Question of the Week: Leap Day

What's your opinion of Leap Day?

I just don't like it. It's an extra day that comes along once every four years. I believe that a day like this, a day that doesn't normally even exist, should be a day set aside to take a break. And when I say a break, I'm talking Ferris Bueller style. The reality of Leap Day was that I had to go to class at 7:30am. Then I had to go to work until 6pm. Leap Day was just another day. In 2012, Leap Day will fall on a Wednesday. Maybe I'll plan a vacation day, wherever I am. I'll plan on sitting at home and I'll watch DVDs of Quantum Leap. It'll be Quantum Leap Day.

Yeah.

American Idol: 16 Left

It's the same thing every time they have an elimination. Really, this could be a half hour show. Well, 15 minutes. How long does it really take to tell four people their dream is dead? Well, I won't say dead. Actually, I will. And for a commentary on what happens to the folks that don't make the top 12, see last week's post. Who's going home this week? I wanna know. I don't want an hour of filler. Thank goodness for the DVR. Just let me say, I think I may be wrong about my picks this week.

Who's first? That would be Jason Yeager. Who's surprised by this one? I mean, I'm pretty sure he was about to cry after the verbal beating he got from the judges last night. I feel a little bad for him, but not much. You gotta step it up when America's voting. Give us something to talk about at the water cooler. That's one.

Next? Alexandrea Lushington... I was so wrong. Ryan narrowed it to her and Amanda. I'm sitting here thinking Amanda is the one going home. I hate being wrong! I thought Alexandrea did so much better than Amanda last night. But I didn't vote for her. Brooke got my vote last night, 'cause she was the best of them.

I'm pretty sure I'm wrong about Ramiele. Could it be Kady? She's kind of my back up pick to go home. Okay, definitely wrong about Ramiele, she's safe. Wow... big upset. Alaina Whitaker is going home. No freakin' way! She did awesome last week! I guess that shows what an off-night can do to you. Wow. I am blown away by this one. Last night wasn't her best performance, by any stretch of the imagination, but it was better than several of the other girls. America, I'm telling you, you got it wrong with the girls this week. I'll give you Ramiele, I admit I was wrong when I picked her to go home. But come on... Alaina and Alexandrea over Amanda and Kady? Come on America, step it up!

So who's the last to go home tonight? I picked David Cook as the last one. And I'm wrong. Luke and Robbie are on the block. Of these two, I think it'll be Luke Menard. Wow... another shocker. Robbie Carrico... going home. What the heck people? With people voting like this, I'm afraid of what sort of presidential election we'll see come November.

I have to go sleep this crap off! I'm going to my room!

American Idol: 10 Gals

Oh yes, it's ladies night.

Carly Smithson - Crazy On You
I'm not sure of the song title, so if I'm wrong, again, forgive me. She's doing really well tonight. A lot better than last week. She's really letting loose with her vocals and showing just how powerful her voice is. Great control, very confident. Starting off strong tonight. 9.

Syesha Mercado - Me and Mrs. Jones
Except she's singing "Mr. Jones." I think this girl has a great deal of potential. Tonight's song choice isn't necessarily showing off what she can do though. It's not bad, but she's got such a powerful voice, this song just doesn't showcase it. 8.

Brooke White - You're So Vain
Bold move playing the guitar. She's already been compared to Carly Simon this season. I think she's done a great job with this song and she was very comfortable singing it. Another 9.

Ramiele Malubay - Don't Leave Me This Way
As I sit here listening to the song, I can't help but feel a little bored. Vocally she's doing okay, but she just doesn't seem to be into it. Like she's not giving her all or not feeling it. There are a couple problems with pitch. I gotta go 6.

Kristy Lee Cook - You're No Good
I'm hearing a couple places that are off key. And the stage presence isn't much better than last week. I went along with the illness factor then, but what's the excuse this week? Is she still nervous? I'm still disappointed. Better than last week overall, but not great. 7.

Amanda Overmyer - Carry On My Wayward Son
It's too low for her. Look, I'm just not a fan of Amanda. I don't like her voice all that much. She could hit every not perfectly and I don't think I'd enjoy the performance. I'm really not a fan. 5.

Alaina Whitaker - Hopelessly Devoted to You
Extra points for pulling out a song from Grease. And she's got Carrie Underwood hair. I don't think her performance is quite as strong as last week. Slight pitch issue just before the chorus. And then she kicks it up a little more. This is probably the wrong song for her. Because she showed last week that she has a phenomenal voice, but Olivia Newton-John she ain't. 8.

