Awesome of the week

A couple things I saw on the interwebs during the last week that I thought were kind of awesome ...

29 Parents Who Are Clearly Way Better At Texting
Than Their Kids

And this. A brief look at this gal's YouTube channel shows she's got some real talent ...

Spike Lee Previews 'Michael Jackson: Bad25' With Trailer

Well, this is now on my calendar. ...

Charming covers

I wouldn't call myself a huge fan of The Civil Wars. ...

But I'm a big fan of Joy Williams. I think "Charmed Life" is a great, great song. Plus she's adorable.

I just stumbled onto Williams and John Paul White performing these Michael Jackson covers. And I'm mesmerized.

Music & TV bits

So how about those American Music Awards on Sunday night?

I would have been a little upset if Michael Jackson won the Artist of the Year award. I mean, I love MJ and all; he's a legend. But, seriously, what did the guy do this year besides die an untimely death – ok, and star in a pretty swell documentary? ... Taylor Swift was far more deserving of the award, and I was glad she got it, even if it meant watching her gush, "Thank you sooooo much!" one more time.

The performances? … eh.

Janet Jackson’s opener was good – but it was just a run-of-the-mill medley of her hits … The Black Eyed Peas were good – but we’ve been watching them perform the same songs on every thing from Oprah to Saturday Night Live for months …

I couldn’t care less about Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Shakira. And I wasn’t even paying attention when Jennifer Lopez fell.

My favorite performance – easily – was Alicia Keys and Jay-Z doing “Empire State of Mind.”



Oh yeah. And then there was that Adam Lambert performance everybody’s talking about …

I watched the act from bed, and regret that his performance was the last image I saw before going to sleep. Ugh. … I thought Lambert’s singing – more accurately it was screaming – was awful, and it lowered my desire to get his debut disc even farther.

The other stuff Lambert did … All I could think was Wow. How are they able to show this on TV?

Some other reads ...
a Best & Worst: American Music Awards 2009
a The audacity of hype
a Television: Two standards, or too racy?

* * *

Here, Jason Segal of "How I Met Your Mother" teams up with The Swell Season ... Pretty sweet.

* * *

The TV season is in full swing now, and at the close of November sweeps we’ve landed just about where I predicted …

“Hank,” “FlashForward,” and “The Middle” are have all been demoted from our DVR.

“Cougar Town” is losing its luster.

“Accidentally on Purpose,” “Modern Family” and “Glee” have become the mainstays for new shows … Right next to the rest of CBS’s Monday night lineup, “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” “The Office,” “30 Rock” and “Grey’s Anatomy” – and come January, “Lost” and (gulp) “American Idol.”

And, surprisingly, “NCIS: Los Angeles.” … Traditionally, I can’t stand to watch any television shows having to do with crime. “CSI,” “Law & Order,” “The Mentalist” – they make me crazy … But I’ve got an old friend on NCIS this season: Adam Jamal Craig. To see him doing his thing on network television and working with such a talented cast has become one of the highlights of my Tuesday nights.

Go Adam.

* * *

This American Express commercial is one of the most beautiful things I've seen ...

This Is It

So I saw "Michael Jackson: This Is It" this afternoon. ... I'd been looking for a good time to see it since it hit theaters last week, and today was my best shot. I took off straight from work for a 12:30 showing ...

It's been so long since I've seen a movie in a theater, I was looking for a seat belt when I took my seat. After the usual pre-show trailers, I buckled down for the show ...

(... About the trailers, nothing extremely enticing. Although there was a semi-interesting one for a Hugh Grant/Sarah Jessica Parker romantic comedy, "Did You Hear About the Morgans?" ... The film depicts an estranged couple who gets moved to rural Wyoming as part of a witness-relocation program. In one funny bit, a woman dressed as a hunter steps out and cocks a shotgun, to which Sarah Jessica Parker's character deadpans, "Oh my God, it's Sarah Palin." I'm willing to bet, though, that it's your everyday Hugh Grant flick and all the truly funny moments went into that trailer.)

