I had no picks for the guys, but bye bye, Garret Haley.

I called Amy Davis, whose parting song was painful to experience.

I didn't realize we were losing two of each tonight, so let's see what's next.

Wow! Paula Abdul's track on Randy's album is hott! Props to the judge that walks the walk!
True, it's not a live performance, but it's very good!

Well, it's between Joanne and Amanda. I thought Amanda might last longer than this. Joanne's voice wasn't big enough for the song last night, but I thought she had decent control, and might grow into it or pick better songs, but she is more forgettable than Amanda, so it's hard to guess.

It's Joanne, so I guess Amanda's appeal to viewers outweighed other factors.

Ha! It seems Simon has been forced to replace his coffee mug with a Coke cup - and sarcastically pointed it out. LOL!

Chikezie wins out over Colton. Simon has to try to bury his dreams along with his hopes for this competition. His parting performance isn't really that bad. Well, I guess both Simon and Colton will be true to themselves.

And so it goes...

Thumbs Sideways for Me

Borrowing a line from my 5-year-old I am able to sum up my feelings on these early weeks. I usually prefer male vocalists in general so the Top 12/10/8 Girls is not my favorite. With that said, there were some bright spots and even some positive awards to hand out. First, my random thoughts . . .

Wardrobe must love Simon. Did he actually sleep in his clothes last night? Oh wait, it was a v-neck last night. These guys from last night are pretty duddy in general. They hardly get into the girls' performances. I remember in past seasons the constestants seemed to actually enjoy the others. This has been a rotten cold and flu season. I understand what the judges are saying about being sick is no excuse, but at this stage of the game do we really want to see legitimate "I can stand to watch you for 14 more weeks" talent go by the wayside because someone's on day one of a Z-Pak? C'mon. I'm glad Randy the mathemetician showed up because thanks to the professor we now realize that 360 degrees is not only a complete circle (meaning, we get back to where we started), but it is also a turnaround that is twice as powerful as the 180. Also, the professor astutely noted that 3 boys and 3 or 4 girls is not the exact same number. Next week, grammar. And did Paula actually say "dope"? School must have been in session because we even learned a thing or two about foreign culture--washing-up liquid.

MILLION-DOLLAR SMILE/TWO-BIT PERFORMANCE AWARD: Amy Davis

SUDAFED-INDUCED ZOMBIE AWARD: Kristy Lee Cook

DIDN'T WE HEAR THIS CHEESE LAST NIGHT AWARD: Alaina "Buy Me Some New Shoes" Whitaker (Although, it was better than last night's serving)

LATOYA LONDON SPIRIT AWARD: Syesha Mercado

STOP SCREAMING AT ME AWARD: Amanda Overmyer

HOW DID WE NOT HEAR MORE ABOUT YOU BEFORE NOW AWARD: Alexandrea Lushington

SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE HOLDING HANDS AWARD: Brooke White

HOW ARE YOU SO BORING AWARD: Kady Malloy

WHY DO YOU KEEP SAYING "PLUS-SIZED" AWARD: Joanne Borgella

IF YOU START PACKING NOW IT WILL SAVE TIME NEXT WEEK AWARD: Kristy Lee Cook

GOOD THINGS IN TINY PACKAGES AWARD: Ramiele Malubay

BAD NEWS FOR THE OTHERS WHEN I'M HEALTHY AWARD: Carly Smithson

MY TOP THREE: Carly Smithson, Ramiele Malubay, Asia'h Epperson
WHO'S GOING HOME: Joanne Borgella, Amy Davis
ON DECK FOR NEXT WEEK: Kady Malloy

Since I'm watching today with my 5-year-old and 7-year-old I'll give the recap in terms of thumbs:

Kristy Lee Cook: two thumbs up
Joanne Borgella: one thumb sideways, one thumb up
Alaina Whitaker: two thumbs up
Amanda Overmyer: one thumb up, one thumb down
Amy Davis: one thumb sideways, one thumb sideways
Brooke White: two thumbs up
Alexandrea Lushington: two thumbs up
Kady Malloy: two thumbs sideways
Asia'h Epperson: one thumb up, one thumb down
Ramiele Malubay: two thumbs up
Syesha Mercado: one thumb up, one thumb sideways
Carly Smithson: one thumb up, one thumb sideways

Most of my son's thumb ratings were based on whether or not each song was rock and roll. My daughter likes "happy music."

