Hi Idol peeps. I'm going to use this blog and rerun it everyweek for the Idol points contest. If you want to see evryone's picks you just go to bottom of this page. This blog will keep a running total of the points you have gotten, with new updates every week.

Here are the rules again, with a few new one's explained here. I'm going to list numbers 12 to 1 under everyone, and will put the points you have for that week, with total on bottom. I have been giving 10 points if you predict who will go every week, and 5 points if you hit the person leaving on the correct week before the top 12 started. If you don't make a pick, I give you the lowest person on your top 12 list as your default pick. I'm going to do a slight change to encourage everyone to make their picks every week. If you make an official pick and it's wrong, I will still give you 5 points if the one you had listed last gets the boot. If the person you listed last is also your pick for that week, I will give you 15 points instead of 10. This way people who don't vote but get a lucky 10 points don't have an advantage over those who make the time for a guess.

After this week we will down to top 8. (This is when we get 3 points for every one listed in top 8, 4 points for each after week 7 etc) I'm also going to do another nice thing for those paying attention..I'll let you switch 2 picks around. For example, If you had David Cook #7 and Carly #2, I will give you a one time chance to reverse those picks! If you don't think that's fair..too bad..I like to throw a curveball in my contests. There is a catch though..if you want to switch it will cost you 10 points. It may be worth it, the choice is up to you! I think a lot of people have David Archuleta first, and this gives us a chance to have a variety of picks at the end of the contest if you want to switch him with someone. I'll remind everyone of this after this weeks show.

So here are the point totals. I'm gonna have the type very small so I can fit a lot in! If you don't know how I came acrooss that point total, go back to the blog results for that weeks show.

         Jim                 Mark          Cait(Submerged)      Karen

12.       5                   15                              0                          0

11.       0                     0                               0                         0

10.       0                     0                               0                         0

9.      

8.

7.

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

total:  5                    15                              0                           0

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            Alison                Mrs Virso           Craig             Steve

12.          10                           10                      0                    10

11.           0                              0                      0                       5

10.           0                              5                     0                    10

9.

8.

7.

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

total:    10                       15                          0                   25

________________________________________________

            Kadi                    Scott's wife        Vita            Rockit

12.          15                            0                     15                  0

11.           0                             0                      0                   0

10.           0                              0                     0                   0

9.

8.

7.

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

total:        15                         0                     15                  0

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             Sue            RelientK (Talia)        Tanya

12.           0                          0                           0

11.           0                         5                            0

10.           0                        10                           0

9.

8.

7.

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

total:           0                    15                          0

______________________________________________

             Wendy                         Amy                       Bev

12.               0                               0                            0

11.               0                               0                            0

10.               0                               0                           10

9.

8.

7.

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

total:           0                                 0                            10

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I'm in a good mood...here are evryone's picks 12 to 1. I wish I knew how to make lines going down to make it easier to read!

                               12  11  10   9   8   7   6   5  4   3  2   winner

Jim                        dh    r     k   a   ce  m  s   dc  j   b  cs       da

Mark                    dh    r     k   ce   s   m  a  cs  j   dc  b        da

Cait                       k     r      a   ce  dh  m  s  cs  b   j    dc      da

Karen                   ce    r     dh   a   cs   k  m  s  da  b   dc       j

Alison                   c     k      s    r    a   dh m   b  j   cs   dc      da

Mrs Virso            r    dh     ce  s  cs    m  a   dc  b  k    j        da

Craig                    k    ce      j    a   s    dh  r   cs  dc  da m      b

Steve                     ce   a      k   dh  s    r    j    cs  dc  m   b      da

Kadi                      dh   k     a    ce   s   r    b    cs dc  m   da      j

Scott's wife          r     m    k     a   j    s    dc  b   ce  dh   cs     da

Vita                       dh   k    a     m   s   cs   r   dc  ce  da    b       j

Rockit                  r     ce    k     a   s    b     m dh   j    dc    cs      da

