(This is in two parts. The first part from Tuesday night, and then the part from this morning. Starting with Tuesday's performances.)
Simon Fuller's Choice -
Jessica Sanchez - I Have Nothing - It was too mature, seemed like, in twenty years, maybe she could sing that. Didn't feel right, it was a yawner. Those last notes were by far the best.
Phillip Phillips - Stand By Me - Love the song, it was good, it was simple, I loved it.
Fave of Season -
Jessica Sanchez - Title Not Coming To Mind - Ballad. Old. Boring. Shouting. UGH.
Phillip Philips - Movin' On - Not great, firmly okay, sort of creepy.
First Singles -
Jessica Sanchez - Title Unknown - All right, but extremely boring. I nearly fell asleep, and then the SCREECHING.....all three of her songs sounded exactly the same on the playback.
Phillip Phillips - Home - Nice tune, I liked it. Simple, real, that was really good.
Phillip Phillips is the next American Idol. This was the most low-key, snooze-worthy of any finale I've watched. Shouldn't we have felt excited or something after it was over? That was just...boring. JayLo's outfit looked like she was coated in Venom's webs, it was weird-looking.
(Part two, recap of finale results show last night.)
Top 10 - Run Away - Very...white and shiny....Not very good. Those dancers were crazy! That was the best part.
Phillip Phillips/John Fogerty - Have You Ever Seen The Rain/Bad Moon Rising - Don't really like either song, but that was good. Phil looked at ease up there, comfortable, the second song was all right.
Joshua Ledet/Fantasia Barrino - Take Me to the Bayou - Awful. How can people stand to listen to that stuff?
Top 6 Girls Medley with Aretha Franklin - At first it was weird, then it wasn't very good, and then by the end it was awful.
Rihanna - Unwatchable.
Skylar Laine/Reba McEntire - Turn On Your Radio - Not a fan of the song, but it was pretty good, had a lot of attitude, Skylar didn't look all freaked out like Lauren did last season with Carrie, she looked right at home. (Yet another oppurtunity to contrast how Skylar is real and will be successful, while Lauren seemed fake all the way through and we'll never hear of her again. But this isn't the time for that discussion.)
Jessica Sanchez - I Will Always Love You - Okay, but not my thing.
Top 6 Guys Medley with Neil Diamond - Started out well, the middle was interesting, nice ending.
Top 12 - Phone Book Song - That was great! Hilarious, by far the best performance of the night.
Jennifer Lopez - Unwatchable.
Marriage Proposal from Ace Young to Diana DiGarmo was interesting. Would've been better if I'd been watching that season, so I'd have some background on them, but it was kind of neat.
Hollie Cavanagh/Jordin Sparks - You'll Never Walk Alone - Darkish and haunting, but I think I liked it...not sure.
Top 6 Guys BeeGees Medley - Dull. Very dull.
Jessica Sanchez/Jennifer Hudson - And I'm Telling You - BLEAH!!!!! I do not like getting shouted at, not in the rain, not in a tree/Not from a friend, not on TV...Screeching, shouting, barking and moaning. I thought it would never end.
Aerosmith - Strange. And kinda sad. These old guys in their sixties are still deluded into thinking it's the seventies, and they're young guys, on top of the world.
Jessica Sanchez/Philliip Phillips - Love Will Lift Us Up - All right, but very forgettable. It sounded like an ancient old ballad duet, which it was.
And the winner is...........
PHILLIP PHILLIPS!
Good night, America.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Reflecting on Blessings
Just been working on finishing up the thank-you cards from graduation, makes you reflect on the blessings in life God's given you.
Things like having a grandma who told me stories time without end, who'd take me fishing, or to visit the library where she worked, who let me tag along whenever she had to go to the feed store or grocery shopping, who sympathized with the small problems I had, or write a nice card when I broke my toe when I was eleven. Who taught me how to care for others when her cancer got too much to fight.
For her mother, my great grandma, who I've gotten to know a lot better in the seven years since Mimi died. Nano's faced her aging well, dealt with the frailties and sadness that comes with aging bravely. Lived her ninety years pretty much working to get by and make life a better place for others, trusting God for the needs that come up. Retelling stories of growing up in the late stages of the Depression, entertaining us for hours as we listen to tales of dating just before World War II, or sewing a sail for a boat with her sister-in-law, or the times around the house, or listening to her take on modern topics such as President Obama and various Senators and Congressmen, or why men these days don't seem to like brown-haired girls any more.
For the times spent with her husband, Dado, fishing, or working in the garden, shucking ears of speckled corn, riding the horses. The times I got to drive the truck, playing chess, or listening to war stories that I couldn't understand and thought were somewhat boring. The dry humor he had, and the wisdom contained in it.
Being able to get in the practice of keeping up the house when I was five and both Mom and Dad caught pnemonia during the Olympics, or the times Mom was on bedrest. For my parents, doing their best to raise us all in the right way, the things I've learned, the fun memories, like throwing a baseball in the backyard, or going to Drillers games, the Fourth of July fireworks battles, learning basic addition and subtraction while playing Monopoly, for teaching the love of animals, board games, camp, reading, well-told stories, critical thinking, and saving money.
Neighbors to play ball with, or shout encouragement, or offering use of their storm shelter when tornadoes came. Dogs, of all breeds and sizes and temperaments. Cats, each with their won distinct personalities. Horses, for teaching respect. Guinea pigs, for listening when I had a problem. Goats and chickens, for being so strange and hilarious.
For good music, old CDs that have been passed down, full of good melodies, good lyrics, and very nice guitar work. For an old guitar that was given to you as payment for cleaning up an ice storm's mayhem.
That you can have a church where people look to grow in Christ, figure out how best to serve Him, and show others the way to keep growing. That your pastor and his wife send a wonderfully thoughtful card on your graduation, that everybody pitched in when we needed some help with several big problems.
For sports, and the ability to freak out about big plays and close finishes, as well as being able to spin tales out of the action on the ball field.
For things unplanned like house fires, that you learn so much from.
That there's temporary frustrations that lead to better things later on, like getting braces as you head off to college, or the dad of a girl you liked chewing you out.
For the fact that there's friends to call up if you need to talk over a problem, or just want to hang out, the wackiness of conversations starting firmly rooted in reality and then spreading to munching dog food or fighting zombies. That you can email pals in Springfield or St. Louis for some advice and new perspective, or holler at your family in Wichita to debate the latest in American Idol, trends in food, or children's books.
And most of all, that God is directing which way we're going, and that He'll see us through whatever we need to go through.
(This probably makes no sense and has a readability level of near zero, but it's just some of the stuff I've been thinking about over the last couple days.)
Things like having a grandma who told me stories time without end, who'd take me fishing, or to visit the library where she worked, who let me tag along whenever she had to go to the feed store or grocery shopping, who sympathized with the small problems I had, or write a nice card when I broke my toe when I was eleven. Who taught me how to care for others when her cancer got too much to fight.
For her mother, my great grandma, who I've gotten to know a lot better in the seven years since Mimi died. Nano's faced her aging well, dealt with the frailties and sadness that comes with aging bravely. Lived her ninety years pretty much working to get by and make life a better place for others, trusting God for the needs that come up. Retelling stories of growing up in the late stages of the Depression, entertaining us for hours as we listen to tales of dating just before World War II, or sewing a sail for a boat with her sister-in-law, or the times around the house, or listening to her take on modern topics such as President Obama and various Senators and Congressmen, or why men these days don't seem to like brown-haired girls any more.
