The Apprentice UK Season 5 Episode 6

Sorry for the late update but yet again I was too lazy to move my files from my laptop to my computer! Anyway here's the update (a few hours after the next episode!)

What I don’t like about the challenges are that they give the “apprentices” way too short of a time to make something good, in the real world who would expect a team to come up with something in a less than a week.

Philip either hits jackpot or he hits rock bottom! the body rocka was an absolutely awesome idea but this week it was just manic! At one point he even said "cereal killer" oh kill me!

I think pirates are a good idea and all the treasure hunting stuff but I kind of think it sounds a bit too similar to Birdseye and their pirate and I'm sure they had a parrot in there too. But at least it's not Pantsman! Pantsman wears his underwear the wrong way round but as you're not Pantsman YOU CAN'T! Oh save me (but not Pantsman please!)

Philip has just annoyed me way too many times this episode (and last episode as well). As Kim said he just throws tantrums like a 5 year old, he may have the passion that Lee has but he doesn't know how the control it. I understand Lorraine's negativity to this mess but I do agree that she should be more pro active after the decision has been made. I don't like Howard as he sticks his head into everyones' business. I personally think that both cereal boxes aren't that great. For Kim's the reason is because there's nothing on the back! I think she could at least have stuck something there to say that they at least had researched upon it. I like the use of green but I think it could have been a shade darker as it is a bit too bright at the moment. Personally I don't think Kate's box would stand out, the colours are yucky and not vibrant enough to attract kids. The goal really is to attract kids whilst also having good ingredients so that there mothers/fathers agree on buying it also.

Why is Noorul always the model? I feel sorry for Kim - she has an awful group! One mute, one who think he's god almighty (Howard if you couldn't guess) and then two who are at loggerheads to top that off Lorraine doesn't actually do much and Philip does too much! She's obviously going but it's such a shame.

Kim's advert was disturbing! It felt like at the end of the advert there would have been a government warning saying "This is the kind of person you shouldn't trust your kids with!" I also agree with the professionals in that when selling to supermarkets you do need a direct target audience.

Wake up Call! Who came up with such a lame name! The whole idea just didn't make sense left right or centre! And honestly even Noma (oh my god what is she called, the one who presented? The south African one (ey wait, is she S.African?)) Also why did Sir Alan insist on one character, to my knowledge all the most famous kids cereal brands have one main character and then a few supporting ones.

In my point of view Philip lost the task single handedly. He was to dismissive and arrogant and that personality obviously effected Kim as she couldn't control him but of course Kim is also to blame as well as the "hidden" team members! Philip is someone I'd never want to work with in my life as he's just way too abrasive and borderline mad!

I think Sir Alan's opinion of PM's having to take on every bit of responsibility is somewhat wrong. If the majority of the team is for the idea (especially in things like The Apprentice where the PM isn't fixed on every task) then the PM can't really go against their team as if they did then nobody would work for you! Especially as it is The Apprentice where everyone wants you to die!

I still don't understand why most of the time the teams just have a nice chat whilst in the car! They should be working! I also don't understand why the teams can't split early on! I also don't understand why people don't work OT even when they are in a pretty stuffed situation! I also don't understand why I watch this show! As 7 times out of 10 the teams perform dismally! Guess it's good entertainment to see then perform dreadfully and supposedly be the best of British entrepreneurs! lol

Ok so here's my rankings of the contestants.

Yasmina - I've found it hard to like anyone this series but Yasmina has done probably the least for me to dislike her and she was originally one of my favourites.

Debra - Besides her brash attitude towards things I'm actually beginning to like her as she really is a worker (my prediction is that she is the finalist).

Philip - honestly even with all the bad words I've directed towards him he still makes 3rd! But that could easily slip away if I see more of his annoying attitude.

James - He speaks sense and is humourous, just need to see his work attributes!

Kate - She's done nothing for me to like or dislike her.

Lorraine - She may be negative but sometimes there does need to be someone speaking SENSE, for the team to develop.

Mona - I think I'd like her if they just showed more of her.

Howard - besides reminding me of every Apprentice candidate I've hated he's also a know-it-all!

Noorul - ..........................

Ben - That ignorant, arrogant sexist! He is sooo overconfident as well! And he speaks sooooo much crap! He thinks he so hot as well! ugh... if you call a bulldog hot! Loved to see what happens if he was teamed with Philip. You know what the absolute "best" team would be Ben, Debra, James, Lorraine, Philip - oh my god that would just be sooo entertaining!

Such a bad YEAR!

Honestly 2008 was already such a problematic year but 2009 seems even worse! 4 months in and we've had our share of suicide bombings, economic downturns, natural disasters, Asian celebrity drug smuggling cases (both in Hong Kong and Korea - thought I'd sneak that in!), Tamil/Sri Lankan government feuds and now the pig flu! The world is so problematic nowadays. The media should be lifting our moods but not even that seems to help, on top of that I have my exams next month! The world is just beautiful ain't it!
To make things even more depressing here's a list of events I deem to be depressing enough to blog about! All taken from wikipedia - stop hating on it! It can be useful sometimes!

January 1st - 61 people died from Bangkok club fire.
January 3rd - Israel launches ground invasion of Gaza
January 7th - Russia shuts off gas supplies to Ukraine (Rude!)
January 15th - US Airways Flight 1549 ditches in the Hudson River - all passengers safe (Not really depressing but a scary thought).
January 26th - Thomas Lubanga (former leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots) is accused of training child soldiers to kill, pillage and rape (held by the International Criminal Court). Never knew this - shocking!
January 26th - Icelandic government and banking system collapse.
February 7th - Deadliest Bushfires in Australian history killing 173 people.
February 8th - Polish geologist shown beheaded by the Taliban.
February 10th - Collision of a Russian and American satellite (We live in such a technological world that even satellites collide! How many are there!)
February 12th - Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashes into a home in Clarence Center, Buffalo, New York killing 49.
February 25th - Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 crashes near Amsterdam Airport killing 9 and injuring 84 (out of 135 passengers).
February 25th - Members of the Bangladesh Rifles paramilitary force begin mutinying. Over 80 killed.
March 2nd - President of Guinea-Bissau is assassinated.
March 3rd - Gunmen attack a bus carrying Sri Lankan cricketers in Pakistan killing 8 and injuring many of the cricket team.
March 19th - Josef Fritzl is sentenced to life imprisonment by Austrian court.
March 27th - Flash floods in Indonesia kills at least 99 people.
April 5th - North Korea launches rocket passing over Japan prompting reaction from the UN Security Council.
April 6th - L'Aquila, Italy 6.3 magnitude earthquake killing 293
April 7th - Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori is sentenced to 25 years in prison for ordering killings and kidnappings by security forces.
April 18th - Iranian Court sentenced Roxana Saberi (a journalist) 8 years in prison for espionage.
April 24th - Outbreak of pig flu, 149 deaths in Mexico as of now (wikipedia).

There were also disputes in Thailand which I don't know the start date of and the death of Ian Tomlinson during the G20 summit which was quite a large story. Of course the media have also provided us with a load of stories too like the death of Natasha Richardson.

Well at least Obama decided to close Guantanamo Bay - that's a good thing!
If you were brave enough to read the whole thing I'm sorry if I depressed you but we really do live in an awful world now!
Have a nice day!

Zettai Kareshi SP

Zettai Kareshi was what made me interested in Jdramas again. I absolutely loved the chemistry between Aibu Saki and Hayami Mokomichi and the ending was enough to make anyone teary, so, I decided to watch the SP after a long wait for the English sub. Here's my commentary on it.

