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The 42-contestant herd on ‘American Idol‘ is being thinned out to 24: 12 girls, 12 guys. The final 24 will perform for the first time at the live shows next week. Can you believe we are already at the live shows, ‘Idol’ watchers?

We’re one step closer to crowning Scotty McCreery‘s heir apparent. But no clear front-runner has emerged yet. That should change next week when the contestants show us what they are made of.

When choosing the Top 24, the discerning judges have to take each contestant’s entire journey into account and when revealing each person’s fate, they really made ‘em sweat. Talk about pregnant pauses and exaggerated drama.

Now without further anticipation, here are 14 of Season 11′s Top 24, including Creighton Fraker, Erika Van Pelt and Reed Grimm. We find out the rest tomorrow (Feb. 23.) Adam Brock‘s fate was cliffhangered, cruelly so, since he was in tears. Self-styled as ‘White Chocolate,’ he gave a clumsy perf for the judges. He does this for his daughter, and because “I have to sing. It’s where my joy comes from and how I know God blessed me.” We’re guessing he is a Top 24′er.

The Top 24 (So Far):

Females:

Jen Hirsh: Randy Jackson said she is one of the best singers this year. So of course, after a dramatic pause, he revealed she made the cut. [Watch Here]

Haley Johnsen: We’ll be seeing her on live TV next week. [Watch Here]

Elise Testone: We haven’t seen too much of her through the early rounds, but we will be seeing much more as of next week. She is loaded with soul, singing ‘It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.’ [Watch Here]

Erika Van Pelt: The judges had their eyes on her for “that voice,” even though she stumbled for her final perf of Adele’s ‘Don’t You Remember,’ which J. Lo didn’t like. [Watch Here]

Chelsea Sorrell: The country girl could be this season’s Lauren Alaina.

Baylie Brown: She tried out five years ago and took the time to grow up. Smart move, since she made it. [Watch Here]

Jessica Sanchez: Soulful last week, subdued but powerful this week was enough to earn the teen a pass.

Brielle von Hugel: The singer with the visible stage mom sang ‘Killing Me Softly.’ When she sings, that New Yawk accent falls by the wayside. [Watch Here]

Males:
Creighton Fraker: He reveals he was adopted and grew up a preacher’s kid singing church music. The rock ‘n’ roll part of his personality has to do with his DNA, since his real father is in the heavy metal band Flotsam & Jetsam. He sang ‘New York State of Mind’ for the judges and he is a member of the Top 24. [Watch Here]

Joshua Ledet: He has a “show off” voice that’s never annoying, and he really showed off with an “Amen” when he found out he is moving on. [Watch Here]

Reed Grimm: The outlook is Grimm. He drummed his way through ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing (If You Ain’t Got That Swing.)’ He scats well but the judges want more of his actual singing voice. [Watch Here]

Heejun Han: The judge’s fave sang ‘New York State of Mind’ in a buttery tone. It worked for Creighton and worked for Heejun. Steven Tyler said he is a better star than a singer. Sometimes that’s enough. [Watch Here]

Phillip Phillips: He sang the sexed up ‘Nice and Slow’ by Usher, taking an R&B song and making it his own. [Watch Here]

Colton Dixon: With his sister ousted, he dedicated Coldplay‘s ‘Fix You’ to her while playing piano and falsettoing it up. His graduation to the live shows is the definition of bittersweet. [Watch Here]

Those Who Did Not Make It:

Lauren Gray: She sang ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ for her final perf for the judges, but her lack of strength during Hollywood Week meant that 2012 is not the year for her. The judges did ask her to come back next year. But she was non-committal.

Naomi Gillies: She was crushed and shocked that she didn’t make it to the Top 24.

Neco Starr: Starr power aside, he sang ‘The Lady in My Life’ for his final performance before the judges in his silky smooth style. But he didn’t make it. He needs more time to develop.

Clayton Farhat: He’s out.

River St. James: He also got his walking papers.

Caleb Johnson: He could not get it together or remember lyrics during his final perf so he hammered the final nail in his own coffin.

Richie Law: This confident cowboy sang a deep version of ‘Ring of Fire’ by Johnny Cash but Scotty McCreery, V. 2.0 he’s not.

Source: PopCrush.com

Sotheby's

If you’ve got $80 million burning a hole in your pocket and want to own an artistic masterpiece, break out your checkbook. The last version of Edvard Munch’s well-known painting ‘The Scream’ to be in private hands is going on the auction block.

Sotheby’s auction house will do the honors and expects the iconic work to fetch upwards of $80 million or more. It’s one of only four versions of the 1895 painting, and is currently owned by Norwegian businessman Petter Olsen, whose father was a friend and patron of Munch’s.

