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[George]

Now, it's time for me to take a shower and get ready for work.  Until later!

[JoseSPiano]

If it's discovered that Blame-it-on-Jose gave David a culinary tour of NYC and introduced him to Levain, then you betcha the Italians will give him the "hook 'em horns" signal, which in Italy is one of the worst things you can get (it means your brother slept with your wife and fathered your children, or something equally heinous).

Umm... I would have passed on Levain for David.  Instead, I would have introduced him to Grom Gelato to make him feel "at home" - since it is the first American branch of the Italian gelateria.  I also would have taken him the officially certified Pizza places here in New York City to see if he thinks they fully deserved the certification of the Italian authorities.

[bk]

I love that SONG!!!

My question for ASK BK day.....I usually just struggle along and sing a song in whatever key it starts in.....but as I was driving last night and singing along with a CD, I realized that I had found my key.

In what key does Mr Guy Haines sing "Chinese Food in Bed"?

Mr. Haines sings the song in the key in which it was written: C.

[singdaw]

My question for bk:

Does She of the Evil Eye know that you call her She of the Evil Eye?

And does she know the source of that name?  

[bk]

My question for bk:

Does She of the Evil Eye know that you call her She of the Evil Eye?

And does she know the source of that name?  

I don't believe she does.

[Ron Pulliam]

Re: David Archuleta:   Yes, he'll be successful, but more in the Clay Aiken vein rather than Chris Daughtry.

That's apples and oranges for me.  I don't think Chris Daughtry would have been the perfect AI winner at all.  Elliot Yamin was my favorite of that season.  Daughty slung the mike stand around and bellowed out his songs, and I guess a lot of folks like that.

To his credit, Daughtry did a phenomenal Star-Spangled Banner to open the Super Bowl (was that the one where he sang it?  Or was it to start last year's World Series?).  At any rate, he was very, very good.

Clay Aiken...say or think what you like, but he is the most bankable AI contestant ever.  He has had MAJOR concert success and has won awards (not like Carrie Underwood or Kelly Clarkson, of course) and seems to be pleasing Broadway audiences with his stint in "Spamalot."

He's sold 6 million CDs, too. That's not on a par with the two ladies I've mentioned, but then his concert earnings are much greater than CD earnings.  I'm thinking Clay is one very rich man right now.  And where, oh where, is Ruben Studdard except when AI hauls him out of his obscurity to sing another forgettable song on the show?

Archuleta is far more "viable", IMO, than Clay Aiken because he's very good-looking, he has stage presence and, more importantly, he projects sex appeal to the screaming, adoring fans.  It's not a sex appeal that makes you wince, either.  

David Cook has very odd hair.  Maybe that's why he'll win.

[bk]

Glad that some of you have commented favorably on the book cover.  I'm very pleased with it and the book itself - really fun to write this one.

[singdaw]

I don't believe she does.

Well, I certainly won't tell her!    

[JoseSPiano]

Daughtry is not POP, though.  He's rock.  And hard rock at that.  He's definitely in a niche.

David A., when he's a bit older, could easily move into the market currently dominated by Justin Timberlake.  His songs don't all sound alike, which I cannot say about David C.

I have liked David C.'s intensity and the imaginative vocals, but the songs all seem to depend upon a slide, a falsetto, a quiet moment or a head-banging moment.  They're all nice touches designed to enhance a song that otherwise doesn't stand apart from any of his other vocals.  I can see him drawing crowds and selling CDs.  But despite all of Paula's yadda-yadda about his "range", I feel he hovers around the same note.

Well, all singers nowadays tend to be in a "niche".  I only brought up Daughtry since I seemed to recall that he has been the most successful sales-wise of any "AI" contestant.  -I may be totally wrong about that memory/assumption.

As for David A...  As many "others" have wondered/speculated/etc., regardless of whether he wins or loses tonight, it will be interesting to see how much of a role his father will continue to play in his career.

[bk]

Excellent vibes and xylophones to elmore and FJL.

[DERBRUCER]

AOL NEWS

NETFLIX THINKS OUTSIDE THE MAILBOX
By MICHAEL LIEDTKE,
AP
Posted: 2008-05-20 20:47:01

SAN FRANCISCO (May 20) - Preparing for the eventual extinction of its DVD-by-mail rental service, Netflix Inc. on Tuesday is introducing its first solution for subscribers who want entertainment delivered directly to their television sets with just a few clicks on a remote control.

The breakthrough comes in the form of 5-inch-by-5-inch device tailored for a year-old service that uses high-speed Internet connections to stream more than 10,000 movies and TV shows from Netflix's library.
...

der Brucer

[singdaw]

pleasing Broadway audiences with his sting

...euphemism?    

[Ron Pulliam]

Umm... I would have passed on Levain for David.  Instead, I would have introduced him to Grom Gelato to make him feel "at home" - since it is the first American branch of the Italian gelateria.  I also would have taken him the officially certified Pizza places here in New York City to see if he thinks they fully deserved the certification of the Italian authorities.

And would you have stuffed some cannolis for him?

[Ron Pulliam]

Well, since DR elmore is currently in the air - I think, I hope - right now, and since I happen to know the answer to this question...

Stew Pot is played by the wonderfully zany and very talented Victor Hawks.  I used to accompany him when he was a student at Catholic University.

Accompany him where?  To class?  To the Dean's office?  To the gym?

[DERBRUCER]

Time is not an issue.

Nonsense - Time puts out an issue weekly.

der Brucer

[JoseSPiano]

Accompany him where?  To class?  To the Dean's office?  To the gym?

