Paulagate

Sites that follow American Idol are abuzz this morning with Paula Abdul's gaffe critiquing both of Jason Castro's performances when he had only done one. She tried to cover it up, after Randy, Simon and Ryan finally made it clear to her that only one song had been sung, by saying she must have been reading from her David Cook notes by accident. Of course, what she said with regards to Jason's second performance didn't match her David C critique at all, ao it was a pretty lame excuse.

There are two dominant theories as to what happened.

The first says that Paula's (and perhaps Randy's and Simon's as well) notes were taken at rehearsals/warmups. This would mean that their judging comments aren't actually based on the television performance at all, but something that took place before the show started.

The second says that Paula read off notes that were provided by the producers. This theory would basically reveal that the show is not as spontaneous as was originally thought, that it is actually a totally scripted event.

I think there's a third possibility.

Portions of the results show are taped in advance, other parts are live. Maybe the same holds true with the performance show and the portion where the judges were asked to comment before the second performance actually came at the end of the taping, then edited into its normal slot.

Then why wouldn't the producers edit out Paula's flub, you ask.

There are many comments to articles stating that Paula has to go, that her gaffe finally revealed what the show is all about and the producers have to axe her to save their behinds.

I disagree. The Paula trainwreck is one of the reasons people watch the show, no matter how much they bemoan her vanilla spaciness. The Simon acidity is another reason.

Paula gave the blogosphere a lot to talk about today. That kind of PR cannot be bought.

Then again, maybe there will be a public backlash when it is finally realized that the fantasy is no longer being stroked, that it has been tweaked a bit. And don't we hate it when our fantasies turn out to be just that...

a fantasy.

What They are Singing Tonight - Spoilers & Wrap

Jason Castro - “Forever in Blue Jeans” - I liked this a lot. Liked the vibe, the personality Jason brought to the song. Had a peppery feel to it. Hoped he would big voice the part that Diamond does, but Jason doesn't really have the big voice. I disagree with Simon; I didn't think it forgettable.

David Cook - “I’m Alive” - Of the two David did, I liked this one better than the second. It has a good hook to it.

Brooke White - “I’m a Believer” - decent job with a nice country feel to it.

David Archuleta - “Sweet Caroline” - eh? Yeah, I heard the changes he made to it. Didn't really like them. Sweet Caroline is too iconic a song for Red Sox fans to take to Archie's version.

Syesha Mercado - “Hello Again” - It was OK. Syesha has a nice delivery and she looked hot. But let's face it: she's no Mindy D or Jordin Sparks. She's not even a Lakisha.

Jason Castro - “September Morn” - boring boring boring - sorry Jason. You'd have been better off switching the songs and doing this one first.

David Cook - “All I Ever Really Need is You” - Good rocker. Hard to hear the lyrics at times. Not sure if it was the music or enunciation. Still liked the first better.

Brooke White - “I Am … I Said” - Very sweet presentation. Liked it a lot.

David Archuleta - “America” - predictable. I wish the judges would stop touting Archie as a second coming of something.

Syesha Mercado - “Thank the Lord for the Night Time” - average.

Idol

In order of how the performances went (in my opinion).

1. Syesha Mercado - “One Rock & Roll Too Many” from Starlight
Syesha stole the show. Most memorable.

2. David Cook - “Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera
It was a nice vocal from David. Showed what a mellow/slow song would be like on an album.

3. Carly Smithson - “Jesus Christ Superstar”
Thought it a bit screechy at times, but overall decent.

4. David Archuleta - “Think of Me” from Phantom of the Opera
Good vocals, boring performance. I can't even remember how his song goes today even though I remember all the others.

5. Jason Castro - “Memory” from Cats
I like Jason a lot. This just wasn't a standout performance of the song. Didn't Streisand sing it? Jason needed to power ballad it, not whisper sing it in his style.

6. Brooke White - “You Must Love Me” from the film adaption of Evita
Brooke looked awfully good. Unfortunately that was about it. She had trouble singing through the lower register at the beginning and the rest of the song came across as mostly meh with a few spots of emotion sprinkled in.

