… So Kates and I spent Thursday night in the hospital.
While we were catching up on our “American Idol,” Kates started feeling dizzy. Her heart was racing and she wasn’t feeling well …
We had hoped with some couch time and rest it would pass. But by 10 o’ clock, Kates’ symptoms had been smoldering for a couple hours and not going away … We did the Internet research. We looked up the symptoms in her women's health book … And finally we decided it might be too risky to wait any longer; we went to the hospital …
Inside the emergency room, Kates told a woman at the desk she was 33 weeks pregnancy, feeling dizzy and ...
Before we knew it, a nurse was whisking her away in a wheelchair, I was trailing them, and we were riding an elevator to the birthing floor, where a team of nurses was waiting for us. Within a minute of arriving, we were in a birthing room, Kates was getting into a gown and a nurse was asking me for all the vital statistics …
Interestingly, during our birthing class the night before we were given a tour of the birth floor and the rooms, so this was like deja vu all over again ... And up to this point, a part of us was thinking perhaps we were overreacting and after a quick check we'd be heading right back home. Then there was that other part of us that was thinking of the worst scenarios -- from preeclampsia to God knows what ...
As fast as the nurses got us into a birthing room and put Kates in a gown, I'm thinking, Aw, c’mon we’re not having this baby tonight, are we!?
A check of Kates' blood pressure and all the other routine tests showed no problems, and we seemed destined to be heading home for the night. But before we did, the nurses wanted to do an EKG to be safe ...
We waited another half hour to get the results from that ... Then a little after 11, our nurse returned and said the test found an arythmia in Kates' heartbeat -- we were staying for the night.
Kates made a list of things she needed from home (As if this whole episode wasn't a wake-up call that we'd better have a bag packed and ready to go from now on ...), and then I was off to our house -- in yet another snowstorm ... great! -- to retrive an overnight bag for her and some things for me ...
By midnight, I was back at the hospital with bags and laptop over my shoulder ... As Kates took the laptop and made arrangements for being out of work, I tried getting comfortable in the room's recliner and flipped through the TV channels -- the hospital had just about every cable channel except ESPN (Wha!?!), so I eventually settled on Letterman ...
But worse, for me at least, was the so-called recliner. The night before at our birthing class, the nurses had been bragging about how comfortable the chairs would be for fathers. But after a night in one of them, I beg to differ -- sure, the seat of the chair folded out for its inhabitant to put his feet up, but its reclining capabilities were zilch ... The best I could do was put a pillow behind my back, curl into one side of the chair with a blanket, strap on my iPod and try falling asleep with The Weepies ... I managed to fall asleep by 1, but it was one of the most uncomfortable nights of sleep in my life ...
Kates told me later that it was 1:30 before she turned off the laptop and got to sleep ... And by 7:30 in the morning, a nurse was knocking on our door to check on us and fill us in on what was to come. The hospital also had contacted our doctor -- who we'll call Dr. Fabulous from here on, because it kind of rhymes with her real name, I'd rather not use her real name for the purpose of this blog, and she really is fabulous -- and she was on her way ...
Soon Dr. Fabulous arrived and reviewed everything once more with Kates. There were more tests and checks. Doctor confirmed that things still looked good and on track. And finally by 11 a.m., we were being discharged from the birthing floor and sent to the cardiologist on another floor ...
There, Kates was fitted with a heart monitor, which she has to wear for the weekend. She can't take a shower, and with all the wires hooked up to her body, she looks like a human time bomb. Don't get on a bus, I told her ... She's resorted to calling it her junk -- like when I got out of the car this afternoon and started walking ahead of her: Hold on, I got my junk, she says. It was a hilarious moment.
We left the hospital a little after noon, exhausted, but thankful that -- for now, at least -- all is well. And if that's the only bump in this whole pregnancy road, we'll gladly take it ...
Oh, and we found out she's started contractions even though she's not feeling them yet...
Nice.
2.29.2008
2.28.2008
'Idol' night
Well, folks, we've had our first shocker of the season. Alexandrea Lushington, who I thought -- at the least -- was a solid Top Three among the girls, was given the boot ...
Unbelievable. Shame on you, America. It should have been Amanda Overmyer going instead.
On Wednesday night, Alexandrea sang Chicago‘s “If You Leave Me Now” -- a tough song, but she put her own touches on it and her movement from low to high notes was flawless. In fact, I thought she performed it even more beautifully than Chicago did. It was really good ...
Just adds more truth to my theory that the majority of people who watch -- and vote -- on 'Idol' don't know, get or appreciate the really good music.
As for the other cast-offs, I can't say I was happy to see Alaina Whitaker go either. Granted, her performance on Wednesday night of "Hopelessly Devoted To You" wasn't good, let alone a poor song choice. But the girl had some potential and charm, I thought ... Then she goes and gives possibly the most riveting send-off performance I've seen.
And the boys -- Jason Yeager and Robbie Carrico -- not shedding any tears about those guys. Just weeding them out.
About those boys ... There were a ton of great songs delivered during their performances on Tuesday night, but the top guys are clear ...
Michael Johns started off the guys with Fleetwood Mac's “Go Your Own Way” and my ears shot up the moment I heard the opening guitar strums on that one. It’s a GREAT song and I thought Michael did a pretty good job on it. A little pitchy around the first chorus, but I thought it was a great choice for him. And at times, if I wasn’t watching the TV, I think I might have mistaken his voice for the real Lindsey Buckingham …
Jason Castro sang “I Just Wanna Be Your Everything.” I can’t say I loved the song, but I do love his vocals. He’s totally got the Jason Mraz thing going ….
Luke Menard did Queen’s “Killer Queen.” … One of my all-time favorite songs, and I thought he did it well -- kind of surprising since I thought he was going to be gone last week. Simon just seemed to be disliking everything Tuesday night.
Danny Noriega sang The Carpenters’ “Superstar.” Great rendition, but his interaction with the judges was more entertaining. (When he admitted that his Elvis cover last week was "a mess" -- I disagree -- and Simon questioned him further, his "ish" response was hilarious ...) Even with his attitude, I really like the kid -- Kates and I agree, he’s weird, but it’s a sort of cute weird.
And then there was David Archuleta, singing a jaw-dropping beautiful version of John Lennon’s “Imagine.” I’m with Paula: perhaps the most memorable performance ever on that stage. Whether he borrowed the version of the song shouldn't matter -- the dude can sing, ... In the meatime, the fawning over lil' David continues to be just as entertaining. This from EW ...
So my top guys remain in this order: David Archuleta, Danny Noriega, Jason Castro and Michael Johns ...
I thought Carly Smithson started it off with a bang. With the '70s week theme, you knew there had to be a girl who was going to try Heart's "Crazy On You," and Carly nailed it. This was the first week I've considered her a serious contender.
Syesha Mercado. Didn't know the song. But even if I did I'd have to agree with the judges that it was a poor song choice. ... Her baby cry, by the way, was amazing and creepy wrapped into one ...
Brooke White -- my girl. A smile lit up my face the moment I heard her playing the opening chords of a sweet, slowed-down version of Carly Simon's "You're so Vein." She had a little trouble with the lower notes, but she was totally chaneling Carly, and it was a brilliant song choice for her. I loved it, and she redeemed herself after her so-so performance last week ...
On the other side ...
I'm still not getting Ramiele Malubay. I thought Kristy Lee Cook's “You’re No Good” was lacking, along with Kady Malloy's “Magicman” -- though I still have an ounce of faith that they can do better. But I thought Asia’h Epperson (singing “All By Myself”) and Amanda Overmyer (with “Carry On My Wayward Son”) were as good as gone with their awful performances ...
After Wednesday night, my top girls were, in order: Alexandrea Lushington, Carly Smithson and Brooke White.
Guess I was wrong.
Unbelievable. Shame on you, America. It should have been Amanda Overmyer going instead.
On Wednesday night, Alexandrea sang Chicago‘s “If You Leave Me Now” -- a tough song, but she put her own touches on it and her movement from low to high notes was flawless. In fact, I thought she performed it even more beautifully than Chicago did. It was really good ...
Just adds more truth to my theory that the majority of people who watch -- and vote -- on 'Idol' don't know, get or appreciate the really good music.
As for the other cast-offs, I can't say I was happy to see Alaina Whitaker go either. Granted, her performance on Wednesday night of "Hopelessly Devoted To You" wasn't good, let alone a poor song choice. But the girl had some potential and charm, I thought ... Then she goes and gives possibly the most riveting send-off performance I've seen.
And the boys -- Jason Yeager and Robbie Carrico -- not shedding any tears about those guys. Just weeding them out.
* * *
About those boys ... There were a ton of great songs delivered during their performances on Tuesday night, but the top guys are clear ...
Michael Johns started off the guys with Fleetwood Mac's “Go Your Own Way” and my ears shot up the moment I heard the opening guitar strums on that one. It’s a GREAT song and I thought Michael did a pretty good job on it. A little pitchy around the first chorus, but I thought it was a great choice for him. And at times, if I wasn’t watching the TV, I think I might have mistaken his voice for the real Lindsey Buckingham …
Jason Castro sang “I Just Wanna Be Your Everything.” I can’t say I loved the song, but I do love his vocals. He’s totally got the Jason Mraz thing going ….
Luke Menard did Queen’s “Killer Queen.” … One of my all-time favorite songs, and I thought he did it well -- kind of surprising since I thought he was going to be gone last week. Simon just seemed to be disliking everything Tuesday night.
Danny Noriega sang The Carpenters’ “Superstar.” Great rendition, but his interaction with the judges was more entertaining. (When he admitted that his Elvis cover last week was "a mess" -- I disagree -- and Simon questioned him further, his "ish" response was hilarious ...) Even with his attitude, I really like the kid -- Kates and I agree, he’s weird, but it’s a sort of cute weird.
And then there was David Archuleta, singing a jaw-dropping beautiful version of John Lennon’s “Imagine.” I’m with Paula: perhaps the most memorable performance ever on that stage. Whether he borrowed the version of the song shouldn't matter -- the dude can sing, ... In the meatime, the fawning over lil' David continues to be just as entertaining. This from EW ...
He has the eyes of Bambi, only darker and perhaps 11 percent more earnest. When the camera catches his broad, open, guileless grin, you can kind of understand how a mother feels the first time her baby looks up at her and smiles. And when he sings — oh, that voice! — grandpas (and Paula) grab their handkerchiefs and dab the corners of their eyes, remembering simpler days when ''nice boys and girls'' were the toast of the airwaves.David Hernandez and David Cook aren't worth mentioning -- I just want to see them gone. And Chikezie isn't one of my favorites, either, but I think he still has potential.
So my top guys remain in this order: David Archuleta, Danny Noriega, Jason Castro and Michael Johns ...
* * *
And Wednesday night was ladies' night ...I thought Carly Smithson started it off with a bang. With the '70s week theme, you knew there had to be a girl who was going to try Heart's "Crazy On You," and Carly nailed it. This was the first week I've considered her a serious contender.
Syesha Mercado. Didn't know the song. But even if I did I'd have to agree with the judges that it was a poor song choice. ... Her baby cry, by the way, was amazing and creepy wrapped into one ...
Brooke White -- my girl. A smile lit up my face the moment I heard her playing the opening chords of a sweet, slowed-down version of Carly Simon's "You're so Vein." She had a little trouble with the lower notes, but she was totally chaneling Carly, and it was a brilliant song choice for her. I loved it, and she redeemed herself after her so-so performance last week ...
On the other side ...
I'm still not getting Ramiele Malubay. I thought Kristy Lee Cook's “You’re No Good” was lacking, along with Kady Malloy's “Magicman” -- though I still have an ounce of faith that they can do better. But I thought Asia’h Epperson (singing “All By Myself”) and Amanda Overmyer (with “Carry On My Wayward Son”) were as good as gone with their awful performances ...
