in this entry, i’m going to talk about Bibles… but more specifically, i’m going to talk about the supplemental materials found sharing the same binding as the text of the Bible… it’s not going to be a discussion of the merits of one translation / version over another, because that’s for perhaps another time, place, and perhaps author…

in the interest of full disclosure (if you care to know), i have a small copy of The Student Bible (NIV) that i use periodically for quick reading, a MacArthur Study Bible (NKJV) that i use for deeper understanding of what I read, the littles each have a copy of the CEV Children’s Bible, and when i’m online, i gravitate towards the ESV… i have many other versions of the Bible as well, but those are the ones i use most often… and now, off we go…

A LAMP UNTO MY FEET

now playing: Flags Theme – Flags of Our Fathers (Motion Picture Soundtrack)

The American Patriot’s Bible

This is an interesting concept, though, i’m not quite certain whether the material really should be inserted into a Bible or whether it belongs as its own volume with portions of Scripture embedded within it… needless to say, people who get aggravated easily by the concept of the separation of Church and State will find plenty of items with which to be irritated within this edition…

what i find particularly interesting is the emphasis on how the Bible was viewed throughout the history of America – whether it’s the role that the Bible played in forming laws of the society, specific passages of Scripture that served to comfort or inspire prominent figures in the nation’s history, or simply the specific passages chosen by each president (well, many of the presidents) as they were sworn into the highest role of leadership, it’s all very interesting from an historical perpective…

Within these pages, you’ll find the standard “study Bible” features such as a nice concordance, pretty maps and interesting introductions to each book… Beyond that, you’ll learn about the Bible from the perspective of an American historian which, of course, carries the blessing and curse of being from a limited viewpoint and provides interesting tidbits of extra-Biblical information… if nothing else, it’s appropriate for this time of the year… oh, and it’s the NKJV Bible…

now playing: Shuffle Your Feet – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

The Chronological Study Bible

Also in the NKJV, this edition of the Bible also provides an historical perspective for the reader, but it’s more of an “as-it-happened” perspective… the introductory material includes a much better description of how it came to be than i can share here, but the gist of it is that scholars and researchers restructured the books of the Bible to more accurately reflect the order in which the overlapping events took place…

this allows for a broader picture of everything as it happens… this also allows for the Bible to be read as more of an continuous story as it unfolds… it’s a rather interesting way to look at the Scripture which is pretty much the point… along with the rearranged text, there are several insets that explain the culture of the time period, an overarching timeline that keeps track of where in history you are reading an account from and many other pieces of information that make the reading offer a better grasp of what life was actually like when this was written…

Also included are, naturally, a concordance, glossary, and maps as well as a topical guide as it relates to cultural interests… all in all very interesting, but i’ll admit that the pages stick together for me, perhaps because it’s still too new to be broken in…

now playing: Break It Out – The Rocket Summer

The Expanded Bible

i’m a bit less familiar with this one, but i feel that it’s worth mentioning here because it’s intriguing… it hasn’t released yet and when it does, i’m pretty sure it’s just going to be the New Testament that’s available for a while, but here’s the thing… all the footnotes and alternate word meanings and such have been tucked in directly to the text, making it all read inline… it takes a bit of getting used to, but it seems kind of cool to have all the possibilities [translations; word choices] laid out [L expanded] for you as you read [L while you are reading] it… get the idea?

as interesting as it is, however, i’m concerned that it will simply add to the distractions that already surround the practice of reading the Bible and help accelerate our waning attention… it will definitely change the expectations we have when we approach books…

anyway, it’s not out yet, but you can check it out in PDF format on Thomas Nelson’s website if you so desire…

MOVING ON

and that’s that… i know i had promised this entry a while back, but i’m glad to have finally gotten to it… i wonder if there have been any studies about the effects that all the extra-Biblical content has actually had on the reading of Scripture… i wonder if it distracts more than it enhances… anyway… off to face the day…

peace… love… bdg…

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so, it’s free Friday and it seems like there are just a ton of great stuff to download (legitimately) for free… what’s that? it’s not Friday? well it’s still free so get on it and don’t wait until Friday…

FREE FREE FREE!

now playing: I Am Free – Newsboys

there’s no clear place to start, so i’ll simply start with the album that i knew about first… and that is from one of LA Symphony’s finest, Cook Book, who chimes in with his latest solo effort, a tribute to a decade that clearly was inspiring and hard to forget… check out I Love the 80’s and you’ll be bumping in style, in no time…

next up, sticking with the hip-hop, it’s a cat called Change who’s offering up a Stimulus Plan of his own… it’s a little heavier than Cook Book, but the production is really tight on this little seven-track ditty that is sure to please… a little bit of the boom-bap with a slight hint of gangsta flow… (and, oh, did i mention there are guest drops from ManChild and Sintax.the.Terrific?

