I was reading this nondescript baby animal book that I bought for Nathan last night and learned a whole bunch of interesting facs about baby animal names! I felt very sheepish that I did not have any knowledge of this stuff before so I thought I'd share.
We all know a baby bear is a cub and a baby deer is a fawn, right? But did you also know that:
1. Baby baboons, monkeys, orangutans, lemurs and gorillas are called INFANTS.
2. A baby pig is a piglet, yes, but a baby hedgehog is called a HOGLET.
3. Baby wallabies, kangaroos, AND koala bears are called JOEYS.
4. A baby racoon is called a KIT and so is a baby fox. That threw me because I always assumed that since wolves and dogs have PUPS, so did foxes. I mean, they look related to me. And Meercats have KITS too.
5. Otters and hyenas have WHELPS.
6. A baby owl is called an OWLET, but baby cockatiels, parrots, vultures, and penguins are CHICKS. And baby swans are called CYGNETS (I knew that one, by the way).
7. Baby rabbits are called LEVERETS. Who knew?
8. Prairie dogs and seals have PUPS.
9. The offspring of a moose, antelope, hippo, or giraffe is called a CALF.
10. Orcas and balugas also have CALVES but a baby dolphin is called a PUP.
11. A baby alpaca is called a CRIA.
12. Baby turtles, water dragons, pythons, and iguanas are called HATCHLINGS but a baby crocodile is called a CROCKLET.
1. The above song by Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan...a new discovery.
2. Being home after a long weekend away.
3. 13 years of marriage, celebrated in Memphis. Almost 24 hours of no children, responsibilities, or time crunching.
4. Huey's...how I love thee.
5. Hillbilly Casino-just a happy fun band with lots of talent and a great high-kicking, bubble-gum blowing, hair-combing lead singer that makes me smile! I especially enjoyed watching him do his 'ballet-stretches' before the set so as to accomplish the afore-mentioned high-kicks without injury...ha!
6. Comfort Inn, downtown Memphis. Beautiful views, immaculately clean, ultra-comfy beds, big-ol flat plasma tv, garage-parking, and within walking distance of all attractions...for 100.00 less than almost every other hotel around.
7. Maggie Moos Udderly Cream with chocolate chips and cherries mixed in...enjoyed WITH a White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks. HYPER happiness!
8. New slip-on vans...feminine, easy to walk in, and featuring the cutest skull print that defies any who are so crass as to remind me by word or look that I'm in my thirties.
9. Miller Chill...Miller Chill...and one more Miller Chill.
10. Kissing on the sly.
11. IRON MAN!!! Reawakening my dormant love affair with Jeff Bridges and Robert Downey Jr...and how cool was that ending with the song!? 9/10 fo sho!
12. NOT living in Memphis, even though visiting is admittably a fun time.
13. Being reunited with my sweet little Victor James and his welcoming toothless grins...Being clobbered by Nathan in all his bruised, scraped, and insect bitten glory...Johnson's quiet 'hi mama' uttered in irritatingly grownup and noncholant tones. Whatever, I know how happy he is to see me.
14. Family hugs, Caroline's burgers, my dad's graduation-style photo on the back leaf of his book.
15. Barnes and Noble.
16. The spectacular number of fireflies that greeted us on our drive home last night...the heady scent of honeysuckle that fairly assaulted us when we got out of the car.
17. A clean house.
18. Johnson's decision to become an unbaptized publisher AND join the school with absolutely no hinting/coaching from me!
19. New Cellphone...'Samsung Beat' aquired for FREE with new calling plan!
20. The reaffirmation of our love for the desert after slogging around in the oppressive heat and humidity of Memphis for three days. Honeysuckle and fireflies aside, summertime in the south is starting to get on my nerves.
Saw this on my dvr recording of So You Think You Can Dance auditions from last night...all I can say is...?????!! Film quality on youtube was relatively poor...hard to see the phenomenal timing involved...but still.
So the season wraps up at last. The final two were indeed the 'Davids'-Archuleta and Cook. And though the finale is usually somewhat anti-climactic, there were a few surprises, namely in the performances of David Archuleta.
The first round were songs chosen for the contestants by Clive Davis. David Cook performed "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 and it was very good. However, David Archuleta sang 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me' like his life depended on it, and it was was GREAT. His best vocal of the season so far.
