Blog Over Troubled Water

Friday, February 27, 2004

Feeling Dense

WARNING: Spoilers from the latest episodes of Scrubs and Survivor below...

Ok, I admit to totally not getting that it was Brendan Frasier's character that died mid-episode on Scrubs. I just watched Tuesday's episode last night but, thanks to this TiVo Community Forum thread I knew something was up with this episode...as the show usually does not usually elicit two pages worth of posts by Wednesday morning. So a little baffled after watching the show, I went there
and learned all the things I totally missed.

So when Cox returned to the hospital it was Frasier who was dead, not the old guy Cox told JD to keep an eye on. This explained why Cox was so wacko, Frasier appeared as a "ghost" for the remainder of the episode (the clue I was supposed to get was that he no longer had his omni-present camera), and Cox was talking about going to the funeral and NOT his son's birthday party as he was earlier in the episode. Hopefully, I was not the only one who felt (feels!?!) that a big whoosh went right over his head. I saved it on TiVO, so I will probably re-review given what I know now.

Also, I guess I am so desensitized ... yes, even in this Miss Jackson/post-Super Bowl world... that I could not figure out what in last night's Survivor earned an "may be inappropriate for younger viewers" pre-immunity challenge warning from the scaredy cats over at CBS. At first I thought it was the standoff between Boston Rob and Ethan...with passion in their eyes, it had all the makings of a juicy homo-erotic moment until Rob just about slammed the curls off poor Ethan's head.
Yeah, pretty cross-my-legs violent ... but considering the number of people who got knocked to their asses in last week's challenge... it did not seem all that bad.

But then the naked (of course!) Richard Hatch brushed his exposed immunity idol across the backside of Sue Hawk apparently long enough to get Jeff Probst all pissy (not that it takes all that much to do that!)... So this is probably what got CBS shaking...especially given next week's previews where Sue looks to delivering another rant that will surely enter the Survivor history books.

- posted by Ed | 2/27/2004 11:34:00 AM | | Link

Are You Kidding Me With This?

Bush to Limit Interview with 9/11 Panel to an Hour
Hmmmm...a whole hour... that should definitely be enough time... probably about the same amount of time (if not more!) he spends at a $2,000/plate fundraiser.

Lawmakers Write to 'West Wing' Character
Granted it was done tongue-in-cheek...and yes, I want a Democrat in the White House as well... but did Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rep. John McHugh just have too many Cocoa Puffs for breakfast when they shot off a letter to Josh Lyman?

- posted by Ed | 2/27/2004 09:56:00 AM | | Link

Thursday, February 26, 2004

Surviving Elizabeth

Remember cute little Elizabeth Filarski from the Survivor: The Australian Outback?

Well, now as the newest "young one" (and going by her married name - Hasselbeck) on ABC's The View we are definitely learning more about her. Let's just say she is definitely off my Christmas card list...we got a cute little raging Right-winger! I suspected as much during discussions about the President and the election... but she has really shown her colors during recent "Hot Topics" involving gay marriage. Hasselbeck's "Marriage is a between a man/woman and I ain't budging" views make me think this little spitfire I think is now auditioning for a job in the Bush administration!

But, I guess the whole point of the show ...is to have different views... but it does not make Hasselbeck's thoughts any less infuriating. Interestingly enough the other co-hosts are all fairly tempered or supportive of gay marriage (perhaps realizing that besides women, gay men probably are the show's biggest fans). On this issue, I find that Star Jones (glad you landed a man just like your Sex and the City gals) is the most interesting person to listen to. I think she is opposed the idea from a religious/personal angle, but as a lawyer (and perhaps more so as a black woman) she is able to offer plenty of thoughtful support for it. A really wonderful example of "head" over "heart." I wish there was more of that out there.

This debate has really gone from 0-60 mph (well maybe more like 30-120 mph) - and it certainly seems to be on my mind more than ever. In the not so recent past, I had the PollyAnna-ish stance that "everyone has the right to their own opinion... blah, blah, blah" but over the past few days, the "anti" arguments feel more and more like a personal assault than ever before.
- posted by Ed | 2/26/2004 10:11:00 AM | | Link

Idol Group 3 Results: Pink Prevails & An Arrested Development

A couple of surprises at last night's Group 3 results show...judge favorite Leah "don't call me Vladowski, but I ain't no Patti" LaBelle failed to even make the top 3, while perhaps the teen-girl vote catapulted a sketchy Jon Peter Lewis into the #3 spot for the week.

Thankfully LaToya London was not put under the characteristic results show torture - getting up to the final chairs and being declared the #1 vote-getter in fairly quick fashion.

America loves pink hair...Amy Adams joins past-bleachers Nikki McKibben and Vanessa Olivarez, as a finalist. Amy's encore performance of "The Power of Love" was very shaky last night...hopefully it was just her self-proclaimed nerves.

I am sure we will see Leah's return in the wildcard show...and with the support of all three judges and barring a total meltdown she will probably be in the finals.
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The American Idol Rap Sheet has a new member!

Donnie Williams was arrested Monday on suspicion of drunk driving. Apparently it is more than just suspicion... scheduled to perform with Group 4, the 20-year old Williams looks to be off the show (and the official website) and replaced with Heather Piccinini.

UPDATE: Zap2It article about the ouster: First 'Idol' Contestant Disqualified
- posted by Ed | 2/26/2004 06:40:00 AM | | Link

Wednesday, February 25, 2004

Back to the Lighter Side...

(or a quick laugh...before you hit the below rant)

Had the following Yahoo search hit today:
how do you become sexy like nick lachey

Believe me, I couldn't make that one up! Hey search buddy... if you find the answer let me in on the secret...okay?!
- posted by Ed | 2/25/2004 03:57:00 PM | | Link

Congratulations You Are Reading the 1,000,000th Blog Entry About Gay Marriage!!

