I know our Idol experts will remember this guy, but maybe not so fondly. Chris Bernheisel was the wannabe contestant who was afraid he might "explode and happiness would go flying everywhere!"
He's claiming Simon Cowell offered him a job reporting from the red carpet at the Idol finale for his local Fox affiliate, and then Fox 42 backed out. So he came up with a list of ridiculous demands for Idol.
Then, TMZ reports that a rep for Fox 42 said the station offered Bernheisel airfare, hotel accommodations and credentials to report from the finale red carpet and saw his e-mail demands as a refusal of their offer. Way to go, Chris! Guess we don't have to watch out for flying happiness.
Marvel Adventures Iron Man #12: If your kids are interested in reading about Iron Man after seeing the movie, this is the series for them. The "Marvel Adventures" comics are all geared toward young tykes.
It seems every celebrity has a sex tape nowadays: Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson, Tommy Lee, Bret Michaels, Kid Rock, Scott Stapp, Colin Farrell, the wrestler Chyna, Tonya Harding, Fred Durst, Screech from Saved by the Bell, Emmanuel Lewis, Larry King, Regis Philbin, Burt and Ernie ...
OK, I made up the last few, but you get my point. These tapes are everywhere. And now, even long-dead celebrities are getting in on the action. Just a couple of weeks ago, a tape purportedly featuring Marilyn Monroe was auctioned off for $1.5 million. Now comes word that a sex tape featuring guitar god Jimi Hendrix with a pair of presumably foxy ladies is about to hit the market.
I just read that when the next iPhone is introduced this summer, its price tag will be cut by as much as $200. A person familiar with the strategy says AT&T, Apple's exclusive U.S. iPhone sales partner, will subsidize the cut for those who sign a two-year contract. The company will recoup its investment in a matter of months, since the average monthly iPhone bill is around $100.
1. David Cook: Our Cookie took two songs I didn't know and made them new favorites for me. His renderings of "I'm Alive" and "All I Really Need Is You" have me thinking he might be the (new) one to beat!
2. David Archuleta: At last we get an uptempo song from Archie, in "Sweet Caroline!" Boy can't really dance, though. "America" was beyond cheesy, which gave Cookie the edge.
3. Syesha Mercado: Her vocals soared on "Hello Again," but it was a little boring. But, hey, she didn't pick the Neil Diamond theme, did she?! She fared much better on "Thank the Lord for the Night Time."
4. Jason Castro: Wow, "Forever in Blue Jeans" actually caused Jason to stretch his vocals a bit and project more. And I really liked it! "September Morn" was DOA. His hit-then-miss evening made it hard to rank him and Brooke, who also did one nice song and one clunker.
5. Brooke White: Why would our resident Carly Simon wannabe sing a cheesetastic tune like The Monkees' "I'm a Believer"?? Sorry, hon, you're the only believer. She redeemed herself quite a bit on the piano with "I Am I Said."
1. David Cook: He already seemed like a superstar, playing to a packed house of David Cook fans. OMG, I sound just like Paula. [Checking into rehab.]
2. Syesha Mercado: Technically, her performances were great. But the personality still doesn't really come through like it should. That doesn't mean she won't be a Broadway star, because that's what I see in her future.
3. David Archuleta: He tried too hard on "Sweet Caroline," a song that requires nuance to be convincing. And on the cheesy "America," his voice cracked a li'l. Not his best night.
4. Brooke White: Shaky start on "I'm a Believer," but she recovered quite brilliantly with "I Am ... I Said." The piano suits her.
5. Jason Castro: I was impressed by his take on "Forever in Blue Jeans." He finally found a way not to be boring. On the other hand, "September Morn" made me snore instantly.
CNN is getting all Daily Fur-ish with videos of cute animals on their site. Check out this link for the most adorable video of a sleepy beer cub in Thailand. Just ignore the depressing videos of fire, battles and more fire that follow.
6:55 p.m -- An entire album of Phil Stacy. My nightmare has come true.
7:04 -- I'm suddenly very scared by the prospect of two Jason Castro performances in one night. And here he comes.
7:05 -- Farah: "Whoa. Vocal chops, meet Jason Castro. I ain't mad at him ..."