A lump settled in my throat during the opening scroll of "This Is It."... Man, I hope this is good. Please don't let this make me cringe, I thought.

But the moment the beat started popping for "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," a smile broke over my face. My foot started tapping and it barely stopped the rest of the way.

I'd read a few reviews of the film, but I still wasn't sure what to expect today. I knew the film was taken from footage of tour rehearsals, but I wasn't sure whether to expect a concert-style film loaded with Michael and company performing whole songs in full costume just as they would have in their London shows -- only without the screaming fans. Or would the film be a giant montage of footage, music bits and interviews cobbled together in a timeline to his June death?

Actually, it turned out to be everything I had imagined and hoped it would be: The perfect balance of Michael and company performing entire songs mixed with backstage footage of the planning, technical work, teaching moments and preparation that was going into the shows.

The whole film shows Jackson in a way the public has rarely, if ever, seen him. From moments of him tutoring his young dancers to encouraging a guitarist to sieze "her moment" on one of her solos, to critiquing his backing musicians. The film shows an extremely human and caring side of Michael Jackson, but it also shows the creative psyche of a man who was in charge, precise and determined to be the best on every turn of his shows.

He knew exactly what he wanted and he wasn't afraid to let director Kenny Ortega, the sound mixers or the musicians know it. At a couple points in the film, Jackson scolds the musicians to watch for his cues, but then reminds them "It's all for love." Multiple scenes show Ortega giving Jackson the last word on film and dance sequences.

Other points in the film show the childish wonder inside Jackson, like when he stepped onto a cherry picker for "Beat It." Jackson wanted to rehearse with the music right away, but Ortega only wanted Jackson to get a feel for the contraption and had to talk him out of rehearsing with the music "for safety."

For two hours, I was wishing I could have been anyone on that stage with him. A dancer, a background singer, that rad girl rocking on her guitar, didn't matter. It looked like they were having so much fun! You knew from their giddy smiles and adoring eyes what an amazing experience and honor those rehearsals must have been for each of them.

And oh, the sets and effects. There were fireworks exploding from the stage. Jackson, dressed in his classic white suit, was worked into some vintage film footage as part of "Smooth Criminal." One of my favorites was the industrial skeleton of a building the dancers descended from during "The Way You Make Me Feel."

Given that "The Way You Make Me Feel" is my favorite MJ song, I could have predicted that performance might also be one of my favorites in the film. ... The segment opened with Jackson working with a keyboardist on a jazzy intro to the song. Jackson dances to the keyboard and nitpicks on the arrangement. "Let it simmer," he says. A debate continues until the keyboardist tells Jackson he's got to be clear with the musicians about what he wants from them. Jackson needs to tell them if he wants "a little more booty," the keyboardist says, causing Jackson to fall into laughter. "A little more booty, I like that," he laughs. ... Moments later they perform "The Way You Make Me Feel." The music, the dancing, Jackson's voice -- it all had me smiling again.

I got my first real bout of chills and misty eyes when a colorful psychadelic backdrop appeared on the stage with the J5 logo, and Jackson started doing the "I Want You Back" routine with his dancers ... The joy of that was quickly squelched, however, when Jackson lost some of the lyrics and then berated the crew because he couldn't hear through his earpiece; it felt like someone was punching him in the ear, he said. Ortega noted it, the music resumed with a medley of "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There," and I got the chills again. The music also featured accompanying footage of Jackson's childhood days with the Jackson Five.

I got bigger chills during Jackson's calls to save our environment and his performance of "Earth Song." But my misty eyes and chills didn't reach full force until the film's "Man In The Mirror" finale.

As I drove home, nothing on the radio compared. I wanted more Michael. ... I got home and wasted little time putting on my "Thriller" album.

