American Idol vs. Nashville Star

"(speaking of the Dixie Chicks and their comment about being ashamed the President was from Texas to a Country Music fan base) you have to recognize your audience is Patriotic. Saying something like that to Country Music fans is like grabbing a bull horn, going to a trailer park and saying 'Wal-mart Sucks!'" - Larry the Cable Guy

And it's almost in really understanding those comments (not about the President, that's proving out to be pretty true, you just shouldn't be stupid enough to say it when you're out of the country) that you really understand the difference in the two competitions.

American Idol (which was pretty bad tonight - with the exception of Mandisa and Katharine McPhee, even Chris and Elliot didn't have great nights and while Paris displayed her great voice, her song choice and gyrations were better left for a more mature audience - not my 10 and 8 year old!) is a singing competition that requires performance and loves folks that connect. It brings in a more diverse crowd and tonight Simon actually ripped Chris and Mandisa for being self-indulgent in their song choices by going to their music choices (Creed-heavy rock? and Mary Mary-CCM/Gospel). There's a lot more sparkle and a lot more broad fan appeal required. You need to be able to reach across a wider spectrum, a diverse audience (possibly more cosmopolitan) and make the connection.

Nashville Star (which was pretty good tonight both vocally and performance wise) is more of a performance (to me) competition that requires vocals (and a few folks have great voices) by someone who can really resonate with a Country crowd.

It's the difference between the crowds that consider a quality day out shopping being Wal-Mart and Home Depot vs Target and Ikea. Anything wrong with either? I hope not, I've spent days doing both (though I prefer the latter). But, it's just different crowds. At Idol shows half the crowd doesn't know the songs (my wife and I certainly don't know the large majority of them), at Nashville Star the whole place is singing every word. It's the masses voting for someone that is going to pass from their memory within 12-18 months probably vs a community voting for someone that holds their sacred traditions and whom they're going to welcome into their homes and lives for the next 30 years or so.

They are both great competitions and I like watching them for different reasons. I think it's easier for me to pick the Nashville Star final three than the AI final three this year (though the final five will be: Mandisa, Chris, Katharine, Paris and Elliot), and I've probably got a better guess at the NS winner too. But boy are they different shows.

Of course, NS might be pulling at my heart strings because I used to live in the South and I miss a lot of the southern culture (trust me, if you haven't lived there you just don't get it. Boston might as well be a different planet.) and I REALLY miss the (a) warmth, and (b) barbecue! (that is PORK for all you damn Texans!) Still, they're different for sure. Why don't you check them both out and let me know what you think?

I Am FAT

I was going to start this post with a picture of disgusting fat. Unfortunately, I didn't want to take a picture of MY fat, and I couldn't find one that was just something like 20-30 lbs of chicken fat on a platter. And, would you belive that just typing "fat" in Google brings up semi-porno pictures? Well, I guess breast tissue is mostly fat. Gesh. And that's with the filters on.

Anyway, I'm doing this posting one time, one time only. This morning - especially because today I'm getting fit - I wanted to weigh myself and measure so I could have the high water mark to compare against for when I loose all the weight I need to so I can be healthy again. I got on the scale and it said - "Hey lard ass, this ain't a frieght scale!" When I looked down, of course having to move my head out so I could actually see my toes, I saw that I weighed in at a whopping 190 pounds! Holy crap! That is the MOST I have EVER weighed. EVER.

I know, some of you may be thinking "wow, is that it?" But I'm only 5'7 1/2". I like to be around 160 or so, 170 at the worst. At that weight I'm not Mr. ripped abs or anything, but you can still tell I have a shape. But 190? Oh MY WORD.

It was yesterday that pushed me over the top. I was at my mom's house and I was trying to do something and my stomach kept getting in the way. I was getting pretty ticked off. So, I decided that as of today (Monday morning), I was returning back to fitness. So you have to hear the kicker.

Virtually my entire life I've been a fitness and health buff. Sure, I love my chocolate, but it's always been in moderation (and besides, dark chocolate is good for your heart!). The reason why is because after loosing a decent amount of childhood blubber (more affectionately known as baby fat), and then watching my father have 4 heart attacks, have a stroke, get put on strict diets, take a gazillion pills a day - and watching my mom go on equally strict diet for high blood pressure and cholesteral, I decided that what happened to them was not going to happen to me. I wanted to live long, and live well. And, starting around age 16 or 17, I was Mr. Fitness. Ran cross country in college, in the gym 3-4 times a week. Sure, I put on some weight right after I got married, but soon after I was back down to my fighting weight again.

Anyway, the kicker. So today I'm talking to my wife and she's telling me that my mom was talking with her yesterday and saying that her (my mom's) doctor was mentioning to my mom that her kids need to be careful because of all her (and dad's) medical history. BOOM. There you go. The PERFECT reminder of why for the majority of the past 30 years I've been a bit of a health nut.

So, as always, today began the first day of the rest of my life. Which is good. I gained the weight this time for a unique reason, I'll say that. It was the first time I was just so comfortable with myself and my wife and my family, just so content that I didn't feel that manic need to work out. THIS is actually a good thing. However, now I have to remain content as I was but get back in shape so that I can keep playing with my kids!

So. Today, in this post I started by saying "I Am Fat," but now I end the post by saying "I Am FIT." It's one letter that makes a huge difference. I'm fit. I'm back to doing 100 hindu squats a day, back to doing 25 or so hindu pushups, back to doing a bridge, back to doing hand stand pushups, back to kicking butt in a 45 minute plyometric/yoga/cardio workout that tones and sculpts those abs baby!

