Dealbreaker

Here's an article from the New York Times about "dealbreaker" lit. I'm not too much of a book snob because I read some pretty low-brow stuff, but for me, the dealbreaker would be someone who thinks The DaVinci Code is well-written. Or someone who read and followed The Secret. Although that would be more of a life-outlook problem than a literary problem. I'd just be happy to find a man who reads regularly...I don't know any. Do any of you have dealbreakers?

Fuck You, Melville Dewey

I had my last class from hell today!!! What did I learn? That I do not want to be a cataloger. This class has pretty much consumed my life for the past 2 months, and now all I have to do is write a 3-page paper by the end of April...and await the grade from my final *gulp*. As of right now, I have an 89.3% in the class, so unless I royally fuck up the final and the paper, I'm good to go. Not too shabby, considering at one point I had a 60%. He took a picture of us that I'll post as soon as he posts it unless I look like ass, which I probably do. Who wouldn't look like ass after spending almost 14 hours discussing the finer points of Library of Congress Subject Headings, Sears subject headings, Dewey, DDC call numbers, Cutter numbers, and Library of Congress Classification. I'm 1/4 of the way finished and by Christmas I'll be halfway there! Woot!

And be warned: if you tell me the Dewey Decimal System isn't used anymore, I'm going to punch you in the face.

At least I get to look forward to Rusty and V.'s visit to York next week!

Idol Thoughts *Edit*

This is being written by Jen's ghost. She has died because Jason sang in Spanish. Wow! Everyone was pretty good last night! I do feel old though...only Michael is older than I am.

Ramiele - I actually didn't think it was as bad as others do. Of course she's no Ann Wilson and was very off-key while she was belting, but I've heard much worse. Please, though, no shit-eating grins during "Alone." Not a happy song.

Jason - Oh, sweetie. As much as I loved watching you and your brother rocking out (if there's one thing this world needs, it's more keytar) and seeing those gorgeous baby blues and chubby cheeks, I think you're a lock for the bottom 3 tonight and possibly going home. AI is no place for subtlety, my dear. If you don't belt or screech they have no time for you. I thought you were really good, but I'm worried. And dude, what were those pants? It's good that you like showing off your long, lean legs, but please burn those pants immediately. Happy birthday! I feel much less lecherous now that you're 21. If it had been David A's birthday there would have been streamers and clowns and cake for everyone in the audience.
Syesha - I'm really not a fan of this genre of music, but she sang it very well. Now she just needs to stop doing that baby cry.

Jacuzzi - I do have to admit that this was boring and I went into the kitchen to do dishes while he was singing, but I heard it and it sounded good.

Brooke - She gets praise for starting wrong and re-starting? K... I really like Brooke when she's playing the piano or guitar and singing. She should never sing without playing again. Weird song choice though. Sometimes I don't think people realize what that song is about.

Michael - Good! I think I may have left out the "We Will Rock You" part though.

Carly - Something about her bothers me, and I don't know what! I wish I did. I thought she did well even though she messed up the words and whiffed that last note.

David - God, this kid annoys the bejesus out of me. Still, he did pretty well. He was born in December of 1990?! Holy shit! Did he say this song was by John Bonham? The only John Bonham I know is Led Zeppelin's drummer, and something tells me this is not his song. Is this a Christian song or something?

KKKristy - "God Bless the U.S.A." makes me embarrassed to be an American, and it's a little hard for me to be patriotic when 4,000 U.S. soldiers have died in this bullshit war. I know I'm a big asshole, but I seriously can't be the only person who hates that dreck of a song, can I? That was a very shrewd song choice. If you don't vote for KKKristy you support the terrorists and Saddam Hussein's non-existent WMDs and Osama bin Laden and high crude oil prices. Or something...

David - Please explain to me how a person is original if he constantly uses other peoples' arrangements? That ridiculousness aside, I love Michael Jackson (he must be pretty hard up), I love "Billie Jean," and I love Chris Cornell's cover of "Billie Jean." I thought David did a really good, albeit not in any way original, job.

Top 20 American Idol Performances

Because I go through withdraw on the weekends...
In season order

Season 1:

Cheesy Group Sing: California Dreamin'


Season 2:

Cheesy Group Sing: For the Longest Time


Season 3:

Semi-finals: Lisa Leuschner, "Sweet Thing." Robbed, I say!


Semi-finals: Jon Peter Lewis, "A Little Less Conversation"


George Huff, "Take Me to the Pilot"


Season 4: Semi-finals: Nadia Turner, "There's a Power"


Semi-finals: Bo Bice, "Whipping Post"


Carrie Underwood, "Alone"


Bo Bice, "Spinning Wheel" and "Vehicle"



Season 5: Semi-finals: Ace Young, "Father Figure"


Semi-finals: Bucky Covington, "Thunder Rolls"


Chris Daughtry, "I Walk the Line"


Paris Bennett, "The Show Must Go on"


Season 6: Hollywood Week: Blake Lewis, Chris Sligh, Tom Lowe, and Rudy Cardenas, "How Deep Is Your Love"


Blake Lewis, "You Give Love a Bad Name"


Season 7: Hollywood Week: Josiah Lemming, "Grace Kelly"


Semi-finals: Alexandrea Lushington, "Spinning Wheel" Bonus points for doing "You Know I'm No Good" during Hollywood Week


Semi-finals: Jason Castro, "What a Day for a Daydream" and "I Just Want to Be Your Everything"

Idol Thoughts

Amanda - It was OK. I'm tired of her and I don't like "Back in the USSR."

