This past Sunday, we held the 1st Annual Nakamoto Walk Or Run For Fun. It was an event that my dear mother thought up after we ran at Pat’s Run. She had such a good time that she wanted to hold her own run. She and my dad thought up some of the specifics to the race and she even brought goodie bags for all those who ran. My dad created a plaque for the winner of the race and my mom created ribbons so that nearly everyone got an award.

I thought that it’d be nice to raise some money for a charity or special needs organization while we were at it.

The race was held at Vasona Park. I had trained for it and then the car accident derailed my chances to beat Eddy Zucko and Annette. Thankfully, Young Randall wasn’t going to be there. I might’ve died trying to chase him. But my knee didn’t want me to run (after taking a bunch of motrin and putting heat on my knee for Pat’s Run, I felt like Fred Sanford for 2 days) and I wasn’t going to rebel against my knee. I’m going to need him for a while. But it wasn’t about me. It was about family and friends and people getting together for Memorial Day.

I had my money on Annette winning the race. A few months ago I ran against her and right about the halfway point, she passed me, turned my pathway into a sandy beach and continued running on cement. It wasn’t fair. But for some reason Eddy Zucko decided that he wasn’t going to lose. “Shoesless” Mike Lopez also would have something to say about who was going to win.

Auntie Suki was positioned at the 1 mile mark. My dad was positioned at the 2 mile mark. At the 2 mile mark, the runners were to turn around and run back to the starting line. It was a nice little 4 mile run.

At the starting line, Auntie Susie was raring and ready to go.

At the start, Shoesless and Eddy were shot out of a cannon. This is exactly what Shoesless did at Pat’s run. He started off quickly and then slowed down in the end. The big question was if he could keep his pace. Eddy decided to use Shoesless as his pacer. I watched Auntie Annette to see where she was, but she’s a slow starter who picks it up later and that’s how she started here too. Nini and Kim were the only others running. Though, Alexis and her dog Sam either did some very fast walking, or jogged a bit as well. All the rest walked.

I used Double Bri’s Razor Scooter and decided to follow the runners and make sure they were on the right path and to give them encouragement. Though I was very close to throwing a banana peel in front of Eddy. Eddy and Shoesless were both still running strong though it wasn’t long before Eddy overtook him. Annette was in third and I was still waiting for her to pick it up. After the halfway point, Annette was closing in on Shoesless, but she was still a ways from Eddy. Everyone else was doing great. Auntie Margie was bringing up the rear, though she was doing it with a smile on her face.

As it came close to the end of the race, I saw a small frame coming around the corner. It was not Auntie Annette. It was Eddy Zucko. Surprisingly, he had kept up his fast pace and was ready to win the race.

Annette and Shoesless would follow in as the second and third place finishers. Nini and Kim would follow suit and Alexis and her dog Sam were right behind. Auntie Susie and Diana were next and then my sister and Auntie Debbie crossed the finish line together. Auntie Pat and Uncle Hank did so as well and Margie came in last. Or so we thought. Tailoc’s mom/Uncle Roy’s wife (I don’t know how to spell her name) didn’t see my dad at the 2 mile mark. Or she did see him and didn’t think that meant she had to turn around. As everyone was coming in, my Uncle Roy decided to call his wife to try to get her back on the path. She finally did make it back, but some 2 hours later.

Here were the times.

Eddy: 39:02
Annette: 43:00
Shoesless: 43:30
Nini: 49:46
Kim: 53:43
Alexis and Sam: 58:41
Susie: 1:01:17
Diana: 1:08:00
Tawni: 1:12:12
Debbie: 1:12:12
Pat: 1:19:40
Hank: 1:19:40
Margie: 1:22:16
Tailoc’s Mom: 2:11:20

At the awards ceremony, Eddy won his plaque and there were awards given such as “Person To Most Likely Call In Sick For Work On Tuesday” (Margie won that), “Cutest Couple” (Hank and Pat), “Best Shoes” (I was most definitely robbed), and “Most Improved” (Diana).

There was also a race for the children. All of the adults made a large ring around and the kids had to run around it twice. Double J, Double Bri, Ryland, Jadyn, and Brandon were the participants and it soon became a three child race. Double J, Double Bri, and Ryland were neck and neck for the first lap and then Double J got out ahead. Ryland and Double Bri were trying to play catch up and nearly did catch him. But Double J won it in a close race. I told Double J that he had to pose for his picture, and he told me that he was number one.

For the rest of the day we BBQ’d, ate food, threw water balloons at each other and played kick ball. For some reason, Tomiko and Nicole wanted it to be boys versus girls. The boys only won about 500 - 8. Shoesless decided that he wanted to play on the girl’s team but it didn’t help. At least he couldn’t use the excuse that catching a kick ball is harder for girls because they have boobs.

We decided to give the money that we raised (roughly $400) to the San Jose Boys and Girls Club. It was like pulling teeth to get the vote done, but we did it and soon, I will be giving it to them.

I think the day was a great success and even though it upset Tawni that we didn’t have Fresca floats, I think it was still stellar. Kudos to my mom and dad for putting it together, and for everyone else who helped make it a special day.

Look how much she likes Fresca.

You can see pictures from the event here and here.

Beverly Hills, 90210 could’ve been called “Before They Were Famous”. Many a famous person has graced the same sidewalk as the handsome duo of Steve Sanders and Brandon Walsh. People like Vivica A. Fox, Matthew Perry, and Jessica Alba cut their teeth with the likes of Dylan McKay and Donna Martin.

But what about these guys? Back then known as Kara’s Flowers, these guys were on this episode of Beverly Hills, 90210. Who are these guys? You can guess in the comments.