Tanya                    k    ce    a     s    m   r   dh  j    dc  b     cs      da

Sue                        r    dh    a     ce   s   b    m   k   j   dc    cs      da

Talia                     ce    a     m   s     b    k  dh   j    r   cs    dc      da

Wendy                 ce   dh    k    s     a    b   j    r    dc    m   cs      da

Amy                     j      k      m    a   dh  r   ce  s     b    dc   cs       da

Bev                       -      r       a      k   s   m   j   b    ce   cs   dc      da

(she came in a week late so no pick for #12)

The picks are the first letter of their name or the initials..Carly is CS...Chikezie is CE...David Archuleta is DA..David Cook is DC..David Hernandez is DH.

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That was interesting to see all the picks in one spot. Some of you have just missed by one every week. That was a lot of work, but now all I have to do is paste numbers each week.

Thanks again for playing!   =)

As usual, I won't see the results show until after Church, so my comments won't be up until way late or Thursday. Half of you have picked who you think will be leaving, if you haven't done it yet, go back to my blog from last night to give me your pick.

Few more tidbits from last night..the song David Archuleta sang, "The Voice"..was on Rebecca St. James "God" album. I THOUGHT I had heard that song before. Still, he did a lousy job with it. Funny line I read, Ramiele is going to write a book called "Every Song I know I learned from Watching Idol." Seems like every song IS a song that another contestant sang in years past. Most of you have her going, but I'm a bit worried it might be Jason or some other shocker. Hopefully I'm wrong and it's Ramiele.

Did I mention a few things I read in a magazine? Kristy says she likes to read a book of prayers before she goes on stage. It helps her to calm down. Jason Castro was asked what his recent download was, and he said The Robbie Seay band! Also mentioned  Oh, Sleeper's "When I Am God." Ever hear of that anyone?

To keep you entertained, here is a link to the top 10 worst Idol songs ever!

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20007164_20171835_20186191,00.html

Some are kind of funny they are so bad..the list includes Kristy's Eight days a Week!

OK..I'll be back later tonight on the results..God Bless..Jim 

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OK..just got home and watched the last 20 minutes..I'll watch the rest tomorrow. Sorry to see Chikezie going home. He had the best performance of the year with "She's A Woman." Online websites are all mad at Kristy Lee's fans..I'm mad at Ramiele's. Every week I stupidly predict she is going, and she never ends up in the bottom 3. What's up with that? Syesha should have never been in the bottom 2..but what it proved is that both in bottom 2 sang about wanting a fling..the third time in 6 weeks for Syesha, and a no-no for a Christian like Chikezie. I've seen it over the years too..you can't sing lyrics like those and get a large vote..the show does best in the bible belt, and is still a family show for the most part. I was worried about Jason and I was right..hopefully that will be a wake up call to take this a little more seriously.

Point getters this week. Steve, Talia and Martyspumpkin get 10 points for predicting Chikezie would go, and Stephanie gets 5 for having him in the #10 spot. Steve now leads with 25 points. Talia, Stephanie, Mark, Kady, Vita all have 15 points. Alison and Martyspumkin have 10, and I have 5. Now that it's almost down to top 8, see how many you still have left in top 8..that's when the points start coming fast.

Have a great week everyone!

Tonight the contestants sing songs from the year they were born. This usually is a pretty good idea, but they still haven't allowed anyone to do a song from the past 15 years yet this year. The artists haven't been allowed to show the stuff they like now. Can you imagine last year without Chris Sligh doing MuteMath? Anyway the show starts in 2 minutes. If the blog isn't done before you want to leave comments or say who you think will get voted off, go ahead and leave comments below!

Ramiele is going to start with "Alone", of course the song that made Carrie Underwood a superstar on the show. Plus, Carly did a good job with it just a few weeks ago. Ramiele is sounding horrible..the big parts of the song are just awful. paula won't even be able to say she looks good..those shorts are not looking good. She is in some serious danger this week, especially being in the leadoff spot. I'd give her a 3 out of 10. The judges not much better in their thoughts.

