Why I Voted Democrat

Okay, I didn't. But it caught your attention, didn't it? Here is an e-mail I received that I thought made some great points. You may not agree and that's okay. You may have even seen it. I kept one line out that I don't agree with and I thought was a bit crude and unnecessary in order to make the point.

Clarity At Last

I voted Democrat because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I want. I've decided to marry my horse.

I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene, but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't.

I voted Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.

I voted Democrat because freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.

I voted Democrat because when we pull out of Iraq, I trust that the bad guys will stop what they're doing simply because they now thing we're good people.

I voted Democrat because I'm way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves. (look at Washington D.C.)

I voted Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday, can tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don't start driving a Prius.

I voted Democrat because I'm not concerned about the slaughter of millions of babies, so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.

I voted Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as THEY see fit.

I voted Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would never get their agendas past the voters.

"A liberal is a person who will give away everything they don't own"

Barack's Big Gaffe with Great Britain

Wow. What can one say? I'm so appalled that I actually wrote to Prime Minister Brown on behalf of America, apologizing for the President. Don't know what I'm talking about? You should really watch Glenn Beck on Fox News Channel (FNC) for everything that the major liberal media will not report. He's so "out there", I love him. The UK was upset because no one over here was talking about what happened. Thanks ABC, CBS and CNN.

Anyway, still wondering about Barack's Big Gaffe, huh? Boy do I have a lot to tell you, and so little time! (Beck's coming on in about an hour!) From what I understand, and what was reported by Glenn Beck yesterday (5pm Eastern), Obama really goofed big time.

First, as is customary, when the Prime Minister of the UK came visiting, he gave the President very thoughtful and priceless gifts. Our first African-American president was presented with a pen holder which was made from the oak timber of HMS Gannet, a Navy vessel that served on anti-slavery missions off of Africa. Another treasure given to our President is a framed commissioning paper for the HMS Resolute, a Royal Navy ship that came to symbolize British-American goodwill when it was rescued by the U.S. from icebergs and given to Queen Victoria. It is the sister ship of the HMS Gannet. Oh and one more thing the P.M. gave to Obama... a first-edition of Martin Gilbert's 7-volume biography of Winston Churchill, whose WWII partnership with President Franklin Roosevelt symbolized the U.S. - Anglo alliance.

What did our esteemed president give in return? Oh, you'll never guess if you haven't already heard. 25 classic movies. Yep, you read that right. That was it. Movies. It wouldn't be quite so bad if P.M. Brown were known as a movie buff. He's not as far as I can tell. What an embarrassment.

If you're as incensed as I am, you can write to the Prime Minister here:

British Embassy
3100 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20008

Animal Farm - Government control run amok -- Starring Big Brother Barack

Taking a break for some serious discussion. To some of you this may seem like science fiction or just plain craziness. No, I'm not a paranoid schizophrenic. I'm informed. And the more informed I become, the more I wish I were a paranoid schizophrenic.

What could I be talking about? Well, you may already be aware of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) that I have spoken about in years past. In very simple terms, this is the government's control over what type of animals you can have, buy, sell, produce, etc. As of March 1, 2007, in my home state of Michigan, cows were required to be microchipped and your property (if you own cows) was required to be "registered". The registration is essentially a global coordinate to your home. That means they can use an updated, daily version of Google Earth to spy on you if they want to.

Then there's the spying that goes on with microchipping your favorite products, also known as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). Gillette has been the leader of this wave of intrusion into our lives by voluntarily chipping a few of it's products (the last I heard, anyway) like your razors, so they can keep track of purchases, and you. Why can't they do this by inventory slips at WalMart? I have no clue. And it's happening right under your nose.

As if all that is not enough for you, there is the RFID microchipping of our State ID, also known as your driver's license. May of 2008 was when it supposedly went into effect for Michigan. I had to renew my license then, but saw hide nor hair of this in my new ID, at the Secretary of State office or in any of their literature. Eventually you will not be able to fly, take a train or enter a federal building without one. How's that for control?

Now we have the Smart Grid. The Smart Grid is much like the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) that I previously mentioned. The President (not mine, mind you) has deemed this spying so necessary, that it is to be funded with the Stimulus Package, which is supposed to go for emergencies only. The Smart Grid program will be implemented within 60 days of the bill passing. What it does is gather info about individual energy use by using embedded sensors in businesses and homes. IBM and GE will be the two highest paid companies to benefit from the Smart Grid. Essentially the government will be collecting information about you, your habits and your possessions. According to this article, it's already happening in South Bend, Indiana, Florida and California.