It’s finally over. After weeks and weeks and weeks of craziness, we’re going to find out the winner of American Idol Season 6 tonight. Hopefully it will be better than Apolo Ohno winning Dancing With The Stars. When Apolo Ohno is a dancing star, there’s something wrong. I would’ve been happier with Joey Fat-1. But in the end, they just weren’t fair to Steve Sanders. No one is ever fair to Steve Sanders. Especially that damn Kelly Taylor. I could write many more words on the subject, but that’s not what tonight is for.

This Man Was Screwed

After reading through feedback from last night’s show, it seems like the consensus was that Jordin is going to win, but in her winning, the contest is severely biased. Well, if you’ve ever seen this show before, you know that to be true. Most are saying that Blake was screwed by having to sing This Is My Now, which was much more suited to Jordin’s voice and singing style. Others are combating that by saying that it was simply the song that won the song writer’s contest. To that I say, well, guess who chose the winning song? The American Idol folks of course. So in a sense, they chose exactly the song they most likely wanted for the first single and yikes, what a poor song it was. I thought I could’ve written a better song and arrangement performed by a jug band.

If anything, tonight’s show is going to be wacky~! Remember last year when Clay Aiken showed up as the albino Paul McCartney? What about the pairing of Al Jarreau and Princess P? Who knew Al Jarreau was even still alive? I’m looking forward to that stuff tonight. Who is going to sing with Sanjaya? Glenn Medeiros? Are they going to redo She Ain’t Worth It with Sanjaya doing the Bobby Brown parts? Let’s find out.

I see Ryno. And seeing Ryno makes me happy. Randall is wearing something slightly better than last night. Paula looks a little less flustered and Simon’s chest hair is still flowing.

The first number is a Blake and Jordin duet When I Saw Her Standing There by the Beatles. When Blake sees her standing there, he has to look up. One thing is quite clear. Miss Jordin needs to take some dancing lessons.

We get another Gwen Stefani sighting. She’s via satellite from her concert. It’s her favorite single from her album 4 In The Morning. She’s wearing something that makes her look like a butterfly in a ballerina outfit. Yes, really. It’s a nice song, but I’m not sure if she’s singing. And it looks like she’s smugling some dumplings in the butt part of her outfit.

Kelly Clarkson is out singing Never Again. Who decides to put Kelly in a mini-skirt and thigh high boots? Of all the clothes in the world, they put her in something that makes her frumpy. This single might kill the album unless this really resonates with girls who wear getting dumped like a medal around their neck. But I have a feeling this won’t be her Jagged Little Pill.

Ryno is going to give away some Golden Idol Awards. The first award is for Best Presentation and it goes to Margaret Fowler who was the 50 year old woman who tried to pass off as a 29-year old. And she was dressed like a fat canary.

The top 6 guys are out singing Smokey Robinson and they are wearing white pimp suits. The lights nearly blinded me as they bounced off Sweaty Phil’s head. Smoke Dog himself comes out and starts singing Being With You. The man still has it and I don’t care what anyone says. He still must pick up chicks. You can’t be that smooth and not. And then he transitions into Tears Of A Clown featuring Sanjaya and the Idol 6. Chris Sleigh must’ve missed choreography practice. His moves are kind of off. Now that was fun.

Doug E. Fresh comes out (and I called this one) with Blake and they rap and beat box. Facially, Doug E. Fresh looks like Rod Tidwell from Jerry McGuire and I’m waiting for him to tell Blake to show him the money. While most of middle America won’t like this, it’s pretty live and probably earned Blake at least half of a ghetto pass.

Ryno is back for the Most Original Vocal award. The winner is Sholandric Stalworth who I think butchered some James Ingram. Randall asks him to sing Silent Night and they don’t mic him thankfully.

The top six girls come out and it looks like this might be the first time in her life that Gina Glocksen has ever worn a dress. They give Haley a nice little solo spot which was fun, except when you had to listen to it. Melinda! Here comes Gladys Knight, but sans the Pimps, I mean, the Pips. They circle around her like a cipher and let’s just say some of those girls are rockin’ that dress better than others. I don’t want to say who though. Lakisha and Melinda could’ve tore up Midnight Train To Georgia. Wow, Stefanie Edwards, I almost forgot what you looked like.

I see Ryno. I am happy. I see Constantine. I feel violated. Tony Bennett comes on and sings. David Allen Grier and Jennifer Hudson seemed to like it. I’ll take their word for it.

The Best Buddies award is next and I going to guess that the goof balls from Seattle are going to win this award. Wait, I’m voting for Amanda and Antonella. I missed Antonella with all my heart. Wait, Simon and Ryan are also nominated for this award. I’m torn. Ryan just wished Simon luck and Simon mouthed the word “bassbowl”. The goof balls from Seattle won.

Melinda is singing with Bebe and Cece Winans and they’re singing Hold Up The Light. I thought Bebe was going to start doing the robot. Melinda just decided to show America who the best singer in this competition is.

After giving Blake and Jordin new Mustangs, he introduces Carrie Underwood Romo who is singing I’ll Stand By You which she performed on the Idol Gives Back show. I wonder if they’re going to let Ruben sing tonight? Justin Guiarini? Josh Gracin? Scott Savol? If they brought Scott Savol back, I’d go buy the Nate Dogg solo album right now.

“All The Way” Clive Davis comes out and Kelly Clarkson just rolled her eyes. He says that Daughtry has sold over 2.5 million albums. But it’s not as much as Carrie Underwood Romo. She’s sold over 6 million. Clive gives her some sort of award and she comes out. She looks like she hasn’t had anything but colonics in days.

It’s Sanjaya and Joe Perry which caused Epinions reviewer Rob (aka mongkut) to send me an e-mail.

Oh My Freaking Gawd!!!!!!

Sanjaya and Joe Perry rocking out a Kink’s tune?

