AMERICAN IDOL NOTES
Aussie rocker Michael Johns began the evening with a rockin' version of Aerosmith's "Dream On." Randy Jackson said, "It had some pitch problems but I thought it was a good song choice." Paula Abdul said, "You sound as good as you look. You were unbelievable." Simon Cowell said, "I thought it was a very good performance [but] I don't like it when you do an impersonation of a rock star."
Syesha Mercado was in full diva mode for a soaring rendition of the Fantasia song "I Believe." Randy said, "It was okay, just okay. I felt no connection with you." Paula said, "Not many people can take on songs like that. You flipped it and made it all your own. I think it was one of your most shining nights." Simon said, "Technically you sang it very well. It lacked that big weight of emotion that I got when Fantasia sang it."
Dreadlocked Jason Castro had his guitar in Hawaiian mode for "Over the Rainbow." Randy said, "Dude, Jason Castro is back in the hunt. That was molten hot." Paula said, "You have the most definitive sound with the guitar. You did a great job." Simon said it was "fantastic."
Kristy Lee Cook belted out Martina McBride's "Do It Anyway." Randy said, "A couple of little pitch problems, but really good." Paula said, "I think you outdid yourself. This was your best by far. Excellent." Simon said, "I thought you were very, very good indeed. Tonight you look like a star."
David Cook was in a Sergeant Pepper-inspired jacket to do the Our Lady Peace song "Innocent." Randy said, "I am a huge fan of yours, but I am not sure this was one of your strongest weeks." Paula said, "You are so well-defined as being the whole package." Simon said, "I didn't like this performance very much. I didn't like the white jacket."
Ireland's Carly Smithson was showing shoulder tattoo for a throaty rendition of Queen's "The Show Must Go On." Randy said, "Started out good, a little pitchy in the middle and ended up okay." Paula said, "Your voice as always is pretty perfect, I just didn't feel the connection." Simon said, "You look good. I thought it was an unusual choice of song. You over sang it. It came over as an angry."
David Archuleta sat at the piano for a soft version of the Robbie Williams song "Angels." Randy said, "That's the David that I love. That was the hottest moment of the season." Paula said, "That sums it up for me, fantastic." Simon said, "Best song choice of the night so far. I am not going to say it was your best vocal though. It was a bit nasally."
Brooke White ended the night with an emotional stab at James Taylor's "You've Got a Friend." Randy said, "I don't think it was your best performance." Paula said, "Perfect way to close the evening." Simon said, "A pleasant walk in the park. It was nice. Was it original? No."
So here's the official elimination prediction...
Bottom Three: Syesha, Carly, Michael
OUT: Syesha
DANCING WITH THE STARS
The typically sarcastic and irreverent Adam Carolla was uncharacteristically sweet and philosophical when he said farewell after last night's Dancing With the Stars results show. He commented, "I lost 20 pounds of fat and gained one-hundred-and-five pounds of angel." That last comment referred to his professional partner, and budding country music star, Julianne Hough.
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow performed her hit, "Have Some Fun," and her current single, "Children of Abraham." But the kids stole the show when professional youth ballroom dancers "competed" for judges and showed the celebrity dancers how it's really done. Next week, the dancers go toe-to-toe in the Latin round.
BURN CALORIES WHILE YOU CLEAN
Here is a list of the top 10 highest calorie-burning chores… the good news is that the more you clean, the more calories you'll burn through.
10. Dust and polish (burn 2,288 calories per year). Light dusting burns about 170 calories per hour (assuming you weigh 150 pounds) heavy dusting burns 204 calories per hour.
9. Change the bedding (burn 2,728 calories per year). You can burn 136 calories per hour. Of course, none of us will take an hour to make the bed, but even at 15 minutes, you've burned enough calories to make up for half a glass of wine.
8. Clean the bathroom (burn 2,891 calories per year). You can burn at least 231 calories per hour.
7. Sweep the floor (burn 2,896 calories per year). This activity burns 272 calories per hour.
6. Tidy up (burn 4,541 calories per year). Even a light tidying up lets you burn over 170 calories per hour. Step it up and you can get it to over 240 calories burned per hour.
5. Scrub the floor (burn 5,117 calories per year). You'll burn about 258 calories per hour, enough to make up for a serving of chicken nuggets.
4. Wash and dry the dishes (burn 6,781 calories per year). Give that dishwasher a rest and do your dishes by hand. You'll burn 156 calories per hour, just for standing and washing the dishes but if you dry them by hand and put them away, you'll get even more bang for your buck.
3. Iron your clothes (burn 6,794 calories per year). You can burn about 156 calories per hour.
2. Vacuum the floor (burn 6,800 calories per year). Vacuuming burns about 238 calories per hour, but you can get more out of it by vacuuming the couches and pillows.
1. Do the laundry (burn 9,464 calories per year). Doing the laundry only burns about 150 calories per hour, but because it takes a while to go through several loads (especially if you have kids or major cleaning to do), the calories burned do add up.
EXTRAS: If you have outside space, you can burn even more calories by gardening (246 calories per hour), raking (264 calories per hour), or mowing the lawn (a whopping 363 calories per hour).
FRIENDS DON'T LIKE WHEN FRIENDS DIET
If you're trying to lose weight, the one thing that is most likely to derail your best diet plan is your family and close friends. Don't believe it? Test it. Go on a diet. Lose a few pounds. Brag a little. And then see what happens. Chances are you'll find you're the recipient of fattening food gifts. Your spouse may buy you a candy bar at the movies or your co-worker will offer you cookies when the afternoon munchies hit.
You can fight the sabotage by understanding why it happens. Colleen Pierre, a registered dietician and an associate professor of aging, nutrition, and fitness at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, offers these reasons ...
1. They feel guilty. You're successfully losing weight. They're not. Giving you food is one way to get you back to "normal."
2. They don't understand. This is most common with people who have never had a weight problem and just don't realize that you can't go back to eating anything you want just because you lost a few pounds.
3. They miss the old you. And they miss the cookies you baked, the after-work "happy hours" spent with co-workers, or the restaurant dinners out with the spouse.
