Paul_Raphel's Blog

Well if you watched FOX-5 Morning News around 7:18am (yes I know the exact time because I was so excited) you know that Lauren and I were LIVE on TV for the first time to promote our new web segment my5 http://media.myfoxdc.com/my5/my5.html . Let's just say we both were a little nervous...and by a 'little' nervous I mean a lot of nervous.  I was SO nervous that right before we were on live my leg decided to have a mind of its own and shake like a Polaroid picture. Luckily I didn't let it affect my delivery and Lauren and I got through our first TV spot without any bloopers. 

Now it's up to you to help us out. We need you to check out the site each week and spread the word about the NEWEST AND HIPPEST page on the web. Tell your friends, tell your family...hey tell strangers (unless you are a kid because you shouldn’t talk to strangers). Just spread the word and we'll see you each week!

 

What up bloggers,

You HAVE TO checked out this week's my5 http://media.myfoxdc.com/my5/my5.html . We have a very cool youtube video you should check out. I won't tell you too much because it will ruin the video BUT I can tell you when you watch more is going on than they lead you to believe. Check out my5 and the video and let me know if you figured out what was going on...OTHER than just the card trick. Good luck watching!

Ok we ALL do it. Take a break from our day for a minute or two...or ten...and peruse the internet looking for entertaining sites. Well I am here to cut back on the looking time and getting you right to the entertainment. Our new segment my5 will bring you 5 great sites each week. Finding them is not always an easy task so my question to you is do you have any websites that you think could make my5? Send them to me and don't forget to check out the segment each week!!!!

http://media.myfoxdc.com/my5/my5.html

I wish I could say it happened overnight but it didn't. Lauren and I have been practicing and producing for a few months now and they have finally given up on saying 'no' and have said YES to my5. It’s the newest segment on myfoxdc.com and it will be the new buzz. Each time we will give you our 5 favorite sites to check out . Let us know what you think and let us know how we are doing (be gentle though). I hope you like the segment and hit us up when you are looking to kill some time during the work week…wait I mean on your own time when you are not on the clock.

If you haven't seen it yet. Click on the entertainment tab and look for the my5 on the right below our scrolling banner!  http://media.myfoxdc.com/my5/my5.html

 

American Idol fans have spoken, well voted, and the Top 12 are set.  And although there is some debate if the BEST 12 were picked (?SANJAYA?),  it doesn't matter anymore because they are here to stay so lets talk about what is going to happen next.

 

So far it is very obvious that the ladies are blowing away the guys, but have we seen all the guys can do? My answer, correction my HOPE is no...and I hope I'm right or they are all going to get booted before the girls….ok except for Haley, she is bad. SO WHAT ARE THE GUYS WAITING FOR???? Is there some secret singing strategy that we are missing? Two guys in particular, Chris and Brandon, have definitely not showed us there best and I caught something interesting last week that makes me think it might be on purpose. Chris stated that he wanted to 'build on each week'...so does this mean he was intentionally holding back to just cruise into the top 12 and now he plans on showing us his real talent? And what is up with Brandon’s strange song choices? None of them have showed off his voice…he sung with Christina Aguilera he has to have some pipes right?

 

Do you think that saving the big performances is a good idea? Do you think each performer should give it their all every time? Do you think I’m crazy with my idol conspiracy? Who knows but I think it’s safe to say we all want the competition to heat up!

 

American Idol Fans,

Randy, Paula, and Simon have picked the Season 6 Top 24 and now its time for us to pick the next American Idol. Since we'll be talking about these 24 contestants for the next FOURTEEN weeks (the Season Finale is planned to be on 5/23) I figured I would make a cheat sheet with a quick description of each person...ok I admit it, I really took these notes for our Idol Chatter segment but why not share the info with all!

 

 

Guys:

 

AJ Tabaldo (22) - Audition five times for idol

 

Blake Lewis (25) - Beat boxer

 

Bradon Rogers (29) - Former back-up singer for Christina Aguliera

 

Chris Richards (22) - He was told in the NY auditions he would be "possibly surprise" from Chesapeake, VA

 

Chris Sligh (28) - the big curly-haired guy who has a thing for the Hoff

 

Jared Cotter (25) - Known as a strong R & B singer

 

Nicholas Pedro (25) - Bowed out of the competition last season

 

Paul Kim (25) - Said he was inspired by William Hung's embarrassment to Asian singers

 

Phil Stacey (29) - Petty Officer 3rd Class Phil Stacey's wife had a baby while he was at audition in Memphis

 

Rudy Cardenas (28) - In a boy band based out of L.A. called m-pact http://www.m-pact.com

 

Sanjaya Malakar (17) - Brother who made it and sister did not

 

Sundance Head (28) - son of Roy Head who had a No. 1 song in 1965, "Treat Her Right"

 

 

Girls:

 

Alaina Alexander (24) - has been pursuing a career in music but almost gave up her dream until she made it on American Idol

 

Antonella Barba (20) - best friend Amanda did not make it and attends Catholic U

 

Melinda Doolittle (29) - she has been a backup singer on stage and in the studio.