Then, the two contestants had to perform songs written for them by competing songwriters across the nation. Evidently, they were given a selection to choose from and both songs were dismally mediocre. However, the difference was that David Cook's song sounded like something from a John Huges film. David Archuleta's sounded like a possible hit and he sang the HECK out of it. His voice was strong and pitch-perfect throughout. Plus, he sang with lots of evident emotion.
Finally, the Davids got to choose their own songs. David Cook chose to perform Collective Soul's 'The World I Know', a tune that could stand some re-working. His rendition was very sympathetic and tender...the best performance he pulled off last night. But then David Archuleta did a long-awaited reprise of 'Imagine', a hit for him earlier in the season, and I believe he nailed the coffin shut for David C. He made a huge impact on the audience and judges alike. Not only was he visibly moved by everyone's reaction, but he completely deserved it.
So the night was a bit of a surprise for me, especially since I expected David Cook to run away with the title. Now, I think it's more likely that, based on last night's show, David Archuleta will triumph. But I still believe that Cook will be the artist w/ the most 'staying power'. Unlike previous seasons, I truly think that both of these guys will be around for a while.
Since our 13th wedding anniversary is coming up on the 20th, I thought I'd post a little tribute to my Mr Darcy, Bick Benedict, Ulysses Everett McGill, Brian Crookshank, Jefferson Smith, and Han Solo-all rolled into one well-maintained and devastatingly handsome package.
These two songs received lots and lots of airplay in our home over the past year. One a 'rediscovery' and the other a newfound gem. Enjoy!
The video wasnt available on youtube but here's the link:
Okay, so American Idol tends to lose steam towards the end...just the lay of the land. So these reports are a little sporadic lately. I haven't been ultra impressed by anyone recently, especially since Michael Johns and Carly Smithson were prematurely ejected from the competition. However, I'll admit that David Cook has continued to impress. His vocals seem to have improved, even if his song choices aren't always perfect. So in my opinion, he's the lock.
Last night, the three remaining contestants (Syesha Macado-how'd she make it this far exactly?, David Archuleta, and David Cook) had to sing three songs. One judge's choice, one song choice of their own, and one producer's choice -aka 'the sell out'.
David Cook led the pack easily. His rendition of Simon's choice-ROberta Flack's 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' was really really good. Possibly bordering on 'greatness'? That might be a bit much but it definitely shone in comparison to the rest of the night's performances. His 2nd choice, a Switchfoot song, was only okay. The PRoducer's choice was 'I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing' and it was predictably boring. Not much can be done w/ a Dianne Warren song that's already been adequately covered, is there?
Syesha was less-than-standout. She was given an Alisah Keyes song by Randy which was obviously going to be a yawn. Then she attempted to perform a 'cabaret' version of 'Fever' (my favorite karaoke song ever, by the way) using a chair as a prop. Although she sang it well and was very very sexy, it was a bad choice for this pivotal night. Her last song was that Happy Feet song, you know the fun one that plays over the credits at the end? It was a stupid choice and the producer's were obviously trying to get her ousted.
David Archuleta has passed his peak, if you ask me. He had a few memorable moments earlier inthe season (and actually, his 'Love Me Tender' from last week was nice), but I think we're all growing tired of the snoozy ballads. And let's face it, that's David's genre. Last night he performed the judge's choice of Billy Joel's 'And So It Goes' which was very beautiful. One of his best so far. But then he took a couple steps back when he attempted to do an up-tempo Chris Brown song and ended up looking like a nervous schoolboy. Finally, the producer's nailed the coffin shut on his American Idol chances by giving him Dan Fogelburg's 'Longer'-a gorgeous song but totally wrong for this arena.
I think it's safe to say that the Davids will end up in the finale and that David Cook will win by a landslide. He's far more talented than Chris Daughtry after all and we see where that joker's ended up.
Time to upgrade! After perusing the dell website I realized that the Inspiron 1525 is now quite affordable...and in my case completely tax deductible. So I took a deep breath and got me one. And just in case there is any doubt who in this family it belongs to, I ordered mine in Flamingo Pink. So there!
