Hello K-pop fans! It's good to be back (although I already miss the food) but I first and foremost want to thank the very talented jennywill for filling in for me last week. I have to be honest up front, not only did I take a break from work, I also took a break from just about every form of communication so I've been in the dark as to what's been going on in the world of K-pop and girl groups. However, I was able to do a little catching up and here are a few things that caught my attention.

Cool Things of the Week

Yoo Hee Yeol is My New Favorite Judge

One of the few shows that I was able to watch over the past two weeks was the third season of 'K-pop Star 3'. For me, the best thing so far aren't the talented auditioners (and some are really good) but new judge Yoo Hee Yeol. I had some reservations about the switch in judges because I was a big fan of BoA's point of view but my concerns were for naught as Yoo Hee Yeol has proved to be just as good if not better. His comments and observations frequently contradict with that of J.Y. Park's and Yang Hyun Suk's and that's exactly what is needed. JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment probably see hundreds and thousands of young auditioners each year who are very much like the contestants on the show but not Antenna Music. For Yoo Hee Yeol, watching these raw amateurs is probably pretty new and I would guess enlightening and he expresses that through his comments and thoughts which all stem from his self confidence that he knows what he's talking about. Great start to the new season and great job by the producers of the show with the judges.

Hyorin Goes Solo

Finally - K-pop's newest diva Hyorin released her first true solo song "One Way Love". I thought the song was good but not amazing. Honestly, it sounded like a SISTAR19 song complete with a rapping part that could have been Bora's had the duo performed it. That's not to say that the song is bad because it isn't but it's just not anything really new or different from what Hyorin had already been performing. In the future, I hope that she releases more songs that are unique to her skill set and utilizes her voice more. Although the video did feature the baseball guy from 'Reply 1994' who is my personal front runner for the future husband of Go Ara's character on the show.

Nicole's Future with KARA

I read a few weeks ago that Nicole was trying to work out an arrangement with DSP Media to continue promoting with KARA even after her contract expires next month and that if she can't, she'll head back to LA to continue studying dancing or whatever it is she wants to do. I'm sure fans are wondering why DSP wouldn't just let her continue but my question is, why would they? Nicole has already stated her intention not to re-sign with the label effectively ending her business relationship with the company. Take the emotional aspect out of it and even Nicole's fans have to understand that her time with the group has run its course. It's too bad how this turned out but I think we all saw this one coming.

This Kim Woo Bin Guy is Everywhere

I don't know much about rising, male actors but I was surprised to see that the square headed guy from the drama 'The Heirs' had a prominent role in the movie 'Friends 2'. Fans have been clamoring for many years for the sequel to the 2001 mega hit and Kim Woo Bin's casting in the film marks how far this guy's star has risen. Good for him but he needs to work on a new post. That scowling, eyebrow thing is getting old.

Girl Group Variety Round-Up

A list of all the girl group appearances on variety shows (that I saw) this week... which wasn't very much

• 'God of Food Road' - Kahi
• 'Running Man' - Bora (see Top 5 Favorite Girl Groupers Right Now)
• 'K-pop Star 3' - Lee Hi (see Top 5 Favorite Girl Groupers Right Now)

The Taeyeon Experiment

Each week I will post a picture from Taeyeon's Instagram feed in the hopes that one day she'll post a picture of herself reading this column.

Ah… the one thing I missed the most over the break was following my dear Taeyeon on Instagram. It looks like ole Taengoo is patiently waiting for the start of the New Year. So am I buddy, so am I.

Pic/.Gif/Video of the Week

I'm kind of writing off Korean dramas for the time being but one that is piquing my interest is the upcoming 'You Who Came from the Stars' which will reunite 'The Thieves' stars Kim Soo Hyun and the always hot Jun Ji Hyun. This will be Jun Ji Jyun's first TV drama in fourteen years and while the trailers don't give away much, I'm already sure I'll be watching.

Uncle Fan Mailbag

You're reading it. "You should have your own blog."

-violetxxxspring

I wish I had the time to maintain a separate blog but thankfully, I have the chance to talk about all the important stuff here. I wouldn't be a good blogger anyway; I would never remember to update regularly so once a week is just perfect for me.

I beg to differ. "It's never too early for Christmas!"

-lilylily

Maybe not the Christmas spirit of giving but I just can't take the candy and decorations going up the day after Halloween. It's just too early and it kind of freaks me out. I need a buffer!!

A Few Non-K-pop Related Things

R.I.P Paul Walker

I think everyone's heard the news by now that actor Paul Walker was tragically killed in a car accident over the weekend. While the details are still not clear, we do know that he was riding as a passenger in a high-end Porsche which was being driven by a friend when it slammed into a light pole and burst into flames. First and foremost, what a horrible story and how incredibly sad for his family, especially his 15 year old daughter. The other thing that struck me was the immediate and powerful reaction across social media on the news of his death. I think much of that is because Paul Walker made a name for himself as one of the stars of the 'Fast and Furious' series which has been a hallmark movie franchise for the younger, wired generation. I'm betting his fans were much younger on the average and that social media was a part of their lifestyle so when news broke, they expressed their grief digitally. Prayers to Paul Walker's family and friends. He seemed like was one of the few good guys in Hollywood.

Best Ending to a Football Game Ever

Last Saturday, in-state arch rivals Alabama and Auburn (winners of the last 4 BCS Championships) squared off in one of the most intense rivalries in all of sports, the Iron Bowl. The two schools have had a long history with each other as in-state rivals but that rivalry was kicked up to a whole new level this weekend with one of the craziest endings ever. I won't go into all the details but let's just say that the heavily favored Alabama made a crucial mistake at the end which cost them the game.

Top 5 Girl Groupers Right Now

1. Taeyeon - One week without Taeyeon and I was going through withdrawal-like symptoms. I was all jittery and couldn't focus. Luckily I got my fix just in time.
2. Minzy - So I was wrong about the whole plastic surgery thing but she did come clean about it and it's a non-story now.
3. Lee Hi - She made a cameo appearance on 'Kpop Star 3' and was looking really good but what we need is a new album from one of the best voices in K-pop
4. Nine Muses - I don't really know what's going on with the group but I'm seeing all these images for the members and they are definitely the hotness right now.
5. Bora - Saw her on 'Running Man' and realized that she's been really out of the limelight the past few months. Good to see her back!

Song of the Week

While it's a little late now, I still have to feature 2NE1's latest single "Missing You". The much anticipated song made waves with stories of people crying when first hearing the song (including Yang Hyun Suk's wife) and the various states of undress of member CL. The song is good and 2NE1 has shown they can handle the more mellow, serious sound as well as the clubby, high tech music they became famous for. The problem isn't the music, it's just that there's not enough. Like Thanksgiving Dinner, more please!

Writer Announcement

One thing I wanted to let everyone know is that next week will be the final Confessions of an Uncle Fan. I'll explain in more detail on why I have to stop the column but I thought it might be nice to give everyone a heads up so they could get their tissues ready and alert their friends (kidding of course). I'll be sad to go but we have one more week left so I'll see you then. For now, have a good one... Uncle Fan out!!