Based on performance, Brooke should go.

For you Chase Von...

She Swish and Sway

She swish and sway
Her satin way
Through halls of velvet red
Material flow
Melodic glow
Make jazz her pleasure bed

Brushes high hat
Spoken slap scat
She clicks on four four tiles
Her legs backlit
Through gauzy skirt
Evoke uncertain smiles

While walking bass
Thrum fine white lace
Her hips sigh shuffle silk
A trumpet mute
And mellow flute
She sips the devil's milk

She swish and sway
On ev'ry day
She walks outside your door
Jazzy mistress
Give smooth slip kiss
Her notes dot dancing floor

Published in Falling from a Cloud and a Commended Winner in the
2007 Margaret Reid Traditional Verse Contest

This is one of my faves. I have several, and frankly, many that I don't think are good at all. But the message board said to only list three :-)

The Day After....

Every Thursday I cruise the internet reading articles that comment on the Wednesday results show of American Idol. No one really says anything new or groundbreaking, but it's still easy to pick up general trends or sympathies (or nonsympathies as well).

When MIchael Johns was released last week, a lot of headlines tried to make out as if it was a "shocker." But the reading of the articles generally didn't support that idea. Though it may have been something of a surprise, it didn't rate with Chris Daughtry getting the boot at 4th place, or Melinda's ouster at 3rd. No one predicted that Michael Johns would go all the way, especially with the primacy of one David and the ascendancy of the other. Once you got beyond the fluffery of headlines and opening paragraphs, it really came across as no big deal that Michael hadn't made it any further..

On the other hand, though no one is really surprised at Kristy Lee Cook's finish this week, there seems to be a real sense of sympathy percolating on the web. She may not have had the fan base she needed to remain on the show, but many of the online columnists state that they had grown to admire and like Kristy for her tenacity, especially in light of the disaster she made of the Beatle's weeks. From the week she sang "Proud to be an American" to this week, Kristy was improving in her song choice, in her performance. No one would predict her to win the competition (some speculated about it), but most everyone agreed that her presentation outshone several of the others this week.

I've never voted for an Idol contestant. I don't see the point of voting in a system that allows one person to speed dial hundreds of votes. If the show was based on the reality of the quality of performances in a given week, then Kristy should not have gone home this week.

Then again, she would have been booted off after butchering "Eight Days a Week" the way she did. So that cuts both ways, eh?

Kristy Lee Cook seemed like an average person, pleasant with a little sass and a bit more ability than she was credited with. I wish her well.

Spoilers for Tonight

PERFORMANCE ORDER FROM CAFFIEND!

• David Archuleta - “When You Believe”
• Carly Smithson - “Without You”
• Syesha Mercado - “Vanishing”
  
• Brooke White - “Hero”
  
• Kristy Lee Cook - “Forever”
• David Cook - “Always Be My Baby”
• Jason Castro - “I Don’t Wanna Cry”

Based upon performance, Syesha and Brooke should be in the bottom three. The third person is a toss up between Carly, Kristy and Jason. I thought Kristy and Jason did quite well. And I liked Carly's performance better than I have in a while. Archie and David C. aren't going anywhere for a long time, so by subtraction that's who we are left with. I'll say Carly, Syesha and Brooke, with Brooke going home.

G'day Mate!

Michael Johns is the surprise ouster from American Idol this week.

Actually it's only really a surprise to those who liked him. To the rest of us who didn't dislike him, but still had to find reasons to like him, it came as no surprise.

Michael's a decent singer. At times he had a good stage presence. Unlike Chris Daughtry, though, he never seemed to have that undefinable star quality in his performance. It may be that we was trying too much to be a rocker, ignoring his forte which seemed to be a heavy blues style. Even when he was praised as nailing a song by the judges, I never connected to him until he did It's All Wrong, But It's All Right for Dollyweek.

