Sky Fall

Fall Sky

Halfway tween summer & winter

Orange pumpkin sky hovers above

Big treehouse for lucky insiders

Old landmark trees are big providers

More uses than we can think of.

Snowflake of the Week

Click to zoom in. Thanks.

Pattern of the Week

Football Helmet

Reflections of Monet

Click on picture to zoom in.

Memorial Day

Remember the ones you loved
Remember the ones that loved you
As they look down from above
Up there in the sky blue

Friday Birthday Kitday

Happy Birthday To Kit!

Keep On Truckin

Truck Tail Lights

While being driven around the town, my camera jumped into action to capture an image of the truck in front of us on the InterState Highway system outside of Fargo, North Dakota. Pixlr Express subsequently helped modify the image into what we see here above. Johnnny hopes you glike this picture and would love to hear any feedbackage you might care to share on this impotent matter of discussion.

Finals Week

Two Finalists, One Winner

American Idol show notes for Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Each of our two finalists sang three songs. The first round songs were chosen by Simon Fuller. Second round, contestant favorites from this season. Third round, contestant's recordable new single.

Jessica Sanchez first sang a sound-a-like version of a Whitney Houston tune. Didn't make it her own. Score: 7. Second song was called The Prayer. Slow and sleepy. Her big high notes sounded strained, constricted, and not pleasing to the ear. Score: 7. Third song was called Change Nothing. All her songs seemed to start out low, slow, and breathy. She was pitchy and boring. Sorry. Score: 6.

Phillip Phillips played great guitar while singing a cool slow relaxed unique version of Stand By Me. Score: 8. Moving Out by Billy Joel was definitely a Phillipized version of a classic standard. Score: 9. Third song sounded like a travelling minstrel tune, complete with marching band drummers and an audience singalong (oh oh oh). Score: 8.

If Phillip Phillips is not named the winner of this American Idol season, I vow to stop watching American Idol...until next year. What do YOU think? Thanks for all the comments this year. It's been fun!

American Idol

PhilliPhillips

Here are my notes for the May 16, 2012 American Idol Show: Each contestant sang 3 songs. They all had their great moments during tonight's show. Joshua's best was his last song. I really enjoyed it and would give it a 9 on a 1-10 scale. He should be in the Final Two. Jessica's best was also the last one. She sang an early Michael Jackson tune and really did a great job. However, she is starting to weaken a bit. Her best score tonight: 8. Phillip's second and third songs were great. That mellower funky second tune would be fun to see in concert at the Fargo Theatre. His last song forced him to actually sing a real song with a real melody. It was amazing that he could sing like normal, even tho this is a singing competition. Best Score: 9.

First Place: Phillip Phillips.

Close Second Place: Joshua Ledet.

Third Place: Jessica Sanchez - a great singer but not quite enough to win.

California Dreaming

Please leave any comments you'd like to share regarding the May 9/10 American Idol shows. We are down to the Final Four. The winner will be announced in two short weeks. Who did well this week? Who will be eliminated? Who do you like to win the whole thing?

Snowflake Of The Week

Hands Around The World

Now that Google pulled the plug on Picnik as my default image editor, my new online tool shall now be: Pixlr. This is my first snowflake edited with Pixlr Express. Hopefully Google will not acquire Pixlr and pull the plug on it also.

Back to the Sixties

American Idol Show Notes from May 2, 2012

Hollie Cavanagh: Song 1 - was just OK. Big production but not very likeable. Score: 7 / Song 2 - excellent choice. She finally had a "moment". Loved the 1st part better, before she changed to a higher key. She is peaking at the right time. Score: 9

Phillip Phillips: Song 1 - he did his own cool version of a 60s song. Long on originality. Liked it. Score: 8 / Song 2 - did not do it for me. He popped out his ear-piece early on indicating technical problems. Repeating chorus was too high for his voice. Score: 7

Skylar Laine: Song 1 - chose a CCR song. Nice choice for her voice/style. Good as usual for her. Score: 8 / Song 2 - slow ballad, thought it was great. Liked the more mellow, first part better. Score: 9

Jessica Sanchez: Song 1 - did an OK version of Proud Mary. Nothing special, but a good overall performance. Score: 8 / Song 2 - while sitting on the floor, she sang an intimate version of You Are So Beautiful. So much talent, incredible voice and range. Score: 9

Joshua Ledet: Song 1 - picked a MoTown tune that was actually a great choice for his voice. Not too much of the raspyelling that I hate. Score: 8 / Song 2 - closed the show with a BeeGees song. The judges go gaga over his songs. I strenuously disagree. You won't find a CD of his raspy yelling in my boombox. Score: 6

Top performance: Hollie's 2nd song
Worst performances: Phillip's 2nd song & Joshua's 2nd song
Bottom Three: Joshua, Phillip, Jessica
Bottom Two: Joshua, Jessica
Going Home: Joshua

Idol America

The former Randy Jackson.