7:05 -- I think "Forever in Blue Jeans" might be Castro's perfect song. I stand corrected.
7:10 -- Seems a little unfair to make contestants wait until after their second performance to get any feedback at all. There've been times when a few words from the judges helped singers out of a first-song funk!
7:11 -- Farah: "Can David Cook just take over hosting duties from Ryan, please? That was fab!"
OK, that first line was a bit cheesy. But it somehow fits, since tonight's theme is Neil Diamond songs. They're great songs, yes, but they can be cheesy.
I've already broken my own rule and gone to TMZ to peep the contestants' song choices. They get two selections each, and let's just say that David Archuleta might be known from here on out as "Captain Obvious."
Apparently golden boy Tony Romo can't run with the big dogs in Vegas. According to Robin Leach's blog, (I know, not the most reliable source) he dropped $2.5 million at the tables. At least, "the figure could have run as high" as that, so says Mr. Leach. Apparently it all started with him borrowing $5,000 of Jessica Simpson's winnings, and the whole situation made her "angry beyond words" and led to a "furious fight."
Country music singer Mindy McCready has said she doesn't refute anything in the New York Daily News story claiming she and Roger Clemens had an affair.
But knowing Clemens, I'm sure McCready just mis-remembers those 10 years.
I think I got motion sickness watching the premiere of Scarlett Johansson's new music video for "Falling Down." You get to watch folks curl her hair and apply makeup, if that does anything for ya.
They make lots of money, and I'm sure they're pampered while they travel, but you've got to feel for the cast of Iron Man, who have been jetting around the world for premieres of the film.
How would you like this schedule?
April 14: Sydney
April 22: Berlin
April 23: Rome
April 24: London
April 28: New York
I wonder if they'll be at NorthPark on Friday morning when I see it.
Entertainment Weekly's Web site has a roundup of the 25 best TV doctors. Does anyone out there have a favorite? Personally, I'm partial to the caustic Dr. House from House and Dr. Nick Riviera from The Simpsons.
How anyone sits through a half-hour of Scrubs, I'll never understand.
Over the weekend I caught a few episodes of Parking Wars on A&E. It's kind of like Dog: The Bounty Hunter, but without the long hair and leather. She show follows parking enforcement teams as they give tickets and install boots on really bad offenders. It's pretty hilarious to see the reactions of some of the people, and to hear their excuses. Check out clips and full episodes.
So another teen star has shown a little skin, and everyone, including Miley Cyrus herself, is all up in arms about it. It sounds bad, but the Vanity Fair photos really aren't that terrible. They were shot by Annie Leibovitz, for Pete's sake. But I feel bad for the girl because she's clearly under pressure from parents' groups and the like just waiting to say she's corrupting our youth. That would seem to be why she was OK with the photos at first, calling them "artsy," but felt compelled to make a follow-up statement saying she was "embarrassed."
New York's Daily News has reported that baseball star Roger Clemens had a decade-long affair with country singer Mindy McCready. Clemens' lawyer confirmed a long-term relationship, but he denied that anything sexual happened. And that, if true, would be a good thing for the Rocket, since Clemens was a married 28-year-old father of two when the relationship began, and McCready was a 15-year-old aspiring singer.
I was a huge fan of Batman Begins, so I can't wait for this. I'm excited to see more of Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker. And how cool does this look?
Who knew there were so many fans of the tapir? Today is World Tapir Day, which occurs on April 27 every year. The site, tapirday.org, is dedicated to raising awareness about the four declining species of tapir that inhabit Central American, South America and Southeast Asia. The fuzzy little endangered, striped mammals need your help, so go here to find out more. And to promote your love of tapirs, visit the World Tapir Day store at cafepress.com/tapirday for some tapir gear.
The Village has a tennis center that offers cardio tennis classes several times a week, with the next session starting Monday and running through Saturday, May 24. It sounds like a great workout and is open to all skill levels, even beginners. It's also only $45 for four one-hour sessions. Online registration is closed, but you could call them at 214-772-1900 to see if there are open spaces.
Umm, what I meant was, there's no doubt that the show Quick put on last night at The Palladium was a fun time.