After Wednesday night, my top girls were, in order: Alexandrea Lushington, Carly Smithson and Brooke White.
Guess I was wrong.
2.27.2008
Baby dreams
... So Kates and I are growing more sure each day that we might be having a boy -- even though we've been discreetly rooting for a girl. ...
For starters, we adore our prospective girls name (but that's an upcoming post). Plus, one of my best friends and his wife recently had a girl, as did my brother and sister-in-law -- I'm thinking playmates. And I've rarely had problems getting along with girls -- some of my closest friends are girls.
But the idea of having a son -- and I understand how odd this might sound since it seems to be every man's dream to have a son he could someday coach or have a catch with -- ups the anty a little. It makes me more nervous. I feel more pressure to be a good father. To mold him in to a good, respected man. What if he doesn't like baseball, let alone sports? How would I take that? What if he's a hellion? ... Snap out of it! You're crazy! You're going to love him or her either way and you're going to be a great father ...
Then there's the prospect of the baby making an early appearance. And as big as Kates is getting I'm starting to believe that could happen too...
So given those lingering thoughts, I had an interesting dream last night ...
Kates went into labor and had the baby. Easy as pie.
Suddenly we were in the hospital room. It was brightly lit and flooded in whites.
And there was the baby. It was a girl ... Big head, no hair, wide eyed and adorable.
And then we were walking around the hospital with her. And trying to decide whether we should call anyone to say that Kates had the baby -- but we figured there was no rush to tell anyone because there was supposed to be at least a month left in the pregnancy and no one was expecting us to call with any news ...
It was quite a vivid dream.
So now I've dreamt we will have a boy and I've dreamt we will have a girl.
I thought this whole having-it-be-a-surprise thing was suppose to be fun.
For starters, we adore our prospective girls name (but that's an upcoming post). Plus, one of my best friends and his wife recently had a girl, as did my brother and sister-in-law -- I'm thinking playmates. And I've rarely had problems getting along with girls -- some of my closest friends are girls.
But the idea of having a son -- and I understand how odd this might sound since it seems to be every man's dream to have a son he could someday coach or have a catch with -- ups the anty a little. It makes me more nervous. I feel more pressure to be a good father. To mold him in to a good, respected man. What if he doesn't like baseball, let alone sports? How would I take that? What if he's a hellion? ... Snap out of it! You're crazy! You're going to love him or her either way and you're going to be a great father ...
Then there's the prospect of the baby making an early appearance. And as big as Kates is getting I'm starting to believe that could happen too...
So given those lingering thoughts, I had an interesting dream last night ...
Kates went into labor and had the baby. Easy as pie.
Suddenly we were in the hospital room. It was brightly lit and flooded in whites.
And there was the baby. It was a girl ... Big head, no hair, wide eyed and adorable.
And then we were walking around the hospital with her. And trying to decide whether we should call anyone to say that Kates had the baby -- but we figured there was no rush to tell anyone because there was supposed to be at least a month left in the pregnancy and no one was expecting us to call with any news ...
It was quite a vivid dream.
So now I've dreamt we will have a boy and I've dreamt we will have a girl.
I thought this whole having-it-be-a-surprise thing was suppose to be fun.
2.25.2008
Wonderful world
... Still recovering from her weekend sickness, Kates spent the night on the couch ...
Watching one of her all-time favorites, "Adventures in Babysitting."
I hadn't seen it until we started living together ... And now, somehow she manages to reel me in with her whenever it's on. It is a decent, cute film -- and I enjoy watching Elisabeth Shue ...
And tonight I got the added bonus of watching Kates be goofy as she sang along to "The Babysitting Blues" -- arguably the best scene in the movie.
... And while I'm posting videos, I caught this guy on Letterman the other night. Amazing.
Watching one of her all-time favorites, "Adventures in Babysitting."
I hadn't seen it until we started living together ... And now, somehow she manages to reel me in with her whenever it's on. It is a decent, cute film -- and I enjoy watching Elisabeth Shue ...
And tonight I got the added bonus of watching Kates be goofy as she sang along to "The Babysitting Blues" -- arguably the best scene in the movie.
... And while I'm posting videos, I caught this guy on Letterman the other night. Amazing.
2.24.2008
Sunday reading
It's Oscar night ...
Yippee.
The only things I cared about were Jon Stewart's comedy and Diablo Cody winning the award for best original screenplay. Both played out just the way I'd hoped -- Stewart was funny and Cody won. But there were a few bonuses, too -- I loved Amy Adams singing the Happy Working Song (she was adorable!) and it also was great seeing Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova perform their song from "Once" ... And then winning for it! ... And then seeing Stewart bring Irglova back out to the microphone for a second chance at giving an acceptance speech!
All great moments.
Some of the good reads that caught my eyes during the last couple weeks ...
Baseball ...
a Look who's in LA-LA land
a Fewer WGN games means more revenue ... Yeah, but it sucks for Cubs fans not living in the Chicago area.
a Pettitte praised by Congress, but hits are coming soon
a Ten key points that were missed during the hearings
a Prosecutors file new details in Bonds case
a The bottom line on Clemens' statistical performance
a Whether on mound or Hill, Clemens is the same man
a 'You can tell your boys I did it the right way' Or not.
a Lot of misremembering going on, but Clemens is the one doing it
a Hank Aaron Believes Baseball Can Move On
a Wood favored in competition for closer
a Carlos Zambrano ready to be ace Cubs need
a Soriano reports early to Cubs camp
a Kosuke Fukudome launches Cubs' career
a Lee could drop to cleanup as part of Cubs' lineup shuffle
a Ranking the best general managers in the game... Yep. Theo Epstein, hands down.
a Bonds' value significantly deflated
Music ...
a Soundtrack making star of Kimya Dawson
a Fans love Carpenters, not carpenters ... I love the Carpenters! Save the house!
TV ...
a 'Lost': Mind-Blowing Scoop From Its Producers
Movies ...
a A year for hot movie scripts
a Not just anyone can be an actor
a The Oscars: A dark view on dark times
a Lindsay Lohan nude in recreated Marilyn Monroe photo shoot
The Internet ...
a What Facebook Knows That You Don't
Politics ...
a Clintons' bias card has basis
a Obama Fever Is Breaking On the Web
a Obama's Missing Ideas
a It will be tough getting used to life without Hillary Clinton, a candidate so perfect that few could identify with her
Life & other stuff ...
a Red-letter day for Blu-ray
a A kiss is just a kiss
Yippee.
The only things I cared about were Jon Stewart's comedy and Diablo Cody winning the award for best original screenplay. Both played out just the way I'd hoped -- Stewart was funny and Cody won. But there were a few bonuses, too -- I loved Amy Adams singing the Happy Working Song (she was adorable!) and it also was great seeing Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova perform their song from "Once" ... And then winning for it! ... And then seeing Stewart bring Irglova back out to the microphone for a second chance at giving an acceptance speech!
All great moments.
Some of the good reads that caught my eyes during the last couple weeks ...
Baseball ...
a Look who's in LA-LA land
a Fewer WGN games means more revenue ... Yeah, but it sucks for Cubs fans not living in the Chicago area.
a Pettitte praised by Congress, but hits are coming soon
a Ten key points that were missed during the hearings
a Prosecutors file new details in Bonds case
a The bottom line on Clemens' statistical performance
a Whether on mound or Hill, Clemens is the same man
a 'You can tell your boys I did it the right way' Or not.
a Lot of misremembering going on, but Clemens is the one doing it
a Hank Aaron Believes Baseball Can Move On
a Wood favored in competition for closer
a Carlos Zambrano ready to be ace Cubs need
a Soriano reports early to Cubs camp
a Kosuke Fukudome launches Cubs' career
a Lee could drop to cleanup as part of Cubs' lineup shuffle
a Ranking the best general managers in the game... Yep. Theo Epstein, hands down.
a Bonds' value significantly deflated
Music ...
a Soundtrack making star of Kimya Dawson
a Fans love Carpenters, not carpenters ... I love the Carpenters! Save the house!
TV ...
a 'Lost': Mind-Blowing Scoop From Its Producers
Movies ...
a A year for hot movie scripts
a Not just anyone can be an actor
a The Oscars: A dark view on dark times
a Lindsay Lohan nude in recreated Marilyn Monroe photo shoot
The Internet ...
a What Facebook Knows That You Don't
Politics ...
a Clintons' bias card has basis
a Obama Fever Is Breaking On the Web
a Obama's Missing Ideas
a It will be tough getting used to life without Hillary Clinton, a candidate so perfect that few could identify with her
Life & other stuff ...
a Red-letter day for Blu-ray
a A kiss is just a kiss
Ba(ra)ck on 'SNL'
... So Kates has been sick all weekend, and because of it we skipped church this morning ...
And watched last night's "SNL."
HA-larious. An instant classic. Easily one of the top episodes od the year, along with the Brian Williams show.
With the news that Loren Michaels was auditioning cast members to play Barack Obama, we were beyond eager to see the results ...
And, boy, did Fred Armisen get it. The mannerisms. The slow speech. The curled eyebrows. ... Then combine that with Amy Poehler doing her Hillary Clinton impersonation, Kristin Wiig as Campbell Brown and the characters gushing over Obama -- the skit was brilliant ... (For the record, going in, I hadn't even thought of Armisen as a possible Obama ... But if he can pull it off as well as he did, who cares whether the impersonator is black. That's where SNL's amazing makeup team comes in.)
Combine that with the charm of seeing Tina Fey back with her SNL buds -- We couldn't have asked for a better return from the writer's strike ...
Tina Fey's opening monologue with Steve Martin emboldening her to be a performer was entertaining ...And her "Women's News" bit at the Weekend Update desk was seriously funny -- complete with a plug for Hillary Clinton ...
And that was after Mike Huckabee's wickedly funny appearance on Update... Huckabee showed off his comic chops and kudos to him for doing the bit ...
The Celebrity Apprentice. Andy Samberg as Mathew Lesko and Amy Poehler as the dancing guy from the Six Flags commercials -- HA-larious.
... Along with the "I Drink Your Milkshake Skit" -- complete with a Kenosha reference at the end. Nice.
Though I can't say I was impressed with new featured player Casey Wilson ... She's going to annoy me, I think.
The burning question of What happened to Maya Rudolph!? led me to this ...
But hey, next we've got Ellen Page hosting! Can't wait!
Good reads ...
a Weekend update: 'SNL' is back in the race
a A Comedian and a Candidate Share a Big 'Saturday Night'
a 'SNL' has highest rating in two years
And watched last night's "SNL."
HA-larious. An instant classic. Easily one of the top episodes od the year, along with the Brian Williams show.
With the news that Loren Michaels was auditioning cast members to play Barack Obama, we were beyond eager to see the results ...
And, boy, did Fred Armisen get it. The mannerisms. The slow speech. The curled eyebrows. ... Then combine that with Amy Poehler doing her Hillary Clinton impersonation, Kristin Wiig as Campbell Brown and the characters gushing over Obama -- the skit was brilliant ... (For the record, going in, I hadn't even thought of Armisen as a possible Obama ... But if he can pull it off as well as he did, who cares whether the impersonator is black. That's where SNL's amazing makeup team comes in.)
Combine that with the charm of seeing Tina Fey back with her SNL buds -- We couldn't have asked for a better return from the writer's strike ...
Tina Fey's opening monologue with Steve Martin emboldening her to be a performer was entertaining ...And her "Women's News" bit at the Weekend Update desk was seriously funny -- complete with a plug for Hillary Clinton ...
And that was after Mike Huckabee's wickedly funny appearance on Update... Huckabee showed off his comic chops and kudos to him for doing the bit ...
