http://www.turnto10blogs.com/index.php/realitycheck en kreis@wjar.com Copyright 2009 2009-11-14T00:31:50-05:00 http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/biggest_loser_loses_two_more/26794/ http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/biggest_loser_loses_two_more/26794/#When:01:31:50Z Biggest Loser is in full swing.  The season started with 16 contestants and it’s now down to the final 6.  Allen, Amanda, Danny, Liz, Rebecca and Rudy.  This doesn’t really leave many contestants to cheer for.  I’m not really moved by any of them.  If I have to choose, I guess my favorite is Danny, followed by Amanda.  My favorite contestant was Abby, but sadly she went home a few weeks ago.  I still get a lump in my throat every time I think of her story.  Losing her husband and two children in a car crash has got to be the worst EVER.  Thank GOODNESS Tracey went home last week.  She was a little bit looney and was so irritating!  This past week, I lost 2 more of my faves - Shay and Daniel.  AAARGH!!!  Jillian is on fire this season.  She is way into it.  I was cracking up this past episode when she was making fun of Bob for taking the contestants to a circus gym to work out.  She took the team out back and had them flipping tractor trailer truck tires.  HA!  She’s such a brute! The season finale is December 8th and I’m guessing that Danny, Rebecca and Rudy will be in the final 3.  Let’s see if I’m right. P.S.  The new season of Biggest Loser starts on January 5th!!!  Gotta love NBC - back-to-back seasons!! 2009-11-14T01:31:50-05:00 http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/biggest_loser_season_8_has_begun/23495/ http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/biggest_loser_season_8_has_begun/23495/#When:14:37:15Z YAHOO!  Biggest Loser Season 8 has begun on NBC 10 and it began with a BANG!!  What a first episode.  The season’s theme is “Second Chance” - which I LOVE!  Where do I begin? I guess I’ll begin with Tracey. Click here to meet Tracey.  She came out of the gate strong and appeared to be a strong competitor.  The first challenge was a 1 mile race and the winners would get to pick their partner.  Tracey was pushing hard and going back and forth between first and second place. Just before the finish line, she collapsed.  Everyone passed her and beat her to the end.  Some of the contestants went back to try and pick her up.  They pulled her across the finish line and then her eyes rolled back in her head.  They had to get a helicopter to rush her to the hospital and that’s the last we heard.  It was so scary!!  Even though this is TV, it’s still real people.  She pushed too hard and her body just couldn’t take it. Next big contestant that made me cry like a baby was Abby. Click here to meet Abby.  In October 2006, she lost her husband and two children (ages 5 and 2 weeks) in a horrific car crash.  Can you even imagine???  They would have to put me away in a mental institution if that ever happened.  Seriously.  I was crying uncontrollably when I was listening to her story.  I’m sure I’m not alone in hoping she does awesome in this game. Another shocker was Daniel.  Can’t remember Daniel from Season 7?  Click here to meet Daniel.  Daniel was the largest contestant ever on Biggest Loser (until this season).  They brought him back to finish what he started.  He lost 142 lbs last season and is still at 320 lbs.  I’m so happy he’s back because I know he can do it with his determination! Amanda was on last year’s season finale and was one of two contestants that America decided to bring to Season 8.  Click here to meet Amanda.  She’s kind of whiney and has a “poor me” attitude.  She was VERY close to falling below the yellow line in the first week.  I’m not optimistic that she’s going to go very far. The rest of the contestants were very typical.  No one else stood out too much.  The heaviest contestant in Biggest Loser history is a woman, so that was a bit shocking.  This season is sure to be a biggie!  And I don’t mean size.  For the past month, I have been running 1 mile everyday.  My kids have gotten me hooked.  I tried doing this last year, and after 5 days, my knees were killing me.  I later found out that it was because I didn’t stretch good enough before AND after.  So, I make it a ritual that I stretch for 15 mins before I run and 15 mins after I run EVERY SINGLE TIME.  If I don’t have time to stretch, then I don’t have time to run.  So far, so good.  4 weeks and I’m still going strong. I am currently running a 13 minute mile.  