Bye Brooke.

Tonight Brooke was sent home. I am not surprised. I personally think Jason deserved to be in the bottom 2 and go home.

For Brooke, she is a much better studio artist than a live performer. She is more of a song-writer singer, than a pop star. She is more Carly Simon, than Kelly Clarkson.

I will miss her. She was a class act and went with grace, dignity and more self-awareness than most of us would have in the same situation.

iTunes turns 5...they grow up so fast.

I received an email from Apple today letting me know iTunes turned 5. Now, it is tacky to send out your own birthday email...it makes it look like you just want gifts, but the email did get me thinking at the gym this AM about how iTunes has changed music for me.

I have been an iTuner for about 2 years now and I love it. Why you ask?

I know listen to music all the time. In a given day, I am probably listening to music 4 hours per day. We have iPods nanos in each of the cars, an iPod video in the truck, iPod shuffles for the gym and iPod Touches for work/travel. Now, I know iPods are portable and can move to where we need them, but I like the latest and greatest (I admit that) and I like things where I need them, when I need them. Since these iPods are where we are, we always listen to music in the car, gym and at work. I used to not do this before iPods and iTunes.

I try out a lot of music I never would before. I love iTunes alerts that notifies me of music from artists I have purchased before and iTunes recommendations. These two things keep me focused on exploring new music. Add in easy search and the ability to see all music from an artist and I have been hooked. Also, the community aspect is great. There are songs I sample on a CD or artist list because I see how popular they are to others or basically what songs have been downloaded the most. Often you find a song you never would have tried because others have liked it. This sense of community is what makes the internet so damn powerful. Also because you can download one song, you are more willing to try new artists. At $16.99 to buy a CD, it was tough. A $0.99 commitment is easy.

Lastly there is a financial benefit. I now save 82% to get music I like and 53% on music overall. Yes, iTunes has saved me each year on music. Over 2 years, I have saved $544.20 on music and I know listen to more music than ever.

Here is my math and logic: I know save I used to by around 30 CDs per year, so that is around $509.70 spent annually on music (30 CDs per year x $16.99 per CD = $509.70). Of those CDs, you end up really liking 2-3 songs per CD in reality on average. So I was paying $1.13 per song (15 songs per CD X 30 CDs per year= 450 songs / $509.70 = $1.13 per song). However in reality, I only liked 90 of the 450 songs, so in reality I was paying $5.66 per song (3 songs liked per CD x 30 CDs per year = 90 songs /$509.70 = $5.66 per song). When you look at it now that is very expensive. I now download 240 songs annually (20 per month x 12 months = 240 songs). I usually only download songs that I sample and like, rather than whole albums, which a few minor exceptions, so be safe, let's say I like and re-play on a regular basis 230 songs now. Now I am only paying $1.03 for songs I like (240 downloads x $0.99 per download = $237.60 / 230 songs liked = $1.03). So, the savings: ($5.66 - $1.03 = $4.63 / $5.66 = 82%) and ($509.70 - $237.60 = $272.10 x 2 years = $544.20). Now add in the gas and time spent driving to CD stores and you really have a savings.

So happy birthday iTunes. Thank you for changing the face of music. I am not sure if you helped the industry overall, as you need a lot more volume of downloads probably to make up for reduced album sales, but you really helped me. And don't get me started on how much we love our Apple TV.

Mr. iTunes, to celebrate your b-day, I downloaded Madonna's new album. Enjoy the $9.99 and buy yourself something special - you deserve it.

You Don't Sing Good Songs, Let Alone Bring Me Flowers (at least in round 1)

Let me start out by saying I am a pretty big Neil Diamond fan. Yes, it is true. I know some of you are thinking lame, but I am sorry, but for some reason the man speaks to me. With songs like America, Sweet Caroline, Heartlight, Hello and You Don't Bring Me Flowers, how can you not love the man. Oh and I am not the only one my age who loves, so does my co-worker Becki. She confessed the other day.

So tonight the gang on Idol sang songs of The Diamond Cutter, a.k.a Neil Diamond (yes, I even know his nickname). I was excited. I figured his music would really showcase their talents. They each got to do 2 songs by Diamond tonight.

I was wrong. They pretty much sucked in the first round. It is not even worth blogging about each person individually. It was all-around disappointing. Ugh.

Round two. Jason sucked again. David C. was better and okay. Brooke was better and pretty good. David A. was very good. Syesha was very good too. A much better round.

I would have to say bottom 2 goes to Jason and Brooke. Goodbye, Jason. It has been a long time coming.

Notice It.

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”

— Ashley Smith

Some bad news, good news and great news.

A few people have asked me how I am doing with my diet and challenge to lose 36 pounds by my 36th birthday...well, um. Ah, well. You see, I didn't. Um. Okay, I did not do great on my challenge last week. I admit that. I fell into bad habits skipping the gym and not eating the healthiest of options. That is bad news and I am a bit disappointed in myself.

The good news is I am still at a weight loss of 11 pounds. Even with the bad week, I held steady, which makes me feel a little better.

Some great news - Dale and I hit the gym this morning at 6:00 AM and I worked my ass off, plus I did great today on eating...all food was healthily, I ate consistently throughout the day and controlled my portions. I feel a re-newed sense of energy to hit my goal. Wish me luck for the rest of the week.

Hi. Stupid meet pavement.

http://view.break.com/494245 - Watch more free videos

Ah, Don't You Love Spring!

These trees are on the south side of our house and are beautiful this time of year when they flower. I love how they look and they smell amazing. They are flowering fruitless crab apple trees. They attract a lot of birds too, which is nice when looking out our kitchen window.

What's Blooming in Dale's Garden?

Tulips. And lots of them.

We have a lot of tulips in the planting bed closest to our front door. To me they signal the start of Spring and I think they are always very inviting for guests visiting our home. I love how they brighten up the front yard. Unfortunately, we usually get a free heavy winds and they lose all their flowers, so I figured some pictures would be worthwhile right now.

The Power of Facebook: Bringing People Back Into Your Life

Facebook has been very interesting recently. I go through phases where I find it useless and boring, but this week it was very interesting. I connected and chatted with four people from my past. It is that part of Facebook that I like the most. It often brings people back into your life that you never expected to hear from again.

Earlier this week, Stephanie Maloney sent me a friend invite. I knew her as Stephanie Mirch and I date her sister, Jenn in High School. Her sister also went to my college, but we really did not stay in touch while in college - different dorms, different friends. Stephanie was always what I would call happy. Always smiling and bubbly. I loved that about her. She was a few years younger, but great to hang out with. She is living in Albany and seems to be doing great.

