You Tell Him, Simon Cowell

Just a few after words, following up on last night's post... In tonight's American Idol elimination show, Simon Cowell actually used two words to describe what Ryan Seacrest did last night. He really hit the right tone, saying first that Seacrest had been aggressive, which is correct. He was. Then he said he made everyone uncomfortable, which is just how my reader Pat described her reaction in the comment section.

It's always nice to feel like I'm on the cutting edge of something beside's my husband's dinner.

The Mosh Pit Is Back—And Other Idol Complaints

Every year I think the producers of American Idol are going to start actually reading the blogs and posts online and get rid of the mosh pit. Don't know what a mosh pit is? It's the annoying group of people standing at the edge of the stage waving their arms in front of the camera. They have no sense of rhythm, and do nothing productive. Their sole purpose seems to be irritating viewers. Well, they're absolutely successful at that.

At least this year we're not hearing the annual phrase, "This is the best group of singers we've ever had on American Idol." They seem to say it each year, and I've often wondered how it makes past contestants feel. Yeah, you won, but you wouldn't have this year. Or you made it last year, but wouldn't even have been on the show this year. Thanks a lot.

I have to ask. What is up with the host? Ryan Seacrest has gotten so pushy and rude, especially to Simon. That's not his place. There's an air of egotism that clings to him, and I can't see beyond it. He's rather like a rash—not quite painful, but you just can't seem to get rid of it. He's one of the reasons I'm so glad I have a DVR with a fast forward button. I let the program get a half hour ahead of me and fast forward through most of his blathering. I've just really gotten to resent his attitude and his air time.

Go ahead and tell me to stop watching the show. Simon and I will quit together. In case you're wondering, though... this year I'll continue to watch as long as Crystal Bowersox continues to be so unexpected. I don't like her hair. I'm not crazy about the way she dresses, either. But when she sings, it makes me feel good.

Missing the Olympics

I remember having skates just like the ones shown above. I sat like a little snowball in my parka, strapping them on my shoes and then shuffled off onto the ice. I was about four years old, and very proud of myself. It was my turn on the ice. I wasn't good enough to play with the real hockey players, but we had our own plastic pucks and sticks and we sure thought we were playing. The fact that our skates had four blades on the bottom didn't bother me a bit. In fact, I believe I was in third grade before I actually got my first pair of real figure skates.

Watching hockey during the Olympics this year, I realized how much things have changed. Aging has certainly changed me. My eyesight has probably been the most obvious change, other than size. Now I can actually follow the puck better when I watch the game on the radio. Think about it. The radio announcers know how much you can see on the airwaves. The television commentators assume you can see just fine. If given a choice between being given back my high school figure or my high school eyesight, I'd be throwing away my glasses. (Could we toss in that sharp hearing, too, please? No? I didn't think so...)

I got used to staying up late, watching the Olympics. I'd sit here and think, "I can do that...in my dreams." Of course, I can also fly in my dreams. I've been doing that since I was tiny. I always figured that most people have flying dreams. Maybe you don't. I always have. To me, it's more like swimming through air than what a bird does. I don't flap my arms or anything. I glide. People below me don't know I'm there. I'm fast. I'm silent. I hear things. Keep an eye on your ceilings. I'm not sure it's not actually happening. It's not an Olympic event, though.

But the skating. I always knew it took somebody a whole lot more coordinated than I've ever been to manage what they do. By the time they're done with their three or four minute programs, I'm practically hyperventilating. And I rarely agree with the judges. Was there anyone who thought that the Phantom of the Opera skate routine wasn't going to win? Just me? Well, maybe that's why they didn't ask me to judge this year. I'm available for 2014.

So I sit here, four hours after John went to bed, wondering why I didn't save some of the Olympics to watch later. Even with as bad a job as NBC did televising them (sometimes an hour between skaters, which was really a sad way to run things) I still enjoyed watching them. Too bad they didn't organize them better for the viewer. Why did I have to watch them all during the two weeks they were on? I could have just left them on the DVR and watched them slowly over a month, made them last.