Up until now I was thinking that us rural folk will be able to get away with more, since the city is where the most control seems to be focused on. Well, apparently I'm wrong. I envision eventually putting up camoflaged tents over my property so that satellites can't see what I'm doing or what I have on my land. I envision going off grid so that the Smart Grid can't monitor me and my household....how much we shower, what we eat, how much we eat and how long I spend in the bathroom. Oh, and did I mention how high you keep your thermostat? Does this sound like something you want to be a part of? Well, keep researching (And don't stop at the over-simplified explanations on Wikipedia linked to above and other sites in favor of it. They are getting paid a pretty penny to speak highly of it.) because this is what your current president wants rushed through with the stimulus package. Oh yes. Barack Obama. The beginning of the end.

American Idol's Season 8, Wild Card Results Show

Oh man! What a night. About 1/2 way through the performances, something popped into my head. I thought to myself that it wouldn't surprise me if they did a top 13 instead of a top 12. It was a fleeting thought and I didn't say anything to my husband, because I quickly dismissed it. Uhg! I should have said something because when they announced that they were going to do just that, I screamed, "I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!", thrusting my fist at the TV and kicking myself across the room. I hate when I figure something out that would impress my husband and then not say anything! LOL In case you didn't get to watch it, here is what happened:

The final FOUR chosen from the Wild Card night were the following: Jasmine Murray, Megan Corkrey, Matt Giraud and Anoop (Dog) Desai

Jasmine I could have lived without, if I'm to be honest. Jasmine sang Christina Aguilera's "Reflection". She is cute, she is talented and no doubt could do well in this competition, but I'm just not a fan. Perhaps it's because I'm a girl and girls like relationships. I know very little about her and have no connection to her as a person. I appreciate what she brings to the table, but that's about it. I am very attracted to humbleness and a relationship with our God. If I discern that in a person, it's all the better. (think Jason Castro from last season) I also like unique individuals which leads me to my next finalist chosen as a Wild Card....

...Megan Corkrey. Megan is so unique and cute. You gotta love her little quirks. What I was disappointed to see what that on this night, none of the judges made a comment about her vocals. She sang KT Tunstall's "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree". They all made comments about her quirkiness or how she looks, but nothing positive about her vocals. I'm actually surprised they put her through to the top 13.

Matt Giraud looked good that night, despite what Simon said (it was Simon that said that, wasn't it???). I disagreed with Simon when he told Matt that he saw Taylor Hicks in him. Wow, I saw Justin Timberlake. So Matt returned to the bluesy sound that won everyone over to begin with by singing Jackson 5's "Who's Loving You" (which I never heard....and I thought I have heard ALL of the Jackson 5 tunes!).

Anoop (Dog) Desai was the surprise #13 singing Bobby Brown's "My Perogative" (again, though the judges were okay with him doing it, just not Tatiana). I like him but I think they could have chosen someone else for the #13 spot. It's actually not surprising that they would put him through, as they really seemed to give over the top comments about his performances and how he did. They seemed crazy about him, which was out of proportion to what he did as a performer. I think Jesse Langseth would have been a better choice here, but hey, who am I? I suspect it's the ratings game -- again.

Speaking of those that didn't make it and Jesse Langseth, who should have....she performed Chaka Khan's "Tell Me Something Good" this evening. No, the performance wasn't all that and a bag of chips, but I still think she has more interesting things to offer than Anoop. (sorry buddy). She's so sassy and interesting. I think she would have been really interesting to watch. I'm really hoping that the AI people didn't pick Anoop because he was different....as in race. I have nothing against his race, if he can do the job and sell himself, but I wouldn't put it past AI to put him through so that they can appear to be more politically correct and all-encompassing. IDK. I really like him though. Just not an interesting enough singer for me.

Von Smith was a disappointment for me during his performance of Elton John's "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word". He started off pretty rough, with his lower vocals (can you tell I'm not a music person....I don't even know what it's called!) When the judges were criticizing him, I felt so bad. Actually, they weren't all that harsh, but he knew he was not going to make it and he looked as if he was going to cry. I hope someone in the music industry picks him up. He deserves another chance.

