Rock Concert Movement #237

Wang Cake for Kate

Thu, 15 May 2008 03:20:22 GMT

As of Midnight (at the oasis) on the 15th it'll be time for ...

HAPPY
BIRTHDAY
jaegerlicious!

Miscellaneous Updates

Wed, 14 May 2008 17:21:10 GMT

Sunday was Scott's birthday. We went to see Iron Man, which was absolutely awesome. It may well be my favorite superhero movie.

We were going to hit our favorite Brazilian steakhouse, Texas de Brazil, but it was Mother's Day as well as Scott's birthday, which meant we wouldn't be able to use our half-off coupon. Curse you, Mother's Day! So we're going tonight instead. Let the meat orgy commence!

In an amazing stroke of luck, It's been 56 days since I last gave blood. I'm eligible again as of today. So I'll go tomorrow after the meat, and I don't think I'll have any trouble meeting the iron requirements this time.

I got a new brassiere at Target. It's a cup size larger than usual; many of their bras in my normal size were way too small. What the hell? I don't think I'm getting boobier -- I think they're making their cups smaller. I'll roll with it, though -- the label makes me feel like some sort of huge-canned vixen.

We got Mario Kart for the Wii. If you want to play, my driver's license number is: 4339-3253-9755. It's awesome, but I don't like using the wheel.

I bleached my hair, then put some bold red on top. The first color I did was way too orangey -- it was actually a really cool color (similar to the color in this icon), but it totally wouldn't fly at work. So I got a darker red and threw it on top. It's nice, this color. Now my hair smells like pepper, thanks to my leave-in conditioner. Yummy.

It's a much more vibrant red with the hair pre-lightened underneath, and the bleaching also roughs up my hair, which for me is a good thing -- it gives it a little bit of body. No boxed color for me this time; I got everything separately at Sally's Beauty Supply and mixed it all myself. Now that I've used the bowl-and-brush method, I never want to go back to using the squeeze bottle. And I always want to mix my own color.

In closing, apparently we're not supposed to put two spaces between sentences anymore. But it's how I was taught, and it's totally ingrained in me to hit that space bar twice with my right thumb. As Chicago would say, this looks to be a hard habit to break.

American Idol 7 / Week 13

Wed, 14 May 2008 13:59:10 GMT

Three songs this week -- chosen by the singer, the judges, and the producers.

Apparently it's a really close race between the top three? I can see between the Davids ... but really? Syesha's right up there?

The kids visited their hometowns, and blah blah blah packages.

Judge Selections

David Archuleta: The mayor of his hometown has an awesome waxed moustache. (Dictionary check #1: LJ doesn't like "moustache", but it's an acceptable alternative. I think it looks better than "mustache".) For the judges' choice round, Paula assigns him Billy Joel's "And So It Goes". She explains that the level of difficulty will "exploit the beautiful timbre" in his voice. (Dictionary check #2 -- "exploit" sure is an odd choice here. The main entries for its use as a verb are "to utilize for profit" and "to use selfishly".)

Anyhoo, on to the singin'. He's his usual self, with his big bad voice hitting all of the difficult notes. He's backed by some lovely wistful strings. It's a decent performance, nice and unsurprising. Randy applauds the choice, would like to see David on piano for this one, but loves loves loves it. Paula calls it pure and sunny. Simon calls it very good, and then predictable, with no surprises. Simon and I are on the same page out of the gate today.

Syesha Mercado: She gets a text from Randy while in a limo, telling her she's doing "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys. Her favorite artist, and a song she loves. We don't get to see the mayor of her hometown at all, which breaks my heart. She tells us she knows exactly what she wants to do with the song.

Which is, apparently, to not change it up very much. I'm not overly familiar with the original, although I've heard it, and this arrangement doesn't strike me as too far out of the box. Again, it's an all right performance, but nothing we don't expect from her. Randy likes, Paula likes, Simon says she sang it well, but wishes that Randy had chosen something where she wouldn't have done an imitation of the original. That's two for two, me and Simon.

David Cook: He gets a text from Simon while doing a bit on the Kansas City FOX affiliate. And he couches it that he's rude, and forgot to turn his phone off. Oh, Cook, the artifice just doesn't work, buddy. The text is from Simon -- the song choice is "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack. Oh, this should be interesting. Simon chose it because it's one of the great songs of all time, and wanted to do something different.

He starts it out soft and gentle, with some nice falsetto. Then the drumbeat kicks in, and it gets a little heavier. Then he hits some awesome notes at the end. It's not changed up as much as I would have liked, but it was pretty good. It's not a song I really care for, though. Randy wishes Simon hadn't picked something as predictable, needed more rock, but liked it. Paula calls it one of her favorite songs, and loves it. Simon thinks it was one of his best performances, but labels his opinion as biased. Aww, that broke our short streak, Simon!

</u>Contestant Selections</u>

David Archuleta: He's doing "With You" by Chris Brown. Who? What? Apparently it's a newer song. It's some bouncy little pop song? There are a couple of places where it sounds like he's having trouble with the notes or the lyrics. I guess his performance is good overall, but I don't care for the song -- it's schlocky crap. Randy calls it good, but doesn't feel like it's a good fit -- David shouldn't be singing "my boo", apparently. Paula likes it. Simon expected a treacly ballad, so it's good that that didn't happen, but found it awkward and not quite right. Good, we're back on track.

Syesha Mercado: She's doing "Fever". Wow! She'll be using a chair -- "working it" and "walking around it". Oh dear. Ricky Minor is out there with a stand-up bass as well. The performance is all right, although like so much out of Syesha, it's painfully overacted. Sure enough, she briefly sits on the chair, then does some laps around it. Weird. I'm going to say right now, it was really cabaret. We'll see if Simon agrees. Randy calls it an interesting choice, but says she sang it amazingly well. Paula was surprised by the choice, and doesn't think it shows what Syesha is as an artist. Simon thinks she'll regret the decision tomorrow, because she had a chance to prove she's contemporary, but instead did a lame cabaret performance. YES! SIMON'S WITH ME!

David Cook: Instead of sitting on a silver stool with David, Seacrest is sitting on Syesha's prop chair like a big ol' toolbag. Cook's pick is "Switchfoot" -- is that the song name, or the band name? Ah, the song is "Dare You to Move". It's a modern rock ballad like every other modern rock ballad, all soft and then full of guitars and hoarse yelling at the chorus. He's not that dynamic on this one, and I'm meh on it. Randy calls it good, but a little pitchy. Paula wants more. Simon thinks it was as expected, and the song wasn't melodic.