Maybe in two years, when the Summer Olympics are on, I'll try that, because almost any book I own is better than almost anything else that's on television...

Olympic Dreams Can Be Sad

Even as a child I loved watching the Olympics. Back then it was every four years, and we'd get it during the summer and then the winter of the same year. Now, of course, we get one or the other every other year. It might be better like that. For the viewers it probably is, but I'm not sure how the athletes feel. I've never asked them.

One thing is very different. There are more human interest stories now than there used to be. Back then we saw the sports and that was pretty much it. It was what we expected, and what we got. Now there's an awful lot of filler. (There are also a lot of DVRs recording and skipping through a lot of that filler...) Anyway, tonight they did a piece on the coach for the Chinese Ice Skating Pairs team. Twenty years ago they entered their first competition and people laughed because they were so bad. Now they're champions.

Obviously, I don't think anyone should be laughed at for doing their best. Where were those Olympics held? That's what they should have told us in that little fluff piece, but they didn't. They made the coach sound like a hero for being away from his family for the better part of two decades to train the athletes into the champions they are. His son is named the Chinese equivalent of "Far Away." Is that supposed to be a heroic thing?

These athletes are "picked out as children," taken away from their families while they're tiny and taken to live together in a sports facility with the coach. They live in dormitories, eat in cafeterias, and see their families only on rare and special occasions so that they might obtain this gold medal for their country's honor.

It made me sad. This isn't a heroic thing to me. Families living and loving together, driving to practice and having macaroni and cheese instead of something more expensive to save money so they can pay for lessons—that's heroic. And if you get a bronze or a silver, or even just tenth place and know you've done it with the support of family and friends, not the power of a big nation? That's heroic in my mind. And many of them do get the gold. Different priorities.

I would think the personal feelings of success have to resonate on a different level.

My (American) Idol Opinion

If you wait long enough, I'll probably give you my opinion about everything. Tonight American Idol went to Hollywood. We heard such quotes as "I don't care about them," which is what one contestant was saying about the others; and "Hollywood is a disgusting town." Well, that would have been Ellen DeGeneres, the new judge. She sounded like she knew what she was talking about.

Overall I thought the show was fast paced and had less of the annoying people who show up on what I consider the pre-season shows. I for one was glad not to have the cloying Paula gushing all over the singers. I'm emotionally allergic to saccharin. There were only five voices tonight that I'd like to hear more of—enough to spend a few bucks on a recording, at least.

From the male voices, I'd pay for a song or two from Andrew Garcia and Casey James. I also liked Justin Williams' voice, but they sent him home. That was a surprise to me. They also kept people I didn't like, though. From the girls I'd buy a song or two from Katie Stevens and Lilly Scott. I might buy a whole record from Lilly Scott. She was a real surprise.

If you don't watch Idol and wonder why I do, sorry. I'm downloading audio books and watching television. There are worse things I could be watching. But then, of course, I wouldn't be able to blog about it.

Jeopardy Champ Rebecca Dixon Shines

Jeopardy is a fun part of our evenings. We enjoy watching it, and even when we travel, we have our DRV set to tape it, then watch the episodes in order when we return. Every once in awhile there's a contestant who just sparks something in me. It doesn't happen very often. Usually I'm more interested in the questions and answers. It's more likely that I'll route against a contestant who irritates me than to really applaud one who appeals to me on an emotional level.

Yesterday and today I kept thinking how nice it would be if this young graduate student would just move somewhere close to us. She sparkled. She got excited. She was fun and happy—and she was a music student... Okay, I guess that weighed the scales in her favor quite a bit. I found Rebecca Dixon to be so refreshing, I was actually getting nervous for her during final jeopardy. That hasn't happened since Ken Jennings.

