My Rambles

2011-12-14T10:55:00.001-05:00

@flipchickmom: "@WithOutMakeUp: "I'll be home for Christmas – Michael Buble'~~Happy Holidays to u & everyone on... ♫ http://blip.fm/~194j9o

2011-12-14T10:47:00.001-05:00

listening to "Little Big Town -

2011-12-14T10:40:00.001-05:00

listening to "John Denver

2011-12-14T10:37:00.001-05:00

listening to "Baby, It

I don’t think so Tim

2011-10-07T09:31:00.000-04:00

With another provincial election in thebooks many people are waking up today asking “What happened?” After 8 years of being lied to by a Liberalgovernment how on earth did they get reelected.

The answer to that question is simpler thanone might think.

When the campaign started, unofficially,back in the summer it looked like it would be a clear knock-out by Tim Hudak’sOntario PC party. The people of Ontario were tired ofthe lies and tired of their cost of living getting more and more expensive bythe day. Once the campaign ads startedit was clear that the Ontario PC party wanted to remind people how badly theMcGuinty Government treated them. I’vebeen following politics since I was very young, working on campaigns longbefore I could vote. I don’t hold adegree in political science and nor am I an advisor for any major politicalparty. 2 weeks into the campaign I wrotea blog saying that if the Hudak campaign doesn’t stop with the attack ads theywill turn around and bite them. Guesswhat? That’s exactly what happened.

See the people of Ontario are smarter than that and I thinkthat many may have felt a bit belittled by the ads. They knew how bad they had been treated andafter two previous elections in the previous year they were tired of thepolitics of another election. What Ontario needed wassomeone to stand up and show them an alternative. Having done my homework I know that Tim Hudakis and was that alternative. He’s afamily man, well educated and represents positive change for the province of Ontario. The problem is Ontarians were never presented with that Tim Hudak. They only saw the finger pointing Tim Hudakand missed the ads that talked about the man himself, mainly because they got afraction of the airtime than the others.

So let’s look at the campaign that was runby the Liberal party. I saw many adswhere it was just Dalton standing in front of a white screen talking about hisachievements over the past 8 years. Nopromises, no attacks. He came across calm,poised and reassuring. And as I hadpredicted slowly it helped his numbers rebound enough to give him a largeminority government.

So what needs to happen now?

Well the Liberals have a minority. If the Ontario PCs are smart they won’t forceTim Hudak to resign, he did manage to pull in 37 seats in his first attemptwhich is not a bad haul. Forcing Tim toresign would mean a leadership convention in the New Year and then at least ayear to groom a new leader before they could even attempt to take on DaltonMcGuinty’s Liberals in an election. Thatelection would almost certainly be lost unless the candidate that squares offagainst Daltonhas a lot of political experience.

My advice, Tim Hudak needs to stay on asparty leader. I don’t think the loss shouldrest on Tim’s shoulders. I believe thatit was the pundits at the Ontario PC party that failed Tim. They failed to read the mood of Ontariovoters, had they paid attention to social media, rather than using it as abroadcast medium, they would have noticed that they need to change course andsoften their stance.

To the candidates that didn’t get elected,don’t disappear. In this election thepeople made it about their local candidates and chose the candidate(s) theyknew best to represent them, I don’t believe they intentionally voted forDalton McGuinty as a leader. Ifunsuccessful candidates would actually show an interest in their ridings afteran unsuccessful election, rather than disappear into the night after the pollsclose, they might have a better chance in the next election because peoplewould know them and people vote for people they trust and are familiar with.

So how long will it last? It all depends on what card the Ontario PCparty plays next. If they keep Tim Hudakon board as leader then I figure within a year or two they could challengeDalton again, I’d be trying to avoid another election in 4 years because thenyou’ll end up in the same boat as this year where Ontario will have a municipalelection, a federal election and a provincial election all in the same 12 monthperiod. But right now image is mostimportant for the PCs.

After all DaltonMcGuinty’s Liberals successfully turned him from a man with a target on hisback into premier dad.

So what now, NDP?

2011-08-23T14:12:00.000-04:00

Yesterday morning was a dark day not only for Canadian politics but for the Canadian people from every corner of our great nation. NDP Leader, and Leader of the Official Opposition, Jack Layton succumbed to the cancer he so hoped to beat. Yesterday was a day that many mourned his untimely death and celebrated his life and the legacy he will leave behind.

So today we must ask whether the NDP can survive without Jack. Some may say it's too soon but a political party is much like a business, only it represents people, and eventually a new CEO must be chosen to step into the role that Jack left behind. Some will say that the party doesn't stand a chance without Captain Jack at the helm and others try to hold onto some of Jack's optimism and in his own words say "don't let anyone ever tell you it can't be done."

There is talk that the Liberals, currently under former provincial NDP boss Bob Rae, will try to merge the two parties into one Liberal Democratic Party or something like that but something tells me that the merger will turn into more of a hostile takeover by the Liberal party decimating everything Jack Layton and company spent years building up.

So can the NDP be successful on their own without Captain Jack? What would Jack say? Yes. Winston Churchill once said "whether you say you can or you can't, you're right!" The NDP needs to pick themselves up, sooner than later, dust themselves off and regroup. The foundation has been built, it may not be ready to consider a serious run at the governing party in four years but it's ok to plan to stay in the opposition. I find it highly unlikely that the Liberals will be in any position to make a serious run at the government in 4 years either so I figure, unless a major Conservative scandal on the horizon, they have at least 8 years of time to build. Remember it only took Jack Layton 10 years to go from rookie to Leader of the Opposition so it is possible.

So what do they need to do now? Well clearly step one is do some serious soul searching within the party and find a leader, learn from the Liberals who have had several failed attempts at finding a leader that clicked with Canadians. Another thing to keep in mind, don't look for Jack part 2, you are likely not going to find him or her and odds are good that if / when you do they will probably disappoint because they aren't enough like Jack.

Politics is like hockey. It's a team sport and sometimes a team leans too much on their star player, it doesn't mean they can't do well without him it just means that the rest of the team needs to step it up!! Jack was an optimist and was very much an extrovert, he loved the spotlight and the spotlight loved him. Ok that isn't too unusual for a politician but the difference is that Jack's character made people feel like they could trust him, and that's where he was different from most other politicians. At this point it the plan should be sustainability, keep the momentum where it is and build on it slowly and time will tell if they can pull it off.

Anything is possible, Jack taught us that.

12 Most Obvious Signs You Are Addicted To Social Media

2011-08-17T11:51:00.001-04:00

Blog originally appeared on: 12most but it was worth sharing again.

Social Media is everywhere; it is integrated in every platform and, let’s face it, it’s here to stay. Nearly 20 years ago, the Blackberry came to market and it revolutionized the way we read and send email. It was infamously renamed the “Crackberry” because people became absolutely addicted to email in the palm of their hand. It lead to a plethora of other smart devices and, ultimately, was the catalyst for the development of the Droid and Apple platforms that now dominate the smart device market. Today, we are connected 24/7 through every platform, on demand, almost anywhere we go. The big social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are now available on mobile in an array of formats such as HootSuite, Tweetdeck, or other applications. And now, with other up and coming social media platforms like 4Square, Quora, Empire Avenue, and StumbleUpon, we are “socially” reinventing the way we play, consume, and share information. At this point, we really can’t avoid the “Trap” of using and consuming socially driven content.

However, like everything in life, there must be limits. The enjoyment of using these platforms can evolve into an unhealthy obsession that may not only be problematic for you but for those closest to you in real life. The signs are everywhere, and if you care about your friends and loved ones, you will read the list below and help them (or yourself) find a healthy Social Media/life balance. Ladies and Gentleman, I present you with the farcical, and hopefully entertaining and completely made up (by me), list of the 12 most obvious signs that you are addicted to Social Media.

1. You Read, Comment, and Promote someones Blog about Nothing

Folks this really happened. Ask our friend Gini Dietrich about it. A blog about nothing became widely read, promoted, and commented on. There is no doubt her friendly ways and generally fabulous content contributed to it, but… A blog about nothing??? WIth so much insightful content, shouldn’t we spend our time on the interwebs at reading a blog about “Something?”

2. Hashtags in your email

It starts in emails, texts, and other non “Social” platforms and then you start speaking with @. It’s a slippery slope, but trust me, you didn’t meet @thedomesticexec, you met/chatted with a person and that person is named Michelle Kay.

3. Check in on 4Sq…Everywhere you go!

Are you the mayor of your house, your convenient store, the local bakery, the Starbucks around the corner, the Shell station down the street, and the corner watering hole? Get Help

4. Following or Listing your Pet

This sort of treks down the road of people who believe their animals can speak. Folks, your animal should not have a Social Media account on Twitter or Facebook, and definitely not on LinkedIn. If they could speak, what they would tell you is “You are CRAZY”.

5. It’s “First” in the morning

If you check your mentions, messages, retweets, live stream, or any other page associated with any of your social media accounts prior to brushing your teeth or using the washroom, you are definitely addicted. If you check any of those things immediately after brushing your teeth, you are on the “High Risk” list. Try eating breakfast first, moving the blood to your “Brain” may prove helpful in the actions that follow.

6. You update your Status

While out with “Real People” – Are you updating your status while on a dinner date with your spouse or significant other? You’re obsessed. Do you Tweet or post on Facebook #justmet or other @hashable content before you finish the meeting? One word… NUTSO!

7. You Share EVERYTHING

This one may be the worst and it probably deserves its own 12most. if you feel the need to share your every thought, wish, and lose all inhibition on your Facebook page, please stop. You, singlehandedly, are the reason for my disdain of the platform. There is such a thing as TMI and it’s rife on Social Media. Friends of mine that currently do this, consider yourselves warned. Next step, I BLOCK you and change my phone number.

8. Eaves become more important than Real Money

Please, please, please tell me you check the value of your “Real” stock portfolio before you check that of your Empire Avenue portfolio? Being rich on EAV yet being without work in real life is a real problem.

9. Involve yourself in SM activities that don’t Involve you

Do you become active in chats, causes, and events that you don’t actually contribute, donate to, or attend? If you do, you are a “Social Crackhead”.

10. Dreaming in 140

Do you tweet in your dreams? If it happens once, it may just be a coincidence. If this is a daily/nightly occurrence you need to see a specialist.

11. “Liking” your own content

Not only is this a sign that you are an addict, it is also a sign that you are a total narcissist. If you would publicly walk down the street and scream “I am awesome, smart, good looking, funny, etc…” Then you get a hall pass on this. In that case you are not addicted to social media, you are just an idiot.