Which, for me, is great.  My son runs something like a 6 minute mile.  JERK!  HA!  The kids are running in the CVS Downtown 5K on Sunday 9/20/09.  They wanted me to do it with them.  Um - not ready.  Maybe next year. Here are some links to help you out.  The store is really cool!  I already bought a T-Shirt!  I love the bodybugg and I’m saving my pennies for that little gadget for sure.  Great holiday gift ideas on this site (hint hint - hubby).  Until next time bloggers! Biggest Loser Store:  Buy Biggest Loser shirts, protein mix, bodybugg, water bottles and more! Biggest Loser Site:  Track Contestants of Season 8 2009-09-19T14:37:15-05:00 http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/americas_got_talent_my_take/23328/ http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/americas_got_talent_my_take/23328/#When:03:03:34Z OK - so America’s Got Talent had the finale tonight.  I thought I did a good job calling it and BOY was I wrong!  If you haven’t seen the show yet or if it’s sitting in your DVR, I warn you of a “spoiler alert”!    Results below. First, let me say that AGT totally stretched the show into 2 hours.  And I mean stretched worse than Gumby! This show could have easily been an hour.  The show felt stretched and way too long.  But who am I to judge?  I’m just a loyal viewer.  I think America voted with their hearts instead of voting on who was truly talented enough to win.  Here’s the list of entries.  Barbara Padilla vs. Hairo Torres - Padilla went to the top 5, America got it right! Voices of Glory vs. Lawrence Beaman - Voices of Glory went to top 5 OUCH!!  Beaman (AKA Barry White) should have gone to top 5 The Texas Tenors vs. Fab Five - Texas Tenors went to top 5.  That’s SO WRONG!!! Drew Stevyns vs. Kevin Skinner - Kevin Skinner went through to the top 5.  America voted with their hearts instead of their heads.  Did you see Kevin singing in the opening act?? Can you say fish out of water??? Grandma Lee vs. Recycled Percussion - Recycled Percussion went through.  America got it right, even though I totally LOVED Grandma Lee!!! OK, so we have the top 5 and I had picked Barbara Padilla as the winner.  Voices of Glory went home first.  Then Texas Tenors went home second.  OK - so I have faith in America’s vote to get it right.  Then Recycled Percussion went home.  Ummmm - getting nervous.  I thought the final two would be Padilla and Recycled Percussion.  Now that my trash can drummers have gone home, I’m getting worried about America’s decision.  It’s down to Skinner (the chicken farmer) and Padilla (the opera singer).  Go to commercial (DARN IT!) Then Susan Boyle comes back to sing.  WOW!!  That woman can sing!!  Wild Horses - unique sound.  Beautiful!  She’s awkward, but gorgeous at the same time. Now, back from a long, long, long, long commercial break. I’m dying!!  And Nick says that the winner is…............... Kevin Skinner - the chicken farmer.  WHAT?????!!!!!!  America is “HOFF” their rocker!!!!  What???  Padilla lost to Skinner!  Yup, that’s it.  Don’t worry Barbara - someone will scoop you up.  Skinner is a sweetheart, but I’m not certain that he’s a $1 million act.  Skinner - hold on for the ride.  This guy’s life will never be the same.  Good luck Kevin!  I hope you do well. Big Brother - done, “Team Jordan” AGT - done “Skinner Winner” Now it’s time for Biggest Loser and Survivor.  New season, new reality shows.  Until next time bloggers!  2009-09-17T03:03:34-05:00 http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/americas_got_talent_comes_to_an_en/23278/ http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/americas_got_talent_comes_to_an_en/23278/#When:01:34:55Z So America’s Got Talent 2009 is coming to an end.  That last 10 acts performed and boy was it difficult to choose.  It was easy to pick out the ones going home.  But the front runners are all so close.  Here is my take on the results of the finale (which airs Weds night at 8pm).  Voices of Glory:  They sang “The Greatest Love of All”.  Big song - whew!  Cute kids, sweet story.  I cry every time I see the mom.  The performance started out a little shaky.  That 8 year old little girl sounds much better when they are belting the notes.  When she sings alone and tries to sing softly, she doesn’t quite stay on key.  But they were sweet, sounded absolutely AWESOME at the end!!!!  And their mom stood up for them to give them a standing ovation.  Talk about lump in the throat.  