It's been a while. Here is my review of the 2005 version of P&P: www.movinpitchers.blogspot.com
Also, I've entered a page from The Man Who Laughs on my long-neglected 'page a day' blog: http://www.themanwholaughs.blogspot.com
I can't say why I stopped keeping up with it but it's sadly behind. I decided it would be time to resurrect it since my dad is currently publishing an abridged version of the story for United States markets. Right now, I believe the book has to be ordered from overseas and it costs an arm and a leg to have it shipped. My dad's book should be out within the next few months and he's also written a screenplay that may or may not be marketed along with it, depending on the initial success of the story. It's a shame American audiences know so little about this great work of Victor Hugo's. Hopefully that will change.
Around here, things are moving along. We have begun the work on our house to prepare it to sell. A realtor came by to advise me but I doubt we'll be listing it with her office. I want to try to make the most from the sale as possible, which kind of makes cutting a realtor in on the profit pretty silly. We are hoping to have the landscaping done by the time of our convention in early July and the house ready to place on the market in September, around the time of our planned vacation to DIsney.
Victor James is getting so big. He sits up on his own now and says Mama frequently. He's also very mobile now which means he's into everything and such a handful. He isnt actually 'crawling' yet but he inches his way a long at record speeds! I've started making his baby food but he really has very little interest in real food at this time. The doctor is concerned, telling me that I need to start supplementing him w/ vitamins and keep pushing him to eat. Whatever. Anyone can look at this nearly twenty pound kid and see that he is getting along just fine. He'll eat when likes, I'm sure.
That's all for now. I'll try to report again very soon.
Even if the moves weren't individually as stunning ast he winner's, this jive 'threesome' was amazing! The sheer difficulty of timing everything right was in itself remarkable...
I am such a Broadway Baby so this was after my own heart. And it didnt disappoint. Almost every performance was good-and surprising!
THe Best:
1.David Cook-Okay, I thought his handling of Music Of the Night was bound to be a disaster but it wasnt! It was actually really great and the arrangment retained just enough of a pop-rock feel to not sound ludicrous when he performed it. His vocals were 'on' throughout the whole song-even that intimidating 'beeeeeee' in the middle and I especially loved the way he closed the performance. Very impressive.
The Good:
2.David Archuleta-This week was very suited to him and I expected him to really go crazy-with 'jazz hands' and everything. But again I was surprised. 'Think of Me' is an aria from Phantom and was meant to be sung by a soprano. So it was a shocking choice. But he made it a very radio-friendly pop song, suited for his vocals and not even overly effiminite. Great job.
3. Carly Smithson-sang 'Jesus Christ Superstar' and even though the song is rediculous and laughable-she belted that baby! It was fantastic.
4. Syesha Macado-I didnt recognize this song but it was a very sexy bluesy tune, well suited for her personality and vocals. I loved the way she hammed it up. Her vocals are still a little shrill for my taste-but she had a very good week, no doubt.
5. Jason Castro-Regardless of what the judges though, I felt his version of 'Memory' was well-suited for him. I liked the way he handled the melody and the sensitive way his vocals wrapped around this otherwise HUGE song. And I mean hey, it was infinitely better than Barry Manilow's version!
The Bad:
6. Brooke White-She chose 'You Must Love Me' and it would have served her far better if she played the piano herself; it might have helped her conquer her nerves. As it was, she forgot the lyrics about 5 seconds into the song and had to stop the band and askk them to start over. Yikes. It was really not very good. She has been fading in the last few weeks, I feel.
Though there was no 'ugly' performance this week, I do feel Brooke is the most likely to get the boot. The bottom three, based on the judges lukewarm reviews will probably be Jason, Syesha, and Brooke. Syesha, not because she didnt do well this week, but she seems to be a little less popular than the other contestants.
*By the way, I didnt review 'Mariah Carey week' (Top Seven). It wasnt bad, actually-even Kristy Lee Cook did an okay job. But she went home anyway. From what I remember, David Cook kinda rocked that one as well. I'm angry that he's doing so well...but it is what it is.
Here we are. Back from another great vacation in sunny Las Vegas and hankering ever more to return...possibly for good.
Following is my trip report and though all of it may not be of interest, you guys are welcome to read it.