I added Brian Graber who I went to high school with as a friend this weekend. We wrote back and forth on each others walls catching up. We were not close in High School, but we had mutual friends and he was always a great guy. It was nice to learn of his life over the past 18 years and that he is married, has a daughter and is doing well. He seems to be very happy and has a good life in Troy, NY (my hometown).

I chatted briefly with former Indigian, Andrew Fox on the new Facebook chat. He a great guy, who always stays optimistic no matter what happens in his life. He recently had a pretty bad motorcycle accident, where he totaled his bike. But Andrew, as expected, remains positive and was glad he walked away with no major injuries and knows he will find another job.

Tonight, I had Lizz Schwartz Dinnigan send me a message to be my friend on Facebook. I was actually on Facebook at the time, so I accepted and actually chatted a bit on the Facebook chat. She was a friend in college, but we were not very close. We had a close mutual friend and most of my memories of Lizz were of her beaming, wonderful smile and live life to the fullest personality. She was one of those people who just light up a room and I remember one crazy night where she hung out in my suite with our friend Lee. It was a great night and I still have pictures from that night. She now lives in NJ and is married with two kids. I am sure she is an amazing Mom...they type every kid wishes they had as a Mom. On my next trip to visit clients in NJ, I actually plan to make plans to meet up for drinks.

So for those of you who think Facebook is a waste - give it a try. I have 90+ friends on it and some are people who were in my life briefly, but it is nice to stay in touch. The addition of chat has made it a lot more fun. For me, catching up with old friends is wonderful and makes the world feel a bit smaller.

I worked a lot this weekend...

...so here is where I am at.

Marie Digby Takes on No Air

She is just plain amazing.

Stuck in my head today

“I told her I ain’t so sure about this place it’s hard to play a gig in this town and keep a straight face seems like everyone here’s got a plan it’s kind of like nashville with a tan, but, every thing's gonna be all right rockabye, rockabye every thing's gonna be all right rockabye, rockabye”

— Lyrics from Shawn Mullins’s 1998 song Lullaby

Almost 10 Years Later

Last night Dale and I went to see the Laramie Project, which is a play that depicts the story of Matthew Shephard's beating and subsequent death as told those characters based on residents of Laramie, WY. The play was at one of the smaller theaters at the Buell Theatre complex.

This is the third time I have seen this play and by far this was the best production. Dale had never seen this play for before, so it was great he got to see such a talented case. It is such a moving and powerful play. The staging is extremely simple and the power comes through the words of the actors, who all portray multiple characters. It is a truly amazing experience and I recommend it everyone. Unfortunately, last night was the final night of this production. However, if the play returns and you get a chance to see it, you should.

I think the power of the play comes in the fact that the original theater group who created the play all researched the roles themselves by meeting with residents of Laramie. I think this is such a unique approach.

From http://www.tectonictheaterproject.org/: In October 1998 Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, severely beaten and left to die, tied to a fence on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. Five weeks later, Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project went to Laramie, and over the course of the next year, conducted more than 200 interviews with people of the town. From these interviews they wrote the play The Laramie Project, a chronicle of the life of the town of Laramie in the year after the murder. THE LARAMIE PROJECT is one of the most performed plays in America today.

It is hard to believe that this year is the 10-year anniversary of Matthew's death. I can remember watching the media coverage on TV. I lived in Arizona at the time. I remember the horror that I felt as a gay man. To this day it always amazes me how much hate people can feel for people they do not even know. It is strange to me and quite scary.

Watching the play last night it is funny to think how little progress as a country we have made in terms of legislation for hate crimes. I think there is more tolerance in the U.S. of gays and lesbians, but it is probably a far cry from acceptance. Tolerance is not acceptance, but I think it is a good road in leading there. I have always been fortunate in that I have been out most of my adult life without too much outward discrimination. Dale and I live in suburbia and are very accepted. We are fortunate to have good neighbors, good friends, good family and great lives. I know this is not the same for all gays and lesbians in the world.

Probably one of the most profound things in the play is the fact that Matthew was going to college and focusing his studies on human rights. In many ways he did find his calling as his death did change how people view gays and lesbians in the fight for equality and human rights. They say from something bad, there is always something good or when one door closes, another opens. I think in many ways, Matthew's death did this for his mother, Judy. She has become the voice of gay hate crimes and has fought hard to not let Matthew's death go without change. She is an amazing woman and advocate. If you have never checked out http://www.matthewshepard.org/, you should. The campaign to ERASE HATE is very powerful.

Laughter & Tears

“Laughter & tears are both responses to frustration & exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.”

— Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

I am a working fool. Or just a fool.

I have been working on my laptop since about 7 AM this morning. It has been in front of the TV and included some breaks for breakfast, lunch and dinner...not to mention a lot of moments where I watched a bit more TV than worked.

I watched several episodes of Family Guy, got caught up on Lost, watched too many episodes of the Addams Family and Beverly Hillbillies on TV Land too admit and I even saw some episodes of Sex & the City, Seinfeld and King of Queens. So not only am I caught up on most of my work emails, to-dos and blog reading...I also got a lot of quality time on the couch in front of the mindless TV.

Now for all my co-workers who now have 46 new emails (I counted how many I sent today)waiting for them in their in-boxes Monday morning...I apologize. I know you hate it when I get caught up on days like this as it creates a ton of work for each of you, but I had to do it.

Well, I am off to see Laramie Project at one of the theatres at the Buell...so the rest of my evening will be relaxing and hopefully quite enjoyable.

An Open Letter to Mother Nature

Dear Mother Nature:

It's snowing - what the deuce? Are you kidding me? Hello! Screw you too! Either turn on the Sun or I stop recycling.

Your Friend,

Tom

P.S. - I am sorry for the tone of this letter, but I watched a lot of Family Guy today and it seems Stewie is (like Dale has said it would) starting to rub off on me. But really, snow and it is almost May. Why?

A little 13-hour nap

This past week I have not been sleeping well. I keep waking up throughout the night. My work wife, Becki thinks it may be sympathy pains since she is pregnant and experiencing the same problem. It seems the baby is a kicker at night.

Yesterday on the drive home from work I found myself a bit exhausted and almost like I was coming down with something. You know, achy, tired, headache...add in stuffy and fever and I would have been a NyQuil ad.