 

Stephanie Edwards (19) - sang at the famed Apollo Theater when she appeared on It's Showtime at the Apollo

 

Gina Glocksen (22) -  tried out for American Idol last season and made it to Day 4 of the Hollywood Round and has a crush on Simon

 

Leslie Hunt (24) -  is a dog walker who is studying to become a dog trainer

 

Lakisha Jones (27) - single mother of a 3 year-old girl

 

Amy Krebs (22) - attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City

 

Haley Scarnato (24) - recently became engaged, has been performing as a freelance singer since she was 15 years old

 

Jordin Sparks (17) -  won the "Arizona Idol" contest

 

Sabrina Sloan (27) - performed across the country with the touring production of Hairspray.

 

Nicole Tranquillo (20) - where she is a vocal major at the University of the Arts

Ok well it’s not THAT big...but it sure was a monster HIT!  I was out at each of the five locations, working not singing, and I could not believe the number of singers and the great talent we have in the area. We had our biggest turn out at the last 'Mic at the Mall' in Largo and that was during an ice storm!!!!! BUT ITS NOT OVER. After Tuesday we'll have five finalists and then it is up to you to pick our 1st MIC AT THE METRO WINNER.  You can check out the five finalists live on our 5pm show this Tuesday and then all week you can watch them and vote on myfoxdc.com under the entertainment tab.

 

Now that you have seen the competition, you might think that YOU could have been the big winner. Well no one ever said this was the last one so stay tuned and check my blog because as producer of 'The Mic' I'll be the first to know. Happy Singing!

 

 

Super Singers,
Its time for another edition of THE MIC tonight at the Silver Spring Metro starting at 5pm. With the numbers we had last week, you better get there early if you want a chance to sing. Did I mention Jazz Musician Marcus Johnson is going to be there and he is the one who will be helping out at Studio 8121! We'll also have Jimmy Alexander from 107.3 entertaining the crowd, and of course FOX-5's Sue Palka will be hosting the event LIVE for our 5pm newscast.
Hope to see you out there!

Ok so I said that last week's Mic @ the Metro was a hit...but that would be a HUGE understatement if I said the same for our second edition of 'The Mic' (that is what all the cool kids are calling it). It was CRAZY last night. People actually showed up a thirty minutes before our show to get a place in line and the chance to sing. FOX-5's Sue Palka mingled with the singers and their supports throughout the whole show and we had some great live guests sing for our 5pm newscast. If you watched the show, what you didn't see is mass of singers who sang off-air to compete to be a finalist. We were up late sorting through the contestants but after much deliberation we picked our 5 finalist for the week. Check them out under our 'entertainment tab' and then you can vote starting at 5pm this evening. Mic @ the Metro: Week 2 was a blast and I can't wait to see the talent that comes by next week at the Silver Spring Metro. SEE YOU THERE!

Mic @ the Metro premiered this Tuesday LIVE at the Clarendon Metro Station on our 5pm News and it was AWESOME! I was out with FOX-5's Sue Palka searching for super singers and we had no trouble finding talent. We picked out our five finalists for the week and now its time for you to decide who will compete for free studio time!!!!!!
Go to myfoxdc.com and click on the entertainment page to vote!

BUT the competition is FAR from over. We will be 'taking it to the streets' (as Taylor Hicks would sing) each Tuesday for four more weeks so you still have time to choir your way into the competition. Next Tuesday we'll be at the Dupont Circle Metro Station looking for our next five weekly finalists so come out to get your chance at STARDOM!

Your chance at stardom starts today! FOX-5 News is searching for their own singing superstar. Starting tonight at 5pm we will be hitting the streets looking for the best singers around town for our 'Mic at the Metro' segment. Each week we will visit a local metro station asking people to sing for us. The best five performances will be posted on myfoxdc.com and we'll let our viewers pick the week's winner. Once we get a final five we will let you compete for the grand prize. FREE STUDIO TIME!

This week I will be with FOX-5's own Sue Palka LIVE at the Clarendon Metro Station at 5pm to start our search for a star. So warm up your pipes and come out to compete!

