Whatever Happened To Kermit After The Muppet Show

Apparently, he went on quite a significant downward spiral.

Technorati Tags: Kermit, Hurt, Parody

Whatever Happened To Kermit After The Muppet Show

Apparently, he went on quite a significant downward spiral.

Technorati Tags: Kermit, Hurt, Parody

American Idol - The Top Ten - Review

Quickly (because, really, that's all it deserves, at the most), here's my review of the performances on American Idol last night, and my prediciton:

LaKisha - A pretty good performance of Donna Summer's "Last Dance".  But rather forgettable somehow.  I think LaKisha is playing the game a bit too softly right now, and needs to reassert herself as the powerhouse woman she is.  Maybe she's pacing herself, letting Doolittle take all the spotlight now, and then turn it on big time when it really matters.

Fat Chris - A terrible performance of The Police hit "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic".  Like they all said, he was off the beat and didn't seem comfortable.  Hope his likability keeps him around another week so that he can try and redeem himself.  I like that he easily admitted that he basically screwed up on it.  Good for him.

Gina - The Pretender's "I'll Stand By You".  I thought she did a great job.  Pretty in-control the whole song, on pitch for most all of it.

Sanjaya - Honestly, I didn't mind the Pig-Tail-Hawk.  But to wear something like that, you need to back it up with a good performance, and Angina sucked.  He can hit most of the notes he tries to hit, but has no power in his voice and no confidence in his on-stage performance.  When will be the week when his lesser talent is more powerful than the power of the mob that wants to keep him around?  Not this week, I fear.  Like Simon said, his performance doesn't matter, so no need to overly critique it.

Haley - Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors".  I didn't like this at all.  Thought it was very weak, and might cause her to leave this week.  But maybe she has a bigger fan-base that will keep her around a while longer.  Based solely on vocal performance, though, she needs to be very close to the bottom of the list.

Phil - The Police's "Every Breath You Take".  Didn't really like this much, either.  I just don't like Phil, I think.  He must have been reading forums from the past couple of weeks, because he did the smart thing and cover up that bald head and pointy ears.  Did he remind anyone else of Spock when Spock visits other planets and tries to pass himself off as "human" by wearing a cap that covers his ears?  Phil is Spock.  Probably a strong enough vocal to protect him this week.

Melinda - Donna Summer's "Heaven Knows".  Another very professional performance by Melinda.  She's currently the cream of the crop and the one to beat.  Not much of a personality from her, though.  I predict the innocent aw-shucks thing will tire America of her.  Definitely safe this week though.

Blake - I like that he sang The Cure's "Love Song", and thought he did a good job vocally, but the arrangement was pretty boring.  Also, he has a weird melted-face thing that happens when he sings.  The top lip and bottom lip of his mouth don't fit right.  And good job on appearing less arrogant this week.

Jordin - No Doubt's "Hey Baby".  I wasn't crazy about this performance.  Kind of an odd song to perform for a singing competition, I thought.  Her outfit was a little weird, too.  Good enough not to worry though.

Chris R - No Doubt's "Don't Speak".  I don't really like his style of vocal.  Didn't really enjoy this much.  Kind of forgettable.  But, to me, that's Chris R.  Kind of forgettable.

My Bottom Two:  Sanjaya & Haley
America's Bottom Two:  Haley & Phil

Who will leave:  Haley  (I know I'm wrong)




Technorati Tags: American Idol, review, Top Ten

American Idol - The Top Ten - Review

Quickly (because, really, that's all it deserves, at the most), here's my review of the performances on American Idol last night, and my prediciton:

LaKisha - A pretty good performance of Donna Summer's "Last Dance".  But rather forgettable somehow.  I think LaKisha is playing the game a bit too softly right now, and needs to reassert herself as the powerhouse woman she is.  Maybe she's pacing herself, letting Doolittle take all the spotlight now, and then turn it on big time when it really matters.

Fat Chris - A terrible performance of The Police hit "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic".  Like they all said, he was off the beat and didn't seem comfortable.  Hope his likability keeps him around another week so that he can try and redeem himself.  I like that he easily admitted that he basically screwed up on it.  Good for him.

Gina - The Pretender's "I'll Stand By You".  I thought she did a great job.  Pretty in-control the whole song, on pitch for most all of it.

Sanjaya - Honestly, I didn't mind the Pig-Tail-Hawk.  But to wear something like that, you need to back it up with a good performance, and Angina sucked.  He can hit most of the notes he tries to hit, but has no power in his voice and no confidence in his on-stage performance.  When will be the week when his lesser talent is more powerful than the power of the mob that wants to keep him around?  Not this week, I fear.  Like Simon said, his performance doesn't matter, so no need to overly critique it.

Haley - Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors".  I didn't like this at all.  Thought it was very weak, and might cause her to leave this week.  But maybe she has a bigger fan-base that will keep her around a while longer.  Based solely on vocal performance, though, she needs to be very close to the bottom of the list.

Phil - The Police's "Every Breath You Take".  Didn't really like this much, either.  I just don't like Phil, I think.  He must have been reading forums from the past couple of weeks, because he did the smart thing and cover up that bald head and pointy ears.  Did he remind anyone else of Spock when Spock visits other planets and tries to pass himself off as "human" by wearing a cap that covers his ears?  Phil is Spock.  Probably a strong enough vocal to protect him this week.