Since I spent all this time this afternoon hopefully putting together a thoughtful comment on LiberalEric's Right to Be Left site -- I thought I would go ahead and publish it here as well. I guess a lot was stewing within me since Bush came out (ha ha! really bad pun!) to support an Amendment opposing gay marriage.

My apologies to those who I may have borrowed from... however, at this point,I doubt there is truly an original thought left regarding this issue. Here it is:

Marriage is a legal union, this whole thing is that it is getting terribly mucked up as by the religious aspect of the institution. If a church, synagogue, etc. does not want to perform a gay marriage (and they probably never will) that is their right to do so. If anyone wants to get married outside the church, by say the less-sacred Elvis impersonator, they should have that right as well. This argument is based on a selective uses of the word "separate"... it is okay that civil unions are "separate but equal," but the there is no attempt at separating church from state.

Sure I am gay and have an obvious bias (and while I am at, have been in a relationship for 10 years)...but to tell you the truth when this was just a kernel of controversy months ago, I a) had no desire to "marry," b) thought civil unions were just fine, and c) thought it was the wrong time/place to start a debate/fight on the issue. I do not believe any of those things now.

The last time I checked the Constitution was there to expand and give rights to Americans...not to take them away or exclude a group of individuals. Amendments have been passed to correct the wrongs of the past... and I think this country is a far better place thanks to people who "violated the law" in their own attempts to get onto the road and pursuit of happiness.

Bush is going to use this for all its worth. Sadly I think there are enough people out there who have been waffling on him over Iraq, the economy, etc., etc., etc., who will probably come back into the fold soley based on this issue.

Sure there is widespread support for his view, but there is also a significant "minority" who do not. Being uncomfortable with a certain segment of the population is not reason enough to discriminate or exclude. Gay people who wish to marry are doing so to harm or desecrate marriage? They honor, respect, and value it SO much that they are brave enough to fight for it...and fight for it now.
- posted by Ed | 2/25/2004 01:47:00 PM | | Link

American Idol Group 3: LaToya Is Indeed All By Herself

Just re-reviewed the tapes this morning and here are my thoughts about Group 3... as with Group 1 a little disappointing that more of these contestants will not make it through to the finals...with just a couple of exceptions, I think ANY of last night's contestants would have been easy winners last week.

Bottom 3
Was not impressed with the Hawaiian, Jonah Moananu. I think the song is largely to blame...too "talky" and lacking any qualities to show off a singing voice. I also thought Jonah could not get the timing down... stopping, starting, slowing down and speeding up.

There was a very strange quality to the voice of Jon Peter Lewis. Watching last night I thought... Pee Wee Herman ... had this breathe-in/nasal thing going. I think Randy nailed it when he said there was a "cartoon" quality to it. Paula said he had passion, but I thought his performance lacked any kind of spark.

After starting the night, I thought Elizabeth Letendre was a sure thing to advance on. But I ultimately I think it was just the reaction that she was pretty much better than any of the Group 2 performers. The talent bar was high and I felt Elizabeth just kept on slipping down the ladder as the night went on. It ended up being just another Whitney Houston knockoff...a good one, but not special enough.

Pretty Much Everyone Else
It is going to be a tough season for the guys...but Eric Yoder was the best male performance of the evening (and perhaps of the competition thus far). A little shaky at first, but definitely improved as the song went on. As Simon said, he is a little low on personality -- but I thought a pretty good performance.

Again, like Elizabeth and Whitney...it is tough to sing Celine Dion and not come up short. I think Amy Adams did a better Celine than Elizabeth did Whitney...but neither are near the league of the original divas. But Amy has an incredible voice and I think deserves to move on.

I had some disagreements with the judges over Charly Lowry and Leah Labelle. I liked Charly (one of my early faves) but the judges gave her pretty tepid reviews, while I was a bit taken back by the praise heaped on Leah. I thought Charly had spunk, a unique voice and look...and wasn't trying to be a Whitney or Celine or Mariah. While I thought Leah was very good overall I felt there were some shaky moments in her Whitney song.

The Next American Idol?
What else is their to say about the blockbuster performance from LaToya London?! Where have they been hiding her all this time? When she was ready to perform, I said out loud "I don't know who this chick is." But that thought certainly exited my head when she opened her mouth...incredible voice, amazing control, genuine emotion...and physically beautiful to boot. If this was a just a taste of LaToya, there is little doubt in my mind that she IS the next American Idol.

Predictions
After LaToya, I think it is a virtual toss-up...kind of like last week, but this time with deserving candidates...with the nudging of the judges it may be Leah... though I would like to see more from (and in order) Amy, Charly, and Eric.

- posted by Ed | 2/25/2004 08:11:00 AM | | Link

Tuesday, February 24, 2004

Alternate & Future "Sex"

Thanks to USA Today and Entertainment Weekly we now know the other ways Sex and the City might have ended.

SJP says all three endings involved (not surprisingly) Carrie's return to Manhattan. One involved Petrovsky coming home after her (ick!), while the other had Carrie returning home alone. Chris Noth elaborated on the latter during an appearance on Monday's Live With Regis & Kelly... Big tells Carrie that she's the "one"... with Carrie responding that it is "too late" and walking away.

Given those options, I definitely think that the creators aired the best (though most predictable) ending...though as mentioned yesterday, I would not have been totally upset with Carrie flying solo in the end. SJP also said that the alternate endings were "silly" and said to not expect to see them aired (or even on DVD).

