Round of 36: Group 3

Von Smith – This guy is pretty goofy looking on stage. I think he picks terrible songs every time he’s up too. I have no interest in this dork advancing.

Taylor Vaifanua – She is singing pretty good to start, but she has happy feet. She needs to stand still! She’s not bad, but Alicia Keys is a tough one to bite off. She didn’t do it as good, so we can’t do anything but compare her to Alicia, and she didn’t stand up to her. Good job, not great.

Alex Wagner-Trugman – He’s really nervous! He’s admittedly a dork, but a likeable one. Like me! I’m not really sure what this screeching is that he’s doing. It’s pretty corny. I’m laughing out loud here by myself. What a goon! This was more entertaining that Norman Gentle, but still not good.

Arianna Afsar – I think she’s ahead of the music to start the song…? She has good range, but I think she had too many runs in the song. The last note was a little painful though. She’s very likeable, but the performance was not good. I’m on the fence with her.

Ju’not Joyner – He changed up the arrangement and slowed it way down. I like his voice, but slowing it down gave him too much opportunity to slur and defame the lyrics. Overall I like Ju’not and I think he could be entertaining for a week or two. Let’s see what the rest of the night has to offer for competition.

Kristen McNamara – My girl from Nashville Star. She’s sassy and lovable. And she’s pretty seductive too. She controlled the song and the stage very well. So far she’s blowing the other women away tonight. Well, the men for what that’s worth too. Not a song with much range, but she delivered, so it’s hard to complain.

Nathaniel Marshall – He’s an annoying freak with no style. He’s crying out for attention with the way he dresses and acts. And what’s with the goofy as headbands and rubber bands he wears on his head? If the judges don’t give him hell about his look after they just lambasted Kristen, then something is wrong. The singing is just not contemporary. Picking a Meatloaf song just reinforces that fact.

Felisha Barton – What? She was cut but now she’s in the top 36. Who got bounced? I just googled it and she replaced Joanna Pacitti. I think Joanna was a hottie. That aside, Felisha did pretty good. She hits some great notes, but missed a few too. Then again she only had a few days to get ready.

*Apparently Joanna Pacitti was ruled ineligible because she has “very personal connections” to two executives for 19 Studios (Idol’s Studios).

Scott MacIntyre – I’m having a hard time deciphering if I like Scott because he’s blind or because he’s a good singer. When I close my eyes he’s not as good, but I still like his voice. I think if he has a chance to get back behind the piano he may shine even more. He finished this song very strongly and I’m a fan.

Kendall Beard – I think she looks way to young and immature to be singing this song. It looked like she had a lot of fun singing this song, but I’m not a fan. She did okay, but I can’t help but try and compare her to Carrie Underwood, who would blow her out of the water. She did just ok. Better than average tonight.

Jorge Nunez - He has the opportunity to be the best Latin representative American Idol has ever had and he picks Elton John to sing? I would’ve picked a Latin song, but then maybe that would be too cliché? Or maybe mix in a Latin verse into one of these songs? It would be creative and original. He’s got great pipes though. *I really hope this guy makes it through!

Lil Rounds – I didn’t like the song she picked, but she is really talented and I want her to move on. She’s got a really good chance to go far! Wow, Simon agreed with me.

Predictions: Lil Rounds (women), Scott McIntyre (men), Jorge Nunez (wildcard)

I think Kristen and Felisha need to go in the wild card. Women did well tonight compared to previous weeks.

Round of 36: Group 2

Jasmine Murray - I expected much more. She was all over the place. Couldn't settle into her sweet spot. She might be in trouble.

Matt Giraud - Was he nervous as hell? His voice sounded like a goat singing. Not loving it at all. Back to the piano bars. Should've sung Billy Joel.

Jeanine Vailes - I don't remember seeing her on the show before. She's starting by over dancing. Wow! This is rough. No shot in hell of advancing!

*What's with a break after every singer?!

Norman Gentle / Nick Mitchell - Is this the next gen of Richard Simmons? I've yet to find him entertaining. They have other variety shows for this crap. Don't waste America's time. Maybe I'm in the minority...?

Allison Iraheta - Shes annoying. Never would guess she is 16! Don't like the voice while talking. I have yet to enjoy a female performance this week or last, until now. And only 2 male performances so far. What's with this "best season ever?!" She can definitely sing rock. I'm placing the over under at 2 packs of smokes a day. Impressive for 16. Shes the best so far tonight though.

Kris Allen - Another person that's been flying under the radar. Definitely started too low in his register. This seems more like a local talent show. They're all better than me, but that doesn't take much. The attempt at that last high note was closer to a squeal!

Megan Joy Corkrey - She's attractive in a weird way. Not a fan of the whole arm tat, but then again, maybe I am...? When she started I really liked her unique voice, but then it fell off and became very normal. Not enough energy and an awkward stage presence. The end got a little better again. Overall I liked it, but didn't blow me away.

Matt Breitzke - Cool voice, he doesn't sell it. The runs detracted from the song. And that white boy can't dance!