For the times spent with her husband, Dado, fishing, or working in the garden, shucking ears of speckled corn, riding the horses. The times I got to drive the truck, playing chess, or listening to war stories that I couldn't understand and thought were somewhat boring. The dry humor he had, and the wisdom contained in it.
Being able to get in the practice of keeping up the house when I was five and both Mom and Dad caught pnemonia during the Olympics, or the times Mom was on bedrest. For my parents, doing their best to raise us all in the right way, the things I've learned, the fun memories, like throwing a baseball in the backyard, or going to Drillers games, the Fourth of July fireworks battles, learning basic addition and subtraction while playing Monopoly, for teaching the love of animals, board games, camp, reading, well-told stories, critical thinking, and saving money.
Neighbors to play ball with, or shout encouragement, or offering use of their storm shelter when tornadoes came. Dogs, of all breeds and sizes and temperaments. Cats, each with their won distinct personalities. Horses, for teaching respect. Guinea pigs, for listening when I had a problem. Goats and chickens, for being so strange and hilarious.
For good music, old CDs that have been passed down, full of good melodies, good lyrics, and very nice guitar work. For an old guitar that was given to you as payment for cleaning up an ice storm's mayhem.
That you can have a church where people look to grow in Christ, figure out how best to serve Him, and show others the way to keep growing. That your pastor and his wife send a wonderfully thoughtful card on your graduation, that everybody pitched in when we needed some help with several big problems.
For sports, and the ability to freak out about big plays and close finishes, as well as being able to spin tales out of the action on the ball field.
For things unplanned like house fires, that you learn so much from.
That there's temporary frustrations that lead to better things later on, like getting braces as you head off to college, or the dad of a girl you liked chewing you out.
For the fact that there's friends to call up if you need to talk over a problem, or just want to hang out, the wackiness of conversations starting firmly rooted in reality and then spreading to munching dog food or fighting zombies. That you can email pals in Springfield or St. Louis for some advice and new perspective, or holler at your family in Wichita to debate the latest in American Idol, trends in food, or children's books.
And most of all, that God is directing which way we're going, and that He'll see us through whatever we need to go through.
(This probably makes no sense and has a readability level of near zero, but it's just some of the stuff I've been thinking about over the last couple days.)
Saturday, May 19, 2012
AI S11 Finalist Recaps
Here we are, at the finale of this horribly-judged, quite freaky season of American Idol. So, I'll just recap the finalists' performances week-by-week.
TOP 24 -
Jessica Sanchez - She's along for the ride with pals Eben and Jeremy, but I don't like her all that well.
Phillip Phillips - (I'm never going to get over that name, lol) He can play guitar like crazy, he can sing well, but he might not have enough memorable personality for people to remember he's out there...
Top 12 Guys/Girls -
Phillip Phillips - In The Air Tonight - Good song choice. It was a lot lower-key than I though it'd be, it was a good arrangement, but it seemed a little safe.
Jessica Sanchez - Love You I Do - Catchy song, hate her voice, it was forgettable. And the glitter on her chin...seriously?
Top 13 Contestant Profiles -
Jessica Sanchez, from San Diego, California - I'm not sure why America let her in. Not a fan of her voice, doesn't seem to have much personality.
Phillip Phillips, from Leesburg, Georgia - He seems like a good guy to know. He's quiet, so you don't remember him off personality, but isn't that kind of a good thing? Most talented this season at arranging his performances, he's a very good guitarist.
Stevie Wonder/Whitney Houston Night (13) -
Jessica Sanchez - I Will Always Love You - Should anyone else sing this? I couldn't tell much difference between her and the real thing, which I suppose means she's a phenomenal vocalist, but it was just okay for me.
Phillip Phillips - Superstition - Guitar! Great. Good song. Interesting voice. He was shouting too much, but I liked it.
Year You Were Born Night (12/11) -
Phillip Phillips - Hard To Handle - He had stage presence, it was very cool, I liked it. That was a great way to kick off the show.
Jessica Sanchez - Turn The Beat Around - "And they voted. They did, they elected all the diff'rint ones of 'em that they liked, and she wasn't on there. She wasn't. Because she did, friends, she did exactly what her song said, and she turned that beat right around and is in danger of going home! She is!" (Said in Andy Griffith type voice.)
It had a good beginning, from there...it was rough. Wild, all over the place. Shiny, shiny pants. Felt like a concert, and at that, it would've been all right. But we're not at a concert, we're trying to find the best singer in America that will sell records this year. And she ain't it. Judges' criticism sounded fake, like "We have to say something, and we need to say something encouraging, because if we said how we really felt about it, like Jimmy will tomorrow night, you'll be crushed." (This half of Jessica's critique said in my normal tone of voice.)
Billy Joel Night (10) -
Phillip Phillips - Movin' On - What kind of effects did they hook up to that guitar? That was cool! It was simple, kind of funky, pretty good.
Jessica Sanchez - Everybody Has A Dream - That was old. And pageanty(First time that adjective has been used this season. Amazing we got this far without it.) Yawn-inducing. Forgettable. And bad.
Their Idols Night (9) -
Jessica Sanchez - Sweet Dreams - The harp was an interesting change of pace, but overall, it was strange. I almost liked it, but I didn't. And I just figured out why I've never liked her: She's like one of those Chinese gymnasts, always thinking "I have to win, if I fall short..." Not having fun at all, just tense, trying to get every single little note perfect, and otherwise completely devoid of personality.
Phillip Phillips - Still Rainin' - Cool song! Good voice, it was good.
Eighties Night (8) -
Phillip Phillips - That's All - Cool opening. Nice. Very good, and it was awesome that he could play with his brother-in-law. It'd be so great to have someone you could feel that comfortable playing with.
Jessica Sanchez - How Will I Know - It had that awesome guitar-keyboard thing that I don't know the name of! Nice outfit, cool guitar, the background singer looked ridiculous, I kinda liked it. Enough to give her one vote this week.
Phillip/Elise - Stop Draggin' My Heart Around - Awesome. Loved the guitar, vocals matched the tone of the song well, it was cool.
Jessica/Joshua - I Knew You Were Waiting For Me - Bad outfits, I liked the music. She did pretty well, he was awful. Even DeAndre could have done better than Joshua on that one.
Top 7 Week - I missed this episode due to being in Louisville to the Together for the Gospel conference. But the judges saved Jessica.
Then and Now Night (7, again) -
Phillips Phillips - U Got It Bad - Boring.
Jessica Sanchez - Fallin' - Oh my gosh, was that outfit for real?! Weird stage setup, bad vocals, it was old. Bad old, like "There's a reason that music style is banished into the depths of history" old.
Phillip Phillips - In the Midnight Hour - Awesome. The stage was really neat, that was cool. After he was done, though, all sweaty and everything, his stage makeup wanted to take off; looked a little bit like a "Twilight" vampire.
Jessica Sanchez - Try a Little Tenderness - Dull. Old. Fossilized disco, and if possible, an even more stupid outfit than the one before.
Phillip Phillips - Beggin' - It started out atrociously, then it picked up. Kind of bluegrassy jazz or something. Pretty good, that was kinda nice. Downside: It was also pretty repetitive.
Phillip Phillips - We've Got Tonight - Very good. And (gasp!) I agreed with Randy! This was Phillip's best performance of the season, he just locked himself in as one of the finalists with the way he did that song.