To church - since the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception was right on the campus of CUA.

[Ron Pulliam]

As for David A...  As many "others" have wondered/speculated/etc., regardless of whether he wins or loses tonight, it will be interesting to see how much of a role his father will continue to play in his career.

Despite everything reported about the father, I'm wondering who is responsible for the development of David's incredible vocal nuances.  Who arranges his songs and who coaches him on how to sing them?  Does he instinctively know what to do or is it that he's able to follow instruction in order to sing the way he does?

[DearReaderLaura]

I read that about American Airlines charging for all checked bags. Amazing. The other airlines will certainly follow within weeks.

I travel light; the last time I checked a bag was when I went to visit my sister and I checked my stuff and carried some glass stuff from my mom's in my carry-on.

[DERBRUCER]

.. canolis..

Double "n", dear sir.

der Brucer

[Ron Pulliam]

...euphemism?    

STINT....his STINT in "Spamalot".


It's gratifying to note you read my every word !  

[JoseSPiano]

That's apples and oranges for me.  I don't think Chris Daughtry would have been the perfect AI winner at all.  Elliot Yamin was my favorite of that season.  Daughty slung the mike stand around and bellowed out his songs, and I guess a lot of folks like that.

....

Apples.  Oranges.  Exactly.

I just think it's very interesting how "AI's" initial focus was on finding a singer who could sing anything - a younger singer who could sing anything.  Each week was a theme/decade/genre.  Not a personality/award/composer.  I seem to recall the contestants being asked to sound like a jazz singer when they had "Jazz Week", to sound like a pop singer when they had "70's week", and more like a Broadway or cabaret singer when they would have "Standards Week".  Then the producers and contestants started to change things up.  Yes, the show was more or less destined to change and change it's focus over the years.  Of course, what it all comes down to is advertising revenue (a.k.a. Money).

[DERBRUCER]

Glad that some of you have commented favorably on the book cover.  I'm very pleased with it and the book itself - really fun to write this one.

So you say we should judge the book by its cover?

der Brucer

[Ron Pulliam]

Double "n", dear sir.

der Brucer

I "fixed" it, bitch, my friend!


 

[JoseSPiano]

Despite everything reported about the father, I'm wondering who is responsible for the development of David's incredible vocal nuances.  Who arranges his songs and who coaches him on how to sing them?  Does he instinctively know what to do or is it that he's able to follow instruction in order to sing the way he does?

My instinct is that David A. is a total natural.  However, part of his "naturalness"(?) comes from listening to lots of music, lots of singers, lots of versions, and then he somehow sorts out what he likes and doesn't like in regards to sound and stylings.  *Although, that video of him singing "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is pretty much a spot-on mimic of Jennifer Holliday.

What's been really interesting to me are the people who find David A's voice unpleasant - nasal, caught in the throat, covered, not "free".  Well...  To me, it's just a different sound.  He actually reminds me of a less mature sounding Josh Groban at least in regards to the timbre of their voices.  -And Josh Groban's voice sometimes sits well on my ears and sometimes it doesn't.

[JoseSPiano]

bk - Good Cover.

Did you have to get any sort of legal clearance to use "The Grove" in your title and/or in your book?

[DERBRUCER]

I read that about American Airlines charging for all checked bags. Amazing. The other airlines will certainly follow within weeks.

But to make up for it:
American Airlines Cuts Domestic Flights by 11%

But, since that cost is to help defray the added fuel costs, that is probably a fairer way to go than to add an additional surcharge on every ticket.

There are proposals floating about that would weigh the passenger and the luggage and charge accordingly.

der Brucer

[bk]

If you like the cover, you can judge the book by its cover - if not, you can judge the book by itself, because, as with Hollywood High, there is, for me anyway, an amusing thing about both covers and books.  Anyone know what it is? (You have to have read the first book to at least have a clew, I should think.)

[bk]

But to make up for it:
American Airlines Cuts Domestic Flights by 11%

But, since that cost is to help defray the added fuel costs, that is probably a fairer way to go than to add an additional surcharge on every ticket.

There are proposals floating about that would weigh the passenger and the luggage and charge accordingly.

der Brucer

They've already added the additional charge.  From what I've heard, airline fares have gone up (heard it on the news just yesterday).  I miss TWA - when American bought them and had all different rules for their frequent flyers, some of which did not carry over our hard-earned points, I stopped flying them.  I'm quite happy with Continental.

[singdaw]

my friend!

Perhaps you meant to type fiend?    

[Ron Pulliam]

My instinct is that David A. is a total natural.  However, part of his "naturalness"(?) comes from listening to lots of music, lots of singers, lots of versions, and then he somehow sorts out what he likes and doesn't like in regards to sound and stylings.  *Although, that video of him singing "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is pretty much a spot-on mimic of Jennifer Holliday.

What's been really interesting to me are the people who find David A's voice unpleasant - nasal, caught in the throat, covered, not "free".  Well...  To me, it's just a different sound.  He actually reminds me of a less mature sounding Josh Groban at least in regards to the timbre of their voices.  -And Josh Groban's voice sometimes sits well on my ears and sometimes it doesn't.

Agreed, especially about Groban, but I must admit I've not found David A. nasal.  But then I never thought Streisand was nasal, either.

I think I've mentioned in this forum before that Groban's "Not While I'm Around" is, to my ears, nearly the most perfect rendition of that song I've heard (it's on Barbara Cook's Carnegie Hall album).  My main reservation has to do with a pushing of his voice that, for me, sucks some of the emotional resonance out of the song for the sake of a bit of showing off.