Jason's birthday is today..another 1987 baby. he's doing a Sting song that I don't know..."Fragile". He's doing a good job, but he's not doing much different than he usually does. I'm afraid he won't get much higher that 6th place doing this. I'll give a 6,

Syesha is from 1987 as well..she is doing a fantastic job with "If I was Your Woman". She's come a long way from having to scream every note. Sue wasn't as big as I was..my daughter liked it as much as I did. I'd give a 8 for this song.

Chikezie is born in 1985..and is doing a soulful version of "If Only For One Night." I'd give him a 8 for his voice, but only a 4 for song choice..only because he's a Christian and the lyrics are very suggestive for a one night fling. So overall scoree a 6.

Brooke is doing the Police hit "Every Breath You Take." She messes up first note but recovers nicely. I like this but don't love it..it doesn't seem like a piano song, but when the band came in, I agree with the judges, it wasn't as good. I'll give a 6.

Michael Johns does Queen, and finally hits what we knew he had with "We are The Champions." great job on one of my favorite songs! Grade..a 9.

Hey, I see I'm getting live comments..thanks ladies!

I'm way behind..Carly does a song I'm not big on, "Total Eclipse Of The Heart." She is so hard to peg..my wife thought she was very good, I thought she was very pitchy and uptight. She just wants to win this thing too badly...the veins are bulging out she wants it so badly. Grade..6

David Archuleta is born in 1990, and he does "The Voice." Weird song choice, weird song. This isn't doing anything for me. He has yet to do a fast song that blows me away. He's unbelievable on ballads, but is that enough to win this? Grade..6

Wow..the comments keep coming in before I can finish the blog..thanks!

Kristi Lee does "God Bless The USA"..and it's the best she has done since "Amazing Grace." Way to go girl, if you sing about God, he will bless you. This song will tick off half the country, but the half that love it will vote for her and keep her out of the bottom 3 for the first time. She didn't do sensational vocally, but a 7 for her is a big step up! I also like that she didn't mention her "Sign" on her clip. Jason did but wasn't thrilled, wasn't even sure what it was. The producers must tell you to say it.

OK, now to the performance of the night, David Cook's "Billie Jean." Like he did with "Hello" a few weeks ago, I didn't even recognize it for about 20 seconds, then was blown away. This might have topped Chikezie from a few weeks ago, and Archuleta's "Imagine" for performance of the year. He was pitch perfect..didn't try to go too hard with it. From reviews I've read about from people at these shows, he's supposed to be a really sweet kid to the others. too bad I haven't heard about him being a Christian like Daughtry, otherwise he would have my 100% backing right now. grade...10.

So, David Cook was the best, followed by Michael, Syesha and Kristy. Ramiele was the worst..but I haven't decided if she will be the one to leave. I will leave my thought on it in the comment box below after I think about it until tomorrow. Tell me who you will think is leaving if it's different from your bottom pick left in your top 12 list.

God Bless everyone!

My friend Mike Jenke had a great list of his favorite Easter songs. here they are:

Here's a list of my 15 favorite Easter songs (particular recodings) - songs that are about or somehow related to the cross, the resurrection, or the blood of Christ.

1. "Crucified With Christ," Philips Craig and Dean
"The Glory," Avalon
"The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power," Clay Crosse
"He's Alive," Don Francisco
"Worthy Is the Lamb," Hillsong
"In Christ Alone/The Solid Rock," Travis Cottrell
"We Are the Reason," Avalon
"How Deep the Father's Love For Us," Sarah Sadler
"Above All," Michael W. Smith
"Take My Life," Cindy Morgan
"Grave Robber," Petra
"I Stand Amazed," Travis Cottrell and Dennis Jernigan (and the APU UC)
"The Wonderful Cross," Chris Tomlin
"Beautiful, Scandalous Night," Robbie Seay Band
"The Great Divide," Point of Grace

What about you? What would make your list?

Back to me again..great list..I'd have to add "It Is Finished" by Petra and "Messiah" by Bloodgood.