Producer Selections

David Archuleta: Dan Fogelberg's "Longer". Ah, Fogelberg. One of his many songs that I love. Archuleta gives it his standard treatment of sparse backing music and big meaty man-voice. It's all right, but nothing exciting from him. Randy likes, Paula finds it lovely, Simon has criticism for the song choice, but thinks that David did his best with it. But it's a song for a 90-year-old.

Syesha Mercado: She's been tapped for "Hit Me Up". It's ... a terrible song. It sounds like she's pitchy, at times either sharp or flat. And the "skinny jeans" aren't doing her favors -- I think you need to be a size zero to pull those off. It's an ugly song, not very melodic, and despite the fast beat, it's boring. Randy can see her doing that kind of song, but it's just OK for him. Paula points out that it's from the "Happy Feet" soundtrack. She doesn't think it's the type of song that defines Syesha. Simon says it's better than the second song, but that she had her best moment last week with the Sam Cooke song. This one was forgettable, and didn't give her the defining moment she needs to stay around.

David Cook: The producers have given him "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing". He's surrounded by a half-circle of strings, and it's really weird. He sounds all right, with a couple of off-key notes here and there, but the strings are doing this weird staccato delivery that doesn't fit right at all. Plus, despite the fact that Aerosmith did a version, this song always sounds like a country song to me. Meh -- it's his least impressive performance of the night, but I think he's still bound for the finals. Randy says it was OK for him, but predictable. Paula loves it, and points out that schlockmeister Diane Warren is in the audience. I still haven't forgiven here for the theme to Enterprise. Simon tells Cook that he wins the night.

Recaps: Archuleta was wistful and soft, then all up-with-people, then wistful and soft. Syesha was an imitation of an R&B artist, then a stilted cabaret artist, then off-key and boring. Cook did wuss rock, then mod rock, then country rock.

I don't think there will be a bottom two this time. So I'm just going with Syesha for elimination.

Amazing Race Application Time!

Mon, 12 May 2008 17:20:06 GMT

They're currently accepting applications for The Amazing Race 14. Apps are due by May 28th.

There's actually an in-person casting call in Gainesville, Florida (a 2-hour drive from Orlando) next weekend -- but all of their slots are already full. SUCKS!

Coconut Cream Cheese Pie

Sat, 10 May 2008 17:09:24 GMT

Here's the recipe I created for coconut cream cheese pie. And it's delicious.

(I know, it looks like this pie is on a towel. We just have clear glass plates.)

This recipe makes two 9-inch pies. It can easily be halved to only make one pie, but what's the point? Make one for home, take one to work! And be warned -- this is not a creamy, fluffy pie. It's heavy and rich and dense, almost like a cheesecake in pie form.

I used a flaky pastry crust, although you could use a graham cracker crust or other pie crust if you like. I just prefer the flaky kind. There are tons of recipes out there; here's what I did:

Flaky Pie Crust
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (one 4-oz. stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (4 oz.) vegetable shortening
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
3-6 Tbsp. ice water

The butter and shortening should be cold. Cut them up into small pieces, then cut in the flour, salt and sugar using the pulse function on a food processor or a pastry cutter. I don't own either of those things, so I was resigned to using a fork. I don't recommend it, as it takes forever.

Mix until you have a bunch of little pearls of flour-coated fat sized somewhere between small peas and BBs. Thanks to the fork, in this picture below I'm nowhere near that stage yet. Then add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough JUST comes together. Wrap the ball of dough in plastic film, then store it in the fridge for at least an hour.

Coconut Cream Cheese Pie Filling

16 oz. (two small boxes) cream cheese
1/2 cup granulated sugar*
1 tsp. vanilla
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. corn starch
8 oz. canned coconut milk (I used "A Taste of Thai" brand)
8 oz. shredded, sweetened coconut flakes*

* if your coconut flakes are unsweetened, increase the sugar to 1 cup.

Pull your cream cheese out of the fridge and set it on the counter for 15 minutes or so. This will soften it up enough to work with. Put cream cheese and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl and mix until creamy (the sugar will help by acting like little bits of sandpaper, cutting the cheese apart).

Add the vanilla, eggs, corn starch and coconut milk. Mix again until smooth and creamy. Add the flaked coconut, and mix again until the coconut is fully combined.

Time to roll out the pie crust! Get the dough out of the fridge and divide in half. On a well-floured surface, roll out half of the dough into a rough circle. Carefully pick up the circle of dough and put it in your pie pan. Press the dough down gently into the corners and along the sides, then roll up or cut off the excess around the rim.

Pour the filling into the crust, around 3/4 of the way up the sides of the pan. This pie will rise a little bit, so be sure to not fill it all the way to the top.

Bake at 325° for 40-45 minutes, until the pie and the crust are golden brown. Take out the pie and let it cool on the counter for 30-60 minutes, then put it in the fridge to chill for 4-6 hours. Overnight is good, too. I put a paper towel over the top of the pie in the fridge, because we get a lot of fridge condensation here in Florida, and I didn't want any part of the pie to be soggy. If you're in a dry climate, you could cover it with plastic film (although a paper towel would be fine for you, too).

We cut this pie up in such a way that it'll make 12 pieces. It's very rich. But fear not, all 12 will be eaten quite soon.

Dagnabbit!

Sat, 10 May 2008 05:37:17 GMT

Gosh golly, I was going to rant about something here. But I spent so much time dicking around with my layout, I forgot what I was going to rant about.

This is why I have to write everything down. Curses!

American Idol 7 / Week 12 / Results

Thu, 08 May 2008 19:47:37 GMT

I don't think this came as a surprise to any of us. Both Davids were called out first, and plunked down on the couch. And out of the remaining two, Jason was indeed the obvious choice for elimination.

The kid was relieved -- he admitted that his inexperience was really hurting him, and that he wasn't looking forward to doing three songs next week. Which I guess will be (1) judges' choice, (2) contestant's choice, and (3) wild card -- either a previously done song, or a selection from a mentor.

We're still locked in a three-way tie for first. It's going to come down to a matter of sheer guesswork in choosing the correct David -- I suspect it'll be a close one.

