Mad World

After Alex Wong's hip hop dance with Twitch, this season on So You Think You Can Dance, I was convinced he could take it all. Unfortunately, he got injured and was unable to finish the competition.

So then, I was rooting for Billy to win SYTYCD this season. C'mon, the show loves him. He's really talented. He made top 20 last season. They changed the format to Top 11 instead of 10 so that he could be in the cast. Last week, they changed it up AGAIN so he wasn't automatically eliminated for his knee injury.

I forgot to vote, and he got eliminated on tonight's semi-finals. He might have stood a chance if I had voted or if there was another girl in the top 3.

His contemporary routine with Ade last night was really beautiful. I really liked the song.

I realized I heard this song last friday on General Hospital during the climax of Francophenia.

Billy danced to the Gary Jules and Michael Andrews' version from Donnie Darko.

The orignial is by Tears for Fears.

I like both!

Adam Lambert's American Idol version is pretty good too.

Enter the terrible twos

Sophie turned 2 on Saturday. To celebrate, my brother got 4 complimentary tickets to the Happiest Place on Earth. That's right, people, we got to go to Disneyland. I was elated!

First, we had to pick up FastPasses for World of Color. The line was huge! I'm happy for California Adventure. We got the Red Section for the 9pm showing. While Courtney and I got the FPs, Dan went on Soarin' Over California while mom watched Sophie.

We went to Disneyland and got a FP for Splash Mountain. Then, we rode Winnie the Pooh. I saw the moose heads!
I think that's pretty cool. I hope that if Disneyland continues to change, then they'll hide tributes like this for zealous people like me to find. After, we went on Haunted Mansion.

The guy in front of us was talking to a Cast Member about changes to Splash Mountain. He mentioned something about a watermelon after the first drop. After the first drop, we saw that they replaced one of the frogs with a huge watermelon. I totally forgot about the second drop IN THE DARK. It was SCARY! Then, the final, 50-foot drop was so steep to me! It was thrilling. In the final Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah scene, we saw the train pass by. I waved at the passengers. All-in-all, Splash Mountain was a lot of fun, especially with my brother's added soundtrack.

We had lunch at Napolini in Downtown Disney. Before we left, I split from the group to grab FPs for Thunder Mountain. I beat my family to Downtown Disney because they went through the crowded AdventureLand, while I exited through Frontierland. =]

After, we went to Captain EO. The floor shook the ENTIRE movie. I guess they want us to feel like we're dancing with them? Dan LOVED it. He wanted to buy a poster "for Sophie."

Then, Sophie got her face painted, while I got FPs for Roger Rabbit. We went on it's a small world and then back to BTMRR. Roger Rabbitt was kind of crazy. I tried positioning our front car to always face the back, so Dan could capture Sophie's reaction the the ride. We did a couple of gags at ToonTown, and I met Pluto!

Then, it was time for Chimichangas and Dole Whips. I went to Aladdin's Oasis while my mom waited in line, but Aladdin was getting ready to leave. This was it for Disneyland for today.

We went to California Adventure so we could watch the Pixar Play Parade. I welcomed the water because we were facing the bright, hot sun. Sophie was scared of the characters for some reason =/. Then we saw this guy:

Lotso! What a nice bear! That Mr. Potato Head cracks me up.

After, we went to Princess Dot's Puddle Park. THIS was Sophie's favorite part of the day. She just loved playing in all the water!

I got to check out the Blue Sky Cellar. I cannot wait for The Little Mermaid ride!

We rode Francis' Ladybug Boogie.

We headed over to the Hollywood Backlot and Animation Building. Dan was in awe of the Toy Story Zoetrope. Dan, Courtney and I talked to Crush, while my mom enjoyed the animation screens. When we got out, I saw a CM wearing red plaid. So, I looked for the celebrity he was with. It was Chelsea Staub from JONAS!!! My brother took a picture of us thinking she was one of my classmates from school.
Haha. I was pretty giddy as we made our way back to Paradise Pier for World of Color. I have always wanted to see a celebrity at Disneyland. Now I finally did =]

Red Section is all the way off to the right side, which didn't seem promising. Lines for the food and coffee near by are ridiculously long. The pre-show was cute.

