American Idol: Top 5 Revealed After Elise Testone Is Eliminated

Elise Testone Eliminated

The list of contestants that made it to the top five of the eleventh season of American Idol was finally revealed. After gaining the lowest votes this week, Elise Testone was sent home and ending her tenure on the show. This week, the contestants performed a song by the Queen and another song of their personal choice, but America has decided that Elise Testone's performances of I Want It All and Bold as Love are not enough to lock her a spot on the top five.

Only two gentlemen remain among the five contestants and the three ladies are surely on the move to gain a spot to the finals. My personal favorite, Jessica Sanchez, slammed the stage with Bohemian Rhapsody, followed by Skylar Laine's performance of The Show Must Go On. Joshua Ledet's Crazy Little Thing Called Love gained him favor from the audience and the judges, followed Elise Testone, who easily knocked out I Want It All. Amazing performances followed also from Phillip Phillips and Hollie Cavanagh as they performed Fat Bottomed Girls and Save Me, respectively. Check out their performances if you haven't seen them yet.

Here are the official top five contestants of this year's American Idol:

Jessica Sanchez

One of the younger contestants, Jessica is ready to continue her dream to fame. Lucky she didn't win on America's Got Talent because her fate would have been different. This is a perfect avenue for her should she win the contest. This Filipino-Mexican power vocalist is surely one of my favorite.

Skylar Laine

Skylar Laine is not really my personal favorite, but she really knows how to showcase her country style music. She has always been consistent on the show and was placed only on the bottom three once (make it twice this week). I believe she also deserves to take a spot on the top five finalists.

Joshua Ledet

This guy is another powerful performer who gained the love of the judges upon performing Runaway Baby on one of the previous episodes. Although that love was not enough to save him from belonging to the bottom three from the weeks performances. Fortunately for him he was saved and able to survive the show until now. He once again received a standing ovation from the Judges, which I might add always happen to him.

Phillip Phillips

I confessed earlier that Phillip Phillips is also one of my favorite, together with Jessica. This rock star as I also said before is the only remaining contestant who didn't belong to the bottom three even once. He has escaped the grilling through his powerful performances that earned him a lot of cheers from the ladies. Although I have to say, this week his performance was a little choppy, but still a lot better that Elise's.

Hollie Cavanagh

This lovely piece of specimen has definitely made her way through the contest with the support of the male fandom. Although I think Hollie is quite playing safe that is why there is really no remarkable performance that I could remember from her. I can't remember any instant that she would belong to the extremes, because if she did I would certainly know.

The contestants' personal choices of songs for their second performance were surely the meter for this week's show by showcasing their capabilities through the song that they think will bring them more votes from the public. Jessica Sanchez performed one of my all-time favorite song by Luther Vandross, Dance With My Father. Joshua Ledet's rendition of Ready For Love and Skylar Laine's Tattoos on This Town followed her performance. Once again Elise Testone set the crowd on a blaze with Bold as Love, followed by Phillip Phillips' The Stone and Hollie Cavanagh's The Climb.

After their performances and when the results came in, the bottom three are as follows: Skylar Laine, Elise Testone and Hollie Cavanagh. Ryan Seacrest later on revealed that Elise Testone is hereby eliminated. Do you think Elise's elimination from American Idol is acceptable? Who will make it to the top four, and who will eventually be named as this year's American Idol?

Ubi-Camera: A New Way of Taking Pictures With Your Fingers

Ubi-Camera

At least once in our lives we have somehow created an imaginary camera through four of our fingers. We created a rectangular frame with our thumbs and index fingers and simulated the clicking sound of a real camera. This is mostly for fun of course, but we can't deny we almost believed that these gestures were for real.

Thanks to the efforts of the researchers at Japan’s Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences, we maybe able to make this once-fun-gesture a new feat of technological reality. They have come to develop a new prototype of a finger-framing camera called Ubi-Camera. The project has still miles away to perfection, but at least we have a very clear path on what's going to happen in the world of photography.

Checkout the video of the said prototype and see if we are already near on seamlessly reaching this new way of taking pictures:

The camera works by inserting your index finger in a finger slot. It can determine the width of the frame through its camera and sensors, along with an IR range finder. “You simply move the focal point around by moving your fingers away or towards your face: nearer to your face for wide-angle shots or further away for close-ups. Press a button and the shot is snapped.”

Now that photography is now a craze for everyone - Instagram, DSLRs and more -- this new wave of technology will certainly excite every photo enthusiasts. Unfortunately, this device is not yet available in teh market until such times all the hurdles in the camera are resolved.