Watching the mini intro reminded me of how much I loved the series - I MISS IT!
Also such a shame that Hayami Mokomichi is less famous than Soshi (think he's Hiro Mizushima)! Booo! When will Mokomichi have his next drama!
I still get goosebumps from the ending!
Oh my god! They built so many other prototypes! But none of them are as good as NIGHT! They all moved!
Is that Ryoko Kuninaka! If it is then everything comes full circle for Hayami Mokomichi. I knew there would be a new character but I didn't know it was her, actually I think I knew already but it skipped my mind until now.
ENGAGED!!!!!! NO WAY!!!!! They were so formal when they came off the plane! How the hell did they suddenly become engaged (Soshi and Riiko)!
Goosebumps all over when I saw NIGHT!
Oh my god I was nearly in tears when she was thinking about Night, the music and everything was just perfect! AND THEN NIGHT COMES TO THE RESCUE!!!!! YEAH!!!
OH NO HE DOESN'T HAVE ANY MEMORIES.
Oh my god I was in hysterics throughout the start when they were in Riiko's house! Reminded me of the start of the series. How can Night still have his low battery problem! He must have developed the super fast charging system like 02 had right?
Namikiri-san still cracks me up.
Wow everyone is a robot! Oh can't they just revive Night's memories and then it'll all be a happy ending!
How can the two be engaged if they still act like that together!
I just love how Night says Riiko.
Oh my god Mokomichi's body looks so much more buff now for some reason!
NIGHT IS THE BEST! Boo Soshi for not thinking like him!
What's wrong with trying to give Riiko Tenjo back. If Tenjo can live with her forever! Why not give me a fairytale ending rather than breaking my heart again!
Oh no the boyfriend looks the same as the robot Kamiya made!
But honestly what is she making, how could she do it in such a short time. That hospital looks a bit bleak!
YEAH NIGHT GOT HIS MEMORY BACK! YEAH YEAH YEAH!
Oh boo why wasn't these scenes at the start! I want to see a whole episode of Night and Riiko just having fun!
It's too sweet (currently on when Night says I only live to love you). So sad that it will be one of the few sweet moments left.
I definitely like the episode but the whole thing just seems a bit far fetched, can't they just make it all a little more sweet and simple rather than employ all those random storylines! I don't know whether I liked the series before this finale episode or after this finale episode.
Why do those "robots" run so stupidly and why would the "evil guy" leave himself unprotected - all just a bit too far fetched.
I don't like how Nanase kept on reminding Kamiya he's only a robot - it all rounds up to another sad ending! I hate how everyone is leaving an impression on Night in leaving Riiko again. Can't the creators just make him exist for as long as Riiko exists. I'm not sure I like having watched this finale episode as of now because it's just going to be another sad ending! If it was all happy and frills I would love it as I've had my unforgettable ending to break my heart already I don't want two!
No I just can't stand this again! Please just stop this... WHY! I am in tears because of this, just STOP IT! Can't it just be a happy ending - why did the producers even create this - to break my heart once again! I can't take this.
I really don't see why he can't just stay with her, just because he won't grow old and can't have children doesn't mean they can't continue to love - love shouldn't be restricted to this. In fact I'd rather not have watched this episode it just makes me all the more depressed. I'm just hoping in the next minute the story suddenly changes 180 degrees so that Night in actual fact becomes Human!!!!!!!!! Or maybe Riiko meets someone that looks exactly like Night and basically has the same attributes as him BUT IS HUMAN! This just can't be, just not again! NOT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NO IT DIDN'T HAPPEN - Besides being able to see Hayami Mokomichi in something else I think this episode was utterly not worth it, I really didn't enjoy being heart broken again and the plot was too far fetched, maybe I should make a fan episode (or find one) to make myself happier! If I ever rewatch Zettai Kareshi I will definitely not watch the SP again.

So that's my commentary from a few days ago, the words still hold true; I was utterly dissapointed because I got another sad ending! The fact is that with the actual end of the series we could dream about Night being resurrected or something idk, we could imagine a fairytale ending but with this SP it basically crashed all of that. The fact that it's both Night and Riiko saying that the love should end here and now just makes it impossible for any fairytale ending to occur. I think it would have been better if the director released a 1 hour special or maybe 30 minutes special across 4 episodes of Night and Riiko living together in line with the original storyline e.g. before Night died, and skip out all the unhappy bits because we've already had a sad ending. Basically this SP is as bad as bringing back Sangdoo! Let's Go To School and saying that in fact Eun-Hwan and Sang Doo died! As in the final episode we really don't know if they died or not which left the viewers time to speculate. If instead they released an episode saying THEY DIED, it would just tighten up every loose knot like what Zettai Kareshi did! And going back to Soshi... Just dissapointed! Maybe I should rewatch the series and make a montage of all the scenes between Aibu Saki and Hayami Mokomichi!

Make Me A Supermodel Season 2 Episode 7

Yeah MMASM is back this week! I missed it so much last week - ok not that much but I wanted to watch it, I feel a bit bad as I should be revising but I'm watching these two shows.
Jordan is annoying me sooo sooo much! Just SHUT UP! STOP BEING SO RUDE! I can't believe Salome didn't know Andy Warhol! Even if you don't know him you must have heard of his name!
Ok Branden is also annoying me, nearly everyone is annoying me! Besides Jonathan! lol.
Ooh I think I have Jonathan's scarf! Well at least it looks really similar to mine - except mine's darker - maybe more like Branden's.
Ooh so Amanda is the new CJ! Double elimination! Laury and Amanda I'd expect. Amanda because I have that feeling (and finally Jordan would shut up about her, she has a compulsive disorder or something!) and Laury because her face is soo not model looking. Did Jonathan just say flat as a pancake! Wow!
Salome - I never had music! Erm well you could make music! But I'm quite amazed she seems quite clueless, maybe it's Salome and Laury? dunno, I think definitely Laury though.
OMG did Salome say she did not know who Twiggy is, she's SOOOO clueless!
The two guys looked a bit stiff in the shoot, they were just way too posey.
Kerryn is all over Colin.
Wow Amanda is definitely very over confident.
Jordan's going to win.
I think Amanda does talk about herself a bit too much and seems more like an ANTM contestant! But anyway she doesn't annoy me, yet!
Salome won! erm... what the hell... huh... huh... HUH...!!! How did she win! Her photo was probably the worst! erm, erm, erm, speechless... I think I may have just lost the plot with this shot. Salome has won 2 shoots now! and funny Mountaha said she's the go see escort, lol
What's her name - Salami! lol
Wow they were much more brash than all the other brands, well at least that shows that they are one of the best and to be honest I woudn't have booked either of them.
The thing I like about MMASM compared to ANTM is that they models actually have modelling experience whilst on the show as they actually go on go sees. I don't like Jordans body because it's way too triangular.
All of the girl contestants are so obnoxious! It annoys me, there are no nice girls!
Ooh Branden's got it bad! Sandhurst is definitely the best at catwalk of the guys and probably the girls also. I definitely like the ideas though.
Wow I liked Mountaha's "costume" or whatever it should be called. Mounataha did ok maybe a bit stompy but Salome was a bit drab.
The two guys looked ridiculous! I didn't like Sandhurst's walk because it was just a bit too much, too over the top in my opinion. Branden's walk was Ok.
Amanda's piece was Ok but Laury looked mad! She actually looked like she fitted into a mental institute!
Both were a little weird but I liked Amanda's a bit more.
Kerryn's was a little plain whilst I though Colin's would looked a bit jailly but in fact it was quite cool.
Colin's walk was TERRIBLE, Kerryn was average.
Jonathan looked dreadful! Jordan looked good besides the random silvery thing she had!
Jonathan and Jordan just seemed a bit awkward though I think Jonathan did better because it looked like he was leading Jordan.

Jonathan
Mountaha
Jordan
Amanda
Branden
Sandhurst
Laury
Salome
Kerryn
Colin

Photos
Sandhurst - His photo was poor, he looked distant and he looked like a prop, sadly so many people did awfully that he actually didn't get that bad a call out!
Branden - At least Branden shows some personality, some fun. But he looked weird and awkward.
I liked Mountaha's shoot as she really seemed happy and in the shot.
Salome - I still don't understand why Salome won the challenge, her face looks awful and the left arm is sick (unlike a lot of other people I don't use sick as a compliment!)
Colin - He looked like a vampire doing the robot thing - awkward
Kerryn - erm, a mum that nobody wants to talk about, that's what she looks like. She reminds me of some bingo advert mixed with diamond car insurance!
Laury - She looks old girl!
Amanda - She looks average but at least she had some exuberance about her but she still looked old!
Jordan - Finally somebody that did well! A great shot
Jonathan - It isn't his best shot and the hands do scare me but at least he looks a bit decent.

Jordan
Mountaha
Jonathan
Branden
Sandhurst
Salome
Amanda
Laury
Kerryn
Colin

It's such a shame, this shoot was awful! Only Jordan and Mountaha did well whilst Jonathan did Ok - all the others failed miserably.
Where was Perou! Oh and there was some bitching! What the hell Sandhursts picture was average! Ok I think this show has just gone totally off. Wow Kerryn and Laury showed some bitchiness! Why is everyone loving Salome's picture - it's average! I can't believe Jonathan or Mountaha wasn't called near the top! I still don't understand Salome's praise or Sandhurst's! I think this show has just lost the plot this episode - I'm not sure I like it that much anymore, two average shots got great praise. I still don't understand how Salome won this week... lost for words...
Based on this episode it should be Colin and Kerryn but Laury should also go this week whatever.
Kerryn shouldn't have gone, she's done OK and I think she has a chance to do better, it was her attitude that got her cut.

The whole show today was just like a trainwreck, I feel dissapointed that I wasted my time on it and didn't do my revision!
So what's going to be my call out this week!
So this week I thought the best 3 were Jonathan, Mountaha and Jordan - everyone else was just blah! So...