12. Klout becomes your Social Currency

I would rather have a few close friends and a job than a high Klout score. So far I’ve met exactly 11 other people in Social Media who share that sentiment.

Now, let’s go ahead and grade just how addicted we are. Please go down the list and answer each of the above 12 most with a yes, no, or maybe.

For each yes, give yourself 3 points
For each Maybe, give yourself 2 points
For each no, give yourself 0 points

If you score between 0-6 you are either a non addict, or perhaps a power user that has become caught up in a few addict like tendencies.
If you score between 7-17 you are on the verge of a serious problem
If you score between 18-26 you need to enter a program that removes you from your electronic devices for a period of at least 1 week. At this point you may be beyond help.
If you score 27 or more, you are @SeanMcGinnis – no one else could possibly have this many Social Media addictive tendencies and still have my genuine respect (Love you Brother)

Thanks everyone for stopping by, reading the social media addiction signs, and taking the test. For all of our sakes, I hope you have no more than a few of these habits but, if you do, we here at 12most still love you and appreciate your readership.

Until next time, I’m Dan Newman, I’m just a guy with a blog, and these are my 12 most.

Daniel Newman

http://newmanon.com

Daniel Newman is the CEO of United Visual Inc. Parent company to United Visual Systems, United Visual Productions, and United GlobalComm. The family of companies is focused in Visual Communications and Audio Visual Technologies. Newman is also an Adjunct Professor of Management at North Central College. A Chicago native all of his life, Newman is an avid golfer, a fitness fan, and a classically trained pianist.

Capital Hoedown done, blogging bug remains

2011-08-15T12:07:00.000-04:00

I just finished a week of blogging about the Capital HoeDown for the Ottawa Citizen’s Festival Goer, so now what? Over the week Ottawa Citizen readers have blessed me with well over 2,000 visits to my posts and the feedback I have received through social media has been incredible. I’ve been blogging on and off for a few years but could never get a solid readership going. Maybe it was just the wrong topic or maybe it was the fact that this time my blog was featured on the Ottawa Citizen’s webpage which gets way more traffic than anything I’ve ever written about. This latest stint for the Citizen proves that there is an interest in what I have to say and I just have to keep trying to give my blog exposure through every method possible.

So I’ve decided to go back to my original blog and start writing about whatever comes to mind at that particular moment. I’ve considered talking to the Citizen about possibly continuing on as a blogger with them but the difficult thing about that is what to write about. I have knowledge on social media, technology, obviously a love for live music and entertainment but you can’t put that all into one blog, or can you? I will have to see what the Citizen says. I’m not doing this for money; if that was the case I would have continued down the road to journalism which I did a u-turn on almost 20 years ago now. I write because I enjoy sharing my thoughts with others and love to hear other people’s opinions on similar topics. Sometimes I write to educate or to tell a story about an experience or to give advice and sometimes to just brighten someone’s day. That’s why I called my blog Hendrik’s Rambles, because it’s not about just one topic.

So there you have it. I’m going to continue writing and putting it out there and hope that people will read and share my thoughts with others. Time will tell if anything more will come of it.

Lucky number two for Tara Oram

2011-08-09T14:00:00.000-04:00

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My latest blog entry for the Ottawa Citizen:

Lucky number two for Tara Oram

What's the Buzz about Google+?

2011-07-20T09:24:00.000-04:00

So after a week of playing with it it’s time for me to weigh in on Google+. So far the entire buzz around this new social network has been positive so I was excited when I got my first invite and jumped in with both feet.

As a social media specialist I look at Google+ from two primary angles. #1 what is going to draw the users from existing platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to Google+? And #2 how can I make it work for my business customers?

So let’s start with #1. Google+ or G+ whatever you want to call it comes with a typical colorful Googleesque interface. It runs very smooth from section to section which I definitely prefer over bulky networks like Facebook and Twitter which have been known for lag and even downtime. But I have to remind myself that Google+ is still very new and has a fraction of the users that Facebook and Twitter have. So what’s going to drive users to Google+? Well at first it’s going to be curiosity because it’s something new and different. Second many who have become frustrated with Facebook over the last few years, mainly due to bad hype and misinformation, will be looking for a new social home. So let me give a quick overview of how Google+ compares to Facebook and Twitter.

Firstly in Google+ there is no such thing as a friend request. Google+ lets you arrange your contacts in groups called circles. So when you find someone you want to follow you simply add them to one of your circles and their posts appear in your primary feed, or if you would rather you can simply select a specific circle and only follow that one (not sure why you would want to follow someone and then not read their posts but that’s another blog entirely). These circles are very popular and getting a lot of buzz but are they really new? Quite simply the answer is no. The behave exactly like Facebook friend lists (many people don’t know that you can organize your Facebook friends into lists and when posting you can also chose which lists you want to share with and which you don’t). You can add people to multiple lists and, again, like Facebook the users don’t know which lists you have added them to. Twitter also has lists, these aren’t as private (unless you chose to make them private, meaning only you can see who is in the list). With the public Twitter lists, people can follow them (I’m still not 100% sure what this does as I don’t believe it adds the posts from those users to your newsfeed so it’s handy if you want to follow a specific topic), however unlike Google+ and Facebook you can not filter your tweets by your twitter lists.

Google+ lets you create Hangouts, basically they are multi-user chat rooms that you can do video chat in. I haven’t tested this out yet, mainly because I have little to no interest in video chat. So in comparison to Facebook and Twitter, well Twitter you can’t do video chat and multiuser chat is not impossible but not private as all tweets are broadcast to your followers. Facebook just rolled out its video chat last week through it’s partnership with Skype. I figure with Skype on Facebook’s side Google will always be a step behind when it comes to the video chat.

Now let’s talk mobile. I very rarely still user Facebook and Twitter on their actual websites, instead I browse via their respective apps on my Blackberry Bold 9000 or my iPod Touch 3. Both Facebook and Twitter have fantastic apps for both platforms. Yesterday to much hype Google rolled out the iPhone app for Google+. First chance I got I went into the iTunes App Store on my iTouch only to come up empty-handed. Further research showed that the app is only available for iOS 4+ platform, which I’m running so I’m guessing it’s just not available in Canada yet. As for Blackberry there is talk of an app in the works for the 6.0 OS eventually, which of course my Bold 9000 doesn’t run. The good news is that if you are an Android user you can expect to use Google+ with full functionality. If you run Windows Mobile or Nokia Symbian there’s no word of an app anytime soon for you.

Ok so there’s no app there must be a mobile site right? Well yes but because of the advanced functionality of Google+ (mainly the look of it) as of right now you will only be able to access the mobile site on Android (1.5+), iPhone/Touch/Pad iOS 3.0+, Blackberry 6.0, Windows Mobile, Nokia Symbian. The latter three phones only support the basic XHTML site, my phone runs BBOS 5.0 so I haven’t been able to test it out yet to see how it compares to the Safari version.

So in summary, and keep in mind Google+ is very new and much can (and likely will) change, much of the hype since Google+ was launched was that it could be the deathblow for Facebook. In my honest opinion, based only on what I have seen so far, I have to disagree. So far Google+ to me is simply a bloated version of Twitter with Facebook like functionality but lacks much of the depth that Facebook has. Until Google releases it’s business platform for Google+ I can’t comment on it but until then I can assure you I’ll keep tinkering with it and testing out new features as they come about.

What are your thoughts?

I should mention that this post was actually inspired by the post: Why I Keep Forgetting About Google+ by Marissa Gagnier

Summer 2011

2011-06-13T11:32:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe that the Summer of 2011 is almost upon us. Just a few short months ago I was out clearing about a foot of fresh snow from my driveway.

It's been a while since I last posted so I'll bring you up to date on what's been going on.

Firstly lets talk about hockey. I know I know summer weather is here why would I want to talk about something that takes place on ice. Well four words can describe that: Vancouver Canucks Stanley Cup. Need I say more? The holly grail of hockey and most difficult trophy in professional sports to win that has eluded Canada since my Montreal Canadien's won it in 1993 could be coming home as early as tonight. It's fitting that it comes home to a Canadian team that has never won it (and the last time they were in this position was in 1994, the year after the Habs won). So Go Canucks Go, whether it's tonight in Boston or in nail-biting style on Wednesday night in Vancouver for Game 7 I wish them the best of luck.

Since I last posted an update I happily scratched another concert off of my must see Bucket List as Dawn and I, finally, got to see Bon Jovi. I swear Jon has been purposely avoiding me or something because he kept coming around when I was either busy or out of town so this time there was no way I was going to miss it. Although it wasn't exactly easy getting to the show. I've been to countless shows or hockey events at Scotiabank Place and never had any issues getting there. But I go for Bon Jovi and it takes me two hours from Barrhaven to get to the show forcing us to miss almost the full first hour (by the looks of the traffic in the parking lot we weren't the only ones). The show was amazing, and that's an understatement. I went with my traditional 100 level seats directly behind the stage. Ok I'll explain why I go with behind the stage seating. First of all it's much cheaper than anywhere else in the arena and usually you get the best view. Bon Jovi was unique, although the seats didn't always offer the best view of him the screens were a show on their own. I've talked to people who had seats at the 300 level in front of the stage who paid double what I paid and my "cheap" seats were better than theirs. It sucked missing the first hour of the show but the 90 minutes that we did see were well worth it!!

Of course for me most summers are filled with summer festivals and events and I was hoping that this summer would be no different. Especially with the Capital Hoedown having such a stellar line-up this year. Of course last year we were lucky enough to win tickets for the three day event but so far this year no such luck. We considered buying tickets but unfortunately vehicle repairs and other emergency household expenses this spring have made that impossible.

Another event that I was hoping to get on my attendance list again this year was the New Liskeard Bikers Reunion, for those of you not familiar with this event it's a huge event that is celebrating 19 years this year. It's a fundraiser to fight cancer in memory of Terry Phippen, the organizer's brother who passed away of cancer several years ago. This event gets bigger every year with about 20,000 bikes expected this year. One of the key highlights of this event is the Terry Phippen Memorial Freedom Ride, which is a 120 km (70 mile) ride through Northern Ontario communities with highway's lined with supporters watching about 12 miles of bikes pass through. The entire ride is escorted by the OPP giving the bikers priority. We won't be in attendance for this years reunion, summer vacation schedules just didn't lineup for that weekend.