Jesse Langseth - Shes a hometown girl, but I'm not excited for her chances. Let's see... Shes scrunching her face up. Weird. What does she offer that's new and fresh? Nada! I could see her at the U Otter Stop Inn down in NE Mpls any Saturday night.

*Paula thought she was captivating? Have another drink, hun!

Kai Kalama - This guy is a good story. He's good, but is he original? I mean, other than the curly, center parted dread-fro?

Mishavonna Hensen - She promised not to let America down. Let's see if she can deliver! I don't think she's making any vocal mistakes. The problem is that the performance just isn't that exciting. Good job, but...

Adam Lambert - This is one of the most polished guys on the show. He's very entertaining, though sometimes a little corny and showy. Most definitely the best of the night.

My favorites to move on: Adam (men), Megan (women), Jasmine (wild card). I just hope Norman doesn't move on. Problem is that I think he will...

Round of 36: Group 1

Jackie Tohn was very gritty. Love her voice. The problem was that the spandex tights and Air Jordans were corny, as was her entire performance.

Ricky Braddy could have his own movie called Opie Goes to Hollywood. Close your eyes and he's got great potential. Forgettable stage presence though.

Alexis Grace reminded me of a drag queen with all the makeup she had caked on. She is a very plain looking girl but she took it too far. The 4 judges loved her soul, but perhaps I stand alone in saying that she doesn't have as much soul as she thinks she does!

Brent Keith was on Nashville Star so I thought maybe he had a shot. He crumbled under the pressure again and is likely out of chances on the big stage. Terrible low range and a very awkward stage presence.

Stevie Wright has a very lovable personality but her performance was nothing short of a train wreck! I think she started out too low and never recovered. Awful!

Anoop Desai was one of my faves heading into this part of the show. He shared that he wanted to bring energy to the show but then contradicted himself by singing a Monica song. Disappointing but I hope he can sneak thru.

Casey Carlson of Minneapolis is cute and bubbly. I should stop there. I didn't think she belonged in the top 36 and tonight made that very clear! Brutal singing coupled with exaggerated facial and body expressions made for a verbal lobotomy!

Michael Sarver... Ouch!!! That was f@&$ing unlistenable! How did this guy get in over some of the other borderline talent? I'm hoping the wildcard will include people outside the top 36.

Ann Marie Boskovich has girl next door beauty. Isn't that truly the most beautiful? Awww... Ann Marie. That performance echoed the opening lyrics in that it was uninspired. I don't see any star quality in her, but she looks like she would be a great mom or auntie.

*Hold on!!! Ann Marie's sister is gorgeous! Wowzers!!!

Stephen Fowler busted out some Jacko moves at the beginning. That should have been the point where Simon put up his and says stop the music. What's up with these contestants tonight? Good singers are getting crushed under the live TV pressure.

Tatiana Del Torro is possibly the most annoying person EVER! I can't believe how quietly and reserved she started. Was off character for her, but it wasn't very good either. Who takes on Whitney in round 1? Dumb move. Especially when she was nowhere near where she needed to be. I think she's been coached to be more reserved. I think that's important.

*Danny is last tonight and I'm hoping he closes it out strong! He's an early front runner!

Danny Gokey has true soul. You can't invent it, you just have it or you don't. The song choice and performance weren't my favorite of his, but he still showed his brilliance in parts. He's unique and radio ready!


Top Male: Danny.

Top Female: Alexis...? (No woman stood out)

Next Best: Ricky.

Who I hope makes it through: Danny, Jackie, and Anoop.

American Idol 8: On the Eve of Selecting the Final 32

Tonight's episode of American Idol really displayed some incredibly gifted singers! I'm in agreement that there are definitely more men that stand out this year, but there are some women who are very interesting too. I was surprised when they let the room full of people who forgot their lyrics move on. They may not make the final 32, but it was still a surprise. There were some good singers in that group though. I'm excited for the real competition to begin next week!

LOST: Jughead (Airdate: 1/28/09)

This week's episode was packed with lots of information, all of which will be important in the coming weeks. Here's a short synopsis:

Penny and Desmond have a young boy. We watched the birth and then saw him as a young boy between 3 and 5. Last week Daniel had planted a "new memory" into Desmond's head, telling him to visit Oxford to find his mom. He was to tell her that everyone is still stuck on the island. However, when he visited the university, there was no record of any Faraday every being employed there. That's because Daniel had experimented with time travel on Theresa Spencer's brain and it left her in a very odd state. Desmond did find out that Faraday's experiments AND Theresa's health care were both being funded by none other than Charles Whidmore. Desmond barges into Whidmore's office and demands to know where Faraday's mom is. Whidmore tells him she's in Los Angeles, but she's a very private person, and probably won't enjoy seeing him. Whidmore warned for Desmond to, "Deliver your message and then get out." Is this a ploy to get Desmond to LA to return to the island? Ben did say everyone must go back.