Melinda - Donna Summer's "Heaven Knows".  Another very professional performance by Melinda.  She's currently the cream of the crop and the one to beat.  Not much of a personality from her, though.  I predict the innocent aw-shucks thing will tire America of her.  Definitely safe this week though.

Blake - I like that he sang The Cure's "Love Song", and thought he did a good job vocally, but the arrangement was pretty boring.  Also, he has a weird melted-face thing that happens when he sings.  The top lip and bottom lip of his mouth don't fit right.  And good job on appearing less arrogant this week.

Jordin - No Doubt's "Hey Baby".  I wasn't crazy about this performance.  Kind of an odd song to perform for a singing competition, I thought.  Her outfit was a little weird, too.  Good enough not to worry though.

Chris R - No Doubt's "Don't Speak".  I don't really like his style of vocal.  Didn't really enjoy this much.  Kind of forgettable.  But, to me, that's Chris R.  Kind of forgettable.

My Bottom Two:  Sanjaya & Haley
America's Bottom Two:  Haley & Phil

Who will leave:  Haley  (I know I'm wrong)




Technorati Tags: American Idol, review, Top Ten

Don't Ever Forget The Nuclear Bomb!

I watched all of the first season of "24".  I got only so far in subsequent seasons before the "I can no longer suspend the disbelief" overtook me.
This season, though, I really decided to try and go full distance with "24".  Over half way through the season, and I'm still with it, although barely.  I can ignore the disbeliefs necessary to move the plot forward.  Things like "it would be impossible for Jack Bauer to get from location A to location B in 13 minutes" and even "there's no way a guy could be back at work minutes after being tortured with a power drill".  I can get past that stuff.  I can even ignore the fact that CTU seems to have a serious problem with moles.  I mean, serious problem. But I look past that.  I find it hard, though, to buy the petty interpersonal entanglements that constantly thwart the smooth-running of the Counter Terrorist Unit division in Los Angeles.  Seriously, it's like a high school there.  Not even.  Junior High.
Did they all forget that a nuclear bomb went off in the city in which they live (okay, nearby the city etc)?  If I was the head writer of "24", this season, I'd have placed a placard in the writing room, where everyone could see it.  It would say "Don't ever forget that a nuclear bomb went off".  I would direct the writers to constantly have that bit of happenstance infer itself into everything that the characters do.
You know, things like "I may hate Rick Schroeder, but since a nuclear bomb just went off, I'll put aside my differences with him and work toward the greater good", and "I admit I have a sexual attraction to you, but now may not be the best time to make advances on that, since, you know, a nuclear bomb just went off, and all.  Besides, you were just interrogated pretty heavily and may be in a weakened mental state and maybe choosing this moment to kiss you is really not something I should be doing. Plus, yeah, well, the nuclear bomb."

And don't even get me going on Chloe.  I can't stand that pouty, hooded-eyes drama queen.


Technorati Tags: 24

Don't Ever Forget The Nuclear Bomb!

I watched all of the first season of "24".  I got only so far in subsequent seasons before the "I can no longer suspend the disbelief" overtook me.
This season, though, I really decided to try and go full distance with "24".  Over half way through the season, and I'm still with it, although barely.  I can ignore the disbeliefs necessary to move the plot forward.  Things like "it would be impossible for Jack Bauer to get from location A to location B in 13 minutes" and even "there's no way a guy could be back at work minutes after being tortured with a power drill".  I can get past that stuff.  I can even ignore the fact that CTU seems to have a serious problem with moles.  I mean, serious problem. But I look past that.  I find it hard, though, to buy the petty interpersonal entanglements that constantly thwart the smooth-running of the Counter Terrorist Unit division in Los Angeles.  Seriously, it's like a high school there.  Not even.  Junior High.
Did they all forget that a nuclear bomb went off in the city in which they live (okay, nearby the city etc)?  If I was the head writer of "24", this season, I'd have placed a placard in the writing room, where everyone could see it.  It would say "Don't ever forget that a nuclear bomb went off".  I would direct the writers to constantly have that bit of happenstance infer itself into everything that the characters do.
You know, things like "I may hate Rick Schroeder, but since a nuclear bomb just went off, I'll put aside my differences with him and work toward the greater good", and "I admit I have a sexual attraction to you, but now may not be the best time to make advances on that, since, you know, a nuclear bomb just went off, and all.  Besides, you were just interrogated pretty heavily and may be in a weakened mental state and maybe choosing this moment to kiss you is really not something I should be doing. Plus, yeah, well, the nuclear bomb."

And don't even get me going on Chloe.  I can't stand that pouty, hooded-eyes drama queen.


Technorati Tags: 24

Don't Play It On The Traffic Road...

You probably won't find this as funny as I did, but I thought I'd share this anyway.

DaveS and I go to a dollar store (The Dollaroo) frequently (yes, that's kind of sad), to check out anything that's new and creepy or weird or odd, etc. One of our "things" is to read the instructions on any number of toys that are made in China or foreign lands, hoping to stumble upon a wonky translation. Here's one of those:

It's called a Skip'N'Hop. It's one of those cheap little skipping rope toys, the kind where you put the plastic circle over your ankle and swing the ball at the end of the string around so that you end up skipping over it with your other foot. One of those.