Luck did strike again this year and I managed to score tickets to another hot concert a little closer to home. INXS in only their second of two stops in Ontario live at Brockville Riverfest. Having grown up listening to the band and then watching the televised search for their new lead singer several years ago INXS has always been on my list of bands to see and I can't think of a better setting than Blockhouse Island in Brockville right on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Other highlights of that weekend are Julian Austin on July 1 along with a fly by of a Canadian Forces Hercules aircraft and then Heroes day on July 2 where any member of the Canadian Forces who comes in uniform will get free admission for the day (and night for the concert).

The final week of July will be spent in Northern Ontario on a small lake deep in the woods getting some much needed family time and R&R.

A bit closer to home an exciting event that's coming up on June 18 and 19 in Athens is the Firefighters competition. Athens is hosting the 99th Annual Eastern Ontario Firemen’s Games this year which should make for an exciting weekend coming up. Local country star Craig Curtis will take to the stage on the Saturday evening which should be an entertaining event.

The rest of the summer is still in the planning stages with an expected trip to the Metro Toronto Zoo with the kids at some point before the end of July (that's when our free passes expire). Who knows what else will come up over the next few weeks. Maybe my luck will continue and I'll find a way to win our way into the Capital Hoedown once again. I also hope that this year I manage to take in a race or two at the Brockville Ontario Speedway, kept meaning to go last year but never ended up going so it's on my list this year.

So that's what's been going on and what's coming up. Stay tuned, it should be an exciting summer!!

Inside the ChatterBox: The Typical Tweeter - Where Do You Fit in?

2011-02-25T11:40:00.000-05:00

Worth a read if you use Twitter.

Inside the ChatterBox: The Typical Tweeter - Where Do You Fit in?

Social Media with a Twist

2011-01-19T12:23:00.000-05:00

Those of you who know me know I'm a bit of a social media and smart phone addict. I also tend to spend a lot of time in my car and hate nothing more than getting stuck in traffic.

I recently was introduced to a new social media app for your smart phone called Waze. In short it's a GPS. Ok ok I know that most smart phones have a built in GPS. So what makes Waze different? Well it's simple, YOU!

As I mentioned Waze is a social media GPS. What makes it different from other GPS' is that it's interactive. See most GPS manufacturers have static maps that they update perhaps once a year. With Waze it's users update the maps on the fly just by using the app. The more you and other users, called Wazers, drive a route the sooner the Waze can make adjustments to the map. So in other words the users build their own maps, through a process called munching.

One of my biggest pet peeves is waiting for the traffic report on the radio and usually being stuck in the traffic by the time it comes on. Waze users provide real time reports on Traffic Issues, Police Traps and Hazards giving you insight into what lies ahead in your commute.

Waze is currently available for Blackberry, iPhone, Andriod and Windows Mobile, Symbian etc.. For more information on Waze visit http://www.waze.com/ or click on the logo above.

Another interesting social media app is GetGlue.

Get glue is based on the multitude of check-in apps such as Foursquare and Yelp but instead of checking into places you check into topics such as movies, music, tv shows, books and so on.

What's nice about GetGlue is that although people can follow you it has a level of anonymity. Unlike most social apps you don't have much of a profile. GetGlue doesn't ask where you live or even your phone number and shoe size like many of the current day apps want to know. On GetGlue you can put as much or as little in your profile as you want because people will follow you based on your interests.

To make things even more fun you get to earn stickers for checking in to things and if your posts or reviews on a certain topic get enough votes you will achieve Guru status.

GetGlue is a light hearted app that can be accessed through the web at GetGlue.com, iPhone, iPad, Android or mobile web. An app for the Blackberry is reportedly under development at this time but no word on when you should see Glue in AppWorld.

New Year, New Look, New Blog

2010-12-23T09:35:00.000-05:00

Thanks to some feedback from a friend, whose opinion I greatly value, I have decided to give my blog an overhaul.

With a new year on the horizon and new experiences just waiting to be had, and written about, it's time to reorganize my blog and make it legible.

Watch for a new look early in 2011.

The Apollo Group presents Mich Smithers

2010-10-08T12:04:00.001-04:00

Habs train derailed by Flyers? Not so fast we've seen this before.

2010-05-17T10:09:00.000-04:00

Montreal Canadiens vs. Philadelphia Flyers - 2010 Eastern Conference Final

OK I think it's time I jump on the bandwagon to defend my beloved Habs. Firstly let me acknowledge that losing 6-0 in the opening game of a series is not my preferred way to start now that the game is over the only important number is that the Flyers lead the series 1-0. The last time I checked this is a best of 7 series and there are still at least 3 chances for the Habs to pull out a win, or 3, before they can be counted out.

Lets take a trip down memory lane. At the start of the playoffs the Habs won game 1 of their series versus the Caps but then went on to lose 6-5 in game 2. Game 3 the Caps took control of the series with their 5-1 win leading many to believe that it was game over for the Habs. After the Caps won game 4 6-3 taking a gripping 3-1 lead in the series it was clear that the Habs season would be coming to a crashing halt very shortly. But it didn't. Habs went on to win the next 3 games taking the series in 7 and moving on to face the Penguins.

Critics quickly counted Montreal out and called their win over the Caps a fluke and a lucky break and advised Montreal fans to prepare for their ultimate demise at the hands of Sid the Kid and the Pens. After losing 6-3 in game 1 it was easy to believe that the critics may be right and that the 8th seeded Habs wouldn't stand a chance. But then game 2 comes along and the Habs, once again, prove the critics wrong with a strong 3-1 win over the Pens. And so went the series. The Pens would take game 3 and the Habs would tie it in game 4. After the Pens won game 5 many said ok it's over for the Habs now. Even if they win game 6 the Pens will take the series in game 7. Wrong again. Habs took game 6 and game 7 to win the series.

So why is it that, once again, after 1 game everyone has counted the Habs out so soon? Has history not shown that this team clearly has a solid game plan. These guys know what they were doing and I have faith that they will prevail in this series as well.

I expect a tight series, again, but the Habs have proven that they know how to adapt. Watch for a different team to show up on Tuesday night. My advice for the Flyers is don't get over confident, it will be used against you if you do.

Should be a great series, stay tuned.

American Idol 9 Top 10

2010-03-31T16:28:00.000-04:00

So it's down to the top 10 on American Idol once again, naturally most of us only care about four or five contestants that still remain.

My blog this year will be following one contestant and that is Crystal Bowersox. This week the 10 hopefulls performed songs from my least favorite category, R&B Soul with guest Usher.

As expected most of the contestants struggled with this genre but Crystal, as always, came out shining with her rendition of Midnight Train To Georgia:

The only other contestant who I think stands even a slight chance against Crystal is Siobhan Magnus. Last night was an off night for her but she could prove to be a wildcard that will give Crystal a run for the title, but I still think Crystal should take it. Here is Siobhan's performance of Through the Fire:

If I have time I'll post a recap tomorrow, but I don't expect either of these two ladies to go home tonight.

American Idol 9 Top 11

2010-03-24T08:38:00.000-04:00

So here we are at the top 11 during what, in my mind, is one of the worst season's of American Idol since I started watching the show about 4 years ago.

It seems as well as though even the celebrity mentors are avoiding the show as so far this year they have had three themes...Billboard for the weeks leading up to the top 12, then the Rolling Stones and last night Billboard top 100. Cute that they had Miley Cyrus as the mentor, loved it when Casey James walked in and said I'm a huge fan...of your dad. That pretty much summed it all up.

To all my followers who have been requesting that I get this blog up and running here we go. But due to a lack of time I will only be noting the best performances of the night.

Last night and so far this season it's been all Crystal Bowersox. Here is a video of her performance of Me and Bobby McGee by Janice Joplin:

My pick for the 9th American Idol is without a doubt Crystal. None of the other candidates even come close to her power and style. When my Classic Rock radio station here in Ottawa is talking about her and playing her performance you know she's made an impact.

On that note Carrie Underwood is performing in Ottawa tonight.

American Idol - Finale

2009-05-21T15:48:00.000-04:00

After weeks / months of speculation the American Idol victor was crowned after one of the best finale episodes I have ever seen.

For two hours I was glued to the TV watching this star studded event which included guest performances by many of today's (and yesterday's rock, pop, country and r&b gods). Some of the key performances were KISS with Adam Lambert, Kris Allen with Keith Urban, the top 13 with Queen. Other guest performances were, last year's Idol winner, David Cook, Queen Latifah, Lionel Ritchie and Rod Stewart. In short it was one heck of a night. Almost all of the top 13 were able to share the stage with a superstar at some point of the evening.

In the end the night came down to the big announcement. Who will win American Idol 8? Well after a record breaking vote of just under 100 million votes the American Idol for 2009 is.................

Kris Allen

You could literally hear the jaws dropping across the Kodak Theater in LA when Ryan spoke the words. Even I, who had picked Kris to win since MJ Week, was a little bit surprised that it actually happened.

So what happens now? Well according to Kris he's going to Disney. After that it's time to get to work on arranging his first single, which he performed a bit better at last nights show, and getting the recording started on his debut album.

As for Adam Lambert. No doubt the offers will start coming in for him from labels and such. Already today not quite 24 hours after the show aired word started to circulate that Queen, who is suddenly without a lead singer, has shown interest in Adam. In my opinion a move like this would be a great choice for Adam. Now is Queen the best fit? Maybe, but then again maybe not. Adam should be wanting to start his career so fronting a band like Queen or Led Zeppelin might be something for him to consider. Adam is a rocker, without a doubt and I have no doubt he will be successful. Many say he will be bigger than Kris, it's possible, but one can never tell. People who never watched Idol in their lives will buy albums from both Adam and Kris. Idol season 8 was not the greatest in cast, again in my opinion, but the top 8 at least made for one heck of a show. The coming year(s) should be interesting.

Congratulations to Kris Allen and Adam Lambert for their parts in making American Idol Season 8 worth watching.

To all of my readers, thank you for following over the last few months. I hope you continue to join me in my rambles. You never know what you might find in this blog.

To the rest of you who will not return...enjoy your summer and I hope you will be back in January 2010 as we start again with Idol Season 9.

Adam Lambert: "No Boundaries"

2009-05-20T11:59:00.001-04:00

Want more American Idol videos? Click here.

Kris Allen: "What's Going On"

2009-05-20T11:58:00.001-04:00

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Adam Lambert: "A Change Is Gonna Come"

2009-05-20T11:57:00.001-04:00

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Kris Allen: "Ain't No Sunshine"

2009-05-20T11:56:00.001-04:00

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Adam Lambert: "Mad World"

2009-05-20T11:55:00.001-04:00

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Kris Allen: "No Boundaries"

2009-05-20T11:51:00.001-04:00

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American Idol Top 2 - Final Performances

2009-05-20T11:36:00.000-04:00

So here we are down to the final two. On a side not the videos will be posted seperately for now as Blogger will not allow me to post the flash object in the blog anymore.