THURSDAY: After an slightly turbulent plane ride (Victor wore his baby b'air and I loved the security it gave me when the bumpy parts came), we finally arrived at McCarran Intl. Airport, which is in my opinion the real low point of any Las Vegas Trip. The place is a veritable maze and the Baggage Claim area is gargantuan (and confusing). We must be getting used to it however, since we got out of there in relatively quick time. We were smart this time and took the shuttle instead of a cab. Cabs to the strip are cheap (5-8 bucks); a Taxi to our off-strip hotel (The Orleans) runs up to 25.00 so taking a shuttle (at 7.00 a person) is always a better option. We had only two stops before making it to our resort, which allowed us to check in early. After ordering club sandwiches via room service, husband and baby relaxed, and I picked up the rental car. By 4pm we had made it to the Gold Coast for our event wristbands and were well on our way sightseeing. We had opted to make the drive to Boulder City this day, which is only about 15 miles outside of Vegas. It proved to be a lovely drive and the small town was great with alot of big old established trees, gorgeous views, and a cool downtown area that reminded me the Old West. Since Hoover Dam was only a short drive away we made a quick visit (impressive!) and headed back to meet our friends, Misty and Michael, who were just arriving. Since it was already pretty late, we only just had time for dinner and some shopping before bed. Little Victor was very sleepy, poor thing.
FRIDAY:
The Orleans has 15 (count 'em, fifteen)restaurants and The Courtyard Cafe was our choice for Friday breakfast. After which, Michael and Misty went to the Gold Coast for their wristbands and we made a 40 mile drive to Pahrump NV (yep, as in 'pahrump-a-pum-pum') to scout around and basically visit the local Wal Mart. It's fun and familiar to visit Wal Mart when you're away from home...try it sometime. The drive across the desert was INCREDIBLE and overwhelming. The joshua trees and craggy mountains made for the most brilliant landscape I've ever seen. And since Pahrump is only 3 miles from the California border, we made the slight detour to the state line and I got out and took the above photo (but only after grabbing some soft serve at the cutest little ice cream stand). We ended up staying out later than we intended so had to head straight back to the hotel and get ready for our 7:15 meal at Mon Ami Gabi (in The Paris resort). I've never tried french food before (and I love food so that's pretty amazing) but this is a pretty great place to start. The escargot was phenomenal, the scallops were perfect, the beef wellington was hearty, and the creme brulee was sinful. I had really been looking forward to Misty seeing the Bellagio fountain show but unfortunately the music selection was Faith Hill's 'This Kiss' which made the impressively choreographed waters seem to be line dancing-so dissapointing. After dinner, I went back to the hotel w/ the baby and Jonathan, Misty and Michael headed over to the Gold Coast to catch some bands.
SATURDAY: After more room service, we spruced up for the car show (Victor wore his new sock monkey shirt and was a big hit) and I dropped off the rental car. The GOld Coast has always been the home of the Shifter's Car Show but this time it was badly cramped since it has gained in popularity over the years and the people were bumper to bumper-heh heh. We scanned the vendors and took a couple of pics but it just got too difficult to navigate so we went for a quick indoor break and made plans to come back later. Unfortunately, the show closed down at four (not what we had expected) and we missed a big chunk of the cars. Grrrr. That night, we ate dinner at Big Al's Oyster Bar and I got to go out w/ our friends while Jonathan stayed w/ the baby. A great band called 'The Two Timin' Three' was playing and it was fun watching them and the jive dancers. I was done by 2:30 though. Late nights are not my thing.
SUNDAY: Sunday is my favorite day. It's Tiki Pool Party day. All the girls put on their retro swimwear and the guys slick back their hair and show off their tattoos. A documentarian was there and he fell in love w/ Victor so I was interviewed by he and his crew for a while. It was wierd and intimidating but it might be cool to see what comes of it. The Orleans pool was a perfect location and the surf music was ideal-and live, as it turns out. A few barefoot couples started dancing by the stage and we got some video of them from up in our room. It was extremely nice. After the party, we dressed up a bit and went back to the Gold Coast for a more shopping and a premiere of a Rockabilly documentary. It was too smoky there for the little one so we went upstairs and watched the jive competition. It was so amazing-one guy actually had TWO girls he was twirling around. I could not believe the talent! And I'm extremely jealous.