Here are the on-the-back instructions for the Made In China Skip'N'Hop:

USAGE:

1. Put one end of the rope into the small hole in the ring. The length of the rope can be adjusted to meet your request, then fix it in the ring, make sure it is tightly fastened.

2. Throw the ball and jump, you can speed up the tempi as you play it more and more skillfully. If you have played it masterfully enough, you can circle the ring in or against the clock order and jump after the first either with the right or the left one.

3. The method of operating by more persons: First, lengthen the rope, then one person starts to play in the way just introduced, when the tempi has been steady, the others can join from any direction. Thus, friends can enjoy the game together.

THERE ARE ALSO SOME CAUTIONS HERE:

1. You should coordinate your feet in case the rope would twist your ankle, which would stop the game.

2. Don't play it with your hands, or you could hurt others.

3. Avoid your skin to be touched with the ring directly, or your skin can be scraped.

4. Don't circle the rope around your neck, which would twist you easily.

5. Don't play it on the traffic road, you know, it is dangerous.

How many times can you play it?

Play it running

Play it yourself

Play with a friend

Create new game

For aerobic class

For your health

For dance

-----

My favourite caution is number 5. I also like caution 1, which seems to be more concerned with the game ending than with the twisted ankle.

Don't Play It On The Traffic Road...

You probably won't find this as funny as I did, but I thought I'd share this anyway.

DaveS and I go to a dollar store (The Dollaroo) frequently (yes, that's kind of sad), to check out anything that's new and creepy or weird or odd, etc. One of our "things" is to read the instructions on any number of toys that are made in China or foreign lands, hoping to stumble upon a wonky translation. Here's one of those:

It's called a Skip'N'Hop. It's one of those cheap little skipping rope toys, the kind where you put the plastic circle over your ankle and swing the ball at the end of the string around so that you end up skipping over it with your other foot. One of those.

Here are the on-the-back instructions for the Made In China Skip'N'Hop:

USAGE:

1. Put one end of the rope into the small hole in the ring. The length of the rope can be adjusted to meet your request, then fix it in the ring, make sure it is tightly fastened.

2. Throw the ball and jump, you can speed up the tempi as you play it more and more skillfully. If you have played it masterfully enough, you can circle the ring in or against the clock order and jump after the first either with the right or the left one.

3. The method of operating by more persons: First, lengthen the rope, then one person starts to play in the way just introduced, when the tempi has been steady, the others can join from any direction. Thus, friends can enjoy the game together.

THERE ARE ALSO SOME CAUTIONS HERE:

1. You should coordinate your feet in case the rope would twist your ankle, which would stop the game.

2. Don't play it with your hands, or you could hurt others.

3. Avoid your skin to be touched with the ring directly, or your skin can be scraped.

4. Don't circle the rope around your neck, which would twist you easily.

5. Don't play it on the traffic road, you know, it is dangerous.

How many times can you play it?

Play it running

Play it yourself

Play with a friend

Create new game

For aerobic class

For your health

For dance

-----

My favourite caution is number 5. I also like caution 1, which seems to be more concerned with the game ending than with the twisted ankle.

American Idol - The Top 11

I didn't last long with my American Idol recap schedule, did I?  One episode.  Maybe next week.
Anyway, about this week:
Singing and performance was better by practically everyone this week, compared to past weeks.  I was pretty impressed with the advice and inspiration that Lulu was providing (or at least, was shown providing).  Peter Noone, not so much.  His performance was pretty blah, too, whereas Lulu totally kicked ass with To Sir, With Love.

What the hell was with that retarded kid crying all night long in the audience?  She was crying like I used to when I got lost at the K-Mart.  Even though they primarily focused on her during Angina's terrifically awful performance of You Really Got Me Now (were the lyrics "I don't know what I'm doin'" ever more accurate?), apparently she cried the whole show.  Every time they showed her, I literally put my hand out in front of me to block the television from my sight, so off-setting was her appearance and state.
LaKisha and the Doolittle woman were great. So was that other girl who is 17 or whatever.  Of the guys, I keep waiting for FatChris to hit one out of the park.  Last night wasn't a homer, more like a single.  A good performance. I didn't enjoy Phil Nosferatu's song "Tobacco Road".  Not my style of music.  Blake did a good job, but his ego is getting bigger than his voice is.  Better watch that.
What else?  Angina was awful.  I had been hoping he'd break out of his shell and find confidence and finally nail a song.  He almost ruined that Kinks song.  Ouch.  Hope he stays to the very end.  After all, a circus needs its freaks, right?

I was surprised the girl who went got eliminated.  I had her picked for the top five or so.  But her performance this week was her weakest so far, but not near the worst of the night.  I ranked her safe in the middle of the pack.

Crazy season of AI this year.  With the bawling child, are we witnessing the jumping of the shark? 

American Idol - The Top 11

I didn't last long with my American Idol recap schedule, did I?  One episode.  Maybe next week.
Anyway, about this week:
Singing and performance was better by practically everyone this week, compared to past weeks.  I was pretty impressed with the advice and inspiration that Lulu was providing (or at least, was shown providing).  Peter Noone, not so much.  His performance was pretty blah, too, whereas Lulu totally kicked ass with To Sir, With Love.

