David Cook: Season 7 American Idol

Awesome! There is justice in this world, after all.

Penzu: Your Free Online Journal/Diary

Today, I just stumbled upon a free online tool called Penzu which allows any registered user to keep an online diary or journal for free.

In this digital age, anything that resembles writing on paper still makes an impact. To me, it has to do with my undying love for pen and paper and the need to feel the illusion of still keeping records in paper format even with the evolution of e-copies and e-books.

Penzu does a good job of keeping it simple and the look is that of a real journal. You simply type an entry which is already dated by default and you can lock it, save it, print it, share it and you can even insert a picture to your journal entry.

It does give that journal feel as you type in your entry. The only possible improvement is if this application will be able to incorporate inking as a method of data entry. Then we will have the feel of pen and paper in our hands.

If you are not aware, Microsoft OneNote is a much better journal that is available with your Microsoft Office 2007 package and it does give you the illusion of getting the book-and-pen note keeping because it allows inking which you can easily do using tablet and pen computer accessory.

The only advantage of keeping one online is the fact that you can access your journal anywhere for as long as you have an internet connection.

There are issues though that you must carefully consider like the security of your data and how much data integrity is provided with a free service.

As of this writing Penzu is obviously still in the works and still on Beta. You can check it out at Penzu. See for yourself.

Simon Cowell to David Archuleta: “It was a knockout!”

Tonight’s American Idol Finale between the two phenomenal Davids was a disappointment for me not because the contestants didn’t do well but because the judges were already calling on who won the title.

To Simon Cowell, who’s always been an exceptionally accurate critic to every contestant’s performance, David Archuleta won the night. Randy also hinted after the third round that David Archuleta is the new American Idol.

Paula on the other hand was tight-lipped about her Idol choice because to her obviously it was too close to call and more than anything else, it’s the voting public who picks the season’s winner.

I usually agree with Simon Cowell’s judgment, but tonight I beg to differ. I think David Cook did a better job of showing more talent by choosing to go beyond conventions and showing his versatility as a performer. To me David Archuleta chose to stay on the safe side by singing a song that he already performed and to me it didn’t spark that much excitement. David Cook meanwhile performed a very touching third song which Simon Cowell didn’t like and hoped to have been replaced with either ‘Billie Jean’ or ‘Hello’. On the other hand David Cook humbly accepted the unfavorable comments meanwhile admitting that he believes in progression, thus, his decision to perform a new song.

To me David Cook encompasses the spirit of a true artist and so deserves the title, American Idol.

But with the Idol title or not, one thing is certain, David Cook, you will rock the charts and the airwaves stronger than any Idol contender had ever done.

I am one among countless fans out there who can’t wait to hear a David Cook single.

The excitement has just begun.

Morning Feast: Pump-priming My Day

I love to eat. I also love to cook. I really don't know which one came first, but I really love the idea of having the right color, texture and taste for anything that I put in my mouth--that is food. Just food, don't get me wrong. Somewhere at the back of my head, I have this prejudice about what a meal should be in order for it to be complete. Just give me the right combination of carbs, protein and veggies and my meal will always be complete. So, needless to say, even for breakfast, I appreciate a complete meal. At times though when I am in a hurry, a bowl of fiber-enriched cereal with soy milk and fresh fruit chunks will do. And still it is as complete as can be. But when I have all the time in the world to fix a sumptuous breakfast, this is what I come up with. I love scrambled eggs(semi-omelet style), slices of multi-grain bread and a handful of fresh fruit on the side.

Unlike most morning scrambled eggs out there, I choose to make mine a little more exciting. How?

1. Melt half a tablespoon of butter on a non-stick pan.




2. Whisk three eggs in a bowl.




3. Cook the eggs in the pan with the heat set to the lowest settings, stirring it occasionally so it doesn't dry up.




4. While letting the eggs cook, slice some sweet cherry tomatoes, and as soon as the eggs start to get a little thick, put the sliced tomatoes in.




5. While still a little moist, add some nuts (e.g., slivered blanched almonds or some roasted pine nuts) and mix it up a little.




6. Heat up the eggs a little bit more and sprinkle some shredded cheese on top always making sure that the eggs don't dry up.




7. Take the pan off the heat and fold in some crisp fresh green baby spinach leaves into the cooked eggs. The spinach leaves will add a fresh crunchy texture to the eggs.




8. Immediately transfer the cooked eggs into a dish. Remember, the heat from the pan will dry up the eggs.

Add a few slices of healthy multi-grain bread with your choice of fruit and wallah...you have a kingly breakfast at your fingertips! I usually water it down with a glass of low-sugar fruit-based beverage. My favorite is diet cranberry juice.

Starting the day with a healthy breakfast is always an exciting undertaking. And if there's any one meal that I'd rather fill up on, it's my breakfast because I have the entire day to burn up the extra calories. Oh yeah, I don't eat all three eggs. I only eat half of what the three eggs make.

And if you are worried about your cholesterol levels, do enjoy other breakfast alternatives that you can eat to start the day. Just keep it healthy and delicious. This way, you can never go wrong.

If you want to keep a healthy weight, the one meal you shouldn't miss is your breakfast. It pumps-prime your metabolic engine early on the day.

