American Idol's charm is in the early going when extraordinary singing comes from ordinary undiscovered people. "When he gets to the end, he wants to start all over again." Towards the end, "the starmaker machinery behind the popular song" takes over and weird things happen and everybody tries too hard and it seeems like the auditions held more hope and promise (The Audacity!) than was warranted.
Melinda, the most professionally accomplished singer in the group is eliminated, leaving Blake, who is kind of a sophisticated goober (he can form his mouth into a perfect circle while singing at the camera) and Jordin, a lovely raw talent, who was named after a calf who lives here on Stornaway Farm. Pictures provided upon request.
Even though Claire picked the top four (in any order), Arnold has clinched the win. Some people have said they aren't going to pay Arnold because they don't believe in him. I think this is sad and sour grapes.
Arnie, congratulations. I believe in you.
The Standings with two positions left:
Arnold 22
Scott 26
Mom 28
Luke 29
Laura 30
Claire/Me 32
caleb 33
Friday, May 18, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Life in the Fast Lane
Hey! That'd make a great title for a book.
So I drove four hours ( I set out with four bull calves in the back of the truck, figuring to go to Unadilla and drop them off, but I ran into the trucker on the way there and switched them to his vehicle saving about an hour of time) to visit grandma Murphy (who really really wanted me to eat half her potato at the Bluebonnet Diner, which has great broasted chicken) for four hours and drove back four hours to arrive home at 1130pm only to have Luke come in the door at midnight saying the Forester was over at Craine Lake and wouldn't move. The clutch lasted only 25000 miles. Ouch. So new clutch in the works. Went out and bought another Murbaru (Subarurphy?) today, a deal I couldn't pass up. Needs head gaskets, of course.
So, I'm fried. Look for AI update and more tomorrow.
So I drove four hours ( I set out with four bull calves in the back of the truck, figuring to go to Unadilla and drop them off, but I ran into the trucker on the way there and switched them to his vehicle saving about an hour of time) to visit grandma Murphy (who really really wanted me to eat half her potato at the Bluebonnet Diner, which has great broasted chicken) for four hours and drove back four hours to arrive home at 1130pm only to have Luke come in the door at midnight saying the Forester was over at Craine Lake and wouldn't move. The clutch lasted only 25000 miles. Ouch. So new clutch in the works. Went out and bought another Murbaru (Subarurphy?) today, a deal I couldn't pass up. Needs head gaskets, of course.
So, I'm fried. Look for AI update and more tomorrow.
Monday, May 14, 2007
WE ROCK!
Stornaway Jerseys is eighth IN THE NATION for Jersey Performance Index, an amalgam of production and type traits. We jumped from eighteenth place to eighth. Interestingly, there are only two herds ahead of us that are BIGGER than we are. The bigger the herd, the more difficult it is to maintain high JPI numbers.
So things are looking up. The socialists who run our state (NY) just sent us a nice check drawn from other people's money, for which the socialists take credit, of course. Helping the poor stupid dairy farmer, doncha know. Maybe we'll do a farm update. Been awhile.
So things are looking up. The socialists who run our state (NY) just sent us a nice check drawn from other people's money, for which the socialists take credit, of course. Helping the poor stupid dairy farmer, doncha know. Maybe we'll do a farm update. Been awhile.
Why I was late to work the other day . . .
Well, duh, I got stuck in a traffic jam. Here's the proof:
The trouble with slowing down on a May morning in Chenango County is that, once you've stopped rushing, you might notice a roadside like this:
Which might force you to stop and get out for a closer look.
And then, further down the road, you might have to stop again to check out the luxurious way a brook meanders through a valley.
And then you might step back to notice the picture-book valley that it's wandering through.
Eventually, you manage to get to work. But even there, it's a challenge to be on time when, between the parking lot and the door, there are sights like this:
In May, at least, who'd want to live anyplace else?
The trouble with slowing down on a May morning in Chenango County is that, once you've stopped rushing, you might notice a roadside like this:
Which might force you to stop and get out for a closer look.
And then, further down the road, you might have to stop again to check out the luxurious way a brook meanders through a valley.
And then you might step back to notice the picture-book valley that it's wandering through.
Eventually, you manage to get to work. But even there, it's a challenge to be on time when, between the parking lot and the door, there are sights like this:
In May, at least, who'd want to live anyplace else?
26 degrees and getting colder
Yes, it's 26 degrees out. Here. Right now. Fortunately, while Obama lectures us about paying a "few hundred dollars" more for hybrids (we must, he says), HIS family car is a Chrysler 300C, and he and his family are going to warm the place up for me. Thanks, Obama, you phony.
Happy Mother's Day!
To all you mothers out there. To the rest of you, have lotsa kids. Have 'em young. You need 'em, and the world needs 'em.
Friday, May 11, 2007
The AI Update is late!
Sorry. Lots goin' on yesterday. ( Wait 'til you see Panda!) Please stop phoning. And the police are looking into who slashed the tires on my truck. C'mon, people, it's just American Idol.