Hurry, hug your loved ones, the end times are upon us.

I can’t write anymore, I’ve got to go re-read Revelations and look for passages alluding to Sanjaya.

Green Day tried to follow up the duo of Sanjay and Joe Perry, but I had to fast forward. That’s like following Michael Jackson at the Motown 25.

They brought Taylor Hicks back from the dead and he’s doing his new single, Heaven Knows. I thought he was wearing that horrible purple velvet jacket and if it was, it might’ve been the death of me, but it turned out to be a leather jacket of some sort. Taylor might’ve rocked out on this stage just one year ago, but it seems like it was just yesterday, if yesterday were about 20 years ago. He did bust out the harmonica which helped. Blake, Doug E. Fresh, and Taylor should go on the road together.

They did bring Ruben back! He and Jordin are singing Marvin and Tammy’s You’re All I Need To Get By. Let’s just say that for all the flack that Ruben gets, he’s still a better Idol winner than Taylor. That was fun.

Is that Bette Midler? I guess they do have fans in the 55-79 year old demographic.

They bring out Kelly Clarkson again. I guess this a Beatles tribute. And Taylor Hicks. Taylor’s shirt matches the color of his hair. And Carrie Underwood. And she’s flat. I’m not talking about her rear end, I’m talking about her voice. Ok, her rear end is pretty flat too. And Big Rube comes back to clean it up. And the final 12 get into the act and they give Haley another line. I tried to pay attention to her voice, but again, I failed. What a wacky tribute.

And the winner is …

Jordin Sparks!

I’ll see you in another ten months. Until then, Seacrest out!

The Rest Of The Shows
American Idol Season 6 Preview
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 12
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 11
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 10
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 9
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 8
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 7
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 6
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 6 Part 2
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 4
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 3
American Idol Season 6 Wrap-Up And Finale Preview
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 2

Before we get started with tonight’s final night of competition, I wanted to make you aware of one thing, and give you some inside information on another.

First, I gave my thoughts on the season as a whole as well as a preview of tonight’s show yesterday and you can read it here. I was yelled at by a Constantine fan (and yes, I think he was a guy) in the comments section. But I got him back.

And here’s the inside news. Word on the street is that Simon Cowell was very upset after Melinda Doolittle’s ouster last week. I have sound of his reaction backstage after the show was over. You can listen below.

That was an angry Cowell.

Tonight is the night. Two shows left. Blake versus Jordin. Jordin is the better singer, does American Idol music better than Blake, is taller, and doesn’t try to look like Corey Feldman. So why do I have this feeling that Blake will win? I’m not sure, but it’s a gut feeling. Can he beat box his way to the top? Should he duet with Doug E. Fresh? That’s what tonight is for. And we have the luxury of not having to see Taylor Hicks’s horrible purple velvet coat tonight. We’re ahead of the game already.

The Hot List
1. Jordin Sparks - She and Shirley Bassey love us.
2. Blake Lewis - Blake’s girl gives love a bad name?

The Departed
1. Young Brandon Rogers
2. Young Stephanie Edwards
3. Young Chris Sleigh
4. Young Gina Glocksen
5. Young Haley Scarnato
6. Young Sanjaya Malakar
7. Young Phillip Stacy
8. Young Chris Richardson
9. Young Lakisha Jones
10. Young Melinda Doolittle

Tonight is a little bit different. I don’t only have a few guest judges with me tonight. I have tons of guest judges. Everyone who was a part of these write-ups was invited back to help create the most comprehensive Idol commentary out there. Here’s a list of the guest judges who are back. Wait, there is one new one. He’s an Epinions Category Lead, but also a good friend. George (aka Joubert) is going to help us out tonight too. Better late than never.

Guest Judges

• My dear mother
• Sis
• Shoesless
• Jessica (joyfulgirl91)
• Patty (pattytherre)
• George (joubert)
• Shantel (shantel575)
• Amy (pearannoyed)
• Andrew (bob_tomato)
• Blake
• HJ
• Young Randall
• Eddy Zucko
• The Bito~!
• Lionel Ritchie

I am at my dear mother’s house tonight and in attendance with us is my sister and Shoesless. And that also means that I’m watching it in HD~! They tease Paula who broke her nose by tripping over her dog. And Ryno calls Simon, Simon Cleavage and the chest hair is flowing tonight.

My mom thinks that Blake Lewis looks like my cousin Tomiko’s boyfriend Dan, known here in this space simply as The Coach. I guess I can see it if I squint a little. And I think they’re the same size if Coach is on his knees.

Does Coach Look Like Blake?

After a coin flip, Blake wins the right to choose who should go first and Blake decides to go first after asking Jordin what she wanted to do. The Coach would’ve done the same thing.

They are singing three songs each. One is their favorite performance, one is something they’ve never performed before, and one is a song called This Is My Now, which is the winning song from the songwriting contest they had running this season.

Blake starts with You Give Love A Bad Name and either he dyed his hair purple or there is some wacky lighting. This performance is pretty much right on the money except he nearly dropped the mic when he went back to sing the hook. He was a little bit excited, but still did a fine job. He did the Luchadors proud. By the way, they were split on who was going to win. Luchador 1 thought Blake would win, while Luchador 2 thought Jordin would. Randall says the beat boxing was hot but the singing was just alright. Paula says he outdid himself. Simon says he’s the best performer even though he’s not the best singer.

