the girly network

Madoff is guilty and faces up to 150 years in prison...

I say good riddance!  I think he deserves life in prison...and I DON'T mean being stuck in his luxurious Park Avenue pad.  I'm glad the judge revoked his bail and sent him to jail immediately to wait for his sentencing in June.  Madoff will have a lot of time to ponder now.  What he's done to hard working people is unfathomable.  He's destroyed the futures of so many...and he needs to be accountable. 

I think they should take all of Madoff's overseas accounts, NY penthouse, jewelry, and any other assets he may have hidden under the mattress...and they should split it up evenly among all the victims.  I know it wouldn't be worth much in dollars once you divide it...but it would be symbolic. 

Do you think Mrs. Madoff should keep any valuables, considering that it could've been purchased with stolen money?

American Idol sends home...

...Jorge Nuñez and Jasmine Murray. 

I wasn't surprised at all.  Were you? 

Live Blogging: American Idol

So I'm watching American Idol right now...here are my comments so far...are you watching?

1. Lil Rounds --She can sing her butt off.  Her look reminds me of Fantasia.  I think she's going to go far in this competition.

2. Scott MacIntyre --This was not my favorite of Scott's performances.  I actually thought it was a bit boring.  I don't think he's American Idol material...I think he's more sophisticated than that. 

3. Danny Gokey --Talk about energy!  I enjoyed his performance.  I think Simon is right when he said..."You're a white guy with soul".

4. Michael Sarver --He can sing but I'm not blown away. 

5. Jasmine Murray -- The 17-year-old didn't sound good to me.  I'm not feeling it.

6. Kris Allen --This boy is cute!  I think he'll survive the cut.  Was he yelling at times or was it just me?

7. Allison Iraheta --I had no idea that she was my compatriota.  Go my Salvadorean peeps.  She can sing and I think she brings a different rock vibe to the competition.  She's 16 years old and looks a lot older, for sure. 

8. Anoop Desai --I don't think he's the best singer...but I like his energy on stage.  The judges didn't like the performance at all though.  Simon went as far as calling it "stupid".  Yikes. 

9. Jorge Nuñez -- I didn't love this performance at all.  I think the judges got it right...it was the wrong song for him.  I would love to hear him sing in Spanish...I bet he would rock the house.  Is that against the American Idol rules? 

10. Megan Joy Corkrey --I like her but I think it was kinda corny tonight.  I think Simon got it right..."it was clumsy and awkward".

11. Adam Lambert -- I like his voice a lot.  He's original with loads of stage presence. 

12. Matt Giraud -- He can hit that really high note but lost it at times.  He reminds me of Justin Timberlake too.  I can't decide if I think he's cute or not.

13. Alexis Grace -- What a big voice for a little girl.  She has stage presence and I see her doing well in this competition.  You go girl.

Which 2 contestants will pack their suitcases and go home tomorrow?  I have to say that I was underwhelmed tonight with most of the performances.  I think the following contestants may go home: Scott MacIntyre, Jorge Nuñez or Anoop Desai.

Who will be the next American Idol?  I think it's between Adam Lambert and Lil Rounds. 

Your thoughts?

*Side note: What's up with Paula Abdul's speech?  She's almost struggling to speak.  It's painful to hear.

Is Rihanna the new face for domestic violence?

I was at Kanye West's Glow in the Dark concert last year, thanks to my girlfriend. Rihanna was one of the opening acts that night...and when Chris Brown surprised the cheering crowd by appearing next to his girlfriend, the fans went nuts. As I took a break from singing along to the "Umbrella" song and swaying from side to side, I turned to my friend to comment, "how cute are these two?".

Yes, I too, fell for the marketing scheme.  There's also something very girly about loving the fantasy of a "perfect", young and in-love couple.  They are both successful and talented...no one can take that away from them. The pop singers looked great together on and off stage.  Their clean-cut images, enviable good looks and bright smiles made them a marketer's dream.  Their fans wanted to believe that Brown meant it when he sang to Rihanna, "You could be my Cinderella", as he does on this video clip.  Corny?  Of course.  Fairytales are meant to be mushy...and it's clear that this one came to a screeching halt, revealing a sobering reality.

I'm sure if Rihanna had a magic wand, she'd wish this would all go away...the visible bruises, the internal damage, the heartbreak, the rollercoaster ride and the public humiliation.  There's no girl out there that fantasizes in being her lover's punching bag...and yet the statistics reveal that impacting numbers of women are victims.  According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 4 women has experienced domestic violence in her lifetime.  The police report states that Rihanna is now a statistic and possibly the leading star for an unwanted role. 

Dancing with Lil' Kim

I never thought I would say "Lil' Kim" and "family show" in the same sentence, but there she is...doing the cha cha on Dancing with the Stars. Way to reinvent her image...from hip hop's favorite bad girl to a household name across the country.  There are many things you can call Lil' Kim...but dumb is not one of them.  Will you watch?

pretty words

                                                               Sunset in Aruba                                                                       gr for The Girly Network 

                                   

"May the light in me, honor the light in you."

                                                                            -Rei, yoga instructor

Do you miss Project Runway?

Watch CBS Videos Online

I have to say that Project Runway is one of my favorite reality shows because it showcases real talent.  I usually try to catch the weekend marathons...so I don't have to wait a week to see who got eliminated.  So, I'm a little disappointed to hear that the 6th season may not see the day of light because of legal battles.  The losers here will never be the multi-million dollar companies fighting in court, but those talented designers that were banking on getting some recognition for their creativity. 

Male or Female?

 Do you care about your GYN's gender? 

I currently have a female doctor.  I chose a she because I remember reading a while back that studies show that women physicians spend more time with their patients than their male counterparts.  So overall, if I compare MDs with similar backgrounds...I would lean towards the female doc.

That's my current preference, but it wasn't always the case.  My very first pap smear was done by a male gynecologist.  My mother took me to her doctor and spoke highly of him because "he was a lot gentler" than her previous female M.D..  You see...minutes after my brother's birth, that female OB/GYN shoved her hand into her vagina and, in my mami's gentle words,"scraped her like a chicken...Esa hija de ___".  Anytime you ask her about that story, it's bound to provoke a lot of Spanish curse words.  In any event, my first time at the GYN was as smooth as that awkward experience is ever going to be.  I'm sure it helped that he was grandpa-like and my mom was next to me the whole time.   

Overall, I've been fortunate to have had good experiences with both male and female gynecologists.  I've totally considered myself open-minded about having a he examining my privates...until my friend posed an interesting question the other day.  "What if he was a really hot doctor?", Jules questioned me.  She mentioned that her other friend had recommended a good-looking OB/GYN to her.  "No way", I replied.  Can you imagine having a David Beckham look-alike telling you to place your feet on the stirrups?  I think I'll pass on that one.