KKKristy - Ummm...maybe you should have listened to some of the songs before you chose one. I thought that was horrendous. Very awkward movements.

David A - Pretty good. Hate that song. He still bothers me for some reason.

Michael - I laughed out loud when he said he wasn't wearing an earpiece (I didn't think he had been wearing one when Paula was blathering). I thought it was just OK. That's one of my favorite Beatles songs and I don't know that it's really suitable for 1.5 minute treatment...I hated the way he cut it up. Oh Lord, he played the dead friend card (wow, this show has made me somewhat jaded). He just bought himself another week. I still hate the way he moves. It reminds me of a drunk Jim Morrison (although really, is there any other kind?)

Brooke - I really wanted Jason to do that song. It would have been much better sitting and playing the guitar. What's with the awkward movements tonight?

David C - Dude. Whitesnake? I was a little worried when I saw the Peter Frampton device, but I really liked this performance! I even got some tinglies at parts, and I normally find him doughy, greasy, pasty, and repulsive. I'm doughy, greasy, pasty, and repulsive too though, so I can't talk. I despised what he did to "Eleanor Rigby" last week, but I think "Day Tipper" is more of a throwaway song, so it worked.

Carly - Nice, but I could have done without the glory notes. I liked the strings.

Jason - I. Love. This. Boy. Jason singing in French gave me the vapors. If he ever sings in Spanish, I'll die. Of course Ryan knows French.

Syesha - Good.

Jacuzzi - The beginning was boring, but I liked the end.

Ramiele - Meh. I like her voice, but I wasn't crazy about the song.

Chester Cheetah All Grown Up

I love "There's been an incident."

In the News

There is a lot of ridiculousness going on lately. Two things from the paper today:

"New Haven, Conn.--Contraband candy has led to big trouble for an eighth-grade honors student in Connecticut.

Michael Sheridan was stripped of his title as class vice president, barred from attending an honors student dinner and suspended for a day after buying a bag of Skittles from a classmate.

School spokeswoman Catherine Sullivan-DeCarlo says the New Haven school system banned candy sales in 2003 as part of a districtwide school wellness policy."

Boys Tossed from Overpass.

2 Minute Idol Review

We get it. The Beatles are the best. band. ever. Except not.

Syesha: Boring.
Jacuzzi: Good...I guess...I wasn't really watching.
Ramiele: Boring.
Jason: Beautiful (the song and the boy). Loved the smile and point at Paula; loved the "What was that?" after flashing his four fingers during the announcement of his phone number.
Carly: Good.
David C.: I hate what he did to Eleanor Rigby, one of my favorite Beatles songs of all time.
Brooke: Good.
David H.: So "pizza bistro" is what the kids are calling strip clubs nowadays? Cheesy performance.
Amanda: Ok. That song is an anthem for emotionally abusive significant others.
Michael: Ok.
KKKristy: Horrible.
David A: I kinda hate Stevie Wonder. Trainwreck. Way to forget half of the words, bro.

Idol Thoughts

Now that we're down to a manageable 8 contestants, I'm ready to give my thoughts on this week's Idol. This is as close to a live blog as I can do considering I have a desktop computer that faces away from my TV and I don't want to miss any Jason sightings.

Luke: Blech. He's hot, but what a cheeseball. I can't stand his voice. Eeeee!! Jason Castro rocking out on the balcony. Sorry...on to Luke. I'm with Simon; girly, but not in a good way. He pretty much sucks.

David A: He's good, but I'm tired of this kid being treated like the second coming of Christ. He breathes way too loud...I don't know if that's because of his vocal paralysis or whatever, but it bugs. Full disclosure: I love this song. Watch that last note, dude, it's a doozy. WHAT!? Paula loved that a couple notes were off, but when Jason has an "off" note he's a modern-day Hitler!!! Oh, Jesus, now he's calling our attention to homeless people.

Danny: Loved the vocal, despised the arrangement. Simon's in a really bad mood tonight.

On to David Hernandez, the gay stripper (way to be a month late to the party, media; I've known that since the Top 24). Ewwwww, Celine? Seriously?? I guess it was pretty good, but I'm pretty indifferent about this guy. That song is NOT from the 80s. Ok, according to Wikipedia it technically is from the 80s.

Michael: He sounds almost exactly like the Simple Minds guy, whose name is Jim Kerr (thanks again, Wikipedia!). I hate how he moves on stage. WTF is Randy talking about Michael Hutchence for?! INXS is not Simple Minds, Randy. My research (guess which site?) does not indicate that they ever recorded that song.

Eeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Sorry, on to David C.: Ummm...is this Lionel Ritchie? Yes, yes it is (Google this time). Interesting... Pretty good though.

Eeeeeeeee!!! My Jason!!!!!!!! There has been some speculation that he smokes weed. I don't know where anyone got that idea...





Anyhizzle, who cares? A 20-year-old college student who smokes weed? Who has ever heard such a preposterous thing!? Here's a tidbit for you: Jason's song for the top 24 was the most downloaded from iTunes out of all the Idols'. That was a very awkwardly-worded sentence, but you know what I mean. Ok, that story about his dread falling out was really nasty. But is it wrong that I want that dread? Maybe I shouldn't have shared that... I thought the performance was beautiful but I was really nervous about what the judges would say, especially since he ran out of breath there at the end. It looks like he'll go to the top 12, but I'm still a little scared, especially since he didn't do a more well-known song. But on the other hand he has a lot of good feedback on message boards, and I doubt they would get rid of him, having the most-downloaded song (oh please, don't tell me you think the votes matter).

Jacuzzi: Zzzzz...