Alexandrea Lushington - If You Leave Me Now
Pulling out some Chicago. Nice. I'm impressed with this girl. I have a feeling the judges will call the song choice boring. But she's singing it so well, I really don't care if it's boring. It's a great slow song and she's showing incredible control and maturity in her voice. 8.

Kady Malloy - Magic Man
This is another case of a girl with incredible potential. But this is totally the wrong song for her. She's off key throughout. Most of it is way too low for her, so it's impossible to even understand her. I can't go with a high score here. Going with a 6.

Asia'h Epperson - All By Myself
Sounded like she started off a little shaky. But she's getting it back. As she wraps up the song, all I can think is, wow. That ending brings her up from an 8 to a 9.

So who do I think should be worried? Jason Yeager, David Cook, Amanda Overmyer, and Ramiele Malubay. I might have said Michael Johns and Kady Malloy, but I think they'll have enough of the votes to keep them in another week. I was 3 for 4 last week, guess we'll see how good I am at this game tomorrow night.

American Idol: 10 Guys

So... what's the theme this week? Ah, the 70s. Makes sense, since last week was the 60s.

Michael Johns - You Can Go Your Own Way
It's starting off kind of iffy for Michael. When he gets to the chorus, he doesn't sound quite as confident as I'm used to from him. Maybe he's not comfortable with hitting the higher notes there. His song last week was a better fit. It'll be interesting to see what the judges say. But I'm only giving him a 6. Kinda rough.

Jason Castro - Be Your Everything (not sure of the title)
He's out here with his guitar again. I can see this guy being a new Jack Johnson. He's very comfortable out there with the instrument and on the stage. His vocal this week isn't quite as good as last week, but I think he's doing better than Michael. Gonna go with a 7.

Luke Menard - Killer Queen
What's with the song choice this week? This song just doesn't suit him at all. Maybe I'm the only one thinking that. Anyone else seeing Hugh Jackman in this guy? I'm having bad Viva Laughlin flashbacks. Can't say I liked it though. Not bad, not great. 7.

Robbie Carrico - Hot Blooded
I think this might be the best so far tonight. I'm pretty sure I said that with this guy last week too. He did a really good job with this song. The confidence was there. The vocals were there. I'll say it wasn't as good as last week, which seems to be a running theme tonight. Better than the previous three though. 9.

Danny Noriega - Superstar
Here's a tip: when introducing yourself on a show where you want people to think you're a good singer, don't tell America that you were once in a band that sucked. I'm inclined not to like this guy, just because he seems like he'll be this year's Sanjaya. I know, I said Jonas would be, but he got cut. But he's actually doing pretty good tonight. Better than last week's song. 7.









Tell me I'm wrong.

David Hernandez - Papa Was a Rolling Stone
He did a good job with this one. He didn't over do it, he didn't under do it. He was able to play the audience well. Giving him an 8.

Jason Yeager - Without Love
He's a little flat starting off. Most of the song is okay though. He's pulling off a pretty good vocal. I'm not a fan though. It's pretty average. 6.

Chikezie
It sounds like there are some problems staying on pitch here. Though to be honest, I don't know this song. There's no denying that Chikezie has a powerful voice, but he starts this song out all over the place. There's some redemption toward the end. And it's better than last week's performance. 8.

David Cook - Alright Now
Dave's out here playing Guitar Hero. Will this take away from his already less than stellar vocal performance? I'll say that he's doing better than last week, but I really don't think he's got a strong voice for this. 7.

David Archuleta - Imagine
This kid seems to be a crowd favorite. The girls were screaming for him before Ryan even introduced him. And I'll admit, for someone so young, he's got an amazing voice. He's come out and taken one of my favorite songs and he's made it his own. As far as I can tell, this is a fairly flawless performance. First 10 of the season.

That's it for the guy. Archuleta gets my vote tonight. Uh, I'll be honest, I don't know 70s music that well. I mean, I can sing along with a lot of songs played on the radio, just don't ask me the titles. So if I missed some of the above titles, forgive me. And disclaimer for tomorrow night, I'm sure I'll miss some more. Tomorrow the girls sing. Remember: vote early, vote often!

Feeling Hitchcockian

I got home from work not long ago. I'm sitting here, just trying to relax, watching a little TV before I fix dinner. I heard a strange noise. Whatever it was came from outside. It was continual and pretty annoying. I was hearing this over the sound from the TV.

So I got up, walked to the front door and took a look outside. Birds. Lots and lots of birds. You know it's gotta be a lot of birds if they were loud enough for me to hear them inside my house (doors and windows completely shut) over the television.

