Got a pair of new songs for you. They're not actually new to me; I wrote one in 2005 and the other back in 2001 as a friend was going through a divorce.

I'm still having the issue with the jittery camera, which I thought would be resolved by cleaning out the area where my piano, stereo and camera converge. However, I think it has less to do with the mess that was there and more to do with the space between everything.

The closer the piano is to the camera, the more likely the camera is to vibrate from the percussion. Yay, I'm Mr. Science.

Alas, here they are. Ciao ...

"No Question" copy. 2005

"Pray" copy. 2001

My new favorite night of television during the week: Monday.

Why? CBS' lineup of "Big Bang Theory," "How I Met Your Mother" and "Two and a Half Men." I know that Julia Louis-Dreyfuss has a show in there, but it hasn't caught my attention the way the others have, particularly HIMYM and Two and a Half Men.

Bottom line: CBS has in its employ two of the most talented comedic actors going right now in Neil Patrick Harris and Charlie Sheen, and whereas NBC captured audience share a couple of years ago with its originality in programs like My Name Is Earl and The Office, CBS should be doing the same now by essentially reviving the great American sitcom.

CBS' Monday night lineup features three of the best conventional sitcoms since the early 1990s on NBC. However, I've already espoused the greatness of Big Bang Theory, against the grain of the mostly terrible reviews it received in its first season.

I don't think CBS' overall ratings on Monday night are that hot. Last I saw, HIMYM was averaging about No. 53 in the Nielsen ratings each week for this, its third season.

Hope they have the patience NBC did with their Thursday night lineup. Patience is a must in building an audience, whether its in television or on the Web. Patience and perseverance. If you've got a great product, stick with it until it sticks with people.

Now, some of my favorite clips from HIMYM and Two and a Half Men:

Two and a Half Men - "Senor Charlie". Charlie gets hammered, and somebody paints a mustache on his lip.

How I Met Your Mother - Barney's Greatest Hits. A montage of great Barney Stinson (Harris) clips from Season 1.

Since the start of the Top 24 on this year's American Idol, I've said teen idol David Archuleta would sail to the winner's circle.

Based on fan base. Based on voting statistics sites, like DialIdol.com. Based on history.

But not based on talent. No, sir, and not close. Season 7 of the American singing competition has become a dogfight because of a young man with major rock chops: Tulsa's own David Cook.

When Chris Daughtry blew onto the scene a couple of years ago, fans of the FOX show weren't sure what to make of a rock-n-roll singer with actual ability and viable commercial appeal.

He lost but became a star.

David Cook could win and become a star.

For the first time all season, somebody other than Archuleta is leading DialIdol.com voting at the end of a performance night. If you're not familiar with the site, it features an application that tracks the voting habits of a sample of registered users based not on votes but on busy signals.

The performer whose voting line is cluttered the most is scored highest. While I'm not sure how it works exactly, its prognosticative ability is surprisingly accurate and, in fact, accurately predicted Daughtry's Idol demise two years ago.

But it's not merely speculative results that make me center myself firmly in Cook's corner. It is his talent and, most definitely, his commercial appeal. Make no mistake, win or lose, this guy will make a major rock album later this year, and it will be a big seller.

Cook's version of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," as done by Chris Cornell, was outstanding. While it was a copy of Cornell's arrangement, Cook held his own vocally, and the dark, rock song style is unlike anything Idol has put together in the show's seven years.

If you're not familiar with Cornell, he was the frontman for Soundgarden, among other bands. However, Soundgarden was one of the preeminent rock bands coming out of Seattle in the early 1990s, best known for their hits "Spoonman" and "Black Hole Sun."

Cornell's vocals are superior to Cook's, and his arrangement was twice as cool and definitely more minimalistic than what the Idol "orchestra" put together. However, all in all, Cook's rendition was pretty much cooler than anything the show has put out in seven years.

For Cook, it's been a consistent run, having done an emo rendition of "Eleanor Rigby" and a slightly emo rendition of a Whitesnake version of "Day Tripper." It's clear that Cook has no urge to be a pop idol, that he's in it to be a rock star.

Win or lose, that's what he's going to be.

And if David Cook keeps down this path, he might be Idol's first legit rock champion.

Too hard to find 10 songs I really like right now -- again this week -- so a Top 5 will have to do.

5. Ferras - Hollywood's Not America

Hadn't really heard of this cat until a few days ago, but he's a Berklee student who got an audition, who passed the audition and now has a modest hit. However, it offers a ton of potential, and I think this guy is fairly talented even if the song is only slightly better than average.

4. Yael Naim - New Soul

OK, when I first heard this, as part of the Mac Air Book commercials, this song annoyed me. She annoyed me. Color me converted though; this is a dangerously catchy, eclectic little tune.

3. Chaka Khan - One For All Time

Sorry, you can call Aretha Franklin the Queen of Soul all you'd like, but to me, Khan is the standard bearer. There's nobody better, and this track is better than 98 percent of anything on the R&B charts the past two or three years.

2. Erykah Badu - Honey

Remember what I said for No. 3? Well, this track represents one of the two percent that can eclipse Chaka. "Honey" is one of the best R&B tracks this decade. I have not had the chance to listen to the entire album, but I have a hunch, a Grammy-lover's hunch that Miss Erykah could be up for an award or two next year.

1. Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music

Dance music isn't completely dead, although there hasn't been much worth listening to in years (except for the Madonna album from 2005-06). However, Rihanna continues to separate herself from the pop female pack (i.e., Beyonce) with this one.

The great thing about getting blown out in the NCAA tournament is that the anxiety wears off quickly. Louisville was more athletic, more talented and better prepared in their 78-48 win over the Sooners on Sunday.

However, make no mistake: This has been a successful second-year campaign for Jeff Capel's ball club at OU. The question is: Will it be his last?

Speculation is running high that he'll take over as the new South Carolina head coach within the next two weeks. One report from a Tulsa television station indicated that coaches at the regional where OU played suggested they would be shocked if he didn't become the new Gamecocks' coach.

OK, I'll play along.

Why would Capel leave for South Carolina? If I'm playing devil's advocate, I could cite a better climate, better scenery, better locale in relation to his family and great golf, if he's into the links.

However, relative to the programs themselves, South Carolina is a step backward, folks. In the past decade, Oklahoma has been to the Sweet 16 three times, to the Elite 8 twice and to the Final Four once.

Where were Dave Odom's 'Cocks?

If Capel were to leave for South Carolina, it wouldn't be about being closer to home. He's on the record as saying that his overall family life is better in Oklahoma because his wife isn't working, which I suppose means the entire Capel crew can be together more often.

What a move would indicate, however, is the lack of fan support Oklahoma basketball gets. I'll be honest: I'm as guilty as the rest of you. Haven't been to a game in at least six years, and I live right here in Norman.

It's not about the level of play. Under Kelvin Sampson, the Sooners were quite good, quite scrappy and quite worth the money. Billy Tubbs' reign at Oklahoma were the rock-n-roll days of Sooners hoops.

However, the Lloyd Noble Center itself is completely antithetical to what makes a great basketball venue. I can't justify dropping $25 for a seat at the top of a concert arena.

It's spread out. It's dark. It's relatively quiet. It's far too big for the product.

When soccer teams in the MLS got smart, they started building smaller soccer-only stadiums, including one in Frisco, Texas, that's actually one of the best in the country. Now, I'm not suggesting a basketball-only arena. It wouldn't be cost-effective.

What I am suggesting is a renovation of McCasland Fieldhouse.

Tear it down and rebuild it, right there on campus. Give it no more than 10,000 seats, and construct it in the image of what's there now. Make it cramped and noisy, something more along the lines of Gallagher-Iba.

Sure, if Oklahoma were consistently better, more fans would come out to see the men play. Yes, the women's team had the third-best attendance among NCAA Division I teams this season.

However, Capel's club was good this year. Why fan support isn't what it should be might have something to do with what we see on ESPN each week: The Cameron Crazies at Duke, the Allen Fieldhouse fans at Kansas and the stellar environment at Gallagher-Iba.

Basketball night on campus needs to be more of an event. We've got the overall support here at OU. We've got the money. But do we have the vision to do something this bold?

Well, well, well. Oklahoma won its first-round game.

Have to tell you, I'm not sure which is more nerve-wracking -- the OU/Texas football game or Oklahoma in the NCAA tournament. I mean more nerve wracking for me.