Have a GREAT EASTER everybody..Jesus lives!

Well, this was a pretty good results show. You had the big shocker bottom 3 contestant in Carly. A great performance by Kellie Pickler with Austin Clark on dobro. Good catch Cait, that WAS him with Chikezie last night too. I also liked that they didn't have all 3 bottom 3 sing. No one had Amanda being booted off, though Talia and Steve had her #11 so they get 5 bonus points. Steve now goes up to 15 points and is tied for first with Mark, Kady and Vita. Alison and Stephanie still have 5 and Talia joins me with 5. A lot of you left comments last night and I always appreciate that!

I read a quote by Kristy Lee in TV Guide about  how her family reacted to her being in top 12."Congratulations, God is with you, and you're here for a reason." So I'm happy she made top 10 and will get to tour, though Amanda probably would have brought more excitement.

That's all for tonight, keep me in prayer as I feel lousy today..got a fever and my whole body aches. Thanks and God Bless...Jim

OK, I'm going to try live blog tonight..I will comment on each performer as it happens..and I'll post the blog a few times throughout the show. The final version won't be done until 30 minutes after the show when I can write a recap. In the meantime, check out the last few blogs for some interesting stuff..Chris Sligh's new songs, and an article about Jason Castro being a Christian.

Also , here are the results of your top 12 picks. We have 18 people in the contest, and here is how the average pick went based on total points:

1...David A........2...David 

Cook...3....Carly....4....Brooke......5.....Jason.

6...Michael...7...Syesha...8....Ramiele

9...David H....10...Amanda....11...Chikezie

12...Kristy.    I was surprised David Cook was that well liked!

This turned out a little different than my contest at work, where David H was up to 6, David Cook down to 4 and Jason down to 7, Michael up to 3, and Carly up to 2. I think the people at work didn't think Hernandez past was an issue, 3 had hin in top 2!

OK, see you during the show! Still leave your comments here, even if I haven't finished yet!

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OK, the show is going to start in 5 minutes..I was thinking of some good song matchups, lets see if I hit one..Michael to do "Oh, Darling"..he needs something with guts and conviction. David Cook to do "Get Back"..Jason would do a lovely "Michelle"...Kristy might try "Thr Long and Winding Road" David A should do "Yesterday". If I get one right it will be a miracle..I no longer look at those advanced lists. OK, the show is about to begin!

Amanda is going first, they usually go in reverse order from the week before but not quite here. "Back In The U.S.S.R." is typical fare for me. She is who she is..you are either gonna dig it or not. i agree with Simon, it's starting to get boring. Since Randy gave her a 7..sue and I are going to score likewise tonight. I'd give a 6, Sue gives a 2..one point for having the nerve to sing, and one for dressing. Maybe she should be doing this blog from now on!

OK, Kristy, you are singing for your life. Oh no, she is picking a song because she likes the title..never heard of "You've got To Hide Your Love Away". Another forgettable performance. She is just plain not that good..not bad, just not good. We both give her a 5.

David Archuleta is doing the song I had predicted!..for Kristy though. "The Long and Winding Road" should be right in his wheelhouse..and it is. I give a 8 and Sue a 7, but the judges say it's a masterpiece. We don't quite go that far. great comeback though!

Michael is doing one of our faves, "A Day In The Life", but it's a complete disaster, notes are all off, arrangement is not right..Sue and I both grade a 4. The judges agree it's a mess.

Another fave song, Brooke is going to do "Here Comes The Sun" which could be a Christian song if you change it to Son! No instrument to use, which makes her look uncomfortable. I don't think it's great, but I always enjoy watching her perform. she is Sue's favorite. None of the judges liked it, we didn't think it was all that bad..about a 6  or 7 from us.

David Cook is doing "Day Tripper"..I think he's more in tune than last week, which was all over the place until the end. But the judges like last week better. Sue and I give about a 7. (Sorry Craig..but I have to mention this inside joke...if David Hernandez lasted another week, he was going to sing this song, but as "Day Stripper".)

