stood for Orange County. Awwww...I just made Dr. Abbott that much cooler. You would think Bright or Amy would inform him of such things...

Happy Happy!

It has been a crazy, mixed up couple of days. I have been stressing majorly. I was at work for 12 hours yesterday! And the problems are still coming. But you know, I am in a good mood. Even though this huge, very sensitive thing is happening, it is ok, because I just realized that the patient's father looks like Dr. Abbott from Everwood! This guy is even a doctor. And he talks like him...expect for that high squeeky voice that Dr. Abbott gets whenever he is upset about something. But it is so cool. I am not as scared about dealing with it now. He is Dr. Harold Abbott. Friend of Dr. Andy Brown. Father to Bright and Amy. He is so nice.

In other exciting news, I now have four great shows to watch on my tivo when I get home. I had been kind of secretly dreading the start of the new tv season because that would mean that I have to watch all of these new shows to keep up with what was hot, but It just occured to me...I like new shows! I like having all of these great shows to watch. Sure, it is going to be hard to work them all in to my schedule, but I have new shows to watch! So I have Beautiful People, Wildfire, that new show Reunion, and the best news of them all...the OC!!! People are saying that it is still lacking, but I am going to give it a chance. Ryan looks hot with his new haircut and even though it still isn't as good as it used to be, it is still the OC! And a new show for me to watch! YAY!!!!!

Ashlee Simpson

I love Ashlee Simpson. I have been teased about that even before the who SNL stunt. But I love her and fully support everything she does! And the whole SNL thing...hello! Acid Reflux. It was a major plot point in the show! But ever since I watched her show and heard her awesome kick butt music I have been a fan. Ashlee (and Nick and Jessica for that matter) has gone from an almost nobody to a guilty pleasure to a laughing stock and now even if her name is constantly being brought up as a joke, she is a household name. Almost everyone knows who she is...even if they do laugh at her. But I don't. I love her and listened to her album constantly when I got it and still listen to it now. Some say that it is watered down punk music, but I don't care. I like it! I love angry chick rock! And Ashlee has the perfect combination of cute and innocent little girl and angry rock chick that I identify with. Sure, make fun of me. I don't care. And Ashlee doesn't either. That is really what has made me respect her. The day after the whole SNL stunt, she came out kicking. Everyone was dissing her behind her back and getting in her face asking questions at an award show, but she didn't listen to them. She got up and sang her song Autobiography live and rocked it! It was the best performance of that song ever. It was because she was really really meaning the lyrics. "If you want my autobiography, just ask me." and "Nasty girl you wanna mess with me? Go on and mess with me." It was like she was saying "Bring it on!" to all of those media critics. Go Ashlee

Ashlee has a new album coming out soon and I am so stoked about it.

And I just read on Meg Cabot's blog that she likes Ashlee too and doesn't care who knows it! Go Meg! YAY!

Beautiful People

Beautiful People, another show from the creator of Dawson's Creek. This one is on ABC Family and is sort of like Gilmore Girls. Dawson and Gilmore??? I have to check this one out! But then I read the reviews. People hated it. Even my favorite critics from E! and TV Gal all hated it. They were all upset that Daphne Zugniga was reduced to a "mom" role and she was the best thing about that show. So even thought I had to give it a chance, I was very doubtful because not even Amy from Zap2it didn't like it...and she likes everything I like! But I must say that after 3 episodes (the minumn I give a show before giving it up) I rather enjoy it. It is a great summer show. Better than Summerland and maybe better than it's lead-in, Wildfire. I don't know.

First of all, it has great music. Of course, Dawson's Creek?! Always the best semi-unknown artists. Too bad they don't have a dawson's creek music-like site. Or do they...nope, just a music section on the ABC familyu site. But the music was very good! They even used If by Dragmatic that was used several times on Dawson. They used it in the final episode when Pacey saw Joey coming into the Ice House from the rain and he had this great smile on his face. And the scene looked gorgous with the rain and the way it was shot...but the way they used it wasn't as good on Beautiful People...but still good music nonetheless.

Though our old friend Daphne is great, the kids really are the focus of the story. And that seems to be where show shines. Sophie and her relationships with everyone at school is really the hightlight of the show. Her relationship with Nicky and Gideon and Annabelle. I love it! They all work well together. It is very Chilton, Cruel Intentions-eque. and Sophie and Nicky..it is like if Rory dated Tristan. Which we all wanted....expect me. I wanted her with Dean, but then they totally went and ruined his character. But Nicky is very cute, in this Sebastion Cruel Intentions kind of way.

