Just Plain Talk

Time flies when you are having fun!!! Where did the time go?? It is already December 1st!! Wow!!! Pretty soon, it will be Christmas! I have a question... why do we say pretty soon??? Is soon pretty?? Who, when and how were the words started to be used with soon? I really do not know, and who cares?? If you really care, then do a research and blog about it!!! Or ask someone. I am sure there is at least one person out there that is very smart and knows when pretty came to being with soon! In the meantime, let us go on with our blogging....

The first thing on my list is the billionaires, e.g., Buffett, Gates etc, etc.. going on a trip to China. They were going to see about investing in a business overseas. It also showed how these billionaires do not have to go though security and the customs! Of course, they would not have to go through the TSA and the infamous pat down/ groping because they have their own luxurious jets!! It must really be nice to be able to go anywhere without any worry about money or anything! They were also trying to talk to the rich Chinese about charity. I guess charity is not really in the vocabulary of the Chinese people. It might take time to persuade them to part with their precious yuan to help the less fortunate! Any, comments???

The fall of the dollar. It seems that China and Russia have dropped using the dollar for trading. They will each use their money now. What will happen to the dollar??? It will probably be weaker and more devalued! Wouldn't that be good for the US economy??? If the dollar is down, more people will come to America to buy mercandise, is it not?? I remember a few years back, I saw at the mall some people from Canada coming to the US to buy since their money went up!!! Can you imagine that? Canadian money is equal or higher than the American money now! I remember about 20 years ago that $1.00 US was equal to $1.50 Canadian! Sigh! Gone are those days! Oh, well. Comments, anyone???

Federal deficit. What are the plans of the US government to reduce the deficit??? Plenty, from what I heard. Are you ready?? 1 - Raise the age for social security benefits. My goodness, that is bad for the older people, they really will not enjoy their golden years! Excuse me, some seniors are not enjoying it now either! Some went back to work to make ends meet! And there is quite a bit of seniors that filed for bankruptcy! 2 - Change of the tax laws that will cost an average taxpayer $1,700 more per year! Yikes!!! That is not good!!! 3- Raise the Medicare premium. Oh, oh. This is not good either! By the way, they are also cutting down the doctor's fee by 25 % come January 1st!!! They have not given an increase to seniors for 2 years now!!! 4 - End the home mortgage deduction! What??? That is the only thing people can deduct from their taxes, since they took out the other deductions! My! My! My! What is the world getting into??? 5 - Raise gasoline taxes!! Goodness gracious!!! What will gasoline cost?? $7.00/gallon??? Wow!! Today, gasoline was $2.92 /gallon. It is outrageous!! If the gasoline go up, then everything will go up!!! Then what are people supposed to do??? Live on the streets???

Federal pay freeze. The federal employees are not going to have raises for the next 2 years! Woo..hoo....Except they already had a big chunk of raise for the last 2 years! Even if they do not get a raise, they are still better off than the private sector when it comes to pay rates!!! Right????

Unemployment. It is still very high! And many people will lose their benefits come Christmas or have already lost their unemployment benefit last month, the end of November! What will happen to these people??? I am not sure but I am praying to God that our government will do something to alleviate the unemployment and hopelessness that seems to be the norm in our society now! Can the billionaires do something for America and the people in need??? They will probably say, " what do they care?" I do not know, maybe I am thinking that there might be someone with money and nice enough to do something to make the lives better for our people! Isn't there a country that helps their people???

I think that is it for now. Let me talk about something lighter now. Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting last night. Wow!!! That is a huge Christmas tree that was lit up and witnessed by hundreds of people! And there was a bevy of celebrities that made the occasion really festive, like Jackie Evancho, Terry Fator, Jessica Simpson, Susan Boyle and Josh Groban. It was indeed a very nice celebration to herald the start of the Christmas season in New York City!!!

America's Got Talent, 09142010

Another talent show bites the dust!!! The finale of America's Got Talent was heavy with well known celebrities including Usher and David Copperfield! When David Copperfield appeared on stage, I was trying to compare him to Michael Grasso and I can truly say that for me, Michael Grasso is in the league of David Copperfield!!!

What is wrong with Piers Morgan??? This is already the final 4, he buzzed Prince Poppycock!!! He is the cultural ignoramus, not Howie Mandell!!! He should get a nickname of Piers Morgan, aka Trigger Happy X!!!! He said that his performance was too serious!!!Last night, he admitted though that he made a mistake of buzzing Prince Poppycock!! Too late, Piers, the damage was done already which landed Poppycock the 4th place!!! When I heard Trigger Happy X buzzed PP, I was disgusted that if I was in the audience, I would have given him a piece of my mind!!!!