My dear mother - Blake did good and he’s a performer and that’s what I like about him. Not everyone has a great voice, but if they can perform, that’s what takes care of it.
Sis - It was good and I liked the battle with the drummer.
Shoesless - I liked the beat boxing and he mixed it good and it sounded original.
Jessica - Why couldn’t he sing Time Of The Season? You Give Love A Bad Name was a very entertaining and creative performance, but Time Of The Season was the one performance that really showed off his singing abilities.
Patty - I’m not a fan of messing with Bon Jovi songs so I just didn’t enjoy his rendition but he performed it like a pro.
George - Yeah, my favorite song this year! He missed the first note and nailed everything else.
Shantel - That’s my Blake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AWESOME!
Amy - A great revisit of his best performance of the season.
Andrew - Blake’s re-mix of the Bon Jovi hit shows why I really enjoyed him every week - energy + experimentation = entertainment.
Blake - It was a solid performance and still as entertaining as the first time he did it.
HJ - STILL LOVED IT.
Young Randall - It was nice the first time I heard it, but I hated it the other 6 times (HJ on the rewind) and especially this one.
Eddy Zucko - Didn’t hear it the first time he performed it, but from what I heard it was great. So I was kinda disappointed when I heard it tonight. Was that supposed to be Blake greatness?
The Bito~! - I love this song!  It really fits his style.  It’s the song that he’ll always be known for.
Lionel Ritchie - The beat boxing was great! Say you, say me, say it together, that’s the way it outrageously should be.

Judge for yourself.

Blake - You Give Love A Bad Name

Jordin is singing Christina Aguilera’s Fighter. She has straight hair. She just broke the Joyfulgirl’s heart. Jordin comes off a bit flat. And I think singing Christina is a mistake. It’s very much like Melinda singing Whitney Houston last week. She starts to pick it up, but the only thing this song does for her is show that she’s not in Christina’s league vocally. Who is? That’s not the point. By the end of the song I wanted to hear Christina, not Jordin. Randall says her voice was stellar and brilliant. Paula says she was stellar. Simon says he liked the younger song but the vocals were a bit shrieky and gives round one to Blake.

My dear mother - She didn’t blow me away with the song choice. I didn’t get anything from her singing it.
Sis - It was alright and got better in the end. But she didn’t perform it, she just sang it.
Shoesless - It wasn’t one of her best performances and I expected a lot more.
Jessica - Why hasn’t the American Idol vocal coach taught Jordin how to breathe? It could’ve been a great performance if she weren’t gasping for air.
Patty - It was good, but not finale-worthy for me.
George - Risky Xtina choice shows off her youth and chops, especially her versatility.
Shantel - Um, she’s got pipes but I did NOT like that song on her at all. Way too over the top.
Amy - She completely sold the song.
Andrew - Jordin’s fighting the tempo and the tempo is winning; a good song choice for her range but she doesn’t have control of it.
Blake - Her vocals were ok on this. Didn’t sound as good as some of the stuff she’s done in the last couple of weeks.
HJ - Pitchy, did not like it too much.
Young Randall - It wasn’t a great performance, but it was better than Blake.  She sang it a bit nervously.
Eddy Zucko - Xtina would be proud. Except Xtina would have sang the song naked.
The Bito~! - Damn, a Christina song? Why bother? You can’t compete with her.
Lionel Ritchie - I think she’s related me somehow. She was wailing outrageously.

Judge for yourself.

Jordin - Fighter

It’s Blake’s turn again and this time he’s singing Maroon 5’s She Will Be Loved. I am a fan of this song and his voice channels Adam Levine very well, but if he’s going to try to out sing Jordin, that’s the wrong strategy. It’s a solid singing performance, but I wanted to see more performing. He has troubles with the falsetto, but other than that, it’s good enough. Randall says it was a great song and a great vocal. Paula says he sounded great and relaxed. Simon says it was good and safe but wasn’t as good as the first performance and wasn’t impactful.

My dear mother - I liked it. I thought he did really well. I don’t think he needs to have a great voice to win.
Sis - It was nice. It wasn’t a whole lot, but it was nice.
Shoesless - It wasn’t as good as the first song and he didn’t take much of a chance.
Jessica - Blake is my boyfriend and you need to stop calling him Corey Feldman because it’s mean.
Patty - Ehhh. Good for week six but not for the finale.
George - Adam worship continues, but first falsetto is sloppy as he tries to out sing Jordin.
Shantel - LOVE when he sings Maroon 5 songs! Loved it! WHOOOOOOOOOOO!
Amy - This was a chance to show off his unique vocal style. It was very good but not perfect.
Andrew - Blake understands what works for his voice - even if he’s not the best singer (and pitchy at times), he still sells it.
Blake - Although there were a couple of pitchy spots on the high notes, it was a pretty good vocal.
HJ - It was OK. I like Maroon 5 singing it better. It’s kind of slow but it fits his style of voice.
Young Randall - His version of the one Maroon 5 song that I like was just OK.  He never did anything to wow me and still has done nothing.
Eddy Zucko - His best performance of the season.
The Bito~! - He knows what songs fit him.  He can’t beat Jordin’s strong vocals, but it was a great song for him.
Lionel Ritchie - When I covered this song, it was called, “She Will Be Loved Outrageously”.

Judge for yourself.

Blake - She Will Be Loved

By the way, this show misses Melinda dearly. And Sanjaya.

Jordin’s next performance is A Broken Wing which she performed on country night. This is the right song for her because she can tie up this ballgame with a really good performance. I’m not fond of her outfit, but she’s singing Blake under the table. She one upped her great performance from when she previously did this song. Randall says it was flawless and unbelievable and said it was better than the original. Martina McBride just fell off her couch. Paula says she is in great vocal voice. Yep, that’s what she said. Simon says it was good.