Our Choices:
the_missy: Jason, Syesha / Jason (3/3)
pinwiz: Jason, Syesha / Jason (3/3)
muppetaphrodite: Jason, Syesha / Jason (3/3)

The Standings:
muppetaphrodite: 7
pinwiz: 7
the_missy: 7
cambler: 3
apartment_5: 0

Sally!

Thu, 08 May 2008 16:27:52 GMT

I wandered into our local Sally Beauty Supply for the first time yesterday.

WHY have I not been getting my haircolor needs from this joint?!?! They had a MUCH better variety of colors and brands than any drugstore. Yes, it's DIY haircolor -- you get a huge bottle of developer, instead of the individually portioned packages in the boxed stuff, and you have to measure and mix manually. But I'm OK with that.

I'm definitely shopping there the next time I need to color.

Help is on the way!

Thu, 08 May 2008 15:09:28 GMT

Scott's book is up on Amazon!

Help Is on the Way: A Collection of Basic Instructions

American Idol 7 / Week 12

Wed, 07 May 2008 02:18:30 GMT

It's the top four, and it's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame night.

I'm interrupting a great game of Pokemon Snap for this, so it better be good. Seacrest starts out by letting us know that three out of the four remaining contestants have held the number-one vote spot. The Davids I can see, but which of Jason or Syesha got the top votes?

We get a package that is an incredibly brief history of rock and roll, and of the museum dedicated to it. Then Seacrest lets us know that critiques will follow each performance (thank goodness for Paula's sake).

David Cook 1: Here I was hoping that Duran Duran would be represented, and my wish comes true right off the bat. He'll be doing "Hungry Like the Wolf", and I'm intrigued to see what he does with it. The answer? He doesn't change it up too much, just increases the tempo and sings it with his full-on grunge rock voice. It also sounds like he's a little behind the beat, and he mixes up his words at the very end. It's decent, but not an enthusiastic performance like he usually gives. Randy calls it OK and solid, but doesn't put it in the "mad hot vocals" category. Paula babbles and makes no sense. Simon agrees a bit with Randy, but calls it good enough.

Syesha Mercado 1: She's on the stools, and they speak of the tour -- she's looking forward to meeting all of her fans. She has fans? Her first song is "Proud Mary", which she tells us has been covered over 100 times. She starts all slow, with these grand fake-sexy moves (because she's actually about as sexy as cottage cheese). Then it gets all fast, and she does these horrible spins and a ton of hip wiggles as she shouts the song. It's like a drag rendition of a Tina Turner impression. But Randy thinks she's "in the zone" and Paula babbles lovingly. My hero Simon, however, calls it a "bad shrieky impersonation of Tina Turner", and once again he's in my good graces.

Jason Castro 1: He's doing "I Shot the Sheriff" ("Bob Marley, go figure," He shrugs). The performance is ... weird. He's straining his tiny boy-voice, and the cadence is all screwy, and it's not very melodic. Before Simon can say it, I'll say it: I just don't get it. Randy calls it really karaoke, and says there was nothing special. Then he says he didn't get it. Paula gives him kudos for performing to the audience, but then babbles about it being so-so. Simon tells him to stand back, then calls it utterly atrocious. Then he calls it a first round audition massacre. Very true.

David Archuleta 1: He's doing "Stand by Me". It's a song he sings in his room to himself. He delivers it with his usual style, and it's a decent performance as usual. He does charm the ladies in the front row with a line about "beautiful girls", so that's a nice touch. Though it's no sex-me eyes from Constantine Maroulis. Randy says he's the only one of the four who brought the hot mad vocals and put it on the line to win. Paula babbles about his age and improvement in the eye-communication department. Simon slams on Jason's previous performance, then opines that there was some struggling at the end. Then he declares it the best performance so far (which doesn't say much).

I miss Brooke White. In that I just want to see her cry.

David Cook 2: He's on the stools, and Seacrest comments that this should be Cook's element. But Cook is feeling weird, because of the very same reason. His second song is "Baba O'Riley", which I think is a fantastic fracking song. In his package, he says that the song has never been done on the show. Really? Due to time constraints, of course, we have to pass over all of the awesome opening. He launches into the verse at a very slow, mellow tempo that I don't mind. Then by the first "teenage wasteland" he gets into it with the big voice. Man, this is a hard song to cut down to a minute-plus. Randy likes it, it's more like the David Cook he knows and loves. Paula wants more, more, more. Simon welcomes him back.

Commercials: So You Think You Can Dance is right around the corner, and I couldn't be happier. Back from commercials, Seacrest points out Rascal Flats (I know there's a double letter in there somewhere, but I don't care) and I have to wonder, did they see this show first, or did they go perform on Dancing with the Stars first?

Syesha Mercado 2: Her second song is "A Change is Gonna Come". She's changed into a quite lovely gown, and starts out with a power note. then it gets kind of boring for a while, and maybe the bulk of the song is too low for her, but it sounds kind of tuneless and monotone for a while. Then she hits another power note at the end, but they just serve to bookend the boredom. Randy doesn't love this one as much as the first; he didn't like the arrangement of the music or the melody. Paula stands and claps, then babbles about change and dreams. Syesha starts crying (but not as prettily as Brooke). Simon says he has to be fair, then agrees with Paula. What? I guess I'm with Randy on this one. Her tears have rinsed off her makeup in weird ways -- man, that crap is caked on!

Jason Castro 2: He's doing Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man", and I have to say before starts, no cover will ever be as good as William Shatner's. He starts out all right, but then has a brain fart and forgets a line. He's real smooth, covering it with weird hums. The rest is uneventful, and I can't wait to hear what the judges say. Randy asks him what he thought, and just leaves it at "Jason's not in the zone tonight". Paula babbles with her backhanded compliments. Simon tells him to pack his suitcase.

David Archuleta 2: He's singing "Love Me Tender". He wasn't familiar with the song, but he's excited to sing a love song on the big stage. He's sitting out there on a stool with just the big piano behind him, and it's actually pretty good. He hips it up just enough, but retains much of the original melody. It's not as cheesy boy-band as his usual stuff, and I like that -- he takes his time and really savors the song. Definitely this is the best song of the night. Randy likes the tenderness, and how he caressed each word. It's one of Paula's favorite Archuleta performances. Simon tells him he didn't beat the competition tonight -- he crushed it. Yes.