Random Note: Penny and Desmond's boy is named Charlie. Is this after Charlie who died at the end of Season 2?

Faraday's group is still on the island and hoping from time to time. He noticed that Charlotte was experiencing double vision, dizziness and bleeding from the nose. He knows why, but won't tell her.

Random Note: The young woman that leads the gang that finds Daniel, Charlotte and Miles, says to Daniel, "You just couldn't stay away, could you?" So does she know something? Later she said she didn't trust him, so I'm confused.

Julia speaks to the Others in Latin. She tells them to take Locke, Julia and Sawyer to see Richard Alpert. One of the soldiers agrees, but the other runs off. Locke doesn't heed Sawyer's plea to shoot the soldier running away. When Sawyer asks why, Locke replies, "Because. Because he's one of my people."

When Richard meets Daniel back at camp, Richard asks, "I assume you came back for your bomb?" A hydrogen bomb had been dropped on the island during military testing and Faraday said he could disarm it. Once he looks at the bomb, labeled Jughead, he realizes it is leaking and tells the woman soldier that he needs lead to fix it. Then it must be buried. She doesn't believe him. When he says, "50 years from now, this island is still here," she draws her gun more intensely. Sawyer came in to save the day and shouted, "Drop your gun, Blondie!"

Random Note: Daniel assured Richard that he wasn't on a suicide mission with the bomb because, "(He's) in love with the woman sitting next to (him). And (he) would never, (he) would never do anything to hurt her." Daniel later confirmed to Charlotte that his feelings were genuine. Ooooo!

Richard was forced to kill the US soldiers when they wouldn't leave the island. He takes his orders from a chain of command. Jacob?

John wants to finish his conversation with Richard. He isn't getting any respect until he says, "Jacob sent me." It's 1954 on the island and Locke is pleading with Richard to tell him how to get off the island now, because he has something important to do after he gets off. Of course, before he can hear how, they jump to a new time.

Random Note: Charles Whidmore used to be one of the others on the island! Interesting!!!

Unanswered questions still looming:

• Will Locke, or any of the other castaways, meet their younger self on the island during the time travel? If so, what are the consequences?
• How will Hurley get out of jail to get back to the island?
• Is Walt going back too?
• How will they get back to the island?
• When will we ever find out more about Ben's old girlfriend Annie?

Next week's sneak peek:

• Kate is threatened that she will lose Aaron.
• Locke says that he will have to make them come back, even if it means his life.
• Sawyer says that he saw Kate in the jungle.

Salt Lake City Auditions

In addition to the Osmond kid I wrote about earlier, I also really liked Megan, the tattooed mother who is just going through a divorce. She has a very old school, classic voice, but will that translate to success? I also liked the class president kid and the hippy girl at the end.

The Osmond Kid on Idol

The Osmond kid on Idol was pretty inspiring. Of course he comes from a famous family, but that doesn't mean he's not human. He struggles with MS, which hits especially home for me. My sister has been struggling with MS for the past couple of years, and she's only 32. I guess I'm pulling for this kid a little just because of his courage to put himself in front of the world when his illness could potentially cause him some awkward moments. That's ultimate courage and I admire that!

One Less Day of Mail Delivery?

The Postmaster General asked Congress today to cut the requirement for mail delivery from 6 days to 5 days. Would you care if mail wasn't delivered one of the days each week? Perhaps skipping Wednesday? I don't think I would care at all. I'd prefer that over raising postage again. Then again, I hardly ever use stamps anymore, so I'm not sure I care either way!

What are your thoughts?

It Happens Every Year

Those of you who have followed my American Idol blog the last few years probably saw this coming. I get so excited the first week or so to start the new season. Then, without fail, I get bored with the initial audition shows and don't write about them. Well, my friends, that's where I'm at again. Once they start to do some serious singing and focus on talent and not stupidity, I will begin writing again. I'm not bitter, I just have better things to do with my time right now. Like file my taxes!

Talk soon!

American Idol 8: San Francisco Auditions

San Francisco is Tuesday night's hot spot for the American Idol auditions. I've never been to the land of Rice-a-Roni, but I'd love to travel there someday. The street cars and catching a Giants game at the beautiful AT&T Park on the Bay would be fantastic! Would they produce another Katheryn McPhee (va-va-voom!), or even another pop culture icon like William Hung in Season 2? Let's only hope!

What's with all the questionable talent passing through already. It's fine, as long as we don't end up with another Sanjaya staying on the show long past his welcome! Tatiana Del Toro, 23 of San Juan, Puerto Rico was not necessarily a terrible singer, but her annoying laugh and pompous attitude were grating! She claims to be a singer, actress and model, however she can't catch a break. She'd be fine if she didn't have to open her yap, but that's tough as a singer or actress. As for modeling, what is she selling? Advice on how to cackle and drive everyone nuts?!

27 year old family man, Jesus Valenzuela, of North Highlands, California, relied on his cute kids to secure him a spot in Hollywood. It certainly wasn't his performance. Don't get me wrong, he wasn't terrible, but he wasn't special either. I don't see him advancing any further.

