Pageantude: Pageants With Attitude!

MAO Announces National Judges

2009-12-07T08:57:00.000-06:00

From the Field of Beauty - Vivica A. Fox – Fox is an accomplished actress and producer that has appeared on both the small and big screens in every type of genre. She is currently the host of the new reality series, "The Cougar,” and returned for the 2009 season of Larry David's HBO hit comedy, Curb Your Enthusiasm as the feisty "Loretta Black.” She is the recipient of numerous awards including the NAACP Spirit Award, the NAACP Image Award and Prism Award, the Trumpet Award for Outstanding Career Achievements in Film, the Lady of Soul Lena Horne Career Achievement Award and an MTV Movie Award. She was also named as one of People Magazine's fifty most beautiful people.

From the Field of Community Service - Miss America 2002 Katie Harman – Since her year, Harman tours nationally and internationally as an acclaimed classical and operatic vocalist with a myriad of opera and musical theater companies, symphony orchestras, and special events. Also a recording artist and television personality, she can next be seen in a principal role as a singer on HBO's Big Love (airing March 2010). An active cancer advocate, she serves on numerous boards of cancer organizations and hospitals and is the National Spokesperson for the Touched by Cancer Organization. Additionally, her philanthropic efforts target women's issues, homelessness, and arts education.

From the Field of Fitness - Shawn Johnson – Johnson is an 2008 Olympic gold medalist for gymnastics. She was named the 79th Amateur Athletic Union Sullivan Award recipient, one of the most prestigious honors in amateur sports and became the youngest ever contestant and season eight champion on ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Johnson is also involved in programs that promote healthy nutrition and exercise and help build good character amongst youth across the country.

From the Field of Talent – Dave Koz - Koz is a six-time Grammy nominee, multi platinum pop instrumentalist. Recently honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Koz hosts an afternoon radio show that's nationally distributed on the Smooth Jazz Radio Network as well as the syndicated Dave Koz Radio Show, now in its 15th year and airing on weekends in approximately 120 markets. He has served for 17 years as global ambassador for the Starlight Children's Foundation and is an ongoing member of the Board Of Governors for the Grammy® Foundation.

From the Field of Communications/Interview - Rush Limbaugh - Limbaugh is the outspoken, conservative and ultra-popular host of The Rush Limbaugh Show, an AM/FM radio show about American politics with an audience of 20 million. Limbaugh is involved in charities including the Marine Corps – Law Enforcement Foundation and the Leukemia Lymphoma Foundation. He is a best-selling author and was nominated in 2007 for the Nobel Peace Prize.

From the Field of Entertainment – Paul Rodriguez – Rodriguez is an actor and comedian whose career spans more than two decades and includes starring roles and featured appearances in over 40 films and countless television series and specials. Throughout his career Paul has remained involved with various charitable, civic and educational organizations including the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. As Chairman of the California Latino Water Coalition, Rodriguez was recently honored with a Humanitarian of the Year Award for his work on behalf of water conservation.

From the Field of Creating America's Rising Talent – Brooke White – White is a singer and songwriter who is most known for her appearance as a finalist on season seven of American Idol. She recently released her debut album, High Hopes & Heartbreak, in which she shares with the world, her love for the music that has shaped her.

Miss America Contestant Lineup

2009-12-05T19:32:00.000-06:00

Virtual Book Party Aftermath

2009-12-05T09:22:00.000-06:00

We had a small but enthusiastic turnout at the virtual book party last weekend. We had a few glitches (stupid iChat!), but had a successful party overall.

If anyone has a Mac and uses iChat, let me know. I'd like to pick your brains on how to use it. The help screens--well, weren't much help.

Any suggestions? E-mail me.

Wow!!!

2009-12-05T09:15:00.000-06:00

We're over 25,000 hits now! Thank you so much for reading! Tell your friends, and keep reading Pageantude for the latest in Miss Louisiana and Miss America news!

Virtual Book Party

2009-11-26T18:06:00.000-06:00

What: A virtual book party to celebrate the Amazon launch of Myths America: A Practical Guide to Pageantry.
When: Sunday, November 29 5pm Eastern/4pm Central (Louisiana time)/3pm Mountain/2pm Pacific.
Where: Your computer

How it will work: You will need an account on AIM. If you don't already have one, sign up at www.aim.com. You may either download the AIM software or access AIM from your web browser. If you have another program like iChat for the Mac or Trillian for Windows, you're welcome to use those. I will be using iChat.

