AMERICAN IDOL NOTES
Finally, the last audition city-- Atlanta... Here's who to keep an eye on...
Josiah Leming... The 18-year-old from Morristown, Tenn., has been living in his car for months, but his family had no idea — they thought he was staying with friends. He sang an original composition and threw in a fake British accent, but the judges moved him on.
Asia’h Epperson... whose father was killed in a car accident while she was driving to her “Idol” audition. The 18-year-old said that she’d just called him half an hour before his death to tell him she was on her way to audition. The singing was actually not that good, but you can't blame her considering the circumstances. She has a good voice, so hopefully she'll do better as time goes on.
Brooke Helvie... came to the auditions wearing her crown from the Ms. South Florida Fair. Ordinarily that only leads to merciless mocking and an early hook from the judges, but the 18-year-old was fully aware of that danger, saying that her goal was to prove to Simon that pageant girls can sing. She did well... but I think her personality will drive some off.
Tonight, it's the "Best of the Rest"... we'll see how that goes... Catch it at 8 PM on Fox 58!
NEWS WE DIDN'T USE
Last week, 33-year-old Brian Waltermyer walked into the Integrity Bank in York, Pennsylvania and gave the teller a note demanding money. The teller calmly asked him if he wouldn't mind pulling back the hood on his sweatshirt so she could see him better.
And he DID. He even straightened out his hair after he pulled his hood down.
The teller gave him a wad of cash while security cameras got a perfect look at his face. Police reviewed the tape... recognized him as a local homeless guy... and arrested him on Monday.
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Some criminal rolled up on a couple in a parking lot Monday night in San Diego and demanded their keys, the woman's purse, and her cell phone.
Then he got in their car and was about to drive off... when he realized it was a stick-shift and not an automatic transmission.
Apparently the dude didn't know how to drive a stick. He got out, said, "Sorry... have a nice day", and ran off. Police haven't caught him. He kept the woman's purse and her cell phone when he dashed... but at least he didn't get the car.
HANNAH MONTANA NEWS
A "Hannah Montana" movie is scheduled to begin filming this summer. This one won't be a concert film, like that "Best of Both Worlds" movie your daughter forced you to sit through last weekend. It'll be based on the Disney Channel series.
And if you didn't get tickets for "Best of Both Worlds", don't worry... even though it was only supposed to run for one week, they've extended it for a SECOND week.
WHAT'S THE WORST THING YOU CAN SAY AT WORK?
CareerBuilder.com just put out a new list of the 10 WORST things you can say at work.
1) "THAT'S NOT MY JOB." If someone comes to you with a problem and you say this, it shows you aren't a "team player" . . . or good at solving problems.
2) "YEAH, NO PROBLEM" ... IF YOU DON'T MEAN IT. If someone needs your help, and you say you'll help... but you actually WON'T, because you're lazy, busy or dangerously under-qualified... just be honest. Or you'll get a rep as being unreliable.
3) "DON'T TELL ANYONE I TOLD YOU, BUT..." You REALLY should try to avoid spreading office gossip. Because the person you tell WILL tell someone else... and they WILL give you credit for the info.
4) "I HAVEN'T GOTTEN A RAISE IN FOUR YEARS." Your raises should be tied to how good you are at your job... not how long you've been there. So use examples of your accomplishments when you ask for a raise... not just your tenure.
5) "IT'S NOT MY FAULT." If there's a problem, be an adult, don't try to deflect the blame to someone else. Help fix what's wrong. You'll just look bad if you always point at your co-workers when something gets screwed up.
6) "TO BE HONEST WITH YOU..." When you say that, it sends the message that, the rest of the time, ALL YOU DO IS LIE. It's a cliché, and one that can be really damaging. It's probably smart to completely drop it from your vocabulary.
7) "WHO ARE YOU GOING TO VOTE FOR?" It's probably best to keep politics out of the office.
8) "I GOT SO HAMMERED LAST NIGHT." Even if you DID get drunk the night before, and even if you're proud of that... it's not smart to say it in the office. Even if you're OK and not hung over, it makes you seem like you could be unreliable in the future.
9) "I JUST DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR THAT." Don't drop this excuse AFTER you miss a deadline. If you need an extension, tell your boss in plenty of time. Or ask for their help prioritizing all your projects.
#10.) "... OR ELSE." It's a bad idea to start THREATENING your co-workers. It'll just make you new ENEMIES... and DE-MOTIVATE people.