The Celebrity Apprentice. Andy Samberg as Mathew Lesko and Amy Poehler as the dancing guy from the Six Flags commercials -- HA-larious.
... Along with the "I Drink Your Milkshake Skit" -- complete with a Kenosha reference at the end. Nice.
Though I can't say I was impressed with new featured player Casey Wilson ... She's going to annoy me, I think.
The burning question of What happened to Maya Rudolph!? led me to this ...
But hey, next we've got Ellen Page hosting! Can't wait!
Good reads ...
a Weekend update: 'SNL' is back in the race
a A Comedian and a Candidate Share a Big 'Saturday Night'
a 'SNL' has highest rating in two years
2.22.2008
Cubs tickets central
… There’s no better sign of spring coming than the day Cubs tickets go on sale.Happy sigh.
Today was my day, and I gotta admit -- I think I’m getting pretty good at this virtual ticketing thing.
As I’d done last year, and the year before that, and for the last several years actually, I took a day off from work for the occasion …And then this morning, as usual, I set up my private ticket headquarters, placing my laptop and Kates' computer side by side. Schedule, calendar, credit card and cell phone spread out on the floor in front of me …
The virtual waiting room opened at 9:30 a.m. and tickets went on sale at 10. But I’ve learned there’s no advantage to getting in the virtual waiting room early, because potential buyers are picked at random ...
I had a brief freakout when my Internet windows weren’t properly displaying on either screen. But a little tweaking of our Internet settings fixed the problem, and I was logged in just a couple minutes before 10 …
And then I waited.
But not for long!
At 10:07, my first window popped up and I was in! … I promptly snagged two infield tickets for the Aug. 9 afternoon game against St. Louis … Talk about a prime game. It was the top game on my priority list, and I got it! That’s the first time that’s ever happened for me … and the game was sold out by 10:30 a.m.
So with one game under my belt, I was kicked back to the virtual waiting room to wait again, knowing that any other games I got were bonuses …
And, lo and behold, I was in again at about 10:40 a.m., although it took me a couple more minutes to get another pair of tickets -- I kept getting pop-ups saying that my order couldn’t be processed because the transaction volume was so high … I got bumped out of a chance to get tickets to the Sept. 20 game against St. Louis in the Cubs’ final homestand, and the June 21 White Sox game had sold out, so I went with my third choice -- Aug. 30 against Philadelphia, and snagged two tickets in the infield level to that game …
I couldn’t have asked for an easier process this morning, and now I’m having to restrain myself and keep the “B” words in mind (That’s baby and budget.) …
I could keep going and try to make some buku bucks on eBay, but I’m not that desperate …
So my Cubs ticket operation is shutting down for another year …
And I have to decide how I’m going to spend the rest of my day …
Brewers tickets go on sale tomorrow …
And yes, I’m really listening to Toto. On vinyl. It’s a good record.
2.21.2008
Holy news day!
... It was another one of those days again.
... I got a page at about 2:30 this morning for a fire at a popular resturant in town ... Problem was I had the volume turned down on my phone, and it took a voicemail from my editor at 6:45 to get me out of bed and going ... I rushed to the location and by that point, the building had been reduced to a pile of rubble. A crazy day of going back and forth to the scene and talking to neighbors (and beating out television people ... I hate local TV news...) ensued ...
Then, this afternoon, came the news of the big Bulls trade. Ben Wallace, the guy many of us thought would help bring the championship back to Chicago, was done -- traded to the Cavs for four players that included none other than former Jayhawk Drew Gooden! ... Hearing the news, I shouted to my cohorts "Drew Gooden and Kirk Hinrich reunited and it feels so good!" ... Definitely looking forward to watching this one play out!
Then! this evening as I'm home and de-stressing from the day (listening to a little Shawn Colvin), my friend Laura calls ... "Are you watching TV!?" she asks excitedly. I wasn't. "Turn on your TV!" ... The jury in our infamous Mark Jensen trial had reached a verdict that was nearly 10 years in the making: "Guilty! guilty! guilty!" Laura shouted. ... I hung up with her and sat glued to the TV for the next 45 minutes as the local stations carried live coverage of the press conferences with the attorneys and members of the jury ...
And to cap it off, we learned today that the death of Drew Peterson's third wife has been ruled a homicide ...
Ah, American Idol... I'm beginning to wonder what I would do without you.
It was good to see the Idol kids doing a group performance again. Sure tonight's '60s medley was super full of cheese, but the fun they're having on stage is always contagious ...
And then we began cutting 'em loose ... and oh, the tears started flowing!
First up, Garrett Haley ... After all, his dismissal was the no-brainer of the night, but boy, Ryan Seacrest didn't waste any time getting to the point. It was fun while you were here, thanks for playing and have a nice life kid!
We also said good-bye to Amy Davis and Joanne Borgella, and Colton Berry ... All very good choices. Thank you, America.
But before tuning into "Lost," Kates and I had perhaps the most fun of our night with a show we didn't even plan to watch ...
"Don't Forget the Lyrics!" baby! ... While fast-forwarding through the commercials during "Idol" (we were watching it on delay with the DVR), I caught a glimpse of Boyz II Men on a stage and singing. Intrigued, I played the commercial and it turned out they were appearing on a celebrity version of "Don't Forget the Lyrics" ... Nice!
So after "Idol," we kept it on Fox and watched the show ...
Talk about great fun!... To see the boys on stage and singing again, and doing songs like the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses," Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely," and "Kung Fu Fighting" -- all impromptu -- was wildly entertaining. Then! as they climbed the money ladder (in case you haven't seen the show, the number of words the singer must get increases with each level ... and the Boyz were playing for charity) their final two categories to beat were Motown and Boyz II Men -- wonderful!
... They brought the house down with Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears" -- complete with The Miracles dance moves and the harmony. And then they had the couples dancing in the aisles with their own "I'll Make Love To You." And! for a little encore they did "End of the Road."
What a blast from the past! ... Kates and I were beaming as we sang every word. And when it was all over we just looked at each other and laughed ...
"We're so old!" I cried.
Sadly, I think it was the first time I've said that and actually considered it to be true.
So "Lost" ...
Of the three episodes we've seen now, tonight's was my least favorite ...
But there were a couple good eye-opening moments ...
No. 1, we now can assume when Kate told Jack "I have to get back to him" at the end of last season's finale, that the "him" was her "son" -- who we found out at the end of tonight's episode was Claire's baby Aaron! (To Kates' credit, she predicted it ...)
No. 2, what the heck was Jack talking about when testified in Kate's trial that there were only eight survivors in the plane crash!?
... And this wasn't revealed, but my theory is Miles is the spy Ben was referring to on the freighter ...
... I got a page at about 2:30 this morning for a fire at a popular resturant in town ... Problem was I had the volume turned down on my phone, and it took a voicemail from my editor at 6:45 to get me out of bed and going ... I rushed to the location and by that point, the building had been reduced to a pile of rubble. A crazy day of going back and forth to the scene and talking to neighbors (and beating out television people ... I hate local TV news...) ensued ...
Then, this afternoon, came the news of the big Bulls trade. Ben Wallace, the guy many of us thought would help bring the championship back to Chicago, was done -- traded to the Cavs for four players that included none other than former Jayhawk Drew Gooden! ... Hearing the news, I shouted to my cohorts "Drew Gooden and Kirk Hinrich reunited and it feels so good!" ... Definitely looking forward to watching this one play out!
Then! this evening as I'm home and de-stressing from the day (listening to a little Shawn Colvin), my friend Laura calls ... "Are you watching TV!?" she asks excitedly. I wasn't. "Turn on your TV!" ... The jury in our infamous Mark Jensen trial had reached a verdict that was nearly 10 years in the making: "Guilty! guilty! guilty!" Laura shouted. ... I hung up with her and sat glued to the TV for the next 45 minutes as the local stations carried live coverage of the press conferences with the attorneys and members of the jury ...
And to cap it off, we learned today that the death of Drew Peterson's third wife has been ruled a homicide ...
* * *
Ah, American Idol... I'm beginning to wonder what I would do without you.
It was good to see the Idol kids doing a group performance again. Sure tonight's '60s medley was super full of cheese, but the fun they're having on stage is always contagious ...
And then we began cutting 'em loose ... and oh, the tears started flowing!
First up, Garrett Haley ... After all, his dismissal was the no-brainer of the night, but boy, Ryan Seacrest didn't waste any time getting to the point. It was fun while you were here, thanks for playing and have a nice life kid!
We also said good-bye to Amy Davis and Joanne Borgella, and Colton Berry ... All very good choices. Thank you, America.
* * *
But before tuning into "Lost," Kates and I had perhaps the most fun of our night with a show we didn't even plan to watch ...
"Don't Forget the Lyrics!" baby! ... While fast-forwarding through the commercials during "Idol" (we were watching it on delay with the DVR), I caught a glimpse of Boyz II Men on a stage and singing. Intrigued, I played the commercial and it turned out they were appearing on a celebrity version of "Don't Forget the Lyrics" ... Nice!
So after "Idol," we kept it on Fox and watched the show ...
Talk about great fun!... To see the boys on stage and singing again, and doing songs like the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses," Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely," and "Kung Fu Fighting" -- all impromptu -- was wildly entertaining. Then! as they climbed the money ladder (in case you haven't seen the show, the number of words the singer must get increases with each level ... and the Boyz were playing for charity) their final two categories to beat were Motown and Boyz II Men -- wonderful!
... They brought the house down with Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears" -- complete with The Miracles dance moves and the harmony. And then they had the couples dancing in the aisles with their own "I'll Make Love To You." And! for a little encore they did "End of the Road."
What a blast from the past! ... Kates and I were beaming as we sang every word. And when it was all over we just looked at each other and laughed ...
"We're so old!" I cried.
Sadly, I think it was the first time I've said that and actually considered it to be true.
* * *
So "Lost" ...
Of the three episodes we've seen now, tonight's was my least favorite ...
But there were a couple good eye-opening moments ...
No. 1, we now can assume when Kate told Jack "I have to get back to him" at the end of last season's finale, that the "him" was her "son" -- who we found out at the end of tonight's episode was Claire's baby Aaron! (To Kates' credit, she predicted it ...)
No. 2, what the heck was Jack talking about when testified in Kate's trial that there were only eight survivors in the plane crash!?
... And this wasn't revealed, but my theory is Miles is the spy Ben was referring to on the freighter ...
2.20.2008
The Girls' Idol night
... So after David Archuleta sang a great "Shop Around" last night, I've had the song in my head (in my best Chandler Bing impression) all the live long day! ... I got up this morning, and it was in my head (singing: And then she said / Just because you've become a young man now ...). So I immediately turned on my iPod and put it on because it was so engrained in me. Then I was humming it and tapping my fingers to it all day at work. And when we got home from our birthing class tonight, I played it once more ...
Speaking of David Archuleta, in case you missed it, EW's review had a great bit on the boy wonder:
Yeah, so I thought the boys were good, not great ... But I also didn't go in with the same high expectations for the boys that I had tonight for the girls ...
Turns out the girls failed me. And I'm beginning to wonder what drugs the American Idol people are taking to make them gush over "the most talented Top 24" in American Idol history."
Seriously? ... The last two night's performances was proof that these kids did not grow up listening to oldies stations (which in my opinion, you've got to do at least a little bit to truly appreciate pop music), and I find that really sad ... The judges also were being nicey nice again tonight …
So here we go, my off-the-top-of-my-head thoughts on tonight's Idol performances ...
First up, Kristy Lee Cook sang “Rescue Me” … Hmm. I really wanted to like it. She sounded good. I liked the tone of her voice. But I wasn’t feeling it. The tempo was slowed down and it lacked pizazz.