Alas, the park went BLACK, and we entered the World of Color. The fountains soared high, and the colors were so beautiful! Seriously, it was like WOW. The projections weren't great from my angle. Half the time, I didn't know what character or scene they were showing. Center is the best place to be. For example, during the Nemo section, they made a tunnel with the water, but it just wasn't as awesome from the side. I don't remember seeing the cool Cheshire Cat or Steamboat Willie images from the early art concepts. "Part of Your World," "Colors of the Wind," and "A Whole New World" (with Mickey's Fun Wheel as stars in the sky) were really cool. My favorite part was the "So Close" section with all the love scenes. The blazing fire was a bit blinding. I can't wait to see it again, probably with a preferred dining package or the Wet Zone xP.

Courtney and I weren't ready to immediately after, so we went back to the Hollywood Backlot. Glow Fest is cool, but kind of weird. It's not Disney. We rode Tower of Terror, which was walk-on. The colors from Glow Fest did look cool from up there.

It was great to go Disneyland again. Until we meet again!

P.S. Check out Dan's blog.

GH

General Hospital was SO GOOD this week!!
-Elizabeth had her baby.
-Lisa's slowly becoming psycho.
-Lulu randomly ends up in L.A.
-Shirley dies.
-Warren Bower's true colors come out and he shoots up the hospital.
-Franco dies...but I'm sure he's not really dead.

A lot was going on in GH, which is cool. I feel like they're rarely in the hospital.

I started watching the show in late 2009. I had Twilight on my brain, and whenever I read/heard,

Bella: How old are you?
Edward: 17.
Bella: How long have you been 17?
Edward: A while.

it reminded me of Tuck Everlasting.

Winnie: How old are you?
Jesse: You really want to know?
Winnie: Yes.
Jesse: 104.
Winnie: I'm serious.
Jesse: So am I! Let's just call it 17.

I read the book in middle school, and I loved the movie. I thought Jonathan Jackson was so cute! So then I wondered what happened to him. IMDB said he was on General Hospital. I would turn to the soap opera once in a while to catch a glimpse of Jonathan. Then, I got sucked into the story lines, especially Liz and Lucky, L&L2.

P.S. Here's another simiarity:

Mad as a Hatter

In anticipation of my next visit, I went on YouTube and searched "Disneyland." The top result is Disneyland Channel by briberry.

This user has many Mad Hatter episodes, and I just happen to be in the current video on the homepage. How awesome is that?

You can read my entry and see pictures from that wonderful February day here.

JONAS L.A. > JONAS

JONAS L.A. is the first Disney Channel show in a drama(ish) format. It's one continuous story, so they show what happened previously. They also preview what's to come. The change of the show's name and logo (from a tie to a palm tree) makes sense to me.

I have been enjoying each of the episodes more and more. Don't get it twisted, I liked the first season too, but it was a little young. I think this season relates more to the OG, long term JB fans. Marketing with YouTube videos and such have been a little weird, but what can you do? I'd like to say the show is there for the fans. As a fan, I'm loving it.

The soundtrack is AMAZING. I've been looking forward to its release. I kept listening to the 10 minute sampler on YouTube over and over. The sound was so fresh.

It was kind of annoying how people would put fake full versions. They looped the samples to make it seem like the full song. Still, on some songs, as they enter the bridges, and the transition doesn't quite fit well. To me, it sounds the same as the fake looped versions. Is that just me? Oh well.

I finally went down to Target and bought the CD. I was surprised to find out Jonas Brothers (Kevin,Joe, and Nick together) only wrote Your Biggest Fan. That would explain the variety of genres. Nick did partake in most of the songs. And what is that I see? Drew Ryan Scott is one of the writers on L.A. Baby, Hey You, and Things Will Never Be the Same?!!

I'd like to share my thoughts on each song:

1. Feelin' Alive - I don't have much to say about this song. I like the breakdown at the bridge.

2. L.A. Baby - I'm biased. I love L.A. I am an L.A. baby. I love how Kevin says "she's a" and "you're my."

Video and episode: They left their own party to hang out together as best friends and hover over the city! I love this town. It can be so glamourous. It's the city what dreams are made of.

