On the road to Shambala

Kates and I just finished watching tonight's "Lost" ...

I loved it! It was some of the most fun I've had watching an entire "Lost" episode in a long time ...

My cohorts might very well disagree when the talk starts up around the water cooler tomorrow morning, but I say forget all the crap about the island and the theories and Jack and The Others ...

It was refreshing to see Hurley and the boys just having fun again. And having hope ...

Old Sawyer was back to firing off nicknames like a machine gun -- "Snuffy," "International House of Pancakes," "Jumbo-tron," "Jiminy Cricket" (and then Hurley stutters to Sawyer: "Ok, Red Neck Man.") ... Gosh, I wish I could remember some more of them!

And then watching Hurley finally start the van and steer it away as he and Charlie seemed destined to plunge head-on into a giant rock -- that was glorious!

Oh, and whoever came up with the idea to use Three Dog Night's "Shambala" throughout the episode -- well played, well played.

Bonds watch

Good stuff from this morning's SI newsletter ...

SI's Tom Verducci notes that as Game of Shadows is released this week in a paperback edition with a new afterword, "The most important constant in the book's 12-month wake is this: Barry Bonds has not challenged a single fact. It stands as an encyclopedia of this doping era in general and of Bonds's massive doping regimen in specifics. My favorite fact: The authors detail the freakish growth of Bonds's body parts in his years with the Giants: from size 42 to a size 52 jersey; from size 10 1/2 to size 13 cleats; and from a size 7 1/8 to size 7 1/4 cap."

Also ...
a New afterword to Game of Shadows
a Photo Gallery: The Growth of Bonds
a Exclusive: SI writers report on steroid raid
a Donovan: Sheffield willing to talk to Mitchell

Oscar thoughts

I've said I'm not a big fan of the Oscars. I'm still not. But last night's show was pretty decent ... except for the fact it didn't end until about 15 minutes before midnight ...

Some random thoughts I wrote down ...

... Contrary to some of the critics, I thought Ellen DeGeneres' opening monologue was HA-larious from start to finish, as were several of her bits throughout the night -- vacuming the floor by the front row and telling actresses to lift their dresses!? -- HA-larious! (Best line -- there were a few -- "Jennifer Hudson is here. America didn't vote for her but she's nominated for an Oscar. Then you got Al Gore who's here and America did vote for him" ... and cue loud applause and laughter from audience ...)

... How adorable were Abigail Breslin and Jaden Smith as they presented the nominees for best animated short film ...

... I was glad to see Alan Arkin win as best supporting actor for "Little Miss Sunshine," but I still think Steve Carell deserved the nomination and should've been standing in Arkin's place ...

... Al Gore, who presented with Leonardo DiCaprio, has got to be having a lot of fun being Al Gore these days. A couple weeks ago he was doing his thing at the Grammys and now the Oscars. His bit with Leonardo was comical: When DiCaprio asked Gore if he had anything else he wanted to say, Gore whipped out a sheet of paper and began talking as though he was going to announce a presidential campaign -- just as the music burst in to play him off the stage ... I couldn't keep from thinking I wonder what George Bush is thinking right about now?

... Oh man, was Clint Eastwood's introduction of composer Ennio Morricone awful. Was he drunk, on drugs or just having a stroke? Oh, nope, he just didn't wear his glasses ... riiiiiiiiiight.

... Emily Blunt's and Anne Hathaway's reprise of their "Devil Wears Prada" characters, with Meryl Streep getting into the action on a blank stare, was pretty good too ...

... Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas presenting together -- priceless!

Oscar reads ...
a Oscars draw more viewers and mixed reviews
a After a 3-decade drought, it rains Oscars on Martin Scorsese and 'Departed'
a Departed evening of bloated, boring Hollywood babble

Startling panda sneeze

I just caught this on the news ... Ha-larious!!



... And while we're talking about funny animal videos, here's a classic ...

No 1. vs 2

I was all set to watch the big game. Wisconsin vs. Ohio State. I laid out on the couch and was ready for a couple hours of relaxation ...

Bad idea. I never should've laid out on the couch.

In typical Horns fashion, I zonked out for pretty much all of the first half. Awoke for a little bit of halftime and the start of the second half. And then fell asleep again ...

But, hey, I caught the down-to-the-wire last minute!

The Badgers lost, 49-48.

And now it's snowing cats and dogs outside. Ugh. I should go back to sleep.

Sunday reading

... Our church services and my Sunday school class was canceled this morning thanks to this latest winter storm ...

A friend of ours called Kates and I last night to let us know things might be called off if we actually got the huge amount of snow the weather forecasters were predicting. If we only got a dusting, she said, the regular Sunday schedule would still be on ...

I went to bed pretty late last night, seeing little snow falling but still hoping that perhaps things would be canceled. And when I got up this morning, there was barely any new snow on the ground ... So I got ready for church.

Still, the news stations were scrolling dozens of church closings. And ours wasn't being mentioned ...

So I ate breakfast with just minutes to spare before I would be heading out the door ...

Then the phone rings ...

It was Amy. No church activities today. The ice was so thick, the pastor couldn't even open the door ...

Praise the Lord!

... But don't expect me to be feeling so thankful tomorrow. We had 40s last week!! 40s!! We thought spring was on its way!! Enough snow and cold already!!

My point?

It's a good day for cozying up on the couch, doing some reading and watching the biggest basketball game of the season ...

Here's some good reads from the past week ...

Sports ...
a 2007 could be the end of an era
a Jacque Jones happy with another year with Cubs
a Ivy League or bush league? Cubs last team to place ads on outfield walls
a Early to rise? Cubs ready to go
a Cubs' Ramirez hustles to remove lazy label
a Santo wants Hall selection 'very badly'
a Daytona Offers Hollywood Ending ... I'm not a Nascar fan, but watching the finale to last weekend's Daytona was one for the ages ...