Please, no themes next week. (I'm not holding my breath.)

Top 12 Girls!

Kristy Lee Cook - Likable, and competent, and an animal lover. What's not to like? Good but not great. I'm glad Paula brought out the fact that she has bronchitis. Simon is still colored black. Maybe he's just committed to equal opportunity slamming of the girls as well as the guys.

Joanne Borgella - Her voice was well controlled, but wasn't big enough to wrap around this song.

Alaina Whitaker - Hard to believe she's only seventeen, the way she's decked out tonight. The first part feels a bit too slow, and pitchy, but she certainly brings it when it goes to high gear. Her precision and power definitely bring on some chills, but I'm not sure if she can handle slow tunes adequately to make it to the top. Best yet tonight, though, and I can easily see another Jordin Sparks in her.

Amanda Overmyer - If she does Joplin (Janis, not Scott), I'll be disappointed but not surprised. She's got talent, but a voice which is only good for a narrow range of songs, so I'm actually surprised she got this far, but maybe she'll surprise me. Oh good - no Joplin. Her performance is good, but the song doesn't really offer a good showcase for vocal skillz. She passes muster with the judges, but so far is not singing the kind of music I personally like, and I think her style will only appeal to a smaller proportion of fans. She'll stay around for awhile, but eventually be surpassed by contestants with a broader appeal, like Alaina. So says I.

Amy Davis - Badly pitchy. Randy agrees. Paula deflects, but agrees. Simon drives the stake into her chest.

Brooke White - I love this girl's smile and eyes, so I'll try my best to be objective and not be hypnotized. Slightly shaky start. Another well controlled voice but, as with Joanne, not quite big enough to wrap around the song. If Simon's "niceness" equates to lacking the slightly angry edge it might take to give her the power to really "slay" this song, as Randy called it, then Simon might just have a point.

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Now my stomach is growling and I'm ticked off at my muse for sucking me into this instead of cooking. : (

Now I realize why I had pizza so often on AI nights.
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Alexandrea Lushinton - I completely agreed with Simon (what?) on this one. She had good presence and moves, but I didn't think the vocal artifacts she threw in worked. I don't agree with Randy and Paula that she nailed it, and it was kind of cabaret for me, as Simon said. Still, she's got a very appealing personality and good looks, so those may carry her further than I'm inclined to think she rates, or she may grow into it.

Kady Malloy - I really wanted her to nail this, but she was unhappily pitchy in spots. Randy says it well. It was constrained, and she never really kicked it into gear.

Asia'h Epperson - She DID have a big enough voice for this Joplin joint, and gave it her own twists. Very enjoyable. Even Simon agreed. Kudos!

Ramielle Malubay - Another song requiring a big voice. She handles it well in low gear and keeps it together when she kicks it up. I think she could have taken it up yet another notch, but it was good the way it was. Randy says precisely the same thing. I may agree with Simon's "best of the night," so far.

Syesha Mercado - I'm looking forward to hearing this girl sing without any hoarseness going on. Her song choice is unusual (Tobacco Road), but she handles it very well. She's definitely a contender.

Carly Smithson - I'd hate to be last tonight. Good luck, Carly. Ohmigod. She picks one of my favorite songs of all time, The Shadow of Your Smile, and sings it like my soul knows it - major chills. One or two tiny pitch problems, but very, very well done, overall. Randy totally agrees, as does Paula. Simon's on his own on this one.

Favorites: Carly, Syesha, Ramielle, Asia'h, and Alaina, in no particular order.

