Finally! Some New Music!

FYI... its like, 220 in the morning, I still have two things to do for The Lovely Steph Leann tonight before I go to bed, and I have to be at The Happiest Place in the Mall around 830am... that means that I didn't listen start to finish on all the playlist songs. I will make necessary corrections this weekend... and for you Facebookians... the videos, nor the playlist, will show up. Do the right thing. Go to The Clouds. Bookmark it. Subscribe. You know you want it.

Well, it's been a while since you pulled up Clouds in My Coffee (or "The Clouds" as many, including my Seattle Gal Pal Mindy D'A likes to say) and heard music coming from your speakers. One reader (and I would say her name, but I can never spell it exactly right, and even though the correct spelling is one click away, its late and I'm too tired) kept hers on mute, because she surfs the net at her Pottery Paintin' Place, and now she'll have to go back to it.
As always, I run through the list of songs, and why I've put them on this month's playlist--some are repeats from past lists, but the theme of this month is simply "Songs I've Been Listening The Heck Out of For the Last Month or Two".

You know, for whatever reason, you just like a certain song over and over, then after a while, you think, "Okay, I'm done with it" and you drop the CD back into the CD wallet in your car, or you move the song back to the general population and out of your current playlist, to not be touched for who knows how long--could be months. Could be years.

"Your So Vain" by Carly Simon. A Clouds in My Coffee staple. I had some dreams, they were...

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. I have played this song enough to learn how to spell the guys name (and yet, I have trouble with Amaryllis Barnett... Amarylls... Amourellis...). Anyway, this is one of two songs I want played at my funeral. You know, if they do that montage of pics showing events of my all-too-brief life, I want this song playing in the background.

"Just the Two of Us" by Bill Withers. Classic. The music is catchy, soulful, it truly is a great song for a rainy day.

"You and I Both" by Jason Mraz. It took a while for me to come around to the Mraz bandwagon, but I really like this guy. At first, he was almost annoying, but after "The Remedy (I won't worry)" and "Wordplay" and "Geek in the Pink", he's got me sold on him. This one is my favorite. The video is both hilarious and awesome.

"My Favorite Mistake" by Sheryl Crow. No doubt, we all have those. Because of the invention of Facebook, and the large number of former classmates and people I would see every day back in the day, I choose not to list My Favorite Mistakes. Okay, fine, Angiejay. But thats only 'cause I'm still bitter. Ha!

"Bye Bye" by Jo Dee Messina. She had one heck of a One-Two punch with this song and "Heads Carolina, Tails California" (another great tune that I almost put on here)... she later did "Bring on the Rain" and "Burn", but not in succession, so I can argue that her One-Two "Bye Bye/Carolina, California" was one of the best back-to-back hits in country music.

My funniest Jo Dee Messina story... so check it out, I was going on missions to New York City in 2002. Right before, though, I had procured Jo Dee Messina tickets, four of 'em to be exact. So I told Wookiee that he could come, and I invited Jill Berthon and her friend Shannon Hanes. Not really a double date, though it is worthy of note that Jill and I had dated briefly in 2000... this time, though she was just my friend. I mean, there was this other girl named The Lovely Steph Campbell that I was sorta looking at and... well, back to the story...

Anyway, I go on the mission trip, I come back, and the concert is that night. So Wookiee, Jill and Shannon and I go, have a great time, we come home, night is over. Jo Dee does put on a great show, by the way... anyway, when I get home, my roommate Tom is furious with me. I ask Michael and Shawn, the other roommates, whats up and they tell me he's mad at me cause I took out Jill. First of all, I didn't "take out" Jill, we just went to a concert together, and secondly, why does Tom give a crap? Well, Michael informs me, because when you were gone to NYC, they've been out a few times. On dates.

Really? Had no idea. So I had to go and talk to Tom and tell him, and make him believe that I honestly had 1) No intentions on pursuing Jill, that it was just a concert, end of story and 2) I had NO clue that Tom was even interested in Jill remotely. That took some talking, but seriously, I had no idea.

Tom and Jill celebrated five years of bliss this past January, by the way.

"My Boo" by Usher & Alicia Keys. I'm not a huge Usher fan, but I really dig this tune. Admittedly, he does have a great voice, and toss in Alicia's sound, and you got a great slow jam.

"Love Song" by Sara Bareilles. For whatever reason, I got hooked back on this song last week, maybe the week before, and I've played it like, 23 times on my iPod. That may or may not sound like alot, but remember, I listen to about five different podcasts during the week, including Adam Carolla, The Sports Guy, PTI, Rush Limbaugh and Car Talk, and even squeeze in some Dave Ramsey when I can.

"When I Get Where I'm Going" by Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton. Here's the other song I want played at my funeral. Play Israel's song first, then have this one complete the photo montage and end with the black screen that says "david dollar... 1975 - 21??" You can fill in the question marks with whatever year it actually is. Don't put question marks for my death year. That's strange.

"Clarity" by John Mayer. My favorite Mayer tune, though I've put it on here about four times tonight... I keep finding the versions that end halfway through the song. Hopefully it works.

"Alone" by Heart. Dude. This song rocks. Carrie Underwood rocked it several years ago on Idol, but you'll never surpass the greatness of Nancy and Ann Wilson. Nor will you surpass their waistlines nowadays. Can they not hire trainers with the bajillions they've made? They were 80s kinda hot back in the day.

"Weak" by SWV. I'll set the scene on this song... back in the early 90s, right after Boyz II Men hit it big, there was a rush of three-some and four-some black dude groups that tried to emulate Boyz' sound--Shai, Jodeci (from which KC and JoJo heralded), All 4 One, Hi-Five, Silkk, etc--and on the opposite gender side, En Vogue hit it big, and chick groups popped up... Jade, Zhane and of course, SWV. Personally? I loved me some SWV... Sista's With Voices. Their hits included "I'm So Into You" and the Michael Jackson samplin' "Right Here/Human Nature", and this one, which I think is a classic.


This video? SOOOOO 90s.

"Until I Fall Away" by The Gin Blossoms. Not really a one hit wonder group... they were responsible for not just "Hey Jealousy" and "Found Out About You", but this one and "Allison Road", all from their album "New Miserable Experience". I would consider them a "one album wonder", meaning one hit album and thats it. Their follow up, "Congratulations, I'm Sorry" had "Follow You Down", but thats all they had left. This song makes me think of Troy State University days, and in particular, Allison Hodnett.

This dashing redhead was a year younger than I, and she was just beautiful. Arriving as a freshman in the fall of 94, she was good friends with Mandy Stewart, a fellow sophomore like myself, and who was also my very good friend, and in fact, Mandy kept trying to encourage something between me and Allison... I finally asked her out, and she rejected me. Ah well, life goes on, right? Well, she was all weird around me for quite a few weeks--this is a trait you chicks have and its freakin' terrible, but thats another blog for another day--when one day she calls me up and asks me to come over to Shackleford Hall to see her. Of course I go. Duh.

