My Own 50 Most Beautiful People List

People Magazine recently issued its annual 50 Most Beautiful People list, topped this year by Christina Applegate. She's a great pick, but after seeing some of the other celebrities who charted, I decided to make my own list. A lot of their picks seem to depend on who has been in the news lately (or who happens to be standing in whatever firehouse or frisbee golf tournament People has decided to feature that year). If that rule applies, my list will definitely begin with this guy:

2009 MOST BEAUTIFUL (AND MOST RESILIENT)
Robert Downey, Jr., star of Iron Man, Tropic Thunder, and the upcoming Sherlock Holmes, looking quite mysterious and bad@$$ on the cover of Esquire magazine in March of '07, flanked by a very prophetic headline

The rest of my list follows. Rules:

• It is kind of governed by the Relevant Rule (as mentioned above). I'll try to do a mini-description so you don't have to Google everyone. Click on each name for a choice photo.
• I tried to stick to a No Beards rule, too (not a facial hair fan), but there are a few stubborn exceptions.
• I already broke my No Cigarettes rule (link above), so toss that one.
• My picks happen to be all Hollywood actors, not that I have anything against musicians (obviously), athletes, politicians, reality stars (okay, yeah, I do), or other public figures. I just couldn't think of any to add to this list. Except #51 at the end.

P.S. Why so serious, every person in every picture on this list?

MOST BEAUTIFUL RISING STARS
Freida Pinto, star of Slumdog Millionaire
Amy Adams, star of Enchanted and Doubt

MOST BEAUTIFUL COUPLES
Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi, television stars
Vanessa Hudgens & Zac Efron, stars of High School Musical films
David Duchovny & Téa Leoni, newly reunited stars of Californication and Ghost Town, respectively

MOST BEAUTIFUL ON-SCREEN COUPLES
Lee Pace & Anna Friel, stars of Pushing Daisies
James Roday & Dulé Hill, stars of Psych

MOST BEAUTIFUL JOKESTERS
John Krasinski, star of The Office
Kristen Wiig, star of SNL, Knocked Up, and Ghost Town
Bonnie Hunt, host of The Bonnie Hunt Show
Justin Bartha, star of The Hangover and the National Treasure films

MOST BEAUTIFUL INTERNATIONALS
Nicole Kidman, Australian (duh) star of Australia
Craig Ferguson, Scottish host of The Late Late Show
Ryan Reynolds, Canadian star of The Proposal
Anthony LaPaglia, Australian star of Without A Trace

MOST BEAUTIFUL CHILD/TEENAGE STARS ALL GROWN UP
Jason Bateman, star of Silver Spoons, then Arrested Development, Juno, and Hancock
Paul Rudd, star of Clueless, then Role Models, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Knocked Up
Alexis Bledel, star of Gilmore Girls and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, then...Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.
Johnny Depp, star of 21 Jump Street, then the Pirates of the Caribbean films and Sweeney Todd
John Cusack, star of Say Anything, then War, Inc. and Martian Child
Amber Tamblyn, star of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, then The Unusuals
Doug Savant, star of Melrose Place, then Desperate Housewives

MOST BEAUTIFUL KID
Abigail Breslin, 13-year-old star of My Sister's Keeper

MOST BEAUTIFUL HUGHS
Hugh Laurie, star of House
Hugh Grant, star of Music and Lyrics
Hugh Jackman, Oscar ceremony host, star of Wolverine

MOST BEAUTIFUL AARP CARDHOLDERS (they hand 'em out at 50)
Steve Martin, 63-year-old star of The Pink Panther films
Chris Noth, 54-year-old star of Sex and the City
Alan Rickman, 63-year-old star of the Harry Potter films
Meryl Streep, 60-year-old star of Mamma Mia!