Tell me if this happens to you when watching your school in the tournament: Your stomach tightens. You can't sit still. You're mega-anxious. Any hefty run can set you off with a surge of excitement unparalleled in football.

At some point, with your school up 45-26, you're yelling at the TV:

That's it! Put the dagger in 'em! Put the f%&*** dagger in 'em! Kill these m^%&$%^#$%#@!

And then the underdogs who weren't (everybody picked St. Joe's to beat Oklahoma) come back, cutting it to a four-point game late. The nerves return. You wonder if that first-half excitement was for naught. You start to dread the headache you'll get after the loss, particularly considering your boys just blew a 19-point lead.

However, the other guys start to fail by attrition, fouling out and sending your crew to the line. The game moves at a snail's pace in the last four minutes with unending timeouts and trips to the free-throw line.

You get to one minute left, and urgency sets in. You wonder whether the bad guys will start draining threes, sending your school to the front page of YouTube with one of those March Madness miracle comebacks.

But then your best player grabs a board with 15 seconds left, up by 8, runs down the court, the other team conceding -- and the celebration can begin.

That was me tonight. No, not the best player part. No, that was me, the manic maniac watching his Oklahoma Sooners beat St. Joseph's 72-64 in Birmingham, Ala.

I could spend some time reviewing what were some wonderful games on Friday, particularly the Western Kentucky win over Drake and San Diego's win over Connecticut, but the joy and wonder of the NCAA men's basketball tournament overall is playing a major second fiddle to the fact that my boys won.

I could not possibly be any happier for 'em.

Boomer Sooner.

This scares me. Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament, and virtually no upsets were to be found.

I don't count No. 11 Kansas State over No. 6 USC, which to me should have been an 8-9 game. The Trojans got their tails handed to them, and this Wildcats team could fare very well against Wisconsin, who dilly-dallied against Cal-State Fullerton.

But this scares me because it means upsets could abound on Friday, and No. 11 St. Joseph's over No. 6 Oklahoma would count as an upset in my book. However, it was great news for OU to see Michigan State manhandle A-10 champ Temple, a team that beat the Hawks just to get to the tournament.

Doesn't equate to a win, but it portends positive things for Oklahoma, namely that a physical, inside game could mean a comfortable win for Jeff Capel's crew.

Belmont nearly pulled off the biggest upset in several years, losing to second-seeded Duke 71-70 in a crazy, topsy-turvy first-round game. I won't lie: I was pulling for Duke.

I'll say it again: I was pulling for Duke.

One year ago, I recall watching VCU upset the Blue Devils in the first round and noting how forlorn Coach K looked, and it brought to mind the incredible win by Indiana over Duke in the Sweet 16 five years ago and thinking the same thing.

Coach K needs a hug! Seriously, I root for whoever my heart says to go for, and while I normally would be a Duke hater, I at least wanted them not to get embarrassed by a No. 15 seed. I still say that West Virginia beats them in the next round.

Overall, the Big 12 impressed, getting wins over USC and BYU, as Texas A&M played a solid game to get to the second round against UCLA. An Aggie-Bruins matchup in the second round isn't nearly the slam dunk most national pundits think it is.

Baylor got hammered by Purdue, and it was no shock to me. The Bears were happy to be there, and I recall that the Boilermakers were really solid in their opening-round game against Arizona last year.

No real statement games, if you ask me. I came away from the Notre Dame game even more impressed with Luke Harangody, who is a shorter but thicker version of Big Country, Bryant Reeves.

Oral Roberts, one of two Oklahoma teams in the tourney, was outmanned big time against Pitt, and it wasn't really even entertaining. And neither Winthrop nor George Mason looked impressive, despite predictions by many that they could win their opening games.

Big, big jeers though to the folks who serve ESPN.com's tournament challenge Web site. It's been up and down all day, and it was hardly accessible even after play began at 11:20 a.m. CDT. Furthermore, accessing bracket groups has been made darn near impossible to find within their site.

Given that one can stay signed in to their site, the first thing you should see when coming to ESPN.com these two weeks is a hover screen that has your bracket results because that's why everybody is visiting. At least, something could be coded such that if you entered a bracket, you get that treatment.

Big, big cheers to the interactive folks at CBS, who again made games available online. Innovative and daring in the face of lost revenue. To offer an online viewing option for people who work is a brilliant PR move, and I hope they got their brandings-worth.

The good news about all this top-heavy success in the first round, at least so-far, is that second-round games will be monsters. MONSTERS, I tell you, and I don't even believe Kansas and UCLA have it too easy.

Speaking of MONSTERS, wouldn't it be great if Oklahoma won tonight and so did Boise State?

I'll say it right now: If Boise State were to win, the last thing they want to see in the second round is Oklahoma. I don't think I need to explain why.

I am in desperate need of a vacation, one I get late next week for a few days -- and one that falls smack in the middle of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

However, today (Thursday) is the Holy Day of college basketball. Heck, it's the Holy Day of sports, in my opinion -- the single best day of sports all year, well, that's focused on one sport.

In the fall, there are a few weekend days in which we have baseball playoff games, college football, pro football, NASCAR and beyond all in one 48-hour period. For a sports junkie with plenty of hot dog and beer money, it doesn't get much better.

But if you've planned your vacation or a day off or a sick day around the first day of March Madness, you are a wise soul of a human being. Enjoy it.

And what I thought I'd do is outline my thoughts on this year's tourney, my thoughts on how my team might do in the field of 64 -- just some random March Madness goodness.

For those of you who don't normally watch the tourney, turn on CBS starting at 11:15 a.m. CDT. Watch all day and all night. Rinse and repeat.

First, my 'Final Four.' When I fill out my bracket (and I got all four right last year, including the final game and the winner), I look at one stat: points per game allowed. In my experience, in the early games, the team with the lowest PPG against has an edge.

It signifies better defense, not all the time but most of the time. It's not a perfect stat by any means, but in lieu of anything definite, I typically pick teams from the better conference to win. And in lieu of something definite there, I guess ... go with the ol' gut hunch.

And my gut hunch likes Kansas to win the title 20 years after it won its last one, in 1988 against my beloved Oklahoma Sooners. KU's athleticism combined with a sense of their destiny makes me think the Jayhawks will win the whole thing.

But that same gut hunch loves UCLA's experience -- and the Bruins play great defense. I like Ben Howland's team to get to the championship game and possibly win, although my official pick is with the Jayhawks.

My gut hunch says North Carolina is totally beatable if they don't bring their best defensive effort. Not that a No. 16 will beat them. Not that Arkansas or Indiana will beat them. However, Notre Dame can, if the Irish get so luck as to beat George Mason and Washington State, which I think is likely.

Notre Dame comes from one of the better conferences this year, the Big East, with a 14-4 conference record. I think the Irish match up very well against UNC, with Luke Harangody going up against Tyler Hansbrough in the Sweet 16.

Every few years, a No. 4, 5 or 6-seeded team quietly plays its way to the Final Four, and my pick to do so is Notre Dame. Call me crazy, and buy me an Advil when they get beat in the first round, please. But call me brilliant if it happens.

In the South bracket, I'm not sold on Memphis. Their free-throw shooting is suspect, and I still don't think they've played that tough a schedule. Furthermore, I think these cats can be beaten in the second round by a good, middle-of-the-road SEC team like Mississippi State.

If not then, a loss will come at the hands of Michigan State. Tom Izzo's teams are almost always ready to play, and tourney time is their money time. The South bracket, to me, is wide open. Memphis could win it, although I doubt it, and I like the Spartans or Texas Longhorns to go to the Final Four.

In the West, I love UCLA. Defense and experience win titles, baby. And, I think UCLA's biggest competition will come from Xavier, not Duke. As much as I hate to say it, former Sooner Drew Lavender has turned into a leader, a player and a difference maker on the court.

However, the sleeper in this bracket is West Virginia and Joe Alexander. I love them to knock off Duke in the second round.

Kansas knocks off the Irish, and UCLA outlasts Michigan State en route to a classic final, with the Jayhawks beating UCLA 80-68.

But what about Oklahoma? I pick St. Joesph's to win over my Sooners because of one guy: Pat Calathes. He's a 6'10" white guy who plays much smaller than he is, and I am not sure how we can contain him.