Adam and Kris, who would have guessed (other than me)

To keep it short today, as I am battling the flu, I'm going to cut right to the chase.

Quick review. Each performed 3 songs. One of their picks, one of the producer's picks and the first single co-written by Kara (brutal song BTW).

Adam performed Mad World, A Change is Gonna Come and No Boundaries. The performances weren't bad but Adam has done better so far this season and seems to have plateaued which is good news for my favorite, Kris.

Kris Allen performed Ain't No Sunshine When You're Gone and hit a home run with it. All judges agreed that it was his best performance to date. Simon Fuller chose the song What's Going On by Marvin Gaye as Kris' second song of the night. It was good but not great, in my mind brutal choices to give rock artists. As for the Kara song No Boundries well apparently it appeared as thought the contestants couldn't arrange the song and it was a key too high for Kris and in the end even the judges chose not to judge him on that song but on the success he has had this season. Kara and Randy actually felt that No Boundries would suit Kris' style and voice really well so we'll see how they arange it when Kris wins tonight.

So there you have it.

Kris will win tonight :-)

Full wrap-up with the final results tomorrow.

American Idol Top 3 - Wrap Up

2009-05-14T08:48:00.000-04:00

So from three we drop down to two. But not before we see some performances from Jordin Sparks and Katy Perry. Both ladies performed their latest singles, Perry performed wearing an "Adam Lambert" cape (can you guess who she is rooting for?) and Las Vegas show girl dress for her performance of Waking up in Las Vegas. Sparks performed "Battleground" which was co-written and accompanied by Ryan Tedder of One Republic.

Apparently the economy is doing well enough again for Idol producers to feel comfortable asking for your hard earned money again. Ok well technically it was Alicia Keys that was doing the asking. It's not like she was asking for much, just $5 from each Idol fan via text message. The money raised goes to the Keep a Child Alive charity, which she co-founded and is acts as global ambassador for. For those of you who were unable to send the text or want to know more about the charity or how you can help check out: http://keepachildalive.org/. For those who still want to give via text message in the USA you can text "alive" to 90999 and $5 will be charged to your next cellphone bill.

One of the charity's benefactors, 15 year old Rwandan rapper Noah, performed on the show.

Ok so on with the results.

We are down to three of the best candidates that Idol has seen in a long time so it's always difficult to chose who should go and who should stay. It goes without saying that all three of these guys have fantastic careers ahead of them but for one it will start a few days sooner than the other two.

So I picked Danny, Adam and Kris as my bottom three and naturally I was right (we can ignore the fact that only three remain (-:)

Kris was declared safe first and Danny Gokey was voted off.

Danny's story was one of a kind, only joining the competition as a promise to his late wife who passed away only weeks before he auditioned. And what a fitting way for him to go, performing You are So Beautiful one last time. For me his final performance was the best of the show. Without a doubt if his wife is watching over him she would have been smiling last night. Danny has nothing to be disappointed about, he had an incredible run and will have a fantastic career.

It all comes to an end next week. With Kris Allen and Adam Lambert squaring off for the coveted title of American Idol.

American Idol - Top 3

2009-05-13T19:51:00.000-04:00

Firstly I need to correct last weeks posting. The grand finale is next week not this week, still one more week of torturing at least two of the contestants.

So here we are. Down to the top three.

Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey and Kris Allen.

This week the top three were given a song by the judges and were told to pick one of their own.

In no particular order here is how it all went down.

Adam Lambert was asked to sing U2's "One" which, apparently, was green lighted by Bono on Saturday. The song started out ok but in the end he added too much of his trademark scream and it just kind of melded into a horrible screeching mess to me by the end.

His second song choice was "Cryin'" by Aerosmith. I figured ok Adam and Steven Tyler both have shrill voices, Tyler knows how to make it work in a rock song and Adam has had some limited success to date so this one could be ok. Boy was I wrong. I'm certain all of the cats in Hollywood gathered outside the Idol studio seeking the source of the horrible sound. I don't even know if I can describe it but if I can bring you back to last week and Danny's finishing note on Dream On....it was kind of like that only for most of the song. Maybe this is a sign neither Danny nor Adam should be granted permission to do Aerosmith covers ever again.

Kris Allen, was given "Apologize" by One Republic by Randy and Kara. His performance on the piano was great, as usual, but he didn't really make it his own. If anything it was an ok version of the original.

Kris' personal pick of the night was "Heartless" by Kanye West. When I heard him say that I hung my head and knew that it was over for Kris. Not only was there no way he could perform an R&B tune there was no way he could succeed with it. It didn't take me long to change my mind on that thought. Kris performed the song with just his guitar on center stage and it was AWESOME, AMAZING and totally hit worthy. The judges loved it as well with Kara and Randy both jumping out of their seats for excitement and even Simon overturned his premature ruling that Kris wouldn't make it into the final and suggested that with that performance anything could happen.

Danny Gokey, his song was picked by everyone's favorite judge Paula (ok I made that up). She picked "Dance Little Sister" by Terrance Trent D'arby. Danny never heard of the song before and it showed in his performance. Once again we saw his cheesy dance number that we have so missed since the early days. Kara called him out on it but for some reason Paula, who always loves everyone, thought it was great dancing.....ok Paula go back to bothering Simon.

Danny's personal choice was "You are so Beautiful" by Joe Cocker. Now this is a wonderful, beautiful song and perfect for Danny. I have no doubt that he sang it to his late wife many times and he performed it well. The question I keep asking myself over and over is where or not America needs another Michael Bolton. That's the type of entertainer Danny is. Idol caters to the 13-30 year old crowd for the most part and Bolton caters to their parents and grandparents. I'm not saying that wouldn't be a success but look at past Idol history that genre hasn't really been a huge hit, Clay what's his name as an example. I like Danny and have liked him since the start but he just isn't unique enough for me and I'm not really into what he's selling. So he's my pick to go home this week.

Before I get into my bottom three etc... I should point out that we were brought up to date on how Idol Gives Back is doing, remember that the actual show portion of Idol Gives Back was put on hold this year due to the economic crisis facing the world. Carrie Underwood recently visited Africa and provided an update on how Idol is helping out by donating mosquito tents to help fight malaria which has stricken the poorer regions of that country.

Ok so now that the public service portion has been covered lets see how the elimination will turn out....

So I predict the bottom three will be.

Kris, Adam and Danny. (I'm at least 90% sure)

This week I pick Danny to go home, if it was my choice it would be Adam but I know that unless hell freezes over that isn't going to happen. Not saying he is going to win but he definitely isn't going home tonight.

Stay tuned.

American Idol Week 9 - Wrap Up

2009-05-07T13:07:00.000-04:00

And then there were three.

The last of the ladies was sent home on American Idol this week as young Allison sang her swan song on the Idol stage. "Cry Baby" was her song this week but she was anything but as she said her good byes to end her incredible 9 week Idol run taking her to the top 4.

The top 3 are Danny Gokey, Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. As they were announced last night, Ryan said in no particular order, Kris was the first to be declared safe followed by Adam. One can only speculate as to who the true bottom three were but I guess at this point it doesn't really matter.

Performances last night were great, with the exception of a horrible group performance of "School's Out" that would have Alice Cooper rolling in his grave (if he were dead that is). Even Idol's own Paula Abdul took to the stage dancing (she wasn't really singing) to her new, soon to be hit, single. Idol alum Chris Daughtry came back to the Idol stage for the first time since he was voted off during the same week as Allison in season 5, he and his band performed the first single off of their upcoming album expected to be released this July. Also performing was the recently reunited No Doubt who was promoting their upcoming tour which is expected to lead to a new No Doubt album sometime in the next few years.

All in all it was a great evening of entertainment.

The Grand Finale is next week with contestants singing two songs, one chosen by themselves and the other chosen by the judges.

But first watch for my reviews of: Star Trek and X-Men Origins - Wolverine over the weekend.

American Idol Week 9 - Rock and Roll

2009-05-06T15:06:00.000-04:00

Happy Idol Wednesday everyone!!!

So we are down to our final four this week after kissing Matt good bye last week. An admittedly unusual mentor for the four this week in Velvet Revolver, and former GNR, guitarist Slash as he helps them take on Rock and Roll hits.

Earlier in the week Simon Cowell pretty much confirmed that all four judges will be back next season which means that we have at least one more year of having to set our DVRs to record an extra 10-15 mins on Idol night to allow for the judges chatter.

A new addition to Idol this week is duets. What will they sing? and who will be paired up? All that and more coming up.

Adam Lambert, who was in the bottom three last week, took to the stage first. I'm still a bit of skeptic about Adam. To me he has just been a bit too Broadway to be a good candidate for "the" American Idol. This being Rock and Roll week should clearly show if Adam is the real deal of just a good performer. Adam performed "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin:

Ok ok I'll admit it. Combine this performance with his performance of "Ring of Fire" and keep that kind of music coming he might be the edgiest Idol yet. There is still one more week to go but unless something changes dramatically I believe Adam will be it this year.

Next up was Allison Iraheta sporting a new do courtesy of Adam's stylist performing Janis Joplin's "Cry Baby":

Another solid performance by Allison but will it be enough? It's getting down to crunch time here and unless one of the remaining three really flops Allison could be in trouble. I agree with the judges on this one, maybe a different song would have been better for her.

The first duet of the night was Danny and Kris taking on Styx classic "Renegade":

Ok as the judges said the harmonies were awesome but the rest? Well unless you are tone deaf you would have to agree that that was horrible.

Next performer was Kris Allen. It's going to take some doing to overcome the disaster that was his duet with Danny so he chose "Come Together" by The Beatles:

Like Allison earlier, it wasn't bad. The problem here, though, is that it wasn't great either. We are down to the final four. The second last week of the competition it's supposed to be getting better not worse. Kris has been one of my picks since the start but after a performance like that it's going to be tough for him to stay in the game.

The final solo performer of the night was Danny Gokey doing his best take on Aerosmith's "Dream On":

The judges all gave marks for effort and Simon felt the screen was like something out of Friday the 13th but still felt that he would be safe this week. For the first time I disagree with Simon. In my opinion that was so bad Danny should be sent home this week. We'll see what happens.