Carly is going to do "Blackbird"..I like this song because it's on my favorite lullaby album by Collin Raye. It's nice to hear her sing a slower song, but she doesn't really connect with us on this on. I'd give a 7, sue a 6. So far not a lot of super performances, maybe David A is back in the driver's seat.

We have our Christian brother's coming up Jason and Chikezie..the door is wide open for them to outshine the rest! Jason will be first. Wow..he does the song I picked for him.."Michelle" This was my dad's favorite song when I was a kid so it always brings a smile to my face. Jason is a kick to watch, so laid back. We enjoyed it more than the judges, maybe a 6 or 7. Simon is right, maybe doing the Beatles a second week kind of lost some steam. The commercials are driving Sue crazy..she needs to mop the floor. That's why I do these blogs during the commercial, what else is there to do?

Syesha says she was humbled last week, which I also agree she needed, she looks great this week and is doing a great job with "Yesterday"..which I predicted David A. would sing. Sue and I think it tied David for best song of the night..an 8 from both of us.

Now what can Chikezie do to top last week? Hope it's not a big letdown like it was for Brooke. He is doing "I've just seen a Face,"  I never heard of the song. He kind of reversed last week, going to the bluegrass at the end. I was actually realy enjoying the slow part of the song, the harmonica and the switch in tempo didn't work as well. I'd still give it a 6, Sue about a 5. His attitude is great though.

Ramiele finishes with an early era classic, "Should Have Known Better." Though this is not great, it's the best she has done in a few weeks. Another 6 from both of us.

So to sum it up, there was only 2 very good performances, Syesha and David Archuleta. David Cook was probably next, then you can lump in everyone until you get to the 2 worst, Michael and Kristy. Did you notice how Michael sounded better when they gave the phone numbers out? That's because those little clips are from the dress rehearsals in the afternoon! I learned that from Phil Stacey. That's why it was important to nail it during rehearsal, because it is the last impression before voting.

Give me your takes and who you think will get voted off for 10 points. Sue and I say Kristy leave. We think Amanda and Michael will round out the bottom 3. For the contest, if you don't tell me, I go to your lowest pick still left in your top 12 order, NOT your #11 pick. You DO get 5 bonus points if your #11 pick happens to be right.

God Bless everyone!

If anyone wants to try to predict the final 4 teams, the finals, and who is going to win, leave your picks in the comment box and we'll see who does best! I'll come back to this spot before Thursday noon and leave my picks right here!

OK..my picks are below so you can see I got them in on time. they are Texas beating UCLA and North Carolina beation Georgetown in final 4, then Texas beating North Carolina for champioship.

My friend sent me this cool article about Jason Castro..now there is another Christian on  American Idol to root for now...enjoy!