MONDAY:
Monday was a quiet day. We all went the strip to get my favorite Cobb Salad (The Caribe Cafe in The Mirage)before heading back to the airport to catch our smooth flight back to Nashville. When we got back to the house, my son had just come down w/ a virus and was covered in a rash from head to toe and throwing up. Sigh. And the beat goes on...
My grandmother's funeral was last Saturday. My family and I made the trip to Memphis on Thursday, which was largely uneventful but still very nice. We made it to my mom's around 4pm and were able to enjoy the association of family, both genetic and spiritual, for the rest of the evening as well as the following day. So many friends brought food and words of encouragement that we had to come up w/ inventive storage solutions for both.
The service was Saturday at the mid-town Kingdom Hall, where my grandmother went last. The brothers and sisters loved her very much, as was evident from the large number of congregation friends who attended. All of the extended family also were there, which was bittersweet since we haven't seen many of them in a long time. My mom had put a huge collage of family pictures in the foyer of the hall and I could kick myself for not having taken a photo of it. You would all have enjoyed it so much.
The opening comments were by brother Harry Chambers-who was ill but loved my grandmother so offered to be there anyway. He said a prayer and read the obituary. There was also a letter to friends and family that was included in the funeral program and though he wasnt supposed to read it aloud, he did so-much to our delight. The body of the letter was written by my mom and it was a beautiful letter, full of encouragement and sweet anecdotes about Halene. Here are a few segments:
"Helene and Papa studied for 2 yrs before they ever came to the Kingdom Hall. So before they went, Halene asked Ailene what she should wear and Ailene said: "Oh, just wear something simple" so Mom came with her hair incurlers and a scarf around her head! When she saw how well-dressed everyone was, she was mortified!"
"While Helene was in the nursing home, we started studying the bible with her roomate, Mary Taylor. Even though Mother had Alzheimer's she still remembered the scriptures very well and when I started to read a scripture I thought she might be familiar with, I would ask her, 'Mom, do you remember this scripture?' and I'd read a few words and most of the time she could finish it from memory. She would also offer comments from time to time to help Mary understand a point we were discussing. The last study we had with mary before Helene died was 2 wks ago. At the end of the study she said 'May I have the closing prayer?' So Mom began to pray and to ask Jehovah to bless Mary's desire to learn about Him. In the middle of the prayer, Mary said 'Are you praying about me?' Mom said, 'Yes but I'm not finished with the prayer so you have to be quiet until I am!' and then she continued'"
"We will miss her sweet, cheerful disposition and beautiful, smiling face, her hugs and kisses. No one ever had to wonder if she loved you, she'd tell you repeatedly and all of you made her feel loved as well, of which we are ever grateful."
After the letter, Bob Borger made some humorous personal comments and then Steve Gilliam gave a GORGEOUS and lovingly delivered funeral discourse about Halene and her hope for the future. I am so thrilled that he was able to give it since he is a special friend of our family and such a sweet brother.
The thing I loved the most about this funeral is that it was so uplifting; very few people were crying. Those of us who did shed a few tears, did so with pride and happiness as we reflected on Halene's life and her faithful example.
After the funeral, the family gathered at Toby's new place and it was a nice time indeed. It was almost surreal, however, to watch the kids playing together-the 'younger' generation, doing the things we used to do. It also made me feel a little down. Time is flying.
Sunday was the special talk and I'm happy to say that in spite of all the weekend's chaos, most of us made it. The talk was great but seemed so short (this 30 minute thing is difficult for me to get used to). We came back Sunday afternoon, a whirlwind of cleaning, packing, and preparing for our vacation ahead of us. We leave tomorrow.
I'm excited but can't help but feel a little guilty at the same time. Anyway, see ya'll later!
'Inspirational Week' had an eye-rolling sound to it but it turned out to be a surprisngly good one. THe group had to sing songs that were 'inspirational' in nature but thankfully, very few of them chose the spiritual route. Most of the song choices were simply 'uppers'.
The Best:
1.Jason Castro-His rendition of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' was perfect. Though I didnt see much room for him to make such a distinctive version his own, he did it brilliantly. THe vocals were better than they've been all season and yes, he even played the ukelele. It made me sigh.