Here's the trailer. And here are the songs featured in the film (with a few video clips):

"Wanna Be Startin' Something"
"Jam"
"They Don't Really Care About Us"
"Human Nature"
"Smooth Criminal"
"The Way You Make Me Feel"
"I Want You Back" / "Stop The Love You Save" / "I'll Be There"
"Can't Stop Loving You"
"Thriller"
"Beat It"
"Black or White"
"Earth Song"
"Billie Jean"
"Man In The Mirror"

Update: 11.04. 2009 -- Here's a couple good reads I stumbles across today about the film ...
a 'I'm happy for Michael' says director Ortega
a 'This Is It' as his personal thriller: The film on Michael Jackson proves an unlikely odyssey for Tim Patterson, a commercial director who made crucial contributions.

Sensational videos

So my friend Laura tipped me off to these videos and I had planned to post them earlier this week …

But, as it usually happens, things come up. I get sidetracked. And the strong emotions that pushed the idea for the post in the first place fade …

Luckily, these videos never get old …

In the case of this first video, when we first caught wind of it and viewed it, it had maybe a few thousand views …

As of tonight, it’s officially become an Internet sensation with 5,617,106 views. The wedding party was featured on the Today show this morning. And tonight the story made the NBC Nightly News, on which a reporter pointed out that you can’t stop smiling once you start watching it … It’s the kind of video you want to watch over and over again.

Interestingly, it’s also been noted the song featured in the video, “Forever” by Chris Brown, has soared to the No. 7 spot on the iTunes charts … I can relate. Moments after I finished watching the video, I wanted to know the song. I Googled it. I downloaded it.

So in case you haven’t gotten in on the latest Internet video to rock the world, check it out …



This next video -- which also features a pretty cool song -- will bring a smile to your face in a completely different way. The assemblage and organization of this video -- to match up each of the individual motions -- is nothing short of amazing …



Last, but not least … I stumbled on this video a couple weeks ago. Hitler finds out Michael Jackson has died …

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

The fire

So US Weekly has the “never-before-seen” video of Michael Jackson’s hair being set on fire …

Of course, I clicked over to US Weekly the moment I finished reading the story about it, via the Washington Post …

Crazy stuff … And we’re not talking some grainy old video footage here …

Michael remembered

And now Michael Jackson rests -- sort of.

Kates and I just finished watching the Michael Jackson memorial service. Soaked it in from start to finish …

I had started watching some of the early coverage this morning on the Internet at the office. Then, having worked some extra time yesterday, I hastily finished my work and managed to squeak out of the office a little after 12. I drove home -- interestingly, to “Billie Jean” which was playing on a radio station -- and settled in to watch the rest of the service on television. I knew this memorial service had all the makings of something historic and I wasn’t going to miss it …

John Mayer, for his masterful guitar solo of “Human Nature,” and Jermaine Jackson, for his touching rendition of “Smile,” stand out as my favorite performances of the tribute. Usher’s tearful “Gone Too Soon” also pulled at the heartstrings.

By the time the Jackson family, friends, performers and speakers gathered on the Staples Center stage for the finale, the memorable moments were too many to count … Berry Gordy calling Jackson “the greatest entertainer that ever lived.” Magic Johnson recalling a dinner meeting during which Jackson feasted on Kentucky Fried Chicken. Smokey Robinson talking about the first time he heard Michael sing his song. Brooke Shield’s tales of their young friendship. And young Paris’s heart-wrenching moments of trying to describe how much she’ll miss her daddy.

These last two weeks have marked the end of an era for a generation. The passing of an icon. Again today, as we watched Jackson’s memorial from our living room, the world seemed to stop … I read a tweet from a local entertainment writer who noted he found something like 22 different television stations carrying live coverage of the memorial.

As some of the commentators noted, it was a fitting tribute that was respectful, joyous, at times political and sometimes humorous, but never over-the-top. With appearances from Mariah Carey to Kobe Bryant, it was a star-studded achievement that promoters aptly pulled off quickly and without a hitch.