That's right we are one week away from the season premiere of American Idol Season Six. I have been put in charge of the FOX-5 American Idol segments this season so I need your help. I want to know,
What did you like/dislike about last AI season?
What are you hoping will happen this year?
What do you want our 'Idol Chatter' Panel to talk about?
Are you somebody who 'loves' Simon or someone who 'loves to hate' him?
What were best/worst performances of last season were?

Here are my worst and best choices of last year to get the excitement started:
Worst performances:
Bobby Bennett singing 'Copacabana'
Best Performances:
Katherine McPhee singing 'Over the Rainbow'
Taylor Hicks singing 'Play that Funky Music'

Let me know Idol fans!

Real or Rumor?

Baltimore on the Big Screen
If you thought you saw low-flying helicopters and heard gunshots last week in Baltimore, you were not imagining you were in a movie...you might have been in a movie! Parts of the new 'Die Hard' movie, "Live Free or Die Hard", were filmed in the downtown area last week. No word if Bruce Willis, AKA Jack McClane, was in town but there were a few road closures to allow for the action movie madness. It is estimated that Maryland's filmmaking industry generates almost $160 million and that would definitely buy a lot of Die Hard dvd box sets.

Potter's Party Destination Splitsville?
Harry Potter fans beware there may be some hard knocks at Hogwarts. Rumor is that actress Emma Watson, who plays the character Hermione Granger, is thinking about giving up her wizardry for good and has yet to commit to the last two Harry Potter flicks. BUT after more of my own research, I found this rumor could completely false. 'Internet Movie Database' states that the next magical movie "Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix" is already filming. Will she cast spells and ride her broom ever again? I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Do you think she turned down the role?

American Idol Deja Vu
Are you finally getting over a case of the Katherine McFever? Do you consider yourself a member of the prestigious Soul Patrol? Well wait no longer American Idol addicts, we have your fix. "American Idol Rewind" starts TODAY (9/30). The show is a new look at the first season that includes new episodes, behind-the-scenes footage, and never-before-seen extras. Ok so you already know who wins, but we have a long three months before the new season starts so this will feed the Idol craving until then. You can find showtimes at http://www.americanidol.com/rewind/. So grab your earplugs, get your 'I heart Simon Cowell' signs out and happy watching! Do you think that American Idol is TOO MUCH or can you not get enough?


On the Agenda:

10/3-10/4 Michael Stern Band @ Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW) 8pm and 10pm Info: 202-337-4141 Price: $30
Overview - Former guitarist for Miles Davis will be joined by Dennis Chambers and Richard Bona.

10/4 It's a Small: A Microscopic View of Art and Science @ Marian Koshland Science Museum (Sixth and E streets NW
Washington, DC) 12:30-1:30 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Info: 202-334-1201 Price: Free
Overview - Presentation explores how microscopes are used to create photographs of phenomena invisible to the naked eye

10/7 Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest @ Capitol City Brewing Company (2700 S. Quincy St. Arlington, VA) Info: 703-578-3888 Price: $20
Overview - Sample more than 60 beers from local, regional and national breweries, hear German music and try your hand at the Chicken Dance.

10/19 FREE NIGHT AT THE THEATHER @ Various Locations in DC
Show and Theater info at http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?node=cityguide
/profile&id=1032834&categories=Performing%20Arts&venuei
d=1024915

Paul's Pick:

Tarara Winery (Leesburg, VA) - Tony P. and I went there for the 'Tony Try It' segment last week and it was GREAT! The staff, ambiance, and the wine make it worth the visit.

Real or Rumor:

Is Jacko looking for the luck of the Irish?
Just when you think Michael Jackson should do what is right and stay away from the spotlight... he surprises us once again. The man who made 'Thriller' is moonwalking his way towards Thrill-rides. He is thinking about opening Leprechaun-inspired theme park! MJ, if the park has an Irish theme, how are you going to incorporate your 'Hyperbolic Oxygen Chamber Coaster' and sell your 'I have seen the Elephant Man's Bones' t-shirts? Wacko Jacko all I can sing to you in my best MJ voice is "This idea Is Bad, It's bad, you know it, And The Whole World Has To Answer Right Now, Just To Tell You Once Again, it's Bad."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14626186/

And since the gossip is currently pretty quiet here is a link to one of my favorite youtube videos.
Its the band Ok Go's video for their single 'Here it Goes Again' proving the equation Dancing + Treadmills = Entertainment
Check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv5zWaTEVkI


On the Agenda:

9/26 Santana with Los Lonely Boys @ Nissan Pavillon (7800 Cellar Door Dr. Bristow, VA) 7pm Info: 703-754-6400 Price: $25.50-$80

9/28 - 11/30 Destination Anywhere Exhibit @ S. Dillon Ripley Center - Smithsonian Institution (1100 Jefferson Dr. SW) 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Daily Info: 202-633-1000 Price: Free
Overview - Juried exhibition shows off 15 works by young artists (ages 16-25) who have disabilities.