Michael Grimm, the 3 judges gave him a standing ovation!! Everytime he sings, he reminds me of Michael Bolton!!!! I guess he has a unique voice that is taking him to success!!!! Happy Trigger X told him that he could win the coveted million dollar prize and the headliner in Cesar's Las Vegas!!!

Jackie Evancho. What can I say??? She has a very unique voice!!! It is a real gift from up there!!! Before the announcement of the grand prize winner, I wondered though how she will be able to cope with Las Vegas at a tender age of 10??? True, she is gifted and talented, but her childhood years will be gone!!! Will she be like Michael Jackson that in later life begun to act like a child, since he did not get a normal childhood??? Wooo!!! Hold on!!! Maybe Jackie will be different!!! I hope so!!!

Fighting Gravity. They have a very unique and fresh act! I wonder who is the brains in their acts??? One of them??? Or all of them??? They surely deserve to be a headliner in Las Vegas!!!! They do not need to go back to school if they will earn millions!!! After all, with the sad economy, even college graduates are unemployed. Is that what we go to college for??? To earn top notch dollars which today is a thing of the past!!!! Yikes!!! What are you talking about??? Well, I just read that there is indeed a very high unemployment rate and it is not stopping!!! Las Vegas unemployment rate is now 25 %!!! I was sooo shocked to hear that!!! And there is this insurance agent that talks to a lot of people, everytime he talks to someone, when it comes to the question, " what is your job?", the answer is mostly unemployed!!!! This is a harsh and grim reality thet is plaguing America!!!! No wonder there is still many foreclosures, and people are not buying anything!!!! Oh, well, enough.... let us go back to AGT.....

I was soooo surprised that Jackie Evancho lost to Michael Grimm!!! I guess everyone is thinking what I was thinking that she is too young to be a headliner in the sin city!!! Michael Grimm was so shocked when Nick Cannon announced his name!!!

Speaking of Nick Cannon, he was soooo melodramatic and full of suspense!!! I guess that is Nick for you!!!

Congratulations to all 4 finalists, and good luck to all!!!! I was surprised at the outcome, but I am sure that Michael Grimm's grandparents are very happy!!!

Congratulations, Michael Grimm and good luck in Vegas!!!!!


Posted by vs at 9/16/2010 8:33 AM | Add Comment

America's Got Talent, 09062010

Well, well, well... the 4 finalists at America's Got Talent were finally revealed!!! These acts are really good, and they can already perform in Las Vegas as far as I am concerned!!!! They are that good??? You bet!!! Before I reveal the 4 finalists, let me tell you who were the 10 semi- finalists were the 4 were picked from!!!

The 10 semi- finalists were: Prince Poppycock - singer with outrageous costumes; Christina and Ali - sisters singers; Studio One Young Beast Society - hip hop dancers with gymnastics; Michael Grasso - magician; Fighting Gravity - college guys who performs in the dark; Jackie Evancho - a young soprano; Jeremy Van Schoonhoven - bike daredevil; Anna and Patryk - young ballroom dancers; Michael Grimm - singer; and Taylor Mathews- singer.

Let us start with Prince Poppycock. He always puts on a good show, plus he has a very good operatic voice. And his costumes!!!! Ay..ya..yay... they are outlandish and really seems complicated!!! He said that he picks his materials for his costumes, I wonder if he sews it??? Does anyone know??? How about his makeup??? Does he do that too??? Where did he learn how to do his costumes and makeup, let alone how on earth did he come up with what he is going to do for his next act??? His act with the American theme was excellent!!! Everyone in the audience were on their feet!!! He must have a very good imagination!!! He is very talented, and I really think that he will be good in Las Vegas!!!!

Christina and Ali. Sorry, Ali, but I really think that Christina, the young one, should come back next year by herself!!! She has a very good voice! Her chances would have been better if she was by herself!!! Taylor Mathews is okay, but there are many more good singers in the competition, including Michael Grimm! Michael Grimm sang without his guitar, and the judges were all for it since he could move freely and not restrained by his guitar!!! I wonder if Taylor Mathews get rid of his guitar if he will be better like Michael??? Who knows??? It is too late now!!! There is always a next year!!!

