Whatever Happened To?

Has anyone heard anything about Taylor Hicks? I fell in love with him during the fifth season of American Idol (yes, I know that he has gray hair and dances funny, but you can't help who you fall for, okay?), but I haven't heard squat about him since he won.

Personally, I don't think he was right for AI (or Artificial Intelligence for that matter!) :P I know he was struggling, but I think American Idol ruined him. He should have pressed on, and I think eventually he would have made it, and we would be hearing about him! But what do I know...I'm not a struggling musician by any means, and no one knows what they would do until they are actually in the situation they are judging!

So where is he now? We hear about the winners of American Idol all the time - even some of the runners-up. (Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry for example.) The winning process is supposed to be the same for everyone. First you release your first single (that someone else wrote for you), then you do a set of Ford commercials, then your album comes out and you go on tour, do music videos, appear on MTV and the entertainment/late night talk shows. It is a formula that has worked for many, but something went wrong with Taylor Hicks. I think he is making music, but the public seems to have forgotten him completely - sort of like a shooting star, he has disappeared.

Who knows what happened? Maybe he fought the system. Maybe he didn't like the way they took over the song writing. Maybe the American Idol Mafia made off with him in the night...okay, I know that last one was a bit far-fetched!

Where are you Taylor? I would like to see you again, but if you are coming without the old, real you, then I'm no longer interested. I liked the charisma, the gray hair and yes, even the goofy dancing!

Celebrities Are People Too!

I live alone, and before I resort to talking to myself (out loud!) I usually turn on the TV for "company" in the evenings. Lately I've been noticing how many shows are completely devoted to the celebrities of Hollywood. One of them even follows people around with a video camera - and they get paid to do it! How do they get paid for this? They are able to receive what is probably a substantial paycheck because we, the public, watch the shows!

Some of these shows include TMZ, ET, ENews, and there are many more. Not only do we watch these shows, but we want to watch them...we watch them eagerly. But hey, who am I kidding? It's so exciting to see Shia Labeouf sitting outside the drugstore smoking, or see Halle Barry (with no make-up!) out with her child. And I'm simply dying to catch a 4 second interview with Denzel Washington about his latest movie - an interview that is kept until the last 4 seconds of the show!

People, people, why are we watching these celebs when they are out doing NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS? Watch them in the theatre when they are getting paid millions of dollars by all means, but can we leave them alone and let them live their lives when they are at the grocery store?

On a side note, I just did a spell check, and can you believe that the word "celebs" is a real word? Now I am really convinced that the world is run by Hollywood. They have taken over our dictionaries; there is no hope! :P

It Happens Every Time..

Every year, when winter unhooks its cold, cruel claws and the sun crawls out, bringing warmer weather to those who deny winter's existence...every year when I want to be outside enjoying the spring temperatures...every single year about this time I get SICK!!!

It begins with a sore throat, and moves on to a stuffed-up nose and a worse sore throat, all of which keeps me fairly miserable. I would like to know what brings it on (every single year!) and how to put an end to it. :(

I'm back!

Hello Blogosphere!

I am back and it feels good. Loving the warmer weather - it had better stay this time! I've almost given up on listening to the weather people...There, now that I've talked about the weather, I can move on to more important things - like "Facebooking" versus "Tweeting" (Twittering?"). I have given into both and have accounts with both of these well-known time-wasters and I love it. I spend a pathetic amount of time trying to think of things to tweet about, yet I am on Twitter multiple times throughout the day!

One of my last Facebook statuses was "Facebook old. Twitter new and exciting!" I think that about captures what a lot of people are feeling right now. Facebook does have a lot more applications and things to do, but on Twitter you get to have followers! That tends to give people a sense of power (false power, but power nonetheless!) Who among us would rather have friends than followers?

As new and exciting as Twitter is, I am sure that in a couple of years, or maybe even in a few months time there will be a more new and exciting website out there, and Twitter will become a thing of the past for many people. Where does it stop?

On a side note, if you are on Twitter, and you like to tweet, does that make you a Twit? If it does, then I say more people should be Twits!

So maybe it doesn't have to come down to Facebook versus Twitter after all. Facebook, you can have the fun but meaningless applications, quizzes and games, and Twitter, you may continue to give people a reason to wake up in the morning - for now.

30 Days to Newfoundland!!

I can't believe I only have 30 days left until I go to Newfoundland for a 2 week vacation. I also can't believe that it has been 4 long years since I've been back "home!" It seems like forever.

