Results Show August 8, 2007

Well I'm sure it will not come as a big surprise that a male was eliminated. With controversy heightening around the fact that the last 3 eliminations were

1) Female
2) Visible Minorities

I'm sure the producers were pretty close to the edge of having a complete backlash. If John Brunton and his sister Barb Bowlby were trying to save the show by eliminating Greg then I'm not sure it really worked.

I am becoming more convinced that the producers have and continue to exercise their contractual rights to over ride the show's voting process by choosing their preferred eliminations all in the best interest of TV ratings and sponsorship pressures.

It seems that this season is based on viewer curiosity rather than talent. CTV and Insight Productions are taking an enormous risk with a "shock" and "awe" production. The strategy to allow instruments in the competition has had little to no impact whatsoever and it is becoming increasingly apparent that all key players behind the scene of season 5 are displaying some obvious hints of desperation.

As for Martha and our family, the Idol hangover is finished. Martha is in great spirits she's back on Facebook and messenger hanging out with friends and family. Our family is strategizing the bright future of Martha and it is very exciting. The support for Martha continues to flow in and Canadians really do miss her.

And in case you didn't know, Enrique sent Martha a beautiful floral arrangement the following day of her elimination, expressing his feelings of her elimination and some inspirational thoughts to keep pushing on (http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/columnists/story.html?id=11086b2a-4c70-49ac-9f28-4121a23d32d0). I can tell you that the feeling she got from that small gesture was out of this world and quite honestly I don't think winning the Canadian Idol could even be a close second. It is a real validation coming from a super mega star.

Thank you Enrique for your gesture it really has had an impact to Martha and our family more than you'll ever know.

Canada You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet!

Martha Joy- Results July 24, 2007

It's 5:00 pm on Tuesday July 24, 2007. I call my aunt on her cell phone to tell her I'm running late, she says not a problem but she sounds pre occupied. I can totally relate, having spent a number of hours working the phones with family members on Monday night, the general feeling was "we love Martha". It's natural to react to the responses of the judges and if anyone is familiar with the term "judges" it's Sonia. It's the first time that most of the praise went to everyone but Martha, I have to admit it wasn't easy for me to listen to. Martha made a calculated decision, on how the judges and Canada would react to a song where Martha did not showcase her beautiful vocal range and guess what, everyone wants to hear those vocals again. Good on you Martha!

Martha has such a great heart, that when she was summoned to the stage as being the first contestant to be in the bottom three, all she could think about was Khalila. Hoping that the host, Ben Mulroney would not say such a name, it was all for naught. As Khalila made her way to represent the second competitor of the bottom three, Martha was fighting back the tears for Khalila. Across the stage in Row O seat 24 and 25, Sonia had the look of worry, it's that same worry every parent has for a child. As I whispered into my aunt's ear advising her not to worry, I could here sobs a few rows behind me. Hoping my aunt would not hear what was being said behind us, I graciously provided her with an interesting fact, I told her that previous idols have been in the bottom 3 before, and this is to be expected.

Ben Mulroney announces Brian Melo which was not a shock to me considering, that he has made that trip before. As Ben attempts to transition to commercial, he announces Martha is "safe". Now sitting in John Bassett Theatre with 2 cameras in your face in front of millions of people is not a cake walk either. I am proud of Sonia and how she held up through the whole process. Sonia is one tough customer and it doesn't take too long to realize why Martha can put on a brave face in the midst of adversity.

As we make our way to the stage after the performance, Martha is still very upset that one of her fellow competitors' Khalila Glanville is leaving them. After all that has just happened in the last 10 minutes, Martha knows, that even though the camera's are off there are many who line up at the foot of the stage for her autograph and picture. Martha understands this and puts her emotions about her friend Khalila, mother and even her trip to the bottom 3 on hold as she tends to the fans.

For those of us in our family, who has journeyed every week to John Bassett theatre, we know the drill after each performance. The idols do photo shoots and sign autographs. We all decide let's get something to eat and make our way to an excellent restaurant on College street in the heart of Toronto's Portuguese community. As I make my way into the restaurant, in the window of course, is a beautiful picture of Vote For Martha Joy on Canadian Idol.

Seated in a beautiful backyard patio, with perfect weather, we're all waiting anxiously for Martha and her dad to arrive. At the table are some friends of Sonia and also big fans and soon after Martha arrives she is immediately recognized by patrons and is requested for an autograph, she happily obliges (even though today was a tough day at the office). We order from the menu and eat our meal with no reference to tonight's show.

We talk shop, share thoughts and offer advice. I get different perspectives on theories such as: Why are all the girls getting eliminated? Why has it been 5 girls and 1 guy in the bottom 3?

I chalk it up all to "great television". You have to credit John Brunton, Barb Bowlby and Sue Brophie they are seasoned producers who know what its all about.

Next week it's Canadian Idol's "unplugged" and those vocals of Martha that Canadians missed this week are going to come through your speakers LOUD AND CLEAR. Crank up your surround sound because you don't want to miss this!

Don't forget to support the "Help the Idols Build a House" by purchasing the song from http://www.puretracks.com/catalog/details.aspx?pid=sony_888880254191

Canada You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet!!!

Martha Joy finishes work and joins the family

The weather wasn't exactly cooperating with our annual picnic but it didn't matter. Canopies were set up to shelter all from the drizzle. As always, there is plenty of food and desserts a common tradition in the Filipino culture. It was great to see the family and extended family. Martha did not get a chance to join us at the park but it worked out anyway as we decided that it was time to change venue and go for real shelter. Most of the family headed back to our aunt's banquet hall where there is always a spare party room for the Lim's. Martha was pleasantly surprised to walk in to see the various signs my cousin Lea had made up. There was some really catchy signs, and look for me to be holding them up in performances to come. Martha had a chance to share a little about the much talked about move to the "mansion" in Toronto, sounds very exciting.

With all the family trying to get air time with Martha, I had a chance to have great discussions with my uncles and aunts about the overall feeling they have and hypothesize various scenarios that the producers might take. Given that 90% of the scheduled themes are posted, my aunts and uncles discussed song selection. This has been a tradition of the Lim family, where we enter into sometimes colourful discussions about song choice. We weigh the pros and cons and give different perspectives, knowing full well that Martha will end up making an informed decision based upon input from her family. At the end of the day, Martha will do what she feels comfortable with and for the family, it doesn't matter because we just love to hear her sing.

I think the most memorable moment for me was a little bonding with my brother's (Daniel) daughter Sabrina. She's such a cutie :)

The other moment was getting a chance to talk to my cousin Joseph. It seemed forever, since we have had a chance to talk and we caught up on the latest stuff going on in our life. For those who don't know Joseph, he has been a boxer for over 10 years and was on the B team for Seoul Olympics. He's got a great career in the technology sector and still stays in shape with playing Beach Volleyball and regular workouts at the gym.

Canada You Ain't See Nothing Yet!