The final duet of the night was Adam and Allison, aka the resident rockers by Kara. They performed "Slow Ride" by Foghat:

Much better duet. As Simon said this performance could possibly have put Allison into the final three, I agree.

So here is my guess for the elimination:

Bottom three: Allison, Danny and Kris

Going home: Danny!!!!

Stay tuned tomorrow for the results....

American Idol Week 8 - Wrap Up

2009-04-30T16:56:00.000-04:00

Wow what an exciting night at American Idol this week's wrap up was.

First there were the performers, well only one worth mentioning here and that was Jamie Foxx. Ok there were also performances from former Idol Taylor Hicks as well as a guest appearance by Natalie Cole but they were inconsequential to the big story of the night.

First up was Matt, as expected he was sent to the right side of the stage. Then Danny and Alison were sent to the left and Kris to the right leaving Adam in the middle to pick a side. Naturally Adam, the fist Idol contestant I have ever seen actually choose, chose to stand with Danny and Alison. Ryan quickly corrected this and moved him to the right with Kris and Matt shocking everyone by announcing that Adam was in the bottom three. Now I'm not a believer that Adam should win Idol but I have long suspected that the bottom three is rigged for ratings and that the only person legitimately in the bottom three is the contestant going home. Now if this is the case putting Adam in the bottom three could stimulate crazed fan voting next week and potentially altering the outcome of the competition. It will be interesting to say the least to watch what happens next.

So the bottom three as picked by me were Matt, Danny and Alison but in reality the final three was Matt, Kris and Adam, you could almost hear the shrieks of horror from teenage girls all over the world when Adam was in the bottom three.

In the end it was Matt "the saved" Giraud who was sent home, pretty much making the save a useless venture, even though Kara said it was the best thing they did.

So next week it's time to rock it with Rock and Roll and guest mentor is none other than ex-GNR guitar god Slash.

Stay tuned it should be interesting.

American Idol Week 8 - Rat Pack

2009-04-29T11:32:00.000-04:00

It's top 5 week at American Idol and Rat Pack Standards is the theme. Our top five is made up of Kris, Allison, Matt, Dokey, and Adam. Sticking with the theme of Rat Pack this week's mentor is Jamie Foxx....ok not sure how that fits with the theme.

Kicking things off for the night is Kris Allen with "The Way You Look Tonight". When Kris met with Jamie Foxx, Jamie let him know that he was a huge fan and offered to do an album with him right then and there. Let me tell you something about Kris. He is the most laid back relaxed contestant in the show this year. He goes out there, performs his song (and really really well I should add) and then gets his feedback and learns from it. My biggest pet peeve when it comes to Kris is how horrible the judges treat him week after week. After last nights performance they were raving about how great he was and how it was his best yet and how he keeps getting better and better and on and on and on. But then when Adam comes out to perform all of that is forgotten and now suddenly everyone else is crap because Adam is so great. Am I the only one who thinks that Adam is Broadway and Kris is the one with the true recording artist in him? Adam is nothing without the stage, trust me the trademark Adam scream or squeal on every song will get old very fast.

Anyway enough of my rambling here is Kris' performance of "The Way You Look Tonight"

Next up is America's favorite teenager, now 17, and now I'm not talking about a Spears sister or one of the Hiltons, not even about one of the Lohans I'm talking about Allison Iraheta. Allison performed "Someone to Watch Over Me" giving her a chance to show a slightly softer side, which I believe she did successfully. It's getting crunch time for Allison now, she has the vocals but now she needs to prove that she is in it to win and that she believes that she has what it takes. Remember last year? David A. didn't believe he was good enough, I still don't think he believes, and David Cook (the better choice anyway) ended up winning. I have predicted Allison would make the top 4 and I think she'll still be ok this week but unless she pulls a rabbit out of a hat next week and learns how to squeal like Adam I don't think she'll survive next week.

Here is Allison performing "Someone to Watch Over Me":

Next up is the contestant that they used the save on a few weeks ago, also known as Matt Giraud. Matt had a great meeting with Jamie and was all proud that Jamie didn't have any suggestions on where he could improve his version of "My Funny Valentine", maybe because he was beyond help or never listened to other mentors before. But on second thought Jamie called him back and suggested that he consider changing the key. Matt takes the stage and performs the song all over the place. Off key one second, on key the next and naturally adding a bunch of runs that were really unnecessary for this song. I would have expected more from Matt his week, just like Lil at MoTown, this should have been his week but he blew it.

Here is Matt's performance of "My Funny Valentine"

Ok so three down only two left to go. Danny and Adam. Neither of these two remaining should be in any danger of going home this week unless one of them completely falls off the stage, or down the stairs. First up is Danny Gokey with "Come Rain or Come Shine". This week I was most closely watching Danny and Matt to see which one would really come out shining and solidify their spot in the top 3, after a few notes it was clear that Danny was it. Without question that was Danny's best performance to date, it's good to have him back in the competition. He was my early pick for the title but it was starting to get a bit worrisome there for a while, but as Danny said himself he finally gets it.

Danny Gokey "Come Rain or Come Shine":

Last but not least it's everyone's favorite scream queen Adam Lambert performing "Feelin' Good (Muse Version) ". I've been saying week after week that Adam is too Broadway or too theatrical and week after week I keep getting told that I don't know what I am talking about. Try listening to Adam Lambert with your eyes closed so you don't see the performance and you'll find it's much different from what you see on TV. Adam is one heck of a performer, I won't argue that, but he isn't recording artist material. Adam doesn't look good playing from my car stereo, whereas someone like Kriss Allen or Danny G. would. It's about singing and being able to sell albums. Yes Adam can sing but I just don't think he has what it takes to carry the banner for American Idol. I think he is better suited for a career on Broadway or some touring production of a Broadway show. But that's just me :-)

Here is Adam Lambert performing "Feelin' Good":

So for this week my picks for bottom three are:
Allison, Matt and Danny

Going home sweet home this week will be Matt

Check back tomorrow for the recap.

Preview of rambles to come...

2009-04-28T13:25:00.000-04:00

Let me take a moment to give you a bit of background as to who I am and what you can expect to read in this blog.

There are many topics that interest me, some of which I will blog about and others, well others I will keep to myself.

Here is a list of some of the things you might come to expect from this blog.

Habs talk, as the post-season heats up watch for commentary on the Montreal Canadiens as they redesign their team for a fresh start at the drive for 25 and the drive to their 100th Birthday in December.
American Idol, naturally stay tuned as I provide all of the info on Idol and what will happen with the top 5 and who will be crowned the 8th American Idol
Nascar, I'm a big Nascar fan so watch for the odd Nascar blog when I get the chance to actually watch a full race
Music, Ottawa is a hotbed for live concerts this summer kicking off in a few weeks with Elton John and Billy Joel and then it will be time to prepare for Bluesfest 2009 which will feature live performances from KISS, Stone Temple Pilots, Our Lady Peace, Blue Rodeo, Styx and of course over one hundred other acts.
Movies, as the summer heats up so do the movies that start screening on the big screen. Some notable flicks that are coming up inlcude Wolverine, Star Trek, Terminator: Slavation and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen as well as some family favorites returning with their next installments: Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs as well as the much anticipated next installment from the Harry Potter series with Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

So as you can see there is a lot going on in the next few months so there should be a lot to write about.

Stay tuned tomorrow for my next installment of my Idol series as we discuss how the top five did with Rat Pack.

American Idol Week 7 - Wrap Up

2009-04-23T10:20:00.000-04:00

I'm going to keep this short because in my opinion that's what they should have done with Idol last night.

To quickly sum up the evening they had a few disco era performances that were mediocre at best, one of the performers was in her 70's and was wearing a dress that was almost short enough to be considered NSFW (not safe for work) let alone safe for TV, trust me I had nightmares after that one.

Idol runner up from last year David Archuleta performed LIVE, yes LIVE imagine that something on Idol that wasn't prerecorded this year. After his performance he passed along some advice to the bottom two and the remaining contestants. "Don't worry", he said, "Idol creates so many opportunities" he went on to ramble and smile more about how much stuff happens after Idol...poor kid I think he is still in shell shock. Funny, I was a fan of his during the show last year but now that he has an album out I really don't care for him at all.

Anyway I said I'd keep this short.

As expected Lil was cut lose almost right after the openning credits last night leaving the remaining 6 in suspense about who would be sent home with her. Would it be Matt, Anoop or would America shock everyone and send someone completely unexpected packing. Well once again in true Idol dramatic fasion, remember I've spoken about this before...sometimes I wonder if the 3rd member of the bottom three isn't actually in the bottom three but is put there to create some dramatic tension (aka ratings). Ok now that I've teed it up the remaining two in the bottom three last night were......

Anoop, to be expected and Allison....ok everyone can get over their shock now there is no way Allison was going to be sent home. Which means that, yes....Anoop Dogg is out of the mansion and back to the Dogg house.

So lets see how I fared with my picks.

For the bottom three I picked: Matt, Lil and Anoop - ok so I was off by one, but I still believe that Allison wasn't in the bottom three but only put there to create some drama and make Idol less predictable.

I picked Anoop and Lil to go home and voila Anoop and Lil are gone. Word on the street is that next week's theme on Idol is Rat Pack Standards....is it just me or doesn't it look like they are running out of artists that want to mentor the Idols?

Heard today that Vince Neil from Mötley Crüe is considering an Idol appearance (http://tinyurl.com/dfamlz), apparently he's been getting friendly with Ms. Underwood who, of course, is singing a cover of Mötley Crüe's Home Sweet Home to send eliminated contestants home. Wouldn't that be cool....now that is an Idol that I would enjoy watching!!!

American Idol Week 7 - Disco

2009-04-22T18:16:00.000-04:00

So here we are week 7 and we are down to the top 6....wait the top 7 still. As you will recall the judges decided to waste their save last week on Matt G. The question remains was it a waste? Well this week's theme was Disco music...I hope I wasn't the only one have preemptive nightmares about this week's performances.

So this week we start off with Lil Rounds someone who is desperate to get out of the bottom two and get back into this competition, especially this week because the bottom two will be going home. Lil kicks things off in a one piece skin-tight black body suit (sorry had to give you the visual) performing, for once a song that is good for her, "I'm Every Woman"

Sadley, for I don't think it was in the cards for Lil this week as her performance missed the mark, again. I have to agree with Simon when I say that I don't believe Lil will return for next week.

Next up was the most underrated contestant this year, Kris Allen, with his take on "She Works Hard for her Money".

Once again I believe that Kris hit a homerun with his rendition of this classic tune. Still don't think he is getting the recognition he deserves but we'll see. Well done!!! Definitely a possibility for the top 3.