Big ups to Rob Clark and Hunter Hauk for the job they did on getting this thing together (I'm sure there were more people to thank than just them, but they're the ones I saw on a daily basis busting their asses to bring a great night of music to DFW).
And what a night it was. I'll admit, I had never heard any of the acts playing before last night. But, I was really impressed. There's definitely some trips in my future already being planned to see them again.
Gordo was perfect as the emcee, and things really flowed smoothly from performance to award presentation and back.
The turnout was a little lighter than I was expecting, but those who were there were treated to a great night of entertainment.
Don't yell when you're around this African serval kitten at an Australian zoo, because he can hear you just fine. This spotted feline with large ears inhabits most parts of Africa. Read more about these cool cats here.
A federal judge in Florida has just sentenced action star Wesley Snipes to the maximum three-year sentence on tax charges. Even letters from Woody Harrelson, Denzel Washington and others attesting to his good character couldn't keep him out of prison.
A man was caught on camera urinating in the gast tank of a car at Bloomsburg (Penn.) University. Apparently that open garage door was just too far away.
I caught the first episode of Shot of Love 2, Tila Tequila's search for stardom love, and the first thing I noticed was that the crop of people is much more attractive than the first go-round. There were some unfortunates in that bunch.
What struck me as odd was how Tila repeatedly mentioned how she "got her heart broken" in the first season. Hmm, that doesn't quite jibe with Bobby's account, which states that she didn't even call him after the show ended. Interesting.
I wandered into the toy aisle at my neighborhood supermarket this morning and discovered that Hasbro has created Stars Wars toys that are also Transformers. When I was a kid, this would have blown my mind.
Aw, who am I kidding? It's blowing my mind right now.
After a shocking results show that found Syesha Mercado and Carly Smithson (above) -- two of last night's strongest performers -- in the bottom two, Carly was sent home on the American Idol results show tonight. Too bad -- I actually really, really liked her sassy rendition of "Superstar" from Jesus Christ Superstar. She seemed to have so much fun with it, and it suited her powerhouse voice. Maybe she'll get a second shot at fame after this ... now onto my gripes.
How in the HAY-ELL do last night's suckiest performers -- I'm lookin' at you, Jason Castro and Brooke White -- manage to avoid the Stools of Suckitude altogether?!?! So wrong! I actually like both performers quite a bit, but they both paled in comparison to Syesha and Carly. Just don't understand the voting patterns of Idol fans ... I guess I'll wallow in the injustice of it all until next week when we'll be treated to mentoring help from Neil Diamond. No, I'm not kidding. Turn on your heart light.
In Thursday's Quick, we have a story about a device that emits a high-pitched noise only teens can hear. It's placed in spots where people want to deter loiterers, a.k.a get rid of those meddling kids. Want to hear if your ears have withstood all that time with your iPod? See which frequencies you can detect.
Supposedly the "Mosquito," as it's called, sounds like a mosquito buzzing in your ear or nails on a chalkboard. If they had that outside of the Dunkin' Donuts or the 7-11 that I spent my lame teenage years hanging out in front of, I probably would have stayed home.
That event is designed to lure new readers to comic books. When I asked Waid what title he would recommend to a parent whose young child is interested in comics, he came up with Bone, which he described as "an epic all-ages tale full of humor and adventure."
Although Waid is the editor of BOOM! Studios, he still writes superhero comics for Marvel and DC. Currently on the market is The Brave and the Bold (pictured), a series that teams up two or more DC characters every issue.
When I asked Waid what was on the horizon, he said, "I'll be doing an arc on Amazing Spider-Man later this year -- no more details at this time -- and there are BOOM! projects that I'll be inventing and writing myself. Keep on the lookout!"
The lineup for this summer's Rock the Bells tour includes A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul (above) and The Pharcyde, among other hip-hop luminaries. Unfortunately, the closest this tour is coming to Dallas is Denver. Road trip!
Remember the David Ortiz jersey that was buried under the new Yankee Stadium until that poor construction worker was ratted out? The eBay auction for the Red Sox jersey is up to more than $80,000. The money is going to charity.