I was amazed that 45 minutes into the show, only two people had advanced, and both were very iffy. Then out of nowhere they barrage us with a quick 30 seconds of three singers that did advance. The peppering of golden tickets had me lunging for the TiVo remote to rewind. John Twiford, a 27 year old music teacher from Sherman Oaks, California, was very good. I get sort of a Jason Castro / Constantine Maroulis vibe from him. Unfortunately the 10 second clip wasn't long enough to grasp his personality.

If you thought John had a short clip, 16 year old Allison Iraheta really got the shaft. They played maybe 5 seconds and I wasn't overly impressed. I did, however, catch a very raspy laugh at the end. I hope that raspy-ness isn't from smoking at 16!

*HOTTIE ALERT!!! 28 year old waitress / bartender Raquel Houghton is burning it up! Her audition clip was very short, but her legs were plenty long. Her gorgeous, flowing brown hair has me keeping an eye out for her!

For the last 18 months, the next performer has been serving as an understudy for the character Fiyero in the traveling production of Wicked. Adam Lambert, was very theatrical in his performance of Bohemian Rhapsody, but what other way is there to sing that Freddie Mercury classic? He has awesome vocal range, but his Hollywood persona and peculiar look are still up for discussion. Check out the pics on his MySpace band page and you'll see what I'm referring to (http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewTaggedPhotos&friendID=29158867).

The last performer, Kai Kalama, a 26 year old aspiring musician from San Clemente, California, was the feel good story of the night. Kai has taken the last year off from pursuing his dreams in music, to take care of his ailing mother. His classic, tender offering of The Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by the Platters portrayed a velvety timber. Could be interesting, and I love the crazy hair.

My Top Contenders, in order of their auditions:

Deanna Brown (Phoenix)
Scott MacIntyre (Phoenix)
Danny Gokey (KC)
Anoop Desai (KC)
Lil Rounds (KC)
Adam Lambert (San Fran)
Kai Kalama (San Fran)
Ashley Anderson (Honorable Mention: Hottie)

Tomorrow night the nation's attention shifts to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Considering only 12 came out of San Francisco, there is likely to be about the same from the home of the Kentucky Derby. Catch you on the flip.

American Idol 8: Kansas City Auditions

I have to start this entry by telling you a personal story from a few weeks ago about tonight's audition spot, Kansas City. It was the Monday night before Christmas, right after bowling league. The guys from the team always go out and grab a bite to eat and drink a few beers together after bowling. This Monday was no different, except that a couple of us didn't have to work the next day, myself included. Well, one thing lead to another and we decided to go on a road trip.

We were initially heading towards Memphis, because an Elvis song came on the iPod. We were going to Graceland to check out the jungle room and eat some BBQ. Amazingly we changed our minds before we crossed the Minnesota border into Iowa, and decided that 14 more hours in the car didn't sound that fun. Instead, the additional 6 to Kansas City was a much better idea! Did I mention that we started this voyage at 1:30am, with the snow coming down in blizzard like conditions?! Yeah, we were idiots!

We stopped at a gas station on the Iowa border and Donny grabbed a hot dog covered with onions and sauerkraut, and proceeded to get it all over the passenger side of the car. I wasn't lovin' that! By 7:00am we had traversed the ice covered roads of Iowa and were about 30 miles from the Missouri border. We were dead tired so we stopped and got a hotel room in Osceola, Iowa. We tried Sneaky Pete's Casino first, but 6 cars in the parking lot meant they didn't have any rooms free??? We found a spot at the Americ Inn across town and slept for 3 hours before eating breakfast and heading back home. Ahhhh... Memories...

If I haven't lost you yet, here's my review of tonight's American Idol auditions in Kansas City.

The show looked really promising in the first five minutes! 19 year old waitress, Chelsea Marquardt, opened the show with her angelic eyes and radiant smile. The only problem was her voice! As Simon so eloquently stated, it sounded like the sound "a cat would make after being tossed off the Empire State Building!" I had big dreams for her. She was genuinely hurt, but she's probably accustomed to people telling her how great she is because she's beautiful.

The season's first true hottie was denied acceptance into Hollywood week. Am I going to be left cold in respect to this season's eye candy?! Wowzers! Ashley Anderson saved the day! The 20 year old singer from Clarksburg, New Jersey is smokin'!! She sang Footprints in the Sand by Leona Lewis, a song which Simon helped co-write.

Not only is she gorgeous, she's a really good singer. The upper part of her range is more pure and resonant than the lower third, but I think we'll see her for awhile. That's a biased and hopeful opinion! As ZZ Top sang, she's got legs!

Minnesota has our first known representative after 20 year old, Casey Carlson, of Minneapolis wowed the judges with Vanessa Carlton's 1000 Miles. Her singing reminded me of the Reflections song from the Pocahontas movie, which my daughter was in love with when she was 3. Oddly enough, someone else sang that song (terribly) later in the show. She may be able to sing Disney and Broadway songs, but I'm not sure that will translate to American Idol success.