I think another reason this show has been panned is becaus they are comparing it to Gilmore Girls. and GG is just in a class by itself. It is not fair to compare it to that. Not only does GG shine with Rory's school life and boyfriends, but also with Lorelai's. And of course the core of the show is the mother-daugther relationship which is where the show is best.

The mother daughter relationship on BP is not as strong. Maybe because there is another daugther. I don't know. It doesn't seem like they have as much chemistry as mother/daughters as Rory and Lorelai. But like I said, you can't compare it GG. GG is just too good in that department. Maybe if they had showed the girls in their old life more in flashbacks I would feel like they were closer. But I don't think that this is that show. This show is or should be about Sophie and her friends at school. Thought I think Sophie is a little too sweet and inocent for her own good, I think she will eventually become more mellow as the show goes on.

So the show is growing on me. I like and the music is great! I am not sure how long it will last but it is doing well after Wildfire which is very successful for being on ABC Family.

Again I ask...where are the soundtracks for these shows! I am starting a petition...

Blogs

I love online journals. They are really the best thing ever. Today I read a journal by Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek (my future husband) and my favorite author and future best friend Meg Cabot. Sean's was great in that Sean way. He hasn't written in a while so he really caught us up on what he has been doing. Getting coffee, surfing, hanging out...same stuff I do...except for the surfing part (which I would fully do if I had an ocean with big enough waves...the only ones closet to me are only good for surfing during a hurricane) But I do love to hear what our dear Sean is thinking.

I just happened upon Meg's blog. I had forgotten she had one. And boy does she write in it like everyday! It is awesome. She talked about watching the VMA and how boring they were and why in the world Diddy was hosting when he is famous for doing nothing! So funny. She talks about the stupid things she does when she is suposed to be writing. And she made a Buffy reference! It is really just like reading the Princess Diaries...or my own Journal...it is why I am certain that we are soulmates seperated at birth and that if we ever met we would be best friends...along with everyone from Nickel Creek, Joss Whedon, and Bradley Cooper. I used to think David Boranez would be a good best friend, but he is too much of a goober...really. Watch an interview. He is so weird. Sorry very off topic there.

Anyways, another reason I like blogs is becaus of my blog. Not only do I get to record my deepest most indepth thoughts right here, but it helps me keep up my writing. It is making me love writing. Writing my thoughts is so fun. I have always wanted to be a journal writer and have all of those fancy journals (I have like 7 of them that are blank) but I hated the physical act of writing. It hurt my hand. But typing I am so much better at. It can keep up with my thoughts! And hopefully by keeping this blog, I will get so good that one day maybe I can become an author just like Meg Cabot. I mean our blogs are just a like.

Ok, ok...let me catch my breath. I should really start walking up the stairs more often. Not just when I want to waste time at work. I am so lazy I swear.

But the reason I walked up the stairs (and down before) was a very good reason. I finally donated some money to the red cross for the hurricane relief effort. I had been thinking about it for a couple of days now. I have never been one to give (don't say anything, I just don't) but the way this has affected me I felt that I might need to give. It might make me feel better to know that I am helping out somehow. It might make this awful feeling in my stomach that I get whenever I watch the coverage go away. I wasn't just sitting there feeling sorry for myself. I was being unselfish!

And gosh darn it, they make it so easy to be unselfish around here! They sent out an email this morning saying they would be taking up a donation for the red cross. I thought about and thought about it...but kept putting it off. Another email was sent. This one I actually kept in my inbox. I was going to do it.

Then another email was sent saying that if we donated money then we could wear jeans tomorrow. In some ways I feel that is like bribry, but then again...any way you can get the money...So that was the extra incentive I needed (I don't know why, it is too hot right now to wear jeans). So I did it. I gave 30 dollars. I would have gave more but I forgot how to spell 40. That is so sad.

So that made me feel better. That and the Meg Cabot Blog I read. She was talking about the hurricane in her very funny, superficial Meg Cabot-y way. Very much much like the way I talk! She was talking about the Superdome and hoped that the seats were padded. She said some people were in the sky boxes. Because sky boxes are the way to go. That is so funny.

New Coldplay Video

Coldplay has a new video out for their new single "Fix You." It features lead singer Chris Martin walking through the streets singing the song. Like Yellow and a bunch of their other videos. Oh but then something really different happens! He runs onto the stage and starts singing there! Wow! Just like all of their other videos! Something new and different! Great...they really need to hire a new director.

But the song is great. It was on the OC and it might be my favorite...until they play it over and over again on the radio.

It is so sad. Coldplay is such a good band, but they are so popular and big now that they are so overplayed and the music is not as special anymore. ! I hope that doesn't ever happen to Nickel Creek. That would really be sad.