I came home at 5:15 PM and ate dinner that Dale had so kindly prepared. I then lied down on the couch around 6:00 PM to take a little nap. Dale work me at 11 PM to go to bed. I changed, brushed my teeth, took out my contacts and went right to sleep. I woke up at 7 AM this morning feeling much better.

I guess my body decided to catch up on the sleep I had been missing during the week. I am a firm believer in listening to your body. If you body says you are tired, you should probably sleep. If you body says you are hungry, you should probably eat. If your body says you need new shoes, you should probably go shopping. Well, you get the picture.

What's Blooming in Dale's Garden?

Dale is very proud of our yard and he should be...it is beautiful and he worked very hard to make that happen. Dale gets very excited when he sees his favorite flowers, plants and trees start to bloom. Here are two I photographed this weekend.

The first is a close-up of a flower on our magnolia bush. They are tough to grow in Colorado due to the cold winters, but this is year two for this one and it seems to be happy. There are already 10 flowers in full bloom on the bush. The second is a close-up of our weeping cherry blossom tree, which is in its' third year. I personally love any weeping tree and in our backyard we have three - this beauty, a golden weeping willow and a weeping pussy willow. They are all stunning when is full bloom.

A Girl & Her Bone

She is not a runner like her sister, Zoe...but she is just as cute and when she finds a bone or stick it is a fight to drag it away from her.

Girl Gone Wild

You know the weather has changed because our girl, Zoe is back in the yard and going wild.

Although our backyard is small due to the pond and lots of plants, Zoe makes the most the grass and loves to do laps back and forth. It is a joy to watch. The pictures do not do the speed and intensity she generates justice.

Carly Heads Home

Tonight on American Idol Carly was sent packing. The rocker chic sang her last tune on the show.

America did not necessarily get the bottom 2 right tonight with Syesha and Carly. I think Syesha did not deserve to be there as she was the best last night and continues to surprise every week. She has shown huge improvement. Carly was good last night. If I had to pick anyone to leave it would be Jason.

I did predict Carly in the bottom 3, but not her going home. However, I am no that sad, as I thought it would be Brooke. I like Brooke a lot, so I am glad she is staying another week. Even though she struggles she is good in the studio (I know it is a live performance show) and I like her music.

I predicted this as the top 5 a few weeks back:

1. Brooke
2. David C.
3. Carly
4. Michael
5. David A.

Okay, I am wrong since 2 are already gone. I think the top 5 will end up in this order.

1. David C.
2. David A.
3. Syesha
4. Jason
5. Brooke

It will come down to the Davids and hopefully the 12 year old David A. does not win, even though it will make Dale happy.

What does everyone else think will be the order of the Top 5.

Lunch, Thanks & Trash TV...A Fun Combination & Afternoon

Today the entire Marketing and Events Department from the Denver Botanic Gardens came to Indigio and provided the entire company lunch as a thank you for Indigio's support of their recent redesign.

It was an amazing way to thank Indigio and all the staff was so appreciative. The gang from Denver Botanic Gardens went as far as to serve everyone lunch, so they could personally thank everyone. They are such an amazing group and are wonderful to have as clients. They are truly a class act.

Dale and I sat with the Denver Botanic Gardens Team while they ate and this was the first time we met many of them, so it was nice. Often with a new group of people you look for things to talk about. Usually it is Colorado, weather and small talk like that. Today that was not the case and was a lot more fun. We ended up all talking about trash TV.

You know, trashy TV shows we all watch, but never admit to anyone. Shows like the Hills, Tela Tequila's A Shot at Love, Rock of Love, My Super Sweet 16, Pimp by Ride, Big Brother, etc. It was great fun and everyone had a lot of fun with the discussion. It was silly, but so human. We all watch those shows...otherwise why would they keep getting renewed each season. It was fun to see a group of people so comfortable with each other that they could joke, he honest and have fun.

My thanks to Robin, Doris and the whole Team at the Gardens for a wonderful and enjoyable afternoon.

Tibet, China and the Olympics

This morning on the radio they briefly were talking about the Olympics and China. As we all know there has been a lot of press, deserving so recently about China's treatment of the Tibetan people. Of course since China is hosting the Olympics this year there is an automatic association and tension now surrounding the event. Even the torch lighting has plagued by controversy.

So it got me thinking about the Olympics and the spirit they represent. Do people think it is fair for the Olympics to allow their event be hosted by a country that does not follow based human rights for people? Does that matter to the Olympics? Should it?

I personally do not know the answer. I personally hate to see an event that represents countries coming together to unite and present their best athletes be so plagued by controversy. It is tough. I also hate to see anyone people oppress and not allowed to be free and decide their own leadership. It is tough.

What does everyone else think?

Phantom of the Idol

Sorry for no update last week on Idol kids. I was too busy working. Le sigh!

Okay, now I am a huge fan of Broadway. I think Andrew Lloyd Webber is a genius. However, I do not see the pop stars tonight doing great with this genre, but we'll see.

Syesha (9.5 out of 10)

My score: 10 out of 10 - AMAZING! She looks beautiful, did a great job & truly showed more personality than we have seen all season. Wonderful. She may not win this show, but she will be a Broadway star. You felt her confidence tonight.

Dale's score: 9 out of 10 - Very good; she looks great and could be on Broadway tomorrow.

Jason (2.5 out of 10)

My score: 2 out of 10 - Time to go home Jason, time to go home.

Dale's score: 3 out of 10 - Snore; painful.

Brooke (4.5 out of 10)

My score: 4 out of 10 - Now I really like Brooke, but this is not the first time she has had to re-start a song, which is not great for a live audience. She rocks in the studio and all her performances on iTunes are so much better than the live version. Unfortunate. This performance may mean the end of Brooke.

Dale's score: 5 out of 10 - It seems forced; I don't like her sitting down; oh good she stood up. The dress does not fit the song; the dress seems happy, spring in the meadow and the song is not.

David A. (9 out of 10)

My score: 9 out of 10 - I still feel he is over-rated. He is cute, adorable and sweet; I just want to punch him. Okay, the performance was not horrible. I felt he did make the song a bit more pop/R&B and less Broadway, which was good. He is no Sarah Brightman, but he was a thousand times better than Jason or Brooke.

Dale's score: 9 out of 10 - I really like it (go figure - Dale loves him); he put a contemporary spin on it. I think it was fantastic.