The Good:
2. Kristy Lee Cook-Gasp! WHat a shocker! She did a great job with Martina McBride's 'Anyway'-a song that I find to be a guilty pleasure. I never would have thought the gal had it in her, based on past insipid performances (and knowing the strength of Mcbride's big ol' vocals). But Kristy held her own.
3. David Archuleta-'Angels' by RObbie Williams is a GREAT pop song. I am an unabashed fan of Williams and this song was on his 'The Ego Has Landed' cd, which I love. Robbie's version reminds me of Elton John and it is fantastic. I never thought of it as being actually ABOUT angels but per Jessica Simpson (who did a mediocre cover a few years ago) and David A. last night, it evidently is. Anyway, David did a pretty good job, though I wasnt as crazy about the 'runs' as Randy was. The r & b vibe to the song took away from its power, I felt.
4. Michael Johns'- I liked that he chose 'Dream On' as his song because it wasnt a predictable one for 'inspirational' week. However, my view is that if you can't sing this song BETTER than Steven Tyler-you should probably not try it. He did it well but comparably, it suffered.
5. Carly-'The Show Must Go On' by Queen was her choice. She sang it well-her huge voice was again impressive. However, I agree w/ Simon that it seemed almost 'angry' in parts.
The Bad:
6. Brooke White-'You've GOt a Friend'. Yawn. A nice song. She sang it nicely. But it was just downright wrong for a singing competition. Very bland....yet again.
7. Syesha Macado-When Fantasia Barrino sang 'I Believe' during the AI finale a few seasons back, it shook the rafters. Even I found myself in tears during her performance because she somehow managed to sob through almost the whole song without her vocals being affected. It was one of the highlights of AI's many seasons. Syesha was NOT able to sing it with the same passion or skill. It was a bad choice, no matter how much she loves the song.
The Ugly:
8. David Cook-The song choice was 'Innocent' by Our Lady Peace. And it was very very flat. I hated the whole thing, especially the redundant chorus. David did not have a good night last night. His vocals were on, I guess, but the song was definitely a poor selection.
Well, even though things are a bit hectic and weepy around here-I did make the time last night to watch the show. Everyone doing the songs of Dolly Parton was a dismal idea and if they're going to follow thru w/ this 'everyone doing the same artist' thing for the whole season, we are in for a major snooze.
Quickly, here's my take on last night:
The Best: 1. Michael -Bluesy vocals and lots of passion. FOr the 2nd week, he impressed me the most.
The Good:
2. Carly-great slow version of a classic up-tempo country song. Lots of powerful Sheena Easton style vocals and she was brilliantly on-key.
3. David C.-Finally he gave us an original take on a great song. It wasnt as good as last week but it was his own, which made it very nice. His vocals were on point.
4. David A.-Really good and very smooth. I didnt like the song choice and it was a bit cheesy but the vocals were undoubtedly great.
5. Syesha-Even though she should have continued to make the song her own, instead of sinking to a lackluster version of Whitney's version at the end, she sang it well. Her upper register still seems a little shrill to me. But she hit every key and held it nicely.
6. Jason-very nice. Very listenable...great vocal delivery. Catchy cover of a good song. I think it was good stuff.
The Bad:
7. Kristy- It should have been her week but it wasnt. It was a pitiful song choice that did not call for enough challenge vocally. Yet again, she fails to impress.
8. Ramiele-very forgettable. Her vocals have been worse but the performance was painfully mediocre.
The Ugly:
9. Brooke-this version of my favorite Parton song was beyond dull. The stomp-rhythym and the lowered key were distracting enough but she sang it with absolutely none of the passion that Parton possessed. Her worst week, in my book.
So I am on my way to Memphis come Thursday to attend the Memorial Service of my lovely grandmother. Though I'm sad that the journey was brought on by such an event, I am also happy that all of our family will be in one place at the same time. It will be very nice to all be together again. My cousin Stephie was asking me the other day what I would wear to the funeral. Originally, I had picked out a pink sweater set and somber gray skirt for the occasion but as we talked I realized how Haleen would have loved to see everyone looking cheery with the springtime. So out came my favorite spring dress-blue with yellow polka dots.