TOP 24 -
Jessica Sanchez - She's along for the ride with pals Eben and Jeremy, but I don't like her all that well.
Phillip Phillips - (I'm never going to get over that name, lol) He can play guitar like crazy, he can sing well, but he might not have enough memorable personality for people to remember he's out there...
Top 12 Guys/Girls -
Phillip Phillips - In The Air Tonight - Good song choice. It was a lot lower-key than I though it'd be, it was a good arrangement, but it seemed a little safe.
Jessica Sanchez - Love You I Do - Catchy song, hate her voice, it was forgettable. And the glitter on her chin...seriously?
Top 13 Contestant Profiles -
Jessica Sanchez, from San Diego, California - I'm not sure why America let her in. Not a fan of her voice, doesn't seem to have much personality.
Phillip Phillips, from Leesburg, Georgia - He seems like a good guy to know. He's quiet, so you don't remember him off personality, but isn't that kind of a good thing? Most talented this season at arranging his performances, he's a very good guitarist.
Stevie Wonder/Whitney Houston Night (13) -
Jessica Sanchez - I Will Always Love You - Should anyone else sing this? I couldn't tell much difference between her and the real thing, which I suppose means she's a phenomenal vocalist, but it was just okay for me.
Phillip Phillips - Superstition - Guitar! Great. Good song. Interesting voice. He was shouting too much, but I liked it.
Year You Were Born Night (12/11) -
Phillip Phillips - Hard To Handle - He had stage presence, it was very cool, I liked it. That was a great way to kick off the show.
Jessica Sanchez - Turn The Beat Around - "And they voted. They did, they elected all the diff'rint ones of 'em that they liked, and she wasn't on there. She wasn't. Because she did, friends, she did exactly what her song said, and she turned that beat right around and is in danger of going home! She is!" (Said in Andy Griffith type voice.)
It had a good beginning, from there...it was rough. Wild, all over the place. Shiny, shiny pants. Felt like a concert, and at that, it would've been all right. But we're not at a concert, we're trying to find the best singer in America that will sell records this year. And she ain't it. Judges' criticism sounded fake, like "We have to say something, and we need to say something encouraging, because if we said how we really felt about it, like Jimmy will tomorrow night, you'll be crushed." (This half of Jessica's critique said in my normal tone of voice.)
Billy Joel Night (10) -
Phillip Phillips - Movin' On - What kind of effects did they hook up to that guitar? That was cool! It was simple, kind of funky, pretty good.
Jessica Sanchez - Everybody Has A Dream - That was old. And pageanty(First time that adjective has been used this season. Amazing we got this far without it.) Yawn-inducing. Forgettable. And bad.
Their Idols Night (9) -
Jessica Sanchez - Sweet Dreams - The harp was an interesting change of pace, but overall, it was strange. I almost liked it, but I didn't. And I just figured out why I've never liked her: She's like one of those Chinese gymnasts, always thinking "I have to win, if I fall short..." Not having fun at all, just tense, trying to get every single little note perfect, and otherwise completely devoid of personality.
Phillip Phillips - Still Rainin' - Cool song! Good voice, it was good.
Eighties Night (8) -
Phillip Phillips - That's All - Cool opening. Nice. Very good, and it was awesome that he could play with his brother-in-law. It'd be so great to have someone you could feel that comfortable playing with.
Jessica Sanchez - How Will I Know - It had that awesome guitar-keyboard thing that I don't know the name of! Nice outfit, cool guitar, the background singer looked ridiculous, I kinda liked it. Enough to give her one vote this week.
Phillip/Elise - Stop Draggin' My Heart Around - Awesome. Loved the guitar, vocals matched the tone of the song well, it was cool.
Jessica/Joshua - I Knew You Were Waiting For Me - Bad outfits, I liked the music. She did pretty well, he was awful. Even DeAndre could have done better than Joshua on that one.
Top 7 Week - I missed this episode due to being in Louisville to the Together for the Gospel conference. But the judges saved Jessica.
Then and Now Night (7, again) -
Phillips Phillips - U Got It Bad - Boring.
Jessica Sanchez - Fallin' - Oh my gosh, was that outfit for real?! Weird stage setup, bad vocals, it was old. Bad old, like "There's a reason that music style is banished into the depths of history" old.
Phillip Phillips - In the Midnight Hour - Awesome. The stage was really neat, that was cool. After he was done, though, all sweaty and everything, his stage makeup wanted to take off; looked a little bit like a "Twilight" vampire.
Jessica Sanchez - Try a Little Tenderness - Dull. Old. Fossilized disco, and if possible, an even more stupid outfit than the one before.
Queen Night (6) -
Jessica Sanchez - Bohemian Rhapsody - I like the real thing better. I liked Michael John's version of that better than the original, she wasn't great, but the black and white filming was pretty cool.
Phillip Phillips - Fat-Bottomed Girls - Strange. Very Phillip-like in style, I didn't like it much.
Jessica Sanchez - Dance With My Father - I learned a new color tonight: Mom said that was chartouse, which I had always thought was a pink-purple color. The dress still reminded me of banana peels, whatever color it was. The song was a LOT better than I've ever heard it(Seriously, why do guys always sing this?), I kind of liked it.
Phillip Phillips - Song Unknown - Weird, but sort of cool. Neat fiddle playing, that tuba-saxophone thing was odd, but interesting, the picking/strumming was neat. The girls making fun of him in the intro video was hysterical.
Sixties/British Pop Night (5) -
Philip Philliips - The Letter - There should be a limit to how many songs can share the same title, because just seeing this recap without watching the show, you'd think it was Collin Raye's piano ballad, which, btw, is one of the best and saddest country songs in existence. And what kind of group calls themselves "The Box Tops"? Richie Cunningham and pals? Anyway, did anyone else notice that he had a new guitar? The song was kind of jazzy, I think I liked it.
Jessica Sanchez - Proud Mary - Backup dancers? Beads? That weird looking dress? The odd dancing? UGH. Felt like a casino performer in an old spy movie.
Phillip Phillips - Time of the Season - It was restrained, the tie-dye background was cool. He had no chance on the high notes and knew it, that was good, very nice.
Jessica Sanchez - You Are So Beautiful - Can't top Alfalfa. (I was born in 1993, grew up watching movies like "Space Jam", "The Big Green","Air Bud", "Toy Story" and "The Little Rascals", which is always what I've connected this song to in that first scene where Alfalfa and Darla are on that date that Spanky and Co. crashes.) She did all right, didn't much like that run at the end.
Joshua/Phillip - Duet - You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling - Awkward, old, pathetic, and boring. And quite painful to witness, honestly.
Hollie/Jessica/Skylar - Trio - Higher and Higher - The song was okay, Hollie was good, Jessica was off slightly, Skylar had way too much twang.
California Dreamin' Night (Final Four) -
Phillip Phillips - Have You Ever Seen The Rain - Don't like this song, it was okay, neither awful nor amazing, just somewhere in between.
Jessica Sanchez - Steal Away - Ugh. Old, bluesy, ridiculous outfit....
Phillip Phillips - Volcano - Cool sound, but I'm just not sure what to think of that one.
Jessica Sanchez - And I'm Telling You - Bleah. Shouted all the way through.
Phillip/Joshua - Song Unknown - Much better than last week. The dueling pianos were kinda cool, but it wasn't that great.