I'll admit, it's a little creepy. Did you ever see that old Hitchcock movie The Birds? That's why it's creepy.

The Academy Awards

I'm late with today's post by about 15 minutes. But like I've said before, it's still the 24th for most of the country. I would've posted before midnight eastern time, but the Oscars ran long.

Tonight I did something with the Greene's that I had previously done with Chrissy, Andy, and his family a few years back. We printed ballots off the internet and picked our winners in each category. This turns the annual awards ceremony into a competition and makes it a little more fun to watch. At stake: ice cream of choice from the Marble Slab.

When I played this little game with the Berry's, I came out on top with 12 correct picks. This eventually led to ice cream of choice from Maggie Moo's. I say eventually because we never got around to it while I was in Richmond that weekend. We didn't actually get around to it until I visited Andy and Chrissy in Charlotte last summer.

I hope it doesn't take 18 months to get my Marble Slab ice cream. I'm pretty sure it won't... since I practically live with the Greene's.

Oh, didn't I mention? I won... again. This time I only got 8 right. But it was more than Kevin or Nicole. And believe me when I say it was pure luck. Since I have seen zero of the major motion pictures that actually won something tonight. I should really get out more.

Chance

For the last few weeks I've been issued challenges by the oldest Greene boy to play him at Monopoly. His claim was that he had never been beaten before. Even Nicole backed this up. Apparently he had never met an opponent that could outmatch him at the classic board game. Until tonight.

This afternoon he brought it up one more time. I was hesitant, but the Nicole said I was afraid to play him. Not one to back down from a challenge, I gave in. So we played.

Everyone has their own strategies. Some people like to buy up the railroads. Some hold out for Boardwalk and Park Place. Personally, I just like to buy anything and everything I can get my hands on. He mocked my particular strategy. Especially after I had purchased about ten properties and had very little money left.

But the buying of properties paid off. See, I acquired a few monopolies. Sure, he had Baltic and Mediterranean... with hotels... but I had the red spaces. I think I read somewhere that, statistically, these are the spaces that are hit the most. This makes it the most valuable monopoly on the board. And eventually, this was his downfall. Good ol' Illinois Avenue with a hotel.

Do I feel bad after beating a ten-year-old? Not at all. I'm just glad the game didn't last four days. I've done that before too. Now that's a long game.

Question of the Week: Life's Funny

This week's question (and most weeks' questions) will come from The Book of Questions by Gregory Stock.

When you do something ridiculous, how much does it bother you to have other people notice it and laugh at you?

Actually, it doesn't bother me all that much. I'm reminded of some of Jack Handey's words of wisdom: "If you're robbing a bank and your pants fall down, I think it's okay to laugh, and to let the hostages laugh. Because, hey, life's funny."

What about you? Easily embarassed? Do people laugh at you or with you? All comments accepted...

American Idol: 20 Left

I said I wasn't going to, but I feel like I should write something about this. Over the last couple nights, America voted for their favorites. Tonight, the bottom four were let go.

First was Garrett Haley. He's one I picked to go.

Next was Amy Davis. Another one I got right.

The second girl to leave the stage was Joanne Borgella. That's three.

Finally, America said good-bye to Colton Berry. I didn't see that coming. I'm not too surprised by that result, but I missed that in my prediction. But hey, 3 for 4 ain't bad.

When Ryan obliged the judges to give some final words of wisdom to Colton, Paula and Randy of course encouraged him to keep singing. Simon gave his honest opinion, saying Colton should get a good job and just enjoy singing as a hobby, because he doesn't think the kid could ever make a career of it. This sparked something of an argument amongst the judges. Paula and Randy said that Simon shouldn't crush someone's dreams. Simon said they shouldn't ask his opinion then. Randy then pointed out that Colton should continue singing simply because he made the top 24 out of the thousands of people. But let me ask this: how many people from past seasons' top 24 do you remember? By the end of this season, you, the average viewer, won't even remember that Colton Berry existed. Or Amy Davis, or Joanne Borgella, or Garrett Haley.

American Idol: 12 Gals

Ryan says some of the girls have colds. Tough! Suck it up! This is live television people. Build a bridge and get over it!

Kristy Lee Cook - Rescue Me
She might be my season 7 crush. I don't know, all I've really heard her sing is Amazing Grace, which she did a great job on. Tonight she's tackling some Aretha. There really doesn't leem to be much to it though. Nothing spectacular. It doesn't really seem like she's doing a lot to make herself stand out with this song. Honestly I'm kind of bored listening to her. That's not to say she's doing a bad job or that she's got a bad voice, but I have a feeling she's got more potential than she's showing. I'm disappointed. 6. But hey, the judges reveal that she's one of the sick ones. Maybe America will take that into consideration.