My screen name is "wordsanddesign". Add me to your buddy list. Page me, and I will add you to the chat room. If you have a webcam and would like to have a video chat with me, please wait until the end of the party. I'd like to chat with as many people as possible so we can have a party atmosphere.

You bring the virtual munchies, I'll supply the virtual eggnog and bubbly, and we'll have a great time!

How to Fight Jet Lag

2009-11-25T13:20:00.000-06:00

One of the primary contributors to jet lag is stress and anxiety. All-night packing can make anyone stressed and anxious-and that can easily carry over into your flight. A simple anti jet lag pre-flight checklist is as follows: Pack, check your tickets, and prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for the journey ahead.

Cramped quarters, loud noises, turbulence-during a flight, many external factors cause distress, leaving your mind and body exhausted and ill-prepared for jet lag prevention. A small dose of your favorite comforts-soft slippers, favorite music, ear plugs, etc.-are great anti-jet lag tools; remember, the more relaxed you feel, the better your body will react.

Airplanes circulate extremely dry air throughout the cabin, causing your body to lose moisture. Dehydration is one of the leading contributors to jet lag, leading to headaches to dizziness to general fatigue and irritability. Water is a key anti jet lag tool; drink plenty of it before, during, and after your flight, and avoid dehydrating drinks such as alcohol or any caffeinated beverage.

The longer you sit, the more lethargic you'll feel-it's that simple. Exercise is one of nature's anti jet lag tools; take regular breaks by walking up and down the aisles and perform stretching exercises. This promotes active circulation that will make you feel looser and more energetic-key qualities for jet lag prevention.
a.. (a) Shoulder shrugs - lift your arms and roll them in a wide circular movement both forward and backwards.
a.. (b) Knee raises - bend your knees to hip height, hold for a few seconds, release and do the same for the other knee.
a.. (c) Upper back stretch - lock your fingers, stretch them out front bowing your back with palms facing inwards.
a.. (d) Ankle swirl - move your ankles around in small circles from time to time.

Another Vegas Tip

2009-11-25T11:04:00.000-06:00

This shared by Noddea Moore Skidmore:

If you're flying in on a day of prelims, be prepared to potentially go straight to prelims wearing what you're wearing on your flight in the case that the airline loses your luggage. ;)

Noddea goes on to explain that this actually happened to her. She went to prelims wearing a sweater, sparkly jeans and heels.

*****
I will be getting in to Vegas on Monday, so I'll have time to relax and get my bearings before the competition starts. It will also give me time to deal with any lost luggage or other snafus that may happen. So far, my trips to Vegas have been without much incident. There was one trip when my partner's luggage got lost coming back to New Orleans. He swore never to fly that airline again.

Can I put in a shameless plug for Southwest Airlines? We've always had very pleasant experiences with them, and can't recommend them enough. We're flying them again for this trip to Vegas, and will be driving the flight attendants crazy. I can't wait!

Katherine

2009-11-25T10:46:00.000-06:00

Miss America in New Orleans

2009-11-25T10:44:00.002-06:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5xrS2RunSk&feature=player_embedded

How to Have a Good Time at Miss America

2009-11-25T10:17:00.000-06:00

Fourpoints Magazine asked me if I had any tips to share with first time Miss America goers. Here are a few I thought of off the top of my head:

Most important tip: HAVE FUN! You'll want to go to all the meetings and the competitions. Pace yourself accordingly. There's so much to do and see in Vegas, even outside Miss America. Get plenty of rest and get plenty to drink. Las Vegas is a desert, so you'll want to keep hydrated.

Save your finest duds for Saturday night. I will be packing dress clothes for the other nights, but am saving my good gown for then.

You'll want to save some money to buy goodies at the Trade Show. I may end up spending some casino winnings there, depending on how well my traveling partner will do at the tables.

The Strip is a Pepsi community. If you want to drink a Coke product, you'll have to go off-Strip for it.

Don't be afraid to venture off-Strip. We found some great restaurants when we ventured out, and there's one which has become our favorite. (E-mail me if you want to know where.)

If you want to save yourself some walking, a day pass on the Deuce (double decker bus) costs $7 (I think; I haven't been to Vegas since last Miss America). I use it especially at night. I'm staying away from Planet Hollywood, so this comes in handy. It's also safer. You can also take the monorail, but that costs $5/trip.

