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Was I right or what?

I don't mean to brag -- OK, maybe just a wee bit -- but I picked the new top three vote-getters in an earlier entry. They are Allison Iraheta, Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. Of course, to be honest, I was unsure if Kris would get a top spot but I knew the boy had some chops. Anyhow, we now have three more singers who are shooting for "Idol" stardom. And I promise I will quit bragging about my "Idol" ESP. Because, really, who could have predicted that Nick Mitchell would have made it this far in the show? Not me.

As for Nick, he went bye-bye in Thursday's results show. But will he go Gentle into that good night? For some reason, I wonder if Nick will truly leave? Might he show up in this wild card feature that Simon was touting in Thursday's show? With that, the judges are going to bring back some people who deserve a second shot. Simon said it could be contestants from this latest round. My thinking is that Megan Joy Corkrey will get another chance and maybe Mishavonna Henson. And speaking of Miss Mishavonna, I think she has a pretty voice. I agree with the judges that "Drops of Jupiter" wasn't the best song for her, but I think the girl has something special and it would be great to see if she can build on the advice that the judges gave her. So, fingers' crossed Mishavonna.

And, finally, it was great to welcome back Brooke White. Brooke was tops in my book during last season. To this day, I still adore her acoustic version of "Love Is A Battlefield." So, it was terrific to see Brooke singing her first single "Hold Up My Heart" and offering encouraging words to the contestants. That former nanny is still one nifty lady.

OK, so we have more fun in store next week with another round of contestants. You'd better bring it, guys and gals, because the singers who have advanced in the show so far are going to be tough to beat.

LOST is aptly named as every time I watch it I feel more lost than the time before. Why oh why did Ben do such a thing? The question in my mind now though, is, will John take advantage of Ben's state of being? I don't think he will. John is special.

The episode was interesting, bringing us up to speed on what happened to John Locke. I loved seeing Walt. It was funny to see Hurley's reaction to the undead. And just when I thought we were figuring it all out with how Locke died, there has to be a twist. Why stop him if he was just going to off him anyway? Was it something he said? John's knowing who to go to in LA? Was Ben a jealous kid, wanting to still be in charge?  

Seeing John back on the island, munching on papaya, and scaring the new survivors with his talk of having been dead, was quite satisfying. One could feel his acceptance of his fate and his connection with the place. John is a special guy, so we're told. I'm sold, and I've fallen for the bait. I'll be back next week!

Call the cops because Allison Iraheta stole a show.

The 16-year-old with the Kelly Clarkson vibe and husky voice was the breakout star in Wednesday's "Idol." I didn't really remember her before her performance and then BAM! she strutted around like she owned that stage and belted out a great rendition of Heart's "Alone."

She was the definite standout for me in a show that brought about a string of less-than-stellar song choices and some disappointing performances by contestants I had enjoyed in previous episodes. We also got to see Nick Mitchell in all his sparkly-shirt glory as alter ego, Norman Gentle. Nick, it is time to hang up the headband, honey. Really.

We will get to that Nick business later. Right now, let's discuss who will get into the top three after Wednesday's show. I'm still not certain. I hope America was as wowed by Allison as I was. As for the guys, my guess would be Adam Lambert. And while Adam is talented, his performance didn't do anything for me. It seemed like he screeched his way through the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction." I know the judges keep going on and on about how contemporary he is but, really, I think they may just be confusing his looks with his singing. Sure, he is a cool-looking dude and I respect that he has spent a lot of time in musical theater but I wouldn't rush out and buy an Adam Lambert CD if it was available. I just don't have that draw to him yet.

I did find myself pleasantly surprised by Arkansas boy Kris Allen and his take on "Man In The Mirror" by the King of Pop. It was a good choice for Kris given his nice pop sound. Kris could slide into one of those coveted three spots. Who knows? I think the other potential top-vote getter could be Megan Joy Corkrey. And while I like Megan's voice, I wasn't blown away by her performance of "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae.

Now, back to Nick. He did have some interesting bits, like rubbing the show logo on the judges' table and his karate kick in the air during his critique. But his role in the show is really that of a jester. He's made us laugh, our mood has lifted, now it's time to get back to the music business.

So, I approach tonight's results show with some uncertainty about who will make it through to the next round. My guess is that one of the three won't be wearing a red headband.