Entertainment ...
a So bad they're good: This year's Oscar field is rife with characters who reside in that shame-filled land of Those Who Should Know Better
a Defense of 'Studio 60' becomes a moot point ... Every Monday night we let our DVR record Studio 60, and every week I seem to put off watching it more and more. But the cast -- a lame excuse, I know -- is the only reason I keep watching. It should be really good, right? But it only seems to get more boring and aimless each week ... Just cancel it already.
a 'Long Way' to Grammys: Was the Dixie Chicks' big win fueled by politics? ... In all the excitement the day after the Grammys, a friend asked me if I thought the Dixie Chicks' Grammy success was actually because of their album or politics. I told her it was both: The Dixie Chicks sang their message and political views loud and strong on their "Taking the Long Way" album, and that resonated with people; it's what music is supposed to do. But it didn't hurt that the album also is really good musically, from top to bottom.
a Guide to the Academy Awards ... I rarely get excited about the Oscars, mostly because on most years I've haven't seen many of the films. This year, the only Oscar-nominated film I've seen is "Little Miss Sunshine." But have at it ...
a Specter of Hudson haunts Fox's 'Idol'
a Twenty-three reasons not to see "The Number 23"
a Britney is bald, but not the first celeb to be so bold
a Britney, Anna Nicole, our obsessions - What's the lesson here?

Everything else ...
a What's next? Defining the new generation of young adults
a Chicago readies itself for visit by U.S. Olympic officials ... oh, to have the Olympic games in Chicago. Talk about a dream come true ...
a Palming off the Ash Wednesday dirty work
a Young Voters Find Voice on Facebook
a 450-year-old receipt proves Michelangelo stayed in St. Peter's
a Maryland to Unveil the Page That Began a New Chapter
a Web site points the way to latest attractions ... The Grand Canyon skywalk sounds so freaky -- and soooo cool!!

And from news of the weird ...
a Sword seized after man mistakes porn for rape

My reservation’s been confirmed

Cubs tickets went on sale yesterday. Let the mad dash begin …

Somehow, for the fourth year in a row, I managed to take a vacation day from work to reserve my tickets (because if I didn‘t, I‘d barely stand a chance at getting any …). So I woke at about 8:30 yesterday morning, donned my Cubs hat and retro jersey for good luck, flipped on our two computers and opened as many Internet windows as the screen would fit.

In case you’re not familiar with the process -- it is a science -- Cubs tickets go on sale each year on a Friday morning in late February. Beginning at 9:30 a.m., internet shoppers are allowed to go into the virtual waiting room, and at 10 a.m., ticket sales begin. But the time you logged on means absolutely nothing because you’re selected from the virtual waiting room at random -- hence the two computers with as many windows open as possible to increase my chances of being selected.

There have been years I’ve waited all day and come away with measly tickets to a throw-away game, and there’s been years where I’ve had the greatest luck in the world …

Upon talking about the process to cohorts, one asked me if I was going to Wrigley to buy tickets. Heck no. The process is more dangerous there. The virtual waiting room is an actual line and your fate is determined by a number on your wristband, which is called at random -- so camping out is a waste of time. Oh, and you have to get that wristband in the couple days before tickets go on sale. Not even worth it -- I’d much rather sit in my heated home, listening to music and vegge while I sit and stare at two computer screens…

As fun as that sounds.

Going in, my goal was to try for three dates. Though Kates and I have done April dates before, that Chicago cold can bite, so I was trying to stay away from any April or May dates this year. On Sundays, I play baseball, and though I’d love to spend any weekday afternoon at Wrigley I do have to earn a paycheck. Which meant any Saturday between June and September would be do-able, minus a couple dates here and there for weddings, 10-year reunions and some summer excursions.

So the waiting began …

And at 10:48 a.m., I was in for the first time. I had two minutes to complete my order. Quickly, I scanned the dates I'd circled on my schedule and went for June 16, a day game against San Diego. Two terrace reserved tickets along the infield. Got ‘em! One game down.

And I’m thrown back in the virtual waiting room.

But as I glanced over my schedule again, I nearly began banging my head against a wall. In my haste I overlooked a Saturday, Aug. 18 date against St. Louis -- a marquee game! All I could do was hope I got through again before the game sold out.

No dice. By 11:45, the sold-out dates were starting to appear on the screen. Opening day. The White Sox series. And that Aug. 18 game against St. Louis.

My second chance to buy tickets came at bout 12:15. Not wanting to pass on a chance at the St. Louis series, I bought a single ticket for a Friday afternoon game on Aug. 17 against the Cardinals (something I did a few years ago when the Cubs were chasing the NL pennant and had a blast …). It’s a terrace box seat in the infield.

So now I’ve got two Cubs dates reserved, and I begin to do some second-thinking about that third date.

I’ve never been to Comiskey for a Sox game, and I’ve been telling myself the last couple years to get down there. And I would love to see a Sox-Tigers game …

So I logged on to the White Sox schedule and began scanning. Most of the marquee games are weekdays, which doesn’t play in my favor, but lo and behold, there’s a Sox-Tigers series on the last weekend of the season. I’m thinking, oh man, if both of those teams are in a pennant race, how sweet would it be to be at one of those games?!

But as I try picking out some seats, it’s quickly apparent the pickings will be slim. Finally, I find two seats in the nosebleed section and reserve them.

I let out a sigh of relief and say ‘I’m done.’ I’m still kicking myself for not going for that Saturday date against the Cardinals. But I have to be pleased with what I did get.

Not so fast.