Tooth & Nail records doesn’t want to be left out and they’re knocking out a double-decker download for the summer time… just last week they came with a follow-up to last year’s Fuel Sampler featuring a whopping 31 songs from the likes of Jonezetta, Children 18:3, Family Force 5, Hawk Nelson, Underoath and on and on and on… but that is not all… oh, no, that is not all…

also from Tooth & Nail is their 12-song summer sampler… featuring KJ-52, August Burns Red, Thousand Foot Krutch and more… in all, it’ll be about 37 tracks after you factor in the overlap between the two samplers… and it’s all frickity-free…

Next on the list is a new project from one Joy Williams, who has recently rejoined the music community with a solo EP and now with a live album that she’s offering for free as one-half of the duo, The Civil Wars… Live at Eddie’s Attic features 10 songs with a folkish bent to them that show a different side of the poppy Joy Williams from back in the day…

Finally, as if that’s not enough… i’ve got a free audiobook for you slackers who don’t want to read this summer but still want to act the part… (just kidding)… Francis Chan’s book, Crazy | Love is the Free Audiobook download of the month at ChristianAudio.com… just add it to the cart and enter “JUL2009″ into the fancy little coupon code box during the checkout process…

okay, i’m tired, but if you’re somehow still feenin’ for more free stuff, you can always check out that sweet little site called Noise Trade and there’s plenty to discover there… until next time…

peace… love… bdg…

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i don’t rant much, but i kind of feel like there’s some ranting in me that’s determined to come out… and believe me, i could tear apart all the snakes and crooks inside the insurance industry and COBRA… and regale the conversations that i’ve had with them over the past few months… no stinking wonder that the health care system is broken in America… but i won’t… i’ll simply inhale, exhale and simmer down… and start things off today with a review of a movie that i was really looking forward to, Transformers 2: The Rise of the Fallen…

TRANSFORM…

now playing: Piece of Junk Car – KJ-52

i’m really hard-pressed to think of a time when i walked away from the theater as disappointed as i was leaving the theater the other day… i’m not sure if it was my own expectations, my ideological notion that action movies can be visually and intellectually stimulating, the sheer excitement of seeing the transformers on the big screen or simply that i bought into the hype, but all the wind that filled my sails heading into the theater had long disappeared as i walked out… i had waited for the first installment the hit DVD and clearly i was wrong not to wait for the sequel as well…

i expected that Transformers 2 would build off of the first movie, which, as i remember it, was pretty amazing… i expected a lot of action sequences, a lot of sweet cars, and stunning special effects… and, to that end, the movie delivers, but because those elements were at least equally balanced out by juvenile humor, a script that felt like it was written by fifth graders, a poached plotline and way more suggestion than necessary, i left feeling very short-changed…

Surely “the twins” have been a target for controversy as there have been allegations of racism as there was towards Jar Jar Binks, but to that end, i’ll simply say that those claims are ridiculous – i felt more like they were a couple of hyper-stereotypical rednecks than anything else – but they were indicative of the foolish direction that the movie took overall…

Clearly, the crew wanted to movie to have a humorous bent, but unfortunately they resorted to the basest level of humor available… the air-headed mother getting accidentally high, the number of anatomy jokes, crass language from the transformers, and on and on… and sexual content ranging from dogs being frisky, a little robot taking liberties with Megan Fox’s leg, the “Baywatch” running scenes, and a transformer disguised as a college student that makes several advances on the lead character… (by the way, this character makes absolutely zero sense in the context of the movie since none of the other robots look remotely like humans nor is there any reference to such characters that i remember from Transformers lore)…

The plot also seemed like a big rip-off as it closely resembled that of Johnny Mnemonic and, more recently, Chuck… but even that could’ve been overlooked had the script been written with even the slightest hint of intelligence… and to top it all off, the movie dragged on and on for two and a half hours – also known as about an hour too long…