Carly (7 out of 10)

My score: 7 out of 10 - Thank goodness she did not sing You Must Love Me from Phantom and chose to rock it out with Jesus Christ Superstar. She voice is built for power, not ballads. Now, it was not her best performance, but it had energy and personality; it was good, not great, but good.

Dale's score: 7 out of 10 - I think she is screaming a bunch of it. Good effort.

David C. (8 out of 10)

My score: 8 out of 10 - It is what I would expect in vocals in any travelling Phantom show - okay, but not great. He hit a few great notes, but not David's greatest performance by far. Would I download it? No.

Dale's score: 7 out of 10 - Dressed poorly; needs to start dressing the song and not be the rocker every time. Not a bad performance.

My predictions for bottom 3: Jason, Brooke & Carly with Brooke going home (even though I would rather see Jason go home). Even though Carly had an ok night, I think Syesha's performance may have saved her from bottom three, unless going first hurts her.

Dale's predictions for bottom 3: Ditto.

Okay, overall I would say there was 1 great performance (Syesha), three good (the Davids and Carly) and two bad (Jason & Brooke). Broadway is not as easy as it looks. I saw Melanie Griffith in the Broadway show Chicago once and she proved that.

Tom Whittaker's Day Off

Last night I decided to take today off from work. I needed a mix of a mental health day (opportunity to unwind a bit after a few busy weeks at work) and to catch up on some house chores. Since today was the first day in weeks I did not have back to back meetings, I figured today was a good day.

So was my day off similar to when Ferris Bueller played hookie from school? Did I borrow a cool car and hit downtown? Sing in a parade? Hit a baseball game? Out-run Principal Ed Rooney?

Well not quite. My day off consisted of me working (remotely) from 8 AM to 1 PM on my companies financial forecast for the next three months, answering emails, answering instant messages and a couple of client phone calls. Not quite the excitement of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but it did give me some time alone to get some stuff done I have been putting off at work - so that made me feel better. I always feel stressed when I am behind at work, so having 5 hours to dedicate to some projects made me feel a bit more relaxed about the week to come.

As I said, I wrapped up work around 1 PM. So how did I spend my wacky afternoon? Cleaning the house, getting some stuff organized at home for Spring and playing with the dogs. I even cooked a nice pork chop dinner for Dale and I. Not what you would call crazy, but for some reason I find cleaning the house very relaxing. A clean house calms me. And although our house it never really that dirty, I was raised by a Mother who was obsessed with having a clean home and I have realized that I have that same compulsion. There are worse obsessions than having a clean house, right? It is not like I am out scoring crack...just Windex and pledge.

So there you have it. My own personal version of a day off - office work, house cleaning and cooking dinner. I doubt I will get a movie made of my day, but oh well. I enjoyed it.

If you are going to do something, do it right.

This is inappropriate, yet pretty damn funny.

Four Minutes - Madonna and Justin Spoof

This is a funny spoof. However, in a weird way the guy playing Madonna actually looks just like Britney Spears.

New York, New York

I heard this song the other day and was surprised it came out a few years ago and I missed it. I am not a huge fan of Moby, but still a fan and thought I would have known about a duet with him and Debbie Harry. Anyhow, the song is great, so I checked out YouTube and came across this VERY FUNNY video. Worth watching.

Spring Fever

After a long winter and a few early teases, it seems the Spring has finally sprung. With temperatures in the high 70's/low 80's the past few days it is hard not to go crazy with Spring fever. The good weather got me thinking this morning about what I love about this time of year.

1. The return of sandals. I hate shoes and I especially hate socks. I wear shoes and socks just to be socially accepted and because my feet are not that pretty. If I could wear sandals everyday, everywhere and whenever I wanted - I probably would.
2. The switch from hot chai tea lattes to iced chai tea lattes at Starbucks. Personally, I prefer my chai tea iced, but in the Fall/Winter the need for something hot makes me switch. I hold off as long as I can. I also recommend light ice when ordering, as if you do not, Starbucks so kindly gives you 3/4th of a cup of ice and 1/4th of a cup of actual chai tea.
3. The blooming of the flowers and plants in our yard. I hate our backyard in the Winter, mostly because it is so beautiful, relaxing and a retreat in the Summer. Right now things are starting to take off. Some of my favorites are starting to see life like our Weeping Pussy Willow tree and Magnolia bush.
4. The sound of the Ice Cream Man. Although we rarely ever utilized his services, it is always fun to hear him coming. We saw on ice cream truck yesterday, so it seems official - it is Spring. The ice cream man always reminds me of childhood and the excitement you feel when you hear those bells.
5. The return of our neighbors. No, they did not leave in the Winter...but it does seem like we all hibernate. We rarely see any of our neighbors from November through March, unless we drive by each other. Once the daffodils bloom, it seems like the neighbors wipe the sleep from their eyes and step outdoors for a hello.
6. Breaking out the leashes. We are bad parents. We rarely walk our dogs between November and March due to the temperatures and weather. They are restricted to getting their exercise at doggie-daycare. Once the weather breaks, they get a lot more evening walks during the week and more play on the weekend.
7. Elvira goes topless. No, she is not some chick we know or a slutty neighbor, even though that would make a better story. She is the Mini Cooper convertible we purchased last Fall and this Spring she has grown to become on of my favorite past times. I never saw myself as a "convertible guy" but I love her. I love having the top down and the sun against my small (but ever growing) bald spot. The wind in your hair is so addictive and I do not know how I lived without her.
8. Breakfast, lunch and dinner on the patio. I love when Dale and I get to sit on our back patio and eat. It is nice to be able to dine outside and it is especially wonderful when Dale uses the grille. I am not allowed to use the grille as it hates me and has tried to burn my eyebrows several times.
9. Having a life during the week. With the later sunset, it finally feels like you can have a life again Monday through Thursday. In the Winter it gets dark so early, so it feels like all you do is work and go home. This time of year, it feels like you can actually do things after work.
10. Sleeping with the windows open. I personally love fresh air. Heat and air-conditioning can be so stuffy. I love the air at night, the sound of our pond and the cool Spring breeze that you get for the next few months before you need air conditioning. We slept last night with all the bedroom windows open and it was heavenly.

Now, with all things good, there are also a few bad things that have to come to in order to keep our universe in order.