I was glad they had the little interviews after the first commercial. I often fast forward through them (sorry, Alex) but I listened to hers twice and made notes, hoping that she'd win so I could write about her. Listeners all found out she was a graduate student from Vancouver, Washington. She's on a one year leave of absence from school to prepare for auditions for her Masters in Oboe Performance, what she got her Bachelors Degree in. What really interested me was that she did a year of study in historical musicology. Boy, would I love to talk with her about that.

Google is such a marvelous search engine. After she won today, with a two-day total of $53,002, I did a google search and found a little more information. In case she ever reads this, I want her to know... we do have a guest room if she wants to see Colorado. And it has nothing to do with the winnings. Just bring your oboe, Rebecca. I'll even show you how much fun a rank amateur can have with some guitars and an accordion. (Not at the same time.)

Wireless Television Headphones

It seems like yesterday that I could hear just fine. In late November of last year we took a trip to California, and as has happened before, my ears plugged up when we got down to sea level. This time they stayed plugged up, and I finally saw a doctor about it. It was driving me crazy. I realize that's not a long trip, but I'd rather drive somewhere else.

The doctor put me on steroids, didn't laugh at my joke about no longer being eligible for the Olympics, and sent me on my way. My ears kind of cleared up. They no longer sounded like I was underwater within seven to ten days, but the hearing never quite came back. I talked to the doctor here and he said it was probably a process, and to give it another few months. If it didn't correct, then I should talk to the audiologist. Meanwhile, we had to go back down to sea level again.

Not being able to hear isn't always a bad thing. At night, for instance, John's snoring doesn't really bother me anymore. Let's see. There's bound to be another example of when it's not a bad thing. I can't hear in church. That's not a good thing. I can't hear the TV. That's a problem. Well, you can certainly hear the commercials. You could hear those from the basement. (There ought to be a law...)

Our annual appointments with the audiologist are next week, but if he tells me to buy hearing aids, it's not going to be something I can do immediately, so I'm trying to find a few solutions to tide me through. Also, I have to realize that even if I got hearing aids, John would still refuse to wear his, so if I turned the TV down, I'd have to listen to his complaints.

This week I went online and did some research on wireless stereo headphones that connect to the television and enable people to actually hear what's being said on TV. I wondered if they really worked. One thing I like about shopping online with Amazon is that you can read all the customer reviews. I picked out a set that customers had reviewed very well, and they arrived yesterday.

For the first time since November, I listened to an evening of television programming without ever once having to say, "What did he say?" or rewinding it to see if I could figure out what they said. I was really happy with that. I've been glad to have the DVR so I had that rewind option, but when you rewind three or four times and still can't understand them, even after turning the volume up, it's very frustrating.

For those like me who've lost the edge on their hearing, or others who simply don't want to wake someone up if they watch nighttime television in the bedroom, I highly recommend these. I got the Sony MDR-IF540RK headphones, although there's another pair about $20 less that looks like it would have been just as good, with just a couple of less options. I got the one with the vibrating bass and surround sound function for when you watch stuff like Star Wars. They were just over sixty dollars, are rechargeable, very comfortable, light weight, include the transmitter and work great. If I look like an old lady—that's just too bad.

Now if I could just have figured out how to make them work in the meeting I was in today, where none of the women talked loud enough for me to hear. Try sitting still for four hours while two dozen women take turns saying important things you can't hear and then expect you to respond... intelligently.

Or You Could Watch a Snake

Because I play the accordion, people tend to question whether or not I have good taste. My friend Sherrie has been telling me for years about a television station she and her husband John really enjoy called RFDtv. We recently found that it had been added to our lineup, but just tonight I finally tuned it in for the first time. What did I see?

I watched a band called Whoopee and the Dairyland Dutchmen playing their accordions and tubas, along with assorted other wind and percussion instruments, on a show called The Big Joe Super Show. I actually couldn't look away. It actually kind of reminded me of the band "Da Yoopers" from Northern Michigan. People were dancing the polka. There were old ladies dancing together. There were little kids dancing with their mothers or each other. Little kids with old ladies. Old ladies with old men. Actually, there were probably representatives of every age there except teens. I don't think I saw a teenager. I think I can figure that one out.