Mid afternoon, Kates calls and inquires about the tickets. And as I tell her about the White Sox game, she reminds me that one of my best friends’ weddings is that same weekend in Kansas City …

Doh!! I had my calendar in front of me all morning, with all our summer plans marked and circled -- except for that wedding date, which I’d just confirmed a few days earlier and had yet to put on my calendar.

Hopefully, those Sox tickets will be easy to get rid of …

Anybody want ‘em? E-mail me.

* * *

Once Kates arrived home Friday night, we laid out, catching up on the excess of “American Idol.” … Seriously. Five hours worth of “Idol” ? Does Fox not understand the meaning of excessive!? Two hours of guys on Tuesday night, two hours of girls on Wednesday night and then an hour on Thursday night only to look back at the previous two nights and reveal who’s going home.

Ugh. Yet we still watch -- and fast forward through the commercials and monotony with our DVR!

Really, we probably could have skipped Tuesday night’s edition, and we would’ve barely missed a thing. Most of the guys were awful, with Sundance’s (why is he still around!?!) puke-your-heart-out version of “Nights In White Satin” to top the list of futility. And Sanjaya Malakar, who I was super-impressed with in the beginning is singing his way right out of the competition, too.

But enough of the bad. My vote -- if I was one of the 30 million people who actually picked up a phone to vote -- would’ve been for Chris Sligh. Holy cow! -- the guy blew the other guys out of the water!! While everyone else, as one of the judges pointed out, was stuck in the ’80s, Sligh stepped onto the stage and belted out an atypical song, Mute Math’s “Typical.” Afterward Sligh said he picked it because it’s a song that’s popular now, and it’s the kind of music people are listening to, an idea that appeared totally lost on the judges who seemed to be clueless about the song, not to mention Simon who ripped Sligh for his performance of it …

Whatever. Sligh is my pick for the top male in the competition and I’m sticking to it …

But my props also go to Blake Lewis for staying off his beatbox and doing good on Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know,” and to Chris Richardson, the Justin Timberlake wannabe who surprised me with a decent take on Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Want To Be.”

Bring on the girls. A complete 180 of the guys’ night, the girls -- well, most of them -- sang like anyone of them could be the next “American Idol.” Although, the last of the bunch, Lakisha Jones nearly blew the roof off the theater when she sang Jennifer Hudson’s “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” The woman can sing, and Simon wasn’t kidding when he suggested the other 23 contestants could think about packing their bags …

But while Jones might be the frontrunner, I still have soft spots for Gina Glocksen and Melinda Doolittle, too …

After Wednesday night’s show, I thought for sure Jersey girl Antonella Barba and Nicole Tranquillo were as good as gone. Like Sundance, Barba picked a song that was way bigger than her -- Aerosmith’s “Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” -- and she tanked. And Tranquillo’s version of Chaka Khan's “Stay” was punishing to hear and watch.

In the end, Sundance, Barba and Malakar somehow got the votes. Tranquillo, Amy Krebs, “Shoeless” Paul Kim and Rudy Cardenas did not. Their downfall: Frankly, their performances were lame and forgettable.

But look for Sundance, Malakar and Barba (who could get booted off “Idol” for other reasons …ay yay yay, Antonella …) to go next week …

Here’s a few good “Idol” reads -- all from Entertainment Weekly, I didn’t plan that -- that hit my experiences right on the head …
a Our 24 Party People: We size up the ''American Idol'' semifinalists: Some front-runners and some also-rans are already starting to emerge
a Low-Buzz Cut: On the first elimination show of ''American Idol'' season 6, a couple forgettable singers are let go before the aggressively awful ones
a Boot Camp: The first semifinalists to be evicted this season on ''American Idol'' talk about regrets, song choice, and Antonella

* * *

So Thursday's "Grey’s Anatomy" …

I wasn’t shy last week about my disdain for last week’s episode …

But this week's finale to the three-parter, well, they pulled it off. I was pleased. As Gregory Kirschling wrote in his EW review (I’m spending a lot of time on EW this morning, can you tell? Again, not by plan -- they just have the best reviews and content…) good salvage work indeed …

While I was pretty sure, Meredith wasn’t going to die (as if the title of the episode -- “Some Kind of Miracle” -- didn’t give it away), the episode was as entertaining and gripping as any this season. The dialogue actually made sense and the characters we’ve grown so attached to were back to their old selves …

I did like the scenes of “Afterlife Meredith,” though parts of them made no sense and too abstract. Izzie’s dead fiance Denny and dead bomb technician Dylan returned on the heels of last week’s episode to help Meredith understand what was happening, and then in a yeah! moment we also got to see Bonnie, the young woman who was impaled by a pole and died in one of the best Grey’s episodes ever (but I don‘t think we needed the whole thing with her stomach suddenly and mysteriously bleeding out…), a nurse who worked with Meredith’s mom and died in season two, even Meredith’s dog, who was put to asleep in an earlier episode. But all this made me wonder, where was George’s dad, who died a few weeks ago?

Meanwhile in the hospital, we got to see Callie rip into Izzie and Burke and Christina actually communicating like a real couple (the scene of Christina getting drunk at the bar and Burke coming in to tell her she would never forgive herself if she wasn’t around when Meredith died might be one of my favorite Christina-Burke scenes ever). We got to see Shepherd show Addison how much he loves Meredith, and then Addison turns around and makes a no-sex deal with Sloan. Awesome …

If there were any moments that made my eyes roll, one would be that Meredith recovered so quickly. One moment she's barely getting out an "ouch" with Christina, and the next she's smiling and talking to Shepherd. No lasting effects, no brain damage, nuthin'.

Still, good salvage work indeed.

PLUS: I stumbled on to this from the Wha!?!?! category …
'Grey's Anatomy' conspiracy theory

Funnies!

