Thursday 31 March 2011

X Factor and the US? Fall 2011

I am excited that X Factor is coming/going to the states or from here on out known as America.
I cannot stand American Idol or Britain's got talent but X Factor was so much fun to watch and I still listen to the winner Matt Cardle.

Rumors are flying on who will be the hosts on the American version. We all know Simon Cowell is on there obviously since he left American Idol and this is the new US money maker for him.
I know you need talented people who understand the "biz" but pick people the country can relate too or want to watch.

Announced March 18th - Antonio “L.A.” Reid, former Chairman of Island Def Jam Music Group and one of the most influential names in music today, will join Simon Cowell on the judging panel of THE X FACTOR, the highly anticipated singing competition series debuting this fall on FOX. (this is from the FOX website).
We can relate to this man since Def Jam is HUGE in America and I think this is a good choice.

What happened to Cheryl Cole? Simon and her have good chemistry and it would be nice to see a UK male and female on the judge panel. I admit I like her music and I think she would be fabulous in America despite her "accent". Don't worry new rumors say she may host the new Big Brother UK. I think that's a crap move. Bring Cheryl to America and she will do well, I can see it. She would show that you can make it as a group aka Girls Aloud as well as a solo artist all from another song reality show. She already has a name here in the UK since she is on commercials/adverts as well as her music.

If you need someone like Louie why not get Maurice Starr - he started New Edition and New Kids on the Block and could be a great edition!

Anyways...I am on team Cheryl and please don't put Nicole Scherzinger on the panel she was so Blah to me when she filled in on the UK version.

So who do you want to see on the judge panel?
Do you even give 2 shits?

Yes I care...Now I wonder how much they will screw up the UK version *shaking head*

snow white

Sunday 20 March 2011

Social Networking?

Everyone is doing it, why aren't you?

Facebook is obviously the big player in this social networking arena - heck they had a movie made about it.

Next up GoogleMe or Google Plus 1 - which seems to be coming up in the spring/fall and they say they are integrating with all current Google stuff because people are bored with facebook.

Are we really bored? No
Am I tired of the constant changes and security things I have to keep changing? yes
Would I like alternate egos/pages such as 1 for work, 1 for family, 1 for friends and 1 free for all? Hell Yes

I was around for the pay per hour CIS days, AOL, 5400 baud modem days and even Myspace but will I check out the GoogleMe social site?
Hell Yes - if it is user friendly, integrated and none of this security crap then I am there.

Will it overtake facebook? I am not sure but I am can't wait to see what it offers.

I like to stay in touch via FB for many reasons and the #1 reason is I have friends and family all over the world it seems. I have friends I have known since I was 10, I may not talk to daily or even weekly but its nice to stay up to date on everyone's life.

If you think it can be boring, you are right. If you think sometimes the posts are just ridiculous, you are right. You know what I say? Quit reading the shit then because no one is making you.

Do old friends add you just to see what you are up to say 20 years later? umm duh yeah
Do I accept them? Yes most of the time as it is fun for me to see how people have changed, grown and all the places they have been. A quick catch up is fun as well. You never know what part of the world you will be in and need a friend - relationships are key in life.

I have a good amount of friends, I mean not all of them are my BFF's or anything but I would would gladly have lunch, drinks or offer any of them a place to crash and if I wouldn't then we shouldn't be "friends" on facebook. I share my phone number on there because I once again feel if you are my friend, you should have my number or I would just delete you.

Any who....I cant wait to check out this new Google Social Page thingiemajig

snow wife

It is not length of life, but depth of life. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday 14 March 2011

XOXO - huh?

These 2 letters are used so much it is mind boggling to me. It's something I am getting used to but of course I have my own spin on how I use them or don't use them.

I reserve "xo" for loved ones such as family because to me this means hugs and kisses right?

Here in the UK every text message is signed off with "x" which is obviously a sign of friendship but this is only if you believe "x" is a hugg. I don't see the English signing off with a kiss to every person they know. Or do they?

According to wikipedia I have this backwards?

Hugs and kisses is a term for a sequence of the letters X and O. The use of "X" to signify a kiss is more long-standing than the use of "O", dating back at least to 1765.
However, some believe that the symbols "X" and "O" are reversed, with "O" meaning kisses and "X" meaning hugs.

It is debatable which letter represents which act. Some interpret X as the crossed arms of a hug and O as the puckered lips of a kiss. However, the interpretation assumed in the following, in which X represents the four lips of a kiss and O the four arms of a hug, is more common. For example the Oxford English Dictionary states that X is "used to represent a kiss, esp. in
the subscription to a letter."

