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It’s the Top 12 on American Idol! Thaaaat’s right, we’re about 34 weeks and 498 episodes away from finding out who will go on to not sell a bunch of records! A new set, a new opening, a new farewell song, a new point on Ryan’s haircut…
THIS. Is American Idol!
Reporting live from The Cabana, The Lovely Steph Leann is here with a blanket, Jason is on the couch with his arms crossed (this isn’t his favorite show, but he didn’t want to be alone, cause he doesn’t feel good) and of course, KT is in the house, ready to make sarcastic comments, and I’m here to record them all.
Tonight , the Top 12 are performing the Lennon/McCartney song book. This means much of this night will be singers singing songs they’d never heard before last Wednesday. This also means fluffing and puffing how great Paul McCartney and John Lennon were, deservedly so… or not.
Alright, let’s get to some music!
Syesha Mercado
The black Julia Stiles, whom I find extremely attractive whereas I don’t think the white Julie Stiles is all that good looking, is singing “Got to Get You Into My Life”, from the album “Revolver”.
All of her hair is put up and leaning on the right side of her head, which makes her look like she slept up against a wall. I’m not sure really how this song is supposed to sound, but I don’t know that Syesha is doing all that great. It’s very Big Bandy sounding. I really like this chick, but I’m not digging this one. Jason said he was bored.
Randy says aight, Paula blows sunshine, but Simon surprises… “I thought it was better than alright, though you look very, very nervous.”
I grab the remote to fast forward. Steph Leann watches me, then says, “Honey. You can’t fast forward through commercials. Not when its live tv.” Shows you how used to DVR I am.
CheezyDeezy
I’ve determined this guy looks like what Oscar winner Forest Whitaker looked like when he was about thirty years younger, and had two fully open eyes. Jason responds that he looks more like a friendly Ice Cube.
CheezyDeezy used to be an airline screener, saying, “I’m the guy who used to look through baggage, feel people up, tell you can’t take your water bottle on the plane and all.”
Up now, “She’s a Woman”, and CheezyDeezy is putting an old soul, almost bluegrass feel on it, with a fiddle, tambourine and banjo. Dude… I think I really like CheezyDeezy now… before this, I could take him or leave him, but seriously, he’s doing his thang tonight. And working it out. Dawg.
Randy says he was thoroughly entertained, dope, “you smashed it!!”. Jason replieds, “Good, he got the brotha vote.” Paula is incoherent. And apparently, her voice is going through puberty. Simon is really surprised that, “I actually agree with these two.” CheezyDeezy is thrilled.
Ryan is flaking out on stage, and Steph Leann pipes up, “Perhaps he’s had some of what Paula has had tonight. And… I don’t like Ryan’s hair.”
Ramiele Malubay
Lil’ Ramy works at a sushi place, pouring soy sauce, and according to the video, without gloves. She’s singing “In My Life”. She says it’s for a close friend who left the show already, which I can only assume was for Danny Noriega. She just can’t quit him.
The entire audience has their hands up, and are waving in sync. I’m expecting to see a candle or lighter. Lil’ Ramy is doing the song justice, and its actually not as boring as I thought it would be when it started out. Jason’s bored, though, as he just attempted to drink battery acid.
Randy says it was, “Kinda pretty, but kinda pretty boring…” while Paula tosses American Idol sized puppies and butterflies. Anytime she starts with “You look (insert positive visual adjective here) tonight,” it’s not a good thing. Simon says he was bored to tears.
Jason Castro
The Dreadlocked One is from Texas, and in his video, he has small gnats swirling around his dreads. Its rather funny. He looks like he walked straight out of “Dazed and Confused”.
“If I Fell” is the song for The Dreadlocked One, who is starting out with guitar. It’s a good song, but unlike “Hallelujahs” last week (which was also a slow song, but exceptional), this one is just so-so. And like last week, he flakes out on an ending note, which again, his face gives him away.
KT still says, “He’s mentally retarded.”
Randy liked it, but didn’t love it, he probably doesn’t want some more of it. Paula shovels sunshine across the face of The Dreadlocked One. Simon says, “It felt a little student-in-a-bedroom-at-midnight, if I’m being honest.” He says that The Dreadlocked One can’t keep doing this guitar ballad thing week after week, which I agree.
Jason: He has a striking resemblance to John Travolta
Carly Smithson
Jason, KT and myself all agree… Carly would be pretty, but the arm full of tats kill it. Of course, Jason adds, “What also kills it for me? Her face.”
Actually… I think she’s kinda pretty. In a Jennifer Herndon sort of way.
She’ll be singing, “Come Together”, one of her favorite songs. She’s doing it right, though, I’ll have to admit it. Dare I say, she’s making it kinda sexy… in a Jennifer Herndon sort of way. I can honestly say I’ve never ever said “sexy” and “Jennifer Herndon” in the same sentence. “Sexy” and “Beverly Day”, a mutual friend, maybe. Wait, where was I?
KT liked it. Steph Leann half smiles. Jason searches for something sarcastic to say. I liked it quite a bit. Randy loved it. Paula gives her deserved sunshine blows. Simon says, “Week after week, you’ve chosen the wrong song… until now. That was resembling what Kelly Clarkson did six years ago.”
David Cook
Okay, so my two favorite Beatles songs: “Eleanor Rigby” and “Penny Lane”, with the former being my very favorite, and the latter being close behind. And honestly, I’m not a huge Beatles fan. There. I said it. I appreciate what they did for music, and the footprint they left in music, but seriously, I’ve never been a big fan of all their stuff.
KT: I thought he was cute, until recently
Jason: Until I saw his fingernails.
David Rob Thomas Cook comes out, singing another song from “Revolver”, this one being “Eleanor Rigby”. As stated, my favorite Beatles song. So, DRTC, don’t screw it up.
He actually sounds like he could be Dave Grohl, or the lead singer of Collective Soul, or maybe Gavin Rossdale… and that’s a good thing. While the song didn’t blow me away, David Rob Thomas Cook has a great voice.
Randy says that DRTC can rock out, baby, can rock out. Paula hits on David Rob Thomas Cook, tossing her room keys. Simon thought it was brilliant.
Brooke White
My Next American Idol Brooke White is coming up now… and I’m really hoping she does well. The Lovely Steph Leann shrieks in joy when she finds out My Next American Idol Brooke White is singing “Let It Be”. While not a Bon Jovi song, it still thrills the Lovely Steph Leann nonetheless.
At the piano, My Next American Idol Brooke White is nailing it. And unlike The Dreadlocked One and Lil’ Ramy, My Next American Idol Brooke White is doing the ballad justice, and not making boring. Frankly, I love this chick.
The Lovely Steph Leann says, “Cool beans!”, while KT wipes tears. She hated it, but still. Jason sits silent, looking for something smarmy to say.
Randy liked it quite a bit. Paula uses words like “niche”, “heart”, “connection”, “kittens” and “happiness”. Simon says it was one of the best performances of the night. My Next American Idol Brooke White has tears in her eyes. Go My Next American Idol Brooke White! She’s not even wearing shoes! I love it!
David Hernandez
One of the least interesting personalities on the show turns out to be a former stripper at a gay club. Dave the Stripper is singing “I Saw Him Standing There”. He says he’s going to work the stage and have fun. Perhaps there would be a pole there. If I’m Dave the Stripper, I’d totally ask for one, and give Simon, Randy and Paula singles just to get me in the zone.
Dave the Stripper is not doing the song very well, and seriously, he’s boring now. I actually prefer the Tiffany version from like, 1989. That spent a few weeks atop my Dave’s Favorite Song Mental Chart, before I got bored with it.
Randy thought it was overdone. Too much going on. Paula is spluttering. I think she might ask for a dance, actually. She also says he overdid it, but then throws out sunshine. Simon says “no” three times, saying “corny, verging on desperate.” Dave the Stripper might actually be in danger… Ryan even says, “Dave the Stripper, I know you had a rough week this past week… “ and when Dave the Stripper answers, Ryan turns immediately to the camera, saying, “If you want to vote for Dave the Stripper…”, with a “Yeah, whatever, I don’t care”.
Amanda Overmyer
Finally, Simba cracks a smile! She might actually win me over, maybe. It’s possible. She talks about being a biker chick, in a biker family, and being a rough and tumble chick.
“You Can’t Do That” is the song choice tonight. She’s been singing for about 30 seconds, and the only words I’ve been able to make are “you” “do” “can’t” and “that”, not necessarily in that order. Simba screams a lot.
Randy loves Simba. “You brought it and rocked it like a Southern bar!”. Paula is exploding with clouds and cutesy bootsies. Simon didn’t think it was all that great, saying that he only understood about 30% of what Simba was saying.
Jason: All her songs sound alike. Like Gretchen Wilson.
I agree.
Michael Johns
Crocomichael Johndee is not only a singer, but a tennis coach. A teacher. A lover and a fighter. Aussie Michael says, “I first discovered Lennon McCartney when I was 10.” Jason replies, “I think he thinks that Lennon McCartney is one person.”
“Across the Universe” is the song tonight. Aussie Michael actually does kind of remind me of Michael Hutchens, though KT says Aussie Michael sounds like Eddie Vedder. Jason corrects her and says, “He is trying to sound like Eddie. Don’t ever think he sounds like Eddie.
By the way, to Jason and KT, Eddie Vedder is not the lead in a band that takes themselves way too seriously and peaked after two albums, but in actuality is the lead in Heaven’s rock band.
Randy says it was a little sleepy and was just aight. Paula disagrees, using words like “inner strength” and “confidence” and “connected”. Last week, we played an Idol drinking game. Every time Paula says “emotion” and “connected”, we took a shot. Jason relapsed into a coma, KT was arrested for DUI, The Lovely Steph Leann has liver disease and I’m still hungover.
Oh, and Simon didn’t like it, either.
Kristy Lee Cook
KLC is changing up “Eight Days A Week” into a country type song. She says that Simon challenged her to take risks, so we’ll see. Jason groans, saying this is something KT would do.
Ya know, honestly… its not as bad as I thought it would be. Its not great, but its not too bad. KT thinks its awesome, Jason thinks its miserable, and The Lovely Steph Leann sits amused. It kind of reminds me of Hayseed Dixie, a local bluegrass band who takes rock songs and turns them into bluegrass tunes. Only, they were better.
Randy is struggling for words, sorta liking it, sorta not. Paula is actually silent. And not even a “You look beautiful tonight” to lead it off! She says, “You can’t take what we say truly to heart,” meaning “Please don’t listen to what we say.”
Simon said it was “Dolly Parton on helium. Its good to take risks, but not that one.”
It might have worked a little better if it were slowed down. Maybe.
David Archuleta
Young David is about to sing, to which KT clapped out loud. Singing “We Can Work It Out”, he admits in his video he’s stressed out. Jason thinks he might work well on “Idol Pre-School’, and I…
Holy crap. Young David forgot the words. And then did it again.
The joy from his singing that is normally there is completely gone… he knows he flubbed on the biggest audition stage in America. Young David, the one loved by millions, forgot the words to the song.
Randy says this week was not his vibe. Of course its not Young David’s vibe… holy crap, these songs are twenty years old than him!! Paula loves him anyway. Simon says, “That was a mess. Twelve people, all wanting to win, and that was a total mess.”
Young David finally shows a weakness. I still contend he’s not going to win this thing, he’ll end up fourth. Perhaps third.
My top three tonight? 1) CheezyDeezy; 2) My Next American Idol Brooke White; and 3) David Rob Thomas Cook.
My bottom three? 10) KLC; 11) Dave the Stripper; and 12) Lil' Ramy. I think that KLC will last one more week, perhaps only one more week, and we'll see Lil' Ramy go home.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Are You New to The Blog? (updated 11-06-08)
Go back to Clouds In My Coffee
Randomly, various people will tell me something they read on The Clouds In My Coffee Blog. Many times, its someone that I didn't know read the blog, or perhaps I didnt even know they knew about it ... I mean, I've averaging 10 to 20 people per day, so someone has to read it, but when someone randomly mentions something I wrote here, many times I have the same reaction... "You read it too? That's awesome..."
So, for you new folk that perhaps tuned in for the first time during this week's election, I thought I'd give you a formal introduction...
The blog started as I was going with a group on a mission trip to NYC in 2005... I thought it would be a great way to keep up. But then, after the trip, I decided to keep going with the blog.
And almost 400 entries and three and a half years later, I'm still here. Actually, it went from The Adventures of Dave to The Sojourner to what is now called Clouds in My Coffee--named for a song you'll probably hear on the site's playlist each month.
Now that the election is over, and I've had over 200 page loads in the last week (including a CIMC record 60 on Tuesday), its time to return to what this blog is really all about... whats that, you ask?
On this blog you'll find stuff about The Happiest Place in the Mall, politics, movies, music, American Idol, Survivor, church, friends, life, books, thoughts, prayers, television, experiences and everything else, and you'll meet great people like the Nic Cage Lovin' Scott Latta, Lil' Sister Ashley (spell, a friend of mine), The Goddess (see below), Mikey (former roommate), Big Wookiee (former roommate), KT and J Rob (friends of mine) and of course, The Lovely Steph Leann (best friend and life partner)
People ask me, "Does Steph Leann get upset when you talk about The Goddess?" and to that I say, "Have you ever heard her talk about Colin Firth? She even has a Colin Firth Club, with members including Patrick Dempsey and Bradley Whitford." So no, she doesn't. She knows where my heart is and she knows she's the best thing not named Jesus about my life.
You'll also hear about life at The Happiest Place in the Mall (where I work mainly), names like Julie and Tiffany, and Brad Latta (ombudsman and Atty General of Clouds in My Coffee)
I'm also right smack dab in the middle of The Dave100, a countdown of my 100 favorite films of all time. There's no rhyme or reason as to when I post a new movie on the list, but you'll find them sprinkled about in the blog's archives.
Coming in January, I'll be doing my 4th edition of "The 100 Coolest Things of the Year", where I actually list the top 100 best things about the previous year... who knows, you might find yourself on it...
There are links on the right to all sorts of fun sites, like Entertainment Weekly, ESPN, news sites, weather sites, movie times, some of my favorite blogs, and you can see the Dave's Archaves, where you'll find hundreds of other posts made over the years.
A little note... if you find that there are no links on the right, scroll down. If the links start after the last blog ends, that means you have an older version of Internet Explorer. You'll have to live with this, or update your IE...
Its an exciting time for The Clouds in My Coffee blog, as the counter on the right (if there's just an X on the box, you might need to refresh the page) is on the downslope toward 20,000 page loads (which means the blog has been looked at 20,000 times!).
Enjoy the blog. Feel free to comment, you don't have to register to do so, and I hope you come back to see me.
Your pal,
d$
Go back to Clouds in My Coffee
Randomly, various people will tell me something they read on The Clouds In My Coffee Blog. Many times, its someone that I didn't know read the blog, or perhaps I didnt even know they knew about it ... I mean, I've averaging 10 to 20 people per day, so someone has to read it, but when someone randomly mentions something I wrote here, many times I have the same reaction... "You read it too? That's awesome..."
So, for you new folk that perhaps tuned in for the first time during this week's election, I thought I'd give you a formal introduction...
The blog started as I was going with a group on a mission trip to NYC in 2005... I thought it would be a great way to keep up. But then, after the trip, I decided to keep going with the blog.
And almost 400 entries and three and a half years later, I'm still here. Actually, it went from The Adventures of Dave to The Sojourner to what is now called Clouds in My Coffee--named for a song you'll probably hear on the site's playlist each month.
Now that the election is over, and I've had over 200 page loads in the last week (including a CIMC record 60 on Tuesday), its time to return to what this blog is really all about... whats that, you ask?
On this blog you'll find stuff about The Happiest Place in the Mall, politics, movies, music, American Idol, Survivor, church, friends, life, books, thoughts, prayers, television, experiences and everything else, and you'll meet great people like the Nic Cage Lovin' Scott Latta, Lil' Sister Ashley (spell, a friend of mine), The Goddess (see below), Mikey (former roommate), Big Wookiee (former roommate), KT and J Rob (friends of mine) and of course, The Lovely Steph Leann (best friend and life partner)
People ask me, "Does Steph Leann get upset when you talk about The Goddess?" and to that I say, "Have you ever heard her talk about Colin Firth? She even has a Colin Firth Club, with members including Patrick Dempsey and Bradley Whitford." So no, she doesn't. She knows where my heart is and she knows she's the best thing not named Jesus about my life.
You'll also hear about life at The Happiest Place in the Mall (where I work mainly), names like Julie and Tiffany, and Brad Latta (ombudsman and Atty General of Clouds in My Coffee)
I'm also right smack dab in the middle of The Dave100, a countdown of my 100 favorite films of all time. There's no rhyme or reason as to when I post a new movie on the list, but you'll find them sprinkled about in the blog's archives.
Coming in January, I'll be doing my 4th edition of "The 100 Coolest Things of the Year", where I actually list the top 100 best things about the previous year... who knows, you might find yourself on it...
There are links on the right to all sorts of fun sites, like Entertainment Weekly, ESPN, news sites, weather sites, movie times, some of my favorite blogs, and you can see the Dave's Archaves, where you'll find hundreds of other posts made over the years.
A little note... if you find that there are no links on the right, scroll down. If the links start after the last blog ends, that means you have an older version of Internet Explorer. You'll have to live with this, or update your IE...
Its an exciting time for The Clouds in My Coffee blog, as the counter on the right (if there's just an X on the box, you might need to refresh the page) is on the downslope toward 20,000 page loads (which means the blog has been looked at 20,000 times!).
Enjoy the blog. Feel free to comment, you don't have to register to do so, and I hope you come back to see me.
Your pal,
d$
Go back to Clouds in My Coffee
Thursday, March 06, 2008
The Top Five Coolest Things of 2007
And finally, without further ado... well, wait, here's some ado...
A Recap of the 100 coolest thing to the 11th coolest thing of 2007 can be found right here. The 10th coolest thing of 2007 is Nikki Brown. The 9th coolest thing of 2007 is the movie "Enchanted". The 8th coolest thing of 2007? Dave Ramsey. We skipped #7, because there is a tie for the 6th coolest thing of 2007... "How to Save a Life" and "Over My Head (cable car)" by The Fray took both spots. The recap of this list is here.
The 5th Coolest Thing of 2007? Seeing Mamma Mia! again
Last February, my buddy from Starbucks called me and said, "Hey, have you seen Mamma Mia!, the Broadway show?" to which I replied, "Nall Wall, I've seen that show three times. And I loved it each time. Why?" Nall told me he was getting tickets for his family and some friends, and he offered to get tickets for The Lovely Steph Leann and I.
A chance to go see my favorite Broadway show for the fourth time, especially with people who have seen it before? I'm totally down with it...
Mamma mia... here I go again, my my, how can I resist ya... mamma mia, does it show again, my my, just how much I miss ya...
Mamma Mia! is this great show that utilizes the music of ABBA, incorporating the songs into the story. The story simply is that Sophie is living with her mom on a small Greecian island, and she's getting married. Problem is, she doesn't know who her dad is. After digging through her mom's old journals, she discovers it could be one of three men. So she sends them invites to the wedding, and much to her mom's surprise, they all show up! Hilarity ensues.
As much as I love Les Miserables, the seriousness of it can depress you... Mamma Mia! is just so much fun. You can check out the detail on the show's website, and I'm actually kind of excited about the movie coming up this summer (as is The Lovely Steph Leann, because it stars Colin Firth, the president of "The Colin Firth Club") and the trailer is up here.
The 4th Coolest Thing of 2007... Little Sister Ashley Spell
In case you were fooled, she's not really my little sister, but she might as well be. The Lovely Steph Leann and I met Little Sister Ashley when she accompanied her then-manfriend to a Deuce Family Christmas event. She and I chatted for a little while, as I did with everyone else, and when the night was over, she disappeared out the door to never be seen again.
Only she been seen again. We crossed paths again at a meeting for those who were considering going to China on missions, as were The Lovely Steph Leann and I were considering. Little Sister Ashley went, but we didn't, though the night was notable because I made some off-the-cuff remark that hurt her feelings--wasn't my fault! I didn't know.
Anyway, a few months later, we find out Little Sister Ashley is moving from Mississippi to Birmingham, and she has no place to go. So, we offer up the extra bedroom at The Casa de Pesos. And what was the budding of a frienship before turned into a lifelong BFFness for Little Sister Ashley and The Lovely Steph Leann and I. We sat up late chatting, we laughed, we cried, we bonded much over two months. Ever had those friendships that, when you go long periods of time without hanging out, you kinda feel a little sad? That would be Little Sister Ashley.
This is one of my favorite pictures. I really, really do respect, admire and adore this girl.
She's just an amazing chick of God, she uses the term "Dad" when she prays, and when she's praying for you, it makes a difference somehow. The Lovely Steph Leann and I hold Ashley near and dear to us. In fact, I can't imagine a cooler person in 2007 not named Steph Leann. Unless that person is...
The 3rd Coolest Thing of 2007... "Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows"
If you haven't read this book by now, you probably still know what happens. If you don't, then its too late, you should have read it.