I have lived with this work all my life, and its power and energy have only increased with time,’ Olsen said. “Now, however, I feel the moment has come to offer the rest of the world a chance to own and appreciate this remarkable work.”

Museums own the other three copies, but this one is considered particularly valuable because it’s done in pastels and is still in the original frame that was hand-painted by Munch himself. In addition, it includes a poem he wrote in which he explains the inspiration behind the work, describing himself as “shivering with anxiety” and feeling “the great scream in nature.”

Proceeds from the sale will go toward building a new museum, art center and hotel in Hvitsten, Norway, where Olsen’s father and Munch were neighbors.

[via Daily Mail]

Source: TheFW.com

andjohan, Flickr

For job interviews, it used to be enough to just show up in a nice suit, answer some perfunctory questions and be on your way.

But these days, some companies have changed the interview process so much that candidates wind up feeling as though they’re trying out for a reality TV show instead of simply vying for a 9-5 paycheck.

The Los Angeles Times calls the trend “extreme interviewing,” and cites the example of one company that made internship hopefuls write 13 different 140-character messages on Twitter to illustrate why they should be chosen for the gig.

In addition, other interviewees are now often asked questions for which there is no right answer, like, “If Germans were the tallest people in the world, how would you prove it?” or “On a scale of 1 to 10, how weird are you?”

The popular Pinkberry chain even asks potential hires to act out fake commercials and come up with marketing plans for hypothetical new products — and that’s just for a job scooping frozen yogurt. In a statement, the company said such exercises “allow us to see immediate impact on team connectedness, demonstrate service and leadership skills and unveil entrepreneurial spirit.”

Bottom line: the next time you have an interview, keep in mind that while you probably won’t have to eat anything icky in ‘Fear Factor’ style, you may very well have to prove your worth in a variety of bizarre ways.

[Time]

Watch the video – do you agree?

He tried to make a joke about it, but it didn’t really land with his co-anchor.

(Photo By: Jim Florea)

  Here’s your chance to score lunch for your office from Wingstop and 98.3 The Key!

Submit your business here and your office has a chance to win a 100 wing family pack delivered to your office fresh and piping hot. Wingstop with 2 locations in Tri-Cities.

(Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images for Swarovski)

We are on the countdown to the Oscars, coming up on Sunday February 26th. Big Jim & Stacy Lee wanted to get the predictions for fashion on the Red Carpet, and we called on celebrity stylist, fashion police host George Kotsiopoulos from E! News.

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The world is filled with terrible news, so it’s nice for us to find a story with a happy ending once in awhile.  Not that type of happy ending. Pervert. Here is an amazing story about a Swedish man who was stranded in a snow drift for 61 days.

Snowmobilers came across the car thinking it was wreckage. They peeked inside to find someone wrapped in a sleeping bag in the back seat.  Rescuers dug the 45-year-old man out of the car, and he was so weak he could hardly speak–yet alone explain what happened.  He said he’s been in the car since December 19th. Probably hiding out so he didn’t have to buy his family Christmas gifts. The man survived by eating snow and icicles.

Humans can last up to four weeks without food, so its plausible that the man was stranded for as long as he said he was.  His body temperature was around 31 degrees Celsius when he was brought into the hospital.  With his body temperature so low, he wasn’t using much energy.  This also helped him to survive. Like bears, humans can also go into a dormant-like state (especially during football season).

[Via Yahoo]

Source: 1

Virgin Galactic

Last month Virgin Galactic announced it would begin offering commercial space flights later this year.

The two-and-a-half hour trip just cracks the space barrier and offers about five minutes of weightlessness. It also comes with a fairly prohibitive price tag of $200,000 a pop.

But let’s say money was no object. Would you want to be among the first commercial space travelers?

Poll Position asked 1,145 adults that very question and found that only 23 percent thought the thrill of the great beyond outweighed the risks. Fifty-two percent said they would not be willing to take such a flight and 26 percent had no opinion.

[Poll Position]

(Photo From wilson daniels.com)

Actress Drew Barrymore has launched her own wine, It is a Pinot Grigio wine made from grapes grown in northern Italy. The wine is said to be dry and fruity. The label  was designed by a street Shepard Fairly who created the famous Barack Obama poster “Hope”. The wine is sold exclusively by Wilson Daniels. com.

I wish she had chose a domestically grown grape! But I still want to try it! Happy Fat Tuesday!

Here is some of what you can expect if you win tickets!