Now we only have to wish this device will be released officially so that we can have a taste of taking pictures by framing our fingers.

Latest on Life of Pi Movie Adaptation: Picture and Details

Life of Pi

From time to time we discover books that are so wonderful we cannot rest until we see them adapted to movies. And then we will be disappointed that not all from the book were translated into the cinematic view of the wide screen. There are also times where we simply don't care how bad the movie was since the book was very good just the same. So when Fox decided to adapt Yann Martel's Life of Pi to a movie, I was a little hesitant.

This story is a favorite of many and I was saddened that I will be once again disappointed with the differences between the book and its adaptation. But when news of the progress of the movie take light I was a little relieved. From hiring a great director to the latest picture from the movie, my uncertainty was slowly melting down.

See for your self why I was now a little confident of the movie -- with its latest movie picture:

This is much like a reminiscent of the book's cover featuring Pi Patel and a Bengal tiger taking a chance for survival. Here is the almost-the-same-concept book cover, if you haven't seen it yet:

Actually Pi will not be sharing the lifeboat with a tiger only, but with a few other animals, including a hyena, a zebra and an orangutan. They will have to contend with each other after the freighter that they were boarding on sank. Pi was the only human survivor of the incident. But of course, what will you get if you put together carnivorous animals and prey in one place? Mayhem, or is it not?

To be directed by Ang Lee, helmer of the amazing Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the movie was originally scheduled for release on December 14, 2012, but was pushed back a week later due to the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on the same date. The movie is starred by Tobey Maguire who will play the narrator of the movie, Yann Martel, together with and 17-year old Indian newcomer Suraj Sharma as the lead character. David Magee is to adapt the screenplay of the movie.

Watch for your self how this encounter turns out and wonder no more if Pi will survive and live along to tell the tale or not.

Mathai and Cheesa Voted Off From Team Adam and Team Cee Lo

The Voice

It seems that the male contestants are almost always lucky in The Voice. last week two gents from Team Blake and Team Christina were saved by the public. This time America has saved yet two other male contestants for Team Adam and Team Cee Lo. Both Jamar Rogers who performed It's My Life and Tony Lucca singing ...Baby One More Time got sure spots for the semi-finals for Team Cee lo and Team Adam, respectively.

Unfortunately, for the four remaining ladies they still have to perform in their last chance performances to convince each of their Judges to pick them for the save. Will it be Katrina Parker or Mathai for Team Adam? And who will Cee Lo choose between Cheesa and Juliet Simms? Two will only remain for each team and their coaches will have to decide who is deserving to move on to the semi-finals.

Check out the battle rounds for their last chance performance:

Team Adam: Katrina Parker vs. Mathai

Katrina Parker vs Mathai

Adam was really in for a hard call after choosing between the two ladies, who in the course of time gathered their own following. It looks to me that this round is a battle for age and experience. Katrina has this advantage over Mathai and that is maybe why Adam chose the former. Adam is really pressured here for sure, because he has to maintain his last year's winning or he'll have to suffer the revenge of defeat this year. That is why I really believe that he did the right thing choosing Katrina Parker to be part of his team.

Katrina Parker ~ Perfect

Aside from looking glamorous in black, Katrina Parker has finnaly hit the mark with her performance of Perfect. That is no wonder why Adam Levine picked her over Mathai, who performed her good but somehow sloppy version of Cowboy Casanova. I liked Mathai as well, but her recent performance is less than perfect as Katrina's song lyrics goes. I was very happy with Adam's decision and that's maybe the best move he could make for his team.

Mathai ~ Cowboy Casanova

No offense to Mathai, but her elimination is rather good for her in order to continue her parents' dream of her becoming a doctor. Now that she has a shot of fame it would be favorable for her to study first and finish her college. She shouldn't waste time until such time that she is ready she could come back again to being a singer. I only wish the best for her.

Adam's Choice, Katrina Parker
Mathai Eliminated

Winner: Kathrina Parker
Eliminated: Mathai

Team Cee Lo: Juliet Simms vs. Cheesa

Juliet Simms vs Cheesa

It's not because Juliet Simms looked gorgeous why Cee Lo chose her but for that fact that she is one of the best performers of the night. She has definitely improved from week to week and today is not an exemption. Although I was a little sad of Cheesa Laureta's (or Cheesa for short) elimination. She is after all a Filipino who was once raised in the lovely City of Cebu, where I will be going next week.