Sharing some good reads from The Onion ...

Starting with this one about a former college editor. As a proud former college newspaper editor, I couldn't stop laughing as I read this one ...

Former Editor Can't Believe Shit College Newspaper Is Printing

NEW YORK—"It's clear the new people don't give a shit, and believe me, that kind of thing starts at the top," Troy Bartell said of the newspaper's lack of journalistic integrity.

Giuliani To Run For President Of 9/11

NEW YORK—Supporters of the former mayor praised Giuliani for his "early and unwavering commitment" to 9/11

MLB No Longer Accepting New Players

MILWAUKEE—In a tersely worded press release Tuesday, Major League Baseball sent a strong message to the thousands of college, high-school, and Little League athletes who have voiced their desire to someday become professional baseball...

Streaming from my consciousness ...

... Kates and I didn't make to our Ash Wednesday church service tonight ...

The reason: I landed an interview at 3 this afternoon with a family grieving the death of their mother, who had earned quite the reputation in this region for running a quirky goat farm on a cramped 1 1/8-acre lot alongside the interstate ...

All the time I'm interviewing the family and listening to the stories of their childhood growing up on this farm, I'm watching the clock, knowing my deadline is looming. But how do you explain that to a family of greiving kids who want to share all their stories about their mother ...

So the interview goes on.

By the time I got back to the office, wrote up my notes, tracked down and then scrolled through some microfilm to find a story we wrote about the woman 17 years ago, and finally wrote the story, it was almost 8 p.m.

* * *

Kates had sandwich fixings and seafood salad waiting for me when I arrived home ...

And then I turned on the TV to find the 1975 All-Star game playing on FoxSportsNet. Nice!

To my chagrin, the network has been showing classic Brewers games the last few weeks, and I've managed to catch parts of some of them. I watched all of this one tonight, though ...

... Pete Rose was such a great player -- and every time I see games or clips of his playing days, it makes me sadder about his ban from baseball. Though I don't at all condone what he did to receive that infamous ban ...

... Johnny Bench was darn good too ...

... I never realized Jim Kaat had such a crazy delivery ...

... and I just watched Carl Yastrzemski hit a homerun off the first pitch he saw from Tom Seaver to tie the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning.

... I keep trying to find my father out in the crowd. He was at the old County Stadium that night in July (lucky man ... ), but I'm not having much luck picking him out from the other 51,000 people jammed in the stadium ...

* * *

I haven't watched any of this week's American Idol episodes yet. So don't tell me what happened ...

* * *

I finally started feeling as though I was healthy again yesterday ...

It's probably helped that our weather has been gorgeous here this week ...

The snow will be gone by the weekend ...

As frigid as it was a couple weeks ago, it seemed like spring was never going to arrive ...

* * *

Watched the Badger game last night ...

Can't say I was surprised by the outcome ...

I mean, I'm thrilled! watching the Big Red this season, but as soon as I saw the headlines proclaiming they were ranked No. 1 in the AP poll, I figured they'd be heading for a loss. It always happens that way. Being ranked No. 1 in the AP college basketball poll is worse than being on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

PS. I received my copy of SI today. The Cubs' Lou Piniella and Alfonso Soriano are on the cover. And the subhead reads "Enjoy it while you can, Cubs fan." ... Perfect.

Here's two more good reads from this week's SI ...
a End of Dodgertown may be near, but no signs of gloom in clubhouse
a Cards' Wainwright has look of future ace

Here comes the sun!

The temperature was in the 40s today!! ... I forgot what that felt like!!

And the sun was out!!

... I was actually sweating a little as I walked out to my car this afternoon.

See you later, you stinkin' frigid February ...

Bring on the March madness!

* * *

I finally got a hold of a copy of The Beatles' new Love album today ...

I have to admit, I had my doubts when I heard George Martin and son Giles were playing around with the Fab Four's original tapes. That's like Madonna trying to cover "American Pie," right?

Then I popped it in this afternoon ...

Wow.

It a hodgepodge of drum beats, guitar riffs and anything else the Martins could pull from some of the Beatles greatest hits and deepest cuts -- all of it welded into 78 minutes of pure Beatles bliss that will play with your mind and have you sitting back in your chair, realizing just how great of a band they were ...

If you're an avid Beatles fan, you'll recognize just about every single moment of this album, no matter how many layers are piled on ...

I'm almost finished with my second listen, and still catching things I didn't hear the first time around ...

My favorite track? Has to be "Strawberry Fields Forever" ... it's completely rearranged, includes an orchestral clip of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," the harpsichord section from "In My Life," the brass section of "Penny Lane," the harpsichord from "Piggies" and the end vocals from "Hello, Goodbye."

Wow.

Other reviews from...
a Entertainment Weekly
a All Music Guide
a Pop Matters
a The Observer

Sunday reading

Good reads from the past week ...

Baseball ...
a '82 Brewers expect team's 25-year playoff drought to end ... me too.
a Already, Selig has an allergy to No. 756 ... me too.

Music ...
a Al Gore to Sound Off On Climate Change With Concert Event
a Country radio won't forgive Dixie Chicks
a Lily Allen: First the Web . . . Now the World
a The Cameras May Be Off, but the Heat Is Still On: Finally, television's top-rated series gets to the meat and potatoes: The 12 male semifinalists take the stage Tuesday and the 12 female semifinalists Wednesday in two-hour sessions of "American Idol."
a Bands come alive on Web
a 'Crazy' over an 'instant classic'

Everything else ...
a Interactive night at the Oscars
a Midday Naps Found to Help Fend Off Heart Disease
a Obama offers to bridge an enduring divide
a I'd Do Anything for You, or to You: They Clicked, Then She Snapped

An Inconvenient Truth

Kates and I got in on the Inconvenient Truth today. Our church sponsored a lunch and showing of the film …

But now that we’ve heard so much about the film, I’m not so sure I get what all the hype is for …

Yes, I believe we have a global warming problem. Yes, we have major obstacles to overcome with oil companies …

But the film falters in offering any substantial solutions or conclusions. It’s Al Gore giving a high-tech PowerPoint presentation about his crusade to prove to politicos that global warming is a problem. Some visionary filmmakers got a hold of it, added some colorful narrative, eye-catching photography and bam! You have an Oscar-contending documentary that everybody is buzzing about …

Making good music

... Going through my Saturday morning ritual of watching the Top 20 Countdown on VH1 ...