The little guy with the Michael Jackson hat was very peculiar. Stevie Wonder wannabe, Von Smith, 22 of Greenwood, Missouri theatrically belted out Over the Rainbow from the Wizard of Oz. His over the top performance started out with him singing a few words and then stopping to mumble something about phlegm. *EWWW* He yelled too much, but when he controlled the power, he was pretty good. Kara laughingly said that he has a "really big instrument." Really?? I didn't think judges and contestants were allowed to have that type of relationship!

Season 7 Stoner, Jason Castro's little brother is in the house! In past seasons, the siblings of Kelly Clarkson and David Cook couldn't make it through. What could this kid, who claims to have been singing seriously for a whole 20 days, have to offer? That is, besides the pink faux-hawk?! Pink hair and he's less of a girl than his brother...? Interesting!

Michael Castro is a 20 year old college student from Rockwall, Texas. He's cocky, but a fun and good cocky. He figured if his brother could sing, he could too. That swagger, coupled with a "goodish" rendition of Gavin DeGraw's In Love with a Girl, was enough to earn him a golden ticket. Kara felt he had a secret vibe. Not sure what that means, but Kara's sexy, so I trust her.

Last night an oil rig roughneck advanced, so why not a welder from Bixby, Oklahoma? 27 year old Matt Breitzke came across very likable and genuine. He has an adorable little boy and a supportive wife. He gave up his singing dreams to support the family and be a responsible father. Great story, but does he have the voice to go with it? Yes, he really does! A very nice raspy tone, that is controlled and never forced. His bar scene days may pay off after all.

"Those are my crazy pills," proclaimed Jessica Paige Furney's 93 year old grandmother. Grandma is hilarious! The 19 year old care giving birthday girl sang Janis Joplin's Cry Baby for the judges. Nothing that blew my socks off, but she's likable. We'll have to wait and see how she does in Hollywood.

Great! Another pair of screwball sisters trying to get 15 minutes of fame. Annoying, flamboyant and overconfident! Somehow 22 year old India Morrison was awarded another chance in California. She wasn't terrible, but I don't think she was deserving. I think her sister singing with her ahead of time was probably what gave her the edge.

Tonight's show has been refreshing. As promised before the season, much less attention is being paid to those that have no shot. The next two auditioners made the trek from Milwaukee together. Jamar Rogers is a 26 year old bartender who is super nice and energetic, but he's too over the top and corny for my liking. If he can reel that in a bit and make up his mind on the mini-hawk hair do, he may do alright. I think he was riding his friend's coattails though. Makes for good television.

The other half of the bosom buddy tandem was 28 year old Danny Gokey. This church music teacher sadly lost his wife, Sophia, just four weeks before the audition. He lamented that the grief is still very intense, and he never got to tell her goodbye. I'm sure he intentionally picked the upbeat song Heard it Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye. He got through it effortlessly, portraying throwback, soulful qualities. I'm pulling for this guy.

"Rollin' down the street, smokin' indo, sippin' on gin and juice." Snoop, I mean Anoop Dogg is up in here! 21 year old Anoop Desai from Chapel Hill, North Carolina is very well educated, having done his thesis on BBQ. If you're able to overlook the Sesame Street Burt eyebrows, this kid can blow! He may dress geeky, but I think his intelligence may give him an edge with the other 20-somethings.

28 year old Asa Barnes kept the cute kid train rolling tonight with his drum playing little girl. As a middle school band director, Asa uses his voice everyday in class to supplement his teachings. He pulled off Michael Jackson's The Way You Make Me Feel with promise. He can really bang out those high notes.

19 year old floor maintenance dude, Dennis Brigham of Glen Carbon, Illinois, was tonight's WTF addition to Hollywood week. Come on! Was it because he was funny? Only if by funny you're referring to his looks and the way he talks! After destroying Chris Brown's With You, he resorted to begging, and sadly enough, it worked. Ok then!

The final auditioner in Kansas City, MO, was 23 year old Lil Rounds. No way that's her real name. She picked that out of a hat to be her celebrity name, right? Regardless, she's got talent! This customer service representative from Memphis is a wife and mother to 3 young children. Her soulful and spunky interpretation of Stevie Wonder's All I Do was "retro" and "classy."

In total, 27 performers advanced from KC. That's 54 total for the first two stops, meaning only 93 more will advance from the next six cities combined! Did they get more stringent in East Rutherford, Louisville, Salt Lake City, New York, Jacksonville, and San Juan, Puerto Rico?

Random Thoughts:

Did anyone else notice how they are playing music from similar type artists over "golden" performers after they get their tickets? For example, Lil Rounds had Fantasia singing over her success, while Von Smith had Stevie Wonder.

Is flannel / plaid back in now? Ryan was wearing it on Wednesday night. Has it been 20 years since 1990 already? Wait, I guess it has! Damn I'm getting old!