My dear mother - She did a good job, but I still didn’t get goosebumps.
Sis - It was good. (She really loved it and said she had goosebumps, but I think Shoesless made her mad.)
Shoesless - I felt more of a connection with this song and she built it up to a crescendo.
Jessica - I really like her outfit and that song is my favorite song she performed all season, but I liked it the first time she did it better.
Patty - She has a beautiful voice and I loved it.
George - Again blows by Martina, but does she oversing it?  The quiet notes are good too.
Shantel - The middle and end of the song was AMAZING! Much better than first song.
Amy - Great singing but a somewhat lackluster performance.
Andrew - Jordin comes roaring back out of her corner and takes Round Two, packing a wallop in that voice of hers.
Blake - Best vocal of the season for her and a very good performance.
HJ - Better song, i like it when she sings slower songs.
Young Randall - That was excellent.  She sang her young arse off on this one.  She may have won it right here, but I said the same thing about Bo Bice on his second song.
Eddy Zucko - Like Black Randall said, sang it better than the original…poor Martina.
The Bito~! - Great voice as always, she’s awesome…  but a country song?  What audience is she going for?
Lionel Ritchie - I can’t think of any other word other than outrageous! We must be cousins.

Judge for yourself.

Jordin - A Broken Wing

Blake is singing This Is My Now. I wonder if it helps or hurts him to go first. Blake’s wearing some gnarly shoes. I’m not so sure this song is going to help him very much. It’s very slow. It starts off like a regular contemporary ballad and then transitions into a country ballad. As it picks up, he picks it up. About half way in, I was ready for the song to be over. I think he did ok with it, but the song isn’t all that special. Randall says he did a pretty good job and it was alright. Paula says it wasn’t his genre but he was in great voice. Simon says it was odd. This might lose him the competition.

My dear mother - I thought he did well. How much can you do with this song?
Sis - That song wasn’t made for him. The arrangement, the back-up singers. It reminded me of when I was in choir and I was singing well, but the back up singers weren’t.
Shoesless - I was underwhelmed. The first two were what you need to judge him on.
Jessica - If only I had ten dollars, I totally could’ve won that writing contest if that’s the winner.
Patty - Corny song and pretty average.
George - Not judging the song, but this true entertainer sold this puppy even with weak hooks.
Shantel - So this wasn’t his usual style of song but I thought he did a good job proving that he really can sing.
Amy - Clearly Blake’s weakest performance of the night - but I mostly blame the song.
Andrew - Where the hell does Simon get off critizing Blake for that performance? (Give me another sentence to defend the boxed-in beatboxer, please!)
Blake - Good song.  Ok vocal and performance.
HJ - Pitchy and he was doing the Pee Pee dance.  I love Blake, but geesh this was screachy and torutury. (Editor’s note: tortury?)
Young Randall - Didn’t like it, and it sounded bad the whole way through, including a terrible last note.
Eddy Zucko - Blake says those song writers from Seattle should live together and get married like 2 sissies for making him sing this song.
The Bito~! - Not a fan of the song so much, but at least he tried his best.  Kinda unfair, oh well.
Lionel Ritchie - He didn’t sing it as outrageously as he could’ve, but at least he put his all into it.

Judge for yourself.

Blake - This Is My Now

It’s Jordin’s turn and I think she kills this song and this will wrap it up for her. Let’s see if that’s the case. My dear mother is jinxing her. How’s that for unbiased guest judging? We’re about 30 seconds in and I think Blake is hiding. It’s kind of unfair because this is perfect for her. Maybe they should’ve given Blake Do I Make You Proud. If this were to play out like a singing competition, Jordin wins round three and the contest, but you know how that goes. It wasn’t as good as her second performance, but it was much better than Blake’s version of this song. Not even close. And she starts crying at the end. I might vote for her 200 times now. Wait, I’m supposed to be unbiased. Sorry about that. Randall says Jordin deserves it all. That made me happy until they panned to Constantine and I felt violated. Paula says Jordin freakin’ makes her proud. Yep, she said it. Simon says that last week he didn’t think she was good enough to make the finals and now he says that he’s wrong. He says it’s a singing competition and he just wiped the floor with Blake on that song. My mother got very upset with that one.

My dear mother - She did a great job. But the song was unfair to Blake because it was much better for Jordin.
Sis - It was good. Her second song was a lot better, but it was good.
Shoesless - It was solid and I think she just won the competition.
Jessica - Such a lovely girl, such a gorgeous voice, such a great dress, such a pathetic song.
Patty - This is how Carrie beat Bo and how Jordin will beat Blake.
George - Started strong, was soft when she needed to and didn’t need the big note.
Shantel - Her best of the night. The song was obviously MUCH better suited for her than Blake.
Amy - She’s got an unfair advantage since this song suits her exactly the way it didn’t suit Blake. Still, it was her weakest performance of the night.
Andrew - Well, duh. This Was Written For A Singer Like Her And So Of Course She Wins With A TKO.
Blake - Still a good song, but a way better performance and vocal. This is the next “A Moment Like This”.
HJ - I was expecting a different song. It fits her style of singing better, waiting for that big note, here it is…
Young Randall - Why are they singing the same song???  At any rate this one sounded like it was written for her.  And she just blew it up.  If Blake wins I do a one man riot.
Eddy Zucko - Jordin loves the song writers from Seattle, but she also says they should get married and live together like 2 sissies.
The Bito~! - She sang it much better.  It wasn’t really fair at all, she would have lost if they sang a song that wasn’t her style.
Lionel Ritchie - Are we sure Jordin isn’t my daughter? I think her real name is Jordin Outrageous Ritchie.

Judge for yourself.

Jordin - This Is My Now

Blake started it off with a bang. Jordin finished it off with a bang. It’s her competition to lose. Eddy Zucko has been calling it since day one. It’s the only thing he’s ever gotten right in his life. I’m picking Jordin to win it even though I said just yesterday that Blake would win. She changed my vote. I did ask The Luchadors and Luchador 1 had to change his vote and he said that Jordin got more yes’s than Blake did from the judges. Luchador 2 said that I blog about him too much, but he said Jordin would win too. The woman who gave me the Luchadors said that Jordin is going to win, but the last song was unfair and Jesus said that Jordin was simply the better singer and she would win. Here are the rest.