Until then, I offer you guys a special guest for this entry. Welcome Zack Irby, an "Idol" fan and student at Northside High School. Here is his take on Wednesday's show:

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Blog entry by Amy Hanek

Last night, no one felt the pressure of Top Chef’s finale more than Stefan.

First he was a little lonely for his Euro-buddy, Fabio. And to tell you the truth, I was a little bored, without my favorite Italian there to feed me one-liners. Beignets and Café Au Lait on the Creole Queen – bo-ring!

But then, Tom informed the three remaining cheftestants that their final challenge would be to make the best 3-course meal of their life. And that sous chefs from past-seasons would help. Marcel (from season 2) joined Stefan, Casey (from season 3) joined Carla and Richard (from season 4) joined Hosea. My ears perked up a little.

I did, however, completely forget about Fabio as Stefan and Hosea began fighting over food like a couple of third-graders.

First, Stefan wanted two of the three fois gras. Hosea had them first and stood his ground. He told Stefan he would give him half (one and a half for each). Stefan huffed angrily and told Hosea to forget it. What? Did self-deserving-Stefan feel he deserved more than half? And I thought Hosea was being nice. I mean, he grabbed those birds first. This IS the finale.

Then, Stefan pointed out that Hosea had ALL the Caviar. Well Hosea learned his lesson with the fois gras. Practically ignoring Stefan, he didn’t offer him anything. You GO Hosea!

Then, on day two, the final day for these final three, Tom threw a curveball – of course.

Red fish, crab and alligator were handed over as main ingredients to be used in an additional hors d’ oeuvre. To decide who would get what, the chefs had to look for a baby baked inside a king cake. Hosea was declared king as he produced the small, plastic baby. And I think we all cheered a little for Hosea as he took the redfish for himself, gave Carla the crab and gave Stefan that alligator (or as Stefan would say, “s**t stick”).

My hopes for Carla ran high as she dodged one bullet after another. Then, poor, poor Carla let Casey tell her what to do. Now, I think we can all agree, that Casey is a very proficient chef, but just doesn’t know how to bring the love into her food. So, the judges all noticed the difference in Carla’s version of meat and potatoes. And we were all disappointed.

Hosea used Richard’s blackberry garnish, which the judges didn’t like either. But it was just a garnish, so he wasn’t heavily penalized. So, at the end of the day, it seemed that these three sous chefs were only good for taking orders from their chefs. Nothing else. 

Stefan made a fabulous alligator soup and served a fantastic squab with his small fois gras but dug his own hole with a dessert that Gail dated back to 1982. It looked to me like something you could put together from a dessert buffet. Not very relevant.

But Hosea finished his meal with venison. And Toby wondered several times if dessert shouldn’t be the correct ending to any meal. I got a little angry as Toby harped on this point over and over. Who felt that Toby was pushing the Stefan-ticket a little too much in the end? (I’m raising my hand).

So, among Carla’s regretful tears, Hosea pulled out the final win, making him the Top Chef for season 5. Yay Hosea!

Next week, the chefs answer questions, but I will tune in for just one question. Are Leah and Hosea together now? Part of me would love to see their on-screen heat transcend off-screen, but I also get the feeling that Hosea is too good for Leah. Especially now that he is the Top Chef.

Blog entry by Amy Hanek
 
I've been drinking coffee ALL day. And it's because I don't want to fall asleep in front of Top Chef tonight. Sure, I could tape the show and catch up on what I missed in the morning, but it's the finale!!
 
There's been a little debate lately over the integrity of those Bravo producers and the judges decisions. And I'm not naive to the fact that food may not always be the determining factor here. But, I still believe that as cream rises to the top, so will the obvious winner tonight.
 
As a fan of girl-power to the end and Carla's ingredient of love in everything she makes, I have to shout out, "Hootie-Hoo!" But who knows?
 
I also wonder if anyone out there whipping up something special to snack on tonight? I mean, food and food kinda go together. If you are, email me a pic or description of your offerings at: hanekja@jetbroadband.com. I'd love to post them tomorrow!
 
Until then, Hootie-Hoo!!

Blog entry by Amy Hanek
 
Last night, our New York cheftestants arrived to New Orleans anxious to cook up a storm large enough to rival Hurricane Katrina. But instead, they were faced with a leisurely afternoon meal with Emeril Lagasse.
 