Recaps: Cook gave a slight rock treatment to Duran, then did a decent job with Baba. Syesha did her big fake showy Tina Turner impression, then bored me. Jason mangled Marley, then forgot Dylan. Archuleta started out all right, but then kicked the show's ass at the end.

I have a feeling we'll have many of the same predictions this week. Jason and Syesha are definitely the bottom two, and hopefully America won't be stupid and put through someone who sucked. I'm sending Jason home.

Uke!

Tue, 06 May 2008 19:51:33 GMT

All right, this is the last picture post ... for now.

I got a new ukulele! It's a Johnson UK-120, which is a step up from my previous super-cheap uke. Although it's still not a high-quality instrument by any means. But it got great reviews for the price point, and it has decent sound.

Project Sourdough - Sourdough Bagels

Tue, 06 May 2008 19:46:06 GMT

I have the starter, so I figured, why not try bagels? How hard can it be?

I mixed the dough the day before, then stuck it in the fridge while I went to work. I took it out of the fridge the next morning to let the rising process commence. I let it rise twice, punching it down when it reached around double its original size. Punching dough is highly theraputic.

After the second punch, I kneaded the dough on a floured surface until it was smooth again. Then I divided it up into pieces and made bagel shapes. There are two ways to make them -- roll out a long snake and connect the ends, or create a flat disc and poke a hole in the middle, then manhandling it until it's the right shape and size. I tried both methods, and there was really no difference in the end product.

The key to bagels (and soft pretzels as well) is to boil the dough. This recipe calls for a 3-minute boil for each bagel.

After they're done boiling, they're kind of pale and sticky and slimy. Not the most appealing thing in the world.

But after they're baked, that slimy exterior turns into a great crust. And the inside was dense and chewy and delicious, with just enough sourdough flavor.

Recipe:

1 cup sourdough starter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp. salt
2-1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour.

Mix ingredients, knead, roll into a ball and put in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.

Allow dough to rise twice, punching down after each rise.

Remove from bowl, knead lightly, divide into 4-8 pieces (depending on whether you want regular sized bagels or mini-bagels). Form dough into rings by either rolling out a snake of dough and connecting the ends (pressing and rolling the ends together to seal well) or pulling dough into a disc and poking a hole in the center.

Boil bagels in a large pan of boiling water for 3 minutes each.

Bake at 450° for 15-20 minutes, until bagels are golden brown.

Pie Festival

Tue, 06 May 2008 19:34:16 GMT

Finally, I'm catching up on downloading pictures from my camera. We went to the Great American Pie Festival last month, held in beautiful Celebration, Florida.

The approach to the pie festival was lined on both sides with cruddy craft booths. Then as we got closer to the pie, we started to see the strange stuff, like this incredibly tall baker. It must be weird to be a stilt walker -- you never know what kind of jobs will come your way.

There were other characters there for photo opportunties, from a California raisin to this poor sap in an inflatable Pillsbury Dough Boy costume. Not only would it be hellish inside that costume on a hot, sunny day, but I bet he/she gets poked in the gut a LOT.

There was a crappy 3-piece steel drum band in the pie buffet area, going by the name "The Pie Boys". I bet no matter what gig they get, they rename the band something to suit the occasion. Such integrity. They truly sounded terrible, so I hope they were cheap.

There were probably 15 or 20 booths, most of which had stacks and stacks of pie slices. (A couple of booths concentrated on beverages, like the nice people from the milk company.)

We started with coconut cream and pecan pies. Both yummy.

Of course, I had to have apple pie with vanilla ice cream. This slice came from the Publix supermarket booth, and it was actually pretty darned good. As was their house-brand ice cream.

It wasn't as fancy as I'd hoped at the pie buffet -- kind of ramshackle and loosey-goosey, actually. And there weren't near enough tables and chairs for people to eat pie at. There was a little playground off to the right, which was the destination of the running kid.

I know the clip-art cup is replacing the "I" in drinks, but I swear to dickens, it looks like "drunks" to me.

Big Fun!

Sun, 04 May 2008 21:19:21 GMT

We went out to Disney's Hollywood Studios today to ride the newest ride, Toy Story Midway Mania. (It's cast preview this weekend; the attraction is open to guests May 31st.)

Some people don't like it, some people do. Me, I found it to be awesome fun. It was similar in style to the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin ride, but with 3-D glasses. I scored 111,000 points and made what Destructo refers to as my "happy monkey noise" when it was done. All in all, a delightful ride in a park that needs more rides.

We then had lunch at the Sci-Fi Dine-In theater, where you sit and eat in big fake cars in the dark, watching old 50s B-movie trailers on the big screen. The food was good (especially the BLT soup), but our waiter was irritating and inattentive. Which makes my Disney-lovin' heart heave a big sigh.

I napped for too long this afternoon, and now I'm groggy. Hopefully a shower will perk me up.

American Idol 7 / Week 11 / Results

Thu, 01 May 2008 19:05:18 GMT

I find myself caring less and less each week. Which is sad.

There's a lot of fast-forwarding, as usual. Seacrest comments about the "rumors" about Paula, says they're not true, then lets us all know that she's part of the AI family. What? I had to go Google the gossip. And while I listened to the judges' comments, I've grown so accustomed to ignoring the crap that comes out of Paula's mouth, I didn't notice that she judged BOTH of Jason's performances after he'd only sung once.

Jason Castro is safe. So is Archuleta.

We get a preview of So You Think You Can Dance, which is awesome. That dude who goes by "Sex" is back again! Then Seacrest shows us Nigel Lythgoe, who has a cast on his arm. Hm!

David Cook is safe, of course. It'll probably be a David-on-David finale this year.

It's down to the girls as the bottom two. They get to go have a seat and rest for a while. We get performances from Natasha Bedinfield (I probably spelled that wrong, and don't care enough to look it up), who gets kissy on Archuleta. Then it's time for phone questions, which I FF through. The Ford commercial is all green hippy trippy crappy. Neil Diamond sings a new song and tells the contestants to never ever ever give up.

And finally, results time. A moment of tension, with Brooke already starting to cry, then she finds out she's going home. Which none of us picked. And they're going to make her sing even though she's crying her face off. The other Idols gather behind her, with Cook, Syesha and Jason in a semicircle, and Archuleta hiding behind them. What the hey?

That gives a point to me and cambler, and now we have a three-way tie for first! An awesome level of tension going into the final four.