The most telling thing OU head coach Jeff Capel said about the Hawks is that they've played together forever and are sort of an old team. Everybody is picking St. Joseph's to win this game, so much so that I feel like Oklahoma is the underdog here.

But I'll let you in on an opinion I have spouted all year: I believe Oklahoma under Jeff Capel is built for March. College coaches have a famous saying, "November is for show. March is for dough," and while Oklahoma is so fallable, the Sooners are also potential Cinderellas. Here's why.

1. When Austin Johnson is on, he's on. Sure, this could go for any guard, but truly when AJ is playing his game, we can hang with anybody except for Kansas and Texas, who own us like Bill Gates owns Microsoft. And this kid shoots great on the road.

2. Underrated inside play. Longar Longar ain't the second coming of Roy Hibbert, but he's not that far away either. Teams will not key on the Minnesota native, and that could be very good for us.

3. Country boy can shoot. Have you heard of Cade Davis? Didn't think so, and if he continues his ascent as a three-point shooter, this could be a magical, magical run.

4. Blake Griffin. Yes, the Big 12 knows about Blake, but does America? Has Blake been rubbing his sore knees as part of an elaborate acting job to lure teams into playing him softer, thinking he's gimpy?

Surely not, but there is something in my deepest of souls that believes much of what Capel has been doing with this team -- experimenting with lineups, sitting Longar for long periods of time in key conference games, testing Blake Griffin's ability to play through pain -- has been to get them ready for a March run.

I'm not delusional, but those of you who know me know for a fact that I have poo-pooed OU's chances every tourney aside from a couple: 2002 and 2003, the former of which we made it to the Final Four. Kelvin Sampson's teams were built to win every game, and Capel's teams seem to be built for three and four-game runs, as evidenced by the Sooners' streakiness all year.

If we can somehow beat St. Joe's, I love, love, love us to beat Louisville, and I think Tennessee is completely beatable. OK, perhaps I'm delusional, but the beauty of this tournament is that No. 6 seeds have gone on to do some miraculous things, such as Kansas in 1988 and North Carolina State in 1983.

OK, breathe. My head still says St. Joseph's knocks us out in the first round, but my heart still says we're on the verge of something special with Capel. On the other hand, some experts say our inside game is actually no match for the Hawks, that we'll kill them inside.

We'll see.

So, I'm sticking with St. Joseph's to beat OU in the first round, but I am totally going against my intuition, which says we'll be the talk of the nation in 10 days.

As for the tourney overall, this is still a super top-heavy group this year, like last year, which foretells the possibility that only the big boys win. However, that notion goes topsy-turvy about every third year, and we're due this year if not next.

A lot of folks are picking ORU to beat Pittsburgh, and I would love to see Oral Roberts get the win. The Tulsa school has the greatest motto of any university in the country: Expect a miracle, and why not?

March Madness is the time for them.

Fact is, I'm pulling for every underdog. I love all Cinderellas in this tourney, whether it's ORU or George Mason or Davidson or Georgia or Baylor. Yes, how about those Baylor Bears under Scott Drew, five years removed from the murder of a player and subsequent cover up on the part of their coach, former OU boss Dave Bliss.

Good karma is real, and while I think Purdue is simply too good for the Bears, nobody will root harder for the little Baptist school in Waco, Texas.

I'm pulling for Davidson big time, too. Why? Get this: They have a program on campus (and the school is very much an academic power, a liberal arts school in the Carolinas) in which every student's laundry gets done for them by the school -- and not one grad leaves with debt because of university-imposed work and scholarship programs.

I love them for being so darned innovative. Surely, it translates into success on the hardwood, no?

I'm pulling for the University of Texas at Arlington, which has no shot in the world, but don't you know it: The minute a No. 16 seed wins a men's tourney game, it will become the biggest upset in sports history.

It gets me tingly.

Regardless of how Oklahoma does, I really hope we get a ton more March Madness memories out of this batch of games. My favorite first-round memory centered on the Sooners and Arizona back in 1999. A late tip-in from Ryan Humphrey after an unforced error by an Arizona player led to the No. 13 Sooners beating the No. 4 Wildcats 61-60.

I was beside myself, literally giddier than after almost any OU-Texas win. Almost. Unfortunately, Sooners fans have just as many bad tourney memories.

For example, I have two words that should sicken every OU basketball lover: Rick Fox.

In 2002, Oklahoma had what I consider to be its most complete tourney game under Sampson, a comfortable Sweet 16 win over Arizona. It was a huge hump to get over for his clubs, and we had the perfect combo of great outside and inside play.

Aaron McGhee is still one of the most underrated Sooner men in history.

However, don't forget about 1998, when the Sooners came back from 17 down to tie Indiana before losing in overtime. That was almost a really special moment.

Unfortunately, that reminds me of 1987 when we held a huge, huge lead over Iowa in the Sweet 16 only to lose. That was my first OU March Madness heartbreak.

During the mid-1990s, as Kelvin was busy losing in the first round, most of my rooting effort went toward Oklahoma State and Tulsa. However, I squarely pulled for the Golden Hurricane against OSU in the second round a decade ago. Tulsa won. Watched that one with Dad, and he pulled for TU, too.

My Tulsa-rooting days go back to Nolan Richardson and Paul Pressey and the team that won the NIT back in 1981 or 1982. However, this Hurricane team is taking awhile to get back on track, and I can't wait for the year in which all four Oklahoma teams are in the tourney.

I pull for them all unless they're going head to head.

Who can forget the Oklahoma State - St. Joseph's game back a couple years ago? The joy of that game, followed by the heartbreak against Georgia Tech.

So, while I am picking UCLA and Kansas to play in a final, I guess I'm really hoping my bracket is a mess by Saturday, like it should be. This tournament is supposed to be eneveloped in chaos, and I would be much happier with a Final Four of Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Stanford and Drake than I would one with North Carolina, Kansas, Memphis and UCLA.

Well, I better go. I was exhausted to begin with, ready for that vacation, and now I'm pumped up for basketball. Boomer Sooner, and enjoy these tourney highlight videos I found on YouTube.

I've taken a couple days off to get away from the blogosphere and focus on writing and chores, but when I sat down tonight to do another Top 10 list, I realized that there was pretty much nothing on mainstream radio -- right this second -- worth mentioning.

So, even if I were to put a list together, it really wouldn't be any different than two weeks ago, when I last compiled a list. There is one song that has me intrigued, and it's categorized as a country hit.

It's "It Ain't No Crime" from Joe Nichols. A very unique structure, musically, for a supposed country song, Nichols' effort more closely resembles what I'd call adult contemporary rock Americana.

Sure, there's a steel guitar in there. And, yes, I think I hear Allison Krauss in the background, but this song could have just as easily been done by somebody like a Bryan Adams 20 years ago. I like it quite a bit.

However, the music industry has failed to grasp the power of YouTube. Country is probably the biggest offender, as most of its artists have only a small presence on the video site -- and none of them allow embedding from the label or artist channels.

But, country music isn't the only offender. Perhaps the best new album I've heard in 2008 thus far is Joe Jackson's "Rain", which is a pared down version of his eariler work, aged like fine wine.

Not only have I been a lifelong fan of Jackson's music, I'm a fan of him. He's an outspoken advocate of civil liberties on any number of fronts, and he's a genuinely likeable rebel, if you will, decades after the height of his popularity in the 1980s.

Nevertheless, I couldn't brag on songs like "Invisible Man" from his new album, by embedding a video here, because Jackson's YouTube channel doesn't allow for embedding.

Now, believe me, I understand. Management wants Web traffic to go directly to their page, where the message can be controlled.

I seriously doubt Jackson has much to do with this, although I'd bet his approach is pretty laissez-faire when it comes to these things. He seems like the type of cat who would much prefer the music side of the equation to the business end.

However, it's still short-sighted. The vast majority of folks who would embed a Joe Jackson video are fans, people who would talk up the new album. And, I'll still do that.

But instead of getting to hear a tune for yourself, you'll just have to take my word for it because to link you to his YouTube page would pretty much be me givin' in to the Man.

And I'm just ornery enough to refuse to do it.

Channeling my inner Billy Joel, I wrote a song this week called "I Know Her So Well," which structurally sort of have the feel of something like "She's Got A Way."

Well, at least lyrically it does.