Oki Gokey (Danny Gokey) was up next with "September" by Earth Wind and Fire.

Ok it's official Danny has now dropped out of my top 3. I'm getting tired of his blah blah style...I'm sorry it just doesn't excite me anymore, there are no surprises from Danny. He needs to really wow us in the coming weeks if he wants to stand a chance at making the finals.

Allison Iraheta, likely the strongest vocal contestant this season, was up next with "Hot Stuff".

Without surprise Allison, once again blew the roof off the Idol stage with her performance. Anyone who doesn't have Allison in their top 3 must be tone deaf. This girl knows how to rock and proves it week after week.

AMA round out the final three performers of the evening and no I don't mean the American Music Awards I mean Adam, Matt and Anoop.

Adam "Scream Queen" Lambert kicked off the final three with yet another low key classy performance of "If I Can't Have You", which by the way seems to bring Paula to tears. Oh and don't worry Adam fans he still manages to find a place to insert his trademark scream or squeel.

What is left to say about Adam? Would I buy his album? Not likely. Would I see him on tour? Maybe. Is he a better fit for Broadway? Definately!! Is he overhyped by the judges and the media? 100% absolutely yes. Will he win the title of American Idol this season? Probably

Next up is Matt "I was saved" Giraud, saved last week and in a fight for his place on the Idol stage tonight. Will his take on "Staying Alive" be enough to keep him around for another week?

In my opinion the performance was better than last week, but that is of no surprise because Matt's entire time on Idol has followed that pattern. One week he's great the next well... So is it enough to save him? At this stage in the show I would have to say no. Anoop would have to have a really poor performance to put Matt out of the bottom 2.

So without further ado Anoop Desai performing "Dim All the Lights". Anoop holds the cards this week a good performance will send Matt home, a poor performance could very well end his time on Idol. After several weeks of solid performances, check out the video:

I think even Anoop knew after that performance that it would take a miracle to save him this week. I don't know if the judges going on and on about how great of a singer is will be enough to save him this week.

So my prediction is as follows:

The bottom three this week will be Matt, Anoop and Lil
Going home will be Lil and Anoop.

Enjoy the show...I hear that last year's runner up will be performing (well they will be airing his previously recorded performance)

American Idol Week 6 - Wrap Up

2009-04-16T10:48:00.000-04:00

Another week, another Ford Video and another group performance, this week's performance was actually tolerable for once but I still think they are a waste of time.

Had some special, prerecorded, guest performances by Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Hudson. Hudson was performing a song from her debut album (how many years ago was she on Idol?) and Cyrus was performing her latest single, which actually wasn't too bad. I've always wondered how artists like Miley would fare on American Idol...would they win or get voted off early? Some food for thought there....post your comments below.

Anyway we are down to 7 Idol's left and without further ado lets get to the results from America's voting.

I picked Matt, Lil and Danny for the bottom three this week but America decided that they still aren't convinced enough by Anoop's performance to cut the guy a break so the actual bottom three was Matt, Lil and Anoop (still pretty good I nailed 2 out of the 3). Anoop, rightfully so seemed a bit dismayed by the fact that he was in the bottom three but rightfully said that it was America's choice and he respected that, way to go Anoop!! One thing you can smile about, Anoop, is that as of last night you are ranked 5 out of all of the Idols and that is not a small accomplishment.

Rightfully Anoop was sent back to the couch leaving Matt and Lil standing in the bottom two.

After the drum roll it was reveled that America felt that Matt's roller coaster performances just didn't cut it to deserve a shot at the title. I guess they saw something in Lil that they felt she deserved more of a chance, I tend to agree. Matt keeps falling back into his old rut, because he insists that's the kind of music he wants to make, but America disagrees. Lil, on the other hand, keeps trying, her performances haven't really gotten worse or better. It's only a matter of time before she gets in stride and blows the roof off of the theatre....the only question is does she have enough time on her side.

The only thing that remains now is to hear Matt sing his way home....oh wait...what about the judges save? Simon did mention that they would consider saving one of the two.

Now I don't know if I'm just tone deaf or what the problem is but I thought that Matt's performance last night was worse than the night before. Paula and Kara were going wild, not quite sure why, and Simon and Randy were kind of like WTF!!! Anyway long story short the judges wasted their one and only save of the season on, Justin Timberlake wanna-be, Matt.

Oh well next week's theme is Disco and two people will be eliminated so I fulled expect to see both Matt and Lil back on their respective buses home.

Until next week it's Stanley Cup Playoff Time.

American Idol Week 6 - Songs from the Movies

2009-04-15T09:50:00.000-04:00

So here we are down to our top 7 and about to pick our top 6 candidates for this year's American Idol crown.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, at this point in the season we are now just going through the motions with only 3 (maybe 4) real contenders left.

This week's mentor is non-other than Quentin Tarantino, best known for his edgy flicks and for giving a Simon a run for his money as a guest judge on Idol a few seasons ago. Although not a musician himself I was impressed at how he was able to "direct" the contestants.

In order to cut down on the show's running time, and to avoid that a contest's performance gets cut off, the producers decided to pair up the judges and have them alternate giving their critiques. After watching the entire show I can now confidently say I didn't like it. By gaining the extra 5 mins at the end of the show we lost out on Paula's rambling non-sense and Simon's harsh (but honest criticism) for half the contestants. But oh well....lets dim the lights and begin...

Tttttthis is American Idol Week 6 Recap

Kicking this off this week was young Allison Iraheta taking on Aerosmith's classic tune "Don't Want to Miss a Thing" from Armageddon. I'm still on the fence about this performance, it was ok but not one of Allison's best. Don't get me wrong she is still one of the top four singers on the show this year but I just don't think that she did the song as much justice as she could have. That said it should be good enough to get her through to the next round without much trouble. Once again Simon hit the nail on the head when he said that Allison is the only hope left for the women in the competition.

Anoop "Dogg" Desai was next up with his performance of the Bryan Adams hit "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" from Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. To be honest, and to the point, I agree with Randy's comments. I didn't expect anything fantastic from Anoop but once again he surprised me with his performance. If Anoop keeps it up he will find himself in the top three. One thing I will add is that Anoop's performance last night will put another contestant at greater risk of being sent home tonight.

Next we heard from Adam Lambert, or Scream Queen as I like to call him due to the trademark squeal or shriek he puts into all of his performances. So last night Adam put his mark on the über classic "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf from the movie Easy Rider. Once again Adam delivers an intense performance that goes unrivaled by other contestants but is it getting to be a bit over the top and showy? Adam has impressed me over the last few weeks and last night's performance was very intense. Simon called it a bit like a scene from the Rocky Horror Picture show. Bottom line is Adam knows how to put on a show live. To me that is most important in a musical act these days...with so many pop acts going pre-recorded for the live shows and then just lip-syching over the audio track it's actually nice to see an act that can perform.

Fourth was the on again off again Matt Giraud performing, on the piano, his take on Bryan Adams "Have you Ever Really Loved a Woman" from Don Juan. I'm not sure what to make of Matt anymore. He really needs to get a bit more consistant with his performances if he wants to have any shot at the title. Last night's performance was good but nowhere near the great that it should be at the top 7 level. I fear that after yet another solid performance by Anoop this week Matt could, once again, be in some serious danger of being voted off.

Good ol'Danny Gokey took to the stage fifth overall last night (close to where he was ranked in my Idol ranking coming into this week). Danny, once again, went for the heart strings trying to get America's vote(s) through their tears by performing a song, which, as Simon said, was close to his heart. The song was "Endless Love" by Diana Ross from the movie Endless Love. Honestly Danny when are you going to start showing us why you are still in this competition. We know you have the talent tucked away inside you somewhere. Show us that you can rise up and be the next David Cook. You are one of only two possible contestants who might stand a chance at toppling Queen Adam from her, I mean his throne.

Next up is Kris Allen, it's no secret that Kris has been one of my personal favorites since the beginning. This week Kris takes us in a direction that most of the other contestants avoided with the plague. Kris picked a song, that was not a blockbuster smash from an epic movie that was written by a superstar. Kris chose to perform "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglova from the movie Once. The song itself actually won an Academy Award in 2007 for Best Original Song. At this point Kris is, without a doubt, one of the top contendors. The judges were split on his performance but I think he deserves a bit more credit than he is getting (sorry Randy can't side with you on this one)!!! I have been saying it for weeks now that Kris is the underhyped dark horse that is lying in wait for the right moment to strike.

Last, but not least, Lil Rounds. Lil has been another one of those shining stars that has started to dim as the weeks went on. I would expect that with all of the movie songs to chose from Lil would pick a song with lots of power opportunities in it to suit her vocal range and power. Last night Lil picked the song "The Rose" from the movie of the same name by Bette Midler. I have always loved this song as it is likely one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written for a film. Lil is a sweet girl and if she could just bring some of that into this performance she might have a chance. Unfortunately The Rose a la Lil just didn't work for me. Once again I find myself agreeing with Simon...Lil just doesn't get it. She doesn't seem to understand the point to the competition. In her performance her tone was all over the place and her pitch was way off more than once. I'm sorry Lil but I believe the curtain is closing on you this week.

So that's it, your top 7. Who will stay and who will go. It is getting harder to predict but I will give it a shot.

Bottom Three: Lil, Matt and Danny
Going home: Lil

Tune in again tomorrow for my recap of the actual results and see how close I came.

For now I leave you with this gem from the current season of Britain's Got Talent. 47 year old Susan Boyle blows the socks off of Simon Cowel and the other two judges with her peformance of "Dreamed A Dream" from Les Miserables. Enjoy!

Video courtesy of Ricky.org

American Idol Week 5 - Wrap Up

2009-04-09T10:42:00.000-04:00

Another week of Idol in the history books another horrible lip-synched performance by the Idols at the start of the show. I don't know what the point is to the group performance anymore....it doesn't really show their talent and week after week it gets harder to watch.

The Ford music video is pointless but I can understand that Ford is a major sponsor of the show so this can stay, gotta keep the cash flow going.

Great performance by Flo Rider, nice to see a an artist actually performing live and not pretending to be live when it is actually pre-tapped. Although I'm not a huge fan of their butchery of Spin Me Round (Like a Record) by Dead or Alive I must say I'm a fan of some of the other Flo Rider tunes. The performance with the stripper like dancers was a bit over the top and a bit to spicy for a family show but all in all it was good.

Idol Alum Kellie Pickler also performed her latest song. Peformance was ok, a bit pitchy in parts but great stage presence you can tell that she really enjoys performing.

