Could not bear to look at Alex Lambert’s farewell performance. My heart was breaking.

If there is one contestant that I would love to see at the finals of American Idol this season, then it would be Alex Lambert. I love everything about this guy — his personality, his shyness, his humility, and the voice ….The voice is just amazing!

My male runners-up:

Lee Dewyze – who can resist the husky voice? I am a big fan of Creed-husky voice. Also I want to see more of those sad, hypnotic, dreamy, sexy eyes for many, many, many weeks.

Casey James – he plays badass electric guitar! He’s yummy and can sing, too! Loved him during Hollywood week.  Cougars like him (ehem).. Hot and very commercial.

Aaron Kelly – big voice for somebody very young. Let’s hope his big voice takes him far enough because he won’t get another shot at AI after this season. Still waiting for him to sing something hip & young.

I’ve always been partial to male contestants because I’m not very fond of belting notes as high as the heavens, and female contestants always do that. But, OK, here are my female favorites:

Lilly Scott is my most favorite of the female contestants because she is fresh, unique, and indie. She plays guitar, sings the most unpopular songs and her style is a cross between Jewel and Lily Allen, two artists that I really like. For me she is the coolest female contestant.

 And my female runners-up:

Crystal Bowersox – Very talented. Very Indigo Girls. I would say very American. She is the most promising in terms of landing record deals among the ladies. And although I wouldn’t mind if she fights it out with Lambert in the finals, I think she lacks charisma to keep the people interested while in a contest like AI.

Siobhan Magnus – if Lilly Scott is cool, this girl is simply flip! She’s very interesting — sometimes geeky, sometimes classy. But boy can she belt out a song! She’s somebody that you either love because she is never boring or hate because her eccentricity can be annoying for some. Well, I love her!  Never liked boring.

Katie Stevens – same comments as Aaron Kelly.

Rooting for Alex… I hope a Lambert wins this season!

Visit www.americanidol.com for more

 This song is definitely on repeat mode this month.

Cory And Ninoy Aquino

Today, Philippines says goodbye to Cory Aquino. The whole country is crying.

For those who did not witness the 1986 EDSA revolution, she may just be a celebrity, an ex-president, Ninoy’s widow, Kris’ mom, and baby James’ famous grandmother and her passing may not have an impact at all in their lives. But for us who experienced the most powerful people revolution that freed us from the dictatorship of Marcos, we grieve.

I was in high school during the EDSA Revolt. Fourteen years old and living in a dorm inside the school premises, we were not allowed to go out the gates of our school. I remember me and two other classmates running from our school’s soccer field to our dorm while military choppers were flying above us. We were giggling but scared. Calls from parents kept coming, asking if we were safe. We didn’t exactly know what was happening outside but we knew it was big. We wanted to be a part of it. We wanted to be part of history.

Fueled by anger over the assassination of Ninoy Aquino, Cory along with thousand of Filipinos marched to the streets to protest and demanded for the Marcoses to step down. It was called People Power. It was indeed the power of the people that drove this country to a new kind of freedom in 1986. Amidst the guns and arms, the Filipinos faught through peace and prayer. And we won. Peacefully.

Two more so-called EDSA revolutions followed after 1986. People called them EDSA Dos and EDSA Tres. But for me there is no fitting sequel to the 1986 EDSA revolution. All the others that follow can never compare to what transpired that fateful day. Now as I watch clips of the EDSA revolution I am overwhelmed at the passion and courage shown by Cory and the Filipino people.I don’t think we will ever see the same courage again. The taglines “Hindi Ka Nag-iisa”, “JAJA: Justice for Aquino, Justice For All” and “Tama Na, Sobra Na, Palitan Na” are taglines that are forever etched in my memory. Bayan Ko never meant as much to the Filipinos. As I listen again to the song Magkaisa, I am brought to tears.

My grief and sadness is mixed with gratitude, love, frustration, and a flicker of hope. Graditute to a remarkable woman so giving that she always had the interest of the Filipinos at heart. No Philippine president has the same integrity, sincerity, and faith in a country shrouded with corruption. She believed in the Filipino people. Her love for her husband, her country, and our country’s freedom inspires me. Frustration when I see the current state of the country lead by a president who while has admitted to cheating, has remained in her comfortable position while Filipinos continue to suffer in poverty. Frustrated in the realization that maybe our and our elders’ efforts in 1986 are already forgotten and were all in vain. But the outpouring of love and support for Cory and Ninoy and the Aquino family gives me a flicker of hope. Maybe the fire in the hearts of Filipinos is still there and is just waiting to be rekindled.  Maybe there is hope for this country to continue to live in democrary and prosperity as what Ninoy and Cory wished for us.

I can’t think of two heroes of Philippine history as great, as selfless, and as pure as Ninoy and Cory. I hope that the young generation will appreciate what they have done for this nation.

Goodbye Cory and thank you. You are an inspiration to us. Please continue to pray for us in heaven.

Michael J. Jackson : 1958 - 2009

I have not blogged for two months but I just can’t let the frenzy over Michel Jackson’s death pass by without saying goodbye.

Not a die hard fan but I have a couple of favorite MJ Songs – Human Nature, She’s Out Of My Life, Gone Too Soon, The Lady In My Life, Man In The Mirror, Heal the World, Someone in The Dark, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal, Another Part of Me, PYT, In The Closet, and so on.  I was a teenager when Thriller came out and me and some classmates would chant along to the creepy narration on that song!

In January 2008, I bought his “The Essential Micheal Jackson” 2CD collection. Though I felt a little disappointed that some of my all-time favorites were not included like The Lady In My Life, Gone Too Soon, Someone in the Dark, and some of the Jackson Five songs One Day In Your Life & Happy that I grew up on, I played the CDs almost everyday for 3 straight weeks!  I was surprised to learn that he wrote a lot of his hit songs like I Just Can’t Stop Loving you as well as songs that speak of humanity, unity, politics, the environment, and (yes) even world peace. His sentiments were written and heard in his songs Black Or White, Earth Song, Beat It, They Don’t Care About Us, and Heal the World.

On the day he died, I played his songs over and over again knowing that his music will always stay with me.

There’s no point in questioning how he lived his life or  why he lived it the way he did. And there’s no time to question why the same world that ridiculed him for years is now mourning his death. It’s time to say “Goodbye Michael Jackson”. Farewell to the King of Pop and probably the best artist that ever lived. I hope the old generation will continue to remember you and wish that the new generation will get to know you, your music and your legacy.

Among MJ’s hits, Man in the Mirror will always remain my personal favorite because of its poetic lyrics. In this song, Michael sounded passionate but sad, angry but pleading, frustrated but hopeful.

I’m gonna make a change for once in my life. It’s gona feel real good. Gonna make a difference, gonna make it right. As I turn up the collar on my favorite winter coat this wind is blowing my mind. I see the kids in the streets with not enough to eat. Who am I to be blind pretending not to see their needs? A summer’s disregard, a broken bottle top and a one man’s soul – they follow each other in the wind ya know cause they got no place to go. That’s why I want you to know. I’m starting with the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to change his ways. And no message could have been any clearer. If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change. I’ve been a victim of a selfish kind of love. It’s time that I realize that there are some with no home, not a nickel to loan. Could it be really me pretending that they’re not alone? A willow deep scarred, somebody’s broken heart, and a washed-out dream— they follow the pattern of the wind you see cause they got no place to be.

Peace out MJ.