1. Sneezing, watery eyes and a sore throat. Yes, I suffer from allergies or hay fever as some call it. I am allergic to the dust and dander in the grass and trees. When Dale cuts the lawn, my options are 1) close all the windows and hide inside, 2) go grocery shopping or 3) rip out my eyes. I usually go with options 1 and 2.
2. Yard work. Although Dale handles 80% of this, every so often he gets fed up with me and makes me pitch in. I try to hold to my "I do the inside" and "You do the outside" rule, but that only lasts so long. I am not a yard work kind of guy. Firstly, my allergies do not help, but most of all it is hard work and usually in the hot sun. Not fun. Speaking of that...I am heading outside in the next few minutes to clean out our pond for Spring.
   

So what are your favorite things about Spring? What brings you happiness this time of year?

Flowers, Art, & Beautiful Weather - The Perfect Afternoon

Today Dale and I decided to make the most of the amazing weather and head to the Denver Botanic Gardens. We felt it was a nice way to kick off Spring, plus see the opening of their latest exhibit, Urban Nature.

I have been involved with the exhibit, working with my fellow Indigians to provide the Gardens a micro-site and photoblog dedicated to this exhibit. Check it out at http://www.denverurbannature.com/. It launched on Friday. I think it is amazing and my friend and co-worker, Sara Pacheco did an amazing job designing it. I think it truly represents the art of the exhibit, which is a collision of art and nature. The exhibit features graffiti style art and it is beautiful. Here are some of the photos I took today.

The Gardens are already coming to life and the Spring flowers were spectacular, as was the art panels sprinkled throughout the Gardens. It made for a wonderful afternoon.

You Don't Want to Make Mike Mad

Mike Minton got a new toy at the Mammoth Game last night...giant Incredible Giant Hulk like hands that are for fighting and beer drinking. Funny.

For the Birds

Cute.

What's Blooming at the Denver Botanic Gardens?

Lots of flowers and a new web site. Today Indigio proudly launched a new site for the Denver Botanic Gardens. Check it out at http://www.botanicgardens.org/.

This site is more than just a redesign, as it is a completely new platform, enhanced site structure, revised flow, updated content, plus many other impressive changes. This truly is a transformation from the Gardens’ previous site with the sole goal being simplifying the web site to ensure visitors and members are able to find the most relevant information for their upcoming visit. Again, this followed Indigio’s motto that less is more and simplicity is key.

My thanks to the Project Team - Sara Pacheco (design/strategy), Mike Minton (development/strategy), Wayne Rodgers (content integration), Scott Holdeman (navigation implementation), David French (structural markup), Ander Murane (copywriting), Ryan Hadley (IT), Jack Hylton (IT), Ronnie Guidry (Google Analytics), Brandon Hess (SEO), Jim Halligan (SEO) and Becki Dilworth (strategy) for making this site a reality. Your hard work is seen in every page. My thanks to Tim Higgins, our CEO, for allowing Indigio to be involved in such a wonderful organization as Denver Botanic Gardens.

Also, thank you to Doris Boardman, Web Technology Manager and Robin Doerr, Director of Marketing/PR who lead this project at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Your support, dedication and acceptance of change was truly a blessing. We look forward to working with you in the months and years to come as the Gardens continues to be sustainable for generations to come.

1/4 of the way there!

Well, I am now on the 14th day of my diet, goal to be healthier and challenge to myself to lose 36 pounds by my 36th birthday.

Week one I did great losing 7 pounds.

Week two is always the biggest struggle for me in any past diet and I usually end up not losing any weight in week 2. Knowing this, I set a low goal of us 2 pounds this week. I am happy to report that I did in fact lose weight this week and actually lost the 2 pounds, bringing my total to 9 pounds. That means I have hit 25% of my goal. Yeah!

My goal this week is 3 more pounds. My thanks to everyone, especially Dale, who has been supportive. A special thanks to my friend John who is joining my challenge and is trying to lose 18 pounds by June 22nd. Good luck John.

Safe Bet with 21

Dale and I joined our neighbors this AM to see the movie 21.
Overall it was a good movie. Far from great cinema, but very enjoyable for $5 each. The cast was believable, the storyline was good and the past of the movie worked.

For those of you unaware, 21 is the story of a group of MIT wiz kids who hit Las Vegas on weekends to count cards playing blackjack.
The movie is based on the book, Bringing Down the House, but the book took place at a time before most casinos used computers to track players by face recognition. The movie goes with the assumption that wearing disguises to hit the same hotel could exist today.
But still, if you are looking for a good movie, that is neither deep or involves a ton of killing - this is a safe bet.

Buses in Denver are just plain boring

Mascot Bloopers

Always enjoyable.

Signs of Dieting and Old Age

Dale and I had a nice dinner tonight with our neighbors Sam and AnJanette. Salad, pizza, good friends and great conversation. A nice evening.

Since I had spumoni with dinner, I was good and skipped the chai tea latte in favor of steamed apple juice when we all went for coffee. Yes, steamed apple juice...the sign that my diet and old age are getting the best of me.

Social Media Fatigue

Am I the only one suffering from social media fatigue?

I feel like I can't keep up with twittering, facebook, linkedin, writing blogs, reading blogs and all the other stuff. It seems overwhelming lately.

I actually went and cut my RSS reader in 1/2 tonight. It was getting to be too much.

I even went into Twitter and stopped following close to 100 people.

Yes, I have purged my social network and broken up with a bunch of my on-line friends. What can I say...it' me, not you. I am tired and need to create some time to read a book or catch a movie.

Am I the only one really that feels this way? Has social media gone become too much?

Flowers, Plants and Art Exhibits, Oh My!

The bulk of my day today was spent reviewing the new site for the Denver Botanic Gardens that Indigio is building. It is going live on Monday afternoon, so I wanted to do one final review of the entire site. With 120 pages, it took a little bit of time, but I found a few minor issues here are there that need to be corrected.

I am also now an expect on the Denver Botanic Gardens and have learned quite a bit about horticulture from the conversation and research sections. If you want to know what types of plant that are best for our high-altitude climate, I may be able to help.

Anyhow, check out http://www.botanicgardens.org/ Monday afternoon or Tuesday to see their new site. I am very proud of it - another great site from Indigio.

On a side note, this week Denver Botanic Gardens will be opening their new exhibit, Urban Nature that is about the collision of art, nature and the urban nature. It shows how urban dwellers can use art and horticulture to feel connected to nature. There will apparently be about a dozen street murals mixed in throughout the Gardens. I cannot wait to check it out. It will be something very different for the Gardens and I am excited. Here is a picture promoting the even that I think is truly breathtaking.

Pop Goes the Idol - Elimination Shocker

Okay, the results show. Why do we need to have a full recap of what we watched last night. I am tired of every show using 1/2 of it's time showing footage we have just watched.

