Lost and Found

There are four kinds of people in the world. Those who are/aren’t into American Idol, and those who aren’t/are into Lost. Ok, I’ll confess–I’m addicted to Lost. Not that I can figure it all out: I gave up on that years ago. There are too many literary and Biblical references, too much symbolism, and too much physics that wouldn’t really work. It’s best just to turn off the intellect and hang on for the ride. Interestingly, the very people one thinks would be into Lost pay it no attention. (John?)

Lost is wearing a little thin, however, and I miss Dominic Monaghan’s character, Charlie (which was the name of the character that Matthew Fox played on Party of Five–it’s jarring to call PO5’s Charlie “Jack” for Lost, but I digress).

Hey, I did finally figure out who Michael Emerson (Ben, Leader of the Others on Lost) resembles: IT”S WOLFIE (who didn’t really look like Tom Hulce, you know). As for that other show, I did find an old elementary school friend of mine (well, his double) on American Idol–stay tuned!

Bush Farewell

He thanked CHENEY first, Laura second? Ooooh, big (but revealing) mistake!

I’m tired of light blue ties, which nobody seems to have worn so much before him (the red “power tie” being omnipresent in government). Obama has taken to wearing blue-uns, too. Oh, well.

AI Musings

It’s Idol season, again (tempus fugit). I think the addition of a fourth judge, Kara DioGuardi, helps. It gives Paula an ally in the battle of the sexes and takes some of the pressure off of Simon to be snarky. The wisdom giving Simon the tie break may come back to haunt the show!

Surely, by now, everybody knows that the very good and the very bad are sifted for the panel to hear. It’s always funny when the wheels almost visibly grind in the judges’ heads, wondering if the show producers think a contestant is good or bad. (One suspects that the good often blow it under pressure and the bad, well, they never improve.)

I have mixed feelings about AI and its manipulation of viewer emotions to build a following for an eventual show tour (and 19 Recordings/RCA record sales). I did enjoy the first season, but got tired of it all through grinding seasons of the Birminghamians (Ruben, Bo, Taylor). The local coverage the season before last, when auditions came to Birmingham, was almost smothering (until we found out that the judges basically didn’t like anybody from the Magic City). Last season was best (of course) with, as one critic put it, “the mostly charmingly ambitious winner since Kelly Clarkson.” (I might be biased or manipulated.)

I don’t see any douplegangers, yet.

UPDATE: Oh, Jason Castro has a Hollywood-bound brother, Michael (who looks like Jason with David Cook’s audition hair). UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

Redneck Sweeney Todd

If Jeff Foxworthy used a shaving brush made from roadkill possum hair to lather Granny’s lye soap, then shaved with Grandpa’s rusty, carbon-steel straight razor, would he be (and get) a red neck?

No, Dublin, NO!!

David Cook just added a puppy to the family, a Scottish Terrier named Dublin.

Well, of course he did, since yours truly just happens to have had a Scottie whilst growing up! Mine was named Mr. McAlfie. (Hey–it was what the pet shop owner already called the dog: it just seemed to fit.)

But . . . oh, Double, my Double, why the name Dublin for yours? There are many fine, Scots names such as Angus or Fergus or Killiecrankie or Auchtermuchty or Archuleta. Why an Irish place-name?

In any event, congratulations, David. And good luck . . . Scotties are a handful. (I bet the White House staff is thrilled that Barney is leaving.) Dublin will come to think that his name is “No, Dublin, NO!!”

It could be worse, however. I also had a childhood Chihuahua!

BCS Game

Don’t we all just love the pomp and pageantry that is college football? Something like this always happens . . .

[Official] “Gentlemen, we’re using this special commemorative coin for the toss. The woodchuck is ‘heads’ and Buzz Aldrin’s head is ‘tails.’ Call it in the air.”

[Team Captain] “Heads, I mean tails . . . er . . . Buzz!”

And that’s after a “creative” version of the National Anthem!

Stinker of the Month (1-09)

If your studio floor is full of paint splatters, what went on the canvas is all that matters.

–CAP’N WHOOK