I roll over there, rollin' in my 5.0, with my ragtop down so my hair can blow and... no, not really. I think I was driving a Chick Magnet Buick Century. Chicks went out with me for me back then, not cause of my wheels, cause my wheels suuuuuuuuucked for many, many years. Anyway, Allison and I stand outside the lawn space separating Shack and Pace Hall, and this is, oh, I dunno, 11pm? Midnight? No good conversations with me ever happened before 10pm. Anyway, she tells me how dumb she had been, and how she thought I was great, and how she was so sorry for acting the way she did and all, and how she didn't know if anything would come of it, but she wanted to see me again. And then...

"So... would you want to go the movies with me this Wednesday?" she said. There was a movie showing every Wednesday night on Troy's campus back then.
"Really? Like, as friends, or like, a real date?" I asked with baited breath and nervous anticipation.
"I dunno. Friends. No, a date. We'll make it a date. Seriously."
"So you are asking me out on a date?"
"Well... I guess I am. Will you go out with me?"
Now, while I smiled and said, "Sure, I'd love to," with a restraited acceptance, my stomach was now dancing the fox trot with my spleen, and my entire throat contracted so I could barely breath.

Imagine my disappointment when Wednesday afternoon, she calls me. She is not feeling well, she's been sick all day, and we're going to have to postpone our movie date. I'm let down, but heck, she asked me out, right? I mean, she has to be legitimately sick, right? I didn't talk her into going with me, she asked me out.

I went to the movies anyway, with some friends. And of course, she was there. With John Glasscock. I was kinda mad. I called her later, and her roommate, Liberty Leak, answered and wouldn't put Allison on the phone. You chicks are something else, I tell ya.

Now that I think about it, I don't know if that song fits Allison Hodnett... but it was a fun story to tell.

"Anything but Down" by Sheryl Crow. I don't care for her politics, and unlike Sheryl, I wipe with many, many squares, not just one, but I dig me some Sheryl Crow music. She was also heavily portrayed on my Troy State Soundtrack.

"Can't Let Go" by Mariah Carey. I've often lamented about how much I miss pre-skank Mariah. I think it actually all came crashing down for both she and Whitney Houston when they combined to do that really crappy song "If You Believe" featured in the equally crappy "The Prince of Egypt". Perhaps that one recording studio room couldn't hold that much talent all at once, the talents collided, both were altered and neither was ever the same. I miss she and Whitney both. This song takes me back to high school, though no one in particular comes to mind.



"World on Fire" by Sarah McLachlan. I also love me some Sarah McLachlan. I went to a concert of hers a few years ago. Both me and The Lovely Steph Leann observed that Sarah is quite popular with the members of the Lesbetarian Church. Quite the gay magnet, that Sarah, straight as she may be. Amazing video, by the way. This song, not the gay people.

"Impulsive" by Wilson Phillips. I daresay that YOU do not know a bigger Wilson Phillips fan than myself. I will fully and readily admit that this self-titled album and "Time Love and Tenderness" by Michael Bolton are two CDs that most people would hide in shame, but I will gladly annoucned that I proudly own. I will now put on a white hood and stroll through Ensley.


Back in the 90s, if you were a guy, you were either in the Chyna Camp or in the Wendy Camp, like myself. Its not politically correct, or even nice, but is the honest truth to say no one, and I mean NO ONE was in Camp Carnie. Not a soul.

"The Story" by Brandi Carlile. Dunno why, but this song just hits me. Maybe you should play this song at my funeral, but don't show photos of me... show that Grey's Anatomy video that went along with it. Its much more interesting and flows better with the song than my life would.



"Dead and Bloated" by The Stone Temple Pilots. Said it before, will say it again... Scott Weiland, I'm glad he's clean and sober, if he is still, but he was so much better when he was stoned. He sang better. He performed better. He even looked cooler. I might shoot up before I do the next KidStuf performance, maybe I'll draw the crowds.

I have to admit, though, though I love the Pilots, and think "Core" is a pheeeeeenomonal album, the main reason this song is on this page is because I want someone to hear "I AM SMELLIN' LIKE A ROSE ON MY BIRTHDAY DEATHBED... I AM SMELLIN' LIKE A ROSE CAUSE I'M DEAD AND BLOATED!!!" when they pull my page up. Its so enchanting.

"My My My" by Johnny Gill. Let's face it. This song is about sex. I can't butter it up, I can't explain it away, you just have to know this song is about a guy who loves his chick so much, he just can't get over how hot she is. My my my, my my my my... your so doggone fine. Really, ain't that the way it should be? The Lovely Steph Leann... my my my, my my my my...

New Month, New Theme... November's Music List

Thought five days into the month, it might be time to change our music. For a day it was the appropriate "What a Fool Believes" by The Doobie Brothers, but I didn't have a great mix to surround it with.

So I spent a little time and come up with a good playlist for the month of November, which typically is known for its great fall weather, Thanksgiving, craziness in college football, DeNick AND DeLisa's birthdays and even more...

And here's what I chose for November:

"As Good As I Once Was" by Toby Keith... Wow... this could definately be my new theme song. For a while, I kept "Your So Vain" by Carly Simon in the leadoff spot, but this song is perfect. Because yes, I ain't as good as I once was... and that's just the cold, hard truth. I still throw a few back, talk a little smack when I'm feeling bulletproof. So don't double dog dare me now, I might have to call your bluff... cause I ain't as good as I once was... but I'm as good once, as I ever was. (possibly the funniest country video ever)

You'll probably want to pause the regular music player before hitting play on this... but its worth it.

"When I Get Where I'm Going" by Brad Paisley, featuring Dolly Parton... Talk about sentimental. This is one of those songs that make you sit back and just... well, sigh, and think of how beautiful Home will finally be.

"1,2,3" by Gloria Estefan. Gotta say, I lurves me some Gloria, always have. Even when she does that Spanish Cuban music I can't understand. Still, she's magnficent. I actually wanted "Here We Are", one of the Top Five Most Painful Songs Ever Written, but this will do. Makes me think of the Junior Honor Society Beach trips we'd go on in the Spring. It had to be an "educational" trip, so Mrs Whittle and Mrs. Rials would take us to the "Frog House", a mansion where the movie "Frogs" was filmed in the 70s. Terrible movie. Interesting house. Then we'd go to the beach. Its where I, as a 13 year old boy, first glimpsed not only Jennifer Lambert but also Stephanie Phillips in a swimsuit. When you are that young, this is an awesome thing. Now? I feel kinda creepy thinking about it. Crap. Chris Hansen is on my porch.