More memories to let settle.

Update 07.08.2009: Some good reads ...
a Growing Up Under a Lover's Spell
a Deification of Jackson as creepy as he was

Don’t stop ‘til you get enough

As more than a few people have said in the last few days, we’re starting to enter the realm of Michael Jackson information overload …

And yet I can’t. stop. reading.

And watching.

I’ve probably driven Kates crazy with all the Michael Jackson tributes, documentaries and video specials I’ve loaded on our DVR the last few days …

The latest material to fascinate me is the sudden and gargantuan draw to his music. Not that there wasn’t a huge draw to his music already, but to see him grab top-spots on Billboard years after those records were released is huge. … Yesterday my cohort Joe mentioned he got a tweet from the local library reminding the public that they can get Michael Jackson music there for free. Yeah, with the run on his music, most people won’t be able to get their fingers on those library copies for months.

Here’s some more of the stuff I’ve enjoyed reading over the last several days …

From the Washington Post: A Man Whose Talents Far Outweighed His Eccentricities ...

A funny sort of thing happened Thursday when word of Michael Jackson's death started to sink into our cultural psyche: We weren't sure how to react … is it possible to honor one while continuing to back away from the other? To reconcile the very real disdain for the man while at the same time recognizing his music as every bit worthy of praise?

And by admitting that we appreciate the art of someone we find morally objectionable, are we selling out our own ethics?

A tribute from The New York Times …

Michael Jackson made the sweetness of that high voice guttural and demanding. He showed that it was rooted in his feet and hips and hands. He re-sexualized it in a way that you could never really mistake — then — as androgynous.

From The New York Times: His Moves Expressed as Much as His Music ...

Michael Jackson will be remembered as a great and widely imitated mover. Other things about him will be remembered too, but it is amazing how many of them are apparent in his dancing. … But to watch “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” (1979) is to be amazed at just how much charm the 20-year-old Mr. Jackson had, and the charm gets more infectious as the dancing proceeds.

From the Washington Post: The Dancing: That Precision, Grace -- and a Wicked Groove ...

The dance style that Jackson honed into a corporeal autograph is one not of physical or emotional release -- it's not flashy or overblown. It's a statement of fierce, obsessive control, and in the way only the best of the best can do it, he made it look supremely easy.

From the Washington Post: The Man in Our Mirror ...

He was Elvis with an androgynous tenor, Sinatra with a moonwalk and killer pop instincts, Prince with more mass appeal, John, Paul, George and Ringo with high-water pants, white socks and a single, sequined glove.

From the Boston Globe: A persona that floated above reality ...

As Jackson’s fame reached stratospheric levels, all the grit, the abrasions, and the dragging weight we associate with real life seemed flushed out of him, and he attained a kind of hovering, artificial aura that chimed with his much-invoked Peter Pan syndrome, his stupendous revenues, and the impression he gave of levitating even above the law.

From the Washington Post: Thread of pain ran through Jackson's career ...

It was the last day of shooting for a Pepsi commercial at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1984, and the only hiccup had been an argument between Michael Jackson and an ad executive over whether the young superstar would take off his sunglasses.

"Then," as the executive later wrote, "we set his hair on fire."

From the Boston Globe: Even when the hits stopped, his influence remained ...

In the days since Jackson’s death, music fans have debated his relevance. While it’s true that it’d been nearly a decade since he threatened the top 10, and even longer since a song of his was justified in being there, Jackson’s sound has never left the charts.

Finally, Paste resurrected its terrific tribute to Jackson from last year: What I Miss About Michael Jackson. It’s so good I couldn’t come up with a few lines to pull out.

Cagle's, of course, also has some excellent tributory cartoons. The first one you see is arguably my fave.

The way he made us feel

I can’t seem to get Michael Jackson songs out of my head this morning …

While I was in the shower it was “I Want You Back.” Once I was at work this morning it was “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.” And at some point it changed to “The Way You Make Me Feel,” which I just heard on the radio as I was driving home. … The songs are playing over and over in my head like a skipping jukebox.