The title was inspired by an old Broadway tune (old as in the 1980s) called "I Know Him So Well," which came from the musical Chess. I had always wanted to write something called, "I Know Her So Well."

Musically, the song is slightly derivative of a Jamie Cullum tune called, "These Are The Days," which features the G-F-E chords to start the song.

I'm still having some issue with camera steadiness, and it's just a matter of cleaning out my studio area and giving the camera some breathing space to get that remedied.

And it's not exactly in my wheelhouse vocally, but it's merely a demo. Let me know what you think ...

I stumbled upon some wonderful news today.

No, cancer has not been cured. I didn't win the lottery last night, although at $275M, I might play this weekend. And, the woman of my dreams revealed that, in fact, her real name is not Kristen.

But I stumbled upon wonderful news nonetheless.

Rock Star just might be returning to television.

The Mark Burnett music competition that had been on CBS for two seasons from 2005 to 2006 built a tremendously loyal fan base and drew rave reviews not for the show itself so much as for the house band.

What American Idol is to event-dom, to water-cooler discussion-inducing buzz, Rock Star was to music.

I always said it: Idol was for the television lover in me, and Rock Star was actually about the music.

Apparently, I am not the only one who feels this way. Burnett was recently quoted as saying that he is often harrassed by people who want this show back on the air, noting that it's probably gained more steam in death than in life.

And Burnett has said he is looking for a way to get Rock Star back on the air. He noted that the problem is in finding a rock band who needs a singer, and to him I say, "Phooey! You don't need that at all!"

Daughtry is the biggest rock band on the planet right now, and its lead singer earned his shot on American Idol for goodness' sake. The notion that an existing band or a collaborative group needs to need a new singer for this to work is completely ridiculous.

No, Rock Star was the music competition for the cool kids. For twentysomethings who hang out at rock bars. For everybody with a rock-n-roll fantasy of some sort. For musicians. For people who would never be caught dead watching Idol but who want something like this of their own.

And Rock Star's contestants were not prototype auditioners for something out of a Disney flick. They were pack-a-day, work-two-jobs-while-playing-in-three-bands-types-of-cats who spent any leftover time writing and writing and writing and writing. They were musicians' musicians.

The show itself was not without its flaws the first and only two years of its existence thus far. First and foremost, as entertaining as Tommy Lee and the rest of "Supernova" were as judges, they were massively unhip relative to the demographic who enjoyed this show.

On the other hand, Dave Navarro was a brilliant host and completely hip to multiple generations. Brooke Burke was perfect in her Ryan Seacrest role. And the house band ...

Besides being extremely successful on their own, with other groups of course, the Rock Star House Band was pretty much what sold the show to most Rock Star aficionadoes. They're tight. They're edgy. Their arrangements are creative without a hint of cringe, and they're a must if this show is to return.

As you can probably surmise, I'm stoked about the possibility that Rock Star could return, and over the next couple of days, I will show you what I think are the best five performances in American Idol history and the best five performances in Rock Star history and simply let the music make the case.

For the love of music, I can't explain why I love certain songs.

Much like that Tracey Ullman tune about which I blogged several weeks ago, another early 1980s hit has consistently stayed among the top of my personal charts.

However, in the case of Supertramp, I actually love most of their music. From "Goodbye Stranger" to "Logical Song," to their early 1980s hits like "It's Raining Again" and "My Kind of Lady," there is something about the band's sound and heavy keyboard influence that sucks me in.

And in the case of the 1982 hit, "It's Raining Again," I literally never tire of hearing it. Puts me in a good mood everytime.

All the buzz about American Idol's Season 7 foray into the finals was about its new set -- so much so that TMZ was reporting major concern on behalf of producers about it hours before Tuesday night's show aired.

No need to worry on that front, but is there reason to worry about frontrunner David Archuleta?

The 17-year-old Utah native flubbed the words big time to "We Can Work It Out," one of 12 songs performed tonight from the catalog of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the greatest pop music songwriters ever.

Truly, this was just about the best night of music Idol has ever produced, and it wasn't merely about the songbook. Two performances in particular, I think, have set two singers, in particular, apart from the pack.

And David Archuleta is not one of them.

Tulsa's own David Cook put an emo spin on "Eleanor Rigby," and it was borderline brilliant. The comparisons to Chris Daughtry will be there, but Cook's emo style is significantly different from Daughtry's rock vibe.

And nanny Brooke White's version of "Let It Be" with her at the piano was stellar, the best of the night and perhaps the best of the season so far. Based on actual musical talent, with originality and commercial appeal factored in, this season's finale might be Cook vs. White.

It was seriously terrific.

However, back to the boy who will win American Idol, David Archuleta. Perhaps my lecturing about how this show works will sink in for those who think I'm merely a "fan" of the boy wonder.

A quick look at DialIdol.com shows him comfortably ahead of everybody, even with his mess ups. Don't think this is an accident. Teenage girls not only dominate the voting on this show; they essentially pick who wins.

But the first week of the finals on American Idol has historically been about stepping up from the Top 24 portion of the competition, making a first impression to those who hadn't watched the season until the Top 12 -- and that's a lot of folks.

Chikeze stunned everybody with his down-home Southern version of "She's A Woman." And his predecessor, Syesha Mercado was better than the judges credited her with her Earth, Wind & Fire version of "Got To Get You Into My Life."

I even liked Amanda Overmyer's version of "You Can't Do That," although I still think she's not long for this Idol world. Likewise, the stay of Kristi Lee Cook and David Hernandez could be short-lived with their versions of "8 Days A Week" and "I Saw Her Standing There," respectively.

Hernandez was particularly disappointing, reminiscent of the cheesy days of Idol past. To watch three quarters of Tuesday night's Idol show was to see a competition that has started to grow up, with contestants playing instruments, with originality taking over where cheesiness once stood.

Speaking of originality, Texas' own Jason Castro played guitar to "If I Fell," and again, I wasn't attuned to his vibe. Personally, I hated it. Likewise, Michael Johns bores me to tears, although I've never been THAT bored, really.

Of the female singers, perhaps the best compliment of the night went to Carly Smithson, whose rendition of "Come Together" drew comparisons to Kelly Clarkson from Simon Cowell. Perhaps I missed something, but I thought the Irish lass' rendition of the song was dull. Technically, it was ok, but I can honestly see how she never sold any records. It's all too basic.

Which brings us back to Archuleta.

When you bring it like he had during the past several weeks and do so with a pseudo-annoying "Aww, shucks" attitude, there is very little room for error -- unless your Idol fanbase is already so big that it forgives anything you do.

I heard somebody say, or perhaps I saw them write, that Archuleta -- at this point -- will have to get Miley Cyrus pregnant under the influence of crystal meth (embellishment for the sake of humor on my part) to lose the competition.

And right now, that is 100 percent truth.

But Archuleta the frontrunner should know that two seriously talented dark horses are on his tail in the form of David Cook and Brooke White. And if Simon Cowell were so bold as to compare Carly Smithson to Kelly Clarkson after one week of the Season 7 finals, perhaps he should have been so bold as to make a similar comparison for Archuleta.

Justin Guarini

Just returned from a business trip to northwest Arkansas, and I have to tell you: That's some beautiful country up there. The drive down from Rogers to Fort Smith along I-540 is uber-scenic.

Of course, I surfed as many local radio stations I could find, and one of them caught me by surprise.

Going by the moniker, "The Rebel," this FM station seemed to play nothing but southern-friend rock and country. It seemed a bit odd to me that a name like "The Rebel" is still corporately acceptable, even in the South, given the meaning behind it, but that's just me.

But the music was generally good, at least when focused on the rock-n-roll. And one song I heard was a 1990s jam, an underrated tune from a band that was both overrated and underrated ... The Black Crowes.

I know, my assessment seems to make no sense. But I'll explain.

On one hand, it is so clear that Chris Robinson and his crew were heavily influenced by the Rolling Stones. Not that this is a bad thing. If you're going to emulate a band, you couldn't pick many better ones.

On the other, the Crowes are super tight. Great musicianship. Great writing. Terrific, terrific vocals. Shame they were never bigger.

And as for the song I heard? It was their first mainstream hit, called "Jealous Again."

I'm not sure that I think it was their best song. "Remedy" was pretty awesome, too. However, I think I really liked the fact that "Jealous Again" was so basic, and the Stones' feel is undeniable.