How about Jackie Evancho??? She has a rare gift from God!!! Hopefully her voice will not change since she is soooo young!!! Wow!!!! Her parents has a gold mine in their midst!!! They should nurture her. Jackie seems to be very nice and polite, and her fame has not gotten in her head. Hope she stays that way!!!

Anna and Patryk. I knew that they are not going to the next level because the other acts were better. I was sooo horified when Anna fell down the stairs on their way to the dance floor. But like a true trooper, Anna got up and started dancing!!! But you can sense that she was kind of uptight after the incident. Oh, well, many people have the same mishap. She is not the only one, like the judges told her. I am sure that these 2 will go places with their dancing!!!

Studio One Young Beast Society. The young hip hop dancers that added some hard gymnastics on their dance routine. They executed their act very well but there are better acts than them. They are young and I am sure this will not be the last time that we will be hearing of them!!!

Jeremy Van Schoonhoven. My gosh!!! Is he out of his mind doing the very dangerous things with a bike??? He is really crazy and good with the manipulation of his bike!!! I wonder where he can perform his act??? Will people come and pay to see him??? How about Evil Knevil??? Did people pay to watch him??? There you go!!!

Michael Grasso. I was sooo disappointed that he did not make it to the next round. He was soooo good with his magic!!! I wonder, just like Howie, how he can exchange places and costumes with the other people??? His magic is really polished and very entertaining!!!

Fighting Gravity. These young college guys are very, very good!!! How did they come up with this act??? They have sooo much talent... I really think they already have a spot in Las Vegas!!!! Yes, they are that good!!!

The 4 finalists are Michael Grimm, Prince Poppycock, Fighting Gravity and Jackie Evancho!!! I think Jackie will win, but the others will have a spot in the Vegas limelight!!!!

Posted by vs at 9/9/2010 6:09 PM | Add Comment

America's Got Talent, 09012010

Finally, the remaining 5 semi- finalists of America's Got Talent have been unleashed!!! They are the creme of the crop, and the talents ranged from singing to dangerous acts to a 10 year old diva.

Let us start with Nick Cannon, the emcee. Wow, when I saw him on the stage, I was wondering what was he wearing!!! Why??? I thought his outfit was a lounging robe!!!! Ha! Ha! Ha! It is probably a very expensive outfit, but to me it reminded me of a lounging robe!!! Has anybody seen it??? Any comments anyone??? Am I an outfit ignoramus???? Ha! Ha! Ha! Thanks, Piers, now I have a new word!!!!

Who were the 12 acts? They are the following: Michael Grasso - magician; Michael Lipari and Ashleigh Dejon - acrobats/ circus; Master Alexander Bui - pianist; Jackie Evancho - 10 year old operatic singer; Murray - magician; Fighting Gravity - fraternity students where the act is done in pitch black; Nathaniel Kenyon - singer; Alice Tan Ridley - singer performing in subways; Studio One Young Beast Society - hip hop dancers; Haspop - dance with a very flexible body; Debra Romer - singer; Jeremy VanSchoonhoven - daredevil bike!

There were 2 magicians: Michael Grasso and Murray. Murray made a large train disappear from the stage, and Michael Grasso, making the lady from the cage disappear, and Michael Grasso disappearing from the stage to appear behind the judges, giving Sharon Osbourne a red rose! Both are good acts, but Michael Grasso's execution was better than Murray.

Maestro Alexander Bui, a young pianist who was superb! Howie Mandell did not get it and gave Bui an X. That is when Piers Morgan called Howie Mandell a " cultural ignoramus." Ha! Ha! Ha! Good for you, Piers, for standing up to a real talent, which the likes of Howie does not understand!!! Now, Howie has a nameplate with cultural ignoramus on it!!!! I think he made the sign just so he can hide his embarrassment!!!! Right??? I just love the show because of the 2 men always on each others throats!!!! Is this real or just a show to make America's Got Talent juicy and entertaining???? What do you guys think??? Poor Sharon, she has to learn to duck in case there ever is a pie throwing or a fist fight!!! Do not pity Sharon, these judges make big, big bucks that you and i will probably never see in our lifetime!!!! You are soooo right!!!! Back to AGT......

Fighting Gravity. How about it??? They are the best new, original act that has graced this planet since the Blue Men!!!! They deserve to already have a show in Las Vegas!!!! I can't just imagine how these college guys came with this idea!!! They are brilliant!!!! Their greatest competitor is Jackie Evancho whose voice is really mind boggling!!! To sing like that at a tender age??? My! my! my! Her parents are soooo lucky.... they have a rare gem in their hands. Hopefully, they will not be as manipulative like the other parents of celebrities and that they will continue to live in peace and harmony!!!!