"Shameless" by Garth Brooks. I always liked Amanda Webster. Well, not "like" like, I mean, I wasn't crushin' on her by no means-that was Julie Wise, the Clouds In My Coffee Official Samson High Crush, but Amanda was always really cool to me. I only mention this because Amanda was my 2nd slow dance ever. Angiejay--who has rejected me on Facebook, by the way, and that has made me very bitter--was my first, to Alan Jackson's "Wanted". Where was I going with all of this, if only to rail against Angiejay again? I'm not really sure. But Amanda and I danced to this song at her birthday party. Amanda, I hope you are superduper well!

"If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" by Sting. Some artists, U2 comes to mind, have now hit that "we are so big we're almost overrated" status. Honestly, U2 really hasn't done that much in the last several years. I mean, Bono wears the sunglasses and goes to Africa alot, but musically, their stuff have just been, well, 'eh. Sting, however? He's still the man. He's hit that "I can do whatever the crap I want, I'm freakin' Sting" status. This is a song directly from that status' peak.

"More Than You'll Ever Know" by Watermark. Unfortunately, the title track to the d$'s Life Soundtrack was unavailable. No, not "You're So Vain" (and no, not "Your an Frickin Idiot", Anonymous Poster), but "Welcome to Delaware. So, I chose this little friendship ditty from one of my all time favorite bands, Watermark, who stopped performing as "Watermark"--I was going to say broke up, but since Watermark was husband and wife Nathan and Christy Nockel, how bad would that be?

"Let's Stay Together" by Al Green. The man, the master, the pimpdaddy of soulful 70s. Seriously, does it get any more pimp than Al? This is a song used masterfully in "Pulp Fiction", as most all songs are in a Tarantino movie.

"Alone" by Heart. When I hear this song now, it makes me think of Carrie Underwood on American Idol, in leather, with big, hairsprayed up hair, blowing this song out of the water. This truly is one of Heart's best. Perhaps next month I'll rock it a little more with Barracuda. But for now... How do I get you aloooone? How do I get you aloooone??

"Like a Child" by Jars of Clay. One of the best two or three Christian albums ever. Talk about the Law of Hootie--come out with your first album, and five albums later, the first is still the most popular and best of the bunch? I've actually interviewed Steve Mason from Jars of Clay, back when I did Sunday Night Power, a Christian Music show for Troy's WTBF in college. Steve said this was one of their favorites to record, because its just so simple. Faith like a child.

"The Way I Am" by Jennifer Knapp. Its better to be deaf, dumb and blind than to be the way I am. Could I sum up my life any better than those 15 words? Brilliant writing, and you can't believe how much I miss J-Knapp. This is from "The Way I Am", her final CD before Gotee Records released like, 40 greatest hits and live packages. The CD was actually going to be called "Deaf, Dumb and Blind" but producers nixed that idea.

"Take It On the Run" by REO Speedwagon. All I know is this... you will leave this computer singing this song. If you aren't singing it, it will be stuck in your head. If you did an entire album of songs that are meant to be played at high volume inside a fast moving vehicle, this would have to be on there. Heard if from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from another you been messing around. Isn't that how rumors get started?

"The Promise" by When In Rome. So, I worked at WKMX in Enterprise, doing the overnights on weekends. Well, during the Breakfast Jam with BJ Kelly, they would do a "name this old song" type of contest. Naturally, working there, I couldn't win, but one day, they played the first three or four notes of this song. I'm not kidding, I knew it as soon as those few little notes were played (when you hear it, you'll know what I mean). I immediately called, threw on this very feminine--and very fake sounding--voice. When they asked me my name, I said the first chick name that came to my mind--Valerie Newman.

Well, I/Valerie won, and then even asked me, "We thought this was a hard one, how did you know this so fast?" and in my fake, high pitched voice, I replied, "I just love this song!" Well the real Valerie Newman had never heard it, or so she told me when I called her a few minutes later. She was living in the Alpha Gamma Delta house at the time, and so a few days later, she, I and FarmHouse brother Jason White jumped in her Pontiac Grand Am and made the 30 minute trek to Enterprise to pick up her prize. I don't remember what it was, except that there was a free tanning package included. I don't know that she ever said thanks. Hmm...

"Kiss & Say Goodbye" by The Manhattans. Another American Idol reference, this one from Season Two. One of my top two or three performances ever was watching Ruben Studdard come out and just knock this song out of the park. He was amazing, so much so that I rewound it (I had a VCR at the time) and watched it four times. I'm afraid to go find it on YouTube, because I'm afraid it won't be as good as I remember. Kinda like a slow dance now with Angiejay.

Yep. I watched it again on YouTube. Yes, its good. But not nearly as good as I remember it being. Wait... what if Angiejay is my Anonymous Poster? That would make sense... hmmm...

"American Boy" by Estelle, featuring Kanye West. Let's be very clear, I'm not a fan of Kanye's politicking. I personally don't agree with him that Dubya hates black people. Truthbetold, I don't really like most of Kanye's stuff--"Gold Digger" is the exception. However, I can dig this song. Its a little rap, a little R&B, and even he manages not to screw it up too badly. And the bad word is deleted in the song... this might be my favorite song of 2008 thusfar.

"Your So Vain" by Carly Simon. Naturally. Its a Clouds In My Coffee music playlist standard.

There ya have it... November's playlist selection. Fifteen songs, different genres, yet somehow, they seemingly kinda go with each other.

Musical Seasons of September

Someone actually told me that they were anxiously awaiting what was being chosen for September... so, uh... here we go!

I will say this... some music, like some great movies, have a few concepts which aren't necessarily on the up and up. So for some of you, especially you EMMY TURNBOW, when you hear the words, "Hello daddy...", its time for you to skip to the next song. And I think if you hear the fiddle and bluegrass, you'll want to do the same.

"You're So Vain" by Carly Simon... of course. This stays.

"Learn to Fly" by The Foo Fighters... Just awesome. Epitome of the 90s rock sound, and just a fun driving song.

"Seasons of Love" by the Cast of Rent... I have to say that I liked the show, I didn't love the show. I also enjoyed the movie, perhaps because I think Idina Menzel is as hot as rock fire, in a Jennifer Herndon sort of way, and I've always liked Anthony Rapp, who you might recognize as Daryl from "Adventures in Babysitting". This song, however, is magnificent.


Here's the video from the movie, and yes, its That Guy from Law & Order. Personally, I like the Broadway version better, but this is still a pretty good version. Also, I recommend Anthony Rapp's biography.

(SOAPBOX ALERT!!) Can I tell you why I like this show, as a Believer and Christ Follower? This show is a great example of who we are supposed to be about. Its easy to sit in church, and pray and encourage each other, and love on each other, and fellowships and so on... and yes, that is what Jesus wants us to do. But you know what else He wants us to do? Love on the people who aren't Christ Followers. And that means more than the potty mouth guy in your office, or the somewhat promiscious secretary down the hall... but it also means the people in Rent. The bisexuals. The transvestities. The drug addicts. The lesbians. The straight people. All of them. Every one of them. So when Angel dies of AIDS in this show, I can only think of how many Angel-type people in this world die everyday without the full knowledge of The Gospel, because people like me don't care enough to deal with them.