My dear mother - I want Blake to win but I have a funny feeling Jordin is.
Sis - I want Blake to win.
Shoesless - Jordin, all the way.
Jessica - Jordin wins based on the entire season, but if it was based on tonight, Blake.
Patty - Jordin
George - Blake will be a monster recording artist, will sell many more albums and will not win American Idol because Jordin took him every round.
Shantel - Blake
Amy - Up until the final song I thought they were pretty evenly matched tonight. I think Blake was slightly better in the first round and Jordin was a little stronger in the second round. The third round clinched it for me - Jordin clearly won the night. And overall, I think Jordin will win the season. She’s more marketable than Blake and has wider potential appeal. Jordin is the American Idol.
Andrew - I picked Jordin to win this a LONG time ago, and I’m going to stick with that pick. But damn, if I don’t feel like Blake is being robbed blind by AI’s stupid devotion to theme weeks and formulaic, pablumatic, tepid “winner” songs.
Blake - Jordin wins. And a shout out to the runner-ups: Blake, Kat, Bo, Diana, Clay, Justin…and lest we forget…Brian Dunkleman.
HJ - I think Jordin will be the next American Idol.
Young Randall - Your winner by unanimous decision, Jordin Sparks.
Eddy Zucko - And the winner (like I’m going to change my pick now) Her Airness, Jordin Sparks.
The Bito~! (He boycotted his prediction because he was so upset with the last song.)
Lionel Ritchie - I think Jordin Ritchie, I mean Jordin Sparks wins in an outrageously close vote.

I’ll be back tomorrow night, but first, a shout out to Rickey.org for the audio. Seacrest out!

The Rest Of The Shows
American Idol Season 6 Preview
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 12
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 11
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 10
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 9
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 8
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 7
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 6
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 6 Part 2
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 4
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 3
American Idol Season 6 Wrap-Up And Finale Preview

In case you have been living under a rock for the past three months, you know that tomorrow night, Jordin Sparks faces off against Blake Lewis on the American Idol Season 6 Finale. I am not going to name names, but a very handsome prognosticator said during the first week that one Blake Lewis was going to win it all. It’s right there in print. Do I think he necessarily deserves to win? Probably not, but that’s only because Melinda Doolittle was head, no neck, and shoulders above the rest from an actual singing perspective. But if you were surprised that Melinda was eliminated, then you haven’t talked to Tamyra Gray, Jennifer Hudson, Latoya London, Chris Daughtry, or Elliot Yamin. There are many times when the best singer doesn’t win. Taylor Hicks, I’m staring right at your gray hair and purple velvet jacket.

Does it even matter though? It does, sometimes. Kelly Clarkson is above and beyond the most successful American Idol contestant ever (even though this new album is almost sure to be buried because it won’t duplicate Breakaway) and she won season one. But other than her, only Carrie Underwood has sold a ton of records as the winner. Clay Aiken’s first album outsold Ruben Studdard’s. And while Fantasia has produced one solid album and one good album, she doesn’t really have the sales to show for it. And then you get to Chris Daughtry who is not only happy for going Home, but has outsold all the other Season 5 contestants combined. Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee, and Elliot Yamin all came out with good albums, but the sales haven’t really been there. Even Buckwald Covington, Paris Bennett and Kelly Pickler delivered albums to so-so success.  And while Season 5 probably has the most released albums out of any season (paging Nadia Turner and Vonzell Soliman, where are your albums?), no one has really stood out except Chris Daughtry. Don’t be sad for Melinda. She’ll go on to have a very successful and distinguished career.

A lot of people have been saying that Season 6 has been boring and lacks the star power of last year. I do think that last year’s season was probably the best yet. But in no way is Season 6 worse than Season 3 and is probably on par with Season 4. And at least with Season 6, there’s no Constantine perv face~! I would love it if he cooed at the camera one last time only to have Boseph Bice super-kick him and tell him to stop living off Bohemian Rhapsody. He really wasn’t good y’all.

So how did we get here? How did we get to where we are today?