Jordan
Jonathan
Mountaha
Branden
Sandhurst
Amanda
Salome
Laury
Kerryn
Colin

With this rankings Jonathan still stays sky high, I'm still confused why the judges aren't seeing what I'm seeing as they aren't giving the praise he deserves - he is by far the best guy as he's the most consistent and consistently the best!
Sandhurst has slowly lost his hold onto Jonathan and instead he's really close to Jordan - Jordan may be able to break the top 2 stronghold next week! Branden stays fourth whilst Mountaha is slowly increasing. Then after the top 5 we have Laury who's at 6th. The reason for her relatively high ranking is because there's always been worse people to cushion her fall as she normally has an awful shot and a good walk but this week she failed on both, however yet again Kerryn and Colin was there to cover her fall. Amanda is at 7th whilst then Kerryn is 8th. Finally we have Salome at 9th which I still don't understand how she got so much praise and Colin at botton. In fact Amanda has continued her streak of being in the middle of the pack, neither good nor bad enough to be top or bottom for me! She's always been in the middle for me. Whilst Jonathan has never been anywhere besides the top 3! Except for in the first week when he was 4th.

ANTM Cycle 12 Episode 10

Ok I'm a bit late on this but it's because the last time I wanted to post I couldn't get onto my Google Account - so annoying. Anyway here was my commentary.
Fo seems a bit immature as she holds grudges - like me! I'm soooo immature sometimes!
Woah, Aminat saying - it's so pretty - in that voice was utterly scary!
Did anyone think that Fernanda Motta looked like a younger version of Paulina Porizkova when she was introducing Sau Paulo to the girls!
Wow New York to Sau Paulo is 9 hours!
The whole detour to the botanical gardens and the girl of I don't remember! was just random.
However Natalie was a bit rude about the whole experience in my opinion, she just dismissed it at the first moment. It's good to have your opinion but don't just complain, show some respect, she just acts so spoilt and arrogant.
Fo definitely had the moves in the photo challenge but it's so annoying as her face looked pug(ish) and her hair was dreadful.
Teyona had an awful shot whilst Allison had a good one.
Celia had great moves but she covered her face, Natalie's was really weird looking. Aminat was Ok but her mouth was... lol.
So Fo wanted to sabotage Teyona's shoot, well who wouldn't! The judges absolutely love her! Wow if Natalie thought she was gonna doing fantastically and then got eliminated that would be so embarrassing.
They actually had the shoot in the favela! I'm amazed. Allison looked slightly drunk in the shoot but at least she did well.
With Mr. J's great critique of Natalie I was left totally confused on whether Natalie was going (but of course now I know).
I definitely loved Teyona's look in the shoot but her smile is still the scariest thing on this show!
Natalie's personality gets on my nerves, I just don't like her and to be honest I don't think her photos have been that good either.
I'm amazed Fernanda Motta said favela were happy places! Cause I was taught that favelas were basically slums!
Oh no Fo is getting the actress edit. I think Teyona is actually doing too well to win! Because it would make it all too predictable and I think Tyra (and Mr. Mok!) wouldn't want that to happen.

Judges Call out
Allison - Yep agree
Teyona - Understand
Fo - Wow, 3rd, quite amazed
Celia - hmm... well I guess they are pulling the old card now
Aminat - expected it
Natalie - finally she's gone. To all those who said she's good this is my opinion; yes she does seem to be very modelesque and her pre show photos showed potential but on this show she was average at best. I'm not saying she's a bad model because ANTM never really shows how well a model does in the actual industry but on this show Natalie sucked.

Everyone did badly in my opinion! Well Allison and Natalie had average shots.

Honestly though why does Paulina look awful nowadays! I hate her hair! I still hate Natalie, till the end she said "I don't understand why I'm going home" well girl you don't have a great portfolio, that's why! Paulina saw through it all!

Ok my take on the photos
Allison - I think the body is horrible as she looks so short and big but the face is weirdly stunning, she doesn't look superbly pretty but there is an emotion captured there, however the whole shot on the whole is awkward, the face definitely does lift it up though.
Aminat - Her face looks a dreary and to be honest I don't find her pose too bad, she looks Ok in that pose, but yes everything is a bit boring.
Celia - I don't understand this look, Her body looks Ok - though boring whilst her face is just stiff. I don't understand what this has to do with the shot.
Fo - Once in a while Fo just puts in one of the ugliest photos ever, this is one of them, the last one was her immigrants shoot. She just totally flopped this. Her face looks dreadful and her body is weird. Let's say if she makes it to the Final 2 if she had this roll carrying on she would utterly bomb the final catwalk!
Natalie - her face was Ok and her body was Ok, it's all Ok but just slightly boring - however in a week like this one this shot is enough to propel her near the top.
Teyona - I don't like the face, it just doesn't look right to me. I thin as a photo it's more interesting that Allison's but Teyona herself isn't bringing much to the table here, her body is boring and her face is a bit snarled.

My call out
Allison - Though not great it's the best of the pack
Natalie - It's an average photo
Teyona - I just think it looks alien beautiful, therefore awkward!
Aminat - Her face is still very weak in photos
Celia - The terminator! (even though I've never watched it!)
Fo - It's a disaster!

Overall Natalie didn't go because she had the worst shot she went because she talked back like that (showing no professionalism at all) and has given no range, I agree that she had a good shot compared to the other girls (as I'd personally call it average), but I think this is the best she could do in this competition. Ironically Natalie left on her best shoot! Well she had to go! But this episode's photos were all average/bad. And with Fo's awful shot Teyona strolls past her in terms of my call outs. It's now Teyona, Fo, (London), Allisom, Celia, Aminat, (Sandra), (Tahlia), then Natalie! Some may disagree but that was is my call out averages. Now amazingly Fo, Allison and Celia all have two first call outs from me whilst the pack leader Teyona only has one first call out - basically because the other three have been so up and down.

Tennis Review: Week 13-19th April

This week was a in some respects a disappointment, The reason why I'm verging towards not posting about tennis as often. Let's talk about the WTA first.
The Family Circle Cup is one of the most prestigious events on the WTA tour in my opinion boasting so many of the best players as it's winner e.g. Chris Evert, Tracy Austin, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf Gabriela Sabatini, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, Venus & Serena Williams etc etc. But this year Sabine Lisicki won. This rant is by no means saying Sabine isn't a good player - as I don't really know her tennis style, but for such a prstigious tournament to breed a 16th seed as the winner shows the calibre of the WTA tour. We had moments of hope when the Russians and William's sisters filled in the spot of Justine, Maria, Amelie et al, but now the Russians have fallen by the wayside again leaving only the Williams sisters to hold the fort - sadly that's not enough. The fact is there were 8 Top 20 players in this tournament and Sabine was ranked 62 coming into this, I'm all for shock wins but when it's a shock win of a big event it becomes somewhat of an embarrasment to the rest of the players. It's these times which really show the aggresion of the teenage players like Caroline Wozniacki and Vicrtoria Azarenka but I doubt those attributes would have been shown if they were playing along in the Justine/Amelie era! This can be said for Nicole Vaidisova. She was possibly the best teen player in the Justine/Amelie time period but she received little recognition because Justine was so dominant. I hope this display isn't emulated at Roland Garros, though I honestly believe that up to 4 players in the quarterfinals will be players below the Top 20!
The Barcelona Ladies Open didn't produce a much better result either for the seeds. Alize, Flavia, Kaia, Sara and Sorana all went early on. That left Carla Suarez Navarro and Maria Kirilenko holding the fort for the seeds whilst the italian duo of Roberta Vinci and Francesca Schiavone led the bottom half. This would have been a great chance for Nicole Vaidisova if she was in the form she was in before but sadly all my favourite players seem to have fallen into ill form again!

The Monte Carlo event was nearly capable of relieving my mood until Rafael Nadal won again! Rafael Nadal basically dominated the first 4 rounds and then performed well enough to win the title against Andy Murray (the next most in form player) and Novak Djokovic. Some interesting things of note were the tussle between Marat Safin and Lleyton Hewitt, which Safin won in straight sets (but he then lost to qualifier Nicolas Lapentti). Gael Monfils and Juan Martin Del Potro also left early on. What really did make me smile was that the Swiss playing in the Semifinal against Djokovic was not Federer but Wawrinka! To all those non believers (in that Federer has passed his peak) I just have to say... open you eyes, stop dreaming! Once Federer announced he was to have a baby it was kind of like a sign. It's kind of like saying he's passed tennis on and the baby is his nice platform to step away from tennis and save some grace. He's just lost it and really doesn't deserve to be named No.2 in the world when their are Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. It's a shame that once Federer is out nobody would be able to challenge Nadal until next year but at least Federer's gone! I don't even think Federer would win Wimbledon, that would absolutely be the final blow even if he wins the US. I said last year that if Federer loses Wimbledon (no matter how close he is) he'll fall out of competition in 2009 and this has proved to be true. The former king of tennis has officially fallen off his throne but he's definitely not falling off gracefully like Andre Agassi did.