All parties involved seem to be open to the widely reported big-screen Sex movie...Michael Patrick King is said to currently be writing it with SJP tauntingly offering "I think we would to do it sooner rather than later."
- posted by Ed | 2/24/2004 12:09:00 PM | | Link

Monday, February 23, 2004

"Sex": The Morning After

A quick review of Web shows that folks seem to be pretty pleased with the Sex and the City finale. I would count myself in...it was hard not to be "happy" for everyone... but what fun is a blog without at least a little whining! Overall, I thought things were a bit rushed and that, for the most part, each storyline was tied up nicely all with ribbons and bows. But I am sure if they left things open, I would be bitching about the lack of closure! But somehow I think the gals must have gained access to the "epiphany toilet" seen on last week's episode of Scrubs!

SPOILERS BELOW...so come back later if you haven't watched yet...


Samantha: Well who wouldn't give up casual sex for the likes of Smith Jarrod? Smith is pretty much Sam's "Aidan" -- much too good to be true -- but I guess it really took something as big as cancer to finally shake up everyone's favorite female sexaholic and have her finally settle down. An appropriate final scene of Samantha "back in the saddle again"...

Charlotte: Charlotte gets her baby despite the false alarm from the young Carolina hicks...I would have been satisfied to end it here...with Charlotte realizing that that baby was not meant to be and reversal of roles where she was the one to comfort Harry that their baby would come along...

Miranda: Personally the most emotional part of the finale. I figured the Miranda/Steve storyline was pretty much wrapped up...so the whole Steve's mom storyline was quite a surprise. Although, I knew Miranda was going to suggest that she move in... my heart broke over the no-win scenario. My parents took care of my grandmother for the last five years or so of her life...and it had to be the equivalent of one of Dante's Circle of Hell. Our resident cynic might just have the biggest heart of them all... very touching last scene with Magda.

Carrie: Heck I think if Berger showed up Carrie would have wrapped her legs around him and been on the first flight back to NYC. I always suspected Alek was much too chilly for our Carrie, but they sure made him into a real jerk in Paris. I liked the scene where Carrie broke down in the lobby upon seeing Big...from there, I felt the implied full-on reunion was a bit much. I would have preferred Carrie to return to NYC with Big but say she needed time to sort things out (since she obviously should be questioning her decisions of late), would give him another shot, but no promises. Nice touch though to bring Big's "Abso-f*ckin-lutely" line full circle. Oh yes, we learn Big's first name! Predictably ordinary, but why else would he need a nickname?

Again, despite the above quibbles, I really was satisfied with the finale. Just as in real life, I just want everyone to be happy.

Thanks for the ride ladies... Sunday nights won't be the same!
- posted by Ed | 2/23/2004 07:37:00 AM | | Link

Saturday, February 21, 2004

Vegas, Gorgeous Decorators & Mr. Hung (the last two not related, that I know of)

Zap2it report that NBC Studios has just signed a two-year, seven figure deal to keep Gary Scott Thompson, the writer-producer of Las Vegas, on board. The show has already received a pickup for next year as well. Ummm...has anyone at NBC actually been watching this show lately? It started off pretty good (in a fun, campy sort of way) but it has really spiraled downhill...but my love of the city, casinos, and Mr. Duhamel will probably keep me watching nonetheless.
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Fire up those TiVos (and even you folks w/ VCRs)...on Tuesday's Oprah (Feb 24th) it's The Gorgeous Men of Decorating... will the likes of Nate and Carter finally overtake my Idol Google hits...even just for a day?! If you don't know who these guys are...do yourself a favor and tune in...
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And since I mentioned Idol (surprise, surprise)... isn't William Hung, now dubbed "The Hong Kong Ricky Martin," on about his 18th minute of fame? Before you "bang" me, I was amused as anyone with his audition tape and backstory...but I think it is getting a bit out of hand. I am just hoping Hung is laughing along with everyone else (and his sincere naivete makes me believe it is NOT the case) as his story continues on...
- posted by Ed | 2/21/2004 09:20:00 AM | | Link

Friday, February 20, 2004

An Idol-Free Blog: Defending Marriage, The A-Rod Acquisition, and Pugs

The same-sex marriage debate continued to rage this week... with the President being "troubled" by the San Francisco marriages and the First Lady finding it "shocking" - for some reason I have a feeling that those same words were thrown around when the country was in the process of ending slavery and giving women the right to vote. (I know, I know...it's different... we choose to be an abomination!)

But nevertheless I have been trying to come up with some ideas to defend the sanctity of marriage. Since the government seems to want to be involved..and since there are tax benefits for being married...I offer the following:

* Taxation or other financial penalties for separations, annulments, and divorces. While we're at it why don't we have a sliding fee schedule for the length of the marriage. Say $25k for Britney and Jason's 24-hour marriage (a flagrant violation of sanctity!)...while let's just impose a fine of $5k to Cruise and Kidman since they last 10 years.

* Another fee schedule for marital digressions. Infidelity of course would top the list though let's not forget about the oft-named "irreconcilable differences" (shouldn't you have thought more about these things before entering this sacred union?)

* Collect more money for children born out of wedlock...while many of these folks did do the correct thing by not using birth control...if they were participating in the act that leads to possible procreation shouldn't they be married?!

I figure this is just a start to help reduce the federal deficit!
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The big news in sports this week (see I am not that gay! errr...well...ummm) was the Yankees signing of Alex Rodriguez (seen hear with his equally lovely wife). Talk about "the rich-get-richer"... like the Yankees need another All-Star player on their roster. Even though I think he is pretty much a jerk it was predictable that if Steinbrenner see something he likes, he buys it! Now that is a philosophy I can relate to ... I go out and get a second TiVo, George gets A-Rod... no difference, right?!