Ignore the porn vendors. They line the Strip passing out cards for various escort services, etc. They get obnoxious. You leave them alone and they'll leave you alone.

Meet lots of people, exchange e-mail addresses and have a good time! See you in Vegas!

Congratulations to...

2009-11-22T06:15:00.000-06:00

April Nelson, who was crowned Miss Slidell 2010. April was Miss Louisiana's Outstanding Teen 2008. See you at Miss Louisiana 2010!

Congratulations to...

2009-11-15T08:31:00.001-06:00

Cheyenne Little, Miss Monroe's Outstanding Teen

Hope Anderson, Miss Monroe

See you at Miss Louisiana 2010!

Miss America Preliminary Night Hosts Announced

2009-11-14T07:08:00.000-06:00

The Miss America Organization is proud to announce our three preliminary night hosts leading up to the 2010 Miss America Pageant! Our special hosts for the evenings are multi-talented and will light up the stage with their charismatic personalities.

TUESDAY NIGHT
Brad Brown

Brad, a volunteer in the Miss America Organization for over 10 years, has served as Master of Ceremonies at the Miss Indiana Scholarship Program state competition in Zionsville, Indiana for the past 5 years. Brad has also hosted several local pageants around the Hoosier State. On the weekends, you can tune into sports and see Brad as the anchor and reporter at WRTV-6 in Indianapolis. As a sports reporter, he covers the Indianapolis Colts, the Indiana Pacers, the Indy 500, Brickyard 400, along with college and high school sports. Brad is a native of Butler, Indiana, and currently resides in Indianapolis.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Reggie Rivers

Reggie is a former NFL running back who played six seasons with the Denver Broncos (1991-1996). Reggie is on Denver's Channel 4 (CBS) Weekend Sports Anchor and he also co-hosts Countdown to Kickoff show. He is a featured guest commentator on “Court TV,” and a columnist for Pro Football Weekly. As the host of a weekly television show, “Global Agenda” on KBDI, Channel 12 in Denver and “Common Good,” on Denver's Comcast 5, Reggie is the ultimate news anchor. He is an inspirational speaker which has made him in high demand for speaking engagements for corporations, organizations, schools and other groups. In 1994, he wrote the as-told-to autobiography of former Denver Broncos wide receiver Vance Johnson, The Vance: The Beginning and The End. In addition, Reggie has written and published three novels: Power Shift, 4th and Fixed and My Wife's Boyfriend & Our Feud With The Highlands Ranch Homeowners Association, all involving professional football storylines.

THURSDAY NIGHT
Dena Blizzard

Dena is back again to help host the final night of competition at the Miss America 2010 Pageant! She first garnered attention in 1995 as Miss New Jersey in the Miss America Pageant, where she proudly ranked in the "Top 50". Since then she has worked as a television host, comedienne and is the mother of three. Dena has been doing stand-up all over the country and has been seen warming-up audiences for Paula Deen and Emeril Lagasse on the Food Network, as well as, hosted Real Simple TV on PBS. Last year, Dena performed stand-up at the United Nations and also launched her own one-woman show "One Funny Mother: I'm Not Crazy" to rave reviews. On the lighter side, Dena's greatest joy is stand-up comedy. This is the second year that Dena will be hosting at the Miss America Pageant!

Book Party

2009-11-08T18:41:00.000-06:00

We had a small but enthusiastic turnout at the book party this afternoon. I'll post pictures as soon as I get them.

Don't forget the virtual book party/signing coming up! I'd love to have you come along for the ride!

24K!

2009-11-08T18:40:00.002-06:00

Wow! 24,000 hits! That's a lot! Keep on reading Pageantude for the latest in Miss Louisiana and Miss America news.

Check out my author page!

2009-11-08T09:20:00.000-06:00

I now have an author page on amazon.com. Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002VXWN7W. I'm still trying to get a pic of myself up there. You'll find my bio and details on how to buy the book. Discussion forums coming up shortly.

Congratulations to...

2009-11-08T09:15:00.000-06:00

Miss Louisiana Port City Rebecca Price

Miss Spirit of the Red Raven Hollins

See you at Miss Louisiana 2010!

Christmas is just around the corner...