Running Top 5 Rankings, in no particular order:

Scott MacIntyre

Deanna Brown

Lil Rounds

Anoop Desai

Danny Gokey

Ashley Anderson (Honorable Mention: Hottie)

Season 8's Upcoming Schedule:

Tuesday, Jan. 20 (8:00-9:00 PM) Auditions Episode

Wednesday, Jan. 21 (8:00-9:00 PM) Auditions Episode

Tuesday, Jan. 27 (8:00-9:00 PM) Auditions Episode

Wednesday, Jan. 28 (8:00-9:00 PM) Auditions Episode

Thursday, Jan. 29 (8:00-9:00 PM) Auditions Episode

Tuesday, Feb. 3 (8:00-9:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 1

Wednesday, Feb. 4 (8:00-9:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 2

Tuesday, Feb. 10 (8:00-9:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 3

Wednesday, Feb. 11 (8:00-10:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 4 (Top 36 Semifinalists Announced)

Tuesday, Feb. 17 (8:00-10:00 PM) 12 Semifinalists Perform

Wednesday, Feb. 18 (8:00-9:00 PM) First LIVE Results Show Finalists Advance

Tuesday, Feb. 24 (8:00-10:00 PM) 12 Semifinalists Perform

Wednesday, Feb. 25 (8:00-9:00 PM) LIVE Results Show Finalists Advance

Tuesday, March 3 (8:00-10:00 PM) 12 Semifinalists Perform

Wednesday, March 4 (8:00-9:00 PM) LIVE Results Show Finalists Advance

Thursday, March 5 (8:00-9:00 PM) Wild Card Round Top 12 Finalists Revealed

Tuesday, March 10 (8:00-10:00 PM) Top 12 Finalists Perform

Good lookin' out dog!

American Idol 8: Phoenix Auditions

Eight months ago David versus David resulted in David Cook being crowned the winner of American Idol 7. Since then both Cook and David Archuletta have gone on to record hit singles. I didn't expect it out of Archie, but his song Crush is surprisingly catchy. Season 8 has promised to be the best season ever, but don't they claim that every year?

The show began with Louis Armstrong singing What a Wonderful World over a video montage of the first seven years of Idol. It was a fun look back, but really we're all watching to see who the next hopefuls are. The season premiere was focused on the auditions in Phoenix, Arizona. With 106 degree temps, Paula, Randy, Simon and new judge, Kara DioGuardi saddled up for two long days.

The first person to advance to Hollywood from Phoenix was 21 year old Los Angeles rocker, Emily Wynne-Hughes (aka. The girl with pink hair and tattoos). Is she the next Carly Smithson? She claims she got all of her tattoos so she never had to worry about getting stuck in an office job. No worries there! She sang Barracuda by Heart, which the judges claimed to be a very difficult song to sing. I wasn't blown away, but she was alright. I didn't have any issue with her advancing. Her all-girl band, however, may have issue, since they are scheduled to depart on a European tour, which won't happen without their lead singer.

The next hopeful was 16 year old, J.B. Ahfua from Taylorsville, Utah. He was a good singer, but very forgettable. The only memorable thing was when he was emotional after his audition, stating that this was an opportunity for not only him, but for his family who is struggling. Two people through, and I don't think I've seen the next Idol yet.

Arianna Afsar, 16 of San Diego, California, was a very fun and cute girl. She tugged at heart strings by explaining how she started Adopt-a-Grandfriend to offer senior citizens companionship with high school students. She sang Put Your Records On by Corrine Bailey Rae. She said she's been singing since she was six, when she took the microphone for the first time at a Disney World karaoke stage. She had good control of her voice, but it didn't excite me. Perhaps with music she would be better. A sweet girl though.

Following the first day, nine young singers received a golden ticket to Hollywood. Kicking off day two was 16 year old Stevie Wright of Phelan, California. Hold on... Is everyone going to be 16 on the show this year?! Stevie sang At Last by Etta James. One hour into the season, Stevie was my favorite. Her low range was a little shaky, but overall pretty good. Still, I don't see her as the next Idol. Paula, however, thought she had a Kelly Clarkson vibe. Not sure what she was getting that from. We'll have to wait and see.

Michael Sarver, a 27 year old oil rig roughneck from Jasper, TX had a good story. His job is reportedly the fifth most dangerous in the world, to which Simon relates, that's the "complete opposite of Ryan." Considering what he does for a living, he comes off unexpectedly genuine and nice. He sang Thank You by Boyz II Men, and regretfully, I'm not sure what to say. It was good, but that's all. His story was better than his audition.

And then...

Along comes 20 year old, California bikini model girl, Katrina Darrell. She allegedly wore the two-piece to get attention. Well played, Katrina! Surprisingly, she wasn't the awful singer I was expecting. She wasn't Christina Aguilera, but she was respectful. I wasn't appalled at her getting the nod from Simon and Randy. She was definitely VERY into herself though. So much that she called out Kara for not singing as well as she did. Guess what, Kara sings REALLY good!