But even despite the headline grabbing new addition, baseball aficionados should know that a team can't buy a World Series championship (stack the odds in your favor, well yes)...just ask the 2003 Florida Marlins.

I am hoping it translates into some good market value when it comes selling some of our season tickets when the Yankees come to town vs. the Diamondbacks this June.
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Not that I did not think it before, but pugs are very cool dogs...or else we are
puppy-sitting a pretty darn cool one until next week. This dog loves to show affection, has oodles of personality and really gets into playing fetch with a dog toy (and without destroying it...imagine that)! Now there is no way I am returning our own beloved bassett hound Toby, but I guess he just shows his love in different ways... like moaning and taking our seats/bed when we're not looking! ;-)
- posted by Ed | 2/20/2004 11:52:00 AM | | Link

Thursday, February 19, 2004

Aloha To Camile & Matt

Somewhat of a surprise in last night's Group 2 results show as Matt Rogers caught the "Hail Mary" pass and knocked out arguably the best voice of the previous night, Lisa Leuschner. I didn't think Matt was really all that bad...obviously America was looking for a some personality and Matt's personality is as big as...well himself!

I still do not know what to think about the results winner Camile Velasco. There is a good voice somewhere in there... but she is not a natural performer, just seems to be too shaky and overwhelmed by the occasion ... and it ain't gonna get any easier!

Alas a quick goodbye (??) to my Google search hit "cash cow" Bre... she realized her song choice error. My guess is that she will probably earn a slot on the the wildcard show...so we may have not seen the last of her.
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It appears Group 3 is going to resemble the talent of Group 1. A lot of heavy hitters
in my opinion...three ladies who stood out... Amy Adams, Charly Lowry, and Elizabeth Letendre along with a couple guys including "pen salesman" Jon Peter Lewis and Eric Yoder. Think it is gonna to be a tough week...in a good way.

By default we also know Group 4...no one really jumps out there for me...the only people I even remember from the early rounds/auditions (and not terribly overwhelmed by) are "old guy" Donnie Williams and 16-year old redheaded Sinatra/Dean Martin crooner-be John Stevens.
- posted by Ed | 2/19/2004 07:14:00 AM | | Link

Wednesday, February 18, 2004

American Idol: Weak 2

What is there to say? I haven't scoured the Web yet, but I am sure it is filled with adjectives such as awful, horrible, and baaaaaaad! Group 2 was perhaps the worst "showcase" of singing ever to hit American Idol at this stage in the competition. Some of the contestants sitting on the bench from Group 1 must be stewing about the bad luck of the draw. I think anyone from the first week would have easily advanced this week...and oh where, oh where is my Scooter Girl?!

Okay, let's survey the damage...

Friends, Romans, and countrymen, lend me you ears! Because mine are bleeding! Talk about putting the NO in Noel. We exchanged some "is this really as bad as I think it is" stares across the couch here... Bronx Bombers, yes indeed!

I place Kara Master not too far behind the brothers... bland performance, bad attitude, and we won't even start on the denim mini-skirt.

I was most disappointed with two contestants who got some good air-time early on...Matt Rogers and Briana Ramirez-Rial. Both have the desired "unique" personalities but oddly chose to leave them behind... people, the time to show your "range" and "versatility" is when you make the finals...until then do the things that got you to where you are! Boring, boring, boring! Heck, even the original version of "Don't Know Why" puts me to sleep (and it certainly never made me think Norah Jones was a great singer).

It would not have cut it in Group 1, but at least Marisa Joy's closing performance of "Some Kind of Wonderful" had a pulse. Sadly, that was enough to make it a noteworthy performance this week.

Is there a more timid performer than Hawaii's Camile Velasco? I agree that there some potential in there, but the poor girl seemed to be trembling before, during, and after her performance of "One Last Cry" (and she seemed about ready to cry during the judge's fairly good reviews). If she gets through, she is going to have to toughen up or else be trampled by the confidence of other contestants (i.e last week's Fantasia and Diana).

So that leaves us with the default "winner" of the evening... Lisa Leuschner. I just can not get Gilda Radner's nerdy Lisa Loopner character everytime I hear Leuschner's name? Anyway, props to Lisa for holding it together and not succumbing amidst the horror of last night's performances.

Predictions...ummm...ugh... solely based on performances, I would put Lisa and Marisa through...neither who I think would get very far in the finals. I still like the potential of Bre and Matt and since they both seem to have a fan-base, they may squeak through and get a second chance.
- posted by Ed | 2/18/2004 07:21:00 AM | | Link

Tuesday, February 17, 2004

Queer Idols

Gay men and women are just everywhere you turn these days -- and not just fiction ala Will & Grace -- we have real folks marrying by the hundreds in San Francisco and now even popping up on the TV sensation American Idol thanks to Briana Ramirez-Rial and recently booted Marque Lynche.

First let me say that neither has publicly spoken about their sexual orientation/preference (or whatever the politically correct phrase is these days). I fully support that...having been sort of outed once in my life, I think it is up to individual to determine the how and when. But, more often than not, it is quite easy to "do the math" and like it or not, people love to speculate (even I am guilty of that)!

As I have mentioned in the past, Briana has brought me more search hits than any other subject/person I have blogged about. I think folks are intrigued by Briana for various reasons. Appearance-wise she is not your cookie-cutter Idol contestant, she has a no-holds barred attitude (bitching about dance routines and stage mothers), and less we forget what this show is all about... an amazing voice. There is an article about her on GayWired.com, which nicely sums up my own thoughts -- whether or not she makes it through to the finals she has already broke some ground. Given what little I know about tonight's group, I have a feeling the high-profile Briana will be moving on.