Ricky Braddy is one of those that has great vocals, but he does absolutely nothing for me. I think he looks MORE geeky since he got rid of his glasses. I liked his glasses. They were hip. They weren't duct taped, so I don't know what the big deal was and why he chose to get rid of them. So, his vocals during his performance of "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder was pretty darned good. He's not unique enough for me, or something....I just can't get into him, but the crowd sure could. I'm surprised they elimated him, which just proves that AI is fixed and manipulated and not as much of a reality show as we would like to think. Disappointing.

Tatiana Del Toro was up next and sang her heart out to Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love" -- AGAIN. As much as her behaviour is unpredictable her song choice isn't. I think the judges and AI are really using her for the drama. It's pretty obvious, but I'm SO glad they chose not to keep her around any longer. I can't even look at her she is so disturbing to me. I'm embarrassed for her. Someone said that she will have a good career in acting. How true.

So there you have it folks. Jen's opinions on all things Idol. Fascinating, huh? :-D From here on out, when the urge hits me, I will comment on further shows. It may not be from every show, but I will blog about it.

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American Idol's Season 8, Top 36 - Group 3

I was just saying last night that people who are unique or strong singers are more apt to be recognized right away and get a record deal, even at this stage of the game. For example, Adam Lambert from last week's show is recognizable. If he had not gotten through to the top 12 for some reason, I would have been okay with that, because I know that he would be noticed by the record companies by now. I am interested in seeing the underdog (s) get their chance to shine, week after week. Get recognized and perhaps succeed. I'm kinda tired of only the ones who have a ton of experience and especially past record deals getting through. They had their chance. Let someone else try. As much as I liked Nick Mitchell (aka Norman Gentle), he is now someone who has been seen and heard and he is definitely recognizable, even if you haven't really been paying all that much attention to AI this year.

Another observation of mine, in case you're interested: the third group has a distinct advantage over the first two for several reasons. One, they have more time to figure out what they are going to sing, and practice their music. They also have the advantage of hearing the criticisms of the judges and still have time to change from their previously boring song to one that will hit a chord with Randy (WHAT??), Kara (I-want-to-know-who-you-are), Pauler and Siiiimon.

So, we started off the night with the adorable Von Smith. Except for his hair, I love him. He reminds me a bit of Rick Astley. Rick, I mean Von, sang Marvin Gaye's "You're All I Need to Get By".

Taylor Vaifanua sang Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You". My opinion? Forgettable.

Alex Wagner-Trugman is the resident geek. Okay, so he's really sweet and stuff and I wish him well, but he certainly doesn't have the package thing they are looking for. Perhaps they are thinking he may be another Clay Aiken, who I understand is or was pretty geeky. I didn't watch that year's American Idol, so I'm not sure. Alex sang an Elton John tune, "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues". It's my opinion that he just tried too hard. He added an affect to his voice that just didn't do anything for me.

Ariana Afsar was next with her version of ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All". I felt really bad for her. She is so freakin' cute and has a beautiful voice, but really botched this one bad. Now, again, I'm no expert on "pitchy-ness" and vocal ability, but I kept thinking throughout the song, "Is it supposed to sound like this?". I know there are songs out there that sound weird to me and they are supposed to be "good", but I wasn't sure about this one. The way the judges were commenting, apparently it wasn't just me. Sorry Ariana. I really liked you.

Ju'Not Joyner was next with his rendition of the Plain White T's "Hey There Delilah" and I thought he did an awesome job! He mixed it up nicely and I hope he gets noticed by a record label.

Kristen McNamara is so darned cute and I like her and all, but she really doesn't have a style to call her own. She sang Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason", which I love, but it was not remarkable.

Nathaniel Marshall sang a Meatloaf song, of all things. "I Would Do Anything For Love" was okay. It had no personality, despite the interesting look of Nate. His headband style has got to go. In some ways I like him, but his performance left a lot to be desired.

Felicia Barton sang Alicia Keys' "No One". If you recall, Felicia didn't originally make the top 36, which is a mystery to me. She has good vocals, so what gives? She was called up to replace Joana Pacitti, who I can't recall the reason for her demise on the show. Felicia did a great job with the song even if it was a bit "copy cat" according to Simon.