Our Picks:
the_missy: Syesha, Brooke / Syesha (2/3)
cambler: Syesha, Brooke / Syesha (2/3)
muppetaphrodite: Syesha, Jason / Syesha (1/3)
apartment_5: Syesha, Jason / Syesha (1/3)
honeywest: Syesha, Jason / Syesha (1/3)
pinwiz: Syesha, Jason / Syesha (1/3)

The Standings:
muppetaphrodite: 6
pinwiz: 6
the_missy: 6
cambler: 3
apartment_5: 0

Cheap Ice Cream!

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 22:57:16 GMT

It's not too late in any time zone! Today is 31¢ scoop night at Baskin-Robbins. From 5pm-10pm, you can get a single scoop cup or cone for 31¢!

We just had some scoops ... and are calling it "dinner". So naughty!

American Idol 7 / Week 11

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:42:29 GMT

Neil Diamond week, eh? All right, let's get to it.

Due to a flawed experiment, I'll be brief this week. I tried to transfer the show to my computer via "TiVo Desktop". It transferred all right, but without any sound ... which kind of blows the point of AI. Maybe it's my Windows Media Player settings. Sure looks great in HD on my monitor, though. So that's two hours of transfer time wasted. It's now 1 in the morning, and I have a lunch date tomorrow, so I'll have to watch now. This will be heavy on the fast-forward button.

You should know going in that Neil Diamond is tied with me for most concerts attended, at three. He's tied with Sting and Duran Duran ... and I saw all three of the Neil Diamond concerts before age 12. My parents were big fans. So I'll likely know all of these tunes. This week everyone will sing twice, with brief comments from the judges after the first five songs, then more in-depth commentary after everyone's second song. And Simon's brief comments are fabulous.

Jason Castro: He's doing "Forever in Blue Jeans", and it starts out really low. Too low. It's then his usual wistful delivery with strummy guitars. Nothing surprising, nothing amazing. I love the kid (except his hair), but he's getting tiresome.

Song 2: For his second tune, he's sitting on the stool with no instrument, and he's tackling "September Morn". It's in a weird key, and sounds vaguely off for the first half (although Jason and the band are equally off, so it may just be me and how this key strikes me). He seems like he kind of doesn't care through this one, and it's very bland.

Randy isn't thrilled, Paula feels like the songs were the same, Simon doesn't care for any of it.

David Cook: Blah blah Coke stools. He's starting with "I'm Alive", a lesser-known Diamond. He's singing while playing his "AC" lefty guitar. He rocks it up somewhat, but it still sounds very much like a Neil Diamond song. Is it the chord progression? Or has he not changed it quite enough? Anyhoo, it's not changed quite enough for my tastes.

Song 2: Number two is "All I Really Need Is You", and he's playing an acoustic guitar for this one. It doesn't feel as Neil Diamondy, which is nice. But the arrangement is heavy on the electric guitar from the band, so his acoustic seems weird. It's a good interpretation, though, and I think he did well for the night.

Randy claims that he's a huge David Cook fan due to his rocking of the house. Paula is proud and such. Simon calls the first song OK, and the second one brilliant.

Brooke White: She's starting with "I'm a Believer" while playing the guitar -- she'll hit the piano later. It's too low, as most of their arrangements seem to be. but her silver lamé pants make her legs look ten miles long. Paula's standing and dancing. It's peppier than Brooke's usual selections, which is a nice change -- this one won't make her cry. But it isn't that exciting.

Song 2: She starts on the stools, and Seacrest points out lyrics written on her hand. She's singing "I Am, I Said". She gives the song her classic Brooke-with-piano treatment, and makes it sound like a Carly Simon tune. Again, good but not thrilling.

Randy comments that the second tune is musically challenging, and she did it well. Paula preferred the second, with the vulnerability. Simon hates the first song, calling it a nightmare; the second is "the Brooke we like" -- not incredible, but better than the first.

David Archuleta: He's tackling big hits tonight, starting with "Sweet Caroline". He doesn't change it up much, and so it's like the original but done with his clear little miracle voice. We even have the horns section blatting away behind him. And it ends terribly, as so many of the AI arrangements do. But it's a normal performance for little Dave.

Song 2: Big hit number two is "America". In my opinion, terrible song choice. It feels very over-enunciated and his voice just doesn't suit the style of the song. But I'm sure the jingoists and flag-wavers will love the crap out of it. And hell, probably the judges will too.

Randy says he's in the zone -- another good performance. Paula calls it the absolute perfect song for him to sing (ugh). Simon calls it a smart choice (yeah, just as smart as KLC doing "God Bless the USA"). They all love it. Ick.

Syesha Mercado: First up is "Hello Again", so she's getting the heavy ballad out of the way early. Smart girl. She's barefoot and sitting on the stairs, like she's been taking dirty hippie lessons from Brooke. She sounds totally Broadway in this performance, and the ending sucks huge ostrich eggs -- it goes soft when it should go strong. And as usual, nothing shocking or unusual here.

Song 2: Closing the night, she's doing "Thank the Lord for the Night Time". It feels totally dated; there's nothing modern at all about this arrangement. And it's not a style of song that I really like, so I'm not a fan. But she does a good enough job with it, I suppose.

Randy loves it, and tells her she's finally finding who she is. Paula enjoyed the two different sides, the vulnerable and the showy performer. Simon calls it the strangest show they've ever done (true dat, Cowell) and compliments Syesha's acting before telling her she might be in trouble tonight.

Recaps: Jason was sweet and cute and blah. Then he was maudlin and cute and blah. Cook rocked as per usual, then rocked a little bit more. Brooke was bubbly and karaoke with very long legs. Then she got all weepy at the piano, like she always does. Archuleta turned in the exact same physical performance on two different huge, hardly-rearranged hits. And Syesha was boring with a slow song, then boring with an upbeat song.

Two choices for bottom two this week, with one of them targeted for elimination, for a total of three possible points. Which is tough, since there are three who could be in the bottom. And their names are all not David. I guess I'll go with Brooke and Syesha, guessing that the tween girls will keep Jason in the running despite a sub-par performance. And I'll send Syesha home.

Ah, Weekend

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:26:32 GMT

Huzzah for my weekend! Two luxurious nights off. Destructo is re-drawing for his own days off today (they do it twice a year where he is; we only draw once a year) so hopefully in a couple of weeks our schedules will mesh again.