I have also received at least a dozen search hits with some combination of "Marque Lynche" and "gay." But as in often the case...Google or Yahoo ain't no
Magic 8 Ball. But if it did, I have a feeling the response would be "Signs Point To Yes."

The "evidence":
* A dancer/singer with a musical theater background
* Biceps, biceps, biceps
* Sings "Wind Beneath My Wings" and dedicates it to his mother

And finally the funniest/best of them all...this picture of Marque which is pretty much the same picture from the official website...but not cropped. Did the folks at Idol figure out the playful meaning of his "Morning Wood Basketball" shirt? The shirt is available here and also offers many others including "Pitcher," "Catcher," and "Tight End" and "Receiving Dept." So for you Googlers out there, I think Marque gave us the answer with a nice wink.
- posted by Ed | 2/17/2004 09:18:00 AM | | Link

Monday, February 16, 2004

Color Commentary / A "Big" Ending?

I think I have stopped fuming...or should I say inhaling paint fumes! After about five consecutive days of painting, we have two "new" rooms. Now I know why it took us about two years to get back to room painting...it is an awful lot like child birth (no comments from the mothers please, I am well aware that I am speaking in hyperbole)... despite being pleased with the results, you forget the "pain" of the process...but now that we have been through it again, I don't think we have any intentions or desire to do it again any time soon.

"My" bedroom has been transformed into a wonderful sea of blue wonder and not unlike one of those stunning transformations on Trading Spaces (well at least paint-wise, our makeover, at least for now, did not include any new furniture or fabrics). The primary color is Sandoval Blue ... which leads us to HOW exactly paint people come up with these names for colors?? How does Sandoval relate to the color blue? I do not have a clue! There is Arturo Sandoval and, here in Phoenix, we have Fox news anchor-babe Stephanie Sandoval (though we tend to coo more over her counterpart, Troy Hayden, but I digress...). To cap it off, we added a stripe of Mystic River around the room. Appropriate color (a light blue, by the way) for this Oscar season, huh?

The Den/TV Room has been warmed up with an accent wall of Longjohn Red (assuming that color alludes to the clothing item) and the rest of the room and ceiling in Cottonwood, a really nice creamy tan. The room is quite different from its previous all-white incarnation. That room is now in desperate need of accessorizing and new furniture (thinking some deep brown leather), but once it is done it should be a great place to hang out.
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I don't know if I am going to make it dry-eyed for next week's Sex and The City finale (heck even the close of last week's Survivor had me a bit verklempt)! Last night's penultimate episode certainly had some emotional moments... the explosive return of Mr. Big, the girl's goodbye dinner, and Carrie's heartbreaking call to Miranda.

Things seem to be setting up for Big sweeping Carrie back to NYC...but something tells me the Sex powers-that-be are not going to make it that predictable.

I thought the scene where Big meets up with the girls was great though... two opposing forces uniting for a common goal. I particularly liked the line where Big said that best a guy could hope for in Carrie's life was "fourth place" (in one line it perfectly summed up all that is wrong with the Russian). However, not unlike the gals, I too, have serious reservations about Big (yes, I realize I am talking like these are real people)... he has badly messed with Carrie time and time again, but despite all that I had to cheer Miranda's battle cry "Go get our girl!"

I can't believe it will be all over this time next week... in the mean time, I will try to get a life! ;-)
- posted by Ed | 2/16/2004 07:26:00 AM | | Link

Friday, February 13, 2004

Still Divine

Last night we spent An Evening With Bette Midler...looking as slim as ever Bette burst onto the stage singing the signature song of this tour "Kiss My Brass" - setting the tone for an unapologetic night, the diva proclaimed "I have returned...and you can't make me retire!" There were no safe targets from the Britneys and Christinas ("I opened up the door to trashy singers with big tits and bad taste, but do any of those girls ever call me up to thank me?" and "These days you're not considered a serious entertainer unless you dress like a 'ho',") to several pointed zingers about the Bush administration ("You didn't think the most dark and depressing period in history would keep me away, did you?").

I have to say that I admire performers who make an effort to customize there show to the city they are playing. So often you think you are hearing a great line/joke only to later find out that the performer says it pretty much verbatim every single night. Now, I am sure Bette just tweaks some of her lines for the city she is in (i.e. "It's so great to play in the arena where the [insert local sports team] lose...er I mean play"), but at least it shows she is doing some research (or that she is learning the lines the people who are doing it for her). Bette also brought out all of her famed characters - from electric-wheelchair wielding mermaid Delores DeLago (in an lengthy Broadway-tune infused 2nd act opener) to the elderly Soph's salty one-liners.

On top of all of this it should not go unnoted that Bette (at age 58 no less!) is still in wonderful voice - take that you American Idol kiddies! Bette does it all and does it just fine...from her toe-tapping retro hits ("Bugle Boy" and "Chapel of Love") to her schmaltzy signature ballads ("From A Distance" and "Wind Beneath My Wings") to blowing the roof off with a rousing rendition of "When A Man Loves A Woman" to tender tributes to Rosemary Clooney and Mr. Rogers...Bette is the total package.

A memorable evening and quite worth the price of the ticket (how often can you say that these days!). Here's hoping four more years do not pass before the Divine Miss M returns.
- posted by Ed | 2/13/2004 09:50:00 AM | | Link

Thursday, February 12, 2004

More "Idol" Chatter? You Bette-cha! (And Some Painting, Too)

Tonight I earn at least a 5-year renewal on my "gay card" as Bette Midler rolls into town with her "Kiss My Brass" tour. It is the first concert ever at the new Glendale Arena which was built to be the new home of the struggling NHL Phoenix Coyotes. Should be a great show as Bette is the consummate entertainer - amazing singer and very funny (or perhaps bawdy is a better word). Several years ago we saw her just before Christmas and her next stop was a big (and probably ultra-expensive) New Year's Eve show in Las Vegas. She told us that this was pretty much the same show that she would be performing there...so Bette said if anyone bragged about going to see her in Vegas we should just tell them "I saw the f*cking show last week!"