Ignoramus Tales: Poking Fun At Naiveté…Err…Stupidity

Big Mall Day.

A mall just opened in a remote municipality. Everyone was so excited to finally get to experience the fun of mall hopping. The entire community supported the grand opening by taking the time to check out the new mall.

Dilemma: At mall closing time, chaos erupted. Everyone who went inside the mall was looking for his/her flip-flops that he/she carefully left behind by the mall entrance when he/she entered the mall.

Lesson: Go to the mall barefoot. You can breeze in and out in your bare toes.

The Key Word.

A guy, who never went to the city before, decided to finally experience a feel of the city life by seeing tall buildings, watching a movie and dining out. It was lunch time when the guy decided to take a meal break in one of the food chains available inside a shopping center.

Dilemma: It was his first time to see the foot-pedaled water dispenser. He was getting thirsty but he didn't know how the machine works. He was watching closely as everyone paced his way to the water dispenser and bent over slowly as the water poured out from the spout. Somehow, he had a hard time figuring it out so he said to himself that maybe there is some secret word that you say to make the water come out. Slowly he went to the dispenser, bent over and whispered, "Excuse me" basing on the way other people kind of bend over in a slow apologetic fashion. Nothing happened. He said, "Excuse me" again. Still nothing happened. There was a long line of people waiting to drink behind him, then all of a sudden chaos ensued and he was pushed off by somebody and accidentally but unknowingly stepped on the foot pedal while hearing the word, "Sorry" from behind him. Water came out of the spout and what a glorious realization.

Lesson: The key word to the water fountain was, "Sorry" not "Excuse Me". Try again!

How did it know?

A very poor guy, who was so technologically deprived, won the lottery so he decided to buy all the latest technological innovations like HD TV, Wii, computer, refrigerator and a mobile phone. The mobile phone was his favorite because he feels like he had this magical power because somebody can call him everywhere he goes, even when he goes freeballing on top of a tree. Then he decided to call a friend.

Dilemma: He went to his wife with an astonished look on his face and said, "My goodness, this thing really has a special power. It even knows that I just won the lottery. Here listen," while handing the phone to his wife. "It is saying, 'The subscriber cannot be RICH'. And the wife agrees, "Yeah, that's strange!"

Lesson: If you win the lottery, don't buy a cell phone. Get a tutor that can tell you the difference between REACHED and RICH. And maybe some hearing aids, too. Sorry all circuits are busy now. Please try your call later.

Table Etiquette.

T he same guy who won the lottery decided to live the good life. On his wedding anniversary he took his wife and a bunch of family and friends for a dinner in a fancy restaurant. Everyone enjoyed his dinner, while the lottery guy was keenly observing all the guests around the table so he can proceed without embarrassing himself. He wanted to at least be able to show some class. After all, he should know how to handle his higher monetary status. The dinner gladly ended with him being able to use every table accoutrements properly by just imitating the invited guests' every move.

Dilemma: After dinner, all the guests took their toothpick and were playfully picking on their teeth to get rid of any morsel of food caught in between. The sad part was whoever used the toothpick had to cover his mouth as some sort of good table etiquette. The lottery guy attempted to do the same. As soon as he dropped his table napkin, his nose was bleeding.

Lesson: If you don't know what a toothpick is for, use dental floss instead. In that way, even if you push it up your nostrils, while covering your face with a napkin, you won't get a nosebleed, guaranteed. But hopeless stupidity, you will. Who among you here ordered and ate the ambience? The waiter just told me why the bill is too much. He said I paid for the ambience too. How did it taste like? Anyone?

Coded Lingo: Reading Between The Lines

Click here or click on the box for a readable view.

Read the boxed text. If you can decode the underlined words, then there are only two possibilities.

Either you are smarter than most people I know or you happened to grab hold of the same book I'm reading at the moment.

Either way, you're off to a good start, more so if writing is one of your passions. Being able to speak in metaphors or at least in some strange way of verbal sophistication sets an edge that almost always captures the reader's undivided attention and most certainly creates a thought-provoking process.

Below you will find the simpler version of the phrases contained in the box. After learning the underlying meanings of these words and phrases, imagine yourself just being handed a pocketful of verbose tricks that you can share to your peers to project the brainiac that you are not. Oooppss, sorry . . . I must have hit you right where it hurts. Actually, I mean it. I mean the 'sorry'.

Where to? I ask myself. Somebody just handed me a nix, cancelling on me. Take a look. I'm just a young individual who usually wanders at the mall always looking as if I am up to no good who knows nothing about the fine details of the ruthless competition. I was hoping I could go to rehab and get a cure for my alcoholism. I envy those who are safe and successful whose only dilemma is the battle to lose weight around their mid-section. I don't even have a home. My ex-wife had it on 'for sale by owner' for a while now. Yeah it's hard to even get some sleep. I would do anything to get out of this no-win situation. If only I can "Keep it simple, stupid!" (my life) and not let other people keep on poking me on my vulnerable side. Now I am on the run from the police after I acted prematurely on somebody who threw an "Examine your zip!" at me, like I was on some sacred territory. Am I super sensationalizing my story? I am a mere divorced father who hardly gets to see my children who is losing energy. What do you think? I don't know, either. What you see is what you get. But, yeah, this excessive talk is making me sick.