Hollie/Jessica - Eternal Flame - Okay. Forgettable. Very mellow.
Hollie/Jessica - Eternal Flame - Okay. Forgettable. Very mellow.
Top Three -
Jessica Sanchez - Song Unknown - Mournful picking. Mumbled lyrics. Dreadful.
Phillip Phillips - Beggin' - It started out atrociously, then it picked up. Kind of bluegrassy jazz or something. Pretty good, that was kinda nice. Downside: It was also pretty repetitive.
Jessica Sanchez - I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing - I love this one(the Mark Chesnutt version, or most of the AI performances of it, not so much the Aerosmith version), it was pretty good, but only like at a talent show good. For this far into the show, it was way too safe, would've worked well like at Top 24 or something like that. Kinda neat that she's homeschooled, but she's still annoying.
Phillip Phillips - Disease - For him, it was a good choice. It was interesting. And his dad seems nice.
Phillip Phillips - Disease - For him, it was a good choice. It was interesting. And his dad seems nice.
Jessica Sanchez - I'll Be There - (Verbatim from my notebook) Bleah! All wrong. Dismaying. And painful to the eardrums of the listeners.
Phillip Phillips - We've Got Tonight - Very good. And (gasp!) I agreed with Randy! This was Phillip's best performance of the season, he just locked himself in as one of the finalists with the way he did that song.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
American Idol Season 11 Top Three
That was not a very good show, for being this near the end.
JUDGES -
Joshua Ledet - Song Unknown - That was horrendous. How is it that black people can shout, squeal, and scream songs all the way through, and then people call it "wonderful", "mesmerizing", "voice of an angel", etc., when if a white person did that, they'd just tell them the truth: That they sounded awful and can't sing? And how did he get through Hollywood?
Jessica Sanchez - Song Unknown - Mournful picking. Mumbled lyrics. Dreadful.
Phillip Phillips - Beggin' - It started out atrociously, then it picked up. Kind of bluegrassy jazz or something. Pretty good, that was kinda nice. Downside: It was also pretty repetitive.
CHOICE -
Joshua Ledet - Imagine - I hate this song. It's boring. And David Archuleta tops Joshua Ledet on singing this. BUT, I kinda sorta almost nearly liked it.
Jessica Sanchez - I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing - I love this one(the Mark Chesnutt version, or most of the AI performances of it, not so much the Aerosmith version), it was pretty good, but only like at a talent show good. For this far into the show, it was way too safe, would've worked well like at Top 24 or something like that. Kinda neat that she's homeschooled, but she's still annoying.
Phillip Phillips - Disease - For him, it was a good choice. It was interesting. And his dad seems nice.
JUDGES -
Joshua Ledet - Song Unknown - That was horrendous. How is it that black people can shout, squeal, and scream songs all the way through, and then people call it "wonderful", "mesmerizing", "voice of an angel", etc., when if a white person did that, they'd just tell them the truth: That they sounded awful and can't sing? And how did he get through Hollywood?
Jessica Sanchez - Song Unknown - Mournful picking. Mumbled lyrics. Dreadful.
Phillip Phillips - Beggin' - It started out atrociously, then it picked up. Kind of bluegrassy jazz or something. Pretty good, that was kinda nice. Downside: It was also pretty repetitive.
CHOICE -
Joshua Ledet - Imagine - I hate this song. It's boring. And David Archuleta tops Joshua Ledet on singing this. BUT, I kinda sorta almost nearly liked it.
Jessica Sanchez - I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing - I love this one(the Mark Chesnutt version, or most of the AI performances of it, not so much the Aerosmith version), it was pretty good, but only like at a talent show good. For this far into the show, it was way too safe, would've worked well like at Top 24 or something like that. Kinda neat that she's homeschooled, but she's still annoying.
Phillip Phillips - Disease - For him, it was a good choice. It was interesting. And his dad seems nice.
JIMMY -
Joshua Ledet - No More Drama - That was a girl song, it was pretty bad. Strange sparkles on the shirt. And it was funny that he literally sang his headphones off, never seen that happen before since they started wearing those headsets a few years ago.
Jessica Sanchez - I'll Be There - (Verbatim from my notebook) Bleah! All wrong. Dismaying. And painful to the eardrums of the listeners.
Phillip Phillips - We've Got Tonight - Very good. And (gasp!) I agreed with Randy! This was Phillip's best performance of the season, he just locked himself in as one of the finalists with the way he did that song.
Round One - Phillip, easily. That was a horrible beginning.
Round Two - Draw. No one did especially great, but on the other hand, no one was extremely bad, either.
Round Three - Phillip. Wonderful way to end the show, stole A TON of momentum right there.
It'll be Phillip Phillips in the finale, against Joshua Ledet.
Also, I heard on the news after the show that according to E!, sources say JayLo is done with the show after next week. Good idea, seems like. I'm tired of hearing about the goosies and that annoying laugh. Fire Stephen from full-time judging, but allow him to continue to judge auditions, and give Randy a huge bonus or plaque or title or something for being the last original judge, then start over with just Ryan and a whole new judging panel.
Joshua Ledet - No More Drama - That was a girl song, it was pretty bad. Strange sparkles on the shirt. And it was funny that he literally sang his headphones off, never seen that happen before since they started wearing those headsets a few years ago.
Jessica Sanchez - I'll Be There - (Verbatim from my notebook) Bleah! All wrong. Dismaying. And painful to the eardrums of the listeners.
Phillip Phillips - We've Got Tonight - Very good. And (gasp!) I agreed with Randy! This was Phillip's best performance of the season, he just locked himself in as one of the finalists with the way he did that song.
Round One - Phillip, easily. That was a horrible beginning.
Round Two - Draw. No one did especially great, but on the other hand, no one was extremely bad, either.
Round Three - Phillip. Wonderful way to end the show, stole A TON of momentum right there.
It'll be Phillip Phillips in the finale, against Joshua Ledet.
Also, I heard on the news after the show that according to E!, sources say JayLo is done with the show after next week. Good idea, seems like. I'm tired of hearing about the goosies and that annoying laugh. Fire Stephen from full-time judging, but allow him to continue to judge auditions, and give Randy a huge bonus or plaque or title or something for being the last original judge, then start over with just Ryan and a whole new judging panel.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
"Let's See, Umm..." A Work in Progress
This is my high school graduation speech, titled A Work in Progress, because I couldn't think of anything better with four minutes to think of a title. The "Let's see, umm..." was my first response to stall for time to come up with something. Given on May 12, 2012.
You know, I
probably shouldn’t be here right now, giving this speech, because you’re not
supposed to live when you’re born seventeen weeks early. Not live normally, at
least. I was born four months early, a little under nineteen years ago, I
weighed one pound, ten ounces, and you could set me inside a QuikTrip cup.
The doctors said
I’d have cerebal palsy, but I don’t. So many people, from all over the country,
were praying for me, that I’d be okay, they said God had a purpose with my life,
most of them I’ve never even met. And He does have a purpose for my life,
answering those prayers. Had a ton of surgeries, didn’t come home for the first
time until October, but mentally, I’ve always been ordinary, the only lasting
effects from being such an early preemie are physical – I’ve always been a
runt, and there’s a few scars. And my eye, of course. But they weren’t sure if
either of them could be saved, so to have one working, that’s a huge blessing.