Now that this year's Grammys have passed, let's start talking about artists to watch for in 2007 ...

Here's one I've fallen hard for ...

Regina Spektor.

'Grey' matters

Meredith's dead!? Seriously!?

I had my reservations going into tonight's show. For days the radio stations and ABC ran their promos proclaiming that the Seattle Grace interns are faced with their hardest task yet and blah, blah, blah, and all of them ended with Mr. Dramatic Announcer Man adding and everybody is wondering where's Meredith ...

ugh.

There are good episodes of Grey's where the storylines are full of humanity and real drama and the wit flies all over the hospital. Then there are shows that are so absurd it's hard to keep my eyes from rolling out of their sockets ... See: last year's two-part Super Bowl episode bomb scare, any of the season-ending episodes last year during which Izzie fell madly for Denny -- a patient she'd known only a couple weeks and never knew outside the hospital.

Moral of the story: Grey's needs to stay away from trying to do these lavish multi-part episodes where they try to amp up the drama. They never work. They're cheesy.

... So tonight's episode -- part two of three -- opens with a recap of last week's episode which had the interns being summoned to a mass casualty situation, which turns out to be some kind of ferry boat fire and accident. Karev saves a pregnant woman, George saves a mother whose worried about her son, Izzie gets pulled on board the ferry to save a man whose pinned under a car, and a lost little girl latches on to Meredith, who also works on a man injured at the end of the pier ...

The drama (or so the show's writers want us to believe) really begins when the man flails his arms and knocks Meredith into the water ...

So begins Part II tonight. Meredith is in the water ... But get this!? She's not yelling for help. She's not flailing her arms trying to save herself or get back to the pier, which you would think should be just a couple feet from her -- or even a ferry boat which can't be too far away either.

Nope. All the camera shots make it appear as though she's just been dropped in the middle of the ocean. And then Meredith just slips under the water and disappears ...

Gimme a break.

The next 45 minutes of the show (Remember this is an hour-long show ...) include scenes with Shepherd looking for Meredith. And back at the hospital scene, Christina -- who normally would be focused on nothing but dealing with the emergency crisis -- is asking everybody if they've seen Meredith and whining because she needs to tell Meredith about her engagement to Burke, which the stubborn little Christina had plenty of chances to do earlier ...

Finally, we see Shepherd pull Meredith out of the water with such ease it begs the question again -- Why couldn't Meredith just save herself?!

... But oh no, only in TV land right? Whatever.

... Meredith is blue in the face and the doctors rush her to the hospital, where we're ultimately made to think she's dead.

And here I thought Grey's Anatomy had finally got its mojo back this season ...

Ironically, one of the highlights of the show was the end, during which we see a healthy Meredith sit up on the operating table. She looks to her left and sees Dylan the bomb technician (Kyle Chandler) killed in the infamous bomb episode last year and to her right is none other than Denny ...

I can't see how the Grey's writers could possibly kill off their title character in just the third season of one of the most popular shows on television. But then again they've written stranger things into this show and inconsistency seems to rule. Just when you think you know and understand a character, they make him or her go completely wacko in the next week's episode ...

The way things are going, I'm betting they kill off Meredith. And then they'll bring her back midway through next season when her mother miraculously becomes lucid again and comes back to perform one last life-saving surgery on her daughter. Then the chief will retire after all, run off with Meredith's mother, they'll live happily every after and Izzie will be named chief because she's shown such smarts and courage as an intern -- and she's a millionaire ...

More Grey's reads ...
a Who's leaving "Grey's Anatomy"?
a 'Grey's Anatomy' crossing into 'ER' territory? ... some of the comments on this message board are great!
a TV Blend recap
a 'Grey's Anatomy' shocker: Not reality but ...
a 'Grey's Anatomy'! Meredith is dead! Or not! Discuss!

Holding up

... I'm still sick.

... Sure, I went back to work this week. But this coughing is a virus all its own. For days now, I've felt as though I'm riding the tail of whatever I had. But it's hanging on to me like a lost boy ... No matter how many teaspoons of Dayquil I take, I can't stop coughing. And I seem to be blowing gallons of snot into the Kleenex everytime I blow my nose ...

* * *

Kates and I celebrated our Valentine's Day this year by avoiding any outdoor activities (... it's still freezing here, too ...) and cozing up to our TV. ... I know, how's that different from any other night, right?

We took advantage of a Valentine's Day special at one of the local pizza joints and had it delivered ...

Then we ordered "The Devil Wears Prada" On Demand ...

Good film.

... The storyline was a little predictable, but it had wit and charm. And the strong cast of characters keep the film moving. Meryl Streep is golden as the soft-talking but devlish Miranda Priestly. Anne Hathaway is adorable, and you can't help but root for her. And Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci are icing on the cake ...

I'd watch it again.

* * *

Spring training is here, baby!!

... I'm so sick of hearing about Barry Bonds steroids (... The day he breaks Hank Aaron's record will be the saddest day in the history of baseball ...). I don't want to talk anymore about how much money the Cubs wasted this year (Two names: Alfonso Soriano, Kerry Wood ...).