MOST BEAUTIFUL POTTYMOUTH
Seth McFarlane, creator and star of Family Guy

MOST BEAUTIFUL DISNEY FANATIC WHO HAS NEVER BEEN IN A DISNEY MOVIE
John Stamos, collector of Dumbo The Flying Elephant ride vehicles (and star of ER)

MOST BEAUTIFUL ENTIRE CAST OF A TELEVISION SHOW
The Cast of Ugly Betty
America Ferrera [click to view her out of character look] (Betty)
Ana Ortiz (Hilda)
Ashley Jensen (Christina)
Becki Newton (Amanda)
Eric Mabius (Daniel)
Judith Light (Claire)
Mark Indelicato (Justin)
Michael Urie (Marc)
Tony Plana (Ignacio)
Vanessa Williams (Wilhelmina)
Honorable Mention (not pictured): Freddy Rodriguez, Christopher Gorham, and Sarah LaFleur

MOST BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF (my perennial favorites who never seem to be up to much)
Alan Cumming, star of X-Men 2 and Tin Man
Hal Sparks, television/reality show personality, star of Queer as Folk and Dude, Where's My Car?, doppelganger of Dashboard Confessional lead singer Chris Carrabba

Bonus Category:
MOST BEAUTIFUL HUSBAND ON EARTH (INCLUDING ROBERT DOWNEY, JR.)
Eric Brown

New Phone

Eric's contract with Verizon ran out so it was time for him to get a new phone. However, he has this phone:

(really), and I had this phone:

(not kidding). So he was nice enough to offer the new phone opportunity to me and wait until December, when my contract runs out, to get this phone:

So in the meantime, I got this cool phone for free:

The LG enV TOUCH. Lots of ups and downs on the capital letters, there. It is way fun to play with so far! It has a touch screen, which is a nifty novelty for a novice like me.* It also flips open to reveal a QWERTY keyboard inside, which is a really awesome feature for me because I like typing and texting. It also has a micro SD card drive so I can easily transfer music and pictures, like this little gem below, from phone to PC and back again:

Great spellers we have in this country. This was parked right next to my car of all places. Anyway, so far it seems like an awesome phone overall. I wanted something with good reviews, good features, and a good reputation for surviving bumps, scrapes, and falls. It's not the waterproof phone, but it suits me fine.

P.S. Our windchimes are going wild today! It's pretty windy outside :)

*"Novice" and "novelty" don't come from the same root word, I found out. (I checked it out on m-w.com.) I thought it would be cheating to use them in the same alliterative clause if they did.

The Day the Music Died for a new generation

Today on the way to Encore rehearsal, someone sent me a text that read, "It's official. Michael Jackson is dead." I felt for sure that it had to be a hoax. I didn't recognize the phone number, and, besides, Michael Jackson is only 50. Eric switched on the radio. The sounds of "Thriller" immediately blared out of the speakers. I've never heard "Thriller" on the radio, except on Halloween; it's almost six minutes long. Eric turned to another of our programmed stations, and we heard "Bad." The next station played "Beat It." I kept switching from station to station to station thinking, "It can't be a coincidence." I cried thinking about how his music affected the entertainment industry and pop culture as a whole, about how, at the peak of his career--and even after his popularity waned--he was such an incredible performer, entertainer, innovator. Eccentric public personality aside, Michael Jackson was undoubtedly an icon in the industry; he embodied his nickname "The King of Pop."

There is no question that, as a public figure, Michael Jackson was misunderstood. Thinking about about his image today reminded me of one of my favorite compositions of his, a lesser-known song called "Childhood." It was written in 1995--when rock and hip-hop ruled over pop--for the sequel to Free Willy, but the lyrics unmistakably reflect Jackson's life. He was exposed to grown-up experiences before he was ready, and as a result, he lived a maladjusted and idiosyncratic adult life. Below are the words to a song that sheds light on the strangeness of Jackson's adulthood, a time during which his celebrity and outlandishness overshadowed the part of him for which he should be remembered: his musical contributions.

Listen to "Childhood"

Have you seen my childhood?
I'm searching for the world that I come from
'Cause I've been looking around
In the lost and found of my heart

No one understands me
They view it as such strange eccentricities
'Cause I keep kidding around
Like a child, but pardon me

People say I'm not okay
'Cause I love such elementary things
It's been my fate to compensate
For the childhood I've never known

Have you seen my childhood?
I'm searching for that wonder in my youth
Like pirates in adventurous dreams
Of conquest and kings on the throne

Before you judge me, try hard to love me
Look within your heart then ask
Have you seen my childhood?