An Australian Web site this week tabulated what they believe to be the 50 gayest songs of all time, based on reader votes -- and this has piqued my interest.

Even us straight folks have our gay peculiarities when it comes to music. For example, my buddy Jake Dakota enjoys Dead Or Alive and "It's Raining Men," by The Weather Girls. My buddy Toad is a huge fan of the band Queen.

And I revere Peter Allen.

Hmmm. Even my own brother -- with his wife and two kids -- listens to Gino Vanelli.

(Cue the theatrical music. Duh-duh-DAH!)

So, just how gay is my musical taste? Let's look at the 50 songs listed by samesame.com.au. I'll label my take on each as either Love It!, Hate It!, Whateva! or Huh?. The latter two mean either that I am lukewarm to the track or that I've never heard of it.

50. Elton John and George Michael “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”

RYAN: Whateva!


49. Dead or Alive “You Spin Me (Like A Record)”

RYAN: Whateva!


48. Pet Shop Boys “New York City Boy”

RYAN: Huh?


47. Diana Ross “Chain Reaction”

RYAN: Huh?


46. Deborah Harry “I Want That Man”

RYAN: Huh?


45. Cher “Strong Enough”

RYAN: Huh?


44. RuPaul “Supermodel (You Better Work)”

RYAN: Hate It!


43. KD Lang “Constant Craving”

RYAN: Love It!


42. Culture Club “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me”

RYAN: Love It!


41. Chaka Kham “I’m Every Woman”

RYAN: Love It!


40. Wham “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”

RYAN: Whateva!


39. Paul Lekakis “Boom Boom (Let’s Go Back To My Room)"

RYAN: Hate It!


38. Kym Mazelle “Young Hearts Run Free”

RYAN: Love It!


37. George Michael “Outside”

RYAN: Huh?


36. Donna Summer “I Feel Love”

RYAN: Whateva!


35. Dannii Minogue “This Is It”

RYAN: Huh?


34. Belinda Carlisle “Summer Rain”

RYAN: Huh?


33. Peter Allen “I Go To Rio”

RYAN: Love It!


32. Sylvester “You Make Me Feel Mighty Real”

RYAN: Huh?


31. Heather Small “Proud”

RYAN: Huh?


30. CeCe Peniston “Finally”

RYAN: Whateva!


29. Madonna “Express Yourself”

RYAN: Whateva!


28. Cyndi Lauper “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”

RYAN: Love It! (side note: but mostly I just love Cyndi. Highly underrated artist.)


27. Charlene “I’ve Never Been To Me”

RYAN: Love It! (side note: This song is the most cringeworthy pop song of all time, and it causes me so much pain, I enjoy it.)


26. Tim Curry “Sweet Transvestite”

RYAN: Hate It!


25. Barry Manilow “Copacabana”

RYAN: Love It!


24. Barbara Streisand and Donna Summer “No More Tears”

RYAN: Love It!


23. Whitney Houston “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)”

RYAN: Whateva!


22. Sister Sledge “We Are Family”

RYAN: Whateva!


21. Queen “I Want To Break Free”

RYAN: Hate It!


20. Dolly Parton “9 to 5”

RYAN: Love It!


19. Coming Out Crew “Free, Gay and Happy”

RYAN: Huh?


18. Village People “In the Navy”

RYAN: Hate It!


17. Frankie Goes To Hollywood “Relax”

RYAN: Whateva!


16. Village People “Macho Man”

RYAN: Hate It!


15. Judy Garland “Over The Rainbow”

RYAN: Love It! (side note: but not by Judy Garland)


14. Bronski Beat “Smalltown Boy”

RYAN: Love It!


13. Diana Ross “I’m Coming Out”

RYAN: Love It!


12. Cher “Believe”

RYAN: Hate It!


11. Gloria Gaynor “I Am What I Am”

RYAN: Huh?


10. Alicia Bridges “I Love The Nightlife”

RYAN: Love It!


9. Madonna “Vogue”

RYAN: Whateva!


8. Olivia Netwon-John “Xanadu”

RYAN: Love It! (side note: I love everything Olivia Newton-John did back in the day.)


7. Kylie Minogue “Better The Devil You Know”

RYAN: Huh?


6. Pet Shop Boys “Go West”

RYAN: Huh?


5. Kylie Minogue “Your Disco Needs You”

RYAN: Huh?


4. The Weathergirls “It’s Raining Men”

RYAN: Love It! (side note: actually, I just love to torture Toad with this song.)


3. Gloria Gaynor “I Will Survive”

RYAN: Love It!


2. Village People “YMCA”

RYAN: Hate It!


1. ABBA "Dancing Queen"

RYAN: Love It! (side note: but then again, I love all Abba.)

There were some glaring omissions, I think. Andrew Sullivan noted that "Left To My Own Devices" by Pet Shop Boys was not on the list, and I would have to agree that it should have made it.

By the way, love it.

Another guilty pleasure of mine that, to me, smacks of something that should have been on this list is Laura Branigan's "Gloria," which is one of my all-time favorite 1980s songs.

However, all in all, my taste is still all over the place relative to this list. I had 18 Love It!s, 8 Hate It's, 10 Whateva!s and 14 Huh?s.

Where do you fall on this list?

Well, kids, we have our Top 12.

That sentence in and of itself is recognizable to any student of 21st Century pop culture. It means the American Idol final group is set.

However, Danny Noriega will not be part of that group.

Boo, hiss. By a mile, he was one of the most interesting contestants the show has ever produced. Admittedly, his flamboyance made him particularly fascinating for television. However, truth be told, he was smack in the middle of one of the more talented groups of Idol dudes the show has produced in seven seasons.

His recently discovered YouTube video, however, did him no favors:

That's right, Noriega said he hopes that Santa comes to rape your mother. Ah, the words little boys will say publicly for millions to see. It's absolutely a lesson for future budding stars; never miss an opportunity to shut up.

Again though, personally, in my warped view of the universe, it made him all the more interesting. Like you might never know what he would say or do on live television.

Also gone tonight are Luke Menard, Kady Malloy and Asia'h Epperson.

While the elimination of Menard and Malloy were no surprise, Epperson's dismissal was a relative shock, given that Amanda Overmyer and Kristi Lee Cook earned spots in the Top 12. However, unlike Noriega, Epperson never really connected with any niche of Idol voter.

And like during a political election, there are various sects of Idol blocs. There are the teenyboppers, made up of tween and teen girls.

There are the musicians, who either go for pure vocal talent or musical intrigue, particularly if they know a singer can play an instrument or write songs.

There are the stylists, those who judge contestants basically on look-and-feel.

There is the country niche, the rock niche and the soul niche -- and, often these blocs get divided when more than one singer fits the bill. In Season 3, the soul niche got eaten alive when Jennifer Hudson, LaToya London and Fantasia all made the Final 7.

Speaking of which, once we pass the Top 12, there are a few more demarcations by which Idol fans judge contestant success. First, there is the Top 10, which is the cut-off line for joining the Idol tour.

The Top 7 is what I like to call the Hudson Line. Essentially, it's the lowest place one can finish and still become a huge success, as evidenced by Jennifer Hudson.

The Top 6, I believe, get to participate in Idol Gives Back, the show's now annual telethon to raise money for global poverty.

The Top 4 is the spot where, more often than not, the shocker of the season happens. Tamyra Gray in Season 1, LaToya London in Season 3 and Chris Daughtry in Season 5 all got booted in this week, stunning millions.

The Top 3 get to sing for Clive Davis, the legendary record producer. And to get to do that is like an audition unto itself, bigger than almost anything the show can render because to catch his ear is to bypass the need for a spot in the finale. Elliot Yamin is a perfect example of this, having impressed Davis so much that his future was in tact the minute he was eliminated.

Of course, the Top 2 means you're in the finale, and Idol fans can recite the twosomes from all seasons. Kelly and Justin. Ruben and Clay. Fantasia and Diana. Carrie and Bo. Taylor and Katharine. Jordin and Blake.

So, here is my official prediction for American Idol, Season 7, as to where this year's Top 12 will finish. I'll offer reasons why. I'll offer comparisons to past contestants. And I'll offer my thoughts on their chances for future success.

Each week, I'll rank them again, but based on weekly performance as opposed to this one-time overview. Post your Top 12 in the comments below.

