American Idol - Who's the best??

Who's the best? It's really tough to decide this year. The only one left that should go is Kelly Pickler, the calaaamarrri girl. She can sing, but only country seems to work for her and this is a pop idol contest.

Who do I want to win? Well if I were to judge solely on the fact that when Katharine McPhee is singing steam starts coming out of my ears and the sound of AHHHHOOOGAAAAAH can be heard for miles away, then well..

But...




My ears tell me that Elliot Yamin should win. He's got the most amazing tone and he always sings the most difficult songs. He's just kind of well, non-idol looking. But the stylists seem to be working their magic and each week he magically looks a little better.

I don't know. Any of them but Kelly could win. Chris Daughrty is damn good, but I think Elliot's vocal tone gets the edge. Chris, though, already looks and acts like a star. Taylor Hicks has soul and charisma but I think that ultimately his limited range and gray hair will do him in. Paris is just too good of an actor. She's sixteen or seventeen but when she sings you think you are listening to some old soul. It's too strange for the average viewer. I love her though. Anyway that's my two cents. O yah.. Simon sucks.

Sopranos - Episode 72 - Luxury Lounge

Our mobsters were up to all kinds of nasty stuff this week, but the highlight of this show, hands down was Lauren Bacall saying the 'F' word!!! Bogey is rolling in his grave! You gotta love L.B. She has always been one of my favorite actors from the old days. What a great sense of humor she has, to have the guts in her later years, to do a part like this. My hats off to you Dame Bacall.

Just as awesome was the appearance of Sir Ben Kingsley! He was so damn funny. I love the line at the end when he sees Chrissy on the plane with home. "FAAAAAAAAAAAAAwk" he says. It was priceless.

Another priceless moment was Chris showing his overwhelming intellect referring to Law and Order SUV. He is such an idiot.

The Sopranos - Episode 71 - "Live Free or Die"

It's all about Vito now and his secret life. Tony's ability to put the whole thing in perspective was quite surprising. The Captain's aren't going to be able to put up with it though. There's way too much homophobia in that group to tolerate the likes of Vito. So, as I said last week., Vito won't last the season.

Old Mr. Walnuts had quite a reaction to Vito's pufta tendencies. He said he felt betrayed. Hmmm??

I think that Paulie may have had a little action under the table during his prison stay. “The Lady doth Protest Too Much”, as one very smart Brit once said.

Gypsy at AMTSJ

I went to go see GYPSY last night at American Musical Theatre of San Jose. Things really got hot in Act II. The show picked up steam through the second act and the finally was really tremendous as Marya Grandy sung Rose's Turn with such gusto that would have made Ethel Merman proud.. It was great to see so many Bay Area pals up there doing there thing. It's a tribute to AMTSJ that they use as much local talent as they can and still remain a professional theater on a full scale Equity contract. Congrats to David, Jeff, Matt, Gia, Adrea, Joe, Dirk, Diana and all the other S.F. Based performers.

The Sopranos - Episode 70 - Mr. and Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request..

It looks like actor Joe Gannascoli who plays Vito Spatafore better start looking for another acting gig. He's going to lose another 100 lbs. due to starvation if he doesn't start selling more of his line of pasta sauce. Poor Vito was discovered at a gay night club by a couple of wise guys collecting their weekly envelope. So our buddy Vito grabs his pistol and puts himself up in a hotel out in the boondocks somewhere. Looks like he's contemplating giving himself a little lead poisoning. Within the next couple of weeks he's either going to have meet his maker by his own hand, or by one of T's crew. No way in hell they can let a fruity boss stay above ground. It's not in the job profile.

I love the way that every time Dr. Melfi gives T any actual practical advice, he uses it to improve his “business” relationships. This time she told him that if he's afraid of looking weak, to remember that people only see in us, what we let them see. So, T, being the quick study that he is, goes out and beats the holy crap out of his new body guard just to remind the jackals who's boss. If Melfi actually ever found out how many people have been killed and maimed because of her wisdom, she'd have to turn herself in as an accessory to murder and mayhem.

Does Christopher have an I.Q. of a turnip or what? His stupidity is hilarious. Last week it was his logical conclusion that dinosaurs and people could not have coexisted because that means Adam and Eve would have been chased around paradise by wild T Rex-s. This week he tells T that his idea to bring someone in from Naples to perform the hit on the Mayor of Munchkinland, was a pussy ass idea. Then he brings up one of the themes from THE GODFATHER that T must have agreed to doing the hit for Johnny because of the wedding. Only T had to remind Christopher that he had it backward. It was Johny Sack that wouldn't be able to refuse giving the favor. Christopher always has considered himself an expert on THE GODFATHER films. So, this was quite a riot.