So on to the most important part of the night....the elmination.

Bottom three my pick: In my last post I picked Danny G. , Lil Rounds and Scott MacIntyre
Actual bottom three: The actual bottom 3: Anoop Desai, Lil Rounds and Scott MacIntyre

Lil Rounds was sent back to the rest of the group leaving Anoop and Scott in the bottom two.

I picked Scott as the contestant most likely to be sent home this week, I have yet to correctly pick. But this week the tables turned and I was right.

Scott was given one last chance to perform for the judges to try for the save. This time he performed without the guitar and to be honest I thought it was better than the first performance. It appeared as though the judges were also somewhat swayed by his performance, Seacrest kept having to tell the judges that they were running out of time and that they needed to decide.

In the end Simon delivered the verdict and it was a no. The reasoning wasn't that they didn't want to save Scott it was just that there were other's still in the competition that were better that might need the save in the next few weeks.

So that's it. Looks like next week's theme is Songs from the Movies so that should be interesting as our Top 7 take on hits from the silver screen. I can just imagine Lil doing Celine's smash hit from Titanic, "My Heart Will Go On", now...my advice to Lil: DON'T DO IT!!!!

Maybe I'll have to write a blog of my song choices for the 7 that are left before Tuesday...we'll have to see how busy the next few days are with Easter upon us.

Happy Easter everyone. I'd love to hear your comments anytime!!!

American Idol Week 5 - Birth Year

2009-04-08T12:30:00.000-04:00

Sorry all I missed last week's post. I hope everyone enjoyed the show featuring iTunes top 100 downloads. Said goodbye to Megan Joy Corkrey.

This week we celebrate the year the contestants were born.

So here is my wrap up:

Starting the night out was once front runner, but still never in the bottom three, Danny G.
Danny chose the song "Stand By Me" from the year he was born, 1980. It was an unusual arrangment that was ok for me. Danny started the show as a rocker and one of my personal favorites but now I'm not too sure if I'm thrilled about what he's become. He's still in my top 3 but he's sliding and sliding fast.

Next up was Kris Allen. Kris is definitely without question a personal favorite of mine in this years competition. Kris performed a unique version of "All She Wants to do Is Dance" from 1985. The song was a bit lame for Kris but he definitely had the rocker look going on for him at the show playing on a lower stage surrounded by his fans. The song wasn't great but the performance was definitely notable.

Coming in at third was Lil Rounds. Lil has been on a steady free fall and the only thing that has kept her in the show was the fact that there were worse contestants ahead of her. This week Lil chose to mirror Tina Turner with "What's Love Got to Do With It" from 1984. Unfortunately she fell a bit flat with her performance....again. I've said it and the judges said it as well...Lil needs to create a name for herself and stop copycat performances if she wants to stand a chance and staying on the show. It is possible that it's too late. This week I'm sure Lil will be in the bottom three which means that he hopes are now riding on a worse performance from Scott MacIntyre, another Idol who has a bit of a target on his back lately.

Rounding out the first half is Anoop Desai. He started his appearance off with an apology for his remarks to Kara last week saying that he didn't represent himself the way he felt he should. Anyway Simon said it right in the critique there is nothing that requires the contestants to apologize. It's all fair the judges dish it out and the contestants should be able to state their case back. Anyway now that everyone kissed and made up Anoop whisks us over the rainbow with his rendition of "True Colors" from 1986. I thought is was a nice take on the song not one of Anoop's best but should be good enough to ensure he will return next week.

Now on to Scott MacIntyre...I had mentioned in my review on Lil's performance that her safety this week would depend on how well Scott did in his performance. Scott performed "The Search is Over" from 1986. Scott surprised us this week, I had no idea; I don't think anyone did, he played the guitar. Nice to see him take a shot at performing without the piano but I just didn't feel it. I hate to say it but I think Scott could be making his curtain call this week.

As we head into the final three performers of the night young Allison Iraheta takes to the stage. Allison takes on Bonnie Raitt's classic "I Can't Make You Love Me" from 1992. I don't think Allison gets enough credit on this show. She is one of the only "true" performers on the show. Sure the others can sing but Allison brings the whole package. This latest performance was top notch, possibly even better than Raitt herself. I expect Allison to go far but she needs to step out from Adam Lambert's shadow and get some attention if she wants to survive on this show. She can't wait until she is in the bottom four or five she has to start now. She has the potential to win this one.

Second to last is crooner Matt Giraud who's identity crisis has almost resulted in him being voted off the show. This week Matt's song choice seems to be better suited to the style of music he should be making. He chose to perform "Part Time Lover" a hit for Stevie Wonder in 1985. What a difference a change in genre makes for Matt. He really knocked PTL out of the park. Likely his best performance to date. If this doesn't keep him in the competition nothing will.

Last but not least is the ever popular Adam Lambert. If you listen to most of the Idol buzz this season it appears as though Adam has already won the title. Granted he is good but keep in mind he has a lot of experience as well...coming from a career performing on stage this will all reflect in his Idol experience. When I first saw Adam on the show I was not a fan, that grew to being in denial and then after his performance of Ring of Fire I think it's safe to say I'm a fan. This week Adam performed "Mad World" from 1982. Now I love this song before and after last night Adam Lambert's version is my new favorite. The most chilling part of his performance was actually the judges critique at the end. Due to time constraints Simon was to deliever the judges verdict and all he said was "I'm going to give you a standing ovation". I'm not 100% certain but this has to be an Idol first, it's definitely the first time I've seen this since I've started watching the show. But it was well deserved.

My batting average for who gets sent home every week has not been doing very well but once again I'll give it a shot.

My bottom three this week are: Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre and Danny G. Scott MacIntyre will be sent home and the save will not be used.

Check back tomorrow to see how close I came.

Video links courtesy of www.Rickey.org

Abbott & Costello: Buying a Computer

2009-03-28T23:15:00.000-04:00

This was sent to me in an email and it really cracked me up so I had to repost it. Enjoy.

You have to be old enough to remember Abbott and Costello , and too old to REALLY understand computers, to fully appreciate this. For those of us who sometimes get flustered by our computers, please read on...

If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today, their infamous sketch, 'Who's on First?' might have turned out something like this:

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO : Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.

ABBOTT : Mac?

COSTELLO : No, the name's Lou .

ABBOTT : Your computer?

COSTELLO : I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.

ABBOTT : Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou .

ABBOTT : What about Windows?

COSTELLO : Why? Will it get stuffy in here?

ABBOTT : Do you want a computer with Windows?

COSTELLO : I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows?

ABBOTT : Wallpaper.

COSTELLO : Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.

ABBOTT : Software for Windows?

COSTELLO : No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track
expenses and run my business. What do you have?

ABBOTT : Office.

COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

ABBOTT : I just did.

COSTELLO : You just did what?

ABBOTT : Recommend something.

COSTELLO : You recommended something ?

ABBOTT : Yes.

COSTELLO : For my office?

ABBOTT : Yes.

COSTELLO : OK, what did you recommend for my office?

ABBOTT : Office.

COSTELLO : Yes, for my office!

ABBOTT : I recommend Office with Windows.

COSTELLO : I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?

ABBOTT : Word.

COSTELLO : What word?

ABBOTT : Word in Office.

COSTELLO : The only word in office is office.

ABBOTT : The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO : Which word in office for windows?

ABBOTT : The Word you get when you click the blue 'W'.

COSTELLO : I'm going to click your blue 'w' if you don't start with some straight answers. What
about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO : That's right. What do you have?

ABBOTT : Money.

COSTELLO : I need money to track my money?

ABBOTT : It comes bundled with your computer.

COSTELLO : What's bundled with my computer?

ABBOTT : Money.

COSTELLO : Money comes with my computer?

ABBOTT : Yes. No extra charge.

COSTELLO : I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?

ABBOTT : One copy.

COSTELLO : Isn't it illegal to copy money?

ABBOTT : Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

COSTELLO : They can give you a license to copy money?

ABBOTT : Why not? THEY OWN IT!

(A few days later)

ABBOTT : Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO : How do I turn my computer off?

ABBOTT : Click on 'START'.............

American Idol Week 3 - Wrap Up

2009-03-27T15:44:00.000-04:00

Amidst rumors of the show being fixed over the last few weeks I begin to wonder if maybe the bottom three are fixed to generate drama. Is it possible that the bottom three are not really the bottom three? Or rather the bottom one and two random contestants that aren't really in the bottom three. Lets take last night for example...do you really want me to believe that Matt Giraud was actually in the bottom two?

Fixed or not at least the right pick went home last night. Nothing against Michael Sarver but his time had come. Kudos to him for his classy departure, no big surprise that the judges didn't use the save...although they had me going at one point when it appeared as though they were sitting on the fence.

All in all the night was pretty uneventful, great performance by Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson but naturally the climax was the elimination.

Surprised that Megan didn't have her place in the bottom three but the important thing is the one that was sent home and this week America picked right.

American Idol Week 3 - Motown

2009-03-26T09:43:00.000-04:00

Well it's Thursday, a day later than normal for my Idol recap but Obama takes precedence.

Last night the cast of American Idol 8 celebrated "50 Years of MoTown" and it is finally starting to sound as thought the Top 10 actually deserve to be in the top 10, with a few obvious exceptions which we'll get to in the recap.

Crooner Matt Giraud kicked off the night with his take on "Let's Get it On", originally sung by Marvin Gaye. Responding to judges feedback he split the song into sections, so to speak. He started on the piano and then took to the stage, and although his stage performance felt a bit awkward the vocals were top notch. If Matt continues performing as he did this week for the next several weeks there is no question he will make the top 5, and possibly even the top 3.

Next up was Kris Allen, my pick for the dark horse of the competition. Kris and his guitar performed their rendition of "How Sweet it Is". The judges and the audience made it very clear that they enjoyed it. Simon advised him that the only thing Kris is missing at the moment is self-confidence. As it stands right now Kris is in my top 3.

Scott MacIntyre performed third with the promise that he would take a few more risks this week. One of those risks was apparently singing "Can't Hurry Love" by Diana Ross and the Supremes. The risk was the fact that he was a male singing a song originally done by a female group, didn't Phil Collins also sing this song? Anyway I like Scott, he's a nice guy with a positive vibe and a nice voice...but I can't see him going a whole lot further on Idol. The only saving grace for Scott might be that he is a bit better than maybe one or two of the other contestants. I predict that if Scott survives this week's elimination he will definitely be in the bottom 3 and will likely sing his swan-song next week. The judges were pretty united on Scott with the exception of Paula who was so upset with Simon, as per usual, that she called him a 6 year old and pulled out a box of crayons and a colouring book.