Miss USA 2009 Show

The first few girls were actually really good in the openingdance number. Couldn't see them properly but I'm sure I saw Louisiana.

Top 15!
I wonder who make it - Ok most of you'll probably know but as I'm living in the UK I'm only watching it on Youtube - Thanks stevensittchai!

Kentucky - YEAH SHE DESERVED IT! Absolutely Stunning
Arkansas - YEAH SHE DESERVED IT TOO! FIERCE!
California - Deserved it but expected it as well!
West Virginia - Wow, I like her but I wasn't expecting her.
North Carolina - I know she.... Anyway congrats you deserve it.
Connecticut - Wow, totally shocked! She didn't perform that well in the prelim's I thought, kinda dissapointed.
Tennessee - YEP TOTALLY DESERVES IT!
Idaho - Wow another shock but she's a better choice than Connecticut
Arizona - She's a good delegate, a dark horse for Top 15 for me.
Georgia - YEP TOTALLY DESERVED IT!
Utah - Expected it, and she deserves it as well.
Minnesota - Wow! I like her and I thought she was a good delegate but I didn't expect her making it.
Texas - Totally expected, doesn't deserve it though - too many good girls this year.
South Carolina - Wow, I thought she could make it but I had my doubts.
Virginia - She's a good delegate but I was somewhat questioning whether she'd made it.

So who got unjustly cut?
Colorado - She was elloquent and stunning, her evening gown performance and somewhat more voluptuous body could have hindered her but I think she should have placed in the Top 15 at least.
Florida - Her warm smile and beautiful body should have locked her into a top 15 spot, shame.
Hawaii - In utter amazement, one of my favourites (and everyone elses too)! She totally deserved a spot in the Top 15.
Rhode Island - In total shock she didn't make it, possibly one of the best delegates, absolutely confused why she was barred.

Girls I'd like to have seen
Alabama - She is a sexy diva, she'd be great on the runway
Delaware - Her talking about the Delaware Curse, sadly it happened again! She wasn't that bad though.
Maine - For the past few days she had excelled herself, I'd like to have seen a darkhorse do well in the competition.
Louisiana - She is so animated, it would have been nice to see her answer the final question - though I'm not sure I'd be happy if she made it that far!
Ohio - She's so nice and has such a large heart, her look isn't right for the pageant but she definitely has the soul.
Wisconsin - She's a stunner, though I never locked her into the Top 15 I thought she deserved some recognition.

Girls I was shocked didn't make it through (as in I thought Miss USA would like them)
Hawaii and Rhode Island are of course two who they totally forgot about.
Louisiana - I honestly thought she was a lock for Top 15, I guess her gown was so hideous they had to cut her out.
New York - I was debating on whether I'd put her as unjustly cut but she didn't excel in any area, only reason why I liked her was because she was Asian, but anyway I honestly thought they'd put her through to even out the "colour" because the Top 15 is bombarded by "white" girls.

Girls that shouldn't have made it through
Connecticut - I am totally confused on why she's a Top 15? She didn't have a great walk nor is she a stunner. Her web interview was also poor the only reason why she may have been able to make it maybe because she caned the interview with the prelim judges. Totally shocked
Idaho - She's a good delegate but with Hawaii and Rhode Island out of the running I don't think she deserved her place.
Texas - I really don't think she's that great a delegate, she performed averagely at the prelims so I honestly don't think she should have made it.

If I knew Hawaii and Rhode Island were barred, these girls wouldn't have been favourable as Top 15.
West Virginia - Sweet as she is we've got Rhode Island to fill that spot!
Arizona - She is a good delegate but knowing Hawaii and Rhode Island were cut she is by far of a lower standard.
South Carolina - She was always a possible Top 15 but I'd rather see Hawaii than her.
Virginia - Besides being a cute girl next door look she doesn't have anything else in her repertoire.

So In brief who else should (my Top 15 and what I expected) have made it...
Colorado
Florida
Hawaii
Rhode Island
Louisiana
Wisconsin
New York

Still in utter shock neither Hawaii nor Rhode Island made it when Connecticut made it!
Did anyone realise that a lot of the girls came from the left hand corner. Georgia (Kimberly) was like standing on her own when she was announced.
Know that I think of it I like Crystle - last year's Miss USA, I was just a bit iffy about her (though I didn't see Miss USA 2008 competition) but now I like her - she's not the prettiest but she has personality and a great vibe.

I like Let It Rock but the performance was poor, it just sounded off and he looked a mess - I was totally dissapointed by it, I actually thought it would be really cool.

Swimsuit Competition
Kentucky - She had great energy and a sizzling body but I was slightly concerned over her walk.
Arkansas - Fierce as always!
California - She had the look but she lacked the energy the music had.
West Virginia - A poor showing, she didn't have the confidence
North Carolina - It was a good showing, not fantastic not bad - a good showing
Connecticut - She didn't have the sass to bring it which I was shocked by. Her body is a bit out of proportion as well.
Tennessee - Her body was fantastic but it was sad that she kind of rushed it.

OK just stop singing please Kevin Rudolf! It sounds like you're being strangled! The song is good but you're not!

Idaho - Besides her body looking a bit square she did Ok. Maybe lacking a bit of energy.
Arizona - She worked it! I totally take back my opinion on her not deserving it.
Georgia - She was pretty but she came off a bit square. I still like her though.
Utah - She was loving the attention! She fed off the energy boosting her oversized ego! lol
Minnesota - I liked her energy but her body just didn't look as good as before for some reason.
Texas - Her arm movements annoyed me and she was rather slow but it was an Ok performance.
South Carolina - She was nice but she didn't work it like some of the other girls.
Virginia - Her walk is a disaster - no confidence either.

So I didn't really look at the judges score so I don't know who is in the Top 10 yet but if I was the judges I would cut... West Virginia, Idaho, Virginia, Connecticut and Texas.
Slightly dissapointed by Georgia's performance and I'm worried she's cut.
Arkansas, Arizona, Tennessee, Utah and Kentucky did the best for me in terms of their look, their walk and their figure.

Top 10! OMG, Who was cut!
Arizona - Yep totally expected, she rocked it! (Interior design girl hey! love her more now!)
California - She did well enough.
South Carolina - hmmm.... She did Ok but I'm not sure she should make it this far.
Kentucky - YEAH, Love her!
Utah - Expected, and she did well as well.(only 5'9? she looks 5'11! Shorter than California and Arizona!)
North Carolina - She did well.
Arkansas - YEAH! She DESERVES IT. (oh my god she's like the oldest Top 10! - she seems like one of the youngest!)
Texas - OMG, how biased can they be!
West Virginia - WHAT! She's nice but she didn't perform well.
Tennessee - OMG I was like crossing my figures for her.

So Minnesota and Georgia were cut. I was slightly sad that they both got cut but to be honest before the pageant I was only expecting Georgia to make the Top 15 and Minnesota to possibly make the Top 15. West Virginia honestly shouldn't have made it - she performed the worst in my opinion.

Arkansas should definitely have won - she's so diverse! Martial arts! Who would have expected it! Ok Tennessee you shouldn't have talked about her wigs! I hear drag queen comments! Oh seeing Hawaii makes me so sad - she should have made it.

The Veronicas performance was Ok, better than Kevin Rudolf but my favourite is still the string quartet of one of the past Miss Universe's I love the slower more soulful tunes in the evening gown competition.

Evening Gown Competition
Arizona - I was dissapointed, she didn't look graceful and she looked slightly hunched! Just dissapointed.
California - She performed well, it was a bit predictable but it was good.
South Carolina - I loved how she looked but her walk was a bit lackluster
Kentucky - SHE LOOKED BEAUTIFUL! I'd loved if her walk was a bit more polished but she looked stunning.
Utah - She was more muted than what I expected. But she definitely stood out and Dayana will be liking it!
North Carolina - I loved her gown! I think she tried to get tips from Taliana Vargas but sadly she didn't have that sass! I think the high score was because the judges loved the dress not her!
Arkansas - She's absolutely stunning! Maybe a bit too fierce for an evening gown segment but she's definitely fierce - can't believe the judges scored her 8.419! WHAT - Absolutely stupid!
Texas - She did good considering her average gown.
West Virginia - Doesn't deserve a top 10 placement.
Tennessee - She looked stunning, I was slightly shocked that her walk isn't better though.