I have been scouring car rental websites for deals, but no one seems to be willing to give me a great price. Good prices, yes, but not the great deal that I've been looking for. $750 for 2 weeks - and thats not even with unlimited kilometers! We are definitely going to be over the allowed 1oo kilometers per day, and that's only 2 trips to St. John's. We will only be going there once, but we did want to go to a few more places as well. Oh well, I guess we need to bite the bullet and pay up!

A lot of the tourist attractions in Newfoundland will be closed or closing down while we are there. :( Hopefully the weather stays nice and sunny and warm for us. Every other vacation I have had in Newfoundland has been lovely - they always tell me that I bring the Ontario weather with me.

Trying to come up with a packing list for a trip to Newfoundland in the fall is a laugh - we may have to bring a winter suitcase and a summer suitcase! The weather can change 15 times in one day - showing you all 4 seasons, plus some seasons that Ontarians have never seen. (Extreme wind, anyone?) There is a reason why many places in Newfoundland are named "Blow-me-down!"

Well, I will pray for good, stable weather and a good rental car deal...either that or we will rob a bank before we leave the mainland!

5 Ways to Stay Healthy

Obesity and "unhealthiness" are on the rise in North America, and more and more people are searching for ways to keep themselves and their families healthy. In a world of fast foods, junk foods and MSG, (not to mention all of the cravings brought on by TV commercials!) it is no wonder that our waistlines are expanding. There are a few ways to keep your body healthy however, so do not give up hope just yet.

1 -Drink Water: Everybody has heard all their lives that we should be drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day, and for the most part, people tend to ignore this, or at best only partially obey it. Do not under-estimate the health benefits of water If you drink enough of it every day, it will constantly flush toxins out of your body, and you will feel the difference! Speaking from personal experience, since I started drinking 3 litres (100 oz) a day, I no longer feel the need for caffeine, and I have energy that I never thought possible.

2 - Eat Your Greens: Yes, I know what many of you are thinking right now - Rabbit food is for rabbits! Lettuce, broccoli, carrots, celery and all the rest of the "greens and veggies" group have more health benefits for your body than can even be named here. Vegetables are full of much needed vitamins and minerals. They also fight heart disease, stroke and contain cancer fighting phytocemicals.

3 - Go for a Walk: Do not underestimate the power of walking. It is the simplest and easiest form of exercise, yet it can do a lot for your body. Walking helps heart health, reduces body fat, helps to get you in shape and it only takes 30 minutes a day.

4 - Relax: The stress of life can get to us sometimes, but we need to be careful not to let it get the better of us. Stress is not very healthy for anyone, and it can cause some serious problems, like anxiety and heart attacks. Take some time to spend by yourself and with your family members each day. Relaxing like this daily can ease the stress of the day and put things in perspective.

5 - Get some sleep: Not getting enough sleep at night can cause obesity, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and a whole lot of other things that are not pleasant! Adults need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a night to function well throughout the day. Tip: Getting too much sleep a night (more than 8 hours) can also cause fatigue!

These 5 suggestions will help you live a happier, healthier life, but only if you follow them! If 5 things seem to hard to do all at once, try focusing on doing one each week. Soon, all 5 ways to stay healthy will develop into good habits, and will become a normal part of your life - your healthier life!

Happy Canada Day!

Yesterday was Canada Day, and we went to see the fireworks display at the Barrie lakefront. The fireworks were great, but a little too short as usual! I know they can't afford to spend too much money on them when there are more important things (like construction!) but I would like to spend a little longer on the beach watching the fireworks.

We noticed a new fad yesterday while at the beach. There were a lot of people wearing their Canada flags in their hair! I'm not sure when this started, but I guess people buy them and then realize that they don't have anywhere else to put them. It makes for an interesting, but patriotic look.

It's also interesting how many kids think Canada Day is supposed to be celebrated with marijuana. The smell of it was so strong in a few places, I could barely breathe!

I loved walking along the lakeshore and hearing little snippets of conversations as people flitted by me. " I had a boyfriend, and then I got rid of him!" Let's hope she means they broke up! ;) "It's only 9:54!" (the fireworks were supposed to start at 10pm, so I don't know what she thought she had time for with 6 minutes to go!)

All in all it was a great night - not too hot or cold, just perfect. Afterwards I stayed up until after 3am with friends, talking - not a smart move when you have to work the next day by the way!)

Happy birthday Canada!

Happy Canada Day!