I just want to sit back and enjoy it all unfold ... or implode.

Some good baseball reads ...
a Under Armour signs join ivy in Wrigley outfield ... My jaw dropped when I saw this headline. It was only a matter of time before the Cubs sold out and put ads on the outfield walls. Although we can breathe a little sigh of relief that the advertising isn't exactly on the ivy (The Cubs are putting in on a set of doors in the wall) ... yet.
a Oft-injured Wood hurt in hot-tub mishap ... Like this news came as a big surprise. The Cubs should have got rid of him when they had the chance ...
a Getting to the center of Griffey's move to right
a Age takes away Boss of old
a Players making position changes in '07
a Winners and losers for baseball's off-season

Alex Rodriguez Nervously Awaiting Invitation To Spring Training

NEW YORK—All-Star third-baseman and Yankee roster hopeful Alex Rodriguez is still anxiously waiting to receive official word that he has...

* * *
... and speaking of spring ...

Summerfest has started announcing some of its acts. Tonight comes the announcement that Pink Floyd mastermind Roger Waters will play ...

The first set of the performance will provide an overview of Waters’ music, including early Pink Floyd material from "The Wall" and "Wish You Were Here" along with some of his solo works. The second set will feature Waters and a full band performing "The Dark Side Of The Moon" in its entirety.

The ticket prices are an arm and a leg, but how sweet would it be to hear all of "Dark Side Of The Moon" live? Pretty sweet ...

Happy Valentine's Day

'Idol' chatting

I can't say it enough. One of the coolest things about my daily work is that I get to meet and interact with some of the coolest, accomplished, talented and interesting people in this world.

And on Tuesday, I got to sit at a Starbucks table across from American Idol finalist Vanessa Herrick ....

Vanessa Herrick has all the makings of a superstar.

The exuberant 24-year-old with the good looks, bouncy hair and go-get-‘em attitude has been singing since she was just a couple years old. She has wit and a whole lot of charm. And she’s not afraid to stand out in a crowd — even if it means flashing her underwear.

That’s what Herrick did last September to earn a spot on the popular “American Idol” television show, a talent competition that searches the country for the next big pop star. Herrick auditioned for the show in Minneapolis, one of seven audition locations throughout the country, and was one about 170 people invited to the first round of Idol’s Hollywood auditions, which began airing on FOX last night and will continue tonight.

During last night’s show, Herrick, was eliminated from the competition. She got little face time during her run, but she says she has no regrets and might try out again next year.

“I’m really glad I did it,” she said. “I have no regrets. This is what God wanted. If I would’ve made it farther, that would’ve been what he wanted.”

Still, she says the “American Idol” judges haven’t seen the last of her. Her Minneapolis tryout, after all, was the fifth time Herrick had auditioned for the show. Contestants must pass at least two preliminary rounds before they can audition in front of “Idol” judges Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul. Last year’s audition marked the first time Herrick made it that far.

“You can’t just stop because of one thing,” said Herrick, who also performs in the local ‘50s and ‘60s tribute band, The Greasers. “This is my fifth time and I made it, so who knows what could happen? My dream is to really be on Broadway or something, just to be somewhere.”

Herrick started watching “American Idol” about halfway through its first season and fell in love with the “Star Search” premise almost immediately.

“I said I could do that!” I thought what the heck, I’ll give it a shot.”

So she auditioned to appear on the second season — “Clay Aiken, I love him!” she says — but didn’t make it past the preliminary round. She auditioned for the show three more times in Atlanta, Cleveland and Chicago, and was rejected every time before making the trip to Minneapolis.

“It’s my dream,” Herrick said. “Everyone wants to get on TV, you know. I always dreamed of doing it.”

So in September, Herrick hatched a plan she figured would enhance her chances of getting on the small screen. She decided to dress as her idol, Mary Katherine Gallagher, a bumbling Catholic school girl character whose signature cry is “Superstar!” The character was made famous by “Saturday Night Live” star Molly Shannon.

“She believes in herself and she thinks to go for it, go for what you really want and go for your dreams,” Herrick said. “And she’s so funny. She’s kind of clumsy and I’m kind of clumsy ... She’s obsessed with being a star and I’m kind of like her.”

Accompanied by her father and best friend, Herrick arrived at a Minneapolis arena at 6:30 on a Friday morning and then spent most of the day waiting among some 10,000 Idol hopefuls for her number to be called. Herrick was called about 2:30 that afternoon.She stepped up to the judges table and belted out “I love Simon” — an homage to Cowell — to the tune of Bow Wow Wow’s “I Want Candy.” In just 30 seconds, her audition was over, but the two preliminary judges — and even the security guards — loved it, she said.

But she didn’t have her ticket to Hollywood quite yet. Two days later, Herrick had to return to the audition site and sing for one of the show’s producers.

She dressed once more as Mary Katherine Gallagher and sang “Take Me Or Leave Me” from the musical “Rent.” And this time, Herrick capped her audition by lifting her skirt to reveal the words “I love Simon” inscribed with sequins on the front of her underwear. It was a moment that avid “Idol” watchers might have caught in an episode last week, which showed a montage of some of the best and worst auditions.

The producer thought the bit was funny, Herrick said, but he also questioned her intentions. “He thought I had a pretty good voice, but he didn’t think I needed to be dressed like that,” she said. So Herrick returned to her hotel, washed her hair and auditioned again, singing Meatloaf’s “I Would Do Anything For Love.” The judge was persuaded and finally gave Herrick a chance to audition in front of Jackson, Cowell and Abdul.

Now four days after arriving in Minneapolis, Herrick had to be at the convention center by 7:30 a.m. More waiting ensued and her turn to meet the judges came at about 5:30 that night.