Tomorrow I'll have a surprise for John. Yes, I recorded it for him. I figure it's the only way he'll believe me. I'm not going to let him erase it, either. I figure, if we ever need to encourage someone to leave (which admittedly isn't likely) we'll just play it during dinner every night.

I wonder what Sherrie watched on that channel. I have a feeling this might not have been it.

Idol Upset?

Even the news programs are talking about the American Idol winner as being an upset. They're discussing what makes it an upset, and why Kris beat Adam. If you haven't followed the program, you probably don't care. It's interesting, though, how very upset some people are about the choice American phone-in voters made. I do, of course, have an opinion. I haven't heard it on television yet. Perhaps I'm alone with my idea. I'll relate what I've heard on TV first.

I've heard that Adam lost because people thought he was gay. If that were true, I wonder who voted him into the top two? That simply doesn't compute for me. One reporter suggested that Kris won because he's from the South, and there are more people in the South who like music, so they vote more. (What?) Another reporter said she thought it was Kris's "boy next door" appeal that raised him to the top. Maybe. It makes more sense than the other things I heard in the news today.

Here's my take on Kris's win. First off, lots of people don't like to hear screaming, and Adam does scream his songs. However, he screams on pitch, so you can't say he isn't talented. He's not my cup of tea, but I do recognize his talent. I don't think the screaming is the reason he didn't win, by the way. I think the judges and the producers screwed him out of the win. How? They crowned him too early.

Back up a couple of weeks. There was a guest singer on the program who came out to entertain. Was I the only one who was offended when she turned her back to the audience to hold out a cape with "Adam Lambert" emblazoned on the back? Nobody even commented on it. How did the other two contestants feel? How did their fans feel, or the ones who were sitting on the fence? 

When the grand finale song was written that both contestants would have to sing, how many people were offended that it was written in Adam's key? There was a slight apology to Kris that it was written a little too high for him, but that he did a credible job with it anyway. After the singing was over on that penultimate show, the judges basically said that Adam was the American Idol. I wish I had written down their exact words, or saved the program, but I thought at the time that you should never have a coronation before the new king is chosen.

Beyond that, look at the final show. Who was showcased? Adam was. The rock group Queen singing? That's certainly Adam's type of music. Everything was set up to make him shine. It was his moment, scripted and prepped by the producers. 

That's my opinion. People don't like to be told who's going to win before they vote... unless, I guess, it's NBC telling them who the president's going to be.

Dancing With the Stars: Revenge of the Nerds

If television shows named their seasons like movies named their sequels, this year would definitely be The Revenge of the Nerds on Dancing With the Stars, instead of just "Season 8."

Last year everyone I talked to was suffering through the tedious, clumsy, and eventually not even funny Cloris Leachman routines. This is the sort of thing DVRs were invented for, and I used mine appropriately, rushing through most of her stuff.  It was just too embarrassing to watch.  The judges were beyond kind in their remarks to her, and her fan base (amazingly) just kept voting her back on, week after week.

This year, Steve Wozniak, Apple Computer's co-founder, is not being treated so gently by the panel of judges. In my opinion, he's not nearly as bad as Leachman was, but as much as I love my Macintosh, I wouldn't vote for him as a dancer. He seems like a really nice guy. I've got a hundred questions I'd love to ask him. I sure wish he'd come to dinner. But a dancer? Nope. And yet, his fans keeps voting him back, too. I wonder if people realize it's a dancing competition, not a popularity contest. 

Okay, I'll admit I'm voting for Ty Murray, the cowboy, even though he's not the best, because well, I guess I just see his great potential. And he sure could ride those bulls. (And if you're not a PBR fan, he really does look good in his Wranglers, ladies.)

Television Incompatibility

How many television stations do we really need? If you ask John, he'd tell you that he can't live without the NASA channel, the Military channel, or the Western channel. I could. It's alright, though. I have an iPod with really good headphones. He also would have trouble living without whatever stations carry Numbers, Bones, and House. We also depend on Fox News and the Weather Channel.