The 7th and final book in the Harry Potter series, we find our heroic trio--Harry, Hermione, and Ron--on the search for horcruxes, which are pieces of Voldemorts soul that must be destroyed in order to destroy him. Along the way, they find out about The Deathly Hallows, those things that can pretty much make you invincible. I won't go into detail simply because if you've read the first 6 books and know what I'm talking about, then you have to have read the 7th book already. If you haven't read the 7th, then I know you haven't read the rest of the books.
Anyway, I finished the book in about two days, and actually, I didn't even scan to the back of the book--and I'm notorious for reading the last few pages of any book before I finish it. What made it even more fun was who I was with during the release... Nikki Brown (the 10th Coolest Thing of 2007), Little Sister Ashley (the 4th Coolest Thing of 2007) and The Lovely Steph Leann (truly the best thing about any year, really).
Nikki, Little Sister Ashley and I had Panera, made some magic wands, had some fun, met up with The Lovely Steph Leann, and a good time was had by all.
How utterly dorky are we now?
You can read all about it in last summer's Potterblog, followed by Potterblog Reloaded, and finally, Potterblog Revolutions.
Oh, and in case you were curious, JK Rowling admitted that Harry became an auror, Hermione played for the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch team before becoming a mother and working in the Dept of Magical Creatures, Ron worked for George at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes before becoming an auror himself, George marries Angelina Johnson, Cho Chang married a muggle, Neville married Hannah Abbott, Umbridge gets arrested and imprisoned, Shacklebolt becomes Minister of Magic with Percy at his side and removes the dementors from Azkaban. Just in case you wanted to know.
The 2nd Coolest Thing of 2007... Going to Disney World
When is Disney not one of the coolest things ever? We found out in 2006 that it was a possibility that The Lovely Steph Leann and I wouldn't be going with the family to our annual weeklong jaunt in Panama City over Thanksgiving... nay nay... in 2007, we'd be heading to Walt Disney World for EIGHT DAYS. Like, leave for Disney on Friday, come back the following Sunday. Thats a whole lot of Disney.
Along the way, I had some of the best moments of my life with the people I love. Eating at Le Cellier with the entire family, dinner at Yak & Yeti with the Nalls, riding Everest and experiencing that backwards run when I wasn't expecting it, pin trading like a fool, helping other people learn how to pin trade, developing a love for PhilharMagic, meeting Mater and Lightnin' McQueen, experiencing Soarin' for the first time on the front row, getting molested by The Genie, riding around Orlando with the Lovely Steph Leann on a desperate search for a stinkin' Best Buy, taking one of the best pictures ever with Tyler and Benjamin on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, getting refills in my overpriced Disney mug, buying lots of Disney ornaments, watching Poppa Ron poke back and Steve the Pirate on the Magical Fireworks Voyage... eight days in Disney World.
One of my favorite pictures from the trip... The Lovely Steph Leann as we climb the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
We basically covered a park each day, then got to loop back and cover more parks again. Downtown Disney is one of my favorite places on Earth, but then again, so is the Magic Kingdom. The Lovely Steph Leann and I hadn't been back since our honeymoon, but there is something about walking into the park and seeing the castle looming in the background.
Your stomach flutters a bit, your mouth curls up into a big smile, you want to start skipping, you reach over and hug whoever you are with... you are truly in The Happiest Place on Earth. And if you are with people you love, all the better. What a great vacation.
Of course, I got tons of pictures, and was able to blog about it... but that was due to...
The Coolest Thing About 2007... Dave Gets Techo Savvy
First, it was the digital camera,. Here's what happened, in a nutshell:
The moment had arrived. A graduate student of Financial Peace University, I was ready for my first negotiation test--FPU's motto is "never pay retail", and so I was ready to negotiate for a better deal. I added up what I wanted in my head... the camera case, the extra battery, the 2gig memory stick and the camera together would be about $450 or more... but I didn't want to pay $450.
"Alright, Amberly, I want that camera, a case, a battery and a memory stick, and," I paused as I pulled out 4 Dead Presidents, "I have $400. This is what I'd like to pay."
She looked at me funny, and shifted slightly, "Um... well, there's tax...""That's cool. $400 plus tax sounds fair to me." I smiled big. This might just work.
So, I followed her around as she grabbed the Sony battery, a brand name memory stick (not the cheap one, mind you) and then we discussed camera cases, in which I decided on a slim, compact case that retailed for about $15 or so. Then Amberly opened up the case, pulled out a box and handed me my camera. As we walked to the register, she said, "Okay, so like, I'm going to have to ask about taking money off."
I smiled back, and nicely said, "That's fine. I'll wait while you ask. If they say no, I think HH Gregg has the same stuff across the street, and I know they'd do it--you guys are probably killing them in market share." She smiled back, and disappeared into the store, headed for a manager.
I waited perhaps ten minutes... kinda curious if she couldn't find anyone, if it took that long to convince someone to do it, or if she spent 9 minutes griping about customers not wanting to pay the price and one minute asking. Either way, she came back, and said "Alright, $400 plus tax".
"Thank you for not making me to go HHGregg," I replied.
"Yeah, well they probably don't have any of this stuff," she said in a little dig to the new store across the street.
And so, I came home with my new Sony Cybershot W90, with face detection, double anti-blur technology, megamovieVX software, 8.1 pixels, 2.5 inch display, viewfinder and so on. Now, please don't email me telling me I shoulda bought this other brand, because "for the money, you coulda..." or tell me "I got the same camera for only $259 at...", 'cause that's just not necessary.
I love my new camera, and I'm excited that its mine--I paid cash for it, I'm not making a high interest credit card payment, and I've been taking pictures of everything for a week.
Thank you, Amberly. Thank you very much. You can read the whole thing on Amberly and the Digital Sell
Then, it was the laptop, at least, Steph's laptop. It was a blog that started with these lines:
People ask me, "Dave, why do you blog?" and I can look to this past Friday night and say "For nights such as this. Some stories need to be told."
Its a tale of woe. Its a tale in intrigue. Its a tale of bargain negotiation, mean supervisors, routers, wireless things and free memory installation. And that's just in the first part.
In the blog entitled "Thousands of Possibilities (i got mine) Part One", followed right by Part Two, I tell the story of how I got our first laptop. It was a night full of work, led up to by several nights of research. Of course, this laptop was for Steph, and I got mine a few weeks later in less dramatic fashion, but yet, the story is still cool.
So, thats it. The coolest thing about 2007 is getting a laptop and digital camera... see, its cool because I never had those things, ever. I'm tired of feeding the hamster that ran our old computer, and I'm tired of feeding the bird that etches the photos in stone, a la The Flintstones, with my old camera.
What about 2008? Oh, several things have popped up already... Becoming acting manager at Starbucks Cahaba Heights, Chris & Brittney Croyle, DVR, paying off the student loan, The Cabana, this season of American Idol, Survivor: Fans vs Favorites... these are to be considered in The Coolest Things of 2008. The list appears on January 2nd, 2009. Watch for it.
A Recap of the 100 coolest thing to the 11th coolest thing of 2007 can be found right here. The 10th coolest thing of 2007 is Nikki Brown. The 9th coolest thing of 2007 is the movie "Enchanted". The 8th coolest thing of 2007? Dave Ramsey. We skipped #7, because there is a tie for the 6th coolest thing of 2007... "How to Save a Life" and "Over My Head (cable car)" by The Fray took both spots. The recap of this list is here.
The 5th Coolest Thing of 2007? Seeing Mamma Mia! again
Last February, my buddy from Starbucks called me and said, "Hey, have you seen Mamma Mia!, the Broadway show?" to which I replied, "Nall Wall, I've seen that show three times. And I loved it each time. Why?" Nall told me he was getting tickets for his family and some friends, and he offered to get tickets for The Lovely Steph Leann and I.
A chance to go see my favorite Broadway show for the fourth time, especially with people who have seen it before? I'm totally down with it...
Mamma mia... here I go again, my my, how can I resist ya... mamma mia, does it show again, my my, just how much I miss ya...Mamma Mia! is this great show that utilizes the music of ABBA, incorporating the songs into the story. The story simply is that Sophie is living with her mom on a small Greecian island, and she's getting married. Problem is, she doesn't know who her dad is. After digging through her mom's old journals, she discovers it could be one of three men. So she sends them invites to the wedding, and much to her mom's surprise, they all show up! Hilarity ensues.
As much as I love Les Miserables, the seriousness of it can depress you... Mamma Mia! is just so much fun. You can check out the detail on the show's website, and I'm actually kind of excited about the movie coming up this summer (as is The Lovely Steph Leann, because it stars Colin Firth, the president of "The Colin Firth Club") and the trailer is up here.
The 4th Coolest Thing of 2007... Little Sister Ashley Spell
In case you were fooled, she's not really my little sister, but she might as well be. The Lovely Steph Leann and I met Little Sister Ashley when she accompanied her then-manfriend to a Deuce Family Christmas event. She and I chatted for a little while, as I did with everyone else, and when the night was over, she disappeared out the door to never be seen again.
Only she been seen again. We crossed paths again at a meeting for those who were considering going to China on missions, as were The Lovely Steph Leann and I were considering. Little Sister Ashley went, but we didn't, though the night was notable because I made some off-the-cuff remark that hurt her feelings--wasn't my fault! I didn't know.
Anyway, a few months later, we find out Little Sister Ashley is moving from Mississippi to Birmingham, and she has no place to go. So, we offer up the extra bedroom at The Casa de Pesos. And what was the budding of a frienship before turned into a lifelong BFFness for Little Sister Ashley and The Lovely Steph Leann and I. We sat up late chatting, we laughed, we cried, we bonded much over two months. Ever had those friendships that, when you go long periods of time without hanging out, you kinda feel a little sad? That would be Little Sister Ashley.
This is one of my favorite pictures. I really, really do respect, admire and adore this girl.
She's just an amazing chick of God, she uses the term "Dad" when she prays, and when she's praying for you, it makes a difference somehow. The Lovely Steph Leann and I hold Ashley near and dear to us. In fact, I can't imagine a cooler person in 2007 not named Steph Leann. Unless that person is...
The 3rd Coolest Thing of 2007... "Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows"
If you haven't read this book by now, you probably still know what happens. If you don't, then its too late, you should have read it.
The 7th and final book in the Harry Potter series, we find our heroic trio--Harry, Hermione, and Ron--on the search for horcruxes, which are pieces of Voldemorts soul that must be destroyed in order to destroy him. Along the way, they find out about The Deathly Hallows, those things that can pretty much make you invincible. I won't go into detail simply because if you've read the first 6 books and know what I'm talking about, then you have to have read the 7th book already. If you haven't read the 7th, then I know you haven't read the rest of the books.
Anyway, I finished the book in about two days, and actually, I didn't even scan to the back of the book--and I'm notorious for reading the last few pages of any book before I finish it. What made it even more fun was who I was with during the release... Nikki Brown (the 10th Coolest Thing of 2007), Little Sister Ashley (the 4th Coolest Thing of 2007) and The Lovely Steph Leann (truly the best thing about any year, really).
Nikki, Little Sister Ashley and I had Panera, made some magic wands, had some fun, met up with The Lovely Steph Leann, and a good time was had by all.
How utterly dorky are we now?
You can read all about it in last summer's Potterblog, followed by Potterblog Reloaded, and finally, Potterblog Revolutions.
Oh, and in case you were curious, JK Rowling admitted that Harry became an auror, Hermione played for the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch team before becoming a mother and working in the Dept of Magical Creatures, Ron worked for George at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes before becoming an auror himself, George marries Angelina Johnson, Cho Chang married a muggle, Neville married Hannah Abbott, Umbridge gets arrested and imprisoned, Shacklebolt becomes Minister of Magic with Percy at his side and removes the dementors from Azkaban. Just in case you wanted to know.
The 2nd Coolest Thing of 2007... Going to Disney World
When is Disney not one of the coolest things ever? We found out in 2006 that it was a possibility that The Lovely Steph Leann and I wouldn't be going with the family to our annual weeklong jaunt in Panama City over Thanksgiving... nay nay... in 2007, we'd be heading to Walt Disney World for EIGHT DAYS. Like, leave for Disney on Friday, come back the following Sunday. Thats a whole lot of Disney.
Along the way, I had some of the best moments of my life with the people I love. Eating at Le Cellier with the entire family, dinner at Yak & Yeti with the Nalls, riding Everest and experiencing that backwards run when I wasn't expecting it, pin trading like a fool, helping other people learn how to pin trade, developing a love for PhilharMagic, meeting Mater and Lightnin' McQueen, experiencing Soarin' for the first time on the front row, getting molested by The Genie, riding around Orlando with the Lovely Steph Leann on a desperate search for a stinkin' Best Buy, taking one of the best pictures ever with Tyler and Benjamin on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, getting refills in my overpriced Disney mug, buying lots of Disney ornaments, watching Poppa Ron poke back and Steve the Pirate on the Magical Fireworks Voyage... eight days in Disney World.
One of my favorite pictures from the trip... The Lovely Steph Leann as we climb the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
We basically covered a park each day, then got to loop back and cover more parks again. Downtown Disney is one of my favorite places on Earth, but then again, so is the Magic Kingdom. The Lovely Steph Leann and I hadn't been back since our honeymoon, but there is something about walking into the park and seeing the castle looming in the background.
Your stomach flutters a bit, your mouth curls up into a big smile, you want to start skipping, you reach over and hug whoever you are with... you are truly in The Happiest Place on Earth. And if you are with people you love, all the better. What a great vacation.
Of course, I got tons of pictures, and was able to blog about it... but that was due to...
The Coolest Thing About 2007... Dave Gets Techo Savvy
First, it was the digital camera,. Here's what happened, in a nutshell:
The moment had arrived. A graduate student of Financial Peace University, I was ready for my first negotiation test--FPU's motto is "never pay retail", and so I was ready to negotiate for a better deal. I added up what I wanted in my head... the camera case, the extra battery, the 2gig memory stick and the camera together would be about $450 or more... but I didn't want to pay $450.
"Alright, Amberly, I want that camera, a case, a battery and a memory stick, and," I paused as I pulled out 4 Dead Presidents, "I have $400. This is what I'd like to pay."
She looked at me funny, and shifted slightly, "Um... well, there's tax...""That's cool. $400 plus tax sounds fair to me." I smiled big. This might just work.
So, I followed her around as she grabbed the Sony battery, a brand name memory stick (not the cheap one, mind you) and then we discussed camera cases, in which I decided on a slim, compact case that retailed for about $15 or so. Then Amberly opened up the case, pulled out a box and handed me my camera. As we walked to the register, she said, "Okay, so like, I'm going to have to ask about taking money off."
I smiled back, and nicely said, "That's fine. I'll wait while you ask. If they say no, I think HH Gregg has the same stuff across the street, and I know they'd do it--you guys are probably killing them in market share." She smiled back, and disappeared into the store, headed for a manager.
I waited perhaps ten minutes... kinda curious if she couldn't find anyone, if it took that long to convince someone to do it, or if she spent 9 minutes griping about customers not wanting to pay the price and one minute asking. Either way, she came back, and said "Alright, $400 plus tax".
"Thank you for not making me to go HHGregg," I replied.
"Yeah, well they probably don't have any of this stuff," she said in a little dig to the new store across the street.
And so, I came home with my new Sony Cybershot W90, with face detection, double anti-blur technology, megamovieVX software, 8.1 pixels, 2.5 inch display, viewfinder and so on. Now, please don't email me telling me I shoulda bought this other brand, because "for the money, you coulda..." or tell me "I got the same camera for only $259 at...", 'cause that's just not necessary.
I love my new camera, and I'm excited that its mine--I paid cash for it, I'm not making a high interest credit card payment, and I've been taking pictures of everything for a week.
Thank you, Amberly. Thank you very much. You can read the whole thing on Amberly and the Digital Sell
Then, it was the laptop, at least, Steph's laptop. It was a blog that started with these lines:
People ask me, "Dave, why do you blog?" and I can look to this past Friday night and say "For nights such as this. Some stories need to be told."
Its a tale of woe. Its a tale in intrigue. Its a tale of bargain negotiation, mean supervisors, routers, wireless things and free memory installation. And that's just in the first part.
In the blog entitled "Thousands of Possibilities (i got mine) Part One", followed right by Part Two, I tell the story of how I got our first laptop. It was a night full of work, led up to by several nights of research. Of course, this laptop was for Steph, and I got mine a few weeks later in less dramatic fashion, but yet, the story is still cool.
So, thats it. The coolest thing about 2007 is getting a laptop and digital camera... see, its cool because I never had those things, ever. I'm tired of feeding the hamster that ran our old computer, and I'm tired of feeding the bird that etches the photos in stone, a la The Flintstones, with my old camera.
What about 2008? Oh, several things have popped up already... Becoming acting manager at Starbucks Cahaba Heights, Chris & Brittney Croyle, DVR, paying off the student loan, The Cabana, this season of American Idol, Survivor: Fans vs Favorites... these are to be considered in The Coolest Things of 2008. The list appears on January 2nd, 2009. Watch for it.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Idol: Who Makes the Finals?
This week on Idol! The guys sing the 80s! Simon wears a grey t-shirt! Paula has about 17 barrels of sunshine and she’s not afraid to use it!! Danny Noriega is spotted at a Hernandez show!!
By the way, have you seen the latest Idol scandals? The one where D-Hern was a stripper? And the video of Danny Noriega talking about Santa Claus raping your mom, and using choice language? Its hysterical… and disturbing… and creepy. You can see it here, but its NSFW, and not safe for sensitive ears...
We’ve got 8. We’ve got to get rid of 2 more guys before the Top 12, which starts next week.
Luke Menard is up first, and honestly, this guy has to be perfect to stay on the show. And… he’s singing Wham! for his song. Just so you know, when you see “!” when I say Wham!, its not that I’m excited about George Michael and Andrew Ridgley, nor Luke Menard’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”, its actually because the “!” was part of the band name. Its not Wham, its Wham!. I’m just sayin’.
Somewhere, Andrew Ridgely, the forgotten member of Wham! is covering his face with a blanket. Terrible. Randy says a little corny, but aight. Paula name drops George Michael, and uses 10 minutes to say absolutely, positively nothing whatsoever. Simon didn’t like it, telling him not only can he not win, he won’t make it to the Top 12. I agree. I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but Luke Menard as an American Idol will have the success of Taylor Hicks as an American Idol, and Taylor is a thousand times better.
Young David Archuleta picks “Another Day in Paradise” by Phil Collins, which is a great, great song. From the album “…But Seriously” (like Wham!, the “…” at the beginning is part of the album title), its one of Phil’s best—and the live version, from "Serious Hits… Live!” is even better.
Young David is on the piano. Homeboy is killin’ it. Wow. The song is a thousand times beyond his maturity level, and little man is doing just awesome.
Now comes the inevitable Melinda Doolittle comparisons… both are obviously the best in the group, both are very sweet and humble, both are beloved by fans and the judges… I just hope Young David doesn’t peak too soon. And the “Aw shucks” routine might get old after a while, much like it did with Mindy Doo last year. Which means Young David will be out three weeks from the end.
Randy and Paula liked it, but Simon suggested that Young David needs to bring up the gloom some, and not be depressing week after week.
Danny Noriega sings next. He’s talking about being embarrassed by falling in front of one of his crushes. I guess if he falls, and he’s backside up, then its okay? I’ll move on…
He’s singing… butchering… Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love”. I’m not afraid to admit that Danny Noriega is a slightly prettier chick than some of the girls this season. Wouldn’t he have been better doing a George Michael song? Or even a Boy George song?
I'm not gay or anything, but Danny Noriega isn't bad looking, really. He kinda gives me the creeps, though.
Randy liked it, and Paula has plenty of gay rainbows to plunge onto Danny. Simon thought it was horrible. Useless. Bad arrangement. Bad vocals. Simon is right. I’m not sure that Ryan is even comfortable with him.
David Hernandez is trying out “Its All Coming Back to Me Now”, which obviously means the very well-known Celine version is a remake, though I can’t tell you the original. I do know, however comma that the video for “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” and the video for Meat Loaf’s immortal “I Would Do Anything For Love (but I won’t do that)” are almost identical. Random thought.
After working 9 hours at Starbucks, I’m tired. I’m sore from playing tennis last night with the Croyles and KT and the Lovely Steph Leann. I say all this to say that while Hernandez is singing, I’m having trouble staying awake.
Randy liked the song choice, Paula hurls bombs of puppies and flowers, and Simon says it was decent, but not as good as last week. It sounded good, but it was boring.
Aussie Michael Johns tells the story of being dressed as a kangaroo and getting beaten up. And he’s singing “Don’t You (forget about me)” by Simple Minds, from “The Breakfast Club”, the definitive teen movie of the 80s (followed closely by "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"). Aussie Michael is making it a rock tune, and it sounds good.