As i’ve stated before, when the movie played to its strengths – action and special effects – it was nothing short of spectacular… unfortunately it didn’t stay there… it’s also worth noting that John Turturro did a fine job as Agent Simmons… and there were actually some really good moments between Sam and Bumblebee, but other than those highlights, the movie really blew a great opportunity to further establish a franchise that could be great…

The bottom line for me is this… it felt like the producers and directors wanted to make Transformers into something other than an action movie… perhaps they wanted to be taken more seriously than your typical action movie fare… but they forgot that there’s nothing wrong with an action movie simply being an action movie… and if you want to add humor into the mix, that’s fine, but let it happen naturally – don’t force-fit it… as it was, i wanted to see Transformers 2 and i feel like i watched Harold and Kumar: Defeating the Decepticons…

… AND ROLL OUT

and that’s my take… have you seen it? what did you think? am i crazy? let me know and i’ll be back with more things to talk about soon…

peace… love… bdg…

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Well, summer is just around the corner and, even though i’m pretty distracted with the up and down frustrations of the current circumstances, it’s important to remember that my occupation, like everything else, is just a small part of who i am and i can’t let it dictate the other aspects of my life… or whatever it is i’m babbling about…

Anyway, summer means summer reading and i’ve got a big old stack of books that i’m eyeing for this summer…

now, i realize that the odds are probably not in my favor – especially since i still have a bunch that i’m finishing up with now that will prevent me from getting a head start… to that end, here’s a handful of reviews on some of the books i’ve recently found myself finishing up…

now playing: Bird of Paradise – Charlie Parker

Squawwwk! by Thomas Rockwell

this is a book that i remember reading and re-reading several times as a youngster… as such, as i was reading through the well-worn pages, sharing this tale with my two boys, many of the scenes were still very familiar… As we worked through the book, however, i wasn’t entirely sure what it was that drew me back again and again…

It’s a charming story, filled with what would now be considered political incorrectness – comments about weight and foolishness, for example – but at the heart of it, it’s a statement about how we react to things that we don’t understand… it’s an intriguing social commentary that’s pretty fun to read and, if you’re a fan of How to Eat Fried Worms, you may want to check out Thomas Rockwell’s lesser known book… the one about the giant, electric-blue bird that grew out of a book… the one called Squawwwk!

now playing: It’s Magic – Fenders

The Secrets of Droon: The Magic Escapes by Tony Abbott

My son likes the Magic Tree House book series and for some reason, on his last visit to the school library, this book was recommended to him… now, i’m not the kind of dad who’s immediately opposed to a book based on the cover (though it looks like a cheap Harry Potter knock-off), and i’m not afraid of books about magic and things of that nature…

that said, i did decide to read the book before sharing it with little boy and found the book to be incredibly pointless… though i wouldn’t recommend judging books by their covers, i do have to admit that this book seemingly lived up to my initial assessment based on the cover art… i haven’t read any of the Harry Potter series, i imagine that those books are everything that this book would like to be, but isn’t… the only message i could ascertain from the book was something about being able to do anything when you do it with your friends… the story itself was fairly bland overall with just a few interesting moments that were never fully developed… i suppose you could write that off because it’s part of a series, but i just wasn’t impressed at all and have no interest in the rest of the series…

now playing: Different – Jackson Waters

Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

This is a book that i really struggled with while i was reading it… it’s a really good read with an absolutely compelling premise, weaving two entirely separate storylines into one threaded connection… if the book had another subtitle, it could apprpriately be “A Cord of Three Strands,” referring to the verse in Ecclesiastes that explains the strong bond that is created when God connects two people together…

Though it was really a challenging book for the obvious reason of broadening one’s perspective on issues like prejudice, homelessness, and materialism, the most powerful message from where i sit was – not surprisingly – one of love… particularly as the book shared in great detail the painful story of Ron and his wife, Debbie… I’ll leave it at that so as not to ruin any of the unknowns, but it might make sense to keep some tissues handy when you read though this one…

now playing: Betrayal – Fiction Family

Face of Betrayal by Lis Wiehl

Okay, so i had no idea who Lis Wiehl was before reading this book and i’ve still never knowingly seen her in action, but clearly she’s more than qualified to write this book, having served as a federal prosecuter and currently as a correspondant for Fox News… and i say that because two of the three main characters in this well-told novel wear those shoes… the third, a special agent at the FBI, is drawn from the pages of Wiehl’s father’s career in the FBI…