One of my favorite little moments in the show was when A.J.s date at the wedding said she doesn't eat fish because of the “toxins”. This she said as she was taking a drag on a cig. Maybe they were those new toxin free organic cigarettes.

The whole fatty theme around Johnny Sacs family is a scream. You know he's a true Italian because even though his wife and daughter both resemble water buffalo he is concerned about them not eating enough. “Mangia, Mangia, Ven Grande!”, as my own grandmother used to say.

Overall, this one of the best episodes in memory and certainly the best this season. Next week, look for Vito to be pushing up more than his share of daisies, and (keep your fingers crossed), maybe the return of the ultimate hit-man Furio to do in the Mayor of Munchkinland.

The Sopranos - Episode 69- "The Fleshy Part of the Thigh"

You have got to love this picture. Paulie Walnuts, the conscientious recylcer. What a great way to start the show. I had to pause my Reply TV and go up to the screen to read it, but I love these little details. Damn, that Paulie is one mean S.O.B. It seems that he really doesn't have to do much acting, though. The actor, Tony Sirico, who plays the part of Paulie was a hood before he became an actor. It seems that he had his mob connections and spent quite a bit of time extorting people in New York night clubs. A New York judge once declared Mr. Sirico, “ a menace to society”. Don't believe it? Check out this article on Smoking Gun

So, the question we're left with at the end of the week's episode is about how much Tony is going to go "good guy" on us after his near death experience. My money is on him becoming more ruthless than ever after he sees how is new found humanity threatens his hold on the Family.

This weeks episode was one of the best. I hope it continues.

Damon Bags Armstrong Film

It seems that Matt Damon has bagged the Lance Armstrong film. The reasons for the departure seem hard to believe. As it says in the article, Matt and Lance disagreeed on the casting of the lead women. Since when does Lance Armstong consider himself an expert in the casting of a Hollywood film? I think that the reasons are just read-hearings. I wouldn't doubt if it were something as simple as Damon getting offered more dollars on something else. But who really knows? I mean what could be the problem with Michelle Pfeiffer as Lance's mom? You couldn't ask for a better actress and she's the perfect age. I actually ran into her at Pete's Coffee a few months ago in Palo Alto (she lives nearby). Lance loves Pete's coffee. I heard that he is essentially a Pete's addict. I bet if he had known, he would have gone with her as choice for mommy.

Who would be a good Lance on the big screen? I would cast an unknown who happens to also be a kick-ass bike rider. I am sure there are some actors out there like that. Why not? You could surround him with stars like Pfeiffer and actually have a lead character that looks like he is a bike racer.


www.cyclingnews.com news and analysis: "Armstrong film searching for new star

By Cheyenne Spokes

The heavily-rumoured casting of Hollywood heart-throb Matt Damon as Lance Armstrong in the forthcoming biopic about the seven time Tour de France winner has come to nothing after the 35 year old decided to dramatically quit the project in favour of another screen role.

Damon, star of hit movies such as Ocean's Eleven, the Bourne Identity and Saving Private Ryan, was long considered the prime choice of Armstrong.

Indeed Armstrong's dramatic recovery from a near-fatal illness seemed both the ideal Hollywood plot and a perfect vehicle for Damon's talents. Although the two look nothing alike, the movie star was reportedly in heavy training for the role, going on long bike rides with Armstrong in a bid to lose weight, gain fitness and build the technical skill to convincingly portray the multiple Tour champ on screen.

'Man, I'm even shaving my legs,' Damon reportedly said in an as-yet unpublished interview with celebrity reporter April Fibbs.

Details are still sketchy about what happened to his involvement with the project, but according to the unrivalled journal of record, National Enquirer, Damon and Armstrong failed to see eye to eye in a number of areas. These rumours include reports that:

* Damon INSISTED that Michelle Pfeiffer play Armstrong's mother.
* He DEMANDED that Jessica Alba play Armstrong's former wife Kristin, and
* He EXPRESSED A STRONG preference for the casting of Vanessa Paradis as Sheryl Crow, despite the fact that the singer is not actually French."