Funny thing, I was actually singing this tonight while I blended frappuccinos and steamed milk for the perfect latte. Randy compared him to Michael Hutchens of INXS (whom a girl at work called Eye-In-Ex-Ess). And by the way, Randy, this song IS by Simple Minds, not Eye-In-Ex-Ess. Just so's ya know. Paula is babbling. Like, a lot. Simon liked it, but says that like a girl in the competition, he hasn’t found that perfect song and had that perfect moment just yet.
Random sidenote... as much as I like "Don't You (forget about me)", if I had to pick one Simple Minds song, I'm taking "Alive and Kicking" every day of the week and twice on Sundays. I'm just sayin'.
David Rob Thomas Cook is actually going to take on Lionel Richie’s “Hello”, known mostly for its video where the blind girl makes a bust of Lionel out of clay, but it looks like cheese. (skip ahead to about 4:40, if you can't handle the whole video) Corny times, corny times.
David Rob Thomas Cook has his guitar, and he’s strumming the ballad along. This is weird. David Roby Thomas Cook just turned one of the deepest, softest ballads of the 80s—heck, of any decade—into a rock song on the level of Nickelback or matchbox twenty (in lowercase because that’s how they spell it). And you know what?
I like it. Awesomely done.
Randy says “you made an emo version of a Lionel Richie pop song!” and called it brilliant. Paula loves him. Like anyone else that she’s talking about. Simon says it was very brave and… “I… loved it”.
Dude, that was really good. Like, really, really good. Go David Rob Thomas Cook!
The Dreadlocked One, Jason Castro, is singing Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujahs”. This time, he’s actually without the guitar and he sounds awesome. I actually stopped typing and watching him do the whole thing… and it was brilliant. Wow, two good ones in a row! Even the end kind of went sour (and he knew it, because he half-smiled as he changed his note) it still was awesome.
Randy acknowledged how difficult the song was, and he gave him props. Paula is still talking. Paula, stop talking. For the love of Andy Murry, stop talking. Simon loved the original, and says, “it was absolutely brilliant, what you just did.” Simon says that The Dreadlocked One is getting better every week, and I agree.
And finally, its CheezyDeezy!
Holy wow… is he really going to take on Whitney Houston? He’s singing “All the Man that I Need”, though that song would be perfect for Danny Noriega, but Cheezydeezy changes it to “All the Woman that I Need”. It’s not perfect, but it’s not bad.
Really, was the a better singer in the late 80s to early 90s than pre-crack Whitney Houston? I mean, she still held that title when Mariah came onto the scene, though Whitney’s reign stopped after the Bodyguard album finally faded out. That was right about the time Mariah issued “Music Box” and “Daydream”, two incredible, pre-slut albums.
Back to Cheezydeezy, Randy liked it okay, while Paula is blithering. You can see Simon mouth the words “shut up!” He says that Cheezydeezy shouldn’t have tried that song.
KT texts me that Luke and Cheezydeezy are going home. With any luck, the Idol gods will smile upon the fanbase, and send Danny Noriega home as soon as possible… because the longer he stays in, the more like last season’s Sanjaya disaster will this show become. Good singers knocked off in favor of the novelty of an untalented singer that has slight personality, but little else.
Watching the end of show recap, I saw Danny Noriega again. I am going to go upstairs and jam stir sticks in my toenails.
________________________________________________________
Again, we are here to fire up the DVR for the ladies… little Ramy, Brooke, Simba de Vil, Hoty Kady, Syesha and more are ready to take us back to the 80s!
Let’s start by saying hi to our judges… Randy Jackson! Paula, who looks a thousand times better than she did last night, and Simon, black shirt and all. In the room, KT and The Lovely Steph Leann, ready to comment.
Asia’h Epperson
She’s only cool with curly hair, and tonight she’s cool! Taking on Whitney’s “I Wanna Dance With Someone”, one of my favorite song from my 8th grade year. KT and Steph Leann both hate her pants. Asia’h is not doing too bad, though its nothing out of the ordinary. Paula is looking goofy, standing and waving her hands. KT, stuck on the pants, comments that the lack of pockets bothers her.
Randy does some name dropping about having recorded that song with Whitney back then. He says it was hot, and then they flash to Asia’h’s friend in the audience who had crunk teeth. Paula is fluttering with clouds in my sunshine, clouds in my sunshine. Simon says “Second rate Whitney Houston,” which I can kinda agree. Steph Leann responds, “NEVER do a Whitney song. They never say good things about a Whitney song.”
Kady Malloy
For the fourth week in a row, KT can’t get over the “incorrect pronunciation” of Kady’s name. She calls her Caddy. Hoty Kady is lamenting about she stayed, and The Gap went home. Hoty Kady is singing a soft ballad that I can’t place just yet.
Sounding a bit like Rita Coolidge’s “Calm the Light”, its not. I actually don’t know the name, but I do know that Hoty Kady is doing okay. “Live Forever”, I guess is the name. Hoty Kady sounds good, but I don’t like the song. And she looks fabulous… hence Hoty Kady.
Randy comments on the song choice, and confirms that it was a Queen song. Randy says it was just pretty good, while Paula calls it Hoty Kady’s best performance. She then continues to babble, to which KT pipes up, “Ya know, that should have been all she said.”
Simon says Hoty Kady has a massive lack of personality, with a great video but not a great song with emotion. He predicts she might be in trouble—I hope not. I need a hot chick on this show, a la McPhee or Julia Damato.
Amanda Overmyer
Simba comes out, and is singing Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself (for loving you)”. Once again, her voice just rubs me the wrong way… come on people, is this your American Idol? This is more like American Next Rocker Chick that will end up on the Surreal Life with the white guy from CHiPS and Brad Garrett’s wife in “Everybody Loves Raymond”.
I’m really trying to like her, honestly… I just can’t. I’m not fans of chicks who can beat me up. KT likes her dancing. Randy says it was well done. Paula blows sunshine, kinda repeating Randy in four times as many words. Simon says it was fantastic. Perfect song choice, and even one his favorite chick performances of this season. I guess it was okay. But I still don’t like her.
Carly Smithson
Our favorite Irish chick is coming up now. The more I hear this chick, the more I like her. Her song choice tonight was “I Drove All Night” by Cyndi Lauper, to which the Lovely Steph Leann reveals her love for the Celine Dion commercial in the Cadillac commercial. Of course, KT and the Lovely Steph Leann don’t like her pants.
If I’m being honest, I really, really like Carly Smithson. She’s growing on me like kudzu. Steph Leann then tosses out not liking the tank top, while KT just dismisses the whole outfit.
Randy loves her, Paula says she’s like a dependable dog, and is just blithering. Simon didn’t like the song choice, also mentioning the Celine version. Unlike Simba, I thought it was pretty good… like, really good. She gets tossed into my Erin Formerly-Known-As-Coates Official YE S pile.
The Lovely Steph Leann: Did you see Amanda Overmyer’s fiancée? He was like, hot…
Kristy Lee Cook
KLC is up now with Journey (The Lovely Steph Leann replies, “No one has done Bon Jovi? What is this?) KLC is taking on “Faithfully”. This might be a good idea or a bad idea…
KT says she’s pretty, Steph Leann says she sounds nasally, no comments about the pants, and I think its kinda boring. Especially that note.
Randy says that two things are near to his heart, that being dawgs and Journey. He liked the spin that KLC tossed on it, though. Paula is leaning on Simon, reaching for something. We don’t know what just happened. She even thinks it might be a hit. Simon likes the country influence, but still thinks KLC is forgettable.
KT: You know, after last night, I decided I don’t think that Jason Castro is good looking.
The Lovely Steph Leann: Really, why?
KT: Because he looks like he could be mentally retarded
Ramiele Malubay
Ryan takes a crack at how short Lil’ Ramy is. She dares take on Phil Collins immortal “Against All Odds (take a look at me now)”, which is another song that the judges almost never gives good marks on. Brave Lil’ Ramy is trying.
The Lovely Steph Leann pipes up, “I love this song. I Looooooooove this song.”
I really love the puddin’ out of Lil’ Ramy’s voice. The Lovely Steph Leann says the song was okay. KT says it was okay. Randy says it was pretty good. Paula lobs baskets of sunshine, though it takes several tosses to hit Lil’ Ramy because she’s so small. She’s talking for about 10 minutes, and I have no idea what she just said. Neither does she. Simon says it was good, but kind of old fashioned.
The Lovely Steph Leann: That song just needs to come out of the songbook! That never gets rave reviews! AND WHY DOES NO ONE SING BON JOVI?????? (she then proceeds to sing and rock out in her own special Lovely Steph Leann way). They pan to Danny Noriega, who is wearing Lil’ Ramy’s glasses.
They come back to Randy, Paula and Simon, and Paula actually uses the words “moth” and “melonball”.
Brooke White
Sitting on the edge of the stage, she’s taking on Pat Benetar’s “Love is a Battlefield”, a slowed down, acoustic version of it. I like it. I’ll admit it… Brooke White is my favorite.
KT can’t get past the fact Brooke White is a beauty school dropout, because her hair is a little unkempt. It is not an exciting performance, but I like the toned down version. Its simple, but vocally sound. To me, anyway.
Randy liked it, and calls it interesting. Paula, who choreographed the video for the song, gives her sunshine. Flowers. Birds. Puppies. Feathers. Simon thought it was original, and loved it.
KT: By the way, her hair is pretty tonight, darn it.
The Lovely Steph Leann: They could have had just one Bon Jovi song.
My favorite chick on the show has another good week, and its very pleasing. On to the Top 12!
Syesha Mercado
Another chick that I think is very, very pretty… she tells an embarrassing story about a love note in 2nd grade that went awry.
The notes start for “Saving All My Love For You” by Whitney, to which The Lovely Steph Leann pipes up, “Oh no… may day…”
Personally, I LOVE this song. Again, this is pre-crack Whitney at her finest both vocally and physically. Syesha actually does it justice… its not Whitney, but its really not bad. Actually, its pretty good.
Randy says good. Paula pushes sunshine. Simon says good. My guess is they are running out of time, because the judges take about four seconds apiece.
Which means if Syesha misses the Top 12, it might be Paula’s fault for rambling about nothing and everything all at once for minutes at a time.
My picks for being tossed? With any luck, Simba and… unfortunately either KLC or Hoty Kady. I hope Brooke stays…
My favorite chicks... Brooke, Syesha, Carly, Asia'h
By the way, have you seen the latest Idol scandals? The one where D-Hern was a stripper? And the video of Danny Noriega talking about Santa Claus raping your mom, and using choice language? Its hysterical… and disturbing… and creepy. You can see it here, but its NSFW, and not safe for sensitive ears...
We’ve got 8. We’ve got to get rid of 2 more guys before the Top 12, which starts next week.
Luke Menard is up first, and honestly, this guy has to be perfect to stay on the show. And… he’s singing Wham! for his song. Just so you know, when you see “!” when I say Wham!, its not that I’m excited about George Michael and Andrew Ridgley, nor Luke Menard’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”, its actually because the “!” was part of the band name. Its not Wham, its Wham!. I’m just sayin’.
Somewhere, Andrew Ridgely, the forgotten member of Wham! is covering his face with a blanket. Terrible. Randy says a little corny, but aight. Paula name drops George Michael, and uses 10 minutes to say absolutely, positively nothing whatsoever. Simon didn’t like it, telling him not only can he not win, he won’t make it to the Top 12. I agree. I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but Luke Menard as an American Idol will have the success of Taylor Hicks as an American Idol, and Taylor is a thousand times better.
Young David Archuleta picks “Another Day in Paradise” by Phil Collins, which is a great, great song. From the album “…But Seriously” (like Wham!, the “…” at the beginning is part of the album title), its one of Phil’s best—and the live version, from "Serious Hits… Live!” is even better.
Young David is on the piano. Homeboy is killin’ it. Wow. The song is a thousand times beyond his maturity level, and little man is doing just awesome.
Now comes the inevitable Melinda Doolittle comparisons… both are obviously the best in the group, both are very sweet and humble, both are beloved by fans and the judges… I just hope Young David doesn’t peak too soon. And the “Aw shucks” routine might get old after a while, much like it did with Mindy Doo last year. Which means Young David will be out three weeks from the end.
Randy and Paula liked it, but Simon suggested that Young David needs to bring up the gloom some, and not be depressing week after week.
Danny Noriega sings next. He’s talking about being embarrassed by falling in front of one of his crushes. I guess if he falls, and he’s backside up, then its okay? I’ll move on…
He’s singing… butchering… Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love”. I’m not afraid to admit that Danny Noriega is a slightly prettier chick than some of the girls this season. Wouldn’t he have been better doing a George Michael song? Or even a Boy George song?
I'm not gay or anything, but Danny Noriega isn't bad looking, really. He kinda gives me the creeps, though.
Randy liked it, and Paula has plenty of gay rainbows to plunge onto Danny. Simon thought it was horrible. Useless. Bad arrangement. Bad vocals. Simon is right. I’m not sure that Ryan is even comfortable with him.
David Hernandez is trying out “Its All Coming Back to Me Now”, which obviously means the very well-known Celine version is a remake, though I can’t tell you the original. I do know, however comma that the video for “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” and the video for Meat Loaf’s immortal “I Would Do Anything For Love (but I won’t do that)” are almost identical. Random thought.
After working 9 hours at Starbucks, I’m tired. I’m sore from playing tennis last night with the Croyles and KT and the Lovely Steph Leann. I say all this to say that while Hernandez is singing, I’m having trouble staying awake.
Randy liked the song choice, Paula hurls bombs of puppies and flowers, and Simon says it was decent, but not as good as last week. It sounded good, but it was boring.
Aussie Michael Johns tells the story of being dressed as a kangaroo and getting beaten up. And he’s singing “Don’t You (forget about me)” by Simple Minds, from “The Breakfast Club”, the definitive teen movie of the 80s (followed closely by "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"). Aussie Michael is making it a rock tune, and it sounds good.
Funny thing, I was actually singing this tonight while I blended frappuccinos and steamed milk for the perfect latte. Randy compared him to Michael Hutchens of INXS (whom a girl at work called Eye-In-Ex-Ess). And by the way, Randy, this song IS by Simple Minds, not Eye-In-Ex-Ess. Just so's ya know. Paula is babbling. Like, a lot. Simon liked it, but says that like a girl in the competition, he hasn’t found that perfect song and had that perfect moment just yet.
Random sidenote... as much as I like "Don't You (forget about me)", if I had to pick one Simple Minds song, I'm taking "Alive and Kicking" every day of the week and twice on Sundays. I'm just sayin'.
David Rob Thomas Cook is actually going to take on Lionel Richie’s “Hello”, known mostly for its video where the blind girl makes a bust of Lionel out of clay, but it looks like cheese. (skip ahead to about 4:40, if you can't handle the whole video) Corny times, corny times.
David Rob Thomas Cook has his guitar, and he’s strumming the ballad along. This is weird. David Roby Thomas Cook just turned one of the deepest, softest ballads of the 80s—heck, of any decade—into a rock song on the level of Nickelback or matchbox twenty (in lowercase because that’s how they spell it). And you know what?
I like it. Awesomely done.
Randy says “you made an emo version of a Lionel Richie pop song!” and called it brilliant. Paula loves him. Like anyone else that she’s talking about. Simon says it was very brave and… “I… loved it”.
Dude, that was really good. Like, really, really good. Go David Rob Thomas Cook!
The Dreadlocked One, Jason Castro, is singing Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujahs”. This time, he’s actually without the guitar and he sounds awesome. I actually stopped typing and watching him do the whole thing… and it was brilliant. Wow, two good ones in a row! Even the end kind of went sour (and he knew it, because he half-smiled as he changed his note) it still was awesome.
Randy acknowledged how difficult the song was, and he gave him props. Paula is still talking. Paula, stop talking. For the love of Andy Murry, stop talking. Simon loved the original, and says, “it was absolutely brilliant, what you just did.” Simon says that The Dreadlocked One is getting better every week, and I agree.
And finally, its CheezyDeezy!
Holy wow… is he really going to take on Whitney Houston? He’s singing “All the Man that I Need”, though that song would be perfect for Danny Noriega, but Cheezydeezy changes it to “All the Woman that I Need”. It’s not perfect, but it’s not bad.
Really, was the a better singer in the late 80s to early 90s than pre-crack Whitney Houston? I mean, she still held that title when Mariah came onto the scene, though Whitney’s reign stopped after the Bodyguard album finally faded out. That was right about the time Mariah issued “Music Box” and “Daydream”, two incredible, pre-slut albums.
Back to Cheezydeezy, Randy liked it okay, while Paula is blithering. You can see Simon mouth the words “shut up!” He says that Cheezydeezy shouldn’t have tried that song.
KT texts me that Luke and Cheezydeezy are going home. With any luck, the Idol gods will smile upon the fanbase, and send Danny Noriega home as soon as possible… because the longer he stays in, the more like last season’s Sanjaya disaster will this show become. Good singers knocked off in favor of the novelty of an untalented singer that has slight personality, but little else.
Watching the end of show recap, I saw Danny Noriega again. I am going to go upstairs and jam stir sticks in my toenails.
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Again, we are here to fire up the DVR for the ladies… little Ramy, Brooke, Simba de Vil, Hoty Kady, Syesha and more are ready to take us back to the 80s!
Let’s start by saying hi to our judges… Randy Jackson! Paula, who looks a thousand times better than she did last night, and Simon, black shirt and all. In the room, KT and The Lovely Steph Leann, ready to comment.
Asia’h Epperson
She’s only cool with curly hair, and tonight she’s cool! Taking on Whitney’s “I Wanna Dance With Someone”, one of my favorite song from my 8th grade year. KT and Steph Leann both hate her pants. Asia’h is not doing too bad, though its nothing out of the ordinary. Paula is looking goofy, standing and waving her hands. KT, stuck on the pants, comments that the lack of pockets bothers her.
Randy does some name dropping about having recorded that song with Whitney back then. He says it was hot, and then they flash to Asia’h’s friend in the audience who had crunk teeth. Paula is fluttering with clouds in my sunshine, clouds in my sunshine. Simon says “Second rate Whitney Houston,” which I can kinda agree. Steph Leann responds, “NEVER do a Whitney song. They never say good things about a Whitney song.”
Kady Malloy
For the fourth week in a row, KT can’t get over the “incorrect pronunciation” of Kady’s name. She calls her Caddy. Hoty Kady is lamenting about she stayed, and The Gap went home. Hoty Kady is singing a soft ballad that I can’t place just yet.
Sounding a bit like Rita Coolidge’s “Calm the Light”, its not. I actually don’t know the name, but I do know that Hoty Kady is doing okay. “Live Forever”, I guess is the name. Hoty Kady sounds good, but I don’t like the song. And she looks fabulous… hence Hoty Kady.
Randy comments on the song choice, and confirms that it was a Queen song. Randy says it was just pretty good, while Paula calls it Hoty Kady’s best performance. She then continues to babble, to which KT pipes up, “Ya know, that should have been all she said.”
Simon says Hoty Kady has a massive lack of personality, with a great video but not a great song with emotion. He predicts she might be in trouble—I hope not. I need a hot chick on this show, a la McPhee or Julia Damato.
Amanda Overmyer
Simba comes out, and is singing Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself (for loving you)”. Once again, her voice just rubs me the wrong way… come on people, is this your American Idol? This is more like American Next Rocker Chick that will end up on the Surreal Life with the white guy from CHiPS and Brad Garrett’s wife in “Everybody Loves Raymond”.
I’m really trying to like her, honestly… I just can’t. I’m not fans of chicks who can beat me up. KT likes her dancing. Randy says it was well done. Paula blows sunshine, kinda repeating Randy in four times as many words. Simon says it was fantastic. Perfect song choice, and even one his favorite chick performances of this season. I guess it was okay. But I still don’t like her.
Carly Smithson
Our favorite Irish chick is coming up now. The more I hear this chick, the more I like her. Her song choice tonight was “I Drove All Night” by Cyndi Lauper, to which the Lovely Steph Leann reveals her love for the Celine Dion commercial in the Cadillac commercial. Of course, KT and the Lovely Steph Leann don’t like her pants.
If I’m being honest, I really, really like Carly Smithson. She’s growing on me like kudzu. Steph Leann then tosses out not liking the tank top, while KT just dismisses the whole outfit.
Randy loves her, Paula says she’s like a dependable dog, and is just blithering. Simon didn’t like the song choice, also mentioning the Celine version. Unlike Simba, I thought it was pretty good… like, really good. She gets tossed into my Erin Formerly-Known-As-Coates Official YE S pile.
The Lovely Steph Leann: Did you see Amanda Overmyer’s fiancée? He was like, hot…
Kristy Lee Cook
KLC is up now with Journey (The Lovely Steph Leann replies, “No one has done Bon Jovi? What is this?) KLC is taking on “Faithfully”. This might be a good idea or a bad idea…
KT says she’s pretty, Steph Leann says she sounds nasally, no comments about the pants, and I think its kinda boring. Especially that note.