Kin-Dread Spirit: Castro Family Musical
By JAMIE STENGLE, Associated Press Writer
Monday, March 17, 2008
When Jason Castro tried out for "American Idol," it raised his number of public singing appearances from a handful to a-handful-plus-one.
The soft-spoken 20-year-old Texan with long dreadlocks is padding his singing resume now. As one of 11 contestants still in the running for the "Idol" title, Castro is winning fans with his laid-back style and musical talent.
Part of a close-knit musical family, Castro has played drums since he was young. While attending Texas A&M, the construction science major decided to try playing the guitar and singing as well.
His aunt, Jennefer Brawley, said her nephew first sang at a family jam session only a couple of years ago. Her reaction was instant: "Oh, Jason. Man, you can sing, too."
Former bandmate Micah Kinard said he was floored when he heard Castro sing on "Idol."
"He got so good so fast, it was ridiculous," Kinard said.
"I think he's doing awesome," said Kinard, 22. "He's got his own style and he's sticking with it, and I think that's what's winning over the judges. He's got down solid the whole mellow, chill, heartfelt aspect."
While still in high school, Castro played drums in the Dallas-area band Keeping Lions, which has since broken up. Kinard, who played bass in the band, said while his friend may have more experience drumming in the background, he seems to be enjoying the spotlight.
"He loves it and he's doing good," said Kinard, who is now lead singer in the Fort Worth-based group Oh, Sleeper.
"Idol" isn't Castro's first brush with reality-show fame. He has also appeared on the MTV show "Cheyenne," which followed fellow North Texan Cheyenne Kimball as she pursued her singing career.
But those who know him say he's remained humble, and a bit shy.
"Jason's just easygoing," Brawley said.
Art teacher Lynn Wilkinson said that Castro, who graduated from Rowlett High School in 2005, was a good student who had a talent for drawing. She also noticed that he had "an inward confidence in himself."
And while she knew he played drums in a band, she didn't know how talented he was.
"He didn't brag about himself," she said. "It's just something that he did. He's like, 'Yeah, I'm in a band.'"
The son of Colombian immigrants, Castro has a younger brother and sister. He grew up in Rowlett, but his family recently moved to nearby Rockwall. In an "Idol" interview, Castro talked about occasionally working with his father, who designs and builds swimming pools.
Brawley said that when their musically inclined family gathers, musical instruments soon come out.
Wes Hamilton, a teaching pastor at Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall, said Castro is a popular singer when he performs at the end of services.
"Jason's just an amazing Christian kid," Brawley said.
At Rowlett High School, excitement is building.
"I think they must know him through other kids," said Tiffany Karns, a psychology and sociology teacher at Rowlett High School. "The students are really excited and there are signs all over the building."
At a recent watch party, many sported black T-shirts featuring "Vote for Jason Castro" in yellow and a drawing of him, head bent over a guitar.
No matter what happens on the Fox network's "Idol," Kinard said Castro has everything it takes to make it big.
"He's going to do something great," Kinard said.

Last night was the big concert for me, three of my favorite artists in one night.. John Waller, Leeland and Casting Crowns. It was downtown in an old building they have converted for concerts..the place was sold out..and we had to park 4 blocks away and park in the street. We just had balcony seats so I didn't take any concert pix, but my peep Craig just saw the same concert, so any pictures used was from his concert last fall. Thanks Craig!

John Waller started off with "Flood" 10 minutes early, before half the crowd had even got their seats in the reserved seats. (They were looking for a place to park!) He did his smash "The Blessing," then only did 2 more songs that weren't on his record before leaving for Leeland. I love Leeland and was really loooking forward to seeing them, and they didn't disappoint. The only thing I didn't like was that it was only 30 minutes..I guess you can't take much more time away from Casting Crowns! Leeland did the songs "Sound Of Melodies"...new songs "Let It Out Now" and Opposite Way".."Tears Of The Saints", "Nothing But The Blood".."Carried To The Table" and finished with a new song "Count Me In".  He didn't do my favorite songs "Yes You Have" and "May Our Praise", but you can't have everything!  Here is one of Craig's pictures of Leeland.

After a short break Casting Crowns came out and did their title track, "The Altar And The Door". Then they got into the song that is a hit for FEE right now, "All Because Of Jesus". At the end  Melodee was really getting into it on the violin, and then did a dueling thing with her husband Juan on guitar..it led into the violin part of ""Praise You With The Dance". On the CD's I was never as big a fan on the songs that Megan sang, but in concert you get blown away by her voice. I will have a new love for her songs from now on. Here is a picture of Melodee crankin it up on the violin, my favorite instrument in concert..(like The Clark brothers and Kansas!)

Then they did the songs "We are The Body" and "Praise You In the Storm"..followed by a cool version of "Love her Like Jesus" that the girls sang instead of Mark. They finished their first set with their new single, "Every Man".

They got into their involvement with World Vision, which was awesome. If I didn't already sponsor with Compassion I would have signed up for a child..they need us! During break I was hoping to get to meet Leeland, but I think they wanted to have everything pointing towards World Vision instead of focusing on themselves. They have it right!