They won’t win the million, but they’re going to do just fine in this world. Hairo Torres: His routine was weird.  He’s the dancer who contorts his body like a freak of nature.  Amazing moves but not worthy of $1 million.  Don’t get me wrong, he’s unbelievably flexible and truly should be a backup dancer for some big league artist.  But dancing as a solo act - I’m not seeing it.  No mill Hairo.  Sorry. Lawrence Beaman:  WHOA!!!  Simply close your eyes and you’d SWEAR he was Barry White.  His voice is so unique and he is one talented dude.  Not to mention that his body is ripped.  What a good lookin’ guy.  WOW!  Simple, sweet, humble.  Love him.  Definitely worthy of the million.  But there is someone much better who will steal it from him. Barbara Padilla:  Our opera singer who beat cancer.  Love, love, love, love this woman.  Her husband talked about her treatment and how she said that she took way more from the cancer than the cancer took from her.  God love her!  She took her situation and grew from it.  I’m not sure that I could do the same given the circumstances.  My husband doesn’t think someone would sit and listen to opera in Vegas.  I beg to differ.  This is our AGT million dollar winner for 2009! Fab Five: Five tap dancing sisters.  Talented.  They danced to “Circus” by Brittany Spears.  It was a full production with acrobats.  And I love how these women stay exactly together when they dance.  Totally in sync.  They won’t win, but they are very talented. The Texas Tenors: ICK!!  No million.  I haven’t liked these guys from day one.  They are so fake and go way over the top every time they sing.  They sang “My Way” and I’d like to say “Go Away”.  When they sing together as a trio, they’re not THAT bad.  But when they each sing separately, I want to stick hot pokers in my ears.  Seriously.  I have no idea how they made it this far. Drew Stevyns:  Cute guy, sang “I’ll Stand By You”.  He’s not a very strong singer.  I would say he’s much like Kevin Skinner (see my notes on Kevin below).  But David has a better story and his simple, sweet Southern personality is better.  He will not win the million. Grandma Lee: I just love this woman.  I wish she was my grandma!!!  She’s hysterical!  Unfortunately, she won’t win the million.  But I hope someone scoops her up for a movie or a comedy show.  Her material is really funny.  She said that her kids are in the audience and they are sweating more than Ryan Seacrest watching Brokeback Mountain.  I spit my water all over my computer screen when she said that. She also replaced Piers as her boyfriend.  With Simon Cowell!!  Gotta love it. Kevin Skinner: He sang “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith.  This guy is so darn sweet and when he showed him and his family fishing outside his little country house with “SKINNER” on the mailbox, I was so hopeful that he’d win.  The singing just wasn’t strong enough, but he is the sweetest country guy anyone could meet.  With a little work, this diamond in the rough could go places.  I hope someone scoops him up too.  No mill Kevin.  Sorry dude. Recycled Percussion: Better than Blue Man Group.  Better than Stomp. They bang on trash but they build these mechanisms around their trash.  Last week they played on the roof of an old van and then the top of the van ripped off and started flying over the stage with them on top.  This week their mechanism started raining on them.  They are so, so talented and I could completely see a Vegas act like this.  I think Padilla (the opera singer) will win.  But they deserve it too. It’s so hard to decide between Barbara Padilla, Recycled Percussion and Lawrence Beaman.  But Barbara - you’ll do it baby!  We’ll see if I’m right on Weds night. In the meantime, I’ve got some serious decisions to make.  The season premiere of Biggest Loser just started.  LOVE THAT SHOW!  And the season finale of Big Brother also started.  It’s a BIG night with losers and brothers.  Which one to watch first???  AAARRGGHHH!!!  Decisions, decisions.  Flip a coin. Till next time my friends. 2009-09-16T01:34:55-05:00 http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/reality_checks_reaction_to_agt/22703/ http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/reality_checks_reaction_to_agt/22703/#When:03:29:12Z If you haven’t watched America’s Got Talent results show on 9/2/09, then I recommend that you do not watch this video because it reveals the results.  And a little bit of opinion from Kim.  