And that's the problem. These contestants are as much about selling themselves as anything else. That is what they are going to have to do constantly if they want to make it in the music industry.

Michael was just not that good a salesman.

Separation? Embrace the Hypocrisy!

So I guess separation of church and state, especially as it pertains to public schools, is VOCIFEROUSLY practiced ONLY WITH CERTAIN BELIEFS.


Wall of silence broken at state's Muslim public school
By KATHERINE KERSTEN, Star Tribune

Recently, I wrote about Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy (TIZA), a K-8 charter school in Inver Grove Heights. Charter schools are public schools and by law must not endorse or promote religion.

Evidence suggests, however, that TIZA is an Islamic school, funded by Minnesota taxpayers.

TIZA has many characteristics that suggest a religious school. It shares the headquarters building of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, whose mission is "establishing Islam in Minnesota." The building also houses a mosque. TIZA's executive director, Asad Zaman, is a Muslim imam, or religious leader, and its sponsor is an organization called Islamic Relief.

Students pray daily, the cafeteria serves halal food - permissible under Islamic law -- and "Islamic Studies" is offered at the end of the school day.

Zaman maintains that TIZA is not a religious school. He declined, however, to allow me to visit the school to see for myself, "due to the hectic schedule for statewide testing." But after I e-mailed him that the Minnesota Department of Education had told me that testing would not begin for several weeks, Zaman did not respond -- even to urgent calls and e-mails seeking comment before my first column on TIZA.

Now, however, an eyewitness has stepped forward. Amanda Getz of Bloomington is a substitute teacher. She worked as a substitute in two fifth-grade classrooms at TIZA on Friday, March 14. Her experience suggests that school-sponsored religious activity plays an integral role at TIZA.

Arriving on a Friday, the Muslim holy day, she says she was told that the day's schedule included a "school assembly" in the gym after lunch.

Before the assembly, she says she was told, her duties would include taking her fifth-grade students to the bathroom, four at a time, to perform "their ritual washing."

Afterward, Getz said, "teachers led the kids into the gym, where a man dressed in white with a white cap, who had been at the school all day," was preparing to lead prayer. Beside him, another man "was prostrating himself in prayer on a carpet as the students entered."

"The prayer I saw was not voluntary," Getz said. "The kids were corralled by adults and required to go to the assembly where prayer occurred."

Islamic Studies was also incorporated into the school day. "When I arrived, I was told 'after school we have Islamic Studies,' and I might have to stay for hall duty," Getz said. "The teachers had written assignments on the blackboard for classes like math and social studies. Islamic Studies was the last one -- the board said the kids were studying the Qu'ran. The students were told to copy it into their planner, along with everything else. That gave me the impression that Islamic Studies was a subject like any other."

After school, Getz's fifth-graders stayed in their classroom and the man in white who had led prayer in the gym came in to teach Islamic Studies. TIZA has in effect extended the school day -- buses leave only after Islamic Studies is over. Getz did not see evidence of other extra-curricular activity, except for a group of small children playing outside. Significantly, 77 percent of TIZA parents say that their "main reason for choosing TIZA ... was because of after-school programs conducted by various non-profit organizations at the end of the school period in the school building," according to a TIZA report. TIZA may be the only school in Minnesota with this distinction.

Why does the Minnesota Department of Education allow this sort of religious activity at a public school? According to Zaman, the department inspects TIZA regularly -- and has done so "numerous times" -- to ensure that it is not a religious school.

But the department's records document only three site visits to TIZA in five years -- two in 2003-04 and one in 2007, according to Assistant Commissioner Morgan Brown. None of the visits focused specifically on religious practices.

Idol Top 8

Who I liked:

Jason Castro
Kristy Lee Cook

Who I didn't like:

David Cook
Carly Smithson

Who bored me to tears:

Brooke White

Who I didn't dislike, but didn't get excited over:

David Archuleta
Syesha Mercado
Michael Johns

Who has the best chances of not staying
based on last night's performance?