Ok My Top 5 if I just looked at Evening gown scores would be Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Utah and North Carolina.
If I added the two scores together I'd have the same top 5. Just to say... California actually had the exact same score as North Carolina but I gave the Top 5 spot to North Carolina because I thought she had a slightly better performance in both rounds.
Oh My god 4 girls are wearing white dresses!

Top 5
North Carolina - In my Top 5 as well, mainly because of the dress
Arizona - I think she did badly in the evening gown but I think she's an Ok Top 5.
Utah - Expected and she has the latina feel about her even though she's European!
California - She was an alternative of mine for the Top 5 but as Arizona took a spot I'd rather she didn't make it.
Kentucky - Yep she deserved it.

Sooooo sad that Arkansas didn't make it. It's another bad decision! Tennessee would have been a nice addition. So Hawaii, Rhode Island, Arkansas and Tennessee didn't make the Top 5 even though they were kind of like my Top 5.

Short Introduction Segment (Don't confuse with actual interview)
North Carolina - She doesn't strike me as a Miss USA - a possibility for a Top 10 at Miss Universe. But she had a good answer, needs work on the poise and the look.
Arizona - The introduction is the time for you to be a little bit more quirky and Arizona did that. She doesn't strike me as a Miss USA either and her look was slightly tired.
Utah - She's not the best orator and she looked somewhat average. However she had a nice answer and she was poised. Just to add, she looks like she'll fit in Miss Universe but she doesn't look like a Miss USA.
California - She had a good look and great poise but her answer lacked a bit in my opinion.
Kentucky - She was very sweet but I think she could have worded her answer better at the start, she nearly tripped over her words.

Oh soo bumed that neither Tennessee nor Arkansas made it and even more bumed that Hawaii nor Rhode Island made the Top 15. Besides Kentucky none of the Top 5 made my Top 5. Out of the Top 5 California looks like a Miss USA but she doesn't have the whole package to be Miss USA.

Final Question
North Carolina - She had a difficult but great question, she definitely spoke well to get the crowd on her side and I bet she wasn't expecting that type of question! It was a short but sweet answer she definitely knew how to work the crowd (including judges). However if you obscure the crowd pleasing answer she was definitely in a daze and in actual fact her answer wasn't that well formed. I fear for her if she makes it to the Top 5 in Miss Universe.
Arizona - Did she answer the question? Well at least she looked like she was on the spot but I really didn't hear an answer!
Utah - It was a good beginning to an answer but she really needed to expand on it.
California - She looked pissed! I think she handled it well considering I believe she must be very conservative, she definitely could have developed more on her opinion and I expect she was just trying to escape from a topic so sensitive to a lot of people and a question that could possibly destroy her - bad one Perez!
Kentucky - Yet again a nice intro but it needed a bit more, however it was a great start to an answer!

It was basically a process of elimination, it wasn't who was the best of the night it was about who would fit as a Miss USA. Arizona isn't the whole package - she just doesn't scream Miss USA, Utah was more sass than Miss USA, California's opinion on same sex marriage would not have gotten her far as in the pageant industry you'd need to be more sensitive on that type of issue. Whilst Kentucky is a bit too inexperienced and young I think as a Miss USA that basically left North Carolina who may not have been the best of the night but she was well rounded and she arguably had the best interview as all the other girls just failed to shine in that segment.

Overall coming into the Top 5 it was Utah, Kentucky, North Carolina, California then Arizona. Coming out of the Top 5 I thought Kentucky was the best out of the Top 5 on the night then North Carolina, Utah, California and finally Arizona. If the pageant wanted the best of the night it should have been Arkansas! She had great style and a fantastic walk. In the Top 5 Kentucky would have been the best choice but North Carolina is definitely more of a Miss USA than any of the top 5.

White was definitely the colour this year.

5th - Kentucky! OH MY GOD... how! She's the best out of the Top 5
4th - Utah. I thought she'd be third!
3rd - Arizona, quite shocked she made 3rd I was expecting 4th or 5th.
2nd - California. If Carrie didn't give that answer she really could have won as she had one judge definitely against her and probably a bunch of others as well. North Carolina definitely got a crowd pleasing question whilst however California cut it she would have had a hate group on her back!
Winner - North Carolina - She was an underdog in my opinion throughout the whole process but I'm not too dissapointed as I've been dissapointed too many times already and honestly she was one of the better girls in the Top 5 and I have to say I did put her in my Top 5.

Before I go I've checked on Wikipedia for the scores so here goes!
Swimsuit
1st: North Carolina 9.198 - Well I was expecting the winner to be in the top few but 1st is a bit extreme!
2nd: Arizona 9.092 - She worked it, she deserved it
3rd: California 9.033 - Well she's the favourite but personally I'd give her more of a 8.8 score.
4th: Kentucky 8.963 - Yep about right.
5th: Utah 8.851 - A bit lower than I'd expect but about right.
6th: Arkansas 8.704 - Honestly the judges hate her for some reason, she deserved way more than that!
7th: Texas 8.478 - The scores about right but the position is wrong
8th: West Virginia 8.475 - No way did she deserve 8th!
9th: Tennessee 8.442 - Her running onto the stage cost her, she should have been closer to the Top 5.
10th: South Carolina 8.402 - About right.

Outers
11th: Virginia 8.199 - About right
12th: Minnesota 8.150 - I think she deserved better than that score.
13th: Georgia 7.946 - No way did she deserve less than 8!
14th: Idaho 7.800 - Yep about right.
15th: Connecticut 7.797 - I think she should have scored slightly higher but I think the judges didn't like her look, me neither, but she performed better than 7.7 in my opinion.

Evening Gown
1st: North Carolina 9.470 - Looking at these scores it was quite obvious that North Carolina would win! She didn't deserve that high a score.
2nd: California 9.275 - She shouldn't be 2nd or score 9.275.
3rd: Arizona 9.189 - The judges just like her as she didn't deserve that score.
4th: Kentucky 9.047 - The scores about right but she should have placed in the Top 3.
5th: Utah 8.849 - Abour right

Outers!
6th: Texas 8.694 - She was not 6th! She should have been 8th or something.
7th: Tennessee 8.578 - She deserved better!
8th: Arkansas 8.419 - in total shock why she got such a low score.
9th: South Carolina 8.335 - considering the scors of the other girls it's about right
10th: West Virginia 8.296 - About right.

Overall I think the judges had a few favourites since the beginning and whether they performed well or not they just judged them on how much they liked them, therefore the other girls had no chance as the favourites were North Carolina, California, Arizona and Kentucky whilst Utah had a lot of attention by fans and the media alike. Arkansas was robbed of a Top 5 and you could honestly hear that she was one of the girls with the biggest cheers as she came on stage. Tennessee would have been a nice alternative to the Top 5. But still I'm pissed about Rhode Island and Hawaii not making the Top 15 when Idaho and Connecticut did and looking back on the performances West Virginia performed awfully! I guess they just didn't like the former teen contestants as none of them made the Top 15!
And wow West Virginia winning Miss Photogenic! Slightly shocked! She's pretty but there are loads of pretty girls in thie contest - I think it's the Miss Universe organization trying to justify her being in the Top 10! Because I'm sure Utah was leading that ever since the start - even though she's not the most photogenic either, just that she has a load of crazy fans!
In the end with the Top 2 North Carolina and California it was between a girl who gave the "crowd pleasing" opinion and a girl who gave a "sensitive" opinion. In my opinion I respect California for giving her personal view but she could have formulated the answer better. I think North Carolina and California performed about equally on the final question but in the end North Carolina in my opinion performed slightly better throughout. Still I'd loved to have seen Kentucky, Arkansas, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Tennessee as the Top 5! In all I think these 5 girls are the 5 who were totally underscored. The wisest choice for Miss USA would be Miss Utah. She's a solid speaker and performer and definitely has the fashion sense to propel her to the spotlight. As Miss Universe seems to be favouring the Europeans this year she'd have a good shot especially since she has a Venezuelan touch to her as well, though not the best delegate she is probably the most suited for Miss Universe.

Anyway as a final word congratulations to Miss North Carolina, you may not have been the best contestant but you definitely fit the Miss USA vibe. Sadly though I don't expect her to do well in Miss Universe, in well I mean I don't think she'll make the top 5 as most Miss USA's get into the Top 15 anyway! I think she'll make the Top 10 but then fall out basically. She just doesn't have the package that Rachel had whilst she doesn't have the personality Crystle has, but still congratulations! lol!

oh and before I go - stop hating on Nadine Velazquez the female host, she wasn't that bad and in the end the shows about the contestants not the hosts! Oh and I'm quite amazed that Global Beauties managed to get all of the Top 15 in their Top 25 because Connecticut wouldn't have placed anywhere near the Top half for me. Also for Global Beauties to place Hawaii 3rd and Missosology to place Hawaii 1st I'm still in utter shock that she didn't make the Top 15. (Hawaii was in like the Top 5 of every pageant website). Maybe as she's roommates with California they didn't want to put both of them through - dunno! Or maybe it was because of the "bitchy" video they posted (I didn't think it was that bitchy to be honest) as California was the favourite to win maybe they put all the blame on Hawaii instead.