Randy says that two things are near to his heart, that being dawgs and Journey. He liked the spin that KLC tossed on it, though. Paula is leaning on Simon, reaching for something. We don’t know what just happened. She even thinks it might be a hit. Simon likes the country influence, but still thinks KLC is forgettable.
KT: You know, after last night, I decided I don’t think that Jason Castro is good looking.
The Lovely Steph Leann: Really, why?
KT: Because he looks like he could be mentally retarded
Ramiele Malubay
Ryan takes a crack at how short Lil’ Ramy is. She dares take on Phil Collins immortal “Against All Odds (take a look at me now)”, which is another song that the judges almost never gives good marks on. Brave Lil’ Ramy is trying.
The Lovely Steph Leann pipes up, “I love this song. I Looooooooove this song.”
I really love the puddin’ out of Lil’ Ramy’s voice. The Lovely Steph Leann says the song was okay. KT says it was okay. Randy says it was pretty good. Paula lobs baskets of sunshine, though it takes several tosses to hit Lil’ Ramy because she’s so small. She’s talking for about 10 minutes, and I have no idea what she just said. Neither does she. Simon says it was good, but kind of old fashioned.
The Lovely Steph Leann: That song just needs to come out of the songbook! That never gets rave reviews! AND WHY DOES NO ONE SING BON JOVI?????? (she then proceeds to sing and rock out in her own special Lovely Steph Leann way). They pan to Danny Noriega, who is wearing Lil’ Ramy’s glasses.
They come back to Randy, Paula and Simon, and Paula actually uses the words “moth” and “melonball”.
Brooke White
Sitting on the edge of the stage, she’s taking on Pat Benetar’s “Love is a Battlefield”, a slowed down, acoustic version of it. I like it. I’ll admit it… Brooke White is my favorite.
KT can’t get past the fact Brooke White is a beauty school dropout, because her hair is a little unkempt. It is not an exciting performance, but I like the toned down version. Its simple, but vocally sound. To me, anyway.
Randy liked it, and calls it interesting. Paula, who choreographed the video for the song, gives her sunshine. Flowers. Birds. Puppies. Feathers. Simon thought it was original, and loved it.
KT: By the way, her hair is pretty tonight, darn it.
The Lovely Steph Leann: They could have had just one Bon Jovi song.
My favorite chick on the show has another good week, and its very pleasing. On to the Top 12!
Syesha Mercado
Another chick that I think is very, very pretty… she tells an embarrassing story about a love note in 2nd grade that went awry.
The notes start for “Saving All My Love For You” by Whitney, to which The Lovely Steph Leann pipes up, “Oh no… may day…”
Personally, I LOVE this song. Again, this is pre-crack Whitney at her finest both vocally and physically. Syesha actually does it justice… its not Whitney, but its really not bad. Actually, its pretty good.
Randy says good. Paula pushes sunshine. Simon says good. My guess is they are running out of time, because the judges take about four seconds apiece.
Which means if Syesha misses the Top 12, it might be Paula’s fault for rambling about nothing and everything all at once for minutes at a time.
My picks for being tossed? With any luck, Simba and… unfortunately either KLC or Hoty Kady. I hope Brooke stays…
My favorite chicks... Brooke, Syesha, Carly, Asia'h
Saturday, March 01, 2008
The Moving Diaries: RIP, Casa de Pesos
After closing last night at Starbucks, I had to open this morning (also known as a 'clopening', which is never fun). And after I finally got off work around 930 this morning, I had to finish up at the old apartment.
Today was one of those Saturdays when you knew you had a day's worth of stuff to do... finish the apartment, turn in the keys, unload the car, take the old dryer to the Shelby County Landfill, go to a birthday party, and all that stuff... but remarkably, I found a few minutes to toss in my final thoughts about the old apartment, or as I affectionally called it, The Casa de Pesos. Yes, I know that literally means "House of Money", but considering we were living on the edge of GuadalaHoover, it seemed to fit.
Anyway, it was kinda bittersweet. Don't get me wrong, I love The Cabana, but in this entire two month process, I've always had the apartment access. As of 11am this morning, that ended.
This whole thing has been a series of phases, really, with Phase 1 being the preliminary move... you know, the house details, the confirmation that we were in fact moving, the gathering of boxes, the beginnings of the packing, the switching of mail, all that stuff.
Phase 2 was the actual move-in, and the initial unpacking of essential items--toiletries, clothes, dvds, remote controls, that sort of stuff, while Phase 3 was the finishing up of the apartment... the cleaning, the removal of everything, the pulling all the nails out of the wall and such. Phase 4 will be the thorough unpacking of everything else at The Cabana, and finally, Phase 5 is the big ol' cookout we'll have in May, opening the doors to one and all.
Steps I've climbed thousands of times. But no more.
The Lovely Steph Leann had completed the clean up on Friday night, so all I had to do was pick up a few remaining items, that being a small ladder, some wire shelving, trash to throw away and a few other odds and ends, then go to the office and turn in the key.
I walked slowly up and down the steps several times, each trip carrying more and more, which decreasingly affected the stuff left. Finally, all that was left was a package of bubble wrap and some kraft paper, both of which we'll be donating to KT and JR for their possible move. I strolled through the now empty apartment, still seeing the four small indented circles where the bed sat in the master bedroom, close to a large rectangular imprint where the dresser stood for almost four years.
In the living room, several small circles gave me an idea of exactly where our couch was placed a month ago, while in the guest bedroom, four large circles told me that the guest bed, sitting on four risers to give us extra room underneath, was heavy enough to leave a mark.
Is this picture of a blank apartment as weird to you as it is to me?
It kind of reminded me of The Deuce, though it was a little different then. Back then, I was the second of four to move out... Tom had fled earlier to shack up with Jill, whom he'd married a month earlier. I had my bedroom at The Deuce emptied on February 27th, as on the 28th, I was also getting matrimonially blissed. Michael and Shawn finished up The Deuce, and still I don't know who was last.
Today, though, in the Casa de Pesos, I was last. It was strange, as this apartment, for all its faults and all its stupid bike-in-the-parking-lot leaving children and all its old-lady-making-Cinemax-noises-at-3am neighbors, was a good place to live. It served its purpose. And today, its over.
We had multiple Christmas gatherings, Oscar parties, birthday events, a wedding shower for DeLisa and her man Nick, two different Flood (nee Disciple Now) groups, and in our kitchen is where I met one of my new best friends, Little Sister Ashley... and 12 months later, twenty feet away, that same new best friend lived in that bedroom for two months while she got on her feet in a new town.
I was there a month before The Lovely Steph Leann was, as she was in Atlanta, living with friends and desperately looking for a job in The Ham. Friendships forged, marriages strengthened, lots of hugs and kisses, and some crazy games of Risk, Attacktix, Disney Trivial Pursuit (Uni-donkey, anyone?) and Phase 10 were had at The Casa de Pesos.
I rolled over the Speedbumps From Hell one final time, stepped into the office and dropped off the mail key and the door key. Of course, I know of at least four other people who have a key, but I had the master, and its now out of my hands. And you know what?
It's bittersweet, but I'm okay with it. Onto Phase 4.
Today was one of those Saturdays when you knew you had a day's worth of stuff to do... finish the apartment, turn in the keys, unload the car, take the old dryer to the Shelby County Landfill, go to a birthday party, and all that stuff... but remarkably, I found a few minutes to toss in my final thoughts about the old apartment, or as I affectionally called it, The Casa de Pesos. Yes, I know that literally means "House of Money", but considering we were living on the edge of GuadalaHoover, it seemed to fit.
Anyway, it was kinda bittersweet. Don't get me wrong, I love The Cabana, but in this entire two month process, I've always had the apartment access. As of 11am this morning, that ended.
This whole thing has been a series of phases, really, with Phase 1 being the preliminary move... you know, the house details, the confirmation that we were in fact moving, the gathering of boxes, the beginnings of the packing, the switching of mail, all that stuff.
Phase 2 was the actual move-in, and the initial unpacking of essential items--toiletries, clothes, dvds, remote controls, that sort of stuff, while Phase 3 was the finishing up of the apartment... the cleaning, the removal of everything, the pulling all the nails out of the wall and such. Phase 4 will be the thorough unpacking of everything else at The Cabana, and finally, Phase 5 is the big ol' cookout we'll have in May, opening the doors to one and all.
Steps I've climbed thousands of times. But no more.
The Lovely Steph Leann had completed the clean up on Friday night, so all I had to do was pick up a few remaining items, that being a small ladder, some wire shelving, trash to throw away and a few other odds and ends, then go to the office and turn in the key.
I walked slowly up and down the steps several times, each trip carrying more and more, which decreasingly affected the stuff left. Finally, all that was left was a package of bubble wrap and some kraft paper, both of which we'll be donating to KT and JR for their possible move. I strolled through the now empty apartment, still seeing the four small indented circles where the bed sat in the master bedroom, close to a large rectangular imprint where the dresser stood for almost four years.
In the living room, several small circles gave me an idea of exactly where our couch was placed a month ago, while in the guest bedroom, four large circles told me that the guest bed, sitting on four risers to give us extra room underneath, was heavy enough to leave a mark.
Is this picture of a blank apartment as weird to you as it is to me?
It kind of reminded me of The Deuce, though it was a little different then. Back then, I was the second of four to move out... Tom had fled earlier to shack up with Jill, whom he'd married a month earlier. I had my bedroom at The Deuce emptied on February 27th, as on the 28th, I was also getting matrimonially blissed. Michael and Shawn finished up The Deuce, and still I don't know who was last.
Today, though, in the Casa de Pesos, I was last. It was strange, as this apartment, for all its faults and all its stupid bike-in-the-parking-lot leaving children and all its old-lady-making-Cinemax-noises-at-3am neighbors, was a good place to live. It served its purpose. And today, its over.
We had multiple Christmas gatherings, Oscar parties, birthday events, a wedding shower for DeLisa and her man Nick, two different Flood (nee Disciple Now) groups, and in our kitchen is where I met one of my new best friends, Little Sister Ashley... and 12 months later, twenty feet away, that same new best friend lived in that bedroom for two months while she got on her feet in a new town.
I was there a month before The Lovely Steph Leann was, as she was in Atlanta, living with friends and desperately looking for a job in The Ham. Friendships forged, marriages strengthened, lots of hugs and kisses, and some crazy games of Risk, Attacktix, Disney Trivial Pursuit (Uni-donkey, anyone?) and Phase 10 were had at The Casa de Pesos.
I rolled over the Speedbumps From Hell one final time, stepped into the office and dropped off the mail key and the door key. Of course, I know of at least four other people who have a key, but I had the master, and its now out of my hands. And you know what?
It's bittersweet, but I'm okay with it. Onto Phase 4.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Four Years Later...
By the way... those of you who read the site have lots to read, including two days of Idol, a 100 Coolest Recap, a long post, and now one more...
But it would wrong to not mention one thing... despite my hotness for Amy Adams, and my adoration for friends like Nikki and Little Sister Ashley, and a love for castles versus my love for modern art, and the fact I've managed to get by 4 years without a single Streisand movie, and even knowing that Ashley Judd is truly a goddess (you have your Firth, I have my Judd), one thing remains true.
I love my wife Stephanie Leann more today than I ever did on February 28th, 2004, because of a million things I would be up all night listing.
Right now, its 110am, its 70 minutes from our 4 year anniversary day ending, and she's sleeping away blissfully. But I thought I would just say it here, because I know she'll read this tomorrow.
Steph Leann--I love you very, very much, and you are truly what God had for my life. Not only am I a better person just because I know you (you all are, really), but even more so because I'm married to you. I'm excited that you are still able to put up with me on this journey, and I can't wait to ride Cinderella's carousel with you again... (meaning that we would, of course, be there).
Your my song.
ps... before you ask me what I got her for our anniversary... I bought her a house. What more do you want?
But it would wrong to not mention one thing... despite my hotness for Amy Adams, and my adoration for friends like Nikki and Little Sister Ashley, and a love for castles versus my love for modern art, and the fact I've managed to get by 4 years without a single Streisand movie, and even knowing that Ashley Judd is truly a goddess (you have your Firth, I have my Judd), one thing remains true.
I love my wife Stephanie Leann more today than I ever did on February 28th, 2004, because of a million things I would be up all night listing.
Right now, its 110am, its 70 minutes from our 4 year anniversary day ending, and she's sleeping away blissfully. But I thought I would just say it here, because I know she'll read this tomorrow.
Steph Leann--I love you very, very much, and you are truly what God had for my life. Not only am I a better person just because I know you (you all are, really), but even more so because I'm married to you. I'm excited that you are still able to put up with me on this journey, and I can't wait to ride Cinderella's carousel with you again... (meaning that we would, of course, be there).
Your my song.
ps... before you ask me what I got her for our anniversary... I bought her a house. What more do you want?
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The 100 Coolest Things of 2007... 10 to 6 (and among other things, a McLachlan vs PM Dawn showdown)
“When you get married, things will slow down a little bit”… “When you get settled in your new home, life will slow down a little bit…” You’d think these things stand a chance of being true, but its lies, all lies.
The 10th Coolest Thing of 2007… Nikki Brown
Nikki and I have known each other for probably close to 8 years now, me having met her when she was an illegal high school student, and I was a Valleydale Baptist Church (a yet unnamed SBC fellowship) who kept my distance, lest I be named Brinks Part II. (old joke there)
Anyway, we hung out only in big circles and group outings, but in 2007, it was The Year of the Nikki. You could say it was Harry Potter who brought us together, as we bonded tightly over Harry and the like, especially in the days leading up to the release of “Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows”. Beyond that, we just became… well, good friends.
Me and my friend Nikki.
She’s great, with a great big warm smile and a great spirit and heart. She's awesome. __________________________________
So, you might have heard that I have taken the management position of the Starbucks on 20th Street & University, in downtown Birmingham. It was offered to me a few days ago, though when I say “offered”, its not as if you can refuse a store when its presented to you. While not my ideal situation, notably because 1) its downtown, and I hate downtown, and 2)parking sucks, its still a great store. The team is top notch, and I’m not walking into a rehab situation, one where I have to rebuild the store—I just have to maintain it.
Sadly, though, I leave Starbucks Cahaba Heights. I take great pride in the fact that I’ve help build that team to what it is, truly one of the best teams in this area, even the state. The team is cohesive, the team is excited, the team is ready to be the best. You might have heard that Starbucks across the country shut down last night for three hours for training… there is a reason for that.
For a while, Starbucks said they were the best. They were better than anyone else, when it came to retail and coffee, and for a while, they were better than anyone else. Well, over time, Dunkin’ Donuts got better, McDonalds got better, retail grocery coffee got a little better and so on, and all the while, while Starbucks is saying “we’re better!”, they weren’t. We weren’t.
So we decided to do something about it. We decided to get better. So I led our team in three hours of intensive training on exactly how to pull a perfect shot of espresso, on exactly how to achieve the perfect foam in a pitcher of milk, and exactly how to make a perfect customer connection. There’s more to making a beverage than just pulling a shot and pouring in some milk—there’s adjusting the grind, there’s timing the shot, there’s utilizing the shot before it dies, there’s aerating the milk just right, there’s plunging the steam wand into the milk at just the right time, there’s looking the customer in the eyes, saying thank you, knowing their name, wishing them well, asking how they are doing… this is what we did last night for three hours.
So if you need a great Starbucks Experience, then head to Cahaba Heights, where we’ll make it right. And better. At least until next week… then head to University and 20th Street, where we’ll make it even better.
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The 9th Coolest Thing of 2007… “Enchanted”
What a great flick. I mean, seriously. I was actually looking forward to it, the more I saw the previews, and this would be a win two-fold… first , the Lovely Steph Leann really, really wanted to see it, so by taking her, I would be a rock star. Secondly, the movie looks really funny, so while making her happy, I get to enjoy it too.
Narrated by Julie Andrews (natch), it starts out animated (and like the Disney princess movies, with a storybook opening) and shows us Princess Gisele doing the normal Disney Princess things, almost self-mocking really. She’s singing, the animals are responding to her, she’s waiting for her dearest love to come and find her, while the Prince is strong, cocky, riding a horse and singing about how great he is, and how he will find his love. Tricked by the evil Queen Narissa, Princess Gisele is pushed down a magical well, only to come out on the other side…
…in New York City. Enter the gorgeously hot Amy Adams, in full wedding dress, playing the live action Gisele, who is, of course, wonderfully confused. Enter Patrick Dempsey, playing the real life executive Robert, father of the precious Morgan, and fiancée of the almost as good looking Nancy, played by almost as good looking Idina Menzel—you may remember her from the movie “Rent”, though most of my readers probably haven’t seen “Rent” (Scotty Latta did say he could relate to the gender bending Angel, not necessarily Angel’s life, but the internal struggle within to be himself in a world that asks you to be someone else… hey, he said it, not me)
Look! A reason to put up a picture of Amy Adams! I'll take it!
Anyway, the Queen, a delicious Susan Sarandon, shows up, wreaks havoc, as does the Prince, a hilarious James Marsden. In one of the funniest scenes ever, the Prince is singing atop a bridge… he hops down onto the path, in mid-song, only to be run over by a bicycle race. I laughed for a long, long time. This is one of those great movies that I look forward to watching again and again, and has a real shot at being in the Dave100, the 2012 edition.
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So, on my DirecTV tonight, after watching all the shows I needed to watch--Survivor, American Idol, Celebrity Apprentice--I came upstairs to blog a little. As I flipped on the tv, I was met with quite a quandry. On at the same time... "DieHard 2: Die Harder"... "The Rock"... "Independence Day"... all incredible guys movies, all with lots of explosions, all with great casts, all movies featured in the Dave100. What do you do?
I lobbyed. I watched "The Rock" the other day, since it was on, but you can't really watch this movie too many times. Ed Harris, David Morse, legendary actor Bokeem Woodbine, Nic Cage and of course, Sean Connery. Then, there's "Independence Day", with Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith. "Shut up about the fat lady, you're obsessed with fat ladies, just get us out of here!"
Ultimately, I decided on "DieHard 2: Die Harder", partly because it features Fred Thompson, and this was perhaps my grief over Thompson's loss in the presidential race.
Also, you can't go wrong with Bruce. Did you know that General Esperanza is from the fictional country of Valverde, the same fake country used in Ah-nald's "Commando"? The first "DieHard" was actually supposed to be a sequel to that movie. Who knew?
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The 8th Coolest Thing of 2007... Dave Ramsey
Live from Financial Peace Plaza, its the Dave Ramsey Show, where debt is dumb, cash is king and the paid off home mortgage has taken the place of the BMW as the status symbol of choice. I am your host, and this is the best in talk radio, service oriented talk radio, talk radio that matters.
And yes, I did that all from memory. Its hard to listen three hours per day, and in fact, I can't remember when I listened to a whole three hour, same-day show, though getting it on podcasting allows me to listen to multiple shows at a time.
Dave's just the man, really. He was a millionaire by his mid-20s, went bankrupt because he didn't know how to use his money wisely, and started all over again, making smart decisions, saving, investing and NOT using credit cards. Now that Steph and I are pretty much one single payment away from being debt free--except for the house we just bought two weeks ago--its entertaining and sometimes heartbreaking to listen to the people who call in now.
People with thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt and no concept of what to do with it. It kinda cracks me up to not only hear people who pull in $200K or more per year be completely saddled with so much debt, they are overdrawn at the bank, but also to hear Dave Ramsey say, simply, "You make 200 thousand dollars per year. I just can't feel sorry for you!"
Various websites and columns criticize his methods, including many that say "debt is not wrong!", and you know, debt may not be inherantly wrong. I mean, perhaps its okay to owe other people money. But he speaks to more than just debt... he speaks on how to handle your money. Its not so much paying off all your bills, its changing your habits and lifestyle so that when you get money, you make smart choices with it, and one day, yes, be completely debt free.
Just like you wouldn't take diet advice from a fat doctor, make sure your financial advise comes from someone with money, not broke people with fancy cars and 14 credit card statements per month.
What would it be like to not owe a single person or company one single thing? Of course, we'll always owe the power bill and water and cable and monthly utilities... but to have a thousand or more dollars per month that you previously dedicated to Chase Visa, to Discover, to Fannie Mae Student Loans, to Citi Card... now just used for whatever you want. Save. Retirement. Give some away. Save for that big screen tv and pay cash for it, so when you get it home, its yours.
The other day, I heard a guy call in who makes about $40,000 per year... and he had a $900 car payment per month. And all I could say is... "That's not me. Not anymore."
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By the way, "DieHard 2: Die Harder" ended, and I managed to catch the end of "The Rock". Its worth it just to hear Nic Cage say, "That's how that s*%& works!!"
And, due to the coolness of DirecTV and satellite, even though I missed "Independence Day" on Encore a little while ago, its just coming on now on Encore West. The downside to DirecTV is that sometimes I'm roped into watching crap like "Deep Impact". And if ever you want to watch crap that involved Tea Leoni (a crappy actress), a list of B-grade actors (including Favreau, Ron Eldard, Dougray Scott and Leelee Sobieski given crappy roles), a comet hurling towards the Earth (a crappy plot outdone by "Armageddon") and Morgan Freeman (a cra... well, he's actually a really good actor, but he's alongside all the aforementioned crap), then "Deep Impact" is your crap.