Oh, and I don't mean The Angel, because that's Heather Hanson. I mean Angel Schunard, in the show, the transvestite. There is a difference. We'll be back to The 700 Club after this break.

Where was I?

"You Give Good Love" by Whitney Houston... For Michelle. Inside joke.

"Better Man" by Pearl Jam... For KT, though its not an inside joke. We just both like this song.

"Sitting, Wishing, Waiting" by Jack Johnson... one of those elite few artists who can continually be popular and much loved without ever having much mainstream success. Good tune.

"Best of My Love" by The Emotions... Disco at its finest. Well, "finest" might be the wrong word, but Disco at its best... hmm, "best" might also be a strong word. Um, how about, a great example of Disco. I love this song. It makes me smile, and any song that can make me smile is worth it for me.

"Push" by Sarah McLachlan. This one might be for The Lovely Steph Leann. "You stay the course, you hold the line, you keep it all together. You're the one true thing I know I can believe in." Well, her and The Messiah. And since I'm not a Democrat, I mean Jesus, not Barack Hussein Obama. Just sayin'.

"Who Am I/Grace Flows Down" by Watermark. One of my all time favorite worship songs, from a band thats a guaranteed future Dave Hall of Famer.

"Live Like You Were Dying," by Tim McGraw. The Lovely Steph Leann and I went out the other night (how old are you when date night includes a stop at Wal-Mart?) and we were joking around and listening to the radio and talking and what have you... and this song came on. And we both sang. Its such a simple, perhaps silly song, but its really genius.

"This Song Remembers When" by Trisha Yearwood. In May of 2006, on this very blog, I ranked this as the saddest song ever written. I stand by that assertion. How painful is it when you think you've gotten over someone, and a song comes on that takes it all back for you? Ouch.

"Sin Wagon" by The Dixie Chicks. I'll admit it... I'm a fool for chicks with guitars and fiddles, and this has both. Another song I love to hear in the car, as I beat my steering wheel with reckless abandon, and move my head unintentionally. With any luck, you'll hear "Who Am I/Grace Falls Down" immediately after this, just to keep you straight.

"Hook" by Blues Traveler. I thought perhaps of "Run Around", and thats on the list for October, but I really liked this one too. John Popper is pretty talented on the harmonica.

"Someone Saved My Life Tonight" by Elton John. This is The Lovely Steph Leann's favorite Elton John song, and thought I was a fan of "Tiny Dancer" and "Take Me to the Pilot", I have to admit, this is right up there. Great piano, great tune, great voice.

"Loungin' (who do you love?)" by LL Cool J. I'm a huge Cool J fan, always have been, even with the crappy stuff from the 80s ("I Need Love"? Puh-leez...). Anyway, the song officially has no dirty words in it, though it has a few (!) innuendos. So, this is the PG-13 part of the blog.

Again, with any luck, you'll hear "Sin Wagon", followed by "Who Am I/Grace Falls Down", only to finish with "Loungin' (who do you love?)"... because that's what just happened to me. I'm so conflicted.

Got a song you'd love to hear in October? Let me know.

She Might Be a Prostitute... and other ramblings tonight

I'm walking. I'm walking down a covered path, not covered by any manmade roof, but by a thatch of branches, shadowing the path from trees to the left and right. There's a small hut up the way a little. Men and woman are walking past me, behind me, in front of me. As I approach the hut, I see a table, a long legged, small surface table. It stands tall, at the back of the small hut. I can see plainly the book, as the day is warm and sunny, the light creeping through the branches of the trees into the open walls of the hut.

There's a book on the table. Its made of leather and parchment... its obvious its been man-made, but it has been beautifully crafted. As I open it, it strikes me as odd... this is a book... a book of... prostitutes? There are names of women of the night in this book. Many, many names. I recognize one of them. I know her! I know who that is! But certainly, she's not a prostitute? I mean, I would have heard of this... I would know this, right?

This can't be. This mustn't be. Not her. No. NO! I throw the book down, and race back down the path... I've got to find her... I've got to ask her... I've got to know, "Are you a woman of ill repute???" I've got to discover, "Are you a lady of the night???" I've got to find out, "Are you in the oldest profession???" And I've got to know why, according to the book, her prices are so cheap!

There she is... I'm going to ask her. But I see light. Bright light.

For some strange reason, The Lovely Steph Leann has turned the light on. Please understand, I'm exhausted, getting only a few hours sleep the night before... and I have to open at Starbucks the next morning. I've gone to bed at 10:30, intending on at least 6 hours of solid sleep... but the lamp wakes me up. I lift my head to look at my lovely wife, who, mind you, has come to bed maybe an hour after me... she looks at me and screams. Now I'm really awake. Completely awake.

"What the heck?" I ask. "What's wrong?"
"Uh... you scared me..." she says in a stupor
"Scared you? What? I've been in bed for two hours now... you came after me... how did I scare you?"
"You just... you just did... I dunno..." The Lovely Steph Leann struggles with comprehension for a minute, then turns the light back off.

You know how, when you're really tired, and you end up sleeping for only 2 hours, and you wake up still exhausted? Like, your eyes hurt, your arms are sore, you just feel like dying kind of exhausted. This was me after The Lovely Steph Leann turned on the light, screamed, stared at me, then turned the light off, and was asleep within five minutes. Not good times. Bad times, bad times.

And I don't know if she was a prostitute!!!

$$$$$$$$$$

We were a part of the job fair at UAB, recruiting for The Happiest Place in the Mall. Dan, the Other Happiest Assistant Manager at The Happiest Place in the Mall, and Yours Truly set up a table, tablecloth, a few Mickey & Minnie items, and some applications. And we waited.

I had observed some of the other tables around the perimeter... there were about 34 or 35 other businesses that were also hitting the freshman and upper class pool of people, which is ingenius, because they are all in college and broke.

The McWane Center was a hit. They had the table in front of the door, so as you walk in, you see them, and many people went straight there. We were diagonal from McWane, so you passed by The Happiest Table in the Job Fair on your right as you came in the room. Across from us was Alabama Telco Credit Union, which, though they were nice, I gotta say wasn't the most entertaining, fun idea for a part time job.

Don't get me wrong, I think you do what you gotta do when the time arrives, but if I walk into the job fair such as these kids did, I'm looking at McWane, or The Learning Express (complete with their lot of fun toys on the table) or Ross Bridges Golf Course or something like that. The Credit Union, be it Alabama Telco or Legacy, cause they were both there, wouldnt be my first choice. And who wants to work at freakin' Newk's Express Cafe? Or Panera Bread? Or a dental office?

Victoria's Secret was there, and I'll be honest with you... if I ever walk into that store again, and they've hired some of the people that I saw apply, trust me, I will not want to think about women's underwear. Not in the slightest.