American Idol Top 12 Official Predictions:

No. 12: Kristy Lee Cook. If she were to be more appealing to the country voting bloc, she could cruise. And if she makes her performances more twangy, she might. However, this former Arista Nashville signee just doesn't have much charisma.

Reminds me of: Nobody in particular, and this isn't a positive.

Chance of success outside of Idol: Oddly enough, I think she has an extraordinary chance in country music, with the right writers and producers. Country music has proven they can make a star out of any Idol.

***

No. 11: Chikeze Eze. When he sings the right song, his voice is terrific, but he's very hit and miss. And he suffers from a major charisma deficiency, just like Cook.

Reminds me of: Charles Grigsby from Season 2.

Chance of success outside of Idol: None. He has to win.

***

No. 10: Michael Johns. This might surprise you, but while the Aussie expatriate has plenty of charisma, his vocals aren't that good. Every time he sings Simple Minds and Randy Jackson refers to how the late, great Michael Hutchence sang it (he didn't) proves to me that Johns isn't connecting with anything the typical music lover would be interested in.

Reminds me of: Matt Rogers from Season 3 and Chris Sleigh from Season 6.

Chance of success outside of Idol: His best shot isn't in music. It's in television or modeling.

***

No. 9: Syesha Mercado. Again, this one might be a surprise, but to those of us who have worked as musicians for years and years, she's not that great a singer. Her insistence on singing songs done by the greats will end her run sooner rather than later.

Reminds me of: Nadia Turner from Season 4 but only because of the hair.

Chance of success outside of Idol: Tremendous potential, actually, but not in music. She is a shoo-in to be a television host somewhere.

***

No. 8: Amanda Overmyer. By this point in the competition, the rockin' nurse will have overstayed her welcome. We will all be glad to see her go; however, the blues bar rock bloc might keep her around like they did when Nikki McKibben vaulted to the Top 3 in Season 1.

Reminds me of: McKibben and a bit of Jessica Sierra from a couple years ago.

Chance of success outside of Idol: None. She has to win.

***

No. 7: David Hernandez. Personally, I think Hernandez is at least worthy of the Top 4, vocally. However, he has a big, theatrical style, one that turned off voters in Season 3 when they voted out Hudson. Unless he earns passes from voters for some brilliant early performances, he could be a mild elimination shocker at the 7-spot.

Reminds me of: Sam Harris. Not as good, but he's got the potential. Yes, I know Harris was never an Idol contestant, so I might say Elliot Yamin in that he can really, really sing when he's on point.

Chance of success outside of Idol: Right now, wonderful. TMZ reported Thursday that industry publishers have already started commissioning songs for him and David Archuleta, noting that most writers are not interested in anyone else. This is a good sign for the former gay club stripper.

***

No. 6: Jason Castro. This guy is not my cup of tea, musically. However, he appeals to many in his originality, both musically and in terms of personality. He has a kind, hippie type of vibe about him, and he sings like an indie-pop act.

Reminds me of: Chris Richardson from Season 6 in that he has a high voice and was very hit and miss.

Chance of success outside of Idol: Fair. I think he could spend the rest of his days without a real job, just working in music. However, I'm not sure he'll ever be as famous as he is today.

***

No. 5: Brooke White. White is much more aligned with what I like musically. Acoustic. She plays the guitar. She's sort of folkie. However, is she a serious act, or is she a church camp worship leader? I can't really tell, and think eventually -- without continued A-plus performances -- she'll wear down. Plus, that she would be one of four white people left and two Mormons remaining in the competition at this point will divide votes.

Reminds me of: Nobody. I think she's an original, at least for this show.

Chance of success outside of Idol: Not bad. For her type of music, she could branch out on her own rather easily. However, her writing will have to be super strong to build any momentum among folk or indie-pop fans, who value composition strongly.

***

No. 4: Carly Smithson. This would be your seasonal shocker. More than likely, Carly will have three or four performances that leave Idol fans speechless. And, I think her elimination will, too. But it happens every year.

Reminds me of: LaToya London in that she's married and is a bit blase. And that she'll be eliminated here.

Chance of success outside of Idol: Not good. After MCA blew $2.5 million on Carly back in 2001, other record companies will likely pass. She will have to go at music on her own, and while it's possible she could develop a devoted fan base, it's not likely without "corporate sponsorship."

***

No. 3: Ramiele Malubay. I think she's a sleeper because her voice is good. She's completely unoffensive. She's the little cutie who can, and it served Diana DeGarmo and Jasmine Trias very well in seasons past.

Reminds me of: Jasmine Trias, totally.

Chance of success outside of Idol: Wonderful, but not in America. She'll be a million-seller in the Phillipines, Polynesia, etc., just like Trias is. Trust me, she'll be huge in parts of the world most kids can't identify on a map.

***

No. 2: David Cook. This is a hunch. I suspect there is a new voting bloc for Season 7, and it's called the Chris Daughtry Revenge Voter. Cook did enough with Lionel Richie's "Hello" last night, playing a loud rock guitar, to convince me he will appeal to the adult contemporary rock crowd, the folks who liked Daughtry in the first place back in 2006. He will have to be consistent though.

Reminds me of: Chris Daughtry, sort of.

Chance of success outside of Idol: Because of Daughtry, I definitely believe some label will take a gamble with the Tulsa native.

***

No. 1: David Archuleta. If you have read nothing up to this point, please pay attention right now. In Season 4, based on articles written after the fact, Carrie Underwood became the most dominant winner of American Idol ever, perhaps not finishing out of the Top 2 each and every week of the season.

Carrie dominated the country voter. She dominated the tween and teenybopper voter, and Simon Cowell ordained her as the future champ about four weeks into the finals process. If one looks at the fan base she had and the one that Archuleta has developed, a similar scenario awaits.

No, Archuleta won't dominate the country voter. However, with the likely absence of a country presence should Cook go early, he will dominate the wholesome, family-values crowd. He will annihilate the tween and teenybopper voter unlike anybody in this show's history. And he will win Idol comfortably.

The big difference between Season 4 and Season 7 is that Idol fans can visit sites like DialIdol.com to see how contestants generally fare in terms of votes. It's not perfect, but it's fairly accurate as far as the site's track record for predicting eliminations.

Furthermore, if fans believe he is dominating things, given his over-the-top cutesiness, there is likely to be a pop culture backlash -- a sort of schadenfreude that envelopes the kid, with people across the country hoping for him to stumble.

And because he's so young, relative to his competition, this is a possibility. However, Archuleta is sickeningly savvy for somebody his age, and I suspect he takes everything Simon Cowell says to heart because not for one minute do I think this kid has any intention of coming in second.

Sure, none of them intend on losing. However, the boy has been bred to be a machine, and Cowell will guide him like Obi-Wan Kenobi did Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars." At this point, the show's producers intend for him to win, and the people at 19 Entertainment have already started preparing for his coronation.

Too soon? Hell, yes, it's too soon. There's a lot of ball to be played between now and the end of May.

However, there are only a handful of singers who can beat him: Cook, Smithson, White and -- with an outside chance -- Hernandez. I assure you; everybody else is a pretender relative to winning the Idol title. Total pretender.

Likewise, I assure you that how the Top 12 fall has less to do with talent and performance than it does with how people have already aligned themselves in terms of fanship. Like in a presidential election, the candidate who raises the most money and who has the most people on the ground working for him or her the earliest usually develops insurmountable momentum.

Think Hillary or Barack.

And Archuleta is the Barack Obama of this competition. It's totally his to lose.

At the start of the American Idol season, I was interviewed by USA Today about the ratings for Season 6, why the talent wasn't as good as in Season 5 and what needs to happen for Season 7.

I said and preached and proclaimed and cried from the mountaintop that it was imperative for this crop of singers to either be significantly better vocally or at least significantly more interesting.

We fans have definitely scored on the latter.

And we might have a score on the former.

Season 7's Top 12 will likely be the most interesting group of 12 the show has ever produced. A casting director could not possibly have dreamed up a better group.

The problem is: We don't know who's in that Top 12 just yet. For my proclamation to become reality, though, a handful of Idols must be in this final dozen.

1. David Archuleta. This is a no-brainer, and there are no worries. He's in. He's the kid. The prodigy. The aww-shucks guy. The overwhelming favorite to win. He licks his lips strangely. He closes his eyes, and Michael Jackson weeps.