The real reason she advanced to Hollywood though...

If bikini girl wasn't annoying enough, why not bring is American Idol spirit squad leader, Brianna Quijada. The 22 year old Jekyll and Hyde from Tempe vacillated between likable and irritating throughout the performance. She clinched a spot by toning down her pizazz, connecting with the judges and singing a second song, Killing Me Softly by Roberta Flack. In my opinion, Brianna and her multiple personalities will not make it out of Tinsletown.

"Sittin on the dock of the bay, watchin the tide roll away...." My favorite female vocalist from Phoenix is 25 year old, Deanna Brown from Louisville, Kentucky. She didn't have the same "assets" as bikini girl, but she had a great voice. Her rendition of Otis Redding's classic made me recall Janis Joplin singing Mercedes Benz. Her voice is excitingly distinct and her unassuming personality is refreshing.

17 year old she-male, Cody Sheldon, is a self-proclaimed horror film director from Detroit. Is it just me, or does this kid look like a girl? Is he this years Danny Noriega? I hope not. He seems much more likable. Perhaps he just a nerd? He sang James Morrisson's Wonderful World, but it was not memorable.

I felt pretty bad for 19 year old, Alex Wagner-Trugman, after Simon musingly questioned, so, you "came out of the closet" for this audition? Alex's story was that he used to practice singing in a closet at home, before taking ill due to mold poisoning. So it was a literal question. Right! Ha ha. The Studio City, California teen sang James Ingram's Baby Come to Me with Randy Jackson joining in on the chorus by request. He sang really good, though his facial expressions and body language were exceedingly odd during the performance. That will take some work, or he may never make it out of Hollywood. Then again, Taylor Hicks and Clay Aiken made it work for them, so who knows. When Ryan asked about Simon being the only dissenting vote, Alex remarked, "maybe he got the wrong tea this morning."

Finally, the feel good story of the night. 23 year old, Scott MacIntyre, from Scottsdale was the final audition in Phoenix. He is almost completely blind, only having limited tunnel vision (about what you might see while looking through a straw). From an early age he turned to his ears to appreciate life. He is trained in classical piano, went to college at age 14 and graduated from Arizona State at 19. His voice was good, though it wasn't tested very much. He sang And So it Goes by Billy Joel, which is a laid back song of limited range. I look forward to seeing him with the piano in Hollywood!

I'm not a big fan of the singers that don't perform well, but there are a few that are worth mentioning. Michael Gurr was the kid who sang unintelligibly. The next Kurt Cobain? Ummm... No!

How about the ultra energetic, X-Ray? Could his infectious personality and self-composed song get him through? No way.

Then the pink cowgirl HAD to get an elusive golden ticket after sucking up to the new judge. She says that Kara is her idol. Who the hell heard of her before she was named the 4th judge on the show? Certainly not a crazy, irksome, hormonal teenager from Connecticut!

27 in all advanced from Phoenix. I didn't see a Carrie Underwood or David Cook in the group, but David Cook came out of nowhere last year too! Tomorrow night the auditions move across the country to Cook's hometown, Kansas City.

The Wrestler (Rating: 8)

Mickey Rourke makes an astounding acting comeback portraying Randy "The Ram" Robinson in Darren Aronofsky's film, The Wrestler. This film is gritty, heartfelt, and eye-opening. It has it's Rocky Balboa moments, but it's not Rocky 6. It's very documentary-esque in its styling.

The film begins with Robinson already at the end of his career. The work is hard and the pay is paltry. The Ram no longer fills arenas; instead he performs at local VFWs and high schools. Not able to pay his rent on a regular basis, he spends many nights sleeping in the back of his rusty, old van. While he was flying off the top ropes in the late 80's, taking out opponents with his signature "Ram Jam," he was also neglecting his daughter Stephanie, played by Evan Rachel Wood. When his life is jolted into perspective following a heart attack after a match, he tries to resurrect that relationship, though he's met with heavy resistance.

Robinson was urged to talk to his daughter by his exotic dancer love interest, Cassidy, played by Marisa Tomei. The interest is mistakenly one sided as Randy confuses a polite smile during $60 private dances as something more genuine. Cassidy is a single mother who starts to have feelings for Randy, but contains herself because she doesn't want to be seen as a stripper in the eyes of the man that she's with.

Rourke is the perfect actor to play this role. A roller coaster life, struggling with addiction, and being chewed up and spit out by his career, gave him a good understanding of how this character should be portrayed. I'm not sure I agree with Rourke receiving the Best Actor consideration in the Golden Globes, etc. He did a good job, but the story and the raw nature of the film had more to do with its success than Rourke did, in my opinion. If there were a Best Comeback Actor award, he would win hands down. I give this movie a solid 8 out of 10.

Watch the trailer:

Not Easily Broken (Rating: 6)

I saw an advanced screening of this movie with one group that had won tickets from B96, and another preparing to celebrate Black History month in February. The cultural biased definitely made the viewing more enjoyable! The story is about a young black couple getting married and the challenges that arise as they build their lives together.