International students can't work off campus, so half of our morning was spent telling Habeeb and Ismish and Rjnrnwvn that we were located at the Galleria Mall, about 10 miles from campus. I'm not sure some countries actually know about vowels.

The result is that I've got 9 interviews on Monday set up. I expect a few of them to not show up, there are one or two that I'm hoping will work out cause they were awesome, and there's some that I could go either way on.

$$$$$$$$$$

I did my first interviews for The Happiest Place in the Mall last week, and really, sometimes its just funny. One girl was so quiet, I had to lean forward to hear anything she had to say... "So what are your favorite Disney characters?"

"Oh, I likes Mickey. He's so fun..."
"What about your favorite Disney movies?"
(thinking, and it looks as if it takes effort) "I like Winnies the Pooh"
I then ask, "Tell me about your shopping habits. What do you look for in a store?" (now, I know she might not understand this question, so I clarify) "I mean, not really what you are shopping for, but what makes a store or shop stand out to you?"
(thinking again) "I like... I like to shop for shoes. And jew-ree. And clothes. And ak-cess-rees."
(pausing a second to remove the blue, fine point sharpie out of my eye) "Okay... well, give for me a great shopping experience you've had in the past. When you went shopping and was just made very happy with the whole time. What happened?"
(thinking again) "I like... I shop at May-says... and Pennies... And Sears--I love Sears"
(pausing again to pull the paper clips out from under my fingernails) "Okay, well, tell me what you think will be the most challenging thing about working at our store..."
(thinking again) "The register. Probably working the register."
(nodding, for once, as she gives a sensable answer) "Tell me what you think will be the most enjoyable part of the job?"
(thinking one final time, as this might be all she's got) "Um... probably the register"

She didn't get the job

$$$$$$$$$$

You know, I want to like the Olympics... I really do. I mean, the gymnastics are unbelievable, even if they are a little creepy, and the track is awesome, cause its simply, "Who can run faster?" and the swimming is fun, because its simply, "Who can swim faster?" But overall, its hard to get all excited for most of the Olympics, because none of you... and I mean NONE OF YOU care about fencing, nor water polo, nor women's sand volleyball, nor the decathalon, nor the trampoline, nor handball except for every four years. And let's face it, you take out swimming and gymnastics, then you lose 58% of your chick audience.

Don't get me wrong... I love my country, and I'm proud of the fact that as of this moment, we've to 107 medals, and am second--and a distant second--to only China in gold medals. Michael Phelps? He's a beast, seriously. Possibly the world's greatest athlete, until we find another one who is just as good, next week.

But really, will you remember anything beyond Michael Phelps? Maybe, and that's a solid maybe Nastia Liukin, but only because of her name. I mean, who remembers Carly Patterson?

And is it just me, or did Nastia and Shawn Johnson's Gold and Silver medals feel tainted, as both have heavy foriegn influences? Nastia was born in Russia, and brought to the US but trained under Muther Rusha's reign of premature growth. Shawn Johnson was born here, grew up in Iowa and trained under Laing Chow, from China.

Which led to this exchange with Mikey Nipp over lunch:
Mikey: Nastia is kinda hot
Me: Yeah, but dude... she's like jailbait
Mikey: Oh no she's not. Shawn Johnson is, but Nastia is 18. She's totally legal, dude
Me: Oh yeah...

Did you know, though, that softball is coming out of the Olympics in 2012? The rumor is, because the US Girls have won the gold every single time since it was introduced in 1996, though they just lost this time. And no lacrosse, no rugby... but there's badminton and handball.

Personally, I think they should make MMA an Olympic sport, and have countries that don't get along face off. Can you imagine the scene when Russia's Olympic MMA champ Igor Krhrzaovic takes on Georgia's MMA champ, Viktr Lozrovich? Or Israel's Ismael Epstein up against Palestine's Mahmeed Amajendade? THAT would be something I'd be up for.

$$$$$$$$$$

The Lovely Steph Leann is home. She's lying on the futon behind me, in the guest room here, and I'm web surfin'. On the blogsite here, comes Carly Simon's "You're So Vain". Whether we meant to do it or not, I'm not sure, but we both end up singing the first line...

"You walked into... the party... like you were walking onto a yacht... your hat strategically placed below one eye... your scarf it was apricot..."

Then, the next line. She sang, "With one eye in the mirror, you watched yourself go by..." and I sang, "With one eye in the mirror, you watched yourself cravat..." She looked at me, and said, "That's not what she's singing." I said, "It's something like that... I mean, I know its not 'go by'." She looked puzzled. "But that doesn't make any sense, does it? I mean, a cravat? That's a scarf, I think."

I replied simply, "Well, whatever it is, I know its not 'watch yourself go by.' I know that because that used to be the line I used, but I looked it up one day and found out I was wrong about that." And this was true.

She replied, "Well, I can't imagine she would sing 'you watched yourself cravat'. That makes no sense whatsoever." So, I turned to look it up. And the line? "With one eye in the mirror, you watched yourself gravotte..." I read the line to The Lovely Steph Leann, and she sat up. We both wondered... what's a gavotte?

Turns out, its a french dance of some sort. Apparently, in this context, it means pretentious or egotistical style of dancing.

You wanna know what else about this song, which is my Dave Hot 100 Ever? "then you flew your Lear Jet up to Nova Scotia to see the total eclipse of the sun..." stems from the fact there were 2 solar eclipses in Nova Scotia in the 70s. It's also noteworthy that Warren Beatty, who has been rumored to be the subject of this song, has a mother who lives in Nova Scotia.

And, when "I hear you went up to Saratoga, and your horse naturally one...", it refers to the Saratoga Race Course meeting held in late July, August and early September in Saratoga Springs, New York. The meeting is known to be frequented by the rich and famous of New York and other places on the East Coast.

I had some dreams, they were Clouds in My Coffee, Clouds in My Coffee...

$$$$$$$$$$

And, finally... I'm behind the Box Office, at The Happiest Place in the Mall last week. Up walks three guests, one with the merchandise, one who apparently is her son, and another who seems like the son's friend.

She is buying some Tinkerbell pajamas, a Tinkerbell shirt and a little soft baseball with Tinkerbell on it. I chat with her for a moment, mostly about Disney and Tinkerbell, whom I admit I've got a cartoon crush on--she's silent, and 2D hot... and yes, I'm in therapy right now--and she tells me how she's loved Tinkerbell for years and years and years.

She pays with a credit card, and I ask for ID. The son pipes up, and says, "Wow, rough joint, you get carded here!"
And I smile and reply, "Well, you know, I have to make sure she's 21!" to which the mom grinned.
The friend looks bewildered. "You have to... show ID here to buy stuff?"
The son looks at his friend, with surprise, but I don't miss a beat, "Yep. You have to be over 21 to buy stuff here. It's the law."
The friend looks at me, then looks at the son, then back to me, and whispers to the son, "Really?"

I said, "Yeah... its to make sure you don't Tink and drive."

Thanks. I'll be here all week.