In the meantime, I’m watching my Twitter feed go crazy with tributes coming in from all the big stars …

Years from now, we’ll be sitting around a table somewhere and the subject will come up: Where were you when you heard the news that Michael Jackson had died? A few of us had barely arrived in the newsroom this morning and that conversation was beginning.

It already had been a newsy day yesterday. Third day of this crazy heat wave. Power was knocked out in the center of the city when a crow flew into a bunch of wires and blew a fuse. Farah Fawcett died …

Late in the afternoon, I was home, listening to some music and getting ready to meet some friends at a retirement party when I checked my e-mail and saw the first news alerts that Jackson had been taken to the hospital. My first thought was Really!? Suicide, maybe? … The jaded journalist in me thought, Here the big entertainment media go again, breaking a story too early when Michael probably has just a bad cough. But there was another part of me that thought, Whoah, this could be it.

By the time I’d arrived at the party, the TVs were tuned to CNN and their headlines said Jackson was in a coma. As more people arrived, there were rumblings that Jackson had died …

I couldn’t stay at the party much more than a half hour because Kates had a church thing at 6 and I was on Phoebe-sitting duty. I got in the car to drive home. The radio was playing “Billie Jean.” Then the DJ came on and confirmed Michael Jackson had been declared dead …

Back at home, I was paying more attention to the news rambling and the footage of fans gathering at the hospital than I was to feeding Phoebe … After awhile, I turned it off to play with Phoebe, read her bedtime stories and put her to bed. But after that, my attention was devoted to the special edition “NBC Dateline.”

I’ve been racking my brain to come up with a list of my top five Michael Jackson songs … I start with “I Want You Back” and “Black or White,” and “The Way You Make Me Feel.” But then I think about “Human Nature” and “Man in the Mirror” and “Wanna Be Starting Something.” And pretty soon I throw my hands in the air thinking, I can’t do it! There’s just so many of them …

Like every other child of the ’80s, Michael Jackson has been a vivid part of my consciousness for as far as I can remember. I’ve long considered myself a big fan of his music – not the kind you always see sobbing and fainting over the very sight of him getting out of a car, but big enough that I’m not afraid to blare his albums (I have most of them, along with Jackson 5: The Ultimate Collection) or attempt to dance like him in front of (close) friends …

Sure, he made us roll our eyes more than a few times in recent years with his eccentricities – stuff I never paid much attention to – but when it came to the music, no one could do it better than Michael. The jaw-dropping dance moves. The smiles he brought to our faces with his funky grooves and singable choruses.

The way he combined R&B with soul and rock to produce the perfect blend of pop music is unmistakable. All of his albums are, at the very least, better than average … and “Thriller” is a classic, period. Practically every song on that album is a hit …

More than once last night, I thought about how excited I was a couple weeks ago to get a copy of “Thriller” on vinyl, at a garage sale for a buck. Since I started collecting vinyl albums a couple years ago, I had been on a mission to find a good-conditioned copy of “Thriller.” … As soon as we got home, I set Side 2 of the album on the turntable and Kates and I spent several minutes bopping around our basement as Phoebe stood and bounced to the beats with us -- “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” “Human Nature” “PYT” … I won’t soon forget how fun those moments were ...

Other memories drifting through my mind include watching the “Thriller” and “Smooth Criminal” videos on MTV with my uncle and cousins. How my elementary school art teacher had us watch the “Leave Me Alone” video as the basis for an art project. How my brother and I nearly wore out his “Dangerous” cassette tape during the summer of ’92. And how I bought the “HIStory” album the week of its release in Summer ’95.