Carly Smithson or
Brooke White

Quick Thoughts

First, I think everyone did a good job tonight, some better, but all pretty good.

There was, in my opinion, no one bad performance where I can definitively state that a certain person will not make it. Having said that I think a couple observances can be made.

David A. did a bang up job with Appalachian Memories. I have not particularly cared for him this season. I think he's a good singer, but I've always thought his song choices were very transparent. And he's obviously a ballad singer - the uptempo stuff messed him up. But this week he really nailed it.

Michael J., in the pimp spot, reminded me of Delbert McClinton. And that's not a bad thing.

Ramiele may not have been particularly memorable, but she at least wasn't boring.

Kristy Lee seemed a bit flat at the open, but eventually picked it up a few bars in. The night's style suited her marvelously.

Loved Jason's Travelin' Thru. Thought Randy's comment was right on with the singer/songwriter vibe.

Brooke's opener, though not a huge stand out, was solid Brooke.

David C. - glad to see him take on Little Sparrow in the fashion he did. It showed he's not all about the harder rock aspect.

Carly and Syesha - both decent performances, but Syesha strayed way too close to Whitney territory in her close. She had a good voice, but she sounded too much like she was trying to sound like Whitney. Carly's version of Here You Come Again was quite different from the orginal (I remember when it came out). Not sure if I liked it or not.

There will be a bottom three, and I have no idea who it will be this week. I almost think Syesha will be one of them, perhaps with Ramiele. As to a third, I can't say.

Voted off prediction: Syesha, for becoming a cliche as a Whitney wannabe. I also lean toward Syesha because she has been in the bottom three already and Ramiele has not. If the show were about performance, then I'd say Ramiele will go.

But it's so much more (or less) than that.

What They Are Singing...

David Archuleta -- "Appalachian Memories" (aka Smoky Mountain Memories)
Syesha Mercado -- "I Will Always Love You"
Carly Smithson -- "Here You Come Again"
Kristy Lee Cook -- "Coat of Many Colors"
Ramiele Malubay -- "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind"
Michael Johns -- "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right"
Jason Castro -- "Travelin' Thru"
Brooke White -- "Jolene"
David Cook -- "Little Sparrow"

Syesha is making a huge mistake IMO. After all, who covered I Will Always Love You?

Whitney Houston, of course.

As Bad as Spam....

So email service providers seem to be trying to get a handle on all the annoying spam that makes it way to our inboxes daily. I say kudos to them for it; the amount of spam I've been receiving of late has been greatly reduced. Additionally, roadrunner has installed customizable filters so I can further tweak the process (as well as block a limited amount of addresses as well).

However...

there is another annoyance that poses an issue to me, and I'm not sure how to solve it.

Family and friends.

Specifically, family and friends mass forwarding emails they've received to everyone in their address books. You know the type of emails I'm talking about.

• "Check out this awesome...." (video, website, powerpoint presentation WITH music, etc.)
• Tear-jerker stories
• Patriotic stories (another type of tear-jerker story)
• Dancing animals with messages of love and friendship
  
• Rants against the right, the left, government, schools, yada yada yada
  
• "You were hit by the first snowball of the season, forward this...."
• Any number of urban legend warnings that are currently saying they have been verified as true by snopes which is an outright lie in most cases.
• Chain emails saying that if you are truly a _________________ (fill in the blank) you will forward this email to everyone you know.

and so on, and so on ad nauseum.

Here's the problem as I see it: I tried letting a family member know that I didn't want his mass-forwards any more, that I'd appreciate it if he didn't send them to me as I just delete them anyway.

It hurt his feelings. I could hear it in his voice.

So I gave in and said go ahead, send them.

It's not just him. Other people send them as well. I guess they think they are sharing a little joy and sunlight with me. Or maybe it assumes that they have special access to information that everyone absolutely needs for whatever reason.

Doesn't matter to me what the motivations are. Those email are still annoying.

I'm thinking about reporting them as spam. Should I?