August and Everything After

If you've come to the blogsite, you might wonder if that song you are hearing (if you do listen to the music) is something you've just missed. Well, no, its a new song. In fact, I've already decided that at the beginning of each month, there will be a new playlist for your perusal.

The only song that stays is "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon, mostly because its pretty much the lead in to this site... I say that if you are reading this on Clouds In My Coffee. If you are in Facebook, I've got my blog imported, and you can hear the same playlist, but I'd love for you to go over to my real site, where the magic really happens. Anything to make my daily counter go up, and anything to hit that golden 14,000 page loads.

Anyway, here's the new stuff that I chose for the site--and since its on random-play, you probably won't hear them in this order.

After "You're So Vain"...

"The Last of the Mohicans Main Theme" by... well, the song says Trevor Jones & Randy Edelman, but who knows? I'm not really sure this is the official title of it, but this song is just awesome. Its... well, its the main theme from a movie that is not only in The Dave100, but in The Dave20 as far as I'm concerned. How can you not be pumped after hearing this tune? Right now, I want to go run and jump over something, then throw a tomahawk into the head of a rogue Indian named Magua.

"Jimmy Olsen's Blues" by The Spin Doctors. From the album "Pocket Full of Kryptonite", they did a Superman song before Three Doors Down (is that who sang that "if I go crazy will you still call me Superman" tune?) ever did. Thanks to "Attractive Sorority Girl" Kelli for this one.

"Rock Your Body" by Justin Timberlake. Somehow its cool to like JT. It just is. And this is my favorite of all of JT's stuff.

"Clarity" by John Mayer. After really enjoying "No Such Thing" and "Your Body Is a Wonderland", somehow this song just creeped up through everything and became a John Mayer staple on my iPod. The trumpets close to the end are just great.

"Whole Again" by Jennifer Knapp. From the album that changed my life. I'll probably put a Jennifer Knapp song up every month or so, starting here. "I seem to find myself in need to be forgiven, is there still room upon that knee?" I love my grace-giving Jesus.

"Real Love" by Mary J. Blige. I used to sing this song as a senior in High School. However, I'm not black. Rodney Hornsby was (and I'm sure still is) though, so he always laughed hard when I would see him and say "we are lovah's true and tho' we made it thru tha storm...".

"Cable Car (over my head)" by The Fray. One of the most played songs on my iPod, like, top three, and the 6th coolest thing about 2007. Great stuff.

"Miss You Much" by Janet Jackson. I had to make the decision of, do I replace them all, or do I leave a few up? Originally, I was going to replace five per month, but I always remember the phrase "leave 'em wanting more", meaning it would be better to take off a song then to leave it up for months, making my readers tired of it. I mean, as great as "100 Years" by Five For Fighting might be, you can only hear it so many times.

Another song that gave me pause was last months Janet selection, "Love Will Never Do (without you)". I almost left it up, until I made the uniform decision that it all comes down and changes, save for Carly.


The video for Miss You Much is completely 90s. Hair. Outfits. Even the dancing is dated... cool as grits, but still dated. I miss the days when the Jackson family was semi-normal.

Anyway, I will probably have some sort of "waiting period" for a song to re-appear, maybe two months, maybe six months, whatever. But for August, I wanted to continue the Rhythm Nation 1814 groove, so you get this fantastic tune.

"Train Wreck" by Sarah McLachlan. Ran into the same problem as Janet with Sarah. Wanted to leave my favorite song, "Possession" up, but it too came down. Here's a great one, though, from her last CD, "Afterglow".

"Moratorium" by Alanis Morissette. Wow this song is great. And wow, her new album is great too. I've missed the Jagged Little Pill Alanis.

"Waterloo" by ABBA. I had a hard time with ABBA, only because there were several songs I considered... "SOS", "Mamma Mia", "Dancing Queen"... ulitimately, I went with one that isn't on the "Mamma Mia!" soundtrack. I dare you to not smile during this song--its just too fun.

"Hard Luck Woman" by Garth Brooks. Its difficult to pick out Garth in this song, because it just doesn't sound much like him. This is his cover of the KISS song, for the KISS tribute album of the 90s, "KISS My A**". Siobhan Stewart and I were both fond of this song, or at least we talked about it on that one date we had in August of 1994.

"You and I Both" by Jason Mraz. I like the guy. "Geek in the Pink" was an option, but I have heard that song many, many times, with it being on a popular playlist on my iPod. So I chose this one. Enjoy.

"Don't You (forget about me)" by Simple Minds. In honor of my 86th favorite movie ever, and a dedication to the founder of The Dixon Brock Theory, I thought it fiting. Go ahead. Sing it loud. Hey Hey Hey Hey! Ooh ooh, whoaaaa!

So, that's my choices for August. What do you think? And, do you have any requests? What music do you want to hear while surfing Clouds In My Coffee?

(KT, I have Eddie coming in September).

PS... I posted this, then went to check the posting as I always do to make sure it all loaded correctly. And as the page came up, the beats of "Rock Your Body" came out, and Justin started with, "...don't be so quick to... walk away (dance with me)". Its going to be awesome for someone to come to my page and have that be the first thing that they hear. Well, actually, I find it awesome that anyone comes to my page, period.

The Clouds are Singing

In case you've noticed, or haven't, there are a few new things added to the Clouds in My Coffee Blog... my ultimate goal is to make my site your one-stop shop for news links, weather links, sports links and other fun stuff to read, but that's farther down the road... we'll get there.

Added a new blog column to My Recommended Blogs list. Heather "The Angel" Hanson (now Conkle... and The Lovely Steph Leann thought she had it bad going from Campbell to Dollar...) writes a blog--I managed to find Heather via Facebook. In fact, Heather plays a role in the most embarrassing and at the same time most hilarious moment of my Troy life involving boxer shorts, but that's for another day. Her blog is entitled "Tell Me the Old, Old Story", and you can find it here... or on the links on the side. Show HH some love.

I've added a couple of widgets to the side--a "widget" is a little block of links an info--that you might find fun... one is Birmingham's weather, another in the sports section is the ESPN widget, for sports. Near the bottom, under my facebook widget, is The Sports Guy, who is one of my favorite columnists. Not too far under that is an iTunes widget, followed by a Pop Candy link to USA Today's Pop Culture columnist, Whitney Matheson.

And thanks to Heather "The Angel" Hanson, there's now music playing on the Clouds In My Coffee Blog.

You may be enjoying it, or you might have immediately gone to find it and shut if off. Right now I've got it autostarting, and randomly playing the list... if you are like me, when you visit a blog page, you are usually not there long enough to get through more than one or two songs, much less an entire playlist. With that in mind, I wanted to make sure the songs on the bottom got some love too, not just the ones near the top.

The fun part of doing any kind of playlist like this is... what do I put on here? You can put up to 100 songs on the list, via the site I used--Playlist.com. But really, I don't know that I want a playlist of 100 songs on any site, and definately not mine.