Dave Johnson (Morris Chestnut) has a promising career ahead of him in the big leagues as a professional ball player until he tears his ACL sliding into home to end his rookie season. His wife, Clarice (Taraji P. Henson), is a hot shot real estate mogul. Clarice is the clear breadwinner in the family, which is acceptable, but she intensifies stress levels by wanting to call all the shots because of it. Much to Dave's dismay, Clarice doesn't want to have children yet, because her career is more important. With her cackling mother (Jenifer Lewis) by her side, blaming all marital issues on poor Dave, the relationship begins to deteriorate.

The couple gets into a car accident which injures Clarice's leg to the point where she needs months of rehabilitation. She and her mother blame Dave for her injuries because he was late in getting home. Dave channels his frustrations by spending more time with his friends, and coaching his little league baseball team. Dave also finds relief in developing a relationship with Clarice's Caucasian physical therapist.

I didn't know what to expect when I saw this film, not having viewed a trailer. I left the theatre reminiscing about my own life, and the messages delivered in this film. It's a good story enhanced with plenty of humor and drama. There are some unexpected tear-jerking moments too. It's a good date movie, and I just happened to be on a date myself when I viewed it. I give the movie a 6 out of 10.

Watch the trailer here:

Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Rating: 4.5)

Let me preface this review by stating that I am a huge Kevin James fan. I've seen every episode of the nine seasons of King of Queens, most 2 or 3 times, staring James as Doug Heffernan. His comedic timing for this half hour sitcom was brilliant alongside Jerry Stiller and Leah Remini. Paul Blart: Mall Cop should have stuck to this same formula! This would've been good taking up the normal 22 minutes of a half hour show on Monday night's CBS lineup.

Most of the movie's humor was captured in the two minute preview shown at cinaplexs nationwide the last few weeks. I went in with low expectations and was still disappointed. It had it's moments, but it is definitely not a movie you should rush out and see. I saw an advanced screening at 4:00pm with many children attending with their parents right after school let out. Perhaps they enjoyed it. I didn't stick around long enough to ask.

If you want to check this one out, wait for it on DVD and watch it on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. It's not even worth watching as a Friday date night movie. As a person who enjoys most movies, I sadly give this movie a 4.5 out of 10.

Watch the official movie trailer:

Gran Torino (Rating: 8.5)

Clint Eastwood gives a masterful performance in the upcoming Gran Torino. I was not expecting to be so thoroughly entertained on so many levels. From the first few minutes the entire crowd was laughing uncontrollably! I came in under the guise of this being a Dirty Harry type movie. It isn't, though a few scenes reminded me of that beloved character in American action cinema. This movie may someday stand alone as one of Clint's top performances, in reportedly his last acting part.

A classic line in the movie is when Clint's character, Walt Kowalski, is driving his truck and comes across his female, Hmong neighbor being badgered by thugs. One of the punks spouts, "What are you lookin' at old man?" To which Walt calmly, yet sternly replies, "Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn't have messed with? That's me."

Be forewarned, this movie is not for those who are easily offended, and young children should probably stay at home due to language and some violent imagery. Kowalski has the mouth of a salty sea captain and he's very bitter about life. If you can handle such politically incorrect lines such as when Walt tells this joke, "A Mexican, a Jew, and a colored guy go into a bar. The bartender looks up and says, 'Get the fuck out of here,'" then you'll be prepared for some of what to expect.


This film is not only humorous, it's also packed with drama and some action. The film takes a darker turn towards the end and many patrons were crying, only minutes after belly laughing. Eastwood hit one out of the park with this gem! Thanks to first-time Minnesota screenwriter Nick Schenk for handwriting the script in Grumpy’s bar in Minneapolis. I give this film an 8.5 out of 10 and highly recommend everyone check it out this Friday, January 9th!

Watch the trailer below:

Where Dreams Come True

This afternoon I booked a trip for my kids and I to go to Orlando in April for a second consecutive year. We went to Disney World and Sea World for spring break 2008 and decided one week was just not enough. Much to the pleasure of my kids, we are making a repeat trip to see the attractions we didn't see the first time around.


Cypress Pointe Grand Villas

We will be staying at another Diamond Resorts International hotel right off the Disney property. Last year we stayed at the Grand Beach Resort. This year we will be staying at the Cypress Pointe Grand Villas. Investing in the DRI vacation property in Maui in 2007 has really opened my eyes to more travel (Orlando, Paris, Maui...).

Stops this year will include these exciting attractions:

Disney's Animal Kingdom

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney's Blizzard Beach

Universal Studios

Islands of Adventure

Only 15 weeks to go! I'm a big kid, so I'm as excited, if not more excited than my kiddos! I love having things to look forward to on my calendar. To bridge the gap between now and then, I have an ice-fishing trip with 12 buddies at the end of January, a work trip to Florida in February, a weekend bowling getaway to Alexandria in March, and this trip is April. Summer will be here before I know it!