Yeah I've yabbered on a bit but now I realized I got 8 out of 15 for the top 15! A typical score for me. However I only got 1 of the Top 5. Of course predictions are different from favourites and I'd probably have scored better if I looked at my predictions. And just to drive it in....
Hawaii was robbed, Arkansas was robbed! Georgia, Tennessee, Rhode Island and Kentucky should have got better marks!
So see all of you at Miss Universe 2009!

Miss USA 2009 4th Preview

Ok so only two days to go now and I've got a slightly different favourites list. I'll make this easier I'll have my Top 15 and quite a few girls of note, so here goes. No photos I'm afraid - just type in www.missusa.com you'll reach the official website to view the girls.

Top 15

Florida - Her natural smile should grant her a high placing in any pageant! She has a good portfolio but in all honesty I doubt whether she'll make it this far.

New York - Though she's slowly slipping in my point of view I just have to support her; because she's Asian!

South Carolina - She's back! This time Minnesota's out! Anyway I think South Carolina has a sophisticated elegance to her but she could easily drop back out of my Top 15 in the next hours!

Vermont - I had high hopes for her but she seems to be failing me. So she's currently only in my Top 15.

Wisconsin - I can only justify her being here because of her awesome looks! Besides that she doesn't seem to be that strong of a delegate.

Top 10

California - The favourite of many I'd expect. She's a good delegate and I do like her but she'll have to do a lot more to make my Top 5 as I don't consider her to be in the Top 5 for looks or interviews so I'll need to see her walk and stuff.

Colorado - I love her look; but yes she has dropped out of the Top 5! I think she's performing well but I think there are others who have surpassed her somewhat. I'd definitely put her at No.6! Still love her elloquence though - she reminds me of Rachel Smith.

Tennessee - At times I think she's a stunner and at times I think she's a dud! It's just way too difficult. I still like her and I'd call her my No.7.

Utah - I still can't get the nose thing out of my head! But I think she'll have a great walk. Still I can't justify placing her any lower than my Top 15.

Virginia - She's slowly vanishing into thin air for me! But still she makes my Top 10.

Top 5!

Arkansas - I absolutely love her now! She's so sweet and her walk is fierce! It would be unjustified not to place her in my Top 5 and if she doesn't at least make it to the Top 15 on the day I'll be mortified.

Georgia - I still like her but I think Arkansas seems to have taken her role. Want to see more of her though.

Hawaii - She's still one of my favourites even though she had that little fiasco with Miss California.

Kentucky - Yep she's made it into the Top 5! I think she's beautiful and her evening gown is stunning and to be honest she seems the most articulate out of my Top 5.

Rhode Island - She just looks so cute! I can't justify it if she wasn't in my Top 5.


Contestants of note:
Alabama - She looks elegant in her evening gown (though it may be a bit too skimpy!) I still like her interview though.
Arizona - She's suddenly fallen into "erm... I'm not sure" category again.
Delaware - I think she's actually quite photogenic.
District of Columbia - A close scrape in becoming an alternative.
Illinois - She's an Ok candidate that I'd just like to mention.
Iowa - I still can't forget her look in the interview, she looks much prettier then.
Kansas - There's something about her that I love, but I can't justify putting her into my Top 15.
Louisiana - Besides looking a bit too tanned sometimes and having an awful evening gown I think she's a worthy alternative.
Maine - The past few days she has started to stand out a bit more.
Massachusetts - I think she actually is quite pretty, she's just obscured because there are a lot of pretty girls this year.
Michigan - I still love her Peter Pan comment, but everything else seems to fall flat.
Minnesota - Currently an alternative I'd say.
North Carolina - Her evening gown is fantastic!
Nebraska - Like a few of the other girls her interview is what's making me clutch to her even though her other stuff is average.
Ohio - As with Nebraska.
Texas - A possible alternative for me
West Virginia - A possible alternative for me as well

ANTM Cycle 12 Episode 9 Photos

Allison

Aminat

Celia

Fo

London

Natalie

Teyona

ANTM Cycle 12 Episode 9

Celia "Think of Sex" hmmm.....
Fo seems to have distorted views of the modeling industry!
Why does Natalie still have the hippie band - I thought the judges hated it!
I love Aminat's hair - great job Allison
I'm amazed London is not confident with her weight as she seems to be an uber-confident person.
I actually liked London's styling and the photo was weird but interesting.
Wow Teyona won! I think she did well but I don't know whether she should have won the challenge.
Are the ANTM girls ever not fans of the guests! Though I do like Ciara myself I must say lol!
Allison seemed a bit rude to Mr Jay! She just broke out!
It's Aminat and London at the bottom defo.
The whole realizing Brazil thing was just "erm!"

Photo Time!
Allison - I like the full shot as Allison gives off a truly menacing look, her face is a bit to animalistic though in my opinion - a bit of toning down would be better for me, and yeah her pose is a little stiff.

Aminat - Oh no! I'm sure this couldn't have been her best! Her head looks photoshopped onto the body - the body is actually OK for me but the face is... lost for words! I think her posing is probably one of the best this week! But her face just detracts from everything!

Celia - I think the pose is Ok, not fantastic but what makes this shot stand out is the face, she looks really good in a close up - one of the first times where her posing has lost to her facial beauty.

Fo - I like it but it just seems a bit awkward to me, I think her face could have shown a little more tension to be honest as at the moment her movement looks more fluid rather than tense. To me it looks like her hands are long but her body is short - like her hands reach her knees!

London - I just can't believe this is London's best, every week she has done Ok or well but this just falls flat - Her body is lost and her face is square - London knows better than that. I think it was chosen so that London's departure would be justified. At least her stare is good.

Natalie - I think it's a bit too menacing, it reminds me of her immigrant shot. But I do think this is probably Natalie's best shot to date. I don't know why but the whole shot kind of makes Natalie look pregnant! And oh my god that hand scares me - just how long, blue and crooked it looks! Though I have to say bad angles come into play here as her top half looks way too big for her bottom half.

Teyona - I like the shot and her side face is always stunning, however I think her angles could have been better to make her left eye look more present, though it's a beautiful shot. Though yet again her body does scare me a bit in this shot - she looks like an alien amputee!

Celia
Teyona
Fo
Natalie
Allison
London
Aminat

It was difficult to rank as I thought they all had their strengths and weaknesses (London and Aminat's were just in a totally different league - the junior league!)

So instead of Teyona - who from watching the show I thought I would place first, it was Celia instead! Because Celia looked good and had a great pose without looking like she lost a limb. Teyona would have won if only we had seen her lower legs. Fo did well whilst Allison did well also but needed to work on body proportions, this left London and Aminat - London came next to last because everything was awful besides her eyes! Whilst for Aminat I felt her face detracted from the shot so much that her whole shot looked awkward, if she had done a "help" kind of expression then the shot would have been TOP, but her expression is just awful! Definitely some manipulating by Ken Mok!

So in somewhat of an unexpected twist Celia now matches Fo's record of staying topping the ranks twice this season! I really didn't expect Celia to climb my favourites list! Could she do a Fatima? I remember Fatima topped my charts two or three weeks in a row but then I think I had to discount her as she didn't participate in the photoshoot.

Before reading this it would make sense if I told you that I do a ranking where girls who score more than 0.75 get a "good shot" whilst girls scoring lower than 0.25 get a "bad shot". It's simple I only rank the girls and then depending on how many girls are in the competition I score the best girl 13/13 (1st week) which equals 1 the second girl 12/13 and so on and on, of course as each girl is elimated I drop down to 12, 11, 10 and so on.

Anyway Fo has now for the first time dropped out of the top quartile or bottom quartile category. Beforehand she had made the Top 0.75 5 times and drooped to the bottom 0.25 once, now she has just dropped out of the Top 0.75. Current call out for me 0.76.

Teyona has now fought her way back up to nearly equal Fo's call out ratio. She stands at 0.76 but is a few hundredths away from Fo, next week will be the decider between these two. She now has 3 2nd call outs and 1 1st call out from me.

Celia has unsuspectingly jumped to third place! Before this episode she had never managed to break the Top 4 but now she sits at 3rd having had 2 top shots and a slurry of above average ones as well. If Celia does well next week whilst either one of the top two fail she could easily usurp her position into the Top 2! Scary!