Joanne Borgella sang “Say A Little Prayer.” … Ugh. Nope. Didn’t do it for me.
Alaina Whitaker sang “More Today Than Yesterday” … Nope. Didn’t like her either. She was groaning and yelling for half the song …
Amanda Overmyer sang “Baby, Please Don't Go” … I liked it, but I didn’t love it. The song showed off her rocker ability, but not her singing ability.
Amy Davis sang “Where the Boys Are” … Not good. Boring. Never have understood the appeal to her actually.
Brooke White sang “Happy Together” … Ah, my favorite, Brooke. She picked a great song -- and an arrangement that was worlds better that David Cook’s take on it last night. She was good, but she didn’t blow away the other girls like I’d hoped.
Alexandrea Lushington sang “Spinning Wheel” … Awesome. To quote Randy, she “blew the doors off” it. Perfect arrangement (loved the brass!). She totally surprised me and got my nod for the best performance of the night.
Kady Malloy sang “Groovy Kind of Love.” … Nice rendition, which I wanted to like more than I did. But she was a little pitchy and she was off the beat. I agree with the judges she needs to lighten up -- her Britney impression was HA-larious!
Asia’h Epperson sang “Piece of My Heart” … Like we really needed another person to sing “Piece of My Heart,” let alone another Janis Joplin song. But the girl took it and made it her own. She’s right up there with Alexandrea.
Ramiele Malubay sang “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” … Yeah, she’s another one that I don’t get the appeal. She picked a song that was ripe for belting, and didn’t deliver. She did not -- Simon -- out-sing everyone else tonight.
Syesha Mercado sang “Tobacco Road.” … She definitely can sing, but I sort of felt like she was yelling. But I’m also not a fan of the song to start.
Carly Smithson sang “The Shadow of Your Smile” … Eh. Good vocals. But I’m just not seeing the appeal for her either.
Last night I gave my Top Five boys, but tonight I'm struggling just to name three girls ...
1. Alexandrea Lushington
2. Asia’h Epperson
3. Carly Smithson
Speaking of David Archuleta, in case you missed it, EW's review had a great bit on the boy wonder:
... the inevitable top-five finisher David Archuleta. If I didn't know better, I'd say that a magical Idol witch concocted little David in a cauldron, using the soft, downy fur of a week-old kitten, the damp, cool nose of an innocent puppy, and the voices of a thousand angels as her main ingredients. Sure, David's voice momentarily disappeared when he reached for the growly lower notes of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' ''Shop Around,'' but his purity of tone and lack of showbiz-kid ickiness make him irresistible. Plus, the kid has the power to draw a laugh-out-loud-funny punch line from Ryan Seacrest: ''You can only vote for him. You can't actually adopt him.''And there was this on the surprisingly great performance from Jason Castro:
Yet somehow it only took a few minutes for folk-rocker Jason Castro to establish a delightful laid-back hippie-dude persona and showcase the kind of sweet, bombast-free vocals that rarely, if ever, make an appearance on the Idol stage. By the time the guy finished his performance with a look of befuddlement and a nervous chuckle — he's only sung live in front of an audience a handful of times, he noted — I could imagine a very specific internal monologue unfolding in his brain:
Dude, I had the gnarliest dream. I was in the American Idol semifinals, playing my guitar and singing the Lovin' Spoonful's ''What a Day for a Daydream,'' and it was freaky and scary and kind of awesome. And then, Paula Abdul said I was ''minimal,'' ''effortless,'' and ''joyful,'' and Simon ranked me in the top two performances of the night. Dooood!
Yeah, so I thought the boys were good, not great ... But I also didn't go in with the same high expectations for the boys that I had tonight for the girls ...
Turns out the girls failed me. And I'm beginning to wonder what drugs the American Idol people are taking to make them gush over "the most talented Top 24" in American Idol history."
Seriously? ... The last two night's performances was proof that these kids did not grow up listening to oldies stations (which in my opinion, you've got to do at least a little bit to truly appreciate pop music), and I find that really sad ... The judges also were being nicey nice again tonight …
So here we go, my off-the-top-of-my-head thoughts on tonight's Idol performances ...
First up, Kristy Lee Cook sang “Rescue Me” … Hmm. I really wanted to like it. She sounded good. I liked the tone of her voice. But I wasn’t feeling it. The tempo was slowed down and it lacked pizazz.
Joanne Borgella sang “Say A Little Prayer.” … Ugh. Nope. Didn’t do it for me.
Alaina Whitaker sang “More Today Than Yesterday” … Nope. Didn’t like her either. She was groaning and yelling for half the song …
Amanda Overmyer sang “Baby, Please Don't Go” … I liked it, but I didn’t love it. The song showed off her rocker ability, but not her singing ability.
Amy Davis sang “Where the Boys Are” … Not good. Boring. Never have understood the appeal to her actually.
Brooke White sang “Happy Together” … Ah, my favorite, Brooke. She picked a great song -- and an arrangement that was worlds better that David Cook’s take on it last night. She was good, but she didn’t blow away the other girls like I’d hoped.
Alexandrea Lushington sang “Spinning Wheel” … Awesome. To quote Randy, she “blew the doors off” it. Perfect arrangement (loved the brass!). She totally surprised me and got my nod for the best performance of the night.
Kady Malloy sang “Groovy Kind of Love.” … Nice rendition, which I wanted to like more than I did. But she was a little pitchy and she was off the beat. I agree with the judges she needs to lighten up -- her Britney impression was HA-larious!
Asia’h Epperson sang “Piece of My Heart” … Like we really needed another person to sing “Piece of My Heart,” let alone another Janis Joplin song. But the girl took it and made it her own. She’s right up there with Alexandrea.
Ramiele Malubay sang “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” … Yeah, she’s another one that I don’t get the appeal. She picked a song that was ripe for belting, and didn’t deliver. She did not -- Simon -- out-sing everyone else tonight.
Syesha Mercado sang “Tobacco Road.” … She definitely can sing, but I sort of felt like she was yelling. But I’m also not a fan of the song to start.
Carly Smithson sang “The Shadow of Your Smile” … Eh. Good vocals. But I’m just not seeing the appeal for her either.
Last night I gave my Top Five boys, but tonight I'm struggling just to name three girls ...
1. Alexandrea Lushington
2. Asia’h Epperson
3. Carly Smithson
2.19.2008
The Boys' Idol night
Season 7. “American Idol.” The top 12 boys debut tonight … I said after they were revealed last week that it was one narly bunch of guys, and they showed it…
We started off with David Hernandez singing “Midnight Hour.” Didn’t like it. His performance was flat, and he looked like he was in pain.
Chikezie Eze. I wanna love Chikezie, but I have to agree with Simon: I hated the whole performance. It was very Loveboat.
David Cook sang “Happy Together” … Ugh. Terrible …
Ok. Excuse me for being the cranky music fan, but now they’re just murdering the songs. These guys are working so hard to make these songs their own, they’re totally disrespecting some of the great songs of the ‘60s. They’re ruining them …
Jason Yeager sang “Moon River.” … All right, he was the first person to stay true to the song. But I thought his performance was just as bland. Forgettable.
Robbie Carrico sang “One” … Finally! The dude was one of my least favorite guys coming into the night, and he went and gave the performance of the night! His voice sounded good, he rocked out -- he just sang it!
David Archuleta sang “Shop Around” … Brilliant indeed. His words were a little jumbled, but we can look past that tonight (Like Kates just said, the judges are being all nicey nice tonight) … The kid’s a darling. He’s going to get a whoooooooole lot of voted.
Danny Noriega sang “Jailhouse Rock” … Also brilliant. Simon, grotesque?! What performance were you watching?! Danny’s got a great voice, he’s been one of my favorites since the beginning and I think he’s solidifying himself as a serious contender …
Luke Menard sang “Everybody’s Talking At Me.” … Great song. Decent version. But he was off key and completely forgettable.
Colton Berry sang “Suspicious Minds.” … Good song. Decent performance. I’m not a big Colton fan.
Garrett Haley sang “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” … Who is this kid and where did he come from? It took me half the performance to figure out what song he was singing because he slowed it down to a crawl. Awful … And cut the hair.
Jason Castro sang “What a Day For A Daydream.” … Very cool. I liked it. He’s got a Jason Mraz quality to him with his guitar strumming.
Michael Johns sang “Light My Fire” …Knowing that Michael Johns is arguably our favorite male in the competition, I winced a little before he was introduced. What if he totally flops?! I thought to myself. Nope, he nailed it. …
And so with one night down, here are my favorites …
1) Michael Johns
2) Jason Castro
3) David Archuleta
4) Robbie Carrico
5) Danny Noriega
Luke Menard and Garrett Haley are as good as gone.
We started off with David Hernandez singing “Midnight Hour.” Didn’t like it. His performance was flat, and he looked like he was in pain.
Chikezie Eze. I wanna love Chikezie, but I have to agree with Simon: I hated the whole performance. It was very Loveboat.
David Cook sang “Happy Together” … Ugh. Terrible …
Ok. Excuse me for being the cranky music fan, but now they’re just murdering the songs. These guys are working so hard to make these songs their own, they’re totally disrespecting some of the great songs of the ‘60s. They’re ruining them …
Jason Yeager sang “Moon River.” … All right, he was the first person to stay true to the song. But I thought his performance was just as bland. Forgettable.
Robbie Carrico sang “One” … Finally! The dude was one of my least favorite guys coming into the night, and he went and gave the performance of the night! His voice sounded good, he rocked out -- he just sang it!
David Archuleta sang “Shop Around” … Brilliant indeed. His words were a little jumbled, but we can look past that tonight (Like Kates just said, the judges are being all nicey nice tonight) … The kid’s a darling. He’s going to get a whoooooooole lot of voted.
Danny Noriega sang “Jailhouse Rock” … Also brilliant. Simon, grotesque?! What performance were you watching?! Danny’s got a great voice, he’s been one of my favorites since the beginning and I think he’s solidifying himself as a serious contender …
Luke Menard sang “Everybody’s Talking At Me.” … Great song. Decent version. But he was off key and completely forgettable.
Colton Berry sang “Suspicious Minds.” … Good song. Decent performance. I’m not a big Colton fan.
Garrett Haley sang “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” … Who is this kid and where did he come from? It took me half the performance to figure out what song he was singing because he slowed it down to a crawl. Awful … And cut the hair.
Jason Castro sang “What a Day For A Daydream.” … Very cool. I liked it. He’s got a Jason Mraz quality to him with his guitar strumming.
Michael Johns sang “Light My Fire” …Knowing that Michael Johns is arguably our favorite male in the competition, I winced a little before he was introduced. What if he totally flops?! I thought to myself. Nope, he nailed it. …
And so with one night down, here are my favorites …
1) Michael Johns
2) Jason Castro
3) David Archuleta
4) Robbie Carrico
5) Danny Noriega
Luke Menard and Garrett Haley are as good as gone.
2.18.2008
IKEA commercials!
... So my aunt passed on some funny IKEA commercials the other day ...
They are truly hilarious. And if you've never been to an IKEA, we highly recommend it. It is an experience ...
Here are some of my personal favorites, as located on YouTube, including the first which ran regularly on our TV sets throughout January...
They are truly hilarious. And if you've never been to an IKEA, we highly recommend it. It is an experience ...
Here are some of my personal favorites, as located on YouTube, including the first which ran regularly on our TV sets throughout January...
2.17.2008
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
... 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
2.16.2008
On the campaign trail
Well today didn’t go anything like we had planned.
As Kates and I were eating breakfast this morning, I picked up the newspaper and one headline immediately caught my eyes …
“Hillary Clinton’s gonna be in Kenosha today!?” I shouted to Kates. I read further, and sure enough. Hillary Clinton was going to be at The Brat Stop, a popular bar restaurant, for a rally this afternoon that was free and open to the public.
