Week 3 Tryouts American Idol Season 8 (2009)

Find my latest American Idol article here.

I was struck by several things this week. 
1.  Paula seems to be holding things together more this season.
2. The show is really better when they show more singers and less idiots.
3. There is some actual talent showing up at the auditions, and I was afraid that this would not [...]

Top 20 Pop/Rock Songs from 1984

1984 continues the run of great hits that came with the middle of the 1980s.  I had real problems narrowing the list down to 20 for this year.  As a result, from thus point, at least through 1986, I will give a list of songs that almost made the cut at the end.
20.  “Uptown Girl”, [...]

I’m Closing Gitmo!

It seemed that the White House doors had barely closed behind him, before Obama was claiming that Gitmo would be shut down, and the military tribunals halted.  There was an immediacy to the reporting that had me questioning, “What are we going to do with the detainees?”  I firmly believe that most, and probably all, of [...]

American Idol Week 2 Auditions Season 8 (2009)

Find my latest American Idol article here.

As I watched this week’s American Idol tryouts, I was struck by the fact that they have become tired.  This, of course, is not good for the show, and may be the first chink in its up till now platinum armor.
The theme this year is definitely ’style over substance.’  [...]

Top 20 Pop/Rock Songs from 1983

From 1983-1986 80s music hit its high point.  There was a plethora of good songs released during this four year period, and many were forced off the list that would probably have been included in previous years.
20. “She’s A Beauty”, The Tubes- I love the syncopated style of the guitar and keyboard at the beginning [...]

Obama’s Short Honeymoon

Today’s inauguration went off with pomp and circumstance which has not been seen in the world since the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.  Just as when these two were married, the sky seems to be the limit.  How could anything ever go wrong?  Everyone, it seems, is smashing themselves together with the sole [...]

A tribute to Ricardo Montallban

Khan!
 
 

Things I have noticed so far about this season’s American Idol (2009)

Find my latest American Idol article here.
I have decided, once again, to blog on this season’s American Idol. So that there will be no confusion, I will include 2009 in the titles of all of my posts. There really isn’t anything new about the show this season. Of course there is an extra judge, Kara [...]

Top 20 Pop/Rock Songs from 1982

20.  “Twilight Zone”, Golden Earring- This was one of the first videos I ever saw before I had MTV, and we had to wait for Friday Night Videos to be shown on one of the local UHF channels in the Dallas area.  It was the first video to feature a cinematic storyline, and it would [...]

Jim Rice Polutes the Baseball Hall of Fame

Anyone from outside of the Northeast who likes baseball will eventually get beaten down by the Eastern media bias.  I had some feeling of this growing up, but really had it drilled home with Ken Burns’ Baseball.  You would have thought that there were only three teams in baseball as Burns waited until the last hour [...]