“I was so nervous because you don’t know anything,” Herrick said. “You don’t know when you’re going to go ... I honestly didn’t think they were going to take me. I mean, I had some confidence in myself, but this kid next to me, I thought he was going to make it. He was good-looking and he told me he was a good singer, so I figured, ‘well you’re probably going to make it and I’m going to be sent home.’ ”

For the next audition, Herrick sang “I Hate Myself For Loving You,” a song she told Cowell inspired her to sing. “Definitely not the best singer we’ve had so far, Vanessa, but your’re ballsy,” Cowell told Herrick when she finished the song. “I like you ... She has spunk.”

Cowell’s comments were strong enough to persuade the rest of the panel and Herrick was heading to Hollywood. “I was so excited and nervous at the same time, I don’t know how I did it,” Herrick said. “It’s like when I’m put under pressure like that, I just do it. It almost felt like they were robots.”

After a couple more interviews and signing a stack of legal forms, Herrick was cleared to participate in the show’s Hollywood auditions, which took place last November. There, Herrick got to shake hands with the next American Idol during a meet-and-greet session with the other contestants. And she bonded with a roommate, who Herrick declined to identify, but said “She was really good.”

“I was pretty much just looking at everybody, ‘cause you never know who could win, I wanted to make sure I got a glimpse of everybody,” she said. “I was so excited just to think, ‘Oh my God, I could win,’ or ‘I’m going to meet the person whose going to win.’ It’s amazing — there were so many good-looking and talented people. And everyone was so nice.”

At her Hollywood audition, Herrick and the other female contestants had to select from a listing of songs. While other contestants were choosing to sing slower songs and ballads, Herrick chose to sing Madonna’s upbeat “Borderline,” in a try to set herself apart. Poking fun at other girls who forgot the opening lines to their songs, Herrick pretended to forget her name.

It marked the end for Herrick’s “Idol” run however.

“I think I did good singing, but I think I joked around too much,” she said. “I tried to be funny and they probably didn’t think I was serious. I’m a jokester, that’s just
how I am. I thought that’s what got me there and that’s how I am ... If it wasn’t going to happen, win or lose, I was happy with getting that far and I was just going to be proud no matter what.”

Check out her audition in front of Simon, Paula, Jewel and Randy here ...



... And while we're talking about "Idol" let it be known that Chris Sligh and hometown girl Gina Glocksen are my favorites -- hands-down. (I call Glocksen "hometown girl" because she's from Naperville, a place that will always hold connections and special memories for Kates and I ...)

And this group audition featuring Sligh in last night's show is by far my favorite moment of "Idol" so far ...

Still talkin'

... It seemed everywhere I turned today people were talking about last night's Grammys. If it wasn't The Police's comeback performance, it was Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder winning, or Mary J. Blige's historic night, or Christina Aguilera's amazing performance. And everybody was talking about the Dixie Chicks -- God love 'em ...

It certainly was one of the more exciting Grammy nights in recent memory.

Grammy makes nice: The Dixie Chicks' sweep of Sunday night's Grammy Awards was like flipping the bird to the haters. They are shunned in the Red States for their now- infamous anti-Bush statement just before the Iraq war began. But there they were Sunday night, racking up five Grammys, including awards for album, song and record of the year.

A critic's notebook -- The highs and lows (Al Gore and Queen Latifah?) of watching the Grammys ... Turns out I wasn't the only one who was tracking the Grammys minute-by-minute...

MSN also offered its best and worst of the Grammys ...

ALSO SEE:

a My Grammy predictions

a My thoughts on the Grammys

Goodnight Grammys!

My thoughts on tonight’s Grammy’s as the events unfolded … As usual, uncut and off the top of my head …

… Ah, The Police … man, did they sound (and look!) good!! It’s as if they never broke up!! … Their performance of “Roxanne” was A-mazing, but I would’ve much rather preferred a mind-blowing medley that opened with “Roxanne,” then a blend into “Message In A Bottle,” and from there “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and then end it a with a bang on “Every Breath You Take.”

… The first award: Best Pop Compilation -- “For Once In My Life” (Tony Bennett & Stevie Wonder), “One” (Mary J. Blige & U2), “Always On Your Side” (Sheryl Crow & Sting), “Promiscuous” (Nelly Furtado & Timbaland), “Hips Don't Lie” (Shakira & Wyclef Jean) … Holy cow, this category is loaded!!! ….. All five of these are top-notch and deserving. But I was kind of rooting for the winner: Stevie Wonder & Tony Bennett …

… The Dixie Chicks!! What a performance!!!! … Holy cow, Natalie’s a brunette!! And she looks good!

… Hey, there’s Prince again. He’s been everywhere lately … Wasn’t he always a recluse??

… I’m so over Beyonce.

… I’ve even more over Justin Timberlake.

Ok, his performance was good -- except for that whole holding-a-camera-in-his-face thing… Was he really playing the piano??

… Stevie Wonder couldn’t have given a better introduction -- overjoyed!? I’ll say!! -- Corrine Bailey Rae/John Legend/John Mayer … wow. … Surely Corrine could’ve done the crowd better by performing “Put Your Records On” over “Like A Star.” … ooh, I like the Corrine’s and Mayer’s backing vocals to Legend’s lead … Seriously, Mayer?? “Gravity”?? … What’s with this slow stuff?? This is the Grammys!! Let’s have some excitement!! … I’m disappointed. But hey, Mayer can play that guitar!!

NICE!!!!!!! John Mayer just won for best Pop Album!!! … I thought for sure that one was going home with Justin Timberlake …

Seriously. Can Shakira do anything but shake her hips?? I’m so over her too …

It’s always good to see Burt Bacharach …

Yes. The Dixie Chicks won Song of the Year. I’m smiling from ear to ear. You go girls.