Scott MacIntyre is someone who I think may just be my "Jason Castro" replacement for this year. Anyone who knows me knows how enamoured I was with Jason last season. (okay, that's an understatement) For me it was the whole person, or the "whole package" as the judges like to say. Scott has a good voice and I love him as a person. He is sweet, humble and dare I say cute in his own way? I think if they do some current styling with his hair, he'd be even cuter. Heck, they were able to transform David Cook's geeky hair-do, I'm sure they can do something for Scott as well. Anyway, Scott sang Bruce Hornsbys' "Mandolin Rain". I love his passion and agree with the judges when they say that he feels the song and his passion comes through it. I think that's important in a performer.

Kendall Beard in her sunny yellow dress sang Martina McBride's "This One's For the Girls". She's definitely a country singer and even though I'm not a huge fan of country music, I really like her. I think she has good vocals and she is cute. The Whole Package? Perhaps.

Jorge Nunez was next with his slightly accented version of "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" by Elton John and it was pretty good. I don't think I would like him as an artist, but he definitely has a cute personality! The spanish he blurts out cuz that's all he has in his head, is so endearing.

The final spot this evening was by Lil Rounds. What a unique name! I think that alone completes the "whole package" and will get her far. Okay, she has great vocals as well, but heck, who can forget her name? Lil sang "Be Without You" by Mary J. Blige.

Here are the finalists that made it through: Scott MacIntyre, Jorge Nunez and Lil Rounds.

Competing in the Wild Card Show, airing Thursday night are: Von Smith, Jasmine Murray, Ricky Braddy, Megan Corkrey, Tatiana Del Toro (eegads!), Matt Giraud, Jesse Langseth, and Anoop Desai.

I'm very happy to see Megan Corkrey, Matt Giraud and Jesse Langseth get a second chance. Actually, I'd like to see what Von Smith can pull off too. I HATE that they asked Tatiana to come back. Uhg! I can't stand her and I guess that the drama is what they are looking for. Yuck. I really can't stand her fake laugh and her fake crying and her fake everything. She's such a fake and a flake. Can you tell I don't like her? Have mercy on us and don't call in a vote for her. Ever.

Stay tuned for my final thoughts from tonight's Wild Card show.

American Idol's Season 8, Top 36 - Group 2

So I slacked a little. I didn't give my opinions of last week's Group 2. I think that was because it was unremarkable for the most part. But,for the benefit of my readers, here goes:

Before I get into commenting on the finalists, I have to say that I have observed some really weird things this year and I'm not so happy about them. It's just really chaotic. First, the judges cannot figure out how they are going to sit or how they are going to give their comments (the order in which they do that). I liked it better when Simon was last and he either agreed with the rest of the judges or disagreed. It seemed more interesting that way. IDK, something small, but I noticed and I'm sure you did too. I also noticed that Ryan mixed it up from the first week, where they spoke with the contestant's family just prior to their performance. This week, they kept the families in the audience and did the blurbs about them on the big screen. I really don't care one way or the other, I would just like some consistency. It appears as though AI doesn't really know what they are doing this year and that's sad to me.

I can't even figure out how the Wild Card night is going to look. Once, I heard someone on AI say that they would be selecting 12 cast-offs to re-perform and then they would decide three from that. Then I hear they are going to select one from each night to make up the three and there won't be any more performances from them. Make up my mind, you know?

Okay, so the first contestant in Group 2 was Jasmine Murray. I think Jasmine tried too hard to be something she wasn't. I like her, but her song choice just wasn't her. She sang Sara Bareille's "Love Song", which I like, but again, not for her. She can't hit the low notes and the beginning of the song was horrible.

Our own Michigan's Matt Giraud was kind of a disappointment. I was waiting for the bluesy style he did so well in Hollywood Week, when he sang Ray Charles' "Georgia". Instead, he performed something that was totally not his style by Coldplay -- "Viva la Vida". He didn't make it and I think that was why.

Jeanine Vailes' song choice, once again, left something to be desired. I don't know what I would have liked to see her sing, since I had no clue who the heck she was! They showed nothing of her in previous weeks and I didn't even know she made the top 36 until the Group 2 night. Jeanine sang Maroon 5's "This Love". All I kept thinking about was when Blake Lewis did it a few years ago and how well he did.

