I’m up way past my bed time, but after a week off, the blizzog had to give you tonight’s American Idol review. Ahhh, Motown. This is a pretty good idea for a show. Part of me thinks they’ve done this before, but I can’t remember.
A few random thoughts before we get to the reviews. So who exactly the hell are the Funk Brothers again? They did a mini-tribute to these guys during the Grammys and I thought it was a joke. Apparently they are real live actual dudes. They sure can play.
Since we’re down to the Top 10, that means two things. One, since we have 10 people left and only an hour of show there is no time for lame-ass Old Navy skits this week. That’s good. Two, since we’re down to the Top 10, it means it’s time for scary-ass past-their-prime music celebrities as guest judges. That’s bad.
Isn’t this the most popular show on television and isn’t it in it’s third year? They really can’t get anybody better than Ashford and Simpson? It’s funny how when they showed their little vignette, they played about 3 different versions of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” to make you think they actually had more hits than they did. Oh well, this should at least be good for some comic relief. Our thanks to the Newark Holiday Inn for giving them the night off.
And now for the reviews….
Camile Velasco - I was looking at Camile’s bio on the site and saw that she was from Haiku, Maui, so I thought I’d write a Haiku about what I thought of her performance.
You’re not a hood rat.
Stop trying to keep it real.
I hope you’re gone soon.
Not my best work, but I don’t think Camile’s performance was worthy of it. She seems like a nice enough girl but I just don’t think this competition is for her. She comes off as kinda fake to me. I get this ghetto-fabulous vibe from her yet she’s from the very un-ghetto Hawaii. She just grates on me and I think she’ll be gone soon.
John Peter Lewis - JPL, as the kids apparently call him now, stood for “Just Plain Lousy” tonight. When he’s not being Crazy Little Dancing Guy, it’s just not happening. AG says that she could see him being the front man for some nutty rock band, and I think I agree. The outfit was very bad tonight. My grandpa called during the performancce and wanted to know who that kid was wearing his pleather sofa. Bad times.
LaToya London - LaToya got her hair did before tonight’s performance, and it got did wrong. Her performance was so-so for me, but it was hard for me to concentrate on her voice between the bad weave and a very non-flattering dress. The good news is that there were worse performances tonight.
Amy Adams - Eh. She sang well during her performance of “Dancing In The Street”, but she didn’t really sell it. It’s a pretty high energy song, but she just kinda stood there and stared intently in different directions instead of really dancing. It was more like she was looking both ways before crossing the street instead of dancing in it.
John Stevens - Holy crap was this awful. AG, for the record, can’t stand John. She has grown very tired of his schtick. This one-trick pony may have ejected himself from the competition tonight with this “performance”. The whole thing was out of tune and just plain bad. The cheezy head nod and finger snapping only made it worse. I think he’s gone. But look on the bright side, John. You still have seventh period Jazz Band.
Jennifer Hudson - As we used to tell Ed Cota his freshman year at Carolina, someone needs to tell Jennifer Hudson, “Don’t Spaz!” She has a really good voice, but I don’t get the impression that being showy or flashy is in her personality like it is in Fantasia’s. I think she overcompensated for that tonight by flailing herself all over the stage. She sang well, but her spastic gyrations made the whole thing a bit comical.
Jasmine Trias - I really like Jasmine. Her performance the first week was just incredible, but she was not good at all last week. She was definitely back this week with “You’re All I Need To Get By”. Great performance. I could see her being Top 4 material.
Diana DeGarmo - This performance made me feel like I was sitting in the FestHaus in Oktoberfest at King’s Island, eating a hot dog and watching some college chick from the show choir at UC doing “Motown Revue On Ice”. Ugh. She sang well, but the poodle skirt and the pony tail and just the whole package made it all come off very cheezy for me. I think she might be headed for the Bottom 3 again.
Fantasia Barrino - This was probably my least favorite of her performances so far. It didn’t really seem like she put a lot into preparing this week. Not that she needed to given the crap that most everyone else put forward, but still. I was a bit disappointed. I didn’t like her in Princess Leia’s Christmas sweater either. That outfit was just not right.
George Huff - JT.net is huge on G-Huff, and I can see why. George had the performance of the night tonight. I can’t believe that he was a replacement for someone else. Unreal. I think this competition is shaping up to be between George and Fantasia. It will be a fun one to watch.
blizzog bottom 3 prediction
1.) John Stevens
2.) Camille Velasco
3.) Diana DeGarmo
Audi 5000
It should be Camille, but I bet it will be Diana.
The Dook Media Hype Machine was churning on all cylinders yesterday during CBS’ telecast of the NCAA Tournament’s South… errrr “Atlanta” Regional Final between Duke and Xavier. I hope Verne Lundquist was wearing a bib during the game to keep all the slobbering he did over Chris Duhon off of his suit. Lundquist and Billy Rafferty couldn’t stop themselves from heaping hyperbolic praise on the Blue Devils’ “injured” point guard. “He’s a true hero. What courage,” Lundquist gushed. “To play through that kind of pain is just unbelieveable. What a man Chris Duhon is,” raved Rafferty.