My parents were
youth pastors til I was eight years old, so we moved often, in both our homes
and our churches, and I usually hung out with the cool teenagers, so I had some
trouble making friends near my own age until I started doing choir, and later
drama, with the homeschool group in fifth grade for about three years.
I’m grateful for
the time I got to do that, and the friendships I made in those practices. Being
out there on the stage helped me get over my shyness, thank you all for that.
God used those skits and programs as a means to grow me as a person.
And yes, I put WAY
too much effort into every show, thanks for putting up with me. One of the
biggest lessons I learned from you all was to just relax, step back and realize
that it doesn’t really matter if every single little detail is perfect. You
should still aim for that, but the world (probably) won’t end if you mess up.
Another tool God’s
used in my life so far has been writing, starting with a spur-of-the-moment entry
into sportswriting for newspapers in eighth grade. I’ve had great teachers
explaining how I can improve my writing, first in Valerie Rice and then later
on the staff of a website I got to do some work with.
Whether it’s for
newspapers, Facebook stuff nobody reads, or stuff for my blog, I’m trying to
tell stories well, hoping to glorify Christ in those. And if people like
reading them, or if they’re funny, that’s a nice side benefit. I learned about
reliability, meeting deadlines, tact and empathy, just to name a few things
from writing.
Another piece of life that God’s used to shape
me would be the Sovereign Grace Youth Camp in Missouri .
I went for the first time just after eighth grade on a dare, basically, just to
see if I could make it for a week without my family nearby.
I found that I
could, and I’ve grown so much over the years spiritually with the people I’ve
met there, making some great friendships with some awesome guys and girls, kind
of an iron sharpening iron thing, like Solomon said in Proverbs. It’s
definitely played an important role in shaping me to where I am now.
My church family at
Tulsa ’s Grace
Bible Church
Took a while to get
used to, but after awhile I developed a lot of great friendships with both
teens and adults; Lord willing, some will continue for quite a while longer. Just
learned so much, had some great times, and I really appreciate all they’ve
done, thankful that God’s placed them in my life.
My freshman year of
high school, we had a house fire two weeks before Christmas, we moved to
Tahlequah while rebuilding.
It was a tough
time, but it’s those times when all you can see are smoke, stud nails and
deadlines that you grow closer to God, become more mature. It was a stressful
time, it was hard, but it was worth it, somehow; I’m still amazed by God’s
grace and strength to get us through it. Found some verses in Isaiah 43 that I
love, verses one through three: “But this is what the Lord says – He who
created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel; “Fear not, for I have
redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are Mine. When you pass through
the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will
not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, the
flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel ,
your Savior.”
GBC people helped
in so, so many ways, with the house and prayer, Okmulgee-area folks helped a
lot in the rebuilding, giving me news of what was happening close to home, and my
camp friends provided tons of encouragement. We got to know my mom’s family a
lot better, it was great to be so close to them. Those ten months were some of
the hardest times in what some would view as a long string of them, and I
wondered pretty often exactly how I’d get through it, but God had a reason He
planned it in our lives, and He saw us through it all.
For some reason,
people come to me pretty often for advice, which is cool, and more than a
little scary. That’s usually followed by a quick prayer: “Lord, help! I need
some good words here!”, and then I’m never really sure if what I say is helpful
or not, though it’s hopefully godly and Biblical.
In the first
Spider-Man movie, Ben Parker cautioned Peter once that “These are the years a
man changes into what he’s going to become for the rest of his life. Be careful
who you change into.” I’ve tried to heed that advice, whether it’s my web of
mistakes I’m walking through, or trying to help pals fight through theirs.
“It’s our choices that make us who we are,” Peter says at the end of the third
movie, “and we can always choose to do what’s right.” I’ve tried to make the right choices in what
I do, sometimes I haven’t, they’ve gotten me into some pretty sticky
situations, but overall it’s turned out okay.
Over my life so far,
I’ve met a lot of good people, had some good friends, and known some great
animals. Had some terrific experiences, visiting Washington ,
D.C.
Another Spider-Man
reference; in that scene in the first movie where Peter’s taking out the trash,
and he and Mary Jane have that conversation about the future after graduation,
she hesitantly expresses her dreams of acting on Broadway and hopefully getting
married. He reminds her how much he’s admired her past acting, tells her she’ll
do great. She asks him what he sees in his own future. He pauses, then says, “I
don’t really know, exactly. Whatever it is, it’s somethin’ I’ve never felt
before.”
I’m headed back to
Tahlequah for the third time in nineteen years in August, a Northeastern State
RiverHawk studying Mass Communications, but beyond that, I have no idea how the
next few years, the next few months will turn out. I’ll probably make some new
mistakes, meet some new friends, grow stronger as a Christian, but I’m just
human, I don’t know. But God does, and He’s gotten me through life, He’ll guide
me through my future in just the way He’s planned out for me.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
American Idol Season 11 Final Four - California Dreamin' Night
CALIFORNIA -
Phillip Phillips - Have You Ever Seen The Rain - Don't like this song, it was okay, neither awful nor amazing, just somewhere in between.
Hollie Cavanagh - Faithfully - All right, it built up slowly, wasn't her best, but it was solid.
Joshua Ledet - You Raise Me Up - This was pretty good, I enjoyed it.
Jessica Sanchez - Steal Away - Ugh. Old, bluesy, ridiculous outfit....
Ranking round one:
Joshua,
Hollie,
Phillip,
Jessica.
Phillip/Joshua - Song Unknown - Much better than last week. The dueling pianos were kinda cool, but it wasn't that great.
Hollie/Jessica - Eternal Flame - Okay. Forgettable. Very mellow.
SONGS I WISH I"D WRITTEN -
Phillip Phillips - Volcano - Cool sound, but I'm just not sure what to think of that one.
Hollie Cavanagh - I Can't Make You Love Me - Good. Very good.
Joshua Ledet - It's a Man's, Man's, Man's, Man's World - Horrible and Joshua-like.
Jessica Sanchez - And I'm Telling You - Bleah. Shouted all the way through.
Ranking round two:
Hollie,
Phillip,
Jessica,
Joshua
Who knows who's going home? I think it'll be either Jessica or Joshua, but Hollie fans might not vote for her enough tonight. And there's always the chance that Phillip's votes could evaporate for one night and send him packing....side note, on that song they all did together, they sounded awful.
Phillip Phillips - Have You Ever Seen The Rain - Don't like this song, it was okay, neither awful nor amazing, just somewhere in between.
Hollie Cavanagh - Faithfully - All right, it built up slowly, wasn't her best, but it was solid.
Joshua Ledet - You Raise Me Up - This was pretty good, I enjoyed it.
Jessica Sanchez - Steal Away - Ugh. Old, bluesy, ridiculous outfit....
Ranking round one:
Joshua,
Hollie,
Phillip,
Jessica.
Phillip/Joshua - Song Unknown - Much better than last week. The dueling pianos were kinda cool, but it wasn't that great.
Hollie/Jessica - Eternal Flame - Okay. Forgettable. Very mellow.
SONGS I WISH I"D WRITTEN -
Phillip Phillips - Volcano - Cool sound, but I'm just not sure what to think of that one.
Hollie Cavanagh - I Can't Make You Love Me - Good. Very good.
Joshua Ledet - It's a Man's, Man's, Man's, Man's World - Horrible and Joshua-like.
Jessica Sanchez - And I'm Telling You - Bleah. Shouted all the way through.
