What’s Up Paula

I read this article last week that suggests that AI is rigged. And that the producers are prompting judges to diss particular contestants to lead to a sensational David vs David finale.

Well what do you know, Paula Abdul could have been really drunk or was caught getting confused with the notes that the producers passed on to her. Watch the clip to understand what I am saying. But this whole judges’ blabber has just lost a lot of credibility.

I suspect that they have been trying to take Jason out of the competition coz if Jason gets to the top 3, boy, he could very well be a darkhorse and get in the way of a David vs. David finale. So maybe they want Brooke to be in the top 3 where they would make sure she screws up like never before to ensure a David vs. David finale.

I really thought that Jason’s songs tonight were good. But the judges were all blech to him.

Here’s the suspicious clip:

English Sunday

So I stayed true to my promise that I won’t spend even a second being online on Sunday. I’m writing this a few minutes before 1 am on a Monday just to make a quick wrap of what I had done on one of my less sedentary Sundays.

Charlie Rose — I have discovered Charlie Rose’s interviews late last year when I was looking for old interviews of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi in YouTube. There are loads of Charlie Rose interviews in YouTube and most of them are full length uploads so that’s some nice treat in itself. What I found most impressive is how Mr. Rose is genuinely interested in the people he talks to. And he seems to have an affinity to people whose work, profession or careers I sincerely admire. For quite some time now I have saved some of the interviews but haven’t had the chance to really watch them. Some of the interviews I’ve seen Sunday were of:

* John Grisham — as a teenage fan then, I never really thought I’d see him in an interview. I’ve always thought that he was a reclusive writer and never really knew much about him as a person other than from whatever I could get with how he wrote his books. During that time the internet was not readily available even to do research on him online so it was a real treat to see how he speaks — he has a distinctly southern accent and he grew up in Arkansas pala. He was talking about his first non fiction work and I kinda sensed what a real neat person he is. I first thought he seemed like a republican until I saw a clip of him announcing his support for Hillary. Anyway, I should get that book about a wrongfully accused man who was sentenced to life and was later on found not guilty but all in his life had been lost already because of how the US legal system works.

* Ang Lee — made during the height of Brokeback Mountain’s release. He really seemed like a shy and reserved person or perhaps guarded is the more appropriate word. I just didn’t feel he was able to really let loose with Charlie during the whole interview. They talked about Hulk, his frustrations (he seemed a bit defensive about the whole Hulk project although you can tell he didn’t particularly feel proud of the outcome.) Second half of the show was with…

* Heath Ledger — three words: what a loss! Heath seemed like a really intense actor whose career’s longevity could have rivaled that of Tom Hanks’s.

* Ian McEwan — it was almost a vicarious experience when I imagined that I was Charlie Rose asking those questions. Let me paraphrase a line from Catcher in the Rye, you know that feeling when you had just read a really splendid book and you wished that the author was terrific friend of yours?… Ah, I just wished that I’d be able to sit with him and interview him so it kinda works too that Charlie Rose was asking the questions that I would have asked. It was apparent that Mr. Rose was also a fan of Ian McEwan’s. There are three episodes with him on the show but I watched the one where he was talking about Atonement.

* Anthony Minghella — 2 episodes. For Cold Mountain (with Nicole Kidman and Jude Law — who seemed bobo) and The Talented Mr. Ripley. Now I admire Anthony Minghella’s work after seeing The English Patient. His adaptation of Michael Ondatjee’s Booker Prize winning novel was just AMAZING! What I discovered during the interview was that he seemed like he was a fun person to hang with plus he spoke very well and he is no doubt very intelligent and adores his craft.

* Leonardo DiCaprio — from whom I got the phrase “profound waste of time” which I laughed at realizing how guilty I am of that a lot of times. This interview was done during the promotion of Aviator. Filmmaker na rin pala sya na ma co-consider! He was executive producer of the movie and he seemed really devoted to filmmaking and has a real relationship with Martin Scorsese — another director that I admire!

For fans of Mariah Carey’s there is also an interview with her during her “Rainbow” promo pre nervous breakdown time. I also got to see interviews of George Michael’s and Robbie Williams‘ albeit non Charlie Rose. I now declare myself a fan of both no matter how f*cked up their lives seemed. Their music are just great! English musicians R-O-C-K!