Of course the big wow was that three of the winningest chefs, already eliminated, were doing the cooking.
 
Leah, Jeff and Jamie were given a chance to take one of the final three spots and even win the whole ball of wax. Fabio seemed especially peeved with this arrangement.
 
I fully expected a few chefs to ring out a "BAM" or two as they rushed through this quickfire. At the very least, it would've made good TV. And I have to wonder, if only Hosea and Leah had been on again. Maybe there would've been enough heat in her food? But no. Jeff pushed through, leaving the girls behind. Buh-bye Jamie and Leah.
 
Jeff won with his own version of that southern-style trendy dish, shrimp and grits. But he replaced the shrimp with crawfish, of course. Most of all, he impressed Emeril with his ability to "bring the heat."
 
Next, the five cheftestants went to a warehouse called, Mardis Gras World. While surrounded by this year's parade floats, they were informed they'd be whipping up two dishes and one cocktail for a masquerade ball. And if making it into the top three weren't enough motivation, the winning chef would also win a brand new Toyota (can you say "major product placement?"). I think Fabio was drooling a little.
 
Staying true to tradition, the most popular dishes were gumbo and beignets. And while watching I wondered, would the judges considered this boring or uncreative? And could any of these chefs REALLY pull it off?
 
In the end, Stefan's gumbo and apple beignet lacked soul and depth (go figure) and he and Fabio risked packing their knives. Jeff didn't win with his own pot de crème and fried oyster, so he had to leave.
 
Carla and Hosea came out of nowhere with winning flavor combinations. Hosea made a gumbo that Emeril approved of (the secret's in the roux) and fried catfish. Hosea only really showed creativity in his catfish. He used sweet potatoes, creating a surprising layer of flavor that agreed with the judges.
 
Carla really called it with her Tortoise and the Hare story. She came out of nowhere with her "soul food." And most of all, she won a Toyota. She made an oyster stew with shrimp and andouille beignets. So for those Carla fans out there - yay!
 
I couldn't believe Fabio was sent packing. And at 11:15 last night, Team Euro was no more. 
 
Maybe it's his adorable dimples, or funny way of saying things, but I really wanted Fabio to stay. Emeril just didn't think his Italian-infused Creole creations were hot enough. That's find, as long as Emeril isn't making a judgement on how hot Fabio is. Because he'd be very wrong.
 
And Stefan. Well, he may be a talented chef, but very cocky. Even Tom called him on his over-confident attitude. It would've been nice to see him pack those knives and go. Still, it may just be a matter of time. Two weeks in a row, he's faced the judges and the possibility of elimination.
 
What do you think? Did Jeff deserve to stay anyway? I think it was a little unfair that he had to win the elimination challenge to stick around. And he was so close. But I was thrilled to see Carla win it for all the girls.

LOST lost me a little last night. Not the first time, and I was distracted by a runaway dog search, but, putting a dead man's shoes on another dead man? What was up with that? What does Jack's father have to do with John Locke? And why didn't Jack bring his poor old grandfather along for the ride to the island? It seems he would have liked it much better than that home he keeps escaping from. I have a lot of questions.

Why didn't Sun bring the baby along? Yes I know she was back home with her grandmother but to leave your child behind must have been the most difficult of decisions. And who thinks Kate left Aaron with HIS grandmother? Claire would be happy about that I'm guessing. That must have been hard to do though.

I speak of  these characters like they have real decision making abilities. The writers have done it all! And then some, considering this show. Every week I am blown away.

I'm betting Locke will show up alive somehow, walking in his dead man's shoes. Anyone think otherwise?

America saved Michael Sarver and said ta-ta to Tatiana Del Toro in this season's first results show.

In truth, the Tatiana dismiss didn't surprise me but the Michael part did. I like Mike, I do. The roughneck with the sweet personality also has a smooth singing voice. That said, I wasn't really wowed by his performance on Tuesday. I thought Ricky Braddy would have snagged a top 12 spot over Michael. Guess there is a reason that "Idol" didn't spend a lot of time profiling Ricky in earlier shows. I suppose they didn't want us to get too attached. Still, Ricky, you keep singing buddy because you've got skills. As for Micheal, I hope his next performance truly rocks.

