(no subject)

So it looks as though come mid-August, we'll be heading off for a week's vacation (though we won't be leaving either of our sons behind, let alone with the keys to our brand-new Porsche*). We're just in the process of deciding where, exactly, we want to go. I'd originally thought of going up to Northland Bible Camp, a mere ten-hour drive into the wilderness of northern Ontario, but their family camps are in July so that was a no-go. Now we're looking a good deal closer to home, and at somewhat less rustic surroundings. Which is probably not a bad idea when the kids are still so young.

Trying to find info on the various camps made me realize how few of these places have web sites at all, let alone really useful ones. More and more I'm coming across places that either have no web presence, or small and crummy websites they don't have time to update. If I were in a position to start my own home business in earnest, I would be calling up these people and volunteering my services. As it is, however, I just sigh and move on. Maybe in a couple of years...
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*Apologies for this lame very-early-in-Will-Smith's-career joke.

My sad, sad new obsession

I only ever meant to watch the first episode. I was sure it would be good for laughs, just because it was bound to be incredibly lame.

But to my astonishment, the first episode was actually good. Had to be a fluke, right? So I watched the next week. And that... well, it had a couple of stupid bits, but it really wasn't that bad either. And now, as of this fourth episode, I have to confess that I am officially addicted.

Yes, you heard me right, I love Canadian Idol.

It was the judges that sold me. I got so used to the American Idol judges being irrelevant bits of plastic that I expected the CI judges would be even worse. But Zach, Sass, Farley and Jake are actual human beings with genuine personalities and opinions, and none of them are mere clones or even imitators of their AI equivalents. I honestly like all four of them, and I also think that in most cases they really know what they're talking about, which is more than I could say for the American trio.

Another thing I like about CI is that image is not the biggest factor. A good number of odd-shaped, funny-looking, weirdly behaved people made it in to the Top 45 tonight; some of them were still in the Top 30 by the end of the show. Because they had heart, and they had proven singing ability, and that was really what the judges were looking for.

Right now, the contestants I'm really keeping an eye on:

Mikey, who wants to break the Asian barrier in the North American music industry. He might just do it, too, because he has one of the most beautiful and resonant voices I've ever heard.

Tyler, who is a nice clean-cut young man with a fine singing voice, but primarily I'm rooting for him because my brother taught him English in high school this past year, and says he's a really decent guy.

BeBe, a girl with two-toned hair and a throaty singing voice that I quite like.

Apparently, though, one of the Top 30 has just been disqualified. So I'm off to try and find out who, and why...

ETA: I forgot to quote my favorite line from this last episode. Farley, commenting on the performance of a contestant he liked but another judge wanted to cut from the roster:

"He didn't choke, he just had excessive flavour."

Hee! Excessive flavour! I think that's going to be my new catch-phrase.