I need to figure out a good audition song -- all I need is 16 bars. They're having a general call for one of the big musical shows on property, and I figured what the hell. It never hurts to try out, and there are sure to be lulz.

I have many pictures of things to post for you guys; I've just been lazy. Maybe I'll get around to it today.

American Idol 7 / Week 10 / Results

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:53:22 GMT

Oh noes, this week we're only getting a bottom two instead of a bottom three. Oh well, better odds for all of us, I guess.

The kids do a hideous rendition of "All I Ask of You", Seacrest grills ALW with some awful questions, and the Ford commercial is a weird rip-off of the "Take on Me" concept to the song "Tainted Love", and a couple of the kids look really surprisingly good in the goth toughie gear.

Time for Seacrest to play sorting hat, and divvy the kids up. First out are both Davids, who are of course both incredibly safe. Although Seacrest spends about eight years asking them questions and making them wait before they can go sit the hell down on the couch. Seacrest then speaks of the kids left backstage, and we catch Jason Castro in a huge yawn. Ha!

We get a package about former Idols on Broadway. Tamyra is in Rent, Clay Aiken is in Spamalot. And Clay Aiken's hair is just awful.

Now, how about a performance from Simon's discovery, Leona Lewis. I've read about her in the entertainment rags, but I haven't yet heard her sing. 30 seconds is about enough -- not the kind of music I'm interested in listening to, although I guess she does bubblegum pop well enough.

Back to the sorting of the kids! Next out are Syesha and Brooke. After more of the blah-blah, Brooke is told she's safe. Syesha heads over to the stools. We take a commercial break, then get the last two out -- Carly and Jason. More of the blah-blah, and it's Carly to the stools -- Jason is safe.

Our bottom two get to sing their songs again. I've said it before -- if they're the bottom two, do we really want to hear those most unpopular songs again? Carly shrieks her way through "Superstar" again, and Syesha hits way more flat notes with "One Rock and Roll Too Many" than she did the night before. But she injects just as much phony emotion.

Seacrest draws the suspense out a little bit, then reveals that it's Carly going home. Exactly as she's wanted to for the last few weeks.

I'm amazed -- we were mostly leaning toward Brooke and Jason, so it's my ongoing dislike of Carly and Syesha that gave me the top spot for the week!

Our Picks:
the_missy: Carly, Syesha, Brooke / Brooke (2/4)
pinwiz: Syesha, Brooke, Jason / Brooke (1/4)
muppetaphrodite: Jason, Brooke, Archuleta / Brooke (0/4)
apartment_5: Syesha, Brooke, Jason / Jason (1/4)
cambler: (no picks this week)

The Standings:
muppetaphrodite: 6
pinwiz: 6
the_missy: 5
cambler: 2
apartment_5: 0

American Idol 7 / Week 10

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:50:31 GMT

We just got done watching some of the 2004 show Long Way Round. What a fantastic few hours of television that was. And now, I can hit Idol commercial-free!

It's the music of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber! I've been waiting for this week, and I'm sad that it's only 6 songs. I can guarantee you I'll know all of these songs, so I finally feel somewhat adequate to judge these performances from a place of song familiarity.

In the audience tonight, the still-beautiful David Duchovny! And ... some other people. There's a little green FOX logo in the corner for Earth Day. The band has increased to an orchestra, and they're down on the stage tonight.

We get a package about ALW and see the kids visiting the theater where Phantom is being performed in Las Vegas at the Venetian. Is that a permanent show? If so, cool. He mentions that he's been doing TV shows back in Britain, helping young people perform. I've seen snippetas of a couple of them -- like that crappy Grease show here in the US, he's done shows over there for a couple of roles in musicals, such as How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? (Which, BTW, had John Barrowman as a host/judge/mentor. Swoon!)

Syesha Mercado: She's doing "One Rock and Roll Too Many", and I can tell you immediately that it's from Starlight Express. An intriguing choice. We start off with a close-up of her left hand, which has what looks like an engagement ring on it. Did she get engaged recently, just like KLC did? Did it happen on the AI stage, and we missed it, just like with KLC? Anyhoo, she starts the song at least one measure off, and despite her claims to ALW that she was going to do it "animated", she starts out drab and boring and uninteresting. And she forgets a couple of words in the second line. She wanders around and dances some with Ricky Minor, then stands with her hand on her hip a little bit. She misses a huge chance to get the audience to cheer with the "what do you say" lines. I'm totally disappointed with the performance -- even with such a frivolous song, it could have been so much more. Randy feels that it's her element, and that it's her best performance to date. Paula tells her she was "real good". Simon calls it "very sexy" and agrees with Randy, and says she showed "masses of personality". I disagree.

Jason Castro: He's on the stools to start. May I predict now, something from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat? He seems the type. He admits he's never seen any of the ALW shows, but he recognizes many of the songs. Whoa, he's doing "Memory"? Jason, honey, you're no Grizabella the Glamour Cat. ALW can't imagine it done by a young man, so let's see what happens. He sings it accurately, but he's throwing way too much phony-feeling emotion into it, including squints and grimaces. It's like he took over Michael Johns' creepy mouth-shapes. Randy calls it a trainwreck, and thinks there's too much melody for Jason. Paula calls it a wise choice, even though everybody expects an older woman to sing it. She thinks that this performance will draw people because it's so "unique". Simon calls it the longest two minutes of his life. He compares it to being forced by one's mum and dad to sing a song at a wedding.

Brooke White: She's looking very Legally Blonde in her pink top, and she's tackling "You Must Love Me", the song written for the movie version of Evita. ALW says he doesn't think she had a clue about what she was singing. So he walks her through the story, and now that she knows the background, I'm sure she'll bawl her eyes out when she sings. She screws up on the second line, and asks the band to start again. It's the second time she's done that, and I think, the second time it's ever happened on this show. They all reboot, and she carries on with getting the words right. It's all right, but it's nothing earth-shattering. It's weird to say that Madonna did it much better. Randy says it wasn't great for him, but likes that she listened to ALW and understood the emotions. Paula pauses for a long while, then tells her to NEVER start and stop. But she does love that Brooke didn't overact (which makes me glare at the previous two, who both did). Simon loves live TV, because the reboot was so dramatic, and it made her so uptight and tense. Seacrest asks about the do-ver, and Simon calls the restart brave, and says he would have done the same thing. Then the judges bicker about stopping and starting (and Paula seems to think Brooke should just have made up words to approximate what she felt until she remembered the words again).