Juliet Simms ~ Torn

Cee Lo has chosen rightly, bias aside, cause Juliet Simms could be perfect. She has the talent and the looks: the perfect package of becoming a star. Her performance of the song Torn has definitely overshadowed Cheesa's Already Gone. I cannot help but think that Cheesa's song choice is maybe a premonition of her fate in the show, which is really sad by the way.

Cheesa ~ Already Gone

In the previous weeks we see Cee Lo as being laid back and didn't even care with Christina's and Adam's brawls. I used to think he has chosen his team members because sometimes he has no choice to do otherwise or sometimes because of his co-coaches pressure. But now that we have seen who comprise his team, I do believe that Cee Lo really has the ear and the eye for spotting real talent.

I am now smiling whenever Cee Lo proves me, or the other coaches for that matter, that his team still has what it takes to become part of The Voice. They have waded their way through and proved that they really have the talent and the appeal to survive in the competition.

Cee Lo's Choice, Juliet Simms
Cheesa Eliminated

Winner: Juliet Simms
Eliminated: Cheesa

*-*

Semi-Finals is almost on its way and we have now the complete list of vocalists who qualified for the round. Who among the team members of Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, and Cee Lo Green will make it to the finals and finally have to chance to be called The Voice.

You Now Know Who I Follow For My Skinny Get Up

Skinny

For a skinny and tall person like me I always find it hard to look for shirts and pants that would perfectly fit me. If it's not too big it would be too short. That is why maybe there came a time where I don't bother any more if I look bad or not. It's a taxing thing to do, choosing your clothes.

I really dreamed of having European shops -- since they cater usually to skinny physiques and all -- around here for me to buy my clothes from, but unfortunately there are only a few. That is maybe the reason why, lately I opted for the not-so-rugged look of wearing white v-necks and not-so-fitting jeans. They are the ones that usually goes with my style and my yearning for breezy and weightless comfort.

So I surfed around the net to look for people, famous or not, that I could somewhat base my get-up from time to time. I was surprised that Winky's favorite amateur singer, Tanner Patrick, gets this kind of look as well, along with many others. Check it out here:

I have been following Tanner Patrick for a while and unintentionally get some tips on what to wear. He added to the looks a leather jacket, which luckily I have one at home. But I don't think I have to guts to wear the same. Anyway, here are some more v-neck get-ups I found:

Adam Levine

Robert Pattinson

Ryan Gosling

Joe Jonas

Dream on , John. Dream on. Try as you might copy their looks and all, but you are still light-years away compared with these veterans. I admit I don't really know how to make my self  look better that's why I look up to some famous people to get the simple, yet in look.

The Voice: Pip and James Massone Instantly Eliminated by Adam and Cee Lo

The Voice

Updated: Added Adam's and Cee Lo's instant elimination choice.

Last week, we watched as Team Christina and Team Blake were put under the grilling machine. Now it's Team Adam's and Team Cee Lo's turn to face the heat as the two respectable Judges will eliminate one member from each of their teams. But before the contestants faced their doom, Cee Lo himself performed live his latest single Fight to Win. We also got the ethereal performance of Florence + the Machines for No Light No Light together with Cee Lo's team members.

After seeing the performances of the last remaining members of Team Adam -- Katrina Parker performed Jar of Hearts, Mathai crooned us with I'm Like A Bird, Tony Lucca performed Baby One More Time, Pip performed one of my favorite songs, Somewhere Only We Know -- Adam has finally come to a decision to eliminate Pip. Same is true with Team Cee Lo, when James Massone is eliminated after performing Just The Way You Are, saving Cheesa, Juliet Simms and Jamar Rogers, who performed I Have Nothing, Cryin' and It's My Life, respectively.

Pip

Pip ~ Somewhere Only We Know (Team Adam)

If I have to mention a name of contestant that is trapped in a period of time other than now, it would be Pip. His signature bow tie and jumpers have certainly caught the attention of many (which he unfortunately ditched during his performance), but Adam doesn't think it's enough in order for him to be included in his team. His Somewhere Only We Know is good, but not that really remarkable and perfect compared with the performances of his fellow contestants. Pip's elimination is not really a surprise for me, but it's just sad since he is among the highest public vote getters last week.

Adam Instantly Eliminated Pip

After winning in the last season of The Voice, Adam is surely under pressure to maintain this position. He is definitely forced to eliminate one of his best performers. This is a sad news for Pip's fans, but I am sure he can find his own way in the music industry. Pip is still young and has a bright future still ahead of him. How I wish this disappointment of being eliminated from the show will not cause him to stop in reaching his dreams.