Jordan Sparks rocks. I love her.

The results:

Brooke - Safe; good call.

David C. - Safe; even though he was not great this week, I am not surprised he is safe.

David A. - Safe; even though I do not care for him, he deserves to go on.

Jason - Safe; bad call. He needs to go home.

The bottom 3 - Syesha, Carly & Michael.

I am surprised about Syesha and Michael. Now, I have changed my mind on Michael, but he does not deserve bottom 3. Syesha really has improved. Dale and I were way off this week. The only one we both got right was Carly.

Shocking - Michael Johns has been sent home and voted off. Shocking! I am stunned. He is by far not the worse singer of the group and does not deserve to leave over several others. John has been a bit generic the past few weeks, but still not what I expected.

Way to shake things up America.

Great FedEx Commercial

Fwd: How much ya wanna bet???

My friend Kath sent me this. Very funny in reference to my blog posting (http://twwhit72.blogspot.com/2008/03/is-it-wrong.html) about prefering no small talk when you get a haircut.

 

Thanks Kath!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kath

Date: Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 11:13 PM
Subject: How much ya wanna bet???
To: Tom


That his barber was trying to make small talk with him??? (bad of me...very vey bad!)

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_8834975

:-)

--
Words can sometimes, in moments of grace, attain the quality of deeds. - Elie Wiesel

Idols Inspire - Not So Much Tonight

Inspiration week. The Idols sing songs that inspire. Not the best week. I think the past two weeks were stronger.

Also, did Paula buy a dress two sizes too small? Her boobs are packed in there for sure.

Michael (average score - 6.5 out of 10)

My score: 6 out of 10 - I did not like it; bad song choice; seemed like he is screaming. Also, I get the scarf is your thing, but try something different.

Dale's score: 7 out of 10 - uh; nothing special; a little wanna-be.

Syesha (average score - 8.5 out of 10)

My score: 9 out of 10 - I like her version than Fantasia, since she doesn't scream like Fantasia.

Dale's score: 8 out of 10 - Good; she should have dressed differently for this song; white and heavenly in a nice white dress.

Jason (average score - 5.5 out of 10)

My score: 7 out of 10 - Great song choice; this is one of Dale's favorite songs; I think he did a good job of connecting with the song, with the exception of a few weird notes and facial expressions.

Dale's score: 4 out of 10 - Did not make it his own; don't like it; I am not a fan.

Kristy (average score - 7.5 out of 10)

My score: 8 out of 10 - I like her more than her singing I think, but tonight was a bit closer to equal; she looks good; great note in the middle and she nailed it at the end.

Dale's score: 7 out of 10 - The song grew on me; I like it.

David C. (average score - 5.0 out of 10)

My score: 5 out of 10 - Did not do it for me; not thrilled by the performance; bad song; bad week.

Dale's score: 5 out of 10 - Nothing special at all.

Carly (average score - 5.5 out of 10)

My score: 6 out of 10 - Does she own sleeves? Really, I mean it. I liked it; did not love it; she was better past weeks.

Dale's score: 5 out of 10 - Don't like the song choice; it is not her best;wrong song choice; came across angry, not inspiring.

David A. (average score - 8.0 out of 10)

My score: 8 out of 10 - Still find him annoying in interviews, sorry. It was a great song choice and he did a good job;the piano was a good choice.

Dale's score: 8 out of 10 - He is talented.

Brooke (average score - 7.0 out of 10)

My score: 7 out of 10 - Good song choice; who doesn't love Carol King; don't like the dress- it looks weird on her; performance is okay - not great.

Dale's score: 7 out 10 - She could have put more into it; it was okay.

Who do we think will be in the bottom 3?

My Bottom 3: Carly, Jason and Kristy with Carly* going home.
Dale's Bottom 3: Carly, Jason and Brooke with Carly* going home.

*I feel based on past weeks Carly should not be in the bottom 3 or go home, but I have a weird feeling America is going to turn on her this week. Her poor performance may have saved Syesha a bit longer. I also do not think that even though David C. had a bad week it will hurt him much. Dale feels the same, except he thinks America will favor Kristy over Brooke.

What does everyone else think?

When did torch passing become so controversial?

There has been a lot of press the past few days on China's handling of the passing of the Olympic torch around the world, especially in London, England. I felt this cartoon summed it up perfectly. I follow the blog The Rut which created it.

One Small Step for Man...One Huge Step For Tom

I have never been a person that liked exercise...in any form. I am especially someone who hates people at the gym at 5:00 AM who are happy to be there. Okay, hate is not the right word. Despise. Yes, that is better. I want to take something and hurt those people...real bad. I want them to feel the pain I am feeling or at least express the same hatred I feel for dragging my ass out of bad to workout. I know, not the nicest sentiment, but honestly, please no smiles at the gym and not before 7 AM.

However, this morning was different. I actually enjoyed my workout! Yes, I did 6 miles on the elliptical and found it enjoyable. I pushed myself past 4 miles to 5 miles and then felt happy trying to make it to 6 miles. It felt great and I truly found an odd sense of pleasure from it all.

To all the people at the gym I mentally kicked, knocked down or wished ill will toward over the years, I apologize. I guess you were just happy after all. I thought you were just bitches. Sorry.

Mother Nature, Ancient Chinese Secret, Crazy Calls, Micromachines & Where's The Beef

When I was a kid I watched a lot of TV...especially on Saturday mornings, weekdays, Sundays, days it rained, holidays...okay, I watched a lot of TV. In a world before DVRs, TV also meant commercials. Here are some funny ones I fondly remember from my childhood.

It remember these commercials like it was yesterday, but have no memories of Chiffon margarine. I came from a Land O' Lakes butter family, so maybe that is why. We did not eat margarine. Dale makes me now.



I used to love this commercial. My family never used a dry cleaner when we were kids, but it made me want to. We used Tide too. I wanted Calgon.



Remember when answering machines came out. I remember wanting this tape. We never got it. I remember how big our first answering machine was. So funny looking back now.



When micromachines became popular I was too old, but I loved the fast-talking commercials and used to try to imitate.



Growing up, I liked these commercials and Wendy's seemed fancy to me. We lived close to McDonalds and Burger King, so Wendy's was a drive. Somehow I equated a longer drive to mean fancy. Not sure why. I remember sometimes my parents would get Wendy's drive-thru and then take us to the Albany airport to watch planes take off and land. I used to love it. Okay, I was a weird kid.