I have to say that I think Idol really has a lot of influence over who makes it and who doesn't, just by allowing a lot (or none at all) of "face time" each week for each of the contestants. This is disappointing too because we, the fans, like to think that we have most of the control over who succeeds and who doesn't. They really do like to amp up the drama (which they did brilliantly this year), in a desperate attempt to get more viewers. What about us faithful? If you are anywhere on the boards, you will realize that those of us who are AI diehards are really struggling with all the stunts AI has been performing for ratings. Could the changes be because Nigel Lythgoe is gone?

Okay, so on with my critique of the finalists:

Nick Mitchell aka Norman Gentle was up next. He is a riot! I struggle each week with wanting to see more of what he would do, but then, I felt like if he went through another round, it may just be making a mockery of the actual singing the contestants were there for. Yet, he can sing! I do hope he gets noticed by someone and gets a gig somewhere. The only thing that bothered me is that he would always do the same song. It was beginning to get old. I wanted to see something new from him, even if it was ridiculously funny and not at all serious. Norman, I like you, but I'm glad you didn't make it through. Sorry buddy.

Allison Iraheta, the dyed redhead, did pretty well. She reminded me of a cross between Gina Glockson (season 6 and one of my husband's favs) and Amanda Overmyer with her raspy voice. I liked her a bit more than Amanda though, as she wasn't too niche-y. She seemed to be a little more well-rounded in her style. I think it was good she went through. Allison sang a Heart song - "Alone". Seemed appropriate for her.

Though Kris Allen did well in his vocals, I didn't think he was all that memorable. Obviously I was wrong, or the votes wouldn't have gotten him through. Kris sang "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson. At first, when I heard he was going to do Michael, I got nervous because the judges are always saying not to "touch" songs like that, but I think he pulled it off.

Megan Corkrey was the cutest thing ever. I love her style (hippie-ish), her voice (jazzy) and just - her (fun). I had hoped she got through, but she didn't :-( . Perhaps she will be one of the Crazy Cards, Wild Cards, Whatever Cards. I just want to see her again! Oh, and for those of you who didn't see her, she sang "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Baily Rae.

And then there's Matt Breitzke. Though I love the guy and I think he's a sweetheart, I think he's boring as an artist. This week Matt sang Tonic's "If You Can Only See", which is a song I really like, but it was nothing special in my opinion. Now, this is coming from someone who likes the entire package. His vocals seem to be spot on, but I suck at that anyway, so I can't be sure they really were. Whenever the judges tell a contestant that they were "pitchy", I don't always hear it. That's why I don't sing!

Jesse Langseth was an interesting one. I loved her rendition of "Betty David Eyes" by Kim Carnes but her personally, I'm not sure about. She is a typical sassy red head (Yes, I'm stereotyping - sue me). That may just prove to be interesting in coming weeks, if she had made it through. She didn't. Perhaps she will be a wild card.

Kai Kalama aka Sayid (ABC's Lost). Sayid, oh, I mean Kai sang "What Becomes of a Brokenhearted?" by Jimmy Ruffin. He sang it well (though I found his facial expressions to be a bit distracting) and I like the song, but it wasn't contemporary enough or showed who he was. Now I sound like Kara. Anyway, I think Simon's comment about being a "good backup singer" did him in and that's why he didn't go on. Wild card? Maybe.

Mishavonna Henson. What a pretty name. I loved her dress. That's about it though. I don't really remember her performance and had to go back for a reminder in order to write this about her. She sang "Drops of Jupiter" by Train. Her vocals were good. Really good in fact, but it was not memorable for me.

Adam Lambert hit it out of the park according to the judges. I knew he would even if it was a bit too theatrical. I'm not so keen on his style, but he's cute in his own way and I wish him the best. I hope he doesn't get the AI title, simply because it's not my thing AND I think he is a bit too much of an actor and not a musician, but whatever happens, happens. Right? Oh, and he sang The Stone's "I Can't Get No Satisfaction". I have to say though that I can't help but to think that there is some manipulation on the judges part. I felt this way when I saw the extreme excitement that they portrayed when he was finished. It didn't feel real. It was overdone. IDK. Maybe that's just me.

My dear, dear Jason Castro, from last season's AI (white dreadlocked boy who came in 4th) was supposed to perform his new song Wednesday for the results show (like Brooke White and Michael Johns/Carly Smithson did the previous two weeks) but they couldn't fit him in. It was the Wild Card portion that took up the extra time. I should boycott AI for that one (okay, I won't) but we better see him soon!!!

