No American Idol talk?

[dancj]

Steven - Are you not watching American Idol any more? I used to like the talk on this board about it.

For me it seems like a two horse race between Bo and Nadia (though they both have bad hair)

[Steven Grant]

Not really watching it. I've stuck my nose in once or twice, and on straight talent Bo wins hands down, but it really depends on how many viewers out there are Stevie Wonder fans, since everyone else in the competition sings Stevie Wonder, or that's what it sounds like when it comes out.

Who's the other "rocker?" Constantine? The first David Cassidy impersonator, as far as I can tell...

Of course, Las Vegas is all wailing and gnashing its teeth because homegirl Mikalah (sp?) got bounced from the show, but she was a nightmare. She comes from some big showbiz family here, and it showed: instead of acting like a contestant on a talent show she behaved like she'd been coached to host a supper club show in the Borscht belt... Not a terrible (not great) singer, but in every other way she was horrible, and I don't see any way she got that way without lots and lots of idiotic coaching from her lounge singer parents...

From what I've been able to tell, the overall level of talent is stronger this year than in previous years, but in no year, except arguably with Kelly Clarkson, has the best singer won, so it's not enough to get me to pay regular attention.

The only two "reality" shows I'm currently watching regularly are Spike's ULTIMATE FIGHTER, which is fascinating (I pick Diego "Mad Dog" Sanchez to take the middleweight contract, I dunno who for the heavyweight, though I'm guessing it comes down to Stephen Bonner or Mike Swick, though we haven't seen Mike fight yet so there's no way to gauge him. Too bad Nathan got knocked out with an injury because I've seen footage of him fighting Diego and he was able to outmaneuver Diego's power moves every time, forcing his way out of Diego's takedown one time and reversing it into a submission the other. Nathan's real, real good...), and the always depending, exciting and entertaining AMAZING RACE, which has been on a great tour of South America so far this year. Makes me want to go visit the Argentinian Andes...

[badMike]

the always depending, exciting and entertaining AMAZING RACE, which has been on a great tour of South America so far this year. Makes me want to go visit the Argentinian Andes...I'm either having Race burnout or nobody on the teams yet has grabbed my interest, either because I love 'em or hate 'em.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Not really watching it. I've stuck my nose in once or twice, and on straight talent Bo wins hands down, but it really depends on how many viewers out there are Stevie Wonder fans, since everyone else in the competition sings Stevie Wonder, or that's what it sounds like when it comes out.

Who's the other "rocker?" Constantine? The first David Cassidy impersonator, as far as I can tell...

Of course, Las Vegas is all wailing and gnashing its teeth because homegirl Mikalah (sp?) got bounced from the show, but she was a nightmare. She comes from some big showbiz family here, and it showed: instead of acting like a contestant on a talent show she behaved like she'd been coached to host a supper club show in the Borscht belt... Not a terrible (not great) singer, but in every other way she was horrible, and I don't see any way she got that way without lots and lots of idiotic coaching from her lounge singer parents...

From what I've been able to tell, the overall level of talent is stronger this year than in previous years, but in no year, except arguably with Kelly Clarkson, has the best singer won, so it's not enough to get me to pay regular attention.

The only two "reality" shows I'm currently watching regularly are Spike's ULTIMATE FIGHTER, which is fascinating (I pick Diego "Mad Dog" Sanchez to take the middleweight contract, I dunno who for the heavyweight, though I'm guessing it comes down to Stephen Bonner or Mike Swick, though we haven't seen Mike fight yet so there's no way to gauge him. Too bad Nathan got knocked out with an injury because I've seen footage of him fighting Diego and he was able to outmaneuver Diego's power moves every time, forcing his way out of Diego's takedown one time and reversing it into a submission the other. Nathan's real, real good...), and the always depending, exciting and entertaining AMAZING RACE, which has been on a great tour of South America so far this year. Makes me want to go visit the Argentinian Andes...

Talent isn't normally a word I associate with the Idol shows.

Attention Whores is though.

I never trust anybody who has wanted to act/sing for as long as they can remember (which is what everyone on them shows says).

[Steven Grant]

So they have short term memory retention problems. Pity them, don't revile them.

As for AMAZING RACE, I'm currently rooting for the brothers, mainly because they remind me of John Doe (of X)...

[dancj]

but it really depends on how many viewers out there are Stevie Wonder fans, since everyone else in the competition sings Stevie Wonder, or that's what it sounds like when it comes out.

There has been too much Stevie Wonder stuff - and it wasn't that good the first time round

Who's the other "rocker?" Constantine? The first David Cassidy impersonator, as far as I can tell...

IMO one of the weakest singers in the competition, but he dances around on stage and is likeable so he's surviving so far.

Of course, Las Vegas is all wailing and gnashing its teeth because homegirl Mikalah (sp?) got bounced from the show, but she was a nightmare.

