They both technically lost when they were on Season Five. Kelly lost by more than Katherine, but losing is losing even if you come in second. However, now it seems the tides have certainly turned and while Pickler has excelled in her genre, McPhee has been placed in the leftover fluff pile to rot.

They both have new albums they are working on (I am guessing one will be more successful than the other…again) and they both recently came back to AI to perform live. The performances are both below. The question is…who do you think performed better?

Katherine McPhee sang during the first Beatles Week.

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Amanda has left the building. In fact, by now it’s possible that she’s left Hollywood. She’s packed up her black clothing, her Aerosmith necklaces, and she’s headed back home. I have to admit that I didn’t think that you would do it America.

I thought you would leave her on, until her rousing rendition of “Dreamlover” by Mariah Carey that came with a twist that sounded like something sang on the back of a truck during a rock n’ roll, honky tonk. But alas! You surprised me by saying goodbye to Amanda, who we at Literary Illusions have affectionately named “Skunky” since her hair reminds of us of that of a skunk, and saving those who attend the Idol concert from having to hear her bad renditions of any song she happens to sing.

Before I get into my personal goodbye, please enjoy a few moments of silence while you sit baffled listening to Skunky ruin the Beatles for the last time.

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As if the first Beatles week wasn’t bad enough (technically it was the John/Paul songbook, but they WERE the Beatles)…Guess what kids?! We’re back for another with the top 11 and a new set of Beatles songs they can desecrate. Ryan seemed enthusiastic as he announced the Idols. It was Amanda first and it ended with Ramiele.

They all lined up and Ryan wished them luck before sending them off stage again a totally pointless display. Randy looked preppy in his powder blue V neck. I don’t know dawg. He just didn’t have that yo factor today. Paula looked drunk in her sparkly shirt, but then what else is new? And, of course, Simon looked calm and polished in a white sweater.

Before things got underway, Ryan asked the judges for advice for the idols. Randy recommended that they pick the right song. There are a lot of them to choose from, after all. Paula recommended that the ones who can take risks should continue to take risks. Finally, Simon said he felt this competition was half talent oriented and half vocally oriented. To win him over tonight, they just need to sing well. Obviously that would be easier for some than it will for others.

After Ryan gave a little tribute to the Beatles, as opposed to last week’s Lennon McCartney songbook, we were on our way. I have to say, I enjoyed the shots and clips of the Beatles, but was absolutely dreading the idols’ versions. I had three favorites last week and while I think they will pull through for me again, it’s everyone else I am afraid of.

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Temptation. If you’re a Christian (which I’m not) you might believe that any form of temptation, be it a gluttonous urge or a sexual one, is wrong. I’m here to tell you that I don’t believe temptation is a sin, but when you are dieting, as I am, temptation needs to be something that is controlled.

I know I spoke about non-food related things that cause temptation in my last article. Now I’m going to explore all those yummy delicacies, the delicious goodness that has caused many of us to gain weight in the first place. Some food tastes good. It’s easy to see why we enjoy eating. It’s delicious though it is not always nutritious. No matter who you are, you always have some vice. For some, it’s chocolate, sweets, or other dessert foods. Some people crave carbs. Others prefer alcohol or caffeinated beverages. Whatever your vice is, it can be hard to give up.

What tempts you? I know, for me, my biggest weakness is carbohydrates…in particular, potatoes. I love potatoes mashed, baked, fried, French fried, scalloped, in a potato bake, hotcakes, hash browns, and pretty much any other way, but sweet. Potatoes are one of the foods that I could never seem to give up. In the past month or so since I’ve been on my diet, they’re the food I’ve missed the most. When I was in college, I practically lived on chicken tenders and fries. Now, I’ve gone well over a month without either of theses fatty, carbie yummy-goodies, and it hasn’t been easy.

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Tonight was a hard evening for both of us. While we are both huge Beatles fans, Dom is by far, the biggest fan in the house. Singing the songs of Lennon/McCartney in a performance sort of way is sacreligious. That being said, there wasn’t much of a choice for any of us. The idols were doing songs by Lennon and McCartney whether we liked it or not. So, we tried to be more constructive than hateful for what they did, to ruin these wonderful songs.

To start things out, the top 12 got to perform in the big theater on a new loud set..that Ryan seemed totally proud of, by the way he kept showing it off and grinning like a Cheshire cat. He acted like he designed it personally. I don’t know why he was bragging about the horrendous thing. It’s gaudy and feels impractical. The only good part of it is the fact that it offers a trippy light show. The band is located higher, in their own penthouse, and the stage is larger. It also offers fans in the upper deck and a mosh pit. I guess if the idols and the judges like it, its okay, but from home, it looks like crap.

On to the judges, Paula was decked out in old lady bronze. She also had her typical tipsy (Rum & Coke) look on her face. Simon looked like he raided Enrique Iglesias’ closet with his metrosexual white, button down shirt, unbuttoned part way to expose his bare chest. Randy….looked like Randy. He wore a black long-sleeved tee, with white writing down the sleeves and some bling bling…aka a silver cross.

Randy mentioned that he thought the songs were the greatest songs in music and they will last forever. Paula thought the songs were full of melody, but if the idols risk it it by switching it up, they better be worth it and some can change things up. Simon said the songs are only as difficult as the ones that are chosen. “She Loves You” is easy… “Yesterday” is hard…duh.