London finishes her ANTM career at 4th. She started off at the top of the pack but sadly she began to slide slowly down. It's amazing that I've actually placed her 6th for 4 weeks:
Shot 3: 6th out of 11
Shot 4: 6th out of 10
Shot 5: 6th out of 9
Shot 7: 6th out of 7
She ends with a respectable score of 0.64.

Allison is at 5th for me now. She's had a few great shots and a few bland ones, with a score of 0.58 she could easily make it back if needed.

Aminat is at 6th, it's not too late for her to make a run for the top either, as long as she doesn't drop to the bottom ever again! Besides Natalie - who in my opinion is a lost cause, she is the only girl without a top shot left in the Top 6.

Natalie is lounging at 7th. If she wants to make an impact she needs to score in the Top 2 every single week from now, but even if she achieves that it's unlikely she'll ever reach the top spot for me. In fact at the moment she is technically 9th on my scoring (under Sandra and Tahlia) but as there was only 7 girls left she is my 7th.
She has never made it to the Top 0.75, in fact she's never had a shot which I score higher than 0.6.

Next week will be interesting, who will win between Fo and Teyona? Could Celia break into the Top 2? Who will win between Allison and Aminat? And will Natalie make it to a respectable position? So many questions left unanswered!

Next week will surely be a Natalie or Aminat elimination. I do sense that the judges have been pushing Natalie to higher call out than she would have got before, the reason is likely that they want to isolate Aminat in the call out ratio, but it's possible that she'll drop out next week also. I know the judges haven't finished with Allison yet, she's a lock for the Top 4 at least I think. Teyona now has such a high a call out that she actually can't be dethroned until Top 5! It's going to be difficult to tell who the judges would eliminate next week as Aminat and Allison have been getting the worst reviews. Natalie is coasting along with the judges but has anyone noticed that we haven't seen Paulina go "she's got no potential" any more. My gut feeling is that Natalie would go but my logic would point to Aminat. It's interesting to see that London was skipping between 5th and 7th all the time, but sadly as there were only 7 girls left and the weak before she achieved 5th she managed to "skip" into elimination!

Though I did promise myself not to focus on spoiler too much it's difficult not to speculate. Normally the spoilers about the Top 2 are generally true - last year Samantha and McKey were locked into the runway since early on, as supposedly this year we have a "bland" blond and a fierce black girl it limits the numbers somehow. Firstly Natalie is definitely nto considered, I wouldn't have even considered her making it past the Top 4, unless something like Jayla cycle 5 crops up - but we don't have personalities like Lisa and Kim to kick out before someone like Jayla this year! I really can't imagine anyone calling Celia a bland blond so the blond girl must be Allison. The fierce black girl would logically be Aminat as she has a great walk whilst Teyona is more bland than fierce on the runway. But I don't see Teyona not making it to the Top 2 and a Allison Vs Aminat finale would be the most unexpected thing from Tyra as both girls currently lounge at the bottom of her call out. I've hoped that Fo would be considered "black" but it just seems unlikely - she's more Mexican looking than black. In all honesty I think I may have predicted it right this year. Natalie/Aminat/Fo will leave before top 3 (though Fo will only leave either Top 5 or Top 4). Then Celia will be third and then Allison and Teyona, this is because they're making excuses to keep Allison and Aminat so it's likely that one will break out and wow them and one will fall earlier on. It's a shame though as I think every thing directs to a Teyona win - only thing though is her way too awesome call out, normally a girl that is way too favoured by the judges falls before the final hurdle because they suddenly spring a problem with her e.g. Anya - considered to have failed the Covergirl and runway, Joanie - considered not to have a personality! etc etc. But I don't see Teyona pulling either of those tricks. The best winner would be Fo! She's just perfect for Covergirl - though I'm not sure about Elite. If all continues to plan we would have had an equally obvious winner as to last cycle - even though McKey seemed to get weaker and weaker as the weeks went on the judges loved her more and more until it was obvious she was going to win. That's probably what's going to happen with Teyona. One more telling factor is that we've not seen anything of Teyona outside of ANTM after ANTM. That's normally a sign of making it far or in most cases winning the whole thing, if a girl normally has an interview it would label her out of the competition e.g. Fo, Allison. A girl shows new hair then she's definitely out e.g. no one yet. A girl seen having fun with other ANTM contestants of past cycles are unlikely to win e.g. Natalie. Girls seen in other purposes have a decreased chance of winning e.g. Celia. That leaves us with Teyona and Aminat. But we'll probably be able to suss who's going in the first 5 minutes of the next episode - they make it soooo obvious I don't think I've got it wrong this cycle yet!

The Apprentice UK Season 5 Episode 4

So we're at Episode 4 and I was really happy that Sir Alan delegated team leadership to Paula and Noorul because we've seen so little of them and in fact I liked Paula but not really Noorul.
Anyway Noorul reminds me of an old science teacher! lol, So amusing that everyone liked him as a team leader even though he didn't do anything! Guess he went into the right profession! Originally I hated how they edited it to make Noorul look a bit daft but honestly he probably is a bit daft!
At first I was skeptical about Empire's (Paula's) decision to use Seaweed as it was probably one of the few marine things I'd rather not use to wash myself with (I guess fish would be on top of my list) but I guess they didn't overdo the seaweed so it was OK. Funny though because when I was writing down the ingredients (on my live commentary sheet) I accidentally wrote Paula as one of the ingredients - an essence of Paula! ewww...
On the other hand Ignite's (Noorul's or actually barring Noorul!) initial decision of using apples kind of baffled me, maybe they did use apples in the end as well but why apples - it really doesn't strike me as an interesting new ingredient to use in soaps or shower gel. In the end their use of honey totally annoyed me as it is neither an innovative idea nor did they make it look good. IT WAS JUST A MESS and I honestly don't understand who would buy that soap! I thought I was watching a bad episode of The Real Hustle!

Ben still annoys me, he seems like the typical pub bloke that you really don't want to talk to.
OH MY GOD! Paula and Yasmina (hitting my head on a plank of wood!) How could they make that mistake Sandalwood and Cedarwood! They really don't sound that similar! Worse so they though it would only cost them like £5, if you had any sense you'd realise that ingredients don't cost you £5.
It was absolutely hilarious when Debra was asking Paula about the Sandalwood which costs £1,200 per kg and then Paula said something like, oh it only came up to about £5 (!) as we only bought a little!

Philip's outburst this week was slightly dissapointing. I understand that Noorul was an awful PM but I think Philip should have learnt to control his anger - especially not at Kim who wasn't doing anything wrong. His use of hair straighteners does baffle me though - absolutely confusing why he needs hair straighteners - his hair is about an inch long!

I absolutely loved the packaging on the soap by Paula! It made it look so good and natural that I would have actually bought that! One of the few things I'd buy from The Apprentice! Great to set their stall at Notting Hill. It's a shame as they did everything else well except for the stupid mistake with the sandalwood. But I think Nick shouldn't have said anything as in the real world they themselves would have needed to realize their mistake - someone isn't just going to come up and say "oh by the way, you spent like £1000 on your fragrances". But I think the ocean is a bit overdone - the honey is way overdone! If they were looking at something innovative I would have liked to see more exotic essences as I've seen chinese and all that but I've rarely seen any Indian type essences or anything like that.

Noorul should have gone even if he'd won, he was just hopeless! I'm better than him! I just don't understand how they made nearly £500 profit. He had some of the biggest flaws - you should never sell low valued products in a "sell you a tv" type of way, you should never change location in the middle of the day unless you are really stuck for sales, you should never sell luxury products at a busy train/underground station - who's going to bother with you! If you did want to sell at a station sell at a train station which mainly does long journeys like King's Cross.

Noorul HAS TO GO! Even though Paula had the fatal flaw she at least had a product! Noorul was basically trying to sell a pot of honey you can't even eat!
If Noorul does go back to teaching I pray for his safety! Paula's team should have won. If only they'd realise that at £3 or £4 they couldn't make a profit and in fact tried to sell half their stock for £4.50 or both the soap and shower gel for £10 or something then tried to find a deal for the other half of their stock maybe they would have won. I'm sure people would have bought the two for £10.

In the end I think Ben should've gone. Yasmina and Paula were probably the most to blame for the miscalculation but Paula actually had the idea and everything else whilst Yasmina has more potential. Ben on the other hand should have participated in the money side of things as well, he could have easily went and checked their figures - that's what a good team player would do. He also has an awful personality which will not get him far in the Apprentice or any other company in fact.