They came back from break to do "Lifesong". Then came another highlight of the night..as they sang "Voice of Truth" and "The Word Is Alive" this guy came out and was doing this awesome stuff with chalk on a big board to go along with the songs. This image just came alive during the song..you would have thought this would have taken hours, but was done in less than 10 minutes..check it out!  This picture I took as it was in the lobby after the show.

After this they did the classic "Who Am I" and then the girls got to show off their great vocals again with "I Know You're There".

Mark talked to the crowd a little more about having your own faith, not depending on a Christian group or your Pastor to have your faith, it must be our own. This led to "Somewhere In The Middle". Then Mark got into the dangers of losing our faith  a little at a time if we aren't careful before singing the convicting "Slow Fade".

The started wrapping up the show with "East To West", then had us all sing along to "We Fall Down", which is where they got the name of the group from. Then they did an awesome thing, all 7 members sat on stools and prayed for the crowd in different ways. The spirit was really in the concert hall. I was expecting that to be the end of it..then they finished by rocking harder than they did all night! First  Andy Williams did an awesome 5 minute drum solo..the likes that brought back sweet memories of Louie Weaver of Petra back in the day. They finished with the rockin' "What This World Needs". I wish they would release that as a single instead of another slow song. The whole concert was awesome, probably one of the best I've ever seen in memory. To close, here is one of Criag's pictures of Mark.

I won't be writing anything until I get home from Church and watch it on tape, which will be about 11 P.M. because the show starts later. I'm just starting this blog in case you want to leave comments on the show first. You won't spoil it for me..I won't look at the comments until after I watch the show. Seeya..Jim

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 OK, the show was a good one..loved the Beatles medley, and they are doing more Beatles next week! I told my friend at work that they had so many songs to choose from that it should be Beatles month, not week..I'm halfway there.

Katherine did a nice job with her song...if she teams up with David Foster, maybe her next CD will be much better.

I had 2 of the 3 bottom 3 right, Kristy and Syesha. Stupidly, I changed my pick from Hernandez, who I had last in my top 12, to Ramiele. My original theory of his past catching up to him, plus a lousy performance, was enough to put him off the show over Kristy. Kristy did great in the medley, she is capable if she does a good arrangement. Chikezie I though shined the most, along with Michael, in the medley.

For points this week in the contest..4 people had David # 12 in their top 12 for 5 points..me, Kadi, Vita and Mark. The other 3 stuck with him to be eliminated, so they get 10 more for 15 points total.

Alison, Steve, and Stephanie all changed their pick to Hernandez, so they get 10 points..good job!

I'll have much more stuff as the week goes on..it's time for bed..Jim

OK, the show is about to start..I'll try a live blog again. First of all I thank you all for playing the contest! I think we have 17 this year! I also read in TV Guide that Chikezie is a born again Christian..so now I'm pulling for him a little harder! Also heard my boys The Clark Brothers are going to be Idol Gives back night! if you don't know them they won the next Great American Band..see their video in my profile.

Syesha is first with Got to get you into my life..I don't like this arrangement at all..like Denver and the Mile High guys are doing it. Her voice isn't that great, looks like she is struggling to remember words. Didn't care for it..but the judges are kind to her, especially Simon..who I thought would rip her. I'd give this a C.

Chikezie is doing She's a Woman..and it starts off like a Clark brothers song..fiddle..etc..now he's rockin it..this is sensational..he's having fun, and his voice sounds great. The judges agree. This might have bben the highlight of the year for me. grade..A+

Ramiele is doing In My Life, and true to her, it's boring. Especially after Chikezie. She won't last long..the judges agree. grade..C+

Jason is bringing the guitar back for If I Fell..not a bad vibe, trying a little falsesetto. Not as good as last week..but how can he be. The judges kind of agree. I'd give a B.

Carly is up next with Come together..I still like the Third Day song better..this isn't one of my favorite Beatles songs..but she is doing a great job with it ..the judges think so as well. I'd say a B+

David Cook is going to do one of my fave songs, Eleanor Rigby..I always liked this cause my Mom's name is Eleanor. I think this song starts off kind of rough and uneven..but he brings it on strong at the end. I wouldn't rave like the judges did..but a solid B+ performance.