Any you can remember from your childhood. For those older readers like Dale, do you remember any radio commercials you liked. Just kidding Dale!

Be A Mindsticker

With advertising as creepy as this, is it no wonder Tab never became the leading cola. Be a mindsticker, what the hell is that supposed to be? The love the A.M radio musical stylings in the background.

Chain Surfing: The Latest In Urban Sports

You have to see this. Get through the first 1/2 of the video and then it is amazing. This is some kid in Paris.


http://view.break.com/483094 - Watch more free videos

I can't believe how much the chain moves.

How I Am Doing on My 36 Pound Weight Loss Challenge?

One week ago I issued myself a challenge to lose 36 pounds by my 36th birthday on June 22th.

So how have I done - great! This past week I lost 7 pounds. Yes, you read that correct - 7 pounds. I did this by selecting healthier alternatives when available, portion control and exercise.

I did not completely change my eating habits and start eating 100% healthy food. I have tried this in the past and it has not worked. Instead, I tried to change the habits I could.

• I reduced the sizes of my lunch and dinner portions.
• I increased the frequency of my eating, trying to eat six times throughout the day to keep my metabolism high.
• I increased the numbers of fruits and vegetables in my meals.
• I drank more water.
• I made sure to start the day with a good breakfast.
• I selected healthier options when available, for example I selected an egg white omelette rather than just an omelette.
• I worked out three times last week.
• I tried to be more active when I can, for example I selected parking spaces further away so I got in some extra steps.

So all these things and Dale's support lead to a great first week on my challenge. I cannot thank Dale enough because he has been eating healthy and working out with me to help keep me motivated.

I have 29 more pounds to go. My goal this week is 2 pounds. Week 2 of any diet or exercise program has always been the toughest for me, so I do not want to try to think I am going to repeat week 1 and lose another 7 pounds. Often in week two, my weight stays flat. I want to try to average 3 pounds per week, so I figure targeting 2 pounds will help ensure I am not losing too quickly and developing life style changes and ultimately a healthier life. With 76 days to go, 29 pounds seems realistic and a goal I can meet.

If anyone doubts me, I am offering to make it a $36 challenge. Send me a comment on the blog challenging that I will not hit my goal and bet me $36. If I miss my goal, you win $36. If I hit my goal, you pay me $36. I am willing to put my money where my mouth is. Are you?

Also, if anyone wants to join me in this challenge, let me know. The more the merrier.

Beautiful Day in Colorado

Nice temperatures, warm sun....ah, the perfect Sunday. This morning I even had 4 robins playing in the waterfall of our pond. It does not get more perfect than that.

What's on the agenda for today?

• Quickly picking up/cleaning the house
• Walking the dogs
• Grocery shopping
• A little yard work
• Taking Elvira for a drive with her top down
• Enjoying the beautiful weather

It is already 9:45 AM and I have already made dinner for the week. Yeah me.

Rockies Still Rock

Although the Rockies did not have their best outing (and lost)...it was still a lot of fun tonight going to the game. The Rockies are now 1-4, but it is still early in the season.

I think Dale and I will get some tickets for some nice lazy Sunday, summer games. My favorite time for baseball.

My favorite part tonight, as always was the people. Not matter where you sit, you always have those die-hard fans that are so much fun to watch.

My thanks to Tim Higgins for the tickets.

My view from the Rockie's game.

Hi Laurie!

I changed my mind

Here was my top 5 for American Idol as of this week:

1. Michael Johns
2. David Cook
3. Carly Smithson
4. Brooke White
5. David Archuletta

Okay, I went back and listened to the last 4 performances of my top 5 favorites on American Idol using their studio versions on iTunes.
I have to say Brooke and Carly's studio versions are amazing. I would buy their CDs. The same with David Cook. I think Michael is not as strong as I have felt. It made me switch Brooke and Michael in my mind.

Here is my new top 5:

1. Brooke White (+3)
2. David Cook (even)
3. Carly Smithson (even)
4. Michael Johns (-3)
5. David Archuletta (even)

However, I do not think America will feel the same and suspect the following to be the reality:

1. David Cook
2. David Archuletta
3. Carly Smithson
4. Michael Johns
5. Brooke White

I just wish America would listen to me. I wonder why they don't. Have they not seen my blog? Do they not know who I am?

P.S. - I may change my mind again. I tend to do that. Sorry.

Let's Go Rockies!

Tonight we are headed to a Rockies Game with some fellow Indigians. It should be fun. Although most people find baseball slow, I find it relaxing. Plus there is always the added thrill of getting hit with a foul ball to make the night interesting. I think I may have some peanuts tonight. I like me the peanuts.

I can't get this song out of my head today

I Drive All Night by Cyndi Lauper. I don't know why. I woke up with it in my head and it has been there ever since. I drove all night, just to get to you.

There is always someone who impresses me

Music using ONLY sounds from Windows XP and 98! Actually a very catchy tune.

Every day: so many opportunities to connect. What if you took just one?

This is a fairly interesting and profound video. Icame across it on Youtube. It says Every day: so many opportunities to connect. What if you took just one?

It's hard to believe it's been 7 years

This video is from 2001 and when Steve Jobs first introduced the iPod. It is funny it has been 7 years already. I know it changed music for me. How?

I never buy whole CDs anymore; I not just download the songs I like
I listen to more music than even
At $0.99 I am more willing to explore new music.

Thanks Steve.

Some day look better than others

If you want the total experience, visit the project site: http://www.c71123.com/daily_photo/

Carlsberg and Mentos

This was not what I expected.

Free Day, Schmee Day

Yesterday was my free day on my diet, but honestly I worked so hard all week, I felt too guilty to get too crazy.

I had a breakfast meeting at the Brown Palace, but I opted for 1 piece of whole wheat toast and an egg white omelet. I even left the potatoes that came on the plate. Now that is control.

For lunch, I took 5 Indigians to lunch. We went to Lucky Strike. I was a little bad with the tuna melt, but did the side salad instead of french fries or chips. A clean sign of control.

Dinner was going to be tough. We took Dale's sister, Donna and her daughter, Mikayla to dinner at the Olive Garden to celebrate Donna's birthday. Now, I love me the Olive Garden, so this was going to be hard. I love the Zuppa Toscana soup which is cream based, the alfredo sauce for my breadsticks and the Chicken Scampi, which is another cream sauce. This is all fattening. So I held strong. I did the cream based soup (I am only human), skipped the alfredo sauce and selected a angel hair with just tomatoes and olive oil, which was one of their healthy options. I even passed on desert. I did great.