(Photo From Facebook)

Erica Tazel from FX’s “Justified” joined Big Jim & Stacy Lee to talk about her roll as “Rachel Brooks”, and to give us a sneak peak at what to expect on tonights episode. You may have seen her in shows like The Office, ER, Law & Order, SVU, Sex and the City, Bones and Firefly.

Mickelson hit his tee shot on the 15th hole wide and to the left when the ball careened into the gallery and bounced up the shorts of the onlooker.

The victim of this amazing accident didn’t get hurt. In fact, he got some free stuff out of it. He received a signed golf glove from Mickelson, a story to tell for the rest of his life, and now he’s a YouTube star among the ranks of Rebecca Black. Who could ask for anything more?

Source: TheFW.com

Vote now for your favorite picture of a local baby bundled up for winter. The winner gets a photography session with MePho in Kennewick worth $379. The prize package includes a disc with all the images from the free photo shoot, 9 sheets of 8 x 10 (or smaller) and the option of half-off a wall portrait. Polls will close Feb. 24 at 11:59 p.m.

Please vote only once but get as many family members and friends to vote as you can.

mepho

Taco Bell

Food lovers, rejoice! Taco Bell’s ever-popular fourth meal has a highly anticipated upgrade coming out March 8 involving the unholy union of their tasty tacos and a delicious Doritos shell. They’re calling this culinary masterpiece ‘Doritos Locos.’

Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed has high hopes and an optimistic outlook for this new menu item, saying, “This will be the biggest new-product launch Taco Bell has ever had.” Frankly, we’re just as pumped.

But do you may remember last year’s lawsuit with Taco Bell involving the quality of their meat and that strange filler-substance that it is allegedly made of. Well, that led to a 2-percent loss in same-store sales causing Taco Bell to take some drastic measures in improving their image. So, it looks like Doritos might be its savior.

Doritos Locos tacos will hit stores on March 8th and the world is more than ready to give them a try. On the list of things that Americans love, junk food and fast food are ranked pretty high, so it is hard to imagine Doritos Locos failing.

[via Tucson Citizen]

Source: TheFW.com

Vince Bucci, Getty Images

Whitney Houston was buried today at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, N.J.
Houston was buried next to her father, John Russell Houston, who passed away in 2003. As we previously reported, Houston’s casket was heavily guarded leading up to the burial.

TMZ noted that the burial was a private, family-only ceremony, much unlike Houston’s funeral yesterday (Feb. 18). Houston’s three-hour funeral was aired on CNN and streamed online for fans. Funeral guests included Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige and Rev. Al Sharpton, with performances by Alicia Keys, R. Kelly and Stevie Wonder.

The burial took place not far from the funeral site, the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, N.J. Our thoughts and prayers are with Houston’s family and friends. May she rest in peace and live on through her music.

Source: PopCrush.com

Paul Zimmerman, Getty Images

In yet another sad turn of events in the light of Whitney Houston‘s death, her daughter, Bobbi Kristina, allegedly got high following her mother’s funeral.The Daily Beast reports that while Houston’s family and friends gathered a restaurant following the memorial service, it was all too much for Bobbi Kristina, who “simply disappeared,” and was found later on in her hotel room “getting high.” It is unclear what drugs she may have been using.

“Everyone was freaking out and calling Bobbi Kristina’s cell,” a family friend told the Daily Beast. “It was so much commotion and activity after the funeral that Bobbi Kristina just slipped away. Ms. Cissy [Houston, Whitney’s mother] was beside herself.”

A family spokesperson denied the claims, but admits Bobbi Kristina slipped away. “There was some confusion about Bobbi Kristina’s whereabouts last night for a short time, but she’s OK,” the rep said. “She needed some time alone.” The rep said that Bobbi Kristina isn’t on drugs, but is understandably emotionally fragile. “She is going through a very hard time as you can expect.”

While we certainly hope Bobbi Kristina is on the straight and narrow, recent reports have suggested otherwise. Family and friends desperately want Houston and Bobby Brown’s daughter in rehab, but are giving her time to grieve her mother before beginning an in-patient treatment.

Bobbi Kristina was hospitalized twice immediately following her mother’s death, once for stress and once for mixing alcohol with prescription sedatives — the same combination that likely killed Houston. There were even reports that Bobbi Kristina had an eerily similar bathtub incident before her mother’s passing.

Bobby Brown released a statement on his Bobbi Kristina’s health following her hospitalizations. “Today my daughter did visit with doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles,” he said of her hospitalization. “She has been released and is presently with my family, including her siblings. Obviously the death of her mother is affecting her, however, we will get through this tragedy as a family. Again, I ask for privacy during this time.”