Perhaps my most enduring Michael Jackon memory is watching the Jackson 5 30th Anniversary reunion special several years ago with a bunch of friends in our college newspaper office … I’ll never forget that night, how at 20 years old, seeing all those dance moves and the songs performed again, transported us back to days when we were 8 or 9 and watching him on MTV. How every little move excited us and how we couldn't turn away from watching him. ... I'm giddy now just watching the video again on YouTube.

Surfing the Internet ...

Time’s got a list of Top 10 MJ moments ...

Here’s full coverage from the NY Times ...

The Washington Post also has a look back on some of its coverage through the years:

Here’s a good read: The Culture: Long Before 'Thriller,' Jackson Shattered Racial Barriers

Here's an interesting story about how the news broke ...

Idol chatter

I love Michael Jackson’s music. And I’m not ashamed to say that … Say what you want about his antics off the stage, but when it comes to his music and performance -- the man is a legend.

So I was quite excited when I learned this week’s “American Idol” contestants would be performing from the Michael Jackson songbook …

But I had to work a late shift last night and let the DVR do the work … Leaving us to cram three hours of “American Idol” into tonight …

(Crazy story about last night … I updated my Facebook status to say I was “working on the night shift.” As in the 1985 song by The Commodores …Then I was driving home late last night and guess what song comes on my radio? The 1985 song by The Commodores, titled "Nightshift." ... I know. You don’t care. It’s a cheesy song anyway … )

On with Tuesday night’s show …

I loved Lil Rounds opening the show with “The Way You Make Me Feel.” You knew she was bringing it the moment the music started and she stepped off that staircase. It also helped that she chose what is arguably my favorite MJ song … On the downside, I thought she was dragging down the band at times. And I agreed with Simon: I didn’t like what she was wearing.

Scott McIntyre. Well Kara, I thought it was a pretty dynamic performance. McIntyre picked “Keep the Faith,” a deep cut from the “Dangerous” album, which also happens to be one of faves on that entire album. And Scotty clearly is at his best when he’s at his piano … What astonished me more than the judges’ criticisms was Simon’s remark: “It’s fine being artistic, but not on this show.” … What the heck kind of performer are you looking for Simon!?!

Danny Gokey on “P.Y.T.” … Now that choice, I thought, was a little safe. Not one of my favorite MJ songs either. Nonetheless, he rocked it and Paula’s probably right: He’s got a ticket to the finals.

Then came Michael Sarver … As Tuesday’s show was getting underway, I told Kates I didn’t want to hear anyone sing “You Are Not Alone,” arguably the cheesiest of MJ songs. Then, Sarver pulls it out. Ugh. … Good thing he’s my least favorite in the competition.

(What was up with the huge gold dog chain Paula was wearing on her wrist!?)

I had forgotten about “I’ll Be There” and I thought it ended up being an excellent pick for Jasmine Murray … Taking off on what Paula said, there were some brilliant moments, and there were some moments that she missed the bar.

Kris Allen brought out “Remember the Time” -- with his guitar! Contrary to what Simon’s critique and agreeing with Randy’s take, I loved the way the guitar gave the song sort of a rock vibe. … I also couldn’t help thinking during Kris’s performance that it would be a great song for Blake Lewis to have performed during his Season 6 run.

Allison Iraheta performed a rockin’ “Give Into Me” … Yeah, she’s got it. I think she’ll be around for awhile.

“Anoop shoop, do doop” sang “Beat It.” … Eh. Say all you want about it being a classic, but I’ve never really liked “Beat It.” Either way, I didn’t think Anoop did it any justice; his version sorely lacked the umpf and aggression of the original.

Jorge Nunez sang “Never Can Say Good-bye.” … Another eh. Jorge has as good a chance of impressing me as Michael Sarver. Not good, Jorge. Really boring, actually. … Jorge: “I’m not going to sing ‘Bad’ by Michael Jackon.” Simon: “Well, you sort of did.” Ha-larious!