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One of the biggest motivators that leads me down the path of unwanted temptation is stress. Stress makes a lot of people eat. That’s because food tastes good (depending on what you eat) and people feel good when they are enjoying a delicious meal. I admit it. I used to eat when I felt stressed. That’s probably part of my problem. It’s normal, to eat when stressed. I think that, like craving sleep, it’s a natural reaction by your body. Food is familiar so your body craves that familiarity as much as it craves the taste.

I’ve been under a remarkable amount of stress lately. You can read all about it here or here or here if you’re so inclined. Why I’m stressed really doesn’t matter as much as whether I decided to cheat on my diet or not. I know I haven’t been keeping as up to date on what I’ve been eating, but I’m going to vow to try to do better. I’ve received some good feedback about this article series. I’d love for all of you to share your thoughts on my journey and your own personal weight loss journeys with me (and everyone else who reads this) in the comment section. It can be beneficial to lose weight together and I’d love to make some friends who have the same goals I do.

That being said, I am proud to report, I have not cheated. Yesterday, I ate a lean pocket for one meal. I’ve been especially enjoying the chicken quesadilla and chicken Parmesan varieties. I also like the flat bread chicken wraps, a lot by lean cuisine. I could live on that. I’ve also been eating progresso soup. Ash also bought me a can of Campbell’s low calorie gumbo. It was actually pretty good, as I had it two days ago. For my other meal, I had porterhouse steak.

I know that this probably isn’t the healthiest form of meat, but next to a small salad, I hadn’t had many calories for the day. With just the meat and salad, and no side dish of potatoes (like I used to eat), I was getting some much needed protein and I was enjoying my most favorite food on the planet.

All in all, with a 90 calorie snack pack of peanut butter Quaker oats mini delights, some of Ash’s low calorie, homemade steak sauce with my steak, and a 100 calorie pack, I came in at around 1280-1300 calories. (Note: I also am only drinking water unless otherwise noted) I’m finding it almost difficult to hit 1200 calories, especially when I haven’t been waking up early enough to enjoy breakfast. I know I need to make sure I have three meals a day, and I promise to try to do better in that area. Of course, I worry about eating less than 1200 calories a day.

I know the average person eats a 2000 calorie diet. Here I am eating 800 calories less, and I struggle to even get that many. I’m surprised how easy it is to cut calories. I’m also trying to measure fat content, nutritional value of foods, and making sure I’m getting enough vitamins and minerals. All of it can be difficult to figure out. I guess that is another reason why it is just so much easier to grab junk. It’s convenient. It’s easy to make (no fuss, no muss) and it does, often, taste good.

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Dominick Evans isn’t just one of the writers and head editor for Literary Illusions. He’s also my best friend. It’s difficult to think your best friend may lose their only means of transportation, via wheelchair, but that is a likely fear I face as I wait for Dominick to go through his third appeal to keep his wheelchair.

Dominick is 27 years old. He’s been unable to walk since he was 16 years old. He could stand, briefly, by clinging to the edge of his bed, to hold himself up, until he fell on his leg during a transfer, back in 2002. He ended up fracturing his tibia and the ability to stand at all was lost. This is important to know because his insurance is saying that he can stand up and walk from his bed to his wheelchair so they don’t wish to pay for the new chair he has received.

The chair features tilt and a special cushion because he is high risk for pressure sores and he cannot weight shift. Considering he has a progressive (as in, it gets worse not better) muscle disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (covered under Muscular Dystrophy) and the fact that his insurance saw just cause to buy him a chair with tilt and a special cushion back in 2002, it seems logical to amass that he still needs those things on his chair. However, since according to insurance, he’s miraculously able to walk/stand, they refuse to pay for his new wheelchair, even though its clear he needs it.

Dominick suffered with a broken down wheelchair practically from the moment he received his old chair in 2002. He had to get a lawyer just to make the company (where he got the chair from) fix it. It was literally two days old and falling apart. They never fixed the chair properly, so he had to suffer in a substandard chair that continuously broke down and was too big for his 5′3 frame. This led to many health problems for Dominick and he ended up spending more time in bed then out in his wheelchair.

A new chair, which can be purchased every five years, was a new beginning for Dom. He is able to get out and about more. He’s able to stay up in his chair longer. His atrophying muscles aren’t as stiff. He’s doing much better physically, emotionally, and mentally considering what a toll having such a bad chair can put on a person. I’ve sat by and watched it all. We’ve been together since 2002, so I’ve been through all of it with him and now I can no longer sit by without helping him in some way.

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Ryan introduced the crew tonight, as always. It’s the top 16, which means tonight is the top 8 men and the last night of being split up. When he introduced the judges it appeared that everyone was ready to get things moving.

Randy was looking himself tonight. He had on a fly t-shirt and his bling. Paula had on her bright, hooker getup with some scary hair. I don’t know what’s with the wannabe Farrah curly flip. Maybe she was doing it because it’s her 80s motif, but whatever it is, it isn’t working. Finally there was Simon, and well, he’s Simon. He looks as good as he always does and the slight scowl on his face said he was ready to get things moving.

Tonight’s theme is 80s music and each contestant has to tell about their most embarrassing moment.

Up first was Luke Menard. His special moment was when he was dressed up like a ballerina by his sister, when he was a child.

What he sang: “Jitterbug”

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