What the hell was with that retarded kid crying all night long in the audience?  She was crying like I used to when I got lost at the K-Mart.  Even though they primarily focused on her during Angina's terrifically awful performance of You Really Got Me Now (were the lyrics "I don't know what I'm doin'" ever more accurate?), apparently she cried the whole show.  Every time they showed her, I literally put my hand out in front of me to block the television from my sight, so off-setting was her appearance and state.
LaKisha and the Doolittle woman were great. So was that other girl who is 17 or whatever.  Of the guys, I keep waiting for FatChris to hit one out of the park.  Last night wasn't a homer, more like a single.  A good performance. I didn't enjoy Phil Nosferatu's song "Tobacco Road".  Not my style of music.  Blake did a good job, but his ego is getting bigger than his voice is.  Better watch that.
What else?  Angina was awful.  I had been hoping he'd break out of his shell and find confidence and finally nail a song.  He almost ruined that Kinks song.  Ouch.  Hope he stays to the very end.  After all, a circus needs its freaks, right?

I was surprised the girl who went got eliminated.  I had her picked for the top five or so.  But her performance this week was her weakest so far, but not near the worst of the night.  I ranked her safe in the middle of the pack.

Crazy season of AI this year.  With the bawling child, are we witnessing the jumping of the shark? 

The Cutting Edge - The Magic of Movie Editing

From the limited work I've done on film and video, I've always thought that the movie "gets made" in the editing room. Here's a BBC documentary on "The Magic of Movie Editing". Here's what the Google Video site says about it: The is a documentary about the unappreciated art of film editing. It shows how film editing came about, and explains all the groundbreaking ways it has changed the film watching experience. There are a bunch of interviews from big names in the film industry including Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Steven Spielberg, Jodie Foster, and many more. This is really a must see for any big film buff.

The Cutting Edge - The Magic of Movie Editing

From the limited work I've done on film and video, I've always thought that the movie "gets made" in the editing room. Here's a BBC documentary on "The Magic of Movie Editing". Here's what the Google Video site says about it: The is a documentary about the unappreciated art of film editing. It shows how film editing came about, and explains all the groundbreaking ways it has changed the film watching experience. There are a bunch of interviews from big names in the film industry including Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Steven Spielberg, Jodie Foster, and many more. This is really a must see for any big film buff.

You Want Fries With That Seat In The Legislature?

So, I guess Bush Dumville will be running in the next provincial election against Wayne Collins. Dumville, the owner of the local Charlottetown Burger King store promises to give anyone who votes for him a free whopper. Collins countered by saying that his PC government has been feeding the PEI electorate whoppers for years now.

Don't know about you, but it all smacks of pattytronage to me.

You Want Fries With That Seat In The Legislature?

So, I guess Bush Dumville will be running in the next provincial election against Wayne Collins. Dumville, the owner of the local Charlottetown Burger King store promises to give anyone who votes for him a free whopper. Collins countered by saying that his PC government has been feeding the PEI electorate whoppers for years now.

Don't know about you, but it all smacks of pattytronage to me.

American Idol Recap - The Top 12

Well, here I go.  Let's see how many weeks of Idol recaps I get in before I get bored, get tired, or get smart and stop watching.

Two hours!!  Two frackin' hours!  And it sailed by. Like it was only three hours long.
I've always been bored by the Simon/Ryan gay-innuendo jokes that have peppered the show since forever.  However, last night's round was pretty funny:

Ryan: Simon, any advice on the heels?
Simon (rolling his eyes): You would know, Ryan.
Ryan: Stay out of my closet.
Simon: Well, come out!
Ryan: This is about the Top 12, okay, not your wishes.

It all seemed pretty light-hearted.  Is this the season that Ryan finally comes out?  Stay tuned!!

The performances:

Brandon sang "You Can't Hurry Love".  I didn't like it at all.  His vocals either seemed to be ahead of, or behind, the melody.  Except for when he forgot the lyrics.  I know exactly why he forgot his lyrics.  Just before that moment, he did this little dance move during a very short vocal break in the song.  I got the feeling that he was very pleased with himself for doing it.  His onanism caused him to lose focus and forget the lyrics.  He was bad, but not bad enough to leave this week.  There were plenty more to come who turned out to be even worse than Brandon.  Brandon stays.  Of all the people who do their weekly Idol recaps, I bet I'm the only one who uses the word "onanism" this week.  Betcha!

Melinda sang some song from The Wiz, a movie I never saw, nor never will see.  Simon said it perfectly when he said she made a very boring song sound terrific.  She was very good and will go very far in the competition.  However I don't know if her odd looks can allow her to win it all.  She looks too old (she's an "old soul"), and has some strange facial features, plus the body of a linebacker.  Her appearance won't interfere with her talent this week.  She'll be back. Bet on it.

Chris Sligh sang "Endless Love".  Well, he sang a Coldplay-ish song that had the same lyrics as Endless Love, but a different melody and chord progression.  I know what Chris was trying to do when he rearranged the arrangement.  Good for him for trying to do that, I say.  Bad on him for doing such a crappy job on it.  I was disappointed that he eschewed the great melody the song has, for something he perceived as more hip and current.  Still, despite the awful arrangement, I thought he sang it very well.  It just wasn't, you know, Endless Love.  It was some other song.  He'll stay.  I bet I'm the only one who uses the word "eschew" in an Idol recap this week.

Gina sand "Love Child".  Now that Gina's been cast into her niche (rocker girl), she does seem more comfortable with herself.  However, I found last night's performance dull, dull, dull.  Forgettable.  Still, she'll stay around.