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Tonight, kicked off of Idol was The Yeager(meister), Alaina "The Gap", Robbie Carrico and Alex Andrea Lushington. I could've done without both Robbie and The Yeager(meister), though the latter had a cool nickname, but I liked both The Gap and Alex Andrea.
My favorite thus far? Brooke White. She's a very Carly Simon like singer, and I like Carly Simon quite a bit. KD Malloy is still the hottest, but I would probably buy a Brooke White cd before anyone else. That's not saying I'd buy a Brooke White cd, mind you.
Out of six seasons of American Idol, I own two Idol cds... the one from Pickles, and the one from McPhee. Both are not bad, really. I also have iTunes copies of Taylor Hicks' and Daughtry's cds, the former being not all that great, and the latter being really good. Oh, and Carrie Underwood's first cd is fabulous. Jason Roberts says that Clay Aiken's music is really good, but I just can't buy into it.
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The Tie for the 6th Coolest Things of 2007... "How to Save a Life"/"Over My Head (cable car)" by The Fray
Every year, there seems to be a song that makes my top ten, as if its my favorite song of the year... perhaps years later, I still am enamored with it ("Black Horse & the Cherry Tree" by KT Tunstall, the 3rd coolest thing of 2006), and sometimes years later, I grow tired of it, and am not as taken by it as before ("Behind These Hazel Eyes" by Kelly Clarkson, who ranked 6th on 2005's coolest)
This year really is no different... both of these songs are magical, really, and I can't decide which ranks 7th and which ranks 6th, so I guess I'll just tie them at 6. The Fray is a Denver based band that has been around for a few years, and started out like most bands do... playing locally, trying to get radio play, releasing some self-titled EPs and such, and they worked their way up.
"Over My Head (cable car)" is just so darn singable. "I never knew... I never knew that everything was falling through..." is such a catchy tune, and now that you've read that, its in your head. On the other hand, "How to Save a Life" mostly caught fire because of play on "Grey's Anatomy", but also spent some time played in "Cold Case" and "One Tree Hill", and is also a fantastic tune.
Because of its media popularity, there are actually five videos to this song--the original, the Grey's Anatomy, the original redux, the September 11th version and the Katrina version.
Truly, it all comes down to the piano and vocals of the lead, Isaac Slade. I also remember Scotty Latta saying something on his old Rammer Jammer site about how much he liked The Fray, back before all this Fray momentum began. He always was a trendsetter.
What more can I say? I love these two songs. Tied for 6th on the Coolest Things of 2007.
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Do I put newer songs on my favorite songs list? I used to. But not anymore. Blame that on Duncan Sheik.
I had this theory back in the day that any song had to be at least two years old before appearing on my mental Favorite Songs list. I figured that any song should be heard over and over to ensure that I don't get tired of it. This point was proved when "Barely Breathing" came out in 1996.
I loved that song. It was cool. Duncan Sheik and his guitar had this cool sound, this guitar rock sound and the song was just... well, awesome. I would turn it up when it came on the radio as I drove to Montgomery to work from Troy (I worked at The Disney Store in Monkeytown)... "I am barely breathing, I can't find the air, don't know who I'm kidding, imagining you care..."
My favorite song at that time? "I'd Die Without You" by P.M. Dawn, followed closely by "Piano in the Dark" by Brenda Russell and "Not the Only One" by Bonnie Raitt. I considered fast tracking Duncan to the top five, but decided to wait. I was never one of those people who had a different "favorite song" every week, so I refused to make "Barely Breathing" a favorite song after being out only a few months.
And I was right. Within a year, I tired of the song. Quickly. It just got old, fast. Even ten years later, it's just so-so for me, one that I might keep on if I can't find anything else. So, still, sixteen years after it came out, "I'd Die Without You" still holds my top spot... but just barely.
Over the years, Sarah McLachlan's "Possession" has gained much ground, working its way to the top to not only equal P.M. Dawn's superb song from "Boomerang", but in some ways surpass it. Still, Brenda Russell stays in 3rd, Bonnie Raitt in 4th, and "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears is in 5th, but that #1 spot is a toss up.
Its time to take a stand and make a decision. What should it be? In one corner, from the album "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy", its "Possession" by Sarah McLachlan, currently at #2, having been there for about 8 years. In the other corner, Dave's #1 song, ever, having held that spot since August of 1992, for over 800 weeks, 15 years, P.M. Dawn's "I'd Die Without You"
Follow the links. Listen to them both. What do you think?
Man, that felt good to get that off my chest.
The 10th Coolest Thing of 2007… Nikki Brown
Nikki and I have known each other for probably close to 8 years now, me having met her when she was an illegal high school student, and I was a Valleydale Baptist Church (a yet unnamed SBC fellowship) who kept my distance, lest I be named Brinks Part II. (old joke there)
Anyway, we hung out only in big circles and group outings, but in 2007, it was The Year of the Nikki. You could say it was Harry Potter who brought us together, as we bonded tightly over Harry and the like, especially in the days leading up to the release of “Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows”. Beyond that, we just became… well, good friends.
Me and my friend Nikki.
She’s great, with a great big warm smile and a great spirit and heart. She's awesome. __________________________________
So, you might have heard that I have taken the management position of the Starbucks on 20th Street & University, in downtown Birmingham. It was offered to me a few days ago, though when I say “offered”, its not as if you can refuse a store when its presented to you. While not my ideal situation, notably because 1) its downtown, and I hate downtown, and 2)parking sucks, its still a great store. The team is top notch, and I’m not walking into a rehab situation, one where I have to rebuild the store—I just have to maintain it.
Sadly, though, I leave Starbucks Cahaba Heights. I take great pride in the fact that I’ve help build that team to what it is, truly one of the best teams in this area, even the state. The team is cohesive, the team is excited, the team is ready to be the best. You might have heard that Starbucks across the country shut down last night for three hours for training… there is a reason for that.
For a while, Starbucks said they were the best. They were better than anyone else, when it came to retail and coffee, and for a while, they were better than anyone else. Well, over time, Dunkin’ Donuts got better, McDonalds got better, retail grocery coffee got a little better and so on, and all the while, while Starbucks is saying “we’re better!”, they weren’t. We weren’t.
So we decided to do something about it. We decided to get better. So I led our team in three hours of intensive training on exactly how to pull a perfect shot of espresso, on exactly how to achieve the perfect foam in a pitcher of milk, and exactly how to make a perfect customer connection. There’s more to making a beverage than just pulling a shot and pouring in some milk—there’s adjusting the grind, there’s timing the shot, there’s utilizing the shot before it dies, there’s aerating the milk just right, there’s plunging the steam wand into the milk at just the right time, there’s looking the customer in the eyes, saying thank you, knowing their name, wishing them well, asking how they are doing… this is what we did last night for three hours.
So if you need a great Starbucks Experience, then head to Cahaba Heights, where we’ll make it right. And better. At least until next week… then head to University and 20th Street, where we’ll make it even better.
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The 9th Coolest Thing of 2007… “Enchanted”
What a great flick. I mean, seriously. I was actually looking forward to it, the more I saw the previews, and this would be a win two-fold… first , the Lovely Steph Leann really, really wanted to see it, so by taking her, I would be a rock star. Secondly, the movie looks really funny, so while making her happy, I get to enjoy it too.
Narrated by Julie Andrews (natch), it starts out animated (and like the Disney princess movies, with a storybook opening) and shows us Princess Gisele doing the normal Disney Princess things, almost self-mocking really. She’s singing, the animals are responding to her, she’s waiting for her dearest love to come and find her, while the Prince is strong, cocky, riding a horse and singing about how great he is, and how he will find his love. Tricked by the evil Queen Narissa, Princess Gisele is pushed down a magical well, only to come out on the other side…
…in New York City. Enter the gorgeously hot Amy Adams, in full wedding dress, playing the live action Gisele, who is, of course, wonderfully confused. Enter Patrick Dempsey, playing the real life executive Robert, father of the precious Morgan, and fiancée of the almost as good looking Nancy, played by almost as good looking Idina Menzel—you may remember her from the movie “Rent”, though most of my readers probably haven’t seen “Rent” (Scotty Latta did say he could relate to the gender bending Angel, not necessarily Angel’s life, but the internal struggle within to be himself in a world that asks you to be someone else… hey, he said it, not me)
Look! A reason to put up a picture of Amy Adams! I'll take it!
Anyway, the Queen, a delicious Susan Sarandon, shows up, wreaks havoc, as does the Prince, a hilarious James Marsden. In one of the funniest scenes ever, the Prince is singing atop a bridge… he hops down onto the path, in mid-song, only to be run over by a bicycle race. I laughed for a long, long time. This is one of those great movies that I look forward to watching again and again, and has a real shot at being in the Dave100, the 2012 edition.
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So, on my DirecTV tonight, after watching all the shows I needed to watch--Survivor, American Idol, Celebrity Apprentice--I came upstairs to blog a little. As I flipped on the tv, I was met with quite a quandry. On at the same time... "DieHard 2: Die Harder"... "The Rock"... "Independence Day"... all incredible guys movies, all with lots of explosions, all with great casts, all movies featured in the Dave100. What do you do?
I lobbyed. I watched "The Rock" the other day, since it was on, but you can't really watch this movie too many times. Ed Harris, David Morse, legendary actor Bokeem Woodbine, Nic Cage and of course, Sean Connery. Then, there's "Independence Day", with Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith. "Shut up about the fat lady, you're obsessed with fat ladies, just get us out of here!"
Ultimately, I decided on "DieHard 2: Die Harder", partly because it features Fred Thompson, and this was perhaps my grief over Thompson's loss in the presidential race.
Also, you can't go wrong with Bruce. Did you know that General Esperanza is from the fictional country of Valverde, the same fake country used in Ah-nald's "Commando"? The first "DieHard" was actually supposed to be a sequel to that movie. Who knew?
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The 8th Coolest Thing of 2007... Dave Ramsey
Live from Financial Peace Plaza, its the Dave Ramsey Show, where debt is dumb, cash is king and the paid off home mortgage has taken the place of the BMW as the status symbol of choice. I am your host, and this is the best in talk radio, service oriented talk radio, talk radio that matters.
And yes, I did that all from memory. Its hard to listen three hours per day, and in fact, I can't remember when I listened to a whole three hour, same-day show, though getting it on podcasting allows me to listen to multiple shows at a time.
Dave's just the man, really. He was a millionaire by his mid-20s, went bankrupt because he didn't know how to use his money wisely, and started all over again, making smart decisions, saving, investing and NOT using credit cards. Now that Steph and I are pretty much one single payment away from being debt free--except for the house we just bought two weeks ago--its entertaining and sometimes heartbreaking to listen to the people who call in now.
People with thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt and no concept of what to do with it. It kinda cracks me up to not only hear people who pull in $200K or more per year be completely saddled with so much debt, they are overdrawn at the bank, but also to hear Dave Ramsey say, simply, "You make 200 thousand dollars per year. I just can't feel sorry for you!"
Various websites and columns criticize his methods, including many that say "debt is not wrong!", and you know, debt may not be inherantly wrong. I mean, perhaps its okay to owe other people money. But he speaks to more than just debt... he speaks on how to handle your money. Its not so much paying off all your bills, its changing your habits and lifestyle so that when you get money, you make smart choices with it, and one day, yes, be completely debt free.
Just like you wouldn't take diet advice from a fat doctor, make sure your financial advise comes from someone with money, not broke people with fancy cars and 14 credit card statements per month.
What would it be like to not owe a single person or company one single thing? Of course, we'll always owe the power bill and water and cable and monthly utilities... but to have a thousand or more dollars per month that you previously dedicated to Chase Visa, to Discover, to Fannie Mae Student Loans, to Citi Card... now just used for whatever you want. Save. Retirement. Give some away. Save for that big screen tv and pay cash for it, so when you get it home, its yours.
The other day, I heard a guy call in who makes about $40,000 per year... and he had a $900 car payment per month. And all I could say is... "That's not me. Not anymore."
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By the way, "DieHard 2: Die Harder" ended, and I managed to catch the end of "The Rock". Its worth it just to hear Nic Cage say, "That's how that s*%& works!!"
And, due to the coolness of DirecTV and satellite, even though I missed "Independence Day" on Encore a little while ago, its just coming on now on Encore West. The downside to DirecTV is that sometimes I'm roped into watching crap like "Deep Impact". And if ever you want to watch crap that involved Tea Leoni (a crappy actress), a list of B-grade actors (including Favreau, Ron Eldard, Dougray Scott and Leelee Sobieski given crappy roles), a comet hurling towards the Earth (a crappy plot outdone by "Armageddon") and Morgan Freeman (a cra... well, he's actually a really good actor, but he's alongside all the aforementioned crap), then "Deep Impact" is your crap.
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Tonight, kicked off of Idol was The Yeager(meister), Alaina "The Gap", Robbie Carrico and Alex Andrea Lushington. I could've done without both Robbie and The Yeager(meister), though the latter had a cool nickname, but I liked both The Gap and Alex Andrea.
My favorite thus far? Brooke White. She's a very Carly Simon like singer, and I like Carly Simon quite a bit. KD Malloy is still the hottest, but I would probably buy a Brooke White cd before anyone else. That's not saying I'd buy a Brooke White cd, mind you.
Out of six seasons of American Idol, I own two Idol cds... the one from Pickles, and the one from McPhee. Both are not bad, really. I also have iTunes copies of Taylor Hicks' and Daughtry's cds, the former being not all that great, and the latter being really good. Oh, and Carrie Underwood's first cd is fabulous. Jason Roberts says that Clay Aiken's music is really good, but I just can't buy into it.
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The Tie for the 6th Coolest Things of 2007... "How to Save a Life"/"Over My Head (cable car)" by The Fray
Every year, there seems to be a song that makes my top ten, as if its my favorite song of the year... perhaps years later, I still am enamored with it ("Black Horse & the Cherry Tree" by KT Tunstall, the 3rd coolest thing of 2006), and sometimes years later, I grow tired of it, and am not as taken by it as before ("Behind These Hazel Eyes" by Kelly Clarkson, who ranked 6th on 2005's coolest)
This year really is no different... both of these songs are magical, really, and I can't decide which ranks 7th and which ranks 6th, so I guess I'll just tie them at 6. The Fray is a Denver based band that has been around for a few years, and started out like most bands do... playing locally, trying to get radio play, releasing some self-titled EPs and such, and they worked their way up.
"Over My Head (cable car)" is just so darn singable. "I never knew... I never knew that everything was falling through..." is such a catchy tune, and now that you've read that, its in your head. On the other hand, "How to Save a Life" mostly caught fire because of play on "Grey's Anatomy", but also spent some time played in "Cold Case" and "One Tree Hill", and is also a fantastic tune.
Because of its media popularity, there are actually five videos to this song--the original, the Grey's Anatomy, the original redux, the September 11th version and the Katrina version.
Truly, it all comes down to the piano and vocals of the lead, Isaac Slade. I also remember Scotty Latta saying something on his old Rammer Jammer site about how much he liked The Fray, back before all this Fray momentum began. He always was a trendsetter.
What more can I say? I love these two songs. Tied for 6th on the Coolest Things of 2007.
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Do I put newer songs on my favorite songs list? I used to. But not anymore. Blame that on Duncan Sheik.
I had this theory back in the day that any song had to be at least two years old before appearing on my mental Favorite Songs list. I figured that any song should be heard over and over to ensure that I don't get tired of it. This point was proved when "Barely Breathing" came out in 1996.
I loved that song. It was cool. Duncan Sheik and his guitar had this cool sound, this guitar rock sound and the song was just... well, awesome. I would turn it up when it came on the radio as I drove to Montgomery to work from Troy (I worked at The Disney Store in Monkeytown)... "I am barely breathing, I can't find the air, don't know who I'm kidding, imagining you care..."
My favorite song at that time? "I'd Die Without You" by P.M. Dawn, followed closely by "Piano in the Dark" by Brenda Russell and "Not the Only One" by Bonnie Raitt. I considered fast tracking Duncan to the top five, but decided to wait. I was never one of those people who had a different "favorite song" every week, so I refused to make "Barely Breathing" a favorite song after being out only a few months.
And I was right. Within a year, I tired of the song. Quickly. It just got old, fast. Even ten years later, it's just so-so for me, one that I might keep on if I can't find anything else. So, still, sixteen years after it came out, "I'd Die Without You" still holds my top spot... but just barely.
Over the years, Sarah McLachlan's "Possession" has gained much ground, working its way to the top to not only equal P.M. Dawn's superb song from "Boomerang", but in some ways surpass it. Still, Brenda Russell stays in 3rd, Bonnie Raitt in 4th, and "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears is in 5th, but that #1 spot is a toss up.
Its time to take a stand and make a decision. What should it be? In one corner, from the album "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy", its "Possession" by Sarah McLachlan, currently at #2, having been there for about 8 years. In the other corner, Dave's #1 song, ever, having held that spot since August of 1992, for over 800 weeks, 15 years, P.M. Dawn's "I'd Die Without You"
Follow the links. Listen to them both. What do you think?
Man, that felt good to get that off my chest.
The 100 Coolest Things of 2007... Recap
First, know it was my every intention of doing this list the first to third week of January. And then we went and did something silly like, you know, bought a house. So that kinda threw everything into disarray for a while. Well, now its turn to finish.
Since its been a month since you've seen the 100th coolest thing of 2007 to the 11th coolest thing of 2007, I thought perhaps a recap was in order...
#100 to 91... Michelle Carr, Leah Stewart's "The Myth of You and Me, Tony Dungy, that Air Supply infomercial, Katharine McPhee, "Surf's Up", NYC Jenni, Amy Adams, "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles, "Knocked Up"
#90 to 81... Wendi Deckermiller, "Barack the Magic Negro", "What If" by Robert Cowely, "Solitaire" on Fox Reality, classic videos on iTunes, "Drive", "The Reminder" by Feist, Amanda Laughlin, Boise State beats Oklahoma, Todd on Survivor
#80 to 71... Hannah Pruit, seeing Jenny Ross, the New England Patriots perfect regular season, the amnesty bill gets defeated, CelebTV, "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson, CarTalk on iTunes, the Robot Chicken Star Wars special, Samantha Brown, "Cell" by Stephen King
#70 to 61... Trinity defeats Millsaps, the 2007 College Football season, leading Financial Peace University, Adam Corolla on the Sports Guy podcast, "Cosy in the Rocket" by Psapp, "Golden Compass" bombs, the Blake Lewis beatbox, Factor 7 gets back together, Scott Latta, Colbie Caillat's "Coco", Whataburger!
#60 to 51... The Amazing Race All Stars, "The Shining" by Stephen King, MLK Weekend at the beach, Tyler graduates, The Lovely Steph Leann's one liners, STOMP!, "Salem's Lot" by Stephen King, "Transformers", Seth Rogan, Facebook
#50 to 41... "The Soup", Justin Timberlake, KDub, "300", Jonathan Taylor, ESPN's College Football Insider, "1776" by David McCollough, "Superbad", Weird Al's "Trapped in the Drive Thru", the trailer for "Cloverfield"
#40 to 31... Rush smacks Harry Reid, Tiffany Abbot-McCauley, Taylor Swift, spending Memorial Day in Destin, "No Country For Old Men", "Heroes", Rollercoaster Tycoon, Stephen King's "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon", Brandi Carlile's "The Story", Andrea gets married
#30 to 21... "Mythbusters", "Ratatouille", Jason & KT, "Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix" (the film), dinner at Archibalds, Chris Hansen on "To Catch a Predator", "The Holiday", Troy beats Oklahoma State, Ann Coulter smacks Liz Edwards, Tanya Stephens
#20 to 11... Paula Maddox, babies abounding, Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right" video, "The 40 Year Old Virgin", James B. Stewart's "DisneyWar", Rush Limbaugh, "Grey's Anatomy", "Snow (hey-oh)" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Podcasting, "Fergalicious" by Fergie
Up next... the Ten Coolest Things of 2007. Finally. Seriously, I promise. No, really, I promise.
Since its been a month since you've seen the 100th coolest thing of 2007 to the 11th coolest thing of 2007, I thought perhaps a recap was in order...
#100 to 91... Michelle Carr, Leah Stewart's "The Myth of You and Me, Tony Dungy, that Air Supply infomercial, Katharine McPhee, "Surf's Up", NYC Jenni, Amy Adams, "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles, "Knocked Up"
#90 to 81... Wendi Deckermiller, "Barack the Magic Negro", "What If" by Robert Cowely, "Solitaire" on Fox Reality, classic videos on iTunes, "Drive", "The Reminder" by Feist, Amanda Laughlin, Boise State beats Oklahoma, Todd on Survivor
#80 to 71... Hannah Pruit, seeing Jenny Ross, the New England Patriots perfect regular season, the amnesty bill gets defeated, CelebTV, "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson, CarTalk on iTunes, the Robot Chicken Star Wars special, Samantha Brown, "Cell" by Stephen King
#70 to 61... Trinity defeats Millsaps, the 2007 College Football season, leading Financial Peace University, Adam Corolla on the Sports Guy podcast, "Cosy in the Rocket" by Psapp, "Golden Compass" bombs, the Blake Lewis beatbox, Factor 7 gets back together, Scott Latta, Colbie Caillat's "Coco", Whataburger!