“We should go!” I told Kates.
Hillary Clinton. Former First Lady. Wife of Bill. Prominent senator from New York. And perhaps the next President of the United States, not to mention the first woman to be elected President … It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I’d regret it if we didn’t at least try to see her …
So Kates and I dropped our plans for the day, got ourselves cleaned up and were heading out the door a little after 12:30. My camera was strapped on my shoulder, and for the heck of it I grabbed a Clinton mailing we’d received the other day off the kitchen table. “You never know,” I said … But, I’m thinking, C’mon this really can’t work out can it?! We’re not that lucky.
The rally was scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., and the doors were supposed to open to the public at 2:30. But when Kates and I arrived at the restaurant a little after 1, there was no sign of the overflowing crowd I had expected. The parking lot was full, but we still found a space in the lot next door …
Inside the restaurant, we were quickly greeted by a man wearing Clinton buttons and stickers. “Are you here for Hillary?” he asked. We said we were, and the man steered us up a staircase to a loft where people were being “signed in.” … Those who weren’t there for Hillary were kept on the lower level …
Up on the loft, about a hundred people were gathered around tables and a bar area. Again, the crowd was much smaller than I’d expected. It was manageable and there was still plenty of room too move.
So now we were in. Next priority: some food … Unfortunately everybody there seemed to have the same idea. Sure, the crowd was manageable, but all of them seemed to be wrapped around the bar trying to place orders and the staff was running around as though their heads were cut off …
I had been passed over by three waitresses when a female bartender finally stepped up to take our order -- a bratwurst, a patty melt and a Mountain Dew. She hastily punched it into the computer, no questions asked. Then she gave me the total and I handed her my check card. “We can’t accept check cards,” she says. “You’ll have to go down to the ATM. Sorry!”
Ugh. So I weed through the crowd to the stairs and go down to the lower level. Find the ATM. Take out some cash, and go back up to the loft. Back to the bar, and wait another 20 minutes for someone to take my order … This time a male bartender finds me. But when I begin to give him my order, he stops me and says food orders are only being taken downstairs…
Ugh! So I weed through the crowd to the stairs again and go down to the lower level again. Wait about 10 minutes at the bar there and receive no help. Finally I just stepped into an aisle and stopped the first waitress to come toward me. “Can I just place a food order?” I said to the girl with some urgency. The waitress told me she couldn’t , but the girl coming behind her could. Fine … I gave the other girl the order, and -- bless her soul -- she sighed and said she’d do the best she could …
I returned to the loft and the bench where I’d left Kates, and proceeded to keep watch for our waitress. It’s about 2 p.m. now, and the crowd is starting to swell … Then about 20 minutes into my watch, I see the waitress on the opposite side of the bar, holding a can of Mountain Dew and clearly puzzled about where it needs to go. She has no idea, actually. Assuming she’s looking for me, I hurry to rescue her … “Oh, thank God!” she says when we make eye contact, and hands me the soda. I told her exactly where to find us when the food was ready and we parted ways again … About 10 minutes later -- and almost an hour after I’d first tried to get food -- the waitress reappeared in front of us with a tray of our food. Sweetness. “Now can you guys promise not to leave and wait here while I get your check?” she says to us. I answered, “Don’t worry we’re not going anywhere.” The crowd was continuing to expand and there was nowhere to go … By the time the waitress returned for our payment, we had finished eating. I handed her a $20 bill and said “Keep the change.” That meant a pretty generous tip for her, but she had saved our afternoon. Me and my pregnant wife were hungry, dang it!
By 2:30, a long line of people who had been waiting outside were allowed in. The crowd was really starting to buzz, and the place was becoming packed. Members of the Fire Department had appeared in the building and were counting heads to make sure the place wasn’t over its capacity. Police officers also were coming in and milling around. The security level was clearly increasing.
We remained at our bench on the loft. The stage where Clinton would speak was far out of our view, but we had a clear shot of the front doors -- if she came through them … But a little after 3, I was on the move. Seeing a crowd building around the entrance, I decided to find a spot on the staircase just inside the doors. I crouched down and figured I’d have a clear view when she arrived … Didn’t happen. After waiting there for about a half hour, a rumor swept through that she was coming through a back entrance and the crowd suddenly dispersed … Still I hung around the front entrance, and a few moments later I noticed a commotion and camera flashes down the hallway. I broke toward the small crowd, only to have a police officer call me back: “Sir, you can’t go down there.” Ah, but a police captain who I’ve worked with was standing close behind and told the officer to let me through … I joined the crowd and for a moment caught a glimpse of Clinton as she was signing an autograph and heading into the stage area. I raised my camera and got off one shot (see below). I thought, Man, how much would it suck if that’s the only picture I get after all this …
As I passed back through the hallway to the staircase I reached out to shake my police captain buddy’s hand, and he gave me a wink … Little did I know the best was yet to come …
Now, if you’ve read between the lines on this blog, it’s not hard to see I’m fascinated and drawn to Barack Obama. There’s no denying he’s a charismatic, inspiring candidate and he’s delivering an intriguing message of optimism and hope and change …
But he doesn’t have the experience of Hillary. It does worry me a little that she’s entrenched in Washington politics, part of “the establishment,” they say … Don’t get me wrong, I will be very happy with either of them as president, but where Obama has been vague in his message, Clinton seems to have the answers and well-thought ideas. It’s been evident in her debates, and it was evident today. …
“On my way in, somebody told me whoever wins Kenosha wins Wisconsin!” she told the crowd to a roar of cheers. She made a strong appeal for us to support her in Tuesday’s primary, and never mentioned Obama.
In a 45-minute speech, she issued a strong proposal to fix healthcare. She discussed education, promising to get rid of the No Child Left Behind mandate and make college more affordable. She talked about a sustained Iraq. She addressed global warming, the housing crisis and fixing FEMA -- starting with appointing qualified people, and not some guy from the International Arabian Horse Association, to lead it …
And she, of course, took some nice shots at Bush, at one point saying, “You couldn’t make up the stuff that’s happened in the last seven years. I tell you, when the vice president shot that guy in the face, I thought, ‘That’s it. No one could make this up.’ ”
It turned out we got a good view of her after all. A few moments into Clinton’s speech, I noticed a thinner crowd along one corner of the loft and headed for that spot. Pieces of plywood had been laid over a couple of pool tables and a handful of people were standing on them. I didn’t hesitate jumping onto one of them, and there she was -- Hillary Clinton in a royal blue pantsuit, clear as day and speaking to a colorful, enthusiastic crowd -- which was estimated at 1,500. It was quite a site, and I soaked it all in …
When Clinton closed out her speech , she assured the crowd, “I want to meet as many of you as I can.”
So as the crowd dispersed, Clinton stayed put and began greeting whomever approached -- And once again, we’re thinking, why not? If we don’t try, we’ll regret it …
We made a smooth path down the staircase and caught a break in the crowd that got us right onto the main floor. Easily I joined the crowd around Clinton, snapping a bunch of photos and then reaching into my pocket to take out that mailing I’d grabbed on our way out the door … Standing just a few feet away from her now, I stretched my arm out over the crowd and waited for Clinton to take the pamphlet from me. After a couple minutes, she did and she signed it simply: “Hillary.”
With pride, I rejoined Kates and we moved outside, where we joined another crowd awaiting Clinton’s exit from the restaurant … We would wait another 30 to 40 minutes in the dropping temperatures, hoping for her to come out and shake our hands … Instead, she exited the building briskly with her staff and security, waving and smiling and shouting “Thank you” all the way to her black SUV. Finally, she stood on the floorboards, blew a kiss to the crowd, waved once more and disappeared behind the tinted windows …
It was a great day. And she’s got our votes on Tuesday.
As Kates and I were eating breakfast this morning, I picked up the newspaper and one headline immediately caught my eyes …
“Hillary Clinton’s gonna be in Kenosha today!?” I shouted to Kates. I read further, and sure enough. Hillary Clinton was going to be at The Brat Stop, a popular bar restaurant, for a rally this afternoon that was free and open to the public.
“We should go!” I told Kates.
Hillary Clinton. Former First Lady. Wife of Bill. Prominent senator from New York. And perhaps the next President of the United States, not to mention the first woman to be elected President … It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I’d regret it if we didn’t at least try to see her …
So Kates and I dropped our plans for the day, got ourselves cleaned up and were heading out the door a little after 12:30. My camera was strapped on my shoulder, and for the heck of it I grabbed a Clinton mailing we’d received the other day off the kitchen table. “You never know,” I said … But, I’m thinking, C’mon this really can’t work out can it?! We’re not that lucky.
The rally was scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., and the doors were supposed to open to the public at 2:30. But when Kates and I arrived at the restaurant a little after 1, there was no sign of the overflowing crowd I had expected. The parking lot was full, but we still found a space in the lot next door …
Inside the restaurant, we were quickly greeted by a man wearing Clinton buttons and stickers. “Are you here for Hillary?” he asked. We said we were, and the man steered us up a staircase to a loft where people were being “signed in.” … Those who weren’t there for Hillary were kept on the lower level …
Up on the loft, about a hundred people were gathered around tables and a bar area. Again, the crowd was much smaller than I’d expected. It was manageable and there was still plenty of room too move.
* * *
So now we were in. Next priority: some food … Unfortunately everybody there seemed to have the same idea. Sure, the crowd was manageable, but all of them seemed to be wrapped around the bar trying to place orders and the staff was running around as though their heads were cut off …
I had been passed over by three waitresses when a female bartender finally stepped up to take our order -- a bratwurst, a patty melt and a Mountain Dew. She hastily punched it into the computer, no questions asked. Then she gave me the total and I handed her my check card. “We can’t accept check cards,” she says. “You’ll have to go down to the ATM. Sorry!”
Ugh. So I weed through the crowd to the stairs and go down to the lower level. Find the ATM. Take out some cash, and go back up to the loft. Back to the bar, and wait another 20 minutes for someone to take my order … This time a male bartender finds me. But when I begin to give him my order, he stops me and says food orders are only being taken downstairs…
Ugh! So I weed through the crowd to the stairs again and go down to the lower level again. Wait about 10 minutes at the bar there and receive no help. Finally I just stepped into an aisle and stopped the first waitress to come toward me. “Can I just place a food order?” I said to the girl with some urgency. The waitress told me she couldn’t , but the girl coming behind her could. Fine … I gave the other girl the order, and -- bless her soul -- she sighed and said she’d do the best she could …
I returned to the loft and the bench where I’d left Kates, and proceeded to keep watch for our waitress. It’s about 2 p.m. now, and the crowd is starting to swell … Then about 20 minutes into my watch, I see the waitress on the opposite side of the bar, holding a can of Mountain Dew and clearly puzzled about where it needs to go. She has no idea, actually. Assuming she’s looking for me, I hurry to rescue her … “Oh, thank God!” she says when we make eye contact, and hands me the soda. I told her exactly where to find us when the food was ready and we parted ways again … About 10 minutes later -- and almost an hour after I’d first tried to get food -- the waitress reappeared in front of us with a tray of our food. Sweetness. “Now can you guys promise not to leave and wait here while I get your check?” she says to us. I answered, “Don’t worry we’re not going anywhere.” The crowd was continuing to expand and there was nowhere to go … By the time the waitress returned for our payment, we had finished eating. I handed her a $20 bill and said “Keep the change.” That meant a pretty generous tip for her, but she had saved our afternoon. Me and my pregnant wife were hungry, dang it!