People say I'm strange that way
'Cause I love such elementary things
It's been my fate to compensate
For the childhood I've never known

Have you seen my childhood?
I'm searching for that wonder in my youth
Like fantastical stories to share
But the dreams I would dare, watch me fly

Before you judge me, try hard to love me
The painful youth I've had
Have you seen my Childhood?

The Jelly Story Resolution

Some of you may still be wondering whatever became of that Welch's video contest we entered a few months back. Well, other than assuming we lost since we hadn't heard anything, we were still in the dark as well--until today! My mom (who submitted the video) got the following letter in the mail today:

Dear Ms. Pinder:

On behalf of Welch's, we want to thank you for participating in "The Ultimate PB&J Challenge" contest. The winning video entitled "Mason's Restaurant" can be viewed on Welchs.com along with some of Welch's favorite video submissions. As a special thank you for your participation, please accept the enclosed comlimentary coupon for your next purchase of a Welch's spread product.

Sincerely, Rose Spicer
Corporate Communications

So we are kind of sad that we didn't win the trip to New York City (even though we had kind of figured we hadn't by now), but excited that our video is on the Welch's website because we were chosen as one of their favorite video submissions! If you somehow magically haven't seen it yet or you just missed our wacky choreographed and harmonized antics, check out our Jelly Jam by clicking the Ultimate PB&J Challenge button on Welchs.com! And thanks for voting :)

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

We love our little neighborhood. It stays pretty quiet, which is one of the best things about it. it's been pretty breezy this weekend, which made it a perfect time for our anniversary gift from Eric's parents to come in the mail. Check out the video below to see the test drive!

New Photos

Recently we went to get haircuts at Harmony Barber Shop at the Magic Kingdom, and--surprise, surprise--we took pictures! Click here to view the album.

My Jobs

If you're my friend on Facebook, you may have noticed that my Work section (below) is full of jobs. You might be wondering how a person can have four jobs at once, but it's not as difficult as it seems. I'll explain.

Employer: Our 365 Newborn Photography
Position: Photographer
Location: Celebration, FL
I just had my first day today, and I'll be working here Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings taking babies' first photos.

Employer: Sherwood Comunity Chapel
Position: Pianist
Location: Kissimmee, FL
This position has given me a great opportunity to improve my sight-reading, accompanying, and improvisational skills. During the summer, I only play on Sunday mornings and for occasional other Sunday services. During the rest of the year, I'll also play for choir rehearsals on Thursday evenings. I get to sing sometimes too!

Employer: Four Corners Academy of the Arts
Position: Voice/Piano Faculty
Location: Clermont, FL
When my friend Gretchen opened this business in January of last year, I had the pleasure of opening the studio with her as the drama and ballroom teacher. Now I teach ballroom, voice, piano, and musical theatre on Friday afternoons.

Employer: The Walt Disney Company
Position: Photographer
Location: Lake Buena Vista, FL
My first day with Disney was in May of 2003 as an attractions hostess in Tomorrowland. In June of 2006 I transferred to Entertainment as a character attendant, and I started with Disney Photo Imaging in December of 2006. My status is seasonal, so I can have them schedule me weekly, or I can choose from odds-and-ends they have available on the shift board whenever I'm free (which is what I usually do).






So as you can see, none of my jobs ever actually overlap with each other, and I still get to have Monday and Tuesday free, which are Eric's days off, too! Also, for the most part, it leaves my evenings free for performing gigs. I have my own professional equipment and repertoire, so I provide live entertainment for hotels and restaurants, weddings and other sacred ceremonies, and private parties and special events. I'll be playing at the public library downtown on July 31 at noon if you want to come by!

Photography is fun for me, and I've always considered it more of a hobby than a career. My goal is to some day (soon!) have a full-time performing contract somewhere closeby, so I can still have most of my evenings free. I've gotten very close to where I want to be, and I'm not giving up on auditions and performing opportunities. Soon I'll really have a full-time career doing what I am educated in and what I love!

Our First Anniversary

Last Sunday was our first wedding anniversary! It has definitely been an exciting and eventful year, and it has flown by. We were able to celebrate at our own Treehouse Villa for the night, munching on the top layer of our wedding cake, spending a little bit of time with some of our favorite people, and listening to the tunes from our wedding reception. It was nice to remember that beautiful day and know that we have so many more to look forward to.