I'm a total Gleek...

by Brittany Geragotelis

I can't even begin to describe to you how ridiculously excited I am that "Glee" is returning tonight. It feels like it's been forever since we got to watch our favorite Gleeks dance and sing and I for one can't wait to see what they come up with next. I've heard that so much good stuff is in store for the rest of this season:

photo credit: Starz/
Anchor Bay

"Buffy" creator Joss Whedon directed episode 19, which I believe is also the same episode that "Doogie Howser" (am I a nerd that I used to LOVE that show?) and "How I Met Your Mother" star Neil Patrick Harris appears in. Joss and Neil? That's almost too much goodness in one episode!

photo credit: FOX/Glee

I've also heard that Kurt joins the Cheerios this season. Not sure if it's because he likes the poms, or if it's because he's just trying to get closer to the enemy (Coach Sue Syllvester). Either way, I think we're in for a treat! Oh, and there's going to be a whole episode devoted to Madonna!!!! Like a Virgin. Vogue. Papa Don't Preach (this would work well with Quinn's storyline, don't you think?)...I can't wait to see what they choose to use!

Okay, gotta go and calm down before my head explodes from all the awesomeness. If you're a "Glee" fan, too, check out the sectionals episode wrap up below to catch up before tonight's brand new episode. And if you've been living under a rock and simply haven't watched the best show EVER yet, log onto fox and start watching!

Let the Glee be with you!

5x5,
B.

Words of Wisdom from Miss Paula Abdul

by Brittany Geragotelis

More great news on the blog front! Deborah Gregory (the WILD woman behind The Cheetah Girls and Catwalk series) and the talented and lovely Jessica Bendinger (Writer of Bring It On, writer and director of Stick It and author of The Seven Rays) have both agreed to answer a few questions for this blog (and all of you!!) Both women are beyond awesome and I can't wait to bring you their answers! I promise it'll be worth it!

So, when I got into work this morning and finally got a chance to sit down at my computer (so much drama-rama I can't even begin to tell you), I turned iTunes to random and you know what the first song was to come blaring through the mini speakers? Paula Abdul's "Opposites Attract." Now, being that I've met Paula before (I mean, actually hung out with her on two separate occasions—jealous yet? No? Well, check out the photo with my homegirl, Paula, above) I already know first-hand that she's got a big heart and thick skin (She'd have to, to put up with Simon's crap!). This is how I know that there's got to be a bit of wisdom behind her songs.



So, I began to really think about the meaning behind the song, "Opposites Attract," and sure enough, Paula knew what she was talking about.

"I take two steps forward
I take two steps back
We come together, 'cuz opposites attract
And you know, it ain't fiction
Just a natural fact
We come together, 'cuz opposites attract.

Baby ain't it somethin'
How we lasted this long
You and me, provin' everyone wrong
Don't think we'll ever
Get our differences patched
Don't really matter, 'cuz we're perfectly matched."

See, on paper, my boyfriend, Matt, and I don't really match up. He's CNN, I'm The CW. He knows a lot about politics (I don't), and I know a ridiculous amount of pop culture (he really doesn't care about celebs). We have totally different beliefs when it comes to spirituality. He doesn't believe in ghosts and I like to go on ghost hunts. So, on the surface, it would seem like we probably wouldn't make a good couple...but we do.

It's funny, because I often think to myself, "how did we ever get together?" And the truth is: it's because we just fit. Together, we make a great pair. Our relationship is a strong and healthy one, despite our differences (or possibly because of them). But how, when on the outside it seems that we wouldn't get along, have we made it work? Here are a few things I've learned about being in a relationship with my total opposite:

1. It's important to bond over the things you DO have in common. It could be your love for peanut butter and potato chip sandwiches or the Harry Potter books, but finding things you both enjoy will help to keep you bonding as a couple. For Matt and I, we both love the movies (though our tastes in genre differ, we love watching nearly anything), certain TV shows (we watch "Dexter", "House", "Glee" and "Big Love" together!) and we're both very creative in our personal lives (Matt makes films and I write books).

2. Agree to disagree...and then leave it alone. Matt and I learned very early on that if we were going to have differing opinions about certain big topics and actually remain in this relationship, we'd have to figure out a way to be okay with it. So, we decided that neither of us would push our beliefs on the other. We respect the other's thoughts and feelings, while retaining our own. I don't force him to sit through situations that make him uncomfortable and he doesn't lecture me about my views. For us, this works.

