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American Idol Rundown: The Top 10 Guys

BuzzSugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:37:17 PST

Well, almost everything I knew about American Idol this season is wrong, at least if Tuesday's performances by the top 10 guys are any indication. Several of the favorites had off nights, while those who seemed certain to be out before the Top 12 sounded great. One thing is still certain, though: On the guys' side, David Archuleta seems like the one to beat.

The night's theme was '70s songs (please tell me this means next week will be '80s), and we also learned some fun facts about the top 10 guys along the way . Don't forget to vote for which guys are going home, and to see my take on the night's performances, just

Michael Johns - As if the guy weren't hot enough, now we've seen him play tennis. Sigh. Two things I noticed about his performance of "Go Your Own Way": 1) He seemed a little off on some of the notes, and 2) From certain angles, he looks like a cleaned-up Zach Braff. Randy said he needed to let go, Paula praised him for being consistent, and Simon said it was Michael's weakest performance of the competition.

Jason Castro - Fun fact: He's totally awkward in his one-on-one interviews. He came out playing guitar again, and that plus the dreads totally makes him the kid who always has the crowd of hippie girls hanging around him in the middle of the campus quad, if you know what I mean. His "I Just Want to be Your Everything" sounded like two different songs - a beginning and end with him and the guitar, and a long middle with '70s synth and backup singers. I preferred the guitar part. Randy said the guitar was cute but the vocals weren't good, Paula told him to ditch the guitar next time, and Simon harped on the poor song choice.

Luke Menard - How did I not see that he's a touring a capella singer? It seems like the most obvious job for him now. After boring me to tears last week, he came out with this crazy, half-falsetto "Killer Queen" that I found oddly captivating to watch. He's self-consciously theatrical on stage, but because he's 29 (and not a teenager, Colton), he pulls it off pretty well. Randy said this seemed like the right song for him, Paula said he had a great week, and Simon slammed him for not living up to Freddie Mercury.

Robbie Carrico - He's also a race car driver. How rock n' roll. I've been on the pro-Carrico side till now, but his "Hot Blooded" got all karaoke, and now I suppose I'm one of those doubting his rock cred. He sounded fine, but not any more fine than the singer from the bar band down the street. Randy said he's starting to doubt the rocker thing too, Paula said he played it safe and lost his character in the process, and Simon actually thought his singing was pretty good.

Danny Noriega - He apparently sang in a teen punk band, where I bet his neck-snapping skills came in handy. His performance of "Superstar" was certainly better than last week's unmitigated Elvis disaster, but I find him really distracting to watch; every moment and glance toward the camera seems calculated. Randy said he was thinking too much, Paula wants him to be himself, and Simon liked that he stands out in a crowd.

David Hernandez - Did you hear those whoops from the crowd when he said he used to be a gymnast? His "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" kept the crowd in it: He sounded good, the arrangement was cool, and he was a more believable rocker than, say, Carrico. Randy announced that David was back, Paula said his voice was pure, and Simon praised David for responding well to criticism. Then David got all cute and dancey and nearly throttled Seacrest. I think I love him now.

Jason Yeager - His fun fact: He plays a lot of instruments. None on stage, though. Apparently this song was called "Long Train Running" (I've just always known it as that "without looo-o-ov-ove" song), and everything I said before about Carrico sounding like a bar band singer goes triple for Jason. He ended with all this weird dancing, which made me laugh. Randy called it karaoke, Paula said he needed to pick "singer songs," and Simon called it "awkward and ordinary."

Chikezie - After last week's hideous orange suit, he came out looking very Sesame Street in bright blue and green polo shirts. He sang "I Believe to My Soul," working his name into it, letting loose at the end, making good use of the background singers, and basically tearing it up in every way possible. Get down with your bad self, Chikezie. Randy whooped that Chikezie is back, Paula called it brilliant, and Simon praised him for looking and sounding better than last week, which apparently doesn't mean he's properly learned to say the guy's name.

David Cook - David's word-nerdiness almost makes up for his bad hair. He's also rocking the guitar, to the point that I was more impressed with his guitar playing than his singing. That said, he did sound better than I expected from him, especially on the a capella part of "All Right Now." Randy calls him the real rocker, Paula says he's got "it," but Simon criticized his lack of charisma.

David Archuleta - So I was really, really nervous when I heard he'd be singing "Imagine." That's one of those songs you just can't mess with, you know? But David doesn't mess. It's a very different interpretation of the song, not a Lennon copy at all, and it lets him do a lot of interesting, show-offy things with his voice. Randy said it's one of the best vocals he's heard on the show ever, Paula said she wants him to be her car ornament (?), and Simon said he's now the one to beat - male or female.

My favorites: Chikezie, David Archuleta, David Hernandez, and, actually, Luke.

Should be worried: The Jasons (Yeager and Castro). Michael Johns and Robbie Carrico are probably safe, but this should be a warning to step it up.

Going home: I think Jason Yeager is out. The second spot is the tough one, because many of the night's worst performances came from popular people. I'm actually going out on a limb to say Luke probably didn't do enough and will be the other one headed home.