So after this week my favourites are more hazy but here's my list of likes

Philip - Even with this weeks awful showing of his personality he's still one of my favourites and at the moment I think he's the one to beat.
Debra - People may think she's a manipulative and brash person (in fact she may actually be) but I like her.
Yasmina - She's waring my patience a bit but I think she has more to give

then...
Kim - I like her, there's not much not to like
James - Though he doesn't seem to be capable of doing anything he's against Ben and he actually talks a lot of sense.
Lorraine - I liked her today as she showed her calm side and her management skills when Kim and Philip were having a row
Mona - I've only seen a little of her and I haven't really disliked her.

erms....
Kate - I don't dislike her but for some reason I can't say I like her
Howard - Yet again he still reminds me of every contestant I've hated before

ARGHHHHs....
Ben - Just kick him off will you! He's arrogant and he's actually not that great!
Noorul - WASTE OF SPACE ON THE APPRENTICE - I'm sure he's a great school teacher, just stay at that school will you! But honestly what a great way to represent teachers and chemists! Have we had a successful candidate who's a chemist on the Apprentice! I think besides Kristina we haven't had a successful candidate from the scientific field.

Boys Before Flowers

I had originally typed up a hell load of stuff for this drama but I felt I wasn't doing the series any justice, so I sadly say I won't post my view of this drama yet! I think from now on if I'm ever going to do something like this it has to be an episode by episode synopsis rather than a whole series review as it becomes difficult to judge with only the memories of the series. There's just too much I wanted to say and oooh and ahhh over for me to type in one blog post. Therefore if you didn't realize by now my opinion of the series is a good one! Sadly I'm not going to be rewatching this series any time soon as I have exams to worry about but it's incredibly likely that I'll rewatch this in the summer along with Zettai Kareshi, Tokyo Tower and all the fabulous series I've watched this year!

Miss USA 2009 3rd Preview

So this should be the final preview because I think everything has been released and I doubt any candid shots would change my opinion that much.
So here are my alternatives - in fact there are 7!


7 Alternatives

Arizona

Arizona seemed to be a fan favourite from the start but I didn't see it until a day or two ago. I really liked her bubbly personality but I'm still not too keen on her portfolio. She seems to be really nice though and therefore she made my alternatives. She also has the biracial look to her making her as Tyra says: racially ambiguous - which is a good thing!

Florida

I love Florida's portrait shot, it's so warm! She's actually one of the few girls that seems to benefit from less make up, she works best in simple photos. I definitely like her look and her interview is good.

Iowa

The reason why Iowa is in the alternatives is because of her interview - without that she wouldn't have made the alternatives and would have probably escaped my eye as her portfolio is average. Her portrait shot is stunning though. Anyway I liked her interview and she looked pretty in it also that's why she's an alternate.

Michigan

I hate to say it but originally when I only saw one photo of all the delegates Michigan was the only one I forgot as in even though I saw her photo I thought I'd never seen it! But her portfolio now is much more noticeable and her interview was good. A strong alternate but I'm not sure if I would put her as a Top 15 if I had the chance.

Nebraska

Nebraska was one of the girls who in the past two rankings I narrowly scraped her off the list, but I felt her interview was enough for me to place her in my alternatives as she has a decent portfolio to go with it.

Ohio

To me Ohio has the worst portfolio out of any of my Top 22 (in fact maybe worse than some outside my Top 22) but I think her interview really showed me something about her. She's kindhearted and actually quite pretty. Her interview and usual candid photos actually depict her as being one of the prettier ones but for some reason her portfolio is average at best.

South Carolina

None of the girls in my current alternatives featured in last times rankings, Florida was the only one that has ever featured but South Carolina was in my Top 15 last time however this time she's dropped to my alternatives. In fact to tell you the truth, I changed her positioning whilst I was typing this up. For some reason I just felt she was out of place in my Top 15. I like her but not enough. She has a great glam shot though.

Top 15

Louisiana

Yep Louisiana has made my Top 15! I just loved how much more animated she was in her interview than a lot of the other girls and she does have two photos in her portfolio which I like.

Minnesota

Minnesota was the girl I changed with South Carolina! Minnesota was an early favourite of mine, her portfolio is varied but I still like her enough to place her in my Top 15. Her interview was Ok, it was sweet and easy to relate to but I'd loved to have seen more.

New York
So New York... she's a mover! Not a good one though! First time she was in my Top 5, next time she was in my Top 10 and now she's in my Top 15! Ok reason, I think her portfolio is Ok, it's not as strong as some of the other girls though her interview was also kind of contrived, just a bit put together... I didn't really connect to her which was a shame.

Utah
I like Utah but she definitely has something weird going on near the nose. Anyway she's a good delegate but I wouldn't put her any higher, instead I could have dropped her down to my alternatives!

Vermont
I actually had a feeling I would bump this girl up to my Top 10 but I didn't, I don't actually know why but I can't see her in my Top 10 just yet, she's a possible Top 10 as I like her portfolio and how she looks but as of now she's in my Top 15.

Top 10

California

California seems to be a favourite to many but I can't put her in my Top 5 as I find her look slightly awkward at times. I like her swimsuit and her glam shot though! Her interview was good but personally I think she's a suitable Top 10 for me, not enough to make my Top 5.

Kentucky
Kentucky has entered the Top 10 everyone! I really don't know why she suddenly made my Top 10 as I thought her interview was Ok but not that outstanding, maybe it's because I like her evening gown and portrait shot. Anyway I think she's one of the delegates that could drop back down to my Top 15 but as for now I'll keep her in my Top 10!

Tennessee
Wow, anyone guessed I actually drop Tennessee to my Top 10? She was my original favourite but I've just found her look to be quite different. She's still pretty but her portfolio isn't as strong as I'd hoped it to be. In fact Tennessee was hanging on a thread at the Top 5 but I decided to enter someone else into the Top 5!

Virginia
I think more people would have expected Virginia to have dropped down to my Top 10. Her portfolio is Ok, her glam shot and her pre Miss USA shot is good. I think her interview was Ok but it was good that she managed to show her interest and knowledge in something besides pageantry! But I think she deserves to be only in my Top 10, I just can't imagine her being in my Top 5 anymore.

Wisconsin
Some may have realised by now that a few "big names" in my previous rankings are missing, well it will all be revealed later. Anyway Wisconsin has one of the best portrait looks of any delegate - she is really beautiful! Her interview was good but she looked different. I think she has the potential to push into my Top 5 but as of now I think she's good in my Top 10.

Top 5! - Before I reveal my Top 5 I just have to say that I'm not great at naming the winners at pageants, I can predict them but my favourites never seem to win! I wouldn't be surprised if none of my Top 5 made the actual Top 5! Anyway here goes!

Arkansas

Chanley has always been on the sidelines I always tried to up her into the Top 5 and now I have. I just really like her evening gown photos and her glam shot is also great! If only she scrapped her swimsuit shot! Her interview was interesting also, much more original. I hope she does well in the actual pageant as I think she deserves at least Top 15.

Colorado

I don't understand why Colorado seems to be out of contention. She's well spoken and has a nice personality her portfolio is strong - especially her pre MissUSA shot and her portrait. I just really like her, in fact she is in my favourite 3!

GeorgiaGeorgia has always been in my Top 5 and she really deserves it. She's a bit too tanned and her hairstylist needs to make her look a bit more fresh but overall she's a great delegate. She seems like a giant also! Anyway her portfolio is good her interview was good and in fact her tan makes me remember her!

Hawaii

Hawaii has entered the Top 5! I just LOVE HAWAII! Her interview was the best! She's just so charismatic and nice! Her portfolio is also really good, like Arizona she's also racially ambiguous! The only worry is that she may come off a bit old as I've seen one of her photos where she looked kind of aged but I think she'll be a great Miss USA.

Rhode Island

And rounding it out we have Rhode Island (another inductee into the Top 5). Last time I pushed her down in favour of someone else but this time I pushed her up rather than Tennessee. I like her cute bubbly personality and her portfolio is good. She's a nice addition to my Top 5 and I hope she does well.

So anyone realise who's been dropped! Idaho, Texas and West Virginia have been dropped from my alternatives BUT... if you realised someone was dropped from my Top 5, totally out of even my alternatives! It was Washington. I actually stated in my last post that Washington was targeting the top spot along with Georgia for me so why did she drop so disastrously out! I felt her interview was Ok but would probably have pushed her down to Top 10. But her other two photos were only OK so that would have pushed her down to Top 15, but it was her candid shots that sealed the deal. She just looked really different and tired. Oh well...

Some delegates of note were...
North Carolina - she was just dropped from my alternatives yet again
Texas - Just dropped out
Illinois - I liked her interview.
Kansas - her interview was interesting! blink blink blinkety blink! I like her though.
West Virginia - dropped out
Idaho - She's pretty but it's a sophisticated/older pretty.
Alabama - I liked when she said she wouldn't have a superpower and then went on to explain, it made her stand out.