Ranking round two:
Hollie,
Phillip,
Jessica,
Joshua
Who knows who's going home? I think it'll be either Jessica or Joshua, but Hollie fans might not vote for her enough tonight. And there's always the chance that Phillip's votes could evaporate for one night and send him packing....side note, on that song they all did together, they sounded awful.
Playlist G
This started out as a few songs I thought seemed right for graduations. So, I gathered them all up, and then realized "a few songs" were twelve, a whole CD's worth.
Track One - Welcome to the Future, Brad Paisley http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0Yg9wjctRw
Why I picked it: You're graduating from high school, stepping out into the future. Shouldn't we at least try to welcome it in?
Track Two - Don't Blink, Kenny Chesney http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f0p5KqdU9U&ob=av2e
Why I picked it: Because "Life goes faster than you think/So don't blink...no, don't blink." Good reminder to enjoy what we have while we have it.
Track Three - Find Out Who Your Friends Are, Tracy Lawrence http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyafQe_2Do&ob=av2e
Why I picked it: We find out who our friends are when we hit absolute bottom, great song, reminds us of this fact.
Track Four - Follow Love, FFH http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyAHBzqzBwM
Why I picked it: Melancholy hopeful song about starting over somewhere new. "I've got a heart that full of dreams, and a little bit of crazy/I can feel it pulling me to somewhere I have never been/I'm packing up and leaving home/To travel into the great unknown/It's time, I have to go..."
Track Five - You're Gonna Miss This, Trace Adkins http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBDN8yWyNYU&ob=av2n
Why I picked it: The chorus' message. "You're gonna miss this/You're gonna want this back/You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast/These are good times, so take a good look around/Cause you may not know it now/But you're gonna miss this..."
Track Six - Who I Am, Jessica Andrews http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd9zYKLepCw&ob=av2e
Why I picked it: "Me, I'm clueless and I'm clumsy/But I got friends that love me, and they know where I stand/It's all a part of me/And that's who I am..." Perfect theme song for nearly anything, (See "Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye") and it's just a good song.
Track Seven - I Hope You Dance, Lee Ann Womack http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV-Z1YwaOiw&ob=av2e
Why I picked it: You can't get any better a graduation song than this. Simple as that.
Track Eight - My Wish, Rascal Flatts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_zi4OxJpY0
Why I picked it: It might just be a homecoming song around here, but, well, I don't know what a homecoming is like to be part of. But it works very well for a graduation, too.
Track Nine - The House That Built Me, Miranda Lambert http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQYNM6SjD_o&ob=av2e
Why I picked it: It's sad, but sweet. Looking back over a special place where memories were made, it lends itself well to going on a playlist like this.
Track Ten - Long Live, Taylor Swift http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhBIJtrvG0c
Why I picked it: It's a great send-off song.
Track Eleven - Vessel, Chris Sligh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEaT5AGjcuw
Why I picked it: We should all be praying this. We also don't do it enough.
Track Twelve - Dive, Steven Curtis Chapman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXqXIicm8uU&ob=av2e
Why I picked it: Senior year can be kinda scary...so many decisions, both big and small. Me and some friends kind of adopted this as our theme song, since it fit our lives over the last eight months so well.
Track One - Welcome to the Future, Brad Paisley http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0Yg9wjctRw
Why I picked it: You're graduating from high school, stepping out into the future. Shouldn't we at least try to welcome it in?
Track Two - Don't Blink, Kenny Chesney http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f0p5KqdU9U&ob=av2e
Why I picked it: Because "Life goes faster than you think/So don't blink...no, don't blink." Good reminder to enjoy what we have while we have it.
Track Three - Find Out Who Your Friends Are, Tracy Lawrence http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyafQe_2Do&ob=av2e
Why I picked it: We find out who our friends are when we hit absolute bottom, great song, reminds us of this fact.
Track Four - Follow Love, FFH http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyAHBzqzBwM
Why I picked it: Melancholy hopeful song about starting over somewhere new. "I've got a heart that full of dreams, and a little bit of crazy/I can feel it pulling me to somewhere I have never been/I'm packing up and leaving home/To travel into the great unknown/It's time, I have to go..."
Track Five - You're Gonna Miss This, Trace Adkins http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBDN8yWyNYU&ob=av2n
Why I picked it: The chorus' message. "You're gonna miss this/You're gonna want this back/You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast/These are good times, so take a good look around/Cause you may not know it now/But you're gonna miss this..."
Track Six - Who I Am, Jessica Andrews http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd9zYKLepCw&ob=av2e
Why I picked it: "Me, I'm clueless and I'm clumsy/But I got friends that love me, and they know where I stand/It's all a part of me/And that's who I am..." Perfect theme song for nearly anything, (See "Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye") and it's just a good song.
Track Seven - I Hope You Dance, Lee Ann Womack http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV-Z1YwaOiw&ob=av2e
Why I picked it: You can't get any better a graduation song than this. Simple as that.
Track Eight - My Wish, Rascal Flatts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_zi4OxJpY0
Why I picked it: It might just be a homecoming song around here, but, well, I don't know what a homecoming is like to be part of. But it works very well for a graduation, too.
Track Nine - The House That Built Me, Miranda Lambert http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQYNM6SjD_o&ob=av2e
Why I picked it: It's sad, but sweet. Looking back over a special place where memories were made, it lends itself well to going on a playlist like this.
Track Ten - Long Live, Taylor Swift http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhBIJtrvG0c
Why I picked it: It's a great send-off song.
Track Eleven - Vessel, Chris Sligh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEaT5AGjcuw
Why I picked it: We should all be praying this. We also don't do it enough.
Track Twelve - Dive, Steven Curtis Chapman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXqXIicm8uU&ob=av2e
Why I picked it: Senior year can be kinda scary...so many decisions, both big and small. Me and some friends kind of adopted this as our theme song, since it fit our lives over the last eight months so well.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
AI-S11 60's-British Pop Night Results, Independence Day Rewrite
Well!
Yes, I know it's just a TV show, and it doesn't really matter. But still, I'm not happy. At all.
The intro tonight was cool, the judges' clothes all look pretty cool this time.
Joshua was up first, he was safe. Then Phillip and Hollie were called up, Hollie was sent to the bottom three. (Loud complaints were yelled at the TV screen here.)
Coldplay performed their song "Paradise", it was unremarkable. Carrie Underwood performed next, the title track off her new CD, "Blown Away", it was all right as a song, but she was way flat. Coldplay then did another song, that was better.
Skylar and Jessica were the last to be called on, JESSICA was SAFE???!!!!, making the bottom two HOLLIE and SKYLAR. (Very loud ranting at America's picks commenced at this point.)
After Ryan asked the judges for their thoughts, all three responded in wonderful coachspeak, something like this: "This season is so great, you all are so talented! Blah, blah, blah." Which means, translated; "Yes, they made the right decision, we can't let our pets Jess and Josh leave so soon, and we don't like you two, anyway, because you have mass market appeal right now, and we don't; but we can't say that because we aren't allowed to offer any real criticism this year." SKYLAR WAS SENT HOME. (Extreme clamor sent towards the stupidity of this elimination.) So, she fired back with Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder and Lead" as her goodbye song, she better get a record deal, I want to hear her on radio.