TokBox - Free Video Chat and Video Messaging 2009-09-03T03:29:12-05:00 http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/reality_check_new_webcam/22635/ http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/reality_check_new_webcam/22635/#When:00:04:19Z TokBox - Free Video Chat and Video Messaging 2009-09-02T00:04:19-05:00 http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/hiatus_from_reality/20407/ http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/hiatus_from_reality/20407/#When:20:17:10Z So sorry bloggers!  I have taken a short hiatus from blogging due to my own personal reality show back at home.  What is that, you ask?  Are you sure you want to know? Well, somehow we agreed to have a Spanish foreign exchange student come to our house for the month of July.  OK, no big deal.  Great experience for us and for our children to experience a different culture.  Then his friend wanted to come along too.  OK - two.  No big deal.  We can handle it.  And then, HIS friend wanted to come.  THREE???!!  Um…well… They said, “Pleeeeeeeeaaaase!“  I said OK (Manny’s gonna kill me).  AND THEN A FOURTH REQUESTED!  What the???  As my mother always said.  What’s four when you already have three?  So, I said yes.  But that was it! They arrived on June 25th and invaded my home.  WHOA!  Teenage boys sure can eat!!  Let’s see.  Daily consumption included: Two gallons of milk (remember, this is PER DAY), four 2-liter bottles of soda, a package of Oreos, a box of cereal, 2 loaves of bread.  Not to mention dinner time consumption - which was quite large.  Carlos, Pablo, Victor and Borja were fun though!  We really took them on an American experience.  Pawtucket Red Sox, Boston, Newport, Seekonk Speedway Demo Derby, Bristol Fourth, beaches, whale watch, New York City.  You name it, we did it.  And the whole time - my TiVo was filling up, up, up.  I was able to squeak in a few episodes of America’s Got Talent (love it!).  I still can’t believe the host is married to Mariah Carey.  Didn’t picture that! In the middle of all this chaos, a lightning struck RIGHT next to our house.  It blew out some outlets, destroyed our garage door openers and fried our septic tank mother board.  What next???  The boys returned to Spain on July 22nd and even THAT was an ordeal.  One of them forgot his passport at home and didn’t realize it until we had gotten all the way to Logan Airport!!!!  Needless to say, he missed his flight and had to get on a later flight.  Costly mistake for sure. This weekend, I have a date with my bed and my TiVo ALL WEEKEND LONG!  I will barely leave my room!!!  Especially since I have about 14 loads of laundry to do (did I mention that these freakin’ kids used 25 towels a day???) I’ve started watching Big Brother - LOVIN’ IT!!  Plus I still have old episodes of Survivor from this past March/April.  Yes, I’m a little bit behind.  I know.  Hell’s Kitchen started this week and of course, America’s Got Talent will be watched too! I’m baaaaaaccccccckkkkkkkk!  2009-07-24T20:17:10-05:00 http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/americas_got_a_new_host/16162/ http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/americas_got_a_new_host/16162/#When:21:06:00Z America’s Got Talent starts its new season on June 23rd.  I simply can’t wait!!!  Same great judges but - WAIT!  A new host???  Click here to meet Nick Cannon!  The new host of AGT.  It’s going to be tough to replace Jerry Springer - the former host of the show.  What a character.  I wish Nick the best of luck because those are really big shoes to fill.  Britain’s Got Talent has received widespread buzz over the past several months and I hope it translates to big ratings for the American version.  I simply love this show and, if it gets good ratings, it will come back year after year.  This show makes me laugh and cry.  Heck - sometimes it even makes me mad.  (Remember Donald Braswell who sent me an email after I blogged about him last year?)  This show is great!  There hasn’t been too many reality shows to really inspire a bloggation out of me lately.  But this show is sure to bring out the rapid fire typist in me. America’s Got Talent Web Site P.S. I will do my best to blog, blog away this summer.  But I will have a house full of kids with friends visiting from Spain for 4 weeks.  So take pity on me if I fall behind.  2009-06-18T21:06:00-05:00 http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/ultimate_idol_upset/13708/ http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/ultimate_idol_upset/13708/#When:03:22:31Z What an Idol show!!!!  