James Massone

James Massone ~ Just The Way You Are (Team Cee Lo)

James Massone is another chick magnet because of his suave moves and unique voice. But this time his crooning voice is not enough to save him from the show since Cee Lo himself eliminated him instantly. I don't this has something to do with James being the least performer in Green's team, but I am thinking that he maybe eliminated James since he can easily gain stardom at this stage of the competition. He is most definitely a favorite among female viewers as evidenced of tonight's and last weeks studio audience reactions.

Cee Lo Instantly Eliminated James Massone

This is definitely a good step for Cee Lo to take since he retained all powerhouse performers that surely make a bang on the stage. Cee Lo is going for a rock label with his remaining team members and their is no wonder his saved Cheesa, Juliet Simms and Jamar Rogers. But if I were to choose among these remaining three, I would certainly choose Juliet Simms. Let's just hope she will be saved from tomorrow's elimination through public votes.

Check out the follow-up for this episode's elimination process tomorrow, as two more contestants from Team Adam and Team Cee Lo will be once again eliminated, but this time it will be based upon the result of tonight's public poll and votes. Who do you think will remain and who will be fated to go home?

Upcoming Books from Favorite Author James Patterson

James Patterson

The moment I saw Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment propped on the shelf of one of the leading bookstores in the area I immediately got the feeling that this must belong to my collection. And after reading it only on one sitting -- reclining on the bed, actually -- I had the utmost desire to complete not only the Maximum Ride series but all serial books by James Patterson.

After I bought and read all available books from this series, I dug-in his other books since I really can't get enough of his writings: Women Murder Club, Alex Cross, Michael Bennett and many more. His works are really flying off the pages and what's good about his books are the short but filling chapters. This fanaticism has not ended on me alone. Since I have brought his books into my workplace many avid readers has also been hooked by his tensely enjoyable novel.

And now that I, along with my colleagues, have read all available that I have I was once again on the look out for his latest novels. And I have found a few:


11th Hour ~ May 7, 2012

Since the books of teh Women Murder Club are titled according to its number in the series, 11th Hour is obviously the eleventh book in the series. This is another collaborative work together with author Maxine Paetro and will once again come back to the story of four ladies, each a veteran and expert in their own fields. To spoil everything up, Lindsay Boxer will be pregnant! After their marriage in 10th Anniversary, Lindsay and Joe Molinari, is going to have a baby. How is this going to affect with her invovlement to the Women Murder Club or her job in the police department? Will she be able to handle all these juggling or not?


Middle School: Get Me out of Here! ~ May 7, 2012

A follow-up to James patetrson's attempt on cartoon and literature Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life, Middle School: Get Me out of Here tells of Rafe Khatchadorian troubles in the seventh grade. He's been accepted to art school in the big city and imagines a math-and-history-free fun zone. Wrong! It's more competitive than Rafe ever expected, and to score big in class, he needs to find a way to turn his boring life into the inspiration for a work of art. His method? Operation: Get a Life! Anything he's never done before, he's going to do it, from learning to play poker to going to a modern art museum. But when his newest mission uncovers secrets about the family Rafe's never known, he has to decide if he's ready to have his world turned upside down.


I, Michael Bennett ~ June 9, 2012

Michael Bennett and his ten adopted children are back in thif fith installment of the series. He is yet again to find balance between murder investigations and taking care of his huge family. And in order to ease the stress, he and his family, together with the lovely nanny Mary Catherine, embark on a vacation to the upstate New York. But instead of escaping the violence, it follows them and they find themselves in the middle of another nightmare that threatens the entire family. The danger isn't only coming from the crime lord's killers—FBI Agent Emily Parker is back, and Bennett's attraction to her endangers his relationship with Mary Catherine. A no-holds-barred, pedal-to-the-floor, action-packed novel, I, MICHAEL BENNETT is James Patterson at his most thrilling best.


Maximum Ride: Nevermore ~ August 6, 2012

This is the eighth and last book of the sci-fi series that started my James Patterson ride. Hopefully this is not the last James Patterson book that I will buy. Read on for it's synopsis: One last chance... for Max, Fang, and Dylan... before it all ends. Are you ready for the final chapter? Are you ready for the ultimate flight? Because THIS IS IT. One last incredible, explosive adventure with an astonishing ending that no one could have seen coming.

I really do hope that all these books will be released as soon as possible. My hands are itching to buy them and my eyes are already watering because of the long wait. Can the coming months come any closer and faster? I guess not. Maybe I will resort to depressing my self again before the books finally grace my book shelf at home.