• Week 1 saw D.L. Hughley look-a-like Brandon Rogers forget his words on Diana Ross night and be the first one out. Sanjaya smiled.
• During Week 2, my guest judge Eddy Zucko said that in order for Haley to continue going further, she might have to simply get naked like Antonella Barba. He was nearly right as she started wearing incredible shrinking clothing. Also during this week, Phillip Stacy simply became Sweaty Phil and his shirt was sopped with sweat. Poor Stephanie Edwards had to leave. If only she looked like Beyonce rather than just sounded like her. Oh yah, Sanjaya smiled.
• Sanjaya decided to rock the ponyhawk for Gwen Stefani night and did so with joy during week 3. Yes, he was smiling. This caused Pattytherre to say, “I won’t lie. I can’t stand the kid. Now, I REALLY can’t stand him after seeing the hair.” Poor Sanjaya. The very memorable Chris Sleigh was sent home. You don’t remember him? Glasses? Wacky hair? No? Oh well.
• During Week 4, I called Melinda the greatest singer in Idol history and apologized to Fantasia. I also said that she could sing me lullabies after hearing I’ve Got Rhythm. This was also the week that people started to take Jordin Sparks seriously. To the chagrin of some, Gina Glocksen was sent home. Sanjaya smiled so hard his cheeks hurt.
• Week 5 was J. Lo week, though there was more Gloria Estefan than anything else. No, Sanjaya didn’t perform Jenny From The Block. Jordin Sparks betrayed Joyfulgirl91 by straightening her hair and Sanjaya slicked out his, penciled in a mustache, and told Marc Anthony that he’s going to date his wife. Simon told Haley that she better keep wearing skimpy clothing if she wants to stick around, but it didn’t happen as the leggy and busty Haley went home. Sanjaya smiled with a great mustache.
• Jordin wowed everyone in week 6 with her version of Broken Wings on country night. Sanjaya made Bonnie Rait roll in her grave and she’s not even dead yet with his version of Something To Talk About and voters finally let him know that they were tired of him smiling. But it didn’t matter, because even in defeat, he smiled.
• The Idol folks were giving back during week 7. From a singing perspective, I only liked Melinda and by this point, she was on fire. But it was also at this time that I started to dislike Blake a lot. His version of Imagine was lifeless, but there was no one eliminated as Ryno Seacrest stated that everyone had a free pass and the elimination would be the following week. For that, Sanjaya smiled.
• During week 8, we got one of the best nights of the season as all the contestants had to sing the sounds of Jonathan Bon Jovi. Blake Lewis came back with a vengeance with You Give Love A Bad Name. Baby JT who was also known as Chris Richardson didn’t have the pipes to sing Wanted Dead Or Alive and he was kicked off. Though it was sad, Sanjaya smiled.
• Lakisha Jones was being carried in the competition because of a great audition and for doing Jennifer Hudson and Jennifer Holiday proud. But when week 9 came calling, she was eliminated and who could really blame her. It was Bee Gees night and she had problems channeling her inner Bee Gee. No one really did though, but she was probably the worst at it. Even in Lakisha’s sadness, Sanjaya found a way to smile.
• And finally, last week’s wretched display of fan voting. Oh, I’m not talking about Melinda. I’m talking about Steve Sanders getting voted off of Dancing With The Stars. That was a travesty. Yes, Melinda was voted out too, but at least she has a career ahead of her. Unless they bring back the cast for Beverly Hills, 90210: The Golden Years I think it might be the last we see of Steve. Randall Jackson screwed Melinda by making her sing Whitney Houston after he told everyone to avoid singing Whitney, and that was probably her downfall. But through the tears, Sanjaya smiled in appreciation.

And now we have Jordin and Blake. One is the daughter of a former NFL football player. The other lives in Bothel, Washington. One has curly hair and when she’s in heels, is about a foot taller than Ryno Seacrest. The other decided that he wanted to look like Corey Feldman for a couple weeks. They are both talented, but from an American Idol perspective, they better hope that Jordin wins. She’s does the kind of music they can sell. And I’m not quite sure what a Blake Lewis album would sound like. I don’t think Jamiroqui is selling many units these days. I’ll stick with my original pick and say Blake will win, but I’ll be rooting for that curly haired 17 year old.

Here are some YouTube clips of some classic performances this season.

One of my main men, Speeddemon Mike works at the independent label that released Elliot Yamin’s debut album. Mike also got to work the release party and spent some time with Elliot. He told me that Elliot was a cool cat and I knew that Mike thought he had the best voice on last year’s American Idol and I’m sure he told him that.

Who Has The Gnarlier Facial Hair?

I jokingly told him to get Elliot to sign a CD for me and low and behold the dude did just that. He sent it over about a month ago and I finally got off my butt to take a picture of the CD jacket to show everyone.

To My Good Friend Garrett, Who I Never Met

And since I’m in a good mood, check out my favorite song off Elliot’s album. It’s only on the iTunes release and is called In Love With You Forever.

Also, check out Mike’s music blog, Soundjunkie.org.

Shoesless Mike and The Coach had a birthday get together and rather than write about it, I’ll let the pictures tell the story.

Miko Goes First

She (I Forgot Her Name) Goes Second

Coach Gets A Taste

Shoesless Gets Into The Act

Friends Don’t Shake Hands, Friends Lean On Each Other

The Road Will Own You~!

The great Iron Sheik says that when you get older you get wiser. At least, I think that’s what he says. Click the play button below (it’s like 3 seconds).

Tonight, we have a travesty. One contestant on a great television show who deserved to win it, is now gone. This is Chris Daughtry-esque. This is Sanjaya-esque. This is Jerry Rice-esque. Well, I’m not talking about American Idol. I’m talking about the great Steve Sanders being kicked off of Dancing With The Stars. Now that he’s gone, I’m not blogging that show. A pox on ABC. A pox on Dancing With The Stars. A pox on Nose Lachey. Wait, he didn’t have anything to do with this one. Dancing With The Stars is now dead to me.

Now that I got that out of the way, we have my favorite week ever of Idol. I love the week before the finale. You get the judges trying to choose songs for the contestants that they think would sound good. And then the contestants themselves get to choose something they think they’d sing well. It’s really the calm before the storm. On to the hot list.

The Hot List
1. Melinda Doolittle - First all year long.
2. Jordin Sparks - America’s sweetheart.
3. Blake Lewis - Can he pull an upset?

The Departed
1. Young Brandon Rogers
2. Young Stephanie Edwards
3. Young Chris Sleigh
4. Young Gina Glocksen
5. Young Haley Scarnato
6. Young Sanjaya Malakar
7. Young Phillip Stacy
8. Young Chris Richardson
9. Young Lakisha Jones

Tonight, I’m joined by one of American Idol’s most passionate fans, Shantel. If you’ve checked out my comments sections, you’ve noticed Shantel’s inspired rants. She loves her some American Idol.

By the way, we’re not in HD tonight and Randall still looks like Sherman Klump.

