Thursday, February 1, 2007

FEBRUARY 1, 2007

AMERICAN IDOL NOTES
If you love the bad Idol auditions, this was the night for you! 40 people made it to the Hollywood round, but in an hour, we saw only three of them!

So, let's talk about all three... Alaina Alexander, 24, from West Hollywood, CA sang “It’s Going to Be Feeling Good”. I was surprised they passed her, she was a little pitchy, but she sold them on it being her "final chance" to prove to herself she could make it, and Simon let her through.

The best of the night was probably Brandon Rogers, 28, also from Hollywood. He's one of Christina Aguilera's backup singers... He sang a very soulful bersion of Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind”. The judges quickly sent him on his way, and I think he really impressed guest judge Olivia Newton John.

Brian Miller, 19, from Placenta CA, was cut during the Hollywood round last season. He’s trying to get farther this year, although Simon said he didn't remember him. He’s originally from Buffalo New York and is a close friend of Season 3 contestant, John Stevens. His performance of a “A Change is Gonna Come” is pretty good... He could do well.

Next week, the auditions wrap up. Tuesday, they're in San Antonio... Wednesday, it's the Best of the Rest... whatever that is. Then the Hollywood rounds, finally!

BREAKING HARRY POTTER NEWS!
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the last of seven installments of the boy wizard's adventures, will be published July 21, author J.K. Rowling said Thursday.

Rowling announced the publication date on her Web site.

Bloomsbury, her British publisher, said it would publish a children's hardback edition, an adult hardback, a special gift edition and an audio book on the same day.

Scholastic Children's Books, the U.S. publisher, said it would offer a hardback edition at a suggested retail price of $34.99, a deluxe edition at $65.00 and a reinforced library edition at $39.99.

NEED A PAY UPGRADE? SEE THIS LIST OF THE TOP PAYING JOBS!
Here, from CareerBuilder.com, are the median salaries of America's 50 highest-paying jobs. Check 'em out. . .

#1.) Surgeons, $177,690
#2.) Anesthesiologists, $174,240
#3.) Obstetricians and Gynecologists, $171,810
#4.) Orthodontists, $163,410
#5.) Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, $160,660
#6.) Internists (General), $156,550
#7.) Psychiatrists, $146,150
#8.) Prosthodontists, $146,080
#9.) Family and General Practitioners, $140,370
#10.) Chief Executives, $139,810
#11.) Pediatricians (General), $139,230
#12.) Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers, $135,040
#13.) Dentists (General), $133,680
#14.) Podiatrists, $111,250
#15.) Lawyers, $110,520
#16.) Air Traffic Controllers, $105,820 (--Who knew???)
#17.) Engineering Managers, $105,470
#18.) Computer and Information Systems Managers, $102,360
#19.) Marketing Managers, $101,990
#20.) Astronomers, $101,360
#21.) Natural Sciences Managers, $99,140
#22.) Sales Managers, $98,510
#23.) Petroleum Engineers, $97,350
#24.) Financial Managers, $96,620
#25.) Law Teachers (Postsecondary), $95,570
#26.) Optometrists, $95,500
#27.) General and Operations Managers, $95,470
#28.) Computer and Information Scientists (Research), $94,030
#29.) Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates, $91,500
#30.) Physicists, $91,480
#31.) Actuaries, $90,760
#32.) Nuclear Engineers, $90,690
#33.) Industrial-Organizational Psychologists, $89,980
#34.) Human Resources Managers, $89,950
#35.) Pharmacists, $88,650
#36.) Securities, Commodities and Financial Agents, $87,990
#37.) Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners, $87,630
#38.) Computer Hardware Engineers, $87,170
#39.) Public Relations Managers, $85,820
#40.) Aerospace Engineers, $85,450
#41.) Political Scientists, $84,820
#42.) Physical Scientists, $84,380
#43.) Computer Software Engineers (Systems Software), $84,310
#44.) Personal Financial Advisors, $82,970
#45.) Health Specialties Teachers (Postsecondary), $82,450
#46.) Chiropractors, $82,060
#47.) Industrial Production Managers, $81,960
#48.) Construction Managers, $81,760
#49.) Purchasing Managers, $81,440
#50.) Advertising and Promotions Managers, $81,250