So I chose music that I really enjoyed, music that perhaps wouldn't rank in my top ten, but nonetheless that I loved, that I knew, and styles that I felt would represent who I am. Much of it is from the 90s, during music was at its peak, but there is some earlier and some later stuff.

This might be the closest I've done to an iTunes Celebrity Playlist... Here's what I chose, let me know what you think...

"Little Green Bag" by The George Baker Selection. Featured prominently in "Reservoir Dogs" during the brilliant opening sequence, its fun, its catchy, and its a great way to kick off the Clouds In My Coffee music list.

"You're So Vain" by Carly Simon. How could a blog entitled "Clouds In My Coffee" not feature the song that the words came from. This song is truly amazing, a song of anger, yet sadness. And Carly has never been better.

"Possession" by Sarah McLachlan. My. Favorite. Song. Ever.

"100 Years" by Five for Fighting. The more I hear this song, the more I like it. The opening is just hypnotic, and the lyrics just make you think about your life. Maybe thats a good thing, maybe not, but it only takes 100 years to live.

"Running from an Angel" by Hootie & the Blowfish. Make fun of it if you want, but if you were in high school or college from 1993 to 1996, Hootie was one of the biggest bands around. This is my favorite song off of one of my favorite albums ever, "Cracked Rear View"

"Time After Time" by Nichole Nordeman. The Cyndi Lauper version is really good. There's another out there now with both Lauper and Sarah McLachlan... but this one, this version off of Nichole's live concert CD is a masterpiece. Seriously, I almost cried when I heard it for the first time.

"I'd Die Without You" by PM Dawn. This was my favorite song ever, until earlier this year, when "Possession" finally took it over and ended its 15 year reign at the top. So it resides at a very close #2.

"Callin' Baton Rouge" by Garth Brooks. Garth is just awesome, and this is my favorite country song ever. This is perfect to be sung loudly while traveling 78 on I-65 heading to Montgomery. Or wherever.

"Full Moon" by Brandy. Being born a poor black child, I'm a fan of R&B, and it doesn't get any more R&B'ier than this joint from Brandy. Dis juke is my jam, boo.

"The Remedy" by Jason Mraz. As much fun as this is to sing, its more fun when you can nail all the lyrics. That slammin' part in the second verse? Uncovering the ways to plan the next big attack they were counting down the ways to stab the brother in the be right back after this, the unavoidable kiss, where the minty fresh death breath is sure to outlast this catastrophe, dance with me, because if you've got the poison, I've got the remedy

"Love Will Never Do Without You" by Janet Jackson. Its hard not preceeding this song with "Miss You Much" because on Janet's "Rhythm Nation 1814", another one of my favorite albums, they go right together. But, in an effort to not feature two songs by the same artist, I picked this one. Mostly because... well, it makes me happy. We all have songs that just make us happy, for no reason other than it does. This is one of those.

"Stay" by Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories. This is the most. fun. song. to. sing. ever. Seriously, this is the song that, when you walk into a room and start it, someone in that room will join you, if not multiple someones. "You say... I only hear what I want to, I don't listen hard, I don't pay attention to the distance that you're running to anyone, anywhere, I don't really care, I'm only hearing negative no no no baaaaaadddd...." NYCJenny is rolling with this song right now.

"Come and Talk To Me" by Jodeci. If I were a pimp, this might be a theme song for one of my ho's. Just sayin'.

"In the Light" by dcTalk. This is one of five songs that define my life as a Christ-Follower. Powerful and convicting, I dare you to find harmony as good as this.

"My Favorite Mistake" by Sheryl Crow. Off another one of my favorite all time albums, "The Globe Sessions". We all have our favorite mistakes, don't we?

So there it is. How'd I do?

Idol: Welcome to Dollywood

Hey... have you seen Dolly Parton's new shoes? Neither has she!! Hey, what song does Dolly Parton sing in the shower? "Smoky Mountain Rain"! Do you remember when you were a kid, how poop jokes, fart jokes and boobie jokes were the funniest things in the world? Of course, the words "poop", "fart" and "boobie" were almost taboo... in a whisper, you'd hear someone go, "...you... said "poop"..."

Who am I kidding? To most guys, those jokes are funny now. In the same manner that guys would NEVER point out another guy who has brown shoes and a black belt (mostly cause we won't notice), girls don't find these things funny.

Anyway, I only bring all of it up, because the Country Diva herself, Dolly Parton is on the air...

This.

Is American Idol.

(cue music here)

Ryan starts us out with an unfunny April Fool's Joke... "This week's show has been preempted, due to legal action pending from the American Vocal Coaches Association... April Fools!"

Dolly is one of those icons that everyone loves. I mean, fans of Johnny Cash, Megadeth, Michael Buble, Mariah Carey, Factor Seven... they all either love, or at least respect, Dolly. She's someone that I would just love for The Lovely Steph Leann and I just to sit down and have dinner with. And I'm going to go on a small limb here and say you'll hear two songs: "9 to 5" and "I Will Always Love You".

Brooke White
And one of my favorite Dolly songs, "Jolene", is being taken on by My Next American Idol Brooke White. Guitar in hand, accompanied by a solo drummer, a violinist and a backup singer, she starts off... well, just ehh... I've heard better. This is hard for me, cause I am anticipating the Brooke White cd that will be released sometime in 2009 (I don't have that confirmed, I'm just guessing).

I'm curious as to how Simon will approach this week, not being much of a country fan. Paula might actually be the only one who appreciates this show.

Randy says it was aight, and that this is her style of music. Paula blows sunshine, telling her, "You are Brooke White." Good job, Paula. Simon says My Next American Idol Brooke White lacked emotion, and even says the three backup players looked odd together.

Ryan says, "This is Brooke White!"

David Cook
Much like Chris Daughtry two seasons ago, David Rob Thomas Cook has set himself up to be The Guy. You know, everyone wants to know what he's going to do. This can be good or bad... last season, it was Sanjaya who was The Guy. And that wasnt good at all.

Just saw a commercial for "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader"... a two hour episode on Thursday. Really? I mean, two hours?

David Rob Thomas Cook mentions the band Doxology, who he borrowed an arrangement from... I only mention this because Doxology was kinda mad that David Rob Thomas Cook did in fact borrow their version of a song from a few weeks ago, and not mention them at all. So, he antes up. The band responded today.

He'll be doing "Little Sparrow", one I'm not really familiar with, though in the pre-performance video, he sounds good and Dolly loves him.

DRTC sounds great... seriously, this guy has a great, great voice. When My Next American Idol Brooke White gets voted off, because that's what always happens, I might elect DRTC as the Next My Next American Idol.

Randy liked it, especially the original arrangement of "Little Sparrow". Paula likes his haircut, saying something about his music like flowers, sunshine, birds, rainbows and fluffernutters. Simon liked last week better, but says, "If you can make a song about sparrows good, which you did, then congratulations."