I'm so glad she's gone - I've been willing the voters to kick her out from the moment she appeared.

Unfortunately I don't think I can get any of the other American reality programmes in England (except the Sly Stallone boxing one which doesn't interest me in the slightest) so I can't join in any of those conversations :(

[Scubbily]

I don't like this show. Doesn't have as good of talent as they've had over the past couple years. And that Clay Aiken guy was a weird stalker-type guy. If you listen to his Invisible lyrics it's clearly there that he's a stalker.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

So they have short term memory retention problems. Pity them, don't revile them.

As for AMAZING RACE, I'm currently rooting for the brothers, mainly because they remind me of John Doe (of X)...

I meant more from the perspective that if they've always wanted to be a "performer" it's got little to do with talent, and a whole lot more to do with them loving attention.
(and also their parents never pointing out that while they may enjoy their childs talents, no one else in the world will*).




*except for my grandfather who is disturbingly addicted to that and any other show with "real" people singing.

[bartl]

I don't like this show. Doesn't have as good of talent as they've had over the past couple years. And that Clay Aiken guy was a weird stalker-type guy. If you listen to his Invisible lyrics it's clearly there that he's a stalker.
I once read a mystery story which was designed to sound like a story of forbidden love, but turned out to be about a stalking and murder from the point of view of the stalker. Whenever I hear REO Speedwagon's IN MY DREAMS, I always think of that story.

http://www.lyricsdir.com/r/reo-speedwagon/in-my-dreams.php

[Scubbily]

Well, if you scrutinize someones lyrics enough something will come out of it. But the thing I love the most is playing old songs backwards. Like "Stairway to Heaven" GREAT song, but clearly satanic. But then again if you have back masking in your record with a manager that is into people like Alastair Crowley you're gonna have things like that. Crowley was MESSED the hell up. He even has a song about him written by Ozzy Osbourne. But the weirdest thing is that he was supposed to be all into the devil and the way he died is real weird. Crowley and like ten to fifteen of his servants one night tried to call up Ra, an Egyptian God for those who don't know (one of the most powerful), and the next day when the rest of the servants came to the house they found everybody dead. That is some messed up stuff.

[Scubbily]

"All I know is that you love me in my dreams" is the line that gives it away as a stalker. But "Invisible's" lyrics are blatant. "In my Dreams" is extremely subtle. I had to look it over twice.

[Scubbily]

One more thing, Bartl, what is the name of that book? If you can't remember it off the top of your head don't bother about it. Thanx

[Dennis]

led zeppelin has a ton of satanic songs. there's a book on this. pj harvey's to bring you my love is all about sex with the devil. and mazzy star's fade into you is about demonic possession.

demons can communicate with us when we play music backwards. they're attracted to that weird sound/frequency.

[bartl]

One more thing, Bartl, what is the name of that book? If you can't remember it off the top of your head don't bother about it. Thanx
It was a short story from a mystery magazine (Hitchcock's or Ellery Queen), years and years ago. I don't even know if it's ever been reprinted.

[bartl]

But the weirdest thing is that he was supposed to be all into the devil and the way he died is real weird. Crowley and like ten to fifteen of his servants one night tried to call up Ra, an Egyptian God for those who don't know (one of the most powerful), and the next day when the rest of the servants came to the house they found everybody dead. That is some messed up stuff.
Oh dear. Were any arrests made?

[Steven Grant]

Well, if you scrutinize someones lyrics enough something will come out of it. But the thing I love the most is playing old songs backwards. Like "Stairway to Heaven" GREAT song, but clearly satanic. But then again if you have back masking in your record with a manager that is into people like Alastair Crowley you're gonna have things like that. Crowley was MESSED the hell up. He even has a song about him written by Ozzy Osbourne. But the weirdest thing is that he was supposed to be all into the devil and the way he died is real weird. Crowley and like ten to fifteen of his servants one night tried to call up Ra, an Egyptian God for those who don't know (one of the most powerful), and the next day when the rest of the servants came to the house they found everybody dead. That is some messed up stuff.

Where the hell did you get that bullshit from? Crowley died of myocardial degeneration brought on by chronic bronchitis at age 72, in bed, like many old men. There was nothing strange or supernatural about it at all, and it certainly had nothing to do with the summoning of "Ra."

[dougputhoff]

Speaking of Idol

Check out my webpage.

[blast_front]

As for AMAZING RACE, I'm currently rooting for the brothers, mainly because they remind me of John Doe (of X)..

How did I miss this line on a previous browsethru? An X reference!?! You just jumped a few dozen points on my coolness-meter.

[Steven Grant]

Actually, the hero of my eventually forthcoming Avatar (http://www.avatarpress.com) series SACRILEGE is visually patterned after John Doe. John Doe's great.