There aren't too many races in Dallas proper this weekend, but I recommend the Race for the Cure in Fort Worth, if you like big, popular races. The Komen events are always fun and full of energy. With lots of pink, of course.
Or if you're in the mood for a little road trip, Decatur's a nice spot. You can really feel at one with nature while you're there, especially with these folks at their 5K Sun Run. It's part of a series of 5Ks, if that's your thing.
1. David Cook: A controlled and beautiful vocal that showed another side of this guy's talent. Simon thought it wasn't edgy enough; I thought it was a welcome change of pace.
2. David Archuleta: Taking the Phantom song "Think of Me" and putting a contemporary Babyface spin on it was a good move. Looks like the golden child is maturing as an artist.
3. Syesha Mercado: It was smart to pick one of the most soulful Andrew Lloyd Webber tunes available. But I kinda wish she'd worn roller skates.
4. Carly Smithson: Her "Jesus Christ Superstar" was a little over the top, a lot manic and just kinda weird. Still, it wasn't exactly terrible.
5. Brooke White: She diva-ed out and started over after flubbing the first line. Not even Madonna would pull something like that! (Well, maybe she would.)
6. Jason Castro: He sang "Memory" (and dressed) like a Backstreet Boy reject. Dreadful.
Who's going home? Tough one. I'll have to go with Jason.
1. David Archuleta: His "Think of Me" from Phantom of the Opera was haunting, indeed -- in a good way! Sweet vocals, great presence. He's the boy to beat.
2. David Cook: Wow, I didn't think he could do all that with a show tune! His "Music of the Night" was sweet, sensitive ... and swoon-worthy.
3. Syesha Mercado: Whoopeee! She had so much fun and showed so much flair on her sassy song -- finally! Girl was made for Broadway.
4. Carly Smithson: Although she brought back some much-needed soul to her performance, it got too damn screamy toward the end.
5. Jason Castro: "Memory" from Cats was as bad a fit for the dreadlocked local guy as his oversized khaki suit. Really, a suit?
6. Brooke White: Um, hello, showstopper!! She's not a belter, and "You Must Love Me" didn't suit her at all. Major points off for stopping the song and starting over again, too.
Tonight, the top 6 finalists crack open the Andrew Lloyd Webber songbook, and, man, does it have the potential to be a rough night. According to TMZ.com, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita will be represented, so we'll get some stuff that's familiar to us. But Jason Castro doing "Memory" from Cats??!? May have to get my claws out for this one ... let's see if he brings it!
Those of you waiting eagerly for this weekend's NFL draft need wait no longer -- it's basically already started. The Dolphins signed Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long to a multi-year deal today, making him the No. 1 pick.
St. Louis is now on the clock with, oh, about 96 hours to make a decision.
Bloomberg News reports that more than 45 syndicated comic strips will mention Earth Day in today's editions. Jerry Scott, the co-creator of Zits and Baby Blues, said it's the first time newspaper comics have aligned around a theme since several of them mentioned the 9/11 attacks on Thanksgiving 2001.
A time-lapse video of a man trapped in an elevator for 41 hours has become an Internet sensation after surveillance camera footage emerged after nearly a decade. "After a certain period of time, I knew that I was in pretty big trouble because it was the weekend," Nicholas White said today on Good Morning America. The ordeal happened in 1999, but White says he understands why the video has captured people's attention: So many have wondered what they would do if it happened to them.
Of course, my wife isn't crazy like Tricia Walsh-Smith, who has taken to YouTube to spill the secrets of her marriage in an apparent effort to gain leverage and humiliate the other side.
If watching her YouTube video isn't enough, check out this interview with ABC News.
In tomorrow's print edition, I offer a take on the battle for the Democratic nomination. But it's nothing like a poll released this weekend that says Hillary Clinton is "favored by more hunters, bowlers and gun-owners than Barack Obama" in tomorrow's Pennsylvania primary.
But apparently, they're tied among beer drinkers.
I've seen polls break down voters by race and gender. But not social activity. I wonder who leads with people who live on streets named after trees but have no letter "M" in their last name.