The premise of the story has a “ripped from the headlines” feel and follows the search and investigation of a missing Senate page… i guess what i didn’t realize going into the book was that it was intended for a female audience and, fortunately, there were only a few brief parts where that was really obvious… call it Law and Order meets Murder She Wrote in print and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the book…

It will keep you guessing, it will keep you connected, it will certainly hold your attention and it will go by quickly… i do recommend the book and expect that you’ll enjoy it as well…

MORE IN A BIT

i’m going to take a quick breather here and come back in a little bit to talk specifically about three publications of the Bible that i’ve recently gotten and explored… and then i’ll do a general rundown of the books that i’m still finishing up before diving into the big list for the summer…

peace… love… bdg…

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hopefully you’re all enjoying the cool sounds of Seabird after that sweet deal of the day from Thursday… i’ve been enjoying that album since it released last year… Anyway, i have a few things to chat up today, but this post will be about one thing split into four parts… sit tight for all things House of Heroes…

BACK IN THE DAY

now playing: Back in the Day – Ahmad

Looking back, it might not have seemed that the group No Tagbacks took much of anything seriously. However, when the trio of bassist AJ Babcock, vocalist Tim Skipper and drummer Colin Rigsby rebranded themselves as House of Heroes, they certainly gained some momentum – enough to earn a record deal with TobyMac’s Gotee Records, a solid launching pad for the group that now has a couple albums and is definitely one to watch.

ENTER THE HEROES

now playing: Metaphor in Parentheses – House of Heroes

As House of Heroes, the group released their debut album, What You Want Is Now, via Vanishing Point Records. The album was produced by Plankeye’s Scott Silletta and caught the attention of Toby McKeehan, who signed them to Gotee shortly after the release.

2005 brought another debut of sorts, the self-titled label debut from Gotee – an album that was redone and rebranded as Say No More, released through Gotee’s sister label, Mono Vs Stereo. Common to each of the albums, the soaring vocals of Tim Skipper and the distinct rock sounds that combine raw passion and refined artistry.

THE END (BUT NOT THE END)

now playing: Sooner or Later – House of Heroes

Which brings us to last year and the release of The End Is Not the End, an epic journey offering a unique perspective of war over the backdrop of rock and roll. One of my personal favorites from last year, the album takes the group’s sound to the next level and offers fans something palpable to hang on to, touching on the many emotions related to the subject matter and exploring the many facet of musicianship the group has to offer.

Whether it’s the classic rock motif presented by tracks like “Voices” and “Lose Control” or the tender side of things displayed by ballads like “By Your Side,” the album gives listeners plenty to enjoy. Perhaps no more so than on the single, “In the Valley of the Dying Sun“, which manages to balance all of these aspects and utilize them together. There’s even a hint of The Beatles in the opening track “If” which brings us to the next topic of conversation…

THE EEPS

now playing: If (acoustic) – House of Heroes

This year, House of Heroes has kept their feet on the throttle as they’ve been dropping EPs to keep us enjoying the music year round. After a special Christmas single – Silent Night – the group released a three song EP called The Acoustic End that provides a fresh take on three of the tunes from their latest album, including the aforementioned “If” with its Beatle-esque song structure.

And later this week, on the heels of the big debuts of Rock Band: The Beatles at the E3 conference last week, House of Heroes offers a 3-song EP covering some influential songs from The Beatles, including “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da“, “Can’t Buy Me Love“, and “It Won’t Be Love.” One nice thing about the EP is that the group clearly realized that the songs have already stood the test of time and, rather than giving them a complete overhaul, just added a few minor touches of their own personality into the mix, reminding us all of the power of the songs that redefined rock and roll and changed America.

THE REAL END (FOR NOW)

So that’s House of Heroes in a Bucket (of Bullets). Most of their albums are available on iTunes by searching for House of Heroes. House of Heroes Meets the Beatles is available on Tuesday, but can be pre-ordered now.

peace… love… bdg…

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Deal of the day for today? Seabird’s full album for less than two bucks at Amazon MP3… i’ll be back later…

peace… love… bdg…

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just a quick heads up… i posted a Walk TRu for the remix album of Dance or Die by Family Force 5… below is a widget full of 30-second previews of all the tracks…

peace… love… bdg…

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well, it’s about time that i get American Idol off of the top of my list here, am i right?… we all know who’s won and we all probably agree that the most shocking thing about it is that i picked it right… anyway, congrats to Kris and all his fans, hopefully his album won’t include any songs as bad as No Boundaries…