Going home: Amy

Season 7 - Top 12 guys

I watched all the auditions and checked in here several times. When I didn't see y'all bloggin', I wondered if you were skipping the whole deal this year. I also got quite comfortable being able to cook while watching, without having to worry about blogging live, which is how I preferred to do it.

So I'm gonna minimize my reviews this year and not concern myself with predictions until the field is a bit narrower. G'head, call me lazy... ; )

I pretty much tend to agree with what you guys have said, anyway, both historically and now, and you both say it so much more colorfully.

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As for the show, David Archuleta is, of course, wonderful, though I was actually surprised that Simon quit his mood and said he liked him. The other favorites y'all picked were admirable, as well, for the reasons mentioned, but nobody really blew me away, and I'm already thinking it'll be like last year, where the girls blow all the guys out of the water.

Sadly, the most memorable part of the show was Simon hassling Paula about her language and ranting about how there were no performances worthy of a recording artist. His color was definitely black.

But I'll watch faithfully, of course, and see if and when the muses move me to resume blogging while I'm watching - like tonight, maybe... ; )

Season 7 - Top 12 Guys!

What a night! What variety! What vocals! What is with theme nights already? And what is with so many guys that look like girls!? Where was the Irish chick? She wasn't in the audience. I hope she's not sick. I like her!

Here's a brief run down. Expect more detail when we get down to our overall Top 12.

I'm rewatching it with the kids and my opinions are pretty much the same (M and I are agreeing like crazy on our thumbs up and thumbs down ratings).

David Hernandez - In the Midnight Hour
I liked it. I'm not blown away, but I like it.

Jacuzzi - I Love You More Today Than Yesterday
If he's going to lose his cool last name, then he may as well be a hot tub. Yikes. The suit, the vocals, yikes. I thought I could get past all of that. Until he wouldn't shut up ingratiating himself to the judges. Too soon and not good enough for that. Moving on.

David Cook - So Happy Together
Not sure why he has a plastic bag sticking out of his back pocket, but I really like this guy. I think he's more rocker than the one who thinks he's a rocker. He reminds me a bit of Constantine.

Jason Yeager - Moon River
A little Donny Osmond for me for him (hey, if Randy can do it, so can I). I like his voice and I'd like to see more of his colors. I love the song but don't think it was a smart choice.

Robbie Carrico - One
Awesome. Loved it. I like him. I'm, too, not convinced that he's a rocker. Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned touring with Britney? I do love this song--he did a great job making it contemporary.

David Archuleta - You Better Shop Around
Omigosh, he's SO CUTE!! I can't stop smiling when I watch him--he's freaking ADORABLE! And he's so GOOD! I could gush and gush about this kid. I love him--he's awesome!

Danny Noriega - Jailhouse Rock
I was a bit surprised at how much I liked it. I liked it (and him) more than I thought I would. He seems like someone who might really annoy or bother me with his personality, but I liked it. And I liked his snappy comeback to Simon. It works on him.

Luke Menard - Everybody's Talkin' At Me
What a cute boy. Luke Perry is back, y'all. I LOVE his voice. I hope he gets more opportunity to sing to us. It's a good song and I like his falsetto, but it really was a bit forgettable. I like how Paula says he's Kenny Loggins-like. That's it exactly. And that's not a bad thing. He's got a nice, gentle sound, if a bit off at first. Pretty pitchy. Not great, but not horrible.

Colton Berry - Suspicious Minds
I love his voice and he wasn't as theatrical as I'd expected based on interviews and such. I really, really like him. I want to see more of him. Nice job, fun personality. Reminds me of Federov. I like him.

Garret Haley - Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
Michael Bolton? What the . . . ? He looks like my cousin. Melinda. He seems a bit sedated but he's got a nice voice. A bit too mousy for this, methinks. Anyone could've predicted Simon's dislike. You can tell it's coming when he rolls his eyes, picks at his hair, and looks annoyed and bored. Tell tale signs. Like when Randy starts with a question--not usually a good thing. Hmmm, I wish Kyle was in the competition.