And then I also watched Annie Hall on DVD. Man, you just gotta love Woody Allen’s work. Timeless talaga and yet another love story set in New York that I fell in love with. See, I’ve always maintained that New York is the center of the universe of romance.

I also re-read parts of Atonement and also T.S. Eliot’s Waste Land. Love it! I also love of course re-reading The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and man, I can do a neat reading of that but I preserve that during the first post union nights with my real special someones! But that book of mine is now with an ex-lover though.

Roger also seemed to be back in form although he lost to Rafa in the finals! All in all not too shabby for a Sunday. Spent just the way I would have always wanted. I guess this is where I really thrive and where I feel most comfortable in. I loved this Sunday!

Tennis Lookalikes (Very Funny)

Now this was some diversion from a sucky day. Bless YouTube and whoever posted this.

American Idol 7 Bullets

Feel free to add in your bullets, here are mine:

• It will be interesting to see two Davids battle it out in the finals
• David Cook brought it for “Billie Jean” (I know, it was a mere cover of Chris Cornell’s cover of MJ but the performance was nonetheless brilliant.)
• David Cook brought it again for “Always Be My Baby”
• And yes, I agree with Paula (who was surprisingly lucid) when she said David Cook’s “Always Be My Baby” rendition could already be in a movie soundtrack
• Brooke seems to be a very fun girl. I enjoy seeing her be herself but her singing is borderline ridiculous. Does she aspire to be a Carole King? It ain’t workin.
• Kristy Lee Cook is cute. She’s in the wrong reality tv show. She should join Tyra Bank’s model search show instead.
• I suspect that in real life, Syesha has the personalilty of Rufa Mae Quinto. I think she’s hilariously funny in a good way. But she doesn’t know it.
• I don’t know about you but if among this season’s contestants I’d have to buy a cd of, I’d buy Jason Castro’s but I wouldn’t necessarily vote for him to be the next AI
• Did you also hear Mariah Carey whisper very breathily? Coz I thought I did. Oh she was singing? You call THAT singing?
• Come on, she can’t sing like she used to. She lips her performances most of the time.
• But I gotta admit, she’s a hitmaker.
• Like the guy who did “Pag Nananalo ang Ginebra”
• Ok, she’s some musician. But I’d rather listen to her cd’s than pity her pathetic attempts on live performances. She’s now got, as Kathy Griffin puts it, a crack voice. Not basag ha but crack as in Whitney crack!
• And yes, I know beating Elvis’ record of number one songs in Billborad is some feat. So props to her.
• But she lips! Remember, Milli Vanilli? Or some Vanilla sounding pseudo singer in the 80s?
• David Archuleta can sing. He’s got charisma. I won’t buy his cd.
• But millions of teenage girls, and even the tweens of America will.
• His rendition of “Smoky Mountain Memories” was glorious.
• Carly Smithson is seriously getting offended everytime Simon bitches on her performances. She’s pikon and you can tell coz she can’t hide it well.
• Oh, Jason Castro’s “I Don’t Wanna Cry” is better than what people give it credit for.
• When Simon said, “… we won’t have a lot of laughs tonight” to David Archuleta, he was referring to how the judges make fun of the contestants, I suspect when they’re backstage. David Archuleta’s facial expression while waiting for Simon’s comment after his performances can be best summarized this way, “Please don’t hurt my feelings!” Of course the judges would laugh.
• Will I buy David Cook’s cd? Yes, but just coz. I am still not convinced he can make hits like Kelly (breakup diva) or Carrie (country diva) did.
• Come on, we all know that he’s no Daughtry (senti rocker).
• It was nice to see Elliott Yamin perform this season. Sad to know about his loss. But he is by far the best vocalist the show has EVER had. “A Song For You” and “Home”, still linger very vividly in my head. Vocal masterclass indeed! Too bad his first cd went Pop shit.
• Oh, and please Ramiele does NOT represent Pinoy singing talent AT ALL.
• Maybe Mariah’s next cd will be a collaboration with rockstars doing renditions of her songs while she, Mariah, whispers breathily in the background. Imagine, Eddie Vedder doing a grunge version of “We Belong Together” or Chris Cornell doing “Shake It Off” and to be totally outrageous about it maybe even Daughtry doing, ahem, “Fantasy” or “Dreamlover”. Take your pick! Oh, must insert this, how about Metallica doing a version of “Breakdown”. Coronary, anyone?
• Carrie Underwood’s “Praying For Time” performance was simply awesome.
• I watch too much AI