Will give you a review probably next blog go-round!
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One of the advantages of working from home and owning your own business is that occasionally (and hopefully not too often!) you find yourself without a whole lot of work to do...so unlike working in a "real office" you don't have to go through the motions of trying to "look busy." This has been one of those weeks.

So instead of sitting on my butt, I actually have been productive. We planned on painting the TV Room/Den this coming weekend so the idea of painting got stuck in my mind. I decided to jump in and tackle my pretend bedroom (long story...but it is for the benefit of guests who haven't done/don't want to do the math on our living arrangement).

This room was pretty much a visual nightmare when we moved in...a kid's bedroom with a built-in metal-framed bunk/loft bed and walls/ceiling sponge-painted in shades of yellow (walls), lilac (ceiling), and lime green (bed frame, light switches/trim). Truly awful, like an Easter egg exploded or something. So it has been long overdue for a make-over.

Having watched too many episodes of Trading Spaces and Queer Eye, I got major-league ambitious and decided to do some striping around the room. So the room is turning into a rich blue - with the center of the room striped with a wide light blue stripe surrounded by two tan stripes. I managed to to finish one wall yesterday and it is looking pretty darn spiffy! The only problem is that my taping (to create the striping effect) was not 100% straight (okay, no jokes that I can't even paint straight!)...but it is close enough. Pretty much anything is an improvement at this point!
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No surprises on the first results American Idol show as Fantasia and Diana rolled through with cutie Matt axed in the third spot.

I don't have a whole lot of thoughts on the next Tuesday's group of eight, the only contestant that jumps out for me is Briana Ramirez-Rial. First off, thanks to the AI webmaster for changing her URL from "Brian" to "Briana"... but then again she is a gal of many names. The website has vacillated between "Briana" and "Bre" additionally her last name has changed from Garcia to Ramirez-Rial. But this is nothing new in Idol-land as names tend to become fluid upon hitting Hollywood (remember Ryan Starr and Trenyce both went under different names when the originally entered the competition). As long as Briana doesn't choke, based on my blog search hits I expect her to move on.

Otherwise, I sense that Matt "Rose Bowl" Rogers may have a fan-base...but the big drama of the evening will probably be the brother vs. brother duel between Jesus and Noel Roman. Odds are that one or neither will advance, so Fox will milk this one for all its worth!

Had my 2nd consecutive record-breaking blog day yesterday largely thanks to Idol... check out my Nedstat Page to see what a serious impact Idol has had...looks like it is slowing down today, but it has been fun to watch.
- posted by Ed | 2/12/2004 07:18:00 AM | | Link

Wednesday, February 11, 2004

Fantasia Gives Us Something To Talk About (American Idol - Round 1)

First let me say that I am stunned by the amount of search hits that I am getting due to American Idol. Yesterday I had 238 hits... my previous best day was 48... to really put things in perspective I had only received a total 800 hits on this blog so far in 2004... so about 30% of my total traffic this year occured yesterday...whoa!

I don't plan on turning this into "all-Idol-all-the-time," but I am a Google whore... so you'll have to bear with it for awhile (I probably would be writing about it anyway even if I didn't know about the hits...as mentioned yesterday I am hopelessly addicted).

Anyway, onto the first group of eight! As Randy Jackson would say, I have to give "props" for this group...no one outright sucked... I am not sure if that has ever happened on one of these preliminary rounds of competition. Here's my take on last night's contestants:

The "Upper" Bottom
Ashley Thomas - I thought she had a good voice and perhaps the best "control" of the night...but her problem was singing "Crazy" and sounding like Patsy Cline. In doing so, Ashley totally boxed herself in as an imitator and not an original...lacked some personality as well.

Marque Lynche - It pains me to put Marque here since he was one of my early favorites. Although he has the look of an of Idol, I thought he had the weakest vocal performance of the evening...a pretty vanilla rendition of "Wind Beneath My Wings."

The Muddy Middle
Katie Webber - A toss-up here... good voice but I felt she was "acting" her sexy performance more than it coming naturally. Going with an old jazzy song was a bit risky in a "pop" competition, but she's got the whole package. And she is pretty cute too... apparently so much so that more than a handful of Googlers want to see who b**bs or n#ked (punctuation added to prevent even more future disappointments when clicking onto here).

Erskine Walcott - Erskine impressed me (and the judges) more in the past than last night's performance of "Open Arms"...which again I thought was (again) pretty vanilla. I am not trained enough to have heard Randy's mention of Erskine's "pitch" problems...but the performance was still good, not a knockout. At this stage of the competition you need to be more than "good."

Jennifer Hudson - Jennifer was originally in my upper echelon of the evening... but on second review I think he singing style is a tad too dramatic and booming for Idol. Although she didn't do any major "runs" (one of my singing pet peeves) during "Imagine"...as Paula mentioned (in the Hollywood auditions) she can get "shouty."

What To Do, What To Do...
Matthew Metzger - Matthew was the household debate of the evening... we agreed on was that he was the hottie of the evening... great hair, great face, great smile... and his performance of "Walking in Memphis" (one of my favorite songs) oozed personality... but the only issue was a thin voice...and since, as Simon reminds us, this is a singing competition... that may be a problem. Personally, I would love to see Matthew over and over again in the next couple of months... but vocally, as Randy said, he is not really in the Idol ballpark.