Ah, but Megan’s back! … Just before her Tuesday night performance I said I was sort of dreading it. After we fell in love with her audition, her performances the last couple weeks have barely kept her in the game …. Her performance of “Rockin’ Robin” was a welcomed return, I thought. She’s carefree. She’s original. She’s fun to watch. And I thought she sounded great.

Adam Lambert picked “Black or White,” another one of my true MJ faves … I’ve never really liked Adam, but I thought he nailed it. Great performance.

Next comes Matt Giraud … So of all the songs in the MJ catalog, I said at the top of Tuesday night’s show the one I wanted to hear most was “Human Nature” off the “Thriller” album. Matt G. did it on the piano and aced it. Music to my ears.

Finally, we got to see Alexis Grace perform after three weeks in the safety seat. And after Megan’s downfalls, it’s safe to say she’s arguably the one I’m keeping my eyes on … Her performance of “Dirty Diana” was fun to watch.

* * *

And that brought us to 9:43 p.m. The point we started watching tonight’s results show …

In my mind, clearly Anoop, Jorge and Michael were the performers who needed to be thinking about packing up and leaving that posh mansion they moved into.

But Ryan also informed us of the new rule -- inspired by the early eliminations of Chris Daughtry, Jennifer Hudson and Michael Johns during previous seasons -- that allows the judges to keep a contestant they think is voted out earlier than he/she deserves … I like the new rule.

Loved the group performance -- “Want You Back,” an all-time favorite -- and the Ford commercial. As usual.

Then, Ryan started the roll call … And Jasmine and Megan were called to center stage for possible elimination. It turned out Jasmine got the boot, and I wasn’t at all upset (If it had been Megan, I think I would have screamed.). Under the new rule, the judges had to be thinking, Can we see this girl as one of our finalists? And the answer was a pretty easy no. There was no need to give her another chance, especially if the judges have just one “save” for the duration of the season.

So bring on Kelly Clarkson! … Have I mentioned how much I enjoy Kelly Clarkson?! And how “My Life Would Suck Without You” is my favorite song on the radio right now?! And how lately I watch VH1’s countdown just to see that video?!

After the break, we got Anoop and Jorge standing at center stage, and I couldn’t have cared less about either one. But I had a feeling Anoop would hang on; people seem to like him, I’m just not one of those people. … Jorge, meanwhile, didn’t stand a chance.

As he reprised his “Never Can Say Good-bye,” and sang the lyrics “no no no, no no no,” Kates burst out with an impression of the famous “no-no, no-no, no-no!” home run call. Pretty funny.

So would Jorge be saved? Simon answered a simple: No.

Until next week …

Stuff

Sigh.

Before tonight's A.I., I said aloud that I'd only be shocked if either of the Davids went ...

And it ended up being Brooke ... Oh, sweet, adorable Brooke.

Dang.

Her style was too tame and indie-ish for me to ever truly believe she could win the whole she-bang. But it was that same style that had me admiring her big time from the first moments I heard her Carly Simon-ish voice (who, by the way, gave her a big endorsement today). I've rooted for Brooke more than any other contestant in my measly two seasons of Idol-watching ...

My first thoughts after she was eliminated tonight were I can hardly wait to get her album.

(And for the record, I barely care about "Paula-gate" and all the conspiracy theories. It was just another amusing moment of Paula being Paula in my book.)

* * *

... I spent $40 filling my little tank of gas today. Kates spent $50 on hers ...

... Makes my memories of complaining just a few years ago of $1.20-a-gallon gas in Independence, Mo., seem really distant ...

... It also makes me think of my favorite gas-related political cartoon of all-time. Every time.

* * *

I returned to my office space yesterday. Had to get back some time, I've been telling people.

I had 432 e-mails to sort through. Yeah.

* * *

I got started with a story about Sheryl Crow's tour swinging through the region and spent some time pulling up some good stuff on YouTube ...

Here's Big Hair Sheryl singing "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" with Michael Jackson on the "Bad" tour. Classic!



I also stumbled across this cover of "All I Wanna Do" from English singer/songwriter Amy Studt. I kind of like it ...