American Idol Show Notes from April 25, 2012

Jessica Sanchez: She is only 16. Not enough personal experience to handle winning. Song #1 Bohemian Rhapsody. Just OK. Not great. Seems too immature in depth of spirit & voice. Rock songs ain't her thing. Need to throw this fish back to grow some more. Score: 7.5 / Song #2 Lower softer voice is really nice. Her big-voice high-notes sound tight, weak, and strained. Score: 7

Skylar Laine: She is stocky. A stocky rocker. Song #1 Sang The Show Must Go On. Wowie. She can easily switch from Country to Rock. Like the tone of her voice & how she pronounces her words. Score: 9 / Song #2 Another solid performance. Feels so comfortable on stage. Score: 8

Joshua Ledet: Looks like a cross between Will Smith & Eddie Murphy. Song #1 Was holding an old style mic that looked like a shaver. Pretty good performance if you like him, which I don't (like his shreaking). Score: 7 / Song #2 Shreakfest started out with a mellower voice which was almost enjoyable. Then the obligatory shreakfest ensued. Score: 8

Elise Testone: Dreamy Eyes. Reincarnated 60s rocker. Song #1 Definitely a rocker. Has an incredible instrument. Worthy of Top 5. Great song choice For Elise (as in: Fur Elise by Beethoven) Score: 8 / Song #2 Sang a Jimi Hendrix. Started out too held back. Then she really let it go. Great. Loved it. Score: 9

PhilliPhillips: Has the best name of all the remaining contestants. He'd be fun guy to have a bier with (now that he's 21). Song #1 Not crazy about it. For more than half of it, he just sang along with a choir. I could frickin do that. Narrow-range blues yellfest. Score: 7.5 / Song #2 Finally a Dave Matthewsong! Yes, yes. Cool version, quite respectful of the original. Loved it. Score: 9er

Hollie Cavanagh: Looks like a pixie. Song #1 Sang Save Me. 1st part sucked. 2nd part also sucked. But big high heels! Bad choice of song for her. Score: 6.5 / Song #2 Not impressive. Voice is starting to sound too treble & nazaly. Getting a little tired of her. Score: 7

In Trouble: Joshua, Hollie, Jessica.
Going Home: Hollie

Long Road Home

Who will be homeward bound?

April 18, 2012 American Idol Show Notes:

Round One
Hollie: Rolling in the Deep, came out of her shell, excellent. Score 9.

Colton: Bad Romance by GaGa, futuristic rocker, liked it, needs to pronounce the end of his words for all the non-deaf listeners. Score: 8.

Elise: No One by Alicia Keys, rough-edge rocker wearing orange curtains, OK but didn't really like it. Score: 7.

Phillip: You Got It Bad by Usher, cool slow Afro-beat, playing 12-string guitar, soulful, growly, true artist. Score: 9.

Jessica: Fallen by Alicia Keys, slow sexy song, pretty good, blended in with backup singers too much, needs more confidence. Score: 8. 

Skylar: Born This Way by GaGa, sounds like a pro, like her country version of any song, good choice, rockin country, effortless. Score: 9.

Joshua: Sang some gospel-sounding song, big notes sound pitchy and strained. Score: 7.

Round Two
Hollie: Son of a Preacher Man, narrow range, OK, nothing special. Score: 7.

Colton: Took a favorite Earth Wind and Fire song and made it his own, but I hated it. It sounded like a long slow ballad instead of the original upbeat clean energy. Sounds like he's crying. Score: 7.

Elise: Let's Get It On, she has an incredible instrument, mature voice, but the judges did not like it, and talked too much, bad sign. Score: 7.

Phillip: Wait Til The Midnight Hour, no guitar, awkward movement, more of the same, one-trick pony? Score: 7.

Jessica: Try A Little Tenderness, stepped out and gave a crazy big-voice performance. Score: 9.

Skylar: Heard It Thru The Grapevine, more of the same countryization of a good choice for her, but she too is a one-trick pony, but has fun up there. Score: 8.

Joshua: Surprisingly chose a Civil Rights song, sounded like a slow gospel which is maybe a good choice for him, but I would not pay to go hear him as the tone of his voice is not pleasing to my ears. Sorry. Score: 6.

Bottom Three: Joshua, Elise, Colton.
Hopefully going home: Joshua.

Seven To Six

Going from Seven 2 Six

American Idol show notes for April 11, 2012 in order of performance:

1. SkyLar Laine: Still improving, strummed a guitar to a country song, delivered the goods, could win it. Score: 8

2. Colton Dixon: Sat at and played a piano, nice controlled performance and vocals, not his normal red-faced pained look. Score: 8

3. Jessica Sanchez: Sat on grand piano, so good, so mature for her young age, wow, she nailed a tough song. Her singing ability is inversely proportional to her size. Score: 8.5

4. Joshua Ledet: Gave a great performance of a Bruno Marvelous song, great song choice, but a few big notes toward the end turned me off. Score: 8

5. Hollie Cavanaugh: My early fave gave a subpar performance, pitchy, too serious of a song choice, judges were awkwardly negative. Score: 7

6. Phillip your tank: More of the same good stuff. Score: 8

7. Elise Navidad: Great song choice to show off her abilites, slow rock song, maintained control. Score: 8

Best of the Night: Jessica!
Could go home: Hollie!