* * *
By 2:30, a long line of people who had been waiting outside were allowed in. The crowd was really starting to buzz, and the place was becoming packed. Members of the Fire Department had appeared in the building and were counting heads to make sure the place wasn’t over its capacity. Police officers also were coming in and milling around. The security level was clearly increasing.
We remained at our bench on the loft. The stage where Clinton would speak was far out of our view, but we had a clear shot of the front doors -- if she came through them … But a little after 3, I was on the move. Seeing a crowd building around the entrance, I decided to find a spot on the staircase just inside the doors. I crouched down and figured I’d have a clear view when she arrived … Didn’t happen. After waiting there for about a half hour, a rumor swept through that she was coming through a back entrance and the crowd suddenly dispersed … Still I hung around the front entrance, and a few moments later I noticed a commotion and camera flashes down the hallway. I broke toward the small crowd, only to have a police officer call me back: “Sir, you can’t go down there.” Ah, but a police captain who I’ve worked with was standing close behind and told the officer to let me through … I joined the crowd and for a moment caught a glimpse of Clinton as she was signing an autograph and heading into the stage area. I raised my camera and got off one shot (see below). I thought, Man, how much would it suck if that’s the only picture I get after all this …
As I passed back through the hallway to the staircase I reached out to shake my police captain buddy’s hand, and he gave me a wink … Little did I know the best was yet to come …* * *
Now, if you’ve read between the lines on this blog, it’s not hard to see I’m fascinated and drawn to Barack Obama. There’s no denying he’s a charismatic, inspiring candidate and he’s delivering an intriguing message of optimism and hope and change …
But he doesn’t have the experience of Hillary. It does worry me a little that she’s entrenched in Washington politics, part of “the establishment,” they say … Don’t get me wrong, I will be very happy with either of them as president, but where Obama has been vague in his message, Clinton seems to have the answers and well-thought ideas. It’s been evident in her debates, and it was evident today. …
“On my way in, somebody told me whoever wins Kenosha wins Wisconsin!” she told the crowd to a roar of cheers. She made a strong appeal for us to support her in Tuesday’s primary, and never mentioned Obama.
In a 45-minute speech, she issued a strong proposal to fix healthcare. She discussed education, promising to get rid of the No Child Left Behind mandate and make college more affordable. She talked about a sustained Iraq. She addressed global warming, the housing crisis and fixing FEMA -- starting with appointing qualified people, and not some guy from the International Arabian Horse Association, to lead it …
And she, of course, took some nice shots at Bush, at one point saying, “You couldn’t make up the stuff that’s happened in the last seven years. I tell you, when the vice president shot that guy in the face, I thought, ‘That’s it. No one could make this up.’ ”
It turned out we got a good view of her after all. A few moments into Clinton’s speech, I noticed a thinner crowd along one corner of the loft and headed for that spot. Pieces of plywood had been laid over a couple of pool tables and a handful of people were standing on them. I didn’t hesitate jumping onto one of them, and there she was -- Hillary Clinton in a royal blue pantsuit, clear as day and speaking to a colorful, enthusiastic crowd -- which was estimated at 1,500. It was quite a site, and I soaked it all in … * * *
When Clinton closed out her speech , she assured the crowd, “I want to meet as many of you as I can.”
So as the crowd dispersed, Clinton stayed put and began greeting whomever approached -- And once again, we’re thinking, why not? If we don’t try, we’ll regret it …
We made a smooth path down the staircase and caught a break in the crowd that got us right onto the main floor. Easily I joined the crowd around Clinton, snapping a bunch of photos and then reaching into my pocket to take out that mailing I’d grabbed on our way out the door … Standing just a few feet away from her now, I stretched my arm out over the crowd and waited for Clinton to take the pamphlet from me. After a couple minutes, she did and she signed it simply: “Hillary.”
With pride, I rejoined Kates and we moved outside, where we joined another crowd awaiting Clinton’s exit from the restaurant … We would wait another 30 to 40 minutes in the dropping temperatures, hoping for her to come out and shake our hands … Instead, she exited the building briskly with her staff and security, waving and smiling and shouting “Thank you” all the way to her black SUV. Finally, she stood on the floorboards, blew a kiss to the crowd, waved once more and disappeared behind the tinted windows …It was a great day. And she’s got our votes on Tuesday.
And the world spins madly on
Add this one to my list of the funniest commercials I’ve ever seen …
This morning, Kates and I are watching our DVR recording of last night’s Letterman and we come across a commercial that goes like this:
It opens with a shot of an awkward-looking man walking along a village street. There are shots of villagers giving him odd looks, and for a moment the camera shows the man’s legs, which are gi-normous …
Then the man steps into this elevator-like cage, which plunges through the ground and shoots the man to this dark cavern-like place -- which you figure out later is the center of the Earth.
The man then steps from the cage and greets another man who is riding an elaborate type of stationary bike. There’s opera music playing, and there’s a shot of the man taking off his jacket as though he's about embark on some important task.
Suddenly, the man who was riding the stationary bike presses a button -- and there’s a montage of ordinary people doing ordinary things, and in every shot the person’s weight is shifting violently to the right … A man is taking a bath in a tub and he’s thrown against a wall. Another person is shown riding a bike that suddenly tips over.
Eventually, there’s a shot of the first man stepping onto the stationary bike, pressing the button again, and everything is back to normal …
The commercial ends with a shot of the world spinning, and a tag that reads “There’s a perfect job out there for everyone. Monster.”
And the conclusion hits you. The man’s job was to make the world go ‘round.
I laughed so hard and loved it so much we rewound the DVR and watched it twice.
And I found it on YouTube ...
This morning, Kates and I are watching our DVR recording of last night’s Letterman and we come across a commercial that goes like this:
It opens with a shot of an awkward-looking man walking along a village street. There are shots of villagers giving him odd looks, and for a moment the camera shows the man’s legs, which are gi-normous …
Then the man steps into this elevator-like cage, which plunges through the ground and shoots the man to this dark cavern-like place -- which you figure out later is the center of the Earth.
The man then steps from the cage and greets another man who is riding an elaborate type of stationary bike. There’s opera music playing, and there’s a shot of the man taking off his jacket as though he's about embark on some important task.
Suddenly, the man who was riding the stationary bike presses a button -- and there’s a montage of ordinary people doing ordinary things, and in every shot the person’s weight is shifting violently to the right … A man is taking a bath in a tub and he’s thrown against a wall. Another person is shown riding a bike that suddenly tips over.
Eventually, there’s a shot of the first man stepping onto the stationary bike, pressing the button again, and everything is back to normal …
The commercial ends with a shot of the world spinning, and a tag that reads “There’s a perfect job out there for everyone. Monster.”
And the conclusion hits you. The man’s job was to make the world go ‘round.
I laughed so hard and loved it so much we rewound the DVR and watched it twice.
And I found it on YouTube ...
2.13.2008
Idol chatter
Ah, American Idol's Hollywood week. Where the drama never stops ... And now with the final cuts tonight, we're down to our final 24 for Season 7.
Ryan Seacrest and Co. keep touting that "this is the most talented group we've had in Idol history!" But I'm not feeling it as much as I remember feeling it at the point last year -- although last year I was an Idol virgin so perhaps that's one reason I'm not as surprised or blown away by some of the auditions this year. And was it just me and Kates or did anyone else look at the finalists tonight and say "Who are some of these people!?!" Kates and I didn't miss an audtion and we swear some of the people that made it through never got an ounce of TV time in the previous episodes ...
Oh, but I do have a clear, cut and dried favorite: Brooke White. She's good-looking, so charming, wonderfully talented -- I was struck by her the moment she stepped up to audition in the first episode of the season, and no one has impressed me more since (which also might be a reason by I wasn't compelled to post anything about the other regional audition shows) ... So I was a little concerned when they showed a lot of her crying uncontrollably in the previews for tonight's episode. And it was hard to tell if she was upset that she hadn't made it through or just overcome with emotion. They could not possibly cut her!? I thought. Turns out, she was overwhelmed with nerves and she got through just fine.
As for our other favorites ...
How about the Janis-Joplin rocker chick Amada Overmyer. I've cringed every time this season someone tried to audition with a Janis song (Why, why! why!? would you try to show off your singing talent with a Janis Joplin song!?) -- and there have been many of them. But Overmyer impressed and she too charmed us. Then! we find out she survived a car crash a week before Hollywood Week (12 staples in her head!), and she does a great rendition of The Doors' "Light my Fire." ... She's got a soulful voice that's got big potential, but Simon was right about her downfall when he told her last night: With her voice you know what every song is going to sound like.
For the boys, I'm really, really intrigued by David Archuleta ... Yeah, so the kid's only 16 years old, which leaves him with a lot of growing up to do. But the kid's also a gem in the making. Dare I say, a voice as smooth as silk. He hooked me when he auditioned with "Waiting on the World to Change." Then his audition of "Heaven" was so good it made one of the background singers cry ...
And Michael Johns. The dude announces he's going to be singing "Bohemian Rhapsody." And I'm thinking, Dude. Seriously. No one can do that song justice but Queen. You're so gone. Then he goes and hammers it! Awesome.
And I sort of like David Cook -- my Blue Springs, Mo., home boy! -- who sang "Everything I Do," which kind of suited him (unlike a lot of the others who sang it -- like the Latino guy whose name I can't remember. His rendition was so awful, Simon said it reminded him of a resturant where someone picked up a guitar and murdered a Bryan Adams song. Actually, I was thinking of that classic scene in Christmas Story when the Japanese singers are trying to sing “Deck the Halls.”)
I'm also impressed with Danny Noriega (another young kid with a super voice ... but he's slightly creepy), David Hernandez ("Love the One You're With" ... Nice.), Irish girl Carly Smithson (who sang a powerful "How Do I Get You Alone"), and Syesha Mercado who charmed by fighting through her failing voice.
There were some others who we liked too, but didn't make it ...
Like Josiah Leming, the kid who hooked us in Atlanta with the back story about him living in his car (where the heck are his parents!?) … He's clearly talented and he totally had that Keane / Queen sound. His "Grace Kelly" was awesome… But the kid had clearly lost it when he came out last night, dismissed the band and did a wreckless "Stand By Me." I couldn't blame the judges for giving him a second chance, but when it came down to the final cut he was not ready ...
Kyle Ensley. How could you not love this guy in Dallas!? Loved his audition with "Somebody to Love." And his rendition of "You Raise Me Up" showed he has a great voice. ... But his "Loves Grows Where my Rosemary Goes" was totally corny. Kates and I mused he’s the star of the high school musical. He's the soloist in the church choir … but he’s not the next American Idol.
Then there was Amy Flynn, the perky 17-year-old dance captian from the Charleston auditions, who I thought had lots of potential … She's gone.
Suzanne Toon, the single mom with a compelling backstory … Gone.
Angelica Puente, our hometown girl … Gone
Angela Martin, who also had a compelling backstory … Gone
Alesha Stelzl, the girl who got through after learning Dolly Parton's "Islands In The Stream"... Gone. (Though this one's among the least surprising cuts ...)
And those crazy Lampkin kids -- who might have provided the most entertaining audition of the season … Gone.
But here's one we absolutely won't miss -- how about beauty queen Brooke Helvie. It didn't matter how awful she sang "Unchained Melody". … It was even worse that Paula nearly gave in and let her pass! Even after Brooke tried to be all cutesy and sing again ... Thank the lord the judges cut her loose. "I just wish I was give a fair chance like everyone else,” Brooke sobbed to the camera. Bull. See ya later Brookey.
Ah, good times. And it only gets more dramatic, more exciting and more intense from here folks.