Brooke is next..I read her husband is not going to cut his hair until she is eliminated..that's why it's getting Josh Grobin shaggy! She is on the piano..always works for me..doing the classic Let It Be. She never overwhelms you with her voice, it's her conviction that wins you over. I love her on this show..judges love her too...grade..A-

Next is my pick to be #12..David hernandez..does this contest makes you root for a lousy performance? He's doing a fave I Saw Her Standing There..and I don't think it sounds right. The judges hit it on the button with overdone and corny. Maybe he is in danger of leaving. grade..C

Amanda is rockin out to I Can't Do That..she has come back a long way from the Carry On disaster. Looks like she is having a lot more fun this week, Grade B

Michael..Solid job, nothing great with Across the Universe..grade..B

Kristy..a country version of 8 Days  A Week? Country music is great because it reveals so much emotion, this is a rushed, robotic joke of a classic song. This might have been my least favorite performance of the year. The judges pretty much were aghast. grade..F

David A is doing We Can Work It Out..not good that he mentions not knowing the Beatles too well..he's doing the Stevie Wonder version and really struggling. That big sigh of relief you heard..the 4 or 5 other great contestants knowing they can now win this thing..it's wide open. grade...C+

Wow, lots of surprises in my rankings..who would have thought that my number one would be:

Chikezie..the Christian blows away the field!

Next group....Brooke...Carly...Amanda...David Cook. These are the guys thinking they can now win, if they didn't already.

Next Group..Michael...Jason...David A.  Sup par performances from the top dogs.

Next group...Syesha..Ramiele..David H. All could be in danger if the country crowd somehow rallies behind Kristy..who is so low that she isn't even in a group.

OK if you want to change who you think is going to leave for 10 points in the contest, leave me the name in the comment box..if not, whoever you had #12 will be your pick!

I'm going to go out on a limb and say Ramiele will be leaving..she was forgettable early on in the program..not a good combo.Country fans know Kristy is in BIG trouble, so they will vote hard to save her. She will be in bottom 3 along with Syesha. all girl bottom 3.

Give me your takes! Love em!

I'm so stoked to have Beatles songs sung for the first time on Idol Tuesday. A few months ago I was going to do a big blog on Beatles music being connected to Christian music..but I lost the notes..so I'll just wing it with some random thoughts!

Though the Beatles lyrics got worse (Lots of drug influenced stuff) as their career went on, I still consider them the benchmark for great sounding music. Many a Christian performer has had obvious Beatles influences in their music. DCTalk used to do "Help" in their concerts. Phil Keaggy was known for his awesome guitar playing, but when he sang he did sound a lot like Paul! His album Sunday's Child was his most Beatle like. This year a group of women did a great cover of We Can Work it Out..but I can't think of the group name right now. PFR used to have a great Beatles vibe to their music. The greatest Beatles sound alike band was a one CD band called Brighton back in 1991. They did a cover of "Anytime At All" which I dare to say was better than the original! Of course, Third Day has a CD called Come Together..which MAY have been inspired by the same titled Beatles song..who knows! You could also change a letter here or there and make Beatles songs Christian..like "Here Comes The Sun (Son)"

My favorite Beatles music? Album had to Abbey Road..every song was a masterpiece. Revolver was probably my next fave..the first album I can remember my brother playing when I was 5! My favorite songs, which I would love to hear tuesday are:

Norwegian Wood..think Jason Castro could do great here!

Eight days a week...Michelle....Eleanor Rigby...Yesterday...Taxman...I Want To Hold Your Hand...Something...Let it Be..Can't Buy Me Love..etc!

The list is endless..the contestants can't say they couldn't find anything to match their style.

OK, I'll be back tomorrow for my live blog of Beatles night on Idol. If you are looking for the contest, see the blog below!