Photos courtesy of Fox

Etiquette Expert: Don't Pinterest Your Wedding When You're Single

YourTango — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:35:45 PDT

We're happy to present this story from one of our favorite sites, YourTango. Today, modern etiquette expert Anna Post advises against pinning wedding dresses until you're engaged.

Recently, we interviewed modern etiquette expert Anna Post, the great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post, and she shared some valuable online-dating and social-media tips. From being authentic and genuine to keeping the initial online-dating emails to a minimum to saying "no" to sexting, she had a lot of insightful advice.

Here's one more important bit of online-etiquette advice she gave, for all you Pinterest-crazy gals out there: don't pin your fantasy wedding when you're single! We know, we know, it's tempting to look at all those gorgeous gowns, engagement rings, and wedding cakes and want to "save them for a later date, just in case," aka "gaze at longingly and obsess over" - but Post said this could turn your guy (or a potential guy) off.

"That's a lot of pressure for a guy to see," said Post, adding that she has been in a relationship for three years and has only posted one engagement ring on Pinterest - in the general jewelry section, and just because she thought it was pretty. "I still felt kind of weird about it."

Personally, I don't think there should be any kind of rule about this. It's a harmless fantasy, after all, so whatever works for you, go for it. What do you think about Pinteresting your wedding when you're single?

Written by Natalie Gontcharova for YourTango.

5 Tricks to Get the Most Out of Your Outdoor Run

Shape — Thu, 03 May 2012 04:11:45 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to celebrity trainer Jay Cardiello for some help!

The weather is getting nice and you may have been bitten by the "run bug." To make the transition from indoor runs to the great outdoors seamless and safe, I compiled a list of my top five tricks to get the most out of your outdoor run. Whether you have had some success running on the treadmill, or you are completely new to outdoor running, there are two crucial factors that you must understand.

25 Most Deceiving Exercises (They Tone More Than You Think).

First, let's talk about a little guy named Newton. See, Newton has this law that states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Are you with me so far? Good. Well, with runners, the concern is what we run on. The harder the surface the greater the ground reaction force, which is basically the force exerted by the ground back onto the body (in this case, our little legs) that are in contact with it, is. To simplify this, surfaces like concrete and pavement will cause a greater reaction back into our joints and legs than an energy absorbing treadmill. This not only makes us work harder, but will tire us out faster and cause greater stress on our joints.

Are Your Workouts Causing Pain? How to Find Out.

Second, the treadmill is a flat belt that provides consistency with each step. There are no stones, traffic, or inclement weather activity that would cause you to be off balance or have to change your gait. Running outdoors forces the body to make constant small adjustments. That said, here is what’s going to make your outdoor run a successful one.

5 Unique Ways to Make the Most of Your Treadmill.

Learn how to make the most out of your outdoor runs after the break!

Fifty Shades of Grey, Fight Club, and the Complications of Male Dominance

The Good Men Project — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 02:00:55 PDT

We're happy to present this story from one of our favorite sites, The Good Men Project. Clarisse Thorn sees nothing new in eroticized images of male dominance and violence, but she sees plenty that's thought-provoking.

Much is being made of the highly successful S&M erotica novel 50 Shades of Grey. People are blaming feminism for making women into submissives, blaming feminism for preventing women from being submissives, blaming women for having sexual desires at all, and a whole lot of other boring and typical stuff that comes up in any conversation about women and S&M. News flash: it’s not the feminist revolution that is "causing" women to have fantasies of submission. S&M fantasies have been around since the beginning of time. (And the 1950s S&M-sensation book, The Story of O, was much better written than 50 Shades of Grey.)

Top 10 Reasons to Use Condoms

As an S&M writer, I hear a lot of allegations about how "all" (or "almost all") women are sexually submissive and how this must Mean Something. This is echoed in the coverage of 50 Shades of Grey, in which everyone is demanding to know What It All Means About Women. I wrote a piece a while back called Inherent Female Submission: The Wrong Question, in which I took on a lot of this stuff. But there’s another submerged question here - about men. There’s plenty of talk and stereotypes about how men are inherently violent, or more aggressive than women, or "the dominant sex."

Keep reading below.

Link Time - Ashley Judd Parodies Rick Santorum on Funny or Die

Tara Block — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:05:00 PDT

Rick Santorum Aborts Presidential Campaign from Ashley Judd

Ashley Judd parodies Rick Santorum in a Funny or Die video - The Jane Dough
How to set boundaries with a jealous spouse - Your Tango
Pop songs from our youth that were actually dirty - College Candy
A guy who tracks all his Match.com dates on a spreadsheet - The Frisky
The top 10 rules Michelle Obama lives by - The Daily Beast
Myths people still believe about women's sexuality - Huffington Post
Five reasons first dates are the best . . . and worst - Glamour
Fun facts about prom night - Glo
Five reasons to have sex with the lights on - Em & Lo
See Channing Tatum as a stripper in the Magic Mike trailer - BuzzSugar

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Minutes

Laura Marie Given — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:20:00 PDT