Well, my favorite, Lakisha, did not have a good night. I don't know what possessed her to do "Stayin' Alive", or even why someone like Lakisha should have to sing BeeGee songs. I'd give anything to hear Lakisha sing "As I Went Down in the Valley to Pray" or "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" but I don't expect they'll be having a Religious Songs Night soon on American Idol.
I don't really dislike the BeeGee music. A couple of the ballads are really nice, and the dance music is, well, dance music. But as with so much other AI music, it's really not conducive to the kind of singing I like to hear.
So Arnie is locked into first place, and it looks like Scott could tie him if things fall right. I should have never answered Arnie when he asked me what a blog was.
Arnie 22
Scott 24
Mom 26
Luke 27
Laura 28
Me 30
Claire 31
Caleb 33
Well, my favorite, Lakisha, did not have a good night. I don't know what possessed her to do "Stayin' Alive", or even why someone like Lakisha should have to sing BeeGee songs. I'd give anything to hear Lakisha sing "As I Went Down in the Valley to Pray" or "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" but I don't expect they'll be having a Religious Songs Night soon on American Idol.
I don't really dislike the BeeGee music. A couple of the ballads are really nice, and the dance music is, well, dance music. But as with so much other AI music, it's really not conducive to the kind of singing I like to hear.
So Arnie is locked into first place, and it looks like Scott could tie him if things fall right. I should have never answered Arnie when he asked me what a blog was.
Arnie 22
Scott 24
Mom 26
Luke 27
Laura 28
Me 30
Claire 31
Caleb 33
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Lileks 24 update
is in the last section of today's bleat.
Excerpts:
UPDATE: hold on, people: a ranking section chief is coming over to replace Nadia. This is more exciting than a subsection non-com demi-colonel with a level 46G clearance factor coming over to change the urinal cakes. You can almost feel the excitement at CTU Human Resources: new employees? At 3 AM? Well, he’s going to wait until tomorrow if he wants his medical and dental to follow him over here, because I am done for the day. My house was nuked this morning and I have to go to my sister’s, and she lives way the hell out in the Valley. Damn.
UPDATE: FLASH ALL AGENCIES / CC EMBASSY SUBNETS COPY TO MILINT: Milo suspects there is something going on between Nadia and Ricky
UPDATE: Were in ur sewerz, resettin yt permissions. The Chinese have managed to seize control of America’s primary anti-terrorism unit by typing on a computer conveniently located by the sewer lines.
UPDATE: Well, Ricky, the path is clear now. On the other hand, Milo raised the bar for what it takes to impress Nadia.
Excerpts:
UPDATE: hold on, people: a ranking section chief is coming over to replace Nadia. This is more exciting than a subsection non-com demi-colonel with a level 46G clearance factor coming over to change the urinal cakes. You can almost feel the excitement at CTU Human Resources: new employees? At 3 AM? Well, he’s going to wait until tomorrow if he wants his medical and dental to follow him over here, because I am done for the day. My house was nuked this morning and I have to go to my sister’s, and she lives way the hell out in the Valley. Damn.
UPDATE: FLASH ALL AGENCIES / CC EMBASSY SUBNETS COPY TO MILINT: Milo suspects there is something going on between Nadia and Ricky
UPDATE: Were in ur sewerz, resettin yt permissions. The Chinese have managed to seize control of America’s primary anti-terrorism unit by typing on a computer conveniently located by the sewer lines.
UPDATE: Well, Ricky, the path is clear now. On the other hand, Milo raised the bar for what it takes to impress Nadia.
Eff the environment.
"Sustainable weddings?"
Ya wanna be green? Really? Then sit in a corner of the basement sucking your thumb. And don't exhale, because when you do, you're emitting, omigod, CARBON DIOXIDE! Deadly Carbon Dioxide! Almost as deadly as Dihydrogen Monoxide!
I like the gist of the column, which is "give it a rest already". But, really, there is no need to spend your lifetime reducing your consumption. We are not running out of anything, and societies with higher rates of consumption have cleaner "environments". Consume and be merry. At least, shut up about how you're doing something for the environment by reusing your plastic bags.
Somebody, please, ten or twenty or thirty years from now, when we're sitting sround shivering and worrying about the coming ice age, remember where you heard this. There is no environmental "crisis".
Ya wanna be green? Really? Then sit in a corner of the basement sucking your thumb. And don't exhale, because when you do, you're emitting, omigod, CARBON DIOXIDE! Deadly Carbon Dioxide! Almost as deadly as Dihydrogen Monoxide!
I like the gist of the column, which is "give it a rest already". But, really, there is no need to spend your lifetime reducing your consumption. We are not running out of anything, and societies with higher rates of consumption have cleaner "environments". Consume and be merry. At least, shut up about how you're doing something for the environment by reusing your plastic bags.
Somebody, please, ten or twenty or thirty years from now, when we're sitting sround shivering and worrying about the coming ice age, remember where you heard this. There is no environmental "crisis".
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