3. View your differences as opportunities to grow. Because our personalities are so different, Matt and I both bring different things to the table that I believe have helped us grow individually. For instance, Matt pays a lot of attention to politics and the news--because of this, I was forced to watch several history-making speeches that I never would have seen if it had been up to me (the election, the vote for health care, etc). And because of all my "Hannah Montana" watching, Matt's been able to contribute to conversations with people at his job who are working on a tween website. See? Win-win. (Well, in my opinion, he did a little more winning in this particular situation, but what can you do?)

4. If it aint broke, don't try and fix it. In the end, if you and your honey make a good couple, it doesn't really matter that you're puzzled as to why you're a good couple. Who cares why it works? The point is, it does. Love is rare...so just go with it, already.

Now, because Matt and I haven't made our own music video yet, here's a look at the one Paula made with her foxy guy. It pretty much sums us up anyway. Enjoy.

5x5,
B.

Don't Stop Believin'

by Brittany Geragotelis

One of my favorite shows on television right now is hands down, "Glee." The show is so original, packed with witty, dark comedy and of course, full of some of the best music ever made!!! It's one of those shows that literally gives me tingles every time I watch it.

photo credit: FOX/Glee

So, you can imagine how psyched I've been to see the show using our magazines(American Cheerleader and the All-Star Insider) in some of their scenes. Well, we just recently saw this behind-the-scenes vid from the "Glee" set, and noticed that our publication, Cheer Biz News, has finally made its way onto the scene as well. So, check out the following video, and pay extra close attention to the magazine on Sue Syllvester's desk...who knew Sue read CBN?

5x5,
B.

A Road Trip with Tori Spelling

by Brittany Geragotelis

So, I watched the first episode of the new season of "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood" and it was SOOOO good! It's so nice to have my little Saturday morning ritual back: I curl up on my couch, drink my morning cup of joe (there's an incredible coffee place around the corner called The Coffee Inn and it's AWESOME!), eat my gluten-free bagel (this week it was cinamon & raisin with plain cream cheese) and watch the always hysterical Tori Spelling and her family on DVR. It really does make a difference in my weekend when I start it off laughing.

photos courtesy of Oxygen/
Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood

Anyways, in this episode, Tori and her husband Dean, decide they're going to take a road trip across the U.S. to visit their faux family member, Patsy (she was the woman Tori and Dean hired to help with Liam and Stella when they were first born). Since Tori has a fear of flying (which she inherrited from her dad), the whole crew plus the guncles (The term Tori coined for "gay uncles") piled into an enormous RV and headed out on the road. Along the way, they stopped at various places to site-see and shop!

I was laughing so hard, because almost everywhere they went, Tori kept talking about how it was like they were in a horror film. One of the nights, they decided to stop at some random motel to sleep for the night and Tori began referring to it as the Bates Motel, and said that she knew what happened in places like that in scary movies. Then, as the two were lying in bed, she suddenly looked up at the ceiling and saw a stain that she swore was blood. I loved this, because my mind sometimes works in "horror mode" too, and I'll often think "OMG, if this were a horror film, this is when the maniac would come out with a hatchet..." So, I could totally identify.

One of the places the McDermott's stopped along the way was at this Ostrich Farm. While they were there, Tori started asking the woman who owned the place how much it would cost for her to buy one of the ostriches. After feeding the pecking creatures, they hit the road again, and the ostrich woman called Tori a gansta like her, and said that Tori could be her homie. Soooo funny!

One other place they stopped was a place in Amarillo, TX, called The Big Texan. This is a restaurant where they have a 72oz steak challenge. Everyone in the group took the challenge, which basically included a mini cow, and a bunch of sides. They were given 60 minutes to finish the whole thing, and although it looked like Dean was going to win it for a while there, he had to give up.

I myself, LOVE road trips and this ep made me start thinking about all the places I wouldn't mind visiting. Here are a few of them:

1. Home of the Salem Witch Trials in Salem, MA--So much craziness went on in this place, it would be really interesting to visit for the history alone.
2. Cabbage Patch Kids' Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, GA--I went here with my older sister and grandparents as a kid. This is where they actually birth the cabbage patch kids...they have a huge cabbage patch in the middle of the store and doctors help deliver the babies, then people in the crowd get to name them.
3. The Chateau Marmont hotel in West Hollywood, CA--I've wanted to stay at this hotel for years. It's THE celebrity hotspot. Seriously, so many famous people have stayed at this hotel over the years and so much scandalous stuff has happened on the premises. It would SO be worth the price of the room!
4. Hershey Park in Hershey, PA--I've heard about this local amusement park for years, and have no idea why I haven't been yet. I'm a HUGE roller coaster fan, so I would definitely love to visit!