Jason Castro - What a Day for the Daydream
What a pleasant surprise! He's a little deer-in-the-headlights and weird to look at for me for him for some reason. But I REALLY like his voice! I really like his voice a lot! I hope to see more of him. I think we will. I love this song and his style. Very hip. Very James Blunt. Very contemporary.

Michael Johns - Light My Fire
Great song. Love it. Love him. For his voice and because he says, "G'day Mate." What a doll--he looks like a cross between Colin Firth and Mark Ruffalo--yum. Amazing performance. Clearly seasoned. I'd like to know more about what he's been doing for the past 10 years, because he is REALLY good and looks extremely comfortable up there.

My Top 3:

David Archuleta
Michael Johns
Robbie Carrico

Going Home:

Anyone but those 3

Best Talent Ever!

Well, I actually think they say that every year as part of their usual hyperbole, but it was a pretty good night. Last season I spent way too much time analyzing the Top 24, and half of them are gone in the first few weeks, so this season I'll be saving my detailed analysis for the actual Top 12. First, my random thoughts . . .

Where can I get one of those spare tire coffee tables? Oh wait! I'll just add some plexiglass to the old tire I have in my trunk. Seriously, where do they get this stuff? Do we really need themes right now? If using up the 1960s this time means we're going to have to have One-Hit Wonder week in the future then I say let them go back to choosing whatever they want for now. I think making them choose from every song known to man actually really weeds out people that will make poor choices down the road. Did anyone else catch Simon drinking from his coffee cup instead of those enormous Coke glasses (thank you to my wife for catching that one)? I'm wondering if they pick a couple of people knowing they have no hope of progressing beyond Week 1. Simon seemed particularly ornery this week. He's probably still steaming at Kyle being left out. I wonder which of this bunch he'd rather have seen leave. Randy must not like these girls that much because he didn't refer to them as the Ladies Dog Pound. Also, at one point there were 11 of the girls in the crowd, and then at the end I think there were only 10. Wonder what that means. I didn't know they could keep using instruments now, but I'm glad Jason did. Nice touch. I know exactly what Simon is saying about Robbie Carrico. He may be a rocker at heart, but he doesn't fit in with rockers we've seen up until now. It doesn't mean he's not a rocker, just that he's a peculiar one.

This week I'm handing out awards, but unlike your Junior High School Talent Show, not everyone will necessarily get an award. Don't worry, you'll (probably) have your chance.

YOU'RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO GET COCKY YET AWARD: Chikezie

SURPRISE IN A GOOD WAY AWARD: Jason Castro

HE CAN SING BUT HE STILL ANNOYS ME AWARD: David Hernandez

NOT AS BAD AS I EXPECTED AWARD: Danny Noriega

YOU'RE SO GOOD I HOPE THEY EVENTUALLY STOP MENTIONING YOUR AGE AWARD (A.K.A. KEVIN COVAIS WISHES HE WERE ME AWARD): David Archuleta

SURPRISE IN AN UNDERWEAR FOR CHRISTMAS KIND OF WAY AWARD: Chikezie (Ruben Lite is now 100% Ruben Free)

HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE JOURNEY AWARD: (Tie) Jason Yeager and Garrett Haley

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT SONG AWARD: Luke Menard

KEANU REEVES (OR PERHAPS JACK BLACK) LOOK-ALIKE AWARD: David Cook

ARE YOU SURE YOU HAVEN'T DONE THIS BEFORE AWARD: Michael Johns

MY TOP THREE: Michael Johns, David Archuleta, Jason Castro
WHO'S GOING HOME (NOT NECESSARILY MY BOTTOM TWO): Jason Yeager and Garrett Haley
BE GLAD ONLY TWO LEAVE THIS WEEK: Luke Menard

On to the girls!