# # #
The homeschool group we used to do some stuff with had a talent share this evening, I didn't really mind missing it, but if we would have remembered it was coming up, I would have done this tweaked rewritten version of Martina McBride's Independence Day, and since we didn't go, I would have posted a video of it instead, but allergies decided to attack me this week. So just the lyrics will have to do.
Yes, I know it's just a TV show, and it doesn't really matter. But still, I'm not happy. At all.
The intro tonight was cool, the judges' clothes all look pretty cool this time.
Joshua was up first, he was safe. Then Phillip and Hollie were called up, Hollie was sent to the bottom three. (Loud complaints were yelled at the TV screen here.)
Coldplay performed their song "Paradise", it was unremarkable. Carrie Underwood performed next, the title track off her new CD, "Blown Away", it was all right as a song, but she was way flat. Coldplay then did another song, that was better.
Skylar and Jessica were the last to be called on, JESSICA was SAFE???!!!!, making the bottom two HOLLIE and SKYLAR. (Very loud ranting at America's picks commenced at this point.)
After Ryan asked the judges for their thoughts, all three responded in wonderful coachspeak, something like this: "This season is so great, you all are so talented! Blah, blah, blah." Which means, translated; "Yes, they made the right decision, we can't let our pets Jess and Josh leave so soon, and we don't like you two, anyway, because you have mass market appeal right now, and we don't; but we can't say that because we aren't allowed to offer any real criticism this year." SKYLAR WAS SENT HOME. (Extreme clamor sent towards the stupidity of this elimination.) So, she fired back with Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder and Lead" as her goodbye song, she better get a record deal, I want to hear her on radio.
# # #
The homeschool group we used to do some stuff with had a talent share this evening, I didn't really mind missing it, but if we would have remembered it was coming up, I would have done this tweaked rewritten version of Martina McBride's Independence Day, and since we didn't go, I would have posted a video of it instead, but allergies decided to attack me this week. So just the lyrics will have to do.
Somewhere a few years ago, while first playing with the idea of tweaking songs, one of the top candidates was Martina McBride's "Independence Day", it's a classic, everybody knows it, and if you examine it carefully, for such a happy melody, it's incredible tragic. So I looked around a bit for four-syllable words that could be holidays, until I thought of 'graduation". After that, nothing was coming up, so I just left it alone for awhile. Then about the middle of March, about the 14th, I re-inspected the idea, and thought of a line, which led to another line, which led to half a chorus....pretty easy and fast project to complete once I got started.
Verse One -
Well, it was just another mundane morn,
Though she looked a little worried and sad;
She tried to pretend it wasn't happenin',
He looked quite a bit like his dad.
I was eighteen years old that summer,
WIth no idea to where my future lay;
So I took myself down to the church near town
On Graduation Day...
Verse Two -
Well, word gets around in a small, small town,
They said I was a handsome young man;
My Mama was proud, and she stood her ground,
Though she knew this was the start of the end.
Some folks whispered, some folks talked,
But not a dry eye stayed that way;
Near one about, they were all turned out
On Graduation Day...
Chorus -
Let freedom ring, let reality sting
Let the whole world know that today is a day for memories
Let the weak be strong, let the fear be gone
Throw that hat away, let the band play
It's Graduation Day...
Verse Three -
Cameras lit up the sky like the Fourth of July,
As they marveled at how we'd grown;
They watched the slideshow, sayin' "Do you know,
Can you believe how fast the time has flown?"
Now I ain't sayin' it's right or it's wrong,
But it's bound to happen some day;
Part of our evolution
Is Graduation Day...
Chorus x2
American Idol Season 11 Top Five - 60's-British Pop NIght
Overall, last night's show was okay. Or maybe I'm just sick of these awful
allergies, tired of having these spacers on my teeth, and slightly
mad at myself for allowing my sister a chance to hack my Facebook.
Judges' wardrobe: Steven - Strange. Jennifer - June Cleaver. Randy - Himself.
60's Pop -
Hollie Cavanagh - River Deep Mountain High - I've always thought that sounded fake, like the setting of some forgettable WB teen drama on Tuesday nights. It was an odd entrance, with the background singers(what was up with them tonight, anyway? Strange, unusual and weird all the way through.) and band all following her like it was some kind of parade. Vocals not great, but they were all right, it felt too showy, but she was having fun.
Philip Philliips - The Letter - There should be a limit to how many songs can share the same title, because just seeing this recap without watching the show, you'd think it was Collin Raye's piano ballad, which, btw, is one of the best and saddest country songs in existence. And what kind of group calls themselves "The Box Tops"? Richie Cunningham and pals? Anyway, did anyone else notice that he had a new guitar? The song was kind of jazzy, I think I liked it.
Skylar Laine - Fortunate One - That was a high energy concert song. For a competition, though....you couldn't understand half the lyrics.
Joshua/Phillip - Duet - You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling - Awkward, old, pathetic, and boring. And quite painful to witness, honestly.
Jessica Sanchez - Proud Mary - Backup dancers? Beads? That weird looking dress? The odd dancing? UGH. Felt like a casino performer in an old spy movie.
Joshua Ledet - Ain't Too Proud To Beg - For this song, it was okay, much better than I've heard it on the show before. But, I don't like the song, the outfit was ridiculous; pinstripes? Again, were the dancers really needed? And his flower looked like a rubber duck.
Round One - Hollie, followed by Phillip.
British Pop -
Hollie Cavanagh - Bleeding Love - This is one of the dumbest songs, lyrically, that's been written recently, in my opinion. But she did it very well.
Phillip Phillips - Time of the Season - It was restrained, the tie-dye background was cool. He had no chance on the high notes and knew it, that was good, very nice.
Hollie/Jessica/Skylar - Trio - Higher and Higher - The song was okay, Hollie was good, Jessica was off slightly, Skylar had way too much twang.
Skylar Laine - You Don't Have to Say You Love Me - Miranda Lambert doing a Lawrence Welk song, which was unfortunately placed over the credits on some early 90s chick flick.
Jessica Sanchez - You Are So Beautiful - Can't top Alfalfa. (I was born in 1993, grew up watching movies like "Space Jam", "The Big Green","Air Bud", "Toy Story" and "The Little Rascals", which is always what I've connected this song to in that first scene where Alfalfa and Darla are on that date that Spanky and Co. crashes.) She did all right, didn't much like that run at the end.
Joshua Ledet - Song Unknown - Forgettable. That should be placed on the special edition AI CD of "Lullabies We Viewers Have No Memory of These Artists Singing".
Round two, Hollie, followed by Phillip.
Me doing Alfalfa: "PLEASEpleasePleaseOhPlease send Joshua home this week, and Jessica next week! And can we please fire Randy as a judge?"
Buckwheat: "Hmm....pretty good pleading...."
Judges' wardrobe: Steven - Strange. Jennifer - June Cleaver. Randy - Himself.
60's Pop -
Hollie Cavanagh - River Deep Mountain High - I've always thought that sounded fake, like the setting of some forgettable WB teen drama on Tuesday nights. It was an odd entrance, with the background singers(what was up with them tonight, anyway? Strange, unusual and weird all the way through.) and band all following her like it was some kind of parade. Vocals not great, but they were all right, it felt too showy, but she was having fun.
Philip Philliips - The Letter - There should be a limit to how many songs can share the same title, because just seeing this recap without watching the show, you'd think it was Collin Raye's piano ballad, which, btw, is one of the best and saddest country songs in existence. And what kind of group calls themselves "The Box Tops"? Richie Cunningham and pals? Anyway, did anyone else notice that he had a new guitar? The song was kind of jazzy, I think I liked it.