Joanne Borgella - Say a Little Prayer
Her pitch seems off to start with. Maybe I just didn't have my volume up loud enough to really hear her. She's pulled it together as the song's progressed, but again, nothing spectacular. Are they gonna say she's sick too? Another 6.

Alaina Whitaker - More Today Than Yesterday
Tomorrow's her birthday, so I hope she does well so she doesn't get kicked off. I mean, what a crappy birthday if you get booted off American Idol. Her song begins really slow. Then kicks up a notch when she gets to the chorus. I think that's a good way to do it. And she's belting this one out too. Outstanding job with this song. Much better than the first two girls. She gets 9. Oh, and I forgot Chikezie did this song last night, if that tells you anything about how I felt about his performance.

Amanda Overmyer
Here's our rock 'n' roll nurse. I don't recognize the song she's singing. Despite my lack of musical knowledge, I think she's doing okay. But this is not her best performance. She's done better. She's done a lot better in her previous auditions. A lot of it just felt like she was mumbling the lyrics. And I'm not talking about the scat at the beginning. Not bad, not great. 7.

Amy Davis - Where the Boys Are
I could be wrong, but I don't think we've seen her at all until now. I don't remember any of her auditions. Again, this gives the other contestants an unfair advantage. I think she must be sick too. Her pitch is all over the place. It's really annoying actually. When they showed her audition clips, she sounded really good. This is a huge disappointment. 4.

Brooke White - So Happy Together
She reminds me a whole lot of the woman who was the RHD in the girls' dorm back at Bluefield. My friends could all be reading that and think I'm full of crap, but that's who she reminds me of. Her song is a rerun from last night. And her cover of it is much better than David Cook's. She's hitting her notes, she's got the rhythm down. Solid 8.

Alexandrea Lushington - Spinning Wheel
This was pretty much Bo Bice's signature song back in season 4. She's putting a different spin on it obviously. Get it? Spin... Spinning Wheel... Let that sink in first. She's doing a decent job with the song but I'm not sure that I like her voice. Maybe that's just a personal issue with me. I'm gonna go with a 7.

Kady Malloy - Groovy Kind of Love
She's the one that does a spot on Britney Spears impression. Her actual voice though, is spectacular. She could be giving Alaina a run for her money tonight. Well, there are a few pitch problems throughout the song. But her voice is incredibly strong. Maybe she's sick too. Seriously, there are several mistakes that she just shouldn't be making. I take back the thing about giving Alaina a run for her money. She's good, but tonight wasn't so much. 6.

Asia'h Epperson - Another Little Piece of My Heart
She's a really sweet girl who I would like to see go far in this game. Maybe that's 'cause I identify with her grief in losing her dad. She has a very unique voice. And I mean that in a good way. She did a great job with a song that was done and overdone during Hollywood week. Not the best of the night, but she gets an 8.

Ramiele Malubay - You Don't Have to Say You Love Me
I remember her initial audition and she has got an amazingly powerful voice. She starts out pretty low key. I don't mean that in a pitch kind of way. Well, the pitch seemed a little off at the start, but I mean the energy was kind of dull. And with the power that this girl actually has, I'm hoping she'll belt it out. And she builds. Very good. Another 8.

Syesha Mercado - Tobacco Row
Another girl with a powerful voice, but she had to be reserved in Hollywood because she lost it. She's one that I think has the potential to blow it out of the water. I think I got the title of the song right. I'm not sure if I like this for her though. There seem to be a few rough patches here and there. Overall, not bad though. I'm gonna go with a 7.

Carly Smithson
So, she had a record deal several years ago. That doesn't disqualify her? I mean, it doesn't matter to me, I just thought those were the rules. I don't recognize this song either. I do recognize that she's a little flat in a couple spots. I think she knows it too. She's able to pull herself back up though. Going with another 7 for her.

Overall I think the girls did a pretty good job. I think there's potential for a lot better once they get used to singing under this kind of pressure from week to week. My vote tonight goes to Alaina. To me, she was the best of the night. Tomorrow night, four of these people will be going home. My prediction for the chopping block? David Cook, Garrett Haley, Amy Davis, and maybe Joanne Borgella. I could be way off on these. I don't get good with my predictions 'til the top 12. Come back tomorrow.