We got seven kinds of Coke,
six hundred kinds of cigarettes.
This freedom of choice in America
drives everybody crazy...

[blast_front]

Nice. I'll have to check it out.

My wife is a devoted X fan, as well. One of the unwritten rules in our marriage is that I include at least one X track on my driving compilation cd's. The current track being "The World's a Mess, It's In My Kiss".

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Where the hell did you get that bullshit from? Crowley died of myocardial degeneration brought on by chronic bronchitis at age 72, in bed, like many old men. There was nothing strange or supernatural about it at all, and it certainly had nothing to do with the summoning of "Ra."

I thought that he gave up on magic after the death of his son.
(and I think, going off a vague memory, that he was on heroin after that).

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Well, if you scrutinize someones lyrics enough something will come out of it. But the thing I love the most is playing old songs backwards. Like "Stairway to Heaven" GREAT song, but clearly satanic.

I thought the Zepplin thing was made up by upset Christians.

And the lyrics to the song have more to do with Paganism than Satanism.
(and pagan rituals tht had made their way into everyday life in England and such - like mayflower poles and such).

[Steven Grant]

I thought that he gave up on magic after the death of his son.
(and I think, going off a vague memory, that he was on heroin after that).

Crowley never really "gave up" on magic -- he was too much an incurable publicity hound for that -- but he had a long-term heroin (and, if I remember correctly, cocaine) habit that certainly didn't help his bronchitis any...

[Steven Grant]

I thought the Zepplin thing was made up by upset Christians.

And the lyrics to the song have more to do with Paganism than Satanism.
(and pagan rituals tht had made their way into everyday life in England and such - like mayflower poles and such).

Yeah, Zeppelin imagery is more pagan than satanic. Jimmy Page, who was responsible for much of Zeppelin's music, was, and as far as I know still is, a hardcore Crowley devotee. But Crowley never viewed himself as a satanist. As far as the Christian right is concerned, anything occult is satanic.

[Dennis]

from the song most high:

When David's seed talks
Through his paper crown
And he spits hot steel
See all the kids fall down
Ohhh yeah, mmm
So high, most high, so high, Oh oh yeah

robert plant is mocking jesus in that verse

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

from the song most high:

When David's seed talks
Through his paper crown
And he spits hot steel
See all the kids fall down
Ohhh yeah, mmm
So high, most high, so high, Oh oh yeah

robert plant is mocking jesus in that verse

You can mock Jesus without worshipping satan.

[Dennis]

so who is his most high?

[Steven Grant]

Dennis, Plant is singing about marijuana there, not Jesus.

It's the users who are "most high"... all that's pretty obvious from the lyrics...

[badMike]

As for AMAZING RACE, I'm currently rooting for the brothers, mainly because they remind me of John Doe (of X)...I didn't like the brothers much at first. I thought they were a couple of L.A. pretty boys and I see enough of that in real life. But I've really warmed up to them and was glad at the final outcome this week. Very exciting ending.

And, Steven, if you're having trouble keeping up with your Tuesday night programming (like me--thank goodness FOX moved 24 to Monday this year), you need to get a DVR recorder. I recently got one through my cable company and it's a godsend.

[badMike]

You can mock Jesus without worshipping satan.It's also been widely documented that The Knack's "My Sharona" is a love song for Satan (Sharona being an obscure name for the devil used by a 14th century pagan goddess cult the Sharonites), while paradoxically Weird Al Yankovic's "My Bologna" is an ode to Catholicism (bologna = the communion) offering the sage words, "If I eat too much, I throw up."

[bartl]

Crowley never really "gave up" on magic -- he was too much an incurable publicity hound for that -- but he had a long-term heroin (and, if I remember correctly, cocaine) habit that certainly didn't help his bronchitis any...
Once again, Steven, I am aware that you know as much or more than I do about this topic; this is for the benefit of those who are not as familiar.

Crowley was certainly nowhere near as evil as his reputation. He WAS a rather nasty man with a short temper and a strong gift for writing, which was not a great combination for keeping friends. I would not be at all surprised if he and Israel Regardie were inspiration for Prof. Henry Higgins and Col. Pickering in George Bernard Shaw's PYGMALION; I vaguely recall once checking to see if the timing was right.

He was a man who was openly bisexual in a society where people were expected to be asexual, and all children came from virgin birth.

He was amused at being considered the icon of evil, and let the press run with it. He did not want his writing understood by the non-serious, so he wrote in a multi-leveled prose where, if the reader just skimmed through it, would evoke a feeling of great evil, which would be seen through with more careful reading.

By the time he had written his last book, THE BOOK OF THOTH, he had mellowed considerably, and had repaired many of his broken friendships, notably with Israel Regardie and Dion Fortune.

[Steven Grant]

I didn't like the brothers much at first. I thought they were a couple of L.A. pretty boys and I see enough of that in real life. But I've really warmed up to them and was glad at the final outcome this week. Very exciting ending.