When I was a kid, the business at 3606 Lower Greenville Ave. was known as the Fast and Cool Club. And the coolest thing about said club, in this kid's view, was the large mural of James Brown on the wall facing the Snuffer's parking lot.
I assumed this mural had been whitewashed years ago as 3606 became many other things, most notably the Red Jacket. But I was wrong. Construction is underway to turn this location into something called the National Sports Lounge, and the work has revealed that the mural has been there all this time.
When I stopped by this afternoon to snap a picture of it, club promoter Reza Dibaje assured me we'll be seeing the entire mural again soon. "I was going to put a window there," he said, "until I saw that painting."
In other Simpsons news, Homer and his family are irking people in several South American countries, according to this story in today's Dallas Morning News.
Look out Jackie Chan -- Claude, an Asiatic black bear living in a Japanese zoo, has got some serious kung fu skills. He's drawn crowds by twirling sticks like a ninja -- back and forth, around his neck, etc. for hours at a time. Or maybe he's just practicing for the zoo's drill team.
One of my favorite sites is Dial B for Blog, a visually intensive blog dedicated to the history of comic books. It updates every Friday, and this week's edition is dedicated to The Simpsons.
A Japanese high school baseball team was trailing 66-0 in a recent game when its coach asked that the game be stopped -- in the second inning!
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Kawamoto Technical High pitcher threw more than 250 pitches to get only four outs. He had given up 26 runs in the first inning and 40 in the second.
The Aston Martin being used in Quantum of Solace, the latest James Bond film starring Daniel Craig, plunged into a lake in northern Italy while being driven to the set, according to the Associated Press. (That's it being pulled from the lake above.) Producers say the driver of the Aston Martin was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. They say James Bond's iconic car was being delivered to the filming unit in heavy rain on Saturday morning when it went off the road and plunged into Lake Garda.
Heateatreview.com, which is a great source for reviews of the frozen meals we're reduced to eating as office workers, posted this video of a '80s Lean Cuisine commercial. It's worth it for the towel biting.
Today is April 20, known to marijuana users as "4/20," a counterculture holiday recognizing America's most commonly used illegal drug. While we at Quick don't condone any lawbreaking, we would be remiss if we didn't recognize what is, for many, a cause for celebration. And fervent snacking.
So here, courtesy of the Chicago Tribune, are a dime bag's worth of marijuana facts:
1. The number "420" is code for marijuana and was most likely invented in the 1970s at San Rafael High School in Marin County, Calif., where a group of students known as the Waldos met at 4:20 p.m. to light up.
Want to know who's going to win the NBA title this year?
Well, don't bet on these predictions, but here's what I think:
THE WEST Lakers d. Nuggets in 5: Denver plays no defense, Los Angeles has potent offense Mavericks d. Hornets in 6: New Orleans still needs some playoff seasoning Suns d. Spurs in 6: Revenge for last year's hip-check. Jazz d. Rockets in 6: Jazz only need to win one in Houston
Lakers d. Jazz in 7: Hard fought series goes to the superstar (Kobe) Suns d. Mavericks in 7: Amare has career-best series
Suns d. Lakers in 7: Shaq gets sweet revenge on Kobe and the Lakers
THE EAST Celtics d. Hawks in 4: Celtics won't even break a sweat Pistons d. 76ers in 6: Sixers have played the East's two best teams surprisingly well Magic d. Raptors in 7: Hedo Turkoglu comes up big in final game Wizards d. Cavaliers in 7: Early injuries have made a healthier Wiz stronger
Celtics d. Wizards in 5: Wizards will steal one game Pistons d. Magic in 5: Pistons have the depth inside to battle Dwight Howard
Celtics d. Pistons in 7: Perhaps the two best teams in the league
THE FINALS Celtics d. Suns in 7: May not get the ratings, but will be a joy to watch. Sam Cassell shows why he was the final piece of Celtics' championship puzzle
While most fans were buying beers or ridding themselves of beer, I stayed in my seat during the second intermission of last night's Stars game. That's when I got to watch a 13-year-old music video for "Peaches" by the Presidents of the United States of America. It was played on half of the screens on the AAC scoreboard. As if that wasn't random enough, the remaining screens displayed trivia about the song and band. Huh?
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