It was not a big surprise about the other two top vote-getters. They were Alexis Grace and Danny Gokey, who were terrific in Tuesday's show. And, again, I can't say that it was a shocker that Tatiana got the boot. That girl had a lot of drama behind all those crazy rapid-fire giggles.

Other than that, it was fun to see last season's Carly Smithson and Michael Johns back on the stage. They were some of my favorite contestants and it was a treat to watch their duet. Now, the show needs to bring back Brooke White for me to truly be overjoyed.

Coming next week, we'll have 12 more contestants to critique. Can't wait. Class clown Nick Mitchell/Norman Gentle is in this bunch and you know that's either going to be highly entertaining or all kinds of awful. Maybe a little of both.

Alexis Grace is one petite powerhouse performer.

Don't worry Danny Gokey fans, he will get some love in this entry, too. But it was Alexis who stole the show Tuesday night as we watched the first group of 12 belt their little hearts out. I have my fab five of the night, which I will share. As for the rest, well, they left me disappointed and a bit baffled.

First up is Alexis, who chose "I Never Loved A Man" by Aretha Franklin. While no one can touch the Queen of Soul, Alexis did a super job on the song. The judges agreed with Kara adding, "It has been a pleasure to watch you come out of your shell." Alexis didn't just come out of the shell, she has crunched it to pieces. 

Danny also got some rave reviews with his take on Mariah Carey's "Hero." I think Danny is terrific, I really do, and his performance was one of the best of the night but I stop short of agreeing with Paula when she says his future is "sold-out arenas." It's a wee bit early to make that kind of claim. I side with Simon, who told Danny that he liked him and that his performance was good but "I'm just not buying the hype right now."

Next up is Ricky Braddy who, I must admit, feels like a stranger. We've only seen snippets of Ricky until now, which is a shame because the guy's got a beautiful tone. He performed "A Song for You" by Leon Russell, and it was nicely done.  

So, my guess is Alexis, Danny and Ricky will be the three who make it through the results show. My other favorites from Tuesday were Jackie Tohn, who has terrific stage presence but probably would have been better served by choosing another song. I love "A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis, but I would have preferred to see Jackie take on a Janis Joplin hit. Anoop Desai is another fave of mine and I thought his "Angel of Mine" by Monica was sweet and sentimental. Still, I don't know if it was a strong enough performance to keep him in the contest.

Now, onto the disappointing news, and that was Stephen Fowler's lackluster performance. I have been a big fan but "Rock With You" wasn't the best song selection. Other Michael Jackson hits, yes, but not this one. Stephen didn't bring a new vibe to the song, so it came across as kind of blah. But he wasn't the worst from Tuesday's crop. That title falls to Stevie Wright and Casey Carlson. The beautiful girls didn't exactly hit some beautiful notes.

And last, but certainly not least, is Tatiana Del Toro. Was it me or did she seem to be on a sedative? She has gone from wacky wild woman to soft spoken and subdued. Like the judges, I'm not sure what to make of her now. She performed "Saving All My Love for You" by Whitney Houston and managed to hit the high notes well enough. I did enjoy Simon's take afterward when he said, "You are a complete and utter drama queen. ... You are desparate to be famous." And, lest we think the old Tatiana was gone, she took one last shot and pleaded with America to keep her dream alive. Unfortunately, I am not sure that America is on Team Tatiana. But Ryan may be after that short shoulder rub she gave him.

OK, that is a wrap for Tuesday's show. So, "Idol" fans out there, who are your top three from Tuesday night? And were you as baffled as I was about a tranquilized Tatiana? Share your thoughts and make sure to tune in for Wednesday's results show.

Maybe I'm getting a little bored with the Survivor thing but last night's premier of the new season just didn't excite me very much. Tell me if I'm wrong but I feel that the formula is getting stale.

Last night's line up included the seemingly smart guy, the good old boy, the older lady, the guy hiding who/what he is, the girl to feel sorry for, the girl with the large chest, the annoying guy, and typical others. I felt like the initial vote to stop two people from making the trek to camp was a set up for these titles. How can we not think this way when clearly the contestants are? Maybe it's just me that is feeling a little bored with this.

Not much else to talk about yet. The challenge wasn't very exciting either. What do you think? I'm a fan but if something more interesting comes on next week, I might even skip it!