To summarize: The three that ended up going through were: Adam Lambert, Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta.

American Idol is back! Season 8's top 36 - Group 1

Okay, so a lot has been said about the contestants this year and I don't agree with all of it. I will say, I have not heard one person say something about Tatiana Del Toro that I didn't agree with! She's such a flake and a fake. I have a difficult time just looking at her because I'm so embarrassed for her. Sad.

For those of you who are remotely interested and have not been keeping up like the die hard fan that I am, I will fill you in on the basics.

They mixed things up a little over there at American Idol. Why? Who knows. This year, instead of a top 24, they have a top 36 and are separating them in groups of 12 each week, eliminating 9 each time. They are keeping the highest voted male, highest voted female and the next in line for highest votes. Three in all each week. Confusing.

(pics of AI finalists above from http://www.americanidol.com/top_36/group_1)

Group 1 (first set of 12): Tuesday was performance night and Wednesday was results night. On Tuesday we saw Jackie Tohn, Anoop Desai, the infamous drama queen Tatiana Del Toro, Stevie Wright, Casey Carlson, Stephen Fowler, Alexis Grace, Ricky Braddy, Michael Sarver, Anne Marie Boskovich, Brent Keith and the Robert Downey Jr. look-alike Danny Gokey.

Jackie was first up and even though her vocals weren't all that, I did like her performance. She was fun to watch and it definately made up for the vocal.

Ricky Braddy was next. His vocals were great, but his performance was forgettable, as the judges would say. I didn't care for it. It's a package deal, when you come right down to it.

I don't recall who came next, but it was mostly downhill from there. Stevie Wright is so cute and I wanted her to do well, but it was a poor song choice. It made her look dorky.

Anoop Dog was okay. I like him, but the performance wasn't really memorable. There's still the Wild Card thing that I'm still not so sure I understand. What it means is the ones who are eliminated from each group of 12 still have a chance to come back and be included in the top 12. So, I guess that means that there willb e three Wild Cards, huh? Is Anoop one of them?

Casey Carlson bombed out on that song choice. She picked Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, by the Police. I LOVE that song, but it was so blaaaah! She stayed in one tight little spot, singing in a bland way. I like her but she has to go.

OH! I forgot Alexis Grace! How could I?? She was AWESOME. I love her and her style. I think she will go far in this competition.

Michael Sarver, though he made it through, was not all that. I was actually surprised he made it.

Danny Gokey sang Mariah Carey's Hero. I love Mariah, so this was a good choice in my opinion! :-) Anyway, who can blog without mentioning Danny? He was criticized on someone's blog for several things. One, it was mentioned that he was being pretty shallow when Tatiana lost and he won (they were standing together, waiting for Ryan to give the results). What I think happened is that Danny was as put off by her previous antics as the rest of us were and was afraid to hug her or get too close to her. I felt his pain. I would be the same, I think. Torn between wanting to comfort and not wanting to appear too sympathetic to The Strange One. Who wants to be associated with someone who is that unpredictable anyway? We'll be seeing more of him, so the truth about whether or not he's as self-centered as some may think will come out in time. My bet is he's not. As for his glasses....well, I think that AI will polish up his look and make him look shnazzier than he does already. Heck, look what they did for David Cook? I didn't care for this week's white spectacles choice, but that's okay. He has more, I'm sure. Perhaps he will wear a different pair each week. I still like him, his music, his voice and everything so far.

As for the rest of the contestants that I did not mention, they were either unforgettable in their performance/song choice or I just didn't like them. I'd really rather not dwell on the negative.

Who made it through on Wednesday's results show? Danny Gokey (of course), Michael Sarver and Alexis Grace.

My fear is that I will like no one like I liked (loved?) Jason Castro of last year's AI. I've become totally Cougarized with that boy! That's a whole 'nother blog about reliving my teen years. There has to be group therapy for people like me somewhere, right??

Next week's Group 2 finalists are: Megan Corkrey, Kris Allen, Matt Breitzke, Allison Iraheta, Mishavonna Henson, Kai Kalama, Nick Mitchell (aka Norman Gentle), Matt Giraud (from Michigan), Jasmine Murray, Jesse Langseth, Adam Lambert and Jeanine Vailes.