My Two Picks
Diana DeGarmo - What a little spitfire 16-year old Diana is! The best "natural" voice of the night and was really surprised about her stage presence. As the first performer of the evening, she really set the bar quite high...

Fantasia Barrino - As expected, Fantasia put an exclamation mark on the end of the evening. Unique voice, amazing personality...it is hard not to smile whenever Fantasia is on the screen. We will see Fantasia in the final grouping... should she somehow not advance this evening (doubtful since my Google hits totally spiked on her late last night), the judges will definitely bring her back.

Who will actually move on to the finals? Other than Fantasia, I think it is a toss-up. My gut says either Diana, Matthew or Jennifer.
- posted by Ed | 2/11/2004 07:18:00 AM | | Link

Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Political TV, Google-Mania, and Pass the Bre

While I surely don't consider myself to be the political half of the household, I have to say that I am enjoying my 1.5 hours of politically minded TV each week. A few weeks ago we started watching HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher. What an enjoyable and funny show...well enjoyable and funny if your political leanings are more towards the left. I think Maher is a lot like Bill O'Reilly... they both make no apologies about where they stand and are often obnoxious while doing it. O'Reilly makes my blood boil, but I am pretty sure Maher does the same for true fans of "The Factor." If you don't get HBO, be sure to check out the transcripts of Maher's New Rules -- the sharply comedic (and yes, still often "politically incorrect") closing piece of each episode of Real Time.

Of course, the other half hour is my beloved McLaughlin Group and particularly the Democratic oasis that is Eleanor Clift... though it is scary how often I am agreeing with Pat Buchanan these days on certain issues.
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Ok, I admit it... I love getting Google (or AOL or Yahoo) search hits. This morning I was stunned to see that my estimated visitors for today was 100+... that is almost 3x my busiest day and 5x more than "normal." So I was anxious to see what the reason for the spike... and the answer is... American Idol.

I had over 20+ hits for the contestants I named in Thursday's post. While I know this is far from scientific it is still interesting to see who has Google "buzz"... the runaway "winner" is... Briana Ramirez-Rial (now simply going by "Bre" according to the AI website). There was also a sprinkling of mentions for Charly Lowry and Fantasia Barrino.

I have to say I am pretty stoked about the competition beginning tonight. Okay somewhat embarrassing to admit for a 36-year old...but let's say it is my guiltiest of pleasures (though the increasingly crappy Las Vegas is jockeying for the top spot). No doubts that I will be chiming in regularly here about the latest Idol going-ons.
- posted by Ed | 2/10/2004 09:42:00 AM | | Link

Monday, February 09, 2004

I'm A Grammys Granny ... and some "Sex"

I really do not have to say about last night's Grammy Awards. Although I consider myself a pop culture maven, "popular" music is one area that I have woefully fallen behind on in the past decade or so. I am aware the existence of such "it" acts as OutKast, ColdPlay, and Evanescence...but don't expect me to be able to name them if I hear one of their songs. My feelings of being reaaally old were confirmed about 10 minutes in the show when it was mentioned that Prince & Beyonce's Purple Rain medley was in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the movie/album... 20 years... ouch!! If I really want to age myself, let me say that I had that album on vinyl!

All in all, I really did not see much of the show...opting to move over to Sex and the City...some quick thoughts... Kristen Johnston's fall was pretty out of character for the show, would expect that out of Six Feet Under not Sex... although I know episodes are not timed to be this week/following week, Charlotte's "Elizabeth Taylor" had the shortest gestation period ever (dog or not!)...and finally Miranda really needed to physically (as opposed to just verbally) slap Carrie into some sense about Paris and "the Russian." With the other ladies' "end" fairly wrapped up, I fear that Carrie's story is going to be too rushed to completion... I am still holding out that Carrie is single and back in NYC two weeks [sniffle!] from now.

Back to the Grammys...

I thought yet another apology from Justin Timberlake was totally not necessary... now I read that the Grammy organizers insisted on the on-air apology if he was to be part of the show...even worse! Would it not have been more in the spirit of "moving on" if the whole thing was not even mentioned? It was bad enough that the show was weighed down in a whole "walking-on-eggshells" tone but now I have to see Timberlake apologizing (again!) ad nauseum for the next few days. Let the guy bask in winning a damn Grammy and let this now wildly-overblown incident go away. It makes me wish there were some new details on Britney's Vegas wedding.

And what is going on with Celine Dion's hair? Is it short and platinum blonde or back to somewhat lengthy and brunette? Last week during Oprah's 50th birthday parties (don't get me started on the millions shelled out for at least five lavish celebrations), Celine showed up with her Vegas blond hair...but last night during the Luther Vandross tribute (kudos for her not "diva-ing" out, well at least not on camera, during technical "failures") she was back to the "old" Celine-look. Personally, I prefer her as a brunette... but I am curious if she was wearing a wig last night?
- posted by Ed | 2/09/2004 09:57:00 AM | | Link

Thursday, February 05, 2004

Initial "Idol" Impressions

Time to chime in about American Idol... the final 32 are now available for viewing on the show's website and even after 6+ hours of warm-up shows I have to admit I am still not sure who some of these people are!

The first eight finalists perform next week... tough call...

Just based on what I saw (and more importantly can remember), I would probably pick Marque Lynche and, although she gets a little "screamy" at times... Fantasia Barrino (if THAT is not a "star" name, I don't know what is!)

Though possible spoilers could be judge favorite Erskine Walcott, Miss Spunky Personality Jennifer Hudson, or cheerleader (??) Katie Webber (though now I think I am confusing her with the more vocally impressive Elizabeth Letendre).