Me? When I'm working on knitting, I like to have the Game Show Network running in the background. I can ignore it during difficult stitch counting or pattern-following areas without missing anything, but enjoy answering the questions when I'm just doing straight work. If I'm wanting to be entertained, I tend to gravitate toward the Food Network or Discovery channels. I also enjoy the singing and dancing shows, where I can argue with the choices made by the judges. Yes, I watch American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. I even vote, although that's difficult. 

Why is it difficult for me to vote? We have Voice Over IP. That means our phone isn't a typical land line. It goes through the computer's internet router. Since we had our California phone number for over 30 years, we kept that and added a Colorado number to it. Both numbers ring at the same typical telephone. You can't tell the difference if you're in the house. It acts like a normal phone. When we call out, however, it always looks like we're calling from California, since AT&T refuse to let us reverse the order of our numbers, making the Colorado number primary. None of their competitors will let us have two numbers yet—we checked—so we're stuck with this. So if I vote, I have to wait for California's show to end. They start two hours later than we do, since we get Central Time TV programming, even though we're really in the Mountain Time Zone. 

Here's why it all works for us. John and I both get up between five and six in the morning. That's where the similarity to our sleeping pattern ends. He goes to bed about seven at night. I follow him about four or five hours later. If I lie down more than six hours at a time, my back tends to go into spasm. It can hurt for a long time. I'm not fond of pain medication—or pain, for that matter. I've worked a system where I sleep about five or six hours at night, and take a couple of hours to nap in the afternoon, usually between one and four o'clock somewhere. I lie down and listen to an audiobook until I fall asleep. Sometimes it takes awhile, but not usually. Then I'm ready for the night.

John spends the mornings in his radio room,  has the afternoon for his shoot 'em ups, and after dinner he heads off to bed pretty quickly. That's when I can indulge myself in reality TV if I want to. I thought Top Chef ended nicely. 

Frivolous Lawsuits

I once lost a friend because I refused to sue someone. My friend was a lawyer. The person I refused to sue was a young driver who was underinsured. It's a long story. I couldn't see that ruining his financial future would ease my pain, and at the time I really didn't understand the lifelong implications of my injuries. Even if I had, I still wouldn't have gone after the kid's future earnings. I still had to sleep with myself.

Tonight I heard on the news that Batman, Turkey, is preparing to file a series of lawsuits against Warner Brothers, Christopher Nolan (Batman—The Dark Knight's producer) and possibly DC Comics as well, for using the name Batman without the town's permission. They further allege that the town's high female suicide rate and a number of unsolved murders are related to the name theft and ensuing publicity.

After ignoring the use of their name since 1939, many people are now asking—and I certainly join in the question—do the current intended lawsuits have anything to do with The Dark Knight grossing over $994 million worldwide so far? Some days I think I should just stop watching the news.

Bones—Last Season's Cliffhanger

We don't follow too many television series, but one of our favorites is Bones. Last season the series ended with a cliffhanger. The group of investigators was at a celebration. Some of them were taking turns singing. The final scene shows Boone getting shot and Bones holding his unconscious body, blood everywhere. It looks very serious. Fade to black. Roll credits.

This season John and I were eager to find out how it played out. We were pretty sure he hadn't died. After all, the show was continuing for another year, so he must live, right? We tuned in to a two-hour special where Bones and Boone are in Europe. Well, we figured, this must be a special, and they'll get to the conclusion of last year's story line next week. Nope. Here we are, two weeks later, and we're still wondering what happened.

Does anybody know? Did we miss something? We have a DVR that automatically tapes these shows, so we didn't just forget to tune into the program. Did Fox forget to air something? Was it preempted by political programming? Does anyone know? Did anybody else even notice? John is really going crazy about this, so any help would be appreciated. I suppose I could write a conclusion for him, but it wouldn't be the same.