Cyndi Lauper, Rod Stewart (who almost tripped and fell on live TV - ouch!), Lionel Richie, Santana, Black Eyed Peas, Queen Latifah, KISS, Queen and Keith Urban!!!!!  It’s so funny that the “big stars” didn’t want anything to do with Idol in the early years.  Now it seems like EVERYONE wants a piece.  Did you see the people in the audience???  Idol has become part of the “IT” factor.  Did you see the the unbelievable schooling by Kara with Bikini Girl.  She totally outsang her!!!  Bikini Girl should be embarassed!  And, not to mention that I think Kara looked better in a bikini!  HA! The show was great!  2 hours flew by.  I’m glad they didn’t try to stretch it to 3 hours.  My kids had to get to bed for school! And, in the end - Kris Allen FREAKIN’ WON!!  What the???!!!!  As I said - Adam should have won.  But I had a feeling that voters would root for the underdog.  I wonder how far apart the votes were?  The auditors said that they had almost 1 million voters.  I wonder the percentage?  KRIS ALLEN???  SERIOUSLY???!!!  The Sleeper???  I am totally shocked.  I think you may have heard my gasp from your house.  My entire family was piled into my bedroom to watch the show and it was completely shocking!  Adam took it well.  He acted like he was fine, but I’m sure he was crushed. I was proud of him (and his reaction) but I’m sure he was shocked by the result.  He was totally the front-runner and this announcement was a shocker.  A shocker for sure. As my husband Manny said - now Adam can do “his own” album.  And it’s so true.  I’m sure there are Idol rules and now Adam doesn’t have to follow those rules.  He’s so unique and he can create a unique album.  Kris has to follow the Idol rules while Adam can go out on his own.  But then again - we can see how that worked (or didn’t work) for Bo Bice.  Has anyone heard of his happenings since Idol?  Carrie Underwood won and Bo went where??  Anyone?  Bueller?  Having your own unique sound is great.  But if you get too weird and offtrack - it can derail your career real quick.  Mainstream wins - whether true AHTEESTS like it or not (AHTEESTS = posh form of Artists). But it seems so weird.  Kris Allen - American Idol Season 8.  Adam will be just fine.  Just fine…  Kris Allen - hmmmm?  One hit wonder?  We’ll see. 2009-05-21T03:22:31-05:00 http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/adam_the_keeper_vs._kris_the_sleeper/13684/ http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/reality_check/comments/adam_the_keeper_vs._kris_the_sleeper/13684/#When:15:39:49Z So - unless you were hiding under a rock today - you know that the final performances of American Idol was last night.  The final performances by Adam (the front-runner) and Kris (the sleeper).  If you look back at my blog postings, I had called Kris “THE SLEEPER” since the beginning.  I thought that final three would have been Allison, Danny and Adam with Danny and Adam being in the finals together.  I was almost right - Allison, Danny, Adam and KRIS were all in the final four.  Allison went home - as I had predicted in the first month of performances.  But Danny got cocky and went home before Kris.  I’m not even sure how Kris even got to this point???  But hearing his first performance last night definitely wow’d me.  Performances two and three - not so much.  Simon Fuller (the creator of American Idol) picked their second song.  I’m not sure he picked fairly.  Adam’s song was PERFECT for his style.  Poor Kris had to FORCE it to work.  And then the final song (co-written by Idol judge Kara) wasn’t perfect for either of them.  But Adam “worked it out dawg” - better than Kris.  In the end, it’s almost a DUH moment.  Adam has to win (but I’m not a huge fan of the screech).  I’ve started to really like Kris and I usually vote or root for the underdog (especially in sports).  But Adam needs to win - hands down.  I almost voted for Kris last night as a sympathy vote.  But then I thought, “how many people are doing that right now?“  Could Kris actually win by sympathy votes?  Meredith Vieira on The Today Show said she loves Kris - but didn’t vote.  On paper - Adam wins.  I didn’t vote.  But if Kris takes the cake tonight, it will be chalked up as the BIGGEST UPSET in Idol history.  I’ll be hovered in front of the TiVo tonight.  Will you???  BTW - can I say that I LOVED the fact that the show was ONLY AN HOUR!!!  Thank you!  Finally!!!  No need to drag the sucker out!  Whew!!! 2009-05-20T15:39:49-05:00