Sanjaya sang "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".  Listening to his performance, it was pretty easy to see how weak his voice is.  There's just not enough power in his voice.  It was a pretty awful performance.  He deserves to leave, but the IMOA (Idiotic Masses Of America) likely will keep him around to forever gaze into his big doe eyes and dream about running their fingers through his mane of hair.  Yes, Sanjaya, apparently, is a Disney character.  You don't vote out a Disney character.  Dammit, no!!  I'll put my faith in the IMOA and say they'll do the right thing and kill Bambi. 

Haley sings "Missing You".  She doesn't do a very good job, in my opinion.  Still, her performance wasn't nearly as bad as her dress.  She, too, forgot the lyrics and her vocal performance wasn't very strong.  Paula, always looking for the positive, tells Haley she looks pretty.  Haley looked like that helpful advice was like a stab in the heart.  Telling a singer that at least they look nice is like telling a date you can still be friends.  Simon, surprisingly, thought she wasn't that bad, and applauded her stage presence.  I can only assume that Haley is one of the performers that Simon is backing and therefore will look for any positive in order to save face.  That's my guess.  Paula and Randy both seem to have favourites too, who they inexplicably talk up despite their not warranting the positive feedback.

Phil sings "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me".  Phil has to find a toupe.  The bald thing isn't working for him.  It's his ears.  They're way too big.  Oh, yeah, his performance:  an okay performance, but too much screeching and screaming.  Another forgettable performer only remembered because of his bald, freaky look.  Wait... maybe that's his tactic.  Better to be remembered as freaky looking than to be forgettable.  He'll stay.

LaKisha sings "God Bless The Child".  She absolutely nailed it.  As I watched her, I was appreciating how "in control" she was in her singing.  She didn't let the song get too big for her.  What's great about LaKisha (apart from her amazing voice) is that she is a good actor.  By that I mean she has a great ability to find the dramatic elements of the lyrics and use them to express the emotion of the song.  She was, as Randy said, sensational.

Blake sang "You Keep Me Hanging On".  Over the past weeks, I was a fan of Blake.  I thought he showed a lot of charisma and was pretty cool without it getting in his way.  But last night, i thought Blake's "coolness" corrupted his performance.  He seemed a bit too smug with himself.  Thank god he didn't beat box to the song. He too, like Chris Sligh, rearranged the song in an attempt to modernize it.  It wasn't as bad a rearrangement as Chris's was, but Chris did a better job of singing.  Blake's vocals seemed to get trumped by his desire to show off his dance moves and his all-that.  That's what I didn't like about Blake last night.  He forgot it was a singing competition and treated like an "I'm all that" competition.  He'll stay though.

Stephanie sang "Love Hangover".  I thought Stephanie did a pretty good job, which is an opinion in contrast to that of the judges.  They seemed to harp on the idea that she teased us by singing the intro and didn't give us the part of the song that is more uptempo.  For me, someone who doesn't really know the song, I am ignorant of that fact.  So, for me, there was no missing uptempo part, since I didn't know it existed.  I just thought the song was the sort of slow-tempo, somewhat boring, thing she sang.  I didn't really like the song, but thought she did an okay job with it.

Chris R sang "The Boss".  I thought the song was too big for his voice, as he ended up sounding like he was straining too much to reach the notes.  Rather forgettable, I thought.

Jordin sang "If We Hold On Together".  She was the big surprise for me last night.  I wasn't expecting much from her, and I thought she did a terrific job performing a song I didn't much like.

Who should go home:  Sanjaya.

Who will go home:  Hopefully Sanjaya.  And until he does, I won't try and guess the choices of the IMOA.






Technorati Tags: American Idol, recap

American Idol Recap - The Top 12

Well, here I go.  Let's see how many weeks of Idol recaps I get in before I get bored, get tired, or get smart and stop watching.

Two hours!!  Two frackin' hours!  And it sailed by. Like it was only three hours long.
I've always been bored by the Simon/Ryan gay-innuendo jokes that have peppered the show since forever.  However, last night's round was pretty funny:

Ryan: Simon, any advice on the heels?
Simon (rolling his eyes): You would know, Ryan.
Ryan: Stay out of my closet.
Simon: Well, come out!
Ryan: This is about the Top 12, okay, not your wishes.

It all seemed pretty light-hearted.  Is this the season that Ryan finally comes out?  Stay tuned!!

The performances:

Brandon sang "You Can't Hurry Love".  I didn't like it at all.  His vocals either seemed to be ahead of, or behind, the melody.  Except for when he forgot the lyrics.  I know exactly why he forgot his lyrics.  Just before that moment, he did this little dance move during a very short vocal break in the song.  I got the feeling that he was very pleased with himself for doing it.  His onanism caused him to lose focus and forget the lyrics.  He was bad, but not bad enough to leave this week.  There were plenty more to come who turned out to be even worse than Brandon.  Brandon stays.  Of all the people who do their weekly Idol recaps, I bet I'm the only one who uses the word "onanism" this week.  Betcha!

Melinda sang some song from The Wiz, a movie I never saw, nor never will see.  Simon said it perfectly when he said she made a very boring song sound terrific.  She was very good and will go very far in the competition.  However I don't know if her odd looks can allow her to win it all.  She looks too old (she's an "old soul"), and has some strange facial features, plus the body of a linebacker.  Her appearance won't interfere with her talent this week.  She'll be back. Bet on it.