9/30 Sounds of Summer Concert Series @ Tarara Winery (13648 Tarara Lane Leesburg, VA) 6-9:30 p.m. Info: 703-771-7100 Price: $10, ages 12 and younger free
Overview - Visitors to Tarara can sample five wines, tour the grounds and check out blues, jazz and rock bands at this evening concert.
~Check out Fox-5 Morning News on September 27th where the Tarara Winery will be putting Tony Perkins to work in his 'Tony Try It' segment.~

9/30 National Book Festival @ The National Mall (Between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial) 10am - 5pm Info: 202-485-9880 Price: Free

10/6 - 10/7 Rain: The Beatles Experience @ Warner Theater (13th and E streets NW) 8 p.m.
Info: 202-397-7328, 410-547-7328 Price: $36-$56
~Tune in to Fox-5 Morning News on October 5th to see the group with our own Beatles expert Tony Perkins!~


Paul's Pass:

DVD - Population 436 - This movie is about a census-taker that is sent to investigate why a certain small town has had the same population - 436 residents - for the last 100 years. I now know the reason the title uses the number 436...that's how many people have seen the movie. Let's keep it that way. Don't waste your time.

Now that I'm getting on a roll with these blogs I wanted to know what you think (be gentle). Am I picking good gossip topics? Been to any of the events that have been 'On the Agenda'? Know of any events worth suggesting to other bloggers? Do you agree or disagree with any of my picks or passes? LET ME KNOW!

AND SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG!

Real or Rumor:

Redskins, Vikings, and Tomkats?
No I did not misspell tomkat spelling bee smarty pants. The TomKat I'm talking about is the famous couple of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. They were spotted at the Washington Redskins game on Monday sitting next to Redskins owner and now Cruise's business partner Dan Snyder. They even made an appearance on our own Redskins Pregame show on My20! An eyewitness, FOX-5 reporter Beth Parker, who was sitting near the couple says that Katie was sipping from what looked like a tea cup all evening. Come on Katie...It's not tea time, it's a FOOTBALL GAME! I know you were once innocent Joey Potter hanging out with Dawson Leery by the creek, but you're a grown up now. Suri is safe at home so at least have a beer and TRY to fit in.

Alice in Blunderland
Virgin Records tycoon Richard Brason threw a huge Mad Hatter themed bash for his son Sam's 21st birthday. As a guest, Paris Hilton decided that she would dress as Alice so that she could be the star of the themed party. When Branson heard that Paris may try to steal some of Sam's birthday thunder, he ordered all 60 waitresses at the event to wear Alice costumes. Rumor has it that at the party Richard even deliberately confused Paris for one of the staff...OUCH! I'm not Ashton Kutcher but it appears to me that Paris you got PUNK'D.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/
showbiznews.html?in_article_id=404416&in_page_id=1773r>
Opps she did it again. (predictable headline I know)
Pop princess Britney Spears, who isn't really princessy anymore, gave birth to her second child yesterday. Although official word has not been sent out by Brit herself...all reliable entertainment sources (including myself) believe she had a child and its a boy. As her first child turns one tomorrow, we can only hope she puts an end to some of her parenting techniques. Almost dropping your baby on its head, choosing not to use a car seat, and letting k-fed even come in contact with your child are all frowned upon for baby number two. And Britney please no more...do it for the children.


On the Agenda:

9/15 Ludacris @ Love Nightclub (1350 Okie St. NE, Washington, DC) 7 p.m. Info: 202-397-7328 Price: $20

9/16 Jon Stewart @ Merriweather Post Pavillion (10475 Little Patuxent Pwy. Columbia, MD) 8pm Info: 202-397-7328 Price: $40-$75

9/16-9/17 Maryland Wine Festival @ Carroll County Farm Museum (500 S. Center St. Westminster, MD)
Times: Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. & Sunday Noon-6 p.m.
Info: 410-386-3880
Price: $20; $5 ages 7-20; Free ages 6 and younger


Paul's Picks - Tis' the season for football watching so here are my sports bar picks!

Maryland: Willie & Reeds - 4901 Fairmont Ave., Bethesda, MD | 301-951-1100

NOVA: Bailey's Pub and Grille - 4233 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA | 703-465-1300

D.C.: Rumors - 1900 M St. NW, Washington, DC | 202-466-7378