#60 to 51... The Amazing Race All Stars, "The Shining" by Stephen King, MLK Weekend at the beach, Tyler graduates, The Lovely Steph Leann's one liners, STOMP!, "Salem's Lot" by Stephen King, "Transformers", Seth Rogan, Facebook
#50 to 41... "The Soup", Justin Timberlake, KDub, "300", Jonathan Taylor, ESPN's College Football Insider, "1776" by David McCollough, "Superbad", Weird Al's "Trapped in the Drive Thru", the trailer for "Cloverfield"
#40 to 31... Rush smacks Harry Reid, Tiffany Abbot-McCauley, Taylor Swift, spending Memorial Day in Destin, "No Country For Old Men", "Heroes", Rollercoaster Tycoon, Stephen King's "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon", Brandi Carlile's "The Story", Andrea gets married
#30 to 21... "Mythbusters", "Ratatouille", Jason & KT, "Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix" (the film), dinner at Archibalds, Chris Hansen on "To Catch a Predator", "The Holiday", Troy beats Oklahoma State, Ann Coulter smacks Liz Edwards, Tanya Stephens
#20 to 11... Paula Maddox, babies abounding, Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right" video, "The 40 Year Old Virgin", James B. Stewart's "DisneyWar", Rush Limbaugh, "Grey's Anatomy", "Snow (hey-oh)" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Podcasting, "Fergalicious" by Fergie
Up next... the Ten Coolest Things of 2007. Finally. Seriously, I promise. No, really, I promise.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Idol Chicks... Ten Down, Two to Go
The chicks are up now, as the guys are in the dawg pound, awaiting results. Once again, it’s the 70s classics being performed for our 10 chicks, hoping to make the next round of 8, then finally, to 6, which puts them in the finals.
Carly Smithson
Irish Carly works at an Irish bar, and she and her husband also work at a tattoo parlor. She’s got a thicker accent than usual… I wonder if she’s adding to it.
HECK YA!!! Carly is busting out some “Crazy on You” by Heart, one of my 100 favorite songs of all time. This song freakin’ rocks… and Carly is rocking out with it. Wow… I was not expecting this. This is the best performance I’ve heard since the elimination rounds begin…. Rock on!!!
Randy thought the beginning was a little rough, but the middle and end went strong… Aight. Paula loves sunshine. Simon liked it better than last week’s, though he still doesn’t feel as if she’s chosen the right song that gives her The Moment. She’s awesome. I loved it.
Syesha Mercado
She reveals that she’s been in a few commercials, and then does a great imitation of Democrats. Kinda cool. She’s taking on Billy Paul’s “Me & Mrs. Jones”, though she’s singing “Me & Mr. Jones”… a song about a love with a young person and an older neighbor. Truly a song about Stifler’s mom before Stifler’s Mom came into being on the screen.
Syesha is wailing it, too. I like it. The song is not my cup of tea, but she performs it well. Randy says it was the wrong song choice, but it was aight, while Paula tosses butterflies and kittens her way, and Simon thought it was indulgent. Since the song wasn’t written for a girl to sing, he thought it was a bit silly to sing it that way. I thought it was alright.
Brooke White
She lets us know that she went to beauty school—and dropped out--and KT starts to giggle. She says she’s not talking because you, our loyal readers, will think she’s a horrible person. Yet, KT giggles.
She takes on Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain”, yet another one of Dave’s 100 Favorite Songs of All Time. By the way, for you new readers, I love Carly Simon, and this song is where “clouds in my coffee” comes from. Guitar in hand, she’s doing a decent job for it… KT asks me, “Do you like her singing this song, since you like it so much?” I replied, “Ehh… she’s pretty good.”
KT adds, “If you got to beauty school… shouldn’t your hair be… pretty?”
Randy makes a joke that the song was intended for Simon, possibly. Paula gives her puppies and noogies. Simon absolutely loved it. He even feels like the song was perfect.
Ramiele Malubay
Little Ramy used to Polynesian dance (hula dancing for those people in Mississippi) when she was little, though that can’t be too long ago. She says she might do it onstage, if she does a fast song.
Another great song! Thelma Houston’s “Don’t Leave Me This” starts a disco run for Idol. This is a great song cause it starts out slow, builds, then busts out with “ooooohhhhh baaaybbeeee! My heart’s full of love and deeee-sire fo’ you!!”
Little Ramy is doing okay with it, though she’s a little more subdued then I would have thought. Big Jo from last week would have been going to town on this, had she not got cut last week.
Randy says it was a little rough for him, and with so many dope records, she choice this one and it was the wrong choice. Paula drops a bucketful of sunshine on Paula’s feet. Simon astonishingly agrees with Paula, thinking it wasn’t very good.
Kristy Lee Cook
KLC says she’s a tomboy. She rides horses, she camps, she boxes, she fishes, she’s a redneck woman she ain’t no high-class broad. She’s just a product of her raising, she says Hey y’all and Ye Haw!
Linda Ronstandt is the artist of choice for KLC, singing “You’re No Good”. KT says, “Last week I didn’t think she was all that pretty, but right now, she’s really beautiful.” I agree, I think. Maybe its because I’m a boy and there’s cleavage involved. Inner monologue, sorry.
Randy says it’s a 100 percent improvement over last week, but he liked it aight. Paula throws grenades of sunshine that when they explode, they turn into pink and lavender ponies. Simon says he has a feeling that KLC should possibly explore a country route.
Amanda Overmyer
She comes out with a mane of hair streaked, and she looks like Simba. She tells us that she rides a Harley, is a nurse, and loves reading. She reads rock icon biographies, which she says helps educate herself.
Actually, she doesn’t look like Simba, she looks more like Scar. KT thinks its more Cruella de Vil. Either way, she’s highly weird looking. She’s singing… okay, she stabbing to death… Kansas’ “Carry On My Wayward Son”. The best part of this song is when she’s not singing, and the guitar is playing.
The final note comes, thank Heavens, and she pretty much eats the microphone. I thought she should have done Heart—“Magic Man” or “Barricuda”.
Randy didn’t like it at all. Paula compliments Scar de Vil on her dancing, and struggles for something good to say. Simon says he felt like the video was real, and natural, while her performance felts really contrived, and the song was ugly. I totally agree… the song was terrible.
Alaina Whittaker
The 16 year old reveals she doesn’t like the food that touches each other. Hear hear! I feel ya.
She’s doing some Olivia Newton-John, “Hopelessly Devoted to You” (which, when teased before the commercials, The Lovely Steph Leann and KT both gasped). KT asks “Is she The Gap?”
The Gap Toothed Blonde takes the stage, and already I’m bored. She actually could put the microphone in her gap in her front teeth, and sing from the back of her throat. The song isn’t bad, but to me, it was kinda unremarkable.
Randy likes the song, but didn’t like the song choice. He uses the word “Pitchy”. Paula loves Alaina. Simon likes her a lot too, but thought the song was old fashioned, as was the performance and presentation. He admits that she’s a “dark horse” in this competition, liking her more now than a few weeks ago.
Alexandrea Lushington
A former poster child for the Atlanta fire department, cause her pops was in the AFD, and she got to sing at Ground Zero too. Very cool.
She’s singing “If You Leave Me Now” by Chicago. This is a risky move… not because Chicago is necessarily hard to sing, but because Steph Leann loves loves loves her some old school Chicago. The verdict? Steph Leann says, after a pause, “Hmm… she’s… okay.”
Randy says the song was too safe, which is one of the first times the word “safe” is used. Paula jumps in to give her hugs and giggles. Simon says he was a big fan of Alexandrea back in the day, but that she’s struggling now, and the song is so old fashioned. I can agree with that.
Kady Malloy
KD is an opera singer, singing the big O since she was 9. Opera is not my cup of tea, unless its preceed by the words “Phantom of the”.
Here’s “Magic Man” by Heart! And unlike Carly Smithson, she’s not doing so great. KD is probably the hottest chick in this show right now, but she’s not doing herself any favors by this song. “Magic Man” is probably in Dave’s 150 Favorite Songs of All Time (possibly in the top 100, but I’m not sure yet).
KT says her dress makes her look like she has a big bulbed string of Christmas lights hanging from her neck.
Randy says she never quite found the notes. Paula is digging in her pocket for some sunshine, though she only finds rainclouds. Simon didn’t like it at all. He even says “Everything you do on film is fantastic… but the performances are not very good at all.”
I think KD is in real danger.
Asia’h Epperson
She was a middle school and high school cheerleader! Who knew? She went to cheer camp!
I really like Asia’h, and I hope she does well. She is singing “All by Myself” by Eric Carmen, also made famous a few years ago by Celine Dion. This song has real belt potential, which is probably why she sang it.
And… during the part she’s supposed to belt, it sounded like she dropped a note, like completely. And she hits another note that made KT turn over and Steph Leann look up sharply. She redeemed it at the end, but wow that was kinda rough.
Randy reveals that Asia’h has been sick, and even after that, he liked it. Paula has a cup full of ta-da and sunshine, and splashes it all over Asia’h. Simon says it takes one heck of a singer to pull that song off, and she couldn’t do it because she’s not that good.
So… I think that Scar de Vil is gone. After her, I think KD is in danger.
Carly Smithson
Irish Carly works at an Irish bar, and she and her husband also work at a tattoo parlor. She’s got a thicker accent than usual… I wonder if she’s adding to it.
HECK YA!!! Carly is busting out some “Crazy on You” by Heart, one of my 100 favorite songs of all time. This song freakin’ rocks… and Carly is rocking out with it. Wow… I was not expecting this. This is the best performance I’ve heard since the elimination rounds begin…. Rock on!!!
Randy thought the beginning was a little rough, but the middle and end went strong… Aight. Paula loves sunshine. Simon liked it better than last week’s, though he still doesn’t feel as if she’s chosen the right song that gives her The Moment. She’s awesome. I loved it.
Syesha Mercado
She reveals that she’s been in a few commercials, and then does a great imitation of Democrats. Kinda cool. She’s taking on Billy Paul’s “Me & Mrs. Jones”, though she’s singing “Me & Mr. Jones”… a song about a love with a young person and an older neighbor. Truly a song about Stifler’s mom before Stifler’s Mom came into being on the screen.
Syesha is wailing it, too. I like it. The song is not my cup of tea, but she performs it well. Randy says it was the wrong song choice, but it was aight, while Paula tosses butterflies and kittens her way, and Simon thought it was indulgent. Since the song wasn’t written for a girl to sing, he thought it was a bit silly to sing it that way. I thought it was alright.
Brooke White
She lets us know that she went to beauty school—and dropped out--and KT starts to giggle. She says she’s not talking because you, our loyal readers, will think she’s a horrible person. Yet, KT giggles.
She takes on Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain”, yet another one of Dave’s 100 Favorite Songs of All Time. By the way, for you new readers, I love Carly Simon, and this song is where “clouds in my coffee” comes from. Guitar in hand, she’s doing a decent job for it… KT asks me, “Do you like her singing this song, since you like it so much?” I replied, “Ehh… she’s pretty good.”
KT adds, “If you got to beauty school… shouldn’t your hair be… pretty?”
Randy makes a joke that the song was intended for Simon, possibly. Paula gives her puppies and noogies. Simon absolutely loved it. He even feels like the song was perfect.
Ramiele Malubay
Little Ramy used to Polynesian dance (hula dancing for those people in Mississippi) when she was little, though that can’t be too long ago. She says she might do it onstage, if she does a fast song.
Another great song! Thelma Houston’s “Don’t Leave Me This” starts a disco run for Idol. This is a great song cause it starts out slow, builds, then busts out with “ooooohhhhh baaaybbeeee! My heart’s full of love and deeee-sire fo’ you!!”
Little Ramy is doing okay with it, though she’s a little more subdued then I would have thought. Big Jo from last week would have been going to town on this, had she not got cut last week.
Randy says it was a little rough for him, and with so many dope records, she choice this one and it was the wrong choice. Paula drops a bucketful of sunshine on Paula’s feet. Simon astonishingly agrees with Paula, thinking it wasn’t very good.
Kristy Lee Cook
KLC says she’s a tomboy. She rides horses, she camps, she boxes, she fishes, she’s a redneck woman she ain’t no high-class broad. She’s just a product of her raising, she says Hey y’all and Ye Haw!
Linda Ronstandt is the artist of choice for KLC, singing “You’re No Good”. KT says, “Last week I didn’t think she was all that pretty, but right now, she’s really beautiful.” I agree, I think. Maybe its because I’m a boy and there’s cleavage involved. Inner monologue, sorry.
Randy says it’s a 100 percent improvement over last week, but he liked it aight. Paula throws grenades of sunshine that when they explode, they turn into pink and lavender ponies. Simon says he has a feeling that KLC should possibly explore a country route.
Amanda Overmyer
She comes out with a mane of hair streaked, and she looks like Simba. She tells us that she rides a Harley, is a nurse, and loves reading. She reads rock icon biographies, which she says helps educate herself.
Actually, she doesn’t look like Simba, she looks more like Scar. KT thinks its more Cruella de Vil. Either way, she’s highly weird looking. She’s singing… okay, she stabbing to death… Kansas’ “Carry On My Wayward Son”. The best part of this song is when she’s not singing, and the guitar is playing.
The final note comes, thank Heavens, and she pretty much eats the microphone. I thought she should have done Heart—“Magic Man” or “Barricuda”.
Randy didn’t like it at all. Paula compliments Scar de Vil on her dancing, and struggles for something good to say. Simon says he felt like the video was real, and natural, while her performance felts really contrived, and the song was ugly. I totally agree… the song was terrible.
Alaina Whittaker
The 16 year old reveals she doesn’t like the food that touches each other. Hear hear! I feel ya.
She’s doing some Olivia Newton-John, “Hopelessly Devoted to You” (which, when teased before the commercials, The Lovely Steph Leann and KT both gasped). KT asks “Is she The Gap?”
The Gap Toothed Blonde takes the stage, and already I’m bored. She actually could put the microphone in her gap in her front teeth, and sing from the back of her throat. The song isn’t bad, but to me, it was kinda unremarkable.
Randy likes the song, but didn’t like the song choice. He uses the word “Pitchy”. Paula loves Alaina. Simon likes her a lot too, but thought the song was old fashioned, as was the performance and presentation. He admits that she’s a “dark horse” in this competition, liking her more now than a few weeks ago.
Alexandrea Lushington
A former poster child for the Atlanta fire department, cause her pops was in the AFD, and she got to sing at Ground Zero too. Very cool.
She’s singing “If You Leave Me Now” by Chicago. This is a risky move… not because Chicago is necessarily hard to sing, but because Steph Leann loves loves loves her some old school Chicago. The verdict? Steph Leann says, after a pause, “Hmm… she’s… okay.”
Randy says the song was too safe, which is one of the first times the word “safe” is used. Paula jumps in to give her hugs and giggles. Simon says he was a big fan of Alexandrea back in the day, but that she’s struggling now, and the song is so old fashioned. I can agree with that.
Kady Malloy
KD is an opera singer, singing the big O since she was 9. Opera is not my cup of tea, unless its preceed by the words “Phantom of the”.
Here’s “Magic Man” by Heart! And unlike Carly Smithson, she’s not doing so great. KD is probably the hottest chick in this show right now, but she’s not doing herself any favors by this song. “Magic Man” is probably in Dave’s 150 Favorite Songs of All Time (possibly in the top 100, but I’m not sure yet).
KT says her dress makes her look like she has a big bulbed string of Christmas lights hanging from her neck.
Randy says she never quite found the notes. Paula is digging in her pocket for some sunshine, though she only finds rainclouds. Simon didn’t like it at all. He even says “Everything you do on film is fantastic… but the performances are not very good at all.”
I think KD is in real danger.
Asia’h Epperson
She was a middle school and high school cheerleader! Who knew? She went to cheer camp!
I really like Asia’h, and I hope she does well. She is singing “All by Myself” by Eric Carmen, also made famous a few years ago by Celine Dion. This song has real belt potential, which is probably why she sang it.
And… during the part she’s supposed to belt, it sounded like she dropped a note, like completely. And she hits another note that made KT turn over and Steph Leann look up sharply. She redeemed it at the end, but wow that was kinda rough.
Randy reveals that Asia’h has been sick, and even after that, he liked it. Paula has a cup full of ta-da and sunshine, and splashes it all over Asia’h. Simon says it takes one heck of a singer to pull that song off, and she couldn’t do it because she’s not that good.
So… I think that Scar de Vil is gone. After her, I think KD is in danger.
Idol Boys... Then there were 10
American Idol is live! The guys will come out and try to bring it for another week! After the storm that almost ripped our town apart (not really, but it did wake me up at like, 4am this morning, as did the phone call from my ASM telling me that Starbucks had lost power, to which we didn’t actually open the store until 3pm and… wait, where was I?)
Last week, it was the 60s, and this week, its the 70s (think next week might be the 80s?). Michael Johns is up first, and he’s singing “Go Your Own Way” from Fleetwood Mac. He sounds okay, but I’m not sure I like his version of this. He’s missed a few notes already, and I’m not sure I can dig it.
Its not perfect, I can tell you that… Randy liked it okay, er, aight, Paula loved it, and Simon says it was his weakest performance of the whole competition. I totally agree with that.
Jason Castro is up next, the dreadlocked guy. He’s admitting to the camera that he hates doing interviews, because they are always awkward. Its kinda funny, actually… he says, “I love music, but there’s more of the not-music stuff than I thought.”
He’s got the guitar again, and he can play it well. I don’t know the song he’s singing… wait, yes I do. It’s a Bee Gees song. The Dreadlocked One is doing Bee Gees with a guitar… and sounding great. His version of “I Just Want to Be Your Everything” is really good, and the Lovely Steph Leann admits, “I don’t like his hair… but he’s really good looking. Like, really good looking.”
Randy didn’t like it much. I thought it sounded great. I guess I agree with Paula, who blows sunshine. Simon didn’t like it at all, mentioning weak vocals. They challenge him to go without the guitar next week… if he makes it to next week.
Luke Menard is coming up now, telling us that he’s part of an acapella group called Chapter Six. Luke is doing some Queen, “Killer Queen” in particular. Interesting choice in songs, really… I mean, he was a rainbowy as a box full of Lucky Charms, but Freddie Mercury was a musical genius, so Luke is doing one heck of a step-out to take on the Fred.
As boring as I think this guy is, I surprisingly liked his performance. It wasn’t my favorite, but he was much better than last week’s schmaltzy stuff. Randy recognized the risk and liked it, Paula blows sunshine in Luke Menard’s ear, and Simon thinks it was a mistake. “The singer of that song has charisma and personality, and you didn’t,” is what Simon says, and I agree with that.
Ryan calls him Dawson’s Creek. That was really funny.
Robbie Carrico, the guy who looks like a younger, blonder Travis Tritt, has his turn behind the microphone. Robbie admits he’s a drag racer back home, loving the rush of the fuel and tires and so on. So, 2 Fast 2 Furious is doing Foreigner’s “Hot Blooded”, and already, I don’t like it.
Lou Gramm has this rockin’, deep, raspy voice when he belts out “hot blooded! Check it and see! Got a fever of a hundred and three!”, and Robbie just doesn’t have it. As my friend Erin Formerly Known as Coates would say, Robbie drops into my NO pile.
Randy not only gives Lou Gramm a mention, but says he wasn’t wowed at all. Paula loves Robbie and shows it her sunshiny best, including saying an Inspirational Poster. Simon liked the vocal, actually.
Danny “I could be a friend to you” Noriega is now making his way to the stage. Not sure if he’s wearing pumps or not. He admitted that he was in a punk rock band a few years ago… not sure of the band name, possibly R.E.M. (rear end men), or maybe Brokeback Mountme or something. Anyway, Danny Noriega is taking on “Superstar” by The Carpenters, one of those untouchable groups to The Lovely Steph Leann. I think Steph Leann threw up in her mouth.
Randy has problems with the vocals, while Paula isn’t sure whether to give him props or take him purse shopping. Simon thought this was better than last week (what wasn’t?). I will now stop Steph Leann from poking popsicle sticks in her eyes.
I’m not thoroughly convinced that Danny Noriega isn’t a girl.
David Hernandez has his turn to sing. He used to be a gymnast when he was a kid. D-Hern is singing something that I don’t recognize, though he’s not too bad with it… ah, yes, “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” by Dylan. I like this guy, I think. Even if the song itself is not perfect, I do like his version of it. Its different, its fun, its Hernandez.
Randy loved it. Paula stood up for him. Literally, up and clapping, and sunshiny. Simon says it was the best vocal of the night. Out of what we’ve heard so far, I agree.