2009-11-06T10:37:00.000-06:00

...and that means it's time to think about the perfect gift for your special pageant someone! How about a copy of Myths America: A Practical Guide to Pageantry? Whether you're a newcomer, seasoned veteran or someone who's just interested in a behind-the-scenes look at the Miss America program, this is the book for you!

How to get it? It's easy! It's now available on amazon.com! Just do a search for my name (Hollie Domiano) and you'll find it there!

I'll even sign it for you! Just e-mail me at hollie1216@cox.net and I'll tell you about how to get it to me. If you prefer, I can sign a book plate for you so you can stick it in the book at your leisure. It's actually easier to send me a book plate since books can take up a lot of postage.

Don't want to carry a book around but would rather read it on your computer? Go to stores.lulu.com/mythsamerica for a download, or better yet, contact me directly and I'll send you an e-copy.

Don't forget the Amazon launch party this Sunday, November 8 at 1PM. We finally have a location: PJ's Cafe at 7624 Maple Street in New Orleans. RSVP: my e-mail address above or call me at (504) 289-4161.

If you can't make the launch party in person, I'm trying to organize a virtual event so you can attend via chat room. That will happen later. (more like, as soon as I can figure out how to set things up.)

If you'd like to set up a book party in your area, let me know so we can work out the details.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Vote for Andrew Whitworth for Pro Bowl

2009-11-05T07:29:00.002-06:00

Hello Everyone,

As you all know Melissa Clark, Miss Louisiana 2003 is married to Cincinnati Bengals football player Andrew Whitworth. Andrew is from West Monroe Louisiana where he attended and played football for West Monroe High School and LSU before becoming a Cincinnati Bengal. The Bengals are having a great season and hope to continue into the playoffs.

We need your help in voting for Andrew to be selected as a player in the Pro Bowl. You can help make this a reality by in going to the NFL website and casting your vote for Andrew. It is very simple and you may vote as many times as you wish.

Go to NFL.com
Click on the Pro Bowl Vote Now tab
Across the top select the tackles tab
Andrew’s name is the first on in the upper left hand column
Check the box beside his name and then submit your vote

You may vote as many times as you like so please cast your ballot and tell your friends! Again, thank you for your help in voting as the Big Whitt 77 Foundation was so gracious to step in and become a corporate partner and supporter of the Miss Louisiana Organization this past year. Now it is our turn to help get Andrew to the Pro Bowl.

Come on get on your computer and cast your vote!!!

Mario Lopez to Host Miss America

2009-11-04T19:08:00.002-06:00

TLC and the Miss America Organization said Wednesday that the 36-year-old "Extra" host and former "Dancing with the Stars" contestant will again serve as master of ceremonies for the live Jan. 30 ceremony at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Lopez previously hosted the Miss America pageant in 2007 and 2009.

Next year's pageant will feature 53 contestants, including Miss District of Columbia, Miss Virgin Islands and Miss Puerto Rico, who returns after a 50-year absence from the event. As always, the women will compete in interview, swimsuit, evening gown and talent competitions for the title of Miss America.

Katie Stam of Indiana is the current Miss America.

Book Party

2009-10-26T14:58:00.000-05:00

We're having a party to celebrate the Amazon launch of Myths America: A Practical Guide to Pageantry. It will happen Sunday, November 8 at 1PM. Location TBA, but it'll be in New Orleans. The party will be held in conjunction with our Miss America Preparation Seminar the same afternoon.

RSVP: hollie1216@cox.net or (504) 289-4161.

Myths America Now on Amazon

2009-10-25T20:01:00.000-05:00

My book, Myths America: A Practical Guide to Pageantry, is now available on amazon.com. Buy it here.

Miss America Preparation Seminar

2009-10-25T16:46:00.000-05:00

Miss Crescent City New Orleans invites all prospective contestants to a Miss America preparation seminar Sunday, November 8 at 1PM. Location TBA.

RSVP: Hollie at hollie1216@cox.net or (504) 289-4161.

Someday I'll Be Miss America

2009-10-25T14:58:00.002-05:00

Watch this cute video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6623xNIaWsc

New Poll Question

2009-10-23T17:57:00.000-05:00

Canada is part of "the Americas" but today we just consider Miss America to be from the states.

We have Miss Virgin Islands, Miss Puerto Rico and Miss District of Columbia. Canada used to send a delegate. Should Canada be included again?