Chris Sligh sang "Endless Love".  Well, he sang a Coldplay-ish song that had the same lyrics as Endless Love, but a different melody and chord progression.  I know what Chris was trying to do when he rearranged the arrangement.  Good for him for trying to do that, I say.  Bad on him for doing such a crappy job on it.  I was disappointed that he eschewed the great melody the song has, for something he perceived as more hip and current.  Still, despite the awful arrangement, I thought he sang it very well.  It just wasn't, you know, Endless Love.  It was some other song.  He'll stay.  I bet I'm the only one who uses the word "eschew" in an Idol recap this week.

Gina sand "Love Child".  Now that Gina's been cast into her niche (rocker girl), she does seem more comfortable with herself.  However, I found last night's performance dull, dull, dull.  Forgettable.  Still, she'll stay around.

Sanjaya sang "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".  Listening to his performance, it was pretty easy to see how weak his voice is.  There's just not enough power in his voice.  It was a pretty awful performance.  He deserves to leave, but the IMOA (Idiotic Masses Of America) likely will keep him around to forever gaze into his big doe eyes and dream about running their fingers through his mane of hair.  Yes, Sanjaya, apparently, is a Disney character.  You don't vote out a Disney character.  Dammit, no!!  I'll put my faith in the IMOA and say they'll do the right thing and kill Bambi. 

Haley sings "Missing You".  She doesn't do a very good job, in my opinion.  Still, her performance wasn't nearly as bad as her dress.  She, too, forgot the lyrics and her vocal performance wasn't very strong.  Paula, always looking for the positive, tells Haley she looks pretty.  Haley looked like that helpful advice was like a stab in the heart.  Telling a singer that at least they look nice is like telling a date you can still be friends.  Simon, surprisingly, thought she wasn't that bad, and applauded her stage presence.  I can only assume that Haley is one of the performers that Simon is backing and therefore will look for any positive in order to save face.  That's my guess.  Paula and Randy both seem to have favourites too, who they inexplicably talk up despite their not warranting the positive feedback.

Phil sings "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me".  Phil has to find a toupe.  The bald thing isn't working for him.  It's his ears.  They're way too big.  Oh, yeah, his performance:  an okay performance, but too much screeching and screaming.  Another forgettable performer only remembered because of his bald, freaky look.  Wait... maybe that's his tactic.  Better to be remembered as freaky looking than to be forgettable.  He'll stay.

LaKisha sings "God Bless The Child".  She absolutely nailed it.  As I watched her, I was appreciating how "in control" she was in her singing.  She didn't let the song get too big for her.  What's great about LaKisha (apart from her amazing voice) is that she is a good actor.  By that I mean she has a great ability to find the dramatic elements of the lyrics and use them to express the emotion of the song.  She was, as Randy said, sensational.

Blake sang "You Keep Me Hanging On".  Over the past weeks, I was a fan of Blake.  I thought he showed a lot of charisma and was pretty cool without it getting in his way.  But last night, i thought Blake's "coolness" corrupted his performance.  He seemed a bit too smug with himself.  Thank god he didn't beat box to the song. He too, like Chris Sligh, rearranged the song in an attempt to modernize it.  It wasn't as bad a rearrangement as Chris's was, but Chris did a better job of singing.  Blake's vocals seemed to get trumped by his desire to show off his dance moves and his all-that.  That's what I didn't like about Blake last night.  He forgot it was a singing competition and treated like an "I'm all that" competition.  He'll stay though.

Stephanie sang "Love Hangover".  I thought Stephanie did a pretty good job, which is an opinion in contrast to that of the judges.  They seemed to harp on the idea that she teased us by singing the intro and didn't give us the part of the song that is more uptempo.  For me, someone who doesn't really know the song, I am ignorant of that fact.  So, for me, there was no missing uptempo part, since I didn't know it existed.  I just thought the song was the sort of slow-tempo, somewhat boring, thing she sang.  I didn't really like the song, but thought she did an okay job with it.

Chris R sang "The Boss".  I thought the song was too big for his voice, as he ended up sounding like he was straining too much to reach the notes.  Rather forgettable, I thought.

Jordin sang "If We Hold On Together".  She was the big surprise for me last night.  I wasn't expecting much from her, and I thought she did a terrific job performing a song I didn't much like.

Who should go home:  Sanjaya.

Who will go home:  Hopefully Sanjaya.  And until he does, I won't try and guess the choices of the IMOA.






Technorati Tags: American Idol, recap

The First Ten Numbers - Ranked

So, I saw a link on Digg to a webpage called The Ten Coolest Numbers.  I didn't actually read much of it, but its existence spurred me on to a totally meaningless task:  ranking the first ten numbers in order in which I like them.  For the record (as I'm guessing someone might claim that zero should be the first number), I consider 1-10 to be the first ten numbers.  Here I go:

From Least Favourite to Most Favourite:


10) 9 -  The number 9 is just a nasty number for doing any mental numerical calculations.  That's enough right there.  Plus, differentiating it from 6 on bingo balls, you have to put a line under it.  That's a fatal design flaw.
9) 10 - I don't like it, primarily because it's the only one that's a double digit.  Therefore, when doing numbered lists like this, because it's a double digit, it screws up the line-spacing before the ) parenthesis.
8) 6 - Basically the same bingo ball problem from my dislike of the 9. Otherwise, it's just the most boring of numbers.  Seriously, I think the whole world could do without the number six even existing.  What's it good for, other than as a way to get from 5 to 7?  It's a good for nothing number.
7) 2 - Way over-rated, in my opinion.  Way over-rated!!  Plus, because of its existence, we Canadians are stuck with the embarrassment of the word "Toonie".
6) 5 - it's an okay number for doing quick calculations.  All product totals should end in either zero or five, in my opinion.  If they did, the number 5 would soar up this list.  Scores points for the cool pentagon shape.  Loses points for looking like an S.
5) 8 - the eight suffers from the same problems that plague the six.  Mostly it's a boring number, in terms of numeracy.  However, graphically, the 8 simply rocks!  And where would car racing or figure skating be without it?
4) 4 - I think the four is a cool number. Well deserves the number 4 spot on my list.  Admittedly, I don't have much attachment to the 4, but it's my wife's favourite number, so it's gotta represent on this list.
3) 3 - The three is a wonderful number.  It's got a lot attached to it.  It's historical (and hysterical, what with the comedy of threes), mythological, literaryical.  It's a sweet, sweet number.  Plus, um, threesomes.
2) 1 - all the power and might of an army of one.  I think to like the number 1, one has to been secure in their own solitude.  If you don't mind eating by yourself at a restaurant, chances are you're gonna like the number one.

and my favourite first ten number:

1) 7 - First of all, it's the only multi-syllabic number in the first ten.  It's got that "seven days" importance vibe to it.  Honestly, I can't qualify why I like the seven, it's more of an intuitive thing.  The seven just rocks.

So, there you go.  My list of the top ten top ten.  How would you order the first ten numbers?

The First Ten Numbers - Ranked

So, I saw a link on Digg to a webpage called The Ten Coolest Numbers.  I didn't actually read much of it, but its existence spurred me on to a totally meaningless task:  ranking the first ten numbers in order in which I like them.  For the record (as I'm guessing someone might claim that zero should be the first number), I consider 1-10 to be the first ten numbers.  Here I go:

From Least Favourite to Most Favourite:


10) 9 -  The number 9 is just a nasty number for doing any mental numerical calculations.  That's enough right there.  Plus, differentiating it from 6 on bingo balls, you have to put a line under it.  That's a fatal design flaw.
9) 10 - I don't like it, primarily because it's the only one that's a double digit.  Therefore, when doing numbered lists like this, because it's a double digit, it screws up the line-spacing before the ) parenthesis.
8) 6 - Basically the same bingo ball problem from my dislike of the 9. Otherwise, it's just the most boring of numbers.  Seriously, I think the whole world could do without the number six even existing.  What's it good for, other than as a way to get from 5 to 7?  It's a good for nothing number.
7) 2 - Way over-rated, in my opinion.  Way over-rated!!  Plus, because of its existence, we Canadians are stuck with the embarrassment of the word "Toonie".
6) 5 - it's an okay number for doing quick calculations.  All product totals should end in either zero or five, in my opinion.  If they did, the number 5 would soar up this list.  Scores points for the cool pentagon shape.  Loses points for looking like an S.
5) 8 - the eight suffers from the same problems that plague the six.  Mostly it's a boring number, in terms of numeracy.  However, graphically, the 8 simply rocks!  And where would car racing or figure skating be without it?
4) 4 - I think the four is a cool number. Well deserves the number 4 spot on my list.  Admittedly, I don't have much attachment to the 4, but it's my wife's favourite number, so it's gotta represent on this list.
3) 3 - The three is a wonderful number.  It's got a lot attached to it.  It's historical (and hysterical, what with the comedy of threes), mythological, literaryical.  It's a sweet, sweet number.  Plus, um, threesomes.
2) 1 - all the power and might of an army of one.  I think to like the number 1, one has to been secure in their own solitude.  If you don't mind eating by yourself at a restaurant, chances are you're gonna like the number one.

and my favourite first ten number:

1) 7 - First of all, it's the only multi-syllabic number in the first ten.  It's got that "seven days" importance vibe to it.  Honestly, I can't qualify why I like the seven, it's more of an intuitive thing.  The seven just rocks.

So, there you go.  My list of the top ten top ten.  How would you order the first ten numbers?

TV Spinoff, Twice Removed

I'm stumped.
The challenge is to find an example of a TV show that is a spinoff of a spinoff of the original TV show.  I can't think of one that exists to give as an example, but it'd be like if Niles spun off his own TV sitcom from Frasier, which itself was a spinoff of Cheers.

To be clear, it's not a show (like Happy Days) that has numerous spinoffs from it.  There's lots of examples of that.  But has there ever been a show that's spun-off a show that itself was a spin-off of an original show.

I thought I might have found one:  The original was All In The Family... The Jeffersons was spun off that... Then I thought there was a short-lived sitcom spun off of the Marla Gibbs maid character 'Florence Johnston', but a trip through IMDB shows that to be a negative (although, Marla Gibbs' Florence Henderson did, apparently, show up on one episode of Fresh Prince).

I cannot believe that there hasn't been a show that's a spinoff of a spinoff of an original show.  I'll accept a tv character starring in three separate tv series, but preferably it'd be a separate character spinning off from the spinoff.  For instance, if Niles got his own show spun off from Frasier, which was a spinoff from Cheers.