Good reads, including EW's complete Idol coverage ...
a 'American Idol' gets down to 24
a Carly Smithson, an 'American Idol' singer with a major-label past
a Top 20 'Idol' Contestants of All Time
a Jan. 30, Miami auditions: Love Is Deaf
a Feb. 5, Atlanta auditions: Tales, You Win
a Feb. 6, Best of the Rest: Old Dog, New Tricks
Ryan Seacrest and Co. keep touting that "this is the most talented group we've had in Idol history!" But I'm not feeling it as much as I remember feeling it at the point last year -- although last year I was an Idol virgin so perhaps that's one reason I'm not as surprised or blown away by some of the auditions this year. And was it just me and Kates or did anyone else look at the finalists tonight and say "Who are some of these people!?!" Kates and I didn't miss an audtion and we swear some of the people that made it through never got an ounce of TV time in the previous episodes ...
Oh, but I do have a clear, cut and dried favorite: Brooke White. She's good-looking, so charming, wonderfully talented -- I was struck by her the moment she stepped up to audition in the first episode of the season, and no one has impressed me more since (which also might be a reason by I wasn't compelled to post anything about the other regional audition shows) ... So I was a little concerned when they showed a lot of her crying uncontrollably in the previews for tonight's episode. And it was hard to tell if she was upset that she hadn't made it through or just overcome with emotion. They could not possibly cut her!? I thought. Turns out, she was overwhelmed with nerves and she got through just fine.
As for our other favorites ...
How about the Janis-Joplin rocker chick Amada Overmyer. I've cringed every time this season someone tried to audition with a Janis song (Why, why! why!? would you try to show off your singing talent with a Janis Joplin song!?) -- and there have been many of them. But Overmyer impressed and she too charmed us. Then! we find out she survived a car crash a week before Hollywood Week (12 staples in her head!), and she does a great rendition of The Doors' "Light my Fire." ... She's got a soulful voice that's got big potential, but Simon was right about her downfall when he told her last night: With her voice you know what every song is going to sound like.
For the boys, I'm really, really intrigued by David Archuleta ... Yeah, so the kid's only 16 years old, which leaves him with a lot of growing up to do. But the kid's also a gem in the making. Dare I say, a voice as smooth as silk. He hooked me when he auditioned with "Waiting on the World to Change." Then his audition of "Heaven" was so good it made one of the background singers cry ...
And Michael Johns. The dude announces he's going to be singing "Bohemian Rhapsody." And I'm thinking, Dude. Seriously. No one can do that song justice but Queen. You're so gone. Then he goes and hammers it! Awesome.
And I sort of like David Cook -- my Blue Springs, Mo., home boy! -- who sang "Everything I Do," which kind of suited him (unlike a lot of the others who sang it -- like the Latino guy whose name I can't remember. His rendition was so awful, Simon said it reminded him of a resturant where someone picked up a guitar and murdered a Bryan Adams song. Actually, I was thinking of that classic scene in Christmas Story when the Japanese singers are trying to sing “Deck the Halls.”)
I'm also impressed with Danny Noriega (another young kid with a super voice ... but he's slightly creepy), David Hernandez ("Love the One You're With" ... Nice.), Irish girl Carly Smithson (who sang a powerful "How Do I Get You Alone"), and Syesha Mercado who charmed by fighting through her failing voice.
There were some others who we liked too, but didn't make it ...
Like Josiah Leming, the kid who hooked us in Atlanta with the back story about him living in his car (where the heck are his parents!?) … He's clearly talented and he totally had that Keane / Queen sound. His "Grace Kelly" was awesome… But the kid had clearly lost it when he came out last night, dismissed the band and did a wreckless "Stand By Me." I couldn't blame the judges for giving him a second chance, but when it came down to the final cut he was not ready ...
Kyle Ensley. How could you not love this guy in Dallas!? Loved his audition with "Somebody to Love." And his rendition of "You Raise Me Up" showed he has a great voice. ... But his "Loves Grows Where my Rosemary Goes" was totally corny. Kates and I mused he’s the star of the high school musical. He's the soloist in the church choir … but he’s not the next American Idol.
Then there was Amy Flynn, the perky 17-year-old dance captian from the Charleston auditions, who I thought had lots of potential … She's gone.
Suzanne Toon, the single mom with a compelling backstory … Gone.
Angelica Puente, our hometown girl … Gone
Angela Martin, who also had a compelling backstory … Gone
Alesha Stelzl, the girl who got through after learning Dolly Parton's "Islands In The Stream"... Gone. (Though this one's among the least surprising cuts ...)
And those crazy Lampkin kids -- who might have provided the most entertaining audition of the season … Gone.
But here's one we absolutely won't miss -- how about beauty queen Brooke Helvie. It didn't matter how awful she sang "Unchained Melody". … It was even worse that Paula nearly gave in and let her pass! Even after Brooke tried to be all cutesy and sing again ... Thank the lord the judges cut her loose. "I just wish I was give a fair chance like everyone else,” Brooke sobbed to the camera. Bull. See ya later Brookey.
Ah, good times. And it only gets more dramatic, more exciting and more intense from here folks.
Good reads, including EW's complete Idol coverage ...
a 'American Idol' gets down to 24
a Carly Smithson, an 'American Idol' singer with a major-label past
a Top 20 'Idol' Contestants of All Time
a Jan. 30, Miami auditions: Love Is Deaf
a Feb. 5, Atlanta auditions: Tales, You Win
a Feb. 6, Best of the Rest: Old Dog, New Tricks
Roger that
So I watched a part of the congressional hearings today on the Internet ... Roger Clemens, Brian McNamee talking to politicians. Fascinating stuff, sort of.
... I’m agreeing with a lot of the analysts who appear to be leaning on the side of McNamee. He confirmed so many things today, Andy Pettite and Chuck Knoblauch confirmed McNamee’s previous statements and it seems to me that Roger Clemens is trying to get by on his confidence and his defiance …
Frankly, though, I don’t care any more. They can continue to schedule hearings, and the authorities can keep investigating the allegations -- As they should be doing ...
But, for the rest of us, I'm for all enjoying the game that we've grown up with, the game of which we became so passionate. The game -- not all the behind-the-scenes politics and money-grubbing crap ... Spring training is here. Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds likely won’t be playing this year. There's improved drug-testing in place ...
It’s a new era. Let's move forward.
Good reads ...
a Roger Clemens was ideal of what we want, before steroids allegations
a Sanctimony's Turn at Bat
... I’m agreeing with a lot of the analysts who appear to be leaning on the side of McNamee. He confirmed so many things today, Andy Pettite and Chuck Knoblauch confirmed McNamee’s previous statements and it seems to me that Roger Clemens is trying to get by on his confidence and his defiance …
Frankly, though, I don’t care any more. They can continue to schedule hearings, and the authorities can keep investigating the allegations -- As they should be doing ...
But, for the rest of us, I'm for all enjoying the game that we've grown up with, the game of which we became so passionate. The game -- not all the behind-the-scenes politics and money-grubbing crap ... Spring training is here. Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds likely won’t be playing this year. There's improved drug-testing in place ...
It’s a new era. Let's move forward.
Good reads ...
a Roger Clemens was ideal of what we want, before steroids allegations
a Sanctimony's Turn at Bat
2.12.2008
Make it stop!
So we got more snow today. Another few inches.
In fact it started at about 11 this morning and never stopped. We watched it snow. All. Day. Long.
My cohort Brian asked if anyone thought it would stop by April or May. I laughed and said at this rate I’m beginning to believe it’s going to last into June …
There’s no place left to put the snow. It’s piled above our 6-foot-tall fence along the garage. But more striking is that I noticed tonight the snow has increased the ground level in our backyard by about three feet. And the drifts and piles have nearly buried our Arborvitae and the chainlink fence that run along the north side of our yard …
I miss summer.
In fact it started at about 11 this morning and never stopped. We watched it snow. All. Day. Long.
My cohort Brian asked if anyone thought it would stop by April or May. I laughed and said at this rate I’m beginning to believe it’s going to last into June …
There’s no place left to put the snow. It’s piled above our 6-foot-tall fence along the garage. But more striking is that I noticed tonight the snow has increased the ground level in our backyard by about three feet. And the drifts and piles have nearly buried our Arborvitae and the chainlink fence that run along the north side of our yard …
I miss summer.
2.10.2008
Grammy night
Is it just me or did the Grammys really sneak up on us this year?
I say it all the time: the Grammys mean to me what the Oscars mean to a lot of other people I know …
But this year I’m about as excited for them as I get for the next snowstorm. (While we were huddled inside away from the 1 degree weather outside, I did an interview this afternoon with a guy in L.A. who was sitting in a park and enjoying 70 degree weather ... Not cool, man. Not cool.)
Plain and simple, I’m really disappointed with the nominees this year … And don’t get me started on what I think about Amy Whinehouse and Rihanna’s music …
Plus, last year’s show was an extraordinary night that I’m not sure will be topped for awhile …
But here we go, my minute-my-minute thoughts on this year’s Grammys …
7:13 p.m. -- I’m not a big Alicia Keys fan, but she’s already got her first Grammy in what should be a good night for her. “No One” was easily the best R&B song, hands down. And that sleek green dress she’s wearing also deserves a nod for the best dressed of the evening …
Carrie Underwood looked good too … Too bad her performance of “Before He Cheats” lost its zest somewhere between the radio and the Grammy’s. Her performance of it tonight fell flat, though the whole percussion thing with the dancers beating the set with tubes was kind of cool …
7:22 p.m. -- Yep. Still can’t stand Rihanna.
7:33 p.m. -- Beatles tribute featuring Cirque de Soleil doing “Day in the Life” and cast members from “Across the Universe" doing “Let It Be.” Very nice.
Oh, and here we go with the only category I’m really looking forward to tonight: Best new artist. And the winner is …
Amy Winehouse.
Bleh. Should’ve been Feist.
And by the way, I really doubt Miley Cyrus will be winning a Grammy next year, as Cyndi Lauper, the 1985 Best New Artist, predicted. But hey, Cyndi still rocks.
7:39 p.m. -- Kanye West looks good in his Michael Jackson get-up. Not liking the song though.
… His performance of “Hey Mama” was moving-sweet-good.
And oh, Fergie, how you’ve grown. Her duet with John Legend was lovely, sweet. A long way from "My Humps."
Here’s best soundtrack album -- wow. What a category !?!? “Across the Universe.” “Hairspray.” “Love” “Once.” And “Dreamgirls.”
I’m rooting for any of the first three, though I’d be happy with either of the five.
“Love” wins. Nice. I’m clapping.
How cool is it that two of the albums in the category -- “Across the Universe” and “Love” -- are re-done Beatles material. And better yet, both albums are full of pretty good stuff and not cheap knock-offs.
8:05 p.m. -- Beyonce was totally lip-syncing in that dance-off intro of Tina Tuner.
Tina’s singing “What’s Love Got To Do With It.” She’s still got it. Says Kates, “Look at how good she looks!”
Ok, I was expecting big things when Beyonce came back out to join Tina for “Proud Mary,” but this slow version isn’t working …
… Ah. Never mind. They just turned up the tempo to do it right …
Still didn’t do it justice though.
8:13 p.m. -- Burt Bacharach is a Grammy Lifetime Award recipient. I can’t think of anyone more deserving … But surely he deserves a more worthy tribute than the brief pause and a swift transition into the next category …
And Amy Winehouse wins for “Rehab” in the best songwriting category. Pitiful … She was up against Carrie Underwood‘s “Before He Cheats,” The Plain White T’s “Hey There Delilah,” Corrine Bailey Rae’s “Like A Star,” and Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” For my money, “Before He Cheats,” “Delilah” and “Like A Star” are far superior songs lyrically.
8:21 p.m. -- Ann Marie Calhoun was the hands-down My Grammy Moment winner in that contest to play with the Foo Fighters.
8:34 p.m. -- We’re about halfway through the show and we’ve reached the Valley of Boredom.