2. Brooke White. Again, this is a no-brainer. Brooke has gotten better artistically each week, this time singing an acoustic version of Pat Benatar's "Love Is A Battlefield." She's the folkie. She's a musician. She's a serious sleeper. She looks like she's 40.

3. David Cook. I wasn't sold until Tuesday night, but his emo version of Lionel Richie's "Hello" was by a mile the rockin-est thing on the show this season. It was like Radiohead made an appearance. He's not Daughtry. He's more like the love child of Ryan Adams and FallOut Boy. He's from Oklahoma.

4. Carly Smithson. She's good but I'm not hearing the greatness. Nevertheless, the Irish girl is interesting. If Melinda Doolittle and her weird smile could blow 'em away in 2007, then Smithson and hers could do the same this year. She's the female favorite. She's the second chance. She's a shoo-in for the Final 5. But she's probably your shocker at No. 4.

5. Danny Noriega. Call me crazy, but I think this kid might be the most fascinating contestant the show has ever had. More fascinating than Sanjaya and 30 times the voice. He has a great voice potentially, but he's got no control or vocal discipline. On the other hand, he's swishy, confident and underage. It's highly creepy, but should he get into the Top 12, I think a path toward stardom is in the cards for this kid whether he wins or not. And, he won't win. And, he's TMTH. And, he simply must be in the Top 12. Ish.

6. Jason Castro. Personally, I'm not a fan of this guy musically. However, there is something appealing about this kid. Given that he plays the guitar, wears dreads and sings Jeff Buckley, there's a place at the industry table for the Texas native. Let's put it this way: His upside is much bigger than most of the other singers. Whether we ever see that upside is a whole other conversation. He's like Anwar but more commercial. He's like Anwar but not as talented vocally. He's like Anwar in that he won't win. But he needs to be in the Top 12.

7. David Hernandez. A colleague and I discussed this today. Relative to music we listen to, this cat might be the most up our collective alley. The Arizona native is soulful, centered in pop and at times theatric. He's the "controversial" gay club stripper. But he's an underrated voice so far this season. I think both he and Noriega should channel Sam Harris, if they can. And he should be in the Top 12.

8. Ramiele Malubay. I've referred to her as "The Muppet" for a few weeks now, but she's growing on me aesthetically. Unfortunately for her, I loathed Jasmine Trias from Season 3. Fortunately for her, she has more of a soulful voice. She's got a big voice. She's a small girl, teeny-tiny in fact. She would look quite natural beside David Archuleta in the finale. It's not a prediction; I'm just saying. They're small'ns.

Not one of the rest of the bunch does a thing for me. And this show has not been about music, for me, for a long, long time. If it were, I would have already declared Archuleta as the de facto winner and quit watching last week.

However, this is supposed to be an entertainment show. To that end, it's the water-cooler show of a generation. American Idol in one week this season, not even a big week, drew more than 90 percent of the viewership of the Academy Awards.

People don't watch this each week because of music; I promise you. You're beyond crazy if you even remotely think that. The critics don't get this show because it has less to do with music than bowling does with bowling. (Bowling is about beer.)

People watch this show because their peers watch it. And they talk about it at work. And they talk about it at lunch. And it's talked about on the news. And on Web sites. And on the radio. It transcends television into this thing that's parallel to events like the Oscars. Like March Madness. Like the Super Bowl.

So, at this stage, I'm not rooting for the best singers. I'm pulling for the best possible cast and that eventually, down the road, the best singer possible emerges from the pack.

And in the interest of casting, those eight simply must be in the Top 12.

Yes, I am of warped mind. No, I don't think this video is "brilliant," as I often label things I like.

However, this shows a ton of potential, and I do think it's funny and pretty well done. All in all, it's got a good beat and is easy to dance to.

Plus, love the use of "Kashmir" at the end of the clip. Bad ass. Love "Kashmir."

Enjoy "Game" from featured YouTube videographer Nathan Fielder.

Revelation that American Idol contestant David Hernandez worked as a stripper at a nude club for men caused a shimmy, a shake -- but as of yet no earthquake.

Appropriately, Hernandez sang Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back To Me Now," but there was no mention made by Randy, Paula or the one and only Simon Cowell about Tuesday's news that Hernandez worked at Dick's Cabaret in Phoenix.

Why? As I've written many times, Idol execs eat this stuff up, and the very same revelation that got Frenchie Davis booted from Season 2 wouldn't likely be given a second thought in Season 7. Not to say that the situations are the same.

Even if it were just showing off her hooters, Davis technically participated in porn, and I think pornography holds a lower place in the minds of show execs than a little bump-n-grind. While Hernandez might have done his routine in the buff, nobody is aware of pics or videos just yet -- items that could seal his doom, even on the growingly permissive talent show competition deluxe.

However, Idol executive producer Ken Warwick said the show has featured strippers in past seasons (Ruben Studdard? Kidding.), so it wouldn't be exactly fair to boot Hernandez at this juncture.

Truth be told, there is no guarantee after Tuesday night that Hernandez will be around for the Final 12. He was solid, but the judges were enamored by almost all the singers, and the race to the bottom will be close among every boy except one: David Archuleta.

Archuleta is again dominating DialIdol results late Tuesday, even though his performance of Phil Collins' "Another Day In Paradise" got mixed reviews.

Nevertheless, the buzz of the show right now is Hernandez.

Like it or not -- and I've underscored this point a billion times -- news like this is no longer career-killing information. It is career-boosting.

If I were to start a side gig as a male stripper, I would not only be laughed out of the cabaret, I would lose my day gig. It's a standards thing, and it would not be a career booster for me.

But for artists, it provides an edge. It makes a nobody interesting. It makes them viewership-attractive for television executives because they know folks will be curious. And for that reason alone I could hope that Hernandez gets a spot in the Top 12. He's now interesting.

However, fact is, the guy's got a good voice, definitely one of the best six males. And Idol is a singing competition, right?

Yep. However, the reality of the entertainment business is that people-as-commodities garner worth based on buzz. And so this bit of news bodes well for David Hernandez. It bodes well for American Idol.

Hell, it bodes well for Dick's Cabaret.

This is another original, although I took a liberty in the middle of the song to sing the first verse of one of my favorite R&B songs of all time: DeBarge's "I Like It."

I thought it sort of fit with the maniacal theme of the song, anyway.

Lyrically, I didn't spend a ton of time with this one because the first two lines of the chorus have been with me since I was like 22. They weren't going away.

So, I thought, how can I build something around that?

Anyway, video first with lyrics and notes below.

"Gettin' Over Me"
by Ryan Welton, 2008

Chorus:
What you gonna do about gettin' over me?
Oh, Christina
Hookin' up with me brings a lifetime guarantee
Oh, that when you be dreamin'
schemin', another heart that you be stealin'
Ain't no gettin' over me

Verse 1:
See, when you be walkin'
Look, there I am
Hell no, I ain't stalkin'
It's who I am
I'm on your mind like sunshine meets the rainbow
Like a baller needs a free throw
It's the reason that I wrote this jam

Chorus:
What you gonna do about gettin' over me?
Oh, Christina
Hookin' up with me brings a lifetime guarantee
Oh, that when you be dreamin'
schemin', another heart that you be stealin'
Ain't no gettin' over me

Bridge:
Well, I'm wavin' when you walk by
I'm begging you to reply, honey
It's not that I'm gon' taunt you
But my love is gonna haunt you

Verse 2 (via DeBarge)
I've been thinkin'
'bout you for quite a while
You're on my mind everyday and every night
My every thought is you, the things you do
Seems so satisfying to me,
I must confess it, girl

Side chorus (via DeBarge):
Ooh...and I like it
I like it
I like it
I like it

Repeat chorus.

Do the bridge without words one time because you're worn out.

Repeat chorus.

Get on with yo' bad self.

This is a look at my Top 10 songs for the week ending March 3, which is of course off considering weeks don't end on Monday.

No. 10: Jeff Healey Band, "Confidence Man"

Last Week: N/A

Everything I've ever heard about this guy is that he was one of the nicest musicians around. He died over the weekend at the age of 41, but little did he know that I've been on a blues kick of late. This tune was one of his best.

***

No. 9: One Republic, "Stop and Stare"

Last Week: N/A

I would have bet money that One Republic's second single would suck. I would have lost. This is a good track, proving they can exist without Timbaland. In fact, dare I say this is one of the best new tunes of the year.