3. Biggest Fan - I heard the song in its entirety when JB posted the music video on their YouTube yesterday. Of course, it's about JONAS #1 superfan, Macee. The Nick and Macee relationship is growing nicely. I approve. The video was totally cute. Nick was singing to her. That's a fan's total dream come true!

Nick sings in a normal voice. He also RAPS. At first, I thought it was their neighbor. I also thought the featured female voice was Jordin Pruitt. It turns out it's a girl named China McClain. She's a YouTube star. I don't know the story behind this. I'd love it to be that JB wanted a fan to be featured. That would be so awesome.

It's a great love song. It works literally and metaphorically. Second favorite.

4. Critical - I think this will be a sad scene. He falls that hard for her?

5. Hey You - The first line is "Mic check, can you hear me." Joe's gone hip hop and is rapping? Haha. But I loved the vibe.

The video is kind of weird. I don't like that actress with Joe. (Team Stella!) But I love Kevin to the rescue.

6. Things Will Never Be The Same - I like this song, but I don't have much else to say.

7. Fall - This song is reall sweet. It really paints the picture for both Joe and Nick falling for their girls.

Music Video: Anytime I see that upside down room, walking on walls effect, I always think of *NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye" video.

8. Summer Rain - This wasn't on the preview. The intro riff is cool. It's got a cool, laid back feel. When they cut the music, and it's just percussion, I always clap along. I can't wait to see this rainy day episode! Hopefully it'll be when Joe and Stella come to their senses.

9. Drive - Nick's voice isn't his usual high, nor his deep.

10. Invisible - When I first heard the lyric, "I'm waiting for the moonlight so I can find you in this perfect dream," I had to rewind. I had to listen to it again. That is such an amazing line.

When I watched this episode, I recognized the background music from the sampler, but I didn't match it to this song. Then, when Joe started singing, I almost died! It was such perfect context for this song. I was so excited to hear it. It was PERFECT.

Then, they showed Nick singing the second verse in front of the Psycho hotel. I loved how it became a music video. I loved that I recognized they were on the Universal Studios backlot. Kevin was in Who-ville from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. They really wanted to highlight what L.A. has to offer. It makes me want to go on the Backlot Tram Tour. I'm claiming this as my favorite. The feeling I had when I first heard and saw it can't compare to the others.

11. Make it Right - I remember at first, people thought this was a Joe Jonas solo demo. Joe plays this song on guitar by the pool. Remind you of Shane Grey and "Gotta Find You" much? The song is sad. It totally fit Joe and Stella.

12. Chillin' in the Summertime - First, I am biased towards song with "summer" in the title. I love summer. This song is so CHILL, haha. It does a great job of describing summer. Best line: "it feels so good to feel alive" because if you can say that, then you know you're enjoying summer. I LOVE.

The video is JONAS performing it outdoors on the beach. That's all you need.

13. Set this Party Off - I like the guitar riff and chorus. What summer without a party?

I really love this album. It's sort of a JB album, but you know I always thirst for those. I also have a spot in my heart for fake bands and soundtracks, which also applies. I loved these songs right off the bat, and I'm sure my love will grow once I see them all in context on the show.

Side note: Orchestra seats were available on Ticketmaster on Monday and Tuesday. Row J for single and row W for a pair. I did not buy. I would have if I were going alone. But, I'm still hoping for a pair of tickets closer to the stage. How about row T or closer? PLEASE????

Today, pairs for row N came up, but it's stage right-- Nick's side. Still no.

Don't wake me up if I'm dreaming...

Jimmy Fallon had a California Dreams reunion on his show (since Saved by the Bell wasn't happening). It was flipping AWESOME. Mark and Lorena are missing, but still.

All but four episodes from the entire series were up on YouTube. So, I had a marathon. It's weird how NBC aired them out of order. Growing up on shows like this made me look forward to high school.

It's ON

Disney Channel actually aired the FULL video today. Yay!

Hello there, V Factory. Well, 3/5 is better than nothing!