Okay, some random thoughts on the rest of the bunch...

Was very intrigued with the Native American Charly Lowry - very different voice and look...glad she made it through since we didn't see much of her at during the Hollywood auditions.

Amy Adams should make it through since there has yet to be a season without a female with pink hair in the finals...but I think she has a far better voice than her flame-haired predecessors (Nikki McKibbin and Vanessa Olivarez).

Briana Ramirez-Rial was another contestant largely missing from the Hollywood audition shows, well except for her (justified) bitching about her singing group and accompanying stage mother. Will be interesting to see people can judge this singer beyond her lesbian "bookcover." Heck, even her URL lists her as "Brian" and not "Briana."

I can probably go on...but I guess I will leave that for future blogs.

But before we go today, it was good to see that some of the egos were shown to the door.

Mr. "I am a great singer don't judge me only on this performance" and who shot back at the judges after he got cut... personally I thought he had a good voice, but there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance and he definitely crossed it. Was glad to see that he said he would "be back"...now there is a signs of a better 'tude... hopefully watching himself on TV will help him learn his lesson.

Ms. "you can hear the rest of my song when it's released a single" and "Simon you're gay"... again even if you are applying to be a "diva," it has to be a little bit more tempered while trying to really get there.

Mr. "we all know that I am a stud, but just in case you didn't notice I am going to caress my body while I sing"... also did not show any seriousness it persuing "Idol"-hood. He is going to be successful for the rest of his life solely based on his looks (don't call me bitter or anything! [grin])...so I don't really feel to sorry for him or to see him go... his attitude definitely counterbalanced his "eye candy" quality.

Finally, I was a little sad to see Nicole/Scooter Girl not make the cut. Sure she was a bit coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs, but I think it really would have been interesting to watch "grow" during the competition. Sure she is more "Broadway" (she could be Kristin Chenoweth's younger sister) than pop-star...but Clay had that rap for most of last season.
- posted by Ed | 2/05/2004 10:13:00 AM | | Link

Wednesday, February 04, 2004

Mapping It Out

Guess it was time to join the fray... and since I could not really think of anything else to blog about today...here is my "US States I Have Visited" Map...



create your own visited states map

Not terribly exciting or impressive... most of the East Coast is thanks to one car trip from NJ to Walt Disney World when I was a kid. I am not really sure if I should include Utah, since I pretty much drove across the AZ/Utah border...took a picture in front of the "Welcome to Utah" sign and came right back!
- posted by Ed | 2/04/2004 11:44:00 AM | | Link

Tuesday, February 03, 2004

What Football Game?

No big surprise what was on everyone's mind in the past 24 hours. I had one of my biggest "Google" and other search blog hit days ever.

Here were the top search words:
Super, Bowl, Janet, Jackson, Boob, Picture, Justin, Boobs

Interestingly enough, no hits for the word "breast"...but two "beasts"!

And how out of hand has this story got...

The FCC calls it "classless, crass and deplorable"... so how is that different from someone eating pig anus on "Fear Factor" or...well, pretty much any reality show on Fox?

TiVo issued a press release calling Jackson's flash the most viewed (and re-viewed) moment in the digital video recording company's history.

So I guess a lot of folks really were offended and embarrassed!
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Is it just me or does Tom Brady's whoop at the end of his "I'm Going to Disney World" commercial sound an awful like the one Howard Dean let out at the end of his "I Have A Scream" speech?
- posted by Ed | 2/03/2004 07:52:00 AM | | Link

Monday, February 02, 2004

Super Bowl Hijinks

There are those joke articles "My TiVo Thinks I'm Gay"...but yesterday our TiVo pretty much proved it. For those not familiar with TiVo, you can set an option to record suggestions or things it thinks you'll like based on your viewing history. Well, after moving from the big-screen TV into to the kitchen for a little dessert... we hear the familiar sounds of "All Things Keep Getting Better" off in the distance...our TiVo made the switch from the Super Bowl over to NBC's "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" marathon. Pretty funny!

Ok, I feel like I am already late to the game over Janet Jackson's...or should I say Miss Jackson's "accidental" exposure during the halftime show. I have to admit I totally missed it! Sure I saw Justin rip something off and Janet acting all surprised but I just figured it was part of the act (after all, the last line of the song is "I'm gonna get you naked by the end of this song")... but I didn't think (or look) twice. There was no way this was an accident despite all the morning-after apologies for the "wardrobe malfunction" (now there is euphemism you'd expect to hear more from the government). First Jackson's breasts were amply pushed up and on display during her teaser commercials, the "malfunctioning" piece exposed said breast a little too perfectly, and to top it off Jackson had on quite the elaborate pasty (pastie?) on. For a closer looker, check out the photo on Madlife's blog (it is the February 2nd entry if you are reading this after the fact).

Survivor: All Stars looks like it is going to a be a ton of fun. The game is going to have to be totally "re-thunk" since everyone knows each other to some extent or another. I was slightly surprised over Tina's ouster. I confess to being gullible...falling for Mark Burnett's bait-and-switch editing and believing the scheming Jenna would go with Rupert and Rudy taking the "high road" and not siding with "the past winners must go first" argument. I am sure the tide will turn...it is an obvious ploy to get rid of the Sole Survivors...and I don't think Burnett will sit back and allow that to happen...

Oh, I guess I should say that the actual football game ended up being pretty darn entertaining after a pretty slow start...good thing since the commercials I thought were pretty off this year (a couple of exceptions...the donkey dreaming of being a clydesdale and the horse-farting sleigh ride). But one question... is it an NFL requirement that quarterbacks must be cute?
- posted by Ed | 2/02/2004 08:45:00 AM | | Link