Virginia Is For Families

Was Neil Diamond reading from a script? It sure looked like it to me. He really should get into politics as long as he can take his script writer with him.

Jason Castro sang Forever In Blue Jeans and I was not impressed. But someone else thought it was a solid performance if not memorable.

Solid as in solid waste maybe.

He then sang September Morn and hit a few really bad notes. Someone I know thought that he or she had a “few peaks into something almost brilliant”. Were there fireworks last night? I must have missed them. I went to bed early.

David Cook sang I’m Alive and had the right attitude for the song. But he didn’t sound great last night. I didn’t build the song and he looked like hell. Another off night for the Davidmeister.

He also sang All I Really Need Is You and it was a mixed bag. The softer parts were terrific but the rocking part was again too screamy. His voice had too much grit (pollen maybe?). We continue to wait for a great rejoinder to Billy Jean.

Brooke White sang I’m A Believer and it was light and fun but forgettable and slightly irritating. I’m sure I have seen something like this in one of those campfire scenes in a horror movie right before the devil jumps out of the weeds.

For her second song she did I Am, I Said and it was much better. It was perhaps her finest performance. The judges liked it. I liked it. And America probably liked it. Maybe it saved her from going home this week. Who else might go home instead?

Jason comes to mind.

David A sang Sweet Caroline and found an inventive way to get around the extremely low range. It was an excellent interpretation and his voice is sterling.

He then sang America and got off to a shaky start. But when he hit the bridge it was great and his own ending wrapped up a too short song with all the emotion of a full blown rendition.

And finally Syesha Mercado sang Hello Again. It was a great arrangement and sounded a bit like a contemporary ballad. Her voice sounded great and she had a beautiful smile throughout looking very relaxed and confident. What did Sir Lloyd do to this girl? She is a different performer and hopefully will be in the final three.

Syesha is turning into a wonderful story. I hope she makes it.

She also sang Thank The Lord For The Nighttime and once again looked and sounded great. It was a fabulous song choice and she put a lot of newfound personality into it.

Syesha wins tonight! David A is a close second.

We will see what happens.

Verdict:  Brooke White goes home.

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My new NewsLink Briefs post is up and I hope you will take a look at it.

I hope you all will give photography a chance if you have not already done so. A nice camera is expensive but so are many things that we buy. It’s often a matter of priorities. Do we need wide screen televisions?

Yes we do.

Just kidding. We need to find something we enjoy doing that involves our imaginations.

No not that! I’m talking about artistic stuff. Try it and see!

I have a new idea for a poem. Poetry is actually the foundation of this blog. I didn’t plan it that way. But if you look at the stats that is what brings folks here.

This poem will be about (hopefully) a guy who is taking a walk in the woods. It’s a nice day and he is enjoying himself (for awhile). Some distance away a hunter is also enjoying himself. But he is a poor shot. He takes aim at some hapless animal and misses by a mile. The bullet travels in an arc and comes down in the neighborhood of our first guy who is admiring a bird up in a tree.
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In fact the bullet doesn’t just come down in his neighborhood.

It comes down on his street.

And into his house.

Through his front door. Ouch.

It’s a sad moment for both of them. The hunter is going to lose his permit to hunt. And our friend is going to suddenly fly off towards the moon. And then he is going to take a right turn towards the sun. Later he will find his way back home in time for his funeral.

And that’s as far as I have gotten this morning. Except I have thought of his name. It’s Billy Getz. Or maybe Willy B Gates. Yes indeed. That’s the ticket.

So you see photography can lead to different things. But all of them are fun. And I hope that reading this blog will encourage you to look inside and discover where you would like to go.

Of course some of you have already gone there. And I see where you have gone and are going in your blogs. And I am truly amazed and bow down to you.

Thanks for being there. Peace.

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Well we have all made it to midweek and around noontime it will be time to head back towards the barn again. Sure it may take a few days to get there. But the important thing is that we all have a barn and a horse to get us there.

Henry our Tudor friend has many barns and many horses. I hope you have been watching him on Showtime. On the last episode he dispatched Thomas More and Cardinal Fletcher to their Heavenly rewards. More was possibly his best friend and a father figure too. We can see the king screaming with pain and regret when the axe falls.

Thomas More refused to take an oath saying the King was the head of the church in England or anywhere for that matter. I was caught up in the scene where his wife pleads with him. She comes to his dungeon cell and says “Thomas, please! Just say the words. We have all done it and we will forfeit all our possessions if you remain stubborn.”

Clearly she will miss him but right at this moment she has other concerns. And he says “Yes you and the children have been my greatest concern. But I can’t endure an eternity in Hell even if it means you all become paupers” or words to this effect.

Makes sense to me. Besides shouldn’t God be the one who takes care of them? Especially since Thomas More has gone the extra mile for Him. Have faith woman and go get a job! You too kids! Let’s worry about dad because at his trial he nearly faints when they tell him what they are going to do to him.

He has this thing about Pain! And I am right there with him at this moment. He will do anything to avoid FOREVER burning in the devil’s workshop. But on the other hand the guys are going to hang him until he is half dead, cut out his bowels and burn them while he watches with interest, tear him into four pieces with wild horses and then cut off his head! Talk about being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea!

How do people even think up this stuff? But then his good friend Henry shows his soft and caring side by commuting his sentence to simple removal of the parts that have been causing him so much trouble.

Much much better! Thomas goes off after a nice speech to the crowd and Henry gets to suffer for many more years with gout and whatever else. He probably gets sexually transmitted diseases. Because he can’t control himself. He is riding through the woods with his guards when this guy and his wife come along. Immediately they are stopped and questioned. Henry goes up to the wife and sees she is young and beautiful. So he gives her a big kiss and carries her away while her husband stands there steaming.

What’s he going to do? He probably heard about what they were going to do to More! I always try to put myself in some of these unique circumstances. What would I do?

Beth! Please write when you get a chance.

I love you!

And so it goes. Human history is full of sad episodes like this. It’s a shame really. Thomas More had it about right. And so he gets to ride out the remainder of the series in his Heavenly abode in comfort and peace.

Hopefully he will somehow help his wife and kids as they struggle along the road. But they could have refused to take the oath too! I wonder what he would have said if they all came to his cell one day and said they were going with him?

Great! But I hope for your sake Henry likes you as much as he likes me?!

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Here is something I just received today. It sounds like great news! As Randy would say, “Jordin You’re Back Baby!” And look at this cool photo of Jordin with President Bush and Mrs. Bush. I’ve never seen the President look this happy about seeing anyone.

And Mrs. Bush seems pretty happy about the whole thing.

Maybe.

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In April on American Idol, Jordin sang her new single “No Air” with Chris Brown. She’s also made several TV appearances, and had the privilege of singing at the Celebrity Fight Night Gala here in Phoenix. Among the other guests were Dionne Warwick, Faith Hill, Kevin Costner, Reba McIntyre, John Mellencamp, and many others.