Give me a freaking break.
Duhon bruised - not broke, not fractured, bruised - his ribs in a game two weeks ago!!!! He returned to the court about 10 minutes after the injury and has shown no ill-effects of the mishap since then. Yet the media treats this guy like he’s Lance Armstrong beating cancer to win the Tour de France. Get a grip, fellas. Georgia Tech’s BJ Elder hurt his ankle Friday night and tried to play on it yesterday. I didn’t hear anyone calling him courageous or special. UConn’s Emeka Okafor has a legitimately broken bone in his BACK and is playing through it, yet I don’t see anyone singing his praises.
To put a bit more perspective on this “devasting injury”, I fractured - not bruised, fractured - two ribs in a city league game a couple years ago and still managed to finish the game. In case you didn’t know it, I’m a world-class puss. If I can finish a game with two fractured ribs, I certainly don’t see what’s so speical about Duhon playing two weeks after he bruised his.
I think the broadcasters - you can’t call them journalists - must have their own office pool where they pick who will make the most outlandish claim about Dook before the tournament ends. Maybe Lundquist was trying to oust top seed Dooky V by making Duhon into a war hero because he rolled into a camera. Rafferty was trying to give Verne a game by suggesting that two of Shav’s fouls today were not actually fouls at all but good blocks. But Lundquist would have none of it, delivering the pink slip to Rafferty’s weak mess by comparing Coach K and Dook to John Wooden and the UCLA dynasty of the 60s and 70s. What???!!!! They won 9 championships in 11 years!!! Coach K and Dook won 3 in 11 years. It’s a great accomplishment, but hardly worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Wooden and UCLA.
I hate Dook as much as the next guy, but I’m willing to give them their due. They’re a very good team and Coach K has put together an impressive run recently. You’d be foolish not to acknowledge them. But what’s more foolish is to make up absurd things to praise them for. It does a disservice to the journalism profession and it also takes away from legitimate accomplishments the program should be acknowledged for. You know, like Shav being a big boy now and only needing mommy to cut his steak some of the time. 
Go back to figure skating, Verne, and take Rafferty with you. Your wretched commentary today made me miss Billy Packer. Ugh. I think I’m going to be sick.
Thanks to many of you for your cards, phone calls, and blog shout-outs for my birthday yesterday. I appreciate them all very much. My birthday was more an extended weekend experience than just one day which was pretty cool.
My parents were here early in the weekend. We went to dinner on Friday night with Ashley’s parents and grandmother at the Mid-City Oyster Bar. I got my favorite dish, the Sesame Seared Tuna. Good stuff. My parents got me some nice clothes. A good time was had by all.
My parents were only passing through town on the first leg of a southern road trip. I went and met up with them for brunch late Saturday morning and then saw them off on their way to the coast. I then returned home to catch up on some bills and work. I was not at my desk for very long before Ashley stopped in to inform me that our room at The O. Henry Hotel was waiting for us and that we could leave at any time. She had already packed my bags.
This was indeed a wonderful surprise. I had thought that we would simply be going out for a nice dinner later in the evening, but Ashley’s plans were much better than that. When we arrived in our room I found “Happy Birthday” confetti strewn about, a couple bottles of wine, some NewCastle in the fridge, and presents piled up on the coffee table. Fun times!
Our stay was wonderful. We watched basketball, enjoyed our drinks and yummy room service. Not even the disappointment of a Tar Heel loss brought down the mood. Ashley also got me some cool clothes as well as the Bad Boy 10th Anniversary Album. Werd.
We luxuriated in our room until late on Sunday morning. After enjoying breakfast in our room, we checked out and came home. Ashley’s family joined us again for a big carry-out meal from Bo-Hogs, an awesome new barbeque place here in town. Our meals both and Friday night and Sunday were topped off with an incredible Italian Creme Cake - my favorite - that Ashley had made just for me. It was delicious.
Ashley’s grandmother got me some Kenneth Cole cologne so I’m not so stank. 
Ashley’s parents got me the new Norah Jones CD and what every almost 30-year old needs, an electronic scale with a body fat analyzer. (Here’s a hint. It doesn’t look good. )
All in all I had a most wonderful birthday. I’m very lucky to have friends and family like you all to share it with.
Today starts the best weekend of the year. To get you in the holiday spirit, here’s a little reminder of the reason for the season.
Big thanks to Mrs. Jigga for the picture. Dook sucks.
Sorry about the blitz of posts this morning. I just have to get some takes in while I have a free minute this morning. So Mark Cuban has a weblog which I found this morning courtesy of Fark. He calls it “blog maverick” but I think I would call it “spam magnet” since he apparently has no problem putting his e-mail address and that of poor Dallas news reporters on his site in all their naked, harvest-hungry glory.