Moving on, there are a number of things that i want to talk about, but we’ll have to take them all one at a time and see what happens… first, some basketball, spies and a lesson in persistence…

N.B.AMAZING
- now playing: Amazing – Kanye West

if you haven’t been watching the NBA playoffs, you’ve been missing some of the best sporting events of the year… i’m sure that the hockey playoffs are just dandy and that the baseball season has its share of excitement, but right now, you just cannot beat the drama taking place every night in both of the conference finals series…

you’ve got the clear favorites in both conferences (Lakers and Cavs) squaring off each night against veritable underdogs (Nuggets and Magic) proving to be formidable rivals… and almost every game has come down to the last thirty seconds or less… i’m not generally the guy who’s yelling at the television or reacting emotionally to games, but the other night when LeBron hit that last second three-pointer to even the series at a game a piece, i jumped up in excitement… amazing… now that’s how to finish a game… i’m a few games behind the action right now, but i’m enjoying every game as i watch them… add in the completely ridiculous outfits that Craig Sager always wears as if he’s lost a bet and i can’t wait ’til the finals regardless of who’ll be matched up…

REDEEMING THE FIFTH
- now playing: Redemption – Switchfoot

Also on my TV screen is the “new classic” spy series, Alias… I’m one of the suckers who picked up the full series on DVD packaged as a special Rambaldi artifact and i’ve been reliving the magic of the show over the last few months… i know that the series has taken a beating because it completely lost the plot during the fourth season, but even as annoying as that season was, transforming the show from a serialized suspense/drama into an episodic series, the season 4 finale was spectacular and season five has, thus far brought the show back around…

I’m currently seven episodes into the fifth season and it’s as compelling as it was the first time around… it’s probably not as good as Lost has been, but it’s certainly one of the best shows in television’s recent history… the weirdest thing for me right now is that i keep expecting Weiss to start reading everyone’s mind…

BREAKING THE TAPE
- now playing: The Distance – Cake

somewhat unrelated and somewhat entirely related (i’ll let you be the judge) i’ve been doing a lot of file organization, cleaning up the music folders on my hard drive and cleaning out my email archives so that my server host doesn’t stop liking me because i use too much space…

anyway, in the process of cleaning out my old emails – and i do mean old – i stumbled across a series of emails from a rather difficult time in my life… a time when ties were cut and feelings were hurt and endings were realized… i probably dug up things that should remain buried, but i did notice a number of similarities between then and now… and, looking back, i’m starting to understand more the importance of finishing well…

the words of Paul haunt me as i think of how i’ve failed to finish well in the past… how i’ve chosen to fade out rather than burn out… (even though i’ve often felt burnt out)… how i haven’t necessarily run in such a way as to receive the prize… or always lived a life that’s worthy of Christ… and i think ahead… of how i can change… i think of how God intends these circumstances for good… and how a diligent worker will stand before kings… and how i can change and get there… just a lot of thoughts in my head…

IT’S OVER

kind of heavy there for a blog entry, but these things happen… coming soon, i’ve got a handful of EPs to talk about, i’ve got a stack of books to talk about… i’ve got some other stuff to write and i’ve got some things to do… lots to look forward to…

peace… love… bdg…

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Last things last… we’re down to the final two and they’re performing right across the street from game one of the Lakers and Nuggets… i’m glad i’m not in THAT traffic, though i’m sure that both events would be fun to be at live… this is a neat intro, showing the two during their initial screenings and auditions… i don’t remember them doing that last year… now, Ryan is trying to be Mr. Standup, but whatevs… anyway… off we go…

Dynamo Duo

now playing: Eat, Sleep, Repeat – Copeland

“Wicked”… he’s starting off with a rerun… they had to pick one of their favorite performances from the past weeks… and he’s coming with “Mad World“… i guess that it’s a good choice, since it shows off his crazy without isolating his audience by shrieking or anything… it’s a rather controlled performance, but one that emanates the creepiness that he needs for appeal… Randy says A+… Kara says he’s and artist and he rocked it again… Paula is playing “Spray-on Tan Barbie” and she says that she’s proud of him… Simon thought it was his best performance the first time, but maybe a little too over the top…