For me dieting, the hardest part is eating out. It is usually when I let things go to hell...but I did great yesterday and I am proud. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not living off celery and carrots by any means, but I am doing a great job with being healthier and portion control.

Wash, wash, wash

Scrub, scrub, scrub - that's how we keep the truck clean in the merry ol' land of Arvada.

Yes, we just washed the truck and are headed to lunch.

Please Stand By

We Interrupt Your Regular Blog Reading For This Important Message

Hello and thank you for visiting my blog. I love visitors and your comments.

Unfortunately, I was too busy to blog today and now it is almost 10:00 PM and I am too tired to blog. My brain hurts, so I cannot think enough to be remotely interesting, let alone funny.

Please feel free to revisit some of my past blog postings. Some of them are funny and interesting and some not so much. Honestly, I would say you have a 15% chance of reading something funny and a 25% chance of something interesting. That is still a 40% chance for something good and those are better than most odds in Las Vegas.

Again, thank you for your loyalty.

P.S. - For those of you wondering, the diet is going well. I have done great this week. Good on portions. Great on fruits and vegetables. Good on water. Worked out three days so far. Tomorrow is my free day. Yeah!

Beaker from the Muppets Rocks It Out

Who the hell knew Beaker could sing like this? If I were him, I would dump the other Muppets and go solo.

Funny on the Subway

This is actually fairly funny.

American Idol Results: I am now pissed

My thoughts:

• The Idolers did good singing 9 to 5. I bet Kristy and Brooke both wished they could have sung it last night, as the song is perfect for both of them.
• The viewer questions are so damn stupid. The need to stop them. It is a waste of time.
• The show former Idolers doing country and don't show Josh Gracin, come on!
• I don' think I ever heard Bo Bice talk so much; did he ever speak his season?
• Dolly can still sing at 62...she is enjoyable.

Okay, we are here for the results, so here they are:

Michael - safe; good choice.

David A. - safe; understandable, but I still think he is over-rated.

Carly - safe; excellent news!

David C. - Sofa, safety. Yeah.

Ramiele - Bottom. I was right. Dale was wrong. She is sweet, but not a winner.

Kristy - Bottom. We both picked her. I like her, but she thinks she should go home, so if sh can't believe in herself, how can she expect America.

Syesha - Safe; good call America; she is so much better than Kristy, Ramiele and Jason.

*please note - if Brooke is on the bottom and Jason is safe, I will be pissed.

Brooke - damn! This is so wrong. She is not bottom 3; she is in my top 4. Come on.

Jason - safe; Not good. He should be in a coffee shop, not on American Idol.

*please note - I am now pissed.

So we have a bottom three of Ramiele, Kristy and Brooke. I am not happy about Brooke.

Brooke back to safety; I am less pissed at America, but still not happy that she was there.

Okay, Kristy is back to the couch and Ramiele is out. I think she is actually better than Kristy, but let's be honest...both are not going to win so Ramiele, then Kristy or Kristy, then Ramiele...both need to go home. However, I was right on Ramiele going home next.

My picks on the final 8 are:

1. Michael
2. David C.
3. Carly
4. Brooke
5. David A.
6. Syesha
7. Jason
8. Kristy

Dale's picks on the final 8 are:

1. David A.
2. Carly
3. David C.
4. Michael
5. Brooke
6. Syesha
7. Jason
8. Kristy

Dale is wrong (my opinion). We both have the same next bottom 3, so let's hope we are right about that.

Peace out!

Best Clinton & Obama Video Ever!

This is a spoof on the "I'm F#%cking Matt Damon Video" and this is very funny.

Dollywood Comes to American Idol

Tonight was the songs of Dolly Parton. Not an easy genre for the Idolers, since most are more pop that country and bluegrass.

Our thoughts on Dolly Parton:

Tom - I like her; she seems real; she has a good plastic surgeon, unlike Priscilla Presley; she said Jason was funky looking...she calls it like she sees it; I like her for that. I love it when Dolly laughs...it always makes me smile.

Dale - Dolly Parton looks good for 62. Gosh, she has lasted through the years, not many people can do that. (yes, Dale actually said gosh.)

Out thoughts on the Idolers:

Brooke

My score: 6 out of 10 - For her voice and style, Jolene was a good choice; not a favorite song of mine, but I like the blue grass feel to it overall.
Dale's score: 5 out of 10 - not memorable.

David C.

My score: 8 out of 10 - A good song choice for him considering the genre; I liked that he made it his own; very soulful.
Dale's score: 7 out of 10 - He is not screaming like past performances, which is good.

Ramiele

My score: 5 out of 10 - Cute, bouncy - but I would never pay to listen to this song and I think I would change the radio if it came on.
Dale's score: 5 out of 10 - Not a lot of range; more entertaining than Brooke's song.

Jason

My score: 4 out of 10 - I just don't like him; he is too coffee shop for me.
Dale's score: 4 out of 10 - Not impressed; 3,000 Dolly Parton songs and that is the best you got.

Carly

My score: 9 out of 10 - I love Here You Come Again; great song. I feel like she made it her own and soulful. I wished Carly dressed differently for this song...a bit more dressy.
Dale's score: 8 out of 10 - I like it!

David A.

My score: 7 out of 10 - I still feel he is over-rated, but I think this was a good, solid performance.
Dale's score: 9 out of 10 - I think he did a great job; he connected with the song. I like him because he is wholesome.

Kristy

My score: 6 out of 10 - I love the hair and the dress; she looks like a star, but unfortunately, not the best performance; good, but not great.
Dale's score: 7 out of 10 - She looks good; seems like she sped up the song; I do not like the no shoes.

Syesha

My score: 8 out of 10 - You know she got the song she wanted; it allows for more R&B; she looks great and it is a good performance; hard to out-sing Whitney, but that was one hell of an ending note.
Dale's score: 8 out of 10 - Hair and look is a bit Whitney. That may be the best tonight.

Michael

My score: 9 out of 10 - He just looks like a star already like he is the cool front man for a band; he made the song his own and gave it a gospel, church-rock feel to it. The boy can sing.
Dale's score:6 out 10 - Not much there.

Here are our predictions for tomorrow night based on how we think America will vote:

My Bottom 3: Ramiele, Jason and Kristy with Ramiele going home.

Dale's Bottom 3: Syesha, Jason and Kristy with Kristy going home.