8:41 p.m. --You know Kanye’s the man when he gets the award for Best Rap Album. The get-off-the-stage music starts playing midway through his acceptance speech. He tells the sounds guys to make it stop … and they listen.
8:57 p.m. -- Feist is performing "1-2-3-4." Yes! ... Love the acoustic, down-on-the-corner take on it with the brass. I miss the rousing sing-along rendition of the album version. But this is good. It's different.
9:14 p.m. -- Now Alicia Keys is doing "No One." She and the band seem to have taken it a little more upbeat and freshened it up a little -- I love it! ... Aw, and John Mayer comes on with a guitar solo -- real nice! Kates: "Makes tha song a little better." (She hates this song.)
9:19 p.m. -- Vince Gill just got his award for Best Country Album and accepted it from Ringo Starr. Vince says: "I just got an award from a Beatle." Then he looks off to his left and says, "Have you had that happen yet, Kanye?" That's the line of the night.
9:28 p.m. -- Gosh, I love Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue."
9:43 p.m. -- I'm not even going to talk about Amy Whinehouse's performance ... and just as I write this she finishes her first song and starts up "Rehab." It's catchy. Dang.
9:50 p.m. -- Record of the Year. Amy Whinehouse. Of course. Ugh.
10:26 p.m. -- Will.I.am's rap montage of great Grammy songs was brilliant.
10:29 p.m. -- And Herbie Hancock just won for Album of the Year with "River: The Joni Letters" !! Wow!! Upset city ... Good speech, Herbie.
10:37 p.m. -- It's over. Thank you and good night.
I say it all the time: the Grammys mean to me what the Oscars mean to a lot of other people I know …
But this year I’m about as excited for them as I get for the next snowstorm. (While we were huddled inside away from the 1 degree weather outside, I did an interview this afternoon with a guy in L.A. who was sitting in a park and enjoying 70 degree weather ... Not cool, man. Not cool.)
Plain and simple, I’m really disappointed with the nominees this year … And don’t get me started on what I think about Amy Whinehouse and Rihanna’s music …
Plus, last year’s show was an extraordinary night that I’m not sure will be topped for awhile …
But here we go, my minute-my-minute thoughts on this year’s Grammys …
7:13 p.m. -- I’m not a big Alicia Keys fan, but she’s already got her first Grammy in what should be a good night for her. “No One” was easily the best R&B song, hands down. And that sleek green dress she’s wearing also deserves a nod for the best dressed of the evening …
Carrie Underwood looked good too … Too bad her performance of “Before He Cheats” lost its zest somewhere between the radio and the Grammy’s. Her performance of it tonight fell flat, though the whole percussion thing with the dancers beating the set with tubes was kind of cool …
7:22 p.m. -- Yep. Still can’t stand Rihanna.
7:33 p.m. -- Beatles tribute featuring Cirque de Soleil doing “Day in the Life” and cast members from “Across the Universe" doing “Let It Be.” Very nice.
Oh, and here we go with the only category I’m really looking forward to tonight: Best new artist. And the winner is …
Amy Winehouse.
Bleh. Should’ve been Feist.
And by the way, I really doubt Miley Cyrus will be winning a Grammy next year, as Cyndi Lauper, the 1985 Best New Artist, predicted. But hey, Cyndi still rocks.
7:39 p.m. -- Kanye West looks good in his Michael Jackson get-up. Not liking the song though.
… His performance of “Hey Mama” was moving-sweet-good.
And oh, Fergie, how you’ve grown. Her duet with John Legend was lovely, sweet. A long way from "My Humps."
Here’s best soundtrack album -- wow. What a category !?!? “Across the Universe.” “Hairspray.” “Love” “Once.” And “Dreamgirls.”
I’m rooting for any of the first three, though I’d be happy with either of the five.
“Love” wins. Nice. I’m clapping.
How cool is it that two of the albums in the category -- “Across the Universe” and “Love” -- are re-done Beatles material. And better yet, both albums are full of pretty good stuff and not cheap knock-offs.
8:05 p.m. -- Beyonce was totally lip-syncing in that dance-off intro of Tina Tuner.
Tina’s singing “What’s Love Got To Do With It.” She’s still got it. Says Kates, “Look at how good she looks!”
Ok, I was expecting big things when Beyonce came back out to join Tina for “Proud Mary,” but this slow version isn’t working …
… Ah. Never mind. They just turned up the tempo to do it right …
Still didn’t do it justice though.
8:13 p.m. -- Burt Bacharach is a Grammy Lifetime Award recipient. I can’t think of anyone more deserving … But surely he deserves a more worthy tribute than the brief pause and a swift transition into the next category …
And Amy Winehouse wins for “Rehab” in the best songwriting category. Pitiful … She was up against Carrie Underwood‘s “Before He Cheats,” The Plain White T’s “Hey There Delilah,” Corrine Bailey Rae’s “Like A Star,” and Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” For my money, “Before He Cheats,” “Delilah” and “Like A Star” are far superior songs lyrically.
8:21 p.m. -- Ann Marie Calhoun was the hands-down My Grammy Moment winner in that contest to play with the Foo Fighters.
8:34 p.m. -- We’re about halfway through the show and we’ve reached the Valley of Boredom.
8:41 p.m. --You know Kanye’s the man when he gets the award for Best Rap Album. The get-off-the-stage music starts playing midway through his acceptance speech. He tells the sounds guys to make it stop … and they listen.
8:57 p.m. -- Feist is performing "1-2-3-4." Yes! ... Love the acoustic, down-on-the-corner take on it with the brass. I miss the rousing sing-along rendition of the album version. But this is good. It's different.
9:14 p.m. -- Now Alicia Keys is doing "No One." She and the band seem to have taken it a little more upbeat and freshened it up a little -- I love it! ... Aw, and John Mayer comes on with a guitar solo -- real nice! Kates: "Makes tha song a little better." (She hates this song.)
9:19 p.m. -- Vince Gill just got his award for Best Country Album and accepted it from Ringo Starr. Vince says: "I just got an award from a Beatle." Then he looks off to his left and says, "Have you had that happen yet, Kanye?" That's the line of the night.
9:28 p.m. -- Gosh, I love Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue."
9:43 p.m. -- I'm not even going to talk about Amy Whinehouse's performance ... and just as I write this she finishes her first song and starts up "Rehab." It's catchy. Dang.
9:50 p.m. -- Record of the Year. Amy Whinehouse. Of course. Ugh.
10:26 p.m. -- Will.I.am's rap montage of great Grammy songs was brilliant.
10:29 p.m. -- And Herbie Hancock just won for Album of the Year with "River: The Joni Letters" !! Wow!! Upset city ... Good speech, Herbie.
10:37 p.m. -- It's over. Thank you and good night.
Sunday reading
It's 1 degree outside. Perfect for an afternoon inside, preparing and sorting through more baby stuff ...
Here's some of the stories and headlines that caught my eyes during the last couple weeks ...
The Super Bowl ... (Such a great game ... How can we not still be talking about it!?)
a 4th-quarter pass to Tyree is one of the great plays of all time ... "You cannot watch it enough. Or fail to be astonished, at just how clutch that signature play of Super Bowl XLII really was."
a The name of the game is greed ... Amen.
a Former Giants GM not saying 'I told you so' about Manning
a Ten legacies shattered by upsets ... Excellent history lesson in some of sports biggest upsets ...
Sports, in general ...
a Expectant in victory: Women's basketball coach still on the ball
Music & entertainment...
a Making A Case For Storied Tunes ... A good piece on Neko Case.
a Review: Sheryl Crow's 'Detours'
a Lohan: 'It's Like, What Was I Thinking?' ... Obviously she wasn't.
a 30 TV Shows You'd Bring Back from the Grave... I was thinking Early Edition before I even started looking through this slideshow. I would totally bring it back -- along with Boomtown, and two not on the list, Committed (a hilarious sitcom that NBC never gave a chance) and -- hello! -- Ed.
Politics ...
a Ask Not . . . What the Press Can Do For Obama
a Why Republicans Like Obama
a Primary pleasures
a Relative Power: We Elect Our Leaders, and Dynasties Are Few, but Sometimes Ascension Looks Like an Inheritance
a Romney's Parting Shot
Life & other stuff ...
a Chicago: The World's Kind of Town?
a Kids Can't Focus These Days. Then Again, Neither Can I. ... pretty much.
a Worth the Paper It's Printed On ... A good argument against a paperless society.
a Spending a night at Trump's place ... and the accompanying blog.
Here's some of the stories and headlines that caught my eyes during the last couple weeks ...
The Super Bowl ... (Such a great game ... How can we not still be talking about it!?)
a 4th-quarter pass to Tyree is one of the great plays of all time ... "You cannot watch it enough. Or fail to be astonished, at just how clutch that signature play of Super Bowl XLII really was."
a The name of the game is greed ... Amen.
a Former Giants GM not saying 'I told you so' about Manning
a Ten legacies shattered by upsets ... Excellent history lesson in some of sports biggest upsets ...
Sports, in general ...
a Expectant in victory: Women's basketball coach still on the ball
Music & entertainment...
a Making A Case For Storied Tunes ... A good piece on Neko Case.
a Review: Sheryl Crow's 'Detours'
a Lohan: 'It's Like, What Was I Thinking?' ... Obviously she wasn't.
a 30 TV Shows You'd Bring Back from the Grave... I was thinking Early Edition before I even started looking through this slideshow. I would totally bring it back -- along with Boomtown, and two not on the list, Committed (a hilarious sitcom that NBC never gave a chance) and -- hello! -- Ed.
Politics ...
a Ask Not . . . What the Press Can Do For Obama
a Why Republicans Like Obama
a Primary pleasures
a Relative Power: We Elect Our Leaders, and Dynasties Are Few, but Sometimes Ascension Looks Like an Inheritance
a Romney's Parting Shot
Life & other stuff ...
a Chicago: The World's Kind of Town?
a Kids Can't Focus These Days. Then Again, Neither Can I. ... pretty much.
a Worth the Paper It's Printed On ... A good argument against a paperless society.
a Spending a night at Trump's place ... and the accompanying blog.
2.08.2008
A conversation with Baby
So the baby's been very active the last couple weeks, and Kates has been complaining the last several days that some part of him/her is pressing on Kates' right side. And when Kates brought this up again tonight I leaned into her belly and began having an improptu conversation with the baby ...
"Hi, Baby," I said.
"Can you hear me?" I said to the place where Kates says he/she is pressing.
Then I moved to the other side of her belly. "Can you hear me now?"
I moved to another spot. "Can you hear me now?"
"Do you like baseball?" I asked. No answer. Not even a kick.
"Do you like music?" No response to that either.
"Baby doesn't have to decide now," Kates said, rubbing her belly. "It's got a lot of time to decide what it wants to be."
I leaned in again. "No, Baby, you've got to decide now. You only have two months left in there."
I paused. "Do you like Ben Folds? Go Cubs."
"As long as it doesn't like golf," Kates said.
I leaned in once more. "Yeah, no golf. Golf's not a sport."
"Hi, Baby," I said.
"Can you hear me?" I said to the place where Kates says he/she is pressing.
Then I moved to the other side of her belly. "Can you hear me now?"
I moved to another spot. "Can you hear me now?"
"Do you like baseball?" I asked. No answer. Not even a kick.
"Do you like music?" No response to that either.
"Baby doesn't have to decide now," Kates said, rubbing her belly. "It's got a lot of time to decide what it wants to be."
I leaned in again. "No, Baby, you've got to decide now. You only have two months left in there."
I paused. "Do you like Ben Folds? Go Cubs."
"As long as it doesn't like golf," Kates said.
I leaned in once more. "Yeah, no golf. Golf's not a sport."
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