While Matthew McConaughey is stripping down in Magic Mike these days, we can't help but reminisce about his iconic role in the rom-com How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. In the movie, Andie Anderson showed us quite a few dating don'ts - from a superstitious love fern to an eerie scrapbook of future children - but it's possible to lose a guy's attention long before the 10-day mark. First impressions matter, so how you act during an introduction can make or break any chance of a first date. Looking for love? See what not to do and learn how to lose a guy in 10 minutes. Follow these steps and all bets are off:

Make it all about you. One of the fastest ways to turn off a guy is to rattle on about your day, your friends, your family - all without asking him a single question. Go for a conversation, not a monologue, and leave room for him to listen and respond.
Make it all about him. It shouldn't be a one-sided interrogation, either. Steer clear of 20 Questions so that he doesn't feel like he's in the hot seat.
Scan the room. If you're constantly surveying your surroundings, he's going to feel like he's not good enough - and that you're not worth the time. Maintain eye contact to show your interest and let him know that you care about what he has to say.
Say you're a "guy's girl." Bragging that you're just one of the guys will make him think that you can't get along with other girls. (Talk about a red flag.) Step back and see what you're really trying to express, whether it's your love for sports or your low-key attitude.
Chug your drinks. It's fine to sip your drink throughout the interaction, but if you're looking for lasting love, avoid any top-to-bottom swigs. Drinking heavily can send the wrong signal and you're likely to ruin your conversation skills.

Keep reading for more dating dealbreakers.

Savvy Links: 7 Surprising Work-From-Home Jobs

Emily Co — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:39:58 PDT

7 surprising work-from-home jobs - LearnVest
Life lessons from the dowager countess - HuffPost Women
Top five ways stars lose all their money - Free Money Finance
25 things to do with reusable water bottles - Wise Bread
Ways to find the perfect photographer for your wedding - Tecca
Women pick careers over family because of lack of guys to marry - The Jane Dough
Playing the balance transfer game - Budgets Are Sexy
10 things you should not do on the first day of a new job - The Grindstone
How to pay off student loans - Real Simple
You can get a free blowout at JCPenney - AllYou

Beyoncé Thanks Michelle Obama For Being a Role Model to Blue

Allie Merriam — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 07:57:45 PDT

Beyoncé writes a public letter to Michelle Obama thanking her for being a good role model for Blue Ivy - Wonderwall
Brooklyn, Miley, and the 10 best celeb quotes this week - People
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds spotted on a Connecticut getaway - Lainey Gossip
Tina Fey says she can see the end of 30 Rock on the horizon - HuffPost Entertainment
Sarah Silverman goofs on the celebrity pregnancies trend - TooFab
Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift working on a duet - Us Weekly
Get to know Top Gear host Richard Hammond as the show comes to the US - The Daily Beast
Liam Hemsworth lines up an exciting new role - Hollywood Reporter
Maya Rudolph impersonates Rihanna and Gwen Stefani - BuzzFeed
Malin Akerman does Maxim - ET
Can The Hunger Games keep ruling the box office? - Rotten Tomatoes
Chris Evans is really a sensitive guy - Lifeline Live
A new hint about the story of The Simpsons - Zap2It
What's the latest on Grey's Anatomy? - BuddyTV
Zahara Jolie-Pitt may want to be a model - Celebitchy

What to TiVo: Wednesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 23:59:00 PDT

8:00 The Middle (new)
8:30 Suburgatory (new)
9:00 Modern Family (new)
9:30 Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (new, series premiere)
10:00 Revenge: From the Beginning (new)
11:35 Nightline (new)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (new, with guest Ashley Judd)

8:00 Survivor: One World (new)
9:00 Criminal Minds (new)
10:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (new)
11:35 Late Show With David Letterman (new, with guests Magic Johnson and Jim Gaffigan)
12:37 The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new, with guest Adam Goldberg)

8:00 American Idol (new)

8:00 Betty White's Off Their Rockers (new)
8:30 Best Friends Forever (new)
9:00 Rock Center With Brian Williams (new)
10:00 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (new)
11:34 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guest Albert Brooks)
12:37 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (new, with guests Joel McHale and James Cameron)

8:00 America's Next Top Model: British Invasion (repeat)
9:00 America's Next Top Model: British Invasion (new)

One Direction Celebrates SNL Success With a Shirtless Swim

Katie Henry — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:56:21 PDT

The guys of One Direction, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson, let loose off the coast of Sydney today. The group is fresh off an SNL performance over the weekend, and seems to be celebrating with some much-deserved downtime before embarking on their Australian tour. The British-Irish boy band rose to fame following a third place finish on the seventh season of the UK's X Factor, and since then they've been signed to Columbia and Simon Cowell's own Syco Records.

The group is taking the music charts by storm around the globe. Their album, Up All Night, is currently ranked in the top 10 on iTunes and their latest single "What Makes You Beautiful" has been teetering between the number one and two positions on the digital singles chart. In addition to dominating the online music industry, the band is also selling out shows on multiple continents. The Australian leg of their tour is completely sold out, and tickets for their Dec. 3 Madison Square Garden concert went on sale Friday and were gone in less than an hour!