Anyone?  Anyone?

TV Spinoff, Twice Removed

I'm stumped.
The challenge is to find an example of a TV show that is a spinoff of a spinoff of the original TV show.  I can't think of one that exists to give as an example, but it'd be like if Niles spun off his own TV sitcom from Frasier, which itself was a spinoff of Cheers.

To be clear, it's not a show (like Happy Days) that has numerous spinoffs from it.  There's lots of examples of that.  But has there ever been a show that's spun-off a show that itself was a spin-off of an original show.

I thought I might have found one:  The original was All In The Family... The Jeffersons was spun off that... Then I thought there was a short-lived sitcom spun off of the Marla Gibbs maid character 'Florence Johnston', but a trip through IMDB shows that to be a negative (although, Marla Gibbs' Florence Henderson did, apparently, show up on one episode of Fresh Prince).

I cannot believe that there hasn't been a show that's a spinoff of a spinoff of an original show.  I'll accept a tv character starring in three separate tv series, but preferably it'd be a separate character spinning off from the spinoff.  For instance, if Niles got his own show spun off from Frasier, which was a spinoff from Cheers.

Anyone?  Anyone?

Want Fries With That?

March is Kidney Month.  Or Kidney Awareness Month.  Something like that.  The Kidney Foundation would know for sure.
Anyway, the upshot is that KRock and Ocean, as part of our awareness campaign to promote the fact that 25 cents from every bowl of chili sold in March at PEI Wendys, some of us radio station employees went to the five island restaurants and helped serve chili and stuff for three hours yesterday.

I went to the Montague location and, along with Kerri Wynne MacLeod and Zack Bell, dished out chili and pop and whatever else to customers.  It was an interesting experience.  My first fast (and last?) food service experience from the other side of the counter.
It's impressive how much of a military operation it all is.  Everything is keyed to get the food to the customer under 90 seconds. Everyone works together to achieve that goal.
I was a little worried, going into the day, that our presence there would create chaos, getting in the way of people who were striving to perform their tasks.  In fact, though, we got along fine, mostly because we ended up being those people who were striving to perform their tasks.  I was on Dishing Chili detail.  KW poured the drinks and Zack made sure everything was a-ok on the customer's tray (in other words, more of a supervisory role).
Montague has two noon-time rushes.  The first usually starts at 11:37 (it's that precise.  And it did start on the minute).  The second, shortly after noon.
When everything goes well, as it did when we were there, the servers seem to have a very positive attitude.  Maybe part of that was because we were there, and our excited anxiety and joking attitudes made everyone smile.  I kind of got the impression, though, that positivism is a regular thing behind the counter at Montague. 
I served out quite a bit of chili (my biggest rush job was a 6 Large Chili order for the drive-thru), and the pop flowed continually.  I was surprised at how many people order drinks with no ice.
I had a pretty good time.  I was nervous that it would be awful. Honestly, though, I couldn't wait to leave, as I was starting to feel the grease seeping in to me all over my body.  Even today, I still feel like I have a thin layer of food grease.
I'm glad I've had that brief glimpse at life on the other side of the fast food counter, but I'm glad it's not a job I have to do.  Those people work way too hard for far too little money and leave their work-place feeling far too greasy.  Good on them for doing it in such a pleasant manner.

Want Fries With That?

March is Kidney Month.  Or Kidney Awareness Month.  Something like that.  The Kidney Foundation would know for sure.
Anyway, the upshot is that KRock and Ocean, as part of our awareness campaign to promote the fact that 25 cents from every bowl of chili sold in March at PEI Wendys, some of us radio station employees went to the five island restaurants and helped serve chili and stuff for three hours yesterday.

I went to the Montague location and, along with Kerri Wynne MacLeod and Zack Bell, dished out chili and pop and whatever else to customers.  It was an interesting experience.  My first fast (and last?) food service experience from the other side of the counter.
It's impressive how much of a military operation it all is.  Everything is keyed to get the food to the customer under 90 seconds. Everyone works together to achieve that goal.
I was a little worried, going into the day, that our presence there would create chaos, getting in the way of people who were striving to perform their tasks.  In fact, though, we got along fine, mostly because we ended up being those people who were striving to perform their tasks.  I was on Dishing Chili detail.  KW poured the drinks and Zack made sure everything was a-ok on the customer's tray (in other words, more of a supervisory role).
Montague has two noon-time rushes.  The first usually starts at 11:37 (it's that precise.  And it did start on the minute).  The second, shortly after noon.
When everything goes well, as it did when we were there, the servers seem to have a very positive attitude.  Maybe part of that was because we were there, and our excited anxiety and joking attitudes made everyone smile.  I kind of got the impression, though, that positivism is a regular thing behind the counter at Montague. 
I served out quite a bit of chili (my biggest rush job was a 6 Large Chili order for the drive-thru), and the pop flowed continually.  I was surprised at how many people order drinks with no ice.
I had a pretty good time.  I was nervous that it would be awful. Honestly, though, I couldn't wait to leave, as I was starting to feel the grease seeping in to me all over my body.  Even today, I still feel like I have a thin layer of food grease.
I'm glad I've had that brief glimpse at life on the other side of the fast food counter, but I'm glad it's not a job I have to do.  Those people work way too hard for far too little money and leave their work-place feeling far too greasy.  Good on them for doing it in such a pleasant manner.