Where would your road trip take you? Leave your itinerary in the comments below!

5x5,
B.

Gossip Mill

by Brittany Geragotelis

Well, after a few days of beautiful dress and skirt-wearing weather, we're back to overcast and damp. Blech. Bring on the summer already! I'm so pasty white, I'm pretty sure I glow in the dark. Oh well, I guess this gives me a good excuse to sit around and write all weekend, right?

Speaking of writing, I'm up to page 152 in "Painless." Lately I've been channeling my inner "angry chick" to write my main character, Bliss. She's very pissed and lonely and fearful...all emotions I have no problem tapping into, based off of my own health issues in the past. I just wrote my character's first sexy scene. It was (hopefully) hot and primal. Sometimes I'm as surprised by the encounters myself, because I don't always know they're going to happen (and how) until they just do. Good times.

photo credit: Jackson Pearce

On a similar note, I'm happy to announce that I will be interviewing Sisters Red author, Jackson Pearce in a future blog! I'm beyond psyched to talk to her about her writing schedule and where she gets her inspiration from. If you have any questions you'd like to ask Jackson, leave them in the comments section below.


This week's been rather quiet here in the office...well, sort of. The past two days, it's just been me and my co-worker Toni, and today we also have our lovely intern, Steph, in the house (who just told me she reads this blog! Yay!). This means that basically there are three of us on the 22nd floor today! It's as scarce as a scene in a zombie apocalypse movie—you know, before the zombies show up in droves. But it's also sort of nice...I'm currently blaring Avril Lavigne and have very few distractions around me, so I'm getting quite a bit done.

photo credit: The CW/Gossip Girl

On the other hand, the beginning of our week started out the exact opposite. I don't want to get totally into it, but there were some big changes here at our company this week, and ever since then, people have been INSANE. Seriously, I don't think I've witnessed this much gossip since I was in high school. And even then, it was sort of expected. With the exception of the people in my department, everyone seems to have their conspiracy theories about the future. There's been more than one occasion where I just wanted to say, "Grow up! You're not a teenager anymore. Don't you have anything better to talk about?" The fact of the matter is that just like in life in general, none of us knows what's going to happen in the future (unless you're a psychic like Allison DuBois on "Medium"), so what's the point really in worrying about it? How about channeling that energy into something positive, like doing your job well, asking a friend how they're doing (instead of just focusing on yourself), or writing a blog (wink, wink)? So, in the meantime, I'm just trying not to engage in or get caught up in other people's drama. And to be honest, it's not all that hard a thing to do...

Now, to brighten your day, here's a story that made me smile this morning. Another reason your children should be cheerleaders.

5x5,
B.

The Hunger Games

by Brittany Geragotelis

Phew! I'm happy to report that my fave model wasn't kicked off of "America's Next Top Model" last night. Jessica is safe and sound and still in the house. Although, I'm officially confused as to why they ran the promo's they did—half the scenes they showed never ended up on the episode! Those sneaky editing folks!

photo credit: Scholastic

Now, let's get down to book talk! Per the suggestion of an agent friend, I picked up The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I was told it was edgy and a total must-read. After a little research (mainly through google and word of mouth), I realized that this series has been a runaway hit. It seems that people are developing as big an obsession over Suzanne's books as they have over Twilight (some have even gone as far as being "Team Peeta" or "Team Gale"). So, by the time I got my review copies from the publisher, I have to admit my expectations were already unrealistically over-the-top.

So, what did I think? Well, in a way, I'm still undecided.

Maybe that's not exactly accurate. I think I both liked the book and was simultaneously horrified by it. Let me explain. The book's described as being sci-fi, but I never really got that vibe. And although it's supposed to take place in the future, it seemed a bit old-worldly to me...not at all current. So for me, that was a bit discombobulating.

The storyline itself was what I'd describe as "Survivor" meets Lord of the Flies meets The Lottery. Katniss is a huntress who lives in "District 12" with her family and best friend, Gale. Her hometown is confined within an electrified fence, and the people of District 12 are being forced to live a life of near-poverty. The capitol controls all the districts, keeping its people in quiet servitude. Every year, the capitol throws something called "The Hunger Games" as a reminder of what happens when people try to revolt (Hint: there used to be a District 13). So, each year every child in every district has their names entered into a sort of lottery and one boy and one girl from each is chosen to participate in the games.

Sounds innocent enough, right? Well, it turns out that the kids who are chosen (24 in all) are forced into an arena where they must fight each other for their lives. The last child alive is the victor. When her younger sister is called to participate, Katniss offers to take her place. And after that, it's pretty much hide and seek (and slaughter).