How typical and unsurprising that some MBA dude who made billions on a technology company doesn’t understand some of the basic no-no’s of the Internet. If that last sentence seems to smack of jealousy, it’s because it does.
A Private Note To Cubes In Case He Finds Me on a Trackback (the rest of y’all can stop reading now.) - Heh. Just kidding on the whole “you don’t know about technology” thing. You’re the man, dude. By the way, I know we just met, and I’m normally not one to pimp for birthday gifts, but the big day is coming up soon, and well……
I’m not one to pimp for birthday gifts, but the big day is coming up soon, and welllllll…
Sorry for doing this on the cheap this week but the blizzog has had some family bid’ness to attend to. Not that you reallly need a drawn out analysis of last night’s show. I think it’s pretty obvious that that Matt dude is outclassed by everyone else in that Top 12. I think he’s gone tonight, if for no other reason than the WWE power mullet that his one brother was sporting in his bio clip.
I’m excited about this season. These people can really sing. If I had to pick the other two people in the Bottom 3 I would go with the Bulgarian Idol, Leah, and that first Hawaiian chick, Camile Velasco.
I think High Point’s Fantasia Barrino gave the lights out performance of the night, though I really, really enjoyed Jasmine Trias as well. She has a very pure quality to her voice.
This is going to be a good season. We’ll be back with a full review next week.
As part of the continuing overreaction to Janet’s right boob, CBS has elected to employ a 10-second delay for their broadcast of the Final Four in order to protect us, the simple masses, from untold indecency and profanity. The network indicated it would like to institute the policy for games in the earlier rounds, but backed away when Dook’s Coach K asked, “Then how the f#*$ is anybody supposed to see our f#*$ing games? F#*$!!!”
I’m a little short on time today, but I did want to call your attention to a pretty cool idea over at JT.net. Jeff has put together the Blog Championship Series in honor of the start of the tourney later this week. I won’t spoil it for you. Go over and check it out, and be sure to support the blizzog!!! Props to JT for a fun concept.
Heh. I wish. Okay, so we’re not exactly at The ACC Tournament. We’re just in the same town as the ACC Tournament. But I digress.
With no basis in factual or sound research, here are my homer predictions for the ACC Tournament.
Les Robinson Invitational
The matchup - Virginia vs. Clemson
Who’s gonna win - Clemson
Why? - Oliver Purnell is a hell of a coach. Clemson may be on a 4 game skid, but I think Todd Billet is out of magic. I also think that this will cement the fate of Pete “Certainly Dook Is Dook” Gillen, who by the way is already out of timeouts for tonight’s contest.
Quarterfinal #1
The matchup - Dook vs. Clemson
Who’s gonna win - Dook
Why? - Oliver Purnell is a hell of a coach, but he’s not magic. Clemson will play Dook tough for about 5 minutes, none of them consecutive, and lose by 20+.
Quarterfinal #2
The matchup - UNC vs. Georgia Tech
Who’s gonna win - UNC (duh.)
Why? - If we don’t win this game then we won’t be beating Dook in the next round, now will we? Seriously, though I’m being a true homer in my picks here, I don’t think anyone would tell you Carolina has no shot at winning this thing. The problem is that just about everyone has a shot at winning this thing.
Quarterfinal #3
The matchup - NC State vs. Florida State
Who’s gonna win - Florida State
Why? - This is a trap game for NC State. FSU needs as many wins as possible to get a sniff at the tournament, especially with bubble spots disappearing now that Southern Illinois and St. Joe’s have both lost in their conference tourneys. JT tells me that Herb doesn’t lose in the first round of the ACC Tourament, but I think he does this year. Besides, what will State Fan do if they can’t hate on Herb for a full week between now and the NCAAs?
Quarterfinal #4
The matchup - Wake Forest vs. Maryland
Who’s gonna win - Wake Forest
Why? - Wake is just better. They’ve beaten Maryland twice this year already. I know it’s hard to beat someone three times in a season, but I think the Deacs pull it out.
Semifinal #1
The matchup - Carolina vs. Dook
Who’s gonna win - Carolina
Why? - Carolina has nothing to be ashamed of about its two losses to the Blue Devils this season. Both were very close games where if a few things had gone our way here and there things might look very different. I think we have an excellent shot at winning this game, and who better to end the Dookies’ ACC streak than Carolina?
Semifinal #2
The matchup - Wake Forest vs. Florida State
Who’s gonna win - Wake Forest
Why? - Florida State won’t have anything left in the tank after beating NC State the night before. They’ll play Wake close and hopefully get the attention of the selection committee, but will ultimately fall short.
ACC Tournament Final
The matchup - North Carolina vs. Wake Forest
Who’s gonna win - North Carolina
Why? - Hopefully it’s going to be because we just play a better game than Wake does. I feel like for the last few weeks this Carolina team has been on the cusp of having it all fall into place. I keep waiting for the light to click on and stay on for a full 40 minutes. I’m hoping that that time is this weekend.
Go Heels! Let the games begin.