Man, best AMAZING RACE episode ever! Or, at least, most exciting ending. I was on my feet shouting, rooting the brothers on, without even realizing what I was doing. I haven't cheered a sports team in decades.

Half the time with that show, I can't understand why teams choose one task over the other. It seems incredibly obvious that filling hollowed ostrich eggs with water is far easier than grinding corn to a fine consistency. If Ray and Deana had gone for that they'd still be in the race.

I did get a laugh out of Ray, at the end, saying, "I don't know I can stay stay with someone who just doesn't share my competitive spirit!" Considering it wasn't Deana who cost them anything, at least no moreso than he did. I didn't see him show any great skill at corn grinding.

I don't remember any incident in which Deana got a split lip and a puffy eye, though, but she had them in the last stretch of the race. Did I miss something?

But I figured the brothers didn't have a chance in hell, since they were way behind by that point and the possible tasks were fairly simple. Wow. What a thriller! Great strategy right at the end, too: despite their earlier crash, ignore what must have been their fear at the time and push their car to catch up, pull in between Ray/Deana and the pit stop, and have their seat belts unbuckled before they get there. With Ray/Deana discussing whether to take their backpacks with them, all that minute maneuvering gave the brothers the 20 seconds they needed. Man!

And, Steven, if you're having trouble keeping up with your Tuesday night programming (like me--thank goodness FOX moved 24 to Monday this year), you need to get a DVR recorder. I recently got one through my cable company and it's a godsend.

If someone wants to donate one, I'd be happy to accept it, but unfortunately I've got way too much other stuff to spend my money on, and far more urgent things. But that's why God made reruns, right?

[badMike]

Man, best AMAZING RACE episode ever! Or, at least, most exciting ending. I was on my feet shouting, rooting the brothers on, without even realizing what I was doing. I haven't cheered a sports team in decades.Dunno if it was best ever, but it was the best in a long, long, long time. I jumped up, too, not cheering tho', but biting my nails. I think it was so great particularly cuz if there was someone to beat it was that ass Ray. I don't know why Deana looked all beat up, either. He won't do anything competitive with her again? Good. She needs to dump his sorry crack.

And, yeah, my cable bill (including DVR and internet connection for two computers) is obscene. Every month it's like, "Why the hell am I paying this?" I'm like a junky at this point; plus the net connection is a necessity for both me and my wife's jobs.

[Steven Grant]

It was partly because Ray is an abusive ass who doesn't deserve to win (and it was fun seeing him get "just desserts" after being one of two teams who refused to help the older team who'd lost all their money, though had I been in the race I might not have either...), and partly because the brothers have played a very good game up until now, have been upbeat, and generally very pleasant and even upbeat toward all the other players and seem like really good guys, and even with the worst teams I hate seeing teams eliminated through things that are entirely not their fault, whether bad taxi drivers, flat tires, bad weather or whatever. If a team screws up and doesn't read a clue properly, or gets arrogant about what they should or shouldn't do, or don't have the brains to ask for directions when they're lost or whatever, that's fine. Doesn't matter who it is, sometimes I'm sorry to see them go but they cost themselves the victory. And you always want to see the teams who cheat, lie, misdirect and manipulate get the ax eventually, though not necessarily early on. Then there's the Will&Tara syndrome where one member of the team is venal and shrill and the other is really nice, and you wish they'd give half awards to the nice ones. Then there are those who are nice enough but you know they don't really stand a chance. But with guys like the brothers, who are pretty capable and deceptively savvy, and who do stand a good chance of winning, you just don't want to see them capped by (in this case literally) an accident. So the final footrace became truly exciting, mainly because they had just moments before looked well and truly beaten with nothing to do for it, and their tenuous victory came right out of left field, courtesy of "supercompetitor" Ray's incompetence at grinding corn...

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

It's also been widely documented that The Knack's "My Sharona" is a love song for Satan (Sharona being an obscure name for the devil used by a 14th century pagan goddess cult the Sharonites), while paradoxically Weird Al Yankovic's "My Bologna" is an ode to Catholicism (bologna = the communion) offering the sage words, "If I eat too much, I throw up."

And Do Wa Diddy Diddy Dum Diddy Do is about heroin addiction/ anti-dandruff shampoo.

Does it matter?

Make the song about what you want it to be about.

[badMike]

Man, best AMAZING RACE episode ever! Or, at least, most exciting ending. I was on my feet shouting, rooting the brothers on, without even realizing what I was doing. I haven't cheered a sports team in decades.Did you watch last night's? I'll refrain from commenting in case you haven't seen it yet.

[Steven Grant]

Not yet. I tape it and watch it at dinnertime Wednesday.

A really good fight (Bonner vs. Swick) on ULTIMATE FIGHTER this week, though...