David Archuleta: The kid starts on the stools, and gets to meet a bunch of sisters who all want to hug him. He's going to sing "Think of Me", another song choice that seems to both horrify and delight ALW, since it's written for a high soprano diva. He totally throws ALW with his rendition, which seems like it may be an almost David Cook-grade rewrite. ALW says bravo, and his big advice is that David needs to keep his eyes open. He totally turns the song into a boy-pop ballad, and it totally works. It's fantastic, and if the judges say different, I'll punch them in the ass. I can't say much more than that. We see David's dad in the audience, and the guy looks like a less hagged-out Danny Bonaduce. We see ALW, who appears to be pissed and applauding out of duty. Randy calls it the bomb. Paula calls it absolutely perfect. Simon calls it pleasant, but one of his weakest performances, and nothing that people will remember. All right, Simon, bend over for the ass-punch.

Carly Smithson: Ah, good, I was hoping Cook would get the headliner spot. Carly started with "All I Ask of You", but ALW cut her off, correctly noting that's not a good song for a belter. (Plus, the first line had too many hard R sounds for her.) She then switches to "Superstar", which is much more appropriate for her. She says the song has her written all over it, which I expect to be inaccurate. She's wearing an ill-fitting minidress, which is distracting. She also can't or won't hit the highest note in the chorus, which always ticks me off. You'd think I'd like this quirky girl with her Enigma husband, but she just leaves me SO cold. Her name might as well be Meh. Randy calls it good, but maybe not her best. Paula loves it because it was unexpected, and worried that it might be too high in range, but loves "what she did" (what, struggle and fail to hit the good notes?) in the chorus. Simon calls it one of his favorites of the night, and it becomes clear to me that Simon and I are totally on different pages this week.

David Cook: He's going to do "Music of the Night", and he grew up doing musical theater. Really? ALW hopes that David can come out of himself and find that mature passion that he needs to pull off this song, but his "maybe it will work" doesn't speak of confidence. He's wearing his hair brushed to the side, and appears to have embraced his big-ass forehead. He sings it softly and beautifully, and hits some great notes throughout (and an especially nice one at the end). He's no Michael Crawford, but he kicks Gerard Butler's ass. I notice that he's wearing a red rubber support bracelet, and I hope that it's a Stephen Colbert WristStrong bracelet. Randy tells him it was amazing, unbelievable, and "another hot molten hot lava bolt tonight." Paula calls him well-rounded, and the song fantastic. Simon doesn't like this side of David, prefers the grittier raw side, but says he made the most of the song.

Recaps: Syesha put on a big fake show of fakery, and they show a flat note I didn't notice the first time through. Jason's a big pansy boy, but I think he's adorable. Brooke sang to a fixed point above the audience's heads off to my right. Archuleta reworked his song brilliantly. Carly bores the crap out of me no matter what she does. Cook played his song straight, and did a surprisingly great job with it.

Both Davids are totally safe, which means I only have one more safety spot to issue. I'm going with Syesha and Carly and Brooke for the bottom. Much as I'd like to see Carly go, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it's bye-bye for Brooke because of her big whoopsie moment. You know what, it wouldn't surprise me if it's Jason in the B3 instead of Syesha, but I have to go with who bores me or irritates me more.

LOL UKE

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:15:24 GMT

In looking at ukuleles this evening, I came across the banjolele.

I'm totally in love already.

American Idol 7 / Week 9 / Results

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:21:06 GMT

Ah, it's the good ol' split groups. On one side, Syesha, Carly and Jason. On the other side, Kristy, David Cook and Brooke. And poor little David Archuleta is, I'm sure, going to be asked to voluntarily join the group he thinks is the top three. But we won't get to see that awkwardness until after some of the insipid viewer questions and a Mariah Carey performance.

Archuleta is safe, of course. Then Seacrest has David Cook switch with Syesha, and I have to wonder if he screwed up when sending the kids to their proper sides. He then, as we all knew he would, tells Archuleta to join the safe group. Seacrest finally brings the safe group over -- David Cook, Carly and Jason. Carly seems to give Seacrest a "shut up" and a punch.

Next week is Andrew Lloyd Webber week. Sweet.

Bottom three is all chicks -- Kristy, Syesha and Brooke. The lack of Carly is really a surprise. Syesha is sent back to safety first, then it's blonde-on-blonde. And finally, thank goodness, the planets align and Kristy Lee Cook will be leaving the competition.

Our Picks:
the_missy: Kristy, Syesha, Carly / Carly (2/4)
pinwiz: Kristy, Carly, Brooke / Carly (2/4)
cambler: Kristy, Carly, Brooke / Brooke (2/4)
muppetaphrodite: Kristy, Carly, Syesha / Syesha (2/4)

We all tied this week, so we all get a point.

The Standings:
muppetaphrodite: 6
pinwiz: 6
the_missy: 4
cambler: 2

Line Items

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:33:08 GMT

We got the new tabs for our cars and the scooter today. Here in Florida, your vehicle registration is tied to your birthday, so it's harder to forget. Tabs for the year for two cars and one scooter: 90 bucks. Yay, Florida!

Tonight we're going out for my big birthday dinner, as part of the celebration of the fortnight surrounding my birthday. We're going to Texas de Brazil, the Brazilian steakhouse we've both come to love. We've been emailing the word "meat" to each other all day.

I finally joined the masses and got a bluetooth headset for my phone. It was $19 on clearance at Staples, and it matches my phone. I promise, however, to not walk around with it stuck in my ear all the time -- I'll only wear it when involved in an actual phone call.

I discovered that WDW has a shockingly great discount for cast members on its golf courses. It's good enough to make me consider taking up golf. At any rate, I let my golfing parents know about it, so I'm sure they'll want to hit the links when they next visit.

Yesterday I had some Voyant chai cream liqueur. All the nom of chai, with the gentle kick of a low-proof alcohol. Awesome.

For bdonornot: today's sandwich was on a homemade sourdough roll, and included havarti cheese, smoked turkey, mustard, mayo, red onion, dill pickle, lettuce and fresh cracked pepper.

Economic Stimulus

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:08:10 GMT

Others have posted the link (I got it from retardomantaban) but here it is if you haven't seen it yet:

IRS Stimulus Payment Schedule

Curses, I'm the primary filer and my SSN ends in the 76-99 category. Guess we'll wait until the third group of direct deposit recipients. Then it'll be time to book flights to Disneyland!