I think I will stick with what I know and continue to think "x" means a hug and "o" to mean a kiss. I will continue to use xoxo with my hubster and family near and far.

Not that I don't love my friends but xoxo has become over used and just seems weird to me - no offense to those who want to use it but I will reserve my kisses for the ones I do kiss hello ;-*

So do you use "x" for hugs or for kisses?

Do you reserve xoxo for family or just never use it at all?

snow white

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

Mignon McLaughlin

Wednesday 9 March 2011

Food...All expats talk food, we can't help it.

Well whether you know it or not I love and I mean love Mexican food.
I want to present and educate people who don't know what Mexican food is and maybe link a few recipes...
BUT wait there is more. Its such a suspense thing and you have to wait till the end.

There is such joy in good queso, guacamole and lightly salted thin tortillas chips presented to you before your meal and having it with a Mexican Martini. For your meal (anytime of day) you can have Breakfast Tacos (think bacon, sausage, bean, potato, cheese, egg), Fajitas, Regular Tacos, Burritos, Chimichangas, Flautas, Enchiladas, Chile Relleno or Quesadillas.

Now if you are outside the United States to make a few of these things can be not so easy.
So let's take a few things.
1. Queso - I always used Velvetta and Rotell but there has to be other ways!
Here is a cheat, I just needed an cheese sauce easy recipe to use when in a pinch or this one which would be ok too!

2. Mexican Chicken Soup - One of my favorite things to make - YUM!

3. Chicken Enchiladas - This was a decent recipe and you can change it up as needed.

Ok now that you have an idea of what Mexican is to me and a few recipes I can move on...
I would kill for a Mexican restaurant or would love to even open one which maybe in my 7 year plan, we will see. For now what is a girl to do when she has cravings?


Eat Indian! It's everywhere! I have come to love it loads. It doesn't taste anything like Mexican but it has that kick that is awesome.
I am not an expert on Indian but I can tell you what I do like.
1. Chicken Vindaloo - every place does it different so it can be tricky and some can be quite HOT

2. Lime Pickle is my absolute favorite if it is HOT on a poppadom! It is like my chips and salsa.
Recipe is here or buy this kind

3. Bombay Aloo - good potato recipe

4. Chicken Makhani/Indian Butter Chicken - One of my Favorites and then I get a side of vindaloo to give me a spicy dipping sauce.

You must have naan bread to soak up the sauce and it can help cool down your mouth as well.

Well now that I have made myself hungry maybe I will have some M&S chicken fajitas tonight - they are decent for being store bought.

I am always up for hearing about an excellent recipe that has some spice but wont take me tons of money and ingredients to make.

what's yours?

snow white

Tuesday 1 March 2011

Mornings and Towels

Do you ever wake up and go what friggin day is it? What did I have to do? Where was I suppose to be?
Crap it's Monday not Friday
Welcome to my head *taking a bow*

I swear, almost everyday I wake up and have to think hard to remember what the day is because lately I feel as if I don't know whether I am coming or going. Let's remember I have a hard time sleeping so that doesn't help because there are days I am sleep deprived. There are nights I am not falling asleep till 330am and waking up at 730am and going all day long *sigh*
It isn't very often but this is why I wake up and think, "Crap what day is it?"

*warning: this will veer off to another small rant*

I do what I believe most human beings to when they wake up...I head to the bathroom and hit the toilet and then wash my hands. As I lean to grab the hand towel I cringe there is toothpaste all over the hand towel.
Ok I am pretty sure I was raised you use water to rinse off your mouth before drying it on the hand towel?
The purpose of the hand towel is to DRY your clean hands...so if there is toothpaste on it, it is no longer clean is it?
I will stand up and admit I am a sheet and towel snob and you will just have to bite your tongue if you don't agree because you won't change my mind.

The hand towels we have are not the crap tea towel or massive bath towels laying over a heater to dry your hands, they are proper hand towels and fluffy.
Towels are so important in a bathroom. As you finish a nice long hot shower you want a fluffy towel to encase you. You want a soft hand towel to dry your hands not scratch them off. You want a wash cloth that doesn't scrape your face off but lathers the soap.
Yes I like towels *nodnod*

So when I wake up thinking what friggin day is it and then I see toothpaste on the hand towel ya know what day it is?
Laundry day! Those poor towels are taking a beating since every single time I see toothpaste I wash them.

Side secret I started having my own hand towel hanging on the back of the bathroom door so I will have my own clean towel, ya know just to save the environment and I wont do so much laundry ;-)

This is why I need my own bathroom, no ifs, ands or butts about it.

snow white

I need a holiday soon!