Is it just me or are the weekly antics between Paula, who loves everyone, and Simon, who pretty much hates everyone, getting a bit old?

Anyway that's a whole different blog....on with the show.

Quirky, but once again healthy, Megan Joy took to the stage next. Megan is likely the most unique contestant American Idol has ever had. Unfortunately for Megan she has had a rough go since making the top 14, with the exception of last week. This week she takes on "For Once In My Life". Unfortunately for Megan the performance was not great. The song did not have the usual Megan flavor that we have come to enjoy. Randy called the performance a "train wreck" and Simon believed that she "could be in serious trouble". The silver lining for Megan, I think, is that there are still contestants on the show struggling more than her. Watch for Megan in the bottom 3 again this week but I don't expect America to send her packing just yet.

Anoop took on Smokey Robinson classic "Ooh Baby Baby" to show a softer side of the dawg. The vocals were top notch and the judges and fans loved it. In the end I have to agree with Simon's comment that he did a "great vocal" but appeared bored. For me it was the lack of showmanship that Simon was talking about that made the performance kind of boring as a whole. Don't get me wrong I like Anoop and think he has a lot of talent but I don't expect him to last much beyond the top 5.

Taking the sixth spot was Michael Sarver, America's favorite oil rigger (ok I made that up but they did save him in favor of Alexis last week something I am still trying to understand) This week he takes on MoTown with "Ain't to Proud To Beg". Michael must have been a bit too close to Megan last week because he ended up missing the class trip to Motown because he was sick. After his performance last night I think he might want to cancel any plans to go there in the near future. Michael is a nice guy, he has a nice voice that I'm sure he uses to serenade his wife and sing in the shower. So do I, but unlike Michael I will never attempt to go on American Idol. Maybe after last night America will realize that Michael should go home. I would be shocked if Michael isn't part of the bottom three this week.

Fourth from the end is Lil Rounds. You'd think that an African American diva would be center stage during MoTown week, especially when you're the only one left on the show. So how did she fare when she took on "Heatwave" by Martha Reeves and The Vandellas? Well Randy called the beginning of the song "torture" and said it "was not the best performance". Personally I think Lil is a good singer, not a great. Should she be in the top 10? Yes. Should she win? No. I predict that Lil will likely survive until at the very least the top 5, maybe even the top 4 with a few strong weeks. But she was in the bottom three last week so who knows, America will pick whomever they want. I would imagine that when the time does come for Lil she will take the judges save.

Always edgy, controversial and current front runner Adam Lambert took to the stage eighth overall. After his extremely controversial take on Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire last week a much more polished (or should I say unpolished due to his lack of nail polish) Adam presented himself with his take on another Smokey Robinson classic "Tracks of My Tears". Now to be honest I didn't start out as an Adam Lambert fan but after the last few weeks I must say he is growing on me. No question Adam has been topping himself week after week and most certainly has a spot reserved in the top 3 as it stands right now. It's worth noting that after his performance Smokey Robinson himself gave Adam a standing ovation, if that isn't a compliment I don't know what is.

Second last is another one of the front running candidates, Danny Gokey. Danny has been one of my favorites since the beginning but to be honest after seeing his lack of effort during his country week rehersal last week with Randy Travis my level of respect for him has dropped a bit. This week his Motown take was "Get Ready". The song was good but to be honest the performance didn't wow me. I actually had to rewatch it just now to refresh my memory. Danny has had a few rough weeks now and although he isn't in any jeopardy this week if he doesn't pick it up soon he will find himself in the bottom three before long. As of now Danny makes up my Top 3 but that could change.

Last but not least is my wirdcard. Young Allison Iraheta. Allison has blown the roof off the Idol studio with most of her last performances yet she still isn't considered a front runner. Peforming "Papa was a Rollin' Stone" by the Temptations she, once again, did not disappoint. Allison could be the one that comes up from behind and knocks the boys out of the running and takes the Idol crown, she has some work to do but I think that she is the strongest female contestant this year. I'm expecting great things over the next few weeks, definately a potential candidate for the Top 3.

So tonight is elimination night. Who will go? Who will stay? Once again tonight I'm going to pick Michael Sarver but can't rule out the chance that Scott MacIntyre will be voted out. Either way my bottom three is Michael, Scott and Megan and no save will be used tonight.

Video links courtesy of www.Rickey.org

American Idol Week 2 - Wrap Up

2009-03-19T12:35:00.000-04:00

So today, with much regret, we say goodbye to sweet (ok well not so sweet, but we liked her anyway) Alexis Grace.

Last night's show proved to me why the new "judges save" doesn't work, or won't work, and here's why.

So last night we get our first hint that the save might be used. Ryan announces that America has decided to save Michael Sarver sending poor Alexis packing, he stands her in front of the four judges only to have Simon tell her that she was being considered for the save. I'm thinking ok cool so next week America can get it right and vote of two people, I can live with that. But no...instead they make the poor kid, yes I know she is 21 but to me that's a kid, sing for it. Does anyone even expect that this performance is going to be any better than the original that pretty much got her voted off? Well it wasn't. If anything it was much worse. After the song was done Simon broke the news that they weren't going to use the save based on that performance because it just wasn't good enough....come on judges...lets be serious here....why not base it on all of Alexis' performances and not just this one week. Remember when you used to like this girl?

Oh well I guess that's democracy in action...all last night did was reinforce my thoughts that this new save is utterly ridiculous and a total waste of time. The show is called American Idol not American Idol, unless the judges disagree.

But those are just my thoughts. Next week is Motown week so I expect Lil and Allison to do very well. As of right now my top 3 are Kris Allen, Allison Iraheta and Matt Giraud lets see if that changes next week.

American Idol Week 2 - Grand Ole Oprey

2009-03-18T10:20:00.000-04:00

I haven't been much of a blogger of late but this season of American Idol is definitely one worth writing about.

The season started out the same as the previous seven with Simon and the other 3 musketeers auditioning the seemingly endless "bad" talent that exists in America, and always seem to be surprised when they get rejected.

Once things got serious things were narrowed down to a group of 36 and then we went through several brutal weeks that left me wondering what happened to the talent the judges picked.

Anyway enough rambling about the disastrous start to Idol 8 lets get on with this week, particularly last night, Country Music Night. After the majority of the Idols tripped, badly, over the first two weeks I dreaded Country week, after all nothing sounds worse than country music sung badly.

Ok so here is my breakdown of the top 11 and my thoughts on what they had to offer:

Lets start with every one's favorite Texan, Michael Sarver.

I'm thinking, ok, he's from Texas so hopefully I should finally see what the judges are seeing in him. So he is singing Garth Brooks Ain't Going Down 'Till the Sun Comes Up, this has to be the hardest Garth song I know. It is lyrically overloaded and a very fast tempo not something for the faint of heart. On the positive side of things Michael remembered all of the words. On the negative side it sounded like he was running a marathon while he was singing. His breathing was all over the place and he was panting like a dog that had gone a day without water. Definitely not his best performance to date.
Next up was Lil, or little as Simon calls her. I'm still undecided about Lil, generally R&B singers don't do well outside of their genre. Lil picked the powerful, Independence Day by Marina McBride. I was surprise by this, especially when it seemed almost obvious that she would sing Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You or a similar country song that has been turned into an R&B classic. The judges weren't so fond of her performance but all in all I'd give it a thumbs up, my favorite from Lil to date.
Next came little Allison with the big rockin' voice....she sang Blame It On Your Heart by Patty Loveless. I'm a fan of Allison's and although this wasn't her best to date she did ok, she's a gritty rocker girl and she'll be back in her element once the country is left behind.
Fourth was Megan, ah yes Megan. The mom with the cool sleeve tattoo on her arm. Meg has a unique sound, and dance, that I haven't decided if I hate or love yet. Once again Meg goes vintage with Walkin' After Midnight by Patsy Cline. I think she did really well with it, the dance was still there and she needs to work on her stage presence a bit but all in all it was a good performance, and then we find out that the poor girl was deathly ill with a flu the whole time. All I can say is if that is Meg with the flu I can't wait to see what she can do when she is healthy.
Matt G. was fifth and was the first to take a bite out of Carrie Underwood's music with So Small. Matt is a crooner and this was easy for him and he showed quickly that he will do well with this type of music. No doubt he was among the better performers of the evening.
Sixth was the leading favorite Danny Gokey. He must have been having a bad night because first his session with Randy Travis was a joke, very disrespectful. His performance of Jesus Take The Wheel was good but not spectacular. Danny is popular enough that he should be around for a bit but hopefully he starts to take this more seriously.
Little Alexis took on Dolly's classic story about Jolene. The performance and vocal were very good but I agree with the judges it was missing the grit and edge that we are used to seeing from Alexis. I strongly believe that she will be back next week.
Scott MacIntyre and his piano took the stage eighth with what some might have called a risk. Singing Martina McBride's Wild Angels. Even Randy Travis was a bit nervous about the pick. Now I'll say I like Scott, he's a nice guy with a boat load of talent. Should he have made it this far in American Idol? Maybe not, but it's hard to say. Will he be crowned the Idol, I doubt it but you never know. As for last night he got out there and turned a few critics believers. Scott saved himself a spot in the top 10 with his performance.
Anoop Doggy Dog was up next. The last few weeks this poor kid must have been starting to feel like a dead man walking and I believe that if he didn't do something spectacular this week he would be the one to go home. Anoop didn't disappoint. He came out with Always on My Mind and lifted the roof off the house. Definitely one of the top performers of the evening.
Kris Allen has been the least talked about Idol to date but he has always been one of my favorites. In my opinion Kris is the only Idol that has yet to have a bad week and this week didn't disappoint. Taking on the Garth Brooks cover of the Billy Joel cover of the Bob Dylan song To Make You Feel My Love, he knocked it out of the park. Kris is one of my picks for the top 3.
Lastly but most controversially we have the ever adored Adam Lambert. Ah yes the blue haired goth prince with the voice that....you get the idea. So it's country week and Adam is definately not country material. So he picks Johnny Cash, ok good choice. Ring of Fire, ok I see the connection, Goth, fire. Well it has been the most talked about performance of the season hands down. You either loved it or you hated it. Me? I loved it. It was unique and original and definately the performance of the night.

My pick for tonight's vicitm, so to speak is going to have to be Michael Sarver. Nice guy but just doesn't have what it takes to perform at the level of the other 10.