“With a K”… singing “Ain’t No Sunshine” from behind the piano… and i like it right away… this is a really good song choice – has he done it before?… it seems like he might have, but either way, it’s a great tune with lots of great opportunities to riff and throw in emotion… and this is a spectacular arrangement and he’s really killing it… that was hot… Randy looking like a banker, says it was one of his best performances EVAR… Kara says that Kris is incredibly moving… Paula says that he awakens the spirit of everyone… Simon says that last week he wasn’t sure about Kris, but he is now… and after the numbers, Simon calls Kris the winner of round 1..

now playing: Rip It Up (Alt. Alt. Take) – Family Force 5

“Wicked”… Simon Fuller picked the next batch of songs… and, while this is one of my favorite songs, i can’t help but wonder if he picked this for the wrong contestant… Kris could do a nice Gavin DeGraw style version of this one… instead, Adam is treating us to a rousing Cinderella (the 80s hair-band) version of it… it’s not absolutely horrid – it’s pretty good actually, but i don’t know… not my favorite… Randy says that was unbelievable… Kara says it may have been his best interpretation of a song EVAR… Paula tries to rope him with her invisible Wonder Woman lasso, saying that it was the best he’s ever sung… Simon says he is 100% back in the game…

“With a K”… Simon Fuller is apparently brought to us by Motown… anyway, his choice for Kris is Marvin Gaye’s What’s Goin On… and Kris switches up the arrangement by pulling out the guitar and John Mayering it up… these two really are night and day from each other… and probably the best final two in the history of American Idol… i liked it… Randy says it was a little light… Kara says be true to your school, yo… er… i’m not really sure what she said, but there were hand motions to it… Paula said that he tore it up and made Marvin proud… Simon says that it was a bit too laid back, like a bunch of friends strumming along at home… then Simon switches his vote by a million percent… must be British math…

now playing: This Is My Now – Scott Krippayne

“Wicked”… this is a song written by Kara and some other unnamed songwriter… and Adam is walking through it like a blind man locked out of his house… yeah, he’s lost his keys… all the keys… this is incredibly pitchy and absolutely wretched… if this is any indication on how a post-AI album release will go, then I really hope that Adam loses and walks away… that’s terrible… TERRIBLE!… and once again Idol proves that they don’t care who the artist is, they just want them to fit a mold… Randy says it was just alright… Kara credits her cowriters and thanks Adam… Paula says that she’s a fan… Simon says that he’s going to ignore the song and point out that Adam is one of the best contestants that AI has ever had and that he’s a star…

“With a K”… so here’s his take on the same song… and i’ll try to be as non-descript as Simon (but it’s really a crap song, if i’m honest)… anyway… it definitely suits him better than Adam and at least he’s on key and making something of the song that’s not an absolute mess… i mean, if it’s on a playlist, i’m still pressing skip, but i might make it through 20 seconds instead of 3… Randy says he’s an amazing competitor, but then slights him for not being Adam… Kara says that the song was too high for him, but it’s been an incredible season… Paula wishes him the best of luck… Simon says that Kris peaked at song one, in so many words, but that he thoroughly deserves to be here tonight…

now playing: Home Sweet Home – Carrie Underwood

alright, thus concludes the final American Idol “report” from me for this season… i won’t even attempt to blog through the finale tomorrow because i always end up skipping over at least 2/3rds of those shows anyway…

so where does this leave us? who’s gonna walk away with the title?… early in the season, i picked Adam to win it all and i think i picked Kris to go somewhere around 9th or so… but like i said, he really came on strong over the last half of the competition and i think that he’s even surpassed the mighty Adam… therefore, i’m going with…

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner: Kris

peace… love… bdg…

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top three tonight which means, what, two songs each and clips from the triumphant visits back to their hometowns…? is this also the week when the judges get to pick a song for each contestant? how does that work with 4 judges now?… so many questions and, if i had tuned in on time, i’d already know… instead, i’m watching on a delay, skipping commercials and sappiness, and avoiding twitter and facebook updates to maintain some sense of surprise… diving right in…

THE THREE AMI-GOES?

now playing: The Choice Is Yours – KJ-52 (or Black Sheep)

“Gokey Dokey”… singing “Dance Little Sister” as chosen by Paula… i don’t think i’ve ever heard of this song or Terrence Trent D’Arby… apparently Danny hasn’t either… it’s got a nice Earth Wind and Fire feel to it and Danny is playing it up pretty well… gotta love a good sax solo… Paula is dancing… good for her… well, he did really well, i’d say… i’m not really feeling the song though… Randy says it was dope… Kara says it kept him in his money spot, but the dancing was a little heavy on the gyrations… Paula says that he did a fantastic job… Simon says that it’s not a dancing show, it’s a singing show and vocally it was good, but perhaps the wrong song choice…