Memories of my last grandparent brought on this week's music clip. Both she and Papa LOVED this and would be tickled to death to know that I'm dedicating it to them.
"Awake and cry out joyfully, you residents in the dust. For your dew is as the dew of mallows, and the earth itself will let even those impotent in death drop in birth"-Is. 26:19
American Idol at its best...a great show. The performers had to sing a song from the year they were born and it made me feel very old...but I digress.
The Best:
David Cook-Never thought he'd impress me like this. His version of Billie Jean was instantly appealing and extremely marketable. Making it a Rock Ballad was one of the most brilliant choices I've ever seen anyone make on any season of this show. He also sang the heck out of it. Though his voice isnt necessarily the best, he definitely has the best grasp on today's pop audience. Chris Daughtry has officially been replaced...Thank Gawd.
***Edit***Just found out that this is a cover of a version that Chris Cornell did first...so, like Chris Daughtry with 'Ring Of Fire', he has fooled us (temporarily) into thinking this was an original take on the song when it is ,in fact, stolen. So I felt the Chris Cornell clip (which is friggin beautiful) should replace David Cook at the top of the page. And in my opinion, top honors for last night's show now go to Michael Johns.
The Good:
Carly-Blow me down, that was a great one! Contrary to stupid Randy's opinion, I absolutely loved her version of 'Turn Around'. It was just great...loved the tempo, loved the performance, loved the drive...loved the final note, even. I think Carly knows that it's necessary to belt a note at the end in order to leave an impression on America. Sad but true. 'Not in key' my foot.
Jason Castro-Sting's'Fragile' was never sung by a prettier mouth...haha. Yes it was safe and a bit drowsy but I loved it.
Michael Johns-Finally the Aussie ROcker has made the grade. He sang 'We Will ROck You/ We are the Champions' without going flat or predictable on us. It was really energetic and strong. Great Song Choice.
Syesha- -A very loosey-goosey version of 'If I Was Your Woman'. Her pitch was perfect throughout, though the high registers aren't as pleasing to the ears as the low. It was much less torchy and far more modern than the original and she definitely had a 'moment'. Plus, she's cute as a button. All in all, it was far and away her best performance.
Ramiele-chose to really take a chance and sing Heart's 'Alone', which Carrie Underwood really hit out of the park a few seasons ago. So it was very brave for Ramiele, whose voice is not nearly as strong, to attempt the song. I thought it was good...a million times better than last week for sure. She was a little flat on the high notes but the rest was on key and she put an original spin on it that I found impressive.
Chikezie-Regardless of how dated you think it was, the guy has a great voice. I didnt recognize the song but I think Paula mentioned that Luther Vandross sang it-which stands to reason since that is very much the type of artist I think Chikezie wants to shadow. I don't think that is as bad a thing as Simon does, evidently.
The Bad:
David Archuleta-I faintly remember this song from easy listening radio and also remember disliking it intensely. Can't recall the name or the artist but I'm sure it would be easy to figure out if I weren't so lazy. Anyhoo...I hated this. It sounded and looked just like a performance on some type of local 'benefit' or county fair. He hit some very bad notes also. And go figure: Randy liked this one? He needs to clean the wax out, methinks.
Brooke-'Every Breath You Take' has a bad history on this show. Chris Sligh, last season, really messed it up by reworking the tempo and even his stellar vocals couldnt save the performance. Brooke made the same mistake. Starting off at the piano was promising, as was the first part of the song. But when she hit the chorus and the band kicked in, it sounded rushed. She sounded as if she were shouting and we lost most of her smoky-sweet presence. Too bad.
The Ugly:
Kristy-I don't care if she sang 'God Bless the USA' well or not. I couldnt help but think of how disappointed I was last year when I went to Vegas to see the Bellagio fountain show, only to discover it had been set to that same obnoxious piece of patriotic sap. I detested it then and I despised it last night. Blech.
I am wondering after last night's show, which of the pretty boys has the most pull w/the screaming girls. I thought it was Castro until Archuleta finished up...the screams were nauseating.
My guess to go home is Chikezie though I don't think he deserves it, by any means. I am so ready to get rid of Kristy but Simon gave her high prasie (darn him) so she'll be around to serenade us for another week, it seems.