Although the book was incredibly creative, my mind kept going back to the fact that I was reading a book where children were being forced to murder each other. With the exception of a few of the character's deaths, I felt like the violence was pretty anti-clamatic...almost made to be an afterthought, which I found especially disturbing. And like I said, the way the characters talked didn't seem very believable if the story was supposed to take place in the future. It might have worked better had it been 200 years in the past or possibly on another planet maybe...

photo credit: Scholastic

It took me over 100 pages to really get into the book, but when I did, I have to admit that when I wasn't reading it, I was left thinking about what was going to happen next. The writing was very strong and Suzanne clearly knows how to tell a story. Though I didn't 100% fall in love with Katniss, there were other characters I connected strongly with (Little Rue!!!). The world that was created for the reader was both imaginative and filled with hope and horror.

So, this is where I'm left: It was hard for me to get past the shock of the games themselves, but the rest of the story was spellbinding.

The series is a three-parter; the second book, Catching Fire is out now and the third (and final) book, Mockingjay, will be published August 24th. If you haven't already done so, pick up a copy and give it a read. I'd be interested in hearing what you all think.

5x5,
B.

These are a few of my favorite things....right now.

photo credit: Entertainment Weekly

by Brittany Geragotelis
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
I know it's been off the air for a while, but I will NEVER get sick of this show. In my opinion, it is the most well-written, imaginative and creative show in the history of television. In fact, I'm convinced that Joss Whedon is a genius. I was having a conversation the other day with one of our interns and I was trying to explain that whenever I have to do things that make me scared or stressed (Hello, public speaking!!!), I always like to ask myself, "What would Buffy do?" Sounds silly, but the slayer wouldn't be afraid of speaking to a roomful of people, standing up for something she believes in or talking to a cute guy. She'd go up to the dude, tell him she was into him and then go out and stake a vampire. Plus, she has a kick-ass wardrobe and the show's all about a girl who makes a significant impact in the world around her. Doesn't everyone want to know they've made their mark on the world in a big, big way?

Corn Nuts
They're not quite corn, but they're not exactly nuts. And the crunchy snacks come in all kinds of flavors (my fave is Ranch). I've searched the city high and low and have only been able to find them in certain stores. I still have to double-check that they're gluten-free, but if they are and I can get my hands on a bag, I'm going totally corn NUTS!

photo credit: The CW/ANTM

"America's Next Top Model"
I've always had a not-so-secret love affair with this show. Maybe it's because I run our photo shoots at American Cheerleader magazine and choose the poses our cover girls do. Or maybe, it's because for the life of me, I can't seem to take a good picture to save my life and I'm totally in awe over what some of the girls can do in front of a camera. Either way, I'm fully addicted. Every season I have a favorite girl and this year, it's Jessica. How crazy is it that she got pregnant on her first time having sex...and then her church basically disowned her? The promo for tonight's episode looks ominous though...I hope they don't kick her off! Don't do it, Tyra!

photo credit: ABCFamily/Make It Or Break It

Josie Loren from "Make It or Break It"
I interviewed this UCLA student and star of the ABC Family gymnastics show "Make It or Break It" yesterday and had so much fun! What was supposed to only be a 15 minute interview turned out to last 45 minutes! It was really kind of neat to talk to someone else who grew up in gymnastics AND cheerleading. We ended up bonding over mental blocks with tumbling and how debilitating they can be. She was very sweet and very smart...I've GOT to start watching this show more regularly!

Agent Jessica Sinsheimer
Jessica's a literary agent at Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency and she's the bomb digity! This girl knows her stuff and is WAY passionate about books. From the first time I met her, Jessica has been nothing but helpful to me in my literary journey...And if you're familiar with the publishing world, you'll know it's nearly impossible to get an agent (who's already SO busy reading manuscripts, making deals and otherwise moving the literary world along) to give you advice on your books if they're not your agent. Jessica's just awesome. And I might be guest-blogging for her sometime soon...so, stay tuned!

Iced Coffee
Besides Iced Tea or Lemonade, I don't think there's another beverage more representative of the summer. And with the beautiful weather we've been having the past few days, it's definitely come time to start ordering your coffee's cold. Ice cold. Happy sipping!

Author Jackson Pearce
Her book Sisters Red isn't coming out until June, but I was lucky enough to get a copy early! And it's AWESOME! Jackson's creativity and voice land her at the top of my "Must Read" list. And though nothing's set in stone, I may be interviewing the talented Ms. Pearce in the near future for this blog! How lucky am I (and you, if you keep logging on!)?!?!?!

5x5,
B.