***

No. 8: Linkin Park, "Shadow Of The Day"

Last Week: 8

This song will be on this list for the foreseeable future.

***

No. 7: Ray J w/Yung Berg, "Sexy Can I"

Last Week: 6

I really, really thought this would have gotten more airplay than it has. Gut hunch: This single has about two weeks left in it to get fire hot.

***

No. 6: Jordin Sparks w/Chris Brown, "No Air"

Last Week: 7

Unlike Ray J, Jordin Sparks and Rihanna's new boyfriend, Chris Brown, have gotten radio play this week. While I am not ready to declare Sparks an Idol success just yet, there are a number of critics who are this close to eating their proclamations from May 2007 when Jordin won Season 6.

So far, her music trajectory -- chartwise -- is on par with Kelly Clarkson's, which could make Sparks Idol's fourth massive success, after Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Chris Daughtry.

***

No. 5: Erykah Badu, "Honey"

Last Week: N/A

Dallas, Texas, in the house ... Best R&B song of 2008. Bar none.

***

No. 4: Sara Bareilles, "Love Song"

Last Week: N/A

Bareilles has no formal training, but guess what: Neither do I. When you got it, you got it -- and this woman has it.

***

No. 3: Rascal Flatts, "Winner At A Losing Game"

Last Week: 1

Like I've said for weeks now, this is a song gone big from the wrong era. This should have been a hit in 1982. Great song.

***

No. 2: Sean Kingston, "Take You There"

Last Week: 5

One of the best produced pop songs of the past five years, this radio smash is sticky, gooey and rich. Too much could make you sick, but there is no chance only one listen will do.

***

No. 1: Maroon 5, "Wake Up Call"

Last Week: 3

These guys aren't merely a catchy pop, soul, funk band stuck in the wrong era. This is a band that produces the best pop music of a generation. The best grooves. The best melodies. The best lyrics, and I mean really terrific lyrics. This one is an early candidate for 2008 Song of the Year honors.

Sometimes artistic talent can never overcome pop culture worth.

Take the death of Jeff Healey, 41, who has died of the very cancer that robbed him of his sight as a baby. Even though a rare eye cancer left him blind, the dude could play a mean guitar, kind of a slide guitar (I think) he'd play on his lap.

What you might not have known about Healey is that his first musical love was jazz, and at the time of his death, he was hosting a jazz radio show and sitting in with various jazz bands, including his own. Believe it or not, the guy played the trumpet and clarinet, also.

Talented, talented guy.

However, the minute I heard of his passing, I immediately thought of one of my favorite guilty-pleasure movies of all time, "Roadhouse," the Patrick Swayze movie about a bouncer who cleans up a roadside bar in the middle of BFE.

A hall-of-fame cinematic classic, "Roadhouse" featured a young Healey playing the blues behind some chickenwire. Done just after the time he hit it big with "Angel Eyes" and "Confidence Man," both from the CD, See The Light, the movie was at least partly inspired by Healey's life.

It was weird. The character he played was blind, could play the guitar like a master and could duck beer bottles all at the same time. Every guy will think of this movie when they hear of Healey's death.

Not a bad fate. Not a bad fate.

Here's one of my favorite scenes from the movie, one in which you can hear Healey's band playing in the background.

One of my favorite pastimes is to discover new music and new food. And I got to do both this weekend.

Seriously. If you like catfish and have never been to the Catfish Roundup in Prague, Okla., then you must go. You'll have to wait until March 4 because a sign there indicated that the entire restaurant would be attending a funeral Monday and that it would be closed all day.

Brutha, I ordered two fried catfish plates, and they hooked me up with a feast that included mashed potatoes and white gravy, cole slaw, hush puppies, rolls and apple fritters.

It was one of the best meals I have ever had in the history of ever. Ever.

But on the way to the restaurant, which is located at Exit 200 along Interstate 40 at the Prague and Seminole exit, I killed some time in the car by listening to OU's radio station, KGOU.

Every Saturday and Sunday, they play four hours of the blues. They call it "Weekend Blues," and it's hosted by a cat named Hardluck Jim. They even post their playlists after each show, and if you have an account with Rhapsody, Napster, etc., you can check these singers and bands out for yourself.

Takes no work. No effort. Just bookmark the playlists and check back periodically.

Now, typically, I am not a blues aficionado. I played in a blues band for a few years, but I'm not that well versed in modern blues music, the bands, the songs, etc. But they played a tune that blew me away.

It was from the Ken Saydak Band, and the tune is called "I Got You So Bad." What I loved about it was that it had a great groove and pop sensibility, musically. It was also kind of piano oriented, too, which is no surprise since Saydak is a pianist.

I looked up Saydak tonight on the ol' Interweb, and he doesn't have any YouTube videos. Disappointing. Surely, somebody comes to his gigs with a camera. Post!

Alas, good music and good food made for a kick-ass weekend.

And that KGOU show is one of Norman's musical gems. It's a damned shamed I haven't listened to it more.

We don't even have our Top 12 yet, and already there is word of cattiness among the American Idol select.

Word from TMZ is that some of the girls have singled out Syesha Mercado for barbs, referring to her as "nappy-headed." Of course, that cost Don Imus his radio gig a year or so ago.

I presume that some of the girls feel threatened by her? They shouldn't. They should feel threatened by Brooke White, who I think will become very popular over the next three to four weeks. Mercado's only saving grace commercially is that she looks good and that I suspect she'd be a fair actress, perhaps.

She is NOT winning American Idol though.

What is not surprising whatsoever is that the guys have reportedly started to gang up on 17-year-old David Archuleta. Not sure if that means they take his lunch money or if they brutally beat him with soap while he sleeps.

However, this is a browbeat well deserved because that kid is week-by-week sending them all back to obscurity.

Perhaps the impetus for alot of the cattiness was Archuleta's tears during Thursday night's elimination show. When Alexandrea Lushington was eliminated, Archuleta was on the verge of being distraught.

When Lushington finished her song, she literally ran over and hugged him, producing an "aww" moment for 33 million people -- and it will do nothing but help the kid build an already devastatingly big fanbase. However, a bit of context here for those who don't know.

Alexandrea was the one singer David knew beyond this show.

They performed together in the junior division of Star Search back in 2003-04. When it was learned that Alexandrea was in the competition, Lushington's dad reintroduced the teens, and they hit it off ever since.

In an interview with MTV.com, Lushington talked about Archuleta's growing popularity:

It's the girls, trust me. I remember telling him from the beginning, "You're going to be a huge chick magnet." He is a phenomenal singer, and he's going to do great. It was so funny, because we were getting picked up form the airport and he was sitting next to us, and my dad said, "Isn't that that kid who was on 'Star Search' with you? Was his name David?" I looked over and was like, "I don't know!" because he looked different. My dad asked him and said, "Do you remember her? She was on 'Star Search' with you. She sang 'My Funny Valentine.' '' And he was like, "Oh my God!" ... From then on, we were just really close.

Of David getting upset when she was eliminated, she told MTV:

I probably would have been the same way if he would have left. It was kind of weird, because I've never seen him that emotional before. It's always sad to see someone that you're close to leave.

From a critical perspective, America absolutely, positively got it wrong last week in sending Lushington, Alaina Whitaker and Robbie Carrico home. On one hand, eliminating these singers makes it a tad easier for some of the favorites, at least I think.

But to be fair, there is something very, very commercial about Lushington. Her voice is good enough, but she comes off much more as a TV star than a singer, like she ought to have her own Nickolodeon show.

Whitaker is a prime example of somebody attempting this show way too early. The Tulsa native should have waited until she was 20 or 21 and grew into her voice and her body a bit better. Shame, too. Simon Cowell referred to her as a dark horse for a reason. She's a talented kid.

And while Carrico wasn't and isn't my cup of tea (my hair is real), he has a good voice. Better than Luke Menard for damned sure. His primary failure was in staying true to himself. Carrico could say he was a rocker all he wanted to, but it would be the same as me telling the world I'm really a girl.

First, it ain't true. Second, trying to make people believe it is futile.

On the other hand, speaking of girls, I still say folks should watch out for Danny Noriega.

But for those of you who didn't catch the first "aww" moment of Season 7, here it is. You might want to skip to the part where Lushington is eliminated.