Jordin is singing a song that Simon chose for her. She’s singing Wishing On A Star. This is a very odd choice, mostly because I would’ve never thought Simon would’ve even heard the song before. She tries to put her own spin on it and it was fine. Nothing spectacular, but it was a good song choice. Shantel says she’s got an amazing voice, but was waiting for the “oomph” and was a bit disappointed. She also doesn’t like the baby doll style dress on her because she’s so tall and broad shouldered. Randall says it was a very good vocal and he liked her Beyonce run at the end. Paula says it was a great way to start the show. Simon says she sang it brilliantly but he didn’t like the jazzy arrangement and liked the pure arrangement better.

Blake Lewis is next and he’s singing Paula’s choice. She chooses Roxanne by the Police. Why do I hope he’s wearing headphones and sitting in a jail cell while singing this? He’s doing his mock Sting vocals and I like it. I like this better than anything he’s done in the past few weeks. And Nick Nolte didn’t even have to turn his Walkman off. Shantel says it wasn’t her favorite performance of his but it was still really good and she liked it better than Jordin’s performance. Randall says it was a pretty good performance and he gave him an A. Paula says he did her proud. Simon says it wasn’t earth shattering and was a Sting impersonation, but it was good.

Melinda is going to sing Whitney Houston’s I Believe In You And Me chosen by Randall Jackson. They always talk about how the singers shouldn’t try to sing Whitney and here goes Randall giving her a Whitney song. It’s a nice song, but not a trademark Whitney song. It doesn’t really give Melinda the freedom to show off and she struggles with a few of the notes. If I were a betting man, I’d say that this was the worst of the bunch. I can’t believe I just wrote that. Shantel heartily disagrees with me and says the girl is amazing and calls it a final 3 performance. Randall says it was hot and she blew it out the box. Paula says Melinda was fantastic and amazing and it was one of the best performances of the season. Simon says it was very difficult and it was her best performance in the last few weeks and she wins round one. I’m not sure if I heard the same thing that they heard. I definitely heard at least one garbled note that they overlooked.

Jordin’s second song is Donna Summers’ She Works Hard For The Money. What does Jordin know about working hard for the money? Also, she’s not really performing it other than standing in the same place. She sings the song well, but I’m not sure this is something I wanted her to sing and her name isn’t Vonzell. Shantel says she kept waiting for her to bring it and she didn’t until it was almost over and so far tonight, she’s not very impressed with her. Randall says it was hot and it doesn’t matter what she sings. Paula says she worked hard for her money tonight, even though she’s doing it for free. Simon says it was a very good performance.

Blake is now singing Maroon 5’s This Love. Last week, I said this about young Blake.

He reminds me a little of Adam Levine from Maroon 5, except not as good. Like a poor man?s version. And if you?re a poor man?s version of Adam Levine, you?re pretty poor.

Well if I didn’t just call it. I’m not patting myself on the back or anything. Actually, with the Warriors losing tonight and breaking my heart and Steve Sanders getting ripped off by the “dead to me” show that is Dancing With The Stars, I need some kind of sunshine. Blake does a fine job with this song. Much like the first song in which he mimicked Sting very well, he does the same thing with Adam Levine. This is the Blake that everyone liked to begin with. Shantel shows her love for Blake with three long and extended words. She says, “OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!!!!!!!” (I didn’t take out any of the exclamation points out and I’m not sure what gooooosh means, but she’s inspired tonight.) Randall says that he should make his own record much like This Love. Paula says it is a good night for him. Simon says he liked this performance better than the first.

Melinda’s second performance is of Nut Bush City Limits by Ike and Tina. Now this is a powerful performance. This is the Melinda I love. I’ve compared her to Tina Turner all season long and even though I’m not sure what a nut bush city limit is, I’m down for it. Shantel says that Melinda showed some versatility with this one. Randall says the Tina sound will lengthen her career. Paula says that she loves her. Simon says he loves this side of her and it was brilliant.

Jordin is now singing I Who Have Nothing and I guess I just forgot that they are singing three times. And this is where they get to choose their own songs. I who have bad memory. Vocally, it looks like she knocks it out of the park. Can a 17 year old song really put that much real emotion into the song? Holy cow. Shantel says it gave her the chills, but doesn’t know if it’s enough to keep Jordin around. Randall says it was her best of the night. Paula says it sounded really great. Simon says she sang it very well, but he didn’t love it because it was so old fashioned.

Blake’s final song choice is Robin Thicke’s When I Get You Alone. Now I have a problem with this, and it’s that Robin’s voice is so fantastic and it’s really not something Blake channels very well. The thing I do like is that as a performance, it was really good and he was able to entertain and keep up with the pace of the song. Shantel wants Blake all to herself now as she calls him my Blake and says she loves the performance. Randall says it was cool, but he liked the Maroon 5 vibe better. Paula says he had three great performances. Simon says he really liked it and he likes that Blake takes risks and looks like he’s having fun.

Melinda’s final performance is of I’m A Woman. Melinda puts on quite the show to end the show. Very powerful stuff. Shantel says she’s so talented there is no question that she should be in the final. Randall says he’s seeing the range of Melinda and says she can sing the phone book. Paula says she’s stepping out into the spotlight. Simon says she should be in the finals for her consistency.

This was probably the best show of the year. All three came ready to sing and all three did really well. If there is a week for Blake to break up the twosome at the top, this is the week. This was his best week and it was the first time I thoroughly enjoyed him all the way through. I think Jordin’s second song was just ok, much like Melinda’s first, but really, if those two are in the finals, is anyone going to complain? Seacrest out~!

The Rest Of The Shows
American Idol Season 6 Preview
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 12
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 11
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 10
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 9
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 8
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 7
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 6
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 6 Part 2
American Idol Season 6: And Then There Were 4.

As it pertains to the Golden State Warriors, I have only one thing to say.

They broke my heart worse than Hulk Hogan and Nikolai put together.