One good thing Bobbi Kristina has to her benefit? Her grandmother, Cissy Houston. “She had the people she loved and love her the most around,” a source said of Bobbi Kristina at the funeral. “Ms. Cissy was holding on tight and watching her every move.”

“It’s a horrible situation for everybody,” the family friend continued. “They tried to save Whitney, and it didn’t work. Now with Bobbi Kristina, they fear the same thing is happening again and they won’t be able to stop it either. Bobbi Kristina is all Ms. Cissy has left of Whitney. She’s so tired, but she’s ready to fight again to save her grandbaby.”

Source: PopCrush.com

Jemal Countess / Samir Hussein, Getty Images

Here’s a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today:

Cindy Crawford
Age: 46
Occupation: Model and Entrepreneur
Known For: Being among the world’s most popular supermodels in 1980s and 1990s, adorning hundreds of magazine covers, starring in several music videos, hosting MTV’s ‘House of Style,’ and the trademark mole above her upper lip

Rihanna
Age: 24
Occupation: Singer
Known For: Chart-topping singles like ‘SOS,’ ‘Umbrella’ and ‘We Found Love,’ famously being beaten by then-boyfriend Chris Brown three years ago, and inexplicably being more forgiving about it than the general public

Sidney Poitier
Age: 85
Occupation: Actor and Director
Known For: Being the first African-American to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in ‘Lilies of the Field,’ other acclaimed roles in ‘To Sir, with Love,’ ‘In the Heat of the Night’ and ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,’ directing the movies ‘Let’s Do It Again’ and ‘Stir Crazy,’ and being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009

J. Geils
Age: 66
Occupation: Singer and Musician
Known For: Founding the J. Geils Band, known for 1980s hits like ‘Love Stinks,’ ‘Centerfold’ and ‘Freeze Frame’

Lili Taylor
Age: 45
Occupation: Actress
Known For: Memorable roles in the films ‘Mystic Pizza,’ ‘Say Anything…,’ ‘Short Cuts’ and ‘I Shot Andy Warhol,’ and in the HBO drama ‘Six Feet Under’

YouTube

Bobby Brown rejoined New Edition on their 30th anniversary tour in Maryland on Thursday night (Feb. 16). Before the group continued with their performance the grieving R&B crooner took time out to thank the fans and pay tribute to his late ex-wife Whitney Houston.

“I like to say thank you, period,” Brown told the crowd who were screaming Whitney’s name. “I’ma throw two up for Whitney, that’s my love.” He then added: “Life is life. You have to move on sometimes. I love her like I love God.”

Brown, looking dapper in his three-piece suit, seemed to be in good spirits as he stayed in step with his fellow New Edition members for a rendition of ‘Break Me Off.’ The singer will continue on the trek which stops in North Carolina Friday night (Feb. 17) before heading to New Jersey for Houston’s funeral on Saturday.

As we previously reported, Brown is expected to attend the service with his daughter Bobbi Kristina, much to the chagrin of the Houston family. Among the attendees at Saturday’s private, invitation-only service include Chaka Khan, Brandy, Aretha Franklin, Ray J, Stevie Wonder, Clive Davis, Kevin Costner and others.

A private burial service for Houston will be held on Sunday (Feb. 19) at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, N.J. The pop icon will be laid to rest in a plot adjacent to her late father, John Russell Houston, who died in 2003.

We want to send our prayers and condolences to the Houston family.

Artists We’ve Lost in 2011

Watch Bobby Brown Paid Tribute to Whitney Houston

Source: PopCrush.com

Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images

Whitney Houston‘s family gathered to pay their respects to the fallen legend yesterday (Feb. 17). The private viewing was held in Houston’s hometown of Newark, N.J.TMZ reports that Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, as well as cousin Dionne Warwick, mother Cissy Houston and mentor Clive Davis were all in attendance. Sources said Davis stopped in briefly, but left shortly after the ceremony began.

Houston’s funeral will be held at 12PM ET today and will stream live online. The invitation-only service will feature gospel hero Marvin Winans presiding, with a performance by Houston’s godmother Aretha Franklin. Houston’s ex-husband Bobby Brown was rumored to have been banned from attending, but he has denied those reports and insists he will be in attendance with Bobbi Kristina.

Though Brown will be present at the funeral, he is noticeably missing from the service’s programs. TMZ obtained a copy of Houston’s memorial program, which features photos of Houston with Bobbi Kristina, mother Cissy and Davis, but none with her former husband. Our thoughts and prayers are with Houston’s family at this difficult time. We hope they can find peace in celebrating Houston’s memory.

See Whitney Houston’s Funeral Programs

Artists We’ve Lost in 2011

Source: PopCrush.com