AI post-Jason

I told a colleague last week that I don’t think I’m going to watch American Idol now that Jason Castro is out. Not that I’m a sore loser (okay, maybe I am but at least Jason isn’t). I just hate the prospect of watching Syesha Mercado perform three songs.

I would have been fine about it if Carly or even Brooke was there. Syesha, I have never related to her, the way I never related to Nadia Turner aka “the steak in the land of hamburgers” girl from Season 4 (if I am not mistaken). To me, black girls have a vocal standard to meet. If you’re black and you’re singing R&B and don’t sound as good as Beyonce, Whitney, Mariah or Monica, then you’re not good enough. If you can’t compensate for that with smooth dancing skills ala Janet Jackson then, sorry, but you won’t have staying power. Syesha’s fans are going to burn me at the stake but hey, my blog, my views. Don’t like it, take a hike.

So yeah, I was sad that Jason is out and I did say that I won’t watch the show again except for the finale, which I am pretty sure will not be a David vs Syesha (or Americans will demand for a recount!). But I’m happy that at least now I get to know Jason a little bit better from interviews. For instance, I would not have known that his brother looks like Danny Noriega! Or that he wears his girlfriend’s gift on his hair. Or that he plans to do something with his hair later on. Or that learning songs in a rush is difficult for him because he needs time to “fall in love” with them in order to do justice to them.

After seeing all these interviews of Jason, it doesn’t matter anymore if he’s no longer in the show. If he’s happy with it, hey, who am I to complain?

May isn’t for me

I’m beginning to think that May isn’t my lucky month. Let me tell you why I say so:

Week 1
I had to write a last minute cover story on late Labour Day afternoon — the irony of it — because there were problems with the original cover story. Based on my advise, my boss decided that we pull out the original story and the sidebar. On Friday (the next day), the team made every possible effort to remove the stories, lay out the new story and proof read the page — all within a few hours.

On Sunday morning, I got an sms from the an advertiser saying that she was disappointed that the article came out despite us agreeing that it won’t. What’s more, the article appeared without a byline and pictures.

Guess what? The page was output twice, the second time unfortunately the one with the not-supposed-to-be-released side story. This was done by accident, due to a miscommunication. The funny thing is, pages which are output twice would normally cause the production team on level three to make a quick call to the graphic artists’ department to ask if the output was made on purpose or accident — even if the pages were identical. That day, no one made an enquiry call.

All these happened Friday night after I had gone home. There was no way I could have prevented it unless I had stayed until midnight and continued to bug the graphics artists with my page. But how was I to know, eh?

So, yeah, damage control had to be done and I got myself a new assignment — to interview the advertiser for another article. The article which had to be pulled out is “still being written”.

Week 2

My husband got into an accident on the NKVE highway en route to Sg Buloh the day before I was to leave for Penang. He was fine but the front of his car wasn’t. The car is still in the Perodua workshop undergoing some facial reconstruction. The damage is estimated to be about RM3k. Hmmm.

Then on Friday night, the first time I was able to squeeze in time for the gym in what seems like eternity, I lost my phone. I think it slipped out of my handbag seconds —literally — after I called my husband to ask him where he was parked. I was already outside of the building and he was just outside of the office gate. I realised that my phone was missing on Saturday mid-morning. When we called the phone, it was ringing for a whole Saturday afternoon but no one picked up the phone. I put up a notice on the office intranet pleading for anyone who saw/took my phone to return it to me. But I suppose if the person had wanted to, he or she would have answered when my husband and dad’s called on Saturday. Chances of my being reunited with my phone again? Nil.

Week 3

I spilled half of my sirap drink all over the pantry counter.

So yeah, I don’t think May is my lucky month.