Skylar Laine - Fortunate One - That was a high energy concert song. For a competition, though....you couldn't understand half the lyrics.
Joshua/Phillip - Duet - You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling - Awkward, old, pathetic, and boring. And quite painful to witness, honestly.
Jessica Sanchez - Proud Mary - Backup dancers? Beads? That weird looking dress? The odd dancing? UGH. Felt like a casino performer in an old spy movie.
Joshua Ledet - Ain't Too Proud To Beg - For this song, it was okay, much better than I've heard it on the show before. But, I don't like the song, the outfit was ridiculous; pinstripes? Again, were the dancers really needed? And his flower looked like a rubber duck.
Round One - Hollie, followed by Phillip.
British Pop -
Hollie Cavanagh - Bleeding Love - This is one of the dumbest songs, lyrically, that's been written recently, in my opinion. But she did it very well.
Phillip Phillips - Time of the Season - It was restrained, the tie-dye background was cool. He had no chance on the high notes and knew it, that was good, very nice.
Hollie/Jessica/Skylar - Trio - Higher and Higher - The song was okay, Hollie was good, Jessica was off slightly, Skylar had way too much twang.
Skylar Laine - You Don't Have to Say You Love Me - Miranda Lambert doing a Lawrence Welk song, which was unfortunately placed over the credits on some early 90s chick flick.
Jessica Sanchez - You Are So Beautiful - Can't top Alfalfa. (I was born in 1993, grew up watching movies like "Space Jam", "The Big Green","Air Bud", "Toy Story" and "The Little Rascals", which is always what I've connected this song to in that first scene where Alfalfa and Darla are on that date that Spanky and Co. crashes.) She did all right, didn't much like that run at the end.
Joshua Ledet - Song Unknown - Forgettable. That should be placed on the special edition AI CD of "Lullabies We Viewers Have No Memory of These Artists Singing".
Round two, Hollie, followed by Phillip.
Me doing Alfalfa: "PLEASEpleasePleaseOhPlease send Joshua home this week, and Jessica next week! And can we please fire Randy as a judge?"
Buckwheat: "Hmm....pretty good pleading...."
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Aimless Musings on May
Here it is, the second day of the fifth month of the year, more commonly called May. It's when both horses and horsepower gear up to go as fast as they can, in order to win the biggest race of them all.
It's when tornadoes whip through the air, causing chaos and disaster to those whose properties and/or lives they ran over.
It's when plants start growing in earnest, and the first crop of hay is baled.
It's where all over the country, millions of kids are out on the Little League diamonds, convinced that this sport is fun and that they'll play in the big leagues one day. It's where businesses along Main Street sponsor the teams full of gap-toothed second-graders. It's where grown-ups volunteer to coach those kids the fundamentals of baseball and softball, it's where that loudmouth dad that everybody hates being around yells insults at everyone because Tim isn't hitting well enough, or because that #@$!% umpire blew that call, calling Pam out when she was really safe on that slide by two feet. It's where the local paper runs it's Little League special issue, with forty-six bad team pictures in it's own section, which signals to the kid writing the sports news that it's time for his annual summer vacation.
It's where treks to see friends in another state are made, spending a weekend with friends you enjoy before having to think about the different ways and paths that each of you will take soon.
It's where you spend Saturdays traveling all through the county, looking for great deals at garage sales, with that next sale over on Washington Street being even better than this one. Or it's where you spend all week helping your wheelchair-bound mother-in-law get ready for hosting a garage sale that you don't really think anyone will go to, just because it's the right thing to do.
It's where high school seniors finally realize that the world they knew is about to be left behind forever, and they either look towards their graduations with joyful expectancy or anxious, wistful foreboding. It's where a select group of high school juniors excitedly get ready for a trip of a lifetime.
It's where middle schoolers count the weeks, days, hours, minutes and seconds until they leave for camp.
It's when allergies make everyone's lives miserable, with a slight breeze, partly-cloudy sky and seventy-five degrees and the windows staying shut.
It's when one of the dogs has puppies for the first time, and having to guide her on how to be a mother. And it's gazing happily at the furry little canines and thinking up names for them.
It's when the summer movie season kicks off, filling theaters with gunfights, explosions, car chases, superheroes, sequels, and the newest Pixar project.
It's where American Idol crowns it's most recent winner, and having to let the discussion group with the cousins languish until Thanksgiving, where the steam gathers up for the next season.
It's a time of birthdays, seen as interesting and exciting things when at five, where you don't totally understand the concept yet, or as a natural right to request things like a .22, tank, car, cell phone or helicopter and fully think you'll get them at eleven, or as a low-key thing that's mostly just another day at nineteen.
It's where little boys go fishing with their grandmas, having the time of their lives whenever they could spend the weekend on the farm.
It's all these things, and many, many more. May is a good month.
It's when tornadoes whip through the air, causing chaos and disaster to those whose properties and/or lives they ran over.
It's when plants start growing in earnest, and the first crop of hay is baled.
It's where all over the country, millions of kids are out on the Little League diamonds, convinced that this sport is fun and that they'll play in the big leagues one day. It's where businesses along Main Street sponsor the teams full of gap-toothed second-graders. It's where grown-ups volunteer to coach those kids the fundamentals of baseball and softball, it's where that loudmouth dad that everybody hates being around yells insults at everyone because Tim isn't hitting well enough, or because that #@$!% umpire blew that call, calling Pam out when she was really safe on that slide by two feet. It's where the local paper runs it's Little League special issue, with forty-six bad team pictures in it's own section, which signals to the kid writing the sports news that it's time for his annual summer vacation.
It's where treks to see friends in another state are made, spending a weekend with friends you enjoy before having to think about the different ways and paths that each of you will take soon.
It's where you spend Saturdays traveling all through the county, looking for great deals at garage sales, with that next sale over on Washington Street being even better than this one. Or it's where you spend all week helping your wheelchair-bound mother-in-law get ready for hosting a garage sale that you don't really think anyone will go to, just because it's the right thing to do.
It's where high school seniors finally realize that the world they knew is about to be left behind forever, and they either look towards their graduations with joyful expectancy or anxious, wistful foreboding. It's where a select group of high school juniors excitedly get ready for a trip of a lifetime.
It's where middle schoolers count the weeks, days, hours, minutes and seconds until they leave for camp.
It's when allergies make everyone's lives miserable, with a slight breeze, partly-cloudy sky and seventy-five degrees and the windows staying shut.
It's when one of the dogs has puppies for the first time, and having to guide her on how to be a mother. And it's gazing happily at the furry little canines and thinking up names for them.
It's when the summer movie season kicks off, filling theaters with gunfights, explosions, car chases, superheroes, sequels, and the newest Pixar project.
It's where American Idol crowns it's most recent winner, and having to let the discussion group with the cousins languish until Thanksgiving, where the steam gathers up for the next season.
It's a time of birthdays, seen as interesting and exciting things when at five, where you don't totally understand the concept yet, or as a natural right to request things like a .22, tank, car, cell phone or helicopter and fully think you'll get them at eleven, or as a low-key thing that's mostly just another day at nineteen.
It's where little boys go fishing with their grandmas, having the time of their lives whenever they could spend the weekend on the farm.
It's all these things, and many, many more. May is a good month.
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