Debra Romer, the singer, is starting to come out of her coccoon. She is not as timid as before. Although she is not a semi-finalist, I think she will go a long way with her voice and looks!!! In fact, she announced that there are some people that are wanting to pay and sign her up!!! Good for her!!!!

How about Jeremy VanSchoonhoven, the bike daredevil?? Like Sharon says, he is like Evil Knevil. It seems Jeremy is not afraid to try out anything to further himself!! He sure is very brave with all the stunts he has been doing!!!!!

Well, the 5 semi- finalists that will compete with the other five are: Studio One Young Beast Society, Jeremy VanSchoonhoven, Michael Grasso, Jackie Evancho and Fighting Gravity!

We are going to be treated to a good show next week. After all, the best 10 acts will be performing!!! Care to bet who will end up as the winner of the million dollar gig in Las Vegas??? To me, it seems that it will be a toss up between Fighting Gravity and Jackie Evancho!!! How about you, what do you think????

Posted by vs at 9/2/2010 8:44 AM | Add Comment

America's Got Talent - You Tube

Well, well, well, America's Got Talent is now going to You Tube to discover new talents!!!!! Did they succeed??? There are some people that has gain instant fame with You Tube that AGT now has to get a piece of the pie!!!! I was really surprised that they did not finish first what they have started. And what??? Lose on the the talents from the internet??? How about the revenue that they will be racking in for starting another venture???? That is top dollars for the producers, baby!!!!! Ha! Ha! Ha! I cannot believe you think that way!!!! And what way should I be thinking??? What else would be the ulterior motive for looking for talents in the internet except big bucks that will come along the way???? To discover new talents!!!! Hmmmm....It is hopeless, I will not argue with you!!!

There were 12 acts that the judges selected to audition on the live stage, in front of millions of viewers!! Wow!!! These people are brave to do that..... to transform from their living room in front of just a small camera to a large, live stage??? I applaud these contestants!!!! That is not an easy task!!! The 12 contestants were the following : PLUtonic - an acapello group, Dylan Plummer - jump rope, Pup - singer with a guitar and a dog that plays the accordion, Cam Hodges - singer with a guitar, Ryan Rodriguez - dancer, acrobat or something else??/, Austin Anderson - comedian, Booker Forte - hip hop dancer, Pizza Patt - pizza juggler, Kristina Young - singer, Maestro Alexander Bui - classical pianist, Dan Sperry - magician, and Jackie Evancho - a 10 year old operatic singer!!!!

Wow!!! As you can see there are sooo many different talents taken from the internet. Some are really good, and some just so-so. Take Dylan Plummer, the jumping rope exhibitionist. He can really manipulate the jumping rope in sooo many, wonderful ways. He is really an act by itself!!! Is he worth the million dollars??? I do not think so!!! How about Ryan Rodriguez??? I agree with the judges that you do not know whether he is a dancer, an acrobat or what??? Then there is the pizza juggler, Pizza Patt!!! Boy!!! Can he really juggle the pizza dough!!! I wonder if he has competed in any pizza dough throwing contests???? How about Dan Sperry, the magician??? Yikes!!!! That was gross!!! He had a white lifesaver that he ate, he took it out from his neck with a string!!! That was brilliant but really, really gross!!! When he was finished with his string, it flew towards Howie Mandell!!! You should have seen Howie flying out of his chair!!! That was really, really hilarious!!!! Ha! Ha! Ha! Piers Morgan was clapping, and Sharon Osbourne was hysterical!!!! The classical pianist, Maestro Alexander Bui was really good. He could have played a better piece!!! Then there was the ultimate act, a ten year old operatic singer, Jackie Evancho!!!! Wowie!!!! How did she get a voice like that at a tender age of 10???? That is really a God given talent!!!! The judges gave her an all expense trip to Orlando, and she has not even won!!!

The 4 acts continuing on their journey are Kristina Young, Maestro Alexander Bui, Dan Sperry and Jackie Evancho!!!! I heard that Jackie Evancho is already booked at the Carnegie Hall in December???? Do you think any of these acts have a chance with Jackie Evancho in their midst??? I do not think so!!!! But at least they already have the exposure that hopefully can aid them in the road to success!!!!
Posted by vs at 8/12/2010 8:30 AM Add Comment