Ramiele Malubay
Perhaps we can do a double elimination... Little Ramy and KLC, gone in one night. Little Ramy is singing "Do I Cross Your Mind", a great little country oldie.

I looked up at the television, and the camera angle almost gave you a straight-up-the-skirt angle. I threw up in my mouth. Little Ramiele is... just not that good. I mean, why is she still here? I'd love to see CheezyDeezy take on some Dolly.

Randy says he wasnt' jumping up and down, but it was aight, pretty good. Paula is proud of Little Ramy, who laughs as Paula is talking. Simon says it was just forgettable. Cute, but cruise shippy.

Jason Castro
Ryan is sharing fanmail with The Dreadlocked One, a bunch of postcards all from the same girl. Do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do (the sound made with a knife slashing motion). Creepy.

The Dreadlocked One is singing "Traveling Through", who Dolly loved to hear. He starts out with a drummer beating a bongo on the side, and guitar in hand. The Dreadlocked One sounds really good here... this seems like the perfect song for him.

FYI... this song, "Traveling Through", is actually about we are just traveling through this world, with Jesus on the other side. Good stuff... Dolly is a believer, from what I gather. Of course, this was the Oscar nominated song from "Transamerica".

Randy says it was pretty good, while Paula says it was one of his strongest. Then she stumbles over the sunshine. Simon didn't like the song at all. Somehow, I thought he might say that. The word "Jesus" was mentioned.

And just a question... has Randy ever heard a song that started awesome, and fell apart at the end? "Like, you did yo' thang at the beginning, but it was just aight for me at the end"?

Carly Smithson
The Irishgirl is actually singing my very favorite Dolly song, "Here You Come Again". The only thing that makes me somewhat of an authority on Dolly's music is that I grew up on this kind of old country... Dolly, Cash, Waylon and Willie, The Statlers, The Oak Ridge Boys, Billy Crash Craddock, T Graham Brown, Mel McDaniel... I remember when "Elvira", "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On" and some of this stuff was brand spankin' new.

Anyway, Irish Carly starts out really slow, just a single guitarist and herself. Carly sounds awesome... but I like the pace of the original song, so turning it into a complete ballad leaves a little to be desired for me. So, like, I like the voice, but not the arrangement.

Randy says it was one of the best of the night. Paula says glorious sunshine. She's pherklempt. Simon says it was good, not great. Then he tells her that her outfit isn't good... "At this stage, you have to start looking more like a star--and I'm not seeing that progression at the moment."

Maybe Carly should put a tattooed dress on that chick on her arm.

David Archuleta
His followers are called Arch Angels. Seriously.

He is singing "Smoky Mountain Memories", back to the ballads that got him this far. What's great about this show is that a month ago, Young David was the heir apparent for the next Idol crown, but after a stumble here, a forgotten lyric there, its not a race for second place for everyone else now. Not if David Rob Thomas Cook, Irish Carly, or My Next American Idol Brooke White have anything to say about it.

By the way, Carly Simon's new cd, her first cd of original music, is being released on April 29th, only at Starbucks. That's right... I'm all over it with my discount.

Oh, Young David sings great. Randy says, "Correction... THAT was the best performance of the night!" Paula blows sunshine. Simon says he was absolutely on the money.

The Arch Angels yell "We Love You!" from the front row.

Do you think Michael Jackson is at home, rooting for Young David?

Kristy Lee Cook
Awww... if you've never heard "Coat of Many Colors", you're missing it. It's a story about a girl who's family was so poor, that she didn't have a jacket to wear to school... so her mother gathered up scraps of fabric, and made her a "Coat of Many Colors", which the girl was so proud of. Problem is, when she got to school, everyone laughed at her, and her coat. "They didn't understand it, and I tried to make them see, one is only poor if they choose to be. I know we had no money, but I was rich as I could be, in my coat of many colors my mama made for me." Classic. One of the greatest country music songs, if not any genre, ever. Brilliant.

And its a true story--this happened to Dolly when she was a child. And who better to butcher this amazing song that good ol' KLC?

This is actually up KLC's alley, being a twangy country classic. Randy liked it, Paula blows sunshine, and Simon says "pleasant, but forgettable". She's barefoot too! Another Idol tried that a few years ago... it didn't work.

For all my kidding on KLC and Ramiele, I actually think I like Little Ramy's singing better... but I think I'd enjoy hanging out with KLC more. Ramiele looks much, much hotter though. Either way, they both have to go.


Here's the real song.

Syesha Mercado
And yes, here's the Idol career killer... "I Will Always Love You". Chances are, she's headed to the Whitney version. I like the Black Julia Stiles, but this is dangerous...

Like most of the Idols tonight, Syesha is accompanied with only one instrumentalist, this one being a piano.

The Black Julia Stiles starts out... not bad. I mean, anytime this song is sung by anyone, be it KT or Mikey or Sum42 (41? Who cares, they still suck), its going to be compared to Whitney, not Dolly.

And I'll be honest... The Black Julia Stiles did it right. And that last note was awesome...

Randy admits that was the biggest tiger of the night, and did aight with it. Paula blows sunshine. Simon says what everyone is thinking... the song paled in comparison to Whitney, which is what everyone will think of, so it may or may not help.

The newest Mac commercial has Mac and PC sitting, talking to a therapist. The therapist's name is Corinne Bohrer (her real name, I mean--her character here is not named). Corinne has been featured in several commercials in the last few years, including Tostitos and Walgreens, and that Kay Jewelers's Mother's Day commercial where she opens up the garage and the kids are singing to her.


This chick is going to be 50 this year. Fifty!!


I only mention this because I'm kinda sad she's relegated to tv spots. She's really a good actress... I remember being 12 or 14 and thinking she was totally hot in movies like "Dead Solid Perfect" (of course, anytime you play the love interest to Randy Quaid, it might not be the best thing for your career) and "Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol", and the Judge Reinhold magnum opus, "Vice Versa". I miss Corinne. She did get some airtime in Veronica Mars, but still, someone hire her!

How do I remember this crap?

Michael Johns
A pianist and guitarist behind him, Aussie Michael takes the stage for a bluesy, soulful Dolly cover of "It's All Wrong".

Ya know... aside from a little screeching here and there, this might be my favorite song of the night. I love the blues, R&B swing on it. Its great to hear him do something well, besides Queen.

Randy thought Aussie Michael brought it. Paula blows sunshine. And I'm not sure what Simon said, because the DVR just ended. The show ran late... I'm going to have to start recording Hell's Kitchen, I guess, to make sure I catch the end of Idol.

And you know, not a single mention of Idol Gives Back, for next week.

For tonight... I gotta give to Michael Johns as my favorite, followed closely by David Rob Thomas Cook, Irish Carly, My Next American Idol Brooke White, Young David, The Dreadlocked One, The Black Julia Stiles, and then together, Ramiele & KLC. Take either one of those two. Please, take them.