American Idol 7 / Week 9

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:10:16 GMT

I still haven't watched the "Idol Gives Back" show. It's sitting on the TiVo, crying.

They show the top seven, and I'm like, "That's right, Kristy Lee Cook is still there." A couple of coworkers have commented that they hate Brooke White. It's always fascinating to see who hates who.

Our mentor tonight is Mariah Carey, so we get a horrifying package showing off the utter crap she produces. Oh, can you tell my opinion of Mariah Carey? I was hoping it would be Andrew Lloyd Webber week, but I guess I'll just have to wait for that. And suffer this week. I expect to know a couple of the songs, but not all of them.

David Archuleta: Is he sick? Or hitting late puberty? His voice sounds really low and weird in his interview package. He's singing "If You Believe" from The Prince of Egypt. He gets the backup singers right down on stage with him, and he's wearing what look like leather pants. He sounds exactly as we'd expect him to, and it's a decent but entirely unsurprising performance. Randy tells him he can sing anything, and calls him "da bomb". Paula babbles about making Mariah proud, and Simon knew that this would be David's song choice.

Let me make an aside here. I think that almost all of these kids are entirely too predictable at this point. We know just how they're going to sound, and what kind of arrangements they're going to do. It makes me yearn for surprises, like when Kelly Clarkson kicked the crap out of "Stuff Like That There" during big band week in season 1. I want to see and hear something I've never heard out of these guys, and I want to love it. But I don't think it's going to happen.

Carly Smithson: She's on the interview stools, mourning the loss of Michael Johns. She'll be singing "Without You", which for me is Harry Nilsson, not Mariah Carey. Will she load it with fake emotion, belt it, and appear angry? Let's see! She starts out too low, and then has to go up when she should go lower. It mucks with the melody, and not in a good way. She's had to make a lot of changes to make up for her limited range. But she's belting, and she seems angry. although she smiles at the end, as if to make up for her angry delivery. Randy likes that she challenged herself, but didn't care for the lower range stuff at the start. Paula admires that she used vocal restraint (what?) and Simon doesn't think she pulled it off.

Syesha Mercado: She's doing "Vanishing", a title I don't recognize but a melody I do. She's singing with the pianist on stage (as did Carly), but it isn't until now that I notice the pianist's little braided beard. What is he, Captain Jack Sparrow? Or a Pharoah? Hey, that rhymed. Her performance, like the others so far, is entirely predictable -- belting out strong notes, with an occasional dud in the bunch, sounding like she always does. Randy thinks she did a good job, it was a hard song, a couple of pitchy moments but good job. Paula calls her smart, for "picking a song that not very many people know". Really, Paula? If *I* know it, then it's not that obscure. I don't go around looking for Mariah Carey B-sides. Simon agrees that it was a tough choice, because not many people know about the song. What? I'm terribly confused. Do any of you NOT know this song?

Brooke White: She's on the interview stools. She missed her sister's wedding on Saturday, and they tried to get a cardboard cutout of her ... but didn't. Dull. She's performing "Hero", and let's all expect it to be soulful and sweet and so infused with emotion that she cries. She's playing the piano without any other backing instruments. It's soft and gentle, then she rips into the bridge pretty well, then it's back to being soft, and you can really see that she's shaking and quaking and barely keeping it together. As with everyone else, it's what we expected to see. But she did well with it. Randy likes it for the most part, although the bridge was weird for him. Paula thinks her brave. Simon compares it to ordering a hamburger and only getting the bun. This launches a huge argument about the location of the meat, and the presence or non-presence of condiments, and it makes me want to punch every single judge in the ass.

Kristy Lee Cook: She's doing "Forever", a song that Mariah admits is not well-known. Kristy's going to try to get emotionally connected to the song, or so she says. I predict an emotionless performance where the words hold no meaning, and she sings like a mannequin. I would predict being off-key, but she hasn't been as awful lately. Oh, and I'll go ahead and predict some inappropriate country twang. Ready, go. There's the soullessness. There's the twang! Oh, there are some sour notes! There's fake emotion -- honey, shaking your head doesn't mean emotion. Bo-ring. Randy didn't think it was amazing, there were pitchy notes ... but she stepped up toward the end. Paula babbles nonsense, the only comprehensible thing being that she was blown away. Simon calls it whiny at times, and thinks she did well with the Mariah cards she was dealt, but he wasn't dazzled by it.

David Cook: He surprised Mariah by picking "You'll Always Be My Baby". It appears he's making it more folk-rock-ish. I predict he'll throw it into another key, and make it sound like a grunge song from the 90s. Off he goes -- it doesn't sound like a Mariah Carey song, which is awesome. The grunge sound is there, but softer. The background singers kick in, and it sucks briefly. But when he sings it alone, it's quite good. Randy stands up for the first time this season. Paula thinks it could be "in a movie soundtrack right now". What an odd observation. Simon comes out of "karaoke hell" and finds David a breath of fresh air. David seems genuinely touched and delighted by the praise. He actually has tears in his eyes. Aww.

Jason Castro: Will he sing sweetly, and play the guitar? He's doing "I Don't Want to Cry". Do I know this one? Unsure. Oh noes, he's not playing the guitar! But he's sitting on his little stool. He's actually singing more powerfully than usual (although it's a wispy power at best) and doing quite well. Not quite as awesome as Cook, but a very good performance of what was probably a craptacular song. Randy didn't really love it, he felt like he was at a beach luau. Paula wants to be at that luau ... all night long. Simon agrees with Paula, although he apparently doesn't know what a luau is. He also believes the guys won the night.

Recaps. Archuleta was the usual helping of young earnestness. Carly belted and looked mad. Syesha was the closest to just copying Mariah. Brooke got all weepy again. Kristy sounded like she was singing "Unchained Melody" at a karaoke bar, and has no soul. David Cook rocked the pants off of his song. Jason was beautiful and harmless and made scores of 10-year-old girls squeal.

Tough choices again. I'm going to put Kristy in the bottom three, because it's my personal obsession. I'll add in Syesha for not changing up her song enough, and Carly because she seems to not be a huge audience favorite. I'll change from my usual KLC prediction for elimination, though ... I'm picking Carly this week, because she really seems to be giving off the stench of not wanting to be there anymore.