Hey! It’s Allyson Hannigan and Cobie Smulders!! … They’re so great!!

… Ok. Not at all liking Gnarls Barkley’s mash-up Army march version of “Crazy.” … But hey, that’s a sweet set with the band and background singers.

… I don’t care who gets to sing with Justin. I’m not voting’ …

… Wow. Mary J. Blige just gave the performance of her life … that was good stuff.

… The Dixie Chicks just won for best country album … Natalie’s “Simpsons” quote was shrewd and so HA-larious. Yep, a whole bunch of people probably just rolled their eyes and turned off their TVs …

… Rascal Flatts -- nice take on “Hotel California” … But seriously. Do they ever perform any original material?

Here we go best new artist!!! … CARRIE UNDERWOOD!?!?!?! … “This is absolutely unbelievable,” she says … I’LL SAY!!!!!!! (can you hear me groaning !?!?)

Smokie and Lionel might be getting older, but they can still do some smooth singin’ …

Chris Brown. Christina Aguilera. Yawn ... I’m starting to lose interest here.

Mary J. is performing again?? … She was great the first time, but did we really need to see her anymore tonight … this show’s really dragging now …

James Blunt’s performance was nice …

This girl singing with Justin Timberlake isn’t bad. I had my doubts about this whole “My Grammy Moment” thing, but the girl is holding her own, and gosh darn it, she’s having fun …

The Dixie Chicks won again!! Record of the Year!! Man. Good for them.

... Here we go with Album of the Year ... (I can’t believe Scarlett Johanssen is recording an album…. Seriously!?!) … The Dixie Chicks AGAIN!! … Wow. You gotta love ’em.

Grammy time!

Ah, the Grammys.

My kind of Super Bowl. My version of the Oscars.

Kind of sneaked up on me this year, didn’t ya ...

The Police reunion is enough of a reason to watch tonight, but it’s hard for me to remember a recent Grammy pallet that's so closely stacked ...

Album of the Year -- “Taking the Long Way” (Dixie Chicks), “St. Elsewhere” (Gnarls Barkley), “Continuum” (John Mayer), “Stadium Arcadium” (Red Hot Chili Peppers), “FutureSex/LoveSounds” (Justin Timberlake)

...Mayer’s Continuum is a good album, but it lacks the pop and standouts that should make a Record of the Year. And one huge hit of a song (“Crazy”) isn’t going to make “St. Elsewhere” a winner either. “Stadium Arcadium” and “FutureSex/LoveSounds” ... eh. If I had a vote, it’d be the Dixie Chicks’ “Taking the Long Way.” It’s a great, heartfelt listen all the way through ...

Unfortunately, the Grammy folks will pick: “FutureSex/LoveSounds”

Record of the Year -- “Be Without You” (Mary J. Blige), “You’re Beautiful” (James Blunt), “Not Ready to Make Nice” (Dixie Chicks), “Crazy" (Gnarls Barkley), “Put Your Records On” (Corinne Bailey Rae)

... oooh tough category -- but I don’t get all the hype surrounding Mary J. Blige -- the song's ok -- so she’s out. And the fall-over-your-feet lovefest surrounding James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful” has come and gone, which leaves the Chicks, Gnarls Barkley and Corrine Bailey Rae … The sentimental choice is the feisty, fighting back “Not Ready To Make Nice,” and though “Put Your Records On” will make you smile every time it comes on the radio, “Crazy” took America by storm last summer. Funny, I didn’t like it the first couple times I heard it, but it overtook me too …

… And yet, there's no mention of a few other great records of 2006?? “Ain’t No Other Man” ?? “Waiting For The World To Change” ?? “Promiscuous” ?? or even Natasha Bedingfield's “Unwritten.”

The Grammy folks will pick: “Crazy”

Song of the Year: “Be Without You” by Mary J. Blige, “Jesus, Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood, “Not Ready to Make Nice” by the Dixie Chicks, “Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae, “You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt.

… Again, don’t get the hype around Mary J. And I can‘t say “Jesus, Take the Wheel” struck a major chord with me either.… The voters could again go political here with “Not Ready To Make Nice” or they could go super-sappy with James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful,” but my not in this songwriter’s category goes to the uber-catchy, “sapphire and faded jeans” imagery of Corrine Bailey Rae’s “Put Your Records On.”

The Grammy folks will pick: “You’re Beautiful”

Best new artist: James Blunt, Chris Brown, Imogen Heap, Corinne Bailey Rae, Carrie Underwood

To me, this is the most clear-cut category of them all, but you can place a large bet the Grammy voters will go with a more popular, traditional and commercial choice…

James Blunt is a good choice, but after awhile all his sentimental soccer mom pop/rock starts sounding the same. And I saw that played out live too …

Then there’s Chris who? If you haven’t heard of him yet -- don’t worry, you won’t know him next year either.

Carrie Underwood? … She’s no Kelly Clarkson.

Corrine Bailey Rae is as charming and beautiful as they come. She’s a wonderful performer and her voice is as soothing as a summer rain (Cheesy? Fine …) So I’d be thrilled if she takes the award, but I'm not there’s anything about her album that’s outstanding or truly unique.

… Which brings me to Imogen Heap. I fell head over heels for her stuff the moment I heard “Hide & Seek” almost a year and a half ago now, and I fell harder yet when I got a hold of her “Speak For Yourself” album. And then seeing her perform all of it live last May was like an out of body experience … Her music is as fun, catchy, lyrically intense and sing-able as anyone else in the category. But the fact that it’s fresh, it’s innovative and it’s a sound that’s all her own puts Imogen Heap on a pedestal by herself.

The Grammy folks will pick: James Blunt