The Yeager(meister) is up, and he is a multi-instrument player, including piano, guitar and drums. Very talented, but can he handle the Doobie? As in, the Doobie Brothers, that he’s trying to sing. No, not a real doobie, though I’m sure he could. Not that I think he is a drug dealer or anything, I’ve just realized that people who you wouldn’t think would do things sometimes will… oh heck, I’m rambling again.
Yeager(meister) is singing “Without Love”, or at least, I think that’s the name of it. I actually like The Doobie Brothers, especially when Michael McDonald was lead, though this isn’t one of those songs. However, Yeager(meister) is doing a pretty fine job mirroring the lead of the Doobies. I will say he’s about two inches away from having a full blown Flock of Seagulls hair cut.
Randy didn’t like it. He said it was a little pitchy, and perhaps karaoke, and actually, I could see that. Paula is struggling to criticize, and is just tossing out some flowers and butterflies. Simon didn’t like it at all, and is throwing out some meanness. Simply put, “You’re a quite good singer who can’t perform very well”.
Yeager(meister) responds, talking about he wants to get into the heart of a song, and will have to come out next week even better, and Simon says, “Its like the Oscars, the speeches are never ending, we need the Oscar music.” Yeager(meister) looks as if he’s about to come across that desk and kick Simon in the face with serious abandon.
On a side note, I really like that song in the MacBook Air commercials.
CheezyDeezy is singing Donnie Hathaway. He reveals that his name is Nigerian, from a native dialect. And his last name is Ezy? CheezyDeezy Ezy? Oobie Scoobie Doobie Kanoobie?
CheezyDeezy is breakin’ it down though, I’ll give it to him. He hasn’t really been one of my favorites, mostly cause he’s been boring… until tonight. I’m tossing CheezyDeezy into Erin Formerly-Known-As-Coates YES pile.
Randy shouts, “CheezyDeezy is back! Dat was hot, baby!” Paula says “brilliant clouds puppies babies”. Simon can’t say his name, but gave him some props. CheezyDeezy gets some love. Simon takes a shot at CheezyDeezy’s suit from last week, which was horrid, and asks him if he’ll wear it again… CheezyDeezy says, “Man, we on tv, I can’t wear it twice, only you do that!” Simon has a “I hate you now” grin on his face. I’m still expect Yeager(meister) to jump off the balcony onto Simon, yelling “CheezyDeezy! Let’s take him!”
And if you think I’m using his name over and over cause I think it’s funny, you’d be right.
David Rob Thomas Cook is a word-geek. He likes using big words. Me too. I knew I liked this guy. My love for words I can’t say equivilates his word-geekdom.
He’s singing “All Right Now”, with the guitar in hand, by the band Free, a notable one hit wonder you’ll hear in most TimeLife 70s collections and movies like “Dazed & Confused”. David Rob Thomas Cook is a very likable guy, and he’s not too bad with this… it wasn’t great, but it was decent enough.
Randy called him “the real rocker of the show this year”, which I’m sure made Robbie Carrico clinch his fists. Paula says something about balloons, clowns, kittens and rainbow flowerdom. Simon liked it, though says David Rob Thomas Cook doesn’t have a lot of charisma. He responds, “Fortunately, I don’t have to win you over, I have to win the people at home with my charisma,” to which Simon responds, gritting his teeth, “I know the rules of the competition.”
And Young David Archuleta is finishing up the Guys Night. He reveals that when he was 11, he was able to meet the American Idol first season finalists, including Kelly Clarkson. Of course, when he was 11, it was 2002. No, I’m not kidding.
He’s singing “Imagine”, always a risk on this show. There are certain songs that you just better shy away from, unless you are going to bring da noise and da funk—or in this case, knock it out of the park. Several Celine songs, a few Whitney songs, some Mariah songs and John Lennon’s “Imagine” are on that shortlist.
Granted, Young David is doing the song justice. I’m a little bored, really, but he sounds great singing it. What will the judges say?
Randy says, “Dawg, that was one of the best vocals I’ve ever heard on this show!” Young David says he sang the third verse only, because it was his favorite and has a great message. Paula is filling out adoption papers. Simon says what I said earlier… very, very risky. He says that Young David pulled it off, and has now become the one to beat. If Young David wins this thing (and make no mistake, he will end up in the Final 12), he’ll definitely have a Buble/Groban type career, which is not a bad thing.
My picks for the Final Six Guys? Young David, CheezyDeezy, Jason Castro, Michael Johns, David Rob Thomas Cook and unfortunately, Danny Jessica Alba Noriega. I think David Hernadez could end up in there, bouncing out The Dreadlocked One or Noriega.
Going home on Thursday? Luke Menard should probably get out—he’s not going to win this, and either Yeager(meister) or Robbie Carrico. I only say those two because really, they are both rather boring.
Onto the chicks!!
Last week, it was the 60s, and this week, its the 70s (think next week might be the 80s?). Michael Johns is up first, and he’s singing “Go Your Own Way” from Fleetwood Mac. He sounds okay, but I’m not sure I like his version of this. He’s missed a few notes already, and I’m not sure I can dig it.
Its not perfect, I can tell you that… Randy liked it okay, er, aight, Paula loved it, and Simon says it was his weakest performance of the whole competition. I totally agree with that.
Jason Castro is up next, the dreadlocked guy. He’s admitting to the camera that he hates doing interviews, because they are always awkward. Its kinda funny, actually… he says, “I love music, but there’s more of the not-music stuff than I thought.”
He’s got the guitar again, and he can play it well. I don’t know the song he’s singing… wait, yes I do. It’s a Bee Gees song. The Dreadlocked One is doing Bee Gees with a guitar… and sounding great. His version of “I Just Want to Be Your Everything” is really good, and the Lovely Steph Leann admits, “I don’t like his hair… but he’s really good looking. Like, really good looking.”
Randy didn’t like it much. I thought it sounded great. I guess I agree with Paula, who blows sunshine. Simon didn’t like it at all, mentioning weak vocals. They challenge him to go without the guitar next week… if he makes it to next week.
Luke Menard is coming up now, telling us that he’s part of an acapella group called Chapter Six. Luke is doing some Queen, “Killer Queen” in particular. Interesting choice in songs, really… I mean, he was a rainbowy as a box full of Lucky Charms, but Freddie Mercury was a musical genius, so Luke is doing one heck of a step-out to take on the Fred.
As boring as I think this guy is, I surprisingly liked his performance. It wasn’t my favorite, but he was much better than last week’s schmaltzy stuff. Randy recognized the risk and liked it, Paula blows sunshine in Luke Menard’s ear, and Simon thinks it was a mistake. “The singer of that song has charisma and personality, and you didn’t,” is what Simon says, and I agree with that.
Ryan calls him Dawson’s Creek. That was really funny.
Robbie Carrico, the guy who looks like a younger, blonder Travis Tritt, has his turn behind the microphone. Robbie admits he’s a drag racer back home, loving the rush of the fuel and tires and so on. So, 2 Fast 2 Furious is doing Foreigner’s “Hot Blooded”, and already, I don’t like it.
Lou Gramm has this rockin’, deep, raspy voice when he belts out “hot blooded! Check it and see! Got a fever of a hundred and three!”, and Robbie just doesn’t have it. As my friend Erin Formerly Known as Coates would say, Robbie drops into my NO pile.
Randy not only gives Lou Gramm a mention, but says he wasn’t wowed at all. Paula loves Robbie and shows it her sunshiny best, including saying an Inspirational Poster. Simon liked the vocal, actually.
Danny “I could be a friend to you” Noriega is now making his way to the stage. Not sure if he’s wearing pumps or not. He admitted that he was in a punk rock band a few years ago… not sure of the band name, possibly R.E.M. (rear end men), or maybe Brokeback Mountme or something. Anyway, Danny Noriega is taking on “Superstar” by The Carpenters, one of those untouchable groups to The Lovely Steph Leann. I think Steph Leann threw up in her mouth.
Randy has problems with the vocals, while Paula isn’t sure whether to give him props or take him purse shopping. Simon thought this was better than last week (what wasn’t?). I will now stop Steph Leann from poking popsicle sticks in her eyes.
I’m not thoroughly convinced that Danny Noriega isn’t a girl.
David Hernandez has his turn to sing. He used to be a gymnast when he was a kid. D-Hern is singing something that I don’t recognize, though he’s not too bad with it… ah, yes, “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” by Dylan. I like this guy, I think. Even if the song itself is not perfect, I do like his version of it. Its different, its fun, its Hernandez.
Randy loved it. Paula stood up for him. Literally, up and clapping, and sunshiny. Simon says it was the best vocal of the night. Out of what we’ve heard so far, I agree.
The Yeager(meister) is up, and he is a multi-instrument player, including piano, guitar and drums. Very talented, but can he handle the Doobie? As in, the Doobie Brothers, that he’s trying to sing. No, not a real doobie, though I’m sure he could. Not that I think he is a drug dealer or anything, I’ve just realized that people who you wouldn’t think would do things sometimes will… oh heck, I’m rambling again.
Yeager(meister) is singing “Without Love”, or at least, I think that’s the name of it. I actually like The Doobie Brothers, especially when Michael McDonald was lead, though this isn’t one of those songs. However, Yeager(meister) is doing a pretty fine job mirroring the lead of the Doobies. I will say he’s about two inches away from having a full blown Flock of Seagulls hair cut.
Randy didn’t like it. He said it was a little pitchy, and perhaps karaoke, and actually, I could see that. Paula is struggling to criticize, and is just tossing out some flowers and butterflies. Simon didn’t like it at all, and is throwing out some meanness. Simply put, “You’re a quite good singer who can’t perform very well”.
Yeager(meister) responds, talking about he wants to get into the heart of a song, and will have to come out next week even better, and Simon says, “Its like the Oscars, the speeches are never ending, we need the Oscar music.” Yeager(meister) looks as if he’s about to come across that desk and kick Simon in the face with serious abandon.
On a side note, I really like that song in the MacBook Air commercials.
CheezyDeezy is singing Donnie Hathaway. He reveals that his name is Nigerian, from a native dialect. And his last name is Ezy? CheezyDeezy Ezy? Oobie Scoobie Doobie Kanoobie?
CheezyDeezy is breakin’ it down though, I’ll give it to him. He hasn’t really been one of my favorites, mostly cause he’s been boring… until tonight. I’m tossing CheezyDeezy into Erin Formerly-Known-As-Coates YES pile.
Randy shouts, “CheezyDeezy is back! Dat was hot, baby!” Paula says “brilliant clouds puppies babies”. Simon can’t say his name, but gave him some props. CheezyDeezy gets some love. Simon takes a shot at CheezyDeezy’s suit from last week, which was horrid, and asks him if he’ll wear it again… CheezyDeezy says, “Man, we on tv, I can’t wear it twice, only you do that!” Simon has a “I hate you now” grin on his face. I’m still expect Yeager(meister) to jump off the balcony onto Simon, yelling “CheezyDeezy! Let’s take him!”
And if you think I’m using his name over and over cause I think it’s funny, you’d be right.
David Rob Thomas Cook is a word-geek. He likes using big words. Me too. I knew I liked this guy. My love for words I can’t say equivilates his word-geekdom.
He’s singing “All Right Now”, with the guitar in hand, by the band Free, a notable one hit wonder you’ll hear in most TimeLife 70s collections and movies like “Dazed & Confused”. David Rob Thomas Cook is a very likable guy, and he’s not too bad with this… it wasn’t great, but it was decent enough.
Randy called him “the real rocker of the show this year”, which I’m sure made Robbie Carrico clinch his fists. Paula says something about balloons, clowns, kittens and rainbow flowerdom. Simon liked it, though says David Rob Thomas Cook doesn’t have a lot of charisma. He responds, “Fortunately, I don’t have to win you over, I have to win the people at home with my charisma,” to which Simon responds, gritting his teeth, “I know the rules of the competition.”
And Young David Archuleta is finishing up the Guys Night. He reveals that when he was 11, he was able to meet the American Idol first season finalists, including Kelly Clarkson. Of course, when he was 11, it was 2002. No, I’m not kidding.
He’s singing “Imagine”, always a risk on this show. There are certain songs that you just better shy away from, unless you are going to bring da noise and da funk—or in this case, knock it out of the park. Several Celine songs, a few Whitney songs, some Mariah songs and John Lennon’s “Imagine” are on that shortlist.
Granted, Young David is doing the song justice. I’m a little bored, really, but he sounds great singing it. What will the judges say?
Randy says, “Dawg, that was one of the best vocals I’ve ever heard on this show!” Young David says he sang the third verse only, because it was his favorite and has a great message. Paula is filling out adoption papers. Simon says what I said earlier… very, very risky. He says that Young David pulled it off, and has now become the one to beat. If Young David wins this thing (and make no mistake, he will end up in the Final 12), he’ll definitely have a Buble/Groban type career, which is not a bad thing.
My picks for the Final Six Guys? Young David, CheezyDeezy, Jason Castro, Michael Johns, David Rob Thomas Cook and unfortunately, Danny Jessica Alba Noriega. I think David Hernadez could end up in there, bouncing out The Dreadlocked One or Noriega.
Going home on Thursday? Luke Menard should probably get out—he’s not going to win this, and either Yeager(meister) or Robbie Carrico. I only say those two because really, they are both rather boring.
Onto the chicks!!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The 2008 Oscar Running Diary
The Oscars have begun with a cool little animated montage with references to about 100 films or more… and since it actually started at 730pm our time, and its actually 930pm our time… we’ll start from 930pm.
930pm… Jon Stewart is introduced as the host of the 80th Annual Academy Awards. I remain one of about 4 people in the world that doesn’t think he or the Daily Show is actually funny (mostly because its so inaccurate as “news”, which it never claims to be yet enjoys its status as a newscast)
933pm… Jon makes a few funny remarks, though.
--“’Away From Her’, a remarkable movie about a woman trying to forget her husband. Hillary Clinton called it the ‘feel good movie of the year’”
--“’Norbit’ got a nomination… too often, the Academy ignores movies that aren’t good”
935pm… Ah, there he goes. Political jokes. Its funny, he discusses issues and positions, then nudges a vote for Democrats. Somebody please tell me what Obama has done? Ever? Ever?
937pm… Here comes the awards! Jennifer Garner is up to present the first Oscar, that being the Costume award. I went with Atonement… and the winner is… Elizabeth: The Golden Age. It’s a two point category, and Stephanie and Nikki get it. Ashley, me and Mikey – Zero.
940pm… George Clooney is up now, looking debonair as always, to introduce a montage over the last 80 years of Academy Awards. I always think the montages are fun, honestly…
945pm… Anne Hathaway is joined by Steve Carrell. Anne has a total strangeness in dress. And for the 2nd award, it’s the Animated Feature category. Jon Stewart = not really funny. Steve Carrell = totally freakin’ funny.
948pm… I went with Ratatouille. And the winner is… Ratatouille! I’m 1 for 2 tonight, and pick up the 3 points. So does everyone else. Nikki & Stephanie are at 5 points, while Mikey, Ashley & myself are at 3 points. Brad Bird is Ratatouille’s director, and has a great speech.
950pm… Katherine Heigl is here for the makeup award, which is ironic because she does have a little bit too much rouge on. This is the movie Norbit was nominated for… but I went with Pirates 3. And the winner is… La Vie An Rose. Curse it all. One point goes to Mikey, which puts him at 4. I didn’t realize this was the Marion Cotillard movie, otherwise I would have gone with it… shucks.
953pm… The first of the five songs are up now, this one being “Happy Working Song” from Enchanted, one of the Top Ten Coolest Things of 2007. And Amy Adams, aka Total Hotness, is singing it! The Lovely Steph Leann has a grin the size of a Buick right now. This grin is nothing to what will be going on that lovely face when Amy Adams throws down to “That’s How You Know”.
958pm… The Rock is in the house! The People’s Champion! Yes, yes, mancrush. Shut up. Here comes the Visual Effects Award. I picked Transformers. And the winner is… The Golden Compass. And Nikki gets it… one point awarded, Nikki 6, Steph 5, Mikey 4, d$ and Ashleynipp have 3. My solace is that the movie made about 57 dollars at the box office, and half of that was popcorn.
10pm… Cate Blanchett is up for Art Direction. She’s one of those that sometimes, like tonight, can look totally gorgeous… and other times looks hideous. I chose There Will Be Blood in this one. The winner is Sweeney Todd. I am absolutely sucking wind tonight… just terrible. Steph Leann, Mikey and Ashleynipp get it, putting me in dead last. Nikki & Steph 6, Mikey 5, Ashleynipp 4, me 3.
1003pm… An Acting Award, one of the big ones, a four point category. They are replaying the Cuba Gooding Jr win for Jerry Maguire in 1997, which was absolutely awesome. Tonight? I picked Javier Bardem for “No Country for Old Men”. His role of Anton Chigurh was amazing. Personally? I’m rooting for Hal Holbrook, just because it was would be so cool to see him win one at 80 years old. The winner is? Javier Bardem. Four points for me, Steph Leann and Mikey. Steph has 9, Mikey has 8, I have 7, Nikki has 6, Ashleynipp has 4.
1013pm... Keri Russell appears, looking very elegant. Never thought she was all that good looking, but she does look classy tonight. This song she’s introducing is from “August Rush”, a little film that I’ve never seen, and most of you probably won’t see either.
1017pm… Owen Wilson, Academy Award nominee (for what?), is here for the Short Film category. I have no idea what I picked, Steph Leann has the ballots. The winner is The Mozart of Pickpockets. I didn’t pick that, I’m sure. Steph Leann gets it right… one more point for her. She now has 10 points overall. This guy who won the Oscar is talking, and I’m not sure if he’s trying to talk or cough something up, with his accent so thick.
1020pm… The Short Animated Film category is up, and I picked I Met The Walrus, whatever that’s about. The Oscar goes to Peter and the Wolf, which looked pretty awesome from the clip they showed. No one gets it right.
1024pm… Supporting Actress award, presented by last year’s supporting actor winner, Alan Arkin. This is a four point category, and I went with sentimental favorite Ruby Dee, from “American Gangster”. And the winner is… Tilda Swinton for “Michael Clayton”. I actually didn’t see that one coming, and Nikki takes the four points. Nikki and Steph Leann are tied at 10, Mikey has 8, I still have 7 and Ashleynipp has 4. Tilda looks terrible. I accidentally saw her nude in a film once, and it hurt my eyes. I turned the channel quickly.
1030pm… The teaser says “Stay tuned for Jessica Alba!” to which Steph Leann says “Jessica Alba will never be taken seriously again. Like she ever was. She hasn’t made a good movie in like, forever.” Jessica Alba is out to present the Scientific Technical Awards. We fast forwarded.
1032pm… Josh Brolin and James McAvoy are out together to present another award, this one being Adapted Screenplay. I went with “No Country for Old Men”. The winner is “No Country”! Its 4 points, and Steph Leann goes to 14, Mikey goes to 12, I have 11, Nikki stays at 10 and Ashleynipp has 8.
1039pm… “That’s How You Know” from Enchanted is being played, being sung by Kristen Chenoweth. Steph Leann’s grin went from really, really big to sort of a smile, now that Amy Adams isn’t singing it. Though she still has the head bobbing. Of course, if you are going to replace Amy Adams with anyone for this song, you can do a lot worse than Kristen Chenoweth.
1044pm… Dame Judi Dench and Dame Halle Berry are coming out and… oh wait, this is Jonah Hill and Seth Rogan. This is even better. And they are pretty funny… anyway, the award is for Sound Editing, and I picked The Bourne Ultimatum. And it wins! Another point for me! Steph Leann is at 15, Mikey stays at 12, I tie at 12, Nikki has 10 and Ashleynipp has 8 still.
1047pm… Seth and Jonah are still at it. The award is for Sound Mixing, and I went with Transformers, just cause I’d really like it to get something. And the winner is… The Bourne Ultimatum again. Stupid me… I should have picked this for both of these Sound awards. No one gets it this time around.
1051pm… The Best Actress Award is up next, the first 5 point category. I went with Julie Christie, only because she got tons of praise for this role… not that I have seen it, or will probably see “Away from Her”. I would give up the entire Oscar contest to see Laura Linney win an Oscar, though…. I luv luv luv Laura Linney’s acting. And the Oscar goes to Marion Cotillard, a heavy favorite… and no one picked her. Stupid foreigners gettin’ our awards. It was cute, though, with her walking off stage crying.
1059pm… Colin Farrell walks out, and almost slipped. He’s here to introduce the 4th nominated song from the little seen Irish film “Once”, it’s the song “Falling Slowly”. The song starts, I ask Steph Leann if I can fast forward, she looks at me funny with a “no”. So we listen to “Falling Slowly”. The might want to put the word “asleep” in the middle of the title.
1102pm… Jack Nicholson comes out… always a good time. Just hearing him talk cracks me up. He’s here to introduce the montage of “Best Pictures”.