I am daddy, hear me roar! I'm the rolling around on the ground, jumping up and down, crawling around, throwing kid up in the air fitness dynamo that my kids have always known me to be. I'm the fit and fabulous husband for my incredible wife. I'm the energetic, clear minded, quick witted business force that I was created to be.

I Am FIT.

OK, OK! You want to see why I'm busy and not posting?

Here she is, one Sophie Mae. This isn't THE best pic, but I have more! Just let me know and I'll post the links :)

I Am Blessed (Yah, again)

Hmmmm. Well I guess I could be writing this post about the fact that my wife has had our 4th baby - but I'll do a separate post for that. After all, that is a major blessing!

But, this post is about the firewire drive pictured with the post. Yes, a firewire drive. You see, this firewire drive just arrived at my door step - 2nd day delivery - sent from someone that I've never met in person and how has forbidden me to say anything! Well, I won't mention their name or any revealing data, but I am still going to say THANK YOU.

Yah, this is a 250 gig, 7200 rpm firewire drive AND enclosure. I'm not sure that this is the exact one - but you can see the basic configuration here.

How did this happen? Well, I was just chatting with this person the other day, asking a question about my iPod, mentioning that I was running out of storage space. So, this person told me about a special over at OWC (http://macsales.com) and I said, yah! wow. That's nice. But... I've been out of work for a bit and now that I've got a short gig we have other things that we're focused on paying ;-) No worries. I can make due, I was just juggling some things around, burning stuff to some DVDs. No problem! We chatted for a few more minutes then I had to run to hang with my chicks.

So, next morning I get a IM saying - hey, I just sent you a little gift. I thought, cool! That's sweet! Then the person told me WHAT it was. I was blown away. And really, left without the appropriate means to say thanks. And I just thought I was getting the drive - especially since I have an enclosure (being used for my current 80 gig backup - I just figured I was swapping it out).

Today, the package comes (a day or so sooner than I expected), and there is the complete package - including the enclosure as well! Holy Moley Batman!

So, thus the post. Amongst the embarrassing richness of blessings that I already have, including a new short gig, a new very healthy baby, a healthy wife and three other healthy daughters, a roof over our heads and food in the fridge - I now have a wonderful amount of storage so I can do full backups of all my critical systems. Geesh, God is good ain't he?

And so, to the un-named person, again thank you so much. I appreciate your kindness and generosity more than I can say!

The iPod (with Video) Life

So, I dropped of Halle at her sewing class and really did't feel like driving 12 minutes each way from my house just so I could have 15 minutes at my desk. What did I do? Why I watched the IT Crowd on my iPod with Video sitting in my BMW Mobile studios. Should I have done a podcast? Yeah, maybe, but I didn't want to. By the way , it was a great episode :-p

Why Can't I get a Cell Phone Like This?

Yah, why can't I? Why can't Sprint get something like this? I love being able to check my e-mail (via Gmail on the browser), I like being able to send text or IM if I want to. I don't want a word processor or anything else. So, I want a phone that has a keyboard. Is that so hard? See, this is why GSM phones are so cool, pop out the chip, put in yours and you're good to go. Damn. But I had to go sign up with Sprint again! ARGH.

Sigh. Well, it's something to look forward to when I need to have a new cell phone number :-)

The CORE - Part 2

So, why do I think this is a geek movie? Well, it's not just a technical geek movie, it's a science geek (OK, so maybe it junk science), computer geek, conspiracy theory geek movie. And, it's fun.

Plot? Pretty thin. Twists? One, kinda. Eye candy? Sure, the lead male and female are both attractive. Oddly, the males get way more naked than any female (ok, one guy takes off his shirt - but it is opposite of the way it typically done and YES! I'm grateful! Not because a guy takes off his shirt, but because a female doesn't!) Cool gadgets - yup. Improbable story? Completely. But, it was fun.

So, it's on FX again this week, set your Tivo!

l8r

My Geek Life -Part 2

So, I finally got to a keyboard. I probably would have posted more from my phone, but to be honest it takes forever to even type a sentence! It makes me long for a Treo 650 of my own to have. But, not really. I actually want something that's a hybrid of my phone and the functionality it has (so a very limited OS) and a full keyboard. Maybe that's more like a Sidekick or something?

Anyway, that's a topic for a different post.

So, I was in the "can" at church Sunday morning having arrived well before the time that we needed to be there for our sound check (for those of you not really familiar with me or the blog, both my wife and I are in the band at church) and, lo and behold I had to use the potty :-) Anyway. I'm sitting there on the throne I've got my iPod in my ears listening to some worship tunes getting ready for service and I'm reading my e-mail (read: Gmail) on my cell phone. I'm thinking, how geeky is this? Sure, the church has a wifi network and I could be using my PowerBook if I was out somewhere in the rest of the building, but I was in the bathroom for goodness sake!

So, there it is. I'm a connection geek. Electronics in my ears, checking e-mail on the phone WHILE I'm in the can at the church. Lord help me!

More to come!

The CORE

this Movie Is A Bit of a geeks dream.

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My Geek Life

I'm sending this post from my phone. It's something I've thinking
about all day. Something only a technorati geek like me would worry
about. I'll tell you about it when I get back to a real keyboard. l8r,
Z.

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