“With a K”… okay, so, i’m watching one commercial… i wanted to see the trailer for Up because it’s showing a little bit more of the story… Randy and Kara have chosen Kris’s song for him and they’ve chosen “Apologize” by One Republic… awesome… he’s sitting behind the piano and he’s starting off pretty strong, perhaps a little copycat-ish, but i expect that he’ll inject something original into the arrangement at some point… Kris has really grown stronger as the competition has gone on… this one was alright… probably not his best, but really good overall… Randy says it was nice, very nice… Kara says it was really competent or confident, but it wasn’t really his own… he wasn’t swinging for the fences… Paula agrees that it wasn’t quite an original take, but she’s very proud of him… Simon says it wasn’t as good as the original, and that Kara should’ve told him how to prepare the arrangement and it’s a shoutfest…

“Wicked”… Simon got to pick Adam’s song and he’s chosen U2’s “One” if only to namedrop that he’s spoken with Bono personally… clearly, though, Simon likes the quiet and reserved version of Adam rather than the ostentatious and drama queen Adam… oh my… this is horrible… that’s not the direction to go with that song… it’s bad enough to have to cover a U2 song, but he really butchered it… the screaming… oh, that was just wretched… Randy says that he’s one of the hottest three in the competition (of course there are only three left)… Kara says he’s unbelievable… Paula says that it was one… aw, that’s as bad as the shrieking… Simon says it was a brilliant song choice and it was a brilliant, brilliant performance and he had better be in the finals next week…

now playing: The Show Must Go On – Queen

“Gokey Dokey”… singing a touching, Joe Cocker tune, “You Are So Beautiful“… he chose this one himself and there’s no dancing… but he has taken some liberties with the melody that i think the judges will like… and this is a pretty nice version actually… and it’s built into a really interesting song… definitely a twist on the original and i think that was a solid performance for him… Randy says that he can really, really, really sing with the mad vocals… Kara says that he completed himself with that one, it was stunning… Paula says that he left them all breathless and he nailed it… Simon says that he didn’t need to rearrange the song at all, but it was a vocal master class…

“With a K”… oh, no commercial… see, i was just about to write that they’re still gonna go over even though they built in an extra four minutes… wow… Kris is singing “Heartless” by Kanye West… that’s gonna be a HOT ONE BABY!… Ryan makes a point of saying that he’s from Arkansas… and now he’s got his acoustic guitar pulled out… and he’s rocking a stripped down version of a really sweet tune and he’s really pulling it off flawlessly… that’s just plain awesome… talk about a risk… man… solid… Randy says that this will be one of the toughest voting nights and that he liked it better than the original… Kara says he’s incredibly brave and it’s perfect… Paula makes a silly joke/jab at Simon, then says “Bravo”… Simon says that he had previously written him off, but now he’s back in the saddle again…

“Wicked”… ah, fringe finale is tonight too… i need to watch the final three episodes tomorrow… Adam is singing “Crying” by Aerosmith… from the early catalog, according to Kara last week… what the heck is up with the BGVs? they’re louder than he is… okay, so i’m gonna say that he’s done an alright job with it… definitely some high points, but also some really, really low points as well… i just think he’s fallen off a little for me… Randy says that it was better than One and that he’s one of the best AI has ever seen… Kara says it was amazing and that he’ll be in the finals next week… Paula says he set the bar so high that he should collect frequent flyer miles… and Simon says he doesn’t want to be a suck up and that people need to vote…

now playing: Home Sweet Home – Carrie Underwood

this is a really tough one to pick… and they did still run over… but here’s the point i was making about Kris earlier… Danny set his bar high pretty early on in the competition and pretty much stuck around that level, improving ever so slightly as the weeks wore on… Adam started out with a bang and pretty much let the judges carry him through the weeks with their high praise each time out… but Kris… man, i pointed it out one week a while back how he just started to stand out from the pack (specifically from Matt Giraud5) and he’s steadily made his way to the front of the pack…

if this were based solely on tonight’s performances, i’d have to say that Kris and Danny will square off next week… however, i really think it could go either way… i could see each of them going home… and, since i haven’t exactly done the best job all season of picking the results, i’m going to go with my heart…

Going Home Sweet Home: Adam

peace… love… bdg…

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