1107pm… Either Renee Zellweger or Jewel just came out, I can’t tell. Though I think they might be the same person. Here’s the Film Editing Award, which I picked The Bourne Ultimatum. I got another one! Personally, The Bourne Ultimatum could have been a Best Picture nominee. Scorecard: Steph Leann 15, d$ 13, Mikey 12, Nikki 10 and Ashleynipp has 9.
1110pm… Jon Stewart: “Film editing… someone just took the lead in the Oscar pool based on a guess.” Yep.
1110pm… Nicole Kidman is out now. I used to be so into Nicole Kidman, though she’s kind of falling out for me. She’s still pretty, but I lean Kate Winslet now. This is some sort of Lifetime Achievement Award for an art director, one who’s 98. Robert Boyle gets an Honorary Oscar, and a standing ovation. It is cool, however, that they award someone who’s not an actor nor a director.
1118pm… Steve Guttenberg is going to be on Dancing with the Stars. Just sayin’.
1119pm… Penelope Cruz comes out to present another award. The Foreign Flick Prize. I think I picked the Polish film, Katlyn. The Counterfeiters from Austria gets it. Steph Leann picks it up, as does Mikey. Steph gets to 17 points, while Mikey goes to 14.
1122pm… A member of Steph’s “Colin Firth Club”, Patrick Dempsey comes out to introduce “So Close”, also from Enchanted. Luckily, Steph Leann allows me to fast forward through it.
1124pm… John Travolta, who should have gotten a nod in the makeup category for “Hairspray”, is giving out Original Song. Travolta’s face is heavily made up, and looks plastic. I picked “That’s How You Know” from Enchanted. The winner? “Falling Slowly” from “Once”. I wonder if Enchanted canceled each other out. Steph Leann is unhappy, calling the people who did win it “Losers”. The three points goes to Mikey, who now tied Steph Leann at 17. I’m at 13, Nikki stays at 10 and Ashleynipp still has 9.
1128pm… Me: If “Its Hard Out Here For a Pimp” can beat Bono for best song, then anything can happen in this category.
1130pm… Jon Stewart brings out the chick from the duo that just won best song. The guy got to talk, but the music cut them off, so Jon got her out to say her thank-you’s. That was actually kinda cool.
1131pm… Cameron Diaz comes out… remember what I said about Cate Blanchett? Yep. Cameron too. Our award now is Cinematography, and I went with There Will Be Blood. A 2 point category, its important to stay up with the leaders. And the winners are… There Will Be Blood! My total runs to 15, and Nikki finally gets up to 12! Mikey takes the lead at 19, Steph Leann is still at 17, and Ashleynipp breaks double digits with 11 points now.
1134pm… Two time Oscar winner and one time Chad Lowe wife, Hilary Swank! And here’s the legacy montage, and I’m sure a big ovation will be given to Heath Ledger. This one is always kinda sad. Sometimes you get the “I didn’t know that guy died!” reaction. This time it was Dabbs Greer, the old mad in “The Green Mile”. Sadly, we also lost Deborah Kerr. And the loudest reaction is given to Heath Ledger. Strangely, no Brad Renfroe mention.
1139pm… My latest Hollywood crush, Amy Adams, comes out with a “Academy Award nominee” label… it took us a second to remember “Junebug”, which I still haven’t seen. The award for Best Score is being given out. I picked Atonement. Rock! The winner is Atonement! 3 points go to me… and everyone else but Ashleynipp. Mikey has 22, Steph has 20, I have 18, Nikki has 15 and Ashleynipp is at 11.
1143pm… Tom Hanks, a two time winner, is up next, giving out the Documentary Awards, first the Documentary Short Film. Actually, they cut to soldiers in Baghdad, naming the nominees and giving out the award. Great move. I picked Sari’s Mother. Sari’s mom has it going on. You know that Sari. The winner is… Freeheld. Crapola. At least no one else picked it either. Except for Michael. His lead goes to 3 points, now with 23 total. Steph Leann screams “Mikey… you suck!!” And, even better, Freeheld is all about gay marriages. Mikey would get that one right.
1147pm… Tom Hanks now has the Documentary Feature Award. I picked No End in Sight, because an anti-American, anti-military movie is right up Hollywood’s alley. Taxi to the Dark Side, another anti-military film gets the win. Here comes the anti-American speech! Ashleynipp gets the 2 points, bringing her total to 13.
1150pm… “After Gitmo’s atrocities…” says the guy holding the award. That’s right, after four meals per day, prayer rugs, religious freedoms and all, how terrible it must be for these terrorists who want nothing more to blow up and destroy American lives.
1151pm… Harrison Ford walks out in all his stature. Are you pumped for Indy 4? Me too. He’s got the award for Original Screenplay, and its worth 4 points. I picked Juno. Unfortunately, we all picked Juno. Diablo Cody wins for Juno, and even gets a standing ovation. Mikey still leads with 27, Steph has 24, I have 22, Nikki has 19 and Ashleynipp trails with 17.
1156pm… The Best Actor Award is up now, another 5 point category. I think most of us picked Daniel Day-Lewis. Helen Mirren is up to give the award, and I think even though she’s like, 84 years old, she’s remarkably stunning. And she just said the word “cajones”.
12am… Daniel Day-Lewis, predictably, picks up the Oscar. Mikey jumps to an almost insurmountable 32 points, Steph has 29, I have 27, Nikki has 24 and Ashleynipp has 22 still.
1201pm… I think Daniel Day-Lewis is one of those actors that is highly underrated, and that no one mentions when they are talking about ‘Great actors’, but perhaps should. I mean, he doesn’t do a ton of work, but what he does is remarkable… he was the best thing about Gangs of New York, he was apparently great in There Will Be Blood, and he was awesome in Last of the Mohicans.
1204pm… It’s time for the Best Director Award. Last year, Scorsese won it, given to him by Coppola, Spielberg and Lucas. Someone in the room said, “I wonder if George Lucas wants their Oscars” to which, Drew Morris replied, “Yes, but I HAVE BILLIONS!!!” Funniest line of the night.
1206pm… I went with the Coen Brothers for “No Country For Old Men” for this award, and I was right. Another 5 points… for everyone but Nikki. Mikey has 37, Steph has 34, I have 32, Ashleynipp takes over 4th with 27 and Nikki is in danger of a First to Worst finish, still with 22 points.
1208pm… And finally… Denzel Washington comes out for the Best Picture. I went with “No Country for Old Men”. And the final Oscar goes to… “No Country for Old Men”. The final tally of the night? Michael wins it with 42 points, Steph Leann finishes 2nd again with a 39 point total. I end up with 37, Ashleynipp finishes with 27 and Nikki bombs out with 22.
So, that’s your 2008 Academy Awards… Michael is now a 4 time winner, though this one might have an asterisk on it, being over email and with only five participants, as opposed to the usual 12 or more people every year.
Well… I guess we’ll see you on Idol. I’m going to bed now.
Steph Leann (repeating this three times): “Stupid Michael”
930pm… Jon Stewart is introduced as the host of the 80th Annual Academy Awards. I remain one of about 4 people in the world that doesn’t think he or the Daily Show is actually funny (mostly because its so inaccurate as “news”, which it never claims to be yet enjoys its status as a newscast)
933pm… Jon makes a few funny remarks, though.
--“’Away From Her’, a remarkable movie about a woman trying to forget her husband. Hillary Clinton called it the ‘feel good movie of the year’”
--“’Norbit’ got a nomination… too often, the Academy ignores movies that aren’t good”
935pm… Ah, there he goes. Political jokes. Its funny, he discusses issues and positions, then nudges a vote for Democrats. Somebody please tell me what Obama has done? Ever? Ever?
937pm… Here comes the awards! Jennifer Garner is up to present the first Oscar, that being the Costume award. I went with Atonement… and the winner is… Elizabeth: The Golden Age. It’s a two point category, and Stephanie and Nikki get it. Ashley, me and Mikey – Zero.
940pm… George Clooney is up now, looking debonair as always, to introduce a montage over the last 80 years of Academy Awards. I always think the montages are fun, honestly…
945pm… Anne Hathaway is joined by Steve Carrell. Anne has a total strangeness in dress. And for the 2nd award, it’s the Animated Feature category. Jon Stewart = not really funny. Steve Carrell = totally freakin’ funny.
948pm… I went with Ratatouille. And the winner is… Ratatouille! I’m 1 for 2 tonight, and pick up the 3 points. So does everyone else. Nikki & Stephanie are at 5 points, while Mikey, Ashley & myself are at 3 points. Brad Bird is Ratatouille’s director, and has a great speech.
950pm… Katherine Heigl is here for the makeup award, which is ironic because she does have a little bit too much rouge on. This is the movie Norbit was nominated for… but I went with Pirates 3. And the winner is… La Vie An Rose. Curse it all. One point goes to Mikey, which puts him at 4. I didn’t realize this was the Marion Cotillard movie, otherwise I would have gone with it… shucks.
953pm… The first of the five songs are up now, this one being “Happy Working Song” from Enchanted, one of the Top Ten Coolest Things of 2007. And Amy Adams, aka Total Hotness, is singing it! The Lovely Steph Leann has a grin the size of a Buick right now. This grin is nothing to what will be going on that lovely face when Amy Adams throws down to “That’s How You Know”.
958pm… The Rock is in the house! The People’s Champion! Yes, yes, mancrush. Shut up. Here comes the Visual Effects Award. I picked Transformers. And the winner is… The Golden Compass. And Nikki gets it… one point awarded, Nikki 6, Steph 5, Mikey 4, d$ and Ashleynipp have 3. My solace is that the movie made about 57 dollars at the box office, and half of that was popcorn.
10pm… Cate Blanchett is up for Art Direction. She’s one of those that sometimes, like tonight, can look totally gorgeous… and other times looks hideous. I chose There Will Be Blood in this one. The winner is Sweeney Todd. I am absolutely sucking wind tonight… just terrible. Steph Leann, Mikey and Ashleynipp get it, putting me in dead last. Nikki & Steph 6, Mikey 5, Ashleynipp 4, me 3.
1003pm… An Acting Award, one of the big ones, a four point category. They are replaying the Cuba Gooding Jr win for Jerry Maguire in 1997, which was absolutely awesome. Tonight? I picked Javier Bardem for “No Country for Old Men”. His role of Anton Chigurh was amazing. Personally? I’m rooting for Hal Holbrook, just because it was would be so cool to see him win one at 80 years old. The winner is? Javier Bardem. Four points for me, Steph Leann and Mikey. Steph has 9, Mikey has 8, I have 7, Nikki has 6, Ashleynipp has 4.
1013pm... Keri Russell appears, looking very elegant. Never thought she was all that good looking, but she does look classy tonight. This song she’s introducing is from “August Rush”, a little film that I’ve never seen, and most of you probably won’t see either.
1017pm… Owen Wilson, Academy Award nominee (for what?), is here for the Short Film category. I have no idea what I picked, Steph Leann has the ballots. The winner is The Mozart of Pickpockets. I didn’t pick that, I’m sure. Steph Leann gets it right… one more point for her. She now has 10 points overall. This guy who won the Oscar is talking, and I’m not sure if he’s trying to talk or cough something up, with his accent so thick.
1020pm… The Short Animated Film category is up, and I picked I Met The Walrus, whatever that’s about. The Oscar goes to Peter and the Wolf, which looked pretty awesome from the clip they showed. No one gets it right.
1024pm… Supporting Actress award, presented by last year’s supporting actor winner, Alan Arkin. This is a four point category, and I went with sentimental favorite Ruby Dee, from “American Gangster”. And the winner is… Tilda Swinton for “Michael Clayton”. I actually didn’t see that one coming, and Nikki takes the four points. Nikki and Steph Leann are tied at 10, Mikey has 8, I still have 7 and Ashleynipp has 4. Tilda looks terrible. I accidentally saw her nude in a film once, and it hurt my eyes. I turned the channel quickly.
1030pm… The teaser says “Stay tuned for Jessica Alba!” to which Steph Leann says “Jessica Alba will never be taken seriously again. Like she ever was. She hasn’t made a good movie in like, forever.” Jessica Alba is out to present the Scientific Technical Awards. We fast forwarded.
1032pm… Josh Brolin and James McAvoy are out together to present another award, this one being Adapted Screenplay. I went with “No Country for Old Men”. The winner is “No Country”! Its 4 points, and Steph Leann goes to 14, Mikey goes to 12, I have 11, Nikki stays at 10 and Ashleynipp has 8.
1039pm… “That’s How You Know” from Enchanted is being played, being sung by Kristen Chenoweth. Steph Leann’s grin went from really, really big to sort of a smile, now that Amy Adams isn’t singing it. Though she still has the head bobbing. Of course, if you are going to replace Amy Adams with anyone for this song, you can do a lot worse than Kristen Chenoweth.
1044pm… Dame Judi Dench and Dame Halle Berry are coming out and… oh wait, this is Jonah Hill and Seth Rogan. This is even better. And they are pretty funny… anyway, the award is for Sound Editing, and I picked The Bourne Ultimatum. And it wins! Another point for me! Steph Leann is at 15, Mikey stays at 12, I tie at 12, Nikki has 10 and Ashleynipp has 8 still.
1047pm… Seth and Jonah are still at it. The award is for Sound Mixing, and I went with Transformers, just cause I’d really like it to get something. And the winner is… The Bourne Ultimatum again. Stupid me… I should have picked this for both of these Sound awards. No one gets it this time around.
1051pm… The Best Actress Award is up next, the first 5 point category. I went with Julie Christie, only because she got tons of praise for this role… not that I have seen it, or will probably see “Away from Her”. I would give up the entire Oscar contest to see Laura Linney win an Oscar, though…. I luv luv luv Laura Linney’s acting. And the Oscar goes to Marion Cotillard, a heavy favorite… and no one picked her. Stupid foreigners gettin’ our awards. It was cute, though, with her walking off stage crying.
1059pm… Colin Farrell walks out, and almost slipped. He’s here to introduce the 4th nominated song from the little seen Irish film “Once”, it’s the song “Falling Slowly”. The song starts, I ask Steph Leann if I can fast forward, she looks at me funny with a “no”. So we listen to “Falling Slowly”. The might want to put the word “asleep” in the middle of the title.
1102pm… Jack Nicholson comes out… always a good time. Just hearing him talk cracks me up. He’s here to introduce the montage of “Best Pictures”.
1107pm… Either Renee Zellweger or Jewel just came out, I can’t tell. Though I think they might be the same person. Here’s the Film Editing Award, which I picked The Bourne Ultimatum. I got another one! Personally, The Bourne Ultimatum could have been a Best Picture nominee. Scorecard: Steph Leann 15, d$ 13, Mikey 12, Nikki 10 and Ashleynipp has 9.
1110pm… Jon Stewart: “Film editing… someone just took the lead in the Oscar pool based on a guess.” Yep.
1110pm… Nicole Kidman is out now. I used to be so into Nicole Kidman, though she’s kind of falling out for me. She’s still pretty, but I lean Kate Winslet now. This is some sort of Lifetime Achievement Award for an art director, one who’s 98. Robert Boyle gets an Honorary Oscar, and a standing ovation. It is cool, however, that they award someone who’s not an actor nor a director.
1118pm… Steve Guttenberg is going to be on Dancing with the Stars. Just sayin’.
1119pm… Penelope Cruz comes out to present another award. The Foreign Flick Prize. I think I picked the Polish film, Katlyn. The Counterfeiters from Austria gets it. Steph Leann picks it up, as does Mikey. Steph gets to 17 points, while Mikey goes to 14.
1122pm… A member of Steph’s “Colin Firth Club”, Patrick Dempsey comes out to introduce “So Close”, also from Enchanted. Luckily, Steph Leann allows me to fast forward through it.
1124pm… John Travolta, who should have gotten a nod in the makeup category for “Hairspray”, is giving out Original Song. Travolta’s face is heavily made up, and looks plastic. I picked “That’s How You Know” from Enchanted. The winner? “Falling Slowly” from “Once”. I wonder if Enchanted canceled each other out. Steph Leann is unhappy, calling the people who did win it “Losers”. The three points goes to Mikey, who now tied Steph Leann at 17. I’m at 13, Nikki stays at 10 and Ashleynipp still has 9.
1128pm… Me: If “Its Hard Out Here For a Pimp” can beat Bono for best song, then anything can happen in this category.
1130pm… Jon Stewart brings out the chick from the duo that just won best song. The guy got to talk, but the music cut them off, so Jon got her out to say her thank-you’s. That was actually kinda cool.
1131pm… Cameron Diaz comes out… remember what I said about Cate Blanchett? Yep. Cameron too. Our award now is Cinematography, and I went with There Will Be Blood. A 2 point category, its important to stay up with the leaders. And the winners are… There Will Be Blood! My total runs to 15, and Nikki finally gets up to 12! Mikey takes the lead at 19, Steph Leann is still at 17, and Ashleynipp breaks double digits with 11 points now.
1134pm… Two time Oscar winner and one time Chad Lowe wife, Hilary Swank! And here’s the legacy montage, and I’m sure a big ovation will be given to Heath Ledger. This one is always kinda sad. Sometimes you get the “I didn’t know that guy died!” reaction. This time it was Dabbs Greer, the old mad in “The Green Mile”. Sadly, we also lost Deborah Kerr. And the loudest reaction is given to Heath Ledger. Strangely, no Brad Renfroe mention.
1139pm… My latest Hollywood crush, Amy Adams, comes out with a “Academy Award nominee” label… it took us a second to remember “Junebug”, which I still haven’t seen. The award for Best Score is being given out. I picked Atonement. Rock! The winner is Atonement! 3 points go to me… and everyone else but Ashleynipp. Mikey has 22, Steph has 20, I have 18, Nikki has 15 and Ashleynipp is at 11.
1143pm… Tom Hanks, a two time winner, is up next, giving out the Documentary Awards, first the Documentary Short Film. Actually, they cut to soldiers in Baghdad, naming the nominees and giving out the award. Great move. I picked Sari’s Mother. Sari’s mom has it going on. You know that Sari. The winner is… Freeheld. Crapola. At least no one else picked it either. Except for Michael. His lead goes to 3 points, now with 23 total. Steph Leann screams “Mikey… you suck!!” And, even better, Freeheld is all about gay marriages. Mikey would get that one right.
1147pm… Tom Hanks now has the Documentary Feature Award. I picked No End in Sight, because an anti-American, anti-military movie is right up Hollywood’s alley. Taxi to the Dark Side, another anti-military film gets the win. Here comes the anti-American speech! Ashleynipp gets the 2 points, bringing her total to 13.
1150pm… “After Gitmo’s atrocities…” says the guy holding the award. That’s right, after four meals per day, prayer rugs, religious freedoms and all, how terrible it must be for these terrorists who want nothing more to blow up and destroy American lives.
1151pm… Harrison Ford walks out in all his stature. Are you pumped for Indy 4? Me too. He’s got the award for Original Screenplay, and its worth 4 points. I picked Juno. Unfortunately, we all picked Juno. Diablo Cody wins for Juno, and even gets a standing ovation. Mikey still leads with 27, Steph has 24, I have 22, Nikki has 19 and Ashleynipp trails with 17.
1156pm… The Best Actor Award is up now, another 5 point category. I think most of us picked Daniel Day-Lewis. Helen Mirren is up to give the award, and I think even though she’s like, 84 years old, she’s remarkably stunning. And she just said the word “cajones”.
12am… Daniel Day-Lewis, predictably, picks up the Oscar. Mikey jumps to an almost insurmountable 32 points, Steph has 29, I have 27, Nikki has 24 and Ashleynipp has 22 still.
1201pm… I think Daniel Day-Lewis is one of those actors that is highly underrated, and that no one mentions when they are talking about ‘Great actors’, but perhaps should. I mean, he doesn’t do a ton of work, but what he does is remarkable… he was the best thing about Gangs of New York, he was apparently great in There Will Be Blood, and he was awesome in Last of the Mohicans.
1204pm… It’s time for the Best Director Award. Last year, Scorsese won it, given to him by Coppola, Spielberg and Lucas. Someone in the room said, “I wonder if George Lucas wants their Oscars” to which, Drew Morris replied, “Yes, but I HAVE BILLIONS!!!” Funniest line of the night.
1206pm… I went with the Coen Brothers for “No Country For Old Men” for this award, and I was right. Another 5 points… for everyone but Nikki. Mikey has 37, Steph has 34, I have 32, Ashleynipp takes over 4th with 27 and Nikki is in danger of a First to Worst finish, still with 22 points.
1208pm… And finally… Denzel Washington comes out for the Best Picture. I went with “No Country for Old Men”. And the final Oscar goes to… “No Country for Old Men”. The final tally of the night? Michael wins it with 42 points, Steph Leann finishes 2nd again with a 39 point total. I end up with 37, Ashleynipp finishes with 27 and Nikki bombs out with 22.
So, that’s your 2008 Academy Awards… Michael is now a 4 time winner, though this one might have an asterisk on it, being over email and with only five participants, as opposed to the usual 12 or more people every year.
Well… I guess we’ll see you on Idol. I’m going to bed now.
Steph Leann (repeating this three times): “Stupid Michael”
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