* * *

Commas, Turning Up, Everywhere

WASHINGTON—In the midst of a crisis that may have reached a breaking, point Tuesday afternoon, linguists, and grammarians, everywhere say they...

Sunday reading

... The bad news is Kates feet are swelling and she's having trouble finding any comfortable shoes.

... The good news is it's really mild out today and the snow is melting! It's melting!

Here's some of the reads that caught my eyes during the last several days ...

Politics ...
a Hillary Clinton fought the Republican attack machine, and emerged stronger
a In Hunt for a Running Mate, Ohio Governor Could Please All or None ... and old one, but still noteworthy.
a Change Is In the Air, At the Polls
a Obama's Economic Plan Is A Pitch to the Working Class
a The man behind Obama's message
a John McCain's birthright: Fit for the presidency
a MSNBC reporter suspended for 'pimped-out' Clinton

Entertainment ...
a Writers working late again
a Before they were stars: Stories about celebs with Chicago roots
a Leave Britney alone ... I kind of agree.
a 'Saturday Night Live' gets ready to rock with Tina Fey ... I was just thinking the other day, How awesome would it be if SNL brought back Tina Fey to host!?

Music ...
a The Baton's Been Passed Over: The Grammys Pretty Much Ignore Classical Music These Days, and Vice Versa
a The king of pop is back ... Say what you want about his creepy, messed-up personal life. But Michael Jackson's music is darn good, and there will never be another like him ...
a At the Grammys, some gold, some silver
a A night for the ages Amy, Kanye refresh music's roots
a Sheryl Crow finds her way with 'Detours'
a Having fun, and a breakout year besides, with Canada's Feist

Sports ...
a Berman caught with his mike on ... I stopped being a fan of Chris Berman a long time ago, and this didn't surprise me.

Life & other stuff ...
a Love Means ...
a Artists write of love

Sunday reading

Admit it. You missed my post of junk I enjoyed reading last week. So here's an expanded edition of the stuff I enjoyed reading this past week and the stuff I enjoyed reading the week before that ...

Music
a Martina McBride calls the shots on new album
a Corinne Bailey Rae, ever contradictory
a King of Pop's Lots: Auction Planned of Jackson Family Memorabilia
a With a new band sporting an R.E.M. pedigree, the melodic British rocker adds a bit of light to his quirky panoramas
a Music in its place on 'American Idol'
a Remark renews old hip-hop debate

TV and entertainment
a Sprawl in The Family: In Walkers' Tribulations, Viewers Find a Family To Which They Relate
a Beaten to the Punch Line: The Odds Against Female Stand-Up Comedians Are No Laughing Matter
a Sanjaya: The Axis of 'Idol'
a 'Hoax' Film revives notoriety for author Irving
a The state of prime-time comedy may seem like a joke, but the punch line is that viewers are flocking to reruns and original cable sitcoms
a Networks go on the cheap
a 'King of Queens' flew high, but it still remained under the radar
a 'Idol' angels secret weapon behind show

Baseball
a Colangelo, Cuban could take Cubbies to promised land
a Cubs look to Piniella for title dreams
a MLB celebrates 60th anniversary of Robinson's debut
a JACKIE ROBINSON: 60 years later

Other stuff
a MySpace competition? The world is big enough
a Scout Soars Far Beyond Eagle
a Should parents worry amid Webkinz craze?
a Information Age Makes Hoaxes Easier But Speeds Their Demise
a Beth Horning: It's apparent who helps with the homework
a Photographer altered pictures, Ohio newspaper says

... and finally, for some good Sunday laughs ...

Christ Getting In Shape For Second Coming

HEAVEN—Since His birthday last Dec. 25, the Lamb of God has committed Himself to a demanding regimen of exercise and prophecy-fulfillment in preparation for the Second Coming.

U.S. Counter-Counterterrorism Unit Successfully Destroys Washington Monument